Rob Zacny

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Everything posted by Rob Zacny

  1. Three Moves Ahead 609: Europa Universalis 5 Confirmed?! (Patreon Preview) This is a preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma! Join Len, FatherLorris, and Lord Lambert as we get the NoCB Cast band back together to talk for 3.5 hours about Paradox Tinto's "Project Caesar," which is probably Europa Universalis 5. Okay, let's be real: it's definitely Europa Universalis 5. We break down the first four dev diaries, everything Johan has ever said about the project on the forums, and talk a bit about the year 1337 – which was not confirmed as the new start date when we recorded this, but has been at this point. So we nailed it. We're very smart. Please clap. Europa Universalis V Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  2. Three Moves Ahead 608: Balatro Len, Jon, and Mike Williams deal out a hand or two of Balatro. It's poker? Sort of? Not really? Poker with boss battles. Poker with booster packs. Poker with tarot cards? We don't hold our opinions close to our chest as we try to apply some kind of taxonomy to this indie surprise hit. Balatro Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  3. Three Moves Ahead 607: The Strategy Games of Steam Next Fest 2024 Len, Jon, and Mike Williams sit down to discuss the strategy and strategy-adjacent demos that caught our eyes in Steam Next Fest. Jon played 50 (!) of them, and several were actually good! Also like, where are all the aliens, for real though? Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  4. Three Moves Ahead 606: 2024 Look Ahead Len, Mike Williams, and Nerium Strom take a look at the strategy and strategy-adjacent games coming in 2024, discuss which ones we're most interested in, make some predictions, and discuss the awful state of the industry for workers this year so far. A Series of Unfortunate Events: 40,000 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  5. Three Moves Ahead 605: Warhammer 40,000 Tabletop Is this a Winter of Wargaming? Len and Ian are joined by Brian "Chef Lu Bu" Smawley to dig into Warhammer 40K as a setting through the lens of the flagship tabletop miniatures game (particularly the recent 10th Edition). We go over a bit of lore, run through the factions, talk about our favorites, discuss how we got into the hobby, and why it may or may not be for you. Warhammer 40,000 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  6. Three Moves Ahead 604: Mega-Sized 2023 Recap! Len, Rowan, and Ian gather 'round the Yule Log for an extended discussion on the year that was 2023 in strategy games. There was a lot of good and a lot of bad. There were a lot of people talking about "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" that didn't really know what they were talking about. We share our personal picks and tease out a theme to encapsulate an eventful stretch of time. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  7. Three Moves Ahead 603: Against the Storm 1.0 Len, Rowan, and Luke have gathered around the hearth to revisit Against the Storm for its 1.0 launch. With one veteran and two greenhorns in tow, we discuss how this survival city-builder has changed since Early Access and why it's still so satisfying and refreshing to play. Against the Storm Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
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  9. Three Moves Ahead 601: Victoria 3: One Year Later Len is joined by Dr. Bret Devereaux and Chapel Comic creator Father Lorris to take a look at Victoria 3 one year later. Is this a game that deserves to stand beside Paradox's best yet? And if not, what's it still missing? We play armchair game dev for an hour and a half and unpack the difficulty of modeling both the beginning and the end of one of humankind's most momentous centuries with a common set of mechanics. Victoria 3, Victoria 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  10. Three Moves Ahead 602: Patreon Preview: An Interview with Michele Pirovano (dotAGE) Listen to the first five minutes of our November Patreon episode for free, and then hear the full one hour and 15 minute interview by subscribing at Patreon.com/3MA! Len had a chance to chat this month with Michele Pirovano, the (almost) solo developer of dotAGE, a game we all had a great time with this year. They discuss how board game design has had a positive influence on the world of strategy video games, how it could continue to do so, the struggles of being an indie dev, and why the upcoming genre of roguelike city-builders works so well. dotAGE, Northgard, Rimworld, Against the Storm Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  11. Three Moves Ahead 600: dotAGE 100 episodes ago, we declared that video games are over. Did they ever come back? Also, what's this dotAGE game with authentic medieval chiptune music Overwhelmingly Positive user reviews? dotAGE Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  12. Three Moves Ahead 599: Cities: Skylines 2 Len and Jon are joined by Sin Vega and Well There's Your Problem's Justin Roczniak (donoteat01) to discuss Cities: Skylines 2. We have some mixed feelings about this much anticipated sequel, and we don't shy away from pointing out what doesn't work while giving a few nods to what is new and cool. If you understand how garbage works in this game, please leave a comment. Cities: Skylines 2, Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  13. Three Moves Ahead 598: Total War Pharaoh Len and Ian are joined by freelance writer Josh Broadwell to discuss Total War: Pharaoh, the first properly historical Total War in an actual age. We dig into the new campaign mechanics, the feel of the battles, and the scope of the map. Has Creative Assembly Sophia come from behind to take the title of Total War's A-Team? Total War: Pharaoh Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  14. Three Moves Ahead 597: Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew This week, Jon is joined by RPS Editor in Chief Katherine Castle and freelance writer Dominic Tarason to discuss Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. Mimimi's swan song, as we sadly learned after recording, is a follow-up and an evolution to Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Desperados 3, both games that we loved. What makes this one even better? Why is Len using dashes instead of colons to separate the show number from the game title now? I don't know if I like this. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, Desperados 3, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  15. Three Moves Ahead 596: Baldur's Gate 3 Len, Jon, and Ian are joined by Brian "Chef Lu Bu" Smawley to delve into Baldur's Gate 3. We discuss what really makes this a CRPG that can be enthusiastically recommended to tactics fans, what our favorite races, classes, and companions have been, and the ridiculous antics we've gotten up to with Larian's "Yes, and..." engine and quest design. Is this the best version of Dungeons & Dragons you can play on the computer? Give it a listen and roll Insight to find out. Baldur's Gate 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  16. Three Moves Ahead 595: Aliens: Dark Descent Rob, Len, and Rowan are in the pipe, five-by-five, to discuss Aliens: Dark Descent. An unconventional squad-based stealth game that brings James Cameron's sci-fi classic to a new (and dare we say better) perspective, we discuss similarities to the likes of Darkest Dungeon and how clever escalation mechanics can dynamically imitate the structure of a horror movie. Aliens: Dark Descent, Darkest Dungeon, Starship Troopers: Terran Command Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  17. Three Moves Ahead 594: Jagged Alliance 3 This week, Len is joined by Sin Vega and Dominic Tarason to discuss Jagged Alliance 3, the long-awaited sequel to one of the greatest tactical games of all time. Did they do a good job of recapturing what made the original so memorable? Is this just another XCOM, or is there more to see here? Jagged Alliance 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  18. Three Moves Ahead 593: Rule the Waves 3 It's the... Summer of Wargaming? When a game comes along that's even too obscure and spreadsheet-y for our normal panel, we light the Grognard Beacon. And this week, first-timers Wesley Livesay and Benjamin Magnus answered the call. The subject? Rule the Waves 3. If you love mid-90s PC productivity software interfaces and big boats of all shapes and sizes, you're in for a treat. We discuss what makes this crunchy Secretary of the Navy simulator so compelling, and why it's worth overcoming the steep barriers to entry. Rule the Waves 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  19. Rob and Fraser talk about Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault. Someone, on this very show, declares Ardennes assault to be the best - the BEST - that Company of Heroes has ever been. But who? Who would make such a bold claim? Listen here.
  20. Three Moves Ahead 592: Age of Wonders 4 Len, Rowan, and Jon step through the portal into Age of Wonders 4, the latest fantasy 4X from Triumph and Paradox. We dig deep into the strategic and tactical pacing and why so much of it hits the spot in a world of ultra marathon strategy campaigns. What is so satisfying about its empire customization and progression? And did we actually manage to make an episode about a game we like that's not 75 percent complaining? Age of Wonders 4, Stellaris, Civilization, Age of Wonders 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  21. Three Moves Ahead 589: 'Board Game' vs 'Simulation'-style Strategy Games It's an all-star panel as Len and Mike Williams are joined by Mohawk Games' and Idle Thumbs' own Soren Johnson and Paradox Tinto's Johan Andersson to chip away at a tricky target: the different design goals between a more "Board Gamey" strategy game like Civilization and the "Simulationist" breed exemplified by Europa Universalis. We discuss what we like and don't like about each one, who the audiences are for each, and how to navigate the significant overlap in those audiences. In the end, maybe it's not as adversarial after all... Hoo boy, a whole bunch, I didn't write them down Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  22. Three Moves Ahead 574: Victoria 3 The long-awaited steel and steam macroeconomics simulator from Paradox has finally graced us with its presence, and we've assembled a League of Extraordinary Lady and Gentlemen to discuss it. Len and Jon are joined by Kotaku's Luke Plunkett, PCGamesN's Ian Boudreau, and our good friend from UNC Chapel Hill, Dr. Bret Devereaux to analyze this absolute behemoth of a game from every angle. Hold on tight and keep your arms and legs completely inside the podcast. We're about to leave the station for an epic episode. Victoria 3, Just Victoria 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  23. Three Moves Ahead 591: Darkest Dungeon 2 Rowan, Len, and Nerium hitch their wagon to Darkest Dungeon 2 and set in for the long haul on this epic-length episode. We discuss some of the ways this sequel is an improvement over one of 3MA's consensus favorite games of all time (that we somehow never did a dedicated episode on), and several ways in which it's not. What kind of parties did we like to roll with? How have things changed since early access? And is there a cooler narrator than Wayne June? By the end, you might even get to hear us have a Meltdown! Darkest Dungeon, Darkest Dungeon 2, Hades Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  24. Three Moves Ahead 587: Terra Nil This week, Rowan teams up with Fanbyte's Mike Williams and Kotaku's Luke Plunkett to discuss Terra Nil, a "city builder in reverse" about restoring the natural ecosystem of a devastated planet. We break down what makes this concept so compelling, feelgood, and relaxing, as well as what it could have done differently to fill a more simulationist niche. Terra Nil Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes
  25. Three Moves Ahead 579: Marvel's Midnight Suns Len and Fraser are joined by PC Gamer's Evan Lahti to discuss Marvel's Midnight Suns. This tactical card battle RPG from Firaxis is a big departure from XCOM... or is it? We gush and grumble about our most and least favorite characters, respectively, break down the combat and progression systems, and learn an important lesson about the true meaning of friendship. Marvel's Midnight Suns, Mass Effect, Into the Breach, XCOM 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes