04/2/14

Sir, You Are Being Hunted – A Screenshot Feature

by Scott Parrino, 2 April 2014

We take a look at Hunted Amongst Castles: New Biome in Sir, You Are Being Hunted.

Sir, You Are Being Hunted (SYABH) received a new update this past Friday that added a fifth and final biome to the first-person survival game: Castle. This new biome rounds out the current biome settings of rural, fens, industrial, and mountains players will encounter while they try to collect artifact pieces to escape the islands of an unnamed archipelago.

The update also adds a soundtrack and some changes that affect the scarecrow’s and landowner’s pathing, as well as fixing the audio for the squire to reflect its movement. Currently the game is still in Alpha and seems to be progressing nicely as it reaches a finished state. Big Robot has stated that this update is the last in terms of delivering single-player content that was promised during the initial fund-raiser. A patch is expected sometime in the future to and an end sequence to the game as well as put some final touches on the existing biome elements.

So if you’ve gotten this far and are scratching your head due to what I’ve said, please give a read of the interview done by us here at Grogheads with James Carey, the designer of the game itself. If you’re slightly impatient and want the gist of what it entails, here it is: you are being hunted by old-timey robots and you must find several artifacts to escape the procedurally-generated island. SYABH relies on stealth, trickery, and resourcefulness, being gung-ho can be detrimental to living.

So what does this new biome look like in person? Here’s some wonderful in-game shots to not only show it off, but some of the action you can expect trying to stay alive while being hunted by British-looking robots.

 Click images to enlarge

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Just as I start out on my quest to check out the new Castle biome, I realize that SYABH does not kid around. Within moments of walking, I spot a balloon with a spotlight that is scouting out my possible location. I hastily beat it out of the area to avoid being spotted and have hunters come after me.

 

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Not that it mattered; I found a pair of hunters guarding an artifact, which lends itself to being found by either spotting the smoke from the heat of the explosion that flung them (which begs the question, where am I keeping these scalding-hot pieces on my person?).  I take mental note of the location and move towards the dock to where I can finally go to the new biome.

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03/30/14

GrogHeads Announces “Wargaming Central Command” for Origins 2014

Get your Grog on at Origins this summer!

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OriginsLogoGrogHeads.com and GAMA are teaming up to bring wargaming back to Origins this summer with the creation of the GrogHeads Central Command.  This new program is designed to engage wargamers in a variety of ways, but most importantly, by getting wargames back on gaming tables at Origins.

Our partners in this endeavor include Against the Odds Magazine, 1A Games, Lost Battalion Games, Collins Epic Wargames, Omega Games, and Columbia Games – all of whom will be present together in the exhibit hall, and sponsoring games in the gaming hall.  And we’ve still got room to add a vendor or two, so expect this list to grow!

Gaming events run through the GrogHeads Central Command are all ticketed events that will be played in the gaming hall in their own dedicated area.  Every event run through the GrogHeads Central Command includes at least one prize.  Every participant in every game also gets a 5% discount card for any purchase from the vendors in the GrogHeads Central Command group in the exhibit hall.  Vendors will even allow players to ‘stack’ several of these coupons for 15-20% off of a purchase!  Games will include head-to-head and team battles, as well as a few “come learn to play” games with new products from the participating vendors.

In addition to the gaming events, each of the vendors will also host an evening session in the gaming hall, with either an opportunity to “Play with the Designer” or a Q&A on a game series.  Non-gaming sessions will also be held in the GrogHeads Central Command in the gaming hall, but are not ‘prize’ events.  These vendor-centric seminars are not the only seminars in the GrogHeads Central Command, as there will also be panels on wargame design and uses of games for training and learning.  And don’t forget to stick around on Saturday evening for the GrogHeads raffle – every purchase, every game you play, every demo you try with the companies in the GrogHeads Central Command program gets you a raffle ticket for some great prizes.

Finally, the GrogHeads Central Command will also be hosting the Staff Wargaming Team, who had previously bunkered in up at the Origins War College.  These innovative “team” wargames put players in the roles of military staff officers, charged with planning and executing a complex mission using a simplified version of the US Army’s planning process – and the coaches include current and former Army staff members and trainers.  The Staff Wargaming Team events are all prize events, but the real prize is the great experience of the team dynamic in the wargame.

Look for events in the Origins Program Guide that are tagged as “GrogHeads presents…” to identify the events in the GrogHeads Central Command program.  Check back regularly as we may yet add a few more events.  And be on the lookout for the GrogHeads Central Command in the exhibit hall to support the wargaming companies bringing the wargames back to Origins.  See you at the show!

Discuss your Origins plans in our forums >>

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03/28/14

GARPA 41 – GrogHeads Advanced Research on Projects Advisory

Today it’s all about GARPA GARPA GARPA

 

Next War: Taiwan, GMT Games
p500 made the cut – shipping date not set yet

With a $30 discount for preordering, GMT’s latest entry in the Next War line of games aims for the near-future Chinese invasion of Taiwan.  It includes rules for some basic naval conflict, given the amphibious nature of the likely assault.  The standard game is the ground war shootout, and the advanced rules layer on some robust tracking of airpower.  It’s battalion- and brigade-level wargaming that’s not for newbies to the tabletop, but is a well-tested system for modern conflicts that has many fans in the grognard community.  Go give it a look and get your order in.

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03/27/14

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas… Part Van Doos

Geek’s Crusader Kings II AAR is now old enough to drink.

as always, click images to enlarge

In Part 21 Oberto formalised the Duchy of Salerno by taking the fourth province from the Muslims, swept through Sicily to find it undefended and in turmoil and an old foe rose up with a rebel army. In this part, plots, a rightful heir and the di Parma curse.

 

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 It isn’t long before Carla capitulates, realises the error of her ways and sues for peace. When I say peace, I mean the back of a very dark dungeon under Salerno castle

 

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The current Count of Taranto, lovely guy, nothing against him but I don’t think we’re ever going to see eye to eye on religion or culture. He’s got to go.

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