domingo, 23 de febrero de 2020
jueves, 20 de febrero de 2020
Press Release: Announcing Succulent - A Beautiful Strategy Game! From Renegade Game Studios
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, like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter . And be sure to check out my games on Tabletop Generation.The Strategic Slump
Last night I began playing Fire Emblem Awakening again. It had been lost for two years after moving to Hawaii, but I recently found the small cache of games I'd brought with me to play on the trip stowed away in a small DS pouch sitting under my nose all this time. It was nearly a year ago I started playing Fire Emblem Fates that I wanted to go through Awakening again and do all the things I had neglected to do originally -- but I couldn't find it until now. Among the things I never did was play through on Classic-style (permanent deaths of units) and Lunatic difficulty. That's not even it's final form! There's a Lunatic + that unlocks if you clear it.
So I booted it up and found I had a Lunatic file on Chapter 15. I honestly don't even remember how many Chapters the game has because it's been so long since seen it, let alone played it. So I decided to start a new file. I spent a minimum of four hours trying to get through Chapter 1-4 last night. It was probably more than that including time spent reading some strategies and tips on how to play the random number generator just right. Then I discovered I don't have access to my old DLC content on this newer 3DS because I neglected to import the data from my old SD card and for some reason my Nintendo Network ID won't simply let me re-download it. That's bogus. This is bad news.So like a fool, I decided that my current run wasn't good enough. That without the support of the DLC maps, I wouldn't be able to push much farther unless I made a few god-like characters over the first 5 chapters -- Fredrick and Robin, I'm looking at you. So I restarted with an updated player character [Robin] and went through that slog again this morning trying out some new strategies -- and generally it went a lot faster.
There is still this issue of getting to the last 2-3 enemies and watching as their 33% chance to hit and 6% chance of gaining a critical hit off of that 33% turn their expected 14 damage (to my 33 HP on Frederick) into 60 damage. Negating about 35 minutes of careful planning, because now I have to restart the entire map again. These situations are excruciatingly frustrating. I'm sitting here now because I'm asking myself -- am I having fun? I honestly can't tell.
The number of times you'll miss with 85% chance to hit and the enemy will land a hail Mary 4x damage critical combo on you with only a 5% chance are really the tip of the iceberg on how frustrating this experience has been thus far. I'm certainly irritated by the 10th reset due to crappy dice rolls that screw over a unit's survival or give my superstar characters a piss-poor level up gain. Then again when it all comes together, and Lady Luck smiles down on some clutch misses in my favor, it feels pretty damn good to push through the map and take down the boss. Is that moment of victory enough to keep me going? An hour or two of turmoil for an instant of triumph? I wish I knew.
What I do know is that I really want to play Fire Emblem Awakening one more time, and backing down from Lunatic at this time feels like giving up. Can I be the hero Ylisse needs right now if I back down from this challenge and take the easy road? I don't think my pride will allow it, but I'm not having much fun slogging my way through trial and error on these maps -- resetting every 15-25 minutes. How long will it even go on like this? Will I just give up and walk away from this great game, or can I suffer through this hardship and lead my troops to a new level of victory? I don't have any of the answers, friends.- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog
Discover The White City, Capital Of Arcadia
In Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, we'll take you to all the main regions of Gaia: Arcadia, Submeria and Pirta. One place you'll get to know well is The White City, and today we'll discuss its history and points of interest.
The White City is the vibrant, rich capital of Arcadia: under the strong leadership of Archimedes, blessed by his continuous scientific breakthroughs, it has prospered and blossomed. After declaring himself Grand Regent, he spent the last 20 years upgrading the pre-existing feudal structures and turning the city into a shining jewel of industrialization; an example for all Gaia to behold.
The city, built by the sea, is an old settlement dating back to the savage wars waged in the name of Sol, Nieto, and Trito. While its feudal walls are ancient, most of the fortifications are of recent build, as is the new city center, developed above Archimedes' modern masterpiece: the Grand Core.
The city is divided into three main districts. Upper Town is where the high society and officers live. Before Archimedes' arrival, the area hosted the Order for All Gods (aka the Mage Guild), whose building is now occupied by the headquarter of Genco Corporation and its automatons workforce. Genco is responsible for the production of appliances and technological artifacts, and as such, it basks in the approving gaze of the Grand Regent. Mages, instead, are banned from the city, and while magic is not explicitly ostracized, few feel comfortable coming forward as users. Upper Town also has access to the railroad, which pierces the town from both East and West.
Lower Town, the area between the Trident fortifications, begins with Genco's loading docks, through which most of the goods come in and leave the White City. The permanent market stalls are a popular attraction, both for visitors and regular citizens. A small slum has spawned not far from the market; despite the efforts of the Grand Regent, the White City cannot embrace all its children, and some less fortunate citizens are forced to seek shelter from the elements under its massive stone arches. Lower Town also used to be the religious district; now, only ruins remain, to remind everyone of the sins committed during the religious strifes of the past.
Past Lower Town, a visitor would soon arrive at the doors of the Knights' Order, the oldest building in town. The palace is one of the few that has maintained its original features, a sign of the importance that the Knights still maintain in Arcadia. The administrative district begins beyond the Order, with offices and business-related infrastructures, such as the airport and the hangars of the Living Fortresses. The entrance of the Grand Core is where the public space runs out, and the influence of Archimedes' Palace, commanding the whole town from the White City's center, becomes predominant.
Sounds like a place worth visiting? Pack your bags, this year you get to see it with your own eyes!
miércoles, 19 de febrero de 2020
Quiet Gardens Of Celadon
After leaving behind the sleepy little hamlet of Lavender Town, Celadon City is quite the overwhelming spectacle. While Saffron City may have the tallest buildings in the land, Celadon is known throughout Kanto as a center of commerce. It boasts the largest population in Kanto, making it the most bustling city you'll find. The streets are packed with people coming and going about their daily lives. Aside from a world-renown shopping center, the city also boasts all forms of entertainment. Neon signs lit up the evening sky broadcasting all forms of attractions in Celadon City. As tempting as it was to check out some of the local nightlife, I was here on a mission.
My first morning in Celadon found me standing face to face with the Celadon City Gym. I had read in a brochure that only local females were allowed to join the gym as members which made it a bit intimidating for shy male trainers like myself. I took a deep breath and walked inside. It was humid and balmy, as it was partially a greenhouse. There were plants everywhere making it difficult to see much of anything. Blue had told me this should be my first stop in Celadon and to wait for further instructions. As I pushed my way through the dense plants, I stumbled into other trainers. I startled them as much as they startled me!
I decided that since I was here waiting for Blue, I'd challenge the gym. So I battled my way through the vines and grasses; I battled my way through the strikingly beautiful trainers that Gym Leader Erika had assembled at her gym to test challengers. As expected, Celadon's specialty was Grass-type Pokémon and most of the Grass-types in Kanto are also Poison-types which made them particularly susceptible to Dustin's psychic assaults, but I was saving Dustin for the finale. I didn't want to show my hand too quickly. It was Shakespear who helped clear the way through the gym trainers to face the leader. Shakespear pecked his way through the crowd of Oddish, Bellsprout and the occasional Ivysaur.
"Blue sent you, did he not?" Erika asked me when I found her lounging in the shade under a tree. I nodded and she smiled softly. "I can see why. I train with these girls every morning and your Spearow put all that training to shame." She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She was dressed in a beautiful, ornate kimono. She looked a bit like a samurai princess. "Are you ready to face Team Rocket, I wonder."
She stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off her clearly expensive attire. She smiled her lazy smile at me again before throwing a Pokéball in my direction, unleashing a Victreebel. I didn't open with Shakespear this time. Instead, Dustin took the field and Erika looked surprised and also satisfied. Dustin tore through the Victreebell with a psychic confusion attack. Erika tossed out a Tangela, which were a rather rare species of Grass-type Pokémon. It was a pure Grass-type and wouldn't be utterly defeated by a psychic assault, but Dustin was well versed in the Fox-school of Pokémon battling. He hypnotized Tangela and lulled it to sleep, then began to rejuvenate himself with Dream Eater. He faced off against Erika's final Pokémon, a Vileplume, at full strength and won a decisive victory.
"I am impressed," she said as she stepped forward with her hand extended. In it was the Rainbow Badge her gym bestowed on worthy challengers. As I took it from her, our hands touched and I thought perhaps lingered a moment. Her skin was so soft. She blushed a little when I looked at her. "Would you take a moment to accompany me to the shopping plaza?" she asked. "We have some time before other things require our attention."
"I … uh … yes?" I was a bit flustered. Was she asking me out? "I have some things I need to pick up at the store, too," I finally managed to stammer and she laughed very softly. It was true I'd had a close call with Royal on the way over from Lavender as I scrambled to dig my last poison antidote out of my bag. I needed to resupply and reorganize before something terrible happened due to my absent-mindedness.
"Let me speak to the trainers here for a moment and I will meet you outside," she said with a smile. "We are waiting for a few more to show up, as well." I nodded and made my way back out of the steamy gym. As I stepped out into the cool spring air, I wondered if it was the greenhouse or the girl's hint of flirtation that had gotten me so hot and uncomfortable. Had Erika asked me on a date? It was distracting to say the least at a time when I should have been focused on what we were about to be up against. Perhaps it was just the kind of pleasant distraction I needed, though.
The Celadon Shopping Plaza was extraordinary. A shopping mall built six stories tall and specializing in all things Pokémon related. There were other shops and restaurants, of course, but it was truly a trainer's paradise. As I followed Erika through the crowds of busy shoppers, my eyes drawn equally to every flashing sign as they were to every brief smile on Erika's face. I restocked all the items I needed to keep my Pokémon healthy. She helped me find everything I needed at the the right shops for the right prices, smiling shyly and giving a few brief laughs here and there. She also took me to an old man selling rare stones, explaining one in particular would allow Arnold to evolve into a more powerful form if I so chose. It was something to consider and I was grateful for her expertise on both shopping and Grass-type Pokémon!
As we made our way from shop to shop, I noticed people were giving us a bit of a wide berth. All around us was an ocean of people, but for some reason Erika seemed to remain the eye of the storm. As if on cue, the calm was broken by a young interloper who came crashing out of the crowd and into our small private bubble.
"Who the hell are you and why are you so familiar with Gym Leader Erika?" he demanded. His outburst turned more than a few heads in the crowd, but people continued about their own business. This guy was younger than me, younger than Erika, but he stood his ground firmly.
"My name is Fox," I stammered.
"Don't pay him any attention, Fox. He's just jealous."
"Damn straight, I'm jealous!" the boy shouted. A few more heads turned, but when they saw Erika was involved they kept walking. "You don't just get to walk side-by-side with the Princess of Celadon City."
Erika blushed deeply, her porcelain skin turning bright red. "Don't call me that!" she snapped. She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me forward. He nearly jumped out of the way to avoid her crashing into him. The crowd parted around us as she rushed us forward. It was so strange to observe. She was actually being treated like some kind of royalty, now that the kid mentioned it.
We finally stopped at a quiet spot in a less busy area of the plaza. Erika sat down beside a fountain in the shade of a nearby indoor tree planted by the fountain. "I'm sorry about that," she offered. "Every time I go out something like this happens, so I mostly stay at the gym, surrounded by my girl friends who aren't so damn aggravating."
"What was that all about?" I asked cautiously. I stood near her nervously for a moment before deciding I was being an idiot. Then I sat down next to her, but not too close.
"My father is … perhaps was … the most wealthy man in Kanto. He helped build this place," she said making a sweeping gesture to the grand shopping plaza. "He's pretty much the reason Celadon City is such a booming success. So that dumb kid wasn't wrong when he called me the Princess of Celadon, but I just hate that title." Her rather soft-spoken demeanor had all but evaporated now that we were fairly isolated and alone.
"Honestly I think Team Rocket runs things, now. Daddy won't admit it. He's very proud and stubborn. Still, I think Rocket has all but publicly taken over this town. They operate out of the most successful casino parlor and arcade, and up until recently they've been mostly hiding in the shadows. Something changed, though. No one knows what, but now Team Rocket is not just a shady organization operating discreetly behind the scenes. They are committing real crimes right out in the open - like at Mount Moon, Cerulean City and whatever's going on in Saffron City. It's as if they feel invulnerable. The police have done almost nothing in the last few months and that's why we need to stop them. Apparently, no one else will."
"I didn't know things had gotten so bad," I offered.
"It's understandable. You aren't from Kanto, but Kanto needs you. We all need you. We need all the help we can get to flush these criminals out of our streets before things get any worse."
After a moment's hesitation, I put my hand on hers. She was depending on me and suddenly that felt vastly more important than Professor Oak's research, my dreams of running a sanctuary, or some League challenge. "I'll do everything I can to help," I said it with confidence. On the inside I was terrified, but I tried not to let it show. I was terrified of facing Team Rocket. I was terrified of sitting next to a girl as pretty and apparently powerful as Erika. I tried to channel my inner Blue and his tremendous amount of self-confidence and hoped it was working.
Erika looked up at me and smiled a genuine, beautiful smile. I felt true calm and confidence sweep over me briefly. Then bells began ringing and sirens began blaring both inside and outside the plaza. Erika's smile vanished in a heartbeat and was replaced with stoic determination.
"Let's go," she said. "It's time."
Current Team:
Attacks in Blue are recently learned.
Bill's Storage: Kiwi (Pidgeotto) & Vesper (Zubat)
Old Man Daycare: Charlie (Pidgey)
My first morning in Celadon found me standing face to face with the Celadon City Gym. I had read in a brochure that only local females were allowed to join the gym as members which made it a bit intimidating for shy male trainers like myself. I took a deep breath and walked inside. It was humid and balmy, as it was partially a greenhouse. There were plants everywhere making it difficult to see much of anything. Blue had told me this should be my first stop in Celadon and to wait for further instructions. As I pushed my way through the dense plants, I stumbled into other trainers. I startled them as much as they startled me!
I decided that since I was here waiting for Blue, I'd challenge the gym. So I battled my way through the vines and grasses; I battled my way through the strikingly beautiful trainers that Gym Leader Erika had assembled at her gym to test challengers. As expected, Celadon's specialty was Grass-type Pokémon and most of the Grass-types in Kanto are also Poison-types which made them particularly susceptible to Dustin's psychic assaults, but I was saving Dustin for the finale. I didn't want to show my hand too quickly. It was Shakespear who helped clear the way through the gym trainers to face the leader. Shakespear pecked his way through the crowd of Oddish, Bellsprout and the occasional Ivysaur.
"Blue sent you, did he not?" Erika asked me when I found her lounging in the shade under a tree. I nodded and she smiled softly. "I can see why. I train with these girls every morning and your Spearow put all that training to shame." She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She was dressed in a beautiful, ornate kimono. She looked a bit like a samurai princess. "Are you ready to face Team Rocket, I wonder."She stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off her clearly expensive attire. She smiled her lazy smile at me again before throwing a Pokéball in my direction, unleashing a Victreebel. I didn't open with Shakespear this time. Instead, Dustin took the field and Erika looked surprised and also satisfied. Dustin tore through the Victreebell with a psychic confusion attack. Erika tossed out a Tangela, which were a rather rare species of Grass-type Pokémon. It was a pure Grass-type and wouldn't be utterly defeated by a psychic assault, but Dustin was well versed in the Fox-school of Pokémon battling. He hypnotized Tangela and lulled it to sleep, then began to rejuvenate himself with Dream Eater. He faced off against Erika's final Pokémon, a Vileplume, at full strength and won a decisive victory.
"I am impressed," she said as she stepped forward with her hand extended. In it was the Rainbow Badge her gym bestowed on worthy challengers. As I took it from her, our hands touched and I thought perhaps lingered a moment. Her skin was so soft. She blushed a little when I looked at her. "Would you take a moment to accompany me to the shopping plaza?" she asked. "We have some time before other things require our attention."
"I … uh … yes?" I was a bit flustered. Was she asking me out? "I have some things I need to pick up at the store, too," I finally managed to stammer and she laughed very softly. It was true I'd had a close call with Royal on the way over from Lavender as I scrambled to dig my last poison antidote out of my bag. I needed to resupply and reorganize before something terrible happened due to my absent-mindedness.
"Let me speak to the trainers here for a moment and I will meet you outside," she said with a smile. "We are waiting for a few more to show up, as well." I nodded and made my way back out of the steamy gym. As I stepped out into the cool spring air, I wondered if it was the greenhouse or the girl's hint of flirtation that had gotten me so hot and uncomfortable. Had Erika asked me on a date? It was distracting to say the least at a time when I should have been focused on what we were about to be up against. Perhaps it was just the kind of pleasant distraction I needed, though.
The Celadon Shopping Plaza was extraordinary. A shopping mall built six stories tall and specializing in all things Pokémon related. There were other shops and restaurants, of course, but it was truly a trainer's paradise. As I followed Erika through the crowds of busy shoppers, my eyes drawn equally to every flashing sign as they were to every brief smile on Erika's face. I restocked all the items I needed to keep my Pokémon healthy. She helped me find everything I needed at the the right shops for the right prices, smiling shyly and giving a few brief laughs here and there. She also took me to an old man selling rare stones, explaining one in particular would allow Arnold to evolve into a more powerful form if I so chose. It was something to consider and I was grateful for her expertise on both shopping and Grass-type Pokémon!
As we made our way from shop to shop, I noticed people were giving us a bit of a wide berth. All around us was an ocean of people, but for some reason Erika seemed to remain the eye of the storm. As if on cue, the calm was broken by a young interloper who came crashing out of the crowd and into our small private bubble."Who the hell are you and why are you so familiar with Gym Leader Erika?" he demanded. His outburst turned more than a few heads in the crowd, but people continued about their own business. This guy was younger than me, younger than Erika, but he stood his ground firmly.
"My name is Fox," I stammered.
"Don't pay him any attention, Fox. He's just jealous."
"Damn straight, I'm jealous!" the boy shouted. A few more heads turned, but when they saw Erika was involved they kept walking. "You don't just get to walk side-by-side with the Princess of Celadon City."
Erika blushed deeply, her porcelain skin turning bright red. "Don't call me that!" she snapped. She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me forward. He nearly jumped out of the way to avoid her crashing into him. The crowd parted around us as she rushed us forward. It was so strange to observe. She was actually being treated like some kind of royalty, now that the kid mentioned it.
We finally stopped at a quiet spot in a less busy area of the plaza. Erika sat down beside a fountain in the shade of a nearby indoor tree planted by the fountain. "I'm sorry about that," she offered. "Every time I go out something like this happens, so I mostly stay at the gym, surrounded by my girl friends who aren't so damn aggravating."
"What was that all about?" I asked cautiously. I stood near her nervously for a moment before deciding I was being an idiot. Then I sat down next to her, but not too close.
"My father is … perhaps was … the most wealthy man in Kanto. He helped build this place," she said making a sweeping gesture to the grand shopping plaza. "He's pretty much the reason Celadon City is such a booming success. So that dumb kid wasn't wrong when he called me the Princess of Celadon, but I just hate that title." Her rather soft-spoken demeanor had all but evaporated now that we were fairly isolated and alone.
"Honestly I think Team Rocket runs things, now. Daddy won't admit it. He's very proud and stubborn. Still, I think Rocket has all but publicly taken over this town. They operate out of the most successful casino parlor and arcade, and up until recently they've been mostly hiding in the shadows. Something changed, though. No one knows what, but now Team Rocket is not just a shady organization operating discreetly behind the scenes. They are committing real crimes right out in the open - like at Mount Moon, Cerulean City and whatever's going on in Saffron City. It's as if they feel invulnerable. The police have done almost nothing in the last few months and that's why we need to stop them. Apparently, no one else will."
"I didn't know things had gotten so bad," I offered.
"It's understandable. You aren't from Kanto, but Kanto needs you. We all need you. We need all the help we can get to flush these criminals out of our streets before things get any worse."
After a moment's hesitation, I put my hand on hers. She was depending on me and suddenly that felt vastly more important than Professor Oak's research, my dreams of running a sanctuary, or some League challenge. "I'll do everything I can to help," I said it with confidence. On the inside I was terrified, but I tried not to let it show. I was terrified of facing Team Rocket. I was terrified of sitting next to a girl as pretty and apparently powerful as Erika. I tried to channel my inner Blue and his tremendous amount of self-confidence and hoped it was working.
Erika looked up at me and smiled a genuine, beautiful smile. I felt true calm and confidence sweep over me briefly. Then bells began ringing and sirens began blaring both inside and outside the plaza. Erika's smile vanished in a heartbeat and was replaced with stoic determination.
"Let's go," she said. "It's time."
Current Team:
Attacks in Blue are recently learned.
Bill's Storage: Kiwi (Pidgeotto) & Vesper (Zubat)
Old Man Daycare: Charlie (Pidgey)
Double CoC Play-test For Barbarossa
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| 4 new terrain boards for Mark, 12 feet of canal! |
One of the things we wanted for these games was a canal board - these will also do perfectly for planned France/Belgium/Holland 1940 games, not to mention Holland/Belgium 1944- Mr Waple is also keen to incorporate them into a Carentan scenario. They will also do fine for Mark's massive 20mm set-up.
So, over Christmas I made 12' of canal...that's it really! They had to be on a 12mm ply base to match with the existing boards, so I routed out the channel and some ditches, then built up the towpaths with a further layer of 9mm MDF. The water was just painted brown and then resin poured- I'll have to do a further post really to give a bit more detail- suffice to say I have a little more fine tuning to do on them to match them to Mark's boards, but overall they have turned out ok. I'm well pleased.
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| Boards laid out for the game, some new-ish fields in the foreground |
The Germans took a Stug III A (6 points), an Ig18 (4 points) and a preliminary barrage (2 points). The Russian picks (I think) were a BT5 (4 points) and 3 entrenchments (1 point each). Given that the buildings, although numerous, were all flimsy wooden ones only giving light cover the trenches were a wise choice for the Russians. For the Germans, my logic was the Stug is a hefty beast, solid in all departments with both good defensive options and high offensive capability against both soft targets and any Soviet armour which might appear. The Ig18 gives another 75mm gun with which to hammer the Russians from range, this, in conjunction with the Stug should make it easy. The barrage was a nice bit of icing on the cake to hinder the Soviet deployment.
We played on a 6' x 6' (although we set up a bit more to make the pictures pretty
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| The patrol phase for game 1 from the German side. Fields by Hotz matts |
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| Stug moves up the main road, buildings from Scenic Store pimped by my good self at CAC Terrain |
So the German plan was simple enough, batter away with the Stug and the infantry gun from range, then strengthen with the infantry...Didn't quite work out like that.
Both sides were a bit cagey, I got the Stug on early and pushed up the road, the Soviets did very little, and both sides accumulated CoC dice points, as the Stug drew level with the barn, I deployed an infantry section to advance tactically with it, and perhaps draw some fire. They did. 2 Soviet sections deployed in the house by the bridge and in the ditches and opened fire...despite being tactical the big Soviet squads were putting out a lot of fire (more than a German squad) 17 dice iirc, and the german section took a few hits which mounted up fast. There was very little room to deploy another section to put down covering fire, and although the Stug hit back with HE because it lacked an mg it couldn't cover the infantry. Then a BT5 hove into view on the other side of the bridge. The Stug had to redeploy in order to get the BT in its sights (no turret...grrrr). The Russian infantry could carry on firing unmolested. A brief duel took place between the armour, with eventually the Stug coming off best - the BT's main armament getting Ko'd. It scuttled off and reversed behind the house.
Meantime the Soviets got a couple of double turns, and the German section took more hits, including the Junior leader! he took a round right between the eyes. The German FM took a hit, and the firepower of the Stug just wasn't proving enough to do major damage to the dug in Russians.
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| The Stug is given support in the assault on the Bridge. Really excellent rubber cobbled road sections from EWM |
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| A 75mm Ig18 gives additional fire support. What could go wrong? All models by Warlord, Painted by me! |
At this point I decided to call it. The Germans were not going to get over that bridge. Yes, they could plink away with the Stug but it was frankly going to take an age for anything much to happen, and if I deployed any infantry to up the firepower, any BTH roll could be fatal. It was still early in the day and we could get another game in. |
| Soviet infantry hunker down in the ditch and pour fire into the advancing Germans |
And this is where it all got interesting.
In many rule-sets simply replaying the same scenario with essentially the same forces would result in pretty much the same game, particularly in a scenario like an attack on clearly defined defence line. This is not what happened at all.
FM rolls went German 11 Russian 9- In the patrol phase the Germans got 2 free moves, but it played out fairly similarly however, this time the Germans got a bit further forward, getting a JOP behind the bomb-damaged building on the left.
For the Germans the support picks were very different.I took 2 x Pzr II's at 5 points each and an observer for a mortar battery. The Russians, it transpired swapped it about a bit - A BT (4) and an ATR (2) and a trench.
No hanging about this time, I quickly got on both Pzr II's and they advanced up the road, leapfrogging with one on over-watch as the other advanced, I got a section way out on the right which advanced in the lee of a rise, heading for some hedges. The FO got into the barn next to the road with a good view of the Russian left- any of them popping up to attack the German section there would get pounded by the 81mm battery.
It more or less (ok, less) went like clockwork. The Russians deployed the BT in a cunning spot where it could fire down the road but couldn't be spotted by the second Pzr II which by now was crunching through the gardens on the German left. A little duel ensued with both tanks dealing shock, with little result. As the second Pzr II advanced in order to get a view of the BT5 up popped the ATR in the ditch! it fired! CLANG! the Pzr II ground to a halt- immobilised
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| Game 2: A different approach, armour heavy, 2 x panzer II's leapfrog up route 1. An infantry section swings right in the distance |
Finally, the Germans get some hits...a Soviet section has deployed along the river to fire on the Germans hitting the ATR, A firefight ensues, the Germans lose an entire LMG team, The ATR goes down in a hail of cannon fire from the stranded panzer, both FM's are starting to trickle down. The Russians have opened up on their left and are duly met with a brutal mortar barrage, the Russians end the turn, but hadn't realised the Germans held a dice to continue the barrage- The Russians play a second CoC dice and the turn ends but not before the barrage gets a a couple of lucky kills on the Russians.
The Germans are trading fire on both flanks,using a mix of covering fire and LMG fire
on the Russians, the ability of the Germans to use individual teams paying off in the face of the sledgehammer Russian sections. A couple of Soviet leaders get wounded, the little panzer pouring in cannon fire onto the infantry- finally with yet another Coc dice the BT advances, interrupts and fires on the PanzerII- it misses!
The little German mortar keeps chipping in with the odd hit on the guys in the ditch. The Germans are winning the firefight.
The Panzer now has a shot at the BT...gets 3 hits- zero saves from the Russians- BOOM! the Russian tank is burning, their FM plummeting. This leaves the panzer free to keep firing at the dwindling section to its front, The FO manages to call in the mortars for a second time which again start to hit the left flank Russians...A brutal lucky hit clobbers a couple more Russians including the JL. and the Russians break- BTH and the suddenly their FM is at zero.....the Germans have done it!
Great fun, a fine time was had by all.
BUT...what really got me thinking was how different the 2 games were. They were both exciting, they both had their moments of tension, but both sides employed similar forces and tactics for both games..yet they were totally different.
It could have been the first game where the power of the Stug prevailed, it could have been that the German mortars had no effect, The BT might have one-shotted the second Panzer...there were a lot of possibilities, and it shows why CoC is such an intriguing game.
Can't wait for the Barborrossa big CoC campaign week-end where the canal will double up as the Kharkov river at some point. In my crystal ball I foresee T34's...and a Soviet counter-attack!
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| Infantry attempt to build a base of fire on the left flank. |
on the Russians, the ability of the Germans to use individual teams paying off in the face of the sledgehammer Russian sections. A couple of Soviet leaders get wounded, the little panzer pouring in cannon fire onto the infantry- finally with yet another Coc dice the BT advances, interrupts and fires on the PanzerII- it misses!
The little German mortar keeps chipping in with the odd hit on the guys in the ditch. The Germans are winning the firefight.
 |
| The lead Panzer II dukes it out with the BT5 over the canal while the mortar barrage pounds the Soviet infantry on the right. Bridge is a Sarissa kit. |
The Panzer now has a shot at the BT...gets 3 hits- zero saves from the Russians- BOOM! the Russian tank is burning, their FM plummeting. This leaves the panzer free to keep firing at the dwindling section to its front, The FO manages to call in the mortars for a second time which again start to hit the left flank Russians...A brutal lucky hit clobbers a couple more Russians including the JL. and the Russians break- BTH and the suddenly their FM is at zero.....the Germans have done it!
Great fun, a fine time was had by all.
BUT...what really got me thinking was how different the 2 games were. They were both exciting, they both had their moments of tension, but both sides employed similar forces and tactics for both games..yet they were totally different.
It could have been the first game where the power of the Stug prevailed, it could have been that the German mortars had no effect, The BT might have one-shotted the second Panzer...there were a lot of possibilities, and it shows why CoC is such an intriguing game.
Can't wait for the Barborrossa big CoC campaign week-end where the canal will double up as the Kharkov river at some point. In my crystal ball I foresee T34's...and a Soviet counter-attack!
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| Game 1:Whats left of the first German section cower behind a house, letting the Stug do the work |
jueves, 13 de febrero de 2020
Brave Browser voted the best privacy-focused product of 2019
Out of all the privacy-focused products and apps available on the market, Brave has been voted the best. Other winners of Product Hunt's Golden Kitty awards showed that there was a huge interest in privacy-enhancing products and apps such as chats, maps, and other collaboration tools.
An extremely productive year for Brave
Last year has been a pivotal one for the crypto industry, but few companies managed to see the kind of success Brave did. Almost every day of the year has been packed witch action, as the company managed to officially launch its browser, get its Basic Attention Token out, and onboard hundreds of thousands of verified publishers on its rewards platform.
Luckily, the effort Brave has been putting into its product hasn't gone unnoticed.
The company's revolutionary browser has been voted the best privacy-focused product of 2019, for which it received a Golden Kitty award. The awards, hosted by Product Hunt, were given to the most popular products across 23 different product categories.
Ryan Hoover, the founder of Product Hunt said:
"Our annual Golden Kitty awards celebrate all the great products that makers have launched throughout the year"
Brave's win is important for the company—with this year seeing the most user votes ever, it's a clear indicator of the browser's rapidly rising popularity.
Privacy and blockchain are the strongest forces in tech right now
If reaching 10 million monthly active users in December was Brave's crown achievement, then the Product Hunt award was the cherry on top.
The recognition Brave got from Product Hunt users shows that a market for privacy-focused apps is thriving. All of the apps and products that got a Golden Kitty award from Product Hunt users focused heavily on data protection. Everything from automatic investment apps and remote collaboration tools to smart home products emphasized their privacy.
AI and machine learning rose as another note-worthy trend, but blockchain seemed to be the most dominating force in app development. Blockchain-based messaging apps and maps were hugely popular with Product Hunt users, who seem to value innovation and security.
For those users, Brave is a perfect platform. The company's research and development team has recently debuted its privacy-preserving distributed VPN, which could potentially bring even more security to the user than its already existing Tor extension.
Brave's effort to revolutionize the advertising industry has also been recognized by some of the biggest names in publishing—major publications such as The Washington Post, The Guardian, NDTV, NPR, and Qz have all joined the platform. Some of the highest-ranking websites in the world, including Wikipedia, WikiHow, Vimeo, Internet Archive, and DuckDuckGo, are also among Brave's 390,000 verified publishers.
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