Rob Zacny

The show was recorded the 27th, so we should have gotten to your questions. Could you re-send? Sometimes the email forwarding is a bit wonky. There was definitely a relaxed, "nobody here but us" vibe when we were recording this episode. Also, our questions didn't leave us a lot of choice! People were throwing tough questions at us, so we kind of engaged with them on those terms. Knowing people had signed up for this, and asked these kinds of questions, made it easy to just roll with it. Had it been a regular episode, I definitely would have been watching the time a little more closely and also trying to keep things a little more approachable overall. For better or worse.

Yeah, see, that's kind of the thing I want, too. Staff being "tired" isn't really an interesting issue, more just a warning sign that you're overstretched or lacking in amenities. Easy solutions in both cases. But the kind of thing you're talking about, where guards are going to be going to work every day alongside a convict who killed on of their own... that's is rife with unused potential here. ON THE OTHER HAND... my fears that the game could get kind of sadistic? I suspect getting into a lot of guard-prisoner dynamics might be one way that could happen. The moment we're watching guards beat a prisoner and marveling because, "hey, cool, that guard is working out a grudge" then we're back to the things that made me a little wary of this entire idea. Didn't do enough with the the espionage mechanics. My snitches tended to get stitches (and by stitches, I mean brutal and fatal stabbings). So I just tended to rely on direct observation and searches. Oh, no idea if this is real or not, but I sometimes I'd send guards into cell blocks late at night and i'd spot a prisoner scrambling back into this bed the moment the guard came down the corridor and look like he was asleep. In most cases where I saw this happen, a search revealed contraband. So I started watching prisoners myself for "suspicious behavior". Maybe I was just projecting and interpreting search results through the lens of confirmation bias, but it did seem like I could spot the outliers in the prison population and suppress them.

Hey, the backer Q&A is up right now, and I think Patreon should have sent you folks a message about it. It's about 90 minutes, and you can download it directly or listen to it on Soundcloud. Regarding making the Q&A episode free and available to all... (and prefacing all of this with the caveat that I only have a vague understanding of the psychology of a Patreon campaign) To an extent, I know that the exclusivity angle here is kind of absurd, because the majority of people who back a Patreon like ours really don't care about getting anything in return. It's a measure of support and appreciation. And I also know that having one episode of 3MA not pushed to podcast managers is probably annoying. I absolutely have thought a few times about just saying, "hell with it, it's free". But not everyone is going to think that way. I can't blame anyone who is motivated to pay that extra premium because they want something extra, and I couldn't blame anyone who felt miffed if suddenly I said that perk is now free to all. So we're not going to rock that boat, not for a while at any rate. But we'll pay attention to what people say about this backer tier and take that feedback onboard for the future. Nothing is set in stone.

Esports Today December 2, 2015: Dream a Little DreamHack Rob and Andrew sit down with Rod "Slasher" Breslau to discuss how Luminosity came out of nowhere and nearly won DreamHack CSGO, and the current state of Counter-Strike. Then, Rob and Andrew chat about Legacy of the Void's terrific DreamHack debut. Plus, some good listener questions. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: CSGO 29:00 - StarCraft 44:55 - Listener Questions Crib Sheet

Following-up on Troy's point... I have an email list of every Patreon subscriber and was going to send out a thank-you and housekeeping message in the next few days. But in general, I've been hesitant to send out emails because I know people hate spam. However, what I'm noticing is that we're having a hard time finding another channel of communication that works. On the Patreon bulletin board, only a few people have noticed or responded to posts meant for their backer-tier. We just had someone asking about the Q&A episode because we mentioned we'd recently finished recording it... and that listener didn't know we'd solicited questions! Ironically, when I tried to solicit feedback on this issue via Twitter, no backers responded, but we did find a bunch of people who apparently didn't know we were running a Patreon! [The Backer Q&A episode is going up this week, btw] In short, it looks like trying to talk to backers via a forum thread, Twitter, and the Patreon page isn't really reaching people and it's causing some frustration. So until I hear complaints from you, I am going to rely a little more on direct email via Patreon. Because right now it seems like backers are in the dark about what we're doing, and that's no good. Question for you backers, however: when a post goes up that's relevant to your backer-tier, do you get a push notification? What about when a new episode notification is posted to Patreon?

Three Moves Ahead 322: Wing Leader Bruce and Troy "I really made a Messerschmitt" Goodfellow are joined by noted game designer Lee Brimmicombe-Wood to talk about Lee's new game, Wing Leader. Wing Leader is a side-view aerial combat game that allows players to simulate different weather conditions and air combat scenarios. Wing Leader Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 331: Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void Rob, Sean Sands, and Kotaku's Jason Schreier take a comprehensive look at Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void. The campaign is coming to an end as long-remembered friends from the original game are back to complete the story of Starcraft. The crew discusses the current state of multiplayer, Archon mode, and how to have the most fun in the game. Starcraft 2, Legacy of the Void Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Jason Schreier's review at Kotaku Jason's Kotaku Podcast: Splitscreen Rob's LotV Review

Three Moves Ahead 329: Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide Civilization®: Beyond Earth had a bumpy start. Despite Firaxis's's...s attempts to distance Beyond Earth the from the venerable Alpha Centauri, the game was inevitably compared to the genre favorite and found to be wanting. A new expansion is here and special guest Martin Glaude - best known for his Let's Play videos on Youtube as quill18 - joins Rob and Troy "There's Always Money in the Banana Stand" Goodfellow to discuss the latest addition to the Civilization franchise. Civilization: Beyond Earth, Civilization V, Civilization IV, Alpha Centauri Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Esports Today November 10, 2015: An sOs to the World Rob comes back from Blizzcon positively glowing from the StarCraft finals. He and Andrew dig into the signature moments of the weekend, including why INnoVation came up short, and why the Life vs. sOs matchup was so perfect. Then they answer listener questions, and look forward to the Dota 2 Frankfurt Major. StarCraft 2, Dota 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Crib Sheet: Watch these two VODs. Seriously.

Esports Today November 24, 2015: Legends of the Lower Bracket Andrew and Rob discuss the Dota 2 Frankfurt Major with Alan "Nahaz" Bester. How unprecedented was OG's victory? What's the deal with EG? Nahaz doesnt't want to hear any hand-wringing about China. Plus, we discuss the LoL trade season and IEM San Jose. League of Legends, Dota 2, CSGO Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: Dota 2 24:36 - CSGO 30:19 - LoL 40:30 - Esports Tomorrow

Hmm, this is the second time I'm hearing about Thea. First time was from Troy, so I guess we should take a look.

Have you ever felt unable to articulate the gnawing doubt that paws at your mind as you play another 4X strategy game? Wondered at the tickle of weariness that plays at your mind as you once again discover Iron and go about the tedious work of upgrading your troops to Swordsman? Have you sighed deeply, closing out yet another Civilization run a mere five hours in, knowing that you'll never come back to it, finding it easier to start again on a vast, unspoiled continent before the crushing weight of despair will once again drive your game to a close? If so, this is the show for you! Rob and Troy are joined by game designer David Heron and freelance writer Austin Walker to talk about 4X games as a whole - what works, what doesn't, and why every damn conversation circles back to people looking for another Masters of Orion game. Listen here.

Three Moves Ahead 330: Churchill Bruce sits down with renowned game designer Mark Herman to talk about his latest offering, Churchill. Combining historical personalities with the tension of negotiation, Churchill is not a wargame in the traditional sense. Rather, it puts the players in the shoes of Churchill, Stalin, or Roosevelt as they plan the Allied attack against the Axis. Churchill Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Mark Herman's game design blog

Three Moves Ahead 325: Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence Rob, Gaslamp Developer Nicholas Vining, and Troy "Notice me, senpai" Goodfellow sit down to talk about Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence. Koei has a long history of strategy games that dates back to console gaming with Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Their most recent offering, Sphere of Influence, is newly available on Steam. It's a beautiful game, but is it good? Is interesting better than good? Nobunaga's Ambition, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dwarf Fortress, Crusader Kings II Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Esports Today November 3, 2015: World's Greatest Rob and Andrew dive into a week of championships. Did KOO Tigers let an opportunity slip through their fingers? Envyus firmly ensconce themselves at the top of CSGO at DreamHack, while Heart of the Swarm StarCraft ends with some whimpers at BlizzCon opening week. StarCraft, League of Legends, CSGO Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: League of Legends 18:12 - CS:GO 29:29 - StarCraft 44:19 - Esports Tomorrow Crib Sheet SKT vs. KOO: VOD / VOD Envyus vs Na'Vi, Dreamhack Cluj Napoca , WCS Round of 16

Esports Today October 28, 2015: The Blizzcon Banquet On the eve of Blizzcon, Taylor Cocke steps in for Andrew Groen to talk with Rob about the Korea vs. Korea League of Legends final, a new generation of Hearthstone stars, the final act of Heart of the Swarm StarCraft, and DreamHack Counter-Strike. StarCraft, Hearthstone, League of Legends Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Start - League of Legends 20 - Blizzcon Crib Sheet SK vs Origen Fnatic vs. KOO Tigers Fnatic head coach on why they lost An admittedly odd episode this week. A family emergency required this one to be put together at the last minute, and we were kind of winging it. Taylor did a great job filling in on a show where we didn't have a chance to do as much prep as usual. Normal service will hopefully resume next week.

Esports Today October 21, 2015: The Prime of Life Rob and Andrew encounter a StarCraft matchfixing scandal with a shocking lack of surprise and explain why, unless more bad news breaks, this isn't such a huge deal. Rob calls Prime the "Springtime for Hitler" of Progaming teams. Rob and Andrew appreciate the stylishness of an Origen victory in League of Legends but feel grim inevitability around SK Telecom, then try and understand Secret's secret as they bounce back from The International and win an MLG event. StarCraft 2, Dota 2, League of Legends Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: StarCraft matchfixing scandal 10:17 - League of Legends 21:43 - Dota 2 27:22 - Esports Tomorrow Crib Sheet: Investigators' report on match-fixing via TeamLiquid

Esports Today October 14, 2015: Reality Bites Harsh truths are learned, bitter pills are swallowed as Rob and Andrew contemplate the aftermath of the StarCraft 2 Proleague season, and Taylor Cocke joins them to discuss the end of the dramatic League of Legends group stage. Finally, Andrew relishes in the oddities of SoCal Regionals and the beautiful balance of Street Fighter 4. League of Legends, StarCraft, Street Fighte Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: StarCraft 2 Proleague 11:00 - League of Legends 32:00 - SoCal Regionals 37:50 - Esports Tomorrow

To the first point, I'm surprised I never brought up Infested Planet on the show, since I was quite high on it over at PCGN. Though unless it has changed a ton, I'm not sure it warrants comparisons to the Warcraft 3 campaign that I saw above. To the second point... yeah. That's another reason I wanted Tom. Because in retrospect I feel that part of the conversation was pretty misguided (and forum members called us out on it at the time). But I also think that a bad campaign is worse than no campaign at all. Sins of a Solar Empire works without a campaign. The first Wargame had a really sparse campaign (really just a bunch of linked scenarios) and was still pretty great. But so many RTS campaigns spoon-feed you new units and concepts that they're just endless filler. Especially "commando" missions. Ugh.

Three Moves Ahead 324: Tower Defense Rob, Sean Sands, and Troy "I play Plants vs Zombies for the lore" Goodfellow hunker down to defend their glowing orbs and talk about tower defense. The genre is still alive and well, but did it ever really die? Or has it been the Samwise Gamgee of genres: consistent, comforting, and good at gardening? Orcs Must Die, Sanctum, Deathtrap, GemCraft, Defense Grid, Dungeon of the Endless, Prime World Defenders, Plants vs Zombies, Warcraft 3, Company of Heroes, Toy Soldiers, Dungeon Defenders 2, Fortnite Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Games discussed: Orcs Must Die 2 Sanctum Deathtrap GemCraft Defense Grid 2 Dungeon of the Endless Prime World Defenders Plants vs Zombies 2 Warcraft 3 Company of Heroes Toy Soldiers Dungeon Defenders 2 Fortnite

Oh for the halcyon days of 2009 when this sometimes seemed like a clear and present danger.

Ahahahaahahaha. I kid you not, the list of games we want to look at — just games, mind you, not topics — is a single-spaced page long. And all of those are on it! Who knows, maybe after a good 18 months of the best intentions, we'll finally do Xenonauts! The "pile of shame" gets daunting fast when you're a strategy games podcast. There are not enough weeks in the year.

Three Moves Ahead 323: Company of Heroes The true measure of a game's greatness is how many game developers play it during their lunch breaks. This week we learn that Company of Heroes validates this universal truth with its compelling gameply and lasting appeal. With the recent addition of the British army to CoH2, Rob Zacny, Blendo Games' Brendon Chung, and CoH product Shane Neville look back at the original game and the state of the sequel. The first entry in the series still holds strong while the sequel continues to improve. Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

I know there's no arguing personal taste, and you're usually great Gaizo but this just makes me so angry. Sometimes taste can be wrong. More seriously, coming from a wargaming tradition, this is all just second-nature to me. I played Squad Leader more than C&C growing up, and a combat-resolution table is all about variance and luck. But I also think this game is NOT as variable as you make it out to be. A lot of the issues you describe just require a different approach to control than in games like SC2, but if you micro properly, you still get some pretty predictable results. Take the mortar, for example. 9/10 the first shots fall wide of the target. If the mortar is veteran, obviously they're more accurate, but the point remains that the mortar becomes more dangerous the longer you leave infantry under fire. I almost never see a one-shot kill on a full-strength infantry unit, unless they've already been damaged by previous shots or other kinds of combat. So it's not a completely random event, and I'm comfortable with having combat that involves a degree of skewed luck. I will say sometimes the fact that squads' autonomy does cause them to fall into poor positions or facings can be infuriating, but again, usually they stay where I put them.

Oh man, I wish we'd brought that up. I do love that all the clan exist in a state of cold war and will react to army deployments by moving forces onto the border. Great point, and something that I badly wish I saw in more strategy games. A better solution than the weak-kneed diplomatic "please move your armies away from my border" option. Also, enjoying how this thread is 2/3 "so you can't make it through RotTK..."