HistWar: Napoleon Tutorial. Learning to become an army commander

The HistWar tutorial has 17 chapters.

Important: you must complete at least the first 4 chapters to access the battlefield.

1.

The HistWar tutorial aims to:

Chapter 1..4: General Information

• Present the human-machine interface mechanisms.
• Visualize the online help system.
• Control camera movement and battlefield display.

Chapter 5: Corps/Division/Brigade Order System

• Execution Time:
  - upon receipt of the order, or immediately if the 'Orders' option is 'Immediate'
  - at a specific time
  - at the end of the delay starting at the end of the preceding order.
  This system allows for the establishment of waypoints for Corps/Division/Brigade
• Organization:
  - in battle, the corps moving on 2 lines, front perpendicular to the advance
  - refused left, the front line is angled to the left relative to the advance
  - refused right, the front line is angled to the right relative to the advance
  - in checkerboard, the corps/division/brigade is positioned on 3 lines, in checkerboard.
  HistWar thus reproduces the different organizations advocated by Jomini.
  By combining the liaison order and the choice of corps organization, it is possible to form, for example, an arrow: (see chapter 7 for different orders)
  Left leader corps, refused left
  Corps linked to the right of the leader, refused right.
  The combination of these parameters allows for significant richness and the possibility of simulating battles while approaching historical accuracy.
• Formation:
  - Thin order: infantry deployed in line: fire engagement
  - Deep order: infantry deployed in column: shock engagement
  - Mixed order: combination of both, the center being deployed in line.
  The mixed order is an 'invention' of the Napoleonic army.
  HistWar's AI in charge of these orders will eventually modify the front line and/or the formation. Indeed, an infantry regiment with 2 battalions will deploy over approximately 250 meters in line, between 50 and 80 meters in column.
  The conjugation of the 2 requests (formation, front length) may not be possible.
  
• Reserve: This is a major parameter: In the early moments of the engagement, it is strongly advised to constitute a reserve of more than 25% when issuing an order. In the intermediate or final phase of combat, you can minimize the reserve rate.
  
  Chapter 6: Actions of the Commander-in-Chief.
  
  
• Orders from the Corps Commander, i.e., YOU
  - Movement of the corps commander on the map. Essential if you play in 'HQ View' limited mode as the camera is attached to the 'Army Commander' figure.
  - Request for information from a specified corps or all corps. In response, corps commanders send a dispatch specifying the current state of the corps and the environment, including the presence of adversaries.
  - Surrender to stop the battle.
  - other icons allow activating layer mode, presenting the order of battle, the current result of the engagement, the tactical plan.
  
  
• Chapter 7: Orders to Corps Commanders
  
  There are 5 operational orders
  - Deployment order on a line after initial concentration.
  - Diversion order on a line after initial concentration. Unlike deployment, the corps comes into contact with the adversary and does not try to continue the advance at all costs.
  - Defensive order on a line without a concentration phase.
  - Movement order to a sector at fast march without a concentration phase.
  - Liaison order to create an army, liaison to the left, right, or rear.
  
  Ancillary Orders
  - Bombardment order: halt of advance and deployment of artillery.
  - Order to halt or resume Corps advance
  - Rally order for all units assigned to the corps. Allows reintegrating detached units.
  - AI activation/deactivation order.
  
  
• Chapter 8: Orders to Divisions/Brigades/Regiments.
  
  - Order to a division or a brigade requires relying on a regiment of the division or brigade. After opening the 'Order' disk, simply designate an order to a division OR an order to a brigade... from then on, the order creation process is analogous to defining a Corps order.
  
  - Order to a regiment.
  -- Order to attack an enemy unit.
  -- Reconnaissance order for a defined sector.
  -- Liaison order to a unit. This order is particularly important when it is necessary to support an artillery unit. In this case, the supporting unit positions itself behind the artillery unit and can threaten the threat.
  -- Movement order to a given point.
  -- Defensive order.
  -- Cancellation of the current order.
  
  - In addition, it is possible to have complementary actions.
  - detachment of the unit no longer controlled by AI
  - Initiative level
  - Pause / Resume advance
  - AI activation / deactivation
  - Change of assignment to another corps
  
  - Parameters for regiment orders.
  - the 4 basic formations
  -- March column
  -- Platoon column
  -- Division column
  -- Line
  - Actions or Complementary Orders
  -- Initiative level
  -- Set in motion or wait
  -- Hitch / Unhitch cannons
  -- Bombard an area
  -- Abandon cannons of an infantry regiment
  -- Square formation management handled by AI or by the Player
  
  
• Chapter 9: Tactical Plan
  
  HistWar places you in the position of an army commander.
  Your objective is to destroy the opposing army by using force but also skill, knowing how to deceive your opponent about your intentions.
  
  Your marshals and generals await your orders; upon receipt, they will place their army corps and launch them at the set time against the adversary.
  
  Several modes allow displaying information about your troops, dispatches, or issued orders.
  
  HistWar allows visualizing the tactical plan at different levels. Thus you can display all or part of the plan.
  - Orders to Corps
  - Orders to Divisions
  - Orders to Brigades
  - Orders to Regiments
  
  In the tutorial, you will find examples of setting up the tactical plan and feedback from dispatches sent by your troops.
  
  
• Chapter 10: Unit type identification by filtering
  
  The filtering tool allows a specific display to visualize units of a fixed typology.
  
  Thus, it is possible to highlight engaged units:
  * detached, in defense,
  * unit types (GHQ, CP, Infantry, Cavalry, Foot or Horse Artillery,
  * guard or elite units.
  
  This tool facilitates unit location and order generation
  
  
• Chapter 11: Order of Battle
  
  This chapter is dedicated to the different display modes of the Order of Battle.
  
  There are 2 main display modes:
  * symbolic where it is about displaying your army in a synthetic way,
  ** circular display where the hierarchy of units can be easily distinguished
  ** In the center, the army or corps commander
  ** Division / Brigade sectors
  ** finally the units attached to the corps.
  
  * extended where all characteristics of the entities are displayed.
  ** more conventional, this display provides information on the state of the chosen entity:
  *** entity strength, current order, morale, losses, initiative...
  *** display of entities in danger, reinforced, detached,
  *** display of the entity's name or its commander.
  
  In conclusion, the tool allows visualizing the totality of orders managed by HistWar.
  Note on initiative: this is a major parameter of HistWar.
  As a reminder, there are 3 levels of initiative:
  * no initiative
  * limited initiative
  * initiative managed by AI .
  
  I will come back later to initiative with examples of engagement results.
  
  But for now, just a few recommendations:
  * at the start of the battle, set initiative to 0, except possibly for a few cavalry regiments without orders OR in reserve of a corps.
  * depending on the evolution of the battle, you can start letting some units take initiatives.
  * at the end of the battle, if fortune favors you, unleash the units, especially cavalry.
  
  
• Chapter 12: Continuous evaluation of battle results
  
  This chapter is dedicated to the real-time representation of battle results.
  For this purpose, there are 5 display modes
  * Summary: Table presenting the strengths and losses of both sides.
  * Analysis: More exhaustive table of results.
  * Ranking: a statistical list of engagements
  * Graph... under development
  * Controlled zones... under development
  
  
• Chapter 13: Graphic tool
  
  This tool, with 8 sheets, allows enriching the 2D map of the battle by adding segments and text.
  Thus, the player can compose their tactical plan before submitting it to HistWar's order system.
  
  This tool plays a major role in multiplayer games. With 8 additional sheets for reception or transmission, it allows using this system to best reproduce transmission delays between players who are in charge of the Army or Army Corps.
  
  Imagine: you, commander-in-chief, have defined your tactical plan and sent each corps commander the orders for the day. This transmission is not instantaneous and, depending on the options, the message could be intercepted by the opposing side.
  
  Imagine: you, corps commander, with no news from Headquarters, send the commander-in-chief the adversary's positions, current movements, and add some 'textual' information
  
  
• Chapter 14: Play by Email
  
  Play by email is possible because HistWar AI can handle an engagement without receiving orders for 15 to 30 minutes.
  It works as follows:
  
  Player 1: creates the email game.
                 places units and generates orders.
                  sends to Player 2; exits
  Player 2: receives email
                   places units and generates orders.
  >>            battle takes place without display
                   sends to Player 1; exits
  Player 1: receives email
                  displays the battle
                  generates orders.
                  sends to Player 2; exits
  Player 2: receives email
                  displays the battle
                  generates orders.
                  >> loops...
  
  
• Chapter 15: Network Game
  
  
• Chapter 16: Appendices
  
  
• Chapter 17: Doctrine Tool