The Phallic Force Episode

[fishbang]

This weekend’s suggestive themes are now available for download (http://ingamechat.net/audio/IGC20090210.mp3).

Our show has a strong sense of its own past, and the strongest memories are of things we’ve done together. We share an obvious affection for games in general, but despite a deep love of multiplayer, we neglect almost every opportunity to share in the gameplay itself. We have the appropriate internet connections, potent hardware, and real human proximity, but still leave each to his own in most cases and struggle to come up with a reason why.

History tells us that City of Heroes was our last best moment together - something shared between hosts, producers, significant others, friends, co-workers and guys we met on the internet. That time didn’t end well for anyone, really, and it didn’t end all at once. We shuffled off in different directions like weary protesters, a few of us having broken our backs on the cause.

With any luck, the near-future may see that trend returning. Jumpgate Evolution has a small chance of satisfying the “Freelancer should have been an MMO” contingent among us, and Champions Online stands to amend the appalling wrong visited on the heads of our happy band, despite the platform diaspora we suffered in the wake of its collapse. If approachable gameplay meets cross-platform functionality in an MMO with shit-hot character creation, then it’s safe to say the deal is done.

As a post-script, we'd like to point out that the long overdue spoilery discussion of Prince of Persia is available after the break at the end of the episode. We're hopeful that you can attend.

[Count Elmdor]

I have no desire to actually play PoP, but I look forward to hearing the spoilers and you guys' take on them.

I try not to dwell on what this says about me... (guess I will anyway) sometimes I don't really feel the need to play a game yet I'll still read or listen to podcasts about it. Maybe it's kind of like how a lot of people will watch games but never accept the controller to play for themselves--in college, I was often the one blowing shit up in GTA while my roommate and other friends looked on and offered suggestions of what to try next.

w/e, looking forward to hearing the new ep.

[Gerbs]

Glad to see we had the Prince chat. I loved the two "oh shit!" moments in the game. The first when you find out why Elika is doing what she is, and at the end when it dawns on you what you must do. I'm looking forward to the Epilogue DLC but I fear it might just turn out to be fluff and not enough story.

[Straximus]

Maybe it's kind of like how a lot of people will watch games but never accept the controller to play for themselves--in college, I was often the one blowing shit up in GTA while my roommate and other friends looked on and offered suggestions of what to try next.

That's how we like to play Survival Horror games.

[Straximus]

but I fear it might just turn out to be fluff and not enough story.

Yeah... That thought haunts me as well.

[SPBTooL]

It sounds as if Scott was in the mindset of the girl and not the prince.

[Count Elmdor]

I have to correct your PC/console crossover MMO talk. It has been done before--with FFXI, beginning back in the spring of 2002. I actually spent almost 3 years playing the game, more or less exclusively, on the PS2, and many of my guildmates being on the PC version. The game remains fairly successful even to this day. Last I heard it was hovering around the 500k player mark, though I'd imagine it's dropped off some in the last 2 years since I quit.

Another cool thing about FFXI is that the servers are world-wide. Western players and Japanese on the same servers, in the same groups, and all that. Which was cool because I was living in Japan at the time of my addiction to the game, and so I could get my grind on with pick-up groups at any time of day, and even joined a few event-specific Japanese guilds ("linkshells," in FFXI, are sort of equipped chat channels, represented by an item in your inventory, and so you can belong to multiple guilds at once).

It was a pretty awesome game for the pre- to early- WoW era of MMOs, taking a lot of nods from EQ's design, and running with them. It's cross-platformness is kind of what hamstrung it, though, since Square Enix wouldn't allow PC players to use mods that were unavailable to PS2 players (read: all mods).

edit: just finished the episode, and now you guy's have made me want to play PoP after all. I'll probably pick it up used for $15 sometime... my backlog is fucking shameful enough as it is.

[Chris_D]

Really enjoyed the City of Heroes talk. I played a ton of Star Wars Galaxies and Guild Wars back in the day and while I don't mind listening to some WoW talk (and it comes up a lot on various podcasts, unsurprisingly) getting some variety in my MMO chat is always nice! Feel free to talk more about EVE next episode ;).

[Suave Peanut]

I'm going to start using the phrase "fuck-to-shit ratio" more often.

[Iron Past]

Glad to hear that James liked the ending for PoP. I'm there with you; I thought it was brilliant and very emotional.

Personally, I didn't think there was a 'deal' as the Prince didn't want nor did he receive anything from Ahruman (I still don't know how to spell that). He chopped down the trees for the sole purpose of getting that light seed back to place back in Elika's body; Ahruman being released was just a side thing that happened because of the Princes actions to revive Elika. I thought the last shot of Ahruman rushing off while the Prince carries Elika and doesn't even glance up was one of the best I've seen in a game.

Also, did it really give you back every seed when you cut down that last tree? I had 1000 seeds at that point, so I only got 1 (the last one needed for the Achievement). Interesting.

[Wraith]

I have to correct your PC/console crossover MMO talk. It has been done before--with FFXI, beginning back in the spring of 2002. I actually spent almost 3 years playing the game, more or less exclusively, on the PS2, and many of my guildmates being on the PC version. The game remains fairly successful even to this day. Last I heard it was hovering around the 500k player mark, though I'd imagine it's dropped off some in the last 2 years since I quit.Was going to come in here to make that point, but it's already been taken care of.

Here's hoping Square Enix's long-mentioned-yet-still-not-detailed new MMO does enough right to bring me back to MMOs.

[Psykoboy2]

It sounds as if Scott was in the mindset of the girl and not the prince.

Maybe I was. I guess I look at it as though I did exactly as she wanted and those being her wishes, I left it as is. But the game didn't want me to do that, obviously.

[Spigot]

Hey, thanks for the warning AFTER the swear-down. My son's teachers are going to have some questions for me...

I kid. I listened to that part of the ep on my headphones, thankfully, with nary a child in sight. But man... :)

And great discussion of the ending of PoP. I was very happy to hear James echoing my thoughts on the ending. I was kind of in Scott's shoes right after I experienced the ending because it was so counter to what the gamer in me expected and wanted to have happen, but it totally fits in terms of the story and characters in the game. I remember trying to figure out if there was a way to NOT chop the trees down, but nope.

And with regards to FFXI, while there is stuff to like in that game and it does elements of the PC-to-console stuff well, I'll be damned if I didn't wish they'd at least give it a new paint job or graphical tweak after all these years.

That and drop the PlayOnline interface, please! I loathe that thing. I really wish I had been into FFXI before I had kids as it really did do things that I liked and I probably would have been able to get into it to the point where it paid off, but it's so punishingly difficult and so group-focused that despite several attempts to really get into it, I just had to finally call it quits for good after the last try.

All of that is to say that I wish they would do a console-centric MMO. It's a shame that Level 5's project got killed when it did (I am drawing a blank as to the name of it) as I would like to see an MMO done on the consoles that could take advantages of the strengths of a console and work around the weaknesses.

[Suave Peanut]

All of that is to say that I wish they would do a console-centric MMO. It's a shame that Level 5's project got killed when it did (I am drawing a blank as to the name of it) as I would like to see an MMO done on the consoles that could take advantages of the strengths of a console and work around the weaknesses.
True Fantasy Live Online

I still shed tears for that game...

[Iron Past]

Isn't DCU Online a console-only MMO? I know it's only for PS3, but I thought that was all it's on.

[Spigot]

Isn't DCU Online a console-only MMO? I know it's only for PS3, but I thought that was all it's on.I meant a console-centric MMO that I actually wanted to play :)

[Iron Past]

Ooh, burn! I'd have no interest if I had a PS3, either, though.

By the way, what is the current record/post structure? Or is there one? Is it just when you get a chance, or should I look for new shows on certain days?

[Psykoboy2]

We record on Tuesdays and post those usually on Thursdays...and we also record on Thursdays and post those over the weekend sometime.

[Iron Past]

So I see .

[Commissar Rob]

I'm going to start using the phrase "fuck-to-shit ratio" more often.

I was doing a presentation to a group of our marketing people this morning...and that damn phrase kept popping into my head.

Fortunately, though sorely tempted, I chose the path of continued employement and kept the thought to myself...

But DAMN, that phrase just goes so well with marketing.

"How did consumers respond to our latest ad campaign?"

"Well, as you can see, the Fuck to Shit ratio is alarmingly high..."