▁War ▁Gener als ▁en cyc lopedia ▁to ▁be ▁" as ▁detailed ▁as ▁a ▁dedicated ▁reference ▁CD ", ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁making ▁it ▁" a ▁t ribute ▁to ▁the ▁War ." ▁The ▁team ▁designed ▁the ▁en cyc lopedia ▁in ▁an ▁online ▁help ▁format , ▁and ▁incorpor ated ▁hyper links , ▁sound ▁and ▁music , ▁recorded ▁speech , ▁photograph s ▁and ▁animation . ▁This ▁educational ▁entertain ment ▁aspect ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁game ' s ▁s elling ▁points . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Sierra ' s ▁Inter Action ▁tent atively ▁announced ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁release ▁date ▁for ▁Civil ▁War ▁General , ▁then ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee : ▁The ▁War ▁Again st ▁the ▁Union . ▁Early ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁Terry ▁Cole man ▁described ▁Civil ▁War ▁General ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁" the ▁most ▁prom ising ▁[ war ] g ames ▁for ▁' 9 6 ". ▁T . ▁Li am ▁Mc Donald ▁op ined ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁" the ▁distribution ▁power ▁of ▁Sierra " — then ▁the ▁number - one ▁computer ▁entertain ment ▁software ▁company — g ave ▁Im press ions ▁a ▁unique ▁opportunity ▁to ▁explo it ▁Pan zer ▁Gener als ▁co att ail ▁effect . ▁While ▁Civil ▁War ▁General ▁was ▁estimated ▁as ▁ 7 5 % ▁complete ▁and ▁set ▁for ▁an ▁April ▁launch ▁in ▁PC ▁G amer ▁US s ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁issue , ▁by ▁April ▁ 1 0 ▁Sierra ▁had ▁officially ▁pushed ▁this ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁June . ▁In ▁May