[previewyoutube="n2fg_ZEVKDA;full"] A Very Special Dispatch, August 21, 2020.
Gen'l,
The highly anticipated real-time strategy game Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) is now released in Early Access on Steam, at the price of 39,99 (EUR/USD), some 10% less than the final release price (44,90 EUR/USD). Also the game's Soundtrack by Wasel and the Weasels is available on Steam - and you may purchase the game and the soundtrack as a bundle for discounted price.
Early Access means the game is not yet in its final, intended form. Instead, we want to improve it further before calling it “ready”. By purchasing the Early Access version (for a discounted price), the player can already play the game, but for a more complete and polished experience, it is recommended to wait for the full release. If you’re marching with us with the Early Access release, the going will not be smooth and there will be many hardships along the way. But, instead of turning back when facing adversity, the march will continue until the final victory – the full release of the game – is achieved!
First Impressions:
"Grand Tactician: The Civil War is shaping up to be the definitive American Civil War strategy game." - Wargamer.com
"Grand Tactician: The Civil War threatens to make all previous ACW wargames redundant." - Rock Paper Shotgun
"Grand Tactician: The Civil War combines real-time tactical battles with a huge strategic and political layer, putting it in a league of its own in the historical strategy games genre." - PCGamesN
The Road Map.
The Early Access road map is shown above. It shows the major milestones from Early Access release to full release.
What is constantly ongoing in the background are bug fixes, optimization, battle AI fixes, and so on. The road map includes the larger additions to game content, that are currently still missing from the Early Access version.
For further information about the road map content, please see the latest developer's blog here:
In case you want to know more about the development of Grand Tactician, join the conversation at the game's Steam Discussion forum.
I am, sir, Your very ob't se'v't,
O. KEPPELMÜLLER, Gen'l. Engineer Corps.
Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865): Alpha Reached.
Special dispatch, April 15, 2020.
Gen'l,
We're glad to report, that Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) development is advancing as planned and we have reached Alpha-stage. This means that the game has now all the main features implemented. The final leg of the march towards Summer 2020 is now underway. Huzzah!
During the coming months we will be adding the final assets in the game and will be busy hunting and squashing bugs, improving the code, optimizing, and adding the playable content. We will also be sharing more information in our development blog, as well as releasing some new images and footage from the game - so stay tuned.
Recently we have released two new videos, which You can find below. They show the last pre-alpha -footage of the game, in form of a trailer, as well as a campaign story video, where you can see the epic re-enactment footage from Richmond, Virginia based LionHeart FilmWorks - be sure to also check out their YouTube channel, which is full of great historical videos from the Civil War to modern times! These campaign videos will be used to tell the story of the Civil War, as it unfolds.
We thank You for the continuous support! Onwards to Summer!
I am, sir, Your very ob't se'v't,
O. KEPPELMÜLLER, Gen'l. Engineer Corps.
PS. A lot of followers have asked about the historical fonts we're using in the game UI. For some, 19th-Century cursive is difficult to read, so we've lately added an option to switch to an easier to read font, if one wishes to. We'll keep on tracking the feedback and taking it into account the best we can!
Steam powers the industries, the trains that carry our troops and their supplies to the battlefields across America, battleships and the new ironclads. And now Steam powers also Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865).
Today we are happy to announce, that Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) Steam page has been opened!
On the page you can add the game to your wishlist, and we invite you to join the discussion on the forums. Later you will be presented with the countdown to release. The Grand Tactician Engineer Corps will join the conversation to answer your questions.
...or by simply using the Steam's search function.
General, thank You for supporting Grand Tactician!
Most Respy,
Gen'l. Oliver Keppelmüller.
Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) Announced!
Highly Important Announcement From Grand Tactician Correspondents.
Special dispatch, 2nd MAY 2018.
On this day, which has been more exciting than any of its predecessors, General Oliver Keppelmüller has announced the first Grand Tactician title. After much theorizing, and many most absurd rumors, it is now most likely that a Civil War cannot be avoided!
Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) is a real time strategy game, where you will run your nation, muster, manage and support great armies, and maneuver them to defeat the enemy. Once the opposing armies meet, command your troops to victory in battles fought on historical battlefields.
We, the Grand Tactician Engineer Corps, are proud to present to You, dear Gen'l. our new website. This includes our new and streamlined blog - the Engineer Corps Log - where we will regularly share the latest information of our progress. The Log now also allows you to share your comments and thoughts as the information flows!
Following the links below You may also find our social media channels and YouTube channel. If you have any questions you can always contact us via our e-mail, or by dropping a line on Facebook or Twitter.
First Grand Tactician features revealed
Work on the Successor to The Seven Years War (1756-1763), Grand Tactician, has progressed far enough to let us start revealing some of the features the game will offer. We have been focusing on the battle layer for now, improving on the design of The Seven Years War's battles in many ways.
Although all these features are universal for 17th - 19th century battle simulation, we are also getting closer to revealing the historical setting of the first title. Grand Tactician will feature, among other things:
- hundreds of units per battle, forming up armies of historical size and composition
- possibility for duration of multiple days per battle
- pre-battle deployment phase as well as redeploying and resupplying after each day, according to dynamically calculated deployment zones
- seasons and dynamic weather that can now change even during a battle
- reinforcements and supplies that move in to the battle via entry points, that can be captured
- battlefield engineering: not only barricades, but also buildable trenches, abattis, pontoon bridges...
- buildings that can be captured to provide cover to your infantry, but also destroyed
- automatic cover placement system for units: units will find and use available cover like walls, fences, creeks, road banks, etc. as well as hilltops
A pontoon bridge built by engineers
The buildings can be occupied, but also destroyed
Units automatically recognize and use cover, like the fence here
Also with the change in game engines, we are able to create better visual look for the new game when compared to The Seven Years War (as can be seen in the above pre-alpha screenshots), along with better stability and compatibility.
More information and features can be found at Grand Tactician homepage, at the developer's blog we have been updating on a monthly basis:
http://www.grandtactician.com/devblog.htm
Follow Grand Tactician on Facebook or Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/GrandTactician/
https://twitter.com/Grand_Tactician
Sincerely,
Oliver Keppelmüller and Ilja Varha
Grand Tactician -team
Successor to The Seven Years War (1756-1763) announced!
The battlefields of the seven years war may have seemed a bit quiet for some time, and now I am happy to tell you why: Work on a successor to The Seven Years War (1756-1763) has started!
I have teamed up with Ilja Varha and Peter Lebek, both of who helped me with The Seven Years project after its release. Our new project is called Grand Tactician, and it's designed to be a series of strategy games, dedicated in bringing to life conflicts from our favorite period in history of war: 17-19th centuries, the era of line warfare. Instead of just a step forward to create a sequel to TSYW, we are going for a full leap, switching to a new engine and improving on the design considerably. At this point I would like to thank all the players of The Seven Years War (1756-1763) for the feedback you have given me. It has been carefully read and taken into account in the new project! We are working hard to improve the design in every way, as well as bringing in a lot of new features we hope you will like.
While Grand Tactician fully occupies my time, the support for The Seven Years War will continue in the background.
We will reveal more information about the progress of Grand Tactician in the new website, as well as social media, so stay tuned! I hope to see you all in the battlefields of Grand Tactician!
The new website has opened at:
www.grandtactician.com
And we have released the first bits of information in our developer's blog:
http://www.grandtactician.com/blog1.htm
Find Grand Tactician also in Facebook and Twitter, at:
https://www.facebook.com/GrandTactician/
https://twitter.com/Grand_Tactician
Sincerely,
Oliver Keppelmüller
The Seven Years War (1756-1763) Complete - now available!
The Seven Years War (1756-1763) - Complete Edition has now gone live! It contains the main game and all available DLC's for an all-time discount of 10%:
- The Seven Years War (1756-1763)
- The Seven Years War (1756-1763) - The Battle Pack
- The Seven Years War (1756-1763) - Pomeranian War
http://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1826/
Pomeranian War - DLC released!
Today I am proud to finally announce the release of Ilja Varha's DLC "Pomeranian War"!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/538430/
In 1757, with the Seven Years' War raging in Europe and the colonies, the so far neutral Sweden under the political leadership of the hard line Hats -party decides to take advantage of the situation by allying once again with France, joining the anti-Prussian coalition.
Features:
- new playable nation: Sweden
- 5 new campaign scenarios for Sweden, where you may attempt to lead the nation from 1750 all the way through the war, or go for historical goals in the two major operations of the war. Or maybe even restore the empire of the era of great power, ”stormaktstiden”, lost in the Great Northern War...
- two new national policies: Naval invasion preparations and mercantilism
- new nation specific historic events and march music for Sweden
- revised and expanded roster of Swedish military units
- bonus scenario for the French, with historical strategic goal of invading Britain in 1759
Historical background information by Ilja Varha: http://steamcommunity.com/games/400470/announcements/detail/597119843280908762
http://steamcommunity.com/games/400470/announcements/detail/597119843274276519
http://steamcommunity.com/games/400470/announcements/detail/736730527326447096
Update 1.336 released!
Update 1.336 improves the AI behavior and balancing in campaigns:
- AI aggressivity can now be adjusted in options menu, choose from: normal, aggressive, warmonger
- select option "military focus" to let the AI control your economy, your construction, your research, your financials and your policies
- enemy armies now make invasions over greater distances and also from allied territory
- enemy armies now wait for supply before continuing invasions
- increased AI naval movement
- rebalancing supply duration of sieges
- AI now assaults in sieges depending on the relative strength and morale to the defender
- AI now places more garrisons in occupied cities or forts
- breaking out of war due to historic events and behavior of allies now better balanced
- improved repairs and upgrades of AI buildings
- occupied provinces are now only tradeable in peace periods and to the claiming nation
- rebalancing of maneuver order
Fixed bugs: - removed double goals after resuming historic battles
- loading commander data properly when resuming battles
- enemy armies now not moving away within sieges
- fixed some smaller fog of war topics in campaigns
- fixed not accessible buildings during repairs
- sieges are now broken up if peace is declared
- fixed infinate morale and strength numbers due to zero strength regiments sieges
- 12pdr now researchable
Year 1759 became known in Britain as “annus mirabilis”, the year of miracle. The miracle itself was man made, achieved by the British navy on this date!
Britannia Rule the Waves!
Fighting between the British and the French had been ongoing since 1754, and war was officially declared in 1756 when French went to war against their old ally, Prussia, now allied with Great Britain and Hanover. For the British, the Seven Years War main effort was in the colonies, but the French focus was continental.
As the war went on, the British used their naval superiority, capturing Louisbourg and raiding the French coast in 1758. This was a disgrace to the French, and to turn the tide, French foreign minister Duc de Choiseul created a grand plan to knock the British out of the war by invading the British Isles themselves, with a force of no less than 100.000 soldiers! The French navy was to overcome or at least outmaneuver their British counterpart, after which the amphibious force would be landed. It was believed, that the small British army in their homelands would be easily defeated.
Duc de Choiseul, french minister, and Sir Edward Hawke, commander of the British fleet in battle of Quiberon Bay.
Invading Britain was no new concept in itself. The previous French attempt in 1744, during the War of Austrian Succession, had to be abandoned when a violent storm hit the invasion fleet that sailed out of Dunkirk. And the Spanish attempt in 1588 with the ill-fated Spanish Armada was also still in fresh memory.
Thanks to effective network of spies, the British were aware of these French plans, countering them with a militia act among other things, bolstering the small army in Britain with large numbers of militia. But the decisive action would take place in the high sea, between the fleets of the two superpowers. Here the British so far had the upper hand, blockading French fleets in harbors and watching their every move.
The first major encounter was in the Battle of Lagos in August 1759, when French Toulon fleet in the Mediterranean slipped through British blockade and sailed out through the Straits of Gibraltar. But the fleet was engaged and defeated by British fleet under Sir Edward Boscawen. The French lost 5 out of 12 ships-of-the-line in the fleet, the rest escaped. This setback prevented the original invasion plans, but still Choiseul was determined to invade at least Scotland.
Battle of Lagos was a French defeat, but Choiseul still would not give up the invasion plans.
The main blow came November 20th 1759, in the Battle of Quiberon Bay. The French fleet blockaded in Brest was ordered to move out and collect transports assembled in Gulf of Morbihan. The British blockading fleet under Sir Edward Hawke spotted the French slipping away exploiting favorable weather conditions. Hawke ordered pursuit.
Hawke had part of his fleet watching the transports at Quiberon Bay, under Robert Duff. The arriving French fleet under Comte de Conflans spotted them and gave pursuit. Duff managed to evade. The French fleet lost cohesion during the pursuit, and as they turned back, they were engaged by Hawke and the main body of the fleet. In the battle that followed the French fleet lost 7 out of 21 ships-of-the-line, a third of the fleet.
After the battle, French naval power was broken and the planned invasion had to be abandoned for good. The battle of Quiberon Bay also meant the French navy was unable to support the fighting in New France, and the victory in battle of Sainte-Foy in April 1760 could not be followed through. Quebec, lost to British in the battle of Plains of Abraham in 1759, remained in enemy hands.
Battle of Quiberon Bay was later called “the Trafalgar of its day”. After the battle all French hopes to invade Britain were lost… but only for the time being.
The French Revanche
But let’s go back to March 1757; The war is still young. Financed by France, Sweden has just joined the anti-Prussian alliance, and the defeat of Frederick II seems to be just a matter of time.
Pomeranian War DLC includes this bonus scenario for the French, including the historic grand strategic objectives of the nation.
In command of the French war effort, you have a glorious but very difficult, yet not entirely impossible task at hand: The original French ambitions to seize the currently Austrian held Spanish Netherlands is still the main strategic goal in Europe, but to gain a complete victory, the French must crush the British puppet of Hanover, and knock Britain itself out of the war. For this you need to hold the territories in the colonies, while strengthening your navy to outmatch the British. The plan of invasion must be carried through, and the first 50.000 French troops must be landed on British soil before 1760!
This requires good planning, research of new naval technologies and building of new ships. And maybe some luck? To defeat the British navy, you must choose the battles carefully, not to suffer a Quiberon Bay of your own. The British fleets guarding their homelands are stronger than yours. To bolster the navy, your industry must be reformed to produce the huge amounts of timber, iron, cannon and sailcloth needed in the ships. This will require a working transport network and open trade lines to New France where cotton for the sailcloth can be acquired. At the same time harbors must be upgraded and increasing number of sailors pressed to duty.
The trade statistics show the sheer amount of materiel moving to French harbors to be transformed into ships-of-the-line and supplies for the fleets. But will it be enough?
And after finally engaging the British navy, there must still be enough materiel to refit the damaged fleets and resupply them with ammunition. All this will require more timber, sailors, and above all black powder and ammunition. Otherwise the battered fleets will sit in the docks crippled, unable to carry on the bitter fighting. So skills in battle need to be supported by a strong economy and industry. Only this way can the French establish naval superiority, and rule the seas!
When the time of invasion comes, you have a new national policy to take advantage of: Ordering naval invasion preparations in your country, the fleets will be augmented with troop transports, purpose built or confiscated from the trading fleets. This will effectively increase the transport capacity, but will also increase the cost to operate these strengthened fleets, so use the policy wisely, at the critical moment.
Naval invasion preparations -policy comes in handy, whether invading Britain, ferrying Swedish army units to Pomerania, or moving in troops to the colonies as Great Britain. This is the other one of the 2 new policies in Pomeranian War DLC.
And once ashore, expect the British to throw their army at you, bolstered by their militia. Any captured ground will remain hostile and supplying the occupying army will be difficult, especially as most of your spending and production will be eaten up by the navy. The stubborn and proud Britons will not simply accept a French rule…
In The Seven Years War (1756-1763), the deep campaign mechanics in economy, industry, combat and supply modelling make sure you will have the necessary means available to complete your goals, but it will not be easy by any means. Great skill will be required. Are you up the task?
The invasion force has landed and Southampton is under siege! British homeland army is moving in from two sides and the French move in to intercept. Without a supply base the invasion will be short lived, so the redcoats must be held at bay until Southampton falls!
A battle erupts in the wooded countryside of Surrey, with the British determined to drive the French, moving towards London, back to the channel.
The bonus campaign scenario “French Revanche” will ship with Pomeranian War DLC, released in just 5 days! And like before, if you like the game, why not support the project by writing up a review in Steam?
Ilja Varha
Designer of Pomeranian War DLC
PS. Oh, and notice anything different in the options menu? Player requests are being heard! =)
