Rob Zacny

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

Three Moves Ahead 375: Rule the Waves Bruce and Troy "Bury me with the HMS Niobe" Goodfellow welcome Matthew Flanagan to this week's show as they talk about 2015's Rule the Waves. Rule the Waves is a game about designing post-dreadnought battleships in the context of World War 1 great powers. Part budget manager, part ship designer, and sometimes a combat simulator, Rule the Waves is a game that has all the detail that simulation grognards expect and all the trappings that come along for the ride. Troy loves it, Bruce has his reservations, and Matthew tells us what makes the game so appealing. Rule the Waves Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Also, make sure to check out Matthew's Youtube channel: The Historical Gamer

Three Moves Ahead 373: Amplitude Studios and the Endless Series This week Rob and Fraser welcome special guest Jeff Spock, Narrative Director at Amplitude Studios. The Endless Series has garnered a large amount of praise with its impressive debut in Endless Space, the unique gameplay in Dungeons of the Endless, and the master class of 4X gaming in Endless Legend. Jeff goes over the challenges of writing for 4X and strategy games and how the universe has changed from Endless Space to Endless Legend. Endless Legend has changed quite a bit since launch and Jeff explains how the series has evolved and where it might go in Endless Space 2. This topic was chosen in a poll by our Patreon backers. Endless Space, Dungeons of the Endless, Endless Legend, Endless Space 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 359: Chess in 2016 The inmates are running the asylum as Three Moves Ahead producer Michael Hermes takes over the show to talk about the state of chess in 2016. Joining Michael is chess professional and Youtuber John Bartholomew, an FIDE International Master and all-around chess guru. There are many reasons to be excited about chess right now, such as the boom in Youtube and streaming and the dynamic state of the professional scene. John and Michael go over some of the tools available to modern players, the sites they get excited about, and how St. Louis has become the chess capital of the US. Chess Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 371: 3MA After Dark Three Moves Ahead is serious business. We spend weeks - sometimes months - planning stimulating topics and tantalizing shows. But this week it's time to unwind. It's time to pour some scotch, dim the lights, and talk about whatever's on our minds. For the first time ever, the Three Moves Ahead team is all on the show at the same time: Rob, Bruce, Michael, and Troy "I keep bookstores in business because I don't trust technology and hate trees" Goodfellow. Also, be sure to stick around after the show and get a glimpse of professionalism at its finest. Scythe, Dominions 4, Board games Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

You know, I had misgivings about the conversation we had at the start of this episode. Not that we shouldn't have had it, or that I regretted what we said, but just that I know some people are probably burned-out on hearing about this right now and I like Idle Weekend to be kind of a cool, cheerful place to hear lively discussion. Danielle and I often joke about how we have the most Extremely Real conversations just before we hit record, and then our tone completely shifts. It's one reason I love doing this show: Danielle and our audience help bring me out of whatever funk I might be in, and bring me back to focusing on the stuff I love. This week our pre-show chat didn't happen. So we tackled what was on our minds, and I knew that some people wouldn't enjoy that chat, either because they weren't in the mood or because they disliked our views. So far, I have to say I'm pretty glad that the feedback we're getting back is mostly very positive. I think every week of Idle Weekend is like a public trust-fall with this community, and you guys catch us every time. I was hoping the admin reports I was getting this admin would be about some random lurker, but I can't say I'm surprised to see it was Turrican. Disappointed, but not surprised. It's always a bummer to see someone who has been a community member for a while, even one that has crossed lines repeatedly, finally burn his last bridges. But when someone repeatedly demonstrates he can't separate disagreement from personal hostility to a community that has tried to welcome him, it's time to call it a day. Thanks for being on top of this, readers (and Doug).

Three Moves Ahead 374: Civilization VI Troy "I hate that jerk-ass Montezuma" Goodfellow is joined by Rowan Kaiser, Fraser Brown, and David V. Heron to talk about one of the biggest strategy games of the year: Civilization VI. A new Civilization game is always a cause for celebration. But what has changed? What has remained? Is it a revolution or an evolution? In this case, it turns out to be more of the latter. It's a fun game, it has some great ideas, but at its core it remains the same Civilization game it has been for decades. But... is that a bad thing? Civilization VI Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 370: Dean Essig Bruce welcomes award-winning game designer Dean Essig of The Gamers to talk about his long history of designing wargames. Dean's experience in the military and attention to detail have helped him create long-lasting series that model combat on several different levels. Dean and Bruce discuss the process of playtesting, the challenges of tactical, battalion, and operational level games, double-blind gaming, and why Illinois is such a great state. Tactical Combat Series, Operational Combat Series, Standard Combat Series Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Dean Essig at Boardgamegeek The promised book list: Looking at the reality of what it is like... The Sharp End (John Ellis) Men Against Fire (Marshall)* The Face of Battle (John Keegan) The Soldiers Load and the Mobility of a Nation(Marshall) On Infantry (John English) *Marshall has caught flak in recent years for the methodology used and claims of making up information, regardless the volume Men Against Fire is invaluable and it would be foolish to avoid reading it in one’s studies. And How Forces really interact… Maneuver Warfare Handbook (William Lind)** Fighting Power (van Creveld) Supplying War (van Creveld) Battle Leadership (Adolf von Schnell) Fighting by Minutes (Robert Leonhard) The Art of Maneuver (Robert Leonhard) **A slim volume and pricey on the used market, but absolutely well worth finding.

Three Moves Ahead 327: Kingdom Rob, Rowan, and Fraser apparently got into the catnip this week before getting together to talk about Kingdom. Kingdom is a game about chasing rabbits, usurping monarchies, and losing your hat. It caused Rob to enter a Howard Hughes-esque fugue state, shuffling about in his apartment with tissue boxes on his feet while mumbling about forgetting to bring coins into the woods. Kingdom, Risk of Rain, Terraria Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. There's a couple things here. And I'm sorry we didn't get to your letter, it was absolutely the other one that I really wanted to read. First, I definitely threw some gasoline on this discussion because I wasn't wild about leaving it off with, "I guess we didn't realize other people looked at the world differently," because I felt that somehow the original aesthetic objection to magical realism had been lost. So if that device somehow puts-off Danielle, or me, I wanted us to at least try and unpack that hang-up rather than simply write it off as a cultural blindspot to be cured with education. In short, I felt like we'd ended up learning about, say, the exact nature and context of "belief in elves" and why that is not some kind of benighted, backwards belief... which I don't think was the original problem. The problem was that, for some reason, works of fiction where elves are woven into the fabric of a world otherwise grounded in familiar, materialist reality seems to piss Danielle off, and I'm not too sure about it either. So why does that device, not the foundations underlying it, act as a turn-off? And I think, for me, that's where the heavy-handed remark comes in. Not that the critique of western civilization and values is heavy-handed and I'm so over it, but that the way this literary tradition tends to state this critique often seems, to me, heavy-handed in its delivery. That got lost, however, because at a certain point the thread of the conversation slipped away from me and I ended up expressing my frustration with western adoption of bastardized version's of other culture's spiritual beliefs at which point one could justly ask whether, at any point, we were actually talking about magical realism. Clearly, more study is required, as has been very well called-out here an elsewhere. But if I came across as condescending, I apologize. My attempt was to drive us toward the point of our original, if poorly thought-out, objection.

Three Moves Ahead 344: Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan Rob is joined once again by David Heron as well as the elusive Julian Murdoch to discuss Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan. Sekigahara fills a fascinating niche in the wargame space by giving a lengthy game experience that is light on rules. It's easy to teach and learn yet still gives the impression of a much beefier experience. Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan, War of the Ring Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 369: The Banner Saga 2 WARNING: The Banner Saga 2 is a story-driven game. Certain plot points will be talked about. Major plot points from the first game are discussed. Such is life in a podcast where the point is to talk about what happens in video games. This week Rob Zacny and Fraser Brown talk about Banner Saga 2, the sequel to the Kickstarter darling that made a splash with its gorgeous graphics and brutal gameplay. The decisions are harder, the battles are more interesting, and lots of people still die. The Banner Saga 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 368: Dark Reign: The Future of War This month's patron-selected game is 1997's Dark Reign: The Future of War. It wasn't the prettiest game, or even the best game. But it was an RTS that existed in the glorious sepia-tinted days when the genre could do no wrong and even the more hamfisted attempts were at least competent given the sliding scale of the time. Rob, David Heron, and Troy "These RTS games make my rheumatism flare up" Goodfellow talk about Dark Reign, the 90's, and KMFDM somehow. Dark Reign: The Future of War, and every other damn RTS that ever existed Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 367: Bite-sized Strategy Rob, David Heron, and Troy "It's dignity, gah - don't you even know dignity when you see it?" Goodfellow get together to talk about strategy games that don't take 100 hours to play. Whether you're burned out on the sprawling grand strategy games that take up more time than most community college degrees or you just don't have enough time left in the day after pursuing your community college degree, shorter games can be better. But why aren't there a lot of compact, quick-to-play strategy games? Why does the general gaming public hate the ones that do exist? Our panel tries to crack the case of the easily digestible strategy game and ultimately leaves slightly depressed. Kingdom, Offworld Trading Company, Invisible Inc., Valkyria Chronicles, Heroes of the Storm, Game of War and stuff, Hearts of Iron IV, Battle of the Bulge, Tharsis, Hero Academy, Hero's Charge, Atlantic Fleet, Heroes of Might and Magic, Horse and Musket, Masters of Orion, Sid Meier's Starships, Atom Zombie Smasher, Flotilla, Civilization V, Unity of Command Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 365: Rimworld Rowan Kaiser, Gita Jackson, and Jonathan Bolding join Troy "Why do I always have to clean the airlock" Goodfellow to talk about Rimworld. Rimworld joins a prestigious line of games in the relatively new genre of "It's like Dwarf Fortress, BUT - " by adding its own sci-fi survival twist. While still in Early Access, Rimworld has recently made its way to Steam to bring its procedurally-generated madness to the masses. Rimworld, Dwarf Fortress Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes