Rob Zacny

Three Moves Ahead 470: Total War: Three Kingdoms This week's show is the alternate universe version of our 2013 episode on Total War: Rome II. It was two hours of non-stop slamming that poor game - a real massacre. But here we find ourselves in 2019 with Total War: Three Kingdoms in front of us, and things are different. It's good. It's very good. The load times are short. The AI seems competent. The vibrant Three Kingdoms setting is brought to life with both a story mode and a gloriously ahistorical mode that lets the characters shine. Rob, Fraser, T.J., Rowan, and special guest Ginny Woo explore this new entry that bridges the gap between the historical Total War games their offshoot fantasy cousin. Total War: Three Kingdoms Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 469: Imperator: Rome Rob, TJ, and Jon are not quite sure what to make of Imperator: Rome, the latest historical grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studio. Should a Hellenistic warlord have such fine control over demographics? Is there much to do beyond empire-building? On the other hand, when the eagles are marching, does there need to be? Imperator: Rome Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 465: Mark Herman's Empire of the Sun Rob and Bruce are here to sing the praises of Mark Herman's Empire of the Sun, a brilliant adaptation of the war in the Pacific. Enjoying the game through the magic of VASSAL, our wargaming duo describe how about Empire of the Sun does a commendable job of conveying the challenges of imperfect information, the plans of the Imperial Japanese fleet, and inter-service rivalry - all through the elegance of card-based play. Empire of the Sun Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 468: Same Thing, Different Place The gang has been playing the Steel Division 2 beta and wow, things are different on the Eastern Front. That leads to a discussion of how familiar series and systems take on new life, or fail to, when adapted to new settings. Imperator, Steel Division 2, Sengoku Jidai, Pike and Shot, Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 416: Dominions 5: Warriors of the Faith This week Michael, Bruce, Jonathan Bolding, and Troy "I've never met a succubus I didn't like" Goodfellow talk about Dominions 5: Warriors of the Faith. Illwinter Games continues their long-running master class in world building and fiction in games with the fifth entry in the series. Dominions combines wargaming with a diverse fantasy setting that has attracted a loyal fanbase over several versions and decades. The panel talks about what is new in the series, whether the graphics really matter, and why it's fun to be a monolith. Dominions 5, Conquest of Elysium Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 466: Dawn of Man Troy, Jon Bolding, and Rob discuss Madruga Works' Dawn of Man, a prehistoric and ancient history city builder and survival game. The gang is charmed, but also feel like there are some big gaps in the evolution of your city and society. Dawn of Man, Children of the Nile, Planetbase Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 464: Dota 2 Auto Chess Here's the word cloud for this week's episode: Dota2, mod, sports management, Lords Management, battle royale, open world survival game with roguelike elements (jk but we need that SEO), deckbuilding, tower defense. That's right, we're talking about the mod for the game that's a copy of a mod for another game that has nothing to do with either of the things in its title: Dota 2 Auto Chess. Auto Chess is Dota 2 mod that you can play right now, for free. It's taking the world by storm, and it contains a satisfying combination of team management and long-term strategy. Rob, Rowan, and Taylor Cocke talk us through what the heck it is, how it works, and why Taylor seems to like it so very much. Also, a surprising amount of basketball commentary. Dota2, Auto Chess Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 463: Classic Year in Review: 1994 Sound Blaster! 3DFX! Games that go unpatched because there's no way to fix them! That's right, we're going back 25 years to 1994. Yes, 25 years. We're all hella old, in case that had not occurred to anyone. But who am I kidding, if you're listening to this show you are probably part of the gamer geriatrics, pausing from your record run of Chip's Challenge or Kye to dust off your AARP card and get cheap coffee at McDonald's, nursing it from 9 AM to 11 AM before going to the smaller grocery store in town because the bigger store just has too many choices and the lights are too bright. Anyway, lots of good games came out in 1994. Rowan correctly names the Overall Game of the Year while Rob and Sean have good intentions but are unfortunately wrong. Art by Carlos Villa. X-COM: Enemy Unknown, Sid Meier's Colonization, Star Wars: TIE Fighter, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, Ultima VIII: Pagan, Outpost, Final Fantasy VI (or III, whatever), Panzer General, Elder Scrolls: Arena, Liberty or Death, Perfect General II, Master of Magic, System Shock, Warcraft, Aces of the Deep, Lords of the Realm, Marathon Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 326: State of the RTS This week Rob, Fraser, and Troy "More Than a Phalanx" Goodfellow take a look at the RTS genre. Rob has concerns about the health of this stalwart of the strategy space, where innovation seems low and quality titles are few and far between. Troy wants more elves and less aliens. Starcraft 2 Planetary Annihiliation Supreme Commander Age of Mythology Gray Goo Ruse Act of Aggression Wargame series Age of Empires 3 Kohan League of Legends Dota 2 Warcraft 3 Company of Heroes 2 "Men of Assault War" SC2VN Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 458: Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden This week Rob, Jon Bolding, Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro, and Troy "I can't find the bard class" Goodfellow take a look at Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden by The Bearded Ladies game studio. Mutant Year Zero combines XCOM-like tactical gameplay with a post-apocalyptic setting that's a joy to look at. Its boardgame roots are evident in its sharp gameplay and rich setting. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 462: Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm The seas are rising. The air is getting worse. Rock bands are forming. Fraser, Sean Sands, and Troy "The Diplomatic Juggernaut" Goodfellow go for Just One More Turn (tm) with Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. In this, the "second Civ expansion that finally finishes the game", the player fights against other civilizations as well as an increasingly hostile Mother Earth. Gathering Storm is a worthy addition to the series, but where do we go from here? Certainly not beyond earth (cough), but with Civ as a whole? Civilization VI, Gathering Storm Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 453: Black Hawk Down and Zulu We're trying something different at Three Moves Ahead this week. Rob and Troy "am I Siskel or Ebert?" Goodfellow take a brief respite from gaming to to discuss two historical military films: Zulu (1964) and Black Hawk Down (2002). Let us know in the forums if you enjoy this discussion of movies, imperialism, and interventionism. Zulu, Black Hawk Down Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 404: Total War: Warhammer Revisited It's episode 404hammer and Rob, Fraser, and T.J. Hafer revisit Total War: Warhammer. With the sequel fast approaching, Rob had the itch to play some morehammer and see how the series has evolved. Far from being a borehammer, the newest races and expansions seem to have expanded the gameplay and and embraced the lorehammer. Rob's enthusiasm is infectious and everyone on the panel feels the esprit de corpshammer as this game turns out to one of the finest Total War games in the lineup. Warhammer. Total War: Warhammer, Total War series Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 460: Looking Ahead to 2019 2018 has come and gone, its crusty remains pushed to the side for new buffet plate (always get a new plate) of games coming out in 2019. Rob, T.J., and Ian Boudreau talk about the games they're excited for, the games they're cautiously optimistic for, and even some that they're dreading. Grand Tactician, General Staff Wargaming System, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Star Wars Armada, Phoenix Point, Xenonauts, Imperator, Bannerlord, Tropico 6, Iron Harvest Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 459: Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Tyranids In the grim dark future there is only war. No, really. In Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War, there is no diplomacy system. All of that nonsense has been put aside in lieu of 40K chainsword murder. Gladius manages to be a chimera of strategy games. Is it a 4X? Part of an RTS? Grimdark Civ? Whatever it is, Rob and Fraser generally like it. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Tyranids Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 455: Classic Year in Review: 2003 From the dizzying highs of the Frozen Throne to the baffling lows of Master of Orion III, 2003 was a darn good year for games. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time became a hallmark for many gamers, and Rise of Nations came onto the scene to become the "other" kind of RTS. Korsun Pocket (recipient of its own 3MA episode) showed us what amazing AI could look like, and Knights of the Old Republic grew T.J. into the person he is today. Rob, Rowan, and T.J. hop into the Wayback Machine to go to 2003, when invading Iraq seemed like a cool idea. In and out war, Morty, 20 minutes tops. Warcraft III: Frozen Throne, Civilization III: Conquests, Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion, Rise of Nations, Homeworld 2, Korsun Pocket, Combat Mission: Africa Corps, Simcity 4, Master of Orion 3, Galactic Civilizations, Victoria, Disagaea, Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance, Onimusha Tactics, Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Academy, Freelancer, Call of Duty, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Deus Ex: Invisible War Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 439: Cataclysm: A Second World War In a rare live and in-person episode, Rob joins Dr. Bruce Geryk in his mountain lair to talk about GMT Games' Cataclysm: A Second World War. Cataclysm is a board game that offers a deep political system along with standard military fare, succeeding at the former and passably presenting the latter. Players have to adapt to the dynamic early 1930s political landscape and steer their nations to success in an atypical pre-WWII world. Cataclysm: A Second World War, Triumph and Tragedy Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 457: A Look Back at 2018 We threw restraint to the wind with our 2018 wrapup this year, so you get TWO episodes for for the same great price. Session one has Rob, Troy "this is the year my musical theater career takes off" Goodfellow, and Jon Bolding talking about their favorite games. After that, T.J. Hafer, Sean Sands, and Rowan Kaiser go into their top picks including all the Paradox-y stuff that we don't let Troy talk about. It's a long episode for what felt like an incredibly long year. 2018 hit us with a lot of political, military, and economic turmoil, so sometimes it's good to kick back with a strategy game and focus instead on political, military, and economic turmoil that we can control. These are our top (and maybe not so top) picks of the year. Total War: WARHAMMER II - Curse of the Vampire Coast, Dominions 5 (late 2017 but I'll allow it), Armored Brigade, Pike & Shot, Valkyria Chronicles 4, BATTLETECH, Northgard, Root, Brass: Birmingham, Into the Breach, Bad North, Circle Empires, Reigns: Game of Thrones, Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind, Warhammer 40K - Gladius - Mechanicus - Space Hulk Tactics, Two Point Hospital, Frostpunk, Surviving Mars, Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, Europa Universalis IV: Rule Britannia - Dharma - Golden Century, Crusader Kings 2: Holy Fury, Stellaris: Apocalypse - Megacorp, Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger, Depth of Extinction, Mutant Year Zero, Banner Saga III, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battles: Donkey Kong Adventure, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Slay the Spire, Football Manager Touch Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 452: After Dark 2018 Every once in a while we like to kick back, pour a drink, and check in with the crew to see what's going on. This week it's Rob, Rowan, and Michael on the air to discuss what they've been playing - strategy or not. Michael bares his soul to share the things that bring him joy, only to be mercilessly mocked by the two jerks that aren't writing this episode summary. Rowan describes his love / hate relationship with Pathfinder and Rob details his love / love relationship with Steel Division. We also touch on the new Civilization VI expansion announcement and discuss some upcoming plans for the Winter of Wargaming. Opus Magnum, Caves of Qud, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Steel Division, Civilization VI, Command Ops 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 456: Crusader Kings 2: Holy Fury It's been a minute since we've talked about Crusader Kings 2, so why bring it up now? Holy Fury - the latest major DLC - is one of the most significant changes to date, moving CK2 even closer toward RPG than grand strategy game. Is this the expansion that restores Fraser's interest in the game? Is this really the last expansion? What is the future of CK2? Why does T.J. go on and on and on and on about succession laws? Can you really be a duck? T.J. and Fraser answer all these questions and more. Crusader Kings 2, Holy Fury Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 454: Armored Brigade If the notion of the modern RTS makes you break into a cold sweat as you think about APM and wrist pain, we have good news for you: Veitikka Studios has created a more elegant weapon for a more civilized age. Armored Brigade puts you in command of cold war-era equipment in an impressively generated battlefield. The excellent scenario generator and impressive AI turn this game into something special, much to the delight of our panel. Rob, Ian Boudreau, game designer Rod Humble, and Troy "You've given me a heart and a brain" Goodfellow explain why Armored Brigade turned out to be an excellent game to round out 2018. Armored Brigade Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 409: Field of Glory II It's an ancients kind of week as Rob, Rowan, and Troy "I'm so good with the elephants my mates call me 'Elephant Man'" Goodfellow talk about Field of Glory II by Byzantine Games. FoG II started as tabletop system that was ported to the PC in the original Field of Glory and its Asian counterpart, Sengoku Jidai. The sequel improves the formula in almost every way and presents an extremely capable engine for designing and playing out tactical battles. The campaign falters a bit, but the crew is pleased overall. Field of Glory II Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 451: Cities: Skylines - Industries Cities: Skylines has continued to grow, adding expansions like so many strip malls to suburban hell. The latest DLC, Industries, shines a light on the utilitarian but necessary underbelly of any city: the industrial zone. But does Industries really capture the economic importance of production and mining? To answer this and other important questions, Rob and T.J. are joined by Justin Roczniak (donoteat01 on Youtube), who offers a comprehensive breakdown of the city building genre from an urban planning perspective. Cities: Skylines, Simcity Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 445: Mark Herman's Fort Sumter Bruce is joined once again by noted game designer Mark Herman to discuss Fort Sumter: The Secession Crisis, 1860-61. Fort Sumter is a short-form card driven game that highlights the tumultuous time leading up to the Civil War. In this wide-ranging discussion Bruce and Mark talk about the high amount of wargames coming to market, crisis dimensions, and the invasion of Japan. Fort Sumter: The Secession Crisis, 1860-61, Empire of the Sun, Pericles, Churchill, The Peloponnesian War Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 415: Endless Space 2 Revisited We put the call out to our Patreon backers: What game would you like us to circle back on? The winner of a heated battle was Amplitude's Endless Space 2. Released in May of 2017, Endless Space 2 took some of the learnings of a 3MA favorite, Endless Legend, and applied them to their original dust-using space 4X Endless Space. How has the game fared since launch? What is the Academy? Do we really need it? What does Amazon buying Whole Foods mean for hero availability? And, seriously - where are these pirates getting all this tech? Endless Space 2, Endless Legend, Stellaris Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes