Tag: Airboy

03/5/14

Book Review: To Sail a Darkling Sea

A Review of To Sail a Darkling Sea by John Ringo

By Avery Abernethy, 5 March 2014

To Sail a Darkling Sea is the second book by John Ringo in the Dark Tide Rising series.  A zombie apocalypse has been released in the modern world by an unknown group of individuals.  The Smith family, composed of an ex-military father, a mom with an engineering background, and two daughters under the age of sixteen are practical survivalists.  [Stop reading here if you want to avoid spoilers about book one].

At the end of book one the father had reconnected with the tattered remains of US national command authority.  The family spearheaded an effort to clean zombies off of ships in the Atlantic and gradually gather survivors.  The Smiths and a small number of others in the ragtag fleet were immunized against the Zombie plague.  The long run plan was to secure Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where there should be enough equipment to resume making the anti-zombie plague serum.  If serum production is restarted, then the members of the US Navy in uncontaminated attack submarines can be added to the meagre US military forces attempting to retake Earth from the zombie hordes.

The book starts with the “fleet” freeing small towns and ships in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.  The group traveled to this region to avoid the Caribbean hurricane season and engaged in the first land battles against the zombies, where they attempted to free small, geographically isolated towns on these tiny islands from the mindless horde. Continue reading →

02/5/14

Book Review: Under a Graveyard Sky

A Review of Under a Graveyard Sky by John Ringo

Review by Avery Abernethy, 5 February 2014

John Ringo’s work is well known to many wargamers.  He has many bestselling books with large amounts of tactical and strategic combat including the popular Posleen series, the Council War Series, and even an “X-Files meets the deadly soccer mom from Mississippi series” (Princess of Wands and Queen of Wands).  A veteran of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, Ringo’s work has appealed to many readers interested in action-packed combat.

graveyard1Under a Graveyard Sky is a survivalist novel of a zombie apocalypse.   Although I like post-apocalyptic fiction, zombies have never held my interest., as they are the epitome of mindless, tactically brain-dead opponents.  The whole idea of a zombie apocalypse has always seemed so weird and boring that I bought the book in hardback and let it sit for five months unopened.  I shouldn’t have waited so long, as Ringo has actually written an interesting, post-apocalyptic zombie book.

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12/11/13

Avadon 2: The Corruption – PC Game Review

Author: Avery Abernethy

Avadon 2: The Corruption is the latest RPG from Spiderweb Software.  You are a “Hand of Avadon” which translates to trouble-shooter, ambassador, and brute squad for Redbeard, the leader of the Pact.  Avadon 2 is a turn-based party of characters role playing game (RPG) with a top-down perspective.  The setting is mostly swords and sorcery.  This review is based on many weeks of play and I have completed 90% of the game.

In Avadon 2 you select a primary character at the beginning of the game who is accompanied by two other characters.  The primary character must be present during all missions.  The main player can add up to two additional characters to the adventuring party.  All three party members are 100% under the control of the player.  The two accompanying characters can be selected based on the mission you are trying to accomplish.  Every character levels up and gains experience points at the exact same rate if the go on a mission or not.  This game feature removes the worry about getting each member of the group enough battle experience to be useful.  The character classes are roughly equal to fighter, ninja, wizard, shaman (mix of priest & wizard), and a tinker.  Only the ninja, wizard, or tinker can disarm traps or unlock doors and chests.

Avadon 2 Review-Picking a character
Picking a character.

Tinkers are quite unique to the fantasy setting.  The tinker is a relatively good fighter with both melee and missile weapons.  But the primary usefulness of the Tinker is their ability to erect “turrents” which can launch missile attacks, area of effect attacks, operate as snares, operate as blessings/curses or which heal friendly party members.  The turrents act as immobile missile units, immobile healing/cursing priests, or immobile area of effect wizards.  They can be damaged, but are quite hardy.   Better yet turrents are 100% resistant to mind attacks which are challenging to defend against for most character classes.  I’ve never encountered a “tinker” type of character in an RPG.  When employed properly they are very powerful and enable the use of tactical strategies during battle that are unique to the game.

Avadon 2 Review-Battle with Turrent
Battle with a turrent.

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07/14/13

Panzer Corps Grand Campaign: 1939-1945

Reviewed by Avery Abernethy, 14 July 2013

Developer: The Lordz Game Studios

Publisher: Slitherine Ltd.

 Panzer Corps Grand Campaign: 1939-1945 is an add-on requiring either Panzer Corps or Panzer Corps Afrika Korps to play.  In this add-on the player takes the role of a German Commander of a combined arms force during World War Two.   Panzer Corps Grand Campaign includes ten add-on campaigns each lasting eleven or twelve scenarios.  The campaigns start with 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1942.  After 1942 the campaigns split into the eastern and western theaters of operation.  Choose the East and 1943, 1944, and 1945 will be fought in the USSR, Poland, and Eastern Germany culminating in the defense of Berlin.  Choose the West and you will go in 1942-1943 to defend against raids in France followed by fighting in Italy with German and Italian units.  1944 West covers Italy and then moves to the battles of Normandy and elsewhere in France.  1945 West covers the Battle of the Bulge.  Win enough decisive victories and the player has the opportunity to invade the United Kingdom.

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09/30/12

PC Game Review of FTL: Faster Than Light

Reviewed by Avery Abernethy, 30 September 2012

Publisher: Subset Games

Can a game offering simple mechanics, an absurd plot, and multiple, humiliating fails be any fun? Maybe…

In Space No One Can Hear Your Ship Explode

FTL: Faster Than Light is an very simple, inexpensive and fun PC game. You command a single space ship with a tiny crew. There is an absurdly minimal plot. You belong to a Federation under attack by Rebels. You have information vital to the destruction of the Rebels. To defeat the rebels you must guide your underpowered space ship through a number of star filled sectors defeating other single ships while being slowly chased by a huge enemy fleet. Time is always slipping away.

ftl

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