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It's not too often that I get very excited about a game these days. It's not so much that I'm 'growing out of it', but rather just a reflection of my changing priorities in life and personal tastes. And when I do have the free time to game, I prefer to play games that reward me with an experience where I don't feel the time was wasted. I guess that's why much of my time is spent now with titles like Flight Sim X, Conquest of the Aegean, or Battleground Europe (also simply BE), where there is either a real-world connection, a sense of intellectual accomplishment, or a feeling of fulfillment that I can't otherwise get 'in real life'. With BE in particular, it has been an on again, off again, love affair that has persisted since 2001. And as any gamer knows, that's a hella-long time to be devoted to any one title.

So why am I bringing up BE now, almost ten years after the fact?

Because with the very recent release of game version 1.31, WWII Online (referred to as WWII Online: Battleground Europe, or simply BE, after a 2006 rebranding) has finally attained a level of maturity that makes many fans and players of the game, me included, quite proud of.

When this game first released in June of 2001, I thought it was divine providence that the game I had been waiting my whole life for, specifically a massively multiplayer re-creation of the Battle of France in 1940, was released so close to my birthday and during a time when I was pretty-much single and able to do a lot of gaming. But the initial release was marred by the fact that at release, the game was quite literally unplayable, and required a large patch to even get it close to a somewhat useable state. Many of the game's more anticipated features, like the rank system, were either non-existent or not fully functional.

But despite these early problems that would have killed further development of most games, development continued and a loyal player base grew to support the game. And over the years, the dev team has managed to radically improve the graphical quality and gameplay mechanics while adding new equipment and player roles to keep things fresh and exciting. And with the 1.31 update, this tough gem of a game finally gets the 'under the hood' update it so very much needed and deserved.

The main change comes in the form of a core engine upgrade (to Unity 1.5), which allows the game to make use of newer tech like Shader Model 3.0, SSE2 instructions, and improved physics and particle effects engines. These changes enable the devs to give the game a much-needed facelift, and also make use of cool tidbits like ragdoll effects, improved muzzle flashes, and more realistic explosions.

The other two huge changes come in the form of dynamic weather patterns and capture mechanics. In the case of capping structures, gone are the hated tables and radios. Now, capping is a matter of being in the building. And the more people you have, the faster you cap! Finally, players are rewarded less for Rambo-esque lone wolf runs and more for teamwork, planning and cooperation. There are other changes to the mechanics of capping too, but the other big one of note is the fact that you can now defend yourself in a capture location without resetting the capture timer. This alone makes the update awesome in my book.

By adding weather effects to the game, players will now be treated to a truly dynamic gameplay environment that alternates between clear, cloudy and rainy weather, which includes occasional thunder! While this probably isn't a huge addition for some, for me (as a former US Army infantryman), this effect adds a much-needed level of immersion and realism that takes the experience further from game and more towards simulation. Case in point, just last night I boarded a C-47 for an airborne mission. What was formerly ordinary was made dramatic in 1.31, as the daytime skies were ominously dark and menacing, as if giving me a grim preview of the drop to come. And as our pilot got us over the drop zone, we all jumped on the objective in a rainstorm. And once I was on the ground and in the fight, it only got better with the improved graphics, animations, and gameplay mechanics. This particular mission in 1.31 was both a highly-cinematic and memorable gaming experience, and one that I think serves to give a tiny bit of insight into both the strengths of this game and the far ranging impact of this important update.

So if you're looking for a new online gaming experience that is rich, deep, and rewarding, look no further. And while I admit that the initial learning curve is a bit steep for new players, the game has an amazingly supportive community and a host of tools that will have you going from green recruit to grognard in no time flat.

Seriously though, this is one of those rare things that comes along very few times in one's life. If you consider yourself a gamer at all, or have at least some interest in the second world war, then you owe it to yourself to try it out (or even come back to try on the new diggs). I promise you, it will be time and money well spent.

Oh, and don't forget to look me up if you're on the Allied side. I go by Jackal2124...

WWIIOL:BE Homepage

What the hell is Brizzard thinking? My friend Sean just sent me this link over at Starcraft-Fans.com that discusses Blizzard Entertainment's justification of their decision to eliminate LAN support from Starcraft 2 entirely.

Boneheads!!!

Although it won't affect Blizzard's decision in the least, I had to show my support for SC2 LAN play by signing the petition that Starcraft-Fans.com has set up. Here is what I wrote in my petition entry:

This is a poor decision that will alienate more players than it prevents from pirating the game. Has no company learned from examples like Stardock? If you make a quality, fun and well-supported product, people will pay for it even if it completely lacks copy protection. Eliminating what many diehard fans consider a 'core function' of the game will only anger the people that made the first game (and the series) as popular as it is and cause many more to pirate the game that would otherwise have not in the first place. Just hurts to see that money is more important than being loyal to the fanbase...

Link: http://www.totalwar.com/empire/

Words cannot properly convey just how stupid-excited I am right now... Why, you ask?

EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR will be released in little more than 8 HOURS! That's right, because if you happened to pre-order or plan on buying it online via Steam tonight, the game unlocks at midnight to coincide with tomorrow's retail launch!

For those PC gamers out there that don't have a pulse, E:TW is the latest installment in the famed Total War strategy series. This game focuses on the epic Napoleonic era, and many (including myself) are psyched because this installment introduces a full naval combat engine!!

Below is an excerpt talking about on of the first real reviews of the game:

IGN praised it as a "masterful combination of all the things that I love about strategy games—a great setting, a first-rate presentation, tactics that reward maneuver, and a strategic layer that requires flexibility in your plans." The reviewer said that Empire's 18th Century setting was "a perfect setting for the game design, and the new naval battles, while a tad clunky, finally deliver the series' one missing component." The reviewer did however note that "the end game still drags a bit and there are some small, rough edges in the tactical battles, particularly at sea." His final comment was "Simply put, if you're a fan of strategy games, this is one game you must have in your collection."[33] IGN UK also gave the game 9.5, saying that the game "deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the greatest names in gaming history."

Methinks tomorrow will be a sick day from work... ;-)

--Drumroll--

And now, the second part of my list of the top ten games I've been playing lately! So without further ado, heeeeeeere's NUMBER FIVE!

Number 5:
Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)

In terms of total time played, I've probably played the games in the Advanced Wars series for the GBA-SP and NDS more than almost every other game I've played combined. Usually, this is because its my go-to to alleviate boredom during otherwise not-so-useful downtime like lunch hours. That combined with the fact that this game is so addictive that you want to get your hands on it every second you can...

To those that haven't played any of them, you SUCK! But seriously, these are addictive strategy games with simple to play yet difficult to master mechanics that will keep your nose buried in them for hours on end. While the campaign of the latest game, Days of Ruin, is pretty fun, it's only the tip of an iceberg that also includes quick battle modes and custom map creation tools. (among other goodies)

Number 4:

Rock Band 2 (360)

It's funny, because this game comes damn close to sliding into my top 3 (which is kind of a big deal) and I don't even own the game...

But our friends Jon and Brooke do, and whenever we go over to their place to hand out, have dinner or party, Rock Band 2 is always involved at one point or another. In fact, the game has become such an entertainment fixture at their house that entire parties have centered around it, as I'm sure has happened in many other households throughout the country. And lets be honest, you know something is a really big deal when South Park does an episode about you!

Well, to be precise the episode was about Guitar Hero, but close enough in my book...

What is awesome about the game is it's eerily Wii-like mass appeal, which means that nearly anybody of any gaming experience can basically pick it up and act like a freaking rock star. For Cate and I, the game is all the more fun because we like to sing too, and I've even found myself singing songs like When We Were Young while playing guitar!

The bottom line is that this is probably one of the greatest 'social interaction' games ever, and certainly a fantastic game in its own right.

If only I could play any Metallica song on expert...

Number 3:

Grand Theft Auto IV (360)

Love or hate it, there is something special (or repulsive, depending on your point of view) about the GTA series of games. There have been numerous reviews, discussions, complaints, etc, about this game enough as it is, so I won't try to even go there.

I simply want to say that for me, there hasn't really been a game that presented such a truly living, detailed and immersive world like GTA4 does. End of story. And its not just the scope or attention to detail that I adore, its also the story that seems to suck you in and actually care about the survival of your in-game ego, Niko Bellic.

From my first auto theft to snuffing out eastern-European thugs living in the States, this game is a highly addictive and satisfying thrill ride of a win for me.

Well done, Rockstar...

Number 2:

Ace Combat 6 (360)

AC6 (unlike AC360) marks the second flight sim in my top 10 list of games, which is not surprising considering just how much of an aviation junkie I am... But whereas my aviation tastes usually lean towards the 1917 to 1945 period, this game is set in the post-modern era of around 2012 with modern (and near-future) aircraft.

Although the gameplay is definitely more on the arcade-ish side and I tend to be a flight sim authenticity whore, the game looks amazing and plays too damn well for me to gripe at all about it. And did I say how amazing the planes look? Try photorealistic. And for me, it doesn't get much better than flying in a photorealistic A-10 Warthog or Sukhoi Su-47.

So if you're at all remotely interested in air combat and have a 360, spend the $30 or so to pick a copy up!

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And finally, the numero uno on my gaming list, and the one I seem to be playing the most lately is... --drumroll again--

Galactic Civilizations 2: Twilight of the Arnor (PC)

The top spot goes to one of the greatest PC strategy games of all time: GalCiv 2. This game is amazing because it offers one of the most bell-balanced, immersive and playable 4X experiences since Master of Orion 2 burst on the scene back in 1996.

What makes this space strategy game all the more amazing is the company behind it, Stardock. These are in mind mind the gold standard by which all other game development houses should be measured: Excellend product support after launch, listening to fan input & ideas, and putting out quality, feature-packed expansions that don't break the bank for what you get.

For any fan of strategy games and/or scifi stuff, this is it right here. To give an example of why I love it so much, I'll tell you a quick story: During one recent game of GalCiv2, about mid-game part of my empire seemed to be a bit further away from the 'mother country' than I liked, and I thought to myself "if I were those colonies, I'd band together and declare independence! The main part of the empire is far away and their military couldn't do a thing about it right now!"

Sure enough, about a dozen turns later they did just that. And what ensued was a bloody and protracted civil war that turned into a proxy war between myself and a couple of the other major powers. Yeah...

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So that's my full list, hope you enjoyed reading and be sure to check some of these titles out if you live in a cave and have never touched them before!

Once again, I'd like to throw out another High Fidelity-inspired list for all of you that still check out my blog from time to time! Now, I know that to be a true High Fidelity list it needs to be limited to five items, but I'm going to have to break this cardinal rule in order to fit in all the cool stuff I've been playing over the last year or so!

So, without further ado...

Jonathan's Top 10 Games He's Been Playing Lately, Part 1!

Number 10:

Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday (PC)

First and foremost, I consider myself more of a wargamer than a gamer. I make this distinction because I have a strong love for everything military history, and have been an avid player of war-related games since I was in my early teens. Of course, I also grew up in an arcade that my grandfather owed in the mid-1980s in Daytona Beach which was amazing, so I'm no stranger to 'mainsteam' video games.

But alas, my heart will always be primarily with wargames, and my #10 pick of Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday (known as HOI to its fans) is a direct reflection of this love for everything wargaming. In a nutshell, HOI is a strategic-level simulation of the WW2 era. Players act as the absolute ruler of their nations, directing everything from military operations and political intrigues to production planning and research priorities.

Amazingly rich and complex, though not without its faults... But the strengths outweigh any weaknesses and the result is a deep, complex and satisfying simulation of the WW2 experience that is not to be missed and will surely remain on your hard drive for some time.

Number 9:

Day of Defeat: Source (PC)

I've been playing the first Day of Defeat (or DoD) on and off since it was first a Half-Life mod back in 2000, and since then DoD has grown into a gaming phenomenon eclipsed only by the likes of Counter-Strike. Although there are tons of PC shooters out there worth playing, DODS as it is now known in its Source engine-based sequel, features solid net code, well-balanced maps and a strong user community.

Although the WW2 genre is turning into a tired one now and the DOD/DODS community seems to be showing signs of an eroding player base that is no doubt finally moving on to newer things, I still find myself firing it up every few weeks to get some kills in on a fast-paced orange map...

Number 8:

Microsoft Flight Simulator X (PC)

This is one of those franchises that truly offers more than just a casual gaming experience, and with this latest version, Microsoft Flight Simulator jumps ahead in terms of realism and features with resulting mass-appeal for real-life pilots and the diehard flight simming crowd alike.

What I truly love about this game is the immersion factor. I can fire it up and do some quick aerobatics or take a short flight between familiar airports, or I can join a virtual airline like Eastern Virtual (my pilot ID is VEA 1774) and fly the virtual skies via VATSIM with other flesh and blood pilots and air traffic controllers! Not to mention the unreal 3rd party support for the product that ensures a steady supply of new aircraft from places like Surclaro for you to use and modified terrain to fly over and into. The sky is truly the limit!

Number 7:

Halo 3 (360)

I'm certainly not a console or 360 junkie, having only recently joined the 2000s by acquiring a new Xbox 360 as a Christmas gift this past year. Yep, I've only had a 360 for about 2 months. Before that I think my last true 'console' was a stripped-down N64 that my friend Josh handed down to me that would shock you if you touched it when the power was on.

Yeah, sad...

So now that I've finally joined the 2000s, it's only natural that I get with the gaming sensation that is HALO, right? Right.

I have to say that I do love this game, which to me is remniscent of James Cameron's Aliens mixed with Pitch Black or Battlefield Earth. (sorry if that link offends you) But as a CAL-level PC FPS gamer, my major obstacle has been adjusting from a very precise and flexible mouse/keyboard control scheme to the cumbersome and awkward 360 controller. That aside though, its been a blast finally experiencing what many console gamers have already been raving about for years.

Number 6:

Left4Dead (PC)

Holy crap. Who doesn't want to play a game that involves the zombie apocalypse!?!?

Valve seems to currently have that midas touch when it comes to PC-based FPS games, and L4D is just another example of their can't-do-wrong business and design decisions. I say this because L4D is one of the most straight-forward and simple games compared to some other, much more involved shooters, but it manages to hit the gameplay target right on the money every time.

One of the best features of the game is the ability to slay zombies cooperatively OR play a 4v4 game with the zombie players taking on the role of higher-powered zombies with special abilities. What is coller than that?

All I have to say is ALL HAIL THE BOOMER!

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So that would be numbers 10-6, stay tuned for the next post in which I announce my top 5!

For those of you who never heard of the book Jennifer Government by Max Barry or of the popular browser-based game NationStates that it directly inspired, the long-awaited sequel to the game is now in open beta!

NationStates 2 promises to expand on the strengths of the original game while also formalizing such things as war, which in NationStates had to be completely roleplayed, or RP'd.

Part of the draw to nationstates is the fact that it can be as simple or complex as you like.

At its most simplistic, you can go and create a nation and watch it grow before your eyes, all the while you are given choices to make that affect your nation's policial and social freedoms, as well as your economy.

But the roleplay element is where NationStates really comes into its own, with each player having the ability to steer their nation through international affairs by way of writing posts on the forums, where proper roleplay etiquitte is strictly enforced.

For those who love to write or want to improve their writing skills while also having fun with others of like mind, there isn't a better way to spend a few hours here and there.

Unfortunately, my time is too limited to be able to post much on the forums. (I think I average a post a month) But for me it is a great thing to be able to hop on every once in awhile and work on my writing skills while also further developing the continuing story of my great little country, Tilsitsin.

If you have a few minutes to kill on the web, stop by and visit my country. (and even create one of your own!)

I've been a gamer ever since I first set foot in my grandfather's arcade in 1983, and of all the possible types of game out there I've always been a strategy gamer at heart. I've also always been a fan of science fiction in all its forms since as far back as I can recall. So when the first Master of Orion game released in 93, I was in strategy gaming heaven. MOO, as it would come to be called, embodied the apex of the 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) genre.

MOO's sequel, 1999's Master of Orion 2, was even better and was actually a game that I have probably spent at least a full month of my life playing. For me it will also forever be the one game that caused my army buddy Mike and I to not speak for a week after one particular hotseat game where I used shrewd diplomacy to cause all the AI races to declare war on him. For years, and really until MOO3 came out, this was my game. But when MOO3 did release, instead of being the next king of the palace, it turned out to be the king of the rubbish pile, forever burning me on the MOO series.

It was about this time that I got into the Galactic Civilizations series, very much like MOO, but not so much as to be a clone. I was instantly hooked, and every sequel and expansion pack thats come from developer Stardock has been nothing short of amazing. So now to the point, being that I write this post today to celebrate the latest expansion pack release for GalCiv2, entitled Twilight of the Arnor. I bought it a few days ago, and I have to say it is quite possibly the best money I've ever spent on a game. Check out the review G4TV did on X-Play:

Without a doubt, this is one to try if you are even remotely interested in strategy gaming. The AI is amazing, the twists and turns breathtaking. And win or lose, I guarantee you'll love every new game of it that you start.

Before I get into the meat of this review, let me start by telling everyone what 'Sins' is and isn't... This game is a space-based 4x-type (eXplore-eXpand-eXploit-eXterminate) realtime strategy game. This game is not Master of Orion, Homeworld or Medieval: Total War (in space)...

So with that said, I'll continue...

Sins of a Solar Empire, or simply 'Sins', is a new strategy offering by developer Ironclad Games utilizing their propriety 'Iron' engine and published by our friends over at Stardock. Stardock has become famous the world over for their excellent gaming and productivity software, developing and releasing suck products as Galactic Civilizations 1 and 2, Windowblinds and Object Desktop. Stardock has become quite admired by many in the gaming community (including myself) for their stance on the use of DRM software. For this reason alone, a lot of gamers have given their products a try and the result has been a truly great developer-gamer relationship.

Whereas the Galactic Civilizations franchise effectively 'rebooted' the turn-based 4X experience that was left dying on the vine after the Master of Orion 3 fiasco, Ironclad clearly set out to go a step further create an RTS game that had all the excitement of realtime play with all the depth and tactics of a great strategy game. For the most part, I think Ironclad knocked one completely out of the park!

The game features 3 distinct races of a somewhat familiar format. The TEC (Trade Emergency Coalition) are the Terran race of the game, the Advent are the psychics, and the Vasari are the wunderkind advanced tech race. A typical game scenario has two or more races/players fighting against each other for military, economic and cultural control of a star system.

Where the game really shines is in it's use of the new 'Iron' engine, which allows you to seamlessly scale in and out of the action a-la Supreme Commander. You also have full 360 degree camera control, allowing you to focus in as far as an individual starfighter at any angle, or out far enough to see the entire star system. Although there are technically 3 dimensions of actions, the gameplay really focuses on only 2 dimensions and this is where Homeworld fans might be slightly dissapointed.

The overall format and gameplay are very remniscent of Ubi Soft's earlier Conquest: Frontier Wars in many ways,which I enjoyed a great deal. The combat in both games is similiar, with ships being of the rock-paper-scissors variety that encourage a combined arms approach to ship combat. But Sins takes this formula and totally runs with it. In addition to the scalable interface and RTS gameplay, Sins comfortably integrates in cultural, trade and research elements that fit well and provide another great dimension to the game.

Another thing the developers chose to add in the game are space pirates. On Stardock's official Sins forum, it already appears as though people either love or hate the pirates. Pirates in Sins provide you (and your opponents) with what are essentially mercenaries that can be hired to attack your opponent. The player that bids the most money in a given time period is essentially spared a pirate attack on one of their systems while their enemy is forced to fend them off. Pirates as an offensive threat can be eliminated however by detroying their well-fortified homeworld. At first I was annoyed by the inclusion of space pirates, but after getting used to planning for their use and attacks, I have to say I've grown to love that element of the game too.

One thing that I noticed quickly that was completely missing from the game was ground combat.Instead of building transports to haul troops in to invade a planet, you basically have to bombard a planet until it's a dustball and then 'colonize' it. This is the one big thing that I thought Ironclad could have done better, but even with this omission 'Sins' is still far superior to many of its contemporaries.

The bottom line:

Pros: Realtime gameplay, scalable interface, beautiful fleet battles, excellent tech integration, cool ships/races, no DRM, and Stardock is the publisher!

Cons: No ground combat, pirates are a slightly annoying element, combat can be slow and bland at times.

Final Word: If you love RTS or general strategy games, pick this one up. To not play it would be to miss out on an early contender for strategy game of the year!