Grim Fandango 2? Don't get your hopes up...

The (excellent) Department of Death, a Grim Fandango fan site, just published a probably bogus email, that has to do with developments on the Grim Fandago 2 front. I for one, didn't actually know such a front existed (as the original Grim Fandango didn't sell too well); then again one never ceases to be amazed... But please, do judge for yourselves. Hop over to dearest D.O.D. and have a look for thyselves, oh, most wise and noble readers.

Just don't get your hopes up. Even if the rumors were true, and Grim Fandango 2 is in (pre) production, we all remember what happened to Sam and Max: Freelance Police. Don't we?

Related Tags: Grim Fandango, Grim Fandango 2, News, Game, Games, Adventure, Lucasarts, PC Game, PC Games, rumor, rumour, rumors

Atari to return to the graveyard?

Everyone knows that the company, we are currently referring to as Atari, is not the real Atari. Not the Atari of 2600, ST, Falcon, Lynx and Jaguar fame (or infamy), not the ancient video gaming behemoth. Atari is just a name French gaming giant Infogrames bought some years ago... But still, what a name it is. And let's not forget that contemporary Atari was (among other things) the publisher of the radical and quite stunning Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy in the US), and was (is?) supposed to launch the retro console Atari Flashback 2.0 (for more info on Flashback and Flashback 2.0 take a look here).

Unfortunately, the currently European, formerly US, and always Japanese sounding company seems to be in trouble... again. After a financially disastrous 3rd quarter and huge losses, Atari has announced that the company's existence is in doubt. For more information visit the official Atari website, engadget or the very enlightening Yahoo!finance.

Consider the following picture a tribute to (surprise-surprise) Atari:


Related Tags: Atari, news, Atari news, Atari 2600, Atari ST, Atari Flashback, Atari Flashback 2, Games, Game, retro, retro gaming, Financial news, Console, Consoles

Warhammer Tactics: 6th edition diverting

Diverting is more of a maneuver than a tactic. Of course, if you consider yourself a veteran Warhammer player, you should already know this rather obvious fact, and I guess such a little trick might be old news to you. For people though, that are either new gamers, or too ancient ones, who have missed the intricacies of Warhammer 6th ed., diverting is a little something they have to master.

Diverting is based on a-not-so-realistic rule stated in the BRB (Big Red Book or simply the Warhammer Fantasy Battles Rulebook), that forces a charging unit to align itself with the defending one, thus being subject to important direction changes. And as everyone and his dog will be able to tell you, movement is the single most important phase of a Warhammer match (game?). As diverting is a way to get rid of, delay, out-maneuver and generally harass powerful units such as a Brettonian lance or those pesky Chaos Knights, and as the diverting unit tends to get horribly massacred (and mashed into a pulp -just like Brave Sir Robin), the best diverters seem to be the cheapest ones. A depleted goblin unit, a Great Eagle or some imperial militiamen should do the job... Oh, and please try to avoid using skirmishers... You'll also be avoiding lengthy arguments with/against your opponent.

Just in order to make diverting comprehensible, here is a basic example of a devious diversion...

pic1. The Chaos Knights are threatening the entire Orc and Goblin battle line...

pic2. The presence of a 10 Orc (not) strong unit is an obstacle they'd have to either avoid (and loose precious turns) or destroy....

pic3. Seems like the Chaos Knights chose to attack. With a little luck they might loose combat, but even if they don't, they are now facing a new direction...

pic4. Should they win combat or even overrun, they would expose their flank or even use up another 2 turns to reposition themselves... Sweet, isn't it?

P.S. For further Warhammer related reading take a look at some rumors (news actually) and at a warhammer (not army) book review. For even further reading visit a library.

Related Tags: Warhammer, Warhammer Tactics, WHFB, Games Workshop, 6th edition, Warhammer 6th edition, Tactics, Maneuver, Wargame, Wargames, Game, Games, Miniature, Miniatures, Tabletop, Orcs, Goblins, Chaos, Diverting, Diversion

One month of gnomish rants (and raves and reviews)

Gnome's Lair (the gaming blog-site-thingie you are currently visiting) has been online for one full month, and this seems just like a 42nd post. Since Blogger (gnomeslair's noble hosting company) hasn't been kind enough to implement archive categories yet, and since I haven't managed to properly index (in a stylish and simple way) my posts and articles, I am now providing you with links to the ones I believe are the most interesting. Apparently, they are less than 41...
(you can of course use the monthly archives to access every post on Gnome's Lair)

PC Game reviews of: Namco Museum, Civilization 4, Star Wars Battlefront II, And Then There Were None, Apprentice Deluxe.

Board Game reviews of: Zombies!!! and Class Struggle, along with an article on freeware board games on the Internet.

PC Game mod presentations for Quake and Dungeon Siege.

A vintage review of Dungeons and Dragons along with some RPG inspired artwork and a lovingly handcrafted picture of a gnome.

A review of the new Atari Flashback console and some retro related (and hand-picked) links.

Warhammer rumors (1,2) and a Warhammer related review.

And finally an interview with Ugur of Adventure Lantern fame, a game design-theory related book presentation and a list of favorite blogs and sites...


Related Tags: Game, Games, Board Games, RPG, Role Playing Games, Wargame, Wargames, Warhammer, PC, PC Games, Adventure, Adventure Games, Star Wars, Apprentice, Reviews, Book, Books, link, blog, blogs, Miniatures, retro, Atari, Atari Flashback

Warhammer: Whispers of a new Waaagh...

It seems the early rumors were (for once) true. The new boxed set of the forthcoming Warhammer 7th edition is indeed going to include dwarfs and goblins. Apparently, the good ol' goblin spider riders will be making an impressive return too.

For more pictures and info, follow these links: link#1 (in German, but pictures are worth a thousand words -aren't they?) and link#2 (this one is in English).

If, for some peculiar reason, further gnomish Warhammer related material is your thing, you could take a look at a (quite) relevant review and an orcish rumor.

Related Tags: Warhammer, Warhammer 7th edition, Warhammer rumors, rumors, news, Game, Games, Miniatures, Miniature photos, Dwarfs, Orcs and Goblins

C64 Walkthroughs

I've already pointed you (yes you, loyal reader) to a more than satisfactory C64 game emulation site. Now, I am showing you the way to an exhaustive C64 walkthrough compilation.
...This is the way.

Related Tags: C64, C64 games, C64 emulation, Games, Game, retro, Walkthrough, retro games, retro gaming, C64 game