New 3D Civil War game out this week

[Jagger]

While we are waiting for the patch....

I stumbled across a new game this week that looks interesting. It is called "The Battle of Bull Run" developed by the 2 man team of MadMinute.
It should show up in stores this week for a cost of $20.

"Bull Run" is a realtime 3D tactical wargame of the first battle of Bull Run. It is definitely a real wargame and looks great.

Here is the website for the game:

http://www.madminutegames.com/

Here is an interesting AAR for the game:

http://www.wargamer.com/forums/tm.asp?m=109342

This one could be good and you can't beat the price at $20.

[Red Harvest]

Interesting. I really don't understand why someone hasn't taken on the project to do many Civil War battles again with a good 3D engine. Civil War Generals II was good for hex turn based. The AI was weak, but multiplayer was excellent. From doing my own scenarios for it (and the feedback I received) I'm certain that with a decent engine built, I could crank out battles at a good clip. Once you've done your research and learned the engine, it is straightforward to crank out good battles.

I'm puzzled by the "single battle" approach. Or at least I'm puzzled why developers stop after one or two battles. If you've got a money maker, keep churning them out. I would probably do it in "campaigns" if I was in charge of development. Right now, all you get are the better documented battles. But there are other interesting ones out there.

[The Stranger]

yeah cwg 2 was a pretty good game i had a lot fun playing it

[Sin Qua Non]

I wouldn't mind another American Civil War game, I haven't played one since Sid Meier's Gettysburg & Antietam. Surprisingly good. CWG2 was fun as well. I've always wondered what a TW-like game based on the ACW would be like, so I might try this out. I wonder if the casualty ratios end up being historical.

By the way, one of my favorite and unsung civil war games was a little game called "American Civil War: From Sumter to Appomattox". Very simple interface, very deep game. Has anyone else played that one?

[Jagger]

"American Civil War: From Sumter to Appomattox".

Is that the Frank Hunter Civil War game? If so, it was very good. And still good today. It is now available as a free download here:

http://www.thurb.com/games/acw/intro.htm

[Sam Adams]

"Sid Meier's Gettysburg"

that game was great.

Id love to see civil war or napoleonic era combat with the total war engine.

[Siris]

Well have to add my little input, the game looks bad, no way I'm going to downgrade from RTW to a game like that!

[Jagger]

What??? It doesn't look bad.

And what about AI? Or what about gameplay? How about atmosphere and challenge and fun?

Opps...I forgot...graphics makes the game.

[Jagger]

BTW, first feedback on the MadMinute bulletin board as people start to get the game:

http://www.madminutegames.com/ You have to go to forum and general discussion and then to message titled "Superb".

I received the game today. I'm glad that I paid extra for next day delivery because this game is AWESOME! This is the Civil War game that I've been waiting for. If you loved SMG you will be blown away by CWBR.

I hope to receive it tomorrow and will have my own feedback.

[Sin Qua Non]

Is that the Frank Hunter Civil War game? If so, it was very good. And still good today.


Yep, I DL'ed it and that's the game. It's never left my stable of games. It's the thinking man's CW game for sure. Not heavy on the graphics, but then again it shouldn't be. The graphics would most likely kill Siris on the spot ~;). Thanks for the link.

I'm going to try this new ACW game, it looks like it may be a sleeper hit.

[Red Harvest]

Well have to add my little input, the game looks bad, no way I'm going to downgrade from RTW to a game like that!

Chuckle. Ok, admit it, you only dislike it because there are no Spartans. Maybe we could mod some in and hit them with canister from 100 yards. ~:cheers:

[Jagger]

You are probably going to get sick of all these type of posts, but I had to say it. This game is fantastic! Correction, this is not a game, it is a 19th Century Warfare Simulator. I was actually yelling at my computer and almost weeping with frustration, not because the PC was malfunctioning, but because Bartow would not advance and support my crumbling right flank. I wanted to gallop my virtual self over and shoot him in his slow moving arse.

I think you guys nailed command and control. The battles now unfold like typical accounts you read in the history books. All the boneheadedness, foot-dragging, and stupidity are here to enjoy. I love it!

I haven't seen a negative comment on the game yet. I checked with FedEx. It is in town and it should be delivered today!!

It is really hard to concentrate on work today...I keep looking out the window for FedEx.

[Orvis Tertia]

Hmm. The graphics look pretty goofy by today's standards. You'll have to let us know how it plays. Much as I would like to say otherwise, it's pretty hard to be open to a game that looks so far behind graphically. Once you've seen the state of the art, anything that's drastically less can become distracting. That's not to say that all strategy games have to be up to the level of RTW, but certainly there is a point at which things just look primitive. The Civil War game doesn't look horrible, just a little too unpolished.

[Red Harvest]

I never have understood the idea of rejecting a game merely because it doesn't have cutting edge graphics. Gameplay is far more interesting to me than graphics. I don't continue playing a game for its graphics, but I do if it has good gameplay. Graphics can often be modded, gameplay is not so moddable.

[Jagger]

I received the game yesterday. Unfortunately, I am having crashes about every 15 minutes or so. The tech support seems to think it may have to do with some integrated graphics within my computer or something hogging my memory. My ordeal is in the tech support forum. So far, I am the only one with this type of problem.

However within the approximately fifteen minutes each, I have had the opportunity to play several brigade and division level tutorials. The tutorials are real battles.

So here are some of my observations. The game is real time. It takes about twenty minutes to walk a mile in a real life. In the game, it will take you twenty minutes as well unless you gallop or doubletime with the attentent costs in fatigue. You can speed up the game but the 'speed up" only seems temporary. You have to speed up again. I would like to see the 'speed up" command stay in effect until cancelled.

You can shift your view using either mousepad keys or your mouse cursor. The mousepad keys work smoothly and quickly. However with my rig, the mouse cursor doesn't shift the view smoothly or easily. Again I am not hearing the problem reported from others so it just may be my rig.

The manual is in a word document and fairly small but gives you the essentials. The tutorial scenarios simply introduce some concepts prior to entering the scenario. Once within the scenario, you are on your own.

Infantry is on a 10-1 basis. In Bull Run, the regiments are large. Artillery is on a 1-1 basis. In the Evans tutorial, there is a single cannon supporting Evans brigade. It can use shrapnel, round shot or cannister. Considering the real time scale, fire fights can take some time. Casaulties appear realistic. Units seem to be able to change front too quickly but I will have to look at closer. Apparantly combat results and modifiers can be modded but I haven't looked at them yet.

The key feature of Bull Run appears to be the command and control aspect. You are a commander. You can go in and directly command your regiments at the brigade level. You can do the same thing at all levels of command, however the actual unit commander may override your orders. Each unit commander has a variety of traits which determine how likely they are to follow your orders and how quickly. You are primarily an army, corps, division or brigade commander. Anyone outside your command is controlled directly by the AI.

Also the AI is giving me a very rough time as an opponent.

I have to run. Summary, it is a real wargame simulation of Bull Run. If you like a real simulation, you will like Bull Run. However I am having crash problems. Right now, I am the only one with my problem. I am getting a lot of direct help from the developers. Hopefully we will get the problem resolved.