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Rob Zacny

Episode 236: Q & A

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Rob and Troy field some listener questions, revisiting space games, and whether they prefer more abstraction or more theme.

 

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On the question of models (or more the question of stores) in Toronto, does anyone have any recommendations?  It seems like a lot of the old standby places have gone.

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Homeworld 3 was not mentioned as an upcoming space themed game. I guess not much info has been released about it, and it looks like it may be a ground-based sci-fi RTS rather than a space fleet game. And it's not a 4x of course. It's been awhile since I've been on the forums, so maybe I can find some discussion of it. Is anybody looking forward to a ground or part ground-based Homeworld RTS?

 

It makes perfect sense that one can find miniatures at a modelling focused hobby shop. I really got into modelling things like detailed tanks and choppers as a kid and loved miniatures as well, but never used them for gaming. Modellers like miniatures and prepping and painting tiny parts in general.

 

I looked into a position with a local miniatures company years ago though I'm really a digital artist. I think the owner of the company was interested in using me in the future for modelling and design, but the guy running the manufacturing/production operation really tried to convince me that I'd hate the job. Maybe I would've hated the hot casting work and couldn't really live on the pay, but I sort of wish I'd at least had a chance to try it out. I was actually doing product development art at a company that made small, detailed metal products not long before.

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The million dollars for models thing raises a question about what happens to the companies that sell these models once 3D printing is ubiquitous; you can get a 3D printer and the PC to hang it off of for under $5K now, and I'm assuming $995,000 worth of electricity and printer feed stock would let you print more soldiers than Napoleon actually had, with money left over for Rob's paint crew.

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I'm not clear on how I can ask questions. I would like to ask questions to be answered on this podcast!

 

For cocktails while playing strategy games I'm partial to the SF Gold Rush. It's a variation of the Gold Rush which is bourbon, lemon, and honey, but you add a teaspoon of Fernet. The Fernet adds an herbal note to an already delicious cocktail that makes it really easy to fool yourself into thinking it's healthy for you to drink this.

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Just registered to say, what Troy`s remark about armored warfare violating fidelity of setting in CMSF is quite strange. Both Iraq wars had lots of armor engagments. That is not to say what every CMSF mission is about tanks, in vanilla campaign probably more than half of missions is infanty-centered.

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About the question if a game could became fun again after a problematic release, I got to agree with Troy and Rob about Rome II, I felt almost the same now (after some initial more defensive stand on the game). While Empire, despite all flaws, I played a lot (I finished a campaign even before the patch 1.5 which was the last major one), I haven´t touched much Rome II... only a brief to see how patches have improved (and to be fair, performance is a lot better) but still... No doubt CA might can release a good game again, they managed it before and I still have high hopes for what they can do with the Warhammer Fantasy IP (well, now CA can use all fire they ever dream to use with Bright Wizards).

 

Anyway, this issue is more complicated when the said game belong to a quite unique genre or subgenre, since there isn´t another game you could try. I felt this about late Heroes of Might and Magic and Disciples titles...now while Ubisoft maybe isn´t hitting on the right spot (HOMM5 was a nice welcome back to the more colorful design of HOMM2 and they got close with HOMM6, but Ubiplay ruins everything), Disciples on the other and is pretty much dead now (shame, I forgot to send a question what about you guys think about the Disciples III...). Total War too, the previous (Napoleon and Shogun) games have raised the bar and other clones or inspired games don´t are the same thing.

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On the question of models (or more the question of stores) in Toronto, does anyone have any recommendations?  It seems like a lot of the old standby places have gone.

 

Does Dueling Grounds not sell models?

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Does Dueling Grounds not sell models?

 

I'm not sure; it's somewhat outside where I usually wander.  Likewise, I haven't darkened the door of Meeplemart yet, nor been to the SIlver Snail since it moved (though I'd heard they were barely doing games any more...).

 

Comic Warehouse up in Brampton is surprisingly well stocked; I know they've been operating since the 90s, and possibly earlier.

 

It does seem, though, that the internet has largely put the boots to hobby/game shops.

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Decepticons obviously! Geez, how is that even a question!

 

    Unwashed cad; Limburger Industries, clearly.

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I'd like to suggest the best multiplayer 4X space strategy game of the last few years was released this month. The reasons you haven't heard of it are probably:

1. It is hard science rather than space opera

2. It is restricted to the solar system (and 12 light years around the solar system in the single player expansion)

3. It uses real rocket science (like Kerbal Space Program)

4. It is an expansion to an existing game you probably haven't heard of or played

5. It is a board game

The game I'm talking about is High Frontier: Colonization. For more details, feel free to peruse a review: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1052555/entering-the-4x-arena-and-raising-the-bar

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I'm not clear on how I can ask questions. I would like to ask questions to be answered on this podcast!

 

Couldn't there just be a questions thread created where it's made clear that questions are to be answered in certain podcast episodes rather than the thread itself? That is if they go with the idea of doing these episodes regularly. I think that idea may have been mentioned an episode way back and not much came out of it.

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