Tag: PC Games

12/17/12

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas… Part 10!


By Undercovergeek, 17 December 2012

A Crusader Kings II AAR that has reached episode 10. Another dozen or so, and UCG can file for syndication.

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In Part 9 taxes were raised to pay for province improvements, Capua was invaded, and an evil plan to usurp Matilda (may she burn in Hell) was born. In Part 10 the plan is begun, improvements commence and Capua is added to the fold.

 

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The first battle of Capua goes well, the County will soon be ours.

 

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The defeated army retreats to the East. The Neopolitan Army is roused to see what all the shouting is about; I expect an attack from them, but in true Italian style they just watch from afar and then retreat.

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12/14/12

PC Game Review of Strategic Command WW1 Breakthrough

A review by Boggit, 14 December, 2012

Developed by Fury Software and published by Battlefront Inc.

Wargamers have recently had a series of fine wargames set during the First World War competing for their attention. With the Breakthrough expansion to Strategic Command World War One, Boggit takes a Grog’s view of whether this is just “Over the Top” or “Bang on Target”.

 

Strategic Command World War One Breakthrough is Fury Software’s latest addition to their Strategic Command stable of games. Strategic Command World War One Breakthrough is an add-on to Strategic Command World War One, so what has changed with the addition of Breakthrough, and for those unfamiliar with Strategic Command World War One itself, how does the game play?

Breakthrough makes a number of changes to the Strategic Command World War One game engine and introduces a new unit – the armoured train, which substitutes for the rail gun in some scenarios. The game engine changes cover a host of improvements including new hotkeys and some nice combat features like combat unit swapping, improved bombardment options, and so on. Supply rules have been overhauled and improved. Breakthrough also adds a variety of additional scenarios and a range of modding features to the game editor.

 

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What scenario to play? Action takes place from the muddy Flanders fields to the jungles of Africa.

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12/12/12

Game Review of Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Developed by Treyarch and Published by Activision

A review by Jim Zabek, 12 December, 2012

Call of Duty is a well-established franchise that has become almost a perennial expectation to first-person shooter fans. But has it taken a step toward becoming a full-fledged wargame? Read what GrogHeads’ Jim Zabek has to say on the subject.

The Siren’s Call

The Call of Duty franchise has been so successful that it has been played by nearly a full generation of gamers. Its trademark is an intense single-player campaign powered by a game engine that gives a robust multiplayer game longevity that few FPS games can hope to match.

The breakup of Infinity Ward a few years back briefly left the franchise’s future in question, but development studio Treyarch stepped into the breach and has deftly managed to fill the role of a top-shelf FPS development house. With the release of Black Ops II they have demonstrated that they can consistently deliver games at the highest caliber and gamers will buy them unhesitatingly. Within two weeks of its release, Black Ops II grossed over a billion dollars and eclipsed revenues generated by Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster movies. By any measure it is a grand slam. Let’s look at why.

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12/2/12

Review of Alea Jacta Est

Published and Developed by AGEOD

Reviewed by Boggit, 2 December 2012

Boggit returns to the “old days” when Rome ruled the world, and argued over it incessantly.

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Alea Jacta Est is the latest addition to the well regarded series of strategic/operational wargames produced by the Indie developer AGEOD. Alea Jacta Est is concerned with the wars of Ancient Rome with a particular focus on Roman Civil Wars, although it is possible to assume a non-Roman role in some of the scenarios.

For those who have played previous AGEOD releases, like Wars in America, Rise of Prussia, or Revolution Under Siege Alea Jacta Est will seem quite familiar at first sight. To some extent this is a superficial familiarity since the game engine has been tweaked for Ancient warfare rather than one where firepower is a critical factor, resulting in subtly different gameplay. For example, cavalry charges take on a new importance and are potentially deadly, depending on the terrain being fought over. There are also new siege rules reflecting the realities of Roman Legionary siege techniques and so on.

If you are new to AGEOD’s wargame titles the gameplay is quite unlike many wargaming titles where players tend to have considerable control over their pixel armies. Here you are in the world of the Commander in Chief – you can give your armies rules of engagement, set their aggression level (or combat stance) and order them to a location. There to do battle – or not! Commanders do not always follow orders to the letter, but can place their own interpretation on them based on their characteristics. This can result, for example, in a defensive or passive posture when you’ve instructed an aggressive stance. It can also result in generals delaying in implementing their orders. The classic example is Napoleon’s general Grouchy failing to pursue Bluecher – the aggressive/assault posture being modified to defend! It is a beautiful feature for a game at this level and particularly reflects the command and control difficulties of the pre-radio age.

Commanders can have a wide variety of traits, each of which can influence either their direct behaviour or the way they affect the political situation, for example Julius Caesar has as one of his traits “Fast mover” which gives a 15% stack move bonus, another trait is “Propagandist”, which gives a boost to loyalty in a region where he is present.

 

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Oh, happy day! Well not for the Senate anyway! Alea Jacta Est features lots of ancient “events”.

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11/17/12

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas… Number 9


By Undercovergeek, 17 November 2012

A Crusader Kings II AAR, in at least 9 parts. More to come? Stay tuned dear readers.

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In Part 8 we saw the new Count Oberto start a civil war with his twin Step-Brothers, take back Genoa, and start the slow process towards aiming for the Kingdom of Sicily by fabricating claims on Capua. In Part 9 Oberto takes the first step towards kingship, attempts to steady his new realm, and comes up with a plan to avenge his father.

 

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A son, thank God for that, a male heir steadies the vassals and hopefully should shut down my Step-Mother’s plan to kill me.

 

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In the income box we can see there is no money coming in from the feudal lords. I like everyone to pay their fair share – and it’s always a good excuse to raise taxes.

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