Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! Sorry we missed last week but we were down over half of our show members.  This week Bel faceplants the intro and is urged by the entire crew to keep going. We start off with some discussion about the Honkai Star Rail Swarm Disaster event and a bit of idle gameplay with Chillquarium.  From there we dive into some Path of Exile talk as Kodra is now beginning become infected with our madness.  He presents the Magic the Gathering draft analogy and we discuss using that as a way of learning Path of Exile as a whole.  We talk a bit about Unity's corporate failure speedrun by burning off absolutely every bit of their goodwill with some dumb service changes. From there we talk about a game with a very long and contorted name that promises to give you access to all those weird mobile game ads that don’t actually exist.  Lastly, we talk a little bit about the return of Wizardry and how it is the birthplace of the modern JRPG.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Honkai Star Rail

    • Swarm Disaster

  • Chillquarium

  • Path of Exile

    • The Magic the Gathering Analogy

    • Guardian SRS is Amazing

  • Unity Speedrunning Corporate Failure

  • YEAH! YOU WANT “THOSE GAMES,” RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET’S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM!

  • Does Twitch Viewership Matter to Game Success?

  • Wizardry Returns

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-449.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:26am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! We start this week with the fact that Bel cannot distinguish a 6 from an 8 when looking at it from the corner of his eye.  We dive into a discussion of Goodbye Volcano High that Kodra has been playing.  From there we talk a bit about what is happening at PAX West this year and this leads into a discussion of all of the games.  We talk a bit about some of our first impressions of Starfield in as spoiler-free a manner as we can.  Finally, Tam talks about rolling the credits on Armored Core 6 and his final thoughts.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Bel Can’t Read

  • Goodbye Volcano High

  • PAX West 2023

  • So Many New Games

  • Starfield First Impressions

  • Rolling the Credits on Armored Core 6

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-448.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:19am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

This week we start off the show with some continued Path of Exile Trials of the Ancestor league discussion.  From there we talk briefly about the new Guild Wars 2 expansion.  Tam has spent some time playing Pseudoregalia and has thoughts about that, which leads into a discussion about our impressions of game generations shifting over time. Tam also spends some time playing Banished Vault and has some things to say about it.  This week Armored Core 6 launched and we talk a bit about a Giant Robot game from a developer who has become mostly known for Dark Souls.  Finally, we close things out with some more nonsense related to the Path of Exile league.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Path of Exile 

    • Trials of the Ancestor League - First Week

  • Guild Wars 2 Secrets of the Obscure

    • Weaponmastery system

  • Pseudoregalia

  • How our perception of games changes over time.

  • Armored Core 6

  • Further Path of Exile League Nonsense

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-447.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:21am EDT

Featuring: Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! Sorry, we were out last week but we ended up with too few folks to feel like it was worth recording a show.  This week we are back and talk about the launch of the Trial of the Ancestors League in Path of Exile. Grace talks a bit about their adventures in Genshin Impact and exploring the realm of the Hydro Archon. Kodra gets featured again on Cracking the Cryptic with a Sudoku and then talks about his adventures at GenCon.  Finally, we wrap up the show with an attempt at a spoiler-free discussion of Baldur’s Gate 3.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Path of Exile

    • Trial of the Ancestors

    • League Start So Far

    • Grace goes SSF

  • Genshin Impact

    • Visiting the Hydro Archon

  • Cracking the Cryptic

    • Kodra was featured again

  • Kodra’s GenCon Adventures

  • Some Spoiler-Free Baldur’s Gate 3 Discussion

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-446.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:55am EDT

Featuring: Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, and Tamrielo

 

We have a pretty small group this week as we are down a Kodra, Ammo, and Thalen for various assorted reasons.  We start off the show with Tam talking about Viewfinder a bit which winds its way to Bel talking about the coin pusher indie Clockwork Owl. Grace has been playing a lot of XVI and we talk about the Giant Kaiju Battles that take place when two Eikons fight. Bel got into the Palia beta this week and he talks a bit about what feels like Stardew Valley the MMO. Many of us stopped playing whatever we were playing this week with the launch of Baldur’s Gate III, so we spend a bit talking about that game in largely general terms.  This leads to a discussion of JRPGs and CRPGs and how they are generally telling stories in very different ways. We close out with a few topics and Bel shares that he no longer has concerns about Path of Exile II.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Viewfinder

  • Clockwork Owl

  • FFXVI Giant Kaiju Battles

  • Palia Beta

  • Baldurs Gate III

  • JRPGs vs CRPGS/WRPGS

  • Path of Exile II Updates

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-445.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:54am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

We start off the show with Ash talking about playing through Wandersong.  From there Thalen talks about his experience with Lost Words, and Tam dives into a discussion about how Far Cry does a shockingly good job with its cultural experience.  From there we talk about Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest and the announcement for the Dawntrail Expansion.  Then we talk a bit about the news coming out of ExileCon with Path of Exile II.  We also talk a bit about the changes coming to the first game with 3.22 and the Trail of the Ancestors League.  Finally, we wrap things up with a discussion about Dave the Diver again and how it is this weird showcase for how to make a good mobile game…  even though it isn’t one.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Wandersong

  • Lost Words

  • Far Cry 6

    • How it gets culture right

  • Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail

    • WOL Goes on Vacation

  • Path of Exile II

  • Path of Exile 3.22

    • Trial of the Ancestors

  • Dave the Diver

    • Good Mobile Game

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-444.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:20am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! This week we have the entire crew and can finally talk some more about Nimona and how much we love this movie. From there Bel talks about the Diablo 4 Season 1 Patch, and how it might be the worst live service patch ever. We get that everyone is tired of talking about this game but the hits keep coming.  This week Honkai Star Rail released the next batch of stories with its 1.2 patch, and we talk about some of the events and ramifications.  Thalen was gone last week because he spent nearly an entire weekend playing one game of Twilight Imperium so we talk a bit about that. Thalen also talks a bit about playing Kabuto Sumo and how it is very kid friendly.  Finally, we wrap things up with Kodra talking about using the Steam Deck as a second monitor in his streaming rig.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Nimona is Great

    • You Should Watch It Again

  • Diablo 4 Season 1

    • Maybe the Worst Live Service Patch

    • Maybe as bad as the Champions Online Day One Patch

  • Honkai Star Rail

    • Immortality Ends 1.2 Patch

  • Twilight Imperium

    • Do you have a free weekend?

  • Kabuto Sumo

  • Steamdeck Streaming Rig

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-443.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:33am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, and Tamrielo

 

Hey Folks! This week we are down a Thalen which bumps a topic that we bumped last week, but whatever we have more! Bel starts off the show with a discussion about Blaugust coming soon and how the changes in the social media landscape are introducing it to more people.  From there we talk about the One of One Ring search being over, which dives into a discussion about whether or not the Sol Ring being an auto-include is good or not. Kodra has been using the SteamDeck as a primary travel computer and this works shockingly well.  We talk about the weird game that is Dave the Diver and then branch off into a discussion about whether or not Pizza Tower is actually good.  Tam shares some nostalgia for revisiting the Battlezone ‘98 Remaster and how it is a type of RTS that never really had its day.  Finally, Kodra and Ash share some of their progress in Four Job Fiesta as it is nearing the end of that event.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Blaugust is Coming

  • 2 Million Dollar Card Found

  • Debate about Magic the Gathering “Auto Includes”

  • SteamDeck as a Primary Machine

  • Dave the Diver

  • Pizza Tower is Good?

  • Battlezone ‘98

  • Four Job Fiesta

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-442.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:48am EDT

Featuring: Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! We are down Ash and Ammo but carry on with what we originally thought would be a short show.  The curse of saying that means that without a doubt we end up going over. We start off talking about Tam’s new toy, the PlayDate Console, and some of the interesting design choices it presents.  From there Bel talks about the Diablo 4 reveal trailer and the weak reception.  This leads to a larger discussion about issues with Blizzard as a whole and how everything somewhat feels like short-sighted decision-making. Bel and Tam talk about Trinity Fusion a game that feels like a halfway point between Deadcells and Hades that Bel stumbled upon through Mastodon. We dive into a large topic about how games end up shackled by specific traditions and how they have limited various designs. Then we get into a few shorter topics like Gamepad.Club is a lovely community if you are looking for a place to land on Mastodon.  Then we all give you a plea to watch Nimona.  We are likely going to talk about that movie in a full spoiler sense next week.

 

Topics Discussed

  • The PlayDate Console

    • Interesting Design Ideas

  • Diablo 4 Season 1 Reveal

    • Weak Reception

  • Problems at Blizzard in General

  • Trinity Fusion

    • Deadcells meets Hades

  • Shackled by Tradition

  • Join Gamepad.club

  • Watch Nimona

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-441.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:15am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! This week we are down an Ash but have the triumphant return of Kodra from Origins.  This week we talk about the self-DDoS of Twitter and Kodra chimes in on the return of P-Speed to a new Super Mario Game.  From there we talk a bit about the newly announced Guild Wars 2 expansion Secrets of the Obscure.  Kodra gives us a bit of a run down on his experiences at Origins and how he has finally played in the most ubiquitous LARP Vampire the Masquerade.  We are somewhat incredulous as for several of us… that is the ONLY LARP we have ever participated in.  Grace gets bit by the Honkai Star Rail bug finally and talks a bit about their experiences.  Nimona is out and we talk a bit about the steps it took to get to this point as well as a bit about the mixed bag that is The Little Mermaid live-action film.  Finally, we wrap things up with a quick topic about Microprose actually still existing in some form and gobbling up former properties like getting back the license to Falcon.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • The Twitpocalypse

  • P-Speed Returns

  • Guild Wars 2

    • Secrets of the Obscure

  • Origins Convention

  • Vampire LARP

  • Honkai Star Rail

  • Nimona Is Out

  • The Little Mermaid Live Action

  • Microprose exists and gets Falcon back

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-440.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:48am EDT