Rob Zacny

Three Moves Ahead 408: Tooth and Tail Tooth and Tail has turned out to be a game of note for several reasons. First, it deftly executes the short-form RTS genre while providing luscious artwork and pleasing visuals. Next, it provides a challenging and thought-provoking story that explores narratives in socioeconomics and societal structures. Finally, it appears to be a game that everyone on the show appears to enjoy. Rob, Rowan, Fraser, and game developer / Waypoint contribute Bruno Dias talk about animals eating each other because in the end, we're all just meat. Tooth and Tail Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 407: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Tarou was awake and alert despite the chill and the early hour. Normally, drawing last watch was one of the worst tasks imaginable: a tortuous eight hours of mind-numbing circuits and bitter cold. Tonight was more tolerable, however, for Tarou knew that it was his last night as a guard for the malicious warlord. No more would he risk his life by showing small kindnesses to the prisoners, no more would he have to lay awake at night and wonder how many had died by his master's hand. He would leave and start his life again. His plans were set to meet a hay cart near the edge of the compound at dawn, and he would be free from this hellish existence forever. He would - wait - was that the call of a white-cheeked starling? Normally they had all migrated south by this point of the season. Perhaps the starling was a good omen for the beginning of his new life. Tarou whistled a jaunty tune back as he turned the corner. Rob, Fraser, Rowan, and guest Nick Capozzoli talk about how this and many other stories end in Shadow Tactics, a strategy game about being quiet and killing things. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 405: Lords of Waterdeep This week's Three Moves Ahead stretches the boundaries of the podcast medium to bring you LIVE audio via recording. Rob, Rowan, Fraser, and Troy "always a bardsmaid, never a bard" Goodfellow share their thoughts on the Steam port of Lords of Waterdeep while playing a game together. Lords of Waterdeep started as a popular worker placement board game and eventually made its way to mobile platforms. It recently arrived on the PC via Steam and quickly found a place in Fraser's heart. It's not a good place, but it's firmly embedded there. Like a valve blockage. EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING: many curse words are uttered, even more than usual. Lords of Waterdeep Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 402: Battle Brothers This week Rob, Rowan, Obsidian's Josh Sawyer, and Troy "I told you, these leeches are medicinal" Goodfellow discuss Overhype Studios' Battle Brothers. It's been a while since the panel has been smitten with a game, but Battle Brothers seems to win everyone over with its smart tactical turn based combat. Taking a break from elaborate spells, this low-fantasy setting has your archers are melee combatants slugging it out in the mud and snow against brigands orcs. Battle Brothers Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

God I would love to see this article or a translation of it. Because this seems like an important point about modern strategy gaming. I mean, EUIV has a lot of mechanics that add up to ethnic cleansing (and a lot of incentives and disincentives for using them) and I do wonder the extent to which these games offer rationales for really awful stuff and normalize it for modern audiences. This isn't confined to games, of course. Most histories of modern China treat Mao's Great Leap Forward as a painful and ugly series of trade-offs: famine, mass death, but also the rise of heavy industry and modernization for large swathes of the country. Whereas the Cultural Revolution is often treated as the moment where Mao crosses over into actual evil, because there's no real rhyme or reason to it. But the idea is that if we can just find a reasonable outcome behind a monstrous policy, then we must somehow treat it as a considered trade-off. Easier to do from the point of the living, and not the people who died on collectives or in gulags.

I didn't forget that aspect of the discussion, I think we talked about that specific issue on the podcast and why that reasoning struck me as insufficient. If I build a house and spend all my money and material on the kitchen and garage, and then don't have anything left over for a decent bedrom, that I don't get to say, "Yeah, but I had to build a really fancy kitchen! It was resource intensive!" That was still a choice. It's the same thing in games: what you decide is acceptable to ignore in order to support other priorities is still an active choice, not something that "just happens". It's worth discussing. Also, that dynamic character art is cute but let's not overstate how impressive it really is. We're talking about the equivalent of a few decals. Nice decals, but not something that makes me sit back in wonder at the resources and care lavished on them. As for the question about what people choose to support or not... that's not for me to say. All of this is personal. Battle Brothers does some things I'm not comfortable with, but I don't find so off-putting that I cannot play the game. I totally think it's fair for another person to look at it and decide it's not for them, for those reasons. I love the Witcher series, but I'm not going to take issue with anyone choosing to pass on it because they feel excluded. People get to decide what offends them or what just turns them off, and make decisions based on that. They also get to discuss that stuff when it comes to critical reactions to the game.

I don't think I'd agree that 3MA necessarily attracts reactionary sentiment, nor that its audience leans that way. I do think strategy games get treated as an apolitical space (in part because the subject matter is often SO charged) that it can catch people off guard when the discussion raises contemporary political topics. Thumbs has a bigger community that's always been in dialogue with the critical conversations across gaming, but in strategy land a lot of those conversations have passed us by. So it might feel like we're breaking an unspoken rule when we tackle this stuff but the truth is just there aren't a ton of games that really engage with modern political debate. Two things I think are changing that: one is the context has changed of late. The politics of 1930s Europe and Asia seemed more like a settled and closed discussion when we started doing this show, but obviously there are a lot of overtones to those subjects nowadays. Second, our own standards and expectations are shifting. I'm not sure Battle Brothers inclusiveness would have felt as obvious to me a few years ago, but now I regularly have those conversations about how games shape the idea of "the default" or "normal:. Also, I'm playing this alongside Darkest Dungeon where similarly simple character art is made to encompass a wide variety of skin tones. When a game omits that inclusivity, and then kind of tips its hand about other iffy positions and perspectives, it's way harder to ignore now. We both want it done better, and there are a lot of games that do. But that's a change and an evolution in how we approach that space, and that's going to seem discordant at times. But I don't think it says too much about 3MA.

In retrospect I think I'd probably recommend the game less forcefully, because my reservations are only getting more pointed. Where women appear in story text, it's often as sex objects. Then when Battle Brothers opens its mouth about marginalized groups, it's often to say something dumb and mean-spirited. It's a great tactics game and does so many things right, but where it's coming from is alternately oblivious or just stupidly cruel in the lazy way that Grimdark for Dumbasses often comes across. Also, any game making a specific comment about refugees in the last couple years is absolutely making a statement about current events. Contrast this with The Witcher series. For all that representational critiques, the Witcher and especially the Witcher 3 is generally very aware of how awful the things it depicts really are. It depicts a war-torn land full of refugees, but never smirks about refugees' plight or what it says about them. It depicts gendered and racial violence, but largely also makes clear that the game's eyes are open to what that violence reflects (though not in all cases, and there are definitely places where the Witcher drops the ball). Also a podcast is not a review, it's a discussion that examines a subject from several different angles. This was one of them. Hopefully this clarifies.

Three Moves Ahead 401: Kingdoms and Castles Troy returns from vacation just as Fraser prepares to sail the wine-dark Aegean. But they pause long enough to talk about Kingdoms and Castles with Rob, a fun little medieval tower-defnse-city-builder that everyone wishes were just a little bit... deeper. But can Kingdoms and Castles' appeal be separated from its simplicity and shallowness? Kingdoms and Castles, Anno Games, Stronghold, Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 400: Dream Daddy Civil War Forgive us. The title was Rowan's fault. Rob and Rowan have been playing Ultimate General: Civil War and Gettysburg: The Tide Turns, and those games have got them thinking about what they really, truly want from a Civil War wargame. Rowan talks about how he wants to feel like a commander in the field, dealing with the same uncertainty and dynamics that Civil War generals faced. Rob agrees, but also wants a game that feels roughly true to the historical record, yet also wants the capacity to be surprised. In other words, we want it all. Rowan also proposes that Sid Meier's Gettysburg, at this point, casts too long a shadow and its influence is stifling other approaches to tactical wargame design. Gettysburg: The Tide Turns, Ultimate General: Civil War, John Tiller's Battleground Civil War, Take Command, Scourge of War, Sid Meier's Gettysburg Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 398: Taking the L Rowan, Sean, and Rob discuss what goes into a "satisfying" setback as opposed to something that sends one running to the quickload button. Rowan possibly solves game design. Crusader Kings, Steel Division, Patrician, EUIV, Darkest Dungeon Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 397: Meta Campaigns Rob, Fraser, and Rowan look at the game outside the game. What are the ways that strategy and tactics games contextualize our actions and decisions, and which approaches do we tend to prefer. The conversation runs long but takes an exciting turn as the crew realize they've likely solved strategy games. XCOM, Jagged Alliance 2, Total War, Endless Legend, Company of Heroes Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 332: Chaos Reborn This week Rob, Bruce, and Troy "I'm not playing unless I can summon a unicorn" Goodfellow discuss Chaos Reborn. In 1985, game designer Julian Gollop released Chaos: The Battle of Wizards for the ZX Spectrum. He would later go on to be the designer of the venerable XCOM series. Chaos Reborn is a new game in the tactical gaming space made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Chaos Reborn Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 396: Endless Space 2 It's a giant-sized gulp of Three Moves Ahead as Rob, Rowan, Fraser, and Sean "The Game Horatio" Sands discuss Endless Legend 2. Amplitude Games brought a competent - if not a bit bland - entry into the space 4X pantheon with Endless Space and followed up with the brilliant Endless Legend. Does Endless Space 2 continue their march toward greatness? Amplitude have expanded their writing and storytelling but unfortunately neglected the "QA" section of the tech tree in favor of ballistic weapons. Endless Legend 2, Endless Legend, Endless Space, but not the movie Legend or the Neverending Story. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 395: Jack Greene Dr. Bruce Geryk is back to host and talks to legendary game designer and author Jack Greene. Jack has contributed several seminal games over the years, such as Bismarck Second Edition, Iron Bottom Sound Third Edition, and Norway 1940. He tells Bruce about the old days of graphic design and publishing and lays down some practical knowledge about printing techniques. Bismarck Second Edition, Iron Bottom Sound Third Edition, Norway 1940 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Weekend May 28, 2017: Renaissance Morgan This weekend, we are still obsessed with Prey, the Immersive Sim in Space that could. We also chat about other fine games: like Dishonored 2 and Deus Ex, and we close out with a discussion of TV shows we're not 100% sure we like—it sure is an Idle Weekend, folks! Prey, Dishonored 2, Xcom 2, Fallout, Civilization, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Crew, Perfect Dark, Deus Ex, Alpha Centauri, Transmetropolitan, Children of Men, Space Hulk, Disney Afternoon Collection, Privateer, Riverdale, Fargo, Apocalypse Now Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 339: Ancient Warfare Spears! Cavalry! Dirt in your sandals! Rob, Bruce, and Troy "Is my pilum showing?" Goodfellow continue with the Winter of Wargaming and their discussion of ancient warfare. Learn more about history than you ever wanted from a video game podcast as the trio discuss their favorite games as well as a new secret project. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 394: Expeditions: Vikings When is a Viking not a Viking? When he's a farmer. Or a trader, maybe? Or maybe just a really sad dude that's down on himself. Rob and Troy "How hard can it be to build a farm, guys?" Goodfellow talk about Logic Artists' Expedition: Vikings and how there's a good game in there, if you can just pillage it out. Expeditions: Vikings, Expeditions: Conquistadors Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 393: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Rob, Fraser, and guest Ian Williams pick up their chainswords and head to the far-flung future to play Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III. The original Dawn of War remains a favorite of the panel, and Dawn of War II had its charm. Does Dawn of War pull the series back into greatness? Well, that entirely depends on how you feel about Lords Managements. And multiplayer. Because if you don't like those things, you may be left in the cold, unfeeling void of space. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 380: The Best Strategy Games of 2016 Hey there, friend. How's it going? Have a seat here next to your Uncle Rob. You can have a sip of my brandy old fashioned if you don't tell your mom. Why the long face, ace? 2016 got you down? Yeah, it's been kind of a shit year. But that's okay, I've got good news: regardless of what's happened in the rest of the world, 2016 was one of the best years ever for strategy games. The number of quality releases is enough to keep anyone busy for the next decade. But Uncle Rob, Cousin Fraser, and Wacky Neighbor Rowan are here to guide you through the best games of the year and give their definitive, not hesitant at all lock-in picks for Strategy Game of the Year. Hearts of Iron IV, Total Warhammer: Warhammer of War (tm), Civilization VI, Darkest Dungeon, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, Banner Saga 2, XCOM 2, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Fire Emblem Fates, Ashes of the Singularity, Civilization VI, Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris, Rimworld, Ultimate General: Civil War, Offworld Trading Company, Atlas Reactor Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 392: Steel Division: Normandy 44 Do you like wargames in Europe... that escalate? Do you like air AND land battles? Then Eugen games and their partners at Paradox have a game for you in Steel Division: Normandy 44. The creators of the perennial favorite Wargame series have turned their rivet-counting attention to World War II in their newest real time strategy game. Rob, Rowan, and Fraser give you the scoop on the latest game and why they have enjoyed their pre-release access. Steel Division: Normandy 44 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 391: Crusader Kings II: Monks and Mystics The stranger's arrival coincided with omens that the villagers could not ignore. A calf born with two heads. Flocks of crows circling the village green silently as the night, their voices stolen. Men disappearing for days at a time in the woods only to return stupefied, gibbering of bright lights and fairy rings. That stranger's name? Fraser Brown. And he's here to host this week's show on the latest expansion for Crusader Kings II - Monks and Mystics. CK2 Superfan T.J. Hafer is also on hand to talk about satanic cults, taking care of inconvenient spouses, and whether or not we've all hit the DLC fatigue wall. Crusader Kings II, Monks and Mystics Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 376: Underrepresented Theaters and Conflicts Rob, Bruce, and Troy "I was named after a siege" Goodfellow get together to talk about battles that just don't get enough love. Our Patreon donors voted and decided that this week the panel was to discuss theaters, battles, and conflicts that haven't been given a fair shake in the strategy gaming community. Rob and Troy have their hobby horses but Bruce takes exception to the question itself. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 389: Winter of Wargaming 2017 Wrapup Rob and Bruce wrap up this year's winter of wargaming by looking back at some of the games they played and some of the trends they've seen in the wargame space. From boutique games to the pros and cons of computer wargaming, they cover a wide array of topics on their favorite hobby. Does a narrow scope limit a game's design or does it open up new possibilities? How well can you really simulate a given scenario? Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 388: Scourge of War: Waterloo Rob, Rowan, and Troy "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" Goodfellow talk about Scourge of War: Waterloo. Waterloo is the first departure for the Take Command series in which we travel to a conflict outside of the American Civil War. Rowan has concerns about forts and Rob has concerns about... a few other things. Scourge of War: Waterloo Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes