Iteration 204 - Flavours of Evil

the direct download link for this episode is here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_204_-_Flavours_of_Evil.mp3

send us email at thesimulationist@gmail.com

This week we're excited about Starbound, a new video game we found out about from Kickstarter. We talk about microfiction as it appears in commercials. And we talk about education, conspiracy theories, and ideology. Josh plays D&D at roll for initiative, and reviews Stranger Things. Ryan finally gets started on the Game of Thrones television series, and he absolutely loves it. Ryan and Zoey review The Secret Life of Pets. And for our main topic, we talk about flavours of evil, different kinds of villains and degrees of villainy.

References and Recommendations:

Starbound (video game): http://playstarbound.com/

Roll for Initiative (local face-to-face gaming event): http://www.rollforinitiative.ca/

Stranger Things (television series): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/

Game of Thrones (television series): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/

The Secret Life of Pets (2016 film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709768/

Iteration 191 - The Moral of the Demon Car

the direct download link for this episode is here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_191_-_The_Moral_of_the_Demon_Car.mp3

Send us email at thesimulationist@gmail.com

We start with some talk about some of the toys we used to have when we were kids, including the Crash Test Dummies. Then we talk about a long-awaited porting of Magic the Gathering's monsters to a D&D format. Ryan finally saw Jurassic World, and brings us his thoughts on it, as well as his daughter Zoey's thoughts. And for our main topic, we talk about The Car, a 1983 horror movie. We talk about how horror movies have their own sense of morality, and what happens when they break those morals, and whether as writers we should or shouldn't. And the importance of backstory or just explaining what's going on.


References and Recommendations:

Crash Test Dummies (toys): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredible_Crash_Dummies

Starcom (1987 toys and TV show): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcom:_The_U.S._Space_Force

Roll for Initiative (local game convening): http://www.rollforinitiative.ca/

Free Comic Book Day: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

Greater Victoria Public Library (also participating in Free Comic Book Day): https://gvpl.ca/

The Car (1977 film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075809/

Iteration 190 - The Question of Harm to Animals in Simulations

the direct download link for this episode is here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_190_-_The_Question_of_Harm_to_Animals_in_Simulations.mp3

Reptilian creatures from space are coming to earth to take our jobs! We talk about our adventures in simulations, the video games we played, the movies we watched, and the random thoughts we had about the Flintstones. For our main topic this week, Ryan brings us his review of Murder at the Zoo, specifically a scene in which a lion fights a cougar. And we get to pondering about the ethics of enjoying fights and suffering, and whether it makes a difference if it's simulated or real.

References and Recommendations:

The Secret World (MMORPG): http://www.thesecretworld.com/

Roll for Initiative Victoria: http://www.rollforinitiative.ca/

Murders in the Zoo (1933 film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024360/

Sharktopus vs Whalewolf (2015 film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharktopus_vs._Whalewolf

Iteration 189 - Monsters on the Big Screen

the direct download link for this episode is here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_189_-_Monsters_on_the_Big_Screen.mp3

send us email at thesimulationist@gmail.com

In this iteration of the podcast, we ask if Ryan was a member of the Paw Patrols, which dog would he be? Ryan's conspiracy moment: muffins are actually three-dimensional cookies. This leads us into a discussion of physics. We talk about visual changes in Blizzard's Overwatch game. We recount our own personal weekly adventures in simulations. We talk about Marvel's weird villain Ruby Thursday. And for our main topic, we were inspired by Ryan's watching of King Kong vs Godzilla, and we wonder why we don't see more screen time for monsters in monster movies?

Iteration 161 - Pacing the Man of Steel

The direct download link for this episode is here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesimulationist/Iteration_161_-_Pacing_the_Man_of_Steel.mp3

send us email at thesimulationist@gmail.com

We begin the podcast with some Cookie Monster Lore. Josh talks about how much he loves The Big Bang Theory. Ryan reviews the new Muppets show. We both talk about our big plans for National Novel Writing Month. Ryan gives his ideas for how he thinks the DC Cinematic Universe should go. Our main topic is the Man of Steel movie.