Strategic Games and Thinking

Star Wars - Empire At War

2012-04-29T18:37:00.002-07:00

Star Wars Empire at War is an RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game that is for PC, and allows fans to control iconic Star Wars forces. The point of RTS games is to manage an army with units that have different functions, advantages, and disadvantages against an opponent. One must build their army, counter-attack, hold key points on the map, and out-smart and out-gun their enemy. In Empire at war there are two factions to play as, Empire or Rebellion, and each side has their own campaign. There are over 40 planets to conquer, and each planet has two maps: space and land.

To conquer a planet, the space battle must be won first. In all battles, the variety of your units are key, as each unit has stats to what it is good against, and what it is weak against. In space, fighters are the most common and good against other fighters, but are weak against Corvette Cruisers (which are anti-air). Corvette Cruisers are weak against Frigates, and the ships go up larger and larger, ending with Imperial Star Destroyers for the Empire, and Mon-Calamari Cruisers for the Rebellion. But, it is not all about having the biggest ship, for the large ships are all susceptible to bombers, who can target hard-points on the cruisers and destroy them one by one. For example, a Star Destroyer can spawn 10 TIE fighter squadrons and 5 TIE bomber squadrons. But if the bombers target a hard-point on the ship, like the hanger, and destroy it, then that ship cannot spawn any more fighters. Other hard-points include turbo-laser cannons, missile launchers, shield generators, and engines. So it you have a fleet of star destroyers, and the enemy deploys several squadrons of Y-Wings (rebel bombers) to cripple your forces, a counter attack would be to bring in several Correllian Corvettes and activate their special ability of “Increased Firepower” and spray out a blast of anti-air to destroy the incoming bombers. Then it would be smart to have these corvettes star with the larger ships to protect them. Each unit has a special ability that can be harnessed to either boost your units or impair the enemy. Also, the types of units you built are related to your Tech Level, which in space is based off of your space station level, which ranges from 1-5. Space battles are won by either destroying the enemy space station or destroying all enemy units. Once the skies are clear, a land battle can begin.

Land battles rely on drop zones that need to be captured to deploy your units and have a variety of planet/map attributes that affect battle, such as weather conditions that can slow infantry or vehicles, or limit sight. Land units also have special abilities and advantages/disadvantages. Infantry are used against other infantry primarily, and can be equipped with rocket launchers to do extra damage to enemy vehicles. Vehicles are the following tiers above infantry, ranging from the basic AT-ST (all-terrain-scout-transport), to the massive AT-AT (all-terrain-assault-vehicle) walker. Navigating the unique maps and environmental hazards, while dealing with local fauna and inhabitants can be quite challenging, with the ultimate goal of destroying the enemy base, which is usually protected by a shield array that prevents any sort of air-strike. In a basic scenario, a strike force will be sent in consisting of units that can punch hard and destroy structures fast. A mobilization of 2-M Repulsor Tanks will do because of their shielding, mobility, and expendability for speeding through the base to strike at the shield array. Once destroyed, an orbital strike or bombing run can be used to cripple their base as your main forces are deployed at a captured landing zone and move in to strike.

Once planets are captured, each has several building slots which can be filled by building vehicle depots, research facilities, supply depots, and more. What you build on these planets determine what resources and facilities you have for defense when attacked, along with the units you have stationed there. Each planet also produces a certain amount of Credits (money) and a possible bonus to production. Your income from the Galactic Economy is important for funding projects and continuing to improve defenses.

TOTAL WAR, the best strategy game ever!

2012-04-28T20:29:00.001-07:00

Without a doubt, the best game that both is a lot of fun and that prepares you for a lot of history is the Total War series. Designed for the PC system, Total War was launched over a decade ago. Thie series includes a variety of grand strategies that build empires, fights wars, run economics, and implement diplomacy. For any lover of strategy, Total War delivers every time!

2000- Shogun TW

2002 - Medieval TW

2004- Rome TW*

2006- Medieval 2 TW

2009- Empire TW

2010- Napoleon TW

2011- Shogun 2 TW

Rome Total War, launched in 2004, is the number one game on Roman history. From 270 BC to 14 AD, it covers the history of Rome from the Punic Wars with Carthage to the death of Augustan Caesar. Rather than focus on the battles, the game offers a complete detailed control of the empire. The ability to trade, make alliances, build monuments, establish the ancient legions. The goal is to bring Roman civilization to the world, and beyond the borders of Italy lie barbarians, rivals, and dangers.

A turn based strategy game, the graphics involve 3D cities, figures, and landmarks. When two armies clash, the map changes from a turn base style to a real-time battle. Cohorts of legionairres against thousands of Gauls. Need I describe more?

Besides the fun, it is very possible to learn Latin, learn locations, learn years, and evne learn people. Myself, I learned a lot of Latin that detail the Roman government.

Imperator- emperor
Princeps Senatus- Lead Senator
Senatus Popularesque Romanus- the Senate and People of Rome
Names of provinces - Italia, Illyrium, Africa, Libya, Britannia
Names of Places- Nova Carthago, Alesia, Alexandria
Buildings - Forum, Collesium
Peoples - hastati, Triarii, gladus

Such learning can reinforce historical education. In my case, when studying for the Roman Republic in class, I was able to refer to such peoples, places and titles with accuracy. Not only was my teacher impressed, but I took my learning to a whole new level.

Check out the TOTAL WAR website for the latest news, forums, games, and prices!

http://www.totalwar.com/

What to Do on a Rainy Day?

2012-04-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

The question has hit all young kids of both out parents and our generation. What to do on a rainy day. Being bored is an option, but no doubt a suffering one. Besides the need for productivity, every kid has to be doing something fun. This goes also for teenagers and adults?

Now, in our parents generation, they played boardgames.

In our generation, we play videogames.

But why not have a mixture of both? Boardgames are a great alternative when there are friends over, but videogames are a lot of fun on their own.

Settlers of Catan

2012-04-15T21:23:00.002-07:00

One of the most famous boardgames has been "Settlers of Catan". This game was designed in 1995, and thus is fairly a recent one.

Anyone who plays this can play with one thing in mind: no one can be conquered or eliminated. Each player is a Settler in the fictional island of Catan. Each players has to build cities, roads, and towns across a large game map of Catan. The goal to win is to earn 10 victory points. From this aspect, the game appears simple, but actually it is an intense strategic game.

The game map is made of nearly a dozen hexagon tiles, each with a different region type (desert, forest, mountains, fields, mud, and pastures). Surronding the island is ocean, with certain ports on certain corners of the island. These regions are placed in a circular pattern in a random fashion. Each game is played with a different combination (so no two games are the same!).

A total of 5 players place towns on the corners of these hexagons. Each region has a number tile placed on it, ranging from 2 to 12. Two dice are rolled, and whatever number is rolled, resources from the respective regions are earned. Based on chance, resources are gathered and either saved or used to build and develop settlements.

For example, if player 2 rolls a total of 6 (3 and 3), then that player can collect resources of wheat and wool. But player 4 has no settlements adjacent to "6" hexagons. Thus Player 4 recieves no resources for the turn.

Turns consist of a certain number of stages: 1) dice roll 2) collect resources 3) trade 4) build or develop and 5) turn to next player.

1) DICE ROLL: Each player at the start of their turn rolls the two dice. See above for rules.

2) COLLECT RESOURCES: Every player collect resources based on settlment position. If player 3 rolls, all players collect (if eligable).

3) TRADE: Only the player who rolled the dice is allowed to begin trading. Trading consists of swapping resources. No limits are on trading (3 wood can be given for 1 wheat, or 5 brick for 5 ore).

4) BUILD or DEVELOP: Resources are used to buy settlements or roads. Development cards can be purschased for a certain combination of resources.

5) END TURN: the next player rolls the dice and the process begins again.

The final goal of the game is to win 10 VICTORY POINTS. Points are earned through building and development. One town equals one point. The upgrade of a town, a city, is worth two points. Special trophies, such as longest road, earn two points. Development cards may contain special buildings for a civilization, such as a library, which is worth one point. The first to reach 10 at any point in the game wins.

Each player begins with two settlements (so everyone starts with 2 victory points!). Each player rolls the dice and the highest number rolled places a settlement and road on the board. Then the next highest player places their settlement on the map. Settlements must be built within two spaces from each other on the hexagon points.

Roads can be built anywhere, but must be adjacent to one of your roads already. This is where strategy comes in, because resource numbers (such as 2 or 12) are rarely rolled compared to common numbers (6 or 8). Experienced players will think far ahead and place their towns on strategic inlets.

This game lasts approxmately two hours, but it will surely be two hours of amazing fun. This game is complex, but is a joy to any one who plays. Personally, my close friends and I always play this game and have always thought it is a great way for clean fun and special memories.

Magic: The Gathering

2012-03-18T22:42:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Today we will be looking at the world famous trading card game, Magic: The Gathering. Magic(better known by it's abbreviation MTG) was the first fantasy card game introduced in 1993 by Math professor Richard Garfield and produced by Wizards of the Coast. MTG holds the title as one of the most complex modern card games, and inspiration for many other modern card games to follow, such asYu-Gi-Oh and Duel Masters.

The story of MTG is the 2 players are wizards who are having a spellcasting battle. The spells they cast are the cards. This is why the majority of cards in the game are referred to as a "Spell." The other main card type is a "Land." Lands produce Mana, which can be used to cast the aforementioned Spells. The key to any deck is the balance between how many Lands and Spells so as to not have too much of either. Too many Spells will result in too little Mana to cast the spells. Too few Spells leaves one with an inability to do anything anyway with a huge Mana pool. To win, either player must make the opponent lose all life points, each starting with 20 at the beginning of the game.

Here is what all cards look like on the back:

Now I will explain the 5 colors you see in the middle. There are 5 Different types of Mana Lands can produce. Most Lands are basic and produce only one color: Red, Blue, Green, White, or Black. There are Spells that produce mana besides lands, and there are also cards that can be cast with any Mana, normally shown with the colorless symbol.

Here we have a standard White creature. White cards have a standard theme of light and heroes, worshipped by human or humanoid civilizations. When playing, they emphasize defense, power increase, and player life restoration.

This is a standard Black Creature. Black cards are known for being overall morbid, horrid, and/or creepy. When playing, black cards focus on discarding and death...mostly the death part.

Here is a standard Blue Creature. Blue cards have a theme of water, intelligence, and magic. When playing, blue cards are known for having a harassing style. It is a mixed way of combat where you carefully counter the opponent and whittle them down.

Here's a good example of a Green Creature. Green cards have themes of forest beasts, rural humanoid cultures(such as elves) and land. Green cards are known for specializing in mana production. This mana production speeds up army production, and Green creatures are known for having the most numerous high cost and high power creatures.

Our final color is Red. Red cards have a theme of fire, battle, and overall chaos. Red cards are known for direct damage. Rather than relying solely on creatures to attack the enemy, abilities can damage the player or other cards the player owns.

Thank you for reading this basic preview of Magic:The Gathering. For further discussion, keep on the lookout for another possible post and the deeper intricacies of playing magic rather than the background.

Axis and Allies (end part)

2012-03-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and the subject of this blog will be Axis and Allies. Previously, I discussed the simple components and basic potentials of this classic board game. Here, I will discuss the rules of the game and how much fun it can be.

For many people. the idea of a board game with historical topics seem like uninteresting. But truthfully, this is one of the best games to play with close friends. Beyond the history, it offers a variety of campaign choices as well as the emotional touch of passion, of frustration, and of victory. Five players take the role of major world powers and attempt to conquer the other team. The rules of the pieces include movement, attack limits, defense, and special characteristics.

Here is a complete list of all the types: (370 pieces total)

LAND

Infantry (1 att, 2 def)
Artillery (2 att, 2 def)
Tanks (3 att, 3 def)
Antiaircraft Guns (cannot attack, 1 def)
Factories (cannot be destroyed)

Fighters (3 att, 4 def)
Bombers (4 att, 1 def)

Battleships (4 att, 4 def)
Aircraft Carriers (1 att, 2 def)
Cruisers (3 att, 3 def)
Destroyers (2 att, 2 def)
Submarines (2 att, 1 def)
Transports (0 att, 0 def)

In battle, pieces of two sides fight and are assigned Attack and Defense points. Dice are rolled for each attacking piece, and if a roll is equal or lower than the attack point, it counts for 1 hit. Add up all the hits for a side, and that number (such as 6 hits) are inflicted on the defense. the defense then rolls for each piece with the same rules. From there, all the hit points are added up, and that number is inflicted on the enemy. One piece is removed (of their choice) from the respective side, based on the total hit points. The attacker can decide to retreat or continue fighting.

On the campaign map, the more regions that are conquered, the higher the GDP, and the more units can be bought per turn. From the beginning, each player has distinct advantages on the campaign (Germany has a powerful army, Britian forces all over the world, Japan a powerful navy, Russia a concentrated army, and the US a powerful industry).

HITLER PARODY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDgUnppwjhQ
By the game's middle, every player is tired and wants a quick ending. Thus strategy is needed for smart moves. Rather than attacking continuously, perhaps it is better to pull back, regroup, and attack later. Teamwork is essential, and if each nation works independently, then defeat is more likely.

Axis and Allies is a great game for testing a person's strategy skills and thinking ahead. Working with others is a valuable trait, as well as learning some history!

For an online version, visit: http://www.gametableonline.com/welcome.php

Starcraft 2

2012-03-11T22:36:00.002-07:00

Welcome everyone to our discussion of Starcraft 2. Starcraft 2 remains at the top of the competetive Real Time Strategy (or RTS)genre. Whenever someone mentions competetive gaming and RTS, normally one thinks of Starcraft 2. Starcraft comes from a long line of video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment.

Starcraft evolved from the previous series of games from the 90's known as Warcraft.
The original Warcraft games were in a fantasy setting where the story centered around the battle between the Orcs and the Humans, although other races existed.

After Warcraft 3, Blizzard decided on a bold move, they split their franchise. In the early 21st century, Blizzard released an MMORPG set with the same theme of Warcraft known as World of Warcraft. W.O.W. As it is more commonly referred to still remains today probably the most played MMORPG to date despite it's age. The other game created from Warcraft 3 was the original Starcraft, an RTS set in a new world, a futuristic society filled with Aliens.

Starcraft 2 is the sequel to the original Starcraft and it's expansion Brood War. Starcraft 2 is being released over 3 games, Wings of Libery, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void. Currently only Wings of Liberty has been released, with Heart of the Swarm being released later in the year 2012.

Each of these 3 expansion focus on the three races playable in the Starcraft series, the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss.

Before going in depth, I will give the basics on how the game is played. Normal game modes can vary from 1v1 to 4v4, although the standard for competitions is 1v1. Blizzard also released the map editor used for the game, allowing players to develop their own maps and custom games for the enjoyment of the general Starcraft community. Players begin the game with one base at a random location on each map. Each base has two kinds of resources, Minerals and Vespene Gas and eventually the home base will run out, inciting a need to expand and capture another base to continue unit production. Players harves these materials to produce more workers to harvest, create buildings, and train battle units. The game ends when either a player forfeits and loses or one player destroys all enemy structures and wins. Most games end in surrender when the enemy realizes they do not have a chance to make a comeback and decide to be courteous and not waste anymore time on a lost cause.

When entering a game, a player can choose any of the three races they want to use to battle with. The three races are:

The Terran race are descendants of the Humans of Earth who have settled in another sector of space, the Koprulu Sector. The main theme of the Terrans are humans either in futuristic Space Infantry Gear or Battle Ready Vehicles. Pictured on the right is the standard infantry the Marine, and on the left is one of the flying vehicles, the Banshee. The style of gameplay of Terrans is very defensive and flexible; Terrans are known for having fortified bases and amazing midgame power with easy to access ground AND air armies quickly.

The Zerg:

The second race we will discuss is the Zerg. Zerg are known to be the hardest race to pick up for new players, but that does by no means make them weaker than the other races. The Zerg theme is all about undeveloped creatures whose only purpose is to evolve. All units spawn from the central Hatchery in the form of Larvae. The player will evolve the Larvae into any unit the player has access to, depending on the strategy the player is using. Pictured on the left is a Hydralisk, an advanced ranged infantry unit, and a Mutalisk, an aerial attacker. The gameplay style normally revolves around massive armies, Zerg are known for getting the biggest armies earlier on, giving them the title of early game champions. Zerg are also known for being the best rushers, gaining a passive speedboost and health regen when walking over the substance known as Creep. Creep is an organic material produced by Zerg structures that allow other structures to spawn.

The Protoss:

The final race is an advanced race of Telekinetic beings known as the Protoss. They speak through mental communication as they do not have mouths and have resided in the Koprulu Sector since ancient times. Instead of training units on the field of battle the Protoss warp in units from the societies beyond. Protoss are also the only race that do not have any kind of health regen, instead gaining a shield that can recover that must be destroyed before actual health is taken from the unit. On the bottom right and left are the basic infantry unit, the Zealot. On the top right and middle right, one can also see the Carrier and Phoenix respectively. Due to the elaborate tech and strength, the Protoss hold the title of strongest late game race, where most armies will have some of the strongest units and mass producing them; it just takes really long to get to that point.

Thank you for reading and I hope this gives you more insight into Starcraft 2!

Yu-gi-Oh!

2012-03-04T22:00:00.002-08:00

Yu-gi-oh is a Japanese manga created by Kazuki Takahashi. It has produced a franchise that includes multiple anime shows, a trading card game and several video games. Most ofg card game called Duel Monsters, where each player uses cards to

The basic rules to Yu-Gi-Oh

Each match is best 2 out of 3 games. In between game 1 and 2 and game 2 and 3 players have 15 extra cards called a sidedeck in order to help them counter a deck using cards from there and swapping them with the same number of cards that are taken out from the maindeck. Both players begin with 8000 life points and draw 5 cards. The player who goes first is determined by either a the lowest/highest die roll, or rock,paper, scissors. At the beginning of each turn, the turn player draws one card. He or she can either play a spel monster card, spell card, and trap card. The objective of each turn is to deal life point damage to the opponent by attacking other monsters, or using spell and trap cards that inflict damage as well.
There are several monster cards with a special win condition. If the match continues after 40 minutes, it is then sent into time where each player has 2 turns left and the one with the highest life points wins the game. There are several types of decks that can be used and with the release of new packs every several months, you can fix your deck to make it even stronger. Some cards were too powerful the a limited/forbbiden list was created to even out the playing field. This list is changed on September 1st and March 1st .
Cards are priced depending on their rariety. There is common, rare, super rare, ultra rare, ultimte rare, ghost rare, and secret rare. Chances to pull that card are easier from left to right. Depeinding on how a deck does in tournaments, the price of specifi cards will rise or lower. Also, it depends on the supply of a card and demand of it as well. The game can be expensive sometimes, but the main thing is to have fun. It is very competitve and forces you to bluff, read your opponent and requires a lot of luck.

3 Tips on How to Become a Better Strategic Player

Card Advantage: Card advantage means how many cards the player holds in hand. The best way to hve an upper hand on card advantage against your opponent is by not playing those important cards that you dont need to use at the time. Instead, you can use it later on during the game when you absolutely must. As a rsult, your opponent will be using ost of their resources while you still have cards in your hand, giving you a better chance to win. There is that chance where you have card advantage, but your opponent draws into the one card that can save them. Luck beats card advantage the majority of the time. Or does it?

Thinking Towards the Future, and Reading Opponent's Possible Plays: Luck wont have as much as an impact if you play to counter against any possibility of one card beating you. The better you think aboout what-if situations, the more likely you will be able to counter it. Also, reading opponents facedowns or posible cards in hand, will help you win the game because you can play around thos cards or force them to use it on less important cards. This results in your power cards going through giving you a better chance to win as well. The last tip is one of my favorites and is one that requires the player to have a poker face.

Bluffing: Bluffing can get you out of a posistion from where you are about to lose, to where you can turn the game around just because your opponent did not want to attack, because of the threat of some cards.Setting useless cards can make you opponent waste cards that can mess up your strategy later into the game.Winning a game because of bluffing can really make a difference in the late rounds of a regional or championship series events.

These are a few tips that I have learned while playing competitively for the past years.

For more information on Yu-gi-oh products, events, or questions here's the main site .

http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/

Axis & Allies (Part One)

2012-02-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

Strategic games are a fundamental column toward thinking and enjoyment. Personally, I prefer games with a little more panache in terms of objectives, strategies, and education. One classic game that stands out among the rest is the board game “Axis and Allies”. This game, published in 1984, is one of those games that anyone can enjoy. Designed for five players, it is a long time span, averaging in numerous hours.

The game is set in 1942, at the height of the WW2. The two sides, the Allies (Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States) and the Axis (Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire), are at war with each other. The game board is a large map of the world, with corresponding territories that are either controlled by the Allies or the Axis. Each region has a “GDP” value to it, which is currency each turn for national production. Armies and Navies cost quite a bit to build, and some regions are worth only 1 GDP while others are worth as high as 10 GDP.

The pieces consist of a variety of land, air, support, and naval pieces (a total of 370 game pieces). The land forces include tanks, infantry, and artillery. The air forces consist of fighters and bombers. The naval forces are much more complex, consisting of aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and transports. The support forces include factories and anti-air guns. Ten dice accompany the set, for attack and defense.

But the most valuable portion of this game is the historical reality involved. If Germany is played, the player finds him or herself surrounded by enemies: Russia to the east, Britain to the south and west, America farther west. To attack in any direction will cause problems somewhere else. And to simply wait will allow your enemies to overwhelm you in numbers. This is where strategy comes into play.

Similar to chess, a player must think turns ahead. They must know the movement points of each piece, attack and defense rules, GDP output, and a prediction of enemy plans. To play as America, a player will find that the US has a great number of GDP points (similar to American productivity during the real war) but small armed forces.

The choices involved are limitless, and each game is different from the last time it was played. Strategic thinking comes into hand. This is where videogames are limited and where board games are masters of: strategic thinking at hand. A video game can be restarted, can be paused, and will usually result in multiple chances. With a board game (with real people around you), there are few second chances. Every move is vital, and to make a mistake can cost dearly.

Therefore, this game is only one of a dozen games that compel a person to think outside the box. To train your mind, in the way chess or crossword does. The CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates, usually has a small crossword puzzle in his pocket whenever he travels. When he has time, he attempts to solve it, and through this, he challenges his mind continuously. Knowledge is a fundamental component of the human existence, and training your mind daily is a major boost to that goal.

Official Website <http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/prod/axis>