Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:01 pm
Hi Folks,
Like to first tip my hat to you all for your brilliant start in the wargaming business and give you my best wishes that your new game makes a big splash.
Here's my "preferences:"
Favorite side overall: Neither
Favorite side discovering game: Neither
Do you read the rules: Nope, not relevent as I am not new to wargames
Do you play the tutorials: Rarely, again as I am not new to computer wargames.
Balanced or biased historically: Other, I perfer "fun", no matter how you do it. (more on that later)
Do you play smaller scenarios: Rarely, as I perfer grand strategy.
If you don't mind I'd like to expand on the question concerning whether the game should be balanced or biased historically.
There have been very few grand strategy games made based on the American Civil War. However, this is a very well documented war, with folks having distinctly opinionated views concerning it's details. If you all have followed the discussions over at Matrix games concerning their new game, Forge of Freedom, you will see this quite clearly. For some, the game is not right unless the details (weapons effects, naval power, industry, etc.) are right. For me, however, the game is not right, unless it captures "the flavor" (from a historic basis) of the era in a challenging game whether playing the North or South.
Now I'd like to expand about what I mean by "the flavor."
When one looks at the American Civil War from an historical, grand strategy viewpoint, one walks away understanding this war was the precursor to modern day, all out war. We see in history swings which favored either offensive or defensive operations. Prior to the ACW, offensive operations had the edge due to the shock effect of cavalry, ala the Napoleonic wars. But that edge was being lost during those times and indeed completely lost during the ACW due to the invention known as rifling, for both muskets and cannon. Rifling meant a new swing in operations that favored the defensive. Of course, there were other scientific innovations that helped throw the balance to the defensive, but what is important for us to understand is that the ACW was fought during a time when defensive operations dominated the battlefield.
This is "the flavor" of the American Civil War and we see this played out during the actual struggle and on its battlefields.
Now folks can argue about all the little historical details, but if "the flavor" is not captured, then their discussion is merely an academic exercise. Let us take leadership, for example. When we understand that the battlefield heavily favored the defensive, then we gain insight into why many have come to believe that the South had the best generals. The Army of Northern Virginia did miraculous work when it fought against an advancing Yankee army. But when they were tasked to take to the offensive, were little more effective than their Northern counterparts. Now granted, there are lots of additional factors that are all pertinent, but the overhanging basic precept, that the defense had become the dominant form of warfare, lays as the fundamental cause.
Now the Union managed to overcome this fundamental advantage the Rebs possessed using various new types of weaponry, training, better cavalry, blockading the coast, etc., but in the main, the war was won by shear attrition of the combatants involved. This too is part of "the flavor" of the ACW and was a precursor to all out war (eptimozed by World War I) as we view it from an analytical strategic viewpoint.
I know the developers here are on their final journey in completing the game and I understand that it is an adaption of an existing engine. I do hope, however, that it manages to capture some of "the flavor" of the period. It is a difficult war to simulate and I think we should all bare that in mind when it comes to discussions of it's success in recreating "the history" of the time. Trying to make a game about the ACW both historical and fun (for both the North and the South) combined, is a true challenge indeed.
Personally, the American Civil War is by far my favorite era, so I'm quite excited about the coming release of the game, and once again wish all involved great success (whether my "preferences" are met or not) and a heartfelt thanks for addressing the period.
Ray (aka Lava)
