J. R. Tracy

How I arrived on Bluesky

Maxine Curtis inspecting the undercarriage of an SB2C dive bomber

In celebration of Women in Aviation Week, here's my mom in 1943, inspecting the undercarriage of an SB2C Helldiver, at the Curtiss-Wright plant in Columbus, Ohio. An aeronautical engineer, she met my father, another engineer, while working on the Helldiver program.

The big picture - the scenario is 135, Acts of Defiance (originally published in an Annual as A68, and by Critical Hit before that) @multimanpublishing.bsky.social

Urban terrain with burning T-44s and advancing Germans

The Breslau canal with one destroyed bridge and oncoming Soviet forces

It's February 1945 and I am once again acting defiantly in Festung Breslau. At the end of T1 I am down 1.5 squads and have a wounded leader, but have knocked out two T-44s. A Goliath dropped one bridge but the other will likely remain intact for the oncoming ISU-122s @multimanpublishing.bsky.social

I invaded France with the greatest army the world has ever seen and now basically have two corporals, a German shepherd, and half a ham sandwich - it might still be enough but it has been quite a brawl. GMT's PoG, Historical Campaign @gmtgames.bsky.social

Yeah, the operational pace has been blistering - neither of us has dared pause for replacements. As the Central Powers I’m desperate to knock him out, as the Entente he always has a new hole to plug

WWI in France - German units are attacking Paris - there are more British units in action than French at this point, and all are reduced in strength

France is fighting to the last Tommy! Paths of Glory from GMT, historical campaign game scenario @gmtgames.bsky.social

I’m afraid my little tardigrade experiment got out of hand. Apparently they’ve built a spaceship and are heading towards Earth

What can I say, she gets me. Valentine's Day e-card from my girl.

Industrialization, the internal combustion engine, nuclear technology, computing itself - all are a mixed bag with demonstrable negative impacts but undeniable benefits. The case varies for each but to argue any one is wholly worthless and/or harmful is nonsense, and the same applies to AI

When it reaches too-stupid-for-Dr-Oz levels of stupidity, it's pretty fucking stupid

Currently stuck to a flag pole for reasons I prefer not to discuss

In my previous game, mistakes were made. Defending as the French, I aggressively counterattacked Volko Ruhnke’s Germans, coming within a whisker of cutting off their penetration. Failure meant doom, however, and by May Volko was enjoying a nice steak frites in Verdun proper.

I’m in the mud above the Meuse as my Germans grind their closer to their objectives in Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno from Fellowship of Simulations. Bob Heinzmann’s French are definitely not letting me pass. Very interesting game - simple systems but complex interactions

A grim Christmas Day in Buda, 1944 - Danny’s Hungarian students try to stem the looming encirclement against my 2nd Ukrainian Front - 122 Extracurricular Activity from MMP’s Armies of Oblivion

“It tastes like freedom” - kinda says it all

I don’t think this Reich is going to last a thousand years either

Share a great female antagonist

I don't think there's a grift - he actually believes what he says, which makes him even scarier. At least grift has a rational motivation I can understand.

Really enjoyed it, though I can definitely confirm we indeed overordered

It’s possible we overordered - Martin’s BBQ, Nashville

The best part of Thanksgiving Day. And by ‘best’, I mean in a six-way tie for best.

My favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Turkey.

The Crocodiles have arrived and have begun bulk-shipping crispy-fried panzergrenadiers to Valhalla. MMP's J 28 Inhumane, vs Danny Stanhagen

WWI in France - the frontier fortification line is cut off and out of supply, while Paris faces a direct assault from advancing German armies

Deutschland über alles - my ops blitz is smashing Campo's French in the West before his Russians can steamroll Austria-Hungary in the East. GMT's Paths of Glory, Historical Scenario. We're playing on Rally the Troops - excellent implementation.

Yeah, you definitely want to mass against a narrow point if possible - circumstances don’t always allow it but the Board 6 chateau is tailor-made for that approach

A self-rally in Q8 generated a leader who in turn rallied a second squad in the location; they then combined with a pair of .50cals to bring some serious pain to my upper level defenders. Danny might not even need the Crocs if this keeps up.

German infantry defends the board 6 chateau from an assault by American infantry backed by armor

Belgium, December 1944 - Danny's Combat Command 'Romeo' assaults my 9PzD infantry defending a chateau. It's grim already and a pair of Crocodiles are on the way to enhance my misery. J28 Inhumaine, from MMP.

There are probably 50 games that rotate through my top ten but here goes:

ASL
Snuggle of Empires
Here I Stand
Angola
Burning Blue/Downtown (I’m cheating)
Unhappy King Charles
Wallenstein/Shogun (cheating again)
A Study in Emerald 1st Edition
Victory in the Pacific
Umpired Close Action