textfiles/games/REVIEWS/revol.rev

 REVOLUTION '76 

 The American Revolution was a complex event that involved far more
than simple military events. Diplomatic intrigues, internal
political bickering, and an unstable new economy were major factors
in the struggle for independence. With REVOLUTION '76, Ed Bever has
created a beautifully succinct simulation of those turbulent times. 
Players must grapple with all aspects of the Revolution to
successfully free the colonies from British rule. Fail to create a
new nation, and you may well end up dangling from a British noose. 
(This review is based on the IBM-PC version.) 

 In many ways, REVOLUTION '76 bears a striking resemblance to Chris
Crawford's BALANCE OF POWER. As in that earlier game, players
quickly discover that military means alone will not win the game. 
Successful play derives from a careful balance of several factors. 
For example, military appointments are governed not just by
competence in battle, but also by factional politics. The player who
ignores these political imperatives will soon encounter as many
enemies in the colonies as in the British Parliament. 

 Play of REVOLUTION '76 is surprisingly straightforward, given the
complex network of factors that must be tracked. Part of this ease
of play is due to the graphic interface that clearly and logically
presents the information players need to make decisions. Additional
information is always just a mouse-click away. 

 Each turn in REVOLUTION '76 comprises one year. During a turn, 
players must first determine their posture concerning Tories and
taxation. This is done using a simple map of the colonies, divided
into five regions. For each region the Colonial player controls, he
or she must set a taxation rate that influences the revenues
collected, and the popularity of the fledgling Colonial government. 
Too high a tax rate leads to more Tories and lower patriotism. Low
taxes are popular, but will eventually cause rampant inflation, as
government spending for the war outstrips revenue. 

 Dealing with Tories is actually somewhat easier than setting tax
levels. If Tory agitation in a region is high, it is usually best to
placate them. If the Tories are already down, stronger measures can
be used to ensure that they stay that way. 

 Once the player has decided on the policies, a simple click
implements them and shows the results in revenue and levels of
support for the Tory and Patriotic causes for each region. 

 Next, players must determine the levels of recruitment they will
use in each region. Players can use various levels of inducement to
recruit regulars, ranging from simple patriotic exhortations to a
full array of bonuses and quotas. Players must also determine the
quantity of militia to support. Militia is cheaper and potentially
more plentiful than regular troops. But only regulars can be moved
from region to region, and regulars tend to be more effective in
battle. 

 Players may also recruit for privateering. Privateers garner
variable amounts of income from British merchants and cause shipping
insurance rates to rise. This in turn leads to more support for the
Colonial cause in the British Parliament. However, support for
privateers draws on the same manpower pool as that used to recruit
regulars. In REVOLUTION '76, there are no free lunches. 

 Once recruitment policies are established, supply must be allocated
for the regulars and the naval building program. Initially, supply
for regulars will be minimal. But as foreign support grows, 
increasing levels of supplies may be allocated, albeit at some
cost. In addition, players may set the level of building they will
finance for new frigates. These frigates cannot really challenge
British naval supremacy. But they can win victories that will have
an important effect on colonial morale. Unfortunately, as one might
expect, naval expenditures quickly grow, and can become a major
contributor to the omnipresent inflation. 

 Having organized for recruiting and supplies, players may now move
their forces on the map. This phase is preceded by spy reports that
usually detail the movement of British troops. This makes the
player's job relatively simple: Hit the British where they are
weak. Unfortunately, threatened sectors will demand that they be
supported, even if the number of lobster backs ensures a Colonial
defeat. Thus, players must judge when to fight, and when to put up
token (or even no) resistance. Failure to succor a beleaguered
sector will dramatically lower patriotic feeling in the colonies. 

 As if this weren't enough, players must also appoint generals to
lead their troops. The quality of each general varies, but as you
might expect by now, players cannot simply pick the "best man for
the job." Each region demands that its generals be represented
equally in the appointments; when two or more generals enter a
sector, players must pick between them. This may also alienate a
region, if its general is not picked. All in all, this portion of
the game may well give players the ulcers that no doubt plagued the
leaders of the fight for independence. 

 Once the military maneuvers are finished, reports are given of
troop movements and battles. Colonial losses will lower patriotism
and encourage the Tory movement. Conversely, Colonial military
successes will heighten patriotic fervor and lower the Tory majority
in Parliament. In addition, Colonial victories may lead to increased
foreign support. 

 In the final phase of each turn, players must determine their
negotiating stance with the major European powers. In general, 
foreign relations begin with a favorable neutrality and evolve to
increasing levels of support. The skill of each diplomat, along with
colonial successes, determines the level of support each power is
willing to provide. France usually leads the way, setting a
precedent that the other powers follow in later turns. 

 Negotiations with Britain are obviously of a different tenor. 
Players must first determine what their peace conditions are. 
Initially, players are willing to settle for autonomy for the
colonies. But the British will have none of that, and the
revolutionary die is cast. Ultimately, players will be most
successful if they can procure a peace in the most favorable terms
possible: colonial independence, with rights to expand west across
the New World. 

 To accomplish this goal, players must manage their various problems
successfully, while inflicting losses on the British. Each colonial
success erodes the Tory majority in the British parliament. If this
majority is completely eliminated, the Whigs will come to power and
press for an immediate peace. This should ensure favorable terms for
the Americans, though they may have to abandon their European allies
to secure the peace. 

 At the end of the game, players are rated on various factors. A
favorable peace garners positive points. Broken promises to allies
count against the player; ditto inflation, the length of the war, 
and Tory sentiment (if any exists). The total is used to rate the
player, so that even if a favorable peace is secured, players may
only garner a Fair rating. 

 Surprisingly, even with all the detail included in the simulation, 
a game of REVOLUTION '76 can be completed in an hour, once players
are familiar with the game. Play proceeds quickly and smoothly, 
aided by the clear interface and a systematic progression of screens
and dialogues. The graphics are a bit chunky, but colorful. 

 REVOLUTION '76 supports the EGA (320x200x16) graphics mode only, 
though it runs on VGA monitors in EGA emulation. It requires 640K of
RAM, and may be installed on a hard drive. Copy protection is
manual-based. A Microsoft-compatible mouse is required. There is no
soundboard support. REVOLUTION '76 comes with both 5-1/4" and
3-1/2" diskettes. 

 The manuals include a Player's Reference and a Historical
Reference. The latter is very well done, and provides excellent
insight into the reasons for much of what happens in the game. 

 In addition to these materials, educators may obtain an additional
booklet that contains information for using REVOLUTION '76 in the
classroom, including discussion questions and exercises, and
suggestions for setting up team play. It even offers some hints on
strategy for first-time players, to help avoid frustration. 

 The game itself, along with these materials, should prove to be
very useful in the classroom. Games tend to be fairly short (one
hour solitaire; two hours or so in teams). Teams can even compete
for the best rating. 

 The only possible problem is that REVOLUTION '76 and its supporting
materials evidence a frankness that is not always present in
standard K-12 texts. Specifically, the strengths and flaws of our
founding fathers are explicitly detailed and factored into the
game. This may upset particularly patriotic or vitriolic parents. 
Most should not find the material offensive in any way, but there is
always that vocal minority to contend with. 

 On the down side, games of REVOLUTION '76 tend towards a favorable
ending, almost regardless of players' actions. The Tory majority
should steadily erode, while foreign support grows. The influx of
British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries is very large at first, but
quickly dwindles to a trickle. Players who avoid mistakes and major
confrontations will almost certainly secure colonial independence
eventually. The final rating at the end of the game is the only
means for determining the true quality of play. 

 These flaws are minor, however. Most players should find REVOLUTION
'76 an enjoyable and educational experience. 

 REVOLUTION '76 is published and distributed by Britannica
Software. 

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