ConsimWorld

The official social platform for ConsimWorld

GCACW and Fog of War

I wander if any of you, has experimented with Fog of War in this serie and how it worked out.
From one side, I think is must add quite a bit of complexity, on other hand, the lack of it, seems to me, a real pity. When I read the historical account, of those campaigns, they are full of events, based on it and that determined, quite a lot, the historical outcomes.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Justin Rice on July 9, 2008 at 3:46pm

I think you'll be pleased when Battle Above the Clouds comes out .... but that's all I'm sayin!

Permalink Reply by Giorgio Clavelli on July 9, 2008 at 5:42pm

Camon, give me some fuel for my wargaming fantasies :)

On other hand, I'm working on a personal project to implement them where the umpire role is managed by a web application and online players will get info only when several conditions will be true. I also plan to add more FOW by variable army size, initial set up and victory conditions.

I would like to see players panicking like McLellan or one of his collegues were during ACW... but that's all I can saying...
Also because me neither knows it, as I'm still at a very initial development phase.
:))

Permalink Reply by Mark Acres on May 21, 2010 at 9:53pm

Actually, I believe this series builds in a good deal of the "fog of war" in subtle but very effective ways. While you can see your opponents pieces on the map, you can't really know how far they can move or where they can end up by the end of a turn. You can't predict who is going to get to a specific location first, if there is any question at all about it. And the combat table is such that at 1:3 attack can be a bold success and a 5:1 attack a disastrous failure. One can also use the Force markers and the optional rule about keeping the composition of the Forces hidden. Put all this together and you get quite a bit of fog of war - in fact, so much fog I often find myself anxiously praying for a bit of sunshine!

Permalink Reply by Giorgio Clavelli on May 22, 2010 at 1:27am

I see your points Mark, I really do. However when I read historical accounts I have maybe on a more strategic level (not much more than GCACW one), the wish of playing a simulation where FOW aspects are deeper, but also not cumbersome to manage (like using force markers, dummies, etc..).
I think for example to the 1862 campaign that lead to the second Manassas, where 2 out of 3 rebs Corps manage to march almost unseen by Pope's army around its flank to show up on their rear.
I'm sure we can find several other similar examples.
I'm still working on my project (ACW played online mentioned in previous msg), unfortunately at a very slow pace. If and when I will be able to have a working beta, maybe I will be able to better illustrate my wishes on this topic.

Permalink Reply by Mark Acres on May 22, 2010 at 7:31am

Giorgio

If you do get to a working beta, I'd be more than glad to see it! I do understand your points, as well, and adding in some absolutely REAL recon functions for the cavalry, for example, would be great fun, if not a bit frightening!

Permalink Reply by David Willis Potter on June 27, 2010 at 3:39pm

The current game allows for the second battle of Manassas. This would be a series of rolls where the confed player wins and moves Jackson's Corp behind the Union line...this is very possible given that the confed player wins all tie rolls. This has happened in several games...of course there have been some where the Union player was able to counter too. Even the problems with finding Jackson's Corp can come up, due to the Union player rolling low, and also given the difference between avg movement rolls. The only thing I would change/clear up is the ability to know what is in a force. (Number of divisions/regiments could be one level and number of troops a second.)

Permalink Reply by Chuck McAllister on August 10, 2011 at 2:43pm

There is an issue of The General, the old Avalon Hill wargame mag that has an article about Fog of War for use in the series of GCACW games. Patrick Hirtle wrote it I believe. I have the mag but would need to dig it out. I played in a multiplayer game using FOW. It was a LOT of fun! I have asked a few people if they'd like to play that way but the answer was always negative :( Let me know if you'd like to play using the FOW rules...I can email them to you!

Just noticed this is an old thread...too bad :(

Permalink Reply by Anthony Hicks on August 10, 2011 at 3:36pm

Was that where you use the "Force" counters for a stack of units and they can only be revealed by examination by Cavalry. I'd be interested in reading rules and maybe playing a scenario with them.

Permalink Reply by Chuck McAllister on August 10, 2011 at 6:09pm

That's the one. My email: wolfslair9@yahoo.com. Email me for the rules. I should be able to scan them. Give me your email and I will send it.

Permalink Reply by Giorgio Clavelli on August 10, 2011 at 7:30pm

Please send a copy to me too.

giorgio.clavelli@gmail.com

Thanks

Permalink Reply by Giorgio Clavelli on August 11, 2011 at 4:37pm

Thanks for the scans Chuck

Permalink Reply by Anthony Hicks on August 11, 2011 at 5:01pm

Thanks. Either of you guys interested in playing?