History Line: 1914-1918 - Great War: 1914-1918, The

History Line: 1914-1918 is a tactical wargame, using the same engine that Blue Byte used for the popular Battle Island series. The particular attraction of this game is that it follows the course of the 1914-18 war, with technological advances mirroring the actual historical pace of development, including the introduction of the first tanks and the gradual increase in the influence of air power.
The campaign begins in August 1914 and you can choose to play the Allies (France) or the Central Powers (Germany), a choice that you will stick with throughout the game.

Each scenario is accompanied by a brief montage of historical fact and picture, setting the historical scene. There is one scenario for every 2 months, with total of 24 in all. The aim in each is the same: capture the enemy HQ or annihilate their forces entirely. The design of the scenarios is excellent, and many of them will turn into scary last-minute affairs, with bedraggled and vulnerable forces desperately fighting to the last man.
Like the original Battle Isle, a split screen is used, and both sides resolve moves together. To give orders to a piece, click on it, hold, then select an option from the buttons that appear. It’s a bit mouse-intensive and slow, but such are the complications of the strategy in this game that you won’t be making a huge number of moves in a hurry anyway.
The fog of war is thoroughly implemented – you can only see what your units allow you to see. Reconnaissance is vital and the landscape plays a big part in the tactics you can employ. Infantry can sneak through forested areas to mount a surprise attack. Snow and ice will slow everyone down. Bunkers can cause the most concerted attack to pause for a turn or two, possibly time for reinforcements to be brought up.
Sacrificing units too readily will cause you problems in the long run, as experienced units will carry forward some of that experience to future battles.
Finally, there is the energy point system, and there are depots, factories and headquarters on the map, that will allow units to be repaired or manufactured. Some depots are unaligned at the start of the scenario and can be captured by either side, along with the resources in them. In other scenarios, one side holds all the factories and towns (which carry an energy point value for every turn), allowing them to build more units until some towns are captured and the balance of power begins to change.
History Line is an attractive and excellently designed game. It was fantastic in its day and the quality of the scenario design means that it remains an enjoyable challenge today. It may be a little slow to play, but if you’re looking for an absorbing long-term game that will require some real thought, guts and perseverance to succeed in, this could be it.