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Entries from February 11th, 2009

I’m Going to Keep Saying This Until People Listen

February 11th, 2009 · 28 Comments · Crispy Gamer, Design, RTS

Mostly, I hate the entire idea of dividing games by how time moves. There are better ways to understand game design than whether or not you have time to make a sandwich before you are overrun with Cossacks. But then Tom Chick writes: Real-Time Strategy Games are survived by its oldest son, Empire: Total War, […]

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Ready for Gettysburg 3D?

February 9th, 2009 · 1 Comment · Civil War, Mad Minute, Preview

This is why I have sidekicks. Norb Timpko, one of the guys behind the underappreciated Take Command games from Mad Minute has been working on a new Gettysburg game called War3DII: Gettysburg. And I had no idea that they were so far along that they’ve already been previewed in an Austrian publication. Best part? Multiplayer. […]

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Happy Birthday Combat Mission

February 9th, 2009 · 6 Comments · Battlefront

Battlefront says that it is Combat Mission’s tenth birthday, and who am I to contradict them? The most important part of this post is the one screenshot of the upcoming Combat Mission game, returning to the Western Front of WW2. It’s a couple of Tigers dancing in a meadow of flowers.

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Feature Series: Maps and Game Design

February 7th, 2009 · 20 Comments · Feature:Map

I love maps. I always have. Something about how they impose order on nature. Borders are in bold lines, marking out what belongs to whom. Growing up, we had an old set of American People’s Encyclopedia that had resource maps for every country, so gold and iron and wheat would be indicated with icons. I […]

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Stardock Expansion

February 4th, 2009 · 9 Comments · Industry, Stardock

With so many companies scaling back their operations, and so many layoffs affecting so many people, it’s always nice to read about a company growing. Especially nice when that company is the ever reliable Stardock. Helped in part by generous Michigan tax breaks, developer/publisher Stardock (Sins of a Solar Empire, Demigod) is planning a $900,000 […]

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Diplomacy Improved in Empire: Total War

February 4th, 2009 · 4 Comments · Creative Assembly, Preview

Over on Gamespot, Andrew Park has uploaded an interview with Creative Assembly’s James Russell. Key bits include: Deeper diplomatic model: These relationships provide the backdrop to the negotiations that players will be involved with as they strive to develop a network of trade partners and allies, or negotiate military access to enable them to further […]

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