If you love the Seven Years War and turn-based strategy, then this game is a must have and a great value.

User Rating: 8.3 | Dragoon: The Prussian War Machine PC
By gaijin79 | Review Date:
Let’s face it, if you are reading this review then you are probably part of a niche community of historical gamers, and we tend to be excited whenever someone develops a game in our period. That, and the realization that there is no game on the market that can recreate the experience of playing against a human opponent, tends to make us a jaded group of grognards.

With that in mind, however, I can still recommend this game. When it was first released there were quite a few bugs (mostly due to the small size of the development team), but those technical issues have been resolved, making Dragoon a true step forward in the Horse and Musket series.

The orders of battle are historic. The terrain is accurate. The units have historical uniforms and you can zoom in and watch historical flags flying in the wind. There are mods available to make almost any unit that you want. Scenario generator tools are included with the game. You get the idea . . . this game has a lot of value. The included battles are great, but you can also make any other battle that you want too.

The AI is actually rather intelligent. You will instantly notice that it maintains the feel of linear warfare. Battalions or regiments will stay in line, defend their flanks and try to overlap your own lines. Reserves are kept to fill in gaps and the AI is very good at choosing ground to defend and identifying the weak points in your own line.

I only have two complaints. One is that artillery seems to be too powerful for the period. The second is that it can be hard to control cavalry. Other than those complaints, this is a great game for those who enjoy recreating the Age of Reason. With play by e-mail capabilities, this is also a great game if you have a human opponent ready for a game.

The battles can be played in their entirety or as smaller scenarios. I’ve found that some of the big battles can be overwhelming, so I just play the smaller scenarios. If you have any interest in the Seven Years War, this game is worth a look.
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