Civil War Battles: Campaign Shiloh Version 1.0 Review - Page 1/1
Created on 2005-08-28 by Al 'Bapek' Berke
Title: Civil War Battles: Campaign Shiloh Version 1.0 Review By: Al 'Bapek' Berke Date: 2005-08-28 13632 Flashback:Orig. Multipage Version Hard Copy:Printer Friendly
The Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 has been depicted as the first big battle in the western theater during the American Civil War. In fact it was the culmination of a campaign that saw Missouri, Kentucky and much of Tennessee fall under Union control. General Ulysses S. Grant played a prominent role at Belmont, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Shiloh, but other famous and infamous commanders, such as George H. Thomas (The Rock of Chickamauga) at Mills Springs and John Pope (fated to be “suppressed” by Lee at Second Manassas) at New Madrid and Island Number 10, were present. Featuring combined arms operations by ground and naval forces along the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, the result was a series of Confederate defeats that found the Union advancing into the state of Mississippi by the spring of 1862.
Civil War Battles: Campaign Shiloh is a turn-based regimental scale game with hexes representing 125 yards and 20 minute turns. It is the sixth in the series developed by John Tiller that depicts various historical and hypothetical battles of the American Civil War that can either be played individually or linked through a matrix of choices. The campaigns are for the most part linear, though the results of some battles can lead to unexpected branches.
The players take on the role of the Union and Confederate commanders in the field, though one can have much greater control over the individual units than the real life counterparts. Campaign Shiloh can be played against the computer AI or multiplayer using Play by E-mail, hot seat, LAN or Internet. Included campaign and scenario editors allow some modding, but does not allow for the creation of new units or the modification of weapons parameters.
Campaign map of Western Theater
The Road to Belmont
Installation is straightforward, with the application taking up 280 MB on the hard disk. The CD is required for play of the game. System requirements are minimal - Pentium 133 MHz, 32 MB RAM and Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. It would make for a good Laptop game.
Documentation is abundant, but all electronic, though it can be accessed without installing the game and the major manuals are provided in MS Word format. The over 200 pages include a users manual, main program manual, scenario and campaign editor manuals, campaign notes, campaign maps, changes page, a biography of the music composer/arranger and a “Getting Started” section that goes with the tutorial scenario. Most of the manuals are generic to the Civil War Battles series, but have been updated to reflect new features. For the most part they are well detailed, in some cases delving into the specific mathematical formulas used for combat resolution. The campaign notes deserve special notice as they contain an excellent potpourri of designer’s notes, tips on strategy and tactics and historical background. The campaign maps are also well done, showing the area of operations, the Fort Henry/Fort Donelson campaign and the Battle of Shiloh. One thing I would have liked to see is a listing of all the scenarios with some remarks. This information is available through a menu selection in the game, but it is awkward as the scenario notes can only be accessed one at a time. The lack of a detailed index for the manuals is another minor irritant for those who want to learn about the nuances of the game without reading them from cover to cover.
2D board game view of Shiloh
I do not anticipate that many gamers will be buying Campaign Shiloh for the graphics. The developer’s focus is on game play rather than appearance. The view is fixed at top down with 2D views comparable to a board game map and closer-in 3D views reminiscent of table top miniatures. Those types of gamers, who appear to make up most of the series customer base, will feel comfortable with the presentation, but others may be put off by the mid-90’s look. Animations are basic, generic and mostly related to combat. In 3D, flashes of flame and momentary smoke depict cannon and rifle fire while bodies and broken guns signify casualties. The sound effects that accompany combat are pedestrian as well. There are separate cannon and rifle sounds, though only one type will be heard if artillery and small arms are fired together. Close combat melees are represented by one generic sound of rumbles and shouting soldiers.
I really enjoyed the background music in Campaign Shiloh. A set of pieces composed, arranged and sung by Thomas Hook, they are appropriate to the American Civil War period and provide an immersive quality.
Overall graphics and sound in Campaign Shiloh are not a selling point, but they do not detract from the game, especially for an old war gamer like me.
3D normal view: Assault on Fort Henry
Clicking Down the Tennessee River
Campaign Shiloh has what I call the classic “John Tiller” interface that dates back to at least the mid-90’s. This approach does provide familiarity and reduces any learning curve – Those who have played one John Tiller game will have little difficulty in shifting to another game, even in a different series. The interface is mouse driven, using tool bars and drop down menus for most of the game functions. Procedures are simple if a bit click intensive. Units are selected by left clicking and moved hex by hex by right clicking. Units and groups of units can also be moved towards a specific hex, but path finding can become a problem if trying to go along a road that bends. In addition to the main map, tool bar and menu bar, a hex info area provides details about the units and terrain in the selected hex. The mouse is also used to designate attacker and target for fire and melee. Most game functions, including movement, but not fire combat, have hot keys for those who would prefer to use the keyboard. A “next unit” button allows the player to cycle through all available units.
Hex info area showing units in selected hex
The interface can be manipulated in several different ways dependent on the player’s desires. A larger map area can be displayed by closing the hex info area and using a hot key driven dialog box to identify and select stacked units. Things such as hex outlines, objectives, map contours, brigade colors, 3D troop stands, command range and line of sight can all be toggled on or off. Certain unit status (i.e Moved, disrupted, routed, low on ammo) and organization can be highlighted, though only one type at a time.
There are four views, two 2D (counters) and two 3D (miniatures). A jump map is also available that allows fast movement around the map. 2D zoom out lets one contemplate the “big picture,” while 2D normal is used by those who prefer a board game perspective. 3D zoom out gives miniatures feel, but has a smaller field of view than 2D normal. 3D normal is the closest one can get to “in your face” action, but also has the most limited view. I prefer to conduct all the front line maneuvers in 3D normal and go out to 2D normal for movement of reinforcements into the battle.
Campaign Shiloh can be played either as individual scenarios or as a linked campaign. The campaign end works through an interface that provides a situation with each side having several choices on how to proceed. These choices are arranged to form a matrix so that each set of choices will result in a specific outcome. Each outcome will then result in a battle scenario. There are up to five possible branches resulting from the battle, representing Union Major Defeat, Union Minor Defeat, Draw, Union Minor Victory and Union Major Victory. These branches lead to another situation, in which case another cycle begins, or to the conclusion of the campaign. In some cases, such as the Battle of Belmont, there is only one branch, but losses from the previous scenario may carry over and impact future operations.
Union decision point in campaign end
Units are infantry regiments, cavalry regiments or squads, artillery sections and batteries (one to six guns), individual leaders, supply wagons and gunboats. With the exception of supply wagons and gunboats, each unit can change formation. Infantry can be in column, line, or line with skirmishers deployed. Cavalry can be mounted or dismounted and artillery can be limbered or unlimbered. Infantry, cavalry and unlimbered artillery have a zone-of-control in their three front hexes that stops movement and does not allow retreat. Infantry in line, unlimbered artillery, dismounted cavalry and gunboats can conduct fire combat, though cavalry strength is reduced by 25% due to horse holders. All cavalry and infantry formations can initiate melee combat, though dismounted cavalry attacks at 75% strength again. Up to 1000 troops in multiple units can be stacked in a hex, with artillery counting as 50 troops per gun.
Players can chose between two different turn modes. In the default "I go-you go" mode, each player moves, fires and melees units together in their part of the turn, receiving defensive fire automatically as determined by the AI. Defensive fire is triggered by enemy unit movement, formation changes, and fire, and it is possible for one unit to fire defensively multiple times in one turn. This defensive fire is normally conducted at fifty percent effectiveness, though an optional rule allows for full firepower against an enemy unit attempting melee (close combat). The other mode breaks the turn down into phases. The first player moves his units and then the second player fires his units at full strength. Then the first player fires his units. The first player finishes up with a melee phase and then the players swap phases to complete the turn.
Each weapon is given an effectiveness value based on range. A rifle would have a firepower of 3.5 at one hex, 3 at two hexes on out to .5 at the maximum range of five hexes. This firepower is multiplied by the number of guns or troops to arrive at a combat value, which is further modified by factors such as terrain, fatigue and disruption. A low combat value and a high combat value are used to arrive at a range of possible casualties for the attack from which a result is randomly selected. Ranged, fire combat usually requires a direct line of sight, with gunboat indirect (and inaccurate) fire being an exception. Melee combat is handled in basically the same way, though the combat value is equal to the modified strength of the units involved, and the low and high combat values are scaled higher to account for the impact of close combat. Units become fatigued through suffering fire combat and melee. Fatigue ranges from zero to 900 and units progressively suffer penalties to fire and melee effectiveness as well as morale.
Union Command Report shows results of enemy attacks
Leaders act as a positive modifier for melee and help unit morale if stacked with them. Units are required to take morale checks after taking casualties or gaining fatigue if their fatigue is greater than 90. Units that fail a morale check are routed, unless taking defensive fire, in which case they are disrupted. Disruption halves fire and movement capabilities and can also occur if units move into certain terrain in certain formations. Command passes down the chain of command from the army commander through corps and division commanders to the brigade commander. Units within proper command radius have increased probabilities of recovering from disruption. Routed units stacked with leaders in their chain of command whose leadership ratings are equal to or higher than the units' morale rating get an extra assist in recovering.
Infantry and cavalry units can randomly run low or out of ammunition, requiring resupply from nearby supply wagons. Each side has a finite number of artillery rounds for each battle. Units must be able to trace a path to a supply source to resupply. The sources can be either on or off board.
There are quite a few optional rules available that allow the players to tailor the battle to their taste, such as the full melee defensive fire mentioned above. Fire and/or melee results can be modified to produce casualties that are more in the middle of the range of probabilities. The quality of the unit can affect fire and/or melee strength, with the high-end units (A and B) getting a positive modifier and the low- end units (E and F) getting a negative modifier. Those who think the Fatigue recovery rates are too low can select the option to speed them up. In the default rules, a routing unit causes all other units in the same hex or adjacent to take a morale check, with the possibility of an entire line routing. The rout limiting option adds modifiers to make this harder while a Flank morale modifier rewards having units on both flanks. Isolation rules penalize units surrounded by zones-of-control, but weak zone-of-control and partial retreat rules can be used to ameliorate the effects of rigid zone-of-controls.
Shiloh: The storm is about to break
Shiloh, Bloody Shiloh
The historical Battle of Shiloh had many of the ingredients that make up a good war game. The initial Confederate surprise attack threatened to overwhelm the Union forces and drive to Pittsburg Landing, cutting off Grant’s forces. Pockets of stiff resistance such as the Hornet’s Nest, however, slowed up the advance while Grant rushed reinforcements to the scene. The arrival of Buell’s army by naval troop transports through the night gave the Union the reserves necessary to launch a counteroffensive the next day that left both sides, now exhausted and having suffered around 10,000 casualties apiece, essentially in the same position as before the battle.
The battle is the centerpiece around which Campaign Shiloh is built. Over sixty of the two hundred plus scenarios in the game depict the Battle of Shiloh, both historically and in numerous hypothetical situations. What if Buell had not arrived to reinforce Grant or the Confederate garrisons at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson had escaped to fight again? The variations presented are extensive and the scenario editor can be used to create even more.
One of the things I wanted to do was to compare the scenario design with John Tiller’s earlier Battleground: Shiloh game. The first thing that struck me was the change in victory conditions. Battlefront Shiloh’s map was littered with close to 2000 victory points in geographical objectives, essentially forcing the Confederate player to stay on the field of battle and defend against an almost mandatory Union counterattack. Campaign Shiloh has only about 700 geographical victory points, 500 of them at Pittsburg Landing. In this situation, reaching Pittsburg Landing and cutting the Union off from their cross river reinforcements should become the goal of the Confederate player. The paucity of geographical objectives leads to another, more gamey option – inflict enough casualties to win the scenario and then retreat out of harms way. Though this would be a tough proposition against a human opponent, it does allow for a more flexible approach by the Confederate player. The designer did include a scenario that gives the Union player an exit hex to increase victory points if the Confederate player does conduct a hit and run.
The Battle of Shiloh is just one of the battles in Campaign Shiloh; depending on how the campaign game goes, it may not even happen. Instead the major battle to decide the contest may occur in Franklin, Kentucky or Nashville or Jackson, Tennessee. There are actually six different campaigns to choose from. The historical campaign is fairly linear and follows General Grant from Belmont to Fort Henry to Fort Donelson and then on to Shiloh, with the campaign matrix and battle results determining follow on scenarios. The full campaign is the most dynamic and can find operations ranging from Northern Kentucky to Cairo, Illinois depending on battle outcomes and choices. The alternate full campaign pares down the player’s choices, with follow on operations and scenarios being determined by battle results. Three smaller campaigns look separately at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, New Madrid and Island Number 10, and Mills Springs. A campaign can be started at various stages; for instance a historical campaign could start after the fairly straightforward operations at Belmont and Fort Henry.
Some of the battles included in Campaign Shiloh were not that exciting historically. Belmont was really a minor skirmish, Fort Henry surrendered to the Union Navy after a bombardment and though there was some fierce fighting at Fort Donelson, the garrison soon surrendered. Since at heart the Civil War Battles series is a tactical combat simulator, there is no real provision for long sieges and the wholesale surrender of garrisons. Gamers choosing to play out those parts of the campaign can expect far greater casualties as forts will need to be stormed to achieve victory. Since losses are only partially filled (10% returned after each scenario), this can impact troop strength down the road. The scenarios available include the provision of additional troops for both sides, turning ho-hum sieges into exiting battles. I especially enjoyed the New Madrid campaign. Historically the Confederates quickly abandoned New Madrid when approached by General Pope’s forces. The option to throw in two additional Confederate divisions as well as General Grant and an additional Union division makes for a tense scenario of attacks and counterattacks fought along the unique terrain of a huge river bend.
The New Madrid campaign battlefield
Hand to hand fighting continues in New Madrid
Overall the game system does a good job of simulating American Civil War combat. A well maintained solid line with organized units within command range can stand up to quite a bit of pounding, but combat fatigue mounts quickly and degrades performance. Reserves are critical to support both an attack and defense as a line can either slowly degrade or suddenly come apart. Morale is important and lower quality units are at a distinct disadvantage as they become more easily disrupted or routed. Flank attacks can be devastating, though the historical ability of a high quality unit to defeat a larger lower quality unit is hard to emulate. This is due to the game system expressing quality modifiers in terms of a percentage increase in numbers. Granted, the lower quality unit may rout after the melee, but the higher quality attacker usually takes higher casualties and a significant combat fatigue increase. Artillery is powerful, but vulnerable to being unscrewed by rifle fire or overrun during melee as there is currently no provision for retirement by prolong. It is also expensive to lose artillery in terms of victory points, with each gun worth thirty points. By contrast, infantry losses rate about one victory point for every three lost. The heavily forested Shiloh battlefield is distinctly lacking in long line of sights so the commitment of artillery has to be carefully thought out. Cavalry is worth more in victory points than infantry, but more vulnerable to fire when mounted and only 75% of the strength of like infantry when dismounted. There is no mounted vedette equivalent of a skirmisher, so it is difficult to use cavalry in a scouting and screening role.
Campaign Shiloh adds several new features to the Civil War Battles series. Units can be designated as amphibious and cross rivers, representing the use of naval troop transports to convey them across previously impassable rivers. Gunboats are floating artillery batteries whose individual guns can be destroyed just like artillery. This adds an interesting element to the game when the gunboats are running past shore batteries or bombarding forts. Naval versus naval combat is not as exciting. The gunboats are generic with all possessing the same type of gun, just different numbers. Most of my naval battles degenerated into the boats hammering away at each other at point blank range, with no real tactics available.
The Union Fleet runs by Island #10
A devastating flank shot takes out a battery
The artificial intelligence in Campaign Shiloh is not very challenging. On the offensive it can seldom coordinate an attack, feeding regiments in piecemeal through narrowly defined corridors. In one Shiloh scenario, I set up a Union massed artillery battery and inflicted around 5000 casualties against uncoordinated Confederate assaults. The AI does a better job on defense, but cannot recognize when it is being surrounded, resulting in isolated pockets reminiscent of the destruction of Army Group Center. The designer’s notes are upfront about the AI’s deficiencies and many of the scenario notes indicate what side is best played as the human against the computer. One way to blunt the human player’s advantage is to use the “Commander Control” option. In this mode, the player can give simple orders to units as low as the brigade level, which then attempt to carry them out under computer control. This of course requires the patience not to micromanage that some gamers may not possess. In my mind the game is best played against a human opponent, whether that is hot seat, PBEM or LAN/Internet. One of the advantages of the latter two is the ability to have more than one player per side, allowing for some creative role playing and the splitting of the work load in larger battles. The Campaign game is set up to only play against the AI or PBEM, but the PBEM mechanism is such that hot seat against another human or ones self requires only a couple more mouse clicks.
Union massed artillery faces uncoordinated attack
Conclusion
I enjoyed playing Campaign Shiloh and I think it is a worthy addition to the Civil War Battles series. Between the sheer number of scenarios and the linkages provided by the campaign end, there is a whole lot of game here. The ability to tailor the game through optional rules and the campaign and scenario editors further enhances replayability. Campaign Shiloh is not without its drawbacks - a clunky interface, pedestrian graphics, basic AI and a bit of a misbalance between numbers and morale in combat. In my opinion none of these are show stoppers, because the game is not only fun to play, but delivers the feel of mid-19th century warfare.
I think that gamers who have an interest in the American Civil War would be well served by spending some time with either Campaign Shiloh or one of the five other Civil War Battles series available, especially if a human opponent with similar interests is available.
Recommended Reading
The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote
Shiloh by Shelby Foote
The Road to Shiloh: Early Battles in the West: The Civil War by David Nevin (Time-Life Books)
Zollie Tree: General Felix K. Zollicoffer and the Battle of Mill Spring by Raymond E. Myers
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