American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Kennon, I see you are using gif's and bmp's can you use png's ? Or will the game not read them.

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General
Frank (Old Banshee) Mullins,
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps.
Army of the Tennessee.

I use gif's and bmp's for icon and such that have to be exact in color and size. Because I use magenta as the transparency color I have to use lostless file formats. I haven't tried png to see if it causes any problem but it should be easy to convert to gif.

Most though I have changed to bmp because internally I draw everything as bitmaps. Since most of my graphics now are 200x200 I usually edit them pixel by pixel to make sure my transparency color is getting set correctly. If you look at my Antietam game you can see some of my early work where the blasted picture editor fudged the magenta and there some redish squares in them.

My map is built up by layering these bmp images one over another using the transparency to let the lower layers show. The hexagon itself is created within the 200x200 square (older stuff is 100x100). Usually goes like bottom layer is terrain height which is generated by an equation, next the base terrain (grass, fields, clear. etc),, then terrain like trees, and finally hexside terrain is drawn on top of all that. That draws the basic map. Then I draw hex outlines, buildings, crops, and such on top of that. Last the Units which are actual built up from smaller graphics when the program loads.

Headquarters are special in that they are drawn on top of everything but are set about 50% transparent. Later the user will probably be able to set his own transparency depending on whether he wants to see them or not.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

My website has been hit by a lot of spam registrations so I have added CAPTCHA to the login.
Also, trying to delete all the spammers. Hopefully I won't delete a valid name.
Let me know either here or on the website email if you have a problem with CAPTCHA or get deleted.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

Being stuck at home has given me a bit more time on the game.

I got a YouTube channel set up with a Demo and the first of what I hope will be a number of Tutorials on how to play the game.
The Demo shows the execution of Turn 8 where I have plotted Doubleday's Division to attack Nicodemus Hill which is protected by F. Lee's cavalry brigade and Early's brigade.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UComm_5vTqFdx4JT9QVMmCBg

The first of my Tutorials show you how to start a new game for PBEM.
Hopefully by this weekend I can make one showing what you need to do to complete round by email. What files to send and what you need to do when you receive one.
If you subscribe to the channel I believe YouTube notifies you depending on your settings when a new video is uploaded. Still learning how to make video so forgive the amateur look.

The Game itself has gotten a major update so the full file set needs to be downloaded.
A bunch if fixes to execution logic especially by the regimental AI.
Addition of command Initiative.
And, a new scenario on Gettysburg, Devils Den. It is not complete since it was intended to test reinforcements coming in but right now the Yankee's get no reinforcements. To bad.

You can go over to http://www.civilwarengine.com and down load the game. It's free.
You just have to register on the web site and login.
Once you are a valid user you can download the file set. The download password is "CivilWar"

It would be really helpful if some people started just fooling around with the game to see what it can do. And, start giving me some feed back on the Forums on the web site. Is the game so complex that no one will play it? What it needs? and such. Otherwise I will assume no one really wants another Civil War game and I will stop wasting time on it.

Right now my plan is more bug fixes which will be just executable releases.
But my objective is within two months to release a full update including the Map Editor which will allow players to create their own battles and scenarios. It will take a while for me to explain how to do this but the program isn't all that complex. Just getting really nice battlefield map with all the detail is complex. I have found just getting a really detail map showing topo down to 10 foot elevation is really difficult.

Right now the game is free and probably will stay that way. I may eventually have to set up donations to cover the cost of things that have to be purchased like paying for the web site, better sound files, maybe animated gif files to replace the arrows used to show combat.

So, let me know what you think preferably on my web site.
Is this a project worth continuing, or like Brother Against Brother, something that should die and be quickly buried before it begins to stink?

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

Mentioning Brother Against Brother, how is your approach different from that game?

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Lieutenant General Christian Hecht
Commander I Corps, Army of the Potomac

"Where to stop? I don't know. At Hell, I expect."

BaB included advanced mechanics within their regimental unit. The unit did a lot of internal actions to implement the limits of command control, fog of war, morale, etc.

My game while it does have the regiment check a lot of things it also requires the Player to do more like give setting the Unit's stance, formation, targeting, etc. It also does a lot of checking on the surrounding state of the game as moves are executed. This all requires more actions by the Player.

BaB only required you to plot your move and it did the rest for you in a much more complex way than HPS/JT games.
My game requires you to plot your move including state changes you want.

While both games are WEGO systems, a player in mine has to do some micro management since the unit can do more than just move. It has facing, extended line (up to five hexes), position within the hex, leader initiative, formation (Road Column, Column of Company, Line, Prone, mounted, unmounted, etc), move while maintaining line facing, etc.

I thought BaB very neatly handled the added complexity without requiring the player to do a lot.
Mine requires more of the player. With great control comes great responsibility.

Games free, download it and try it.
I have some documentation on the web site and will be trying to add more.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

ill help in anyway i can.

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MG. Vannada
Headquarters:
Red Jackson's Division
Nathan Bedford Forest Cavalry Corp (3rd)
Army of The West

Go over to the web site (www.civilwarengine.com) and register then download the game (password "CivilWar").
Try it. See if how well it works. There are Forums on the web site to post comments, observations, problems, ect.

The game is in a very early Alpha state but I am using it to measure interest.
If there isn't any, then there is no reason to continue working on it.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

This will probably be the last major update to the game until I see some feedback so I know what direction to go in.

This isn't really a version change but the full Download now contains the Map Editor so if someone wants to they can create their own battles and scenarios. There is a short instruction document in the "Documentation" folder of the game. And, now of course, there are two executable: CWE_Battle.exe and CWE_Editor.exe

Located in the Download section on the web site www.CivilWarEngine.com

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)