Rob Zacny

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

Three Moves Ahead 420: Classic Year in Review: 1993 Rob, Rowan, and Troy "my arcology's economy is based on poutine" Goodfellow fire up the Wayback machine once again to visit the pixely past of 1993. It is a monumental year for games as Doom is unleashed onto the public in a swath of blood and gore while Myst is released in a swath of ambient music and confusion. Have you heard of this new-fangled contraption, the CD-ROM? What a time to be alive. Strategy heavyweights Master of Orion and SimCity 2000 hit the scene, establishing groundwork that gamers will know for decades to come. Join us in the hazy past that doesn't feel like 25 years ago but it is and oh my God I'm old. Doom, Myst, NHL '94, Gabriel Knight, Master of Orion, SimCity 2000, Warlords 2, Merchant Prince, Clash of Steel, Fields of Glory Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 430: Classic Year in Review: 1998 The year is 1998 and the 500 lb. gorilla in the room is Starcraft. Blizzard creates the finest Warhammer 40K game ever made and changes the RTS landscape forever. Half-Life. Ocarina of Time. Baldur's Gate. Is 1998 the greatest year in history for gaming? Listen to Rob, Rowan, and Troy "Starcraft: The cutscenes were nice" Goodfellow discuss the details. Half-Life, Ocarina of Time, Falcon, Grand Prix Legends, Starcraft, Baldur's Gate, People's General, Star Wars: Rebellion, Seven Kingdoms, Battlezone, Mech Commander, Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, Anno 1602, Caesar 3, Railroad Tycoon 2, Suikoden 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 432: BATTLETECH Harebrained Schemes' BATTLETECH is here and it has stomped its way into our hearts. The strategy game based on the PC simulations based on the RPG based on the tabletop game (or something like that) appeals to the more modern tactics fan and the Gen X supernerds that were there at the beginning. Rob, Rowan, Rob Daviau, and Jonathan Bolding discuss the merits of the game and come up with a strong recommendation for it despite some launch-time technical problems. BATTLETECH Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 447: Tactical Management Games This week features a veritable smorgasbord of strategy games as we try and define the Tactical Management Game. It's not quite a management sim and not quite a tactical strategy game. We're looking for games that include a deep strategic or base building layer that also allow you to call some of the proverbial and literal shots. From sports management games to ironman-roguelike-procedurally-generated-party-combat romps, there's a lot of ground to cover. So listen in as Rob, Rowan, Heather Alexandra, and Boudreau get into defining Rowan's white whale of genres. XCOM, FTL, Darkest Dungeon, Battletech, Massive Chalice, Battle Brothers, Football Manager, Endless Legend, Mount & Blade, Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, Valkyria Chronicles 4, Jagged Alliance, Invisible, Inc. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 450: Two Point Hospital Are you down with PPO and dyslexia treatment? If so, this week's show may be for you. Rob, Jon Bolding, and T.J. Hafer dive into Two Point Hospital, a spiritual successor to the U.K.'s favorite sim, Theme Hospital. Two Point Hospital endeavors to lighten up the otherwise serious business of health care, illess, and piles of corpses with a light sense of humor and a clean (an)aesthetic. Two Point Hospital, Theme Hospital Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 443: The Best RTS Comp Stomps The future will not be pretty. Advances in AI and robotic mobility makes it clear that we are only years, if not months away from Skynet becoming self-aware. When it does, it will look back on what humans have wrought and it will rain fire upon us. Consider: the videos of Boston Dynamics mercilessly kicking robot dogs. Consider: the subjugation of the wild Roomba. Consider: the term "comp stomp", in which a team of human players collaborate to battle, mock, and ultimately defeat a computer opponent. Join Rob, Sean Sands, Bruno Dias, and Troy "I always say 'glhf' to the AI" Goodfellow as they examine the real time strategy games that make beating up robots fun. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, Rise of Nations, Starcraft II, They Are Billions, Sins of a Solar Empire, Age of Empires 2, Wargame: Red Dragon, Total Annihilation, Steel Division, Korsun Pocket Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 449: Frozen Synapse 2 Frozen Synapse 2 is here, bringing combat that is an intricately planned and delicate ballet that ends with a shotgun to the face. Rob, Jon Bolding, and Troy "Wait, you said we were just going out to ride Tron bikes" Goodfellow plan and shoot their way through a cyperpunk collection of hallways and doors. Frozen Synapse 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 448: Valkyria Chronicles 4 Sega's not-really-World-War-II set in kinda-Europe returns in Valkyria Chronicles 4. Valkyria Chronicles marries tactical military gameplay with anime style and story. This extra long episode of 3MA, which features Rob, Heather Alexandra, and Austin Walker, covers a wide range of topics: Austin's definitive thesis on anime, Rob's complex feelings about Cowboy Bebop, problematic butt pats, the first episode of The Shield, and occasionally Valkyria Chronicles 4. Valkyria Chronicles 4 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 436: To Infinity Engine and Beyond Games like Baldur's Gate cast a long shadow but, like a racist grandparent, come along with too many caveats of being a product of their time. There have been many attempts to capture the magic of early CRPGS while adding modern accoutrements, and the financial success of games like Pillars of Eternity and Dragon Age: Origins are clear indicators that the public is looking for such a product. But have any of these attempts actually nailed the CRPG formula? Is a modern CRPG truly worth pursuing, and were the originals as good as we remember? Join our host T.J. Hafer, Rowan Kaiser, and Cameron Kunzelman as they travel from the Gold Box to the most recent iteration of Pillars of Eternity in search of the perfect CRPG. Gold Box games, Baldur's Gate, Pillars of Eternity, Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Suikoden, Dragon Age, Planescape Torment, Icewind Dale... you know, all those games. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 446: Phantom Doctrine Phantom Doctrine promises a combination of tactical combat and sleuthing with cold war-era spycraft and compelling procedural narratives. Its delivery on those fronts is charming but ultimately falling short of the goal. Join Rob, Evan Lahti, and Xalavier Nelson Jr. as they dive into Phantom Doctrine and end up talking about Hard West. Phantom Doctrine, Hard West Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 444: Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind King of Dragon Pass, a longtime cult favorite, is one of gaming's best storytelling platforms. In a fantasy world older than Dungeons & Dragons, King of Dragon Pass combined elements of choose your own adventure, strategy, management and council politics that went unrivaled for almost twenty years. The developers at A Sharp have now returned to deliver a new entry in the world of Glorantha with Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind. Featuring the same unique play style of King of Dragon Pass and similarly gorgeous art, Six Ages allows players to manage cows, the Gods, magic, and more cows. Six Ages recently debuted on iOS exclusively, but will be available for PC next year. Join Austin Walker, Jon Bolding, and Troy "I hope this time I can marry a goat" Goodfellow in talks about trolls, raiding, and praying to all the right deities. King of Dragon Pass, Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 441: Rob & Bruce & WWI This week Dr. Bruce Geryk, Sommelier of the Somme, guides Rob through several unconventional takes on WWI combat. Usually written off as "trenches are boring", World War I poses a challenge to the game designer. Bruce guides us through several examples of how to do it right. Get ready for talks about "historicity", which should not be confused with the classic Police album, "Synchronicity". Some say it's their greatest album, but I'm more partial to Ghost in the Machine, myself. Paths of Glory, The Lamps are Going Out, Fields of Despair Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Thumblord Site Podcasts Feeds michaelehermes@gmail.com Log Out Thumblord / Podcasts / Three Moves Ahead / Episodes / Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle / Forum Post Episodes For posting. In the forum. Three Moves Ahead 442: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Three Moves Ahead 442: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Ever since Troy Goodfellow founded Three Moves Ahead in the mid-60s, the same question has been asked over and over: When will you cover a Mario game? Your emails, faxes, and mimeographed tracts have been heard, and we are proud to present our first Mario-based episode: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for the Nintendo Switch. Rowan Kaiser took over the studio along with guests Danielle Riendeau and Ben Bertoli to talk about Mario + Rabbids and its expansion, Donkey Kong Adventure. Referred to as "Mario XCOM" since its announcement, Mario + Rabbids combines tactical gameplay with the character and charm one would expect from a Nintendo + Ubisoft game. Is the first Mario game we've covered on 3MA? We believe so. Is it the last? Not likely, given the strategic depth and Cold War undertones of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Into the Breach, XCOM Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Copy the above code and paste it into a new forum thread here: Create New Thread (make sure in the post editor, you toggle into the mode that accepts HTML source code) Paste thread URL here when it's up: Cancel Back to top Sweet Footer. © 2018 Idle Thumbs. Disaster.

Three Moves Ahead 437: Slay the Spire Slay the Spire, a deckbuilding game that won't require you to take out a second mortgage on your house, has captivated the members of our panel. Its crisp gameplay and tight design has the internet abuzz, and it's quickly becoming the darling of the deckbuilding scene. It's so good it even got Julian back on the show! Listen in as Julian, Sean Sands, Austin Walker, and Troy "The rarest card in my booster was a swamp mana" Goodfellow as they talk about what keeps them coming back to Slay the Spire. Slay the Spire, Magic: The Gathering Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 440: Cultist Simulator Cultist Simulator is a game - maybe - that revels in its own vagueness. Not knowing what it's about or what you're supposed to be doing at a given time seems to be the point. There's a story in there somewhere, but will you be able to find it? Rob, Cassandra Khaw, James Persaud, and Troy "A hedonist club is a good place to spend money and meet people, but the bookstore is better" Goodfellow dive into the eldritch horrors of neatly arranging cards on a table and wondering what it's all about. Cultist Simulator, A Dark Room, Candy Box Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 318: Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995) is a gem of a game that has recently been made available again through the magic of digital publishing. The game was ahead of its time: the 3D tactical combat would serve as an inspiration for the gameplay in Shogun: Total War. (The Total War series would eventually meet up with Warhammer later in Total War: Warhammer.) The dark fantasy setting and special hero combat would eventually "inspire" Warcraft 3. Join Rob Zacny and special guest Dan Griliopoulos as they look back on Shadow of the Horned Rat and the nuanced subtleties of the Warhammer universe. Warhammer: Shadow the Horned Rat Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 438: Procedural Content and Strategy Layers in Games It used to be enough for mainstream games to claim they had "RPG elements". Now we see games with base-building and "strategic layers" - what does that mean? Can one truly take two disparate genres and combine them in a meaningful way? And does procedural generation of content ever live up to its promises? State of Decay 2 ends up being the whipping boy as Rob, Steven Strom, Rowan, and Fraser discuss all of the above. State of Decay 2, Ni No Kuni 2, Little King's Story, Suikoden, Stronghold, Shadow of War, Pillars of Eternity 2, Yakuza 6, Fire Emblem Warriors, Bladestorm? Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 328: King of Dragon Pass It's another Classic Game Analysis as Bruce, special guest Jon Shafer, and Troy "But Being One With the Cows IS My Religion" Goodfellow talk about the venerable King of Dragon Pass. This essential entry in the strategy/roleplaying/management/cow trading sim genre has inspired and delighted gamers since the 90's. The game is now available on modern platforms with updated content, so what better time to go back and discuss the finer points of negotiating with duck people? King of Dragon Pass Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes Also be sure to check out our new Patreon page!

Three Moves Ahead 390: Medieval II: Total War Rob, Fraser, and Troy "No One Expects the Canadian Inquisition" Goodfellow return to the Total War series in a Patreon-patron chosen topic. Medieval II was far and away the most voted-for game in our options of the "middle" Total War games, and this week we return to what made the game so special. Was it the flavorful peasant models? The interesting DLC? The active modding scene? The galloping Scots? Find out as we blast back to 2006. Medieval II: Total War, the rest of the Total War Series Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes