19th Century Wargaming?

[Bison]

Spelk I've never tried the game but this one is a strategic level game.

http://sillysoft.net/vox/maps/Crimean%20War

[Gusington]

By...Sillysoft?

[Bison]

Yup  The actually game is called Castle Vox, which is supposedly like Axis and Allies with diplomacy.  The game takes up a number of historical eras to include the Crimean war.

[Gusington]

I'm looking right now and its got a Great War map...9.99 to buy and it look like once you make that one purchase all the maps are free. Am I reading that correctly?

[Bison]

That's the way it reads to me too, but again I've never played the games.  I just know they exist.  So if anyone buys it, they will be the grogheads test subject.

[Gusington]

Someone here must have played this...if it is good it could be the solution to this thread.

[Nefaro]

Imperialism 2 has been on sale at GOG.   :)

I suppose that's more 17-18th century, though.

[RooksBailey]

There seems to be a glaring hole in PC wargaming coverage of this period, apart from endless iterations of Tiller's engine on the biggies (Nappy and ACW). I'd love to explore the 19th Century in more modern gaming terms, but there doesn't seem to be the games available for PC wargaming anyway. Perhaps theres just not the interest, and the majority of folks who want this era, are satiated by board games or tabletop miniatures?

I keep hoping Field of Glory will dip into the age of the rifle. But they're dragging their feet...

I think the basic problem is that the 19th century is not technologically easy to pin down.  The American Civil War (for example) is crazily transitional in terms of weapons and transport and communications.

And there's a big black hole in the middle of the glaring hole:  the Tiaping Rebellion, the biggest war of the 19th century probably isn't thinkable as a simulation in current terms.

I find it reprehensible that we are in the midst of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, and we have only seen a mere pittance of new ACW titles, with all of them being built on existing engines.  The Sesquicentennial is hear and there isn't one new franchise being launched to my knowledge.  What a disgrace.

I believe the real reason why the ACW and 19th Century warfare in general is ignored is because it violates the Holy Trinity of popular military history: no massed sword fighting, no tank battles, and no aerial dogfights.   ::)

[Toonces]

What are you looking for in your ACW gaming that the available games don't cover?

There are plenty to choose from, each with a different take on the same subject. 

[RooksBailey]

What are you looking for in your ACW gaming that the available games don't cover?

There are plenty to choose from, each with a different take on the same subject.

It's not a lack of options as much as a lack of attention by the industry.  You could easily say the same thing about WWII wargames, but every year we get tons of new titles covering the same battles over and over again.  If only the ACW was given such lavish attention.  Where are the snazzy Heroes of Stalingrad-esque board game conversions?  The Wargame: ALB-like real time strategy games with modern production values?  A slick operational game along the lines of Unity of Command?  Nowhere.   :'(

There are a number of fine ACW games out there, but all of them are built on aging engines, or with less than modern graphics/design.  Certainly we can do better than that.   And if not now, during the 150th anniversary, then when?  Surely I won't have to wait for the 200th anniversary!  I don't think I will still be interested in gaming by then!   ;D

[spelk]

Yup  The actually game is called Castle Vox, which is supposedly like Axis and Allies with diplomacy.  The game takes up a number of historical eras to include the Crimean war.

IIRC it's a bit like simultaneous Risk. I already have Castle Vox, haven't played the Crimean map. Will look at it again.

[Gusington]

So how do you like Castle Vox in general?

[spelk]

So how do you like Castle Vox in general?

It's ok, if you like Risk variants then I suppose you'd be happy with it. The big change from previous Sillysoft titles (the Lux series) is that the turns are processed simultaneously. It's been a long while since I gave it a bash, so I'm struggling to give you much in the way of impressions to be honest.

Luckily, even though my memory is failing, my blog site come to the rescue, I apparently penned a few words a long time ago about the game!

http://sugarfreegamer.com/?p=937

[Gusington]

 I did love Risk but haven't played in a million years...thanks for the above link I will check it out.

[em2nought]

White dog games had one on isandlwana. Beyond that I am out.

Unfortunately they don't seem to sell it any longer.  If I had known it was going to disappear I probably would have purchased it and a few of their other PC titles.  At least Disney gives you a heads up when videos are only going to be available for a limited time. LOL