Dev Game Club Beta -- Episode 3

In this third beta edition of Dev Game Club, we continue to examine System Shock 2, moving through the rest of Hydroponics, then through Ops and Recreation (Decks 4 and 5). Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary.

Note: This is the first episode where we'll spoil story stuff, so be warned if you're playing along. There's a big beat at the beginning of Ops that we discuss in detail in particular. I'll leave particulars out of the show notes.

Sections played:
Hydroponics A/D
Ops (Deck 4)
Recreation (Deck 5)

Podcast breakdown:
0:20 Intro
1:50 Discussion begins
58:32 Break
58:52 What next, what we're playing, production note

Issues covered: elevator directions, level play order and support for order of play, grouping of skill stations, player empowerment vs. simulated spaces, progressive strangeness of levels, spiders and bees, skill costs, psionics strategy, marines strategy, depth vs. breadth, energy weaponry, loot tables, systems interaction/recycling, the fate of Polito, story spoilers, sequel twists, getting lost/red ninjas, digital frame hunt/objectives, empty chests, streamlining game design and developer age, humor in writing/level design/systems/setting, the rising cost of commentary

Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Ken Levine, Bioshock, Legend of Zelda, Joe Pesci/Lethal Weapon, Grand Theft Auto series, Star Wars: Starfighter, The Witcher 3, Jonah Lobe, Dark Cloud series, Skyrim, Fallout 3/4.

Teaser for Ep 5: we have leads on a couple interviewees, so look forward to news on that.

Production note: We will talk about what's next to play, and maybe allowing folks to vote!

What we've been playing:
Brett: Uncharted 2, Prune
Tim: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

To play for next time:
Finish the game!

Dev Game Club Beta -- Episode 2

In this second beta edition of Dev Game Club, we continue to examine System Shock 2, moving through R&D and ultimately into Hydroponics B/C. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary.

Production note: While the audio quality of Ep 2 is essentially the same as Ep 1, as of Ep 3 we've moved to a new method of recording which captures each of us locally and we stitch that together in post. It ends up sounding much better.

Sections played: 
R&D
Cargo Bays
Engineering Control/Engine Core
Hydroponics B/C

Podcast breakdown:
0:36   Intro
1:15     Discussion of SS2 begins (with level persistence)
55:22 Break
55:43 What we're playing/next time

Issues covered: level data persistence, navigation cues or lack thereof, lack of clarity to certain interactions, not focusing the player, health buffs and de-buffs, inversion of RPG skill-ups, using the environment to kill your foes, the world continuing while you interact with inventory and HUD, Brett's biggest scare in games, monkey terror, enemy introductions, emergence and player agency, exploitability of AI, do sleeping robots notice you?, cargo section as stealth, quantum entanglement reconstruction tank expert use

Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Half-Life, Doom, Souls series, Outlaws, Far Cry 4, Bioshock, Unreal engine, Dishonoured, Republic Commando, Dead Space, Quake, Deus Ex, Warren Spector, Elder Scrollsseries, Fallout series, Skyrim, Thief, Alien: Isolation, Alien (film series), Super Mario Bros.

What we've been playing:
Brett: Uncharted (PS4 remaster), Tim: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

To play for next time:
Remainder of Hydroponics, through Ops and into the end of Recreation.

Dev Game Club Beta -- Episode 1

In this inaugural beta edition of Dev Game Club, we talk about the relevance of System Shock 2, its precedents and antecedents, and cover the first couple of hours of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary.

Show Notes:

Sections played: Opening area, tutorial, character customization area, von Braun Med/Sci and Crew Quarters.

Podcast breakdown:
0:00:33  - Reason behind 'cast
0:02:27  - History of hosts
0:05:00  - Expected 'cast layout
0:07:55  - History of System Shock 2
0:29:05  - Break 1
0:29:25  - Talk about beginning parts of SS2 in depth
1:24:14  - Break 2
1:24:34  - What we're playing, plans for next episode

Brett & Tim Common History: Star Wars Starfighter, Star Wars Jedi Starfighter, Star Wars Republic Commando.

Brett Additional History: Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4

Tim Additional History: X-Wing v TIE Fighter, Mysteries of the Sith, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, Tomb Raider 2013, Halo 5.

Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: System Shock 1, Ultima Underworld, Ultima series, Doug Church, Warren Spector, Ken Levine, Thief, Starfighter games, Republic Commando, Tomb Raider 2013, BGS games, Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, Jonathan Chey, Freedom Force 1&2, Paul Neurath, Other Side Games, Junction Point Studios, Epic Mickey 2, Marc LeBlanc, Randy Smith, Harvey Smith, Dishonoured, Arkane Studios, Quake, Doom, Bioshock, Half-Life, Enemy Territory, Team Fortress Classic, Fallout, Baldur's Gate, Halo 5, Alien, Star Wars, Star Trek, Blade Runner, Mad Max, Mass Effect series, Oxenfree.

One interview in which Doug Church talks about eliminating conversations: 

What we're playing: Brett discusses the similarities and differences in the beginning of Firewatch, Tim talks about Metal Gear Solid V, Witcher 3, and his ten year journey on Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

To play next: R&D through the end of Hydroponics B/C.

@brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub
DevGameClub@gmail.com

DevGameClub is born...join us!

Hello everyone!  Thanks for joining us for our first episode of Dev Game Club.  Brett and I are starting off the show with a "Beta" series where we play System Shock 2 as a test for us to get into the groove of making a podcast for the first time.  This is something we both have wanted to do for quite awhile and it ended up making a lot of sense to me for us to join forces and just jump in.

The idea for the podcast was inspired by one of my favorite podcasts called Rebel FM.  The folks on that cast used to occasionally have a "Game Club" format where they would choose a game and play it piece by piece or level by level, and talk about it in a series format for the audience to play along with them as they listened.

Well, I had always loved that idea.  Especially hearing it from a set of journalists' point of view.  Then I had the idea to basically rip them off and do a similar podcast but from a Developer's point of view.  Brett and I go way back so it seemed like a good idea for he and I to team up and try it out.  I can't wait for people to listen!  I'll sign off for now.  Brett will be posting the first episode tomorrow and he will also put up the show notes at the same time.  Happy listening!

-Tim