Update: - Units defending in Melee fire at 100% fire ??

[Mowgli]

I totally disagree with the statement that frontal attacks will be very hard... No! They have to be very difficult! Or at least somewhat more difficult than it is.

If attacking and defending players aren't inexperienced novices, the attacker side will always have advantage in Napoleonic battles with previous mechanics and NO MDF. I saw this many times in both roles. The reasons for this are mainly the high stacking level and attack column formations bonuses. Even when defenders have high-ground positions with good-quality battalions - it wouldn't help in 80% cases. If the attacker will be able to close with the positions - he just has to push forward with "full stacked" columns. As far as 50% fire very rarely cause disrupted status(sometimes it fires at a distance of two hexes, and during melee it does not even fire - which is simply outrageous) and the fact that fullstack of C-quality units will have much more effective attacking force than one large A-quality battalion with high-ground and no fatigue (one battalion because it's very rare situation when defender can form the line of defence with more than one battalion in it - even with large armies scales) - it will end in many lost initial struggles from defender side. Disrupted, additionally with 50% fire, they cant cause any losses, and routed making disrupted other battalions. So - the great hole in the line of defence, as I saw it many times, is created. Very typical, but one of the most effective tactics. Alas!

I don't think a better rate of fire will completely solve this problem. But I hope that at least high quality battalions will make disrupted the approaching enemies with devastating volleys.

My experience differs quite a bit - I suppose it's because you play with the "column pass through" optional rule disabled? I play with "column pass through" enabled and no phases. Closing in frontally against enemy artillery batteries over distances longer than a single turn's movement is total suicide with my current settings. I've seen two artillery batteries on their own beat back attacks by a line of 6 battalions.

It's true that the losses inflicted by artillery opportunity fire rarely cause disruption. However, the fire inflicted by artillery OFFENSIVE fire on medium or close ranges will inflict horrible losses to ALL units in the hex (if "column pass through" is enabled) and easily rout AT LEAST one of the units (ALL need to test for the morale check, not just one), causing disorder to the rest, which in turn makes the whole attack fail (attacking while disordered troops gives a -66% assault power malus). I've seen stacks of 3 battalions suffer 200+ casualties from a single artillery opportunity fire action at point blank range. Just saying. 

So, I guess I will just play without "column pass through" in the future. Artillery is already op right now with this optional rule, and it becomes even stronger with 100% opportunity fire vs. assaults.

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When it comes to infantry, I'm totally in favour of greater defensive firepower. But I don't think the +50% on opp. fire will make any difference - it will hardly suffice to cause disruption.