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American Conquest: Divided Nation | List Price: $29.99 Discount Price: $3.99

| Platform: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98 Brand: CDV Software Binding: CD-ROM Release Date: 2006-03-27 ESRB Age Rating: Everyone 10+
Features: - Experience legendary battles of the 19th century in this strategy game
- Mexico and Texas, North and South fight hard for domination
- 9 campaigns with 50+ maps and missions; new richly equipped Battle mode
- Ammunition depots; defensive structures; timed explosive charges; submarines
- For 1 player
Marginal game, minimal support [Posted on 2006-12-01] I was looking for a Civil War strategic game, like the old "Ft Sumter to Appomatox," and settled for this. I'm sorry. The game is a lovely video cam on the tedium of warfare. Hours of trying to get an army lined up and headed south, only to have morale turn everything into a treeful of parrots.
What's worse, the manual is a poor translation of a minimal effort to document the game, and when you ask questions on the company's forums, the response is usually "We already answered that. Read the forums." Of course, there is no search function on the forums....
Some of the confusing elements of earlier reviews reflect the chaos of the manual. There are non-military elements like resources, but only in random games. I suppose the argument is, the resources are a historical fact, but that doesn't wash. The results of the battles are "historical fact," and the game lets you play with that!
In regard to the random maps, for some reason, the Indians are not included as a "nation", even though all the profiles and code were already written for American Conquest I. The Union used Civil War tech to fight the Indian Wars, and the Plains tribe played an important role in the Civil War itself. If I had some Indians, I might actually use the Random Maps once in a while.
Very disappointing. I'm going back to my old reliable Talonsoft battles and hoping someone will do an "Age of Empires" for 19th C.
Another boring warcraft-alike [Posted on 2006-12-27] If you love RTS' click-fest games then you'll like this too. If you are looking for historically accurate games that contain real strategy and tactics AVOID AVOID AVOID this game.
Just like warcraft, make buildings, gather resources, build guys and throw them at the enemy with very little strategy.
Worse yet, no tutorial and no player aide of building-unit progressions means you play many games simply to learn with no possibility of winning.
Can't get started [Posted on 2007-01-13] I've played similar games and can see that this one has some merit, but the manual is pathetic and fails to describe any of the initial steps necessary to start a game. My guess is that you have to blunder through numerous starts before you stumble on successful moves, something I am too old to enjoy. This one goes on the shelf until I find some literature explaining what should have been included in the manual.
First Revue [Posted on 2007-01-16] Good game. Runs a little rough. Example- Press any key to start. Have to repeatedly press several keys. Look up, same thing. Back to me, same thing.
An Ambitious Undertaking Is a Mixed Bag [Posted on 2007-06-19] Since Sid Meiers has not released any Civil War games lately, I had high hopes of a very enjoyable real time Civil War real time strategy game when I purchased AC:DN.
To be honest, the game is a mixed bag and here are my comments:
Good:
1. Different wars covered - War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War.
2. Graphics seem to be pretty good.
3. Ample number of scenarios and campaigns to play.
4. Great if you like controlling thousands of figures.
5. Good variety of uniforms shown.
Bad:
1. Manual is awful! Other games I have (Sid Meiers Gettysburg and Antietam, Take Command) have excellent manuals that are easy to read and comprehend. The manual for AC:DN is light and not very helpful.
2. No tutorials. Would have been nice to have some to demonstrate before you play.
3. Game comprehension - the game is a bit more difficult to comprehend and some strategies I learned by accident!
All in all, this is a game that had great potential but didn't quite deliver. CDV should go back to the drawing board and come up with a much better manual, tutorials, and easier-to-understand and execute commands.
A mixed bag.
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