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Ethan Haas was right, at least according to David Carter, Earl Fischl and Tom McLaughlin, the team behind Alpha Omega the new post apocalyptic science fantasy RPG from Mind Storm Labs. In the future, the world is ravaged by war and disasters while alien races wage war. Of course, dumb old humanity mistook these aliens for angels and demons thousands of years ago. Plus, there are robots. What more could you want in a game? Magic? There’s that. Mutants? But of course. Ninjas? The ninjas are so sneaky in this game, they aren’t even mentioned. But they’re there. And they will kill you in the night if you doubt their existence. That’s how bad ass they are.

In the interview, we discuss how Alpha Omega was created, the Ethan Haas Alternate Reality Game viral marketing campaign and its connection to Cloverfield, upcoming products for the game, the art of Alpha Omega, game design and more. Be sure to check out the New World Science and Engineering Commission site, mentioned in the interview.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:05 — 35.0MB)

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Tarn Adams
Interviewer: Ross Payton

Synopsis: Dwarf Fortress is a one of a kind computer game. Part roguelike, part RTS, part fantasy world simulator, this game has to be played to be believed. With no graphics (everything is represented by ASCII symbols), the player is charged with building a mighty fortress with only seven dwarves and a wagon load of supplies. Murderous monsters and animals, temperamental workers and countless other challenges stand in your way. And you will lose. But that’s okay, because losing is fun.  I talk with DF’s programmer and creator, Tarn Adams about his experience with role playing games, game design philosophy, beards on dwarves and other pertinent topics.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:58 — 41.0MB)

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Song: Just Like Bruce Campbell Did by Joe Hero
Promo: Sinister Adventures

Hosted by Ross Payton and Tom Church
Special Guest: Aaron Carsten

Check out our new Forums and Twitter Feed!

Synopsis:
After discussing some listener feedback, with a special defense of the Sluggy Freelance web comic by Aaron Carstein, we decided to challenge each other’s game design skills with a 24 hour contest, similar to Game Chef. Each of us came up with 7 game elements that the other host would have to come up with a game or scenario that would incorporate all seven elements. As our game ‘ingredients’ ranged from the Ural Mountains to pacifism, we both came up with some twisted stuff. Take a listen and voice your opinion on the superior creation with our brand new forums! No letter from Tom this week due to a hard drive failure but we got a good anecdote and of course, shout outs.

Shout Outs:

  • Darken: A D&D web comic of a group of evil adventurers being, well, evil. Not stereotypical ‘I am going to tie this woman to the railroad tracks’ but more of a ‘I am a selfish bastard who really only cares about himself and I will do whatever it takes to survive.’ A breath of fresh air when compared to the typical goody-good heroic adventures that populate D&D themed works.
  • Minus: A brilliant fantasy web comic of a little girl with godlike powers who uses them for her own amusement. A modern day Little Nemo in Wonderland with a touch of the Twilight Zone.
  • Wonderella: Superhero themed comedy doesn’t get much better than Wonderella.
  • The Secret Life of Elevators: A man gets stuck in an elevator for 41 hours. No, it’s not a joke. It’s an essay on elevators, life, and the existential dread that hangs over our heads. A great read.
  • F-22 Raptor: A flight sim where you can drop a nuclear bomb on a city. This is a good thing.
  • Lichcraft: An Oblivion mod adding new adventures and the ability to become a lich. If you play Oblivion on the PC, you should get it.
  • Pyramid Head: Another Oblivion mod. Put Pyramid Head in the game. Because you know, those other demons and monsters in the game? Total pussies. You want Pyramid Head. You NEED Pyramid Head.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:17 — 34.6MB)

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