So what are your thoughts on how 1.5 is performing?

**Freedom Onanist** · 10-20-2009, 09:07

Just going through a N/H campaing as Britain c. 1743.

I've managed to get the 13 colonies to join me and take Gibraltar. Spain and France seem to be in a very strong alliance with Spain becoming something of a superpower (alongside me

). But they really do seem to be sticking together through thick and thin. They consistenly come to each other aid, sending armies to re-enforce each others armies defending capital cities. There are two full stacks of Sapniards next to Paris and one of French next to Madrid. The French attempted an invasion of Britain about 10 turns ago which took me completely by surpise with my pants down, mainly because I was still playing in the old, no invasions in ETW mode. Luckily for me my Dutch allies decided to help me out. They destroyed the French fleet in the Channel and invaded Flanders and Northern France. It was at this point that he Spanish seem to have rushed up their armies through France.

Spain in general is becoming quite agressive at sea, especially since Itook Gibraltar off them. I managed to take Madrid, I destroyed all unoccupied buildings. I then offered peace and Spain to the Spanish which they refused! So I gifted it to my erstwhile Prussian allies who took it. This had the double bonus of getting the Franco-Spanish Axis of Evil off my back and bankrupt Prussia

The Axis invaded before there was a popular uprising and wiped the Prussians out. I think they are also in toruble in the East, but I haven't really been watching.

In the meantime a threat has emerged and is advancing from the East. The Marathas (sp?) have conquered all but one region in India (inc Ceylon) and after years of amicable trading with me suddenly appeared off the Newfy coast and invaded! The back stabbing good for nothings

Luckily, my troops there were pretty experienced from the regular(ish) Inuit(?) invasions. Although they couldn't hold the province they put up a gallant fight and severely depleted the invaders. I was also in the process of building an army to invade, sorry, defend against unwarranted Indian agression, at precisely that time. What with the toll my Newfies took and this new army/navy I easily retook my possesions.

I am now sailing for the subcontinent to demand reparations and bring Enlightened cnstitutional monarchy to the downtrodden masses of India.

Hmmm. That's my longest ever post I think.

Impressions.

CAI
Overall happy.
It still does some bizarre things (Prussia accepting Spain?) but it is a GAME.
There are a few problems like random wars and weird diplomatic stubborness.
One thing I have seen that the CAI doesn't react to properly is raiding land trade routes. I can land a couple of units in France and Spain and blockade a trade route with relative impunity. As long as i am not too close to an enemy stack the CAI seems to ignore them. This I think is costing them dearly in revenue.

BAI
Happy.
I have not witnessed the so-called "melee" bug in any meaningful way. Opponents seem to try and line up, engage with firearms and then charge in. Weapons like mortars are still vastly over-powered and shrapnel seems to all intents and purposes to be useless, overshooting any targets consistently. I'm using the Puckle guns quite effectively, even if I there is a part of me that says I shouldn't use them.

Anyway, enough for now. I am happy with the game now.

**Dead Guy** · 10-21-2009, 13:35

I'm still very annoyed that my campaigns die sometimes as early as 1732, BUT...

I attacked a full russian stack as Prussia the other day and set up my usual line with cannons in gaps in the line with two line infantry in between them and more flanking, some hidden units at an angle outwards at the ends, some other hidden units sort of covering the flanks further out sometimes guarded by hidden cavalry. Howitzers behind the line.

As usual the AI wasted it's cavalry, one unit got wasted by cannons and howitzers. The other one predictably went to flank one of my hidden flank guarding line infantry units, even though it of course should not know that it's there. I formed it up into a square and that was it for the cavalry.

But here's the but, the AI didn't mindlessly charge the rest of it's army at my line after that, which it used to do every single time before. So I had to advance on the russians and since I'm so lazy I didn't bother bringing my artillery up. Lost more men than I usually do but I still won easily because of needless and excessive manouvering on the AI side.

And oh boy are light dragoons crazy now with their fire and reload on the move super powers.

It seems to me that puckle guns are a wasted space in your line where there could have been cannons firing cannister shot. But that's just me. Cannons are more versatile and puckle guns simply don't score enough kills to warrant a switch from cannons I think.

**Fisherking** · 10-21-2009, 13:45

Puckle Guns are insurance against the AI trying to defend buildings. In the past that was what they were best at...now I don’t know because I have not used them in 1.5.

**Dead Guy** · 10-21-2009, 13:57

Let them occupy their precious buildings. Surround them with riflemen (or line just out of range, facing the exits) if it's one of the tougher structures, some buildings are annihilated by 8 round shots fired simultaneously in my experience. When or if they bail out they get shot to pieces. It's not very challenging, but I don't see why I should have to handicap myself to force the AI to play better.

**Freedom Onanist** · 10-21-2009, 16:48

Originally Posted by Dead Guy

It seems to me that puckle guns are a wasted space in your line where there could have been cannons firing cannister shot. But that's just me. Cannons are more versatile and puckle guns simply don't score enough kills to warrant a switch from cannons I think.

Yes, generally speaking artillery is better, but I started using Puckle Guns just for a laugh. If you put them on the ends of your lines and fire them diagonally across the enmy line they are OK.

In fact, now my 4 Puckle gun units (yes, I didn't go mad with them) have 3 chevrons and are starting to be rather deadly in battle now, mowing ranks down relatively easily.

Still not that good but fun.

**Dead Guy** · 10-22-2009, 08:33

Yeah, they have their moments. I was playing around with them earlier on, once got to place them on a ridge so they were sort of safe, on the flank looking in so to speak. Then they can provide anti-infantry fire in a better way without the risk of being overrun, and can fire throughout the engagement. But maybe we're drifting a little from the topic.

**Fisherking** · 10-23-2009, 16:40

Well, I just discovered that in 1.5 agents block movement.

It hasn’t been that way before and is just silly. Did they do it deliberately or is it just a bug?

That and the mess with economics and losing money each time you take a province makes this patch a loser.

**Slaists** · 10-23-2009, 20:45

Originally Posted by Fisherking

Well, I just discovered that in 1.5 agents block movement.

It hasn’t been that way before and is just silly. Did they do it deliberately or is it just a bug?

That and the mess with economics and losing money each time you take a province makes this patch a loser.

I guess, I've missed something. What's up with economics and losing money when taking a province?