Gameplay mechanism
Battle mechanism
Our goal is not to reinvent everything, but to try to improve gameplay and balance. These are the main changes in the battle mechanism
- Tracers have been removed.
- New battlefield smoke
- Formation: we may do our own later, but for the moment it's a direct integration of the Hedge Knight's formations
- Units stats
- Overhaul rebalancing of attacks, defense, melee, moral, accuracy, etc.
- Moral and fatigue
- We have reworked the moral. Your troops are more likely to break in dire circumstances, but they have also more chances to come back.
- Moral effect events have more effect (attack on the flank, under fire, being inspire...)
- Fatigue should recover faster, but is also gained faster
- Artillery
- Damage, range and ROF balanced
- Cavalry
- The charge are more deadly and can penetrate un unprepared line
- Cavalry is weaker if stuck in melee. Don't hesitate to move forward after cutting through a line to attack further, or to fall back. Don't stay where you are!
- Cavalry is powerful, but weak against squares. It is still possible to break one, but at the cost of heavy casualties.
- Hussar can deploy forward to try to harass or ambush the ennemy. Be careful not to expose them too much!
- Infantry
- The infantrymen will shoot and reload as soon as they can. The first two ranks will shoot, and often the 3rd one.
- Grenadiers don't have grenade, but have a good moral and decent range attack. They are stronger in melee, and can inspire nearby troop. Use them as elite shock troops, but also in their historical role: to "push" the regular companies.
- Skirmishers have a good morale and range, but low melee. They can deploy forward. Use them to harass and slow down the bulk of the ennemy army before it reaches yours. Be careful of ennemy cavalry.
- Elite and guard units can be very strong. They have good stats, especially very high morale. But they are not superman, they can still be killed and break. Don't overexpose them.
- There is more chances of misfire.
- Musket fire, especially from afar, is not very deadly. You may have to come closer.
- Navy
- Overhal change of the stats, to have something more progressive with the different types of ships
- Wind effect reworked
Unit Roster
Each faction has it's own roster. We try to be as close to historical reality as possible, with a few consessions to gameplay when needed.
Each unit is named in its national language, and speak in its own language, whatever the recruiting faction (ex: Bavarian units will speak German, even if recruited by France).
When the uniform changes, we have sevaral versions of the unit, for each time period. More generally, an availability date has been defined for each unit, and in the campaign, the unit will become available, or will be disable, at the proper date. In Campaign mod, the units appear and disappear at the proper date. In Play battle mod, the UI lets you select a period (Early, Middle, Late) and the available units are set to your selection.
We included most of the types of units that existed historically, including some foreign troops (Brunswick, Swiss regiments for France), and also some units from minor factions, such as Baden, Berg... These factions are not present as independant factions, but their units can still be recruited (ex: Baden units are recruitable in Wurttemberg).
We included only a few honnor regiments (such as the Black Watch). In campaign, you will find more, based on the standard unit, but with more experience and a unique name.
Some factions also has one or two extra units, such as "Murat's cuirassiers", or "Uxbridge". In campaign, they will be present on the map at start, but won't be recruitable : if you lose them.. They are gone!
Regions, recruitment and limits
Every unit has a recruitment limit. The total limit is roughly half the number of historical regiments.
Units can be recruited only in their region of origin.
Each type of units listed in the rosters (see each section below) has "copies" for each region where it can be recruited, with a limit specific to the region
The graphics are the same, but the name is siglthy different.
Thus, except for some special units, each unit has only a few regions of origin, with a specific limits. The total limit for the unit type is the sum of the limits for each region.
Ex(warning limits here are just an example): France has the "Fusilier d'Infanterie de Ligne" unit.
It exists in several versions:
- Fusiliers d'Infanterie de Ligne - Normandie : limit 4
- Fusiliers d'Infanterie de Ligne - Bretagne: limit 4
.....
- Fusiliers d'Infanterie de Ligne - France : limit = 8
In Custom Battle, you will only see the main units (here "Fusiliers d'Infanterie de Ligne - France"), others will appear only in the campaign.
As France controls 11 regions where the unit can be built, it gives a total limit of 48.
However, if France annexes some additional regions, like Holland, it can also recruit them there, raising the limit by 4.
On the other hand, if Britain capture Brittany and Normandie, the limit is reduced by 8.
Therefore, it is very important to protect your regions!
Each faction can recruit their national units only in their national regions. In the other regions, they can only recruit local troops. And for regions belonging to a major faction, they are "occupied troops" . Occupied troops are usually a little weaker than the national troops, but as your national troops are limited, you may have to rely on these allies to help your war effort.
This means that since the unit can be recruited only in their region of origin, if you sent them to fight on the other side of the map, they will replenish slower...
For instance, if France annexes Bavaria, it won't be able to recruit French troops there, only Bavarian troops.
For the minor factions, such as Bavaria, the uniforms of the national and occupied units is the same.
For the major factions, occupied units are different : the list is not the same as for the national units, and the uniforms are also different. For example ,if Britain capture Normandy, they can recruit French royalist, with white uniforms
The name of the unit contains its region of origin.
Ex "Kürassiere {Bayren}", "Fusilier de l'infanterie de ligne {Bretagne}"
Buildings and recruitment
With the regional recruitment of units, it is important that units can be recruited in each region. Also, we don't see why France couldn't recruit cuirassiers at start. France cavalry included cuirassiers and dragoons from the very beginning, but chevau legers lanciers were introduced in 1811 only.
While in CA campaign, France starts with some lancers but no cuirassier
Therefore, we have modified the buildings required to create units.
- The "Fort" slot in cities allows is used for the administrative center
- The normal slots are used for barracks.
-- In one slot cities, the Barracks allow recruiting Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery
-- For two slot cities, there are two Barracks: Infantry (also allows recruiting foot artillery), and Cavalry (also allows recruiting horse artillery)
-- For three slot cities, there are three barracks, each specialized for Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery.
The "advanced" units are available much sooner (you don't need level 5 buildings to recruit the best units).
You should be able to recruit an army with much more variety and sooner. But your army is limited in number, and the upkeep cost is still there. Manage your economy and your regions carefully.
Naval recruitment
Each faction has its own list of recruitable ship type. Each comes with a limit, relatively low for the biggest ships like 122-guns, quite high for frigates. Merchant ships are also limited.
The limit is regional again. The name of the ship include the port where it is recruited (except for England and Spain, since these regions have several ports).
For instance, you could find for France
- Vaisseau de 118 {Brest}
- Vaisseau de 118 {Toulon}
When necessary, the largest ships are limited to only some region. France can build 118-guns in Brest, Toulon or Nantes (Rochefort), while it can build frigates in any French region.
A faction can build its own ships only in its own regions. If it occupies a region from another faction, then it can build "local ships" there.
If England invades Britanny, England cannot build '122-guns 1st rate ship of the line" there, but it can build "Vaisseau de 118"
Some factions like Poland, Hungary, Bavaria, have no navy, and cannot recruit any ship of their own even if they capture a port. However, they can build local ships.
If you want to play as Hessen and want to invade England, you have to invade Hollande first, so you can build Dutch ships there, beat the English fleet, land in England and capture London.
The reasonning behind this is you cannot develop a naval tradition in the 10 years of the campaign, so it's more logical to use the local naval tradition. If you capture Holland, let the Dutch shipyards work as they are used to.
About ship names and icons: the ship type is in local language and the icons show the ship with its normal national colours, whoever build or control it.
Ex: a French 122-guns will be named "Vaisseau de 118" and have icon with white colours, even if built and controlled by England.
However, the name of the ship, and the colour in game will come from the faction which built it.
Ex : if England capture Britanny and build a 122-guns there, the full name will be (for instance)
"HMS Victory, Vaisseau de 118 {Brest}". The ship will have an icon with white colour, but in battle it will have the standard British yellow colours.
Technology
The tech tree has been expendend, with many more technologies. Each technology can be recruited at any time (it is not necessary to have a building first, or another technology).
Grand campaign
The campaign starts in September 1805, and can be played until 1815. 16 factions are playable. Some are easy, some are very difficult, like Hessen.
Each playable faction has its own victory conditions, and correct historical leader with portrait.
See each faction details below to see the faction at the start of a grand campaign, with their victory conditions.