Lock’n’Load re-released the original Forgotten Heroes expansion along with the new reprint, and Vance Strickland takes a look at what’s in the box. Bring the Aussies to the fight as you expand the battles of the Vietnam War on your tabletop with ANZAC Attack.
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The Ancient World (Red Raven Games)
$21,000 or $15,000, ends 3 April 2014
From the creator of Eight Minute Empire comes a new civ-builder set in the ancient Mediterranean with a box full o’ cards that cover trade routes, combat, knowledge, and building. Red Raven’s artwork is some of the best thematic art on the market, and although it’s a light worker-placement game, it feels like your civilization is rising from nothing to dominate the neighborhood. At $50 for a copy, this is a good deal for a game that’s likely to become a staple of any game group that’s not exclusively grogs. Go see the Kickstarter page and get a load of the game, and some gameplay videos.
Grogheads: OK, first things first: It’s been, what? – 6 years! What’s taken so long to get this game out?
Mark H Walker. First off, making a computer game is difficult. Damn difficult. I’ve written novels, designed board games, and raised three daughters. Creating Heroes of Stalingrad ranks right up there. If both Tom (the programmer) and I had been full time on the game, it might have been easier. However, I work full weeks designing board games as well as keeping the company that publishes them moving forward. By the same token, Tom also has several other irons in the fire. Hence the game took longer than we would have liked.
Secondly, nothing beats experience. I consider myself video and computer game fluent. I wrote full time in the industry for ten years before I founded Lock ‘n Load Publishing, but nothing prepares you for creating a computer game better than creating a computer game. We were lucky to have Matrix’s Erik Rutens join the team as producer, and bring the game home. His experience was invaluable.
GH: As computer games go, this one is clearly “playing a board game on the computer”. How hard was it to maintain the feel of the board game as you worked on the computer game? What were some of the particular challenges of keeping the soul of the game as you digitized it?
W. Not hard at all. Basically the design document centered on making this a PC board game.
GH: For someone who has never seen the board games, what’s the pitch for picking up this game over a comparable-scale WWII computer game?
W. It’s much better. LOL. Taking into consideration that this is a hex and counter game and no threat to the Titanfall crowd… it’s pretty, it’s immersive, it’s easy to get into, it doesn’t take itself seriously, and it has a cute Russian nurse.
GH: For the boardgamers out there, why should this be the game that causes them to boot up the computer instead of cracking a beer and taking over the dining room table with a map and counters?
W. They shouldn’t. If you have a chance to down a Parkway Get Bent IPA with friends as you play a great board game you should always do it. If you don’t have that chance HoS is a great substitute. The AI is pretty sharp, and the clean up is easy. Continue reading
Reviewed by Scott R. Krol, 7 March 2014
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The World at War series from Mark H. Walker and his LNL Publishing is a series of tactical wargames set in a hypothetical mid-80’s World War III between the forces of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Earlier titles focused on this cold war gone hot on the European continent, but now the war comes to North America with World At War: America Conquered (henceforth, WAW: AC).
Upon picking up the box for WAW: AC the first thing one will notice is that for a relatively thin box it feels like its made of depleted uranium. LNL Publishing has filled the box with gaming goodness: four 11” x 17” mounted maps, with European folds and no American valleys, over seven hundred counters, a couple of full color player aid charts and of course a rules book. Unfortunately while all this fits snugly into the box prior to punching the counters, once the counters are punched there is no room in the box for the pieces because of the mounted maps.
The maps themselves, representing terrain in both Texas and Florida, are nice. The visuals may not be breathtaking but are simple and clean, with no confusion over what is represented. Counters are of high quality, with an almost linen like finish. Vehicles have full color side views while infantry and support weapons are NATO icons.
While many of the World at War titles have been expansions, WAW: AC is a complete, stand alone game. Ownership of earlier titles is not required to enjoy WAW: AC . Continue reading
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I’ve never played any of the Lock’n’Load games before, so this is a truly fresh look at this game. I am looking at this game with the beta update v1.04. The game is tactical in scope, and each hex represents about fifty meters across, each turn represents 2-4 minutes, and each counter is a single vehicle, an individual, or a group of soldiers: for example, a half squad, or a weapons team.
Starting the game for the first time, the player is set up at the introductory level. This is a particularly forgiving mode that can be changed in the main menu. I immediately changed it to “hard”, which runs the game under unmodified rules. “Normal” gives a dice bonus. Rash perhaps, but you’ll see no signs of weakness from me!
The main menu gives the usual options. Essentially it is the place to start a new game, load an old one, create missions and scenarios with the editor, and to play multiplayer. In multiplayer, the user needs to set up a Matrix/Slitherine account and you’re then taken to the Multiplayer lobby. From there you can create a new game for someone to play with you, go onto the forum, and can check-in on your own games. I’d seen this before with Field of Glory, and it is a very user friendly multiplayer system. I’m glad they didn’t reinvent the wheel on this one, as it works, and works well. The only downside was a very empty multiplayer lobby, but to be fair, the game’s just come out, so that should change with time. Continue reading