"Who knows but it may be given to us, after this life, to meet again in the old quarters, to play chess and draughts, to get up soon to answer the morning roll call, to fall in at the tap of the drum for drill and dress parade, and again to hastily don our war gear while the monotonous patter of the long roll summons to battle? Who knows but again the old flags, ragged and torn, snapping in the wind, may face each other and flutter, pursuing and pursued, while cries of victory fill a summer day? And after the battle, then the slain and wounded will arise, and all will meet together under the two flags, all sound and well, and there will be talking and laughter and cheers, and all will say: Did it not seem real? Was it not as in the old days?" -- Sergeant Berry G. Benson, 1st South Carolina Volunteers, Army of Northern Virginia
Take Command: 2nd Manassas (TC2M) is a first person, real-time tactical strategy game. The setting is Northern Virginia in the second year of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The player Takes Command of an actual Civil War unit and directs its combat actions on a 3D battlefield. The player can command Union or Confederate units ranging in size from a small regiment of about 100 men to a large army with over 60,000 men. Regardless of the size of the command, the player is The Commander and his physical presence on the battlefield is represented in the game. Like his real-world counterpart, the player can move around the battlefield to observe the nature of the terrain, view the activities of enemy forces, and influence the actions of his subordinate commanders and units. In TC2M, you'll find familiar names like Robert E. Lee, Longstreet, "Stonewall" Jackson, Hood, Pope, Meade, Reynolds, Gibbon, and many, many more.
TC2M was designed to be as realistic as possible. To play the game is to get a chance to experience what it was like to command troops during the Civil War—as it was “in the old days”. More often then not, there will be other friendly forces present in the fight with a superior commander orchestrating the whole battle. Your command will be part of this whole so it is important for you to follow orders.
Your subordinate commanders and units will do not always do what you want them to do. Each commander in the game has many factors that influence his decisions on the battlefield. While your command is being pounded, you may see reinforcements arrive, but not engage the enemy. This is an intentional simulation of what occurred during Civil War battles. It represents confusing orders, a lack of orders, timidity, or the limited awareness of a unit commander as to what was actually going on around him.
The AI looks at the commander’s personality mixed with his orders and there is a chance that the commander will deem the attacking force too powerful for his men and choose to stand fast—waiting for the enemy to come to him. Conversely, the commander on your flank may be a firebrand—ready to mix it up as soon as he can come to grips with the foe. This adds a lot to the re-playability of TC2M and Battles and Open Play scenarios because commanders may act differently each time you play.
Paradoxically, it is also important for you to show initiative when the situation demands it. So, remember your orders, watch what the enemy is doing, watch what your fellow commanders are up to, and figure out how your command fits in as the situation develops over time.
Many game designers have approached the subject of the American Civil War and each has contributed to discovering the best way of presenting the “feel” of tactical combat in this war. With Take Command: 2nd Manassas, MMG has truly set a new benchmark by finding the right balance between fun game play and historical accuracy. As an amateur historian who spent a few moments of his life inside the tomes of the Civil War, and as a board, miniature, and computer gamer for going on 40 years now, I ask myself after playtesting TC2M, “Did it not seem real? Was it not as in the old days?" My answer to both questions is emphatically, YES!
The entire Take Command series can't be developed fast enough for me but I'll hang with it as long as it takes--it is that good. MMG's design is elegant and right and I'm happy to see this new partnership with Paradox--THIS is a powerful combination of wargamers who design wargames.
v/r
Wrangler
Take Command: 2nd Manassas (TC2M) is a first person, real-time tactical strategy game. The setting is Northern Virginia in the second year of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The player Takes Command of an actual Civil War unit and directs its combat actions on a 3D battlefield. The player can command Union or Confederate units ranging in size from a small regiment of about 100 men to a large army with over 60,000 men. Regardless of the size of the command, the player is The Commander and his physical presence on the battlefield is represented in the game. Like his real-world counterpart, the player can move around the battlefield to observe the nature of the terrain, view the activities of enemy forces, and influence the actions of his subordinate commanders and units. In TC2M, you'll find familiar names like Robert E. Lee, Longstreet, "Stonewall" Jackson, Hood, Pope, Meade, Reynolds, Gibbon, and many, many more.
TC2M was designed to be as realistic as possible. To play the game is to get a chance to experience what it was like to command troops during the Civil War—as it was “in the old days”. More often then not, there will be other friendly forces present in the fight with a superior commander orchestrating the whole battle. Your command will be part of this whole so it is important for you to follow orders.
Your subordinate commanders and units will do not always do what you want them to do. Each commander in the game has many factors that influence his decisions on the battlefield. While your command is being pounded, you may see reinforcements arrive, but not engage the enemy. This is an intentional simulation of what occurred during Civil War battles. It represents confusing orders, a lack of orders, timidity, or the limited awareness of a unit commander as to what was actually going on around him.
The AI looks at the commander’s personality mixed with his orders and there is a chance that the commander will deem the attacking force too powerful for his men and choose to stand fast—waiting for the enemy to come to him. Conversely, the commander on your flank may be a firebrand—ready to mix it up as soon as he can come to grips with the foe. This adds a lot to the re-playability of TC2M and Battles and Open Play scenarios because commanders may act differently each time you play.
Paradoxically, it is also important for you to show initiative when the situation demands it. So, remember your orders, watch what the enemy is doing, watch what your fellow commanders are up to, and figure out how your command fits in as the situation develops over time.
Many game designers have approached the subject of the American Civil War and each has contributed to discovering the best way of presenting the “feel” of tactical combat in this war. With Take Command: 2nd Manassas, MMG has truly set a new benchmark by finding the right balance between fun game play and historical accuracy. As an amateur historian who spent a few moments of his life inside the tomes of the Civil War, and as a board, miniature, and computer gamer for going on 40 years now, I ask myself after playtesting TC2M, “Did it not seem real? Was it not as in the old days?" My answer to both questions is emphatically, YES!
The entire Take Command series can't be developed fast enough for me but I'll hang with it as long as it takes--it is that good. MMG's design is elegant and right and I'm happy to see this new partnership with Paradox--THIS is a powerful combination of wargamers who design wargames.
v/r
Wrangler
