Call and Response: WOFF Dispatch March 2020
Added 2020-03-12 19:07:26 +0000 UTCHello! The purpose of this post is to call for your questions and prompts for WOFF! Dispatch. Please leave your response as a comment on this post by the end of the day on Sunday, March 15.
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
I think this would make a great topic for an episode. It was an interesting time for gaming and I'd like to hear what they have to say about the games that did it well and the games that missed the mark.
Michael Anderson
2020-03-17 14:26:20 +0000 UTCHaving backdoor-ed my way into this network through "Monster in my Podcast" have you found any other non-play dnd podcasts or youtube channels that have a similar format? (As an aside, listening to MimP makes for a great way to kill time during road trips and I look forward to listening to it everytime I travel)
Not_That_Tom
2020-03-15 12:33:40 +0000 UTCIs it time to let the "when you die you have to make your way back to reclaim what you've lost, die and it's gone" mechanic end? I loved it in dark souls, and have found it in subsequent games to just be a huge pain in the arse. I get that it's trying to evince an anxiety, and it works, but if I lose all the shit it had taken me so long to gain, I generally just feel disheartened and think less of the game. I've felt this recently in games like Hollow Knight, and the Surge 2. Is it time to go?
Lewis Shaw
2020-03-14 17:57:50 +0000 UTCGary: if you were going to run a tabletop rpg based on/inspired by Darkest Dungeon, what system would you use? Kole: Are there any survival horror games that you’d like to see as a ttrpg?
Scott Jarvis
2020-03-14 16:49:07 +0000 UTCHave either of you tried the Baldur's Gate Switch versions? And do you have any thoughts about old PC games hitting the Switch with new control schemes? Seems like the more modern version of the SCUMM games getting remastered for Vita, etc., a few years ago, which I was pretty high on too. Any old PC games you think should or should not make the jump to handheld? (Would o.g. Deus EX for Switch be a thing worth doing?)
Mark Mahler
2020-03-14 10:10:44 +0000 UTCTop 3 games you want to play but haven't gotten to yet.
David
2020-03-14 07:04:58 +0000 UTCDiscussion prompt: As we get a larger variety of minorities in games, there is still at least one huge blind spot in this arena. I can't even name all the minority groups that are either not represented or poorly represented, so I'm sorry, I'm going to pick one I'm personally touched by. There has never been, and maybe never will be, a fat hero in video games. More than that, we're either used for evil or comic effect. It's not just games, obviously, but weirdly, I think television and movies are outpacing the progress games are making (or not making). As a former fat guy (5'11, 290 lbs, no muscle despite what I'd have told you), I grew up in pain watching how people like me were represented. Fat guys were always evil, greedy, incompetent, or just lovable failures. It's this kind of shit that taught me to live in fear, that I was "less than", that I'd never be loved, and at best, I might be friends with someone who was actually worthwhile. The best fat guy representation in games is arguably Mario, and he almost doesn't even count. So, I'm wondering: what's the fucking hold up? Do you think we'll ever get there? What'll it take? Also, I'm willing to admit that this might not be the most urgent representation injustice in games. What else would you change, representation-wise, if you had the keys to the industry?
Brian Perkins
2020-03-13 23:09:02 +0000 UTCOne of the following curses are about to befall you. Would you rather: A) Have your eyes make the iPhone camera sound every time you blinked or B) Have your mouth make a wet fart sound every time you breathed in or out
Holland Hume
2020-03-13 06:06:43 +0000 UTCWhat is something you particularly appreciate about the city/state/part of the country you live in?
Jonathan Yih
2020-03-13 03:10:13 +0000 UTCI haven't played amost anything in 2020. A couple of hours of Darkest Dungeon, a few hours of Doom 2016( and 75h of Binding of Isaac on the Switch while listening to Guppy). I struggle for depression since I'm a teenager and from time to time I have months in which I cannot play games, read a book or watch a movie. I spend most of my time watching other people playing games on Youtube - thanks for the Darkest Dungeon and Fromsoftware content, Gary and Kole. In the end of the day I end up feeling really bad and guilty for have "wasted" my time not doing anything "productive" or that would "enrich me." Do you have similar phases? If so, how do you handle them? This will eventually pass and I hope that Doom Eternal or FF7 Remake pump my gears and create a momentum for me go back to playing stuff. If I can sneak a less sad question here, what kind of tablet top RPG do you both enjoy besides the ones covered in MIMP? Are you more into crunchy-math games or more rules light narrative games in the vein of what the "new school" of small press rpgs are going?
Rodrigo Campos Varandas
2020-03-13 02:53:05 +0000 UTCAs fans of the D&D, the baldur's gate, and the Divinity: OS's are y'all excited interested in Baldur's Gate III? Did you watch the intro movie and/or the demo thing by Swen Vincke? It seemed like something I could definitely see Gary being into. Personally as a fan of all those things I mentioned above as well, I'm really interested in it!
Limowreck
2020-03-13 01:12:50 +0000 UTCAside from Final Fantasy Tactics & X-Com, what are your favorite strategy/tactics RPGs? I just did another run through X-Com after listening to your episode and X-Com 2 right after that and now I’m jonesing for another hit. (Loved the episode, by the way; one of my favorite parts of WOFF is playing along with the show or getting excited to revisit a game after hearing you both do a deep dive on it. It’s honestly one of things I most look forward to lately. Thank you!)
Mark Mahler
2020-03-12 23:14:03 +0000 UTC(Greg here) Recently I've gotten into more gaming and related topics videos on YouTube....which is kind of ironic since I listen to them at work, and I do mean just 'listen', as I just treat them like podcasts and listen to the audio. Do you guys have any favorite YouTube channels and/or content creators? And I know your doing some stuff on YT, but any plans to expand and do more? A video version of WOFF perhaps?
Greg Polander
2020-03-12 22:49:29 +0000 UTCWhat are some tendencies that can make or break a comedy movie (or TV show) for you? For example, I've been incredibly over the Apatow "here are a bunch of dudes just improving convos about fake drugs and fake sex positions." Some improv can be fine if it's based in a well constructed character, but I generally prefer my comedy to feel pretty tightly written.
Andrew T
2020-03-12 22:39:33 +0000 UTCSince you guys covered Ocarina of time, I was hoping if you could cover transitioning games into 3d. What is gained, what is lost, and how to successfully make that transition.
Popofoshosho
2020-03-12 22:20:37 +0000 UTCNeo Geo Pocket Color
Adam Bucceri
2020-03-12 22:12:52 +0000 UTCWhat is the cutest monster in Resident Evil?
Adam Bucceri
2020-03-12 22:12:23 +0000 UTCRandom questions for the boys: A key ingredient to what makes Watch Out for Fireballs and the Duckfeed network as a whole so inspiring to me is the integral part politics, social commentary and just plain human decency plays in your gaming dialogue. Gaming and leisure in general isn’t simply an apolitical atoll in our lives; as Gary has said previously on the show - all art is political. As such, the discussion always feels germane to the game under evaluation. We all know the current political climate is a trashfire. I am curious as to what resources the two of you utilize to stay abreast of the contemporary landscape, whether it be podcasts, websites or alternative venues. I want to greater expand my personal knowledge of socially responsible resources and as I respect the political judgement of the two of you, any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks for proving that a podcast about games can be about so much more
Allen Mozek
2020-03-12 21:23:22 +0000 UTCDiscussion Prompt: Do either of you know about Aphantasia? ("Aphantasia is a condition where one does not possess a functioning mind's eye and cannot voluntarily visualize imagery.") If so, do either of you have it? I recently found out about it and I have it. It has blown my mind. I used to think that the phrase to "picture something" was a metaphor, not a literal thing that people could do. I'm an avid reader and know I feel like I'm missing out on the experience that others get when they say that they get transported to that world etc..
Nicholas Prior
2020-03-12 20:45:25 +0000 UTCWhat should I name my daughter? I tried to push through Kolette or Garine, but no luck.
SindrElf
2020-03-12 19:45:04 +0000 UTCTopic idea: What makes a good remake? What do you look for in a remake? When should it differ from the original? When is a remake appropriate? Is it better just to make new things? This might be more appropriate for April with both RE3make and FF7 remake coming out then.
David Giza
2020-03-12 19:38:50 +0000 UTCWhoops. Silly form. Here we go: 1. What makes for a good "build potential" of a game? When a game allows you to customize the play or power of your character, what elements make this stand up or fall down in your eyes? Be as expansive about what "build" means as you'd like. Favoring the magnum in RE4 can be as much as build as Miracles in Dark Souls. But what makes it fun or good? 2. Because I had to ask this month: When is text good in games? If your game isn't really ABOUT its story, is it better to just not have words in the game at all? Does interactivity of the medium mean that text that doesn't interact with choice will drag down the game? How does this interact with flavor or quality of the text?
Lucy
2020-03-12 19:34:28 +0000 UTCWill you do an Adaptation Decay on the Witcher Netflix show? It may be based on the books, but they have clearly taken some parts from the games, like how Geralt's voice is similar. Also, I don't think the show is a bad adaptation, I just want to hear you guys talk about it a bunch!
SindrElf
2020-03-12 19:27:58 +0000 UTCI have two:
Lucy
2020-03-12 19:27:32 +0000 UTCHave you listened to any of the members of REM's post-REM work? I know Michael Stipe has done some solo work recently, and Mike Mills & co have some stuff out there - any interest in an appendix episode of File Under Water?
Andrew F
2020-03-12 19:25:11 +0000 UTCIs wearing caps backward still cool? Asking for a friend.
Luddekudde
2020-03-12 19:21:45 +0000 UTCHow much has multitasking effected gaming? Not in game but out of it. Like having little kid energy to marathon an RPG in the summer vs playing it with a podcast or music going when you're going through a dungeon or random encounters?
Markus Blomer
2020-03-12 19:20:50 +0000 UTCWhat do you think makes a great video game villain, either from a story perspective, a mechanical perspective, or both? Any personal favorites?
Doug Lief
2020-03-12 19:19:46 +0000 UTCWhat are your opinions on min/maxing, especially when it's a secret requirement for certain games? I'm finding as I get older I have precious little patience for games that punish sub-optimal builds and make progress impossible unless you're strictly adhering to a guide or build strategy. ARPGs in the style of Diablo are especially bad about this, and whenever I have to start a new character because it turns out the stats or abilities I was leveling are trash bait it makes me feel like the game devs don't respect my time or commitment.
Fatt Mox
2020-03-12 19:13:22 +0000 UTC
