HPS Simulations has announced the release of Campaign Vicksburg, the seventh installment of their American Civil War series. This is the fourth Civil War computer wargame that I've done the scenario design work for software developer John Tiller and publisher HPS Simulations (Corinth, Ozark, Peninsula, and now Vicksburg). Vicksburg is my first co-design with my friend Lee Hook. Earlier in the year, I jumped on board to create the campaign feature and help with scenario design, but Lee's been toiling away on this project since 1998. I was glad to help and it's great to see the project completed and published.(FEATURES OF CAMPAIGN VICKSBURG---from the HPS website)
"Campaign Vicksburg has 57 scenarios, including the historical battles of:
- • Chickasaw Bayou (3 days)
- • Port Gibson
- • Raymond
- • Jackson
- • Champion Hill
- • Big Black Bridge
- • Milliken’s Bend
- • and the Vicksburg Assaults of May 19 and 22
“What-if” battles include:
- • Grant Assaults Snyder’s Bluffs
- • Redbone Church
- • Grindstone Ford
- • Ingraham Heights
- • July 6 Final Assault on Vicksburg
Large 3D isometric maps (ed. wonderfully created by Lee Hook) and inclusive orders of battle offer unlimited possibilities for user-created scenarios. Maps covering the following areas, and smaller areas in between, are included with Campaign Vicksburg:
- Big Black River to Raymond
- Bolton-Clinton-Jackson
- Vicksburg to Snyder’s Bluffs
- Grand Gulf
- Hankinson’s Ferry to Warrenton
- Milliken’s Bend
- Port Gibson
- Port Gibson to Hankinson’s Ferry
- Redbone Church
- Vicksburg itself at various stages of the siege
The Campaign:
The campaign is played over a large area from Snyder’s Bluff south to Port Gibson and from Vicksburg east to the state capital of Jackson. On the advance, the Union player can choose among several strategic pathways with the ultimate goal of capturing Vicksburg. The Confederate guardians of the “Hill City” can elect to act purely on the defensive or counterattack instead. The choices are yours.
At each stage of the campaign, players choose operational decisions that will result in a tactical battle to be played out on an expansive map, providing room for maneuver. The campaign is non-linear, with both offensive and defensive operational options available to each side."
Sounds great, but will have to wait till I get my new Intel Mac (with that other system bootable for things like this).
ReplyDeleteWhat was the extent of your design work. Did you actually create the various scenarios? Sounds like a fun project.
David
With my other projects (Corinth, Ozark, & Peninsula), I did all the research, OBs, map design, and scenario/campaign design, but Vicksburg was a partnership. Lee Hook did a great job with the maps (constructing topographic maps of hundreds of square miles, one 125 yard hex at a time is quite a task I'll tell you...) and OB. I came in later and designed most of the scenarios (Lee also did some of the historicals) and created the campaign decision tree.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a blast to work on something like that, though I'm sure there's an element of tedium to it.
ReplyDeleteDavid