Drums of War: An All-CPU Playtest of the Civil War

[Willthescout7]

2 minutes ago, Ich_bin_Tyler said:

Military Action

American Civil War (Eastern Theatre)

Naval Battle 1: Battle of Virginia Beach

• Difficulty: Easy= -0
• Sec of Navy Bancroft (3) & Sr Admiral Perry (4) = +7
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Adm Edward D Baker (4) = +40
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 77%
• Roll: 41/77, victory!
• War Score: +1

Rolled 71/50, no other naval battles take place. Rolled 42/75, so next ground battle general has +1 ability.

Ground Battle 1: Battle of Fredericksburg

• Difficulty: Moderate= -10
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen John A McClernand (4+1) = +50
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 80%
• Roll: 11/70, victory!
• McClernand gains +1 Mil and Celebrity.
• War Score: +2

Rolled 60/50, no other ground battles take place.

War Score +3 x End War Multiplier 1= 3 (30% chance to win war)

Rolled 29/30, so the US wins the American Civil War (Eastern Theatre). Seems the Confederacy was unprepared for the Union to act so swiftly and maintain unity. The Civil War will continue in the Western Theatre.

Let's go! USA USA USA!

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Pres Polk built one hell of a military before he bolted to the Confederacy. 

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Military Action

American Civil War (Western Theatre)

Naval Battle 1: Battle of New Orleans

• Difficulty: Moderate= -10
• Sec of Navy Bancroft (3) & Chief Admiral Perry (4) = +7
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Chief Adm Matthew C Perry (4) = +40
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 67%
• Roll: 14/67, victory!
• War Score: +2

Rolled 76/50, no other naval battles take place. Rolled 55/75, so next ground battle general has +1 ability.

Ground Battle 1: Battle of Murfreesboro

• Difficulty: Difficult= -25
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen Alpheus S Williams (4+1) = +50
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 65%
• Roll: 57/65, victory!
• Williams gains Mil +1
• War Score: +3

Rolled 14/50, another ground battles take place.

Ground Battle 2: Battle of Pea Ridge

• Difficulty: Difficult= -25
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen James S Wadsworth (3) = +30
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 45%
• Roll: 69/45, defeat!
• War Score: -1

Rolled 13/50, another ground battles take place.

Ground Battle 3: Battle of Corinth

• Difficulty: Moderate= -10
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen Henry W Halleck (4) = +40
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 70%
• Roll: 10/70, victory!
• Halleck gains Mil +1 and loses Obscure.
• War Score: +2

Rolled 29/50, another ground battles take place.

Ground Battle 4: Battle of Atlanta

• Difficulty: Moderate= -10
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen William T Sherman (3) = +30
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 60%
• Roll: 58/60, victory!
• Sherman gains Mil +1, Military Leadership.
• War Score: +2

Rolled 56/50, no other ground battles take place.

War Score 8 x End War Multiplier 1= 8 (80% chance to win war)

Rolled 64/80, so the US wins the American Civil War (Western Theatre). Rolled 76/25, so no guerilla warfare occurs.

And thus ends the American Civil War in about 2 years. Lives will be saved on both sides and, hopefully, swift reconciliation will occur between the two sections of this nation.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

American Civil War: Agreement at Appomattox Courthouse

Implementers of the treaty: Pres Granger, Sec of War Fish, AG Bingham.

• Since both Fish and Bingham have efficient, randomly choose AG Bingham to undergo the blunder roll.
• Bingham cannot fail, so the treaty is successfully implemented. 

Results

• 250pts Pres, State, War, Nationalists, Civil Rights, Wall Street, Big Corporations, Military-Industrial, Globalists
• 58/100 Party Pref +1 Red; 95/75 Party Pref no change; 5/25 Party Pref +1 Red; 49/75 Domestic Stability +1; 29/50 Economic Stability +1; 30/25 Revenue/Budget no change.
• States in secession return to the US and are placed in Reconstruction.

Sr Gen James W Nye, Chief Adm Matthew C Perry, Gen John A McClernand, and Gen William T Sherman gain Celebrity.

Meter Changes

• Party Pref +2 Red (now Neutral trending Blue)
• Domestic Stability +1 (now at Violent Unrest)
• Economic Stability +1 (now in an Economic Boom!)

Edited December 16, 2022 by Ich_bin_Tyler

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Removed

Edited December 16, 2022 by Ich_bin_Tyler

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Military Action

Utah War

Battle 1: Battle of Salt Lake Valley

• Difficulty: Moderate= -10
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen Charles J Biddle (4) = +40
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 70%
• Roll: 31/70, victory!
• Biddle gains Mil +1, Military Leadership, Leadership, and loses Obscure.
• War Score: +2

Rolled 78/50, another battles take place.

Battle 2: Battle of Golden Pass Road

• Difficulty: Easy= -0
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Gen Charles J Biddle (5) = +50
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 90%
• Roll: 79/90, victory!
• War Score: +1

Rolled 64/50, another battles take place.

Battle 3: Battle of Golden Pass Road II

• Difficulty: Easy= -0
• Sec of War Fish (5) & Sr Gen Nye (5) = +10
• Military Officer Leading Battle: Sr Gen James W Nye (5) = +50
• Military Preparedness: +15
• Benchmarks: +15
• Chance of Success: 90%
• Roll: 89/90, victory!
• War Score: +1

Rolled 23/50, no other battles take place.

War Score 4 x End War Multiplier 2= 8 (80% chance to win war)

Rolled 67/80, so the US wins the Utah War against the Mormons.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Utah War: Agreement at Salt Lake

Implementers of the treaty: Pres Granger, Sec of State Anthony, Sec of War Fish

• Since both Fish has efficient, only he undergoes the blunder roll.
• Fish cannot fail, so the treaty is successfully implemented. 

Results

• 100pts Pres, State, War, Theocrats, RW Activists, Traditionalists
• 25/75, no Party Pref change.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Executive Actions

• Reform Executive Appointments (Party Cabinet balance)
  • The cabinet must be equal parts of the two major parties; if an odd number, then the president's party gets the extra spot; This is deactived automatically whenever the next president with "Iron Fist" takes the presidency
  • 50pts Moderates, Reformists; -50pts Liberals, Conservatives, Nationalists
  • Farmer Democrats and Traditionalist Whigs are upset with this decision. Cons and Trads -1 Red (already maxed Blue +3)
• Take Possession of Midway Islands in the Pacific
  • 3/50, relations with Japan decrease to Neutral.
  • 100pts Maritime Industries, Expansionists, Military-Industrial; -100pts Pacifists, Globalists
• Pro-Military Budget Increase Policy
  • 50pts Liberals, Moderates, Conservatives, Military-Industrial; -50pts Progressives, LW Pop, RW Pop
• Pro-Federal Government Policy
  • 50pts Progressives, Liberals, LW Activists; -50pts Conservatives, Traditionalists, RW Activists
  • Traditionalist Whigs are upset with the consolidation of power with the federal government. Party Preference Red -1 (now Blue +1)

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Supreme Court

Pres Granger gets to nominate two men to the Court.

Granger nominates Liberal Isaac P Christiancy of MI (Abolitionists) and Moderate Rep Ward Hunt of NY (Mod Whigs).

Both have Integrity and Judicial 5 so they are automatically confirmed by the Senate.

To replace Hunt, NY Gov Tracy appoints Lorenzo Crounse.

[OrangeP47]

Official notice:  WV starts with 5 EV, 3 of these EV are transferred from VA, this is effective immediately.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

1862 Midterm Elections

With the former confederate states back in the Union and under Reconstruction, Pres Granger faces his first midterm. Having unified government for the duration of the Civil War allowed for a quick and rapid response; however, the American public seems to hold a mixture of sympathy for the former confederate states, slight backlash against Whig unified control, and support for the Whigs for winning the war and protecting the Union. This election seems like a status quo election on the surface, but Democrats are looking at, perhaps, their best electoral performance in 10 years.

State of the Meters

• Revenue-Budget: Extra +1 for incumbent Party Pref (Red +1); +1 Enthusiasm for Moderates
• Economic Stability: Incumbent party +1 in elections (Red +1)
• Domestic Stability: Incumbent Party -1 in elections (Red -1)
• Party Preference: Blue +2
• LW Pops: Blue +2
• Progs: Red +2
• Libs: Red +3
• Mods: Red +3
• Cons: Blue +3
• Trads: Blue +3
• RW Pops: Blue +2

Incumbent challengers: due to the enthusiasm meters Abolitionists and Traditionalist Whigs can challenge their incumbents. Also Imperialists and Semple Democrats can challenge.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Ich_bin_Tyler

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

Also based on the state of this game, the Republican Party cannot be formed. The Red Party will be the Whig Party until another condition is met.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

In an error on my part, I did not include the +1 Party Pref for a major war being won. So Party Pref going into this election is actually Neutral.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

1862 Gubernatorial Elections

Despite being in Reconstruction, the former confederate states elected their usual Democratic leadership. Democrats managed to flip three states: MD, NJ, and RI. Whigs flipped DE. Whigs control 20 states to Dems 17.

Notable matchups included:

• Lyman Trumbull (W), Abolitionist Faction Leader, barely winning over Joel A Matteson (D) in IL.
• Famed Explorer John C Fremont (W) losing handily to Gov William Irwin (D) in LC.
• Gov Benjamin F Tracy (W), appointed when the previous Gov became Sec of War, barely defeating Navy Sec George Bancroft (D).
• Fmr Sen and rebellion leader Thomas Dorr (W) barely losing to Charles Jackson (D) in RI.
• Neill S Brown (W) losing to former CSA Pres Andrew Johnson (D) in TN.
• Fmr Gov and Sr Gen Robert E Lee (W) losing to Fmr VP John Tyler (D) in VA).

[Murrman104]

This would have gone much smoother if President Granger had simply put a lot of these guys against the wall 

[10centjimmy]

15 minutes ago, Murrman104 said:

This would have gone much smoother if President Granger had simply put a lot of these guys against the wall 

Why were they allowed to vote?

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

11 minutes ago, 10centjimmy said:

Why were they allowed to vote?

The rules as they are imply once the war is over everyone comes back with no penalty and you have to pass legislation to bar former confederates from voting.

We had discussions in our chat and I was on the team they should have some sort of penalty or the states should go through some process before coming right back in, but that isn't what the consensus was.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Ich_bin_Tyler

[OrangeP47]

As I said in the chat, the meters "could have been better" for Whigs.

[Ich_bin_Tyler]

1862 House Elections

Democrats made gains in the House, mainly in many Midwestern states that had been the heart of the previous third parties. Democrats surprise in the House making major gains and keeping Whigs to a 21 seat majority. Whigs win 146 (54%) to Dems 125 (46%); however, the left wing of the Democrats now have a sizable presence of 31 Reps. So Whigs might still be able to control a lot of the process and pass what they want with the support of newly elected Rep James Semple and his faction.

[10centjimmy]

6 hours ago, Ich_bin_Tyler said:

The rules as they are imply once the war is over everyone comes back with no penalty and you have to pass legislation to bar former confederates from voting

Lol no, that needs a change. Regardless of its confederacy or Essex junto - that needs to be a immediate restriction or a +9 for the other side while they're under military governorships. 

[OrangeP47]

2 hours ago, 10centjimmy said:

Lol no, that needs a change. Regardless of its confederacy or Essex junto - that needs to be a immediate restriction or a +9 for the other side while they're under military governorships. 

Technically they're not under military governorships, that's a separate legis prop.  I already mentioned one possible idea, which seems to be something you're thinking as well, but another idea banded about (and this isn't an either/or, it could be a *both* solution) is delay the return states/traitors one half-phase so the victors have time to set up measures.

[10centjimmy]

47 minutes ago, OrangeP47 said:

Technically they're not under military governorships, that's a separate legis prop.  I already mentioned one possible idea, which seems to be something you're thinking as well, but another idea banded about (and this isn't an either/or, it could be a *both* solution) is delay the return states/traitors one half-phase so the victors have time to set up measures.

Fair point. The secessionist states should definitely not have representation immediately after. If I recall correctly, the house and Senate refused to seat reps from those states in the immediate aftermath until they began passing reconstruction acts punishing former confederates and empowering African-Americans.

[matthewyoung123]

On 12/18/2022 at 7:42 AM, 10centjimmy said:

Fair point. The secessionist states should definitely not have representation immediately after. If I recall correctly, the house and Senate refused to seat reps from those states in the immediate aftermath until they began passing reconstruction acts punishing former confederates and empowering African-Americans.

Also, remember the REAL war was 4 long bloody years, and as the war grew longer and more costly, there was greater demand from the North to punish the Southern states for the rebellion.  In our timeline, Lincoln didn't offer up emancipation as a war goal until September of 1862, a year and a half into the war.

In OUR timeline, the war was over in less than 2 years, and seemingly without too much blood shed.  In fact, one Southern state (TN) had already outlawed slavery before secession even occurred.

Slavery is now illegal in our timeline, but the ramifications of that (Are freedmen now citizens?  What about their education? Can they vote?  etc) has to be taken up by the Congress.

[10centjimmy]

13 minutes ago, matthewyoung123 said:

Slavery is now illegal in our timeline, but the ramifications of that (Are freedmen now citizens?  What about their education? Can they vote?  etc) has to be taken up by the Congress

Yup. And the secessionists in real life were not allowed to be a part of those deliberations, just like they should be barred in-game. We should see the various factions of the winning side (in this case, Whigs, southern Abolitionists, and northern Democrats) debate the next steps. 

That's all I'm trying to say - if we're trying to stick to the historical sim, we should not see an evenly divided congress immediately following a civil war.

I am fully on board to see that map in 1870, but it's shocking considering what just took place in the game. 

I'll step out to keep observing y'all (it's been a blast and I'm really enjoying it!) but I hope we remember the point of the game - realistic historic simulation. 

[matthewyoung123]

US Senate Appointments-

Gov Andrew Johnson of TN appoints Alfred O P Nicholson to the open Class I seat and David T Patterson the open Class II seat in the US Senate.

Gov William Irwin of LC appoints Charles W Kendall to replace Eugene Casserly in the US Senate Class I seat.

Kansas has no Class I seats to fill.