AGEOD's ACW is probably the most detail and complete strategic simulation. It isn't difficult to play but is very difficult to master. Part of the problem is no central documentation. The manuals that come with it tell you how to play the game but don't give you enough insight in the internal mechanics of the game to make some of the decisions needed. A lot of information is available but it is scattered throughout their forums.
It's been a while since I played these but here is my general impression of the three primary strategic games:
AGEOD's is the most detail, comprehensive and complex.
Forge of Freedom is the next in complexity but is significantly simpler than AGEOD's. Also has an interesting tactical game for solitare play which I understand they are trying to issue separately as standalone game.
Grisby's War Between the States is the simplist of the three. Good quicky strategic game.
For a little more information go to:
http://www.wargame.ch/wc/acw/sub/vmi/CSA_War_College/Default.htmThe Strategic section in Shared has some more information.
AGEOD's game is the one I play and have a better understanding of.
The reason I said it is difficult to master is that key information for comparing choices are buried deep in the system. You can figure it out by playing the game a lot but it is difficult sometimes to determine cause and effect in a game with so many choices. For example, deciding whether to make siege guns. You know they have an effect on siege operations but you have no idea whether it is worth the higher cost of the guns. There are people on their forums who have analyzed the weapon factors but you have to search for them. Meanwhile you usually take the lasy course and build the cheaper weapons rather than worry about whether the 20lb Parrott is a better investment of resources than the 10lb.
The one thing that makes AGEOD's game shine over the others is a very detail supply system. It is the only game that you can stop an overwhelming army from advancing by striking at its logistics tail. The resource production end is for the most part hidden. The various regions you control product war, food and manpower supplies. These are available threw the supply net which consists of the rails, roads and water ways. The armies act as sinks for these supplies drawing on them through the supply net. You can enhance the net by putting supply wagons with the armies and building depots along the net. These act as sinks that will attract supplies. It's a push/pull system where the military units are pulling supplies they need and regions are pushing it out on the net. Many things affect this movement of supplies including the distance the supplies have to travel, the number of paths available, the status of the regions pass threw (whether they like you), the spacing of depots, the number of wagons with your force, etc.
The result of this is the Union player has to plan his operations based on how large a force he can maintain in the field and he must garrison his lines of communication to keep that force in the field. The Rebel player has alternative strategies. He can resist the enemy force and/or he can strike at his supply tail. Sherman's march to the sea is extremely risky if their are still significant Rebel forces to stop him.
AGEOD also makes a good multiplayer game since it's a simultaneous execution turn game. This has the drawback of only one player gets to see the full execution of the game, the others only can see a limited replay, but it allows the game to move pretty quickly because both sides can prepare their orders at the same time. One side's player is the host and is the one that actually executes the turn. He then sends everyone a copy of the turn so they can prepare their orders and look at the replay. Here it works like other multiplayer in that each side circulates the orders file to that sides players. Each adding their forces orders to it and passing it on. When both sides orders files are completed they are returned to the host player to execute.