HPS SIMULATION Campaign Gettysburg: Civil War Battles ( Windows )

Just received the Gettysburg game so this review is based on limited playing time. This is also my first HPS simulation game, all my other strategy wargames are board games. I have been very impressed with what HPS has done. What I like about this HPS system thus far is that it's the ultimate space saver (makes the wife happy since rooms in the house aren't tied up for days or weeks), you can play in comfort (the barn get's cold in the winter), provides complete in-house disturbance protection (rampaging little kids and the family dog), and the Gettysburg game has many similarities to the best old and new board games developed by such companies as GMT and SPI. An aside; I mentioned the family dog - our Labrador gets lonely when left at home and occasionally finds something of mine to eat - one day I came home to find 90% of the counters to my SPI Gettysburg game (Terrible Swift Sword) had been neatly licked up our canine companion. Back to the review. Thus far I have enjoyed the shorter length scenarios and just started the 3-day battle scenario. The AI engine was acceptable for the short length scenarios (4-10 turns) but has not worked very well for the 3 day battle (about 160 turns). The AI is playing the Union side and has made a lot of stupid-rookie mistakes (maybe Gen. Hooker is still in command) by not concentrating and not fighting a wise delaying campaign (Reb's flanked and annihilated Bufford's cavalry in about 4 turns and took the town and Big Round Top by mid afternoon the first day - General Lee was pleased). Because of the AI deficiencies you can play very aggressively and with less prudence than you would normally play against a human opponent. Thus, gamers are better off playing the longer scenarios either solitaire or against a human opponent as a previous reviewer mentioned. Other observations: maintaining unit cohesion and communication with leaders as in real life makes a big difference in combat resolution and movement; preferred the counter view (like board games)when playing as the magnified view screen showing infantry figures, cannon, etc. is to grainy for my taste; the button showing line of site for the map hexes is very useful for positioning units for spotting and good firing lanes; make sure the combat button is off when moving units as you can end up firing into your own units as I did a couple times (does add some realism though); get your cavalry out ahead and on flanks as scouts, the Reb's as occurred in the real battle are really hampered in this sphere the first day; a tremendous number of simulations that can be run covering a larger geographic area than typical board games for the unit scale used (units are mainly regiments and batteries with division, corps, and army commanders). Overall, HPS has done a really nice job and I plan on purchasing a few more of their simulations in the future.

When I purchased this game simulation, I was expecting something easier to use. I was unable to get a handle on this simulation. It may work fine for some other Civil War buff, but not for me. I'm not criticizing the games creators, but I guess I was not the right person for this game. JRV

It gets kind of old moving every little tiny unit over and over again. Difficult to keep track of hundreds of units. Just a little too much to be fun.

The HPS Civil War Campaign series offers a whole lot of interest for just about any seriously-minded wargaming afficionado for the American Civil War period. Gettysburg is perhaps John Tiller's best offering of the series! "Campaign" is the key word here. HPS Gettysburg carries the gamer far beyond the classical battle of Gettysburg (an entire experience in and of itself) and presents the player with the strategic situation facing Lee and Hooker in early June, 1863. Depending upon the particular strategic choices made, the players may find themselves sparring in major and minor actions over ground that never historically witnessed an action. For each succeeding result and new choice the armies will accurately reflect the losses and fatigue incurred in the former actions. Those familar with the old Talonsoft Battleground series will recognize the close similarity of play and game interface. Probably most important, the HPS Gettysburg game does not demand a high-end processeor and graphics card! Don't look for eye-popping, 3D graphics, or a sophisticated AI engine to while away the solitaire hours: this game is meant for human opponents in either "hot seat" or PBEM internet play. In that sense the game is an excellent and pleasant throw-back to the old tabletop gaming era, but with all of the tedious paper work and cardboard counter physical movements nicely taken care of by the computer. While it can be played on most "older" computers with a minimum of fuss, the prospective buyer should check out the minimum specifications for use posted at the HPS Simulations internet site. I am more than pleased with my purchase! I am gratified that someone has taken the time to improve on an old standard wargame and finally brought it to the market in a no-nonesense computerized format. We are not likely to see a better like-product of the Gettysburg campaign and battle in this specific genre for a long, long time.Subsequent to purchasing and playing this game against the AI, I decided to give it a real test by joining the on-line American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC). This was the best decision I could have made in regards to playing this game, since I was immediately given access to play the game via e-mail with many other accomplished players. The ACWGC provides the competitive, enjoyable social environment to allow this game to reach its full potential. HPS Campaign Gettysburg was made for this type of application, and nothing has given me more pleasure in recent memory than playing a full campaign consisting of three or four, sometimes five interrelated battles to a conclusion. Absolutely great enjoyment!