New here

[british exil]

Hi all.
New here. Just been playing for a few days now and starting to grasp the game. Used to playing IGOUGO games, got to change my thinking.
Quite a few steps to take before I really get a hang of the game. I'm playing as the US as it is a little easier than CSA.

Being from the other side of the globe, I don't really have that much info on the civil war. Only know a few of the generals, from history books or other games 2nd Manassas or Gettysburg. Can anyone tell which books I should read to get a basic understanding of who was who?

Also how should I build my Divisions? What kind of Regiments should I include in a Division?

And also with what weapons should I arm my troops? When should I upgrade my units?


Would be great to hear a few comments to help me increase the fun of playing a new game.

Thanks in advance

Mat

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: british exil

Also how should I build my Divisions? What kind of Regiments should I include in a Division?

I tend to build my DIVs as pure cav/inf divs, if I get my hands on some union arty, those brigades will go into a inf div, I will then try to assign only leaders with some cav skill into my cav div's.

And also with what weapons should I arm my troops? When should I upgrade my units?

I tend to buy napoleons for my arty brigades, imp springfield for my inf, and nothing but spencers (when available, breechloading before that) for my cav. A cav brigade with dragoon tactics and spencers will tear a hole in any line.

However imo there is no "right way" to play the game, try experimenting and see what works for you [:)]

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: british exil

... Only know a few of the generals, from history books or other games 2nd Manassas or Gettysburg. Can anyone tell which books I should read to get a basic understanding of who was who?

Until you know "who is who," you can go into the pref/options and select to see the ratings of the various generals, which makes it easier to decide on whom to promote. BTW, I have TC2M too.

ORIGINAL: british exil
... And also with what weapons should I arm my troops? When should I upgrade my units?

I like rifles when I can get sharpshooters, but realize that on the higher levels of FoF, the more you arm/upgrade your troops, the more it costs to field them.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: british exil

Hi all.
New here. Just been playing for a few days now and starting to grasp the game. Used to playing IGOUGO games, got to change my thinking.
Quite a few steps to take before I really get a hang of the game. I'm playing as the US as it is a little easier than CSA.

Being from the other side of the globe, I don't really have that much info on the civil war. Only know a few of the generals, from history books or other games 2nd Manassas or Gettysburg. Can anyone tell which books I should read to get a basic understanding of who was who?

Also how should I build my Divisions? What kind of Regiments should I include in a Division?

And also with what weapons should I arm my troops? When should I upgrade my units?


Would be great to hear a few comments to help me increase the fun of playing a new game.

Thanks in advance

Mat

Mat,
Thanks for your post. Regarding Civil War books, the one volume that people tend to recommend is "Battle Cry of Freedom," for which there are both illustrated (= maps?) and unillustrated editions available to you on Amazon.de. To learn about the battles, though not so much the people involved, "The Civil War Battlefield Guide" is an excellent publication. You should also, of course, look at the 250 in-game bios of generals that we provide, which will tell you the essentials and give you an excellent feel for the different types of men who ended up commanding at the level of brigadier general or higher.

As for weapons, one piece of advice is that you want to give your best and most expensive weapons to your best units -- not only because they'll do more damage, but because if you lose a battle there's less of a chance that they'll drop their weapons while fleeing. It's really annoying when you are playing the South and you spend some of what little money you have on Lorenzes for a brigade, and the brigade then loses them. (This feature, by the way, models historical reality: the South got a lot of its weapons and ammo by picking up what the Yankees had dropped or left behind.)

[MilRevKo]

Books! We don't need no stinking books! (said in a heavy Mexican accent...)

As recommended before McPherson is a good start but I would go straight to Shelby Foote.

Guns:

Try to get muskets to everyone and then give the higher rated guns to the more experienced troop. If you loose a battle some troops will throw down their weapons and run away...
--
Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Son of Jorg]

The Shelby Foote Trilogy is an excellent series about the American Civil War.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: british exil

... Being from the other side of the globe, I don't really have that much info on the civil war.

Don't feel too bad because many students on this side of the globe don't know much re the CW either.

In a recent survey, only 43% of US teenagers knew the CW was fought sometime between 1850-1900; apparently the researchers didn't even try for the actual dates of 1861-65.

The conclusion: most Americans get their US history from Hollywood; perhaps all future history classes should come w/buttered popcorn?

[GShock]

I have just finished reading the illustrated version of Battle Cry of Freedom, which i bought in Cali from where i am just back. Took me 2 months to read it but it's a very deep book whose purpose is to analyze tell the overall story of the civil war from the economic, politic, social, and only slightly on the military point of view.

This TOME is omnicomprehensive and sometimes difficult to read but is worth the time so i recommend this even though i am on my way to buy Shelby's Foote too. One of the things i was left wondering about is regarding Lincoln... the man was a genius, a real hero, a lucky chap and definitely a MAN with all his feelings and weaknesses described.
Wow what a book.

I agree with Joe D and i dare add: Even adult americans know between little and nothing about the CW but that's because USA is built on immigrants rather than on the descendants of those who actually fought that war (at least as far as Cali is concerned). It's a pity...there's much to learn from the books but Hollywood seems to sell more.

After reading the book, i learned to appreciate more FoF and AACW games...and i am happy to note right now that, as the FoF manual states, the slavery issue was but one of the many many differences separating the future CSA from the future Union.

[Sal]

GShock,
You will enjoy Shelby Footes Trilogy...I am on the last book 3/4 of the way done and it gives a great insite to the people and the battles. I am a Gettysburg fan myself being from PA and visit the Battlefield a couple times a year..So I am mostly studied on that battle..But Footes Books are great for an all around knowledge of the CW...
Sal

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: GShock

... Even adult americans know between little and nothing about the CW but that's because USA is built on immigrants rather than on the descendants of those who actually fought that war (at least as far as Cali is concerned). It's a pity...

I have noticed that certain parts of this country know (some of) their history better than others. Here in New England, the Rev War is no stranger to us -- my HS is named after David Wooster -- but down South, the Civil War is kept alive by adult re-enactors, some of whom surely had family connections to that conflict; when I was stationed in Bosnia, the commander of the Miss. PAD "flew" a Stars and Bars in our office!

But this isn't being passed-down to the next generation, as shown by the school surveys.

[Kingmaker]

HiHi

Interesting the way the thread is going, the 1st guy (from Seattle) I played PBEM over at the Blitz told me "If you want to know about America ask a Canadian".

IMHO though it isn't just USA anymore it's happening here in England, all sorts of stuff our children are not being taught about their heritage lest it upset someone. The PC brigade have their teeth firmly into social engineering, with the possibility that soon English children will know more about European, Caribbean, Asian and all points East history than that of their native land.

This is of course a just retribution because of all the Nasty, mean, wicked, spiteful things that England did in the past, eg folk are falling over backwards over here to apologies for Slavery as if we invented it, FFS we were the country that finally said NO! and sent our warships out to put an end to the trade, Sheeeee.

It’s said that 'if you don't learn the lessons of History, you are destined to repeat them' ... ... Mmmmm? ... Good show maybe we can get back to thumping hell out of the French every so often.

All the Best
Peter

[Gil R.]

soon English children will know more about European, Caribbean, Asian and all points East history than that of their native land.

Hey, aren't those all places that the sun never set on? [;)]

But I hear you...

[Kingmaker]

HiHi

Yer, that was in our Nasty, mean, wicked, spiteful days when we gifted the whole wide world with ... wait for it ... Cricket!

All the Best
Peter

[decaro]

The only gift from England this small part of the "whole wide world" is waiting for is the next season of Doctor Who; God, I hope it's better than last season!