Rob Zacny

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..."

Oooh, good point, and one that I'm surprised Michael Hermes didn't already make, since he's been advocating for the show to be renamed "This Week in Arcen" for the last couple years.

Esports Today October 1, 2015: Byul-ish on Esports Rob and Andrew gather after a hectic week of travel to revisit the latest chapter in perennial StarCraft underdog ByuL's amazing autumn, and discuss what they're looking forward to at League of Legend's World Championship. StarCraft2, League of Legends Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: StarCraft2 18:00: Esports Tomorrow

Wow, okay, lots of good suggestions here that makes me think we should revisit this topic again before too long. But to address one point... The answer is no, there was no conscious decision, but there is a pretty huge institutional blindspot on 3MA when it comes to mobile. The Tower Defense topic is something I'd put on our wish list last year, when Defense Grid came out. I dusted it off a couple weeks ago because another topic ended up getting delayed with only a couple days' notice. Hence this episode was also delayed quite a bit as we scrambled to fill the slot, and dealt with Sean's busted PC. So already you have a topic that's a bit less prepped than a lot of our other episodes. But then there's the fact that I do not play mobile games. That's not out of snobbery or anything. I just don't have a commute where they fill any kind of niche, and my job is all based around PC games. So that's where I look. Add to that the fact that I have a first-gen iPad and a slightly broken Samsung S3 and my mobile experience is not exactly cutting-edge. We did have time to prep this. We didn't go in cold. We all recommended taking a look at different games (and I didn't even get a chance to bring up Iron Brigade during the show), but we all looked at the PC because that's just where we tend to look. Usually that's okay. This time, apparently, we were a bit like drunks searching for their keys under a streetlight. Though I still think the show was decent, even if it was nowhere near comprehensive regarding the state of the art.

Esports Today October 6, 2015: LoL's Chaos in the Old World It's time for Worlds 2015, where nobody knows anything and the Fate mocks every League of Legends prediction. James "Obscurica" Chen joins Rob and Andrew to discuss why this group stage has been so wild, and what happened to China's vaunted LoL scene. Meanwhile, Rob is mending from injuries sustained during the violent crash of the ByuL Hype Train in StarCraft 2's latest GSL season, but he still finds it in himself to grill Andrew about the Dota 2 tournament at ESL One. League of Legends, StarCraft, Dota 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes First segment: StarCraft 2 10:00 - LoL with James Chen 30:57 - Dota 2 36:00 - Esports Tomorrow Cheat Sheet ByuL vs. INnoVation GSL Final VoD James' interview with CLG for PC Gamer Kelsey Moser on LGD's Flop Origen vs. KT Rolster ESL One ESL One Grand Finals Secret vs. Vega - Game 3 VoD

Esports Today September 22, 2015: Preparation vs. Skill vs. Character Cloud9 pour fuel on the flames of their Heroes of the Storm rivalry with Tempo Storm at the Heroes World Championship America Final in Las Vegas, and Rob and Andrew debate whether team drafts or in-game play determine victories. EnVyUs defeats Team SoloMid again in Counter-Strike at DreamHack: London, and Rob marvels at how every lucky break seemed to go Envy's way. Finally, the Job-like trials of ByuL continue in StarCraft as he loses the StarLeague final to herO in typically upsetting and heart-breaking fashion. Join Rob and Andrew as they savor the sweet agony of a great StarCraft player falling down against basic Protoss openings. StarCraft 2, CS:GO, Heroes of the Storm Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: Heroes of the Storm 13:23 - CS:GO 21:49 - StarCraft 36:52 - Esports Tomorrow Cheat Sheet EnVyUs vs. TSM ByuL vs. herO VoDs

Rob is joined by freelance writer T.J. Hafer and Gamers With Jobs' Shawn Andrich to talk about Grey Goo, a new RTS with a classic aesthetic and modern conveniences. Also, goo. T.J.'s review at IGN. Rob's review at PCGamesN. Listen here.

Esports Today September 15, 2015: The Polish Menace Rob and Andrew use the ESL Counter-Strike tournament in Dubai to figure out what is happening in Counter-Strike beyond the shooting as Team Liquid's Joe Wong returns to explain the economic aspects of the game and how teams use map strategy. Then Andrew revels in the Fall Classic and Snake Eyez' triumphant Zangief before the conversation turns to the dramatic WCS season finale, and Rob explains how MarineLorD broke his spirit. StarCraft, CS:GO Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment: ESL ESEA Invitational (CS:GO) 24:03 - Fall Classic (Fighting Games) 30:43 - StarCraft 2 48:43 - Esports Tomorrow

Starcraft II remains one of the most popular Esports, BUT... It's one of the most-streamed games, BUT... the new game mode will attract new players, BUT... listen in to hear what Rob and 3MA's very own Sean Sands think of the Legacy of the Void beta. (Also, learn about Rob's wicked APM.) Listen here.

Three Moves Ahead 319: Armello Rob, special guest Paul Dean, and Troy "Blue Balls Appear Irregularly" Goodfellow talk about Armello, an Early Access game available on Steam. Armello combines charming graphics and design with a game concept that is unapologetically a board game. The PC translation of this is full of potential that has time to be realized by the time the game is ready for release. We learn that Paul is lukewarm on the game, Troy is a fan, and Rob doesn't like Talisman. Armello, Talisman Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Esports Today September 9, 2015: Hashtag Passion Rob and Andrew discuss the China Regional Qualifiers for League of Legends and the surprising fall of SK before they are visited by the Spirit of StarCraft and reminded why this was once the king of esports. Detailed discussion of the StarLeague semifinal between ByuL and TY, a check-in on Chinese League of Legends, and a look at what went wrong for SK Gaming's League of Legends team. StarCraft 2, League of Legends Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Opening Segment - League of Legends 10:30 - StarCraft 27:02 - Esports Tomorrow Crib Sheet: LPL Regionals - EDG vs. Invictus Richard Lewis' Open Letter to Valve LCS Promotion: SK Gaming vs. G2 StarLeague Semifinal: TY vs. ByuL - WATCH THIS

Three Moves Ahead 321: Act of Aggression This week is a full house with Rob, Troy, Tom, and Fraser all weighing in on Eugen Systems' Act of Aggression. Tom stands alone as the half-hearted bastion of defense for a game that underwhelmed the panel. An unintuitive UI, questionable ethnic portrayals, and general crappiness had Fraser "so angry he punched a child", a deed which is now forever rendered in text. Act of Aggression, Wargame Series, Act of War Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Esports Today September 3, 2015: The Gauntlet Rob and Andrew chat about Heroes of the Storm's big international tournament at PAX, then talk to The Score's Kelsey Moser to get caught up on the state of Chinese and Korean LoL. Also dicussed: Cloud9's miracle run at the Regional Finals, and KT's Proleague stand. Opening - Heroes of the Storm 10:19 - League of Legends (Korea, China, NA Regionals) 29:22 - StarCraft 2 (Proleague, Red Bull) 41:50 - Esports Tomorrow Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends, StarCraft 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Crib Sheet NA Regionals VODs (the one worth watching)Heroes of the Storm MSI tournament final day at Red Bull Kelsey Moser on Twitter What's going on with EDG Analysis of Qiao Gu

Three Moves Ahead 320: Game Designer Brian Train This week Bruce sits down with prolific game designer Brian Train. Brian's games span a wide range of conflicts and scenarios, including Greek civil war, fighting in Algeria, and Special Forces actions in Vietnam. His predilection for asymmetric warfare and non-traditional combat modeling have brought his games to the attention of US military simulation experts and wargame fans throughout the world. Pusan Perimeter, Algeria, Greek Civil War, A Distant Plain Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Also check out: Brian's website Brian at BGG

Ah, okay, the news report Andrew and I were working from didn't have that info and a lot of things were still up in the air, I think. There's nothing wrong with SK being relegated, no... but I have to admit sometimes I'm concerned by the churn in the mid-to-lower tier teams. Teams have such a short timeline to turn things around before they're out of the LCS and into Challenger where it can be a bit harder to get sponsor support and attract strong players. The concept of relegation is fine, but it happens in this compressed time-frame that sometimes seems at odds with the goal of building a strong league. SK had a bad summer, and they're gone. Same thing could have happened to C9. Easily, and all because of a difficult captaincy transition. That worries me a little.

Esports Today August 18, 2015: Putting the Evil in Geniuses This week, Andrew and Rob preview the ESL One Cologne CSGO tournament with special guest Joe Wong from Team Liquid, react in shock to Evil Geniuses' post-International roster switch, and enjoy a wild series from StarCraft's Jaedong. Dota 2, CSGO, League of Legends, StarCraft 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Crib Sheet Charlie Yang's note on Aui Joe's Guide to ESL One Cologne Jaedong. vs Showtime - Game 3

Esports Today August 25, 2015: Comeback Kids Fnatic recapture Counter-Strike glory at ESL One Cologne while CLG finally get their League of Legends championship. Andrew is probably wrong about Rocket League. Opening - ESL One Cologne - CS:GO 6:17 - League of Legends Finals 21:19 - Rocket League Tournament 30:07 - Esports Tomorrow Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Rocket League Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Crib Sheet CSGO Grand Finals: Fnatic vs. EnVyUs & NA LCS Final: CLG vs. TSM EU LCS Final: Rocket League Final: Cosmic Aftershock vs. Kings of Urban (stay for the end) The Fnatic CSGO hype video:

Pretty sure it's "Froskurinn". No idea if this was a gag or a Freudian slip. Well done either way!

No, this is a pretty important clarification, I appreciate it. I clearly need to brush up on my League since I stopped covering it so much.