Discusssion on XVIII century doctrines modding

[Montecuccoli]

I open this thread to let you discuss on how to  edit the doctrines to let the armies behave like a 1700 (maybe Silesia and 7YearsWar) army.

By now i am re-reading the Chandler's book "Warfare in the Age of Malbourough" trying to find some suggestion.

This should be interesting for a future mod for 1700 warfare  

[Montecuccoli]

The first thing that comes to my mind is to disable the support for units in different Corps; by doing so the Corps/Column won't deploy their units in help of other Corps, so giving a more strict order to the Army.

Another thing should be to prefer regimental guns over Grand Batteries for Artillery was dipsersed along the all front in 1700 (see the Austrian deploy at Leuthen or Kolin)

[Count von Csollich]

I think that the regimental structure would have to be abolished...as well as the Corps one (which is not entirely possible, but it could work without changing this)...
Squadrons would make up the new Cavarly unit...and we would have to exclude the entire "mixed order" and "column formation" completely...because "line" was the preferred formation....skirmishers were rarely used as well...

The idea of the regimental guns is great!
Support order cancelation as well...

yet I don't know how close we could get with the current options available to us...I stand corrected of course...

CvC

[Montecuccoli]

Well fot he Corps structure i think there is a way not to abolish it.

Corps can be considered as Colums, for example the right wing on Blenheim under Eugene de Savoy might be a Corp; in addition GT AI uses Corps to deploy a tactical plan.

[Count von Csollich]

Agreed...I think I approached this a bit too historical and should have thought a bit more in terms of "what's possible with the game"

I think the most important thing is to not allow the column tactics at all! - restrict doctrine to "line"

[Montecuccoli]

Columns should be less i agree, but not abolished.

There was an important discussion in XVIII century concerning the volley fire Vs the shock attack; i remember Marechal De Saxe for example and the "Suggestions to the Dauphine" by Louis XIV pressing on volley fire.

I suppose that the doctrine editor can limit the columns formation.

The most difficult part should be the handling of the cavalry i think; not considering caracolling cavalry i suppose the mod may consider the swedish style cavalry shock used by quite every Army of the XVIII century.

Oob should eventually focus on Dragoon L-Horse and Hussar and not on Curassiers if napoleonic cavalry is considered powerful

[Montecuccoli]

I am trying to make some doctrines to create some XVIII century (austrian succession war and 7Years War) effect in deploy and fighting of HWLG armies.

Do you have any suggestion?

I believe that march column and Line formation should be a must, but i am even considerin Column by Companies or by Divisions to portrait the classical struggle between Line and Column (for example doctrines of Marechal Saxe or Frederich the Great)

[Montecuccoli]

Reading Chandler in "The Art of War in the Age of Malborough" i find many interesting ideas.

Concering the game engine and artillery i should prefer that OOBs for 1700-1763 would use regimental guns instead of artillery batteries or maybe just one artillery battery (not a reserve corp, just one unit) to help bombing a village; this, i believe, to portrait the dispersion of guns during the XVIII century warfare.

[temijen88]

Sir
A question for you.  I'm not sure if I'm using the game properly.  Why when I open the doctrine ed do I not see the Portg. Spanish and UK  listed .  When i open the Histwar files they are there but not with the editor.  What am I messing up?
Mike

[AJ]

Sir
A question for you.  I'm not sure if I'm using the game properly.  Why when I open the doctrine ed do I not see the Portg. Spanish and UK  listed .  When i open the Histwar files they are there but not with the editor.  What am I messing up?
Mike

To select the English Doctrine you must go to "Russia" in the Doctrine Editor and then select "Anglais"
To select Portugal got "Saxony" and select "Portugal'

I haven't figured out where Spain is yet but Gluade or Theo may post the answer

[temijen88]

Many Thanks