Let's Talk About Wargames

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Join Joe and Jack as they talk about wargames, the history behind the games, the culture around them, and anything else wargame-adjacent!

letstalkaboutwargames


    • Sep 13, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 23 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Let's Talk About Wargames

    Ep. 22 - The Dread Terror of DLC

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023


    It's another Very Special Episode as Joe and Jack talk about CA's price increases, DLC bloat, and the negative direction gaming (and society) is going in terms of money. Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Join our discord: https://discord.gg/FJFfnwe6

    terror dlc dread smooth lovin
    Ep. 21 - Lightning Mid-2023 Reviews

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023


    Jack and Joe return from the harsh summer's heat to bring you news of all the latest wargames, and whether you should play them or not. There is a recurring theme. We didn't plan that. Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Join our discord: https://discord.gg/FJFfnwe6

    lightning smooth lovin
    Ep. 20 - What is a Wargame?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2023


    Jack and Joe finally draw a line in the sand and decide once and for all what makes a wargame. Maybe. Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    wargame smooth lovin
    Ep. 19 - Let's Talk About 40kGames

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023


    Joe and Jack are back! This episode is all about 40k, and the wonderful games it has brought us, as well as some of the... not so wonderful games. Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 18 - We're Back! A Hiatus Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2023


    Joe and Jack return from the cruel winter of their discontent, hardened but stronger than ever. In this episode, the guys talk about all the wargames they've played over the last year. There are some new faces here, but some older ones too. Join our discord:https://discord.gg/B9rERJCbcY Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    hiatus smooth lovin
    Ep. 18 - We're Back! A Hiatus Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2023


    Joe and Jack return from the cruel winter of their discontent, hardened but stronger than ever. In this episode, the guys talk about all the wargames they've played over the last year. There are some new faces here, but some older ones too. Join our discord:https://discord.gg/B9rERJCbcY Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    hiatus smooth lovin
    Ep. 17 - Civil War Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022


    We're back! Joe and Jack talk the best American Civil War games, some that are more kind of meh, and apologize for the long hiatus. there were good reasons, mind you. Check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutwargames Link to the announcement of the charity stream: https://twitter.com/smoothestjaz/status/1555657815838150657 Join our discord: https://discord.gg/Vxk8srhC2g Usual musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 16 - LTAW's Game(s) of the Year, 2021 Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021


    It's here! Our first ever GOTY deliberation, in podcast form! Both Joe and Jack discuss some contenders and bestow the honors of LTAW's inaugural GOTY awards. Usual musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 15 - Intro to Wargaming with Minis

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2021


    On this episode, Joe explains miniature wargaming to Jack, who is a newcomer to the world of tiny men fighting on tables. Links to games and places mentioned in the episode: GamesWorkshop Kill Team: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-CA/kill-team-chalnath-2021-eng Underworlds: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-CA/whu-harrowdeep-2021-eng Age of Sigmar: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-CA/Warhammer-Age-of-Sigmar Warlord Bolt Action: https://us.warlordgames.com/pages/bolt-action-start One Page Rules: https://onepagerules.com/ Little Wars TV: https://www.littlewarstv.com/ Song of Blades and Heroes: https://www.songofblades.com/ As usual, musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 14 - Gamers Delenda Est (w/ Sarah It Came From the Sea)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2021


    Joe and Jack are joined by Sarah of "It Came From The Sea" to discuss some truly bad things happening in the gaming community recently. We gotta do better, everyone! Thanks to musical talent: Local Forecast - Slower by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3988-local-forecast---slower License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 13 - American Military Adventurism/ The 50 Cent Extended Universe (w/ Joe Kassabian)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2021


    Joe and Jack are joined by Joe Kassabian of the Lions Led by Donkeys podcast to talk about everyone's favorite current event: the forever war! We discuss how games cover active conflicts, both in decent and in absolutely terrible, horrible ways. As always, musical thanks: Local Forecast - Slower by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3988-local-forecast---slower License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 12 - Wargames, by EUGEN (w/ Justin Pyke)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2021


    Joe and Jack are joined by Justin Pyke, a historian with a focus on interwar Japan, but more importantly: experience with the Eugen Wargame series. Join us as we talk about what makes these games tick, and what makes us tick about them (it's the community). Find Justin here: https://twitter.com/CBI_PTO_History Musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 11 - PDXCON and Victoria 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2021


    PDXCON just happened and we're here to tell you about the Wargame-y goodness that came out of it... oh and a lot of discussing about the new game that came out. How could we not? Grand Strategy is adjacent to wargames, don't @ us. Donate to the Trevor Project for Pride month to support LGBTQ+ youths who need your support: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ Also, we now have a Patreon! You can check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/e74ckea. As usual, musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 10 - Dr. Nyri Bakkalian and the Boshin War in Games

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2021


    Joe and Jack are joined by Dr. Nyri Bakkalian to discuss the Boshin War, a largely untapped goldmine for any kind of content, let alone wargaming content, along with some discussions of academia as it is nowadays. Join our discord: https://discord.gg/KnjnT5yQAc As always, special musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 9 - The Death of the Author OR Conscientious Wargaming

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2021


    Joe and Jack talk about the death of the author in wargaming and hell, why not some other things too? Don't look up the name of H.P. Lovecraft's cat. Or do, we can't stop you. In relation to things we talked about, go check out Lindsay Ellis and Contrapoints' videos on JKR. Join our discord: https://discord.gg/B9rERJCbcY. As always musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 8 - Colonialism, Age of Empires, and Learning from Wargames

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2021


    Joe and Jack are back to talk about a nice light, non-controversial topic with very mild takes on it. Colonialism is a hell of a drug. Also, Joe is wrong about what music plays for the Russia faction in Civ 6. Join our discord: https://discord.gg/B9rERJCbcY. As usual, musical thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 7 - Interview with Morgane Gouyon-Rety

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021


    Joe and Jack are joined by Morgane Gouyon-Rety to talk about her experiences as a conflict simulation (not wargame) designer, as well as her experiences in the wargaming community. Also, P-500 her new game! https://www.gmtgames.com/p-891-hubris-twilight-of-the-hellenistic-world.asp, https://www.gmtgames.com/p-572-pendragon-the-fall-of-roman-britain.aspx is also good. Special thanks, as always, to our musical benefactors: Local Forecast - Slower by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3988-local-forecast---slower License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 6 - No One Seems To Know What Professional Wargames Are

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2021


    Hey again and happy new year! We're back to talk about some bad takes on wargaming from the "Op-ed" sphere, along with some other relevant topics that are special surprises. Here's the articles we mentioned: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-11-16/u-s-china-and-the-covid-19-vaccine-race?cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-view&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=view&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_medium=social&sref=htOHjx5Y, https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-edmundson-americas-and-war-connection-20140824-story.html, https://taskandpurpose.com/news/china-invasion-conspiracy-theory/. Here's a link to the video we mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBfx5_thw8A As usual, special thanks to Kevin McLeod: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. And last but not least, the book we cited: Wojtowicz, Natalia. Wargaming Experiences: Soldiers, Scientists and Civilians. J10 Gaming, 2020.

    Ep. 5 - Medieval Warfare in Wargames (and games about war)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2020


    Joe and Jack are back with a deep look at how games portray the nebulous medieval period.The results are all over the place, so buckle up and get ready for us to talk about the dirtiest men you've ever seen fight in a mud pit for 800 years. Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: the Calamitous 14th Century. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2017. Keen, Maurice. Medieval Warfare. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 1999. Rosenwein, Barbara H. Reading the Middle Ages : Sources from Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic World. 2018. Archer, Christon I. World History of Warfare. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2002. Froissart, Jean, and J. E. A. Jolliffe. Froissart's Chronicles. London: Harvill Press, 1967.

    Ep. 4 - Horror and Wargames

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2020


    On this special spooky Halloween episode, Joe and Jack talk about horror and wargames, how some games fail to use it, and some fail to use it but not as bad as the others. Special thanks: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

    Ep. 3 - "Clean Wehrmacht" Myth and Morality in Wargames

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2020


    Joe and Jack have a very special episode today about the "Clean Wehrmacht" myth, and how the Wargaming community has been shaped by it and similar lines of thinking. The tl;dr here is that the Nazis, believe it or not, are bad. Additional sources: https://www.ushmm.org/antisemitism/holocaus1t-denial-and-distortion/evidence-documentation-holocaust (for you Holocaust deniers), Shepherd, Ben. "The Clean Wehrmacht, The War of Extermination, and Beyond" The Historical Journal, 52, 2, (2009), 455-473 (the academic source we cited), and as always, thanks to Kevin Macleod: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Ep. 2 - Shogun 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2020


    Joe and Jack take a look at the authenticity of Shogun 2 v. the accuracy of the game, as well as looking at a few pieces of media that influenced Shogun 2 or were influenced by it. Here are the folks and references we mentioned in the show (please let us know if you want us to drop your @'s below): Kevin Fox: @michigrimk on twitter, https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/09/world/cia-spent-millions-to-support-japanese-right-in-50-s-and-60-s.html Germaine's board games: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/287515/chinas-war-1937-41 https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/38827/battle-china-1937-second-edition https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/187009/shanghai-incident-1932 https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7267/warlords-china-disarray-1916-1950 https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/281457/manchukuo Dr. Nyri Bakkalian in her appearance on Lions Led by Donkeys, the episode in question can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/user-798629330/episode-109-shogun-2-the-last-samurai-and-western-misconceptions-of-japanese-history-ft-dr-nyri-bakkalian Dr. Bret Devereaux Special thanks, as always, for our theme: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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    Ep. 1 - The Second Sino-Japanese War

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020


    Welcome to the first episode of Let's Talk About Wargames! In this episode, Joe and Jack discuss the Second Sino-Japanese War and why it's practically uncovered in wargames. Spoiler: it's controversial! Special thanks to Kevin MacLeod for our (tentative) theme, credit below: Smooth Lovin by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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