As the leader of the Union or the Confederacy, you will be faced with historical decisions on the military, economic and diplomatic strategies to pursue. The diplomatic and economic systems have been streamlined and improved since Crown of Glory to be more user-friendly and also suited to the period. Rather than multiple minor nations, each state has its own Governor and they will make demands on you and shift their attitudes according to events. In addition, you will have to manage diplomacy with the European powers to try to sway them towards or against intervention. Over 1,000 historical generals are included along with an option to know their abilities ahead of time or have to find out the hard way, as happened historically. Railroads, rivers and cities all play important roles, as do elections which occur at both state and national levels. Every effort has been made to bring you as thorough a simulation of the American Civil War as is possible, from 1860 to 1865, from the skirmishes and raids in the West to the pitched battles in the East and the Naval blockade.

David Heath, Director of Operations for Matrix Games stated, “Forge of Freedom has come a long way from its roots as Crown of Glory. The Western Civilization team continues to amaze us with their innovative design and high attention to historic detail. Fans of Crown of Glory, the Civil War, and gaming in general should be on the lookout for this and future titles from Western Civilization Software.”

The turn-based structure of Forge of Freedom moves the game at whatever pace the player decides. Forge of Freedom gives complete control over military and developmental policy making. The new engine and methods used for diplomatic, economic and social strategies make running a country fast and easy. While your armies march across a regional movement map, battles will allow you to play at a smaller scale as we saw in Crown of Glory. In the detailed battlefield map each side is trying to capture and achieve objectives, making forts and defensive outposts more critical and important.

Eric Babe of Western Civilization Software said, “There is something about the Civil War that fascinates us, and we believe fascinates many others who have studied history. The US Civil War involved two sides, each with their own advantages and many, many possible outcomes. We hope to capture that 'what if' feeling mixed with the extraordinary risks and dangers soldiers faced during those times.”

Forge of Freedom gives you a chance to relive history from either side in a work of grand strategy.