<s>
Robert	B-Application
E	I-Application
.	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1996	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Impressions	O
Games	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sierra	O
On-Line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Impressions	O
sought	O
to	O
make	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
accessible	O
to	O
wargame	B-Application
newcomers	O
by	O
streamlining	O
its	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Panzer	B-Application
General	I-Application
series	O
was	O
a	O
reference	O
point	O
for	O
its	O
design	O
and	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
and	O
the	O
best-selling	O
wargame	B-Application
of	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Grant	B-Application
,	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
,	I-Application
Sherman	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	B-Application
E	I-Application
.	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
is	O
a	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
with	O
turn-based	O
gameplay	O
,	O
which	O
unfolds	O
on	O
a	O
hex	O
map	O
playing	O
field	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	B-Application
E	I-Application
.	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Jeffrey	O
Fiske	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Impressions	O
Games	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
previously	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
Civil	O
War-themed	O
wargame	B-Application
The	O
Blue	O
&	O
the	O
Gray	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
began	O
as	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Impressions	O
 '	O
earlier	O
wargame	B-Application
Front	B-Application
Lines	I-Application
—	O
whose	O
graphics	O
technology	O
the	O
developer	O
found	O
successful	O
,	O
but	O
whose	O
gameplay	O
it	O
disliked	O
—	O
that	O
reworked	O
the	O
engine	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
Civil	O
War	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
organically	O
drifted	O
away	O
from	O
this	O
framework	O
as	O
development	O
progressed	O
,	O
until	O
the	O
project	O
crystallized	O
as	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fiske	O
's	O
core	O
goal	O
with	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
to	O
"	O
create	O
a	O
product	O
that	O
Civil	O
War	O
enthusiasts	O
could	O
play	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
prior	O
gaming	O
experience.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Fiske	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
Strategic	O
Simulations	O
(	O
SSI	O
)	O
wargame	B-Application
Panzer	B-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
Impressions	O
was	O
first	O
designing	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
,	O
and	O
that	O
his	O
team	O
sought	O
to	O
offer	O
accessibility	O
akin	O
to	O
that	O
game	O
's	O
but	O
with	O
greater	O
historical	O
accuracy	O
and	O
realism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Terry	O
Coleman	O
,	O
the	O
wargame	B-Application
columnist	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
saw	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
trend	O
toward	O
ease-of-use	B-General_Concept
in	O
the	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
genre	O
spurred	O
by	O
Panzer	O
Generals	O
commercial	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
T	O
.	O
Liam	O
McDonald	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
likewise	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
title	O
was	O
chosen	O
to	O
capitalize	O
on	O
the	O
commercial	O
performance	O
of	O
Panzer	B-Application
General	I-Application
and	O
Allied	B-Application
General	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
based	O
on	O
Robert	O
E	O
.	O
Lee	O
's	O
campaign	O
against	O
the	O
Army	O
of	O
the	O
Potomac	O
because	O
of	O
his	O
popularity	O
among	O
Civil	O
War	O
enthusiasts	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
Fiske	O
believed	O
that	O
this	O
confrontation	O
"	O
converts	O
to	O
computer	O
gameplay	O
better	O
than	O
any	O
other	O
"	O
from	O
the	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fiske	O
's	O
goal	O
was	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
handling	O
of	O
leadership	O
and	O
individual	O
soldiers	O
 '	O
personal	O
welfare	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
rest	O
,	O
loyalty	O
and	O
organization	O
)	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
central	O
concerns	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
considered	O
an	O
untried	O
mechanic	O
in	O
wargames	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Impressions	O
placed	O
a	O
heavy	O
emphasis	O
on	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
multimedia	O
content	O
during	O
development	O
,	O
and	O
Sierra	O
's	O
John	O
Sauer	O
described	O
the	O
overall	O
product	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
multimedia	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
worked	O
with	O
Jay	O
Wertz	O
—	O
creator	O
of	O
the	O
documentary	O
series	O
Smithsonian	O
's	O
Great	O
Battles	O
of	O
the	O
Civil	O
War	O
—	O
to	O
obtain	O
full	B-Application
motion	I-Application
video	I-Application
of	O
American	O
Civil	O
War	O
reenactments	O
for	O
use	O
throughout	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
came	O
to	O
roughly	O
140	O
individual	O
clips	O
,	O
including	O
both	O
Wertz	O
's	O
old	O
work	O
and	O
new	O
footage	O
unique	O
to	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
reported	O
that	O
Impressions	O
planned	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
encyclopedia	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
as	O
detailed	O
as	O
a	O
dedicated	O
reference	B-Application
CD	I-Application
"	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
making	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
tribute	O
to	O
the	O
War.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
designed	O
the	O
encyclopedia	O
in	O
an	O
online	B-Protocol
help	I-Protocol
format	O
,	O
and	O
incorporated	O
hyperlinks	O
,	O
sound	O
and	O
music	O
,	O
recorded	O
speech	O
,	O
photographs	O
and	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
1995	O
,	O
Sierra	O
's	O
InterAction	O
tentatively	O
announced	O
a	O
1996	O
release	O
date	O
for	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
,	O
then	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Robert	O
E	O
.	O
Lee	O
:	O
The	O
War	O
Against	O
the	O
Union	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
the	O
following	O
year	O
,	O
Terry	O
Coleman	O
described	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
promising	O
[war]games	O
for	O
'	O
96	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
estimated	O
as	O
75%	O
complete	O
and	O
set	O
for	O
an	O
April	O
launch	O
in	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
March	O
1996	O
issue	O
,	O
by	O
April	O
10	O
Sierra	O
had	O
officially	O
pushed	O
this	O
date	O
back	O
to	O
June	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sierra	O
ultimately	O
released	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
on	O
August	O
24	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
list	O
price	O
of	O
$59.95	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
;	O
according	O
to	O
Sierra	O
's	O
InterAction	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
best-selling	O
wargame	B-Application
of	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
debuted	O
at	O
#14	O
on	O
NPD	O
SofTrends	O
 '	O
computer	O
reference	B-Application
software	I-Application
sales	O
chart	O
for	O
August	O
1996	O
,	O
and	O
rose	O
to	O
eighth	O
place	O
the	O
following	O
month	O
,	O
at	O
an	O
average	O
retail	O
price	O
of	O
$51	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
,	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
secured	O
first	O
place	O
on	O
SofTrends	O
 '	O
reference	B-Application
software	I-Application
rankings	O
for	O
January	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
average	O
price	O
of	O
$17	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
held	O
a	O
position	O
in	O
NPD	O
's	O
top	O
4	O
for	O
reference	B-Application
software	I-Application
throughout	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
PC	O
Data	O
,	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
 '	O
25th-best-selling	O
computer	O
game	O
of	O
1998	O
,	O
with	O
225,215	O
units	O
sold	O
and	O
$2.37	O
million	O
revenues	O
earned	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
Ultimate	O
Civil	O
War	O
Collection	O
bundle	O
with	O
its	O
sequel	O
,	O
Grant	B-Application
,	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
,	I-Application
Sherman	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
rose	O
from	O
58th	O
place	O
in	O
June	O
1998	O
to	O
seventh	O
in	O
July	O
on	O
SofTrends	O
 '	O
reference	B-Application
software	I-Application
chart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
January	O
1999	O
,	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
and	O
its	O
sequel	O
together	O
had	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
700,000	O
copies	O
globally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
claimed	O
#2	O
on	O
NPD	O
's	O
reference	B-Application
software	I-Application
rankings	O
that	O
month	O
,	O
and	O
third	O
place	O
in	O
February	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1996	O
"	O
Wargame	B-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Battleground	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shiloh	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
the	O
Software	O
Publishers	O
Association	O
nominated	O
it	O
as	O
1996	O
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Strategy	O
Software	O
Game	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
judges	O
gave	O
this	O
prize	O
to	O
Monty	B-Application
Python	I-Application
&	I-Application
the	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Holy	I-Application
Grail	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
Terry	O
Coleman	O
remarked	O
that	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
is	O
"	O
meant	O
to	O
be	O
simpler	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
has	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
subtleties.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
argued	O
that	O
its	O
campaign	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
enjoyable	O
of	O
the	O
era	O
's	O
Civil	O
War	O
wargames	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
criticized	O
the	O
title	O
's	O
limited	O
historical	O
scope	O
,	O
and	O
considered	O
the	O
overall	O
product	O
to	O
be	O
inferior	O
to	O
Wargame	B-Application
Construction	I-Application
Set	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Rifles	I-Application
1846-1905	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Magazine	O
highlighted	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
visuals	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
reviewer	O
praised	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
as	O
a	O
"	O
detailed	O
and	O
accurate	O
"	O
product	O
that	O
,	O
echoing	O
Coleman	O
,	O
combines	O
simplicity	O
with	O
depth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	O
J	O
.	O
Conrad	O
of	O
the	O
Orlando	O
Sentinel	O
called	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
"	O
an	O
excellent	O
CD-ROM	O
program	O
"	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
criticized	O
its	O
high	O
system	O
requirements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Milwaukee	O
Journal	O
Sentinel	O
,	O
Guinn	O
described	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
as	O
"	O
the	O
kind	O
of	O
game	O
you	O
'll	O
enjoy	O
playing	O
over	O
and	O
over	O
"	O
,	O
despite	O
its	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
,	O
William	O
R	O
.	O
Trotter	O
noted	O
that	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
was	O
simplified	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
a	O
mass-market	O
audience	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
argued	O
that	O
it	O
remained	O
"	O
deep	O
enough	O
to	O
satisfy	O
most	O
hardcore	O
wargamers.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
regard	O
,	O
he	O
compared	O
it	O
to	O
Panzer	B-Application
General	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Trotter	O
highly	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
reenactment	O
footage	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
summarized	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
as	O
"	O
a	O
serious	O
wargame	B-Application
,	O
wrapped	O
in	O
a	O
friendly	O
multimedia	O
package.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Conversely	O
,	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Pluss	O
Robert	O
Mayer	O
considered	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
to	O
be	O
a	O
missed	O
opportunity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Impressions	O
Games	O
and	O
Sierra	O
On-Line	O
followed	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
with	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
entitled	O
Grant	B-Application
,	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
,	I-Application
Sherman	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Doug	O
Gonya	O
,	O
a	O
scenario	O
designer	O
for	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
,	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
quality	O
assurance	O
manager	O
Steve	O
Grammont	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
game	O
,	O
Civil	B-Application
War	I-Application
Generals	I-Application
3	O
,	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
January	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
cancellation	O
,	O
the	O
Impressions	O
team	O
confirmed	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
interested	O
in	O
developing	O
other	O
wargames	B-Application
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
