American Conquest

Infobox VG
title = American Conquest


developer = GSC Game World
publisher = CDV
version = 1.46
released = vgrelease|NA=February 5, 2003|PAL=February 14, 2003
genre = Real-Time Strategy
modes = Single player, Multiplayer
ratings = vgratings|ESRB=Teen|PEGI=12+
platforms = Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP
media = 1 CD
requirements = CPU: Pentium 2 450 MHz or better
RAM: 64 MB or better
Video card: DirectX 8 compatible, 1024 X 768
Sound card: 100% DirectSound compatible
CD-ROM: 12x or better
Hard drive: 1.3GB
DirectX: Min. version 8.0

"American Conquest" is a real-time strategy game produced and designed by German CDV and Ukrainian GSC Game World, who are the developers of . It is set between the 15th and the early 19th centuries in the American continents. There is also an expansion pack produced for American Conquest, called and a gold edition, which has both the original and expansion pack bundled together. The latest installment in the series is American Conquest: Divided Nation. All three titles are available together as the American Conquest Anthology.

Features

*Epic real-time strategy with historical background
*Battles with up to 16,000 units in America between 1492 and 1813
*8 campaigns with 42 missions
*9 separate single player missions
*12 different nations and tribes: Spain, Britain, France, Aztecs, Incas, Mayas, Sioux, Delaware, Huron, Iroquois League, Pueblo, USA(which begins the game as England)
*100 different units and 106 buildings
*Tactical formations for infantry, cavalry and artillery
*Artillery with gunnery squadrons
*Fight morale is influenced by victories, defeats, food supplies, equipment and mercenary pay
*maps (30 X 20 screens, 1024 X 768 pixels)
*Multiplayer mode for up to 7 players via LAN or internet: deathmatch, historical battles, automatic championship system, War for America
*Map Scaling: Pressing a single key gives an extensive overview of the fighting action through a special zoom perspective

Gameplay

American Conquest's basic gameplay mechanics and economic factors are shared with the earlier GSC Game World title and its add-ons. As in 'Cossacks', American Conquest allows the building of a base with which the player will conduct military and economic activities to prepare for victory in a scenario.

While the difference between playing for the European factions and the native American Indians are discernible in terms of military strategy, the basics are the same. The usual chain of activities involve building dwellings for your peasant workforce and to gather resources like wood, food, and gold, stone, coal and iron from mines which the player will have to construct at designated areas. Generally, wood and stone are used to construct buildings whereas the others are primarily used for creating and maintaining the army. Food may be harvested from either a mill or by hunting wild animals with specialised units like the trapper or the buccaneer unit. Wood is gathered by conventional means. Further, the cost of buildings, soldiers and cannons would inflate with each successive one built. Peasants are also now trained from dwellings and not from the town centre; the latter now having the role as a scientific upgrade building.

American Conquest differs from 'Cossacks' in that peasants are now needed in the direct creation of military units. If no peasants are sent into forts, stables of fortresses; no new units may be trained. Upgrades which would boost the fighting capability as well as the training time of the army are also conducted at those buildings. Forts and fortresses are central to the defense of any base and garrisoned troops will open fire on encroaching enemy units or wild animals.

The common economic and scientific buildings in American Conquest may also be garrisoned by either peasants or by regulars of the army. Similarly, an attacking army may also capture these garrisoned buildings by sending units into them and defeat its defenders in an unseen hand-to-hand combat. Players may also construct log cabins if playing for a European power where garrisoned units receive a bonus in its defense.

Another new feature of American Conquest is the morale factor. Military units would suffer from low morale if the unit is in the vicinity of a mass slaughter of his side and may flee the battlefield. Officers, standard bearers and military drummers are used to create military formations and to increase morale of the troops.

The campaign mode covers most of the major European powers' conquest in North America which includes the Spanish, the English and the French as well as the counter-campaigns narrated from the viewpoint of the native American Indians who fought against them.

American Conquest: Fight Back

American Conquest: Fight Back is a stand-alone expansion pack for American Conquest. It features five new nations: Germany, Russia, Haida, Portugal and the Netherlands, and 50 new units. In addition to new campaigns featuring the Mayas, the Germans, the Haida and the Russians, a new 'battlefield' game mode is available. The German campaign briefly chronicles the expedition of Ambrosius Ehinger and Georg Hohermuth whereas the Russian campaign concerns the Alaskan campaign under Alexandr Baranov. The new Haida campaign is from the Haida point of view of the Russian expedition. The Mayas campaign covers details from the Spanish conquest of Yucatán.

American Conquest: Divided Nation

American Conquest: Divided Nation is the second stand-alone expansion to American Conquest. It features four new nations in a new timeline: The Union, The Confederacy, The Texas Republic and Mexico, and more than 120 new units. In the time of the first game Pirates are added.Old factions can not fight new ones (besides Pirates). The game also brings a host of new features to the game, such as horse artillery, field fortifications, Tents, and Generals. Players can experience battles entirely new to the RTS Genre, from the Battle of Alamo to Battle of Gettysburg.

Modifications

European Warfare: Napoleonica is a modification for American Conquest: Fight Back, which is set in the time of the Napoleon conquest of Europe. It adds 12 complete nations and over 180 new units. It is freeware and can be downloaded at [http://www.moddb.com Moddb] and has a community at [http://www.mastersofthefield.com Mastersoftthefield] which uses it to play historical battles.

The "Hawks' Divided Nation Mod" (HDN) is a modification for American Conquest: Divided Nation, which focuses entirely on the American Civil War. It is freeware and is hosted on [http://www.mastersofthefield.com/dn_menu.htm Mastersofthefield] by the Hawks Group. The mod is played by the Hawks Group in epic online battles.

Related games

Other game series from CDV, uses the same engine. [ [http://www.ggmania.com/full.php3?show=5463 American Conquest Interview] at Gameguru Mania] .

References

External links

* [http://www.americanconquest.de/addon/index.php?sprache=us American Conquest official site]
* [http://www.thegameheaven.com Fan site]
* [http://www.americanconquest.evonet.ro Portal]