Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy
Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865)
Patch 1.14 Released!
Patch 1.14 Out Now!
Gen’l,
A new major Patch 1.1402 is now released. During the two-week beta period we were able to further improve the patch - Thank You all, who contributed in the beta!
Patch 1.14 provides: - rebalances to the camp feature (Whiskey & Lemons DLC), incl. W&L manual update accordingly - sound engine updates, including new sounds in the battles - bug fixes to issues reported by the community
Patch 1.13 is a major update to Grand Tactician (base game) and Whiskey & Lemons DLC. It contains many fixes and rebalancing to the game, and a new Camp-feature for the career mode.
Main changes in the main game include changes in campaign AI, rebalanced construction costs (forts, depots), updates to supply calculations during battles (end of day), along with fixes to bugs reported by the community. The patch was released in beta some time ago and with the help of the community we have improved it further - Thank You for Your help!
The two main updates in Whiskey & Lemons career mode are:
Camp: as the commander you can choose how to spend your time when encamped. You can focus on a number of activities, from supervising and taking part in drilling your troops to advancing your own personal agenda. Your companions will provide a helping hand as well. This feature is described in more detail in the updated W&L Manual.
Offer of Command: Earlier you could advance to higher command positions only by using your perstige. Now, if you are eligible and a position where your skills could be used becomes available, you are sometimes offered the new command free of prestige cost. You may then accept or decline the position.
Unfortunately the AI had a bit too much Whiskey on release and fell from the saddle, giving players undeserved lemons. With the first hotfix, the AI gets a slap in the face.
Work on further fixes, balancing and patches is ongoing. All bug/other issue reports on the forums are read by the Engineers, so keep them coming. Cheers!
Whiskey & Lemons DLC has just been released on Steam, with Epic Games and GOG following very shortly! If you buy it just after release, you will get a 10% discount. WHISKEY & LEMONS STEAM STORE PAGE
At the same time, we've released the game's Soundtrack Volume 2, with 20 more old time tunes recorded live by Wasel and the Weasels: SOUNDTRACK VOL.2 STEAM STORE PAGE
Whiskey & Lemons DLC to be Released on 25th of August!
Gen’l,
We're happy to announce, that the DLC to Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865), Whiskey & Lemons,will be released on 25th of August, 2023 (17.00 UCT / 10.00 PDT)! On the same day we will also release Volume 2 to the game's Soundtrack, and a major update to the main game. Details below:
Whiskey & Lemons.
Whiskey & Lemons DLC introduces a new career mode, where you can play any campaign in the game starting from a low position, caring only about your unit and your career, with the AI taking care of the rest. With prestige and promotions you may rise all the way to the top of your nation's military leadership, which will open up more options to influence the war effort. Career mode includes role playing elements for character development. The possibility to take only a smaller role in the campaign may also suit players that feel the main campaign is too overwhelming. In addition to the career mode, W&L DLC introduces a new regiment scale Eastern Theater focus campaign.
Whiskey & Lemons will sell for USD 24,99. On release, the DLC will have a 10% discount.
Volume 2 of the game's Soundtrack features 20 more old time and traditional tunes from the Civil War era, hand picked & recorded live by Wasel and the Weasels. Like with Soundtrack Vol.1, the music will be included in the game, even if you don't own the Soundtrack or any other DLC. Buying the Soundtrack will allow you to enjoy the music also outside of the game - it's also a good way to support Grand Tactician -project, and especially the talented musicians!
We will also update the Bundle option for the game, which includes all the content for 10% off.
Major Patch 1.21.
With the DLC release, there will also be a major new patch for the main game. The patch includes bug fixes, some new features, balancing, performance & AI improvements, and the new music.
The sound of guns can already be heard over the horizon. Soon you and your men will join battle to make history.
We're heading for a Summer 2023 release for the upcoming Whiskey & Lemons DLC, that adds role playing elements to the Grand Tactician: The Civil War campaigns. Create your own character, follow your commanders' orders, gain prestige and promotions. When in position to do so, play a key role in your nation's war-effort. This is your Civil War story!
The sound of guns can already be heard over the horizon. Soon you and your men will join battle to make history.
We're heading for a Summer 2023 release for the upcoming Whiskey & Lemons DLC, that adds role playing elements to the Grand Tactician: The Civil War campaigns. Create you will create your own character, follow your commanders' orders, gain prestige and promotions. When in position to do so, play a key role in your nation's war-effort. This is your Civil War story!
"While the citizens have been anxiously waiting for news, it seems like there's a suspicious calm at the frontlines. The reporters of Grand Herald say, it's because the generals of the recently formed Grand Engineering Corps are developing plans and testing them in preparation for the advance."
It's June, and Whiskey & Lemons DLC has enetered internal beta. During this phase we will test, balance and finalize the DLC game play, while all the new playable content is already in. While testing, there's still work going on with giving finalizing touches to remaining art, like maps and music. While we were aiming for a Q2, 2023 release, it's fair to say, that "Summer 2023" is more accurate at this point. Of course we will give more information, when further details are available. With the DLC, we will also release the latest patch to Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865), which includes fixes and improvements to the base game.
The DLC will bring an all-new Career-mode, where player will start the campaign commanding a single unit. With success and promotions, player can climb to more important positions with more influence in the course of the war. While following AI commanders' orders, players can manage their unit(s), staff, and personal activities.
The Career-mode brings many role-playing elements to the game, allowing a different kind focus in the game, without the need to manage the whole war.
The Career-mode can be used in all the campaign scenarios. In addition, a new Regiment-scale focus campaign can be played in the Eastern Theater. This campaign starts in June 1861, before the start of the large scale fighting. Will the war drag on for years, or will the blue troops march irresistably On to Richmond?
While the DLC development has been ongoing, we have also consolidated our development team's future: from now on, the development team goes by name Grand Engineer Corps e.U. This change was made to register the name for our future projects, which means we are going to continue further developing Grand Tactician. What the future brings, though, is another story. More about that later...
Most Respy, The Grand Engineer Corps
Whiskey & Lemons
Gen’l,
There were many legendary generals in the American Civil War, like “Stonewall” Jackson, “Old Pete” Longstreet, “Grumble” Jones, “Bull Head” Sumner… each with their own unique stories. In the Grand Tactician DLC, it’s your story.
The Way to the Top – or Not.
Whiskey & Lemons will introduce a new career mode. You will start by creating your character, determining your Civil War personality via a questionnaire, and taking command of a regiment.
As a regimental commander, you are but a small gear in the huge military steam engine. You will have very limited influence over the war, and you will receive orders from your AI commanders. According to your actions and performance, you will generate prestige and get promoted to higher places, where your actions will matter more.
As the DLC campaign will be regiment level, on a zoomed in campaign map, divisions will be the smallest units moving on the campaign map. Single brigades can also be used as garrisons to protect important terrain.
Once commanding a division, you will be able to control the unit on the campaign map. With increased prestige you will be able to influence politics or projects, but this is very limited before rising to the top, commanding the armies of the Union or the Confederacy – provided that you will ever make it that far. Or want to – you can play the whole campaign without accepting any promotions, if you so wish.
Your Story.
There are many things that can get in the way. Your previously mentioned personality could be one of them. Personality is determined on six axes: Loyalty, Piety, Social Life, Heroism, Stress Control and Political Views. These may provide positive and/or negative traits to your career.
You may also attract companions that will be part of your staff. For example, if you are known for lack of loyalty, you may be followed by a Committee Investigator, reporting to the military brass, who may end up limiting your freedom of action by giving political guidance you cannot ignore.
There are also other new features. You will be able to choose to buy your own equipment, recruit your own staff and carry out actions that all will influence your, and your nation’s Civil War journey. You may also get injured in combat, with some of your injuries becoming permanent disabilities.
When you start to gain fame, you may end up with a grudge with some of your fellow officers. This may have a serious impact on your performance in the battle-field, like what happened between Bragg and his lieutenants. And getting rid of them may prove difficult, as it will require further prestige to overrule choices made by the President.
It will be very different, if you become known as “Old Tippler” due to your drinking habits, keep falling off the horse during battles and get into drunken fights with your fellow officers, or as “Skedaddle Joe” due to lack of courage and losing the respect of your men.
Everything you do and experience during the campaign, will be recorded into a Biography. When the campaign ends, you may read your whole story, and see how you compared with historical civil war commanders.
The Other Things.
We’re looking to release Whiskey & Lemons during Q2 of 2023. The plan and development has suffered some real-life related delays, mainly caused by a war in Europe, where the development team is from.
But, while on some fronts there have been delays, on others extra progress has been made. We’re constantly working on the game engine even if the DLC content has not proceeded as earlier planned.
Also the band is recording new music to the game. Along with the DLC release, we will also release the new music as a Soundtrack, the same way we did with the game’s original music – meaning buying the soundtrack is not mandatory to hear the music in the game. The Soundtrack II (working title) allows listening to the tunes outside of the game, and the revenues will go to support our great band, Wasel and the Weasels.
With the DLC release, we’ll also release the next major patch, which is focused on fixing reported issues, implementing some player wishes (like different color fire arcs on paper map), and some performance improvements.
Most Respy, The Grand Tactician -Team.
Patch 1.11 - AI, Fixing, Rebalancing, Quality of Life
A New Year, a New Patch!
Gen'l,
Patch 1.11 has been released. This update focuses on improving the game play experience by fixing bugs & improving the AI. In addition to this, there is also something new added, like:
Number of ships limited in fleets depending on the commander's stats,
Reworked entrenchment placement controls in battles,
New Zouave uniforms (including the Louisiana Tigers),
