Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Jena 20: With backs to the wall, Prussians hold out for a draw

Hooked up for a game of Jena 20 on VASSAL last night. This is a small, tidy quick game published by Victory Point Games. Many of the Napoleonic 20 titles are being consolidated and released by GMT in a nice new format where you get 4 titles in the N20 series per box and GMT quality. Fading Glory is the first such title which I have pre ordered. For that price it is hard to turn down:

http://www.gmtgames.com/p-345-fading-glory-napoleonic-series-20-multi-pack-1.aspx
Following France’s glorious victory against the combined Austro-Russian armies at Austerlitz the previous December, the Prussians have finally come off the fence and declared war against Napoleon. As both sides maneuver, uncertain of the location or center of gravity of the opposing army, they meet in a dramatic double battle on the fields of both Jena and Auerstadt.

Can the heirs of Frederick the Great maintain their composure and cohesion long enough to teach the haughty French a lesson, or will Napoleon and his Marshals ride on to ever greater glory?

Deceptively simple game yet full of interesting options. Fog, cavalry charges, and bad die rolls really had me (the Prussian player) up against a wall. I started out very slow and reacted poorly not knowing how the game worked, I found myself about to be cut off by the French near Jena. I decided to leave one Corps (or is it Division?) behind as a speedbump and reorganize behind the river line. This managed to work. The game ended on the next to last turn with a die roll, and I pulled a draw. Dont ask me how, but I managed to do it.

I abandoned Dornburg midway through the game since there was no way to hold it. Also the French were threatening Auerstadt. I had to pull back due to the strength of the French units. I made my last stand at the bridges crossing Ilm River. This tactic worked well, but my Prussian Cavalry, in a mad dash to cross the river to safety, were cut down by 2 French Divisions. Finally at the very end, with the moral for both myself and the enemy no where near zero, I managed to keep the game a draw and hold on for my very life.

A fun little game that actually makes you think quite a bit for its size. The shots below show the game in a turn by turn progression:









Sunday, June 26, 2011

My next project: Great Battles of History by GMT Games

Along with trying to learn Advanced Squad Leader one step at a time I will also be learning Great Battles of History starting with the SPQR (The Senate and the Roman people) Deluxe boxed set.

You can find out more information on that here:

http://www.gmtgames.com/c-4-great-battles-of-history.aspx

I will start with a good three part tutorial that GMT Games has on their actual site. You can follow along with it by using VASSAL and watch as he moved the pieces and explained things by listening to an MP3 file at the same time

So you will want VASSAL:

http://www.vassalengine.org/download.php

This module: (unzip that so that you have .VMOD file)

http://www.gmtgames.com/vassal/SPQR_Deluxe_v1.vmod.zip

And these audio files and log files:

4th link down

http://www.gmtgames.com/t-GMTVentrilo.aspx

Then you double click the 1st LOG file and VASSAL will launch, tell it you want to be an observer and you can follow along with the MP3 audio file while wearing headphones and at your PC.

You can step forward in VASSAL as he talks using the arrow in the upper left in VASSAL to forward the log file.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Board wargaming Saturday: Campaigns of King David

This weekends title was Campaigns of King David by Clash of Arms games.
The Campaigns of King David cover the 35 years struggle for supremacy of the fertile crescent during the Old Testament reign of Judah's King David.

Using a unique system that incorporates economics, diplomacy and military operations, players maneuver combat units and leaders over a full color map of the Near East and have a limited number of turns to determine victory!

With 15 Action Phase Chits to choose from, each turn is unique as players deal with the twists and turns of fate - ensuring no two games are ever the same. Players mys husband their resources to maintain their field armies, build and re-equip units, fortify cities and wage war through leaders who command chariots, phalanxes and militia.

We only got three turns completed but the game was surprisingly fun. With random things going on each turn broken into phases you never knew what would be coming up next on the turn track.

The game started innocently enough, I as Judah expanded south and had an uneasy truce with Philistia to keep a small border between us. Aramea advanecd southwards and was quick to be at war with minor nations.

I built up my southern forces and struck south in Turn 2 to attack the minor neutral NEGEV. This battle went poorly for me the first time out and I was repulsed outside the city. Finally next turn I took the country capital and spread out, claiming all its resources and harvest points. Meanwhile up north Aramea was moving south and battling Philistia. I had to use an event chit "secret way in" to take the Capital of Negev without a fight.

Near the end of our game, which we did not finish due to learning time and just chit chatting, the board was built up for a huge final clash. I had crossed the river Jordan and bulked up my forces in the north to prevent further Aramea expansion south and I was prepared to meet the assault should he drive for the Jordan Crossing. I had built all the phalanxes I could and moved most of my leaders up there. Philistia had resisted one Aramea incursion into his lands mainly because he had built up his cities to fortified level 4


Fantasy Flight fall games lineup

Releases for September 2011

Elder Sign – a cooperative dice game
Dust Tactics: Revised Core Set – a standalone core set that features all-new miniatures
Dust Tactics: Terrain Tile Pack
Dust Tactics: Unit Card Upgrade Pack
Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game - Conspiracies of Chaos
Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game - Curse of the Jade Emperor
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game - The Dead Marshes
Warhammer: Invasion - Realm of the Phoenix King
Talisman (Fourth Edition): The Dragon Expansion
Tannhäuser: Mizu

Friday, June 24, 2011

Star Wars Galaxies shuts down...but for some reason Vanguard lives on..

Star Wars Galaxies, the long running Sony Online MMO, has announced it will be shutting down. Not that it stood much chance when Star Wars Old Republic launched but still how this gets shut down over that crappy Vanguard disaster who knows.

Here is the info:
















Customer Service Notification

































































Dear Star Wars Galaxies™ Community Member,
We write to you today to inform you that on December 15, 2011, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and LucasArts will end all services (MMO and Trading Card Game) for Star Wars Galaxies (SWG). The shutdown of SWG is a very difficult decision, but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is the appropriate time to end the game.
We are extremely grateful to all of the SWG fans. We have had the rare opportunity to host one of the most dedicated and passionate online gaming communities and we truly appreciate the support we've received from each and every one of you over the course of the past eight years.
In recognition of your incredible loyalty, we are extending special Fan Appreciation offers to the current SWG community. We also plan to go out with a bang with a galaxy-ending in-game event in December and hope to see you all there. The details relating to these offers and events as well as the timeline and specifics regarding the discontinuation of the service, are provided below.
Again, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our player community for making SWG one of the best online communities in gaming history.
Sincerely,
Sony Online Entertainment & LucasArts
The Fine Details:
Discontinuation of Services:
As of September 15, 2011, the SWG MMO and Trading Card Game will no longer be available for sale or subscription at both retail and all online digital retailers. All billing for active subscribers with accounts in good standing, except for Station Access subscribers, will end on October 15, 2011.
If you are an active subscriber in good standing as of September 15, 2011, then you can play for free for the final months. Players wishing to play through the end of the game and participate in the galaxy-ending event planned for the last week of live service in December will need to re-activate or join the game on or before September 15th. No new or reactivated accounts will be accepted after September 15, 2011.

Panzer Campaigns Salerno '43 AAR: Kampfgruppe Graser

Aprilia, "The Factory", 10 miles north of Anzio, February 7th 1944: A lull in the fighting on February 5th increased the tension all along the Allied line. Two days passed with only minor actions along the front. A German assault began on the night of February 7th around Aprilia, this was a major counter-attack by KG Graser. The objective was to smash through the Allied defenses to Anzio using the Via Anzate. Initially, the German infantry infiltrated through units on the front line and set up in their rear waiting for the main attack.

This scenario started out hot and heavy just like the description stated. I was playing the allies and all along my front I got hit hard on the very first turn. So hard that it took the computer about 2 minutes to finish its turn.

As of the start of the game here is my situation:

The British were heavily dug in all along the line. The Germans were stacked high with panzer grenadiers in each hex and some armor and self propelled guns in many of the middle hexes adjacent to an area called The Bowling Alley. First turn saw attacks all across my lines. I decided to sit tight and see how the AI would react so turn 1 simply consisted of me firing my AT guns and trying to damage what I could. Some German engineers were clearing obstacles. Obviously something was going to pour through that gap but with Fog of War on...who knows what! Red lines to the sides here point to what is in the stacks for the Axis.

I do have two Allied Warships off the coast however and I will use those to hit German vehicles and artillery if I can. They are the HMS Mauritius and the HMS Orion.



Turn 2 saw me assaulted all across the line on the west side of the board Panzergrenadiers of the 65th Infanterie Division moved around the men of the American 45th Infantry. Not sure why I left that hex open but now I have to rectify that issue but a massive amount of my men and material are FIXED units.



I open up with firing chemical mortars at the German unit to soften them up. Green units are of course American units, the light blue unit is my target. 24 guns open up lets see what kind of damage I can do. Dark Blue units are Luftwaffe and British units are tan/beige.



10 German soldiers lose their lives, but in the Fog of War settings in the Panzer Campaigns a "XXX" for unit size means that unit in that hex is still huge. I may not be able to break them and get that hex back. If that is the case I will have to pull those Americans east or risk being flanked. That blue snaky line along the hexsides? Not a river. That is a stream. It may be possible that the Germans can come across that.

The Brits of the 2nd Infantry Brigade put some pressure on the Germans by launching an assault against disrupted 4th Fallschirmjager Division and take the hex, with minimal casualties. This releases the American right and gives them some leeway. The Germans lose 26 men in the assault, Brits 5 (pic below)



In a daring move, I actually ASSAULT west with the Americans. I have 300 men there and decide to use them. I lose 20 but the gamble pays off and low and behold the gap is closed and now the Germans are totally cut off and surrounded and about to lose 2 stacks unless they can break out next turn!



The rest of my attacks are AT Guns against German armor and some infantry firing on targets. Nothing too exciting. To be continued in the coming days!

 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Salerno '43 and hangin with VASSAL....dawg

Yeah enough slang. Tonight at 8:30 pm EST you bet your bippy I will be in the GMT Games Ventrilo server getting ready to get my Fading Glory Demonstration on. After that I will be firing up my newly acquired Salerno '43 John Tiller Panzer Campaigns and doing a battle of Crete scenario for a new AAR most likely.

Want to join GMT? Find out how here

https://www.gmtgames.com/t-GMTVentrilo.aspx

You will need VASSAL installed and the Ventrilo Voice Chat server software to listen in.
On Thursday, June 23 at 8:30pm Eastern Time: We will be conducting a live online demonstration of Fading Glory! We will be using the Waterloo 20 VASSAL module for this demo.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

VASSAL Fighting Formations rages on

Made some nice steps yesterday in the first game I am playing via VASSAL. While not the most excellent use of tactics in a game and being given some very nice leeway since I am a new player the Germans advanced in all areas of Scenario Zero and put a lot of pressure on the Soviets. I have managed to destroy a good chunk of Soviet armor with well placed STUG shots and my infantry has for the most part rallied and is preparing to assault and take out the Soviet objective at H7. This will be continued later this week so we will see what happens! This is how the turn started for me yesterday in the shot below. After surviving Soviet air strikes on my armor I managed to rally and push the objective in  hex H7 with a massive amount of small arms fire dumped on that hex via the MG 34 platoon in hex F4. That platoon has since moved into the woods across from the building and my other platoons of infantry have assaulted the hex containing the Soviets. You can see this in the last screenshot.

I am not too worried about the T-34 up north as I have immobilized it. As it stands now most Soviet armor is under control and my tanks are relatively free to roam in and do some harm. I still have not been able to rally the Grenadier platoon in hex G7. They were rattled and for the life of me now I cannot get them back in the fight. More later!





Flames of War Wednesday sees a rematch

This week it is a rematch of the battle we fought last week on the eastern front.

Last weeks battle was humbling after I ran into a pack of Soviet SU-152's and realized how they can wreck an entire platoon of Panzer IV's. Heading back there this week to square off once more, only this time we are shaving the points down a bit with the Germans reduced to 2000 points total and the Russians at 1750 total.  This will be a team up game so I will get 1000 points and I am bringing all armor and a unit of 105's.

My army looks as follows:

1 Command Platoon of Panzer IV's

2 Panzer IV Platoons

1 Motorized Artillery Platoon (4 guns, 105's)

1000 points won't buy much especially since we are using the older Fortress Europe book to accommodate some newer players and make the game a little more even across the board.

Monday, June 20, 2011

John Tiller's Tunisia '43 After Action Report

"S of Tebourba, Dec 6th 1943: Both sides wanted to resume their offensives but it was the Germans who struck first. They moved part of 10PzD south of the Medjeda river in preparation for an attack along both sides of the river. First of all the Jebel el Guessa had to be cleared as it afforded perfect all round observation of the area. The US 1st Bn. 6th Arm'd Inf., was strung out thinly along the Jebel, supported by the 27th Arm'd Field Arty Bn. It was here, from the north and south east, that the Germans struck preceded by 2 waves of Stukas. Help was sent from the reorganizing CCB and by nightfall all was quiet again, but the all important high ground had been lost, as the infantry had been obliged to withdraw to protect their line of communication."

I decided to return to Panzer Campaigns and use John Tiller's newest title which is Tunisia '43. You can pick this game up on his site over at http://johntillersoftware.com/

As you can see by the scenario I picked I wanted something small to get back into. This was an 8 turn battle. Surely I could guide the Afrika Korp to victory right? Well things are not always what they seem.

TURN 1



Two victory points of 25 points each on the board that I can see right off. Jebel el Guessa seems to be the first main obstacle. On my side as the Germans I have Fallschirmjagers that move into direct contact with a unit from the US First Army. To south I have a cluster of armor consisting mostly of Panzer III's and some Panzer IV's. I also have 8 Marder III's which was a decent anti tank gun vehicle.

Immediately I decided to send those armored units west to attempt to flank and cut off the Americans at Jebel Guessa. I have artillery to the right of the screen screen which were some German 105's and some captured British 25 pounders.

TURN 2



Time to move out. In the above screenshot you can see some of my armor to the south. After moving just a bit west we encounter American armor. I jump all over it immediately and disrupt the tanks from the American 1st.



With a sufficient screen setup I end my turn and prepare to move on Jebel el Guessa. My Panzergrenadiers quickly sweep south and then north to capture the western most victory point location near Bou Aoukaz. This sufficiently forms a block to any American units that may come from the south.

Turn 3

American armor returns and takes on my Marder III's. I lost a vehicle but the Marders strike back. They will not be able to hold that southern flank by themselves but have done their job in delaying Americans coming toward Jebel el Guessa.



Turns 4-6

The next two turns were spent jockeying into position as I attempted to shell and bombard Jebel el Guessa. I started to drive a wedge between American forces in the west and north so that el Guessa could not be reinforced but it was costing me heavily in armor as my sweeping advances resulted in the loss of some Panzer III's. This would come back to haunt me later when the final points were tallied.

I almost surround el Guessa and I decide to pull the Marders up from the south and solidify my lines. The Americans in el Guessa withstand a massive FJ assault and hold the VP location. Next time I will soften them up with a STUKA strike and artillery.

Turns 7-8

Nearing the end of the game the Fallschirmjagers assault and take Jebel Guessa. This leaves me in control of both victory locations as I head into turn 8 and withstand a massive armor push by the Americans. I lose a unit of Panzer III's but fill the gap with infantry.



After turn 8 the game ends. Surely with both victory point locations I have achieved the 75 points I need to secure at least a minor win. Unfortunately the resulting point total I have is 71 and the game ends in a DRAW, BY JUST 4 POINTS! The turning point? The unit of Panzer III's that was eliminated in the American counter attack. Those destroyed tanks cost me enough points to dip me below the points I needed for a minor victory. I may have been too overzealous with my armor and the resulting point loss hurt me in the end. So on my first game back in a while I pull a draw. Tough little scenario and I do want to try it again at some point for sure.

FFG moves Wings of War to Nexus, Memoir '44 gets new scenarios

Fantasy Flight Games has parted ways with Wings of War and handing over distribution to Nexus.
"...we at Fantasy Flight Games must announce that we will no longer offer future releases in this line.

While our current Wings of War stock will remain available until it is gone, all future products in this line will be handled directly by NG International. We would like to thank NG International for the success of the past six years, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Fans seeking more information on Wings of War should contact NG International through their website."

Memoir '44 gets a pleasant update with the release of 8 new scenarios:
You can download the campaign from the Campaigns section of the Memoir ’44 Website. Here are the direct links to the 8 new official scenarios:

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Fighting Formations and VASSAL

Well I had been putting it off long enough what with my miniature gaming and all but this weekend on Sunday I finally pulled out Fighting Formations. Out of curiosity I also installed VASSAL and then 4 hours later my entire day was gone.

What happened is in the chat room I managed to find a nice wargamer named Shaun from England that had no issue with creating a new game and teaching me how to use VASSAL as well as the basics to the game. Next thing I know we are on turn 3 of scenario zero and I am playing the game quite smoothly.

I was most impressed with the VASSAL engine and how it handled the game. Once I got the hang of it and stopped accidentally dragging counters everywhere I was rolling dice, flipping activated units and placing hit markers with efficiency.

One interesting thing about Fighting Formations is the use of the Order Matrix which becomes a game in of itself. Stealing those low order cubes to rob your opponent of cheap moves or shots is also a bizarre metagame that I will have to get used to. I rarely played any cards in my game instead choosing to discard assets to get extra firepower on my STUG III shots which paid off as I toasted a good amount of T-34's. I still need to learn to place my command markers a little better and get the flow of assaulting or advancing down.

All in all a blast and a game I will come back to a bunch I think. Way more fulfilling than any other wargame I have played recently.

Some screenshots:

Avadon the Black Fortress available on iPad

I had to post this since this is the first REAL RPG (at least how I picture an RPG) released on the iPad thus far.

Spiderweb Software has released Avadon: The Black Fortress for PC, MAC and iPad.

http://www.spidweb.com/avadon/index.html

Avadon: The Black Fortress Features:

  • Epic fantasy role-playing adventure in an enormous and unique world.

  • Four different character classes, with dozens of unique spells and abilities.

  • Uncover the fascinating history of Avadon and the land of Lynaeus.

  • Many different endings. Your choices will change the world.

  • Dozens of side quests, hidden dungeons, and secrets to discover.

  • Hundreds of magical items to find. Use powerful crystals to make your artifacts even more powerful.

  • Huge adventure with lots of replay value


It is an old school throw back RPG with tons of flavor and a Baldur's Gate sized adventure so don't miss it.



 

Friday, June 17, 2011

Advanced Tactics Gold reference sheet

I did not make this. Forum poster Webizen on the Matrix Games boards did. Still I think it would be important to host here in case the internet swallowed it whole one day so here it is:

HistWar: Les Grognard Corps Control video

Haven't tried out HistWar Les Grognard yet? You should give the game a once over. I won't go into all the details but for the money so far it is a very in depth simulation of Napoleonic warfare. No, this is not a RTS game. This is a deep wargaming simulation. You can check out the demo from the main site here:

http://www.histwar.com/

The YouTube wargamers are not silent on this one either. Knowing how to control your forces in any computer wargame is essential and a few users have gone to great lengths to explain exactly how to do this. Take a watch of the video below:



And in final HistWar news we have a new GUI patch released. Info is below:

HistWar: Les Grognards Version 3a  is now available.

New GUI, some improvements and fixing several issues.

Two patches:

  • full patch for getting the last version 3a whatever the version used

  • limited patch to update from version 02F or later (03a RC)


The list of changes is here.

However, the activity continues:

  • Improvement of  Great Tactical AI

  • better control of orders managed by the regimental AI

  • scale 1/1, ( one 3D model = one man)


Enjoy

 

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Apple TV installed and operating smoothly

Over the past few weeks I have been investigating alternative methods to using my XBOX 360 to stream my media through my HDTV. Since I wanted to sell my XBOX because I never played console games I had to decided between my top two streaming media boxes as a replacement: Roku or Apple TV.

I decided to go with Apple TV due to the small size of the box, the fact that I have a lot tied to my ITunes account, and the quality of most Apple products. I got my kit in the mail today and proceeded to hook it up. It took all of 5 minutes and I was up and running. One HDMI cable from the Apple box to the TV, a power plug and a network cable was all it took.

The box is operating smoothly and after a firmware update the Netflix streaming seems fine to me. I have also logged into YouTube and watched videos through that with no problem. My ITunes account is set to home sharing so I can stream all my TV shows and movies that I had in ITunes through my television. I can also play all my music, listen to podcasts and find radio stations as well as MLB TV through the box. I won my device on Quibids for 54 dollars. Not too bad and now I can sell my console system and free up a lot of clutter in and around the TV area which can only make the significant other happier. Scoring brownie points via technology...it works for all of us.



Battlefront launches a new version of their YouTube channel

Battlefront launches their new BattleFront TV! "Today marks a new step forward for the Battlefront Group as we open BF TV. We are launching with a couple of videos from James, Mike, and Sean with a Cassino theme."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-THl2_7ey8&feature=youtu.be

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Flames of War Wednesday

It is here again. Flames of War Wednesday. For battle pics follow me on Twitter. I will try to post as many as I can without hampering the game flow.

http://twitter.com/#!/WW2Miniatures

This week will be Eastern Front, and I will be taking a 1250 point Panzerkompanie from the Fortress Europe book. Simple stuff really. 8 Panzer IV's, a battery of 105's, a Panzergrenadier Platoon. The points go fast dont they?

Russians will defend using a 1750 point force. A balanced/mixed strelkovy with w/ reinforced HQ, 2 rifle mg, 1 or 2 AT guns, 2 artillery and 1 or 2 tank or assault gun coys.

Warmachine to release two player battle box starter set

The box will feature Khador vs. Menoth and will contain the complete Warmachine Prime Mk II rules in a travel-sized booklet.

Slated for September, PIP25001 WARMACHINE Two-Player Battle Box with Khador and Protectorate $99.99

http://pressganger.blogspot.com/2011/06/pp-september-releases-inc-warmachine-2.html



Contents

  • Rules booklet (86 pages)

  • introductory guide

  • dice

  • ruler

  • 17 plastic Warmachine models with corresponding stat cards


Khador Army

  • Warcaster Kommander Sorscha

  • Juggernaut Heavy Warjack

  • Destroyer Heavy Warjack

  • Man-O-War Shocktrooper Unit(5)


Protectorate Of Menoth Army

  • Warcaster High Exemplar Kreoss

  • Crusader Heavy Warjack

  • Vanquisher Heavy Warjack

  • Repenter Light Warjack

  • Exemplar Cinerators Unit(5)

One of the best things about the new Cassino book

is a page near the back that shows how important it is to layout a good gaming table with the proper terrain. I have taken a photo of it and posted it here in the hopes that people learn that you DO need a lot of terrain in this game unlike some miniature games you may have played in the past.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Flames of War Cassino and plastic infantry bases

Grabbed them last night at my local store. Got two packs of bases to rebase my Grenadiers and then also grabbed the book. More on these later!

Friday, June 10, 2011

WulfsMod graphics mod released for Squad Battles

http://tfe4.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/wulfsmod-graphics-mods-for-mw-tod-rv-and-pw
Here’s a very nice set of graphics modifications done by IronWulf over on the Blitz.  He’s put together graphics/terrain modifications of four games, each can be found under their specific game folder in the graphics/sounds section of the site, or if you own all four games, simply download the combined zipped files here.   Here is an informational text file he put into the main zipped folder giving information on how to use these graphics images as well as some relevant links and his contact information.  Great stuff, thanks IronWulf!

Files for Tour of Duty, Pacific War, Red Victory and Modern War are included. This mod mostly updates just the base counters, graphic symbols, unit boxes and some of the terrain graphics. These graphic enhancements should not cause any gameplay issues.

Codemasters hacked

The cycle continues. I have left this email the way it came in.
Dear valued Codemasters customer,

On Friday 3rd June, unauthorised entry was gained to our Codemasters.com website. As soon as the intrusion was detected, we immediately took codemasters.com and associated web services offline in order to prevent any further intrusion.

During the days since the attack we have conducted a thorough investigation in order to ascertain the extent and scope of the breach and have regrettably discovered that the intruder was able to gain access to the following:

Codemasters.com website

Access to the Codemasters corporate website and sub-domains.

DiRT 3 VIP code redemption page

Access to the DiRT 3 VIP code redemption page.

The Codemasters EStore

We believe the following have been compromised: Customer names and addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, encrypted passwords and order history. Please note that no personal payment information was stored with Codemasters as we use external payment providers, meaning your payment details were not at risk from this intrusion.

Codemasters CodeM database

Members' names, usernames, screen names, email addresses, date of birth, encrypted passwords, newsletter preferences, any biographies entered by users, details of last site activity, IP addresses and Xbox Live Gamertags are all believed to have been compromised.

Whilst we do not have confirmation that any of this data was actually downloaded onto an external device, we have to assume that, as access was gained, all of these details were compromised and/or stolen.

The Codemasters.com website will remain offline for the foreseeable future with all Codemasters.com traffic re-directed to the Codemasters Facebook page instead. A new website will launch later in the year.

Advice

For your security, in the first instance we advise you to change any passwords you have associated with other Codemasters accounts. If you use the same login information for other sites, you should change that information too. Furthermore, be extra cautious of potential scams, via email, phone, or post that ask you for personal or sensitive information. Please note that Codemasters will never ask you for any payment data such as credit card numbers or bank account details, nor will Codemasters ask you for passwords or other personal identifying data. Be aware too of fraudulent emails that may outwardly appear to be from Codemasters with links inviting you to visit websites. The safest way to visit your favourite websites is always by typing in the address manually into the address bar of your browser.

Unfortunately, Codemasters is the latest victim in on-going targeted attacks against numerous game companies. We assure you that we are doing everything within our legal means to track down the perpetrators and take action to the full extent of the law.

We apologise for this incident and regret any inconvenience caused.

We are contacting all customers who may have been affected directly.

Should you have any concerns or wish to speak to a member of our Customer Services team, please email them at custservice@codemasters.com.

Flames of War Friday: Battle of Elst

Another Friday, another Flames of War battle tonight. I will post the results tomorrow. I am playing on the Allied side again. Here are the details: 

Battle of Elst
23rd September 1944
The Market Garden operation is reaching its climax. The British paratroops still have a toe-hold over the upper Rhine at Oosterbeek. XXX Corps is still pushing north and the Germans of Kampfgruppe Knaust at Elst are in the way. The 7th Somerset Light Infantry Battalion and the 1st Worcestershire Infantry Battalion of the 43rd Wessex Division have been tasked to remove the Germans from the town. The Germans have been reinforced by elements of the 10SS Panzer Division including a handful of new Panthers.
At the start of the day both British battalions were still some way from the intended battlefield. Deployment was delayed by the sodden ground, pockets of resistance and German shell fire. It’s raining. At 1600 hrs the attack commences.

Victory Conditions
If the British reach and hold any point of the railway line and can trace a line along a road that’s has no Germans within 6” of it they win a decisive victory.
If the British reach and hold the church and can trace a line along a road that’s has no Germans within 6” of it they win a marginal victory.
If the British have any units on a road within 18” of the west board edge and can trace a line along a road that’s has no Germans within 6” the game is drawn.
If the British fail in their objectives the Germans win

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

FoW Wednesday...Americans and British take a bloody nose this time

Another long slugfest. Americans and British combined Normandy force attempting to take a German defended town. The terrain was the enemy in this one. By the time the British broke through the American armor had been shattered and we fell short of the town. The British never even got near their objective...too much bocage and too many dug in infantry in the path. By the time the Brits got into the clear the Germans were able to swing their anti armor toward them and make short work of the Cromwell IV's. The game ended 4-3 in favor of the Germans.






Memoir '44 Online revealed

From Days of Wonder comes an online version of the popular World War 2 boardgame, complete with an AI opponent if needed.

http://static.daysofwonder.com/c/0067mlz/en/
Omaha Beach... Kursk... Iwo Jima... Since 2004, Memoir '44 has airdropped over 100,000 players into the key battles of World War II. Now Days of Wonder opens up a new front with Memoir '44 Online, the years-in-the-making multiplayer computer adaptation of this award-winning board game. Join thousands of other Memoir '44 fans online to command your troops on the battlefields that defined History in the 20th century.

Memoir '44 Online includes:

  • A community of friendly players willing to help teach you the ropes

  • "Johnny", the computer's AI and a strong opponent, always ready to play

  • Dozens of available scenarios from the Western, Eastern, Pacific and Mediterranean fronts

  • Special Achievement badges as you progress through the ranks from Cadet onward

  • A fantastic video tutorial to get you started


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Pride of Nations video tutorial and release

Right, I have had my say of bad things today. Now on with the good. A game I helped beta test but ended up not liking the more I played it. However take that with a grain of salt since I ended up getting involved in Panzer Corps beta by Slitherine and empire building games are not my thing. I am sure that this offering by AGEOD will live up to the hype and I found it much more polished than their other releases.
Paradox Interactive and Paradox France/AGEOD have today released a gameplay video walkthrough of their turn-based historical strategy game set in the colonial era of the 19th century, Pride of Nations, set to release on PC on June 7th.

The five minute video looks at one of the major powers of the Victorian era in France at the start of their industrial revolution in 1850, looking at the key areas of control the player will have in the game - military operations, commerce, industrialization, colonization and diplomacy.

No more Games Workshop articles on this blog

As of today we will no longer be posting anymore Games Workshop news updates or articles about their products on this blog.

Since that company seems fit to legally go after people that have long backed their products, go after people that sell their products, and are in general crude and determined to offend or handicap anyone that gives them free publicity then we will be boycotting them on our blog.

Never have I seen a company that is so determined to shoot themselves in the foot as Games Workshop is. The final straw for us was them going after Waaaghcast after three years of that podcast delivering quality content about GW games and the Warhammer gaming community. Follow them on Twitter for more:

http://twitter.com/#!/Waaaghcast

UPDATE:

GarageHammer got nailed also:
David Witek



Apparently GW has decided that the Garagehammer bumper stickers infringe on their property. We don't use their font so we are confused.


Want more? Even MiniWargaming is getting into the ring with a recent video. A video which I think is way too nice to GW and the powers that be. You can see it below. Warlord Games even took the time to announce new releases and take a stab at GW in the funniest quote of the week:
"Finally Cast

Our Testudo is finally back in stock after a long hiatus and we are
also releasing some new vehicles for trade – Wittman’s Tiger and the
Sdkfz 250/1 Neu Halftrack.


We were thinking of doubling the price and
branding them “Finally-Cast” but we haven’t
."

Along with their underhanded business dealings with local gamestores and the way they treat their employees enough is enough. The people that are die hard GW fans can continue to throw money at them but for the past couple of months I have been done with it. Not speaking for Darryl but for myself the entire Games Workshop mythos of their invicibility already wore thin with me years ago and recent events have just shown to me that I do not simply like them myself. From the way they treat their so called "specialist games" to how they blatantly shovel Lord of the Rings into your face in lieu of supporting more quality titles the company has steadily just gotten under my skin.

When our podcast comes back, IF it comes back, I will not be talking about GW or any of their products. I will leave that up to Darryl if he wants. Instead I am going to go full press onward and purposely give free advertising and product discussion to anyone or any title that will take business away from Games Workshop. The only thing holding that company together in the United States is that fact that they have stores all over the place and saturated the market with locations to play their games. That is changing however as many people move and local clubs spring up all over playing games that do not sport the GW logo. I will do all I can locally to assist this. I have talked to various game store owners and learned about the tactics GW tries to push on owners that want to carry even a percentage of product. I have heard stories of how they treat employees. I used to ignore it because I did at one time like their games. However as their titles are driven more by selling a set amount of miniatures now rather than fun gameplay I quickly learned to see past the hype and now rarely even enjoy their rules systems. Warhammer 40k has long been a broken ruleset with 5th edition, Lord of the Rings is a poor skirmish system for which they ignore their better titles in swapping shelf space for a movie license they are stuck with, and Warhammer Fantasy while better in this iteration is still a march forward until you collide and roll dice affair.
"I think everyone has to make their own decision on when it's gone too far, affordable or not. The last few months have persuaded me this is the moment the gaming models of the two big systems no longer match my interests. There's plenty of alternatives to Games Workshop as a source of hobby materials, whether new settings, rules or miniatures, much of it surprisingly low cost."

Most of their talent, like Priestley and others, have moved on to make better rules systems and forge more friendly companies. Companies that understand that the internet is a tool to help your gamers and reach out to them not punish them and their customers. Expect more Dystopian Wars, Malifaux and Warmachine coverage here.

That is all I wanted to say. I will leave you all with the MiniWargaming video. A video which for the most part is tame in comparison to what I would say. If you think for one moment that the GW move to resin was motivated to help the customer save money and that the price increase was not planned ALONG with a move to resin to cut GW costs but then charge us more then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I want to sell you.

Until then enjoy the news we post here and enjoy other sites as well as us. However don't rely on us for Games Workshop information anymore. While I enjoy hearing from the readers comments on this article will be closed because of the nature of GW fanboys to post responses about things they do not know about. In general the typical GW fanboy has tried one game or maybe two. They live in a bubble where they rarely venture out to see new games or try new things and arguing with that subset of INEXPERIENCED gamer is not something I feel like doing on a daily basis.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Matrix Games updates Close Combat with mega 2.0 patch

Just announced today on the Matrix Games forums:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2832163

Everything that’s new will be available at no cost to customers who already own the Matrix Games Close Combat releases in the form of free mega-updates, which have been tested over the past few months.
To mark the relaunch of the series, Matrix Games is also thrilled to announce the Hoffa’s Body Easter Egg Contest! For all the veteran Close Combat commanders out there who remember finding Hoffa’s body in the classic Close Combat games, we’ve placed Hoffa’s body somewhere on the battlefields of Close Combat – Last Stand Arnhem. The first person to find Hoffa’s body and send us an in-game screenshot of his location along with their serial key will win a free digital copy of any game in the Matrix Games or Slitherine store!

Relaunch and Mega Update Improvements (CC: Cross of Iron, CC: Wacht am Rhein, CC: The Longest Day)

  • Major improvements were made to the way vehicles and soldiers travel to way points and reach the end destination of both simple and highly complex, unhindered paths with a very high degree of success.

  • Soldier pathfinding was improved so that when soldiers fall behind (heavy weapon or momentarily lost) they plot their own path to successfully rejoin their team.

  • Vehicle driver and soldier decision making was improved to help them deal with unexpected obstacles (vehicle moving into their way , or wreck that was knocked out in the course of battle to block a path that was already determined), and get out of dead-end locations.

  • AI improvements were designed in concert with the re-designed pathfinder.

  • The "Bee Dance" of CC2 that was related to conflicts between the AI for the vehicle driver and the AI that tried to keep the team moving along the team's path that would result in a conflict about which portion of the AI to follow or "which way to go” is resolved.

  • Many other minor improvements were made and reported bugs were fixed.


CC: Last Stand Arnhem-only Relaunch and Mega Update Improvements

  • The mechanism for borrowing teams from the reserve battlegroup was redesigned.

  • The Grand Campaign was redesigned for improved play balance


Saturday, June 4, 2011

Confirmed Cassino additions from Battlefront

Flames of War confirmed rumors for Cassino:

There are a number of items coming out in support of Cassino and Infantry Aces they have not posted to their site yet. The first is a campaign map with metal badges for anyone wanting to run the campaign. This is coming on the 18th of June. The others are terrain, a monastery and vineyards. These last are scheduled for the end of June. They will also have roads coming in July. They estimated from a picture that the monastery was around 20 x 12 x 12 inches.

Americans take a bloody nose during Friday FoW gaming night

THE SETTING

Near Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia, 15 February 1943: Following the initial successes of the Allied Invasion of

French North Africa, the British and Americans sent units racing for Tunis. However, the Germans quickly dispatched troops by air and halted the Allies short of their goal.
The situation had reached a stalemate by the end of December 1942, after much bloody fighting. Throughout January both sides consolidated their forces as they cautiously jockeyed for better positions. In February, Col.-General Jurgen von Arnim launched his panzer divisions against the Americans, looking to crack open the front. 
On February 14th, the fast moving kampfgruppen, elements of the 21st Panzer Division, annihilated a US tank battalion and its supporting infantry. This resulted in the capturing of Sidi Bou Zid and the isolation of about 2,000 GIs on two dominating hills, djebels Lessouda and Ksaira.
We got beat up pretty bad during our Friday night FOW session at the local gaming store. I was on the American team and we got about 3/4 ways down the road before we lost several Shermans and our whole force had to back up and retreat off the board due to heavy armored ambushes from the Afrika Korp. Pics are shown below.