Three Moves Ahead

Game Table Online's Robert Eng joins Bruce, Julian, and Rob for a discussion about online board gaming. Topics include business models, what goes into a successful conversion, and what these services mean for the board gaming hobby. <a href="http://www.gametableonline.com/" target="_blank">Game Table Online</a>

Rob and returning guest <a href="http://www.openalpha.tv/" target="_blank">Jenn Cutter</a> discuss what they saw at the Paradox convention in New York. <em><a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/" target="_blank">The Escapist's</a> </em>Greg Tito helps out with some good questions and pro-tips on how to make a game presentation awkward for journalists. Troy Goodfellow just can't quit you, and refuses to leave until you understand how great <em>Crusader Kings 2 </em>looks. Games discussed: <em>Naval War</em>, <em>Magicka</em>, <em>Pride of Nations</em>, <em>Salem</em>, <em>Pirates of Black Cove</em>, <em>Gettysburg Armored Warfare</em>, <em>Crusader Kings 2</em> Production: <a href="http://michaelhermes.com/blog/" target="_blank">Michael Hermes</a> Greg Tito's previews from the Paradox Convention: <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/previews/8582-Hands-on-Magicka-Preview" target="_blank">Magicka</a> <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/previews/8587-Preview-Mount-Blade-With-Fire-and-Sword" target="_blank">Mount and Blade: Fire and Sword</a> <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/previews/8591-Preview-Watch-Your-Back-in-Salem" target="_blank">Salem</a> Jenn Cutter's previews from the Paradox event: <a href="http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/217974/magicka-preview/" target="_blank">Magicka</a> <a href="http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/217979/pride-of-nations-preview/" target="_blank">Pride of Nations</a> Rob's thoughts for <a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/107312" target="_blank">Gamers With Jobs</a>.

Troy makes a shocking announcement that leaves the podcast in shambles.

<a href="http://brokentoys.org">Scott Jennings</a> (Lum the Mad) fills in for an ailing Rob as he and Bruce and Troy welcome Joel Billings (2by3 Games) and Erik Rutins (Matrix Games) to talk about what <a href="http://www.matrixgames.com/products/372/details/Gary.Grigsby%27s.War.in.the.East:.The.German-Soviet.War.1941-1945">Gary Grigsby's War in the East</a> means for wargame design, scale, realism and detail and marketing of wargames.Pardon some of the sound issues from time to time.

PCGamer's Dan Stapleton returns to help Troy and Rob make sense of 2010. Why Starcraft 2 matters, why Troy resents DLC, the magic of Achtung Panzer and why Rob has no idea what is coming out this year.

If you chat with me about strategy or board games, I have mentioned <em>Bronze</em> to you. Alex Kutsenok is the lead designer of Bronze and he sits down with me and Julian to talk about the development and inspirations for this deep but easy to learn computer/board/strategy game. Prepare for a love fest.I also give shout outs to all the people who helped make Three Moves Ahead in the past year.

On the night before the day before Christmas, Troy and Rob and Julian sit down to talk about Jon Shafer leaving Firaxis, mega patches for turn based games Civ 5 and Elemental and then we wrap up with seasonal reflections including New Year's resolutions for the podcast.

In response to a listener/reader question, Troy and Rob talk about end games that work and end games that don't. What do we mean by the "end game"? What role do strictly defined victory conditions play in making an end game appealing? Can you avoid the late game drag?Apologies for the duet show. That time of the year.

We were on a good run and it couldn't last forever. A pleasant light little seasonal chat about how to cope with the gaming constraints of visiting our families went off the rails when we realized that that topic would only last us about forty minutes.I made the mistake of pushing us forward and then things got a little weird and stupid. I cut that bit - saving it for an outtakes show where it belongs; trust me you do not want to hear how unfocused it got until you are in the mood for it. Note to self: If you run out of things to say after 30 minutes, it is OK to stop there.Shorter than usual, but we talk about how board games can bring families together, what games keep us sane on our own when we retreat to a quiet corner.

GWJ's Lara Crigger and JTS's Todd Brakke join Troy and special guest Soren Johnson in a wide ranging talk about how how theme and mechanics work together or fight each other. What is <em>Left for Dead</em> really about? Why are themes so important to Lara? How do mechanics translate meaning? Why is Civilization so ahistorical? Do only game designers care about this stuff?Lara loses her train of thought for the first time ever, Todd makes some sense and Soren is his usual impressive self. And more on X-Com. <a href="http://www.designer-notes.com/?p=237">Theme is Not Meaning Part 1</a>, <a href="http://www.designer-notes.com/?p=240">Part 2</a> <a href="http://www.redistrictinggame.org/">Redistricting Game</a> <a href="http://www.destructoid.com/gdc-10-theme-is-not-meaning-166381.phtml">Soren's GDC talk as summarized by Destructoid</a>

PCGamer's Dan Stapleton joins Troy, Rob and Bruce to talk about what made 1994's <em>X-Com</em> one of the best strategy/tactics games ever made. Tension, atmosphere, UI, level blending, real time v turn baed and indie efforts to bring the magic back. <a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/x-com-ufo-defense/cover-art/gameCoverId,63595/">Hideous UK Box Art</a><a href="http://www.xenonauts.com/">Xenonauts</a><a href="http://ufotts.ninex.info/">UFO: The Two Sides</a><a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/07/13/new-x-com-revival-is-playable-and-awesome/">Dan vs Evan in The Two Sides</a><a href="http://pc.ign.com/articles/084/084420p1.html">Tom Chick on X-Com</a>

Troy almost fires Rob and Julian on this episode as a conversation about licensed strategy games. Bruce Geryk holds forth on why War of the Rings is like Stratomatic Baseball, Julian sings of Starfleet Battles and Rob talks about his experiences in another board game. What makes a license succeed or fail? Can either Star Wars or Star Trek really work as a licensed strategy game? Martin vs Erikson - who wins? Is Troy the only person who likes Babylon 5?It is a loud and fun show. Listen to it.Also, info on the upcoming 3MA/FOS meetup. <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9609/war-of-the-ring">War of the Ring</a><a href="http://princeofcairo.livejournal.com/45080.html">War of the Ring article (Bruce is the final two comments)</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fleet_Battles">Starfleet Battles</a>

News that <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/11/02/genetic-algorithms-find-build-order-from-hell/">a genetic algorithm has cracked the Starcraft code</a> prompts Troy to ask the panel about the place of build orders and in-stone strategies in the genre. Julian talks about chess and <a href="http://fidgit.com/archives/2010/11/forgetin_hoard_its_good_to_be.php">Hoard</a>, Rob talks about the beauty of a game that opens up and Troy sucks at everything.Also news on the upcoming DC area fall meetup. November 20th, btw.

No one was in much of a mood to talk about anything this week, but we did it anyway and it was almost topical. Gameshark's Bill Abner joins Troy and Rob for a rambling chat about election games they've played, election games they haven't played and whether the dream election game they imagine is even possible.Bill also gets mysterious messages from a lost soldier.

Bruce Geryk returns to the show to give special guest <a href="http://brainygamer.com">Michael Abbot</a> a hard time in a discussion that is intended to focus on the ethical and moral dimension of wargames and wargaming, but ranges all over the place, including a sidetrack into why people get into wargames to begin with. Rob Zacny tries to keep things on topic and Julian Murdoch explains why Defcon makes him cry and his daughter says the smartest thing in the hour.

<a href="http://hellmode.com">Hellmode</a>'s Ashelia (aka Rhea Monique) joins Rob and Julian for a discussion of how strategy games can learn from other genres.Rob also coins the Old Country Buffet approach to strategy game design.

Troy and Rob start the show with a talk about what Derek Paxton's move to Stardock means for <em>Elemental</em> and the future of Stardock.They then segue into a discussion about logistics and supply rules constrain the player in interesting ways. Rob tells another wargame anecdote, we debate whether an AI really understands supply rules and again talk about the best RTS ever made.This is the October pledge drive, as well, so stay tuned to the end for another plea for money. Not for beer.

Julian and Rob are joined by Rob Daviau (Hasbro) and Chris Remo (Irrational) to talk about how games let us give in to our worst impulses and betray our friends. Neptune's Pride, Risk, Weinhandler, Starcraft and a dozen other games come up.

One guest cancels, but his shoes are ably filled by Gameshark's Todd Brakke as Troy, Julian and Rob hold forth on the game that has already eaten Troy's life - and he has to keep writing about it for at least another month.Listen as the team talks about their favorite innovations in Civ 5, how the map brings the game to life, why the AI's failures are so disappointing, social policy vs civics and hopes for the future.And Julian is on drugs.

This week, Rob takes the lead and sings the praises of RUSE, the new WW2 RTS from Ubisoft and Eugen Systems. Troy and Julian push him on the differences between the single and multiplayer components, whether it uses real deception and some rambling bits about World War 2 games in general. <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3626/RUSE-Review-.htm">Rob's review at Gameshark</a> <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/09/20/the-rps-verdict-r-u-s-e/">Rock Paper Shotgun RUSE discussion</a>

Unavailable when we needed him, but still game for a show, Victoria 2's lead designer Chris King joins Troy and Rob for a discussion of Marxist economic models, why they are so many rebels and why he bothered redesigning Vicky in the first place.

A terrible launch of a game I wanted to love turns what should have been a "WOW" show into another opportunity for Brad Wardell to explain how Stardock screwed up. Listen how imperfect QA practices, overconfidence, groupthink and not taking every beta crash report seriously turned one of the years most anticipated new IPs into a lesson for developers And also, how Stardock commits to make things right - including refunds. (Ask them. I have no idea what the mechanics are.) <a href="http://www.gameroni.com/posts/75.html">Rob's review</a> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3607/Elemental-War-of-Magic-Review.htm">Troy's review</a> <a href="http://fidgit.com/archives/2010/08/elemental_the_review.php">Tom's review</a>

This week, the sound is terrible again mostly because my wireless refuses to cooperate. Big promise to fix this next week - I thought I had the problem solved.But if you bear with us, you will hear Troy and Rob answer some questions from listeners about logistics, making losing fun, why games are released unfinished and a dozen other topics.

Rob Zacny's sound goes in and out, but when it works you can hear him, Troy and Julian talk about the latest grand strategy game from Paradox. Why does it make Julian angry? Do you have to force the politics to make them interesting? What does the game get right and wrong about the nineteenth century?A reminder about the upcoming question show and a preview of coming attractions. <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3602/Victoria-II-Review-.htm">Rob's review at Gameshark</a>

Troy and Rob dig through their histories to recall bad games that had tiny moments of genius. What happens when a game gets one thing right? Can forgotten games still have a legacy beyond their failures? Can a good idea overshadow a bad game's legacy?Also reminders of the Question show coming up in a couple of week's time. <a href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2006/08/26/noble-junk/">"Noble Junk" post</a> <a href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2009/12/08/three-moves-ahead-episode-42-epic-fails-of-strategy-gaming/">Epic Fails podcast</a> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3591/Making-History-II-The-War-of-the-World-Review-.htm">Rob's Making History 2 review</a>

Troy - suffering from a splitting headache - is joined by Rob Zacny, Tom Chick (hooray) and Idle Thumbs/Gamasutra star Chris Remo before he heads off to join Irrational Games. The topic: Starcraft 2. Why does such a competitive, sports structured game like SC2 have such wide appeal? Is the single player campaign really that different from other campaigns? And how about that writing? What are the great joys and great disappointments? Finally, what does Starcraft 2 mean for the future of the PC RTS? <a href="http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/8985/StarCraft-II-Wings-of-Liberty.html">Troy's Starcraft 2 review</a> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3584/Starcraft-II-Wings-of-Liberty-Review.htm">Tom's Starcraft 2 review</a> <a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/51284">Rob's thoughts</a> <a href="http://idlethumbs.net/">Idle Thumbs podcast</a> <a href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/07/29/flash-of-steelthree-moves-ahead-meetup-august-14/">FoS/TMA Meetup details</a>

Troy, Julian and Rob are joined by Maxis Games' Soren Johnson and Fall From Heaven 2 lead Derek Paxton in a chat about modding. How do you assemble a mod team? What are the trade offs for developers and publishers in supporting mods? Scope and ambition and talent poaching and creativity.Also news on our upcoming question and answer show and the TMA/FoS meetup. <a href="http://kael.civfanatics.net/">Fall From Heaven 2</a> <a href="http://strategystation.com/">Strategy Station</a> <a href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/07/29/flash-of-steelthree-moves-ahead-meetup-august-14/">Meet Up Discussion</a>

This week, with the rest of the TMA crew (i.e., me) off gallivanting around California or saving lives or something, Rob and Julian decided to have a real show. They dig deep into the perfect strategy gaming syllabus, and come up with some obvious and startling conclusions. At least, that's what they tell me. I haven't listened to it yet. I hope there's pie.

Ken Levine from Irrational Games drops by the show to talk about what made Freedom Force so special. Is it an RPG or a strategy game? We discuss the virtues of pausable real time play, the fine line between homage and parody and learn about what games Ken plays when he is not writing kick ass game stories. <a href="http://freedomreborn.net/">Freedom Reborn - a fan community</a>

This week, Troy and Rob are joined by <a href="http://www.jenncutter.com">Jenn Cutter</a> in a trip down memory lane. The topic: How did you end up the gamer you've become? When did Rob and Troy learn they were strategy gamers? How do games fit into the rest of your life? How do you deal with being the only gamer in a social circle? Which games poke which aspects of our character? Troy and Jenn also explain BBSes to Rob.Also, a date is set for the Washington DC area Flash of Steel/Three Moves Ahead meet up.

This week, hardware expert and long time strategy gamer <a href="http://www.improbableinsights.com">Loyd Case</a> joins Troy, Julian and Rob in a chat about how various advances and changes in the technological environment have changed how see and approach strategy games.

Gameshark's Editor in Chief Bill Abner joins Troy, Rob and Bruce to talk about Disciples 3, Heroes of Might and Magic, Jagged Alliance, King's Bounty - strategy games with tactical components. To what extent are these RPGs? What differentiates a good one from a bad one? Bruce mentions Odium again.The good doctor also promises to write something.

With E3 2010 in the books, Troy talks about what he saw and is generally concerned about "everything fits together". Julian gives us a preview of Risk: Factions and Rob runs down what 1C has coming your way, based on what he saw in San Francisco.Also, bonus tip on how not to prepare vodka.

Promises to listeners are not kept, so Troy flies solo for an interview with Jon Shafer, the lead designer of Civilization 5. 15 minutes of Hex Based Strategy Gaming.

This week, Troy, Julian and Rob are joined by PR pros Joe Ziemer (Triple Point PR, Paradox shill) and Stephanie Schopp (Tinsley PR, Stardock water carrier) to talk about marketing strategy games in this gaming and business environment. Is strategy gaming really dead? How do you find new audiences and keep the old ones? How do PR people deal with media and developers?

Oy. Troy breaks his computer and therefore sounds like he’s calling in from a submarine. But the rest of show is a long discussion about Games Masters experimenting with RPG and miniature mechanics. Julian and Rob discuss a fascinating game session before the team digresses onto iterative learning in game design and whether games do a good job of teaching through systems at all. Promised images will have to wait until I have a computer that can resize them properly. Stupid netbook.

Good Old Games has made the classic SimTex games Master of Orion, Master of Orion 2 and Master of Magic available for low, low prices. So Troy, Tom, Bruce and Rob spend an hour talking about what made SimTex special. What do we mean by personality in strategy games? Does the UI hold up? Which of these games has aged the most poorly? When is tactical combat an impediment in a turn based 4x game? We answer these questions and more in this new analysis of classic game design.<a href="http://www.cgonline.com/computer-games-magazine/article/revisionist_history_simtex/" target="_blank" class="liexternal">Troy’s Revisionist History on SimTex</a> <a href="http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085828p1.html" target="_blank" class="liexternal">Tom’s Retroview on Master of Orion II</a> Buy <a href="http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/master_of_orion_1_2" target="_blank" class="liexternal">Master of Orion 1 & 2</a> and <a href="http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/master_of_magic" target="_blank" class="liexternal">Master of Magic</a> at Good Old Games. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNk-YlpuBo" target="_blank" class="liexternal">Master of Magic Intro</a>

Tom Chick returns after a month away from the podcast to join Troy and Rob in a discussion about designing tutorials for strategy games. Is the failure of tutorial design a root of the decline in strategy gaming? Can you really integrate a tutorial into a story based campaign? What are the responsibilities of the gamer to learn what he/she is doing on a battlefield? <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/23753452/Solium-Infernum-Tutorial-1" target="_blank">Dave Perkins’s tutorials for Solium Infernum</a>

Just Troy, Julian and Rob again as they ad hoc a podcast about types of games and settings that they would like to see in the strategy arena. Is there a really good Tolkien strategy game? Where is our fort game? Can we fill in our history a little more? Pack the comment section with your own suggestions.

Tom and Bruce are absent again while Troy, Julian and Rob dissect the still in beta <a class="liexternal" href="http://frozensynapse.com/" target="_blank">Frozen Synapse</a>, a small team tactics game from Mode 7. Troy finds it too difficult, Rob loves the potential for story telling, and Julian digs the puzzles. Listen as we talk about tactical games, the union of art and design, indie game marketing, a digression on Ancient Trader and an apology from Troy on his terrible mailing skills. <a class="liexternal" href="http://frozensynapse.com/" target="_blank">Frozen Synapse</a> Rob Zacny on <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_250/7443-Slow-Death-In-a-Shady-Glen" target="_blank">The Hunter (Escapist)</a>, <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/05/column_keys_to_the_kingdom_fro.php" target="_blank">Sins of a Solar Empire (Game, Set Watch)</a> and <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.ugo.com/games/birth-of-america-and-the-mapmakers-craft" target="_blank">Birth of America (UGO)</a>

Another wargame show! Troy, Julian and Rob are joined by NorbSoft’s Norb Timpko and Jim Weaver to talk about Gettysburg: Scourge of War. Learn more than you ever wanted to know about how to make a civil war game. Why is the AI so recalcitrant? What are the lessons of leadership here? How do you make a map like this? And where do history and gameplay collide when the AI hasn’t read the books you have? <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.scourgeofwar.com/" target="_blank">Scourge of War: Gettysburg</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932714359?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932714359" target="_blank">The Maps of Gettysburg : An Atlas of the Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 – July 13, 1863</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EVQTXM?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000EVQTXM" target="_blank">Buy Take Command 2nd Manassas</a>

Troy, Tom and Bruce look at the classic Frog City/SSI games <em>Imperialism</em> and <em>Imperialism 2</em>. What makes this series one of the greatest grand strategy experiences of all time? Can a game this difficult and time intensive be made again? Bruce has a theory, Tom keeps calling <em>Colonization</em> the wrong name, and Troy is focused on diplomacy. <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.cgonline.com/computer-games-magazine/article/imperialism/" target="_blank">Bruce’s Revisionist History on Imperialism</a> <a class="liinternal" href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2009/04/14/imperialism-series-1997-1999/">Troy’s essay on Imperialism’s maps</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-166287217/tom-vs-bruce-imperialism.html" target="_blank">Tom vs Bruce: Imperialism 2</a>

Troy, Rob and Bruce participate in the wonkiest Three Moves Ahead ever, as Dr. Geryk makes up for weeks of absences with another tour de force rant. How does Achtung Panzer compare to Combat Mission? What do we expect from a WW2 tactical game, and how do these expectations mesh with reality? Turn based, real time and replay – how do they fit together? Bruce also recommends a bunch of books. <a href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/games/achtung-panzer-kharkov-1943">Achtung Panzer</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3167051" target="_blank">Tom vs Bruce: Combat Mission</a> David Glantz’s <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1906033722?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1906033722" target="_blank">BARBAROSSA DERAILED: The Battles for Smolensk, July-August 1941</a> David Glantz’s <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0700616640?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0700616640" target="_blank">Armageddon in Stalingrad: September-November 1942 (The Stalingrad Trilogy, Volume 2) (Modern War Studies)</a> and <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0700616306?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0700616306" target="_blank">To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942 (Modern War Studies)</a> David Glantz’s <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0304366722?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0304366722" target="_blank">The Siege of Leningrad: 900 Days of Terror (Cassell Military Paperbacks)</a> John Erickson’s <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0304365416?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0304365416" target="_blank">The Road to Stalingrad (Cassell Military Paperbacks)</a>

Troy, Tom and Rob talk about Code Force’s <em>Distant Worlds</em>, a 4x Space RTS that tries to tackle the challenge of ceding control. How can a game get past player paranoia about letting the AI handle things? When does a player choose to intervene? How can the AI failure at basic tasks undermine your confidence in everything else? Why and when does <em>Distant Worlds</em> work? Also, last chance to win one of two copies of <em>Making History</em>. <a class="liinternal" href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2005/06/13/governors-viceroys-and-underlings/">My first crack at the virtual viceroy problem</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://matrixgames.com/products/379/details/DistantWorlds" target="_blank"><em>Distant Worlds</em> at Matrix Games</a>

With the post con exhaustion, panelists running around like crazy and Julian Murdoch fighting some sort of bug, it’s sort of a wonder we got a show together at all this week. Rob, Julian and I talk about why we loved PAX East. What makes a fan con different from a trade show? Is Microsoft Surface the future of board games? What strategy game was my surprise of the show? Probably one of our shortest and slowest shows, but we promise a stronger one next week. Listen to win a prize. <a class="liinternal" href="http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/03/29/nine-neat-pax-things/">My thoughts on PAX East</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/49723" target="_blank">Julian’s Thoughts</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://robzacny.com/index.php/Index.php/2010/03/snapshots-of-pax-east/" target="_blank">Rob’s Thoughts</a>

Troy, Tom and Julian devote the hour to dissecting the surprisingly good <em><a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BXN6GY?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BXN6GY" target="_blank">Supreme Commander 2</a></em> and the disappointing <em><a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NIP6X8?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002NIP6X8" target="_blank">Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight</a></em>. Why does SupCom 2’s deviation from the franchise formula make the game better? Why is it like Sins of a Solar Empire and Demigod? Do we want to gain experience points in our RTSes? When good design meets bad design in the same package, what wins? And come hear how disorganized we are for PAX! <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3178187&p=1" target="_blank">Tom Chick’s review of SupCom 2</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3178417&p=1" target="_blank">Tom Chick’s review of C&C 4</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3490/Supreme-Commander-2-Review.htm" target="_blank">Troy Goodfellow’s review of SupCom 2</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2010/03/21/qt3-games-podcast-abilio-carvahlo-and-supreme-commander-2/" target="_blank">Quarter to Three Community podcast on SupCom 2</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.zazzle.com/TroyGoodfellow" target="_blank">The Flash of Steel Store</a>

We throw together a show on some of the strategy gaming news and ideas coming out of this year’s GDC. What do we know and not know about <em>Civilization 5</em>? Is Sid Meier coddling players in his psychological approach? And why is Julian on the side of evil in the Facebook wars? We announce the winner of the King Arthur steam code and begin planning for PAX East. <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=58231" target="_blank">Fear and Loathing in Farmville</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27654/GDC_Sid_Meiers_Lessons_On_Gamer_Psychology.php" target="_blank">Gamasutra on Meier’s Keynote</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/214363/the-rise-of-facebook-gaming/" target="_blank">Julian’s article on Facebook games</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27646/GDC_Heckers_Nightmare_Scenario__A_Future_Of_Rewarding_Players_For_Dull_Tasks.php" target="_blank">Chris Hecker on the rewarding boring activities</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932111972?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932111972" target="_blank">A Theory of Fun for Game Design</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038TT8QM?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0038TT8QM" target="_blank">Pre-order Sid Meier’s Civilization V</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://robzacny.com/index.php/Index.php/2010/03/easy-there-tiger-thats-a-strategy-game/" target="_blank">Rob Zacny on the bias against strategy games</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://apps.facebook.com/matchdefense/?ref=ts" target="_blank">Match Defense: Toy Soldiers</a>

Two games this week. First, Tom Chick and Troy Goodfellow report on their experiences in the <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZKA0J6?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000ZKA0J6" target="_blank">Starcraft II</a> beta. It’s an old school RTS that eschews fifteen years of evolution in favor of keeping things as they were in 1998. What do we like so far? What do we not like? Meanwhile, Rob Zacny asks questions about Blizzard’s continued relevance in the genre. Then, Rob leaps to the defense of <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RD6MV4?ie=UTF8&tag=flaofste-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002RD6MV4" target="_blank">Napoleon: Total War</a>. Hear why he will be probably be giving it a very positive review and why Tom still thinks Creative Assembly should be embarrassed. Stay tuned to the end for a reminder to enter the game draw for a special prize.

Troy, Julian and Rob wax rhapsodical about the glories of indie strategy game developer <a class="liexternal" href="http://introversion.co.uk/" target="_blank">Introversion</a>. What makes <em>Darwinia</em> a “different” RTS? Is <em>Defcon</em> the best multiplayer game ever made? And can you make a game about terrorism? Listen to the end and learn how you can win a prize. Seriously. I have one for you. <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/48818" target="_blank">Gamers With Jobs talks to Chris Delay</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://forums.introversion.co.uk/defcon/introversion/viewtopic.php?p=78701" target="_blank">Introversion’s Tough 2008</a>

No agenda this week beyond a few of my favorite clips, some chat about the podcast’s high and low points and what we’d like to see in the coming year of podcasts. Learn about Tom’s other podcasts, Bruce Geryk’s origin story, whether or not Julian is a game reviewer and how Rob makes his girlfriend cry. Lots of self congratulation, too, so if you don’t like that sort of thing, maybe you shouldn’t listen.