Stalin's DilemmaDear Comrade Stalin, I Wish to Smelt Steel | Submitted by costik on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 00:02. |
It is 1928, and it is time for the glorious Soviet State to crush the Kulaks and bring the CCCP dragging and kicking into the Century of the Fruitbat, I mean, the 20th century. We must collectivize, industrialize, and electrify, Comrade, lest the forces of capitalist reaction overwhelm us in the inevitable world-struggle to come!
Making History: The Calm and the StormCzechmate? | Submitted by costik on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 12:29. |
Making History reminds me of the games from Paradox, most famously Europa Universalis. That's a bit of a paradox (hem hem), because Paradox has its own (excellent) WWII game, Hearts of Iron -- but HoI is very much a war game, and while military conflict is central to Making History, the war side of the game is much more abstracted, and at a more grand strategic level, and it pays much more attention to economics and diplomacy.
Take the protagonist, with related verbs, of every major 80s hit, along with the enemies, the art assets, and the midi signature. Put them on separate, concentric roulettes, and spin. Spin every few seconds. Try to win.
You'll find yourself meta-gaming, you know that as the Defender jet, you can merc those rainbow cascade things pretty well, but in the process of getting over there, there is a good chance they'll turn into goombas, and you'll get hit. Or maybe you'll hesitate, as Link, to walk up that hallway, because you could become the Space Invaders turret, unable to move vertically, and get caught by pursuing Gauntlet ghosts. It's clever, because this is no mere mash, but a full blooded remix, where added depth emerges from the recombinations.
