Bel is back but still sick and hoping his voice holds!  Tonight we have a short reprise of the Star Wars Rise of the Skywalker discussion from last week since Bel didn’t get to participate.  This tiptoes around being spoiler so your mileage may vary. From there we talk about A Short Hike a charming game about meeting animal friends while trying to get mobile phone reception.  Tam talks about his experience with the Battlefront 2 campaign mode and a bit of him replaying SWTOR campaigns. Bel talks about Video Games being ported to the small screen and how they are more “inspired by” than accurate.  The Witcher however has a shot for shot recreation of a battle from the first game and we dive into that. Bel also has been playing a ton of Witcher 3 and is completely enthralled with the game now. Kodra talks about his experience with Slay the Spire and then we talk some more Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Topics Discussed

  • Star Wars Discussion Reprised
  • A Short Hike
    • Animal Crossing With a Point
  • Star Wars Battlefront 2 Campaign
  • Revisiting SWTOR Campaigns
  • Video Games Adapted to Screen
    • Witcher Shot for Shot Recreation
  • Revisiting Witcher 3
  • Slay the Spire
  • Pokemon Sword and Shield
    • Merits of Shift vs Set
Direct download: aggrochat_episode281.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:31am EDT

Tonight we are down several folks including Belghast, so as a result Tamrielo is filling in with the role of leading the festivities.  There is some confusion and this show is announced as 281 only to realize after recording that it is in fact 280. Tonight the AggroChat crew talks about their feelings regarding the final movie in the Star Wars Skywalker Saga.  The opinions run the gambit from enjoyed it quite a bit to absolutely hated the experience and this leads to a pretty balanced discussion about the movie that the future of Star Wars.

Topics Discussed:

  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Direct download: aggrochat_episode280.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 1:25pm EDT

Tonight we kick off the show talking about the first week of Destiny 2 Season of Dawn and all of the new content that appeared.  From there we talk about the big shadow drop of Warframe Empyrean and the ability to crew giant spaceships. We spend the rest of the show talking about various things that were announced during the fifth Game Awards.  It was a two hour long commercial that confirmed that once again Microsoft is terrible at naming things.

Topics Discussed:

  • Destiny 2
    • Season of Dawn
  • Warframe
    • Empyrean
    • High Space Piracy
  • The Game Awards 2019
Direct download: aggrochat_episode279.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:18am EDT

Tonight we start the show with Bel talking about Darksiders Genesis and how it doesn’t really fit into the Diablo mold.  Bel also talks about his recent experience with the vastly different Wolcen as it nears entering early access. We talk about the large free update to Mario Maker 2 that among other things introduces the Master Sword powerup.  We discuss the Turn Based mod for Pathfinder Kingmaker which leads into a discussion about Turn Based and the Pause/Action RPGs. Tam talks about his recent journey into Star Trek Online and Ash talks about One Step from Eden. Finally Bel and Thalen talk a bit about the upcoming Season of Dawn in Destiny 2 and the end of the Season of Undying.

Topics Discussed

  • Darksiders Genesis
  • Wolcen Post Alpha
  • Mario Maker 2 Update 2
    • Link In Mario Maker
  • Turn Based Pathfinder Kingmaker
    • Turn based vs Action/Pause RPGs
  • Star Trek Online
  • One Step from Eden
  • Destiny 2 Season of Dawn
Direct download: aggrochat_episode278.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:41am EDT

Tonight we have a show with a running theme about launches of varying degrees of success.  We get the memes out of our system about the Cybertruck and how Bel would absolutely drive one.  We talk about the concerning launch of the Google Stadia and the challenges of cloud gaming in general.  We talk about the announcement of Half Life Alyx… and how we all became way less interesting when we heard it was VR.  We talk about the launch of Pokemon Sword and Shield and how Ash is frustrated about the lack of the eternal PokeDex, but otherwise it is a solid game.  Grace and Bel talk about the rocky start to Diablo 3 Season 19 and the various bugs that they are encountering. Bel and Thalen talk about the Vex Offensive entering the Final Assault in Destiny 2, and how players were expecting it to be something different.  Finally Bel talks a little bit about returning to and playing a bit of the Anthem Cataclysm events.

Topics Discussed

  • Cybertruck
    • Object Still Loading
  • Google Stadia
    • Challenges of Cloud Gaming
    • Unknown Market
    • XCloud / Playstation Now / Parsec
  • Half Life Alyx
    • Half Life 1 ½ 
    • The Failure of VR
  • Pokemon Sword and Shield
  • Diablo 3 Season 19 Issues
  • Destiny 2 Vex Offensive Final Assault
    • Fans Expected Fatebringer 2.0
  • Anthem Redux
Direct download: aggrochat_episode277.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:27am EDT

Tonight we talk about the new Hollow Knight randomizer and also some discussion of games that have randomizers in general.  From there Kodra talks about the return of the DoubleClicks at Geek Girl Con and how chill and awesome of a convention that is each year.  We dive into a discussion about a game we swore was vaporware but actually is freaking awesome… Jedi Fallen Order. We dive a little bit into some talk of the importance of space in games, but it mostly just ends up looping back around to some more Jedi Fallen Order discussion.

Topics Discussed:

  • New Hollow Knight Randomizer
    • Randomized Games
  • Return of the Doubleclicks!
    • Geek Girl Con 2019
  • Jedi Fallen Order
  • Importance of Space in Games
  • More Jedi Fallen Order Talk
Direct download: aggrochat_episode276.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:50am EDT

Tonight we talk about the epic conclusion of a two year long D&D campaign and the setting changing ramifications that come about in this Final Fantasy inspired setting because of it.  From there we dive into the recent Warframe Patch and all of the changes brought about by it. We talk about the Blizzard Shadiness and provide a bit of an update in that department before diving into a discussion of the things that came out of BlizzCon 2019.  We talk Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and that time when the Lich Queen broke Azeroth and sent us all to the Shadowlands.

Topics Discussed

  • Two Year D&D Campaign
    • Final Fantasy Theme
    • Epic Boss Conclusion
    • Commissioning Artwork
    • The Future of the Setting Going Forward
  • Warframe Patch Update
    • A Rival System 
    • Kuva Lich
  • Blizzard Shadiness
    • Bel’s Greater Theory of how we got here
  • BlizzCon Updates
    • Diablo IV
    • Overwatch 2
    • World of Warcraft Shadowlands
Direct download: aggrochat_episode275.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:27am EDT

We start things up with some discussion of the end of Untitled Goose Game going fully spoiler and also discussing the meta narrative.  Ash talks about PDXCon, specifically Crusader Kings and Stellaris. We talk a bit about Fallout First subscription and how it doesn’t deliver on Private Servers at all in a manner we expected it to.  Lastly we spend the remainder of the show talking about The Outer Worlds the new Fallout-like RPG from Obsidian the crafters of Fallout New Vegas. In closing we are going to be down several folks next week so as a result we are skipping it and picking back up on the 9th.

Topics Discussed

  • Untitled Goose Game Ending
    • Spoilers Beware
    • Meta Narrative
  • PDXCon
    • Crusader Kings III
    • Stellaris Federations rework
    • Surviving the Aftermath
    • Age of Wonders Planetfall Revelations
  • Fallout First
    • Not Actually Private Servers
    • Fallout 76 Money Grab
  • The Outer Worlds
    • Fallout New Vegas
    • Bioshock
    • Dystopian Fiction
    • Capitalism Gone Way Too Far
    • Comparisons to Fallout
    • Firefly References
Direct download: aggrochat_episode274.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:00am EDT

Tonight once again we are naming the show off of probably the shortest topic.  Before that however we talk about Blizzard and their continued shadiness with cancelling the NYC Nintendo Overwatch launch party and protests organizing for BlizzCon.  Riot also apparently decides to make one of every game genre with League characters. Ash tries to start something by claiming Ori and the Blind Forest is better than Hollow Knight.  Kodra says he is looking for a new game to replace the fun grind of WoW Classic. He has been playing some ESO with controller and liking it a lot. Bel throws out Lord of the Rings Online and the Deed system as a similarly meaningful grind.  Bel also throws out Destiny 2 and Thalen backs him up in that there is just an insane amount of stuff to do. Finally we wrap up with the titular topic about Billy Mitchell and getting all of his high scores invalidated.

Topics Discussed:

  • Bad Guy Blizzard Update
  • Riot Takes on All Genres
  • Ash picks a Fight with Kodra over Ori and Hollow Knight
    • Replaying Ori on Switch
    • Hollow Knight and replayability
  • In Defense of Grinding
    • Boycott of WoW Classic
    • Elder Scrolls Online with Controller
    • LOTRO and Deed Grinding
    • Destiny 2 Directed Grinding
      • Thalen Backs Bel Up
  • Donkey Kong Score Dispute
    • High Scores Invalidated
    • Regular Show Episode
    • Billy Mitchell Loses Many Lawsuits
Direct download: aggrochat_episode273.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:28am EDT

Tonight we are down a bunch of folks because it is in fact starting to be that time of the year.  We have a bit of a roll over topic largely talking about the potential effects that World of Warcraft Classic has had on other projects.  This was spurred by a new game from Raph Koster that got initial funding, and continues through a series of discussions about what MMORPGs have lost from the classic era.  We also talk about why none of us are currently playing WoW Classic and the Boycott of Blizzard. Finally we wrap up with some discussion about Supergiant’s game Hades.

 

Topics Discussed

  • WoW Classic and its effect on game projects
    • Raph Koster’s new game
    • Brad McQuaid keeps creating the same game
  • What is missing from Modern MMOs
    • The absence of downtime activities
    • Bel’s weirdly small total played number in Destiny 2
  • Ideas surrounding an MMORPG that spans PC, Mobile and Console all integrated and working together.
  • Boycott of Blizzard
    • The Hong Kong Situation
    • Blizz Not Understanding the Boycott
    • The hypocrisy of Blizz’s stance
  • Hades
    • Diablo and Rogue Legacy had a Child
    • Narrated Patch Notes
Direct download: aggrochat_episode272.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:32am EDT

Tonight we start off talking about the Dragalia Lost Anniversary event and how it has been the time to get Five Stars with a daily free 10 Summon.  From there Bel gushes about Destiny 2 Shadowkeep and it playing towards his particular game style. He also talks about getting caught up in the race for world's first on the new raid.  From there we talk a little bit about Overwatch before diving into a discussion about Sayonara Wild Hearts. Finally some discussion about the Cities of Sigmar book and the changes to Warhammer it brings.

Topics Discussed:

  • Dragalia Lost Anniversary Event
    • Still playing daily a year later
  • Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Expansion
    • Destiny version of Looking for Raid
  • Garden of Salvation World First Race
    • Come from behind Victory
    • Competitive PVE Content
  • Overwatch Discussion
  • Sayonara Wild Hearts
    • Loading Ready Run Rhythm Cafe
  • Cities of Sigmar
    • Goodbye Elves
    • Happy Days for Dwarves
Direct download: aggrochat_episode271.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:38am EDT

Tonight we talk Untitled Goose Game, Link’s Awakening, some more WoW Classic Discussion and Bel makes a heartfelt plea to get folks to watch a 4 hour long video.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Untitled Goose Game
    • Ode to Classic Stealth Gameplay
  • Link’s Awakening
  • Random Tells in WoW Classic
    • General Discussion of Classic as a Whole
  • The Complete Story of Destiny by Byf
    • Yes really watch this 4 hour long video
Direct download: aggrochat_episode270.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:02am EDT

HONK!!!!!  So tonight we have some topics that have bumped around a bit.  Namely talking about Accessibility versus Friction in Game Design concepts.  This is very much on our minds now as a lot of things we thought we didn’t like, end up being what is providing the cohesion needed to keep moving forward in World of Warcraft classic.  This however ends up creating a bunch of problems namely it is a real challenge to stay up to date with your friends so that you can keep doing content together. We talk about some systems that work and Tams disdain for mentoring systems.  Finally we dig into Magic the Gathering and talk about Kodras most recent dive into Standard and some of the upcoming mechanics that will be arriving soon with Throne of Eldraine.

Topics Discussed:

  • Accessibility vs Friction in Game Design
  • WoW Classic vs Playing With Your Friends
  • Challenges of Keeping up with Everyone
  • Kodra playing Standard with a New Deck
  • Throne of Eldraine
  • Teaser for Untitled Goose Game
Direct download: aggrochat_episode269.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:18am EDT

Tonight we have a handful of things to talk about that are not World of Warcraft Classic and were smart enough to start with those.  First up Ash has been playing a lot of Fire Emblem: Three Houses and seemingly Tam and Ammo are stuck at the same point before things get interesting.  From there we talk about Greedfall and confronting the legacy of colonialism in a fantasy Action RPG. Tam talks a bit about Kind Words, something that is not exactly a game but is most definitely a joyful experience that has conspired to make me late getting the podcast out this morning.  Finally we talk at length about World of Warcraft Classic and some of the design differences we are noticing between it and Retail.

Topics Discussed

  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Greedfall
  • Kind Words
  • World of Warcraft Classic
    • Zone and Dungeon Design
    • Sound Design
Direct download: aggrochat_episode268.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:18am EDT

Last week we recorded our second half of the Shadowbringers spoiler show, but as a result it pushed a few topics off to this week.  First we talk about Pax West and the experiences of Ash, Kodra and Tam as they roamed the show floor. After that we talk about the most recent Nintendo Direct and some of the titles that stood out.  Lastly we go over our normal time talking about our most recent obsession World of Warcraft Classic. I am sure this will be a topic spread across many weeks but we at least start the discussion of our feelings about returning to a game that seemingly we still enjoy playing.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Pax West 2019
    • Indie Game Rundown
    • Board Game Rundown
    • True Dungeon Experience
  • Nintendo Direct 9/4/2019
    • Terry Bogard in Smash
    • SNES games with Nintendo Online
    • San Smash Bros Costume
    • Xenoblade Chronicles Remaster
    • Town Renamed
  • World of Warcraft Classic
    • Rose Colored Lenses
    • Enjoying the Pacing
    • Hopes for new MMORPG Renaissance
Direct download: aggrochat_episode267.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:47am EDT

Last week we recorded the first part of our deep dive and heavy spoilery show on the Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Expansion.  We realized that it was going to take more than a single night and opted to break it up into two shows. This week we record the second part of the show and finish our discussion.  So we sit down and talk our way up to and including the latest raid.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Final Fantasy XIV
    • Shadowbringers Expansion
    • Eden Raid
Direct download: aggrochat_episode266.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:09am EDT

Every so often something affects the entire crew of the show enough to make us want to do an all hands deep dive into it.  We had been waiting for the last few stragglers to finish up the Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers content before recording our big spoiler show, and over the last few weeks that happened.  Tongiht we have the full normal cast as well as a friend of the show Shiana for a sit down as we crawl through the story of this expansion. Unfortunately, we realized there was no way to cram it into a single episode so we will continue next week with the second part.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Final Fantasy XIV
    • End of Stormblood
    • Shadowbringers Expansion
Direct download: aggrochat_episode265.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:28am EDT

Tonight we talk briefly about Destiny 2 and the upcoming armor 2.0 and cross save changes.  From there Ash talks about diving into Fire Emblem Warriors and why he thinks it is the best of the Warriors games.  Bel talks a little bit about his new favorite Switch controller the 8Bitdo Pro+. Then Grace and Bel engage the rest of the group in some discussion about World of Warcraft and the Nazjatar and Mechagon areas.  This leads into some talk about Classic and how some accessibility features have lowered the social aspect of the game.

Topics Discussed

  • Destiny 2
    • Armor 2.0
    • Cross Save
  • Fire Emblem Warriors
    • Best Warriors Game
  • 8bitdo Pro+ Controller
  • World of Warcraft
    • Nazjatar
    • Mechagon
    • Classic
    • Needing Other Players
    • Accessibility is Double Edged Sword
Direct download: aggrochat_episode264.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:30am EDT

Tonight we have a show where we clean up the trello card and run through a bunch of stuff that has largely rolled over from other shows.  First up we discuss Games Workshop finally putting the pre-Age of Sigmar world to bed and cleaning up the factions. From there we discuss Kodra’s experiences with the very early access Gloomhaven Computer Game.  Kodra talks a bit about Gencon 2019 more specifically the Stellaris Board Game and True Dungeon. We discuss Pathfinder 2nd Edition, and a very brief discussion about Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. Bel really wishes someone else was reading House of X and Powers of X so he could discuss it.  Lastly Thalen talks a bit about the Gundam Mobile game and how it is still better than New Gundam Breaker.

Topics Discussed:

  • Warhammer Fantasy Battle
    • Putting the Old World to Rest
    • Cleaning up Factions
    • Removing a bunch of Elf Factions
  • Gloomhaven Computer Game
    • Very Early Access
  • Gencon 2019
    • Stellaris Board Game
    • True Dungeon
  • Pathfinder 2E
  • Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
  • House of X / Powers of X
    • Marvel Mutants Reshaped
  • Gundam Mobile
    • Better than New Gundam Breaker
    • Gundam Breaker 3 still best
Direct download: aggrochat_episode263.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:05am EDT

We were once again down a large number of folks because life happens and we were clearly on a streak of shows including all members that had to be broken.  Unlike last week however we have some topics! Bel talks a bit about playing Final Fantasy V for the first time without using the Four Job Fiesta rules, which we all know is backwards.  We talk a bit about Final Fantasy XIV including Eden Savage being released. From there we talk a bit about Fire Emblem Three Houses and the comparison to Persona as far as social links go.  Bel also gets informed of the casual no-perma-death mode which was the feature that kept him away from the series. Bel talks about the Destiny 2 Solstice of Heroes event and returning to the game after a bunch of content had been released.  Finally we wrap up with some talk about the Warframe summer event and Super Soaker combat.

Topics Discussed:

  • Final Fantasy V
    • Playing without Four Job Fiesta Rules
  • Final Fantasy XIV
    • Eden Savage Opens
    • New Crafted Gear
    • Bel Levels Tons of Alts
  • Fire Emblem Three Houses
    • The Persona Comparison
    • Casual “No-Perma-Death” mode
  • Destiny 2
    • Solstice of Heroes
      • European Aerial Zone
    • Menagerie
    • Gambit Prime
  • Warframe
    • Devs Gone Nuts
    • Super Soaker Brawl
    • Limited Time Content in General
Direct download: aggrochat_episode262.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:53am EDT

Tonight we talk about more Shadowbringers, which I am sure is a massive shock to our readers.  First off we talk about the thirst that the internet seems to have for several of the characters and why Urianger is always the wrong choice for that sort of thing.  From there we talk about the Eden raid fights and why we are apparently misremembering all of these fights. From there we talk comic con announcements namely She-Ra and Steven Universe stuff with a side jaunt into the announcement of the next Magic the Gathering set bringing us back to Lorwyn.  Finally we wrap things up with some talk about Kodra delving into some harder Mario Maker 2 levels.

Topics Discussed

  • Final Fantasy XIV Thirst
    • Why Urianger is a bad choice
  • Eden Raid Discussion
    • Fighting Primals again and again and again
  • Comic Con News
    • She-Ra Season 3
    • Steven Universe Movie
    • Why Walking Dead movie is too late
    • Veronica Mars
    • Thor 4 News
    • Picard Series
  • Throne of Eldraine
    • We are going back to Lorwyn in MTG
  • Mario Maker 2
    • Davey Wreden Levels
Direct download: aggrochat_episode261.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:10am EDT

Tonight we talk about the Switch Lite announcement and how it may not be for all of us, but is absolutely the use case for at least one of our numbers.  We also wonder how long before we get an announcement of the console only Switch Pro, since we now have a handheld only version. We dive into the Magic 2020 set and some of the interesting metas that it does a good job of breaking up.  From there we talk about Battle Passes and the one MTG Arena has landed upon specifically. Lastly we talk a whole lot of nonsense about Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers I believe with minimal spoilers.

Topics Discussed

  • The Switch Lite Announcement
  • Magic 2020 Set
  • MTG Arena Battle Pass
  • More Shadowbringers discussion
Direct download: aggrochat_episode260.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:44am EDT

This is a bit of a challenging week, and we largely went into it not knowing if we actually had a show or not.  If you look at our trello there is mostly just a bunch of comments about how we played nothing but Shadowbringers this week.  Kodra played a few things and we talk about Tametsi and Mario Maker 2 some more… and then there is a brief interlude about the TennoCon Stream.  However the majority of this show is us talking about Shadowbringers and we have limited ourselves to only talking spoilers up until the first Trial.  This is of course because we are progressed to various points in the story… and my god does the story matter this time.

Topics Discussed:

  • Tametsi
    • Hexcells
    • Lumines
  • Mario Maker 2
  • TennoCon Stream
  • Shadowbringers
    • The only thing most of us played this week
    • More general impressions
    • Spoilers for up to the First Shb Trial
    • Spoilers about Stormblood
    • Lali-hooooooooooooooo!
    • Quite possibly the best Final Fantasy Game Ever?
Direct download: aggrochat_episode259.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:07am EDT

Tonight we have a show made up in part of some roll over topics.  The first of these is World Next Door an action puzzler which leads to general discussion about action puzzle games and the challenges with them.  From there we talk about Wizards Unite and some of the problems with it. Continuing on we take brief stops at Vermintide and Mario Maker 2 on our way to some Shadowbringers discussion.  We make an attempt to do some spoiler free commentary about the Final Fantasy XIV expansion so far.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • World Next Door
  • Action Puzzle Games in General
  • Ludonarrative Dissonance of Puzzle Games
  • Wizards Unite
    • Magic the Pokemon-Go-Ing?
    • Issues with Gameplay
    • Harry Potter Narrative Feels Forced
  • Vermintide
    • Fantasy Left 4 Dead
    • Playing with Friends
    • Interesting Character Interactions
  • Mario Maker 2
    • Consuming Puzzle Levels
    • Changes Since Version 1
  • Shadowbringers - Spoiler Free
    • The Light is Not Our Friend
    • Class Mechanic Changes
    • FFXIV does Outland
    • Dancer
    • Gunblade
Direct download: aggrochat_episode258.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:51am EDT

Tonight we have a few new things to discuss and a few topics that bumped from last week.  However first off we talk about Four Job Fiesta the charity event where you run Final Fantasy V with a randomly assigned set of jobs.  Next up we talk about the sheer blasphemy that is how well the Games Workshop Contrast paints work. From there we go into how damned good Bloodstained Ritual of the Night is and how it is exactly the game we wanted it to be.  Kodra geeks out about the Silksong Nintendo Treehouse demo and who much he is looking forward to that game. Tam talks about his recent run through of Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition on Tablet, and we end the show with some talk about SGDQ or Summer Games Done Quick starting on Sunday.

Topics Discussed:

  • Four Job Fiesta 2019
    • Tweet Ash your Victories!
  • Painting is Magic
    • Games Workshop Contrast Paints
  • Bloodstained is Out!
    • Exceeds Our Hopes and Dreams
  • Silksong Treehouse Demo
    • Mixing up the gameplay
  • Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition
    • Nostalgia about Baldur’s Gate
    • Go For the Eyes Boo
  • Summer Games Done Quick
    • Starting Sunday 23rd
Direct download: aggrochat_episode257.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:01am EDT

Tonight we actually record episode 256 and we believe the first time have all seven active members of the show on at the same time.  We start the show with a bumped topic about Lapis X Labyrinth and then dive into a lengthy stream of consciousness ramble about the various things we saw from E3.  As a result we talk about over thirty games… during which I probably lost count of a few in my running list.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Lapis X Labyrinth
  • What Makes Games Fun
  • E3 Smorgasbord
    • PSO2 Westernization
    • Commander Keen
    • Elder Scrolls Blades
    • Square the Dark Horse Show
    • FF7
    • Romancing SaGa 3
    • Seiken Densetsu 3
    • Trials of Mana
    • Panzer Dragoon
    • Link's Awakening Remaster
    • Watchdogs Legion
    • Roller Champions
    • Fallout 76 NPCs and Battle Royale
    • Ikumi Nakamura Won E3
    • Spirifarer
    • Way to the Woods
    • VTM Bloodlines 2
    • Age of Wonders Planetfall
    • Empire of Sin
    • Contra Rogue Corps
    • Animal Crossing New Horizons
    • Marvel Avengers
    • Breath of the Wild Sequel
    • Cadence of Hyrule
    • Elden Ring
    • Nintendo Against Crunch
    • Brawlhalla
    • Fall Guys
    • Psychonauts 2
    • Double Fine bought by Microsoft
    • Circuit Superstars
    • Dragon Quest Builders 2
    • Deathloop
    • Battletoads
    • Wasteland 3
    • Orion Streaming Tech
    • Tam Mourns Stealth Games
    • New Consoles New Games
    • Holiday 2020 Going to be Big
Direct download: aggrochat_episode256.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:21am EDT

Tonight I completely butcher the intro because my co-hosts decided to get clever with it.  Tonight we talk about a lot of stuff that is coming out ahead of E3… which in truth is the only time that matters given that the only people who care about the actual show are the ones attending in person.  We talk about the Google Stadia presser and Destiny 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 news that came out of it. We talk about the only thing from EA that matters… the progressively less vaporware Jedi Fallen Order. We talk the weird case of the Magic the Gathering Animated Series and then on to Pokemon Goodest Boy Edition.  Lastly a brief topic about how Ubisoft is dumb.

Topics Discussed:

  • Google Stadia
    • Netflix for Games
    • Xbox Cloud
  • Destiny 2
    • Season of Opulence
    • Free to Play and Cross Save
  • Baldur’s Gate 3
  • Jedi Fallen Order
  • Magic the Gathering
    • Netflix Animated Series
  • Pokemon Sword and Shield
    • Good Boy Edition
  • Ubisoft is Dumb
Direct download: aggrochat_episode255.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:53am EDT

We start the show off with an explanation of what exactly happened to the end of Episode 253 and why Tam had to build a brand new server for us to record on.  From there we dig into the Shadowbringers class design tweaks and how they tend to land on the side of making things less janky and more accessible to players.  Bel also has another revelation that the expansion is right around the corner. Bel talks briefly about the weird decisions Nintendo is making surrounding Super Mario Maker 2 and stopping us from playing with our friends.  This is a continued version of a long topic that is Nintendo Still Does Not Understand the Internet. They do however understand product promotion which is part of a whole discussion about the fact that E3 is starting next week.  Lastly we wrap up with a discussion about Modern Horizons and how Magic seems to be making some really interesting decisions that are paying off for them.

Topics Discussed

  • What Happened to 253
    • Building a New Server
  • Shadowbringers Class Design
    • Removing Fiddly Bits
    • More Accessible Class Design
  • Nintendo Doesn’t Understand the Internet
    • Super Mario Maker 2 Shunning Play with Friends
  • E3 Discussion
    • Does the Show Event Need to Exist?
    • Nintendo Seems to have nailed promotional cadence
  • Modern Horizons
    • Interesting Decisions MTG has Made Lately

 

Direct download: aggrochat_episode254.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:05am EDT

So just a heads up we had some technical difficulty while recording the show.  Apparently the server that we use to record on was slowly dying throughout the night and culminated in a grand crescendo at the end with us all getting disconnected.  As a result we cut off abruptly. In between these issues however we talk about Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter and the upcoming class changes. Bel talks about how Crowfall is turning into a game and feels like less of a tech demo than it did.  Tam talks about Total War Three Kingdoms. We discuss the madness that happened after last weeks show and lots more people signing on to the World of Warcraft Classic madness. We wrap up with a topic about some of the cool stuff Games Workshop is doing.

Topics Discussed:

  • …. Pation
  • Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter
    • Class Changes
    • Benchmark
  • Crowfall is Actually A Game
    • Nostalgia for Corpse Runs
    • Eve Offline Skill Progression
  • Thalen Wants a Survival Game that Cares about Correct Nutrition
  • Total War: Three Kingdoms
    • Another Romance of the Kingdoms
  • World of Warcraft Classic
    • More of AggroChat joins this madness
  • Games Workshop Continues to be Decent
    • Awesome new shading paint
    • Contrast Paint
  • Abrupt Cut Off
Direct download: aggrochat_episode253.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:20am EDT

Tonight we are down an Ammo and start off with a discussion about hosting providers and the process of moving the 77,000 files that make up AggroChat.com.  From there we talk about MMO Housing and the madness that is camping an opening in Final Fantasy XIV. Bel got into the WoW Classic Beta and talks about his experiences of relearning the game and plans to start a dungeon and raiding guild called Decades Behind once things go live.  Kodra talks about how Server Transfers started the process of destroying Server Communities which leads to some hopes of static servers in Classic. We talk for a bit about the PC RPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker and how it is close to the campaign. Finally Bel talks a bit about getting a new tablet and venturing forth into Tablet gaming.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Hosting Providers
    • AggroChat has Moved
  • MMO Housing
    • Instanced vs Physical
    • Woes of FFXIV
  • WoW Classic Beta
    • Relearning things we forgot
    • Decades Behind
    • BfA Damaged the Brand
    • Server Community Nostalgia
  • Pathfinder: Kingmaker
  • Tablet Gaming
    • Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
Direct download: aggrochat_episode252.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:04am EDT

After a week off you can effectively blame Belghast for filling the Trello full of partial topics, and the rest of the show for not replacing them with something meaningful.  As a result we have a fairly fragmented show. In importance news however Ammo is joining the team permanently. The most important thing discussed however is the fact that Tam gave us a new term…  that of the noble Melon-Snake.

Here is a quick rundown of the varied topics discussed:  Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trailer, Xur coming to Fallout 76, Monster Hunter World Iceborne and Bloodstained Ritual of the Night release dates, Unplayable Magic Decks, The madness of Arcade emulation, The sad state of Anthem.

Topics Discussed:

  • Neph’s Wedding
  • Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trailer
  • Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
  • Fallout 76 Purveyor NPC
  • Monster Hunter World Iceborne
    • Capcom Hates PC Gamers
  • Magic the Gathering Arena
    • Kodra has Teferi Problems
  • Madness and Arcade Emulation
    • The joys of finding full mamesets
    • Triggering a bandwidth usage warning
    • Abandoning GameEx Evolution
    • Moving to RetroArch
  • TitanQuest Releasing Expansions 13 Years after its launch
  • Anthem Removing Cosmetic Caches
    • Spaghetti Code Problems
  • Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers
Direct download: aggrochat_episode251.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:57am EDT

Tonight we are down a Grace and a Thalen but have picked up a special guest.  Ammo is the official unofficial AggroChat Artist given that she has done most of the artwork that you have seen over the last few years associated with both AggroChat and the Aggronaut blog.  First up we talk about when breaking the rules of a game makes for a better experience. From there Bel talks about Marvel Heroes notalgia and quelling it with the Mobile game Marvel Future Fight.  From there Bel talks about his new Mayflash f500 fight stick and some discussion about Mortal Kombat 11. We talk a bit about the release of War of the Spark on Magic the Gathering Arena. Ash talks about the Lancer pen and paper RPG system, and finally some discussion about Persona 5 Royal.

Topics Discussed

  • Breaking Rules for a Better Experience
    • House Rules
    • Cheating to Remove Frustrations
  • Marvel Future Fight
    • Marvel Heroes Nostalgia
    • Very Free to Play
  • Fight Sticks
    • Mayflash F500
    • Square vs Octagonal Gates
    • Mortal Kombat 11
  • War of the Spark
    • Sealed Gameplay
  • Lancer
    • Pen and Paper RPG System
    • Kickstarter
  • Persona 5 Royal
    • 5.5
    • Hoping for Switch Release
Direct download: aggrochat_episode250.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:47am EDT

Last week we failed to announce the 5th anniversary of our show so we start off talking a bit about that.  From there Bel goes into a discussion about the BlizzCon Spirit and how he seemingly has caught the Star Wars version and returned to SWTOR after the Star Wars Celebration announcements.  We talk about the game quite a bit and then get into a discussion of Jedi Fallen Order which we missed from last week. From there we talk Magic the Gathering Arena and how Kodra is finally playing Standard.  We also talk about doing some direct Duels and the current Magnificent Momir format. Finally a discussion about Pagan Online that devolves into a discussion about upcoming ARPGs in general.

Topics Discussed:

  • The Blizzcon Spirit
  • The Star Wars Spirit
    • Star Wars the Old Republic
    • Fallen Empire
    • Eternal Throne
    • Overall Tweaks to the Game
    • Jedi Fallen Order
  • Magic the Gathering Arena
    • Standard Format
    • Direct Duels
    • Playing with Jank
    • Magnificent Momir
  • Pagan Online
    • Early Access
    • Potentially Eventually Free to Play
    • Wolcen
    • Last Epoch
    • Torchlight Frontiers
    • Grim Dawn
Direct download: aggrochat_episode249.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:08am EDT

Going into the show we had what seemed like a pretty slim set of show notes… but somehow we actually ended up bumping topics.  We start off with a discussion of Grim Dawn since Bel and Grace have been playing it. This leads into a talk about loot generosity spawned by the loot filters in both Grim Dawn and Path of Exile and that ends up going off in its own direction.  We talk a bit about the Star Wars Episode IX trailer which spawns a discussion about the Star Wars Cinematic Universe… which winds its way to the Marvel Comic Universe… which winds its way to a general discussion about Comic books. Finally a brief topic about a Warframe learning from its mistakes and trying a do-over on the Hildryn event.

Topics Discussed

  • Grim Dawn
  • Loot Filters
    • General Loot Generosity
    • Loot Management in Games
  • Star Wars Episode XI Trailer
    • Star Wars Cinematic Universe
  • Marvel Cinematic Universe
    • Marvel Comics
  • Comic Books in General
  • Warframe Hildryn Event Redo
Direct download: aggrochat_episode248.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:01am EDT

Tonight we delve into the esoteric talking more about concepts than concrete things.  Bel leads off with a discussion of a game he has been playing lately Outward, and how it feels like we remember Everquest feeling even though it is not entirely certain if that was the purpose.  From there we delve into a topic that has been sitting on our list for awhile but kept getting bumped due to time… namely Focus-Consuming Games as in the games that as a lot out of the player. This starts a discussion about the constraints on our time and how occasionally a game is just expecting you to be playing it as a hobby.  From there we delve into a topic spawned from a YouTube video linked below… discussing how a lot of Games as a Service titles are manufacturing discontent among the players to spur them into making purchases. We discuss that there are a lot of lessons to be learned in how to do this well from the Mobile Gaming space and how in many cases Genres don’t matter the way they used to.

Topics Discussed

  • Outward
    • Feeling like we remember Everquest
  • Focus-Consuming Games
    • Games that want more attention than we are able to give at a time
    • Looking for that neutral state in games
    • Limited attention span or ability to focus
  • Manufactured Discontent
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPHPNgIihR0
    • Games as a Service and the psychology that goes into putting us in a position to buy things.
    • Lessons that need learned from Mobile Gaming
    • Genre’s matter less than they used to
Direct download: aggrochat_episode247.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:56am EDT

Tonight we are down a Tam and also down having a constructed list of topics to go from.  The only roll forward topic left on the list is decidedly a “Tam” topic so we end up more or less winging it.  There is a decidedly Pax East flair to the show given that a number of topics we discussed circle things announced at or going on during Pax.  However none of the crew actually attended this year. Related to this we talk about The Outer Worlds, Magic the Gathering Mythic Invitational, Wolfenstein Youngblood Trailer, Borderlands 3 Trailer.  There is a brief interlude about returning to Final Fantasy XIV which Grace has done this week, and another oddball topic as Bel discusses getting Cemu the Wii U Emulator up and running and playing Breath of the Wild rendered in native 4k.

Topics Discussed

  • Pax East
    • The Outer Worlds Gameplay Stream
      • Questions about it actually releasing in 2019
    • Magic the Gathering
      • Mythic Invitational
      • Current State of Standard
      • War of the Spark Rumors
    • Wolfenstein Youngblood Trailer
      • Juxtaposition of Teens and Ultra-Violence
    • Borderlands 3 Trailer
      • Weird reveal live stream
      • Can Borderlands happen with none of the original writers?
      • Lessons learned from Pre-Sequel
      • Appearance of Tell Tale Characters
    • Cemu - Wii U Emulator
      • The Breath of the Wild Emulator
      • Rendered in Native 4k
Direct download: aggrochat_episode246.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:01am EDT

Tonight we talk about Baba Is You, a game that has sort of come from out of nowhere but dominated large chunks of our time recently.  From there Bel talks about how Division 2 has improved upon the original, which leads is way to a discussion about the political ramifications of the game and how UbiSoft claims there are not any.  From there we discuss Sekiro and how it is in many ways a brand new Tenchu game. Finally we discuss the Final Fantasy XIV Fanfest Tokyo reveals.

Topics Discussed:

  • Baba Is You and Fun
  • Division 2
    • Improving Upon the First
    • UbiSoft Claiming not to make a Political Statement
    • The ramifications of the Statement Made
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
    • Tenchu Remastered
    • Soulsian Skills Don’t Apply
  • Final Fantasy XIV Fanfest Tokyo Reveals
    • Dancer
    • Ronso
    • Dwarves are just weird Lalafell
Direct download: aggrochat_episode245.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:38am EDT

Tonight signals the triumphant return of Doctor Grace!  I cannot adequately express how happy we are to have her back among our number.  As far as topics go… we once again punt forward the only topic that we had planned and replace them with a few discussions gathered up moments before we started recording.  Tonight we talk about Anthem and get Grace’s impressions so far… as well as dig into some of the frustrations around high end loot and weird item scaling. Thalen tells us how to learn to love Eureka in Final Fantasy XIV and get past the fact that it is so grindy.  Finally we wrap things up with a discussion about the Super Mario World Rom Hack scene and the differences between Vanilla and Chocolate.

Topics Discussed

  • The Return of Doctor Grace
  • Anthem
    • Grace and Thalen Impressions
    • High End Loot Woes
    • Item Scaling Weirdness
  • Final Fantasy XIV
    • Eureka Grinding
    • Relic Weapons
  • Super Mario World
    • Rom Hacks
    • Kaizo Mario
    • Terminus
    • Assembly Editing
Direct download: aggrochat_episode244.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:41am EDT

Tonight we start the show with a heartfelt congratulations for our very own now Doctor Grace, for passing the gauntlet and defending her thesis.  While I am certain we will revisit this point when she officially returns to the show, we thought it was worth noting tonight. After derailing completely on a discussion about the origin of the Garter snake…  we dive into Pokemon Scotland aka Sword and Shield and the little bit of information we know about it at this point. From there Bel talks a bit about the Magic the Gathering Deck Builder's Toolkit league that he is starting at work and why he went down that path.  Kodra breaks off from this into a discussion about the game Gruff, which leads to further talk about how balanced asymmetrical play is really hard to design.

We then dig into some of the large patches that happened this past week… namely Anthem that occured mere hours before recording the show and Warframe that occurred earlier in the week.  Bel and Tam talk a bit about their impressions so far about the tweaks made that make the characters feel significantly more powerful in Anthem. The rest of the crew that plays Warframe… which is basically everyone but Bel…  dive into a discussion about the changes that were made to the melee combat system and some of the things that are soon to come as well.

Topics Discussed

  • Doctor Grace
  • Garter Snakes
  • Pokemon Sword and Shield
    • Pokemon Scotland
  • Work Magic League
    • Deckbuilders Toolkit
  • Gruff
  • Difficulties of Asymmetrical Gameplay
  • Anthem Patch
  • Warframe Patch
    • Melee Combat Changes
    • Hildryn Frame
Direct download: aggrochat_episode243.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:41am EDT

This week we talk about the topic that has spent the most time so far rolling from show to show because we didn’t feel like we had enough time to properly address it.  We have a Trello board where we stub out future topics, and before Christmas Tam put the topic of Silent versus Voiced protagonists on that board… and we are finally getting around to talking about it.  Not surprisingly we spent almost the entire episode on this one topic as there is a lot of stuff to unpack here about characters and whether or not we are meant to place ourselves into them. We also talk briefly about the Warframe Nightwave alert system that just went into that game.

Topics Discussed:

  • Voiced Versus Silent Protagonist
    • Personal Preferences
    • Times when it works and Fourth Wall breaking.
    • Jarring nature of a character you don’t relate to that is supposed to represent you.
    • Classic game examples
  • Warframe
    • Nightwave Alert System
Direct download: aggrochat_episode242.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:35am EDT

This week we are still down a Grace but also down a Tamrielo because work travel happens.  Tonight we start the show with a discussion of Civilization VI and its new Gathering Storm expansion.  This introduces the fearful Hockey Rink building and Mountie fielding Canadian Army… and also natural disasters.  Then we get into a discussion about Anthem and our feelings about the release. I think as a whole we are largely enjoying it, but even at that we talk a bit about the problems the game is having.

Topics Discussed:

  • Civilization VI
    • Gathering Storm Expansion
  • Anthem
    • What we are enjoying
    • What we problems exist
Direct download: aggrochat_episode241.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:48am EDT

This evening we discuss the Anthem “Launch” and the spreadsheet that is required to understand it.  We give a quick summary of our experiences and how it is turning out to be really freaking good. From there we dive into Silksong the Hornet DLC that has turned into its own larger than the original Hollow Knight game.  We also talk about the first Nintendo Direct of the new year and all of the games that got announced. Bel tortures Kodra with some brief discussion about Keen Dreams showing up on the Switch. Finally we dive into a topic about playing games for what they are actually good at rather than trying to bend them to our will.


Topics Discussed:

  • Anthem “Launch”
    • Spreadsheet Launches
    • Improvements over Demo
    • Very Much a Bioware Game in a Good Way
  • Hollow Knight:  Silksong Announcement
  • Nintendo Direct
    • Mario Maker 2
    • Link’s Awakening
    • Various Final Fantasy Releases
    • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
    • Captain Toad DLC
    • Tetris 99
      • Did Tetris Need Battle Royale Mode?
    • Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
    • Boxboy + Boxgirl
    • Yoshi’s Crafted World
    • Astral Chain
    • Deltarune
  • Keen Dreams on Switch
  • Playing Games for What They Are Good At
    • The Struggle with MMOs
Direct download: aggrochat_episode240.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:00am EDT

Tonight we have a bunch of not entirely related topics, but there is at least a minor theme of how you end something is extremely important.  Bel talks a bit about his experiences with the latest brand name beta in the form of Division 2. From there he also shares some frustrations with the way Assassin’s Creed Origins is ending which leads its way into a larger discussion about what makes a satisfying game ending.  We talk about what this means for passive media and how it might be different for interactive media. We then get into a discussion about progression systems and why fixed ones often times feel better than completely random ones. Finally we have some assorted digression about us looking forward to Anthem as a non-PVP mmo that somehow leads its way to FFXIV housing?


Topics Discussed:

  • Division 2
    • Military Fantasy Fallout but no Nukes
    • Worthy Successor to Original
  • Assassin’s Creed Origins
    • Great Game… But
    • Forced Character Swaps
    • End of Game Without “Your” Character
  • Satisfying Finales
    • Twist Endings
      • Mass Effect 3
    • Resolution Endings
      • Plot Twist Ending
      • Plot Twist at Beginning of Final Chapter
    • Fixed Length Shows
      • Anime
      • Babylon 5
      • Russian Doll
    • Revisiting Choices From Game in Ending
  • Fixed vs Random Progression Systems
    • Warframe Blueprint System
    • Destiny Random “Powerful Gear” Frustrations
    • Warframe Economy
  • Excitement over Non-PVP MMORPG
    • Anthem
    • Free PVP Gear from FFXIV Retainers
    • Lacking Money Sinks in FFXIV
    • House Reclamation
Direct download: aggrochat_episode239.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:31am EDT

Tonight we talk about a bunch of things that have been sitting in our list as well as a quick revisit of Anthem and how much difference a week can make.  We all for the most part struggled last weekend but things have gone extremely smoothly this weekend. From there we talk about the revelations from Fanfest Paris… and the new Gunbreaker class giving us Gunblade Tanks!  We talk a bit about the various titles coming out for the Switch in the near future and close up with a postmortem of Octopath Traveller.

 

Topics Featured:

  • Anthem
    • One Week Later
    • Much Smoother Experience
    • Class Related Discussion
  • Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers
    • Gunblade Tanks
    • Viera Confirmed
    • Nier Automata Crossover Raid
    • New Game Plus
  • Switch Indie Releases
    • Tangledeep
    • Wargroove
    • CrossCode
    • Steamworld Quest
    • Not indie but…  Darksiders!
  • Octopath Traveler Postmortem
    • Demo Did More Harm than Good
    • Drastic Tone Shifts
Direct download: aggrochat_episode238.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:57am EDT

Tonight we talk mostly about the Anthem Demo and our thoughts about it.  Having played it or at least repeatedly attempted to play it...  we have things to discuss from our feelings about various Javelin types to the general feel of the gameplay.  Additionally we talk a bit about Ravnica Allegiances which officially came out this week.  Kodra and Bel have been drafting some on MTG Arena and talk a bit about the mechanics that they are enjoying.

Topics Discussed

  • Anthem Demo
  • Ravnica Allegiances
Direct download: aggrochat_episode237.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:34am EDT

Tonight we have a fairly packed show as Ashgar is recording from Pax South 2019.  As such we start off with a rundown of some of the games he played. From there Bel talks a bit about TemTem or a game he backed but forgot to fill out the survey for that is actually a Not-Pokemon MMORPG.  We dive into some talk about games that have massively overhauled themselves specifically discussing Stellaris and Warframe. Then we get into a discussion about normal and mundane things happening in games and how it sometimes enriches the experience in ways you don’t at first expect.  Finally a quick discussion about Elder Scrolls Online and the Necromancer before we realize we have gone well over time.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Magic the Gathering
    • Gatewatch Needs to Die
  • Pax South 2019
    • Tunic
    • Nelo
    • Last Epoch
    • Aqua Lungers
    • Super Cane Magic Zero
    • Plunderbound
    • Hermetica
    • Days Gone
      • Zombie Bear
    • Resident Evil 2
    • Ace Combat 7
    • Jump Force
    • Forsaken Castle
    • Gestalt Vanguard
    • Dicey Dungeons
    • Lapis Labyrinth
    • Witchstone
  • TemTem
    • Actual Not-Pokemon MMO
  • Game Overhauls
    • Stellaris
    • Warframe
  • Mudanity and Normality in Games
    • Hitman
    • Travel Time in MMORPGs
    • Tiny Normal Things in Assassin’s Creed
  • Elder Scrolls Online
    • Accidental Necromancer Discussion

 

Direct download: aggrochat_episode236.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:17am EDT

There is an auditory warning, but we figured we would throw one out here as well.  During about the last 15 minutes of the podcast something went wrong with Bel’s audio where the last bit of every statement got clipped.  So you essentially lost the last word he was saying. This weeks show starts with a discussion about Kickstarter projects, which leads into talk of some of the things we have backed and how Bel is that guy that fails to fill out surveys.  From there we jump into a discussion about Far Cry 5 and how it is a game where the forced story gets in the way of everything else. This leads into a discussion about Destiny 2, the Bungie divorce from Activision, and even to some discussions about how important publishers actually are now.  This also includes a bit about the bidding war for Gamestop between the folks behind Hot Topic and the folks behind Redbox.

Topics Discussed

  • Kickstarter Projects
    • Reliability of Boardgames
    • Questionable Nature of Software Projects
    • Bel fails at filling out Surveys
  • Far Cry 5
    • Fun Gameplay
    • Forced Story Mode Abductions
    • Weirdness of Religious Cult Theme
  • Destiny 2
    • Returning Player Experience
    • Expectations of Knowing Lore
    • Bungie and Activision Divorce
  • Importance of Publishers
    • Bidding War over Gamestop
    • Digital Only Standouts
    • UbiSoft Abandoning Steam
Direct download: aggrochat_episode235.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:45am EDT

This week we set out a plan of some dozen different topics… but only actually made it through two of them.  Last we recorded the Games of the Year show and this week we started things off with some discussion of a few of the honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the list.  From there we had a discussion about what games interest us for the upcoming year… and the list we gathered up is sorta nonsense. I have no clue what order we actually tackled them in so just sorta going to make an attempt at listing everything out.

Topics Discussed

  • Games of the Year Honorable Mentions
    • Tangledeep
    • Spyro Reignited Trilogy
    • Celeste
    • Civilization VI
    • Let’s Go Pokemon
    • Starlink: Battle for Atlas
    • Tetris Effect
  • Games Of Interest that “Might” Release This Year
    • Hollow Knight: Hornet
    • Ori and the Will of the Wisps
    • Beyond Good and Evil 2
    • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
    • Ghosts of Tsushima
    • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
    • In The Valley of the Gods
    • Untitled Goose Game
    • Kingdom Hearts III
    • Digimon Survive
    • Tangledeep on Switch
    • Anthem
    • Dragon Marked for Death
    • Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon: Every Buddy
    • Pokemon 2019?
    • Town
    • Granblue Fantasy Relink
    • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
    • Onimusha: Warlords remaster
    • Metro Exodus
    • Far Cry: New Dawn
    • The Division 2
    • Rage 2
    • Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringer
    • The Outer Worlds
    • Ooblets
    • Harry Potter Wizards Unite
    • Wolfenstein: Youngblood
    • Welcome to Animal Crossing
    • Dragon Quest Builders 2
    • Psychonauts 2
    • Wasteland 3
    • Minecraft: Dungeons
    • Star Wars Jedi - Fallen Order
    • Metroid Prime 4
    • Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Direct download: aggrochat_episode234.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:38am EDT

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