Since I am new to this forum (at least as someone who actually wants to contribute ) I want to say hello to everybody. I am very (VERYVERY) much interested in WoR and also looking forward to the first possibility for me to play it myself (perhaps as a backer or in early access?).
Ontopic now:
Perhaps the answer or a solution to my suggestion is already there :if so, please ignore this and don't be too mad about my suggestion
A thing which I think is a "big thing" in line warfare overall is morale, and I am quite sure that most people will endorse. I know that there will be a morale system in the game. What I imagine is something like an added difficulty in aiming (shaking view, slower movement and so on) while being under artillery fire, being separated from your regiment, being flanked and so on. But what's about wavering and breaking? As far as I know every detail starts to waver after a certain amount of losses taken and/or something of the things I stated above - until it finally breaks and the individuals only think about their own life and start to run back to Washington or Richmond
This is something which will not happen in online gaming, at least not in my oppinion. Since this game wants to be as accurate as possible I would suggest something like an AI takeover for player characters in certain circumstances.
Let's imagine:
Your regiment has taken fire from the front center by an equal force, both about same strength and skill, but one fights uphill, the other downhill. On top of that, the regiment uphill has some kind of breastwork, fences or even a stonewall for cover. The regiment attacking uphill is also under artillery fire from it's flank. (classic, sounds like fredericksburg, right?).
In a normal online game, even with really good players (good means no lonewolfs, people who try to be accurate), the fight would probably go on until there really is just an unrealistically small part of the original regiment left. Perhaps the "survivors" would still try to fight on, no matter what.
If they have a decent officer and are a well trained team of players, they perhaps would fall back at the right time, but even if so, they would have to take heavy fire and even more losses while doing so.
I for myself want the most accurate and thus the most immersive simulation possible, and to imagine single soldiers running left and right, reloading, and still try to stand and make a fight is definitely not part of that (even if it may be funny sometimes and could have ridiculously awsome outcomes).
What I suggest:
If your regiment is doing all right, stand to each other, shoulder by shoulder, backed by officers and so on, you will get a maximum of "morale" out of it. But if you get parted from your detail, get flanked, or your regiment takes heavy losses the whole regiment's morale will suffer.
This could result in a "AI takeover", beside the usual camera shaking/blurring effects.
First thing to happen could that player characters take one or several steps back, which perhaps can be hold by the presence of an officer (feel my saber, boy), but these would the first "wavering" in the line. If more of these negative effects accumulate over time, the possibility that the unit will break increases. If the line is thinned out or some people thought of pulling back prematurely without "waiting" for the others, it will completely fall apart and an "AI" routine will make every single character run back to a point behind the own lines. If there is no own line anymore, the characters will completely disobey and have a run for the potomac, one way or the other
Perhaps some fifty yards or even less would be enough, the line is broken, and there is no sense in turning back alone. (slight differences in running speed should do it). The players actually would be forced to really fall back and rally again simewhere else. If they are pursued by a charge of the opposing team,still under fire or something similar, the low morale would cause the player character to headlessly run again.
This certainly is something which has to be carefully balanced and I know this is a thin line for players, loosing control alltogether is something which is not really funny, even in a videogame. But I think if this is done right it could add greatly to the realism of this game, aswell to the thrill and the skilllevel demanded. You also could make this optional to the server settings. Or something like frightening fridays XD
Thank you for reading this, sorry if this already obsolete. I hope I wrote something reasonable here, I really want this game to be a success. I will have a look in this thread tomorrow and then go on vacation for two weeks, so you will have plenty of time discussing this (or trash the post, of course
best wishes,
Gamble