For Liberty!

Serendipity exists between the themes of Hussar’s games and the developer’s background. That is, as their games revolve around insurrections against tyranny, this Hungarian company can look back on its own country’s many dramatic struggles for freedom for inspiration. Little wonder that the Hungarian Ministry of Education commissioned the first game, 1848, and little wonder that their games often show such insight into the complexities of popular revolts, political unrest and the often ensuing attempt at suppression. If the games are complicated to win, the struggles were no breezes either….

For the purposes of this review, I will be using version 1.7 of For Liberty! as released by Matrix Games. The first edition was published by Battlefront but, for reasons unknown to the public, Matrix was able to pick-up the rights and has since provided digital download and CD versions. This version contains a better AI, a campaign editor and some game play tweaks. Owners of the Battlefront version can upgrade for free during a limited period.

The Matrix product contains three games: the American Revolution, the Rakoczi Independence War of Hungary of 1703 - 1711 and the Hungarian revolution of 1848. Each game has the full campaign along with shorter scenarios. Despite the differences in time, place and technology, the common gameplay catches the essence of wars of liberation. The revolutionaries must strive to maintain the confidence and support of the populace rather than go for a decisive military victory. In fact, if a revolutionary army can be maintained in the field long enough, a decisive military victory isn’t necessary, just enough successes to establish credibility as a nation. The reactionaries must play a reverse of this strategy by winning a decisive victory in the field and cutting off support before the insurgents grow too strong. In For Liberty!, the many elements of this calculus revolve around cities and towns. Initial strategy differs for Americans, who must backpedal from powerful early British forces in attempts to spread the British out into weak concentrations, and the Hungarians who can strike quickly before Austrian reinforcements arrive.

Building Blocks

Cities represent victory points and produce income, supplies, armaments and recruits. Military units must be near urban areas to be in supply and their capture or loss affect national, leader and army morale by increasing or decreasing national zeal. Such losses of towns (by occupation) influences supply, recruitment and income. Military morale gravitates toward national zeal so the loss of cities and/or a string of defeats can bring the players’ whole apparatus down. When an urban area is clicked, its significance can be seen with the effects of victories and losses on zeal and resources appearing in the upper third of the permanent sidebar that covers the left third of the screen. The most crucial information about the game is always readily visible to players with the key to keeping this information favorable being the requirement of constantly occupying towns and cities.

However, cities by themselves are inert factors. Active agents are, naturally, armies, detachments and garrisons. These units include regiments of infantry and cavalry, batteries and leaders. American and British cavalry are limited to the mounted infantry called dragoons but the Austrians and Hungarians also have the sword-swinging cuirassiers, hussars and guards. Infantry has a much more interesting assortment of unit types: having the attributes of movement points, numeric strength, supply, morale and experience, regular infantry types include infantry, light infantry and riflemen with combat effectiveness increasing with each type (certain types of units can be upgraded as well). Another interesting category of infantry is comprised of militia, insurgents and Indians. Recruiting these troops does not require material resources, just influence points (the players’ strategic magic wand) with the downside being that they’ll unexpectedly leave when things go bad or when the fields need tending. The last unit category consists of artillery, which is divided into field and heavy guns. Finally, regiments and batteries are recruited in cities in groups of 500 men or six guns and are limited by national resources at hand – resources which are increased weekly by towns.

The glue that holds regiments together as maneuver units and enhances their abilities is leaders. Leaders are historical characters rated for attack, defense and morale values. They can also have up to three of sixteen special abilities ranging from combat attributes, such as increased firepower and morale, to non-combat traits such as training and iron discipline. The only negative ability is “jealousy,” which causes the leader to be reluctant to lead his command to the aid of embattled friendly units. Leader ranks are general, brigadier and colonel with higher ranks affecting more men. Leaders can be replaced in the field but at the cost of two or four influence points.

Army composition is not set in stone. When in the same spot, units can be transferred between armies and new armies can be formed from the army management screen.

Hearts and Stomachs

The fields where these armies march in America stretch from St. Augustine, Florida to Quebec and from the East Coast to the easternmost Great Lakes; Hungary is represented by the central and eastern parts. The map display is pleasant but not stunning with four main terrain types, some rivers and a few roads. Invisible hexes are used to measure the distances over which armies may march. The American mini-map divides the strategic map into three zones showing seasonal weather while the Hungarian mini-maps provide s quick access to the entire board. Clicking on a city hex shows its map coordinates, supply rating and fortification level on the left-hand info panel. Right clicking brings up the “recruit” option for opening the recruitment screen as described above.

Military detachments are icons portraying the dominate type of troops contained within it. Small numbers below these icons indicate the amount of each troop type contained within with color-coding utilized for the unit’s supply level. Clicking upon a unit brings up its attributes on the info panel. With the advanced rules, the information includes the present stance, which includes rest, retreat and attack. Players can also choose cautious, balanced and bold tactics. Icons for changing the detachment’s facing, the ability to fortify, the possibility of aid from adjacent units, a tactical or swift combat preference, as well as an “undo” button, are displayed under the army’s information.

The last section of displayed graphics may be the most useful. The upper third of the info panel shows not only available resources but also four icons, the first of which is the army list that shows every friendly detachment and its attributes; selecting one takes a player to it on the map. The recruitment icon provides another way to raise troops while the overview screen shows total resources, income and sea capabilities. The final button activates influence points, a method of affecting the situation across the map. Each side starts with a finite number of influence points. These points are used to recruit and replace leaders but can also initiate one of nine actions to help the army, raise income or demoralize the enemy. Players can only pick one of these actions per weekly turn with influence points replenished by military successes (one point per turn).

The interface on the strategic map is simplicity itself. An animated boot indicates the limits of movement and crossed swords denote the ability to attack adjacent enemies. Movement is limited by type of units in the armies, terrain, leaders and weather. With the advanced rules, a drop-down menu with a right click offers stance, tactical as well as sea transport options and, depending on position and armament, siege and fort bombardment. Fog of war offers four levels of information on enemy movements depending on force size and availability of cavalry. Towns with fortifications can be reduced by bombardment or starved by a siege, which occurs when two armies take position on opposite sides of the town hex. Ports cannot be starved-out until unless players have sea control.

Combat occurs when friendly units have enough movement points to enter an enemy hex. Fights can be resolved automatically with players viewing the battle in the form of scrolling text or by controlling their own forces in tactical combat. The interface of tactical combat is very similar to strategic operations. Advanced rules allow for line, column and skirmish formations. Overlays show weapon range and line of sight. The number of times a unit can fire is a function of movement points spent. Actual damage is minimal with the decisive effects being on morale. As in the strategic game, sound is nice and appropriate. The losing force usually flees before being wiped-out, so the ability of leaders’ to increase morale and rally the troops is vital. However, some things about tactical combat are crude. Animation is dated (by about ten years!) and the “no stacking” rule means that a leader’s horse can block a entire regiment! Similarly strange, routed batteries can flee toward enemy lines. Nonetheless, when a battle must absolutely be won, commanding your troops in tactical combat is both essential and fun.

Sea power is abstracted. The British start with sea control, allowing them to keep ports open, bombard American units in coastal hexes and limit sea transport. The situations reverse if the French intervene.

Replayablity is guaranteed, not only by the editor, but also by the random events that occur each turn. These events are fun to read, covering everything from fires to leader dalliances. The effects can hit supply, readiness and morale. Whether playing solo, LAN, hot seat or Internet, the canny strategic AI and cannier human opponents guarantee a good game.