The Texture Pop: Episode 14: You've Got (New) Mail

Another week, another Texture Pop podcast. This week, we attempted, and mostly succeeded, at keeping it at a manageable length.

Also, for those of you who are unaware, Sam has also been much better about posting the MP3 versions of the podcast. You will usually be able to find links to them in the descriptions of the videos from here on out. For those of you with long commutes, it might be a good idea to get some quality(?) audio entertainment.



0:00:00 Introduction
Sam lovingly lampshades my minor misanthropic tendencies.

0:00:55 Viewer Questions
BY A NEW PERSON!

"I bought a Wii U and have been playing Hyrule Warriors too. My only complaint about the Wii U is its battery life."
I don't know enough about it to comment beyond what we discussed.

"Brandon, have you ever played Shadow Hearts?"
Definitely. When I was in middle school, a close friend introduced me to the franchise. I wish another one was in the works, but I'm content with the three games that were released. For anyone looking for a quirky, unique JRPG experience, Shadow Hearts is a great game. They are also very unique in terms of settings, because if memory serves, the first two took place immediately before and during WW2, and the 3rd game takes place in Prohibition era America.
A bit of warning though: While the franchise is known for having a sense of humor, the actual story tends to get very, very dark. People who dislike more mature, dark themes may want to watch out.

0:15:15 Chris brings up Avengers 2 (and Marvel's plans)
And we all agree that it's AWESOME!
DC still sucks though, at least in terms of movies. We also learn a lot about comics in this segment.

0:29:40 I played Shin Megami Tensei IV
I haven't finished it yet, but it is interesting to compare this game to previous entries like Nocturne. Through it is significantly more user-friendly than Nocturne, as an example, SMT IV is feels a lot harder than Nocturne did.
At the same time, this difficulty is almost like a Dark Souls game, where it is designed to both reward skillful play and punish those who do not learn their lessons.

0:38:10 I played Soul Calibur 2 HD.
It is really nice to play what I consider to be my favorite fighting game of all time again. Compared to a lot of other fighting games, I have found that SC 2 is much more forgiving to new players than other fighters. While it has issues, it is great for both single and multi-player oriented play sessions.
Also, another reason I love the game is that, through mission variety in the single-player mode, it teaches you all you need to know about the mechanics. Weapon Master mode really is one of the best I've played in a fighting game.
This gave me license to bitch about both Soul Calibur V and Lost Swords, which were both some of the worst fighting games I've ever played. I could not stand those games, and would never recommend them.

0:49:00 We wait for Garrett to get back so he can talk about League.
Please stand by for technical difficulties. Also, this might have been our first warning.

0:51:00 Garrett has been going to Best Buy to look at computer parts.
And I just let Sam and Garrett talk about a subject I know little about.

0:54:00 Garrett played the Evolve Alpha.
While I am interested in Evolve, I take this time to bitch about the game industry misusing the words "Alpha" and "Beta" incorrectly.
Then, we actually discuss the Alpha.

0:56:30 Garrett talks about Curse Chat?
Which leads to us discussing audio software... while we are recording an audio podcast... on Skype.

0:59:55 I get Sam to explain the title of the last episode 
Because I had no idea where it came from.
"I can't explain Spoopy. I can't even attempt to." - Brandon Carey
"[Spoopy] sounds like something my mom would say."- Brandon Carey

1:02:50 Chris has been playing more Hyrule Warriors
And it's definitely.... a conversation.

1:07:15 Chris was playing Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.
The bottom-line is that it is more Borderlands. If you like Borderlands, you will like the Pre-Sequel. Otherwise, you won't care. There isn't anything radically new enough that your opinion on the matter can be swayed.
As for me, I could barely tolerate Borderlands 2. I really liked the friends I played with, the writing, and the characters. However, the act of playing in a session of Borderlands is just so painfully dull to me. Because of this, I have no reason to pick up the Pre-Sequel.

1:25:50 Sam thinks he's been working, but isn't sure.
I did not know Halloween was so busy for a pizza shop. The things you learn.
Though his shift was much worse than anything I faced, I certainly know the pain of a last minute customer. "That guy" is always a dick. Nobody likes "that guy."

1:30:50 Sams tells us about politics in fan-subbing anime.
And I've never thought about this before the recording.

1:32:50 We talk about talking about games with friends and strangers.

1:35:30 Sam talks about The Evil Within and Alien: Isolation.
I mentioned Errant Signal's episode on Alien: Isolation, which can be found here. I would recommend watching it if you haven't already. The comments made regarding the feel of the game and its use of save systems to invoke emotions is interesting.
I think it speaks wonders to how much more engaging a game can be when the player does not feel almighty, like most games are want to do. Limiting player power can lead to much more creativity, which can make a game so much more interesting when done correctly.
One thing that comes to mind now, when I think about how save systems make you feel is Hitman: Blood Money. Though you can save anywhere in a mission, you only have a finite number of saves (unless you play on Easy). Harder difficulties limit this even further. In this way, saves are just as much a finite resource as your other tools. As a result, you need to plan your use of them in much the same way you plan for everything else. To some, this detracts from the game. To others, it adds to it.

1:41:45 Sam bought Lords of the Fallen.
Which further adds to our save game discussion from earlier.
It's also a good game for Sam to talk about more than me, since he's much more familiar with Dark Souls.

1:45:50 Sam teases his Wii U discussion for next week,

1:46:15 Wrapping up.
My Nocturne impressions are here.
Our e-mail is also thetexturepop@gmail.com , so please send us your questions, comments, and feedback.

The Texture Pop: Episode 7: SPACE DRAGONS BRO!

The Texture Pop returns for another week of craziness. Everyone showed up for the recording session, so the cast was back to its usual shenanigans, albeit a more muted variety of it.

You see, most of us were completely exhausted when we started recording, and that only got worse as the show went on. Sam was getting a lot of hours at work, Garrett had some issues he was dealing with, and I was doing off-site training for work (at a location an hour away from my house) and had only just gotten home a few hours prior to recording.
And Chris, Chris can stuff it with his energy.

The MP3 version of this podcast can be found here:

0:00:00 Introduction
Just an FYI, I get weird when I'm tired, which can explain some of the behavior at the start of the cast.

0:02:20 Viewer Questions
"Do you guys have any favorite gaming-related media?"

I mention the Mass Effect novels in this segment. Though I stand behind the first three novel, I reject any notion that final novel is good.
The document referring to all the plot holes in it is here. (It's only 16 pages.)
And here's a link to (screw) Kai Leng: Cereal Killer.

Garrett reminds me of .hack, which makes me bring up just how much I love .hack. Through the games are fairly mediocre, the lore and story is fantastic. Its premise is fairly unique among video game plots, and it had a very distinct feel to it. I could've sworn that he brought up the subject, but listening to this recording makes it clear than I did.

"Do you guys have any franchises that you would like to be turned into a game, and what would you want that game to be like?"
All the properties that I really love have one of three problems associated with them, in regards to this question.

• The franchise started as a game, or already has games for it.
• The franchise does not feel like it would work as a game, in an interactive space.
• I would never trust a developer to accurately capture the spirit of the franchise in a video game for.

It's an interesting thought question though, and I'd be interested in any responses from you guys to this question.

0:36:25 Sam bought Grid: Auto Sport

Because Dirt 3 uses Games For Windows Live.

...No one likes GWFL. At least that service is on the way out.

And we talk about that and other racing games, so I start to clock out. I distinctly recall it being really difficult to keep my eyes open during this segment. (I was really tired.)

0:41:25 Sam picked up the new Strider game.
I don't have much of a frame of reference for the Strider franchise, so I honestly cannot elaborate much upon what Sam and Chris were talking about.
What they do start talking about, that might be of interest, is the necessity to upgrade PC hardware to keep up with current games. This is honestly probably one of the biggest reasons I stick to consoles. My funds, especially as a college student, are extremely limited, so I try to spend them wisely.

0:47:11 Sam is still not playing the Dark Souls DLC and touched Murdered: Soul Suspect
I think the behavior Sam exhibits while trying to get to the DLC is completely understandable. I remember, after about the 30-35 hour mark in Dragon Age: Origins, where I was just getting so sick of the game and just wanted to be done with it and move on to something else. It's not the exact same, but it's comparable.
As for Murdered: Soul Suspect, I have an impressions piece on it if you are interested.
We also briefly discuss Early Access in this segment.

0:53:30 Garrett played a bit of Watch_Dogs
I do find it really interesting that myself, Chris "Campster" Franklin of Errant Signal, and Patrick Klepek of Giant Bomb all found Aiden Pearce to be irredeemable. None of us had any knowledge of the other's thoughts, but we all agree.
Aside from that, Watch_Dogs is okay, but super overhyped. It's not honestly fairly bad overall, though it has some qualities which can be refined into a truly great game.

0:59:45 Garrett got free movies from his library.
Include Citizen Kane, which is the Citizen Kane of movies.

1:01:05 Garrett played Borderlands 2 and League of Legends
I don't like Borderlands 2 much because it's one of those games where you need other people to have a good time. Playing by yourself is just incredibly boring.
As for League of Legends, those MOBA communities sound really, really shitty. It's really sad to see. People take their entertainment WAY too seriously.

We do get into a conversation regarding LoL's story. While I don't know anything about it, what I've heard makes it sound really bad.

1:15:35 I finish Devil Summoner 2.
And I wrote an impressions piece on it.
I really do not understand why designers make dungeons and levels as long as they do. I cannot stand long dungeon crawls. TEN HOURS for one dungeon is OVERKILL. I get angry after an hour.
Aside from that though, the game is a very good Shin Megami Tensei game. I'd easily recommend it to anyone who likes JRPGs and is interested in getting into SMT.

1:21:25 I am playing Digital Devil Saga.
Even among SMT games, this game is incredibly unique, mostly because you never gain any new demons. Instead, you develop your character's demonic powers as they progress through the game.
It's a very bizarre game, and I look forward to finishing it.

As for silent protagonists, I tend to like them in games. They serve a very important role, especially in SMT games, because they typically serve as player-avatars more than characters in their own right. Of course, ultimately it depends on the game for if its a good idea.

1:28:30 Chris bought the Serious Sam Collection
Serious Sam is a franchise I really need to take the time to playthough at some point. Everything I hear about it indicates that it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it's another one of those franchises that I don't know enough about it to make any additional commentaries.
I was also completely unaware that Serious Sam had an RPG. Calling in "The Random Encounter" is quite clever, so props to the developers for that.

1:43:30 Chris talks about Mortal Kombat X and DLC
And yet another series I don't know much about. This has been a fairly light annotations because I don't know a lot about many of these topics.
However, I do love how Chris remarks about how game developers have trained us to just wait until all the DLC is out, and then get it in a single go with the "Ultimate Edition". I sometimes wonder how that behavior affects the sales of games with DLC.

1:48:30 Chris and Sam talk about DOA5 and Virtua Fighter
And I was honestly beginning to fall asleep during the recording. Took all of my willpower to stay awake.

1:55:00 We start talking movies until the end of the episode.
And Micheal Bay is still bad.

2:02:20 Conclusion
I was so tired that I FORCED this to end.