Is there a real campaign in Chancellorsville

[Hairog]

Is there a real campaign hiding somewhere in this title that I have yet to discover? I was expecting a real campaign with strategic choices like Gettysburg.

Am I missing something? So far I have not run into any choices just a bunch of scenarios stuck together with no choices on a grand scale like Gettys.

I'm not happy with this purchase so far.

[rebel15nc]

I have not yet done anything with this game except look it over. My memory tells me that it does not have much of a campaign option. In fact, the two major battles included (Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville) are really pretty unrelated in time. There was 6 months between the battles not to mention winter quarters for the troops. I would suggest that Chancellorsville should really begin the Gettsyburg Campaign. Gettysburg was really a continuation of the campaign that began with Chancellorsville. The losses from Chancellorsville should properly be reflected in the armies that start north to Gettysburg about 30 days later. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the effort that went into this game and I am happy to have both battles to fight out. But, this disk (probably because the battles are not really tied together in real life) does not have too much in common with the previous Campaign type options on the previous disks.
On a related matter, I am still hoping for a scenario for Chancellorsville that will let you refight the whole battle from day one ie. see the entire map and have the option to use the Union 6th Corps as well as the Confederate troops holding the back door on the Fredericksburg battlefield. It seems to me to be about the same as leaving Little Round Top off the Gettysburg 3 day scenario because the Confederates really don't have any hope of taking the hill against a decent Yank who will not overlook the need to defend the hill. Just have the Yankee 6th Corps fixed with some random release time to tie at least some of the Rebs in place. I really have not played the game yet because without all the entire map to use, I just have not found the interest yet to give it a try.

[Hairog]

From what I'm finding I have to agree with your assessment. Too bad I was hoping to explore some real options here.

I've read a number of authors who have postulated that Lee was handed his butt to him strategically in both battles.

The usual "what if" are that at Fredericksburg the union pontoons were at the front of the army enabling them to get over the river and through town and set up a defensive position between Lee and Richmond days before Lee finally woke up.

And that at Chancellorsville again Lee was strategically behind the 8 ball but Hooker got put out of action for a few crucial hours by a near miss in some accounts and a screw up with his communications equipment probably sealed the deal.

Anyway I was hoping to play those "what ifs" and I am sorely disappointed in this supposed "campaign" so far.

[Lord_Valentai]

Having said this, Gettysburg is the only 'real' campaign that HPS has produced - in that it gives a large number of scenarios covering a large number of areas with many choices.

Peninsula comes close, but there the battle is of course concentrated on one large map.

I agree, I was disappointed with the lack of a wide ranging campaign.

[krmiller_usa]

There is a two day scenario covering the approach to Fredericksburg (002F), there is also a couple of one day scenarios (003F, 004F) covering what if the union had crossed the river before the pontoons arrived and the rebs weren't in force yet. I played one of those during the playtest and found it rather interesting although difficult for the rebs because of the total control the union player has. It's just not possible to duplicate the command screw ups that occurred on the union side in these two campaigns with the current command control structure in the game.

[KG_RangerBooBoo]

Having said this, Gettysburg is the only 'real' campaign that HPS has produced - in that it gives a large number of scenarios covering a large number of areas with many choices.

Peninsula comes close, but there the battle is of course concentrated on one large map.

I agree, I was disappointed with the lack of a wide ranging campaign.

Play the single huge scenario covering the whole time period of the Seven Days and that is probably as close to a campaign as you'll find.

[Hairog]

Thanks kmiller I'll give these scenarios a try. At least it's something.

So to get this straight there is only one real "campaign" in HPS Campaign series and that is Gettysburg?

If that is so thank you all for keeping me from (IMO) wasting my money and I am sorely disappointed.

[Hannibal]

Can't Corinth and Shiloh be variable each time that you play them and thus fit a true campaign definition? I was also under the impression that Vicksburg has a little bit of variance to it but mainly dependent upon the Union's initial choice. I haven't played Chickamauga yet but is it the same scenarios each time that you play?

[Lord_Valentai]

Most of the HPS games allow you to fight a series of battles. Now, I've thought of another - Antietam. That is a good campaign, though there aren't many choices for each battle.

This is how I would rate them as far as both campaign width, interest and scope:

BEST - Gettysburg, HPS' best ACW game.
- Peninsula
- Antietam
- Atlanta
- Shiloh
- Chickamauga
- Vicksburg
- Ozark
WORST - Chancellorsville. Not much variation here, I'm afraid. Antietam and Gettysburg were great because they allowed the player to fight around Virginia and Maryland, which Chancellorsville sticks you on one map, yet with less variation than Peninsula.

Haven't played Corinth or Franklin.

This is not my critique on which game is best, just on my view of the campaign.

[Hairog]

Great information. Thank you my lord.