Create an Amazon Business Account


Join Amazon Prime - Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime - Start Free Trial Now

The Game FAQ     The Web Site FAQ

The Game FAQ

Sometimes the following icons appear in the lower-right corner of the screen.  What do they mean?

This unit cannot be seen.

 

This unit has been routed.

 

This unit is fighting hand-to-hand.  It's taking and/or receiving far more casualties and stress than normal.

Why do regiments kneel?

Because they can't be seen by the enemy.  If you select a kneeling regiment you'll also see the hidden icon.

A single line means that the regiment is entrenched.  Enemy fire on this regiment will be 12% less effective.

 

A double line means that the regiment is double entrenched.  Enemy fire will be 25% less effective.  In addition, this regiment gets an extra morale block as shown below.  (The Union version is on the left, the Confederate version on the right.)

 

By doing nothing for a few minutes - not moving, firing or being fired upon.  It becomes double entrenched if this continues a few minutes more.

How does a regiment lose its entrenchment?

By moving.  However, it can wheel and fire without losing its entrenchment.

How do I use the volley command?

1. Click the volley button.  This will instruct the men of the selected regiment to load and hold their fire.
2. Wait until all the men have loaded their muskets.  This can take several seconds depending on the size of the regiment, its stress level and the speed of the game.
3. Click the volley button again.  This will instruct them to fire.

How do I tell when all the men have loaded their muskets?

Have a look at the animation below.  It shows a figure loading, aiming and firing, i.e., he's normally engaged.

White

The unit is moving normally.

 

Dark Green

One of the unit's commanders is selected.  For example, if you select a commander, then make a brigade-level move, the arrow of each of the regiments will be dark green.   Likewise, if you move a regiment, then select one of its commanders, the arrow will turn from white to dark green.

Light Blue

The unit is moving obliquely.  It will maintain its original facing throughout (so as not to turn away from enemy fire).  Note that artwork for oblique movement didn't make it into the game so it will often appear that your regiment is exposing its side or rear when it isn't.

 

Light Green

The unit was ordered to move while it was being fired upon, while it was firing on someone or because it was given a don't stop command (the G key was pressed during the move).

 

Purple

The unit is moving at the double quick.

 

Yellow

The unit has been routed or is retreating.

 

Black

If you drag a movement arrow through areas that the unit cannot see, those areas will be shown in black.  They return to white when you release the mouse button.

Hit the Space bar.

How do I remove the trees and buildings so I can see what's going on?

Hit the J key.  It toggles trees and buildings off and on.

Yes.  Once a scenario has started, the K key randomly changes the AI personality.

I've heard of an undocumented keyboard shortcut for a brigade-level refuse the flank command.  What is it?

With a brigade commander selected, Shift-< refuses the left flank and Shift-> refuses the right flank.  That is, hold down the Shift key and press < or >.   These are toggles.  Hitting one twice will return the brigade to a straight formation.

What is a refuse the flank formation.

A line with one or both ends bent back.

In this case I've given the command to refuse the left flank.

Level 1

• Your firepower is 50% more effective than the AI's.
• Artillery does not take time to limber.
• Line-of-sight rules are not enforced, e.g., you can see over hills and into woods and orchards.
• Skirmishers don't fall back on their own.
• The AI doesn't use the Hold command.
• The AI doesn't coordinate artillery fire.
• The AI doesn't try to capture undefended VP sites.
• A general is not needed to Charge or Hold.
• Generals can't be wounded.

• Your firepower is 25% more effective than the AI's.
• The AI doesn't coordinate artillery fire.
• The AI doesn't try to capture undefended VP sites.
• Generals can't be wounded.

Level 4

• The AI's firepower is 33% more effective at inflicting stress (but not casualties).

Click on a unit that's firing. Its target is displayed in the lower-right corner of the screen.  For example, the unit in the screen shot below is shooting at the 31st Virginia.

Another way to identify enemy units is through the Verbose option.  From the Game menu (place the cursor in the upper-left corner of the screen while playing) choose Text.  Then choose Verbose.  Among other things, this will caption every enemy unit that's firing or being fired on.  Below is an example of what it looks like.  You can make out that one of your units is exchanging fire with the 74th Penn and receiving fire from the 25th Ohio.

How can I tell the condition of enemy units?

There are several indicators.  First of all, look at their flag.  Its droopiness indicates the state of their morale - the droopier the flag, the worse the morale.  Below, for example, the regiment on the left is in good shape.  The regiment on the right is not.

If you hear any of the following it means that the unit you've selected is in better shape than its target:

• Keep up your fire
• Let's close it up.
• We got 'em now.

How many men does each figure represent?

About 40.  For example, the regiment on the right above has about 160 men left.

I've played one scenario several times with the Historical option chosen.  Each time units start in a slightly different place and/or reinforcements arrive earlier, later or not at all.  They sometimes appear in different places too.  What's going on?

Every scenario has randomness built-in.  It comes in two forms:

1. The arrival time of reinforcements is always slightly randomized.   For example, a unit may arrive at 5:15 the first time you play a scenario, but at 5:20 the next.

2. An individual unit's appearance/arrival can be purposely varied, e.g., a unit can have a 50% chance of even appearing in the scenario.  If it does arrive, it may be in a different place at a different time than you saw it the last time.

If you're playing a pre-written scenario (Union Breakout: Taneytown Road, for example) More Units is the standard setting.  If you choose Fewer Units, units will appear as though you were playing at the next lower difficulty level.   Sometimes this means fewer units will participate in the scenario.  Sometimes this means nothing.  It depends on the scenario.  You can look up the details in Firaxis' Official Guide or you can wade through the scenario files on your own.  They're the .scn files in the Sid Meier's Gettysburg! folder.

If you're playing a randomized scenario* Fewer Units is the standard setting.   If you choose More Units the scenario size is supposed to increase by one step.  However, choosing one or the other has never made any difference when I've played randomized scenarios.

*Not a scenario where you choose Randomized from the Options screen, but one where you choose Randomized Scenario from the Select a Scenario screen.

What are the randomized scenario sizes?

This is what the Guide says:

Skirmish	2-3 brigades per side plus artillery
Altercation	3-4 brigades per side plus artillery
Engagement	4-6 brigades per side plus artillery
Battle	6-8 brigades per side plus artillery

However, the game has a bug that often increases the first two sizes even when you have Fewer Units chosen.

The Web Site FAQ

This site looks familiar. Did you create it yourself?

No. This site was originally The SMG Alternative which was created by Steve Barba. He decided to stop maintaining that site, and I couldn't just let it go away, so I got his permission to use the content from his site here.

I have a comment about the site. Whom should I contact, you or Steve?

Please address all comments about the current web site to me, Larry Hookins, at hookins@netZero.net

The name of the game is Sid Meier's Gettysburg!.  Why do you always leave out the exclamation point?

We all have our limits.

Where did the artwork for the site come from?

From the art patch and screen shots.  Map representations on the Gmap Editor page were produced by my GMap Editor program, currently in development.

How do you take a screen shot?

Start your favorite paint program.  Start SMG.  Hit the Print Screen key (on your keyboard) while playing the game.  Alt-tab to the paint program and paste.

What software do you use to maintain the site?

I use the Brief text editor, Paint Shop Pro, PowerZip and the Win 95 command line FTP program.

Steve used Front Page, Paint Shop Pro, FTP Explorer, Textpad and Winzip to create the original page.

Who are you and how can I get in touch with you?

I'm a gamer and programmer who enjoys playing SMG and creating enhancements for games. My name is Larry Hookins and my e-mail address is hookins@netZero.net.

Is the game really that good?

It has to be the best game tactical wargame I've ever played.