Rob Zacny

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

Three Moves Ahead 387: Churchill AAR It's a very special Three Moves Ahead as we find Rob visiting Bruce in person to play a variety of wargames. The star of the weekend is Mark Herman's Churchill (previously covered in 3MA #330), a game in which players assume the role of Churchill, Stalin, or Roosevelt over the course of ten critical conferences. Also discussed: 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis. Churchill, 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 386: Steel Panthers Fun fact: Did you know that if you search for "Steel Panthers" on Google Images you will find both A) screenshots of the Steel Panthers series and B) photographs of an active glam rock band named Steel Panther? Go ahead, look for yourself. I'll wait. Did you check? Pretty crazy that people are still into that. In any case, our Patreon supporters voted and decided that this month Rob and Troy "It's all about penetration and angles" Goodfellow talk about Steel Panthers the video game. Not the band. Steel Panthers, Steel Panthers 2, The Operational Art of War, Command Ops Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Weekend March 6, 2017: An Austin Walker Original Today, we are joined by Waypoint Editor in Chief, mech enthusiast and friend of the show Austin Walker, for a whopping 2+ hour idle weekend extravaganza. We talk deconstruction in games, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and The Wire, amongst other things. Stay tuned for a *VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* at the end of the show! Titanfall 2, Dishonored 2, Get Out, Breath of the Wild, Stories Untold, Galatea, Aisle, Star Wars: Rogue One, Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Life is Strange, Hitman, Alan Wake, The Wire, The Magnificent Seven, Flight Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 385: Star Wars: Rebellion Board Game Rob, Sean Sands, and Jonathan Bolding get together to talk about Star Wars: Rebellion. No, not that one, the board game one. Fantasy Flight's take on the Star Wars universe offers an asymmetrical experience in which the powerful Empire attempts to search for the scrappy Rebels across the galaxy. Star Wars: Rebellion Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 384: Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory Hearts of Iron IV has received its first beefy chunk of DLC with Together for Victory, and Rob, Fraser, and T.J. Hafer are here to tell if you it's worth your hard-earned post war dollars. In short: it probably is. Together for Victory expands on the player's ability to reshape history and manage British Commonwealths. Is the best part of the DLC the battle log? Does Fraser get tired of constantly being wrong all the time? Does this expansion make leasing things fun? Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 382: Battlefield 1 and First Person Shooters The Winter of Wargaming is upon us once again, and to kick things off we look at a different kind of wargaming - the first person shooter. Battlefield 1 tackled the often-neglected first-person arena of World War 1, and to everyone's surprise it turned to be a damn fine game. Several other recent releases have also featured the grim realities of WW1 so Rob, Fraser, and guest Evan Lahti go through them this week to discuss whether historical accuracy is something we need or even want in a WW1 game. Battlefield 1, Verdun, Valiant Hearts, Arma Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 383: Distant Worlds and Aurora The title of the patron backer poll was: "What two (2) inscrutable games do Rob and Troy have to explain to each other?" We found the most incrutabl-iest games we could for our list and the backers voted: Distant Worlds and Aurora would be the games to play. Unfortunately, Troy's head exploded during his valiant effort so this week Rob and Michael will talk about these two behemoths of space strategy. They won't cover everything and won't get everything right, but maybe - just maybe - they'll sell you on what makes these challenging games worth your time. Or not. Probably not. Distant Worlds: Universe, Aurora Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 377: Warhammer, Glorious Warhammer This week Rob, Fraser Brown, and Jonathan Bolding get together to talk about the Warhammer universe. There has been no shortage of Warhammer (both 40K and non-40K) games lately, with Games Workshop throwing the proverbial spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. Amidst the vast swaths of mediocre to bad games, however, there are gems that accurately capture the macabre gravitas of the Warhammer universe. Just append WARHAMMER or WARHAMMER 40K and a (tm) to all of these: Dawn of War, Fire Warrior, Shadow of the Horned Rat, Relic, Armageddon, Vermintide, Space Hulk, Deathwing, Space Marine, Total Warhammer, Corsair, Eternal Crusade, Naval Action, Eisenhorn, Mordheim, Battlefleet: Gothic Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 381: Ultimate General: Civil War Rob, Rowan, and Troy "My favorite civil war documentary was F Troop" Goodfellow get together to talk about Ultimate General: Civil War. Game-Labs had an impressive debut with Ultimate General: Gettysburg, putting out a game that was lauded by the community at large as well as our panelists. With UG: Civil War, they take on a much larger task by adding persistent units, more battles, and a grander scale. But are they up to such a daunting task? Can they overcome the focused genius of the first game? As it turns out: yes. Yes, they can. Ultimate General: Civil War Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 342: Satellite Reign Satellite Reign is more cyberpunk than anything has a right to be. It deftly combines quality gameplay with all of the hallmark features of the often overplayed or misinterpreted genre. Giant Bomb's Austin Walker joins Rob to talk about Satellite Reign and why they enjoy it so much. Also, Rob finally fulfills the prophecy of someone on the show using the word "panopticon". Satellite Reign, Invisible, Inc., XCOM Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 378: EUIV and Rights of Man Nothing is certain in this world except death, taxes, and Paradox expansions. Time marches on and EUIV, the elder statesman of the Paradox stable, the well-rounded workhorse, the stalwart representation of all things Paradox...ish... has continued to grow and improve. Guest host Sean Sands talks with Rowan Kaiser and T.J. Hafer about Rights of Man and the current state of the game. Where does EUIV go from here? Does Paradox just keep adding features forever? Would that be a bad thing? Why are estates so lame? Why isn't Victoria III a thing yet? Europa Universalis IV, Crusader Kings II, Hearts of Iron IV Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes