Qt3 Games Podcast: the lord of The Lord of the Rings

Posted by on February 29, 2012 in Game Podcasts

This week we welcome Lord of the Rings loremaster and poker wiz Dave Markell to talk Mass Effect 3, Victoria II, Pinball FX 2, and even a little Master of Orion for the iPhone. Be sure to stay until the end for our exciting musical finale!

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  • http://twitter.com/CHGardiner Chris Gardiner

    I’m listening to the Lord of the Rings quiz and Tom? Jason? You gentlemen have raised up what you cannot put down. 

    In awe of Dave, now. Wow.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Rucker/100000745851295 Brian Rucker

    Oh, this should be good.  Dave’s the brother of a former co-worker of mine.  Actually got to hang out with him one summer at King’s Dominion.  Still have an embarrassing Polaroid of myself screaming on a rollercoaster there…

  • Dave Markell

    That was a fun day, Brian!  Which coaster was that–the one that launched vertically out of a volcano mock-up?  My wife thought that ride was, uh, intense.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Rucker/100000745851295 Brian Rucker

     I honestly don’t remember!  But at the time, judging from the rictus-like scream etched on my face, it must have been very memorable! :)

  • http://www.luckyghost.com/ Seth Berkowitz

    Tom’s GOTW was a pleasant, unexpected scoop (I didn’t read the blurb carefully ahead of time). Heartening news.

    Dave’s lore-mastery during the quiz made me audibly guffaw at my desk.

  • Anon

    EA closing down servers for their multiplayer games is despicable tbh. At least you can still play old CnC games(without modifying them I think) thanks to them allowing fans to support them(Strike-team.net).

    You got a lot of stuff wrong about the fighting game controversy. First of all his comments were not in an interview, it was just a conversation he butted into on the stream(they had 3 streams up, one for team street fighter, one for tekken and a main one, I think his comments were at one point during team tekken’s practice), they ran for many hours every day, live unedited. Capcom’s chief mistake was choosing Aris, and they likely did so exactly because he’s a controversial character and drama on a reality show is usually good for business. They absolutely should have paid closer attention as well, and had some enforced some sort of sanction.

    However, I highly doubt he’s very representative of the fighting game community at large, though they’re definitely far too accepting of him. Someone there should have spoken up, clearly. Matters were complicated by him being a coach for the team though, so he had some sort of authority. He’s issued a half assed apology, but I really hope people won’t give him a platform to spread his bile again.

  • Anon

    Oh, and I hope this doesn’t negatively affect the game, which looks great! I’d kind of written it off a bit because it seemed too simple and the gem system sounded terrible. Now it’s the game I look forward to the most. It sounds like they’ve added a lot of cool stuff for beginners while still having robust systems for veterans.

    I only hope they relent on exclusive gems, because you absolutely should not be able to pay for an advantage in the game. They’re only delaying the PC version by a little over 2 months this time, though I fear they’ll continue using GFWL and not take advantage of cross platform play.

  • luke

    I can’t believe you like Mass Effect 3 so much, Tom. I share your opinion of the first two games, especially the writing. I can’t fathom how Mass Effect 3 has improved enough in the writing department for you to like it while still retaining the characters and tone that make it Mass Effect. How did Bioware improve stuff like the flat, uninvolved voice acting of Shepard—both of them—and the self-serious tone of the universe?

    How do you think Mass Effect 3 will work for people who didn’t complete the previous two games? I finished the first one, but couldn’t make it past hour 10 in the second game.

    I know the embargo is still in effect, so I won’t be surprised if you don’t respond. Maybe you can address this stuff in a future review.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-McMaster/607680289 Jason McMaster

    I have high hopes for Street Fighter X Tekken as well! The fact that Aris jumped into another conversation to spew his opinion is even worse! Thanks for pointing that out

  • Mike

    How many nerd points do I get for pointing out that both Mr. Markell and Mr. McMaster were incorrect with their first LOTR question? Bilbo was preparing for his 111th birthday party at the very beginning of Fellowship of the Ring, but the day hadn’t come yet, so he was still 110.

  • tomchick

    Well played, sir! Well played.

  • Mercanis

    Those Lord of the Rings knowledge bombs shook me to the core.

    As for Mass Effect 3, I’m a fanboy, but I’m not so blind-sighted not to completely agree with Tom’s issues with Mass Effect 2. Hearing him gush about Mass Effect 3 was a complete surprise, and his appreciation for the writing(!) has turned my tempered anticipation into genuine excitement.

  • tomchick

    Just to clarify, the writing in Mass Effect 3 is, uh, very much what you’d expect from a Bioware game.  My enthusiasm is more for the story, which is just one aspect of the writing. :)

    But I look forward to talking more about it after everyone’s had a chance to play.

  • luke

    “Very much what you’d expect from a Bioware game.”
     
    I’ve played Dragon Age: Origins to completion, so I know Bioware is capable of writing convincing worlds replete with evocative lore. And I’ve played the Mass Effects, so I know they’re also capable of infusing genre boilerplate with unearned gravitas. Unfortunately, I think I know which kind of Bioware game you’re referring to in that quote. Still, you’re the pickiest story guy in the business, so your thumbs up is meaningful.
     
    Hey, how about that co-op mode? The demo’s co-op offers a novel carrot in the form of packs that are purchased with credits earned during co-op matches. The randomness of the goodies you receive in these packs reminds me of Lost Planet 2′s slot machine in a good way. Who doesn’t love the thrill of unknown and potentially great rewards? Unfortunately, the presence of credits and tons of consumable items where I’d much rather have permanent upgrades evokes grind-heavy freemium game design and quells some of my enthusiasm. Even if EA never monetizes ME3′s co-op mode, I hate being denied the sense of advancement that comes with, say, a permanent buff to shield upgrade speed or permanent access to a special ammo type.

    And I bet you’re still embargoed. Rats.

  • Dave Markell

    Good one, Mike!