''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 ...

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 A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...

'' series.

Gameplay

It simulated combat at the 1863

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, using both a video version of

miniature wargaming A miniature wargame is a type of wargame in which military units are represented by Miniature model (gaming), miniature physical models on a model battlefield. Miniature wargames are played using Toy soldier, model soldiers, vehicles, and arti ...

and

board gaming A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...

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

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

and

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

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 fac ...

, 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 the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of 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 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, and adversary Intent (Military), inten ...

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 is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

music by folk singer Bobby Horton.

Reception

In ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was 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 199 ...

''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, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

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 ma ...

'' 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'' 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 Fiction set in 1863 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