Tag: PC Games

06/6/14

GrogHeads Advanced Research on Projects Advisory #46

A new D-Day game, and (finally!) the digital version of one of boardgaming’s most popular conflict games of all time.  Smells like…. GARPA!

g46-twilightTwilight Struggle, digital edition (GMT Games)
$115k of $50k goal (though that’ll be surpassed by the time you read this), ends 3 July 2014

For several years, it could be wryly joked that the “Struggle” in Twilight Struggle was for the difficulties in getting the digital version deployed.  No more.  It’s not uncommon to see a Kickstarter campaign blow well past the full funding mark, into ridiculous levels of stretch goals.  It’s rare to see a Kickstarter campaign fully funded within hours.  Yes, hours.  Twilight Struggle was at $30000 around 400pm on June 5th, having only launched earlier that day, and within the next 90 minutes they almost doubled that total, to exceed their $50k goal.  They’ve doubled that goal within the first 24 hours.  Why are we not talking about the game itself?  Do we really need to?  It’s to top-ranked “wargame” at BoardGameGeek (though admittedly, discussions of whether or not it’s a “wargame” waste plenty of hours online).  A forum/team game has been running here at GrogHeads for a while now, and countless schoolteachers around the US use it to introduce their students to the Cold War.  Seriously, you don’t need convincing.  You just need to go figure out your pledge level and get it over with already.

 

Day of Days (MMP)
181 of 650 orders needed

It wouldn’t be D-Day without us digging up an Overlord game, right?  MMP has a new SCS game for D-Day that’s designed to cover not just the landings themselves, but the breakouts that followed.  There are even scenarios designed to skip the amphibious assault, and start with Allied forces on the beach.  This game is new enough that there’s no draft cover art, playtest photos, or anything else that’s leaked out.  We were able to scrape up a very rough image of the maps (yes, plural) to show the scope and scale of the game, which will include scenarios that focus just on the British landings, or the US landings.  It’s an MMP game, so it’s going to be a solid and well-tested game on a known platform (SCS) and all those great touches that come with MMP tackling the subject in depth.  Go get a pre-order in!

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06/5/14

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas… Part 25

 Two weeks in a row?  You guys are special!

click images to enlarge

In Part 24 Matilda of Tuscany declared war on Parma in a bid to reclaim land rightfully held by Oberto. By concentrating his forces and those of his allies from Bohemia on the strongest armies of Tuscany, Oberto whittled down Matilda’s army to a mere guerilla force, and then called in Ceowulf and his Saxon band to mop up, after Radislav of Bulgaria and his men were lost in Parma itself. With victory almost in their grasp Matilda’s allies strike a final blow at Oberto. In this part, death of an innocent, an old crow begs, a viper for hire and the tears of a people.

 

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In the hills of Sospiro the best of Breisgau are thwarted by the Saxon band and the last of Oberto’s men. Mathilda’s lands are left wide open to siege

 

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Meanwhile, on the outskirts of enemy Apulia over one thousand Muslims land on the coast and begin to seige the region of Benevento

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06/1/14

Home of Wargamers Report: An Unexpected Journey, part 2 of 2

A Boggit’s tale

Day 2 of Home of Wargamers 2014

Part 2 of a Boggit’s Tale concludes the story with the Day 2 presentations, and concludes on Day 3 with the Saracen Warrior Trophy competition. Let’s get back to the games presented…

Peacock Hall

Here we saw

  • To End All Wars

To End All Wars is a classic AGEOD style game addressing the First World War. Why on earth did AGEOD produce this when First World War Gold is ostensibly an AGEOD game? Doesn’t it compete? The fact is that it’s nowhere near the same as the other game save for the link with AGEOD. It is not set at the Army level as First World War Gold is, but at the corps level with divisions, brigades, and regiments putting in appearances. Also the learning curve doesn’t leave you fighting the game.

 

Philippe Malacher – ‘Pocus’ on the forums - takes us to the border of East Prussia in To End all Wars
Philippe Malacher – ‘Pocus’ on the forums – takes us to the border of East Prussia in To End all Wars

If you are a player of AGEOD games, you will ease relatively comfortably into this. As I mentioned earlier, this is classic AGEOD with all the depth, attention to detail, decisions, and political events. This is definitely on my review list! It’s a solid looking, but nonetheless a starter base game – as with other recent AGEOD titles, it will be fleshed out over time with DLC to extend the range of campaigns, and scenarios. There are two 1914 Campaign games, the standard one in August, and a ‘what if’ campaign as a preparation for war starting in July where players can try out differing deployments to test the various national war plans.

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05/30/14

Home of Wargamers Report: An Unexpected Journey, part 1 of 2

A Boggit’s tale

The Prologue

Living a quiet, unadventurous life as a Review Scribe, Boggit almost missed the opportunity to go to this annual event simply by not paying attention on the scrying screen, sometimes known as the forums! Far to the East in the distant land of Italy strange things were happening. Brant – the great wizard of Grog had heard news of great treasures, and was determined to send a scout to learn the truth. The first to answer the call was the Bard – Undercovergeek – but he was sidetracked by nubile Norwegian elves. The Paladin – Jarhead – having slain so many dragons, had problems finding a tame silver dragon to cross the Great Sea. At the last moment, when all seemed lost, Boggit from the Shire of Dorset piped up. “I’ll go!” And a great adventure began.

 

Boggit crosses the Alps. Hannibal did it the hard way!
Boggit crosses the Alps. Hannibal did it the hard way!

Leaving the Shire of Dorset, Boggit travelled the Great Road to a place where tame silver dragons could be found. Stopping overnight at an Inn he fell in with another adventurer -Fraser Brown a proud Northern Scribe – with whom he shared a few beers, and learnt of Fraser’s intrepid journeys to places of learning where clever warlocks display their magic arts. The next day the two adventurers left for the Cave of Dragons, finding a friendly one, and rode it to the mysterious land of Italy.

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05/29/14

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas… Part 24

More di Parmas? Who doesn’t love Prosciutto?

In part 23 Oberto killed the King of Sicily in the War for Apulia and Cantanzaro, took Lecce from the Apulians, and plotted to kill the Duke of Apulia’s wife in order to seat his daughter in the Duchy. In this part, an old enemy returns, an old friend fails and new friends save the day.

 

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From out of nowhere Matilda of Genoa strikes at the di Parmas. The feud with her had been 30 years dead when Oberto declared independence from her and left her armies dead on the fields of Modena.

 

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Oberto’s northern armies gather under the banner of Salerno, the white flag with a red slash. They are directed to Genoa where they can merge and gather their commanders.

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