With another year drawing to a close it’s time to reflect back, and if the world has taught us anything, it’s you reflect with lists, so here ya go…

The list of 2005 goodness…

Nancy, the staff and developers of Shrapnel Games, Ed “Mr. Responsible” Wier, Troll Lord Games, Battleship Chess, Diet Pepsi, Elizabeth Starr, Iron Maiden, Children of Bodom, 3 Inches of Blood, George R.R. Martin, Almond Joy, Publix, Seinfeld on DVD, Sin City, the Sin Twins, Kobolds Ate My Baby, Guiness, Panda Cafe, the Saviors of Gelb: Rick “Victor” Marble, Bill “No Show” McDowell, Michael “Brennede” Meinhardt, Shawhan “Edward” Proctor, Jeremy “Dylan” Spiech, Jim “Daeloch” Zabek, Skittles, David Weber, Molli at MGAG, Roswell Auto Center, the QT on 92/Crabapple, Scooby and Einstein, La Bella’s, Memoir ’44, Fantasy Flight Games, Reaper miniatures, Toy Vault, Rebell, Family Guy, Loreena McKennit, Mike Martin, Jeff Hardt, Fiery Dragon, garlic, caffeine, Sunkist fruit pouches, Cheez-It, In Flames, Drivethrough RPG, Ogre Cave, Noble Knight, Boulder Games, the wargaming crew of Paul, Jim, and Tom, Game Tunnel, Vallejo paint, Uniball Vision, mechanical pencils, Think Geek, pretzels, the atomic clock, Lost Squad, Red Sonja, Knights of the Dinner Table, Dork Tower, Full Frontal Nerdity, The Order of the Stick, Creative, independent computer gaming, Powerbar, Post-It notes, Stanley staple remover, Black and Decker steam vac, Vlasic dill pickles, Office Space with flair, electric blankets, Chuck, Chuck, Brian of the old crew, Great Escape, Dr. No’s, Advil, Kataklysm, Nighwish, Metagaming, Jay and Gayle, the Bradleys, Gary Gygax, a good shiraz, American Splendor, Fiddler’s Green paper models, Dragon Quest VIII, Goodman Games, Erol Otus, Jim Holloway, ASPCA, DTP boardgames, Crown Royal bags, nice polyhedral dice, and anyone I left out!

The list of 2005 badness…

Jenna who wants a sugar daddy (so how’s that life of yours turning out?), Cobb county police who don’t understand the concept of directing around an accident, federal law enforcement agents who throw their wives around, the Wendy’s on 9 near the Ferrari dealer (how hard is it to only put ketchup on the sandwich?), the New York Times, Atlanta drivers, Target, Kara for vanishing again, General Motors, Comsquared (may you all swim in your own vomit and fecal matter for eternity), Volkswagen, Starbucks, energy companies, and the 27 stoplights on the way to work.

I shall catch everyone on the flip side! See ya in 2006!

Happy New Year!

[Roll Credits]

Scott……………………………… Scott R. Krol
Binky the Wonder Dog………… Dobie
Second Assistant Camera………… Mark Greenwald
Director of Photography………… Cathy Toole
Production Runner, Second Unit… Frank Corbin
Focus Puller……………………… Becky Gelkin
Costume Supervisor……………… Tom Harley
Assistant Production Coordinator… Stephen Elijay
Visual Effects…………………… David Thorne
Unit Nurse………………………… Karen Witt
Key Grip………………………… Oliver Haywood
Driver……………………………… Martin Fellows

Accounting services provided by Woods, Koch, and Alston LLC
Catering services provided by Tyme and Tyme Again
No animals were harmed in the production and all animal acts were overseen by the Humane
Society.

“The Number of the Beast”
Iron Maiden
© 1982 EMI

“Summertime Blues”
Eddie Cochran
© 1958 Warner

“Mozart: Requiem”
Tafelmusik
© 2005 Sony Classical

Soundtrack available on Sub Pop Records.

Color by Kodak.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

So this week I saw The 40-Year-Old Virgin, a movie that was recommended highly by both people I know and the general critical mass. In the end I found it entertaining, not quite as good as I was led to believe, but then again when is anything as good as you’re led to believe? It does happen, but rarely, at least when it comes to movies.

Personally I felt that it could have been a lot funnier. There were plenty of opportunities that the filmmakers simply did not go to, all of which could have taken it to another level. It had its moments though (the solo golden shower made me chuckle).

It also bugged me that like most American comedies they feel the need to put some seriousness into the movie. Will Andy hook up with the right girl? Did he lose her for good? Gee, I wonder what will happen? Even playing Asia, which was a nice silly choice, doesn’t get them off the hook for throwing that whole section into the movie. Unfortunately this seems very common in so-called comedies, and it’s always annoying. That’s why I’ve always loved Seinfeld. “No hugs, no lessons.” Imagine if you were watching “Where Eagles Dare” and suddenly it turns into a Bollywood spectacle three-fourths the way into it. Or if “Re-Animator” turned into a sports drama right about the time the decapitated zombie doctor is molesting Barbara Crampton? (For those of you who have never seen Re-Animator I’m sure that last sentence was enough to pique your interest.) Yet every comedy, at least every American comedy (you don’t see this in Monty Python), has to have some sort of “message” act. Bleah!

But I had a bigger problem with the movie. In it Andy, the main character, plays video games, reads comic books, and has a massive collection of action figures. He also paints miniatures, a hobby well-known to gamers. And if you’re reading this I’m going on the assumption that you’re a gamer, unless you’re just someone who came upon this by Googling “virgin”. If you are one of those folks by now you should know to pull up your pants, this isn’t that kind of site.

So Andy is into a lot of “geek” stuff. Frankly I’m surprised they didn’t stick him with a complete set of D&D books. As a gamer, who knows many gamers, a lot of what he was into didn’t really surprise me. I know plenty of folks who like comics, play games, have action figures, and paint miniatures.

If you have not seen the movie when do you think Andy finally matures and becomes a man?

If you guessed when he loses his virginity you’d be wrong. That comes at the end of the movie, and is practically a footnote. No, the movie essentially tells us that he starts to grow up and act like a man when he gives up all his geek accessories. That’s when he finally becomes a 40-year-old man.

The concept of giving up stuff like playing games, painting miniatures, and so forth is not a new theme. You can go back to Rona Jaffe’s horrible, horrible book “Mazes and Monsters”, first published in the early ‘80s (maybe even late ‘70s) to see this theme. In her book a bunch of college students play a RPG called “Mazes and Monsters” (Hmmm…), one loses touch with reality, and bad things ensue. In the end they all learn to grow up and become mature and stable citizens by giving up role-playing games.

Many people think we’re living in a gamer’s paradise, that games have finally become respectable. Hell, there are even chicks playing video games now, it must be respectable. And movies…Uwe Boll is someone managing to keep food on the table and a roof over his head because of games. And television, they have entire cable stations devoted to computers and gaming. But in the end all that’s happened is they are more prevalent in our society, but we’re still second-class (or third). While it’s somehow socially acceptable to sit around in your living room surrounded by sports imagery (the Green Bay shirt, the Green Bay throw rug, the Green Bay coffee mug, the Green Bay wall clock, the Green Bay hat, the Green Bay watch), spending your entire day watching people play a game, it’s still not socially acceptable to relive history by spending your Sunday refighting Austerlitz on your kitchen table or your computer. And that’s a shame.

Season’s Greetings

Well, it’s that time of year again. For some of your it’s already Christmas, for the rest of us it’s Christmas Eve. I believe I can speak for everyone at Shrapnel when I say we wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!! Enjoy the fellowship of friends and family, and have a wonderful time!!

Merry Christmas folks!

-Scott

Hello again. Well, with the launch of The Star and the Crescent successfully completed (and no bugs or issues, which is manna from heaven for a game programmer), we are now deep into development of Air Assault Task Force. We have now almost completed our first full quarter of undivided work on AATF, and this felt like a good place to pause and let everyone know how we are progressing. I also wanted to give everyone an idea what to expect in the next few months with this title.

So, let’s dive in…

Where we’re at

The good news is that we are still on track. Right now I perceive no problems in meeting our projected September 2006 release date. Of course, computer programming is an inexact science, but we are probably 80% complete with the coding on AATF (the scenario builder is a bit behind this) and all of the foreseeable technical challenges have been overcome without compromise.

The remaining code is all in the area of user interface. We are really concentrating our effort here, as we have a lot of collected knowledge from the ATF (Armored Task Force) Engine to apply to this effort. We are really concentrating on making things easier to do, while preserving all of the detail in ATF. We want a player new to wargames to be able to sit down, and, in a few minutes, make units do what he wants them to do. He will probably get his butt kicked, but he won’t have to fight the enemy and the interface. Our goal has always been for players to learn from our games, but we want them spending more time learning how to overcome the tactical challenges of the modern battlefield and less time learning the interface. We think we are really achieving this better than ever before with this title.

What is Air Assault Task Force

We have also progressed enough that I can give a little bit more detail on what the game will definitely include. The “command real time” (e.g. the game runs in real time with the player able to speed up the action with compression or pause the action and continue to give orders) survives from the ATF Engine. The scrollable map with multiple zoom levels and “mini-map” also survive from the ATF Engine, though we believe we have made both quite a bit more user friendly.

The game runs in full screen, and we plan to include features to allow the player to adjust the resolutions or run the game in windowed mode, though the latter is still tentative. A cool feature we have implemented is that we have embedded a full featured web browser in the game. This allows budding MODders and scenario builders to create their own animated and HTML operations orders for their scenarios, for use in the game. It even supports Flash and Shockwave programs and movies, for the really industrious. The impact on those who aren’t building scenarios is that, rather than the text operations orders of the original Armored Task Force, each scenario will be preceded by animated briefings and historical background information (similar to our latest title, The Star and the Crescent.

What is new is the interface. Rather than using the “select order-select unit” paradigm, we are now using the “select a unit-select order” paradigm that is immediately familiar to any RTS or wargame player. Information for selected units is immediately displayed in an easier-to-read, graphical format. We have a lot of other plans for the interface that we will be sharing as development progresses.

Other improvements in development include modeling of vehicle damage (as opposed to the modal, live-or-dead, model currently used), the use of discrete times of flight for most weapon systems, and a large increase in the amount of battlefield obscuration such as smoke from burning vehicles and dust from helicopters and vehicles.

And remember, we are maintaining backwards compatibility throughout development. That means that, when AATF is done, you can install it over your earlier, ATF Engine games, and give them an instant upgrade to the new interface and features!

The scenarios

We are not ready to spoil the surprise on the specific scenario locations and details, but I did want to share our overall concept, and what you can expect from the game. Rather than the armor focus of the ATF Engine games (with the notable exception of The Falklands War 1982), Air Assault Task Force focuses on light fighters.

As the name suggests, the focus of the game is on air assault infantry. This centers around light infantry battalions, transported to the battlefield by transport helicopter, and supported by attack aviation (helicopters as well). It is much more complicated than it sounds, though. In addition to figuring out what order to send your soldiers into the fight (you usually have more soldiers than helicopters), you also have to protect the “serials” (one turn of your aircraft) on the way to the LZ (landing zone). This means suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) and supporting efforts to secure areas in route to the objective. It also means detailed reconnaissance.

Soldiers aren’t the only thing that have to be air-lifted into the fight. Artillery, gun trucks (armored HMMWVs with machine guns or TOW missile launchers), and logistical support also has to be slung (carried under helicopters) to the LZ. Once on the ground this stuff has to be protected from ground assault on the non-linear battlefield.

In many ways, it is even more complicated than armored operations. Things that can be accomplished with brute force in armored operations must often be accomplished with finesse, deception, and precise planning. I think we are succeeding in bringing all of this complexity to players with Air Assault Task Force.

What’s next

Right now we are hard at work on the fundamentals of the interface. Early in Spring of 2006, we plan on releasing an “Alpha Tech Release”. This is an “in-progress preview” of the game. It will have roughly the same functionality of Armored Task Force, with all of the new interface changes for Air Assault Task Force. The idea is to give everyone a look at what we are working on, give our fans an opportunity to provide input, and hopefully, expose any bugs we have not found up to that point.

We plan to make it broadly available to everyone, rather than to a small BETA group. Stay posted at this blog, the Shrapnel Games Intel Forums , our website, and the ATF/BCT forum at StrategyZoneOnline.

The next milestone after this will be a BETA test and playable DEMO (early Summer, 2006). If you are interested in BETA testing, please stay tuned to the above websites for the casting call.

On a personal note…

I am in the midst of a permanent change of station to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (why do they call it permanent; I never get to stay anyplace more than a few years???) This seems to be a Mecca for wargamers, and there always seems to be a few ATF/BCT fans moving through there. So, if you are going to be there in the next year or so, please drop me a line at my e-mail address and we can link up!

That’s a wrap!

That is about all I can say on the current state of development. As always, if you have specific questions, please feel free to respond to this blog entry, and I will do my best to answer. And, while you are waiting for Air Assault Task Force, I will just remind you of our other titles, that are out now:

BCT Commander
Armored Task Force
Raging Tiger: The Second Korean War
The Falklands War: 1982
The Star and the Crescent

Playable demos are available for all of these games at the Shrapnel Games website.

Thanks, again, to all of our fans for their patience, input, and support through the years. I know I say this all the time, but you guys really are the reason I still make wargames.

Pat Proctor
President, ProSIM Company
http://www.prosimco.com

The other day I came across this story . Please take a moment to read it, I’ll be here.

Done? Super. Now frankly the fact that people still get their panties in a wad over videogame violence doesn’t surprise me. No, what surprised me reading the piece is this section:

“In “Stubbs the Zombie,” the lead character eats the brains of humans as blood splatters across the screen.

“It’s just the worst kind of message to kids,” said Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who joined institute officials at a press conference announcing the group’s 10th annual video game report card.”

Yep, that’s just the worst kind of message. Before you know it little Timmy is cracking open his sister’s skull and sucking down the gray matter instead of doing his chores. And all because of a game! Oh, the humanity!

Give me a break!! Are these idiots really thinking that kids are going to start a necrophagic rampage because of a computer game? I know there are a lot of stupid people out there (especially on the Atlanta roads…like the guy I was behind driving 20 miles below the speed limit, with no working brake lights, and all the while shaving in his car…) but I really don’t think we need to start worrying about kids imitating Hannibal Lecter.

But since there are people worried about this kind of stuff I thought it may be a nice public service to discuss some of our games and make sure kids are made aware of certain aspects of said games.

Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space

Kids, in Weird Worlds you can explore an entire galaxy in about twenty minutes. In real life you’d barely be away from Earth in twenty minutes. More so if you’re trying to launch into space by attaching fireworks to your bike. If you do manage to get into space and you end up dying of old age before you even encounter your first planet outside our solar system don’t blame us. And hey, when you’re out there and the aliens come to probe you, again, don’t blame us. Be smart and explore space on your computer. It’s less painful, and less time consuming.

Prussia’s Glory

Calvary charges inside your house is a no-no. Horses simply don’t have enough room, and if you have more than one story to your house it gets really ugly. Horses don’t do well on stairs. They get nervous and before you know it you have horse poop and pee all over the place. Then your parents come home and start yelling at you. No, best not to do any charges inside.

And another thing, don’t fire cannons in your neighborhood. Sure, it looks fun in the game, but in real life they tend to make a lot of noise, and do you know what a lot of noise does? It makes the neighbors call the police, and then mommy and daddy have to explain to Officer Nice why you’re shooting a cannon in the cul-de-sac. Plus cannonballs can hurt someone. Imagine a bowling ball dropped on your crotch from a hundred yards up. That’s what getting shot with a cannon feels like. Not very fun sounding, now is it?

Dominions II: The Ascension Wars

Yes, according to today’s schools everyone is special. But if you play Dominions II too long you may think you’re more special than others. You may think that others should worship you. You may even try to ascend to godhood by the wanton slaughter of innocents.

Blood rituals are bad, m’kay? If you go to school and sacrifice your class in an effort to become all-knowing and all-powerful a lot of horrible things will happen. First, the janitors won’t like you because cleaning up all that blood is hard. Next, the teachers won’t like you because your school will lose government funding for being a violent school. The principal won’t like you because it will give your school bad publicity. And finally your parents won’t like you because they’ll have to leave work early to go pick up their blood soaked wannabe deity.

Land of Legends

In Land of Legends there are evil gnome gardeners. They look a lot like the garden gnomes you see around your neighborhood. You may have an urge to wage war on these ornaments. You may want to smash them. Or maybe you just want to kidnap them from their yards and send them on a trip around the world, sending pictures of the gnome in the various global locales.

Of course both of these would not be good. No kids, the willful destruction of other people’s property is wrong, even if they are garden gnomes. And…well…you know what? Actually, how bad is it? So you smash a garden gnome or two. Is that really the crime of the century? Besides, those things are pure evil. You know how mommy and daddy are always fighting, and when daddy is away mommy introduces you to a bunch of “uncles” that you never see again? Well, that’s all the fault of the garden gnomes in your neighborhood. They do stuff like that. They make your parents hate each other, and force your teachers to torture you with school plays, and once they even gave birth to the unholy creature known as Pauly Shore. So go ahead, SMASH ALL GARDEN GNOMES! DESTROY!! MUTIL—err, what was I saying?

Oh yeah, don’t become a violent lunatic because of garden gnomes.

There, now parents you can sleep sounder tonight, knowing that your children have been warned about not trying to imitate computer games in real life. Senator Lieberman would be proud.

-Scott