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Birth of America

	Author: Leo Farrell Article Type: PC Game Review Publication Date: 3/24/2006 Developer: AGEOD Publisher: AGEOD Related Categories: French and Indian War (1754-1763), American War of Independence, Turn-based, Operational

Gameplay and Game Mechanics (continued)

The player has a choice to control either side in each scenario or campaign. Usually these are the United States and Great Britain, but the earlier ones pit France against the Redcoats. The specific conditions for victory differ for each side but usually entail control of certain key cities. The holder of these areas when the game ends is the winner.

Conditions for victory.

After orders are given by both sides, these are simultaneously resolved during a resolution phase. Conflicts occur during the resolution phase when units of opposing allegiances engage each other in the same area. While the month is being resolved, battles are only represented by a meter indicating which side is winning. When the resolution phase is over, the player can check a battle report list for more details. This shows the units involved, casualties, and factors affecting the battle.

The battle report list.

All this is nothing new to strategy gaming, but Birth of America wisely draws inspiration for the nuances of gameplay directly from its subject. Eighteenth century American wars were a seasonal sport, with fierce fighting during the summer months that calmed as armies contended with other threats of starvation and cold. Birth of America incorporates this by giving a powerful role to weather, terrain, and degree of civilization. An army caught in a blizzard in some backwoods wilderness can suffer greater losses than it would by an enemy rout.

In the game, Native American forces are a key resource, especially in the earlier scenarios based on the French and Indian Wars where the Algonquin, Huron, and Iroquois tribes played major roles. Although not as reliable or as effective in pitched battles as well-commanded regular units, they excel at guerilla tactics, like skirmishing on difficult terrain and laying ambushes. 

Population loyalty also plays a role. The decision to revolt was hardly unanimous. Breaking a centuries-old bond was met with outright refusal by some and indecisiveness and confusion by others, and some of our forefathers weren’t against leaning whatever way the winds favored that day. Establishing the military upper-hand in an area builds population loyalty. With better support from the population, the player receives more information about nearby enemy units (the game uses fog of war so enemy locations don’t necessarily appear on the map nor have accurate numbers) and is better able to conceal himself from the enemy.

Graphics and Sound

Other than time on the menu screen, all of Birth of America occurs against the backdrop of the massive map. This is a good thing; tiny details were not neglected to create its large scope. Although the type of terrain can be determined for each area by hovering the over it, illustrations make it obvious. The sprites and cards for each unit take a minimalist approach as well. While none of it even approaches cutting edge graphics, it is hardly lacking. The graphical details remain true to the overall aesthetic that is clearly rooted in board games, so Birth of America’s core offers a consistent and pleasing visual experience.

A detail from the map.

There are some minor disappointments though. When the mouse pointer is placed over a map region, it illuminates but the highlighting does not perfectly match with the section’s area, reminiscent of a coloring job by a second grader. The resolution phase is visually anti-climatic with sprites shifting too quickly to follow, a view that sometimes centers on an obscure section of the map where nothing is occurring, and battles only gauged by a meter that briefly pops up to show who is winning. What actually occurs during the resolution phase can only really be gleaned during the next order phase by checking messages and battle list reports. Sound is also sparse. There is scattered musical accompaniment and sound effects but the rest has the volume of a Tampa Bay Devil Rays home game.