THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GAMING CLUB
Competition - honor - friendship
camaraderie - respect - challenge
Est.
1997
About Us
Who We Are
The American Civil War Gaming Club was formed in 1997 as a free gathering place for online Civil War Gaming enthusiasts. Our games are conducted via email using a Play By Email system (PBEM) between opponents. The Club wishes to provide a military and historical flavor for its members, not just a simple points ladder club, but a way to participate and enjoy the times portrayed in various aspects. Some really appreciate the role-playing aspect of the club and the friendly banter back and forth between the sides. Others are here more for the gaming challenge of playing a human opponent on what is, essentially, a complex computer tabletop board game. Nonetheless all members, you may safely assume, are your brothers-in-arms and can be counted upon to act like gentlemen both during the games and in the emails you exchange. Furthermore, the Club is a very international group with members from many different countries (Sweden, New Zealand, Spain – just to name a few). It can be most enjoyable to meet different people through the club and to learn about their history, culture, and beliefs while sharing some of your own stories and ideas.
The Club currently has four different historically based armies between the two sides. New Members are allowed to pick, not only their side in the War Between the States, but the Army they wish to join!
Enlistment
Players of all skill levels are welcome from novice to expert. We take pride in providing a friendly atmosphere for all types of members. All new members will pass through a training session at our Training Academy to familiarize them with Play by Email (PBEM) and the Club Rules and Philosophy. The excellent staff at the VMI (Vicksburg Military Institute) and the UMA (Union Military Academy) branches of the academy are there to answer any questions and to help you better understand the game mechanics and improve your gameplay.
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You will be contacted shortly after your application is received by the Superintendent of the UMA if you have applied to join the Club as a member of the USA side or the Commandant of VMI if you have applied to join the Club as a member of the CSA side. The shared goals of the UMA and VMI are to instill:
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“Fair-mindedness” in, and an ethical approach, to game play.
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Gentlemanly conduct towards your opponents.
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Promptness in exchanging game turns as agreed to with your opponent.
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That winning or losing is secondary to your overall enjoyment of the games and Club Membership.
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"It's better to win a friend than it is to win a battle." - Club Member John Dragan
Roleplaying
The Club supports and encourages, but does not require, a roleplaying aspect to our Club. Our Members all have "military ranks" and may sign their names accordingly in "official" communications. All Members are asked to join either the Union or Confederate ranks when they enter the Club. The two sides operate in different manners and styles, just as the actual armies did during the War, but all under the umbrella and rules of the ACWGC. We have appointed Army leaders, Corps and Division commanders, as well as elected Club officials to oversee the numerous aspects of the Club and its Members.
Supported Games
The games we currently play are the Civil War Battles series by Wargame Design Studios (WDS), John Tiller's Battleground Civil War by Talonsoft/Matrix Games and HPS Simulations American Civil War Series designed by John Tiller, the latter is the same as the WDS Civil War Battles series, but are the original game releases. We also support the games Forge of Freedom (FoF), Gary Grigsby's War Between the States (WBTS) by Matrix Games and American Civil War I & Civil War II by AGEOD/Matrix Games. Club Members may game as much or as little as they like. Some members keep a dozen or more games going at all times while others simply play when they have the time and may go weeks or months between games based on real life circumstances.
While there are great real-time strategy games out there to play we believe that the traditional turn-based games offer a greater overall challenge to the players. They also work perfectly with email to allow members to game at their own pace.