Glimpses of Republic Commando

Before I started exploring Battlefront, I played Republic Commando through in a couple of weekends. Unlike my other first-person shooter experiences, I played it all the way through: I grew bored of Elite Force's endgame, which became repetitive, and I'm solidly stuck on a level in Medal of Honor.  Republic Commando, while harder than those in part, and more fun because of the solutions I had to improvise, constantly gave me refreshing gameplay. This was the first game in which I had command of a squad, issuing orders by moving my cursor to an icon in the environment and hitting the "use" key.




My squad is automatically taking cover fire, and as this is an early mission one of the Commandos is giving me advice. The intuitive control system allows me to order my men to place charges, set up a sniping/grenade position, and get healed up without diminishing my ability to shoot things.



Delta Squad, attempting to enter the bridge of a stolen Republic ship. It's a tough go.



Having gained control of the bridge, one can watch a battle outside the windows.



One of the hardest portions of the game, and my favorite: Delta Squad must cross a bridge, facing opposition from SuperBattleDroids whose numbers continue to be replentished by dispensers. This is made near-impossible by a powerful turrent on the far side.




I ordered my squad to give me cover fire while I ran across the bridge, flinging grenades at the turrent before it could kill me. Having emptied it, I seized command of the gun and turned it on the droids, ordering my men to plant explosives on the dispensers. That didn't work. I had to shoot droids, exit the turrent, heal quickly, use the turrent to kill more droids, and then alternativly set the explosives and destroy droids from the turrent myself. That was fun.



In the last campaign of the game, Delta Squad cooperates to take out a spider droid.



There's no better time to have an anti-armor machine when the elevator just brought down a pad full of Super Battle Droids. Heh, heh, heh.




A creepy sequence, fighting in the dark.

Glimpses of Battlefront

Recently I purchased Star Wars: Best of PC, which netted me Republic Commando, Jedi Knight II, Battlefront, Knights of the Old Republic, and Empire at War. I've been playing them for the past month or so, and all have been new experiences for me. Battlefront is a third- or first-person shooter in which the player, other human players, and NPCs battle on large maps dotted with control points. The control points effect how many troops either side can send into battle.




Jabba's Palace, spotting Han for the first time.

At the Battle of Geonosis: a very brave clone trooper moves among a Spider Mech's legs firing at it.



Tatooine, Imperials v. Rebels. Fighting in Mos Eisley, that celebrated hive of scum and villainy.



Kamino: bad news for the Clones. The Confederacy of Independent Systems has captured the cloning facilities and is now wiping out the survivors. The droideka is a powerful unit, impervious to small-arms fire with its shields up.



That explosion just took out part of a Rebel squad moving through the tunnel, and the guy who survived won't live for long.



At the Battle of Hoth: yes, I AM about to fire a rocket up an AT-AT's tuchus.

La Mort d'France

Few nobles at the dawn of the Ansar Conquest felt secure about their long-term safety. The war in Russia had gone beyond what they desired.  Initially, a portion of the Royal Army and a religious order known as the Sons of Zeus were tasked with annexing all Russian lands north of the Volga River. The high priest of the Sons, Uthman the Mighty, would eventually take the royal army under his heel. Ever ambitious, Uthman expanded the war beyond his mandate, issued a call to arms in every city of the empire, and made a forceful suggestion to the impotent king-regent that he support Uthman's aims. Uthman's religious and military status coupled with his own status as Lord of Damascus ensured that few nobles were willing to stand up against him. The king-regent's power rapidly eroded, and vanished completely when he named Uthman Lord-Protector of the Dominion. Uthman effectively ruled the Dominion through "suggestions" to the regent from thereon after.

Uthman subsequently ruled two domains. The Asnar Brotherhood  ruled Russia as a theocracy, and Uthman was successful in comandeering it as well. The Asnars spoke for the overthrow of the monarchy, but following Uthman's takeover he reformed both the Brotherhood and the monarchy. Their interests, previously in opposition, were manipulated by Uthman into being largely the same. Despite not being a member of the royal line that would have enabled him to be king, Uthman was hailed throughout the lands as Sayyid. He would be the second man to earn that title.  Despite his influence in the monarchy, Uthman realized that his position there was tenuous. As soon as the king came of age,  the regent and his laws would be no more. Uthman was thus more devoted to the Asnars and their domain in Russia. He would soon expand that domain.

Partially as a way of satisfying his increasing ambition, and partially to redirect the aggressive zeal of his Ansars away from the monarchy, Uthman engaged both the Dominion and the Ansars in a great attack against France. France was a peaceful land, notable for its beautiful countryside, strong economy, and genial disposition. Unfortunately, that land was a potential rival for Uthman and a ripe opportunity.

Initial forces targeted both Paris and Orleans. Uthman commanded the Parisian detachment, which first had to conquer the city of Tours, while a general known only as "Ali" led more troops to Orleans.The attack on Paris was a success beyond measure, for the Asnars were able to ritually execute the king. His daughter Joan fled the capital for Lyons.

 Ali faced far more challenges. His forces were assaulted numerous times in the course of the march, and afterwards were exposed to the full brunt of the French Army. Although France lacked iron, it did not lack in iron. Her commanding general, Count Petain,  organized a ruthless counteroffensive that led to Ali's death in combat and very nearly cost the Brotherhood the city.

Disaster was only averted by the leadership of Uthman, who used his own troops to help the Orleanists while organizing a seaborne invasion of Rheims. This would distract the French army, as Rheims held religious significance for Frenchmen: kings were crowned there.

Petain's counteroffensive stalled the march of the Asnars. Although Petain's thoughts are unknown to us, historians assume he thought the Asnars had advanced as far as they desired.

 The only city of any economic sigifance remaining was Lyons, and that was unassailable, for it was defended by a mountain range, a river, and a vast lake. No one would dare assault it.  Thus, he departed Lyons with his army in hopes of recovering Rheims.

This decision cost Petain nearly. The Brotherhood was not finished, only resting and resupplying.  Rheims itself held a strong garrison, delivered via ship but unknown to Petain. They would route his forces completely, and while he limped away there the Brotherhood marched on Lyons Although Lyon's site was easily defendable, its commander did not know how to put its terrain to good use. The mountains were left undefended, and the Asnars rode through the passes unmolested.

When the city fell after a mighty fight, Petain was trapped between Arab garrisons. He retreated to a nearby height to rest, hoping to make his way south. Alas for him, that would not occur.

The Asnars were now unstoppable. Uthman's direct command descended the coast, taking Marseilles and Avignon. These coastal cities netted him sugar and furs, while the bulk of the army swept through the southern provinces. They aimed to reduce France to the artic fringes, just as Greece and Russia had been.

They were successful.

France was thus vanquished, and the realms of the Asnars expanded. Uthman the Mighty, now Sayyid,  was in total command of a realm vaster than any that had been seen before.

New horizons would soon dawn.

Neustadt: the Early Years

Welcome to Neustadt,  circa 1900.

I always start with a Road connection to one of my neighbors, since this a bit more realistic than a city simply popping out of nowhere. Sims have to get there somehow.  The princple feature of this map is the river, with an attached bay and a little moutainous region. I instend to settle between the moutain and the bay. As you can see, factories and homes are already being established.

On the far side of the map, I connect a road to another neighbor and zone for a landfill. This is a little trick. Since the landfill is "connected" to a road, my Sims' trash will automatically go there. They don't need to have a direct route. It saves me money and gives me the opportunity to take my neighbor's trash in the future.

Another trick: I put the power plant in a corner. Its pollution will drift into the neighboring cities, not mine.

Neustadt continues to grow. I place my first commercial trip near Lake Asimov. Commerce isn't needed at this point, and there's a good chance that the zone will be abandoned given how precarious Commercial Demand is.  You can see an "RCI" indictator to the left of the map. Each tells the mayor how much Residental, Commercial, and industrial space is in demand.  Although growth is very slow, I plan to build around the north of the lake.

The road around the north of the lake is done, and you can see clearly where this town's haves and have-nots live. Land around the lake is at a premium. Since we're starting to grow, I place my first School and Fire Station.

My little commercial strip is growing. You can see that I left a two-tile gap: I plan to build an avenue there, and establish a downtown. Meanwhile, increasing residential demand merits my first medium-desnity residential buildings....slums, for the moment.

In 1921, exciting things happen. I start taking another city's garbage, which is worth $1000 a year. This is a big deal given how sluggishly my economy is growing. I'm also tempted to sell power.  As you can see, the mayor of Greyleaf wants more power than I can sell. Now, I can take a loan and buy another coal plant. However, when I examine how much Greyleaf will be paying me as opposed to how much the loan payment would be, I see that my leftover profit would be marginal.  Considering that power deals are constantly renegotiatied and I would have to take out further loans to finance the plants needed for his growth, I decide against it.

As you can see, I've got residential and industrial taxes high. I can get away with this for a while: demand won't be too much bothered. The deal to take a neighboring city's trash is a major deal for me. I can build a Casino and accept a Maximum Security Prison if I want more money, but those have big drawbacks and I don't need them.

In 1922, the Mayor settles in town. We've also got a police station now.

Here's the town in 1922. Industry is expanding on the highway, while my excess residential population is settling in slum- I mean, apartment buildings -- on the same. I've been leveling the ground to build downtown. Although my start was very sluggish, Neustadt is growing quickly.

March, march, march

Last night I accidently found my old Sid Meier's Civil War Collection, consisting of Sid Meier's Gettysburg!, Sid Meier's Antietam! and a quasi-expansion pack for the latter, Sid Meier's South Mountain Campaigns.  I decided to install it, both to see if Vista would run it and if I still remembered anything. I played this throughout high school.

I chose a random scenario, and happily it gave me a small one. Larger battles can last hours,  as there can be many objectives and troops take time to reach the front.  This one began simply: I had a brigade of three regiments and one objective. Rather than marching to it straightaway, I decided to "go for a hike. I intended to give the objective a wide berth, walk around it, and then approach the rebel army from behind. (Players can choose from either side. Since fighting for the Union is less morally ambiguous, I choose it.)

Here you can see my brigade marching. The icons on the bottom allow me to control the selected units' formation and position. There are five general troop formations, as you can see. Being lazy, I tend to use only Battle (when fortifying an objective or when about to meet the rebs) and double (for marching).  Near the objective you can see one rebel brigade.

I soon realized that my nature walk scheme wasn't going to work.  The rebs had at least two, and it looked like three, brigades at their disposal. Figuring the scenario wouldn't ask me to take an objective when so badly outnumbered. I arranged for my troops to deploy on the hill. There they could both defend themselves and be close to the objective if an opportunity opened up.

Soon reinforcements arrived, and we met in battle.  The "VP" (Victory Point) is solidly in posession by the rebels, but my brigades are fighting on fair terrain and we may be at an advantage soon.

A rebel regiment on the southern commander's left flank routed, and I shifted my regiments around to press my advantange. Soon Ewing's men could fire on the confederate brigade from two directions -- good for me, bad for them.  They soon routed in full, and Ewing received new orders: assist Harland.

Ewing met with Harland and the second brigade of southrons were forced to flee. You may be able to see little grey figures running across the countryside. Those same figures will fall to the ground if they are killed, so pitched battles can look to be morbid affairs.

Harland then marched on the VP location, securing it for the Union.

It is possible to take all objectives but still lose the battle if you take severe losses. Artillerymen are especially precious. There are three degrees of success: Marginal, Tactical, and Decisive. In this case, I came out slightly ahead of the Confederates as far as casulties go. Coupled with my dominating the only VP location, things went well.

Leave my Can Alone

In The Sims 2, sometimes neighbors will kick over a Sim's trashcan. Some Sims do it because it's fun: they're mean. Others do it because they're furious at the Sim in question. This can-kicking leaves a mess, which attracts roaches and causes flu. Flu is easily the most annoying of the game's diseases: Sims waste time coughing and throwing up, and since the disease is highly contagious, an entire household can be infected within minutes. I have a little solution for this.

First, I build a fence around the trashcan, leaving a space next to it.  I have to use a cheat (move_objects on) for this, since ordinarily players are not allowed to put anything near the road.

Now that I have a fence, I can put a gate there. This way, my Sims can put their trash in the can.

Finally, I lock the gate so only people living in the house can use it. Neighbors can no longer kick over the trash can. Simple, easy, and effective.

Das Land der Dichter und Denker (Part II)

Historians still debate the legacy of the Franco-German war. Although German armies were able to defeat the French imperator and Germany itself became more than an idyllic spiritual community, the war itself was brutal and its political demands set a dangerous precedent.

Although increases in military spending and the deployment of some troops in cities near the French border indicates German intentions to raid the French border, the war began with France's imperial aims.  An excitably violent despot named Napoleon Bonaparte ruled the French state from Paris: his penchants for gluttony and violence were equally known. Bonaparte had little use for German "enlightenement": his was an empire of steel and horses. Few would question his dictates.

Sir Roosevelt, Lord Protector of the American state, quickly joined forces with the Germans. America and Germany were long-time trading partners, and Roosevelt's bitter rivalry with Napoleon was legendary.

Despite its attempt at military buildup, the German Union remained on the defensive for several decades. The introduction of spearmen into the ranks of the Holy Union's army would eventually put a stop to French raids, but in the meantime German soldiers fought desperately to keep mounted warriors and archers from reaching the interior. Only once did they fail, but the French troops perished attempting to scale the walls of Hamburg. The Holy City,  sometimes dominating Germany more than Berlin, remained free.

Regarldess of the direct assault on Hamburg, city officials were reluctant to join Berlin's war effort. Roosevelt enjoyed the support of his entire nation, and the French state soon concentrated its efforts in the north -- allowing German numbers to increase as they were no longer constantly fighting.

Germany's first offensive began with the invasion of Chartres, a small French border down that served as little more than a watering hole for French troops who were Germany-bound.  German macemen slugged their way into the city center, then set fire. The town's inhabitants took up arms and fled into the woods, where they began waging guerilla war on the German army.  The entire offensive stopped while Union troops focused on hunting the fighters down. One particular band of rebels destroyed three regiments of men-at-arms, and were thought of as invincibile until a young troop leader named Karl Martel triumphed over them.  Berlin's regent was so impressed with Martel's performance that he named Martel "The Axe". His troops were known from that day forward as "The God Killers", for they had succeeded in defeating a seemingly immortal foe.

Martel was welcomed to Berlin, where he established its Military Academy -- incredibly, still standing today.  He was promoted as High General, commanding all of Germany's forces. He responded to his new power by initiating a siege of Orleans.

The prolonged siege lasted three years, but German catapults reduced the town's walls to little more than rubble. Althouh Orleans' defenders were both experienced and zealotous -- for they were fighting for their homes -- the numbers and skill on the side of the Union's army saw its fall to German hands.

Martel proclaimed himself Lord of Orleans and treated it as his private domain. The city would revive under Martel's rule, eventually becoming the official seat of his power as governor of the conquered provinces.  Martel began reforming the army, retraining its swordsmen with heavier weapons and armor. Likewise, pikes replaced simple spears.

 He demanded more influence in the Union government in regard to military production.  In the decade that passed between the fall of Orleans and the second great offensive, Martel reached greater and more influential heights.  He treated with Napoleon on his own authority, offering the dictator peace if he would surrender France's largest city bordering the Union -- Lyons.

Martel was not amused. "PARIS, THEN!" he roared -- and the Army of God stood once more to attention. Orleans was not destined to be their greatest triumph -- it would be only the beginning of their glory.