Posted on October 6, 2011 by AzH

No games makes RPN a very dull site!

I’m sorry. I’ve had some real life shit to contend with which has kept me out of action in terms of updating Rock Paper Nuke, or even playing some games to have something to write about.

But I’m going to, in the next week, hopefully, God willing, if nothing else goes wrong, if my prayers come true (etc) have some time to play and some time to write. I’ve yet to decide what to play or what to write about, but I’m sure given enough time I’ll come up with something. Games wise I’ve made some interesting purchases recently and I need to get under the hood of them and see what it’s all about.

Firstly Civ V. I have not played a Civilisation game since Civ II – which is a game that a class as one which hooked me into more complex games way back in the day. It’s also how I developed my pseudonym, AzH (and one day I’ll explain), and I played for days upon days at a time. Civ V will be my first journey back into Sid Meier’s world in, hell, probably ten years or so.

Second, Empire at War is going to fall in line with another Star Warsy based project I’m doing. I set myself a challenge/quest to read every Star Wars book. One down, X to go. I didn’t buy the bluray boxset, because I’m waiting for the 3D re-releases next year and I already have the movies on DVD. Plus, I heard that some of the changes made are GOD AWFUL. Let’s hope they put that shit back before the theatrical 3D release.

Oops, off topic there! I have played through the training levels on Empire at War and I thought it was a well polished product. I’m going to enjoy taking things further.

Well, I’ll be back when I have something real and/or important to say. Until that time remember, the Force will be with you. Always.

Filed in Strategy Games | 2 Comments
Posted on September 16, 2011 by AzH

Star Wars Empire at War: Gold Pack is 50% off on Steam this weekend

Click me to visit the Steam Store page

I love Star Wars and I love strategy gaming. Why then do I not own Star Wars Empire at War? I have vague recollections of playing the demo, but I never indulged in the full game. I am trying to remember what was out at that time or what I was doing that made it slip under my RADAR. I can’t put my finger on it, but now I have a chance to redeem that mistake.

Star Wars Empire at War God Pack is 50% off on Steam this weekend as part of a larger Star Wars event on the giant digital download platform. Casging in on the Bluray release are we? Cheeky! Click here to see the offer. The only title I don’t have in the larger pack is EAW. Otherwise, despite how poor I am, I’d have been very tempted.

Star Wars Empire at War Gold Pack the blurb:

Star Wars Empire at War:

From the lives of soldiers to the deaths of planets, you are the supreme galactic commander. It is a time of galactic civil war. Take up the reins of the Rebellion or assume control for the Empire. Whichever you choose, it will be up to YOU to steer your side to ultimate victory. Command everything from individual troops to starships and even the mighty Death Star as you execute campaigns on the ground, in space and across the galaxy. Forget tedious resource gathering – just jump straight into the heart of the action. You can even change Star Wars history! Every decision affects your next battle and every battle helps shape the fate of the galaxy.

  • Conquer or liberate over 80 ground and space locations including Kashyyyk, Tatooine and Dagobah – each with its own strategic advantage.
  • Command iconic Star Wars characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Boba Fett.
  • Pit X-wings against TIE fighters or command an entire fleet of Star Destroyers in space. Then send down land forces to secure the planet below.

I love Star Wars Supremacy, the galaxy spanning strategy title released in ’98. It was strategically brilliant. The options for taking planets were great. Bombard them into submission, sabotage the garrison, capture or kill the General or incite an uprising and force the enemy out through popular support. Taking a planet though was a case of clicking on it and selecting assault. Maths did the hard work. Space battles, although a little more impressive than a planetary assault, were still little more than lining up your bigger ships and blowing up his smaller ships. It wasn’t long before the space battles were being auto resolved and skipped entirely. I’m still passionate about Supremacy, but it had it’s drawbacks.

All the things I couldn’t do in Supremacy I can do in Empire at War. Fleet battles with tactics. Planetary assaults where maths gives way to cunning and leadership. This is something I should have got my hands on “A long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away….)”.

The gold pack also includes the Forces of Corruption expansion:

Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption:

You’ve played the light side. You’ve played the dark side. Now play the corrupt side! As Tyber Zann you’ll stop at nothing to become the most notorious criminal leader since Jabba the Hutt. With all new tactics like piracy, kidnapping, racketeering and bribery, you can control the shadowy forces of corruption in your attempt to rule the Star Wars underworld. Don’t just control the galaxy…corrupt it!

  • All new units and planets: Command over 28 new underworld units as well as new Rebel and Imperial forces and heroes on 13 new planets.
  • Expanded Multiplayer: Experience all out, three-faction battles and now play the same side against itself with mirror play.

Cue screenshots:



May the Force be with you!

Filed in Strategy Gaming News | 2 Comments

Hmm… Civ 5 is 75% off on Steam this weekend: Sid Meier’s Civilization® V

It would be rude not to.

 

Posted on September 8, 2011 by AzH | Comments Off
Posted on September 8, 2011 by AzH

Why Dawn of War III better be awesome

After the bitter disappointment of Dawn of War II, which got no more than a couple of hours play time from me, it was with a degree of trepidation that I opened up the Eurogamer preview of Dawn of War III. Would it be morte of the same? Would relic throw the same small squad no-base-building RPG at us? Or would they learn from Dawn of War 2 and realise that a strategy game =/= levelling up a character?

“Looking at what we had real success with with Dawn of War II – Retribution, with the DLC, and with customisation and building their armies and collecting being a big part of what 40k fans really love, we want to make that a big part of DOW3″, said Relic marketing manager James McDermott. Mmm-hmm, yes. Building an army successful in a RTS game. Strange that, isn’t it? Thank fully Relic have listened and learned, and Dawn of War III will feature a “war that rages eternal” and “lots of opportunities to expand and build your own custom mega army.”

Eternal War. Expansion. Custom Mega Army. Six words which encapsulate all my hopes and dreams for Dawn of War III.

I want to be able to build my own Space Marine successor chapter (I know who they are already) and I want to be able to play as part of a huge military campaign. Be a huge army which is a small part of the whole sweeping total war that engulfs the 41st millennium. Warhammer 40K has always been to me, epic armies, epic units, epic battles, epic heroes. I want Titans strutting across the battlefield and… well can you imagine 40k wrought on a Supreme Commander scale? (there’s another sequel which was a bitter let down!) That’s what I want to see!

Is that too much to ask? Is it? IS IT!?

Danny Bilson said of Dawn of War III: “Now Dawn of War III, either way, is going to have a much larger strategic component to it, more of a global battle going on with little tactical things, sort of MMO-like.” (link) That kind of over-arching setting with you a part of it really appeals. As long as I get base building back and army building back I’ll be happy.

Dawn of War III’s release date should fall into the August 2012 to February 2013 window.

For the Emperor!

Filed in Strategy Gaming News | 2 Comments