Sacred Symbols+, Episode 82: The Fallout of Fallujah
Added 2021-02-23 17:01:12 +0000 UTCUnexpected news dropped from the sky like mana last week, for the shooter Six Days in Fallujah is being revived. Yet, the industry conversation surrounding the game is predictably devoid of two things: Reason and expertise. Thankfully, today's special guest fixes both of those shortcomings. Steve Beynon is an active-duty Army Scout, a veteran journalist focused specifically on the American military, and a combat veteran of our conflicts in the Middle East. Do you think he might have a thing or two to say about Six Days in Fallujah? Oh yes. So let's talk about the game, its revival, what it appears to be aiming for, and the various ways stories can be told in our medium, from the delightful to the devastating.
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Comments
I was involved in an IED in Afghanistan. Craziest experience. No one died but we had a few guys severely injured. The realest experience gaming wise I have seen since involving an IED was in the first Medal of Honor reboot game when you approached an innocent looking shack and it blows up. That was like my experience. We were in LAV 25’s so we had some good armor but we basically where on an empty field traveling to a bazar and boom! Threw our vehicle about 50-60 yards forward. Something so innocent turned into something that will always be in my thoughts. I like realism in games but since that game I haven’t really seen anything do realism right aside from Escape from Tarkov but even that game takes some liberties and usually devolves into a shooting mach akin to a COD or battlefield type experience. I want story’s told from these wars. I think we owe it to the men and woman who paid the ultimate price. Especially to show that war isn’t easy and it’s definitely not pretty and mistakes are made and victory’s are made.
FoxHopSmash
2021-03-16 20:43:56 +0000 UTCGrabbed a patreon sub just so I could listen to this in full. I would be very interested in hearing a discussion between Colin and someone on the other side, but I don't expect any of these people to actually be willing to come on.
Aubrey
2021-03-02 05:50:01 +0000 UTCReally enjoyed this episode! Steve’s explanation of urban warfare being like a puzzle was like nothing I’d ever heard before, and although the reality of it is horrifying, I couldn’t help but wonder if a games developer could formulate a puzzle/thriller game around this premise. I also believe there could be ways that developers could make narrative driven military games that don’t need to be shooters and could even focus in on the “boring” elements of warfare that Steve explained. Anyway, I hope one day we have a broader variety in types of military games, rather than them just being popcorn shooters. Great work guys!
Reon Williams
2021-03-01 22:46:54 +0000 UTCVery interesting. Thank you for your service. <3
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-28 21:27:13 +0000 UTC<3
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-28 21:26:54 +0000 UTCIt would be an interesting play, but The Athletic had a lot of investment and ton of talent buy-in. I don't even think there's enough talented in games writing to do The Athletic, honestly.
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-28 21:26:46 +0000 UTCThank you! <3
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-28 21:26:14 +0000 UTCHey Colin, fantastic episode. Just a little personal anecdote regarding one of your questions/comments during the podcast. I am a US Marine Corps vet, serving from 1999-2004, and FPS games do trigger a certain amount of PTSD for me so I tend to stay away from them. 3rd person shooters are fine for whatever reason though. I’ve not met too many other veterans this happens with, so, I realize I’m an outlier here, but it is what it is. BTW I also read Andrew Jackson: An American Lion (based on your recommendation on a podcast years ago) and I have to say, Donald Trump comparing himself to and calling Jackson a “swashbuckler” was easily one of the hilarious highlights of his term in office !!! Keep up the great work, stay gangsta...!
Scot CRUICKSHANK
2021-02-27 13:02:20 +0000 UTCI really enjoy these more indepth almost adult content podcasts, you just can't really find this level of content anywhere else. And having Colin 2 degrees of separation from the Potus is both hilarious and amazing! Look forward to the review episode.
Reuben Barrett
2021-02-25 23:44:00 +0000 UTCI asked a long time ago what you thought of The Athletic’s subscription model (before you did end up subscribing, I think) and could this work for gaming. Last Stand Media has the best shot at this. No one is paying even a $1 a month for most of the big sites and their hive-mind thinking. Would love to see you one day pay writers. Would also love to see Hoeg Law become a regular. This was awesome content.
Jeremy Craves
2021-02-25 00:31:25 +0000 UTCWow, this was a S-Rank podcast! Great great job Colin 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Ambitious Casual
2021-02-24 18:59:24 +0000 UTCThanks for listening!
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-24 18:57:37 +0000 UTCThank you. <3
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-24 18:57:31 +0000 UTC=)
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-24 18:57:26 +0000 UTCYes. This is the venue for it!
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-24 18:57:22 +0000 UTCYeah.
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-24 18:57:13 +0000 UTCWithout a doubt this has been one of the best sacred symbols plus. Really great episode Col, thanks for touching this topic!
Kenneth Oms
2021-02-24 13:33:39 +0000 UTCThis is just excellent. One of the best episodes of Sacred Symbols Plus. Real conversations- real journalism. It just shows how shit house the “games media” actually is. They are simply a marketing arm for the publishers and just talk straight out of their asses. End of rant.
Andy T
2021-02-23 21:45:48 +0000 UTCScouts out
Andrew Morgan
2021-02-23 21:25:43 +0000 UTCThis is excellent! I was worried when you said you were abstaining from political discussion but this is exactly the type of nuanced content that sets your brand apart from the repetitive groupthink of the gaming press and toxic grievance politics from the culture war youtubers. I hope we get more nuanced political interviews (as it relates to gaming) in the future. :)
Matthew Young
2021-02-23 20:46:18 +0000 UTCHooah
Deathspank
2021-02-23 19:24:34 +0000 UTCHope you enjoy!
Colin Moriarty
2021-02-23 17:34:47 +0000 UTCWow, cant wait for this one 😍
brody_low
2021-02-23 17:07:11 +0000 UTC
