1848 is a classic hex-based wargame set during the era of the Hungarian Independence War of 1848-49, a period that saw revolutions erupt all over Europe. Although Hungarian forces initially achieved stalemates battling the armies of the Austrian empire, they were eventually defeated when Czar Nicholas I committed Russian armies to aid the Austrian side. This game offers the player a chance to change the course of history.

Every turn in the game represents a week in real time and during this time you can take a number of actions, depending on the chosen difficulty level. For instance, you can: set stances for your armies, set the tactics for your armies, move armies, attack enemy armies, reorganize your armies (i.e. combine or split them at will), change your commanding generals, siege forts, repair forts, fortify strategic locations, recruit new armies and send out reconnaissance missions.

Each army in turn consists of a number of infantry, cavalry and artillery units (regiments) and they all have their own numbers to crunch (morale, experience, readiness, supply and strength). Changing your armies' commanders can make a significant difference as each one has a set of basic attributes: initiative, attack and defense and some provide bonuses to certain stats, like morale, extra movement points, artillery accuracy, etc.

The battles themselves are automatically resolved by the computer, the player has no further impact on them. The outcome of a battle isn't dependent on casualties, but on an army's morale change. The game also has a global morale indicator called 'zeal'. There are many elements here that can also be found in similar turn-based wargames, such as varying weather and terrain conditions, towns to provide supply points for the armies and fortifications for defense bonuses.

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