''Battleground 2: Gettysburg'' is a 1995 turn-based

computer wargame A computer wargame is a wargame played on a digital device. Descended from board wargaming, it simulates military conflict at the tactical, operational or strategic level. Computer wargames are both sold commercially for recreational use an ...

developed and published by

TalonSoft TalonSoft, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher based in Baltimore. History TalonSoft was founded in March 1995, by video game producers Jim Rose and John Davidson. On December 24, 1998, Take-Two Interactive announced that ...

. It the second game in the '' Battleground'' series.

Gameplay

It simulated combat at the 1863

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, using both a video version of

miniature wargaming Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...

and board gaming. Terrain hex maps are 3D or 2D with various scales and sizes. The basic platform for the Battleground series involves individual

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

and

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

artillery batteries In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to faci ...

, and commanders. All are rated for strength, firepower, weaponry, morale, and movement. As a unit takes fire, it may become fatigued, disordered, or routed to the rear. Players compete against the computer's

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...

or against another player via modem. Players may try a variety of 25 individual scenarios, or refight the entire Battle of Gettysburg. A

Fog of War The fog of war (german: links=no, Nebel des Krieges) is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding one's own capability, adversary capability, ...

option enhances playing against the computer, as it hides units that are not in direct view of the enemy. The game features video clips of battle reenactments, as well as

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

music by folk singer Bobby Horton.

Reception

In ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...

''s May 1996 issue, columnist Terry Coleman noted that ''Gettysburg'' was "selling quite briskly", and had popularized the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

subgenre in wargames. The magazine's August issue that year reported that ''Gettysburg'' had sold more than 60,000 copies. The editors of ''

PC Gamer US ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games mag ...

'' and ''

'' nominated ''Gettysburg'' as their pick for 1995's best computer wargame. ''

'' reviewers argued ''Gettysburg'' "is so much sheer fun that it could have captured top honors in many prior years. As the ''Battleground'' series continues to mature, it continues to blend the best elements of board games and miniatures with the strengths of computer wargames." A reviewer for ''

PC PowerPlay ''PC PowerPlay'' (''PCPP'') is Australia's only dedicated PC games magazine. ''PC PowerPlay'' focuses on news and reviews for upcoming and newly released games on the Microsoft Windows platform. The magazine also reviews computer hardware for us ...

'' provided a less positive review, noting "the whole front end of the game is disappointing" with limited game options and scenarios, although praising the battle detail as "exceptional".

References

External links

Games First review

{{TalonSoft 1995 video games American Civil War video games Computer wargames Multiplayer and single-player video games TalonSoft games Turn-based strategy video games Video game sequels Video games developed in the United States Video games set in Pennsylvania War video games set in the United States Windows games