The Wargamer

The Union campaign against Vicksburg in 1863 was undoubtedly critical for each side of the American Civil War and cemented U. S. Grant's reputation as a general who would fight to win. The details of the campaign are laid out very well in Bill Trotter's piece. HPS/John Tiller's latest installment in their American Civil War series covers the critical campaign at Vicksburg. And the usual beauty marks and warts of the series persist with this latest installment.

Forming Up

Installation is through the usual install wizard and documentation is a series of on-disk sections accessible through the "Help" function. These sections include a general manual, scenario parameters, and campaign notes. Questions can be readily answered through a search function. A "Getting Started" scenario and tutorial provide insight into basic concepts and interface.

Terrain in the campaign was rugged and varied. Narrow paths wound through jungle-like forests which led to creeks and marshes dominated by slopes and heights. The Confederates added their own layers of terrain at these obvious deployment points by adding chevaux-de-frises and breastworks. The 2D game map shows these terrain features and unit counters in the finest boardgame-like tradition, enhanced by color coding elevation. Contour lines are used to delineate sloped and optional highlights for fixed, disrupted, or low ammo units. The usual sidebar shows a tintype of the regiments' uniform as well as its range, movement points, strength fatigue, quality, and formation on the front, as well as the chain of command on the obverse. Although most players I talk with prefer to use the 2D view, the 3D figures are good, if not state-of-the-art, and are very useful when figuring out intricate situations. Particularly interesting are the 3D models of Federal mortar rafts and "tinclads".

Units consist of leaders, regiments, and artillery sections of between two to four guns. Units are rated for quality, which range from A to D, with quality dropping as fatigue rises. Combat results in dead men, fatigue, disruption and rout. Movement is decreased as unit disruption increases. Units cannot move after firing. Firing is accomplished by using CTRL-right click on the target, and is automatically adjusted for range attenuation. Melee is initiated by moving onto an enemy. Leaders rally disrupted and routed units. Movement is done by either click-and-drag or by hex-by-hex right clicks. Entire brigades in column can be moved together by ALT-right-clicking with the lead unit. Changes in infantry formations and facing happen through icons or menu commands; same with artillery limbering. Formations include column, line and skirmisher. Sound has the usual bangs and yells but Thomas Hook's background music is most enjoyable.

Many of the scenarios are long and contain large bodies of units, especially on the Union side. Manipulating each unit can be tedious but the system has a nice alternative. By using command control, players take on the persona of a commander at several levels. Broad commands can be issued to the commander and all commanders subordinate to him. The AI then moves the units accordingly. When optional, the player can return to micromanaging regiments.