I finally got around to playing Tribal Trouble, an indie real-time strategy game from Oddlabs. Released in 2005, it received very good reviews at the time. Game Tunnel rated it 10 out of 10. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was. The game mechanics were typical for an RTS, although somewhat streamlined. The number of buildings and units were quite limited in number. That could be considered a strength instead of a weakness, however. The learning curve was quite shallow and it allowed you to get up to speed quickly. I didn’t play any multiplayer, but I can see that is where the game would truly shine. Despite that, I completed the two single-player campaigns, one for the Vikings and one for the Natives. Tribal Trouble may have been short on story but it was a blast to play.

On May 25, 2006, Game Central made its debut. That means today is the sixth anniversary of the site. I thought about my most meaningful gaming related moment of the past twelve months. Only one stood out. The devastating flood of September 2011 damaged a lot of property, including my role-playing collection. Much of what I accumulated over many years was wiped out in a single day. I finally took an inventory of the RPG material damaged in the flood. Below is a list of items I know were lost in the flood; there are no doubt others which I’ve forgotten. Of course, this doesn’t include many other goods, including boxes of vintage comic books, Star Trek collectables, baseball memorabilia, and more.

AD&D, 1st Edition

• Deities & Demigods
• U2: Danger at Dunwater

AD&D, 2nd Edition Accessories

• Arms and Equipment Guide
• Bastion of Faith
• The Complete Book of Dwarves
• The Complete Book of Elves
• The Complete Fighter's Handbook
• The Complete Paladin's Handbook
• The Complete Priest's Handbook
• The Complete Thief's Handbook
• The Complete Wizard's Handbook
• Guide to Hell
• Menzoberranzan (Boxed Set)

AD&D, 2nd Edition Adventure Modules

• The Accursed Tower
• Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff
• A Paladin in Hell
• The Return of Randal Morn
• Return to the Keep on the Borderlands
• The Ruins of Undermountain (Boxed Set)
• The Secret of Spiderhaunt
• The Shattered Circle
• TSR JAM 1999

AD&D, 2nd Edition Core Rules

• Dark Sun Campaign Setting (Boxed Set)
• Dungeon Master's Guide
• Player's Handbook

AD&D, 3rd Edition

• Dungeon Master's Guide
• Forgotten Realms (Campaign Setting Hardcover)
• Monster Manual
• Player's Handbook

Birthright (AD&D 2nd Edition) Accessories

• Blood Enemies: Abominations of Cerilia
• Blood Spawn: Creatures of Light and Shadow
• Player's Secrets of Ariya
• Player's Secrets of Baruk-Azhik
• Player's Secrets of Binsada
• Player's Secrets of Endier
• Player's Secrets of Halskapa
• Player's Secrets of Hogunmark
• Player's Secrets of Ilien
• Player's Secrets of Khourane
• Player's Secrets of Medoere
• Player's Secrets of Roesone
• Player's Secrets of Stordvik
• Player's Secrets of Talinie
• Player's Secrets of Tuarievel
• Player's Secrets of Tuornen
• The Book of Magecraft
• The Book of Priestcraft
• Tribes of the Heartless Wastes

Birthright (AD&D 2nd Edition) Adventures

• King of the Giantdowns
• Legends of the Hero-Kings
• Sword and Crown
• The Sword of Roele
• Warlock of the Stonecrowns

Birthright (AD&D 2nd Edition) Boxed Sets

• Birthright Campaign Setting
• Cities of the Sun
• Havens of the Great Bay
• Naval Battle Rules: The Seas of Cerilia
• The Rjurik Highlands

Birthright Novels

• Greatheart
• The Hag's Contract
• The Iron Throne
• The Spider's Test
• War

Call of Cthulhu

• At Your Door
• Call of Cthulhu (3rd Edition Hardcover)
• Call of Cthulhu (5th Edition)
• Cthulhu Now
• Spawn of Azathoth

Champions

• Champions (4th Edition Hardcover)
• Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengeance
• Hudson City Blues
• Justice, Not Law
• Murderer's Row
• Underworld Enemies

Dungeons & Dragons

• Dungeons & Dragons: Fast-Play Game
• Eye of the Wyvern (Fast-Play Game)
• O1: The Gem and the Staff (Expert Set Adventure Module)
• Wrath of the Minotaur (Fast-Play Game)

Marvel Super Heroes

• Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set
• Marvel Super Heroes Basic Set
• MU1: Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Abomination through
• Dreadnought)
• MU2: Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Eel through Mad Dog)
• MU3: Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Mad Thinker through
• Sentry)
• MU4: Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Serpent Society
• through Zzzax)
• MU7: Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe (1991 Character
• Updates)
• The Ultimate Powers Book

Mutants & Masterminds

• Mutants & Masterminds: Crooks!
• Mutants & Masterminds: Freedom City
• Mutants & Masterminds: Noir
• Mutants & Masterminds: RPG

Silver Age Sentinels

• Criminal Intent
• From the Files of Matthews Gentech
• Omlevex
• Roll Call
• Roll Call 2: The Sidekick Club
• Roll Call 3: Country Matters
• Shields of Justice
• Silver Age Sentinels (Deluxe Limited Edition Hardcover)

Star Trek (Last Unicorn Games)

• A Fragile Peace: The Neutral Zone Campaign Volume 1
• All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook
• Among the Clans: The Andorians
• The First Line: Starfleet Intelligence Handbook
• Holodeck Adventures
• Planetary Adventures Volume 1: Federation Space
• Planets of the UFP: A Guide to Federation Worlds
• The Price of Freedom: The United Federation of Planets Sourcebook
• Star Trek Roleplaying Game
• Star Trek Roleplaying Game Narrator's Toolkit
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Roleplaying Game
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Roleplaying Game Narrator's Toolkit
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Role Playing Game
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Role Playing Game Narrator's
• Toolkit
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Role Playing Game Players' Guide
• Starfleet Academy (Boxed Set)
• The Way of D'era: The Romulan Star Empire (Boxed Set)
• The Way of Kolinahr: The Vulcans

I’ve been playing Call of Duty 2 over the last couple of weeks. This afternoon, I completed the last of the single player campaigns. I played the original Call of Duty and its expansion, United Offensive, about a year and a half ago. I really liked the original, which was quite similar to Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, another favorite of mine. In CoD 2, you play as three different soldiers: Private Vasili Koslov in the Soviet campaign, Sergeant John Davis in the British campaign, and Corporal Bill Taylor in the American campaign. The gameplay was similar to its predecessors, but even more immersive (if my memory serves me). Some of the firefights were pretty intense. Almost every part of the game featured squad level combat, instead of the lone gunman nature of many first person shooters. CoD 2 switched its damage model to a regenerating health system. At first, I wasn’t thrilled with it. However, it grew on me over time. It was nice to be able to stay in the moment, swept up in the combat, without poking around for health packs.

The length of the single player campaigns was just about right for me. There were three campaigns for the Soviets, four for the British, and three for the Americans. At the end, the game treats you to a nice cinematic mini-movie while the credits roll.