Possible to ask for help through courier?

[JiminyJickers]

Hi, I was playing a scenario and was getting a thorough whopping and seeing if I can request help through the courier.

Is this possble in single player? I send a message to the commander asking for help on my left flank but don't think anything happened. I saw lots of reinforcements sitting around doing nothing so was hoping I could get them involved.

I assume it is probably not possible but would be awesome if it actually would work.

[budd]

I've never asked another commander for help, i usually take command of the map boss and order the reserves where i need them by using the courier. i'll try the help thing next time, the courier system sure adds to the immersion.

[JiminyJickers]

Oh, I didn't know you could take command of the big commander. Yeah that is probably the only way to do it.

[Floyd]

No, you can send a courier and ask for support. I've done that and it worked, but
took some nerve-wracking long time for the troops to show up ... and hope for a
route without enemy engagement for your courier and the courier from the boss to
the brigade to support you. If you play HITS then hoping for the best is all one
can do.

[Yogi the Great]

I could be wrong, but when glancing at the rules I think I saw that the couier function only applies at the higher difficulty settings so you might want to check what setting you are on. Check your manual for explanation of what each setting does. Of course I still have a hard enough time at lower difficulty settings and probably couldn't send for enough help to save me at higher settings anyway. [;)]

[Floyd]

The preset levels can be set by custom difficulty settings, just compare the options.
Playing with couriers will give the "game" a complete new timing and one has to
think ahead to counter the enemy. At first you move the troops and, after
making first contact and shooting starts, more and more drawbacks of a
bad position are unveiled. In some battles I ended with filling gaps all over
the front, galloping around and sending couriers. That is why a reserve is
so important.

[kkomisarcik]

Your fellow commanders will try to support you under certain circumstances. They will usually, but not always come to your aid if they themselves are not engaged. They will ignore your request if you are not actually engaged. In other words, if you sight a large enemy force heading your way but have not yet made contact, they will consider you to be hysterical and go about their business.

To get help send a courier with the order "Request Support", nothing more, nothing less. I usually send it to both my superior and the officer that I want to come to my aid.

[JiminyJickers]

Ah thanks all, thats brilliant. What a game.

Yeah, we were all pretty heavily engaged I guess. It did seem like the reserves that were not doing anything were not under any officer I could send messages too. Will test it out on another scenario and see how it works properly.

[budd]

I'm playing at the Brigade and Division Level [no way i'm ready for corps/army] I try to always give orders by the courier system when my troops aren't next to the top commander. I was playing the scenario the longest charge[brigade command] and after securing the peach orchard and having my 3 of my regiments that were very tired resting in the orchard recovering, the 4th regiment was not tired and had good moral was west of the orchard in a field, not far away but not real close to the commander. Meanwhile there was some unsupported union Arty about maybe 175-200 yds from the orchard shelling the shi* out of my troops. I send a courier to the rested regiment to advance toward the artillery hoping to displace them or something, because i'm sitting there watching my casualties go up while my tired boys are trying to recover in the peach orchard. I sent 3 couriers and nothing, i finally had to TC them along toward the arty. The manual says nothing about not being able to use the courier system at any particular level, all it says is you have to use it at higher difficulty settings. Is it just one of those things that doesn't always work as intended? I really like the courier system, defiantly adds to the game. Just trying to figure out why it didn't work in this instance.

refering to above post the manual says you can send couriers to any commanders or UNITS under you.

[Yogi the Great]

ORIGINAL: **budd**

The manual says nothing about not being able to use the courier system at any particular level, all it says is you have to use it at higher difficulty settings. Is it just one of those things that doesn't always work as intended? I really like the courier system, defiantly adds to the game. Just trying to figure out why it didn't work in this instance.

refering to above post the manual says you can send couriers to any commanders or UNITS under you.

Page 43 of the manual lists that on the first three difficulty levels (Untrained, Miltia & Normal) that orders by courier at commad level are none.

Whether that applies to this particular issue you can decide or perhaps someone can explain further.

[budd]

I saw that, but i think this refers to difficulty level that has to use couriers.
from the manual.

• Orders by Courier at this Command Level and Above This sets the
bottom command level at which you are required to use couriers to send
orders to subordinates. If you are a commander below the set level, you may
still give your orders by the click-on methods explained in “How to Move”
and they will be transmitted instantly.
Display Options

So i think when it says none, it means any level can use couriers. At the higher difficulty settings certain levels of command can't point and click to move and must use couriers. At least thats how i read it.

[kkomisarcik]

You can always send orders via a courier, (by pressing the C key and using the courier menu pick lists), no matter what level couriers are set to. However, if you use the toolbar to give the orders, then the level does matter. For instance, if the courier level is set to 'Division', (historic level), then couriers will be sent out at army, corps and division levels. But brigade commanders will have their orders executed immediately. If it is set to None, (normal level and below), then all orders from everyone will be executed immediately. It also works this way for the AI by the way.

I send a courier to the rested regiment to advance toward the artillery hoping to displace them or something, because i'm sitting there watching my casualties go up while my tired boys are trying to recover in the peach orchard. I sent 3 couriers and nothing, i finally had to TC them along toward the arty.

What was their moral level? If it was Panicked or below, then they will not respond to orders. If you just gave them the order to charge, then they will not respond unless they are within 160 yd of a target. You would have to advance them to within musket range and then send another courier telling them to charge.

[budd]

The regiment i was trying to send i gave the advance forward order. The morale said "willing" and they weren't tired.They moved right away when i clicked advance.

"when its set to none the orders are executed immediately" this is when you TC the unit and give direct orders right? You can still use the courier system if you so choose...right?

[kkomisarcik]

Yes, you can always sent courier messages to units even if they are TC'd.

"when its set to none the orders are executed immediately" this is when you TC the unit and give direct orders right?

Regiments don't have stances, (attack, defend, etc.), only brigades and above have those. If you TC a brigade that had a stance of 'Probe', for example, then un-TC it, it will now have a stance of 'None'. If you do not give it a new stance, the brigade commander will give himself one after a while based on his characteristics. In my experience, it's not usually the one I'd have chosen.

Also note that the AI is very human-like. If a regiment, brigade, etc. is busy doing something, like fighting off the enemy, and you give it an order to move somewhere else, that commander will usually just put the order on his to do list. He deals with the problem at hand first, since he feels that he has a better idea of what's going on in his immediate front.

[Blaugrana]

@Budd. If you want to always use couriers, use 'Custom' difficulty and set Couriers to 'Brigade and above'. Then, when you give an order, it will be acted on immediately only if you are within shouting distance of the flag of the commander or unit you are giving order to. In all other cases, a courier will be sent.

Whether the orders are acted upon is another subject!

HTH