The Civil War

The Civil War is a strategy game simulating the American Civil War, from its start in April 1861 through the presidential election on 8 November 1864, when Abraham Lincoln was re-elected. You can command either the Northern Union or the Southern Confederates, each with its own abilities, against computer-controlled opposition or another player over a suitable LAN connection. With sufficient strategic and organizational skill, you may force the opposition to surrender before the election.

Campaign strategy

The turn-based campaign covers the entire east coast of America and begins with a historically accurate deployment of troops. You issue orders by night, and they are carried out by day, but each turn has a time limit. At higher difficulty levels, you may have to prioritize because there is not enough time to issue every order; lower levels give you more time to plan.

You command units from Army Commander down to Brigade Commander, while also maintaining cities by fortifying them, recruiting units and building facilities such as hospitals and supply depots. Naval forces can bombard enemy towns or cut off supply lines. To win, you must earn enough victory points by capturing cities belonging to your opponent or starting as neutral; the required total depends on the difficulty setting.

Historical battles

You can also play historical battles, commanding at regimental level on a battlefield shown in 3D. The battlefields include their major features, and you can see individual soldiers march or ride horses, fire muskets and engage the enemy.

Battle scenarios are also part of the full campaign. When an important battle occurs, you can play it out on the battlefield or let the computer calculate the result.

Realism settings

Both modes have realism settings that let you tailor the game and enable more complex features as your understanding and skill grow.