It will always be hard to create realistic battles as long as the Generals (ie: players) have the ability to float around the battlefields like ghosts, assimilating all the data relevant to each individual unit instantly and moving them into precise posistions on the tabletop. This perfect control makes realistic battle re-creating very difficult indeed. No need to worry that the guy in charge of defending Blenheim has packed your entire left flank into one village and been surrounded because you told him to "Hold it at all costs!"

As pointed out above, long to medium range musket fire of the period was inaccurate, but generals indulged in it. If ETW models this then as an armchair general I'll simply hold fire until my troops are about six feet from the enemy line then give them both metaphorical barrels. I'll do the same with artillery if Grapeshot is a lot better than round shot. I expect it will be just like wielding a giant shotgun around the battlefield.

The obvious solution in my mind is an old (Tabletop *gasp shock horror*) wargame rule called "Morale check to charge". I'll explain what I would like (but know I won't) to see. I imagine that units getting within a certain distance of the enemy will have to check morale or become disorganised, like on R:TW, where some units were moe cohesive than others. Obviously no one was pushing peasants into the line in the age of enlightenment, but when it comes to close contact with the enemy your totally green line infantry will act an awful lot like them.

I'd like to see extremely low morale for recruited troops, so that an attack on a solid enemy line (I sincerely hope the E:TW AI will present the player with such a line) by green troops will have them all scampering for cover round about the time your holding down alt to have them bayoet attack.

How then, you crazy out of control renegade, your asking, are we ever to win a battle? I think it would be cool to have barracks buildings that would add a level of morale to units stationed in them each turn up to maybe 2 Silver Chevrons? Morale would also only affect "morale" not attack and defence as it has done in previous titles.

In this manner players would have to reckon risking their trained, seasoned troops (Which would take at least 5 turns to rebuild, let alone reassemble) against an opportunity to trounce the enemy in front of them.

It perhaps needs a little more elaboration to explain fully, but theirs something on the TV I want to watch,

Cheers.