A Little Touch Of Leipzig (In The Night)

Apologies for the obscure 70s music reference ! Some of you may recall that we started to delve back into the wonderful world of 15mm Napoleonic gaming recently after I finally put together my Quarrie / GdeB mash up rules. A rerun of Albuera ensued recently and that went quite well so it was time for a second go with the "new" rules. We decided to move away from the Peninsula and try some Central European action to see how those armies performed. I will put a link to the rule amendments at the end of the post.

Italian Light Infantry masquerading as Young Guard

I picked the 1813 Dolitz & Probstheyda Scenario from the Napoleonic Scenarios 2 book from Partizan Press, avaliable below,

https://www.caliverbooks.com/Partizan Press/partizan_NS.shtml

An excellent set of scenario books perfect for any rule set. Even with over 6,000 15mm figures for the period I had to make some compromises as I have no Austrians and no French Guard, so my Italian Guard and Russians had a run out instead.

Historical Background 

We will all be familiar with the background of the Battle of Nations and this game represents a small section of that battle, the centre of Napoleons positions in the South of the battlefield to be precise. The game represents the Allied attack of the 18th October and is a simple attack and defend scenario.

Russian Cuirass

Set Up 

12 x 6 table with the Allies marching on the table on move 1 from the left, as viewed in the photos below,

Allies March On

From the French Lines

A fairly straightforward battlefield, there is a line of two villages and a farm along the centre of the table, Dolitz, furthest from the camera, Dosen in the centre and then the Meusdorf Farm. The Farm and Dolitz each had a small wood adjacent to their left flank. On the far side of the table there is another wood and the edge of a steam.

The rear of the French Line is dominated by a ridge line on which the village of Probstheyda is located (green copper spire church) with a fifth and final village, Lossing, which is level with Probstheyda and behind Dolitz.

French Infantry in Dosen

French Orbat

For general stats see the Quarrie / GdeB mash up rules post below, any variations on the standard charts to reflect the lower standard of some of the French units is noted below.

C in C - Murat

Augereau - IX Corps
Brigade Sierawski - 3 x Polish Line Battalions (2 x 36 figs and 1 x 32 figs) and 1 6pdr Polish Foot Battery. Set up between Dolitz and the stream.
Brigade Lagarde - 2 x Legere Battalions (36 , 30) and 2 x Ligne Battalions, both 36, both -1 on standard French Morale. 1 x 8pdr Foot Artillery. Set up in and around Dolitz.
Brigade Semele - 1 x 36 Fig Legere Battalion, 2 x Ligne Battalions 1 x 36 and 1 x 30, the 30 man unit is a- 2 on Morale. 1 x 8pdr Foot Artillery.
Brigade Sulkowski - 1 x 18 man Polish Uhlan Regt and 1 x 6pdr Polish Horse Art.

Probstheyda

Victor - II Corps
Brigade Dubreton - 1 x 36 Legere Battalion, 3 x Ligne Battalions 2 x 36 and 1 x 30 (also -1 morale). 1 x 6pdr Foot Artillery. Set up in and around Dosen.
Brigade Dufour - 1 x 36 Ligne, 1 x 30 Ligne, 1 x 30 Legere and 1 x 24 Ligne (-1 Morale). Set up around the Farm.
Brigade Corbineau - 1 x 18 Hussars, 1 x 6pdr Horse Art. Set up between Dosen and the Farm.

French Cuirass

Oudinot  - Guard Corps (all in Reserve behind ridge, activated the turn after one of the front villages is either assaulted or fired on by musketry.
Brigade Pacthod - 4 x 32 Young Guard, 8pdr Foot Artillery
Brigade Curial - Italian Guard Grenadiers, Italian Guard Fusiliers both 30 figs, Italian Guard Velites 32 Figs, Italian Guard Foot Artillery 12pdr.
Brigade Bouresoulle - 3 x 24 Fig Cuirassier, 1 x 24 Dragoon (inferior mounts)

On a roll of 12 on initiative - Napoleon arrives anywhere on the French baseline escorted by 1 x 24 Guard Lancer and 1 x 24 Guard Chasseur.

Italian Guard on the ridge

Allied Army

C in C Schwarzenberg (remember Russian troops have been substituted in for Austrians)

Hesse Homburg - move on table opposite Dolitz
Brigade Roth - 3 x 48 Fig Russian Infantry Battalions one with -1 morale. 3 x 36 Fig Russian Infantry Battalions one with -1 morale. 1 x 6pdr Prussian Foot Artillery.
Brigade Mezentzov- 1 x 48 Fig Russian Infantry Battalion, 2 x 36 Fig Russian Infantry Battalions both with -1 morale. 1 x 30 figure Prussian Landwher, 1 x 6pdr Prussian Foot Artillery.
Brigade Vassov - 1 x 36 Fig Russian Grenadier Battalion, -1 morale. 2 x 16 Fig Prussian Hussar one with + 1 morale and 1 x 6pdr Prussian Horse Art.

Cossacks in a wood, what a surprise 

Gorchakov - move on table opposite Dosen
Brigade Grenadier - 4 x 32 Grenadier Battalions, 2 Prussian, 2 Russian. 1 x 6pdr Prussian Foot Artillery
Brigade Laelin - 1 x 24 Russian Guard Cuirass, 1 x 24 Russian Cuirass
Brigade Larkov - 2 x 24 Russian Cuirass

Russian Infantry Battalions attack

Barclay move on table opposite the Farm
Brigade Pirch  - 1 x 32 Prussian Fusilier (+1 morale), 1 x 32 Prussian Musketeer, 2 x 24 Reserve Prussian Infantry, 2 x 24 Prussian Landwher.
Brigade Von Kluse - 1 x 32 Prussian Fusilier (+1 morale), 1 x 32 Prussian Musketeer, 2 x 24 Prussian Reserve Infantry, 2 x 24 Prussian Landwher, 1 x Prussian Foot Artillery, 1 x 16 Landwher Cavalry.
Brigade Oldenkop - 5 x 32 Fig Russian Infantry Battalions (2 are -1 morale) and 1 Russian Position Battery
Brigade Zilowski  - 1 x 24 Russian Uhlan, 1 x 18 Russian Hussar, 1 x Russian Horse Artillery.

Prussian Reserve Infantry on the move

How did we get on 

We actually played through the scenario twice and it was quite an interesting experience having a go at a Central European battle after the Albuera Peninsula game. National Characteristics definitely give each army a personality and once you become aware of its strengths you start to alter your tactics to those of that nation, something I have been after in a game for a long time.

1st shot 6 gun battery, low ammo !

Normally I let the photos follow the story of the game but on this occasion they are a bit random, one because we played through twice and secondly because I was too busy taking notes about the rules rather than what was happening in the games.

Prussian Infantry attacking the Farm

In game 1 the match was over pretty quickly, the attack on Dolitz was a bloody affair with the Russians failing to gain any headway against the village and the Polish Infantry who had formed a line behind the stream. It wasn't long before the attacking Russians were streaming back to the baseline.

Another view of the Prussian attack on the Farm

In the centre the Allies sat there and got shot ! The Russian Guard Cuirass ended up retiring off the table without moving forward at all. That woke the rest of the troops up and there was a glorious charge against a gun line (see top photo) at the end of that game.

Waiting to go again in game 2

The Farm side of the table ground to a stalemate fairly quickly, the attack started on the Farm but all the French Heavy Cavalry came out to play, putting the Prussian Infantry in square ending any movement. With all the Russians running away at the end of our first session we decided just to reset and go again. I made a couple of changes to the orbat (the French started with the Guard Cavalry in game 1). Overall an easy Victory for the French in our first run through.

French Infantry in Dosen

Another aspect of game 1 was the atrocious dice rolling of the Allies (including myself) the double one for the Russian Artillery in the photo above was just the start, we have all had it, those days where you can't roll over 5 on 2 d6 until you need to roll low when you roll a double 6 !

French in the Farm

Game 2 went on for a lot longer (3 sessions) and was a much closer affair. We realised that we had been allowing too many people to shoot out of built up areas which made the approach to the villages a bit easier and the removal of the Guard Cavalry made the French player a little bit more cautious.

Attack on Dolitz in Game 2

The Russian attack on Dolitz was more sustained and they had a good deal of success against the French in the wood near the village, however the downfall this time was the Polish on the flank who pushed home their own attack in support of the village, there were some further shocking die rolls by the Russians but all in all a much closer battle.

French Cavalry mass behind the lines

In the centre the Allies wisely stayed out of range of the French Artillery, this time the French Cavalry massed behind the lines in the centre of the table but it all ended up with a lot of posturing. The Allies never got a clear run at a target whilst the French kept failing command rolls and remained on Hold orders behind the central village.

Cossacks skirmishing against Young Guard

The area around the Farm got a bit more fruity this time, this time the Russian Infantry led the attack, one thing we have quickly learnt is there is no point messing about firing Russian Infantry, get them stuck in as soon as you can. A battle raged over the woods adjacent to the Farm and the French sent two units of Young Guard to hold the line.

Prussian Infantry supporting the Russian attack

The Russians attacking the Farm failed to charge but those in the wood unceremoniously dumped the Young Guard out of the cover and into the path of a waiting Russian Hussar unit.

End of the Young Guard

The French committed the Italian Guard to hold the line in that area, the Allies had turned the flank but the new line at a right angle anchored on Probstheyda was pretty strong but was lacking Cavalry support.

We finished the game at this point entering a period of stalemate, the Allies had made more progress than before but had failed to get into the villages, with a bit more luck on dice rolls we could have got into the front line of built up areas but I don't think there is enough to get into the rear towns, it also felt that the French had a lot of artillery and with the ridge line they could often get multiple batteries on one unit when needed.

Italian Guard coming to the rescue

Rules Development 

The original Quarrie / GdeB mash up rules post can be accessed below,

https://yarkshiregamer.blogspot.com/2018/10/quarrie-to-general-de-brigade.html

There is still some work to do to get them perfect but I am happy with the progress and it's given me a renewed interest in Napoleonic gaming (which was my first gaming period) after years of inactivity so that in itself is a huge positive.

General de Brigade makes it harder to get into contact than other rules but when you do melee is over quickly, usually in a single round and there is none of the enormous black holes pulling in multiple units into massive combats which last 3 plus turns like say Gilders which needs a change of mind set from players of those sets.

The magic floaty tree

We found getting into contact a real problem in this game which is interesting as that wasn't an issue in the Peninsula bash, maybe we were expecting the British to shoot units off ?

The main discussion point and change from the game was the +1 for infantry charging in column. Infantry now has a charging factor for melee and a confused factor when not. We found that a plus 1 on top of the Impact factor was too much but we needed to reflect the impetus of charging in column so the decision was to count the Impact factor as the charging column factor and add a -1 to the Impact when charging in any other formation. The exception being the British.

I hope to get at least one more Napoleonic Game in before Xmas, oh the joy of too many collections ! Next game, currently on table is Spanish Civil War.

People Behind The Meeples - Episode 205: Aaron Franco

Welcome to People Behind the Meeples, a series of interviews with indie game designers.  Here you'll find out more than you ever wanted to know about the people who make the best games that you may or may not have heard of before.  If you'd like to be featured, head over to http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html and fill out the questionnaire! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples. Support me on Patreon!

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Name:	Aaron Franco
Email:	aaron.franco@gmail.com
Location:	Portland, Oregon, USA
Day Job:	Museum exhibition designer
Designing:	Two to five years.
Webpage:	www.aaronfran.co
BGG:	Aaronaut and Hunker: Fierce Friendship, Frosty Fortitude
Facebook:	Hunker Board Game
Twitter:	@hunkerboardgame
YouTube:	https://www.youtube.com/aaro79
Instagram:	@hunkerboardgame
Other:	I'm an IGA member!
Find my games at:	The Game Crafter

Today's Interview is with:

Aaron Franco
Interviewed on: 8/15/2019

Coming in February, to Kickstarter, is a new game from Aaron Franco. Hunker will be Aaron's first published game, although he has several others he's working on. If you've ever wondered what it might be like to be a woodland critter preparing for winter, you'll have your chance! Read on to learn more about Aaron and his other projects.

Some Basics
Tell me a bit about yourself.

How long have you been designing tabletop games?
Two to five years.

Why did you start designing tabletop games?
I loved games, but some of the games I wanted to play hadn't been designed yet. :)

What game or games are you currently working on?
These days I'm primarily working on Hunker, a friendly-competitive game about woodland animal friends preparing for winter. It features asymmetric player characters, action points for lots of freedom, a friendship mechanic that encourages players to interact with each other for bonus points, impassable snow tiles that make the board feel increasingly claustrophobic as the game gets closer to the end, and multiple paths to victory. It's also simple enough to play as to make it a good gateway or family game, but with enough hidden depth to keep veteran players engaged (I really respect Pixar's ability to multi-layer their movies for different audiences).

I'm also working on another in the same universe, though it is not nearly as far along. It's called (tentatively) Scamper, and is about the great mammalian migration across the Serengeti, as animals chase the water. As it stands right now, it is a "side-scroller" design where players move across map boards that can be added at the front and removed from the back. The animals are asymmetric, which adds some fun as well.

Neither of these are published, though Hunker is very close. Planning to crowdfund in February 2020!

Have you designed any games that have been published?
Only one: self-published, available at a print-on-demand site. Not sure if that counts! :)

What is your day job?
Museum exhibition designer

Your Gaming Tastes
My readers would like to know more about you as a gamer.

Where do you prefer to play games?
I like playing at coffee shops, actually. And I'm late to the party, but cons are so great for meeting new people and playing new games.

Who do you normally game with?
Immediate family usually, though in my previous town I had a good core gamer group of friends I could count on.

If you were to invite a few friends together for game night tonight, what games would you play?
Depends on the group, but I really like worker placement games and coop games. If I had my wish, Pillars of the Earth followed by Pandemic.

And what snacks would you eat?
I actually like chili for my game nights, served with cinnamon rolls if at all possible (a Nebraska thing I guess?).

Do you like to have music playing while you play games? If so, what kind?
Something lively but that can fall to the background a bit. I like Sanseverino a lot. He's super upbeat and sings in French, which means the lyrics won't be too distracting. :)

What's your favorite FLGS?
Having lived all over the place the last few years, I have several favorites... Gauntlet Games in Lincoln, Nebraska, The Portland Game Store in Portland, Oregon, and Labyrinth Games in Washington, D.C.

What is your current favorite game? Least favorite that you still enjoy? Worst game you ever played?
I am super excited to play Root first chance I get. Least favorite that I still enjoy? Maybe Catan, but mostly because I've just played it so, so much (that said, I got the chance to play it the other day and still had a good time). Worst game? Haha, Hunker during its very first playtest probably (my wife was playing, and actually fell asleep mid-game)! ;) I think any game that made it through the publishing gauntlet has merit for at least some folks, so it's more accurate to say games I don't enjoy aren't bad games, but just have a different target.

What is your favorite game mechanic? How about your least favorite?
I really like action selection, whether it be simultaneous or otherwise. Take that! is probably my least favorite.

What's your favorite game that you just can't ever seem to get to the table?
Pillars of the Earth!

What styles of games do you play?
I like to play Board Games, Card Games, RPG Games, Video Games

Do you design different styles of games than what you play?
I like to design Board Games

OK, here's a pretty polarizing game. Do you like and play Cards Against Humanity?
No

You as a Designer
OK, now the bit that sets you apart from the typical gamer. Let's find out about you as a game designer.

When you design games, do you come up with a theme first and build the mechanics around that? Or do you come up with mechanics and then add a theme? Or something else?
I like starting with theme, then starting my design inspired by that. But over the design process I find I bounce back and forth between theme and mechanics, each informing the other. I've found that spending significant energy on theme facilitates learning the game, because the mechanics and systems of the game are bound in reality and are thus somewhat common sense.

Have you ever entered or won a game design competition?
I've entered a few. Was a finalist for Cardboard Edison's design award in 2018, and won a Showcase spot at Boston Festival of Indie Gaming that year as well. I actually enter mainly for the feedback, which usually comes as part of the deal. I also work well when I have some pressure on me, so they make for some nice self-imposed deadlines.

Do you have a current favorite game designer or idol?
I really admire Ryan Laukat's ability to do basically everything. I'm a designer, but I'm no illustrator. His games are just so thematic, and the art and gameplay combine to make really memorable experiences. I also admire Elizabeth Hargrave a lot. She and I were in the same game design group near D.C., and all the success that's come to her in the last year is just so well deserved. Couldn't happen to a kinder, more genuine, just super talented person.

Where or when or how do you get your inspiration or come up with your best ideas?
My ideas usually come from observing the world around me. The inspiration for Hunker came while I was a grad student wandering around campus, and saw this super chubby squirrel. I think I actually called out, "Wow, you are winning at winter!" because clearly she had enough food, a warm shelter, and enough stored-up energy to be out and about in the snow. Later, I thought, could this be a game? I think it could! Wait, why isn't there a game about this yet??? The inspiration for my lone published game, Ideal Candidate came as I was on the job hunt. I thought, maybe there's a roll-and-move that could be developed about a job-seeker trying to navigate through a crowd of Other Applicants to get to an interview. My profs in journalism school always said to "write what you know," so I'm just repurposing that for games. :)

How do you go about playtesting your games?
Primarily, game design groups. Wherever I've lived, I've found these groups. Some are more active than others, but they're always a great way to connect with other designers and people who want to play new, in-development games. Cons are great, but I don't get to as many as I'd like.

Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? Co-designers, artists, etc.?
I work alone, primarily, which means I need to be disciplined with my design time and really observant during playtests. That said, I do have some trusted friends I like to bounce ideas off of; they have a tall task to keep me grounded and focused sometimes, but they do an admirable job at it.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a game designer?
Sometimes you get attached to an idea or a mechanic, but it just doesn't fit the game you're trying to shoehorn it into. Being able to let go of (sometimes long-held) systems or mechanics can be really important to stay true to your game's spirit. "Kill your darlings," as the saying goes.

If you could design a game within any IP, what would it be?
My brother-in-law and I had dreams of co-designing a G.I. Joe game. It'd be pretty rad, but it's just absolutely never ever happening.

What do you wish someone had told you a long time ago about designing games?
Designing a game can take a LONG time, especially if it's a hobby. If you can learn to enjoy the process, then no matter how long your game takes to be published (or even whether it's published or not!), you won't have wasted a single minute.

What advice would you like to share about designing games?
Playtest, playtest, playtest, and playtest some more! It's the only way your game will improve. And while we're on the topic, if you have an idea, just work up a prototype with paper/markers/handwritten text and get it in front of some folks as soon as you can. It'll be bad, perhaps remarkably so, but you can't start making it better until it's out there.

Would you like to tell my readers what games you're working on and how far along they are?
Published games, I have: Ideal Candidate (self-published)
I'm planning to crowdfund: Hunker: Fierce Friendship, Frosty Fortitude
Games that are in the early stages of development and beta testing are: Scamper

Are you a member of any Facebook or other design groups? (Game Maker's Lab, Card and Board Game Developers Guild, etc.)
Break My Game in D.C., Stumptown Game Crafters in Portland, OR, and Spielmasons in Omaha, NE, and yeah, every facebook group that would let me join. :3

And the oddly personal, but harmless stuff…
OK, enough of the game stuff, let's find out what really makes you tick! These are the questions that I'm sure are on everyone's minds!

Star Trek or Star Wars? Coke or Pepsi? VHS or Betamax?
Ha! I can actually say a few words in Klingon, so… ^_^ Hang on while I put on my santa beard and go hang out with some animated polar bears. Betamax was the superior format and I will die on this hill.

What hobbies do you have besides tabletop games?
I love biking, running, and composing mediocre new-age music on my piano.

What is something you learned in the last week?
I learned how to extrude objects into 3D in After Effects and play with their spatial positioning on the timeline! Kinda niche, but fun nonetheless. :)

Favorite type of music? Books? Movies?
Anything upbeat!

What was the last book you read?
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I was late to the party, but man, what a trip.

Do you play any musical instruments?
clarinet, piano

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise people.
I am six years cancer-free. I feel extremely blessed.

Tell us about something crazy that you once did.
I once was dirt-biking with a neighborhood friend, and I tried an ill-advised jump and knocked myself unconscious.

Biggest accident that turned out awesome?
Joining journalism class on a whim in high school, probably. I made lots of great friends along the way, and it set me up for some amazing experiences much later on, including meeting my wife in our journalism graduate degree program.

Who is your idol?
Fred Rogers.

What would you do if you had a time machine?
I'd go back and shoot some pool and do some baking with my dad.

Are you an extrovert or introvert?
Definitely an introvert, although I can pretend to be an extrovert for limited periods of time.

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be?
I'm often late to things, so if I had super-speed that'd probably cut down on that a bit… so I guess Flash?

Have any pets?
a little tuxedo cat named Maggie

When the next asteroid hits Earth, causing the Yellowstone caldera to explode, California to fall into the ocean, the sea levels to rise, and the next ice age to set in, what current games or other pastimes do you think (or hope) will survive into the next era of human civilization? What do you hope is underneath that asteroid to be wiped out of the human consciousness forever?
Sounds like there'll be lots of inside time, so I hope I'll manage to keep a handful of my favorite games. Pandemic, Letters from Whitechapel, Scythe, Pillars of the Earth, and Codenames. That should cover any other survivors' favorite genres and keep us occupied for awhile. Can the asteroid be targeted at the data centers for the student loan companies? That'd be neat.

If you'd like to send a shout out to anyone, anyone at all, here's your chance (I can't guarantee they'll read this though):
To the late James Mathe. We never had any direct interactions, but through your blog, website, and facebook group you did so much to help budding designers navigate the confusing and sometimes treacherous path to publication. Thousands of people will use and benefit from your work even many, many years down the road. Thank you for all your work in making this field so much more accessible.

Just a Bit More
Thanks for answering all my crazy questions! Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

Whatever we can do to expand this amazing hobby that's so good at bringing people together, we should do. We need specifically more women, more people of color, more diversity in age. There are loads of games outside of the typical fantasy tropes just waiting to be designed. And the people who will design them might not be gamers, let alone game designers, yet. One small way we can invite people in is by, you know, literally inviting some new folks to your next game night. Or running a playtest at the local retirement home. Or inviting your niece or nephew to help you design your game. Or bring a light board game to the local coffeeshop and set up a sign that says, "Wanna play?" We need compassionate fellowship with other folks more than ever right now, and games can be the medium. Let's get on it!

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Thank you for reading this People Behind the Meeples indie game designer interview! You can find all the interviews here: People Behind the Meeples and if you'd like to be featured yourself, you can fill out the questionnaire here: http://gjjgames.blogspot.com/p/game-designer-interview-questionnaire.html

Did you like this interview?  Please show your support: Support me on Patreon! Or click the heart at Board Game Links , like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.

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We were expecting some sort of Hitman 2 game ever since IO started referring to the last game as 'The Complete First Season', which rather suggested that there was going to be a Season 2. (Though, as you'll know by now, those expectations have turned out to be not entirely accurate.)

Before a Hitman 2 release date could even be a thing, we needed a Hitman reboot that would be a return to form for the series. After the leaden and muddled Absolution, it's clear IO intends to build on the same sandbox formula they've perfected over the past few years.

After some stealthy – but decidedly non-violent – deduction work, we know loads of Hitman 2 trailer and gameplay details. We know the location of the first two missions, the ways in which the design of the initial game is being expanded, and a few of the silly/excellent costumes you'll be donning. Here's everything we know about Hitman 2.

HITMAN 2 RELEASE DATE

IO Interactive was not shy about revealing this one. The Hitman 2 release date is November 13, 2018. Hitch-free assassinations require patience, but that's barely a wait at all.

HITMAN 2 LOCATIONS

All of Hitman 2 locations have been revealed it looks like Agent 47 is going to acquire lot of air miles. The six locations are Miami, Colombia, New Zealand, India, USA, and the North Atlantic with Austria being the setting for the Sniper Assassin Game Mode. We've seen plenty of Miami and Columbia and in IO's most recent trailer we can feast our eyes on Hawke's Bay, Mumbai, Vermont and the Isle of Sgàil.

MIAMI, USA

Miami was the first Hitman 2 location that we got to feast our eyes on. We've played through Hitman's 2 Miami mission where Agent 47 attended the final hours of the Global Innovation Race a spectacle for the fastest cars in modern racing. In Miami you are tasked with killing a motorsport driver.

SANTA FORTUNA, COLOMBIA

We've also played the game's second mission, and know that Agent 47's work will take him to the thick Colombian jungle. In this level, foliage is your ally as Agent 47 will be slinking through the underbrush to make his kills. There are three targets: Rico Delgado, Jorge Franco, and Andrea Martinez. There are hippos, heavy-chandeliers, drug-filled souvenirs, a precariously rickety gold statue, and the opportunity to stab someone with a tattoo pen. Clearly creatively bumping people off will remain at the forefront of this sequel. IO also said in a press release that guards won't be the only threat this time, so prepare for wild animals and poisonous plants.

HAWKE'S BAY, NEW ZEALAND

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand looks to be an interesting location. The location trailer shows Agent 47 on a beach at night time perusing his target, sand being kicked up everywhere. With just the sand dunes and the sea for as far as you can see, its going to put your stealth skills to the test.

MUMBAI, INDIA

Mumbai is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, its loud, crowded, and there are plenty of opportunities for a sneaky and stealthy kill.

Tenth Anniversary!

Today, the Ides of February, is the 10th anniversary of the CRPG Addict.

I have no long screed for you today. The value that I get from this project, my gratitude toward my readers and commenters, my hopes for the future, have mostly been encapsulated already in my recent 10th-anniversary entries:
             

• 10 Reasons I'm Still Blogging
• My 10 Most Controversial Opinions
• 10 Years of Commenters

             
I had originally planned to do a lot more of these, but most of my ideas required going through my blog from the beginning. I thought I was going to have time for that during the winter, but it turned out not to be the case. I might still get to a few more.

Today, I'd like to simply announce three things:

1. If you haven't already noticed, we have a new banner! Sebastian from Switzerland, who previously made my GIMLET logo, put this together. (That's part of my map of Fate: Gates of Dawn in the background.) I just love the shield.

2. I just posted a couple of helpful new pages. Both were created by longtime commenter Abacos, and the first organizes many of the games I've played into their series, both in a macro sense (e.g., "Forgotten Realms") and a micro sense (e.g., "Infinity Engine"). Yes, he has places for those yet-to-come, too.

The second page is a long-awaited index of special topics entries over the years. Both are accessible from the right-hand navigation bar on desktop and from the top navigation menu on mobile.

3. Finally: You're going to be seeing a fairly significant change on "The CRPG Addict": a relaxing of my rules to allow me, slowly and cautiously, to move forward without necessarily finishing every game from the previous year.

I know this move will not be popular with everyone, but I feel it is necessary. After more than two years of work, I still have 23 games remaining in 1992. There are 80 for 1993. I've managed to cover 350 games in 10 years; that many again will barely get us through 1997. I want to play Baldur's Gate and Morrowind again before I die, not to mention some classics that I've never played, like the first two Fallout games, Planescape: Torment, and Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates.

However, I'm going to put some strict rules on the endeavor, one of which is that at least one-third of the games that make up my "upcoming" list will be the earliest games that I have not yet played. I will thus still keep sweeping up the past, still finishing years, still designating "games of the year," and so on.

Beyond that, I don't really want to explain my rules just yet. I floated some ideas with my Patreon subscribers and received some great comments. I'm going to experiment with a few methods of selecting games from my long list. However, there is one rule that is very important for me, to ensure that my blog still remains chronologically relevant: I can play no game before its antecedents. I mean this in several ways:
            

• Direct antecedents: Icewind Dale must come before Icewind Dale II.

• Spiritual antecedents: Dark Souls must come before Lords of the Fallen because the latter is clearly designed to evoke the former.

• Technical antecedents: Neverwinter Nights must come before Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic because they both use the Aurora Engine.

• Cultural antecedents: Abandoned Places: A Time for Heroes, the first Hungarian RPG, should come before any other RPGs from Hungary.

• Source antecedents: Even though they're not part of the same specific series, Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny must come before The Dark Eye: Drakensang because they're both based on The Dark Eye tabletop setting.

• Major thematic antecedents: The first game to do something significant should be played before other games that include the same element. For instance, Ultima Underworld should be played before any other dungeon crawler with continuous movement.

• Personnel antecedents: As the first BioWare game, Baldur's Gate should come before any others from that developer.

           
You can see how this rule ensures that I won't be jumping to Mass Effect 3 any time in the near future. Indeed, the "central tendency" of my blog will likely remain in the early 1990s for quite some time. Trust me for now, watch what happens over the next year, and we'll do an evaluation on my next anniversary. In the meantime, help me by telling me if I've missed any clear antecedents. Thematic and technical ones are particularly difficult to look up. If you see a game on my "upcoming" list that shouldn't be there, let me know and I'll replace it with its antecedent, if I agree.

Thanks as always for your readership and participation. I have no intention of quitting or slowing down, and I look forward to the next 10 years!

Press Release: Announcing Succulent - A Beautiful Strategy Game! From Renegade Game Studios

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Announcing Succulent - A Beautiful Strategy Game! Compete to find out who is the master horticulturalist!

We're thrilled to announce Succulent - a beautiful and strategic tile-laying game designed by J. Alex Kevern and illustrated by Anna Daviscourt. You are a gardener tasked with thoughtful selection, delicate pruning, and tireless care. You've earned a reputation as a master horticulturist. In Succulent, you compete against your peers for lucrative and prestigious projects that will cement your place as the community's premier succulent gardener.

The game is played over a series of turns where players collect succulent cuttings from their gardens along with water crystals and use them to complete projects which grant various benefits, including earning points. Optimize every turn to become your community's premier succulent gardener and earn the most victory points to win. Succulent is designed for 2-4 gardeners, ages 10+, cultivating their gardens in 45-60 minutes.

Lucky gamers will be able to catch an early release and demo day of Succulent at select friendly local game store on April 4th with Board Game Expo!

Find a local store and ask if they're participating in Board Game Expo!

Pre-order the Game Now!

Did you like this press release?  Show your support: Support me on Patreon!Also, click the heart at Board Game Links , like GJJ Games on Facebook , or follow on Twitter .  And be sure to check out my games on  Tabletop Generation.