Civil War Game Engine

This Game is in Alpha stages.  It isn’t fully implemented and probably has bugs that will prevent you from playing to far into the game.  The primary purpose of this web site support those who want to help test it.  But you are welcome to download the game and try to play it.  Just remember it is Alpha and I retain all rights to the game.  You will have to register on the Web Site to access the downloads and to use the Forums.  There is a “Walk Through” document in the Download section that you can access without registering if you want to just look at the game to see if you are interested.

The Civil War Game Engine (CWE) is designed to simulate Civil War combat on the Regimental and Battery Section level. It also implements a command control system to limit actions to ones that are reasonable during the Civil War. The Player acts on a number of command levels from the smallest unit up to the General in overall command. But the Player doesn’t have absolute control over these units at any level. The Player can only implement actions within the context of the simulated units. For example, they cannot make McClellan act like a Gen. Lee. He will have many more limitations. They will not be able to make a Green unit act like a Veteran unit and march up against impossible odds.

The game uses a WEGO system where both sides enter their orders to their headquarter units and combat units first. Once both sides complete this task, the game then attempts to execute those orders. Event that occur as a result of attempting to execute the unit orders may result in those orders not being execute or even alternate actions being taken. The game can be played hot seat or as a PBEM game. The design is focused on PBEM play. The Turns in the game are 10 minutes of real time but by using a WEGO system that allows either player to execute the completed orders the game move along with the same number of mailings as a traditional 20-minute turn game.

As previously noted, the game uses a 10-minute turn; however, the turn is executed in 100 steps. This means orders, actions and events happen on a six second interval. The map uses a 50-yard scale (distance between center of one hex and an adjacent hex) with a 15-yard height interval. Unlike most hex based games, the unit in a hex has relative location in the hex based on its positioning. The game also uses twelve facing within the hex (sides and vertices). Units can also expand more than one hex. Lager regiments can occupy up to five hexes as a continuous line. They can also have different facing on their flanks.

On the Regiment level the regimental commanders have considerable control over their regiment in response to local conditions. They are not suicidal. If you give orders that would put them in excessive danger or during execution, they find that they are in more danger than expected they will attempt to alter the orders based on the situation. If the Regimental leader is on of the poorer ones, they may even do something stupid. This means the Player has to anticipate things not happening when they are giving orders to poorer quality units and commanders.