Sun, 24 January 2021
Tonight we talk about a few things that have been on the list for awhile along with some new fresh topics. First off Kodra talks to us about Nerts and the world of competitive solitaire. From there Bel talks about how Dragon Age Inquisition has won him over and how he thinks that it might be the best Dragon Age game so far. Ash talks about Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and how it also might be the best Warriors game to date. Thalen shares with us Nick Knacks on the PopArena YouTube Channel and its exploration of classic Nickelodeon television. We also debate what we consider our Golden Age of Nick. We dust off a topic that has been on the list for awhile where we talk about whether or not it is the time for World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV to go Free to Play. This leads into a general discussion of MMO mechanics over the years and lends its way to some talk about Guild Wars 2. Topics Discussed
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Sun, 17 January 2021
Tonight we have a bunch of toppings that have been hanging around on the list for awhile. We talk a bit about the announcement that Riot is making an MMORPG and our general thoughts about that. Bel talks about the need for Attract Screens in game and this leads into a discussion about Tutorialization in games. From there we venture forth into how exactly you teach a non-gamer how to play games and if games are too complicated right now. Bel talks a bit about how much he misses F-Zero and why Mario Kart actually won the battle of the racing game that Nintendo cares about. From there we talk about the vast array of experiments Nintendo is doing right now surrounding Mario. Bel talks about revisiting Jedi Fallen Order and we wrap things up with a discussion about struggling to find a good tabletop cyberpunk game. Topics Discussed
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Sun, 10 January 2021
Tonight we continue our tradition of recording the Games of the Year show. Each year we pick three games that were the most significant for us during the previous calendar year. Additionally we throw in some honorable mentions, and then a list gets compiled of those choices and roughly sorted into games with the least overlap to the games with the most picks. This year we surprisingly have a game that every single member of the podcast chose as either a pick or an honorable mention. We talk about nineteen games in total. Topics Discussed
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Sun, 3 January 2021
Tonight we start the show with discussion about Mechwarrior 5 and the multiplayer sessions that have been happening among AggroChat folks. We also talk a bit about the extremely confusing world of intellectual property when it comes to this game. From there we revisit the topic of why forcing a stealth mission is a bad idea when you are not expecting it. Grace talks about a short game she discovered called Space Court where you preside over a Court in Space. Tam talks about getting the Valve Index and finally maybe finding the killer app in the form of Half-Life Alyx. From there we dive into a discussion about the games that we have missed during 2020 and didn’t have time to play, which segues into a discussion about Bel giving Dragon Age Inquisition another shot and how maybe Kodra would like the games that are not the first one. Topics Discussed:
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Sun, 20 December 2020
Tonight we start the show talking about Monster Sanctuary a blend of Pokemon and Metroidvania. From there we talk about the periscope through which we view the media and how it can be wildly different for two people who are in regular communication. We talk about the problems with Cyberpunk 2077 and then Bel shares his experience playing through the campaign and finishing the game. From there we talk about the Nintendo Direct and more specifically the games Cyber Shadow and Calico. Lastly Bel talks a bit about his down cycle with World of Warcraft and how he is lacking the drive to keep playing.
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Sun, 13 December 2020
Tonight we had most of the crew and started off with a topic that had been bumped. We talk for a bit about Yakuza: Like a Dragon and how it is a bit of a fresh start for that series. From there we have a somewhat impromptu discussion about Watch Dogs Legion and the thoughts Tam and Bel had while playing it. From there we discuss Spider-Man: Miles Morales and some of the thoughts Tam had specifically about the integration of Puerto Rican culture into that game. From there we dive into another discussion about the PlayStation 5 since Tam finally got his last week. We wrap things up with some discussion about The Game Awards and the big Disney Investor call and all of the things that were announced in both. Topics Discussed
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Sun, 6 December 2020
Tonight a sequence of scheduling conflicts happened and we wound up with what felt like a fairly classic show given we were down to the cast members from the early years of this podcast. We start the show with a bit of a micro topic as Bel talks about the nonsense he is doing called Catfriend Television where he uploads security camera footage of the neighborhood cats to youtube. From there we talk about the severe drought of PlayStation 5 units, the battle with the scalpers and Tam maybe finally joining the ranks of those who managed to snag one. Bel talks about the problem happening right now with the Shadowlands expansion in WoW with folks mass abandoning heroics because they didn’t get the thing they were chasing to drop. Finally we talk a bit about Lancer a pen and paper RPG that Ashgar has wanted to play for quite some time and finally managed to run a game. Topics Discussed
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Sun, 29 November 2020
Tonight we sit down to record a show… with multiple topics but wind up only actually talking about one. Shadowlands, the latest World of Warcraft expansion released this past week and Bel and Grace have been playing it. We take a dive into all things afterlife as we talk about the vague sense of not being quite certain if we like it or not. There might be some minor story spoilers so please be warned. For the most part we limit revelations to the things that are talked about in the Afterlives series of videos, but Bel has finished the main story quest and Grace is about halfway through. We share our feelings about what appears to be Blizzard trying to create a Final Fantasy XIV expansion. Topics Discussed
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Sun, 22 November 2020
Tonight we are down an Ashgar but work our way through a series of topics from the list. First up Bel can in fact confirm that the PlayStation 5 exists and talks about his early experiences. From we talk a bit about Bugsnax and how it is this weird Muppet Pokemon game that also has deeply disturbing Bioshock style undertones going on. Tam talks a bit about puzzle shooter Superliminal and Kodra talks about What Remains of Edith Finch. We talk a bit about parkour ninja game Ghostrunner and Bel shares some of the recent changes to Destiny 2. Finally we wrap up with some extemporaneous viewing suggestions… Duck Tales, Animaniacs, Mandalorian and the Ashens series of movies. Topics Discussed:
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Sun, 15 November 2020
Tonight we start off the show with a brief discussion of the console releases this week and how none of us actually managed to get one yet. Bel has one that is still shipping and Tam has had zero luck even getting to that point in the process. Bel talks a bit about Destiny 2 Beyond Light and how it is a solid expansion but cannot make up for three years of content that was removed from the game. The “sunset” has had some pretty negative impact on the game and even Bungie agrees that they maybe went too far. We talk a bit about the first major Genshin Impact patch and how it added way more content than we were expecting. Finally we dive into a discussion about games and hobbies and seeking out a place for creative expression. We also talk about the differences between creating something that is physical and tangible that you can hold in your hand versus something that takes place solely online. Topics Discussed
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