PLaying EU and trying to recreate the Russian empire sparked my intrest to read up on Russian history and Peter the Great.
Rome Total War of course the same with the Roman empire.
What's also funny is that while reading AND playing the games, I assume the role of whomever it is Im playing whether it be Stalin or Caesar and even find myself yelling at my "generals" for not slowing the Nazi advance or vowing to crush the Gauls once and for all! I remember some years back when the Soviets sued for peace in late 42 after a very long and tough fight. I was literally "dancing a jig" in my OKW command HQ and congratulating all my "officers" for such a well done job!
I have always been a history buff, but certain games cause a desire to really get into the detail of certain eras in history and sure enough, this game is doing that with the Civil War.
What's funny is, I have not played a Civil War game in 20 or so years and also have not read upon it it about the same time. When I was a teenager I read a lot about it, but that has been some time ago. Now, every time I see places like Manassas or Vicksburg, it's all I can do to keep from stopping the game and getting online to read up on the details of what actually happened at those battles.
Yup, time to make a trip to the used books store and add yet another era to my library.
) but the majority of USA generals were politically appointed and/or motivated. Most officers of a USA unit tended to be men who were well-to-do educationally or financially or ones who used political connections to get their appointment. Not to say that didn't happen in the CSA too, but it happened a LOT more in the north. McClellan is a prime example of this.
leure: