This is great, thank you. Also the issue with the % of strength should be fixed next. I’ll look into the math not adding up haha
Update 03/08/25
- Chapter 5 first draft (47k words…)
- Updates to Chapter 4 in lots of ways (fixed some things, added actual checks for a few areas, etc)
- Fixed bugs (regiment losses calculated properly)
- Adjusted when player earns standing, so no more standing at 80 too soon (hopefully)
- Continuity issues
- Made Chap 4 battle smoother
- New word count (196k words without commands, 215k including commands)
- New “Toggle Stat Display” button that will change many of the stat displays to traditional percentage displays
- ROMANTIC OPTIONS GET INTRODUCTIONS!
- CoGDemos
After finishing this chapter, I realized that I might want to split my original plan of having 3 acts (act 1 being 1863, act 2 being 1864, and act 3 being 1865) comprising the main story, into 3 separate games. Just wondering what ya’ll think about that.
Aside from that, my goal of writing these chapters quickly and working backwords to fix any potential issues (to avoid procrastinating and falling out of writing this) seems to be going pretty well, proud of the progress I’ve made so far. That said, these next updates might take a little bit longer - going to take a little break for my birthday!
Anyway, enjoy, and please keep up the feedback, it’s been incredibly useful
For me personally, I would prefer all act to be in one book, and having an trilogy doesn’t end well sometimes since things happen in life and it could leave a story on a cliff hanger since the author couldn’t make the other books; but your the author and if you believe having 3 books for the acts is the best, then I don’t really have the power to change that
Author is faster than Usain Bolt
I think you can do this in one book. I don’t know how much fiction(historically) you are going for but if you get another motivation for book 2, you can binge a longer time skip, another suggestion.
Anyone can also bring their own suggestions
One of the most dedicated authors I v see on this forum
Him and Flame
Personally, I’d say that separating the acts into different games sounds like it’s too much of a hassle with lots of potential problems, and it would probably be easier for everyone if it was all in a single book.
Not that I’m an expert at this though, lol.
I’d say it depends on the size of the acts for example if act 1 is gonna be more that like 600k words than maybe splitting the game into three books would be a good idea. But you can also keep it in one book. It’s mainly up to you to decide.
What the?! Old Snapping Turtle’s killed by friendly fire!! No!!
Bro did you write all that before hand or are you a god completing 10-15k words in a single day?(I’m going with the first one cause the latter seems next to impossible)
I have one thing to say and only one:
You need to give me tips on how to write a good story with such speed. It’s scary.
Do you have eight hands and five keyboards in front of you for how fast you’re pumping these out O.O
(also what is the highest rank the MC can get? I highly doubt I can get a Corps but maybe a division?)
This is simply amazing, i wish more cog games were made like this keep it up, can’t wait for more and Happy Birthday mate
If you want to push through '63-'65 in one book that should be possible. Or perhaps if you want to build side plots with company commanders, Washington DC acquittances and/or family back home it might do well to slow down the main story? Idk tbh this is a big personal author decision. I will say I’ll be happy with whatever you come up with.
My Regiment is really starting to fight like Royal Dragoons, I wonder why
You’re doing an amazing job—thank you for your dedication and great quality!
I also have a question about the uniform. Is it possible to add the Sharpshooter’s uniform? If I missed it, I apologize for bringing it up.
I mean something like the Berdan’s Sharpshooter’s Uniform.
Like this:
All we need now is a death ride
And some war crimes
Technically they aren’t war crimes yet so just go ham XD
Great job as always. Your pace is extremely impressive.
“ And what about Cooper as your executive officer?" you inquire, curious about his perspective on the farmer’s son who approaches military problems from such different background.
“An inspired choice,” Winters acknowledges immediately. “His practical instincts balance my theoretical approach perfectly. When I calculate optimal defensive angles based on mathematical principles, he intuitively places men where terrain naturally suggests—usually arriving at nearly identical deployments through entirely different methods.”
One piece of feedback is that all the men fighting alongside you are all too good. Maybe 1 in 100 Harvard men at the time would talk like the excerpt above - when referring to a farmer’s son. Nobody is greedy, proud, careerist, racist, classist. Nobody is incompetent, nobody is a coward or has any majorly debilitating flaw. Feels a little like Fields of Asphodel, but in some sense more pronounced. Fighting, killing, marching, and dealing with physical deprivation does not generally make men better. It makes them crueler and less understanding. The characters need a lot more interpersonal conflict and flaws to feel real. Of note, I tested this with a MC whose weakness is empathy and interpersonal communication, and he still interacts well with all subordinates.
Second piece of feedback is that the text is missing the upsurge in religiosity that the Union Army experienced at the time: Religious Revivals during the Civil War - Encyclopedia Virginia
This should be something your MC experiences, reacts to, and can encourage / discourage in the troops, which should affect their faith in you. It was an unavoidable part of the conflict and what commanders experienced over the course of campaign.
Something else about the dialogue that I have to admit I did not notice and only realized after it was pointed out, everybody talks like they’re some sort of historian. Random enlisted guys breaking down in specific detail what part of what brigade hit them when and where, pickets charge being named directly despite the fact that it wasn’t the big mythical thing that it is today, so on and so forth, And the guy was still basically just a nobody at that point.