Home Forums Requests and Feedback Black Powder Periods – Napoleonic Technical Improvements

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  • #1260
    Mike
    Participant

    Started this thread to catalog my perceptions on what is missing in PIXELS for this time period that can possibly be implemented after gathering a greater understanding on how your game engine wishes to proceed.

    Infantry vs Cavalry needs a real look at. Infantry tactics of the day did not have battalion formations charge cavalry, this would have been foolish and the men would simply be trampled. There were rare occasions where it did occur either out of desperation or one of their supporting units had broken and they were rushing to assist.

    Cavalry also need expanded to include Cuirassier. These were the Super Heavies of the day, shock and awe cavalry.

    I’m mulling over possible alterations which would lend the feel i’m looking for which fits the Pixel Ease of Play. They may already exist, not sure. I’ll list them in a bit, i need to write down the additional output and mull it over so that i can attempt to present it in the easiest way i believe to implement.

    #1261
    Mike
    Participant

    To assist understanding the above information i have provided a link i used in the past to understand Napoleonic Warfare. This scratches the surface on accuracy of muskets and references the effectiveness against cavalry. This is a training video from West Point Academy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtPIwjZs43g

    Beginners List of Cavalry Troops

    http://www.napoleonguide.com/cavalry_france.htm

    Infantry charging Cavalry:
    1. Immediate Morale Test – Charging to your doom takes real balls of steel.
    2. Infantry should be penalized if the Cavalry Unit isn’t Disordered. The cavalry tactics of the day dictated a counter charge when formations broke ranks and went running wildly at them.
    3. Disordered Cavalry should instead take morale test to see if they retreat from charging Infantry because why stand and fight when you can simply run away on your horse. (Cavalry should take casualties as stragglers would get caught).

    Cavalry charging Infantry:
    1. Infantry could take morale test to simulate “Form Square” due to Cavalry Charge.
    2. Failing the test meant the square wasn’t properly formed and the Cavalry charge goes off as intended due to them exploiting the weakness.
    3. Passing the test should HALT the Cavalry Charge as horses will not throw themselves into a fence of spikes willingly. It should be noted that most cavalry units weren’t armed with meaningful firearms useful for anything other than close engagements or harassing fire. So with the exception to “Heavy Cavalry” perhaps, they should not be shooting at troops as most carried saber, lancer, etc.
    4. Infantry should get penalized to a degree as movement should be all but halted when cavalry are near leaving them open to artillery fire and danger of infantry charges. Units in square can’t effectively run off their counterparts when 1/4 of their manpower is facing the threat. There was drill in moving the squares for the different nations so halving movement the next turn would simulate that as they backed away keeping horsey boys at bay and firing pot shots at them.

    #1265
    Kris
    Keymaster

    Thank you for the ideas and resources! It is difficult to draw the line on the simplicity and complexity. Infantry currently act as if they form square when attacked by cavalry, unless they are disordered. So cavalry have a big advantage against disordered infantry, while having a big disadvantage against formed infantry. However, this doesn’t take into effect the slowness and vulnerability to artillery that the squares had. I do think more can be done here.

    Thanks for the interesting video! I’ve actually fired a Brown Bess musket myself! Got some powder burns, but was a brilliant experience!

    #1268
    Mike
    Participant

    I have completed a couple of larger engagements maxing out the amount of units i can take. The larger the engagement, the more it feels like linear warfare with the exception that there are no frontal “lines”. It appears any time that you get units attacking from a side box it seems as though the unit is “flanked”. Even if you have multiple units forming a front, combat resolution seems to be that each treats it like they are flanking each other as one turn goes to the next.

    Am i correct in this observation?

    #1271
    Kris
    Keymaster

    Flanking occurs anytime a unit has more than one enemy unit adjacent to them. Currently, flanked units have reduced firepower in all combat resolutions (both when attacking and defending). The more enemy units flanking, the greater the reduction.

    Terrain can lessen the effects of flanking. For example, if a unit is surrounded when in a fort, the flanking is greatly less effective.

    #1274
    Mike
    Participant

    I got ya, i’ll play paying attention to how things work on that. Interesting approach to flanking and makes perfect sense given the square grid.

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