Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) News

• fixed: withdrawing sometimes runs into wrong direction
  
• withdrawing now results in more intense rearguard activity and higher casualties
  
• fixed: sometimes units are stuck in permanent retreat because retreat direction was not far enough or inside enemy terrain
  
• fixed: forage not stored in supply depots
  
• fixed: upgrade price for rifles is shown wrong in weapon list
  
• reduced income of income tax massively, increased army upkeep slightly, increased fleet upkeep massively
  
• fixed: sometimes unit withdraw into wrong direction
  
• fixed: exceptions related to siege and navy engagement of same fort
  
• fixed: retreat destinations also take into account neutral and hidden units
  
• refixed: WIA/POW/KIA/Available for service commander filters not working
  
• fixed: disabled commanders from lower unit hierarchies are not replaced automatically
  
• changed wording for intervention tooltip: player needs a major victory in order to provoke Europe to intervene & French interventions needs “Mexican Intervention” policy
  
• rebalanced: intervention forces are now moving faster due to high transport capacity
  
• fixed: intervention forces may now use allied territory to redeploy, before: only invade enemy terrain
  
• AI is now recruiting in states with higher distance to the target army to meet recruitment goals
  
• changed: checking for initial strength relation including reinforcements to evaluate if enemy shall withdraw
  

• improved AI micro-maneuvering in front of the enemy
  
• fixed: AI stance settings in historical battles sometimes lead to zig-zag movements
  
• AI now tries to avoid defended bridges and river crossings in macro-movement
  
• if AI decides to retreat EOD the timer is resetted to zero
  
• manually assigned targets are now relieved if enemy routs (except for cavalry)
  
• fixed: broken units sometimes not retreating but holding position in front of the enemy
  
• units that have surpassed loss resilience are now leaving the battlefield via entry point
  
• fixed: remaining lags that occur if units are stuck close to dense forest and retreating/surrendering
  
• fixed: effect of perks for sharpshooters and zouaves were switched, battle perks now achieved faster
  
• fixed: additional battle flags not available
  
• fixed: battle flags are not updating if a new unit is selected immediately, battle flags not saved when leaving battles
  
• using smaller AI groups to deploy faster
  
• commanders now tend to stay closer to subordinated infantry and cavalry units instead of artillery units to stay closer to the front
  
• assumed fixed: AI brigades running into enemy troops without stopping
  
• larger AI groups (eg corps) are now separated into smaller groups when engaged (eg divisions) to improve micro AI behavior
  
• AI groups initially redeploy more towards center of the deployment zone if no objective is located inside
  
• assumed fixed: initial deployment of AI groups within opponent’s deployment zone
  

Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) is a grand strategy game that's just had its first anniversary of entering Early Access on Steam. To celebrate the occasion, developer Oliver Keppelmüller has announced that the massively ambitious game will be leaving Early Access next month, with its 1.0 update set for September 24.

Version 1.0 will add two more campaign start scenarios to the three already in the Early Access build, as well as six more historical stand-alone battles. The full list includes the Battle of First Manassas, Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, Glorieta Pass, Shiloh, Perryville, Second Manassas, Antietam, Chacellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Olustee, Wilderness, New Market, Bentonville, and Appomattox.

In the grand campaign, you'll most likely be fighting ahistorical battles, and Grand Tactician 1.0 will have more than double the number of maps for these to play out on. Keppelmüller says the full game will also have more than 1,500 historical commanders in its roster of officers to place in command of your formations and armies, and it also reflects a host of performance and stability improvements, gameplay balancing changes, better battle and campaign AI, and a period-themed user interface that's scalable for big screens (and tired eyeballs).

Read the rest of the story...

RELATED LINKS:

The most ambitious American Civil War game ever hits early access this week

• 3 --> 5 campaign scenarios (Pre-War 1861, Summer 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864)
  
• 10 --> 16 historical stand-alone battle scenarios (1st Manassas, Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, Glorieta Pass, Shiloh, Perryville, 2nd Manassas, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Olustee, Wilderness, New Market, Bentonville, Appomattox)
  
• Over twice the number of battle maps
  
• Over 1,500 historical commanders
  
• Improved performance and stability
  
• Improved battle and campaign AI
  
• Improved game play balance in battles and campaign
  
• Updated and scalable User Interface (UI)
  
• Improved information in form of addition tooltips and in-game manual ("Field Book"), an external manual, and tutorial videos
  

• Rare Weapons: Gatling gun, Coffee Mill gun and 1-pdr Williams gun will be added to the game's list of available weapons. Maybe even more!
  
• Building Options: Player will be allowed to construct government subsidized industries. Hospitals improve recovery of wounded troops and captured enemies construction require POW camps, otherwise the field commanders will offer paroles that will see part of the captured troops returning to service.
  
• New Maps: Further battle maps will be added.
  
• Avatar & Commander update: Players will be able to create their own personal commander (avatar) with their own appearance and preferred attributes. The avatar can appear in the campaign game. Commander attributes can be randomized at the start of the scenario and there will be some improvements in officer management as well.
  
• Visual Improvements: Updating the game's visuals will improve immersion and the looks, while offering further customization options for your troops.
  

• fixed: reloading campaigns sometimes influences state support in a wrong way, due to historic commander appointments
  
• name search field in military panel is now cleared when tab is switched
  
• added “ready for duty” filter criteria for commanders in military panel
  
• reworked objectives description
  
• changed: units that are in winter/summer quarters AND entrenched are not suffering increased attrition anymore
  
• added AI construction of forts
  
• fixed: upgrade progress for procedural buildings lost when reloading save
  
• rebalancing of campaign objectives
  
• removed initial strength check for engagements for first engaging units, now strength including reinforcements is taken into account
  
• fixed: too many captured guns after a victorious battle
  

• captured soldiers now excluded for loss resilience calculation
  
• routed friendly units now do not surrender to routed enemy units if still engaged in melee
  
• no morale updates during night (pos & neg)
  
• fixed problems with loading of some random maps
  
• fixed: units are getting permanent retreat orders if routed, although no enemies are close
  
• removed: units falling back turn around or stop during movement
  
• units now do not stop under enemy fire when crossing a ford or bridge
  
• assumed fixed: lags in some maps, related to failed terrain specs assignment
  

• captured or removed weapons (through upgrades) can now be used to upgrade existing units
  
• fixed: sometimes retreat paths are running too close, added also revolving retreat calculation if retreat destination is not on own soil
  
• fixed: wrong influences on commander attributes from senior officers
  
• fixed: building upgrades happen immediately
  
• production of companies now much lower for goods that do not generate profits
  
• added further AI bonus features, linked to AI bonus settings at campaign start
  
• modified 1862 scenario: McClellan is now starting on the Peninsular
  
• fixed: workforce in companies is too low
  
• rebalanced production and demand in economy, as well as weapon availability
  
• rebalanced army and fleet upkeep costs
  
• fixed: if campaign is reloaded or a battle is manually played shortly after another one was finished units may become stuck
  
• measures if economy lacks transport ships and locomotives: transport capacity of IIP’s reduced,, supply and reinforcement speed is slowed
  
• IIP’s now create demand for transport ships and locomotives
  
• fixed: sometimes AI units in (autoresolved) combat get another moving order leading to a re-triggering of the combat/siege
  
• added info about total corporate production in monthly economy report
  
• fixed: wrong construction progress for ships
  
• fixed: IIP damage at start of scenarios
  
• fixed: fort changing hands count as captured at the start of scenarios
  
• improved AI behavior for defensive operations close to capital
  
• AI now should be a bit more aggressive in defensive operations
  
• fixed: researching draft acts are only increasing volunteers numbers for a short time period before falling back to pre-act levels
  
• fixed: building upgrades are not saved during upgrade process
  

• units now recover morale slower if low experienced
  
• rebalanced: lower gain of fame through battles
  
• fixed: commander of non arrived units do not gain fame
  
• rebalanced construction times of entrenchments
  
• fixed: groups are counted for supported morale bonus
  
• rebalanced morale influences
  
• added enhanced morale info in unit panel
  
• added info about loss resilience in unit panel
  
• fixed: AI units don’t carry out fallback orders properly
  
• skirmishers rebalanced, now have a lower loss resilience and inflict no flanking malus
  
• AI now deploys deeper inside the map in offensive battles
  
• fixed: group movements sometimes left back single units
  
• units now break links if routed
  
• added workaround for units that were stuck in impassable terrain
  
• AI now withdraws at night if it was not successful in capturing an objective within a given time and has not earned victory points
  
• fixed: issues with upgraded parapets when reloading battle save, leading to disappearing parapets and weird unit positions
  

• fixed: messages sometimes not appearing as icons on the left side of the screen, eg. monthly economy report