Call and Response: February 2023
Added 2023-02-16 17:49:23 +0000 UTCHello! The purpose of this post is to call for your questions and prompts for the upcoming WOFF! Dispatch. Please respond by end of day Monday, February 20 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.
We look forward to making this new kind of WOFF! episode together with you.
Comments
Fun fact: the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack was my first time hearing Blood Red Shoes and I've been a fan ever since. Even got to see them live at the Showbox in Seattle a couple of years ago. They rocked so hard it fucked up the amps for the main act! It was awesome!
Jonathan Scratch
2023-02-21 23:24:55 +0000 UTCI don't think anything on the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack is even close to douchey guitar. I can't speak for the boys, but my brain summons hair metal or "modern rock" Greta Van Fleet style stuff. --Gwen ❤️
Duckfeed.tv
2023-02-21 20:38:04 +0000 UTCI have a feeling that a lot of your fans are at least somewhat similar to you two in terms of age, which is to say they’re similar to me: Around 40 and played video games their whole life. As a suggestion for a topic, I thought it might be interesting for you guys to talk about how your life and preferences have changed over the years in video games, music, TV and movies; or maybe even in social things. I personally can’t imagine going to a house party ever again, but grabbing a drink with one friend, or another couple, for some real conversation is bliss. You’ve hinted at the change in various episodes, but I think it’s a neat phenomenon; how we change as people as we grow – and I think it would be good also for your younger fans either in their ’invincible years’ when they think their concept of what is good and right is immutable (hilarious), or those coming out of those silly years and curious about the future. This topic discussion stems from something I’ve seen in myself: a crystallization of my tastes and preference. I used to like more things that were merely OK and forgive more things that were bad. The long march of time obliterated that and now I rarely indulge in things that are not utterly worth my time. This is bad in some ways, because it’s hard to get into new things – why suffer through a new show when I can rewatch 30 Rock? – but it grew out of learning it was OK to be disappointed in things, and frankly, I’m much less disappointed these days. It also makes discovering something new that you really like almost rapturous. To relate this to this month (Feb. 2023) I felt this with Citizen Sleeper. PS: Based on both of your music tastes (from what I can gather), I wanted to suggest a band each that I thought you might like. For Kole: Cuff the Duke, a mewling, Wilco-esque Canadian indie rock outfit. For Gary: Shout Out Out Out Out, a synth- and drum-heavy elctro-pop thang. I think they’re both defunct now, but you can find their shit on YouTube. Just some stuff from back when I tried new things 😊.
Douglas
2023-02-20 17:52:57 +0000 UTCLighting round question: if it were guaranteed as wide an audience as you could hope for, what's a project outside of podcasting the two of you might like to pursue together? Also, since Guppy will soon be done - Gary, have you considered Everything to Morpheus: a podcast in reaction to one page of Little Nemo in Slumberland per episode? Lots of thoughts in there about what the constitution means to Wings.
Béa(u)
2023-02-20 00:26:08 +0000 UTCMedia question: Not sure if this has been asked before but have you folks read the graphic novel Providence by Alan Moore? I was put off by the meager info I had on it, but it's been percolating in my brain since I read it. Without saying too much, Moore puts in the sex and xenophobia and other phobias that was excised from Lovecraft's work, and I'm a bit of a Garry where I don't want boobs with my tentacles, but Moore is good. The less I say the better. Side comment: would the weird DMCA'd to hell Marvel Brothel game from 2010 be a void for Abject Suffering?
Videogames dot Afghanistan
2023-02-19 23:24:32 +0000 UTCAfter multiple attempts over several years, I finally found the enjoyment of Darkest Dungeon. Two questions: 1. Do you have a game that took you multiple attempts before you "got it"? 2. Have you played the Darkest Dungeon Board Game? I have to admit that my most recent attempt at the video game was because I Kickstarted the board game but haven't tried it yet.
Jonathan Yih
2023-02-19 13:33:05 +0000 UTCHey gang, I don't listen to many podcasts, often struggling to connect with the hosts or the presentation, but have really taken a liking to you two. The amount of blink and you miss it king of the hill references you guys throw out really made me feel like less of a weirdo for that time of my life I watched it everynight before bed for 4 years Have you heard much of the KOTH reunion and what do you think about it? Any examples of good TV show reunions? - ps I also love whenever Gary mentions Noah-Caldwell Gervais. That dude does top tier work
Stoned Skeleton
2023-02-18 09:50:07 +0000 UTCPlease describe the worst meal you've ever gotten from a restaurant. Mine was beef and broccoli from a right-off-the-interstate Chinese restaurant that clearly used to be a ranch-style home. It was like cold Dinty Moore Beef Stew, and even though I didn't get sick, it was somehow worse than the meal I had from Universal Studios' Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory that gave me food poisoning!
Andrew (andyk250) Koch
2023-02-18 05:22:13 +0000 UTCI wonder what the biggest "regret games" you guys have are -- games that you either genuinely just disliked to a point you regret playing them. They don't need to have been for the show, either. I know (i don't remember where it was said, but it was somewhere) that Sacrifice/the Mana game you played are games you kind of regret covering on the show, but I've definitely had games where i've played a bit of them and have had a feeling of "well, fuck, i've wasted seconds of my life i won't get back" afterwards. That sort of game.
JACKAL ALLTRADES
2023-02-18 03:09:56 +0000 UTCThe first time I heard Gary say "there are infinite games out there and you'll die before you can play them all" on the podcast, it helped me re-evaluate some of my gaming habits, particularly FOMO for big new releases. I've had Elden Ring downloaded for months now, and I know I'll like it, but for whatever reason I haven't been in the mood for a From game since its release, so instead of forcing myself to play a good game at the wrong time, I don't mind waiting. And if I die before that happens, welp. I still played some other cool stuff. As you've gotten older and wiser, what are some of the biggest "gamer epiphanies" you've had that have had a positive influence one how you now approach the medium?
vapingwithdad
2023-02-18 00:29:37 +0000 UTCWhat do you think your favorite songwriters Souls build would be? Personally I think Bob Mould from Husker Du would run a Dex/Spear Build, Stephen Malkmus would be a longsword, lightly armored knight build, and all shoegazers are mages. Thanks! Have a great day.
Casey Francis Alger
2023-02-17 19:22:12 +0000 UTCUsing two different games covered by the show and songs from them "Take Control" by the Old Kings of Asgard, douchey. "End of Small Sanctuary" by Akira Yamaoka from Silent Hill 3, not douchey. It's kind of a thing of subjective taste but it also more or less falls down genre lines.
Casey Francis Alger
2023-02-17 19:11:28 +0000 UTCGary, what's the latest with Frankenstang? I know it's been a while since you've moved, but are you glad to be rid of it or do you sometimes miss its free-wheelin' ways?
Eric Jedraszczak
2023-02-17 18:19:16 +0000 UTCShorter question: With the prevalence of recording capabilities on modern gaming platforms, how often do you snap a screenshot or record a clip? I like to use these features, not necessarily to share, but to create a gaming scrapbook of sorts for myself. I still have a clip of the first time I beat Gwyn in Dark Souls, and it makes me smile anytime I watch it. Prompt: I've recently submerged myself in the Harry Potter game discourse, probably out of self-hate. As I presume the Duckfeed stance remains "fuck TERFs" we need not discuss it further. However, one of the arguments, rarely deployed in good faith, is that we play games from compromised creators all the time. Now, some games are easy to write-off, like Hatred, but others like Cyberpunk 2077 fall into more grey areas. And that's not even considering toxic studio cultures, including the crunch associated with From Software and Naughty Dog. My question is, how do you set an ethical line? Does that line shift when you consider playing a game for personal time versus for podcast coverage?
Naveen Sivakumar
2023-02-17 13:29:27 +0000 UTCDEPICTION OF WOMEN IN JAPANESE GAMES Is there a general issue here with fan service and/or is it more generally recognized as such? And is it getting better/worse? I recently started playing Nier Automata by Square Enix. While enjoying the story and combat, I have a hard time overlooking the fact that the female protagonist (a supposed battle android) is dressed in a revealing short skirt and high heals. I felt similarly about Bloodstained, and read some pretty nasty things about Octopath Traveler and xenoblade. I tried reading further, but found a lot of toxicity, so I didn’t want to go further. Thanks for a great show!
Nikolaj Thorborg
2023-02-17 11:50:40 +0000 UTCHey guys, I love your content, woff being my favorite but Unfilmable being a close second. I understand why you guys do only one episode a month which we greatly appreciate but I’m often times jonesing for more. Are there any horror movie podcasts that you would recommend?
Michael Andrew
2023-02-17 11:49:07 +0000 UTCLet’s GOOOOOOOOO 👺
Jordan and Maya M.
2023-02-16 23:40:28 +0000 UTCHow do you approach an established series you don't have experience with? I didn't play many games growing up. I found BFSC because I started playing Souls games when Elden Ring came out. Picking the games to play or the order to play them in wasn't difficult for Souls, but it seems harder when I look at the long list of Zelda or Resident Evil or Final Fantasy games. Skip this clunker, do that one first, narrative chronology vs. release order... yikes.
Joseph
2023-02-16 21:34:51 +0000 UTCI was wondering if you two have any media that you like to consume at a certain time of year, or as a tradition? There is an audio-drama horror podcast that I listen to every winter as it takes place in Svalbard in the dead of winter, and I love the added immersion of listening to it on my walks to and from work in the snow. Thanks for all of the great content!
Johnathan Glupker
2023-02-16 21:32:07 +0000 UTCDo you recall what the earliest games you played as young kids were? As for me I'm dating myself -- I will turn 47 on Feb 26th -- but I recall playing Space Invaders in 1979 in the arcades when I was 3. Dad had to lift me up so I could play due to my small size.
Greg Polander
2023-02-16 21:17:16 +0000 UTCLove this topic idea, personally. I love when the reward to a game is something new or cool to experience. The idea that every exploration has to be an "upgrade" drives me fucking wild. I like to explore just to explore, and the best "rewards" are things that fit the land or archetype - like running around in Morrowind and finding the mudcrab merchant. Then it feels more like an adventure! Obviously I'm not Gary or Kole, but wanted to respond anyway!
Dylan Kilby
2023-02-16 21:07:32 +0000 UTCDo you think, with how popular The Last of Us TV series is, that it will lead to other Networks/streaming services making their own videogame adaptations? Any you'd like to see or think would work as a TV series? And thoughts on the show itself, if you've seen it? Cheers!
Chris Hales
2023-02-16 20:29:53 +0000 UTCQuestion for Gary; do you feel better mentally after not being on Twitter as much these days? I removed myself from social media a couple years back and felt much better for it. It helped me focus on the good things in my life rather than constantly doom scrolling and wondering why I felt crappy all the time. Hope that's not too personal a question...
Chris Hales
2023-02-16 20:25:46 +0000 UTCCar question on the gaming podcast! What kind of cars have you owned in your life? What’s a car that you’d like to own that you think you could actually get in your lifetime. Mine would be an early 90s Oldsmobile Silhouette. Some call it a spaceship, others a Dustbuster. I think it’s awesome!
Steven Riddle
2023-02-16 20:15:42 +0000 UTCLightning round - Turtle Pope vs The Troupple King? Who is gaming’ as greatest nonsense animal? Discuss.
Doug Lief
2023-02-16 19:57:27 +0000 UTCHello! This is a general question but tangential to Subnautica. How often do you reset games to maximize your run/session? My first time through Subnautica, I got to a certain point and thought to myself "I bet I could restart and do this faster." And I did! There was something super gratifying about being able to jump off Lifepod 5 for the (second) first and know where to get what materials and what to build, instead of wandering off and getting instantly bodied by a Reaper. I'm someone who learns by doing, and loves being able to run through a familiar space with mastery. That said, I know that with limited time and too many games, this approach isn't for everyone. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for everything!
Gautam Jayanthi
2023-02-16 19:43:52 +0000 UTCIn an episode a few years ago, you guys mentioned your "break glass in case of emergency" games. At the time, the ones you cited were Chrono Trigger and Ocarina of Time, plus I think one other I can't remember. Since you've covered two of the three(?) since then, what has taken their slots? Do you have any games that you feel are big, inevitable episodes looming in the distance?
Chapel Collins
2023-02-16 19:38:49 +0000 UTCWhat are some of the most abused TV Tropes? Fridge Horror and Nightmare Fuel are too obvious. I'll go first: when I was hosting a podcast on TV Tropes Pages that shouldn't exist, I found that someone had applied the "Yandere" trope to Michael Fassbender's slave owner character.
Andrew T
2023-02-16 19:33:31 +0000 UTCWhat game has made you do the quickest grandpa Simpson at the Maison Derrière? I tried to get into Destiny the other day. For the record I have played this game before so I feel I should have had a base level of knowledge. It immediately hits you with the nonsense lore: MARS HAS RETURNED WITH SAVATHUNS SHIP, THE TRICKSTER GOD. I then tried and failed to figure out which of my weapons was better than the others, how to even get a quest, what all my ability mods even do, or even what I should be doing. I just shook my head, closed the game and deleted it. Oh well.
Matt DiTomaso
2023-02-16 19:22:57 +0000 UTCA PSA to everyone who likes the modern X-Com games, especially Gary and Kole: Phoenix Point rules. Any reservations you may have about the buggy launch or previous bad reviews should really be set aside. The base game is on gamepass, so try it for an hour if you don't believe me. It's like xcom 1+ xcom 2 and more. Also, if you're hurting for tactics like I was after midnight suns, there's a Warhammer tactics game that's pretty good, too. It's called warhammer 40k chaos gate.
Brian Perkins
2023-02-16 19:15:31 +0000 UTCThat’s definitely a factor for me at least, but even so, correct execution is at the core of a lot of challenges in games. A platformer, for example, isn’t usually going to give you an alternative approach to timing your jumps right. Maybe the issue is muddied signals, where your plan appears to be what’s important, but it really just comes down to execution? And vice versa?
Jules Everson
2023-02-16 18:57:15 +0000 UTCWe're goin!
Duckfeed.tv
2023-02-16 18:54:19 +0000 UTCTopic: Pointless discoveries in games. I've seen reviewers criticize game locations/items/monsters for not having an expected extrinsic value to gameplay, like a hard to obtain Pokemon being too weak to use in battle, or a difficult to reach locale having little to do or collect. Why is this often viewed negatively, and should it be? How can a game provide a meaningful experience outside of its core systems? What examples do you have of games that provide a memorable moment with something that is remote or difficult to access and provides little to no gameplay reward? Are there games that challenge you to change your mentality about experiencing beauty as it comes as opposed to seeking progress within the games ruleset? Has approaching a game with a more "zen" (for lack of a better term) mindset ever enhanced your experience when you find otherwise "pointless" secrets? Is a neat vista or bit of story/lore just a different kind of "gamer treat"? Question: Is the submittals form on the Watch Out for Fireballs page still checked regularly? With Patreon sponsors and other sources of suggestions, how often do the website submittals reach consideration?
Wil Wright
2023-02-16 18:42:45 +0000 UTCQuick question for Gary, is there a precedent for your consistent pronunciation of Leyndell as "Lindell"? I've assumed it was pronounced like Lay from the start and have been curious since the first time you said it.
Deca
2023-02-16 18:36:44 +0000 UTCHi Gary and Kole! It’s Jordan/Maya! Long story short I have no gender 😎 You know what else doesn’t frequently have a gender? DUNGEONS!!! Recently I was playing the open beta for Dark and Darker, a pretty interesting new PvPvE cooperative first person fantasy dungeon crawler and I was immediately intrigued. Me and a few chums slowly grabbing treasure and trying to escape while skeletons and foul beasts searched for us as we tried to solve a simple puzzle to open a shortcut back to the great labyrinthine dungeons opening, it was incredibly immersive and fun! Then we rounded the corner to see two stiff real doll looking assholes circle strafing around each other to try and stab the other in the back. Yes it was the dreaded emergence of the mandatory PVP ELEMENTS!!! My immersion and fun were instantly skewered, and I wished I could just play a cooperative real-time legend of Grimlock like with friends! Has an otherwise excellent gaming experience ever been ruined for y’all, due to the inclusion of mandatory online enabled elements?? Multiplayer or otherwise! (P.S. Really hope y’all come to the Midwest gaming classic soon! Need Gary to sign the final issue of my Cassette Goblin collection 🤙 )
Jordan and Maya M.
2023-02-16 18:17:19 +0000 UTCYou guys have mentioned "non-douchey" guitar before as something you'd like to hear more in video game soundtracks. I'm not as musically knowledgeable as y'all, so I have a hard time grocking just what that means. What are some examples of bands or musicians that use douchey guitar and examples that you guys think...uh...exemplify non-douchey guitar. I'm worried that my favorite bands like Blood Red Shoes or Metric might fall into the douchey guitar tier. Anyway, thanks a million for all the great content, Quakstack is off to a great start and Gwen owns bones!
Jonathan Scratch
2023-02-16 18:17:13 +0000 UTCif i had to guess the difference is making you do something one specific way perfectly to avoid failure vs. having many options to tackle a problem, despite dying frequently. Memorization/execution vs. trial and error
Corey Brickley
2023-02-16 18:16:30 +0000 UTCI'll tell my friends!
Duckfeed.tv
2023-02-16 18:15:59 +0000 UTCI'd like to +1 this as well. It's a great way for people to get a feel for what makes the game great without having to pay the time tax.
Jonathan Scratch
2023-02-16 18:10:16 +0000 UTCYou’ve been selected to compete in the video game olympics. You have a year to prepare for 3 events: Speed run, Multiplayer, and high score challenge. What would be the games you’d choose for each of the 3 events? Much love and keep up the great work!
Mick Olmstead
2023-02-16 18:05:26 +0000 UTCA criticism that comes up often in WOFF is “When I fail, don’t just slap my hand and make me do it again.” This has always confused me a little bit. I know letting the player fail forwards is one alternative, where failure creates new challenges without resetting the game state. But plenty of great games do “slap the hand,” so to speak, like Dark Souls. Can you elaborate on what makes this approach to failure feel worse in some games or challenges than others?
Jules Everson
2023-02-16 18:00:32 +0000 UTCWith games like Paradise Killer and Cruelty Squad, what are your thoughts on the dichotomy of irony vs. sincerity in game design? When and how can irony or self-effacement be effectively used in video game creation - and perhaps more tellingly, when does it fail? I really love games like Cruelty Squad where the horrific UI and gross color palette serve the narrative and gameplay, despite stylistically sucking. Perhaps it's not a "dichotomy" (words are hard in the early morning), but I do think there's a conversation to be had about how developers approach absurdity as a gameplay mechanic.
Dylan Kilby
2023-02-16 17:57:28 +0000 UTCJust wanted to thank Gary in particular for introducing me to Pod Return to the Waking Sands podcast. It's basically everything I want in a FFXIV podcast.
Trevor Burn
2023-02-16 17:50:54 +0000 UTC
