Tag: PC Games

11/11/12

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas, Part Huit!


By Undercovergeek, 11 November 2012

A Crusader Kings II AAR, in many, many parts. We’re up to number 8. Where have you been?

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In Part 7 Count Oberto of Parma shuffled off his mortal coil and passed over the reins to his son….. Count Oberto. Having dearly departed with four provinces to his name, Parma, Genoa, Nice, and Corsica, senior Counsellors bound by the rules of the Count’s succession laws have split the land three ways between his remaining sons. The new Count Oberto receives Parma and Nice, his twin sons receive Corsica and Genoa. The tale now switches to the new Count and his plans to get his land back, to avenge his father’s death, and set plots in motion to declare independence and try for the title King of Sicily.

 

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A grand feast – always a chance to get some prestige and win some friends, with the occasional chance to get drunk and annoy our Liege.

 

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There goes Uncle Ghiberto, my Martial’s father and my father’s brother. He’ll be missed(!!) although he was the Steward and a poor substitute now takes his place. The splitting of the provinces has diluted the quality of the council after the twins took a few serving members with them.

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11/1/12

PC Game Review of Combat Mission: Fortress Italy

Reviewed by Boggit 1 November, 2012

Developed and Published by Battlefront.com

How does the latest Combat Mission game stack up? Charge on, intrepid readers!

Fortress Italy is the latest incarnation of the Combat Mission 2 Series developed and published by Battlefront.com. For those unfamiliar with the series, it is a 3-D real-time tactical squad-level wargame set in Sicily 1943 during World War II. For those familiar with Combat Mission Shock Force and Combat Mission Battle for Normandy, the gameplay is essentially similar, albeit that new features have been added to the game engine and front end and that the battlefield terrain now reflects an Italian setting as opposed to the Near East or France/North West Europe.

The game plays in either of two modes, pausable real-time, and WEGO, where a player plots his/her moves and then watches the moves play out in real-time, rather like watching a film. It’s actually a very nice option to have in the game since it holds appeal to those who like to plot and consider their moves and to those who like the excitement of immediate action and reaction from the moment time is running. It’s quite fun to play one battle in one mode and another in the other mode since although it is the same game, you do get a very different feel to the gameplay.

I had already cut my teeth on Combat Mission Shock Force and Combat Mission Battle for Normandy, so I felt right at home with Fortress Italy. If you’re not familiar with the gameplay then you’ll need to invest some time and effort to get to know the intricacies of the game system. It isn’t that the order system is not intuitive, but the game is quite unforgiving when the pixel bullets start flying and knowing the likely effect of your orders and how things take effect is at first as important as whatever tactical plan you have to achieve victory… (not that mine ever survive contact…).

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10/27/12

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas, Part Seven!

By Undercovergeek, 27 October 2012

A Crusader Kings II AAR, up to part 7. Yes, part 7. You’ve been reading this for a while, y’know.

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In Part 6 Oberto was dealt a fatal blow in a battle to increase his Leige’s lands in Pavia, a new Martial was appointed, and Nice was taken into the fold of di Palma holdings. Now in Part 7 the succession laws divide the family, the HRE rids itself of plotters, Duchess Matilda gets a beating and a rich crop of knowledge is tapped.

 

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My nephew, the new Martial wants a wife. We find him the Polish Queen Mother. It’s not as bad as it sounds, she’s 29, ginger and chubby, there are special websites for this kind of thing. Courtiers expect to find him dead in his bed, devoid of all bodily fluids in a matter of weeks.

 

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It’s approved – God help him.

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10/17/12

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas, Part Siiiiiiiix!


By Undercovergeek, 17 October 2012

A Crusader Kings II AAR, with all the seriousness of a cooler full of lunch meat, but twice the flavor

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In Part 5 the ‘wrong holding’ issue was finally sorted for Genoa, marriages were arranged with Kingdoms and Oberto looked to add Nice to the di Parma land holdings. In Part 6 Nice is taken, Dad retires and Duchess Matilda brings a halt to any other plans.

 

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My nephew – good Martials are hard to find and now I have a spare one.

 

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Giuditta finally comes of age and the French King comes knocking to remind me of the betrothal. She’s packed off to Paris.

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10/4/12

Prosciutto – Hamming it up with the di Parmas, Part d’Cinque!

By Undercovergeek, 4 October 2012

A Crusader Kings II AAR, with all the seriousness of a cooler full of lunch meat

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In Part 4 Oberto conquered Genoa, but its set up is incorrect and it’s imposing huge financial punishment on the house of di Parma. To help all other aspiring Counts rise to the seats of Dukes and Kings we enlisted the help of Jennifer Aniston to explain how to fix it. In Part 5 the fix is completed and Oberto spies a Duchy.

 

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The treasonous and defeated Baron Lando is cordially invited to try out Oberto’s new dungeon. This time he has no choice about giving me the castle and his barony. I am proud I started a war of Tyranny.

 

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As you can see the main seat of Genoa has returned to being a castle.

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