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berthier -> Historicity 1805 (10/8/2008 11:07:16 AM)
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Well having played numerous games of the short 1815 intro scenario I actually read the rules (sometimes i find it helps) and moved straight to the campaign game starting as the french in 1805.
One general observation and then some specifics. To conquer a country you need to capture the capital(s), that's it. Theoretically you could destroy every single field army and leave the capital untouched and no surrender! Now in 1809 Napoleon captured Vienna but no surrender by Austria till a couple of months later after Wagram. In 1808 Madrid fell, there was NEVER a formal Spanish surrender (who would surrender anyway with both the king and his son (also claiming to be king) in French custody?) In 1806 Berlin was occupied but Prussian surrender again came much later. So my point is then surrender rules may be a little simplistic and perhaps should factor in combat losses as well.
OK to 1805..now it's early days and maybe I've misread some stuff BUT...I seem to recall in 1805 Spain and France were allies, the Spanish being very very p...sed off about the British capture of one of their treasure fleets whilst the two countries were at peace. Trafalgar was fought between the British and combined Franco-Spanish fleet in Oct 1805 so why does the game start with the Spanish as neutral?
Secondly, the game starts with the french fleet trapped between gibralter and a British armada...they're all going to die horribly, a la Trafalgar, but without the Spaniards. What's is the point of starting the game at this stage? Not only is Napoleon's move from the channel encampments of the Grande Armee to Austria already been set in motion but Trafalgar is pre-ordained. If the game started two months earlier, the french would have strategic options aplenty - perhaps to attempt the invasion of England or do the attack on Austria or whatever. The current start position forces the loss of the fleet and the attack on Austria (you're actually in their face on the opening move). There may be reasons for this for balancing but I'd question the decision because the position of France in early 1805 is the single most fascinating position they will ever be in.
I haven't played long enough to know for sure, but it is apparent the diplomatic aspects of the game only allow you to declare war on countries..everything else is autopilot. So i'm guessing "pro-French" countries become Allies at some time determined by factors under AI control? Well that's fine and heaven knows I don't want to play diplomacy, but I do want to be able to "influence" or "coerce" countries to my bidding...so a simple panel of diplomatic actions (which may be counterproductive) and a simple scale of the "friendliness" of other nations may be handy- I'm not for a moment suggesting a full diplomatic sub-game only a little more context to my game play.
Despite these nit picking comments I am enjoying the game (as much as Guns of August which i thought was brillaint in it's depiction of a WW1 by the way) and will keep battering away to see what else shows up.
great work guys.
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