American Conquest
Encyclopedia
American Conquest is a real-time strategy
game developed by Ukrainian
GSC Game World
who is the developer of Cossacks: European Wars
; and published by German
CDV. 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 American Conquest: Fight Back 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 Chronicles.
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 cannon
s 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.
, 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 Alexander 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
.
Modification: The most significant modification for American Conquest: Fight Back is the European Warfare: Napoleonica (Latest version abbreviated HEW) which features new period and a remade gameplay. Amongst other features it also contains over 180 new units graphics, new buildings, single player historical battles and a vast collection of historical maps made by Hawks' club. Also,the Hawks are right now making a sequel to that mod called European Warfare II:The Age of Reason. It will cover some european wars,such as the Seven years from the european point of view , the American Revolution and perhaps some other events. Also,another mod is around for beta testing called American Conquest Fight Back:Fortification Mod,but there is not a full mod release date announced because it is still being made.
There is a mod in development based in the 1600's, No name is announced yet. but some speculate it to be called HP&S ( Hawks Pike and Shot.) It plans on covering the Thirty Years War and the English Civil War
More can be found on the Forums at the Hawks' site
Another major modification for the American Conquest: Fight Back game is the Sword & Arrow: European Wars mod, which is a complete conversion of the original game, the mod focuses on Europe during the medieval period, it features all new units and buildings with unique architecture. Replacing cannons & fortresses from the original game with siege engines and castles the mod invokes different game play style and tactics. Battlefield tactics are also different to the original game when you use the many different infantry, stable & missile units. Factions featuring in the mod include England, France, Scotland, Holy Roman Empire, Byzantines and Spain. A Crusaders addition is also planned which will include the Crusader states and Muslim states. More can be found at the Sword & Arrow site.
, The Confederacy, The Republic of Texas
and Mexico
, and more than 120 new units. Old factions cannot fight new ones. 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
.
Modification:
The most significant modification for American Conquest: Divided Nation is the
Hawks' Divided Nation Mod (HDN) which features realistic multiplayer battles with extensive changes to the combat simulation and an extension to the game engine.
uses the same engine.
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game developed by Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
GSC Game World
GSC Game World
GSC Game World is a Kiev-based computer game developer. Founded in 1995 in Kiev, Ukraine, it released titles such as Cossacks: European Wars, American Conquest, Alexander, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat...
who is the developer of Cossacks: European Wars
Cossacks: European Wars
Cossacks: European Wars is a real-time strategy computer game for Windows made by the Ukrainian developer GSC Game World. It was released on April 24, 2001. The game has an isometric view and is set in the 17th and 18th centuries of Europe...
; and published by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
CDV. 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 American Conquest: Fight Back and a gold edition, which has both the original and expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
bundled together. The latest installment in the series is American Conquest: Divided Nation. All three titles are available together as the American Conquest Chronicles.
Gameplay
American Conquest's basic gameplay mechanics and economic factors are shared with the earlier GSC Game World title Cossacks: European WarsCossacks: European Wars
Cossacks: European Wars is a real-time strategy computer game for Windows made by the Ukrainian developer GSC Game World. It was released on April 24, 2001. The game has an isometric view and is set in the 17th and 18th centuries of Europe...
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
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
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
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
unit. Wood is gathered by conventional means. Further, the cost of buildings, soldiers and cannon
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
s 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
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
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: GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Haida, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, 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
Ambrosius Ehinger
Ambrosius Ehinger, also Dalfinger, Thalfinger, was a German conquistador and the first governor of the Welser concession, also known as “Little Venice” , in New Granada, now Venezuela and Colombia.Ehinger was a factor in Madrid for the Welser...
and Georg Hohermuth
Georg von Speyer
Georg von Speyer was a German conquistador in New Granada, now Venezuela and Colombia. His birth name was Georg Hohermuth but he chose to call himself after his place of birth...
whereas the Russian campaign concerns the Alaskan campaign under Alexander 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
Spanish conquest of Yucatán
The Spanish conquest of Yucatán was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish conquistadores against the Late Postclassic Maya states and polities, particularly in the northern and central Yucatán Peninsula but also involving the Maya polities of the Guatemalan highlands region...
.
Modification: The most significant modification for American Conquest: Fight Back is the European Warfare: Napoleonica (Latest version abbreviated HEW) which features new period and a remade gameplay. Amongst other features it also contains over 180 new units graphics, new buildings, single player historical battles and a vast collection of historical maps made by Hawks' club. Also,the Hawks are right now making a sequel to that mod called European Warfare II:The Age of Reason. It will cover some european wars,such as the Seven years from the european point of view , the American Revolution and perhaps some other events. Also,another mod is around for beta testing called American Conquest Fight Back:Fortification Mod,but there is not a full mod release date announced because it is still being made.
There is a mod in development based in the 1600's, No name is announced yet. but some speculate it to be called HP&S ( Hawks Pike and Shot.) It plans on covering the Thirty Years War and the English Civil War
More can be found on the Forums at the Hawks' site
Another major modification for the American Conquest: Fight Back game is the Sword & Arrow: European Wars mod, which is a complete conversion of the original game, the mod focuses on Europe during the medieval period, it features all new units and buildings with unique architecture. Replacing cannons & fortresses from the original game with siege engines and castles the mod invokes different game play style and tactics. Battlefield tactics are also different to the original game when you use the many different infantry, stable & missile units. Factions featuring in the mod include England, France, Scotland, Holy Roman Empire, Byzantines and Spain. A Crusaders addition is also planned which will include the Crusader states and Muslim states. More can be found at the Sword & Arrow site.
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 UnionUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
, The Confederacy, The Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and more than 120 new units. Old factions cannot fight new ones. The game also brings a host of new features to the game, such as horse artillery
Horse artillery
Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support to European and American armies from the 17th to the early 20th century...
, field fortifications, tents, and generals. Players can experience battles entirely new to the RTS Genre, from the Battle of Alamo to Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
Modification:
The most significant modification for American Conquest: Divided Nation is the
Hawks' Divided Nation Mod (HDN) which features realistic multiplayer battles with extensive changes to the combat simulation and an extension to the game engine.
Related games
Other game series from CDV, Cossacks seriesCossacks: European Wars
Cossacks: European Wars is a real-time strategy computer game for Windows made by the Ukrainian developer GSC Game World. It was released on April 24, 2001. The game has an isometric view and is set in the 17th and 18th centuries of Europe...
uses the same engine.