This has gone from a rumour to pending release very quickly!
I saw the website for this a while ago. Definitely one of my most highly anticipated strategy games. Loved UG:Civil War, though I didn’t really care much for Ultimate Admiral: Age of Sail.
Saweeeet. I binged through Civil War and thought it was quite an excellent game.
This looks great!
Wait, aren’t these guys also working on a cool new career mode as DLC for their Civil War game? How can an indie developer work on two things at once???
Maybe it’s out of ignorance, but the American Revolution doesn’t really do anything for me. France and America versus King George and some Hessians, with a smattering of Indians thrown in for good measure? Yawn. Still, I guess it will be interesting if they’re making a grand strategic scale game rather than just a set of battles.
Okay, I’m in.
I think that is a different game. Their Civil War game was also an Ultimate General title, like the Gettysburg game before it.
Edit: Game-labs has been doing the Ultimate General and Admiral games. Grand Tactician: Civil War is by Grand Engineer Corps.
Oops.
Grand Tacticians and Ultimate Generals are, like, completely different ranks from each other! Only a civilian like me would confuse them. : )
Hey, at least you know Grand Tactician exists. I don’t know that I’d seen that before. The battle bits look somewhat like the Scourge of War games.
Speaking of Civil War, anyone have a good recommendation for a strategic Civil War game? I guess I should play the one I do have, which is Grigsby’s War Between the States.
Also, hey Game-Labs the American Revolution is interesting I guess, but why the hell are you not doing Ultimate General: Napoleon ?
Well, the American Revolution has the advantage of relatively small scale, compared to Napoleonic campaigns. If you focus on the comparatively few major, formal engagements featuring more or less regular troops like the Continental Army, there are probably a handful of battles to deal with, and none of the are like Auerstadt or Leipzig size, not by a long shot.
I think that the AWI also doesn’t have as much tactical variety as Napoleonics. Cavalry is not a big factor, infantry don’t form squares, and cannons are not yet used for concentrated bombardments. AWI battles were also magnitudes smaller, which should be easier to manage.
The American Revolution to me is interesting primarily at the strategic level as part of the long struggle between England and France. I like to see it as part two of the Seven Years War (French and Indian War as they call it in the USA usually). The tactical elements are not the most scintillating stuff for me, and even the political aspect of American independence doesn’t really grab me. Even as an American I sort of can’t shake the feeling that for the most part the Revolution was mostly about a bunch of wealthy elites wanting to keep more of their money and wanting to trade with whomever they desired without London’s interference.
I am interested in this game, because I like the UG system and because blue Continentals vs. redcoats soothes something from deep childhood (cf my huge collection of old red- vs. blue-coat pirate Lego.)
My favorite aspect of the war, tactically, were the southern skirmishes and bush fighting which probably won’t be well modeled here if it’s even attempted.
Politically, yes, it was a merchants’ war.
Ditto here.
Also, weren’t the battles in the American Revolution kind of beside the point? As in, the Americans won the war despite the battles, not because of them. Or perhaps because the British were unable to force enough for it to make a difference. I’ll admit my knowledge of the actual military history of the AR is rather lacking, despite living like 500 feet from the site of the first (running) battle. (I actually have come to disbelieve the “facts” depicted most of the public monuments about the American Revolution… they seem vastly inflated. But at least our bike path has signs with stick figures wearing tricorns!)
Did you see this set that just went on sale? It’s hitting all the nostalgic notes for me and I want to buy it all badly but I just can’t justify it at that price.
Oh, man, yes. They even have a photo of a middle-aged man assembling it, haha. I had the old version of that.
I’m excited for this game because we just don’t really have many military simulations of the American Revolution. That is likely for all the reasons that people listed here, but I’m still excited to try something new. And I really like the engine they use.
I think it’s great that there will be a game on the topic, don’t get me wrong. I’m all in favor of different topics and themes in games, for sure.
I’m no authority on the Revolution either, but my recollection from what I’ve read over the years is that Washington’s work whipping the Continental Army into shape was very important in convincing the British that they were in a no-win situation. For the Americans, even a draw was a huge red flag to the British, who realized that their only real advantage was their professional military and naval power. When the French neutralized the Royal Navy (not necessarily defeating it, though the French did win a few battles, but keeping it from completely controlling the coastline), the ability of Washington’s regulars to hold their own with the Redcoats pretty much meant the war wasn’t going to be winnable with the level of effort London was willing to shell out.
I dimly recall some battles, maybe Cowpens, where Washington or some other general pretty much told the militias to just hold for like three volleys then they could run away.
Maaaan, if they had used the single molded base plate that had the central bowl and side ramp, I would be all about that. I remember my space and pirate themed sets having those, and while recreating the structure with modern techniques is cool and all, there’s something about the smooth simplicity of the old plate.
For a somewhat alternative view, I recommend Gordon S. Wood’s The Radicalism of the American Revolution.
I’ve read Wood, though it was a while ago. There are of course multiple interpretations of the Revolution. Depends a lot on one’s frames of reference, inclinations, etc. like all history.