The following pictures and text are applicable to all of the "Battleground" Civil War titles, although Battleground Bull Run (BGBR) is used as an example. The basic steps are all the same whether your are starting a training game with your instructor, a battle game with an opponent or a maneuver game with someone from your own side. In the ACWGC you, a Union officer, may also fight a battle with an opponent from the other side, but fight it as the Rebel commander! (Note that within the "Battleground" games there are no extended campaigns, as in the HPS series.)
      Given the wealth of add-on graphical packages which may be downloaded into your game files, the screen captures used within this lesson may not exactly match the screens on your own computer.

      Activate your selected "BG" game. You will be presented with a menu screen such as the one below. Select the "Special Options" button.

      From the Special Options window which will appear, select "Play-By-E-Mail."

      The program will then ask you if you want to start a new battle! Answer "Yes!"

      You will then be presented with the Scenario Selection screen from which you will, first, select a scenario from the left-hand scroll menus. Highlighting any scenario will change the informational description in the lower display and also the name of the appropriate sub-file in the top window. When you have made a selection, highlight it and then activate the "Play" button!

      The game's battlefield screen will next come up, with a "New Scenario Dialog" box superimposed. You will be asked to select which side you will be playing, engage the "Fog-of-War" selection and then access the optional rules selection.

      The "Optional Rules Dialog" box will then appear from which you will be able to select the specific optional rules upon which you and your opponent have agreed. If you need explanations about these options and how they affect the game play, you need only click upon the "Help" button. Once you have made your selections, click upon the "OK" button to return to the battlefield screen.

      You will once again be presented with the "New Scenario Dialog" box. The game is now properly set up to play. Click the "OK" button.

      You will be returned to the battlefield screen in one of two ways, depending upon whether you are the first-turn player or not!

If you are the first-turn player, your screen will be superimposed with one of the two displays shown below. Click HERE to continue!	If you are not the first-turn player, your screen will be superimposed with the window shown below. Click HERE to continue!