The Wargamer

Introduction

Boku Games’ David Erickson and Mike Cooney had a lock on serious pre-Napoleonic eighteenth-century tactical games with the Horse & Musket series. CDV’s Cossacks games are fun but not realistic. So why would these guys re-visit this subject? They did because they’re devoted pros. They wanted to make a good game even better. Publisher Shrapnel Games and graphic artist Magnus Petterson backed them up and created a superior game with the first entry of the Horse & Musket 2 series, Dragoon - The Prussian War Machine.

Installation and Documentation

Installation of the game, taking 359 MB of hard disk space, is smooth with a common installation application. The 52-page manual is a model of clarity and fine organization. Explanation of the game’s concepts is organized using the sequence of play as an outline. Each concept is explained as it would come up during play. The concepts are first defined and then put in the context of play. Immediately after that, the mechanism for using the concept is explicitly delineated by referring to the proper interface options. When play is explained, the various algorithms for disruption, combat, activation, and other aspects of the game are displayed completely. The manual closes with in-depth instructions on the editor. This approach to documentation saves players from paging back and forth to fully understand an important part of the play.

Graphics and Sound Effects

Players and reviewers who seemed to be obsessed with appearance knocked the original Horse & Musket for not having fancy graphics. Boku took this criticism to heart and vastly improved the unit counters. The art depicting uniforms and horses is detailed and conveys a 3-D look. With scaleable levels of zoom, a view of large parts of the field can be achieved as well as a close view of men marching, horses galloping and flags snapping. Generals wave their swords when coaxing their men forward to their deaths. Although not quite as good as some new real-time strategy games and a bit fuzzy at lowest zoom level, landscapes and buildings are pleasing and more than fulfill their role in the game. The regiments’ pop-up information boxes provide adequate uniform drawings in sepia and the cursive text is clear while providing a period feel. Other graphics are more prosaic. Hexes are outlined in color when the units in them are selected. The colors change per the actions available and change again when orders are assigned. Hexes to which units are moved are clearly marked with the number of movement points the unit would have left if moved there. Numbers indicating unit status are easily read. Options are available for the display of unit status, leader radius, terrain features and other helpful information. These graphic improvements match the fine quality of gameplay while not distracting players.

Sound effects are excellent. Heavy artillery batteries roar and musketry crackles. The hooves of charging cavalry thunder along to end with the crash and cries of melee. Infantry matches clash of battle with the clatter of boots and beating of drums, giving audio feedback that somehow comforted me. While not particularly bellicose, the chamber music of the Manhatten Chamber Orchestra provided a nice, unobtrusive background to play. Dragoon’s sound effects serve the real purpose of sound effects in any strategy game: they enhance play while not calling attention to themselves.