Three Moves Ahead 23: Episode 23

Sometimes a last minute topic change actually goes somewhere. Troy, Tom and Bruce have a long and detailed conversation about the challenges wargame and strategy game designers face when they try to capture the essence of an historical moment. How do you model insurgency? What makes WW2 the default combat model if not the default topic? Why are Tom and Bruce still scarred by <em>Combat Mission Shock Force</em>? Also a discussion of reading material, how <em>Twilight Struggle</em> works, and whether <em>Balance of Power</em> is a terrible game. Troy also manages to confuse two Middle East themed games. (<a class="liexternal" href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/conflict-middle-east">Here’s the one</a> Tom was talking about, <a class="liexternal" href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/conflict">here the one Troy</a> was thinking of.) Then a long update on <em>Dominions 3</em> and why Bruce is afraid. <a class="liexternal" href="http://stormeaglestudios.com/public/home.html">Norm Koger’s current project</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://matrixgames.com/products/369/details/Horse.and.Musket:.Volume.I">The new version of Dragoon</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://battlefront.com/">Battlefront</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8284">GDW’s Assault</a> <a class="liexternal" href="http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/call-of-duty-4/call-of-duty-4-review/1167292">Tom’s Call of Duty 4 review</a>