Corps Commander Location:player control,unit moral, MP

[nix]

In solo mode

Before the game begins all the corps commanders can be independently positioned using right-click drag on their icons in the F2 view, but once the game begins their precise location  no longer seems to be under the control of the player is that the case?

When a corps becomes dispersed over a large area what determines the corps commander location?

Can the player move him within the area of the corps without giving an order that moves the whole corps? (is that a planned feature for future development?)

Does the distance of the corps commander from one of his units have any affect on that units moral?

Does the proximity of the CinC to a corps or unit affect the moral of that unit?

Multiplayer Mode

In Multiplayer games larger than 1v1, if some players are taking the role of Corps commanders (using FOW), will the camera view be locked to their corps commander location and will they be able to use a (Move HQ) order to take control of individual corps commander locations? Will this movement be constrained in some way to be within a maximum distance from the active units of the corps under his command? (excluding units that have run from the field ofr been taken prisoner!)

[Hook]

I've seen some odd locations for the corps commanders once their corps has been scattered.  It appears that they sometimes got to the location of some widely dispersed unit, apparently to try to encourage them to rejoin the corps.

In multiplayer the corps commander has an additional menu option "Move the command post" and you can move him the same way you do the CinC.  I believe this is intended to be the case when you can take control of an individual corps in single player mode which we'll get in a a future patch. 

I haven't seen very much effect from the corps commander being near one of his units, but have seen morale increase if the CinC is very close.  You can check the effect easily during the initial deployment phase.  Find some unit with a morale less that 100,  move the CinC close and check the morale again.  Units like having Napoleon close by, but the actual distance might be 300 meters or so.  Let us know if you find anything interesting.

Currently the "locked to CinC" view will lock everyone on that side to the CinC even if they're not playing the CinC but a corps commander.  This is likely to change in the future. 

Hook

[nix]

Following your suggestion for seeing the effect on moral of commander location (tested in the set up phase of battle ) the following results may be of wider interest:

Solo Battle. Montabello map, Montabello OoBs  
Troop moral test for single regt :     (Murat 3rd Corps) Regiment:Real Samite (2 Batt)

Moral in Conscript mode:

Isolated Regt     74
Regt with other Regts from corps  but no Corps Commander nearby
74 - 86 depending on which Regt it is standing  next to:
(Guard Regts with high moral (100) cause moral of our unit to increase to 86)

Immediate proximity of Corps Commander (ie right next to  unit) adds +2 to moral in all situations (ie isolated unit moral becomes 76, moral next to Guard Regt 89)

If the CinC is within about  400m the unit moral increases to 100 in all the above situations. Outside 400m no effect is seen.

Moral in Grognard mode:

Isolated Regt
1)   CinC further than 2Km away: moral 60
2)   Cinc closer than 2Km:            moral 74
3)   CinC closer than 400m:        moral 100

Again corps commander proximity (right next to unit) adds +2 to moral.
Other regiments of high moral add moral to our test unit, but the effect is  an increase from 60-75  standing next to guards if CinC is further than 2Km, if closer the effect is 74-85 (comparable to conscript mode effect)...

So getting the CinC closer to wavering medium quality units will have an effect.

I was impressed to see that the model allows for these detailed effects on moral!

[Count von Csollich]

Thanks for that info Nix, very good to know , indeed...
the only problem I see, is that you can't get your CinC to move properly again as soon as an enemy unit gets to close...I get him only moving in circle anymore...not obeying any further  "Move HQ" orders...so can't lead from the front...which is realistic after all...

CvC

[Franciscus]

Great info, nox, tyvm 

Why don't you post it also in the tips thread ?

[Hook]

Wow, nix!  That's great!

I'm going to take a wild guess here:  the morale effect of the commander being close might vary between commanders, and might actually cause morale to go down for the worst leaders.  

Hook

[nix]

I did try the effect of the other corps commanders on the isolated unit and all but one had the +2 increase on moral when in contact with the unit, Ney (of course) had a +3 effect. Some of the other commanders may be poor organisers, so have varying time delay for orders etc...but when leading a single regiment in a punch up they generally have a positive effect! How a conscript likes to fight alongside a general!

[AJ]

I posted this under "tips" but I think it's better here.
I tried moving my C in C continuously very close to the rear of my front lines, also had him run interventions in crisis areas.  His effect was astounding, routing or retreating units or even Corps, would rally and regroup.  Just fought La Rothiere as French (difficult), had 2 Corps routing, as Napoleon passed through each Corps, they rallied and Moral increased.
IMHO, this is very realistic.  Napoleons presence in areas of great danger turned battles. Well done JMM.
The more battles I fight, the more I learn, the more I learn, the more I realize what an incredible game we have.