Month: July 2013

07/8/13

Warlock Four-Player AAR – Tuna Session 2

LongBlade: Tuna’s images from Session 2 have managed to make it through to my scrying ball. His script, however, has not. As a result I have had to draft an imp to decrypt his images and piece together the narrative of the game. But fear not! We have managed to decypher Tuna’s actions and intent. We think. That, or I will banish a hapless imp back to a summoning circle for another few decades to teach it a lesson.

 Turn 20

As we noted in previous sessions, Tuna’s initial 20 turns were lost to us. But we pick up with him on Turn 20. As we have seen from the other three players, Tuna is the last to be discovered. As a result he’s been up to no good fighting the AI. Three of his archers have been besieging the city of Duropilon. One of his units has been damaged and his first move is to cast a spell to heal that unit.

Warlock-AAR-Tuna-Session2-turn20a-healing

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07/5/13

GARPA 22 – GrogHeads Advanced Research on Projects Advisory

Authors: Dan Pinkham and Jim Zabek

The boys here at GARPA took some time this week to celebrate 4th of July here in the US. Even with all the remembrances, parades, cookouts, and fireworks we are able to bring you an abbreviated version of GARPA (though LongBlade has managed to sneak in a couple of contributions of his own). Join us in two weeks when we are back with the full column.

Boardgames

Battle Merchants by Minion Games

$5,250 of a $30,000 goal funding ending August 5th

GARPA 22 Battle MerchantsWe all love a good game set in a fantasy world, the good races of dwarves, elves etc. fighting the orcs, goblins, and other evil creatures.  While this theme has been presented in many different ways it is usually entertaining and we can’t seem to get enough of it.  However, when a game comes along that takes these fantasy themes and incorporates them in a unique way we tend to take notice.  Enter Battle Merchants, set in a fantasy world that is embroiled in the good vs. evil conflict.  Instead of controlling one of the sides you are in charge making and selling weapons to the warring factions.  A kind of fantasy arms dealer or “merchant of death” if you will.

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07/4/13

Warlock Four-Player AAR – The Command Tent Round 1

LongBlade: So far this four-player game of turn-based mayhem is going smashingly well. MetalDog kicked things off with a bang. Then we looked in on Bartheart to see how his kingdom was faring. For whatever reason Tuna’s initial moves have been lost to the instabilities of the magic weave. But fear not! I have his subsequent reports. So it is that we now turn to The Command Tent to peer in on his nascent empire…

The Command Tent: Turn 1

Behold my mighty city of Sagecliff.  Set on the coast and north of a natural bottleneck that will make defending enemy attacks from the south much easier.  First order of business is to explore the surrounding areas to find the other mages as well as scout for possible city locations.

Warlock Four-Player-AAR-Session1-TCT Turn 1

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07/2/13

Tuesday Screenshot – Scourge of War – Gettysburg

Tuesday July 2 2012 screenshot Gettysburg screenshot

The hot and humid Pennsylvania air was stifling, made worse by the gunpowder smoke that was slowly beginning to fill the air.  It had taken most of the day before then men of Hood’s division had been sent forward to attack the Union left flank.  Despite the exhaustion from marching through the muggy late afternoon heat, the men went forward in good order, quickly pushing back the Union pickets.  Now as they continued to press their attack Union lines were solidifying to their front and slowing their progress.  Their objectives, the two wooded hills, rose out of the landscape before them.  These two earthen giants were theirs for the taking.  The plan was simple and the men would do what was asked of them, but still there were doubts.  Had the enemy seen them in time and realized their plan?  Was it too late in the day?   There was urgency now in the voice of the officers as they pressed their men forward.  This battle, this day, could very well change the course of this horrific war.

07/1/13

Book Review: Cain at Gettysburg

Author: Ralph Peters

Publisher: Forge Books

Reviewing Author: Dan Pinkham

With the country in the midst of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War and the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg this year I have found myself somewhat disappointed in the apparent lack of coverage of this pivotal period in American history.  So to fill the void I rummaged around the internet and came across a recently published (2012) historical-fiction novel titled Cain at Gettysburg by Ralph Peters.  Before buying the book I read some reviews and many compared it to Michael Shaara’s excellent Gettysburg novel, Killer Angels.  I can tell you that this is not the case.  While both books are excellent in their own respects I believe Cain at Gettysburg brings a soldier’s unique perspective in a way many books do not.  The author Ralph Peters, a retired Army officer who has written over 20 fiction and non-fiction books many with military themes, brings the Battle of Gettysburg to life in a whole new way.
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