Featuring: Ashgar, Belghast, Kodra, and Tamrielo

 

Hey Folks! This is potentially our last show of the year because the next few weeks and the holidays within them…  are going to make it very hard to gather a quorum.  This week we are going to be brutally honest and tell you that if you have no interest in Path of Exile, then this might be a show for your to skip.  While we have a very brief conversation about Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Kodra saving the day and being the big kid rescuing a stranded party, the show is mostly diving into the “Bel League” private league thusfar.  So yeah we talk about Path of Exile for an hour and a half and if that is not your thing, then that is totally cool.

 

Topics Discussed

 

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

---- Making Memories, Saving Wiped Teams

 

Path of Exile

-- Affliction League One Week In

-- How Our Builds are Going

-- What happens when you follow a bait build

---- How much better the game would be with free respecs

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-461.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:13am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We are back with everyone and it is weird how long it has been since we have done a full seven-person show!  Tonight we discuss the Game Awards and some of the negative reception surrounding it.  We talked for a bit about the Monarch television show and the larger Legacy Pictures Monsterverse.  Tam talks about The Exit 8 and the liminal weirdness of an ever-shifting train station. Then we dive into the Path of Exile Affliction League and more specifically our private “Bel League” and how that has been going so far.

 

Topics Discussed

– The Game Awards 2023

– Monarch and the Legacy Pictures Monsterverse

– The Exit 8

– Path of Exile

   \-- Bel League

   \-- Progress so far

  \-- Affliction League Mechanic

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-460.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:33am EDT

Featuring: Belghast, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! We are down basically the front half of the alphabet for this show, but the remaining four of us end up recording a deceptively long episode.  Path of Exile revealed the details of the Affliction League and we had an awful lot to say about that.  We talk through one of the biggest meta-shakeups in the game’s history.  Bel also picks a fight with Kodra apparently when he called Guild Wars 2 more of an ARPG than an MMO.  It all resolves peacefully however as we realize those judgments are based on different points of reference.  We close out the show with Tam talking about some of the interesting choices being forced in Star Citizen.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Path of Exile

    • Affliction League

    • Meta Shake-Up

    • Death of Righteous Fire

    • Ultimatum Returns

    • Goodbye Metamorph

  • Guild Wars 2 as ARPG

    • Kodra wants to fight Bel

    • Different points of reference

  • Star Citizen

    • Forcing Interesting Choices

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-459.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:07am EDT

Hey Folks! This week we start off with a topic about in game events, and how wildly different they can be between various games.  Specifically this topic was inspired by the Star Citizen IAE 2953 event but we give into many different game events.  Ash gets around to playing Armored Core 6 and talks about how awful the intro to the game is.  Bel laments how sometimes maybe being a more Open World experience makes a game worse.  Specifically this is inspired by Jedi Survivor and how it is a much less tight game than Fallen Order.  Shocking to no one we dive into another Path of Exile topic and more specifically how Kodra and Bel completed some dumb Trial of the Ancestors achievements.  Bel has finished Alan Wake II and gives the game another hard plug and then talks a bit about how Guild Wars 2 Secrets of the Obscure is really good.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • In Game Festival Events

    • Star Citizen IAE 2953

    • Final Fantasy events

    • Other Game Holidays

  • Armored Core 6

    • Why is the intro so awful?

  • Sometimes Open World Makes Games Worse

    • Jedi Survivor

    • Muddied Waters

  • Path of Exile

    • Doing Dumb things with Totems

    • Lament of why Multiplayer is needlessly punishing

    • Kodra knocking out achievements

  • Alan Wake II - After Credit Roll

  • Guild Wars 2 Secrets of the Obscure is good

 

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-458.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:01am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We start off with a topic that has been bumped for time a few weeks in row as we discuss how complex video games can stick the landing with their denouement. Bel has been playing Alan Wake 2 and talks about how Remedy finally has achieved seamless integration of FMV and rendered gameplay. We talked a bit about Risk of Rain 2 and the buildcraft surrounding the game.  Kodra has officially gone further in Path of Exile than the rest of us and talks about his adventures in bossing. We wrap up the show discussing how Path of Exile does a poor job of telling its story in spite of actually having a very good one compared to other ARPGs.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • The Ending Payoffs for Complex Games

    • How to stick the landing

  • Alan Wake 2 is Great

  • Risk of Rain 2 Buildcraft

  • Kodra Kills Against the Bosses

  • ARPGs attempting to tell stories

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-457.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:04am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We start off the show with a bit of a reprisal from last week.  Namely, Grace and Bel thought that all of the announcements at BlizzCon were universally good, but it seems that at least for some WoW Pundits they were a bit disappointed.  Ash talks about the remake of Risk of Rain called Risk of Rain Returns and how it improves upon the original.  We talk about the Blast from the Past League in Path of Exile and how Lake of Kalandra is getting a bit of a redemption arc.  From there we talk some more about Cities Skylines 2 and Bel opines that he just really wants a prettier version of Simcity 2000. Tam talks a bit about BOKURA a multiplayer puzzle game where both players are seemingly wildly different things, but need to solve puzzles together. Bel talks a bit about the death of the Draft Booster and what the changes surrounding the “Play Booster” mean for Magic the Gathering. Finally, we wrap up with a few very short topics, and Bel talks about how good Bookshops & Bonedust the sequel to Legends & Lattes was.

 

Topics Discussed

  •  WoW Pundits and War Within

  • Risk of Rain Returns

  • Path of Exile

    • Blast from the Past League

  • Cities Skylines 2

  • BOKURA

  • Magic the Gathering

    • Death of the Draft Booster

  • Bookshops and Bonedust is Great

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-456.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:37am EDT

Featuring: Ammosart, Belghast, Grace, and Thalen

 

Hey Folks! We are down essentially our entire Seattle contingency for assorted reasons that I don’t believe are actually connected.  So we carry forward with our Central and Eastern Timezone folks and talk a bit about BlizzCon and how there was a wildly different energy surrounding the event.  It feels like a new chapter for Blizzard is opening that may or may not have anything to do with the Microsoft acquisition.  From there we talk a bit about the Krangled event and how bizarre it is to play with a randomized passive tree.  Bel talks about the situation at Bungie and the general sense of dire straights for the Destiny franchise.  Bel also talks a bit about easing back into Final Fantasy XIV and catching up on the post-Endwalker content.  He has also been playing New World a bit and going through the expansion content while leveling to 65 and farming some new gear.  Finally, we drive off into a discussion about the books that we have been reading and float the idea of a “Books of the Year” show similar to our “Games of the Year” show we often do.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • BlizzCon 2023

    • Overwatch

    • Diablo

    • World of Warcraft

    • Three Expansion Cycle

    • The War Within Features

    • A New Feeling Blizzard

  • Path of Exile

    • Krangled Event is Strange

    • Like Bad Sealed Magic

    • Bel League Discussion

      • Kodra is Super Serious

  • The Bungie Situation

  • Easing back into FFXIV

  • New World Expansion

  • Book Talk

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-455.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:19am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We are back but still down several members of our crew.  This week we start off with some discussion about Diablo IV Season 2 and whether or not the game is good now.  From there we talk a lot about the events of the Star Citizen CitizenCon.  Super Mario Wonder has come out and we talk about the experiences with the game so far.  Tam talks a bit about Endless Dungeon and how it might actually be fun in multiplayer.  Kodra shares some news about an upcoming SudokuCon Fundraiser stream he is going to be part of this week.  Finally, we talk a bit about Cities: Skylines 2 and the changes it brings to the genre.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Diablo IV is Good Now?

    • Season of Blood Review

  • CitizenCon

    • Did you hold the line?

  • Super Mario Wonder

  • Endless Dungeon

  • SudokuCon Fundraiser Stream

  • Cities: Skylines 2

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-454.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:56am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! This week we start off the show with some discussion about the most recent Honkai Star Rail patch and how it does a Pokemans. From there we dive into the Stellaris offshoot Star Trek Infinite and how it is more than just a reskin.  This leads into a long winding conversation about how games feel wildly different once you tweak a few variables.  All of that takes a brief detour into how frustrating it is that the Sea of Thieves PVE mode has some limitations. Bel goes into a bit of a rant about how all live service releases are awful until they have a year or two under their belt and how “the vision” show be burned to a crisp. We talked a bit about the Microsoft Deal for ActiBlizz finally closing and the possibility of World of Warcraft for Gamepass.  Finally, we get moored in a discussion of Path of Exile as we always seem to lately and talk a bit about Kodra clearing his first two voidstones.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Honkai Star Rail does a Pokemans

  • Star Trek Infinite

    • How it is more than just a reskin of Stellaris

  • How Games Change when you Tweak a few Variables

  • Frustrations of Sea of Thieves PVE limitations

  • Microsoft Deal Finalized

    • World of Warcraft on Gamepass When?

  • Path of Exile

    • Kodra Clears Gets some Voidstones

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-453.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:11am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We are down a Grace and a Thalen this weekend so we floundered a bit on the topics we were going to talk about.  While we questioned if we had enough for a show, we still wound up going over by about fourteen minutes. We start off with some discussion about GeekGirlCon 2023 which all of our Seattle contingency attended this weekend.  From there Bel talks a bit about a new Switch device that he picked up called the CRKD Nitro Deck that makes the Switch a bit beefer and feel like a Steam Deck.  Tam has been diving back into Cyberpunk 2077 with the release of the 2.0 update and Phantom Libery expansion.  Finally, we wind around to Path of Exile that Ash, Kodra, and Bel are still deeply engaged with this league.  We talk a bit more about the birth of the “Bel League” private league concept.

 

Topics Discussed

  • GeekGirlCon 2023

  • CRKD Nitro Deck

  • Cyberpunk 2077 2.0

  • Path of Exile

    • Bel League Gaining Traction

    • Random Path of Exile nonsense

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-452.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:36am EDT

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

 

I promise no books were burned during the making of this episode. We start off the show with a discussion about Warhammer Fantasy and more specifically the latest rendition of Cities of Sigmar.  Tam talks about how Warhammer finally makes humans in a fantasy setting interesting. From there Bel talks about his weekend adventure in the Toucan Treasure League, a private Path of Exile league where everything drops scoured and you start with 25% resistance in the hole.  This leads to a discussion about how overpowered the new Guardian is, and Kodra’s adventures with Hex Blast Mines. Kodra talks about the forming of a Sudoku Convention and how he is helping to organize it.  Finally, we wrap up with some discussion about what is keeping Tam interested in Armored Core 6 even though he has beaten it several times in a row now.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Warhammer Fantasy

    • Cities of Sigmar

  • Path of Exile

    • Toucan Treasure League

    • Law of the Wilds

    • Overpowered Guardian Ascendancy

    • Hexblast Miner

  • Sudoku-Con

  • Armored Core 6

    • What is keeping Tam engaged?

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-451.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:54am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We start the show by discussing Diablo 3 Season 29, and how it Visions of Enmity are shockingly good.  We praise the Arrrchivists who have somehow managed to make Marvel Heroes private servers a reality…  just currently feature-limited. Kodra and Ash talk about their experiences recently with the Furvana seaside Furry Convention.  Tam begins a discussion about narrative structures and how New Game Plus functions in different games.  Kodra talks about a brand new skip method in Mario 64 and how it essentially branched out of a long-running meme in the speed-running community. He also talks about playing the Mice and Mystics board game with his kiddo.  Finally, we wrap things up with some discussion of the newly announced Bluey Video Game.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Diablo 3 Season 29

    • Visions of Enmity

  • Marvel Heroes Returns…  Sorta

  • Furvana

  • Comparing Narrative Structures and New Game Plus

  • Don’t let your memes be dreams

    • Mario 64 new skip

  • Mice and Mystics

  • Bluey the Video Game

Direct download: aggrochat_episode-450.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:09am EDT

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

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

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

 

This show was one of those times when random discussions that we did not plan happened.  Firstly we had a bit of an impromptu discussion about the Dungeons and Dragons movie which also led to some non-movie discussion.  From there Bel talks about his life as a Path of Exile Vendor as he has become increasingly immersed in the trade market as a seller.  Tam and Bel talk quite a bit about Jedi Survivor and how it is a more open game and might even draw some connections to Breath of the Wild.  Kodra talks about Lone Fungus and Ash about Everspace 2.  From there we fall into some unplanned discussions about how games seem to be moving away from Holiday Season release schedules, and then we get off on this tangent about the Gameboy.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Dungeons and Dragons

  • Bel’s Life as a Path of Exile Vendor

  • Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

  • Lone Fungus

  • Everspace 2

  • Games Moving Away from Holiday Releases

  • Arguing about the Gameboy

Direct download: aggrochat_episode432.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:48am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! We start the show with some extemporaneous discussion about Bel and his Three-Legged Backyard Feral Calico Cat…  and how she ran away for a month and is now back.  From there we talk a bit about Last Epoch finally managing to nail down hotbar management for transformation skills.  Bel talks a bit about how free-to-play games have ruined things and that there are folks balking at the $35 price tag of Last Epoch.  Ash and Bel are still playing a lot of Path of Exile and Bel talks about rolling into his second build of the league featuring Toxic Rain Pathfinder.  Tam talks about mods for Half-Life Alyx that allows you to play the game without VR.  From there we talk about Battletech: Mercenaries Kickstarter and how everyone seems to be shocked at how well it has done.  We talk a bit about Gunfire Reborn and how good of a game it is to play with friends.  We also talk a bit about the Stellaris Co-Op Beta and how it functions.  Finally, we wrap up with a bit of discussion about the Dungeons and Dragons Movie.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Feral Backyard Calico is Back!

  • Last Epoch Transform Improvements

  • Free to Play Ruined Things

  • Path of Exile

    • Toxic Rain Pathfinder is Comfy

  • Half-Life Alyx Without VR

  • Battletech: Mercenaries Kickstarter

  • Gunfire Reborn is Great

  • Stellaris Co-Op

  • Dungeons and Dragons Movie

Direct download: aggrochat_episode431.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:50am EDT

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

 

We start the show with some discussion about Path of Exile launching the new Crucible league…  and how the seasonal mechanic is sort of awful but the gameplay state is great.  Grace talks about a game hand designed for them called Dredge.  Tam talks a bit about another city builder of a sort called Ixion that causes some rough choices.  We talk a bit about the Super Mario Bros movie and how it is way better than we expected.  Because Nintendo makes screwed-up decisions we talk about hacking the 3DS to use an unofficial storefront.  Ash talks about some disappointment about the first drop in the Battle Network Legacy Collection.  Kodra talks a bit about the series finale for Owl House and playing Burgle Bros board game.  Finally, Bel talks a bit about some of the books he has been reading.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Path of Exile

    • Crucible League Start

  • Dredge

  • Ixion

  • Super Mario Bros Movie

  • Hacking the 3DS

  • Battle Network Legacy Collection

  • Owl House Series Finale

  • Burgle Bros

  • Book Updates

Direct download: aggrochat_episode430.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:26am EDT

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

 

Good Morning Friends! Lairs Day has come and gone, but for those of us recording the show…  it was still happening and as a result, we talk a bit about that.  From there we talk about the repeated death of E3 and why maybe they should just call it quits going forward.  Thalen talks about the apparent fact that Crunchyroll is known for killing games.  Bel and Kodra talk a bit about the Zelda Direct and how apparently Tears of the Kingdom is going to be even more sandboxy.  Super Adventure Festival is going on in Guild Wars 2 and we talk about the quirky new Fashion Wars event happening in Lion’s Arch as well as the test release of World 3 of the Super Adventure Box.  This past week the Crucible League announcement stream took place and the patch notes were released…  frustrating a good number of players.  From there Tam talks about Terra Nill an ecological world-building sim.  Finally, we wrap up the show with some talk about the books we have been reading.  Thalen talks about the Broken Earth series and Bel talks about Legends and Lattes and the Bloodsworn series.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Happy Liars Day

  • E3 Cancelled for Lack of Interest

  • Crunchy Roll Kills Games

  • Zelda Direct

  • Guild Wars 2

    • Super Adventure Festival 2023

    • Super Adventure Box World 3

    • Fashion Wars

  • Path of Exile

    • Crucible League Announcement

    • Questionable Changes

  • Terra Nill

  • Some Book Talk

    • Broken Earth Series

    • Legends and Lattes

    • Bloodsworn Series

      • The Shadow of the Gods

      • The Hunger of the Gods

Direct download: aggrochat_episode429.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:50am EDT

Featuring: Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, and Tamrielo

 

Hey Folks! Tonight we are down three folks and contemplated not recording at all…  eventually deciding on the recording to save ourselves from a mega show.  The original intent was to record a fairly short show, but ultimately we ended up chatting away for the full time regardless.  Tonight we talk about Diablo IV again and some of our frustrations.  This weekend Grace got to play the game in the Open Beta so we start out with their opinions and devolve from there.  After that Tam talks a bit about his experiences with Triangle Strategy.  Finally, we talk about Adepticon and all of the news coming out of it for new miniature gaming releases.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Diablo IV

    • Grace’s Opinions

    • More Frustrations

  • Triangle Strategy

    • Awful Name Great Game

  • Adepticon Reveals

    • Warhammer 40k

    • Infinity

    • Ral Partha Nostalgia

Direct download: aggrochat_episode428.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:33am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! This week Bel talks about his experiences playing Diablo IV Beta and how it is nothing as he expected and mostly Diablo the MMORPG.  From there Bel and Grace talk about their experiences playing Last Epoch multiplayer doing the endgame activity called Monoliths.  Tam talks about Star Citizen 3.18 recovering from its server woes and how fleshed out the new racing league feature is.  Kodra talks about how much he enjoys games that are themselves effectively a tutorial.  We’ve talked about Battletech by Harebrained Schemes quite a bit but we dive into an update about the current state of mods.  Then we end up going off the deep end into a discussion about the 90s internet and the things that are now lost to the sands of time.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Diablo IV Beta

    • Bel Has Concerns

  • Last Epoch Endgame with Friends

    • Bel and Grace Play Monoliths Together

  • Star Citizen 3.18 Recovers

    • Racing League

  • Tutorials in Games and Tutorials as Games

  • Battletech with Mods

  • Remembering the 90s Internet

Direct download: aggrochat_episode427.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:59am EDT

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

 

Good Morning Folks! We start off the show with some random talk about Rick Astley and the history of Rickrolling.  From there Bel talks about getting a Commander tag and going for the obvious best choice…  that Catmander.  Kodra talks about beating Axiom Verge and his struggles with M.A.S.S. Builder not quite being detailed enough.  From there we talk about the launch of the Last Epoch Multiplayer patch and the struggles of instant 8X growth.  We talk a bit about the challenge of a game launch and scaling servers without overbooking capacity.  Then we finish out with some discussion from Tam about the Star Citizen 3.18 patch and its own server capacity issues.

 

Featuring:

  • Superfluous Rickrolling

  • Bel is a Catmander in GW2

  • Axiom Verge

  • M.A.S.S. Builder

  • Last Epoch

    • Servers Hugged to Death

    • Various Discussions of the new patch

  • Server Scaling and Massive Updates

  • Star Citizen 3.18

    • Persistent Entity Streaming

Direct download: aggrochat_episode426.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:48am EDT

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

 

Tonight we start off with some light discussion about Guild Wars 2 and more specifically the new patch that dropped on the 28th including a brand new map called Gyala Delve.  We talk briefly about wrapping up Diablo 3 Season 28 and looking forward to the Last Epoch Multiplayer patch landing next Thursday.  We talk a bit about Microsoft getting to subpoena Sony for records about their practice of paying companies to keep games from GamePass.  We also talk about the practice of corporate write-downs and how Wizards of the Coast and Funko have gotten caught throwing massive amounts of product in landfills recently.  From there we have a sort of rapid-fire discussion of a bunch of mech names, namely Mechwarrior Online, the upcoming Armored Core game, and Mass Builder.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Guild Wars 2

    • Gyala Delve Content Drop

  • Diablo 3 Season 28 Finished

  • Last Epoch Multiplayer Patch on 3/9

  • Phantom Brigade

  • Beating Wagon World

  • Microsoft gets to Supoena Sony

  • Wizards and Funko Land Fill Disposals

  • Mechwarrior Online

  • Armored Core

  • Mass Builder

Direct download: aggrochat_episode425.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:55am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! This week we accidentally recorded an hour-and-a-half-long show.  I guess this is what happens when you punt a bunch of topics to another week because we were missing the folks attached to said topics.  We start off with the discussion about Theatrhythm Final Bar Line that we hinted at last week.  From there we talk about Media from our Childhood that is not cursed… aka The Princess Bride.  From there Tam talks about his further Steam Deck adventures with Eastward and What The Golf.  Bel talks about his experience buckling down and getting his Skyscale in Guild Wars 2.  We talk briefly about the Valve Honeypot catching over 40,000 DOTA cheaters, and Kodra talks about playing Troll Mario Maker levels, more specifically Super Wagon World.  From there we go down this nostalgic trip about pulling dungeons and the puzzles that they used to present and our niche desire for randomized dungeon runs in MMORPGs.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

  • Princess Bride and Kids

    • Media from our Childhood Still Valid for Modern Standards

  • Eastward

  • What the Golf

  • Bel Gets a Skyscale in Guild Wars 2

  • Tam is Experiencing Good Crabs Again

  • Diablo 3 Season 28

    • The Altar

    • Bel’s Rough Start

  • Valve Crafts a Cheater Honeypot

    • Over 40,000 Bans for DOTA

  • Super Wagon World

    • Troll Levels for Mario Maker

  • Xenoblade III is a Pulling Puzzle

  • Nostalgic Trip Down Memory Lane about Pulling Dungeons

  • Niche Desire for Randomized Dungeon Crawls

Direct download: aggrochat_episode424.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:33am EDT

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

 

Tonight we have a bit of a short show as we had to punt several topics to next week since Tam and Thalen were out.  Bel talks about his recent adventures since the beginning of the year with the Library system and the Libby App.  From there Ash shares his experience using Character Questionnaires to drive character development in a tabletop pen-and-paper game.  Kodra talks about streaming a day of Celeste Strawberry Jam and his experiences playing the game with a pillowcase on his head.  Bel talks about what happens when a large Mastodon instance closes and over 17,000 folks have to relocate at once.  Bel also talks about his experiences helping to administrate Gamepad.club. Finally, we talk about times when games decided to break their world or remove large chunks of content and why it didn’t work.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Adventures with the Library System

    • Bel gets a Library Card

    • The Libby App

    • Gideon the Ninth / Harrow the Ninth

    • The Last Watch

    • Catching up with Dresden

  • Character Questionnaires are Amazing

    • Using a Questionaire to help build character development in tabletop games.

  • Celeste Strawberry Jam

    • Beginner Lobby

    • Kodra plays with a Pillowcase on their Head

  • The Death of an Instance

    • What happens when a large Mastodon Instance closes

    • Bel helping admin Gamepad.club

  • Breaking the World Does Not Work

    • Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 1

    • World of Warcraft Cataclysm

    • Evequest 1 to Everquest 2

    • Destiny 2 Removing Content

    • FFXIV ARR did Work However

Direct download: aggrochat_episode423.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 10:28am EDT

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

 

Hey Folks! This week Bel has been playing Last Epoch quite a bit of late and has roped both Grace and Tam into it.  We talk a bit about how the game has improved over time and how it compares to Diablo III and Path of Exile.  From there Thalen and Tam talk a bit about their further experiences with Lord of the Rings Online.  Kodra talks about his adventures in watching a live stage production of Bluey, and we talk a bit about the show in general.  Tam shares his thoughts on Hi-Fi Rush and dives into a topic about the oddities of Steam Deck Compatibility.

 

Topics Discussed:

  • Last Epoch

    • Multiplayer Beta

    • Class Design

    • Comparisons with other ARPGs

  • Lord of the Rings Online

  • Bluey Big Play

    • The show in general

  • Hi-Fi Rush

  • Steam Deck Incompatibilities

Direct download: aggrochat_episode422.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:07am EDT

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

We start off the show with a discussion that has been kicking around our list for a while, where Tam discusses the shared DNS of a Good Stealth Game and a Good Metroidvania.  From there Kodra has had time to play Forspoken and talks about his experiences after last week's show.  We dive into a discussion about the news coming out that no one seems to be signing up for E3 and once again we question if there really is a place for that show in the public consciousness.  Lastly, we talk about some of the games that are supposed to be released this year and try and determine which we actually think are.

Topics Discussed

  • Shared DNA of Stealth games and Good Metroidvanias
  • More talk of Forspoken
  • Nobody is Going to E3
  • Games we doubt are releasing in 2023
Direct download: aggrochat_episode421.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:26am EDT

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

Hey Folks!  We start off the show with some updates about Wizards of the Coast and the OGL debacle that they are so rapidly trying to walk back.  Are we going to forgive and forget or is the damage done?  From there we talk a bit about Fire Emblem Engage and how it is quite different from previous Fire Emblem outings.  Tam does his best to combat the bad press and shares with us his thoughts about Forspoken, and how it is actually a really good game.

From there we dive down a rabbit hole that is revisiting Lord of the Rings Online.  We talk about how it has held up through the years and the interesting way that it is continuing to expand now that they have finished the main story arc of the books.  We also talk a bit about what an interesting place the Landroval server is specifically.

Topics Discussed

  • Open Gaming License Update
    • Wizards Furiously Backpedals
    • What this means for the Movie
  • Fire Emblem Engage
  • Forspoken
    • Bad Press not Warranted
  • Lord of the Rings Online
    • New Content
    • Old MMORPG Sensibilities
    • Landroval Server
Direct download: aggrochat_episode420.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:20am EDT

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

Folks… after a year of trying to win the housing lottery in FFXIV, Belghast finally gets a house and in the same lot number that we used to have an FC House in Mists.  From there Kodra talks about the tabletop game Middara and how it contains one of the best tutorials for a game that he has seen. One of the negative side effects of recording massive two-part games of the year show is there are hot topics that end up getting thrown on the back burner.  From there we finally talk about the situation happening with Wizards of the Coast, the Open Gaming License, and the entire community abandoning ship.  We talk a bit about Fog Sudoku and Kodra explains what exactly it is.  From there we finish out the night talking about Marvel Midnight Suns and how in some ways it is a perfect game, and in other ways, it completely misses the point.

Topics Discussed

  • Housing Windfall in FFXIV
  • Middara is a Great Tutorial
  • Wizards of the Coast Burning
    • Self Own of 2023
    • Misunderstanding their Community
    • The rise of ORC and fall of OGL
  • Fog Sudoku
  • Marvel Midnight Suns
Direct download: aggrochat_episode419.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:19am EDT

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

Hey Folks! Welcome back to the second part of our yearly “Games of the Year Show”.  I have to admit I greatly enjoy this process and probably this year more than many in the past.  We had a wildly diverse set of games that the seven of us collectively chose this year.  Over the course of these two shows, we talk about twenty-six different games.  Often times there are a few big games that most of us played and put on our list, but this year we all had a pretty wild variety of choices.

I also feel like we have set a standard going forward, that we no longer will we do this nonsense where we record for four or five hours and then split it in half.  Recording two normal shows seemed to feel much better and produce a better discussion.  Hopefully, our listeners will agree.  In this show, we tackle the second half of the list and burn through fourteen more games.

Topics Discussed

  • Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes
  • Peglin
  • Stepmaniax
  • Unsighted
  • Mindcrack for Celeste
  • Vampire Survivors
  • Stray
  • New World Brimstone Sands
  • Pokemon Legends Arceus
  • Tunic
  • Ooblets
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  • Citizen Sleeper
  • Horizon Forbidden West
Direct download: aggrochat_episode418.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 9:39am EDT

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

Hey Folks! It is that time again for our multi-part episode as we talk about the games that were important to us specifically during 2022.  A bit of a reminder for anyone who has not heard one of these shows before, we are not necessarily only talking about games that were released in 2022.  If we were late playing a game but it was extremely important to us, it might still get the nod here.

Something that is working slightly differently this year is generally speaking we record a marathon show that runs about 3-4 Hours and then I crudely carves it up into multiple shows.  However, what happens is we have one show that is full of short topics and another show that has all of the long discussions.  This year I sorted the list so we got a blend of single honorable mention picks and meaty multi-member picks in the same show.  We are also recording it two weeks apart so none of us have to deal with the late night that this show always brought on.

Hopefully, the changes lead to a better listening experience.  So in this episode, we are going to talk about the first half of our games of the year, and next week we will continue with the rest.

Topics Discussed:

  • Digimon Survive
  • Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
  • TMNT Shedder’s Revenge
  • Trials of Mana
  • Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons
  • Elden Ring
  • Fallout 76
  • Star Ocean: The Divine Force
  • Wordle
  • Kirby and the Forgotten Land
  • Cult of the Lamb
  • Path of Exile
Direct download: aggrochat_episode417.mp3
Category:gaming -- posted at: 11:00am EDT

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