Monday, December 31, 2012

Iteration 008 - Neanderthal, Moses, and Fairies - 30 Oct 2012

Direct download link is here.

Email us at thesimulationist@gmail.com

Discussion: Sasquatch, Neanderthals, and Moses
Ryan's Conspiracy Moment
Discussion Topic: Range versus focus in a roleplaying game system.
Discussion Question: Fairies, demons, aliens; what will we fear in 500 years?

References:

William Shatner Weird or What http://natgeotv.com/ca/william-shatners-weird-or-what
The Barenaked Ladies cover Lovers in a Dangerous Time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovers_in_a_Dangerous_Time

Other Podcasts Referenced:
Smodcast.com
Penn's Sunday School George Takei interview http://pennsundayschool.com/

Iteration 007 - Spooky Bloody Vampires - 23 Oct 2012



The direct file download is here.

Discussion Topic: Beginnings Again Second
Discussion Topic: Let's Create a Vampire

Referenced:
The Twilight Zone worst episode ever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Sing_the_Body_Electric_%28The_Twilight_Zone%29

Ghostwalk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwalk
The Matrix http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
Reservoir Dogs http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/
Wolf www.imdb.com/title/tt0111742/
Tangled http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398286/

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Iteration 006 - Cobs, Wolds, and Froads - 16 Oct 2012

Download file here.

In the News: Planktos, the Eco-Villain dumps 100 tons of iron into the sea.
Discussion Question: About renaming familiar monsters.
Second Discussion Topic: Heel turns.

Referenced in this episode:
J.R.R. Tolkien
Archie

Iteration 005 - Practice Makes Perfect - 9 Oct 2012


Get the mp3 by itself here.

email us at thesimulationist@gmail.com

Discussion Question: Practice Makes Perfect?
Second Discussion Question: How much fictional religion should you do?
Third Discussion Question: What does "exceptions-based rules design" mean?
Fourth Discussion Question: What about non-lethal challenges for your protagonists?

References:

Louis C.K. https://buy.louisck.net/
Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron
The Scarred Lands Campaign Setting http://scarn.wikia.com/wiki/Scarred_Lands_Wiki
Conan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian
Shadowrun http://www.shadowrun.com/

Iteration 004 - Gaming or Gambling - 4 Oct 2012

Here is the fourth iteration of the podcast.

Direct download link is here.

email us: thesimulationist@gmail.com

 First Discussion Question: how long should character creation time be?
Second Discussion Question: what happens when money meets gaming? Where is the line between gaming and gambling?
Third Discussion Question: Languages in fantasy settings.

Mentioned or referenced in this episode: 

Tri-Stat game system, where to get? http://tristat.wikispaces.com/
D&D Next http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dndnext.aspx
Family Matters http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096579/
The Mind's Eye Theatre http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Mind%27s_Eye_Theatre_%28WOD%29 The Lord of the Rings
Nosferatu http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013442/
Grimms' Fairy Tales http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimms%27_Fairy_Tales
Futurama http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149460/
Gary Gygax's Up on a Soapbox series of articles http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_castle_sources_soapbox.html

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Iteration 003 - Tron and Sorrow



Direct Download is here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_003_-_25_Sept_2012.mp3

Email us at thesimulationist@gmail.com
 
First Discussion Topic: The absurdity of Tron.

Second Discussion Topic: The role of sorrow in fiction and games.




Discussion Question: Is Halo the new Golf? Are video games going to supplant sports?
Discussion Topic: Natural Hazzards: are they the ultimate opponent, or are they a faceless cop-out?

References made in this show:

http://io9.com/
Star Trek
I Love Lucy
Reboot
Merry Melodies
Dracula by Bram Stoker
H.P. Lovecraft
Flatland: A Romance of Many Directions
World of Warcraft: the Mists of Panderia
Leee-roy Jenkins
Skyrim
Peter Pan
Samurai Jack

Friday, December 21, 2012

Iteration 002 - Simulating Humour and other Serious Topics - 18 Sept 2012

We has a second episode!

Direct Download is here.

Email us at thesimulationist@gmail.com

In this iteration: humor, farming, multi-classing, and ancient worlds.

First Discussion Question: What is the role of humor in simulations?
Second Discussion Question: Why does Josh hate farming so much?
Third Discussion Topic: There will be multiclassing in the 5th edition of D&D. What of it?
Fourth Discussion Question: How do you imbue your campaign setting with a feeling of ancientness?

References:
The Private Eyes
Quote: Mel Brooks: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."
Dead and Loving It
Quote: "There are 80 woes from the field to the plate."
Critical Hit, a Major Spoilers Dungeons & Dragons podcast
Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel

Unresolved in this podcast: Who were King Arthur's enemies? Mostly his own family, and the Angles and Saxons.

Referenced in almost every episode, not really needing any links: Dungeons & Dragons, Batman, Minecraft, Farmville, World of Warcraft, Star Wars, Dwarf Fortress, and Minecraft.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Iteration 001 - Nepalese Bunny-Eared Folk

We has an episode! Finally, iteration the first is live for people to listen to.

Listen in Flash Media Player:

or Direct Download the mp3 here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_001_-_11_Sept_2012.mp3

Email us! thesimulationist@gmail.com

The first episode of The Simulationist Podcast is somewhat experimental. We think it turned out all right.

First discussion question: How many rules should a given game have?
Second discussion question: If you wanted to simulate a forest in a game, does it help to be a biologist? Same question for other specialties.

Links: Cheapass Games
D&D Next Ogres versus Trolls article
The Mind's Eye Theatre

And of course, mentioned in almost every episode of The Simulationist, but not really needing any links, are: Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, Paizo's World of Golarion, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the World of Darkness.

Friday, September 14, 2012

First Post

Hi everybody, Josh Treleaven here. This blogspot could become the hub for what we're tentatively calling The Simulationist Podcast, a great new podcast about Roleplaying Games, Video Games, Novels, Comics, and popular culture. If we pick another place, we'll make sure to redirect you.

Send us email: thesimulationist@gmail.com

Update:  As you can see, there are now more posts. You can find us on iTunes and YouTube just by searching for "The Simulationist".