Call and Response: WOFF! Dispatch March 2023
Added 2023-03-09 15:00:04 +0000 UTCHail! This post beckons you for your questions and prompts for WOFF! Dispatch.
Please respond by Tuesday, March 14th, by leaving a comment on this post.
We're looking for two kinds of things:
1. Suggestions for our long-form discussion prompt.
2. 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
I’m reading the problem in that second approach as “too deterministic / exact.” Hitman: World of Assassination (2016+) is a spectrum depending on your approach. You have a huge bag of tricks available and there is never one solution. However there are guided “story missions” that you can optionally follow, which tend to be a bit of guessing and trial and error because they are so specific. The levels can be very overwhelming the first few times you play one, so the story missions give some structure. I’m not sure if there’s really a “happy medium” in the approaches you described, since the first is bad and the second is good.
John Mickey
2023-03-22 04:46:10 +0000 UTCI literally logged in to patreon to ask this too. Freelancer is worthy of an entire revisit. It changes the game so fundamentally, and for the better.
John Mickey
2023-03-20 17:10:57 +0000 UTCHey Gary, have you heard of Piss 3?
Gabriel Tindall
2023-03-17 21:57:40 +0000 UTCDo you think you will cover Wo Long?
Quin Tutor
2023-03-16 13:33:38 +0000 UTCThe last of us showed that videogames can be made into mainstream media adaptations and be beloved by non gamers and gamers alike. What’s game would you like to get the hbo treatment?
Benjamin Moloznik
2023-03-15 19:07:20 +0000 UTCGreetings, gents! Knowing your love of the Hitman series have either of you played around with or are planning on checking out the relatively new Freelancer mode? I'm really impressed how despite moving on towards the 007 game IOI graciously dropped a massive free upgrade two years after Hitamn 3's release that completely added a new element that, in my opinion, truly brings it into "forever game" consideration. Outside of all of the challenge and tension it has one small bonus is that since the game randomizes map NPC's as targets sometimes you'll open up Whittleton Creek and smile when you realize old Helen West has been selected as one of the Syndicate members that, if your words, has gotta go. Although one time I did have to send Dale the mailman to the Great Bus Stop In The Sky with an exploding phone. Not one of my proudest assignments.
JQ
2023-03-15 04:05:13 +0000 UTCWhat was the last thing to make you feel the emotion best expressed by sickos.jpg?
KL
2023-03-14 05:27:26 +0000 UTCI took a nap last night and when I woke up my apartment door was open. Nothing was missing and my cat was with me but boy I'm freaked out because I live alone. Have y'all ever woken up to some weird shit before?
T
2023-03-13 23:30:17 +0000 UTCYou are given unlimited funds and copyright access to adapt any IP into a game. What IP do you adapt, and what kind of game is it?
Doug Lief
2023-03-13 20:12:31 +0000 UTCIt's been several years since I played Mark of the Ninja, but I remember having a pretty good time with it. The game really made me feel like a badass Ninja! Thinking of other games involving stealth, it makes me realize the importance of information. Not just how it's presented to the player, but how the player finds information. A lot the games I'm familiar with fall on one of two sides in the approach to stealth and information. Either it's trial and error, where you just have to try and blindly sneak through places without getting caught, or it's more of a puzzle where they give you all the information you need about the pieces and it's your job to figure out which tools to use in which places in order to succeed. As someone who hasn't played any of the Hitman games, is that series a good example of a happy medium?
Lucky McChancey
2023-03-13 17:09:27 +0000 UTCHello Gary and Kole – James here from a very blustery London. As of today – 13th March – my wife is due to give birth to our first daughter in just a few days. I have no idea why – we’ve never met after all, and probably we never will – but it just felt right to share this with you guys. Your work has been a big part of my life for some years now, and I’m certain your voices will be accompanying me on many nappy changes and late-night rocking sessions! I don’t really have a question – I just wanted to thank you for all that you do, and for you to know that it gives me a tonne of comfort to know that you’ll be accompanying me on this big, scary, amazing new chapter in my life.
James Lewis
2023-03-13 16:43:46 +0000 UTCThis question is mainly for Gary: Have you gotten around to watching the Willow TV series yet? If so, what are your thoughts?
Andrew (andyk250) Koch
2023-03-13 16:01:50 +0000 UTCHello! Kole question (apologies if it's been asked before): Curious when your experience with motion sickness began. Is it triggered by only certain types of media, do you get carsick/seasick also? Vertigo attacks? Im curious, as I didn't get my first episode until a few years ago in my early 30s. I decided the best way to play RE7 would be to get the house pitch black, put on noise cancelling headphones, and pour a big gin+tonic. Flash forward to me getting up in a cold sweat and stumbling around. Hoped it was the gin, but not the case, ended up playing the rest of the game in well lit rooms in shorter chunks, with the appropriate settings tweaked. Next game that it happened with was Doom Eternal. Interestingly, I've met several people who've cited both these games as their first motion sickness experiences too. Bummer to think I might have to completely avoid VR gaming, although luckily I subscribe to the Gary "I enjoy the artifice" school of thought. Thanks for all you do, genuinely my favorite podcast network, shout-outs to Guppy in particular.
RollThatBeanFootage
2023-03-13 13:30:57 +0000 UTCI've recently gone down a strange rabbit hole of ARGs and other oddball marketing/advertising for video games. It's truly fascinating reading about the lengths a company will go to spread awareness about a game (see: pretty much any of Acclaim's marketing stunts ca. 2001,) hilariously terrible failures of viral marketing like "All I Want for Christmas is a PSP," or absolutely wild shit like the Trials Evolution easter egg. Do you have any viral marketing campaigns/ARGs that you find memorable or even enjoyed? Have you ever played along with one or just watch from a distance, or do you try to ignore them? I know Kole has a background in advertising - did the company you work for ever try anything like that? How is the Duckfeed ARG going?
Alex Shaw
2023-03-13 10:43:43 +0000 UTCWhat makes for good or bad retro 2D graphics in a modern game, in you opinion? Do you look for fidelity to the source’s art style, respecting the constraints of the original hardware, novel use of the aesthetic, or something else entirely? What are some examples of modern 2D art that you think do a good job of harkening back to the consoles and PCs of the 70s through to the 90s?
Naveen Sivakumar
2023-03-12 22:09:58 +0000 UTCWhile I doubt it will be covered in WOFF due to the multiplayer centered, "forever game" mechanics, I was genuinely curious if either of you had ever played Deep Rock Galactic? It recently came to PS4 as of last year, and it has been one of the most exhilarating games I've played in awhile. The lore is charming, the gameplay is a mix of frenetic and calming, and the community is one of the most supportive and welcoming I've had the pleasure of being apart of. Would like to hear either of your takes on it, and would love to see you both on Hoxxes. Rock and Stone!
MonsteR_NuggetS
2023-03-11 21:34:19 +0000 UTCfavorite kind of donut?
Randall
2023-03-11 19:11:56 +0000 UTCWhat are your favorite go-to meals to cook? What do you cook when you want to impress someone?
Gautam Jayanthi
2023-03-11 04:17:01 +0000 UTCAny other patrons w/ suggestions, all are welcome!
Austin Mathis
2023-03-10 21:16:29 +0000 UTCI’ve been really looking for something light and short yet still immersive to serve as a palate cleanser between fromsoft games without feeling like a huge quality dip. I beat Elden ring and sekiro, then started dark souls and didn’t even get through the first hour of the game before I realized I needed a break from the dense, high difficulty, long form kind of campaign. Everything I find is either not satisfying fantasy-wise, not visually gripping (I know it’s uncool but I want great graphics in whatever I play next, nothing retro), just really feels like it’s a game with too few verbs, or is super fucking existential. I know I sound impossible to please (I’m a gamer after all!) but the main things are the beauty, the verbs, and something light.
Austin Mathis
2023-03-10 20:45:42 +0000 UTCWhat makes for a great “Options” menu? Are there any accessibility options you wish were in more games?
Maxwell Schafer
2023-03-10 20:14:02 +0000 UTCI picked up one of my life long hobbies, Skiing, thanks to play Skiing on the Atari 2600 as a young kid. Have either of you picked up a hobby or an interest due to a video game?
Greg Polander
2023-03-10 17:54:20 +0000 UTCYou see a group of people sitting at a table and they are all Duckfeed listeners; what do they look like?
Casey Francis Alger
2023-03-10 16:46:35 +0000 UTCWhen's the last time a game or series surprised you with how much you enjoyed it? Did it become a lasting favorite, or did the feeling die down? Do you find this happening less as you get older and play more games?
Lucas
2023-03-10 06:01:47 +0000 UTCI recently watched Skinamarink. Although I enjoyed the movie and it did a VERY good job of making me feel a certain "vibe" while watching, the extreme artsy camera angles of hallway ceilings quickly outran their welcome. Is there any media you have consumed that attempted something for the sake of "art" that annoyed you so much that it took you out of the media? Additional small question: have you seen this movie, and what did you think? As someone with a young son myself, the safety knife scene made my heart hurt, and I immediately did a childproof check around my whole house.
Malachi McRee
2023-03-10 05:57:02 +0000 UTCHave you ever had any regrets in your social life that were somehow gaming-related? Back in high school I had gotten invited to a party, which I hadn't known about until that moment, but immediately had no interest in attending. I'm sure it was due to a mix of social anxiety and general disinterest in hanging out with people who weren't already my close friends. Even though I can't remember the certainly lame excuse I gave for not wanting to go, I do occasionally recall the night of the party and that I'd instead spent it at home in my room alone programming a haunted house text adventure into my TI-83. Although I now reminisce upon that time fondly, I still sometimes wish I could go take back my dumb excuse and just let him know that I'd rather hang out with a calculator.
Samurai Snail
2023-03-10 03:18:02 +0000 UTCI've been rummaging in the Duckfeed archives and while listening to the Devil May Cry Episode you mention a creature with burning wheels for hands. My ears perk up. Gary says it has Torchbearers for feet. I laugh. Kole is utterly confused. Gary says it's a Luke Crane joke and it's for a niche audience. That audience is ME. (Feel free to ignore this anecdote for the show but I want you to know how well that hit.) So, uh, question. What's been turning your crank in the tabletop RPG space?
Abrahm Simons
2023-03-10 03:10:56 +0000 UTCA Nightmare on Elm Street is real, and Freddy's got his eyes on Duckfeed! What would be the elaborate, ironic way Freddy Krueger would kill you?
Holland Hume
2023-03-10 01:49:08 +0000 UTCBack in the Vice City episode, Gary mentioned that he had never played GTA 5. I’m just curious if you have and if so, what are your thoughts on it? I personally enjoyed the story of GTA 4 more than 5, but it is still an amazing game.
Steven Riddle
2023-03-10 00:11:09 +0000 UTCHave you gotten a chance to play Hitman’s new freelancer mode? Any chance of a tight 5 on that?
Jonathan shields
2023-03-09 22:01:39 +0000 UTCHey guys! What’s your take on character creators? Do you try to make someone that looks like you or a fucked up little guy? Which are your faves, and which don’t you engage with at all (looking at you xcom)? Thanks!
Andrew
2023-03-09 21:08:37 +0000 UTCDo you miss doing Woff skits, also which ones are your favourite. I'm particularly fond of the Cave Story one.
Nicholas Prior
2023-03-09 19:48:02 +0000 UTCWhat are some of your favorite individual video game levels? Games keep getting bigger and bigger but there is something to a game providing a distilled bit of goodness.
Samuel DiMascio
2023-03-09 18:09:54 +0000 UTCWith the release of the Metroid prime remake, i've been thinking a lot about translating 2D genres to 3D and vice versa. Is Metriod Prime a good 3D translation of a Metroidvania? Is Hollowknight a good 2D translation of a Soulslike? Are there other genres that would be a better translations? Personally I hope Metroid Prime 4 is an Immersive Sim.
Popofoshosho
2023-03-09 17:46:21 +0000 UTCGary - I've heard you make a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle references to Pavement songs over the years. That said, I'm curious where Pavement ranks for you as a band, and whether they had significant impact during a certain age or other point in your life. Not sure where Kole stands, but would you guys ever consider doing something similar to your File Under Water series on R.E.M., or dusting off Teenage Dirtbags for a curated look back on Pavement's history and influence?
Dirt Grussell
2023-03-09 17:24:01 +0000 UTCYou've mentioned throughout the years intermittently in the show that such and such game would win a WOFFy for such and such thing. Would you ever consider doing an actual WOFFy cast? Something like a one off tally of a few categories that collect stand out elements of games that you’ve covered for the show. I think it would be neat!
Béa(u)
2023-03-09 17:05:01 +0000 UTCDo you ever find yourself unable to play a game or had your experience tainted because of real-world events? The most extreme example of this for me (as a dirty old lefty) was feeling unable to continue with the Call of Duty games as wars raged in the middle-east and the games felt like distasteful propaganda. More recently, Resident Evil 3 felt like a rough chuckle as civil unrest and pandemics dominated the news and even Elden Ring's brutal, war-ravaged fantasy felt tougher to swallow as a terrible, unthinkable war got underway on my continent. On the flipside, bringing my real-world views and experiences to a game like Disco Elysium made it feel a lot richer. Is this something you experience or am I just being a little baby man? Speaking of little baby men, just wanted to say loved your adaptation decay episode about Knightmare, but it brought back my 35 year old terror at that decaying face they used as a health bar. What a wild kids' show.
Craig Stewart
2023-03-09 15:55:34 +0000 UTCOk, we’re done fucking around, time for the hard hitting questions. Who, is the greatest Pop culture WIZARD?!? Now I don’t mean who’s the most powerful or who’s the sexiest, the only qualifier being which wizard would be most at home scrying through his orb while learning the mysteries of the cosmos and shit like that, I need wizard content.
Jordan and Maya M.
2023-03-09 15:42:53 +0000 UTCPossible discussion topic: How much does playing a game during its "hype cycle" or "zeitgeist" phase matter to you? What are the tradeoffs? I know part of the WOFF brand is to wait a year (or five) and examine a game after the initial hype wave has passed. But I also know y'all will play some games (like Souls) right at release. What is gained and lost with either approach? Is there a social benefit to playing the same time as everyone else? Or maybe a critical blindspot that comes with getting caught up in the hype?
Ben Taylor
2023-03-09 15:25:30 +0000 UTCDamn near decade long listener here and just wanna say how much I love the shows and appreciate the work you two have put in! Have either of you played the final cut of Disco Elysium? I was never able to play it when it originally came out but finally got the opportunity to when it came out on PS5. I was immediately captivated by the narrators voice and didn't even realize the original version didn't have a narrator until watching some videos once I beat the game for things I might have missed. If you have played the final cut, are there things you like/dislike about it? If you haven't, do you have any intentions of playing it at some point? P.s. Cannot wait for the inevitable RE4 remake episode.
jasonblankey
2023-03-09 15:20:17 +0000 UTCWhat game or games are best for getting lost in, both figuratively and literally?
John G
2023-03-09 15:17:51 +0000 UTCMost of the big AAA games of the last generation were big open world affairs with crafting and a levelling system etc. Do you think that will be the case for every big AAA game going forward? There will always be niche genres obviously but do you think one of these niche genres could ever become the go to for big AAA games or will they always be open world to justify how expensive they are?
Chris Hales
2023-03-09 15:17:10 +0000 UTCWhat's your "favorite" game that made you think "this is terrible, but I totally have to see how this dumb shit ends"?
Dylan Kilby
2023-03-09 15:11:20 +0000 UTCI'd love to hear your takes on death stranding. I just played the directors cut and thought it was so unique and interesting and would love to hear more lore and what you think it means for open world games holistically, if anything. Thanks!
James Woodmaska
2023-03-09 15:04:16 +0000 UTC
