TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog » AGEOD’s ACW

Last Official Patch For Ageod’s American Civil War Released

Brett Schulte — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:14:10 +0000

The last official patch for Ageod’s American Civil War, v1.15, has been released and is available at Ageod’s web site. The patch fixes any remaining major bugs and comes in at a hefty 120 MB for the download. Please note that this patch is NOT comprehensive. You must update to v1.14 first prior to applying this patch.

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Last Official Patch For Ageod’s American Civil War Released

Hey y’all

Matthew Young — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:42:47 +0000

Hello. My name is Matthew Young, and I’m a Civil War junkie. That’s why this blog appealed to me so much to begin with. I found it totally by accident while browsing in the AGEOD ACW Forums. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it. I wrote to Brett asking if I could contribute, and after a qucik few e-mails back and forth, here I am writing my first post.

Perhaps I should give you some background about me so you can get a flavor for the kind of topics I feel that I can write on. So here is a short bio for you.

Name: Matthew Young

Age: 30

Location: Georgia & Alabama

Education: BA in History, working on Masters in History Education

Professional Experience: Education Director for the National Civil War Naval Museum for seven years (and will be moving to the new National Infantry Museum in a month or so to direct their new Education program), Part Time History Instructor at Vincennes University at Fort Benning for two years, featured in interviews on Georgia Public Broadcasting, the Military Channel, the History Channel, and the Travel Channel, author of two articles for the online Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Hobbies: Captain of Co. K, 17th Geo. Vol. Infantry for five years, Civil War Reenactor for twelve+ years, avid Computer war gamer since I received my first computer when I was 5 (a Commodore 64), and reader of all civil war books I can get my hands on.

I recently attended the 145th Battle of Gettysburg, and I am in the process of loading up pictures from the event. We also stopped at Lexington, Virginia, Harpers Ferry, and the Sharpsburg battlefield in addition to the real Gettysburg battlefield.

This is a picture of me and my soon to be wife at the event. We had a great time. More to come in the next post. I am very happy to be able to contribute!

- MY

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Hey y’all

Interview With AGEod’s American Civil War Game Developer Pocus

Brett Schulte — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:46:27 +0000

I’m pleased to present a short interview with the lead programmer for Birth of America and AGEod’s American Civil War Philippe Malacher, well known as Pocus on the AGEod forums. Pocus was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about the game and the company. I greatly appreciate it.

Question #1: As many readers know, AGEod is based in France. Despite a European setting, the first two AGEod game cover American wars, including Birth of America (about the Revolutionary War/French and Indian War) and of course AGEod’s American Civil War. Why did you choose to portray these two conflicts first, and how do you decide what game topics you are going to cover next?

There are a number of reasons actually. The two main ones are that when we designed and developed Birth of America or American Civil War, there was no recent operational-level PC game on the subject especially true for BOA), so naturally, we wondered if something of interest to players (and to us, we are players also!) could be done! Also, from a pragmatic perspective, we needed, within the frame of our incremental engine development philosophy a binary, mainly continental conflict without too much need for an economic system. BOA, and to a lesser extent AACW, fitted the bill perfectly. And so the plan for the games was conceived.

Question #2: AGEod has won numerous awards for the game engine used in Birth of America and AGEod’s American Civil War. In searching the web, the response to your games is almost entirely positive. You’ve even impressed the notoriously hard to please grognards over at the Wargames-Historical newsgroup! In your view, what makes your games so popular with wargamers?

I think it has to do (partly at least) with how we design the mechanics of our games. Too often, game developers don’t go back to the reality behind game concepts they implement. By force of habit, they will reuse something which is already a well established mechanism in others games and adapt it to their own game. On the contrary, we start with a blank slate to do each feature, in an historical yet fun way. A typical example is how conscription recruitment was done in the ACW. People were called en masse and not continuously every week. So basically, you have to think of a system where you get rare but massive amount of conscripts points. And thus we created the options to call for volunteers. Where the fun begins is that you can ‘pay’ these volunteers, as it was done historically. This rethinking of some of the basics of wargames is perhaps one of the things which has pleased people, because they feel things fall into place naturally.

Question #3: AGEod has greatly impressed me with your willingness to incorporate mods into new patches for AGEod’s American Civil War and al of your other wargames. Gray-Lensman’s Railroad Mod, in which he has done an amazing amount of research trying to recreate the railroad network across America circa 1861, is one example. Some game companies would not only fail to recognize his hard work, they would frown on it. Why did you make your game engine so moddable, and why do you view mods and modders with such a favorable eye?

In my opinion, it’s important to understand that releasing a game is only the beginning of the adventure. Once this is done, beyond the usual bug fixing, caring about the players’ feedback is instrumental in the quality of the evolving game. You can’t possibly think about everything and it’s a question of humility somehow to understand that hundreds of people who will spend their evenings reenacting the maneuvers of G. Washington or the offensives of Lee can see things that you missed. This doesn’t mean that the developers don’t have a clear vision of their game from the start, though!

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Interview With AGEod’s American Civil War Game Developer Pocus

AGEod’s American Civil War Wiki by Rafiki

Brett Schulte — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:46:06 +0000

Most readers are familiar with the Wiki format made famous by Wikipedia. AGEod’s American Civil War fan “Rafiki” from the AACW Forums has created a Wiki for the game called AACWWIki. Users can join up and create and/or edit articles in the wiki. This is a really GREAT idea that could and should be used for some of the other Civil War wargames out there. What’s all available at the AACWWiki you ask? Tons of great material, including the official game manual with user input added in, a Frequently Asked Questions section for the game, a strategy guide, a categorized index, and a modding guide. I’ve included the contents of the About AACWWiki page below:

AACWWiki:About

From AACWWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

[hide]

1 About AACWWiki as a wiki

2 Policies and guidelines

3 For those who want to contribute

4 What AACWWiki is not

About AACWWiki as a wiki

AACWWiki makes use of a Wiki to make exchanges and updates as easy as possible. More specifically, it uses the Mediawiki-implementation; same as is used e.g. at Wikipedia. For those unfamiliar with the concept of Wikis, take a look at Wikipedia:Wiki for an introduction to it.

Policies and guidelines

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the Policies and guidelines of AACWWiki.

For those who want to contribute

Point your broser to the AACWWiki:Community Portal, where you find info on how to do that.

What AACWWiki is not

To clarify the wiki’s purpose and what we’d like to see here, it can be handy to say what the wiki isn’t meant for:

It is not a discussion forum. The AGEod forums are much better suited for this.

It is not a place for people to brag about their l33t skills at playing AACW. If it’s not informative and helpful for others, you’re probably better off writing an AAR of some kind.

It is not a place for commercial activites. Advertisments are best placed elsewhere, especially if they have little to no relevance to the game

It is not better than what the users make it. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t complain. Instead, do something about it! Start putting together articles about the subject you’re interested in, and hopefully others will come along and help you out.

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AGEod’s American Civil War Wiki by Rafiki

Two New Civil War Modding Sites

Brett Schulte — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:57:40 +0000

I just wanted to let fellow American Civil War wargamers know about two new modding sites I’ve rolled into TOCWOC’s pages.

The NEW Harpers Ferry Arsenal hosts mods for Mad Minute Games’ Take Command Series, including Take Command 2nd Manassas (TC2M), a “real time battle simulator”. Modders have created many other battles, including Fredericksburg, Antietam, Chickamauga, and Champion Hill.

AGEod’s American Civil War Fan Site hosts mods for, obviously, AGEod’s American Civil War, a strategic level Civil War computer game. I’m just starting this site, but it should hopefully grow steadily as I read through the AGEod forums and add mods.

These sites tie nicely into what I’m trying to do with my posts on TOCWOC. You should see blog entries for any interesting new mods for these Civil War computer games. I also hope to highlight after action reports found in the AGEod forums and the Mad Minute Games forums. You might even see an interview or two from some wargaming personalities in the coming weeks. If you play either Take Command 2nd Manassas or AGEod’s American Civil War, come check out the sites and let me know what you think. There are dedicated comments pages for literally all new mods coming out. You can also use the contact forms specially designed for the sites at the bottom of the two main pages linked to earlier in this blog entry.

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Two New Civil War Modding Sites

AGEOD’s ACW Patched to v1.07

Brett Schulte — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:29:56 +0000

AGEOD’s American Civil War has been patched to version 1.07 according to a news release at the Wargamer web site. This thread at the AGEOD Forums discusses all the changes.

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AGEOD’s ACW Patched to v1.07

AGEOD Launches Web Site for AACW

Brett Schulte — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:02:10 +0000

AGEOD, designers of an upcoming Civil War computer game you may have seen once or twice on this web site (grin), have officially launched a new web site for the game. Check it out HERE. Initial offerings include “Overview & Gameplay”, “Screenshots & Wallpapers”, “Reviews & Community”, and a link back to the main AGEOD web page. Links to buy the game and download a demo are coming soon. I’m starting to get pretty excited about this game. If it is anything like Birth of America in terms of ease of play and just plain fun it should be a big hit.

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AGEOD Launches Web Site for AACW

Beta Tester Starts New AAR for AGEOD’s Upcoming Civil War Game

Brett Schulte — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:33:25 +0000

Many of you who read this site regularly will be familiar with AGEOD’s American Civil War, due out very soon. I went over various features being covered by lead developer “Pocus” in late December 2006. AGEOD beta tester “Barney” has started a new AAR for the game to give prospective buyers further insight into how the game works. “Barney’s” first post in the ongoing AAR is as follows:

Hi all,

Pocus asked me to post this AAR of the Bull Run campaign. Let me know what you think! I’ll be posting a turn a day for the next week.

Barney

First Bull Run

Beta version 0.96

Early June 1861 and the war between the States, which officially began on 12 April 1861 with the attack on Fort Sumter, enters itâ€™s third month without a major engagement having yet been fought. In Washington, Congressmen, Senators and the public clamour for the Federal government to strike quickly and move onto Richmond, the newly designated capital of the Confederate States of America. Republican President, Abraham Lincoln has appointed Brigadier General Irvin McDowell to command the Army of North-eastern Virginia. McDowell, a graduate of West Point and veteran of the Mexican-American war is reluctant to commit his untried and untrained Army, the largest ever assembled in North America, without the proper training and preparation. However after continued pressure from the Politicians, Citizens and the President, he reluctantly begins to draw up plans for an invasion of north-eastern Virginia. As the President reminds him “You are green, it is true, but they are green also. You are all green alike”. The stage is now set for the opening of the first major battle in the eastern theatre of the American Civil War.

The President has told McDowell that the American people expect a quick victory and consequently expect nothing less than the capture of Richmond within three months. (Game note on scenario objective: The union player wins if he ends the scenario in sole control of Richmond or if he breaks the Confederate morale. Time allotted 6 turns)

Start of Scenario

This is the extreme view of northeastern Virginia and southern Maryland. It allows a view of both capitals, where a large portion of the war will undoubtedly be fought.

Game note: AACWâ€™s map is a very good representation of both the Eastern and Western theatres of the American Civil War portraying accurately the counties, cities, towns, forts, rivers, islands, roads and railroads that became the major objectives of the campaigns of the civil war. As the game is still in beta, the map is still subject to change. This will probably include a respositioning of Manassas.

The range of mountains running up the length of the map in western Virginia are the Shenandoah Mountains. There are numerous gaps through the mountains, both road and rail, which will be important from a strategic perspective as it will allow rapid troop movement from the Shenandoah Valley to the north-eastern battlefields. Control of the gaps is of vital importance, especially in the north where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad allows for rail movement from Cumberland, Md to Harpers Ferry, Va. and the quick movement of troops across the theatre. Across the Maryland border from the town of Harperâ€™s Ferry is Winchester, a strategic crossroads allowing for travel into western and eastern Virginia. Whilst rebel troop dispositions are incomplete due to the fog of war a large body of Confederates are known to be just south of Winchester clearly threatening Harper’s Ferry.

South-east of Washington is the rail hub at Manassas Junction, where the Manassas Gap RR meets the Orange and Alexandria RR. McDowell knows itâ€™s an important objective on the road to Richmond as denial of the railroad to the rebels will reduce their inability to move troops quickly around the theatre. Itâ€™s possession should open the way to Richmond. Unfortunately the hero of Fort Sumter P.G.T Beauregard, commander of the Confederate Army of the Potomac (5-1-3) also appreciates this fact and is directly opposing any movement down the O&A.

As for Union dispositions, in the extreme north-east on the other side of the Shenandoah Mountains is Brigadier General Robert Patterson (2-1-1) with two divisions, and in Washington and Alexandria are the main body of the Army of Northeastern Virginia (35,000 men), comprising 5 divisions.

Game note: Thereâ€™s a lot of detail in Ageodâ€™s ACW. If you donâ€™t believe me take a look at the feature of the day mammoth thread. Each historic division, brigade and regiment is detailed in the game (refer above screenshot).

Continue to follow the AAR HERE.

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Beta Tester Starts New AAR for AGEOD’s Upcoming Civil War Game

AGEOD’s ACW: Feature 30

Brett Schulte — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 18:27:14 +0000

AGEOD is developing a new Civil War game based on their excellent “Birth of America” engine. Lead developer Pocus has been slowly unveiling various features of the new game over at the AGEOD Forums.

Feature #30 : Recruiting and Building Units (Screenshots Heavy!)

AGEod’s American Civil War let you recruit units (or build in case of ships) of various types. Each has a cost in money, conscripts and heavy war materials (aka War Supplies), but as you can expect the cost vary enormously between the units types. These ‘assets’ (money, conscripts, War Supplies) are stocked at the national level, and are produced either via historical options that you can trigger yourself (taxes, drafting) or are produced continuously (war supplies in the fabrics and magazines you possess in cities).

Most units have a force pool, either for a given state, of a given Department (several states together). So you can recruit (if you have the assets) with some liberty many units, but you just can’t do very ahistorical things, like having Florida fielding 40 brigades, or having an army only made of horse-drawn artillery and cavalry brigades escorted by an hord of gatling guns!

The screens below should let you understand the underlying principles of the system. We hope you will enjoy the look of them too!

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AGEOD’s ACW: Feature 30

AGEOD’s ACW: Feature 29

Brett Schulte — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:11:40 +0000

Feature #29 : Special Orders

Specials Orders in AACW is the tool provided to the player in order to adjust finely how you want your armies and fleets to interact with the map or your enemy. Not all are available at a given time, as many are contextual to the place where is your army (build something eg), how able is your commander (if he is activated eg), or need to be triggered by a special unit or a specific condition (promoting a general eg).

Here is the list of orders which will be available. Don’t hesitate to ask questions!

Ambush: Irregular units, like partisans, indians, rangers and raiders can try to set an ambush in wild, hilly or forrested regions. If they succeed they will have great combat benefits against an enemy entering the region, including first fire and the possibility to retreat easily.

Forced March: Forced march allows the force to move at a faster pace, but stragglers will result in a loss of combat potential. Good leaders and light units are more able to succeed.

Shelter in cityscape (when movement end): The force will enter the cityscape (city or fort) in the region they end their move. Useful when you want to garrison a structure with a force away from it at the start of the turn.

Make a (conditional) sortie: Your force is currently within a besieged fort or city. By ordering a sortie, it will join any combat initiated by a relief force outside the structure.

Naval Bombardment: Your fleet has some bombardment capacity and will bombard the first coastal structure or entranched position they encounter, provided you also have a force in the target region (support bombardment only). The enemy can retaliate in force if he has emplaced guns.

Build a depot: The force will build a depot, by expanding 2 supply units.

Build a Fortification: The force will build a fortification network, by expanding 2 supply units and 2 artilleries units.

Build rail network/repair rail network: The force will build or repair the rail network in the region. Repairing is far faster and less costlier than building.

Destroy Rail network: The force will destroy the rail network in the region.

Destroy Fortification: The force will destroy the fortification in the region.

Move by River: The force can now benefit from the Riverine privileged Movement, and can travel accross rivers during the turn.

Move by Rail: The force can now benefit from the Rail privileged Movement, and can travel accross rivers during the turn.

Synchronized Move: The Army HQ and subordinates corps in the same region will move together, at the pace of the slowest corps.

Promote a leader: The leader has gained enough seniority to be eligible for promotion to a new rank.

Combine Units: The selected units can be combined into a single one. If a division HQ is in the selection, you will be able to detach them later, if not the combined units return to the force pool and fill up the rank of the first selected unit.

Detach from unit: The unit is made of several, agregated units and will be split.

Form up an army: You form an army by combining a GHQ unit with a leader of rank 3. The stack is now acting as an Army HQ and corps can be attached to it.

Dismiss an army: The army is dismissed, thus reverting to independent force status. All corps are dismissed too and revert to independent force status.

Attach corps to army: A stack containing a 3 or 2 -stars leader is declared as a corps of an army nearby.

Detach corps from army: The corps is detached from its parent army and revert to independent force status.

Evade fight (land or naval): the force is trying to escape fight in traveled regions. The chances are based on the Evasion value you have compared to the Patrol value your enemy has in the regions.

Early board of the special orders planned. Some are deprecated, some are not shown.

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AGEOD’s ACW: Feature 29