Qt3 Games Podcast: the XCOMmittee

Posted by on October 17, 2012 in Game Podcasts

Our guest this week is Ryan “Ohmwrecker”, formerly of Voodoo Extreme and currently of the Masked Gamer channel on Youtube. Naturally, we’ve all got a lot to say about XCOM. But that’s not all that’s happening this week. We’ve got a thing or two to say about the “more guts, more glory” Diablo III patch, the shear delight of Carmaggedon on the iPad, Sony’s latest overseas misadventures, why you’re not playing Mechwarrior Online right now, what makes Chivalry no mere War of the Roses, and how Dwarf Fortress is a gateway game that can lead to a nasty Towns habit.

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

    Managed to grab Carmageddon in time! Other games I want on iOS:

    Darklands
    Icewind Dale 1 & 2
    Darklands
    The Lord of the Rings Living Card Game
    Darklands
    Ultima Underworld 1 & 2
    Darklands
    Darklands
    Darklands

  • RedHerb

    Did I miss hear, you guys really think there’s limited replayability in Xcom? I got the feeling that a specific strategy or build might be comprised by the various random events that seem to pop up along.

  • tomchick

    I certainly don’t feel that way! I’ve had multiple games going and I don’t intend to stop.

    I do, however, think Ryan feels that way. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think his contention is that there’s an optimal strategy that limits the replayability. My response on the podcast was that if that is the case, I don’t want to know and I’d rather figure it out myself eventually.

  • tomchick

    Yes! Personally, I’d rather have Icewind Dale than Baldur’s Gate. I think that makes me a cretin or a Philistine or something.

    As for Darklands, I’d normally agree with you, but I dinked around with a copy from Good Old Games earlier this year. I’m not convinced it holds up. Again, I may be a cretin or Philistine, so don’t take my word for that.

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

    Hooray! Icewind Dale stands up really well now it’s out from under the expectation of being another epic, plot-focussed Baldur’s Gate-alike. Love it. Once I stopped quickloading every time someone went down I discovered how brilliantly balanced it is.

    I think preferring Icewind Dale might make us barbarians, but that’s ok because they get that d12 hit dice.

    I had a little dink with Darklands from GOG, too. I still felt the appeal, but the barrier to entry was like hitting a brick wall. I’d definitely play more though. I just can’t be bothered with this whole “sitting in front of a computer” nonsense anymore unless there’s a Guild Wars 2 at the other end of it.

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

    If Darklands got an update to add mouse support, it would be just as awesome now as it was then.

  • Heated End

    Tom, do you know how moddable this XCOM will be? I heard that there are people that have already broken down the .ini files. Dune Wars – XCOM or Fall From Heaven – XCOM anyone?

  • Pogue Mahone

    Wait, is Carmageddon really free? This better not be a dirty trick or you are in for such a fist shaking, mister!

  • Pogue Mahone

    Oh right, free demo. Good enough for me!

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

    it was totally free yesterday

  • Ohmwrecker

    I had fun chatting with you guys, thanks for having me as a guest!

  • Mercanis

    Omigosh Mr. Chick, did you really have to use the Hanna whistling song?

    Now I’m going to have that stuck in my head all day, or worse, I’ll start whistling it aloud. All I’ll be missing is a tracksuit.

  • Nightgaunt

    Plenty to recommend in Towns. If you’re looking for a game that’s trying to more directly make Dwarf Fortress into a mainstream game, then I would say check out Gnomoria. It’s in beta right now through Desura and coming along swimmingly.

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

    I really dig it so far. I’m going to check out Gnomoria! Thanks for that suggestion

  • dave

    gahhh what version is it ? was it DJ Revan mix? I must have it!!

  • Mygaffer

    Your view on Torchlight 2 difficulty is completely alien to me. The incentive to play the game is the engagement of the core mechanic. You are looking for skinner box nonsense here when there is deep enough synergy between the mechanics to be an engaging game without relying on that kind of stuff, beyond what any ARPG has to.
    There is nothing about the fact that your drops are not better on hard that changes how much fun you had playing Torchlight 2 before you knew that. My first play through is on Veteran, I played on “Very Hard” in the first game. The game frankly gets boring on the easier difficulty levels, at least for me. That is because I enjoy the actual game mechanics and not just the next shiny drop.
    Totally alien.

  • tomchick

    I find it deliciously ironic that you want “Skinner Box nonsense” taken out of an action RPG, a genre where that dynamic is the foundation for the gameplay. :) .

  • Mygaffer

    I know, I was kind of laughing to myself when I wrote it. But really there is a very deep combat system there that rewards thoughtful combinations of skills and gear, that is the most rewarding part of the game for me.
    I play the game because I find those core mechanics rewarding. Of course loot drops are a big part of that, just as leveling is and even that good old grind. I find it to be pretty well balanced overall and I don’t feel the difficulty is there to reward me in any way except for my own sense of accomplishment and mastery of the systems in the game.

  • Mygaffer

    Also, I did not say I wanted it removed, and I did say that all ARPGs rely on operant conditioning.
    My main point was that if you were finding the game fun and rewarding before you knew your drops were not better why does knowing that change your level of engagement? Does that mean you really weren’t having fun before?

  • tomchick

    Because there is no incentive to make the game more challenging. Part of a game designer’s job is to tune the experience for his players, not to leave it entirely up to them.

    If it’s going to take me twice as long to kill a boss by sucking down multiple potions and kiting him around the arena, shouldn’t there be an incentive for playing this way? Or is it just supposed to be more “fun” that way?

    If it’s the latter, then no, I don’t think it’s “fun”. I think it’s pointless and it misses the point of the risk/reward calculus that belongs in any good game design.

    There was a long discussion of the issue in the Torchlight II thread on the message board, where folks made their case on both sides of the issue. Have a look if you’re interested in reading more.