058: Layoffs at PopCap & Dragon Age 3 Leaks
We also talk about pie, naps and Magic the Gathering drinking games.
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We also talk about pie, naps and Magic the Gathering drinking games.
Watch Video
Escapist Podcast: 058: Layoffs at PopCap & Dragon Age 3 Leaks
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
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Okay, thanks for that.Susan Arendt said:We were too busy.Migs said:
Sorry. It's not a terribly interesting explanation.
Some after thought from anyone at the escapist could have let the rest of us know about the busy podcasters. Like the graphic designer who was on the podcast quite a while back(who has never returned since)?
Heck, even your Janitor could have let us know!
So much talk about Bioware in this Podcat, Must engage tongue holding mode.
But there is one thing that I will say about roll playing Dragon Age 2 and the main reason I didn't like the game.
A lot of roll playing games have the goody two shoes option and the puppy kickingly evil option but those same games have a neutral so the there's some swing room for a character who isn't playing one way or the other. Dragon Age 2 didn't have that in stead it had this out of left field "snarky" option which wouldn't make any sense for the goody two shoes or the puppy kicker. To me it felt like DA 2 was actively discouraging roll playing and pretty much locking you in to what ever the first two or three dialog options you picked where, made even more glaring by characters treating you differently depending on which options you picked.
Everything Hawke did regarding the plot seemed glaringly out of character regardless of which attitude you picked buying a fancy expensive house, dealing with a political mess and getting involved in a...uh, well let's not beat around the bush it was a state sponsored genocide. The good the bad or the snarky wouldn't do all 3 of those things.
Same thing with Mass Effect 3 I roll played the crap out of Commander Shepard down to what she wouldn't ask about from the investigate menu, then in ME3 it's just like: Good Option! Bad Option! And Here I am with all sorts of deeply through out back story and nearly 100 hours of active character development as Shepard then her personality is reduced to that of a light-switch...
I don't care what EA says I don't have faith in Bioware any more.
But there is one thing that I will say about roll playing Dragon Age 2 and the main reason I didn't like the game.
A lot of roll playing games have the goody two shoes option and the puppy kickingly evil option but those same games have a neutral so the there's some swing room for a character who isn't playing one way or the other. Dragon Age 2 didn't have that in stead it had this out of left field "snarky" option which wouldn't make any sense for the goody two shoes or the puppy kicker. To me it felt like DA 2 was actively discouraging roll playing and pretty much locking you in to what ever the first two or three dialog options you picked where, made even more glaring by characters treating you differently depending on which options you picked.
Everything Hawke did regarding the plot seemed glaringly out of character regardless of which attitude you picked buying a fancy expensive house, dealing with a political mess and getting involved in a...uh, well let's not beat around the bush it was a state sponsored genocide. The good the bad or the snarky wouldn't do all 3 of those things.
Same thing with Mass Effect 3 I roll played the crap out of Commander Shepard down to what she wouldn't ask about from the investigate menu, then in ME3 it's just like: Good Option! Bad Option! And Here I am with all sorts of deeply through out back story and nearly 100 hours of active character development as Shepard then her personality is reduced to that of a light-switch...
I don't care what EA says I don't have faith in Bioware any more.
I would totally buy a Space Muffin T shirt, though I'd like to see the design. It'd be an excellent conversation starter.
Fun fact: the highlights of non-drug-related top hits for "space muffin" included a website with no features other than an extended middle finger, a song by some Welsh psychedelic band, and some Urban Dictionary user's idea of a political insult.
Fun fact: the highlights of non-drug-related top hits for "space muffin" included a website with no features other than an extended middle finger, a song by some Welsh psychedelic band, and some Urban Dictionary user's idea of a political insult.
About the T-shirt, I may buy one, but it would help if I could see the design ahead of time.
Also I look forward to an intervention for Mike at the expo where everyone forces him to eat all the foods he avoids.
Also I look forward to an intervention for Mike at the expo where everyone forces him to eat all the foods he avoids.
With expo coming around the corner I doubt any of us designers will be on the podca(s)ts soon, although I'd love to be on a podcast sometime in the future. Other then that Carrie (the designer your referring to) is doing well! Going to point her to this comment when I get the chanceMigs said:Okay, thanks for that.Susan Arendt said:We were too busy.Migs said:
Sorry. It's not a terribly interesting explanation.
Some after thought from anyone at the escapist could have let the rest of us know about the busy podcasters. Like the graphic designer who was on the podcast quite a while back(who has never returned since)?
Heck, even your Janitor could have let us know!
I would definitely buy a Space Muffin T-shirt! Now that I'm done with my summer job, maybe I can start sketching up a few panels for a comic book >.> I'm really bad at sketching.
Of course I would swim with otters, I wouldn't have it any otter way. But if it were both Nathan Fillion and the otters, it would just be otter confusion.
Did Susan say that the T-shirt design would be in the comments?
Of course I would swim with otters, I wouldn't have it any otter way. But if it were both Nathan Fillion and the otters, it would just be otter confusion.
Did Susan say that the T-shirt design would be in the comments?
once again mike gets the quote of the week:The Escapist Staff said:
if you are in a situation with pie you don't want to end up not liking pie - that was the most amazing brain fart i heard all week
also id buy a space muffin shirt!
Q: do you guys filter out mail coming from hotmail accounts?
Great podcat. YES! Would love a spacemuffin's T-shirt, would definitly buy one (maybe two)!
Mike's crazy ways are making him sound more and more like a sitcom character.
On the topic of roleplaying games; I almost always end up being a jack-of-all-trades because I love being self sufficient in games. If my equipment gets damaged, I hate the idea of trekking back to the nearest town/checkpoint to get the local handyman/blacksmith to repair my stuff. If there's magic in the game, I will try and be proficient in all classes because I like to keep my options open (Elder Scrolls games, love choosing between throwing fireballs or turning myself invisible to take down the bandits).
However, I love seeing my character(s) progress, so I usually play a sort of rogue with a heart of gold type guy, almost like a Robin Hood who kills people or an old samurai (because I like swords) who was brought up thinking about honour all the time but after a couple of years sees that sometimes you have to think for yourself, steal to get by. If a poor person needs help, I'll help them because it's the Right thing to do. If a rich person needs help, I'll help because I will be gaining funds/experience to help those poor people. I will always strive to experience all the content a game has to offer and I can usually (internally) justify why my character does things...
... It's hard to articulate how I roleplay.
*Edit*
Can we pretend you guys were writing the pilot/basic plot for the first season of Space Muffins this past week, which is why there was no podcat last week?
Also, Susan... Love your use of the saying "hoist by your own petard" these past couple of podcats. I use that saying and people just look at me funny.
Mike's crazy ways are making him sound more and more like a sitcom character.
On the topic of roleplaying games; I almost always end up being a jack-of-all-trades because I love being self sufficient in games. If my equipment gets damaged, I hate the idea of trekking back to the nearest town/checkpoint to get the local handyman/blacksmith to repair my stuff. If there's magic in the game, I will try and be proficient in all classes because I like to keep my options open (Elder Scrolls games, love choosing between throwing fireballs or turning myself invisible to take down the bandits).
However, I love seeing my character(s) progress, so I usually play a sort of rogue with a heart of gold type guy, almost like a Robin Hood who kills people or an old samurai (because I like swords) who was brought up thinking about honour all the time but after a couple of years sees that sometimes you have to think for yourself, steal to get by. If a poor person needs help, I'll help them because it's the Right thing to do. If a rich person needs help, I'll help because I will be gaining funds/experience to help those poor people. I will always strive to experience all the content a game has to offer and I can usually (internally) justify why my character does things...
... It's hard to articulate how I roleplay.
*Edit*
Can we pretend you guys were writing the pilot/basic plot for the first season of Space Muffins this past week, which is why there was no podcat last week?
Also, Susan... Love your use of the saying "hoist by your own petard" these past couple of podcats. I use that saying and people just look at me funny.
