A Drink to the Past

Crow talks Game Awards with us and I drink the most alcohol-flavored cocktail yet!

Seriously, do people read the descriptions?   But anyhoo, we totally had an epic-ass conversation like we always do.  There's a twist appearance from Nick partway through!

This week we go over NooznBooz and read a weird-ass fanfic.  Dramaticishly.

Drink to the past is back with a tabletopic that'll make you question your morals! Or rather, whether you should buy licensed games or make homebrew content. Plus we talk awesome open world video games! Check us out on YouTube if you'd like to watch some gameplay of me sucking at Quake while we're at it!

This week's Video Game topic will be about limitations vs. indispensable items, and for the tabletopic we have the question of whether or not it's appropriate to just reskin tabletop games to make them do what you want. Is that appropriate? How much is too much? Find out on the next episode of Drink to the... oh, nevermind, it's actually this episode!

Custom characters or good characterization? Do you have to choose? Check out our discussion about customization of #TTRPG/#VideoGame characters on #DrinktothePast! Also we got an invader this week, stay 'til the end to hear a little about #TEWAH from @davewayne09  

Check out our conversation on splitting the party and achievement hunting!  This week we're back with the eighth best episode we've ever had!

We recount all the big announcements for E3 this past week, check out our special guests on Twitter, @DaveWayne09 and @GIF_Bluehawk!

E3 predictions abound after a longish intro with the Nooznbooz!  Follow our special guests @Shabazzle and @Crowbirdcannon on Twitter and Twitch for epic streaming content!

This week we have a shorter show featuring Jack from Cobblepath Games!  You can find him on Twitter @TeaCrusading.   The tabletopic takes center stage for us as we talk about the core philosophies of designing tabletop systems as well as homebrew content!  Join us if you've ever wanted to design your own content and maybe we have some good ideas to steal!

After a lengthy Nooz'n'Booz segment, Chris and I had a grand discussion about multiple endings in video games and how to end Tabletop RPG campaigns.  Drink along at home and let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter!

This week we're all about deadly, dying death!  The most cheerful of topics!  We recount several TTRPG character deaths we found memorable, as well as giving our thoughts on permadeath in video games.  Check us out on YouTube for a LIVE version of the podcast every Friday night, with fun gameplay from an eclectic mix of different games!

We are joined by two incredible guests as well as a photobomb at the end from my brother who saw people chatting in Discord and jumped in without realizing we were recording a podcast! Our guests are the wonderful Celeste from Boss Rush Network and Another Zelda Podcast, as well as the hunk-o-saurus, Andy Spiteri from Zelda Dungeon's Champions' Cast, Virtual Theatre, and Omega Metroid Podcast.  We had an epic KONGversation about our favorite Donkey Kong games and what we'd like to see in a new DK that may or may not be upcoming.  Drink a barrel-aged beer along with our shenanigans at home!

Sorry for the late posting, this was recorded a few weeks ago but we had an issue with the audio we had to figure out.  This week Chris showed me the ropes in a few bot matches in DOTA 2!  If you would like to see the entirety of our gameplay along with this discussion of the game and its mechanics, you can check out the YouTube version instead.

We are joined by our good buddies, ChipznStix and Usmania!  You can check out Chipznstix.com for all kinds of gaming opinions and news, and Usmanial writes with Spamoman (your glorious host) at TGPZgaming.com and TwoguysplayingZelda.com!  Chech out both of our guests, they provide a ton of incredible fan content! The discussions this week are nooznbooz for way too long, followed by our favorite waifus and husbandos in video games, and anime that would make good tabletop RPG content.  Hear our thoughts as well as a few too many wild tangents, and don't forget to drink along at home!

For our hundredth episode blowout, we sat down with our good buddy Chance (@NorcalMythos) and we played LokDown, which is a new expansion to Carbyne Jungle coming soon!  The system is an anime-inspired tabletop RPG, and can be used as an expansion to the original, or as its own system without need of purchasing extra books.  Check them out on Kickstarter now!   http://kck.st/31lhqxj

We began a chapter in a piratical adventure that may eventually become more than a one-shot!  We were joined by our good friends Kevin O'Rourke (@Shabazzle) and Crow (@Crowbirdcannon) and we played some absolutely insane Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons.  Kevin plays the minotaur pirate captain, Crow plays a sellsword minion, and Chris literally plays the rest of the crew.  Come see what happens when they meet a quest-giver who finds himself in a pub where the barman hasn't been seen for three days.  Mystery and action ensues in this actual play segment!

The podcast got cut off awkwardly because my PC ran out of space.  For the last five minutes of the podcast, please check out the replay on YouTube!   The discussion this week is all about playing multiple games at the same time, plus powergaming in tabletops:  How to effectively deal with it as a GM!

This week we did an actual play session with David Wayne Nystrom, who you can find @davewayne09 on Twitter, as well as read his fanfiction content on Zeldadungeon.net.  The one-shot was written by Sean and our regular guest Crow last year on the podcast, go check out that episode if you're curious how these shenanigans came to be!

Drink to the Past is a podcast about video games and tabletop RPGs featuring a new craft beer review every week! Come chat or drink along at home with our weekly live streams! Today I think my brother is coming on the podcast but I'm not sure! Our video game topic will all be Nooz'nBooz this week since we're reacting to a lot of announcements from the recent State of Play and Pokemon Presents.   1:24:15 The tabletopic will be about a particular trope among player characters spending their gold unrealistically. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you'll be warned every Friday night when we go live! Also, Chris brings a thing is back, timestamp 2:01:30.

This week Chris is out and I chat up our good friend Crow (@Crowbirdcannon on Twitter, and one of the FourPlayers on YouTube) about the greatest Nintendo Direct announcements including Teen Girl Squad: DC Super Heroes Edition, some Danganronpa-like thing, and a few obscure, weird titles nobody cares about like Splatoon 3 and Skyward Sword HD.  Drink along at home and leave a comment about which of our opinions are incorrect!

This week we are joined by Seumas the Kilted Gamer, check him out on YouTube, Twitter @TheSeumas, or TGPZGaming.com!   We had to skip the tabletopic this week because of technical issues, but we had a good conversation about camera angles in different games across the ages, and Chris disconnected part way through.  Bear with us through these difficult times!  : P

This week we just live streamed Undertale, so the audio version might be a little wacky!  We start the episode with Nooz'nBooz as always, however, and that part suffers much less from a lack of video than Undertale gameplay.  Listen for a great discussion on gaming news if nothing else, and we will be back to the normal format next week!

This week we talk a long time about the customization of NPCs, enemies, and bosses in tabletops; how much is worth it?  Our video game topic is about character customization.  Should there be more aesthetic customization?  More mechanical customization?  We don't know! We were also joined this week mid-podcast by Kevin O'Rourke, check him out on Twitter @shabazzle and find him on Twitch by the same name.  Tweet at him and tell him to come back on sometime!

This week we play the game you can find here: https://play.aidungeon.io/   AI Dungeon is a completely computer generated choose-your-own-adventure text game with surprisingly intelligent AI that was able to put up with our bullshit and deal back the wacky antics at our pace!  Listen along for a hilarious adventure about a cyberpunk cop who keeps learning weird stuff about himself the whole adventure!

We got a lovely guest on this week, mister David Wayne Nystrom (@DaveWayne09 on Twitter)!  The conversation is all about the best use of dice in Tabletop RPGs, and we predict what might happen with the video game landscape of 2021.  Don't forget to subscribe and share!

We kicked off the year with a stream of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light over on our YouTube channel, check it out if you're interested!  The conversation this time is all about what we've been playing in our 2 week break from the podcast.  Titles include Tetris Effect Connected, Star Wars Squadrons, Nights Into Dreams, Among Us, and more.  Drink along at home and remember to check us out live every Friday on YouTube!

This week we go over our favorite systems and give them awards in tons of categories. looking for a TTRPG with great customization? Or one that serves well as an intro for new tabletoppers? Check out our suggestions here, and let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree with us! Also be sure to look up A Drink to the Past on YouTube where we are live every Friday night, and we stream a game while we're at it!

This week we discuss the big Game Awards as well as giving out own favorite games we've played this year, regardless of release year.  Join us for a great discussion, and come back next week for our Tabletop Game Awards!   Timestamps: Whatcha Playin'?: 5:12 Nooz'nBooz: 19:55 Video Game Topic: 1:21:33  

This week is all about Age of Calamity, spoilers included!  We are joined by @UsmeeNo and @DaveWayne09 from TGPZGaming.com and Zelda Dungeon to discuss the ins and outs of the new game, from story to mechanics to IS IT CANON?  If you'd like to avoid the spoilers, feel free to click off after the Nooz'nBooz, and remember you can join us LIVE every Friday on YouTube!   Video Game Topic:  Age of Calamity Spoilers: Timestamp: 26:00

This week we got our first live stream comments and they were hilarious and sexual!  In other news, we had some great conversations about gaming spinoffs, as well as possible spinoffs in tabletop gaming; how to keep your campaign fluid even if you mix campaign worlds between play groups or have multiple instances of characters gallivanting around the same world.   Timestamps:   Tabletopic: 26:50   Video Game Topic: 43:00

This week we started live streaming our podcasts on YouTube, check us out there every Friday night at 9:30pm mountain time!  The topics for this week are about co-op difficulty and keeping secrets from some of your PCs but not others.  Check us oud and drink along at home!   Timestamps: Whatcha Playin'?: 3:10 NooznBooz: 11:00 Tabletopic, Keeping secrets or having aside sessions with part of your play group: 40:00 Video Game Topic:  Balancing Co-Op games for different skill level players: 1:04:45

This week we got our good buddy Crow on, and he unboxed his PS5 right on the Podcast! We also had a great discussion about this generation's console launch, my early impressions on Xbox Series S, and other console launch memories over the ages. Be sure to check us out on Podbean or Apple Podcasts as well! Timestamps: Nooz'N'Booz: 11:22 Video Game Topic: What was the best upgrade from one gaming generation to the next, and what are some of our favorite memories of console launches? 31:51

This evening we sat down for a LONG time with our good friend and returning guest Taylor Wells (@GIF_Bluehawk) and newcomer David Wayne Nystrom (@DaveWayne09) to talk all about Breath of the Wild!  Check out our thoughts on the Age of Calamity trailer as well in the Nooz'nBooz today!   Timestamps:   Nooznbooz: 15:40 Video Game Topic, Why Breath of the Wild has the best story ever (Or doesn't, and we also talk about the music and sound design): 45:00 Another Video Game Topic, What Every Game Should Learn From Breath of the Wild: 1:41:00

What do you get when you cross three of the FourPlayers with Drink to the Past? One crazy episode full of derailed conversations and TOO MUCH BOOZE FOR CROW TO HANDLE! Tweet at them to let them know you want them to come back sometime! Timestamps: NooznBooz: 13:15 Video Game Topic, how much to change a game for a rerelease: 33:33 Tabletopic, How much Change Should a TTRPG System Undergo to Justify a new Edition?: 1:13:45

Today we juggle the crazy conundrum of what systems of progression work best for video games as well as tabletops! It's kinda the same topic this week for either, just our thoughts on whether we like level up systems versus item and powerup progressions, or in tabletops how PCs and enemies should progress differently. Give us a listen, and subscribe and share for your chance to listen to us again later! I'm not so great at hocking our shit. Timestamps: Whatcha Playin': 2:15 NooznBooz: 10:05 Video Game Topic: 38:38 Tabletopic: 1:10:15

The next generation of gaming is upon us!  Special Guest Breath of the Lyle joins us (check him out on Twitter, YouTube and Twitch) for a discussion on our favorites for the start of the generation as well as predictions for the eventual "winners" of the console war. For tabletops this week, in the Nooz'nBooz, Chris and I both react to the Curse of Strahd Revamped release date, and in our tabletopic the three of us discuss what could come of companies like WotC "remaking" older tabletop systmes!   Timestamps: Whatcha Playin'?: 2:40 Nooz'nBooz: 12:30 Video Game Topic: 52:23 Tabletopic: 1:23:40       To find out more about Worlds Without Numbers, which Chris has been talking up for a little while, check them out on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1637945166/1832103406?ref=4ssngr&token=5002e614

This week we are joined by Kevin O'Rourke, The Lovely Skip, and our recurring guest, CROW!  Our topics are mostly the Nooz'nBooz, but also light touches on our video game topic, CONSOLE EXCLUSIVES and our Tabletopic, system of choice and what would it take to make you change?  Drink along at home, and check us out on YouTube for exclusive Sonic '06 footage!

Have you ever wanted to listen to three guys talking about whether or not to let players in a tabletop revoke a decision?  Well now you can!  Plus other stuff, check us out here, and on YouTube or Apple Podcasts! Timestamps: Whatcha Playin? 3:10 NooznBooz, inlcuding recactions to the Nintendo Direct and PS5 Showcase: 25:40 Tabletopic, When should a GM let players retract a decision?: 1:04:10 Video Game Topic, How much trial and error to make a balanced experience?: 1:28:50

This week's episode is dedicated to the games we love where we fight one guy and the ones we love where we fight a billion!  The conversation began because of a new announcement in the Nooz'n'Booz segment, check it out!

This week is all about what genres work well in tabletops and video games, and what genres are overrated or underrated for each.  Drink along with our returning guest Crow, check him out with his new group, the Four-Players on YouTube!

Are cliches in video games a bad thing? How about tabletops? We explore how they can appear in both mediums, and whether it's always bad, or when it can be avoided altogether. Listen along, here's the timestamps for particular topics, so jump around to your heart's content! Nooznbooz featuring various leaks as well as Nintendo's Indie Showcase: 10:20 Tabletopic, cliche class personalities and mechanics: 20:30 Video game topic, when to forgive cliches in a game: 58:00

Have you ever given your PCs way too much gold? Have you ever stocked up on a buttload of Hearty food in Breath of the Wild because everything else is less useful? This week we talk about those things as well as adjacent topics, join us, why don't ya?   Whatcha Playin'?: Timestamp 2:00 NooznBooz: 16:00 Video Game Topic, exploitable mechanics: Timestamp 30:40 Tabletopic, How much gold is too much?: Timestamp 54:21

Should games have a good hard mode? How do you make a good hard mode? We don't know either, but let's have the discussion! We go over difficulty in video games as well as tabletops, join the conversation by leaving a comment! This week features our recurring guest Nick, as well as Taylor Wells (@GIF_Bluehawk on Twitter and Twitch) returning for the first time in forever!

This week we have on a special guest, Kevin O'Rourke, check out our conversation about when and how much we should incorporate skill checks into a tabletop game!  We also co over how much video games should focus on story versus how much they should focus on gameplay and mechanics.  Drink along at home and we'll have a great time!   Timestamps: Whatcha Playin'?:  9:25 Nooz'nBooz: 19:30 Tabletopic, Skill checks and when to use them as the GM: 29:40 Video Game Topic, Story vs. Mechanic ratio: 55:00

Hear our thoughts on what makes a great video game world and what makes a great tabletop world, should it be handcrafted by the DM/game designer or made by a corporate publisher/RNG? Hear out our opinions and comment with your own, or whine at us on Twitter! Whatcha Playin'?: Timestamp 9:00 Nooz'nBooz: 16:55 Tabletopic, Published campaign worlds vs. those handcrafted by the DM: Timestamp 1:09:30 Video Game Topic, Procedurally generated worlds vs. Handcrafted worlds: Timestamp 1:30:30

This week is all about open vs. linear gameplay, and hub worlds vs walkabout tabletop campaigns! Join us for a riveting conversation about The Last of Us Part 2 as well! Whatcha Playin'? Timestamp 7:20 Nooz'n'Booz Timestamp 21:00 Tabletopic: Walkabout campaigns vs. hub campaigns Timestamp 35:20 Video Game Topic: Open World vs. Linear World design Timestamp 1:08:05

This week we talk about all our various experiences playing tabletops AND video games in person vs. online! There are pros and cons to both, but they are different for tabletops than video games. Why's that? Come hear our thoughts! Check the timestamps below for individual topics if you like as well! Whatcha playin'?: Timestamp 3:15 Nooz'nBooz: Timestamp 16:05 Tabletopic, Online vs. in-person gaming: Timestamp 22:40 Video Game Topic, Online vs. couch co-op: Timestamp 50:20

Sean's Camping this week so YOU GET THE PODCAST A DAY EARLY! Lucky you! See our timestamps to choose the topics you want to hear about most and leave a comment below to be entered for a chance to win a virtual high five! Whatcha Playin'?: Timestamp 3:30 NooznBooz: Timestamp 16:10 Tabletopic, How to Balance Players' Abilities to Take Rests: Timestamp 26:45 Video Game Topic, Great Outdoor Adventure Simulations: Timestamp 54:41

This week is a couple topics we've covered vicariously through other topics in the past, but we do a deep dive this time! What makes a video game replayable and what keeps players invested in your campaigns? Come hear our thoughts, and if you want you can skip to a specific topic with the timestamps below! Whatcha Playin'?: Timestamp 7:10 Nooz'nBooz: Timestamp 16:00 Video Game Topic, What makes a game replayable?: Timestamp 41:10 Tabletopic, What keeps you invested in a campaign?: Timestamp 1:12:35

This week we have just Chris and I for a riveting discussion on platformers, new and old, as well as our favorite supplemental manuals for Tabletop gaming!  Let us know if you liked Super Mario 64 or Banjo Kazooie, we apparently have mediocre to half-assed feelings about them.  Check us out on YouTube as well!   Timestamps:   Whatcha Playin'?: 4:00 Nooz'nBooz: 25:00 Video game Topic, 2D vs. 3D platformers: 31:13 Tabletopic, our favorite supplemental handbooks: 1:11:50