Yalk

YES!!! Started playing RoN again after it came back out on Steam, great epic type game that can be finished in a hour....it's like, fast food Civilization..... I played this game to absolute death back in 2004, good game...matchmaker multiplayer is still the weak link in the chain, the last patch seems to have improved things playing with my buddies. I guess WWI got in the way of talking about this when it came back out a couple months ago? Edit : Rob, you disappoint.....crazy talk... ((Talking about borders)) - Roman fort push, its good, if you like changing your borders...get set up a neat WWI type type static battle line defense in depth.... Also, Rob.... [Tab] - is your friend, also building a second library is...well, its nice to have Edit Edit : RoN does have kind of a set build order, but, its really only applicable to the first 2 minutes? IF that, beyond that it really depends on who your playing and what your position is and what you plan to do. Researching Science first, always is good because it makes all research cheaper, researching a few levels of tech before age two is usually useful because with Classical age you suddenly have to use knowledge, and since it just appeared you won't have any...so getting a leg up in research using only food and wood is nice, BUT that relies on some defenses, not rushing and not getting pressed too hard in the start. ....if your attacked early that kinda goes out the window.... .....another super important economy tid bit is NOT just building workers when you need one....pull existing workers off a resource that is hitting the economy cap, if you pull one or 2 off of wood and its still flashing yellow, you literally aren't losing anything by taking them off since their labor was wasted effort anyway. THEN you now have 2 "free" civies to use and you saved food to build troops with or tech or whatever. But yeah, I tend to have a (pretty loose) build order in the very start, mostly aimed at getting food and timber going strong in the first city and getting the next one up and running while teching using food and wood...as you want to have started collecting gold for scholars before age 2, so you aren't just sitting there waiting for gold when you could be generating knowledge....the whole game is about efficiency and minimizing waste, you can't really spam, or you shouldn't... Oh, and you can micro, I think you select a type of unit and then [sHIFT] click on the enemy unit...so you can tell your different types of units to attack their natural targets....

......isn't this a strategy game podcast? why are we discussing Ipads and consoles? (jokes, but seriously) PC components yes

I think Floris mod is on Steam workshop? if not its on Mod nexus or whatever its called. The default game is good, but Floris adds extra orders you can issue etc. It really does feel like your the actual commander in a Total war game. The other thing is that you get to know your troops....not in the "they have personalities" way, but, you recruit peasants from villages, then through battle and your training them personally, (Training skill is a must, don't overlook it) Your troops go from raw recruit peasants up through the ranks to elite cavalry, or other high tier unit. You can pick their progression through the "tech" tree. So committing your hard won skilled troops to a losing engagement is not something to be taken lightly, its not like you can just go que up more high tier elite knights for some gold etc. YOU have to personally raise them from the country side, train them etc. It adds a depth lots of strategy games don't have....of course, the tactics aren't the best, but there is plenty of hand to hand fighting on your part to worry about as your character is truly a hero unit...think, 4 star Gold general from Rome:totalwar, you can literally change the outcome of the fight, but, gotta be careful..... There are also great mods that turn the game into feudal Japan...also very good.... again, it would be a great podcast if its never been discussed before.

....also, I'd pay for more 3MA episodes.... No idea what is a good amount, or how many people at that amount it would take to allow Rob to churn out more or at least more consistently....My problem is no matter the method, I will forget to actually send money....

Hey guys, Just listening to the episode. Just now your talking about Have you (or anyone here) played Mount&Blade:Warband? It's the absolute best example I can think of, of putting yourself in the commanders seat of a battle. You have to issue orders to your force, try and coordinate them into formations, often it does just boil down to "Charge them down or Die" but. you have to do this all from 1st/3rd person, with rally flags and position markers. no top down gods eye view. (Floris mod helps tremendously) If you are knocked unconscious you have the ability to leave standing orders to "charge" "retreat" "rally to you" or "stand too" etc. If your force is routed, you are captured and must pay to be released. If your forces win, you are injured but suffer nothing else. You level your character in skills ranging from Combat to tactics, logistics etc. You yourself can fight in the battle and often (as a hero type unit ) can swing the battle in your favor easily. BUT many a battle I lost when I was struck an unlucky blow at a inopportune time routing my forces, when, if I had been there and not been in the thick of the fighting could have easily directed my army to victory. Charging at the head your valiant knights into the flank of the enemy is wonderful, until you get unhorsed, then trampled....and finally knocked unconscious by the surrounding mob beating you to the ground with sticks.... It's a unique and interesting mix of Strategy, simple logistics, force composition, tactics, RPG and fighting. I haven't listened to all the 3MA episodes ever but it would be a fantastic (older) game to discuss if it hasn't been before.

I have the same birthday as Danielle....I've never actually met (not that we've met) another Feb 13th birthday before.... EDIT Well, my name is not Danielle....but we should make a club... The only effect it has ever had on me is that Valentine's day has always tended to be less emphasized than my birthday....so I've always had the luxury of not having to worry about it as a gift giving holiday...a built in "get out of free jail card" for not getting a Valentines day present, if you will...

So so so good, the Civ experience in Real time and can be completed in an hour...perfect

So.....Velvet Sundown = Space Station 13? but in 3D.... interesting...

The 300i was the first and it debuted with the commercial and brochure....they were popular, so....

I figured I'd be yelled at for not spoiler'ing them I'm already guilty of writing weird rambling emails apparently lol

Granted, I don't work for them...so this is all what I've random absorbed over the past 2 years or however long the kickstarter was... From what I've read...you play Squadron 42, when you exit the single player (military) you have a sum of money to start the multiplayer game with (persistent universe) ...this sum of money (in game currency) you can use to either buy straight up one of the "starter" ships or combined with a loan system get a more expensive ship, which you then work in game to pay off....not sure how this will work.... short version, once you buy the game you can get everything in game with in game currency...you will have to play the game to earn money but it won't be a "grind" like a F2P title would put you through....supposedly, the persistent universe will be mostly bots, they've also said you can play the persistent universe on your own server, and thus can mod it too your whim...not sure how this will relate or if things carry over, I'd assume not.... also, it's been stated you can not buy in game items directly...I think you'll be limited to 20'000 UEE or something a day? or week? not sure....you then buy items with in game currency....

So, Real life sucked me away from listening for a few weeks and I'm still catching up but I have to respond to this.... 1. The game runs (in pre pre pre alpha) very well on moderate machines (I've got a 2 year old laptop that runs it fine on low) < which btw low is gorgeous....so as far a PC specs go, i don't think it will be any more intensive than any other game coming out in 2 years...meaning, upgrading your system substantially isn't reeeeaally required (judging from alpha playtesting) 2. I've read 2 or 3 comments on the price of the ships....you've got to remember they have never "sold" a ship...they've always spun it as..."your funding a game" or "your helping to kickstart a game" and as a thank you for that support, have a ship! ....obviously that's slightly splitting hairs but, prices of ships are artificially high right now for funding purposes. Seems I do remember, however, reading that ships will be proportionally priced with how they are now. Meaning a Hornet will be proportionally more expensive in game to the Aurora as it is now, they haven't release exact pricing at this point. ....the game however will cost the typical cost of a game of its type. $50-$60 dollars for the single player Squadron 42 and the Multiplayer portion Star Citizen. So the barrier to entry is the same as any other game...yeah you can get ahead now and pay exorbitant prices, but your funding the game...not technically buying a car space ship.... Speaking of, I can't find the ship commercials I emailed them any place so I'll post them here if anyone hasn't looked them up already....