The Timer...

[Flaskekork]

Hi!
First off; I'm rather negative towards the timer, as I feel it ruins the gameplay for me.
I've read lots about the comments going back and forth between players hating it, and players supporting it. And in general noticing that the players who like the timer have a tendency to be on their white horse and looking down on the ones that don't... so... please. I don't want a discussion wether it should or shouldn't be there... If you like it, fine, if you don't, fine.

I've played strategy games since the late90's. Doesn't mean i'm good, more towards; i've played so many I've found a prefernce towards what I like.

That being said; There are LOTS of things I absolutely love about this game. But, for me the timer kills it.

So, a simple question; Is there a mod out there that makes the timer optional?

[The Cunning Fox (raZoleg)]

Throughout 27 years of gaming experience across all genres and platforms, I've only seen one game where timer was a good idea.

Carmageddon.

[CivWar64]

I'm ok with the timer, since days do end and there was little/no night fighting in the Civil War. What I don't care for is the random nature of the timers with their goals...sometimes you have to beat the timers and get the VPs (which defintely adds to my 'anxiousness'), and sometimes you can totallly ignore them. But then thad does make the game even more interesting.

[Flaskekork]

Originally posted by CivWar64:

But then thad does make the game even more interesting.

Im inclined to agree with you on that one! It isn't all black or white... though, the option to turn it off would be nice. I prefer the ammo running out, or the men failing from exhaustion, forcing you to retreat. - but alas my question remains... is there a mod that removes the timer? Or an "easy" code-edit that removes the timer?

The most frustrating part is when you, clearly, are winning the battle, hold the points, but lose due to the timer...*sigh* ... but then again, there are battles where it comes to favor, and makes it more tense...

[PaloAlto]

In the Rebalance mod, they figured out how to extend timers. Not sure if you can completely disable them, but in theory you could make them so long that they no longer matter. Although, it might affect the AI performance. Some battles, the AI gets extremely aggressive near the end of timers, especially if they don't have control of the necessary VPs.

[D-Dub]

Another solution is to know -- as far as we can -- the timing-factors involved before going in to each battle. (E.g., for CSA at Mansfield, there is NO time-limit whatsoever, apparently.) Here's a guide for the USA that attempts just that:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1396453437

Correction: Mansfield for CSA appears to have NO time-limit, while Parker's Crossroads for the Union seems to be the same

[D-Dub]

And here's the link to the CSA/Confed guide, which also s/b helpful for timing-factors, among other things:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1398810316

[pandakraut]

As PaloAlto mentioned it is possible to extend the timers. All battles also have a set 'end of day' time that could also be set to later. While this wouldn't remove them entirely it would effectively give the player more than enough time.

Extending all timers to their maximum amount(12 hours) would somewhat break battles that rely on timers to expire before the next phase occurs. For example, many players choose to skip the Marye's heights phases of Union Fredericksburg and a max length timer would make this even more time consuming.

At least some reinforcement timings seem to be on an exact timestamp rather than a timer, so odd things could happen there as well.

I'll look into adding a timer increase into the optional features of the UI and AI customizations mod.

[mainhunter]

What bothers me, a button apears "Click if you want to end the map" or something similar, but 5 sec. later it stops anyway. Withnessed on the second map.

[pandakraut]

That's the end of day timer kicking in. For many battles you can play long past the finish button appearing though.

[oswaldo]

I sometimes hate the timer too, but it effectively prevents this game from being a casual game. Yes, the player is kept under pressure and has to deliver, sometimes at all cost. But this was the situation of almost every historic civil war commander and the game simulates it pretty well. It doesn´t feel good at all times, why should it? It is a war simulation above the basics.

The longer I think about the timer, the better (or more necessary) it seems to me. Take it out and this is Brigade Chess, but no war game.

Is the timer an unreasonable demand of the Devs? I think not. Time was a huge factor in the Civil War. Consider Shiloh: After the decision to attack, the Confederates had everything but time and needed to hit Grant before Buell´s arrival. Play this battle without a timer? Really? There clearly was a countdown, but no digits on it...

Time (both timing and shortness of time) was and is a huge factor of warfare. McClellan knew everything about war (preparations) but he had no understanding of time and failed. Every opportunity occurs and ends. He could not wait to smash Lee after Antietam but he obviously did not understand that the time/r was running.

Moreover, UGCW uses the timer to keep the development of a battle (and the feeling of the acting persons) close to what happened in the 1860ies. Of course, this only works when playing the side that won the historic battle but the experience is sometimes very nice.

Consider Gaines Mill as CSA, especially during your first playthrough. You approach from the West, as Hill did, you see Porter´s strong defense - and the timer (Lee´s order) runs. You may try to attack, it won´t work, you may start a flanking maneuver but there no doubt that this won´t work in time... You start feeling bad. How to take that position? Then your second Corps (Jackson) arrives, but it still terribly far in the north. Nonetheless, you feel better (as Hill surely did) and you know: using all your forces now and push foreward will make this still work in in time. You swing around the Union position, attack from behind, complete your orders, blow through - and then, the game doesn´t end, instead the timer prolongs and you can route them - and smile. Weren´t these the confederate feelings at Gaines Mill?

And isn´t that better than "So folks, here is the battlefield, now play chess!"...

I think it is.

By the way: how to simulate the piecemeal arrival of troops without a timer?

[Flaskekork]

Thanks for the replies! Real good input, much appreciated :)
I consider the topic now closed :)

[Flaskekork]

Originally posted by D-Dub:

Another solution is to know -- as far as we can -- the timing-factors involved before going in to each battle. (E.g., for CSA at Mansfield, there is NO time-limit whatsoever, apparently.) Here's a guide for the USA that attempts just that:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1396453437

Correction: Mansfield for CSA appears to have NO time-limit, while Parker's Crossroads for the Union seems to be the same

Thanks for the in depth reply, and guide. Appreciated :)

[Flaskekork]

Originally posted by oswaldo:

I sometimes hate the timer too, but it effectively prevents this game from being a casual game. (...)

Real nice thoughts! Really do agree with you.

[MesquiteThorn]

Sometimes the timer just doesn't make any sense; for example, Day 1 at Gettysburg ends at 15:30!

[Koro]

Originally posted by MesquiteThorn:

Sometimes the timer just doesn't make any sense; for example, Day 1 at Gettysburg ends at 15:30!

The intent is to make it not too easy to end the battle early by capturing cemetery hill.
There's usually a good reason for all the timers being the way they are. What I would like to see in the next games coming are more clear timers telling you that this one is an actual deadline and others may be prolonged.