06/6/13

Allied Corps – D-Day AAR

Developer: The Lordz Game Studios

Publisher: Slitherine, Ltd.

Author: Jim Zabek

Today, June 6, 2013, is the 69th anniversary of D-Day. As the years go by the Second World War becomes more distant. Few vets of that conflict still live, and fewer people, like me, grew up with them around us. Despite the fact that they almost never discussed their experiences, many of us felt like there was an infusion of that war’s significance as we grew up. It didn’t need to be said – we simply understood that something significant had happened. The Second World War, how it was conducted and how it ended, shaped our world for better and worse. The world we live in today can directly trace many of its current conflicts to it.

Recognizing the anniversary of D-Day with a game of course fails to do the battle justice and risks trivializing the significance. As a life-long wargamer I recognize the potential hazards. Despite my enjoyment of the hobby there does linger in the back of my mind that the pixels, pewter, or cardboard I order around represents once real lives. So at the risk of treading too casually on history, I will try write an enjoyable review of one of my games in the hope that it is appreciated for what it is: an appreciation for those who were there for real. Thank you.
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06/5/13

Book Review: Doomsday Vault

Written by: Steven Harper

Publisher: Roc

Reviewing Author: Brant Guillory

The-Doomsday-Vault-book-cover-185“Steampunk” is one of those literary terms that’s being thrown out all over the alternative fiction world – hard to call it just ‘sci-fi’ when there are hefty fantasy and historical elements to it – and is rapidly becoming a widely-recognizable genre that’s crossing RPG, boardgaming, videogaming, comics, and long-form fiction lines.  Updating the worlds imagined by Verne and Wells, among others, Steampunk narratives have transcended RPGs like Space:1889 and Castle Falkenstein to bubble up into best-selling books, and TV shows like Warehouse 13.

As with any fiction genre exploding in popularity (pirates, zombies, vampires, the misadventures of overeducated and underathleticized wargamers) there is a variety of excellent material to entertain audiences, and quite a load of crap hoping to cash in on a fad and then chase off after the ‘next big thing’.  Sorting through bookstores’ newly-minted Steampunk sections can be a bit like trying to find something worthwhile in the alternative section of a record store (remember them?) back in 1993: when the selection ranges from Mudhoney to Hootie & The Blowfish to Rage Against the Machine to Throwing Muses to Inspiral Carpets, the label is pretty useless.  And when you find a worthy entry into the genre, there’s a point at which you jump on the nearest (non-rolling) chair and sing its praises and demand that passers-by pay some damn attention to this bright ray of literary light you’ve managed to stumble across.

Enter The Doomsday Vault – the first novel of the burgeoning Clockwork Empire series from Steven Harper.
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06/3/13

Alea Jacta Est – Spartacus Scenario DLC

Author: Boggit

Developer and Publisher:  AGEOD and Matrix Games

In December Boggit reviewed the core game Alea Jacta Est, which offers the same game mechanics as Birth of Rome – you can see that original review here https://grogheads.com/rev-aje.html. AGEOD/Matrix has complemented this outstanding game with the Spartacus scenario, so Boggit takes the Grog’s view of whether it should “be crucified” or “granted a Rudis.”

For those gamers with Alea Jacta Est it is recommended to upgrade to the v1.02 patch. This is not necessary for those players using Birth of Rome only since V1.02 is the standard version shipped. V1.02 adds a number of nice features including tabs for city and fort size, enabling these important values to be spotted at a glance, but most importantly if you want to be able to play Spartacus you do need to patch to v1.02 from vanilla or from v1.01.
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05/31/13

Mayviation Interview With Matthew Caffrey, AFRL

Brant Guillory, 31 May 2013

COL(R) Matt Caffrey works at the Air Force Research Labs wargaming office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.  He is also the organizer behind the Connections conference that brings together military wargaming practitioners, academics, and industry professionals to advance the art, science, and application of wargaming.

Splash-PMWSome opening comments from Mr Caffrey:
Before I answer your specific questions I need to make two disclaimers:
First, the views expressed in these responses are those of the author (myself) and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Second, I am not so pretentious to believe I know of all US defense Wargaming.  Growing up in New York City I heard the expression, “only the dead know Brookline.”  That is, that borough was (and is) so big and so diverse that no living individual could know all of it.  No one living individual can know all of defense wargaming. The Joint Staff and each Service use wargaming for a host of applications.  Though I a student of wargaming and have worked in defense wargaming as a primary or additional duty since 1983 I would be surprised if some wargame somewhere is an exception to my below generalizations.  I do not know what I do not know.
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