Slitherine

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during one of the battles at Ligny, during which I charged a routed 800-strong Landwehr battalion with two detached squadrons of hussars (300 sabres), and got slaugtered (125 hussars lost vs. 25 killed Landwehr)

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ORIGINAL: Rhetor

Yet another of my ideas:

Would it not be a good idea to incorporate the skirmisher system from Civil War BGs to Napoleonic BGs? It would really limit the number of units on the map, if most of skirmisher screens were simulated in the same way as it is done in Civil War BGs. Such screen could even be somehow shown in 3d-view.
I am not advising removal of detachable light companies, yet it might be better if such possibility was restricted to light/guard units only.

Another option would be very welcome - the possibility to deploy whole light battalion into a skirmish formation, and then reunite it into a formed battalion.

As far as the infantry formations are concerned, I think it would be realistic to introduce another type of column - assault column. If that is not possible or practicable, maybe the graphical representation of a column should be changed into what an assault column really looked like.

Melees & morale are another issue. In current BGs it is almost useless trying to melee a stronger formation, even if the attacking unit is not disorganized, fresh and elite. The most notorious ecxample happened to me during one of the battles at Ligny, during which I charged a routed 800-strong Landwehr battalion with two detached squadrons of hussars (300 sabres), and got slaugtered (125 hussars lost vs. 25 killed Landwehr). I really don't have to convince anybody that melees in the napoleonic era (and not only then) were all about morale.

I have to say I know almost nothing about program codes. I don't know if it is possible to introduce the suggestions I have given. Yet, remembering the fun I have had with those games, I am eager to see it improved.

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The BG Civil War skirmisher system is really only designed to allow you to have some recon of an extended distance of wooded terrain. Very useful in Shiloh, for example, but not a principal way of fighting battles. In the Napoleonic titles, detached skirmishers ARE often the battle. I find it a bit tedious, personally, but there is no denying the importance of skirmishers in Napoleonic warfare. The American Civil War just isn't the same situation IMHO.

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ORIGINAL: Rhetor

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The BG Civil War skirmisher system is really only designed to allow you to have some recon of an extended distance of wooded terrain. Very useful in Shiloh, for example, but not a principal way of fighting battles. In the Napoleonic titles, detached skirmishers ARE often the battle. I find it a bit tedious, personally, but there is no denying the importance of skirmishers in Napoleonic warfare. The American Civil War just isn't the same situation IMHO.

Of course. I have not proposed that independent skirmishers should be totally removed. I am proposing that skirmisher screen in front of a column (in case of French battalions, its voltigeur company) should be permanently linked with the battalion, in order to limit the number of units the player has to control manually. All the bonuses of skirmisher screen should be retained.

Maybe it would be better if the players were given a choice whether their company is used to screen the formed infantry (in that case its movement would be linked with the movement of the battalion), or is detached from the battalion to perform some other task (in that case it would work as usual, with an independent skirmisher unit appearing on the map.)

I find it really annoying having to direct every single company, even though most of them are used only to screen the formed infantry. When those companies become routed, it becomes very difficult finding them and bringing them back to their battalions. The larger the battle, the more cliking one has to do in order to control his troops.

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ORIGINAL: Rhetor

As far as the infantry formations are concerned, I think it would be realistic to introduce another type of column - assault column. If that is not possible or practicable, maybe the graphical representation of a column should be changed into what an assault column really looked like.