Call and Response: WOFF! Dispatch February 2024
Added 2024-02-16 19:29:02 +0000 UTCHappy new year, melon farmers!! The purpose of this post is to call for your questions and prompts for WOFF! Dispatch. Please respond by Tuesday Feb 20th, by leaving a comment on this post. We're looking for two kinds of things:
-Suggestions for our long-form discussion prompt.
-Q&A about the shows, behind the scenes details, and miscellaneous (including off-the-wall and off-topic questions). Ask us about games or other media, life in general... You name it.
One caveat we've given in the past: If the question is too personal or gross, we may dance around it and not give a direct answer.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Comments
This is actually a great question. My first playthrough was a Durge run, it fit and I never thought twice about it. But no! They all say it! Why?
Clever Clogs
2024-02-29 18:31:35 +0000 UTCAlso, I just watched The Devil's Advocate, any though on it? I love Charlize Theron slowly succumbing to madness, Al Pacino absolutely steals every scene he is in with his subtle charm and also yelling. Keanu Reeves is also in it, occasionally attempting a Floridian accent. Minus the CGI at the end I feel like a lot of the effects still hold up.
Eric
2024-02-23 23:32:38 +0000 UTCFavorite grotesque moment in a video game? I enjoy the intro infection scene of Baldur’s Gate 3. Go little tadpole, go!
Drew on arrival
2024-02-21 00:55:18 +0000 UTCHey gents - I've found a surprising amount of fun playing Robocop: Rogue City. While the movement and shooting is super clunky, and the attempts to at immersive sim elements are paltry at best, what's saved it for me is the flavor. Everything is spot on: from Peter Weller (original actor from the film) voicing the protagonist, to the green and black computer screens, to the punks with their mile-high mohawks and shirts that say "Winners Do!!! Drug" Despite its numerous shortcomings, you can tell that the dev team had a real affection for the source material and wanted you to really feel like you're Robocop. I know many words have been said on the network so I'm curious - when was the last time flavor/setting really carried you through a game, even if I might not have been a fan of what you were playing otherwise?
Gautam Jayanthi
2024-02-20 05:12:22 +0000 UTCYes, this please. Everquest was pretty much the only game I played for awhile in the early 2000s. I have such fond memories of discovering it with my dad and brother, and spending the beginning months partying up with strangers in the tunnel to crushbone to slaughter orcs. It is probably the best online experience I have ever had with a video game. Would love to hear how you got into it, your favorite zones, what was your main character, what expansions you played, have you ever tried project 1999, really just anything notable you remember about your time with the game.
Kevin Sottek
2024-02-20 01:51:04 +0000 UTCHello there, Do you have any experience with the game that holds the Guinness World Record for "First videogame rated "18" by the BBFC"? (The BBFC is one of the predecessors to PEGI, the European age classification system for games.) The game is called Jack the Ripper, and it was developed by "St. Bride's" (pronounced Breed), a.k.a. The Silver Sisterhood, a matriarchal cult that dressed in victorian-era clothes and based itself in a small village on the north-west coast of Ireland in the 80s and 90s. Bonus fact: The Sisterhood wasn't even the first cult to use the premises they lived in. When I learned about their story, I had to know if it was common knowledge. As always, I love your work, and am very grateful for all the hours of entertainment y'all give me every week. Stephen
Stephen
2024-02-19 22:57:57 +0000 UTCHey both, greetings from Scotland. Have you seen the TV miniseries “The Terror”? It’s a drama about the 1845 expedition to find the Northwest passage. The realistic horror of having to be competent on a boat in the 1800s collides with the supernatural horror of the setting. It has a stacked cast and would make for a great unfilmable.
Alistair Cunningham-Gray
2024-02-19 22:40:12 +0000 UTCA very early Duckfeed memory I had that wasn't BFC-related was the summer RPG poll that was eventually won by Suikoden 2. I remember that Persona 3 was in that poll, as well, and when you guys were talking about a question that referenced Cruelty Squad and the episode that wasn't, it got me thinking. What are some episodes of Duckfeed content that either of you think about having almost been, or stuff that had to be cancelled like Cruelty Squad for whatever reason, close to having been recorded? What old poll stuff has simply vanished into the wind, instead of being stuff that got picked up later?
Alex Cercone
2024-02-18 16:34:54 +0000 UTC(as always, thanks for the phenomenal content every time - I've successfully gotten back into Darkest Dungeon after revisiting the episode following yall's coverage of DD2, and now I'm hooked!)
Dylan Kilby
2024-02-18 14:56:08 +0000 UTCHey guys, I have a question that's mostly directly toward Kole! Hey Kole, over the years you've talked a lot about your time with EverQuest and MMOs back in the 2000s. Like you, I played a *ton* of MMOs back in the day - specifically RuneScape. I used to feel really bad about the aggregate months of my life spent as an adolescent in that game, but over the years I've come to have more affection for it in how it helped me socialize with friends all over the world, get into writing via articles for a fan site, and have something to do as I grew up in a fairly alienating household. How do you look back on the time spent in EverQuest and MMOs? How has it influenced your approach to gaming today? I know it's a general question, but I think about it sometimes since MMOs encourage an astronomical time commitment compared to any other genre, and sometimes I wrestle with what I spent in them. Gary, I know you've expressed distaste toward MMOs, but have you experienced any similar feelings with other games?
Dylan Kilby
2024-02-18 14:54:24 +0000 UTCHey guys, first time posting here. Bonfire Side Chat was the first podcast I listened to, and I’ve been making my way through the WOFFs of my favorite topics and games (aka, you guys are great!). What do you think FromSoft will do after Elden Ring and what game would you WANT to see most? My friend and I would love another game with Sekiro or Bloodborne’s gameplay and style, but can you guys think of any new directions From could try?
Ben Gibbons
2024-02-17 18:37:01 +0000 UTCI enjoyed Unavowed a lot, but I guess as adventure games go it's not very rigorous? I'd love some recommendations that can help ease me into more complex staples of the genre. Also, Gary, have you ever thought of making a Magic Cube? It's incredible. It's like fussing over the minutiae of ten decks at once and you only get to play it a tenth as often.
Autumn M
2024-02-17 15:51:24 +0000 UTCIn another world you two are wizards instead of podcasters. How do you decorate your new Wizard's Tower? Glowing crystals? Skulls and dribbly candles? Stuffed Alligator hanging from the ceiling? Secret passages? Bonus question: How tempted would you be to go full Lich?
greyrain
2024-02-17 12:57:01 +0000 UTCSince your coverage of the Garbage Pail Kids, I've been seeing them all around Portland, and I hate it. So now, I curse you back! What creepy or fucked up little guys or gals haunt you in your periphery? Related: Was there anything from media that scared or haunted you when you were younger?
Jonathan Yih
2024-02-17 12:51:55 +0000 UTCI recently watched Tim Rogers’s translation series on Final Fantasy 7, and it got me thinking about how meaning can be lost or distorted in the process. As some of your guys’ favorite games are from non-English developers (From, Larian, etc), do you ever wonder if you’re getting the “real” experience playing those games in English? Have you ever considered learning a new language to better experience a game you love?
Naveen Sivakumar
2024-02-17 12:38:06 +0000 UTCHowdy gang, what are some of your best examples of games with consequences. My wife and I just accidentally killed everyone at the last light inn in Baldur’s gate! We decided to roll on and live with the fact that all of our buddies are now dead and gone. What games let you fuck up, but also makes you live with those consequences in a good way that is additive?
Soulful Bison
2024-02-17 04:57:25 +0000 UTCQuestion for both of you. If Jim Henson rose from the grave and turned you both into Muppets by biting you, what would your role be in the Muppet Show?
Matthew Woodyard
2024-02-17 02:29:38 +0000 UTChey guys! long time / first time. given both of you are broadly positive on the first two Ari Aster movies, i'm curious, have either of you gotten around to seeing Beau Is Afraid? any chance we'll see an Unfilmable ep on the topic?
bee !!
2024-02-17 00:55:18 +0000 UTCYou two bring up Achewood frequently, which was an early sign for me that I had found my people in podcast form. I started reading it in 2004 and was refreshing the page over and over to get the latest updates on the Great Outdoor Fight. After all these years and a couple reboots of the strip, I still find the language of Achewood infused into my own. Are there any Achewoodisms you find particularly sticky or useful? What are your favorite strips or arcs?
Eric Lonn
2024-02-17 00:39:38 +0000 UTCGreetings. Just a quick Baldur's Gate III question for you (no spoilers), why is the main character always thinking they see blood everywhere? ("Is that blood... no never mind"), or maybe why AREN'T they seeing blood everywhere, given how much blood splatter they are covered in after fights (like they're in Bloodborne)? Your thoughts? For some reason this particular character bark, along with "I've got a lot on my mind, and well... in it" seem to stand out the most to me. How about you two?
Limowreck
2024-02-17 00:20:07 +0000 UTCHave you had a chance to figure out what live shows you’re planning on doing this year? Spawn was faced with the same predicament once. I’m Todd McFarlane. Creator of Spawn.
Steven Riddle
2024-02-16 22:16:37 +0000 UTCHi guys from across the pond! Last week I had the pleasure of seeing Sea Power play in Manchester. I discovered them through the life affirming Disco Elysium and have become a big fan since. Have you guys got any examples of discovering music/films/games from a completely different type of media? Love the show, keep up the good work! PS I was amazed to hear them play Whirling in Rags and the Martinaisse music. Goosebumps!
Ben Green
2024-02-16 22:10:25 +0000 UTCPeople normally hate it when their favourite media property gets taken over by a different studio or director, that change things around. But sometimes there comes along these offshoots that actually bring some fresh and interesting ideas. I'm talking about your Bioshock 2s, your Dark Souls 2s, your Star Wars 2s, your Silent Hill 2s, your Star Trek 2s, etc, etc. Who do you think could temporarily replace both of you and bring something, not necessarily better, but interesting to the shows you're both in.
Francisco
2024-02-16 21:51:14 +0000 UTCI recently revisited Metroid Fusion on my Switch and was pleasantly surprised to rediscover that the game contains a few weird bat-winged Mimics. Other standard gaming traps like teleporters, pitfalls, and poison swamps catch a lot of flak, but Mimics seem to be fairly beloved. What is it about Mimics that is so endearing? Are there any other stock enemies, traps, or tricks that put a smile on your face when you encounter them in a game?
trent allen
2024-02-16 21:45:45 +0000 UTCMedia question: I recently went down a “disturbing music” rabbit hole and discovered Current 93’s “I Have A Special Plan For This World” which is a musical adaptation of Thomas Ligotti’s poem by the same name. Thomas Ligotti actually wrote it in collaboration with the band. He provided the words, they provided the sound. I absolutely love it. Have either of you listened to it? I know Kole has read one of Thomas Ligotti’s works for the yearly Halloween Readings. What are your takes on music as Eldritch media? I think it’s a woefully untapped possibility space. Thanks for everything y’all do!
Austin Paul
2024-02-16 21:35:45 +0000 UTCIs there any possibility you guys would cover Robot Jox for your Stuart Gordon appreciation podcast Unfilmable? I know it doesn't exactly fit the format but it's incredibly cheesy and has a ton of fun practical affects. My brother and I used to watch our home recorded VHS copy at least once a week as kids.
Eric
2024-02-16 21:29:31 +0000 UTCWhat do you think about the potential and the pitfalls of AI being used to make video games, as well as AI being integrated into games? Like many things in life, I'm inclined to say it's a double edge sword -- it can totally make some better games and more engage and believable enemies to fight and better stories and dialogue options, but it can also allow for scams, lazy game making, and putting talented people out of work.
Greg Polander
2024-02-16 21:29:20 +0000 UTCRecently, I rewatched the Souls Inheritors essay by Noah Caldwell-Gervais and I was struck by his assertation that Sekiro is actually the best Soulsborne game. Also recently, Gary, you put forth an opinion about the TV show 30 Rock that I shall not repeat. My questions are: - Have either of you ever spit-taked so hard at the opinion of a critic whom you respect that it made you question everything they’ve done? - Has the opinion of another critic (or friend) on a game ever changed the way you think about it? As if seeing that other perspective opened something in your mind and made you think differently? I ask these because I was disgusted at Sekiro in 2019, and after watching Caldwell-Gervais’s video again, I went back to it and am loving it. His take totally changed my mindset on the game and I’m close to platinuming it now. On 30 Rock, well, Gary and I are just very different people :) Love everything you do. Thanks for everything.
Douglas
2024-02-16 21:04:34 +0000 UTCHey guys, I realized recently that it’s been five years since I started on your Patreon-ing you. Amazing work, you two. I was recently recruited to be a judge in a ‘Best podcast’ category in a national awards show that I cannot name for now. Listening to around 15 hours of corporate podcasts with gigantic budgets this week instead of my normal rotation that includes a lot of Duckfeed has really put something in perspective for me: You. Are. Great. Listeners, you might not realize this, but what you get from this team is better than 99% of all podcasts out there. Top-tier production and scripting and planning and structure. But most of all, you utilize this medium’s strengths. So many podcasts think they can just post a recording of an interview of an ‘expert’…essentially a lazy Q&A but without the editing. And there it no excuse for your host not having a quality mic. My god…some of these pods have been embarrassing. Anyway, I have two other questions that I’ll post separately, but I wanted to say thanks for the last five years. You (and Gwen!) do amazing work.
Douglas
2024-02-16 21:03:58 +0000 UTCWhich 4 game characters would go on each of your personal Mt Rushmore's and which deserve to be on the Gaming Community (gross) Mt. Rushmore? Gaming Mt. Rushmore is not located on unceded Native territory
Andrew T
2024-02-16 21:00:31 +0000 UTCThis was going to be my exact question - y'all have talked about your canon's - what would those be?
EtcEtcEtc
2024-02-16 20:31:21 +0000 UTCI've been recently watching a playlist of old X Play episodes from the beginning for depression reasons, and was interested in your history with their semi-critical process? Having most of my game critique education coming from WOFF, I think it's so wild to compare their critiques to your own and how games journalism held wanton violence and edgy aesthetics in such high regard back then. Thanks for the reading my question, you guys definitely deserve a 5.... out of 5.
Casey Francis Alger
2024-02-16 20:31:01 +0000 UTCQuestion for Gary: you've mentioned getting back into screenshot Let's Plays recently, what are your favorites so far? Are you reading them on the LP Archive, directly from the SA forums, or a mysterious third option?
Fatt Mox
2024-02-16 20:17:38 +0000 UTCIf y’all got to have a Time enough at last scenario, where the world ends, and you two and your loved ones remained, but you didn’t have to worry about pleasing anybody or making a living or any of that biz. What would y’all get up to? Pipe dream things you could do with the rest of your time. No horrible RoD Serling suprises either. All glasses remain intact. (Plus that guy from the twilight zone should have just gone to Americas Best and stolen new glasses, he has unlimited time to find his prescription)
Jordan and Maya M.
2024-02-16 20:16:06 +0000 UTCHey fellas! Question for Kole: Does he still feel so confident about his cool demeanor in the face of tonberries?
Lyall Elspeth
2024-02-16 19:51:36 +0000 UTCDo you guys have any interests that you're genuinely a little embarrassed by? I've been really enjoying Dan Carlin's Tough History for Boys lately, even though there's an element of machismo to it that makes me cringe.
Chapel Collins
2024-02-16 19:50:45 +0000 UTCHey Guys There’s an early episode of The Simpsons where Homer introduces a reluctant, booksmart Barney to beer. In just a few seconds, Barney transforms from a fit smart athlete to the monstrous drunk we know him as today. The best part is when Barney drunkenly asks the beer: “where have you BEEN all my life?!” Well that’s how I felt playing Into the Breach. I was reluctant to try it at first, even skipped the WOFF episode, as it just didn’t seem like my kind of thing. But after grabbing it on sale last week… I was soooo into it! Totally hooked! Where have you BEEN all my life? Do you guys have any games that you either were reluctant to try or just weren’t on your radar, that you immediately loved and wondered how the hell you ever lived without it?
Andrew F
2024-02-16 19:42:50 +0000 UTCThe Terror S1 is superb
Joshua Garrity
2024-02-16 19:42:29 +0000 UTCI am once again requesting a review of season one of The Terror TV series for Unfilmable. Lots of actors from Chernobyl, very similar vibe and historical precedence.
MIKEISTKRIEG
2024-02-16 19:39:10 +0000 UTCIf you could erase 1 game from existence due to its influence on the gaming industry, what game would it be?
Popofoshosho
2024-02-16 19:37:41 +0000 UTCIt's been a while since we've taken a trip to the R-Zone Zone. How are your R-Zones holding up? Are they still functional, or have they finally deteriorated?
Kelerak
2024-02-16 19:36:10 +0000 UTCHas WOFF ever laid out explicitly the Kole and Gary game canons? If not, what are the toppest top of the pops for the both you?
Béa(u)
2024-02-16 19:34:28 +0000 UTC
