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

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

 

Hey Folks! We started with what I thought was a pretty short show, but as we continued on…  new topics kept showing up in the dock.  We start off with some talk about the most recent Nintendo Direct, then fade into some initial impressions of Final Fantasy XVI. Bel talks about a problem with the Diablo VI community where new players not already engaged with ARPG communities are deeply confused by how seasons work.  From there we talk a bit about the ever-increasing prize bounty around the MTG One Ring. Tam shares some of his experiences with the new Warhammer 40k 10th Edition and the shocking return of Lion El’Jonson.  Thalen talks a bit about the new Fallout 76 season and we dive into a discussion about Steam Next Fest and how large it has become. Bel revisits the topic of Last Epoch and Spriggan builds since Grace is back this week, and they share some of their thoughts about Genshin Impact.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Nintendo Direct News

  • Final Fantasy XVI Initial Thoughts

  • ARPG Seasons Confusing New Players

  • The Hunt for the One Ring Continues

  • Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition

  • The Return of Lion El’Jonson

  • Fallout 76 New Season

  • Steam Next Fest

  • Last Epoch

  • Genshin Impact

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-439.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:36am EDT

AggroChat #438 - Teenage Exocolonist Blues

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

 

Hey Folks! This week we start off with a carryover topic from last week and talk a bit about Star Wars Shatterpoint.  From there Ash tells us about the Furry Child Soldier game… better known as Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2. Bel talks a bit about the Overwatch 2 PVE content that is being sold for $15 after the original PVE expansion was canceled.  He also talks a bit about the concerns brewing about a proper cash shop opening in World of Warcraft.  Tam tells us about this delightful-sounding game called I Was a Teenage Exocolonist before Bel brings down the show with talk of the current Corporate Internet Apocalypse.  We talk a bit about the Reddit Blackout and Streamers abandoning Twitch.  Finally, Bel and Ash talk a bit about how nonsensically good the Spriggan that Grace told us about is in Last Epoch.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Star Wars Shatterpoint

  • Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2

  • Overwatch 2 $15 PVE Pass

  • WoW Cashshop Concerns

  • I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

  • Streamer Contract Paid More than LeBron James

  • Streamers Abandoning Twitch

  • The Reddit Blackout

  • Corporate Internet is Burning

  • Last Epoch Spriggan is Nonsense

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-438.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:01am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We start the show with the dangers of bowling in a fursuit and then dive straight into the Not-E3 shows.  The entire crew has finally watched the Dungeon and Dragons movie so we talk a bit about how damned good it was. Tam and Bel talk about Knights of the Old Republic 2 and how maybe not all of the content in the restored patch should have been restored.  Thalen talks about how faithful of a remaster System Shock is and how Nightdive is doing great work.  Bel talks a bit about his experiences with Diablo 4 Endgame and how it is not that great.  Tam talks about playing Wizorb on the Steam Deck and Bel talks a bit about the Honkai Star Rail patch.  Finally, Kodra finishes the show with some talk about Co-Op games that allow players to share the cognitive load of problem-solving.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Not-E3 Shows

  • Dungeons and Dragons Movie Finally

  • Knights of the Old Republic 2 and the restored content

  • System Shock

  • Diablo 4 Honeymoon Over

  • Wizorb was Great

  • Honkai Star Rail Patch

  • Sharing Cognitive Load in Co-Op Games

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-437.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:27am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We skipped a week due to the Memorial Day Holiday, and while we had a bunch of built-up topics…  we oddly recorded a relatively short show.  We start off this week with some discussion about what happens when you date Cthulhu in Sucker for Love.  Then we talk a bit about the 80s and Marvel essentially making comics for anyone that would pay them…  and the limbo state of several of those properties in theory finally being resolved.  Last Epoch released a major update with 0.9.1 and we talk about the things that were added to the game.  Bel talks a bit about his experiences with the launch of Diablo IV and the drama surrounding the world's first hardcore race.  This leads its way into a diatribe about the icky Live Service Future we find ourselves in.  From there we talk a bit about Honkai Star Rail and how Bel talking the game up…  caused Grace to relapse into Genshin Impact.  Kodra talks about discovering Etrian Odyssey HD and a bit of a rundown of some of the good things that came out of Summer Games Done Quick.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Sucker for Love

  • Marvel and Hasbro Made Up

  • Last Epoch 0.9.1

  • Diablo IV Launch

    • Race to 100 Drama

    • Bel’s Begrudging Enjoyment

  • The Live Service Future

  • Genshin Impact

  • Honkai Star Rail

  • Etrian Odyssey HD

  • SGDQ

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-436.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:31am EDT

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

 

Tonight we start off the show with what is quite possibly the least nonsensical intro that bends around and becomes a Happy Birthday message to Solaria…  which by the time this releases will be one day belated.  Tonight we talk about the Overwatch PVE Mode debacle and this expands out into a larger discussion of the downfall of Blizzard Entertainment.  From there we talk about Amazon making a new Lord of the Rings Game and some snark towards LOTRO.  Grace discusses exploring what is ultimately a very Free to Play Racing Game called Asphalt 9.  We talk a bit about the Last Epoch 0.9.1 Pre-Patch Hype week of teasers and that Bel has officially given up on killing Maven in Path of Exile.  Bel and Grace talk a bit about a Southeast Asian-Inspired Diablo-style ARPG game that looks like it is straight out of the 16-bit era of games called Ghostlore. Finally, we wrap things up with some discussion of the Star Citizen 3.19 patch and Invictus Launch Week, and the New Player Experience.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Happy Birthday, Solaria!

  • Overwatch 2 PVE Mode Debacle

  • The Downfall of Blizzard

  • Amazon snarks about LOTRO

  • Extremely F2P Racing

  • Last Epoch 0.9.1 Pre-Patch Hype Week

  • Bel Gives up on Maven

  • Ghostlore ARPG

  • Star Citizen 3.19 Invictus Launch Week

    • New Player Experience

Direct download: aggrochat_episode435.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:57am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there in the AggroChat family, and also solace to those who have lost theirs along the way.  Tonight we start off the show with Bel and Grace complaining about the results of Eurovision and how both Finland and Austria “got robbed”.  From there Bel talks about playing some Diablo IV this weekend and how there have been some minor improvements from the last open beta test.  Kodra dives into some spicy takes about Breath of the Wild and how maybe he just isn’t into that game at all, and how it makes him sad about approaching Tears of the Kingdom.  Grace gives an update on Burning Shores' discussion and how she accidentally played it on the hardest mode.  Tam talks about Ixion some more and how it is weird to have boss fights in a city builder.  Kodra talks about some of his recent experiences with This Means Warp and trying out multiplayer.  Finally, we dive into a discussion spurred on by the fact that Thalen has been playing Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster on the Switch.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Complaining about Eurovision

  • Diablo 4 Slightly Improved

  • Spicy Breath of the Wild Takes

  • Burning Shores Follow-Up

  • Borrowed Power In Games

  • Ixion: a Citybuilder Boss Fight

  • This Means Warp Multiplayer

  • Final Fantasy IV is Great

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-434.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:49am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! This week we have Ammo back and talk about Honkai Star Rail or at least our early impressions.  Grace talks a bit about Horizon Forbidden West and the Burning Shores expansion.  We discuss a better FTL in This Means Warp, and that Vampire Survivors has released a DLC.  Kodra and Ash talk about how if everyone dies but the Tank, you can still win with Middara and this leads to some random discussion of MMORPG.  Tam is the only one of us who has experienced any Redfall so we talk a bit about it and the community reactions.  Lastly we sort of slide into a discussion about Guild Wars 2 without really meaning to.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Honkai Star Rail

  • Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores

  • This Means Warp

  • Vampire Survivors DLC

  • If Everyone but the Tank is Dead It’s Still a Win.

    • More fun with Middara

  • Redfall Irresponsible Speculation

  • Accidentally some Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Direct download: aggrochat_episode433.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:00am EDT