PC Gamer 2.13/1997-02_Disc_2.13.iso/extplay/misc/waterloo.txt

Text File | 1996-11-15 | 6KB | 106 lines

Waterloo - An experimental Napoleonic scenario for AOR.

It begins at 11:20 (can't do 11:00 exactly!) and ends after nightfall at 8:00.

Notes on using AOR in Napoleonics-

Problems:

1. The combat resolution table seems rather bloody in general.
2. Square formations are fine, but they seem to benefit defense against
    infantry attack as well as cavalry, which is not normal in
    napoleonic rules. And I think they do not benefit infantry defense
    against cavalry as much as they should.
3. Cavalry does not slaughter disordered/routed infantry/artillery units. This
    again is not typical of napoleonic rules.
4. Infantry has to have a high training level to be able to go into square, which
    was not the case for most units - for example French emergency conscripts
    in 1813 and Hanoverian Landwehr in 1815 were able to form square.
5. The AI does not seem to be able to use cavalry in a rational manner. They
    seem to attack the first thing they see regardless of the consequences,
    and they don't bother looking for a flank. Cavalry was generally commited
    only when an opportunity appeared for an attack on a flank or on a disordered
    unit.
6. The AI does not defend against cavalry very well. It is always exposing flanks.
    Concern about cavalry attack on a flank was a recurring theme of the period.
7. The AI always fights to total annihilation. This is a very serious problem, as
    very few armies would do that. When an army was beaten it would retreat to
    fight again elsewhere. Keeping the army in existence was an overriding
    priority. There should be an automatic retreat/panic rule for a side as a
    whole.
8. There isn't a single decent French infantry jacket !

Advantages:

1. A very quick-playing game. An AOR Waterloo/Borodino in 40/400 would be finished
in an evening, as opposed to multi-days for Talonsofts Waterloo, or all day for SSI's
Battles of Napoleon .
2. The units/weapons are available.
3. The game mechanics are generally compatible with the period.
4. Excellent, simple scenario builder can give you any Napoleonic battle without
    the complication of Battles of Napoleon.

AOR is probably best used for Napoleonics in the 40/400 scale, with mostly
    brigade-sized units as this large scale hides many of the problems with game
    mechanics. Adjustments for issues such as heavy vs light cavalry
    effectiveness can be made with training/morale/experience or with unit size
    adjustments.

Notes on Waterloo scenario -

General - This is a FIRST TRY at Waterloo, so no doubt you will find many
inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Any suggestions are very welcome !

Please mail me at [e-mail] with comments.

1. The Hogoumont/La Haye Sainte detachments are a combination of units that were in
the general area at the time - Hogoumont detachment includes British Guards flank
companies, a Nassau batallion, and a Hanoverian light batallion; The La Haye detachment
includes Major Barings KGL rifle batallion and most of a batallion of the 95th rifles,
assumed to be in position in or near the sandpit by the La Haye farmhouse.

2. The French Old Guard infantry is in reserve until late in the game to reflect
Napoleon's strategically-based reluctance to commit them. This can be very limiting to
a French player. Use the editor to free them if you are more of a gambler than
M. Bonaparte.

3. For some reason the editor gives up and seems to corrupt the OB file when I
increase the number of French commands. Therefore I have had to combine all the
I, II, VI, and Guards Corps infantry and artillery into one large command each.
This is a problem for the French AI as these Corps were not commited to battle
for the same objectives as a whole. I would like to have them broken up into
divisions - i.e., 2-3 brigades in each division, with a share of the Corps artillery. Maybe with a new version of AOR ?

4. The Prussians are deliberately combined into only two Corps-sized units to
reflect the reputed Prussian tactical clumsiness. This may not actually be the case,
but it seems to be a convention among designers of Waterloo games. There may be
a better way to do this, but the AI does not seem to mind too much.

5. I actually have very poor information on the Prussian units at Waterloo - I know
what units were in the campaign, and that at least Bulows and Zeithens Corps
showed up, but when ? and did Pirch's Corps appear in time to be useful ? Did every
unit in each Corps put in an appearance ? The scenario has every unit of Bulows Corps
enter at 2:00 and all of Zeithens at 5:00. Better information would be most welcome.

6. The map I have is fairly good for the main section of the battlefield, but It
really should be only about a 20x25 map. Because I had to use a 20x30 map, the
terrain on the far right is based roughly on a very-large scale map and is most
certainly quite inaccurate.

7. There were quite a few sunken roads all over the battlefield, but I gather
from the accounts that these were not used as defensive positions as allowed
by AOR. At best they were obstacles to a cavalry charge. So I have omitted most
of them except for the critical crossroads position north of La Haye Sainte, for
the sake of historical ambiance. Players may want to come to a gentlemans agreement
to avoid using defensive formations here. The AI, unfortunately, is no gentleman.

8. I have no idea what the British cavalry command structure was. They were obviously
split into right, left, and center commands, but who was in charge ? I put Uxbridge
in charge of the two heavy brigades, and assumed a brigade commander as overall
commander of the right and left wing cavalry.

9. In my opinion, the worst problem of all is that I can't put in the critical
personalities of the battle, as there is no room for them in the flat command system -
So Napoleon, Ney, Wellington, Blucher are all missing. I would like a multi-level
command system.