'Fields of Glory' by MicroProse is a strategy game which features the four historical battles that occurred in the 100 days campaign of 1815, namely Quatre Bras, Ligny, Wavre and Waterloo, but also adds two fictional battles that could have happened if history had taken a slightly different turn, Nivelles and Wagnele.
The battles take place in real time and are scored according to casualties and objectives completed like capturing key positions or dispatching troops off the map, e.g. at Wavre where the Prussians can be sent to reinforce Wellington at Waterloo. You get a top-down view that cannot be rotated, though the magnification can be changed to three different levels, with the middle being the most useful.
The lowest tactical level of unit that you control is a brigade for infantry and cavalry, and battery for the artillery. Any smaller and controlling 70,000 plus troops at once would have been unwieldy and impractical. The graphics are nothing special with pixellated, badly animated troops with one man representing about 70 or so in real terms. This does create impressive size armies on the battlefield that other strategy games rarely match.
Tactically, the enemy is not particularly astute, often doing nothing and leaving the initiative with the player. When the A.I. does launch attacks, it will usually pay little attention to the terrain, so that men and cannon get bogged down trying to cross a river while your artillery picks them off at leisure. This can get a little tiresome when playing as the allied forces (Anglo-Allied or Prussians) as you are on the defensive in all the battles. It is possible to change the course of history, though this is mainly due to the fact you can see the enemy positions and strength the latter ability is taken away however on increased difficulty settings.
You are rewarded for using the correct tactics i.e. infantry will have a much better defence against cavalry if they are in the square formation, and will inflict more musket casualties on enemy infantry if arrayed in line. There are some unrealistic features such as counter-battery fire which was rarely encouraged during the period for its lack of accuracy. In 'Fields of Glory,' one battery can easily rapidly wipe out another. As a resource about the 100 days campaign it is far more successful, with informative biographies of all the divisional commanders and above. It is an extremely well researched database that will be interesting for anyone keen on learning more about the period.
The battles take place in real time and are scored according to casualties and objectives completed like capturing key positions or dispatching troops off the map, e.g. at Wavre where the Prussians can be sent to reinforce Wellington at Waterloo. You get a top-down view that cannot be rotated, though the magnification can be changed to three different levels, with the middle being the most useful.
The lowest tactical level of unit that you control is a brigade for infantry and cavalry, and battery for the artillery. Any smaller and controlling 70,000 plus troops at once would have been unwieldy and impractical. The graphics are nothing special with pixellated, badly animated troops with one man representing about 70 or so in real terms. This does create impressive size armies on the battlefield that other strategy games rarely match.
Tactically, the enemy is not particularly astute, often doing nothing and leaving the initiative with the player. When the A.I. does launch attacks, it will usually pay little attention to the terrain, so that men and cannon get bogged down trying to cross a river while your artillery picks them off at leisure. This can get a little tiresome when playing as the allied forces (Anglo-Allied or Prussians) as you are on the defensive in all the battles. It is possible to change the course of history, though this is mainly due to the fact you can see the enemy positions and strength the latter ability is taken away however on increased difficulty settings.
You are rewarded for using the correct tactics i.e. infantry will have a much better defence against cavalry if they are in the square formation, and will inflict more musket casualties on enemy infantry if arrayed in line. There are some unrealistic features such as counter-battery fire which was rarely encouraged during the period for its lack of accuracy. In 'Fields of Glory,' one battery can easily rapidly wipe out another. As a resource about the 100 days campaign it is far more successful, with informative biographies of all the divisional commanders and above. It is an extremely well researched database that will be interesting for anyone keen on learning more about the period.