TTDs It was still the 90’s, the computer was probably some Pentium 66 or 100, maybe worse like a 486 DX, and Chris Sawyer’s Transport Tycoon made history – especially the Deluxe version, TTD in short – at least for … Continue reading Further deluxing the transport tycoon? (from TTD to Mashinky)
About Force 10 from Navarone, Harrison Ford said “It wasn’t a bad film. There were honest people involved and it was an honest effort. But it wasn’t the right thing for me to do.”, while writer Alister Maclean said that … Continue reading Inconsistency #7: Force 10 from Navarone
For my first playthrough of CK3, I picked Wielkopolska duchy, named Greater Poland in the game. Yeah, lame, names in the game are a mix of modern and old names, and in English. I found no difficulty to quite vast built a vast empire, to the point I use the unite the west slavs decision and found the wendish empire. Next goal was to unite the slavs and get feodal. To switch to feodal, I needed organized faith too. To unite the slavs, and so create slavia, I still needed some extra-territories – it is outlined in yellow in the … Continue reading First CK3 run, Wielkopolska coitus interruptus (Crusader Kings III).
Paradox Interactive AB is a video game publisher based in Stockholm, Sweden. The way recent Paradox Interactive games are developed means that they are much more expensive than the price of the basegame suggests, as they require tons of DLC … Continue reading Paradox Interactive review
Among game industry companies I pay attention to, the following made statement pro-Black Lives Matter: CD Projekt Red (Polish company – no known relation to the USA) Bethesda Softworks (USA company) Rockstar Games (USA company, closing online service for 2 … Continue reading Video game industry companies that made public statement pro-BLM
I assumed that if I could survive as Poland, I could surely keep France from capitulating (no historical AI focus, regular difficulty) My first idea was to remove Italy from nazi germany allies. Except that disjointed governement makes it harder to interfere with other countries. I reorganized troops to keep only simple design (7 inf + 2 art, or 7 mountainers + 2 art) and gone directly to the Entente set up: Soon enough I was faced by the Rhineland remilitarization issue. Rallying the British meant disolving my faction and joining UK, so it was a no brainer, I had … Continue reading France run: vive la France under Big Entente (Hearts of Iron IV 1.4.2)
After my previous Czechoslovakia approach, I went back to Poland, with the goal to survive with no loss of territory without going Fascist or Communist. Could be Allies or not, as it would make historically sense, I had no strong opinion about it. But wouldn’t it be the ultimate recipe for failure, as it was historically? Since I’m French, I know perfectly how the legitimate French governement (“L’Etat français” of Philippe Pétain), recognized as such by the USA, sided with the Axis, with an active collaboration policy ; while the Polish governement was always and only on the Allied side … Continue reading Polska run: Poland can into space, survive as Międzymorze and Hoi4 peace conferences oddities (Hearts of Iron IV 1.4.2)
After a few failures to get Poland to survive, I decide to try Czechoslovakia as alternative of a central european country, point is to make it through the game without getting in bed with the one of the historical fuckers. So no easy way out allying Axis or Komintern. (note: AI historical focus is off, less railroad effect) Czechoslovakia focus tree is interesting for early stages: Not only you can easily create a faction, Czech Entente, with Yougoslavia and Romania, which are the strongest around besides German and Poland, but it gives you free casus belli to annex Bulgaria and … Continue reading Československo run: No country for old men due to the Munich Disagreement (Hearts of Iron IV 1.4.2)
In 2014 I was stating that Modern Family was getting boring. Now it is official, Modern Family should be stopped, to the point you have to wonder if they changed the whole staff of writers, it went that bad. Almost … Continue reading [FOLLOWUP] In the shadow of the cargoes (Hunting Hitler, 2015-2016) or possible might not be plausible
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game beta campaign is on: I won’t describe at lenght what is Gwent. Even if I, almost, never posted any article about the Witcher series, I refered to it many times. I do like the Witcher. … Continue reading Mister Hyde ne disait rien (Witcher 3, 2015-2016 ; Gwent: the Witcher Card Game, 2016), Geralt trapped in Orcs Must Die!?
For once, here comes a cross-review of two almost different type of games I recently finished. The first one is a famous big budget GTA-style followup of Mafia II, the second an isometric low budget sim-type game, both finished in approximatively 30 hours. Gameplay Mafia III gameplay is not much different from previous Mafia game – or from any other GTA-like game. It (fighting, driving) is nicely done though not innovative. There is a “simulation” setup option for the driving experience but it will still be arcade nonetheless. Most cars really behave the same, no matter how different they appear … Continue reading Could you help me’ police on my back (Mafia III, 2016; This Is the Police, 2016) or back to the 60’s segregated america
Interested in getting the Kingdom of David achievement (As a Jew, create the Kingdom of Israel), I had a few run a Semien (some duchy in Ethopia). It was not a success: playing non-aggressive and slow expansion let you weak and, since you are of another religion, you get chomped quite fast as the easiest to grab territory in holy war; playing agressive allows to grow very fast but soon enough you are way too threatening and get attacked by coalitions of both opposing religions in the area (miaphysite and islam). It made me, though, realize that Egypt could actually … Continue reading the Pentarch Protector of the Holy Places going Beyond the Indus to fulfill Saint Thomas’s Dream (Crusader Kings II 2.6.1.1)
So Paradox released not one but two strategy games, using their Clausewitz engine, at the same time. Hearts of Iron IV was expected since a long time, Stellaris much less. Stellaris came out of nowhere. It seemed at first glance … Continue reading He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock (Stellaris, 2016; Hearts of Iron IV, 2016) on sandbox, purpose and gameplay vs else
I tried a failed a few games with minor balkanik states. I dont get how to handle Ottomans properly. Getting to war against it is a lost cause, not getting to war against it mean it just grows indefinitely until it actually attacks. Being orthodox makes it even harder to maintain proper alliance. So I tried to get some playthrough with Hungary. There is an achievement to get with Hungary, Take that, von Habsburgs!: as Hungary, own all of Austria as core provinces. It is marked as hard was created with 1.12. There is an playthrough stating that one logically … Continue reading Hungary run: Take that, von Habsburgs!, hungary being world military #1 (Europa Universalis IV 1.16)
While I was looking forward return of GoT, I was took by surprise, after one year of no show, of Line of Duty, to the point I had to rewatch the two first seasons. Usually, in average random police related … Continue reading Nista se vise ne vidi u tami (Line of Duty 2012-2016) or said miasma of cynicism around the processes of law enforcement
