Podcast Questions!

Do you have a link to your proposal? How can I share it?

Resonant Arc

I'm not sure if this has been asked, but do you guys have an all-time favorite Final Fantasy character?

What are your guys' thoughts on stories in games experienced from an outsider's perspective? Plenty of games try this to some extent. Relevant examples include Ni No Kuni and Final Fantasy X and XII, to varying degrees of success. I like the idea in theory, but it seems to be near impossible to give the player a real sense of feeling lost while also being engaging and fun to play. These types of stories also seem to be exposition heavy by nature, since the player needs to be filled in constantly. Maybe something like being dropped in a world and having to maintain the illusion that you belong? Something to give the player agency and a sense of being a true outsider.

Mitch McDonough

Podcast question - what's one technological leap you hope gaming embraces or figures out in the future that you think would either elevate the hobby to new heights or simply make you happy. Mine would be for companies to embrace emulation/fan translations/mods as a way to both preserve older works without letting them get lost in the annals of time and breathing new life into older games. The work that fans do to keep games relevant and interesting online is out of this world and I think it would be a great way to reward the effort and passion of the community while also benefiting the company and their bottom line if they could actually nail this partnership in a way that isn't exploitative.

My son is 1.5 (the same age as Casen's daughter) and I went through this myself. Honestly, the first couple months aren't that different because the baby is essentially a potato, just kind of hanging out and being cute. Once they start to get older it's harder to juggle your hobbies and your responsibilities. I've taken to waking up a bit earlier in the morning before work to get a little hobby in beforehand but it's definitely not easy. I hobby during his naps instead of sleeping as you have to sacrifice something...you just won't have enough time to do everything you want/need to do. It's still evolving as he gets older too and requires different stimulation and attention so it's important to keep in mind that things are going to change and you have to be able to be flexible. You can do it though!

Not so much a question but something I am working on: I submitted an article proposal for a journal on popular culture and religion for their issue on Star Trek and Theology which was accepted. I am writing on the Star Trek Voyager episode Sacred Ground. In this episode, Kes trespasses on a sacred site of an alien race, and Janeway decides to undergo a sacred ritual to save Kes. Janeway believes she can complete the ritual due to her knowledge of anthropology, science, and religious studies and therefore goes through the experience with all these preconceived ideas of what rituals are supposed to be that she just ends up doing her own thing rather than the alien ritual, and the aliens essentially troll Janeway by letting her do all these ridiculous and complicated things. The paper then uses the episode to challenge the modern academic division between "theology" and "religious studies".

Hey Folks, Here's a project I've been working on since last summer I'd love to share. I've put together an animation collective, it's a group of 2D and 3D animation studios working together on the cloud. We're just launching now, and are looking for clients! Although we are a collective of professional animation studios (serious inquiries only please), our partners are located in South America, which allows us to have a very competitive price point. The main attraction though is our skillset; although I have an agreement to not share our demo reel publicly, any potentially interested client can contact me directly at production@amontikanimation.com and I'll be happy to show off what we have to offer. For more information check out www.amontikanimation.com ! Thanks Guys :)

Hi guys! This is mostly a question for Casen, I suppose. My wife and I are expecting a baby boy in April, and we'll be taking turns taking parental leave, and so I'll be staying home with the baby later this year. I know Casen has been through a transition into fatherhood fairly recently, and I'm wondering if you have any tips for balancing your time between family, work, and video games, as a new father.