New Level Cap Podcast

Episode 49 (Recorded on December 11)Holiday Gift Guide: CLICK HERE!A Robot Named Fight on Steam: CLICK HERE!A Robot Named Fight on Switch: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“A Dev Named Matt”Summary:Marco brings in a guy named Matt Bitner, creator of A Robot Named Fight, for an initerview. Peek into his mind and see how we collaborated to bring Fight into Exceed!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 48 (Recorded on December 10)Join our Discord: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Jackie’s Clues”Summary:In this experiment on an updated format for 2020, Marco brings Jackie in to talk about her life, her work, and some stuff she did in Japan for Level 99 Games! Hear all about that and more on this episode!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 47 (Recorded on December 5)Watch the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVc5HceJnuESend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Character Design Stream”Summary:Marco and Brad design a character requested by you, our fans! Watch as we go through the process of character design for Exceed. If you’ve ever wanted to see it happen, now’s your chance!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 46 (Recorded on November 26)Get Exceed Shovel Knight: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Aggro Economy”Summary:Marco takes you on a magical journey of understanding how you can keep your economy while still being aggressive in Exceed. Is it going to be about Wild Swings? It probably is! Listen to Marco's 5 Point Guide to Aggro Economy!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 45 (Recorded on November 19)BattleCON Unleashed: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Update Unleashed”Summary:Brad is back from paternity leave, so we're doing a throwback episode where we just catch-up and talk about stuff. We also talk about BattleCON Unleashed and Marco's experience as the new BattleCON project lead.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 44 (Recorded on November 4)Treasure Box: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Making Characters”Summary:Marco gives you an easy 5 step guide to the process of creating a character for BattleCON or Exceed! From understanding the core experience to iteration, listen on to learn how you too can create awesome characters!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 43 (Recorded on October 29)Halloween Bundle: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Exceed Speed Curve”Summary:Marco asks D, AKA tirankin or Daniel Zeiger for short, to talk about Exceed's Speed Curve. This concept is present throughout all of Exceed's design and informs how cards and characters are made! Find out more in this episode!The Speed Curve is a relationship between Range and Speed. At certain ranges, attacks are expected to have a certain amount of Speed to be considered "average" or "on-curve".The Speed Curve becomes the basis for Exceed's basic meta: Fast Attacks VS Slow Attacks VS Mid-Speed Attacks.A good understanding of the Speed Curve and the attack meta it informs will give you a glimpse into how characters are made!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 42 (Recorded on October 22)Back BattleCON Unleashed: CLICK HERE!BattleCON Base Analysis: READ HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Base Pentagon”Summary:Marco brings in BattleCON Balance Lead Daniel Honig to talk about the Base Pentagon. Many BattleCON players know that it influences a lot of the game's interactions, but did you know that it also affects how we design cards for the game? Find out more by listening!The Base Pentagon is the way that BattleCON's Base cards interact with one another.This, essentially, serves as a summary of the game's key interactions.An overwhelming majority of cards in BattleCON are made to interact with the Base Pentagon in different ways.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 41 (Recorded on October 15)Back BattleCON Unleashed: CLICK HERE!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Project PlanningSummary:Brad is here to talk to us about Project Planning. A more educational episode is in store for you today, listener! Find out how planning can help you multiply your work's efficiency!Project Planning is an important organizational tool that allows us to better keep track of our goals, metrics, and contingencies.Each Project is headed by a Project Lead who is the driving force behind the project. It's their job to make a Project Plan.Having a properly-made plan can help amplify your work's effectiveness and gives you room to iterate.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 40 (Recorded on October 9) Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/pGKntT4 Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28 “Exceed Q&A” Summary: Marco has Daniel on the show to answer some of your burning Exceed questions! How do we beat Plague Knight? When is Exceed Shovel Knight coming out? Listen to this episode to find out more! 1. We answer your Exceed questions! This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed! You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify. Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 39 (Recorded on October 1)Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/pGKntT4Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Hunters of the Church”Summary:Brad gives us the details on Seventh Cross: Hunters of the Church! We talk about the game's overall structure, its story mechanics, and the monster combat!Seventh Cross: Hunters of the Church is a "legacy-like" game, comprising of 3 10-hour adventures.The game makes use of opt-in storytelling, which lets the players delve as deep as they want to, while also rewarding those who take the time to find secrets.Combat is deadly and visceral with monsters that can easily one-shot you. Managing the monster's aggro is important to success.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 38 (Recorded on September 24)Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/pGKntT4Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“News 99 (September 25)”Summary:Marco and Brad give you the information you want! We talk about the status of our current projects, updates on the Level 99 Games office, and even sneak peeks into new, unreleased games!Marco and Brad have some updates and small announcements regarding the new office, organized play, and more.It seems most of our current projects are on track.As for the future projects, listen to find out!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 37 (Recorded on September 17)Get BattleCON Fate for ONLY $5: Buy Now!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Kickstarter Fatigue”Summary:Brad and Marco talk about the process of getting a game to Kickstarter. They also focus on Kickstarter Fatigue. Why do people feel this? What are the pitfalls that often lead to developers and customers feeling this way? Watch this episode to find out!Getting games to Kickstarter is all about processes and Level 99 Games has its own process.Kickstarter has been a positive influence to the boardgame space, letting creators make passion projects that might not have seen the light of day.However, sometimes, creators get ahead of themselves and keep making projects without first finishing a previous project, which can easily lead to customer fatigue.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 36 (Recorded on September 10)Get NOIR Automata for ONLY $5: Buy Now!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Licensing Q&A”Summary:Marco invites Jackie back for another round of questions from YOU! How do you sign licenses? What are some considerations you have to make when signing them? Why is Marco singing Christmas songs? All this and more on this episode of the podcast!You asked your questions and we answer them! Simple as that!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 35 (Recorded on September 3)Get Sellswords Olympus for ONLY $5: Buy Now!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Role-Playing Games”Summary:Marco and Brad take on the roles of podcast hosts who talk about RPGs. Whether it be rocket-propelled grenades, or Rated PG, these hosts are gonna roll some 20's and hopefully crit their way to proper explanations!The term RPG has evolved to mean many things over the past few years, but for this podcast, let's talk about narrative/story-focused games that one can play with their friends, often using nothing more than pen, paper, and their imaginations.Rather than classifying games based on their core resolution mechanic, it's probably better to talk about them in terms of their focus. Is it combat, story-telling or something else entirely?Brad talks about Mystic Empyrean, an RPG from Level 99 Games where the main focus is crafting; be that the world or your characters!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 34 (Recorded on August 26)Pre-order Shovel Knight: Click Here!Get Professor Treasure for ONLY $5: Buy Now!Send your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Shovel Knight”Summary:We told you you'd dig it! Shovel Knight's been announced, so Chris and Marco go on a deep dive. What are the season updates? How do the characters play? This and more on this episode!Exceed is expanding and we expect to have Shovel Knight done and shipped by Q4.We introduce special changes to this season, including character-unique card backs and force specials!Chris and Marco break down their top 3 favorite characters from Exceed Shovel Knight.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 33 (Recorded on August 20)Get Empyreal Now: https://www.level99games.com/shop?category=EmpyrealJoin our Discord (for Organized Play) here: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“EVO 2019”Summary:You asked for it! Marco brings on Chris to talk about EVO. Find out the future of EXCEED, some funny stories, and what the most OP move in Rock-Paper-Scissors is on this episode!EVO was great and we spent a lot of time doing demos of EXCEED.Chris spent some time competing in a tournament and has some stories about the VIP booth.Expect to see a lot of things for EXCEED in the future!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 32 (Recorded on August 12)Get Empyreal Now: https://www.level99games.com/shop?category=EmpyrealJoin our Discord (for Organized Play) here: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Gen Con 2019”Summary:Brad's back from Gen Con and Marco's here to ask him about all the stuff that happened! What does one do at Gen Con? What did Brad do at Gen Con? Why was he in the box!? Listen to find out!Gen Con is often a time to show off what we have and meet with all sorts of people.Brad spent a lot of his time in meetings.Overall, there's a lot of exciting things that we can't wait to tell you all about.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 31 (Recorded on August 6)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Marco Mailbag”Summary:It's the Marco Mailbag (half) Hour! Since everyone was at Gen Con/EVO, Marco did this podcast by himself! He answers some of your hot-baked questions. We hope you like his answers!Marco answers your questions!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 30 (Recorded on July 29)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Organized Play”Summary:Time to get organized! Marco brings on organizer master D AKA tirankin (or Daniel Zeiger for short) to talk about organized play and how you can start your own scene. Tips, tricks, puns and memes await you in this episode!Daniel has been doing Organized Play over at Madness in Texas for over 2 and a half years.Simply put, Organized Play is a program where you can play games, and earn rewards while doing so, but it can be so much more rewarding than that, especially for the organizer.Remember to find an arrangement that works for you. Organized Play is about playing games you enjoy with others. It's not some sort of job/responsibility.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 29 (Recorded on July 22)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Inspiration in Design”Summary:What inspires you? Brad and Marco bring in Julian for a talk about what influences affect our game design and world building. What things did we take from to make the world of Indines? What are the state of our current game projects? All these and more in this episode!When we design, our influences are often numerous. For example, the World of Indines itself drew a decent chunk from properties like Final Fantasy, Fullmetal Alchemist, and even Harry Potter!Inspiration, whether we like it or not, is often the impetus we have when entering any creative endeavor.It is therefore important to be aware of one's possible sources of inspiration; not only to have a "reserve" of cool ideas, but also to avoid simply copying what already exists.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 28 (Recorded on July 17)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Reads VS Logic”Summary:Brad and Marco discuss the concepts of reading and logic in the context of fighting games, especially our games: EXCEED and BattleCON. Is one better than the other? Listen to this episode and find out!Reads-based players are often characterized by playing moves after guessing what the opponent’s move is. The point is that they play on mix-ups and capitalize on opponents being predictable.Logic-based players don’t have time for those things. They play the best card in the correct situation. They tend to like overly safe moves and “punish” people for not playing “optimally.”It’s an understanding of your player and your game. Reads VS Logic might not be the paradigms your game revolves around, but the mere identification of the paradigms in your game is important.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 27 (Recorded on July 10)Pre-order Empyreal: https://tinyurl.com/BuyEmpyrealEmpyreal Video: https://youtu.be/giFNjBpqiGwSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Empyreal Discussion”Summary:Marco and Brad bring on Trey, designer of Empyreal, to talk about the game's current status and when it's shipping. Listen to this episode for fun, weird board game pitches, and Marco constantly calling people the wrong name!Empyreal's factory proof came in and it looks great. You can watch Brad and Trey unpack it here: https://youtu.be/x5PzHnl0vdoEmpyreal should be hitting your doorstep by October, based on our estimates.There were some decently major gameplay changes made to Empyreal in the last update (such as preventing you from building your 3rd row until the 2nd row is finished). These were done to facilitate a better and more fun game experience.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 26 (Recorded on July 2)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSend your questions here: https://forms.gle/5UN3AHay437FkDE28“Lore Mailbag”Summary:Marco brings in lore master Julian to answer some of your hot-baked lore questions! We discuss the "core principles" of the World of Indines and get to the hard-hitting questions such as "Who would win in a fight between Greyheart, Malephaise, or Batman with infinite prep time?"As a world, Indines tends to bring focus on a character's individuality. Each character is unique and has their own stories to tell.In line with this, Indines also highlights that one's alignment or virtue is a choice one makes. There's no such thing as an "evil" race. Individuals are good or bad based on their actions. Everyone can be redeemed, but everyone can fall, too!This brings us to the last point. Characters aren't static. They evolve and change, much like real people do. The annoying snot-nosed bratty character in one game could easily be the "wise sage" a few games down the line.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 25 (Recorded on June 25)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Development Burnout”Summary:Marco and Brad answer a listener question about burnout. What is burnout and how is it "plaguing" our modern world today? How does it apply to the work of game development? What are the things we can do to help deal with and avoid it? All these and more on this episode!Burnout is something that anyone who has worked will understand. Frustrations and stress build up to the point where you no longer feel like continuing.In our work, this often comes during the development phase, where a lot of work is put into constant iteration and the testing of said iterations.Ultimately, it's important to remember that work, even game-related, isn't all there is to life. A balanced, healthy lifestyle can help avoid burnout. However, should you actually need help dealing with it, there is absolutely no shame in seeking help from a medical professional.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 24 (Recorded on June 17)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Design & Development”Summary:Marco and Brad try out something new. In this episode, we answer a fan-submitted question about design & development. How does the development process affect a game's design/concept? Does a design get shaped by the development process? Find out by listening!In short, one of the main reasons behind development is to help iron-out the game's design.Many of our playtesters will be able to tell you that some things in our games exist primarily because they found/pioneered an emergent strategy that was kept by the development team.While this can be good, a lack of clarity can lead to a lot of confusion and lost direction.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 23 (Recorded on June 12)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Licensing Expo”Summary:Brad’s back from Licensing Expo! Marco’s here to ask all the hot-baked questions about what happened. Who did they talk to? What’s a Licensing Expo? What happens there? Will we make Trolls EXCEED? Find out by listening!Licensing Expo is an event where brand-owners talk to manufacturers.Given that we’re in the board gaming space, things can be quite tough, considering that most brand-owners expect you to produce a large number of units.We talked to a lot of brands, including Konami, the Rubik’s Cube people, Dark Horse, and more!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 22 (Recorded on April 16)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Future Development”Summary:Brad and Marco go to a simpler time, where our podcast was more about updates and us rambling about Level 99 Games for a bit. In this episode, we discuss EXCEED licenses, future game development, as well as our hopes for some Level 99 Games products.EXCEED is going to be receiving yearly releases with each release being around 12-14 characters.To help with this, we've also begun creating dev tools to help in creating and balancing our games, including an EXCEED card interaction simulator.We're excited for the future of Level 99 Games, including Pixel Tactics Adventure, our new EXCEED Seasons, and much more!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 21 (Recorded on May 28)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“BattleCON Rules Talk”Summary:Brad and Marco give you a sneak peek into the things we're doing for BattleCON Unleashed. This includes exciting fixes and clarifications to the rules and graphic design of the game. Plus, listen to find out how trying to create the "final" version of a game can be challenging, but rewarding!Given that this is a good chance for us to do so, we're doing a wording and templating pass across most, if not all, BattleCON's cards.The goal of these changes are mostly to improve the game's clarity and consistency. We want you to not have to wonder about how an effect resolves, so that you can get back to playing ASAP.We're standardized a lot of the wording and have included new Keywords that are just more intuitive. For example, "move directly" is now called "Teleport", easily conveying the type of movement it actually is!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Join our Discord (for Organized Play) here: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjOFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aSummary:Marco brings in lore extraordinaire, Julian, to talk about the importance of stories in games as well as the challenges behind bringing the lore of BattleCON together. Ever wondered who'd make a great buddy cop duo? How about the nature of jeans in Indines? Listen to find out!-Story can provide context, reward, and investment in a game. Making sure you have an interesting and engaging story is key to getting players into your game.-BattleCON Unleashed and the grand chronicle have led to the need for the scattered Indines lore to finally be collected. There's a lot of things, and not everything will "make the cut" so to speak.-There's a lot of things we never expected or even realized, including small tidbits like a large number of our characters being actually fan-made!All images belong to their rightful owners and we do not claim ownership over them!VISIT THE LEVEL 99 GAMES WEBSITE FOR MORE COOL CONTENT: https://www.level99games.com/Listen to us on your favorite podcasting app:-Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/new-level-cap-podcast/id1449047304?mt=2-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tsojCqGOMZt5ofBs5Fzhi?si=lT-pT2zpS42U3eK1TqRBRQ-Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Imhs7onkptbo6qwiz43y3fylgha?t=New_Level_Cap_PodcastFind us at:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Level99GamesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/level99games/Tumblr: http://level99games.tumblr.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Lvl99games/Official Site: https://www.level99games.com/

Episode 19 (Recorded on May 13)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Pixel Tactics Development”Summary:Marco and Brad talk about a game we don't talk about often enough: Pixel Tactics! Find out about its history, how it developed from a "one-off" mini-game to one of our longest-running series. We discuss the challenges of this transition and some of the development thoughts that go into the game's balance.Pixel Tactics was originally a stand-alone game in our mini-game library. It has since become a long-running series with at least 5 games and more to come in the future!This led to a few "growing pains" that have colored the game's development. The first game introduced a variety of powerful effects that were hard to build-on. This is compounded by the lack of an internal balancing mechanism (like Mana in typical card games).In the end, the way Pixel Tactics developed meant that we had to get creative with how we solved problems, resulting in a game system filled to the brim with fun combos and an emphasis on card advantage and tempo.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 18 (Recorded on May 8)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“BattleCON Balance”Summary:Marco enlists the help of lead balancer Daniel to talk about balancing BattleCON. What is our goal when adjusting a character? Is it important that they're all S tier tournament viable? What do we usually look at when balancing? Find out the answers in this episode!The goal of balance is to make everyone viable; not exactly tournament viable. Some match-ups may be 40-60's or 30-70's, but your player skill can still influence the final outcome.Generally, BattleCON balance falls in the middle of "have a kit that can deal with anything" and "have a kit that emphasizes your strong gimmick."Characters like Kaitlyn, Arec, and Ottavia have been fixed and are looking balanced, while certain characters like Sagas continue to present a problem in terms of balance and clarity.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 17 (Recorded on April 30)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjBranching Paths (Seventh Cross Narrative Episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdgaXNXZZ0U“Delivering Experiences”Summary:Your good good design boys, Brad and Marco, talk about crafting and delivering a good gaming experience. How important is it to a successful game? Is trying to provide the widest experience the best way to go? Find out by listening to this episode!The experience IS the game. If you do not nail it down just right, it will be hard to say that you've made a good game.Be focused. Understand the experience you want to provide and trim anything that doesn't contribute to it.In the end, remember the following: it's about providing the experience; not an emulation. You create a game that gives people the joy of playing Dark Souls. You don't make a game that tries to exactly replicate every piece of minutia that Dark Souls has.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 16 (Recorded on April 23)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Branding & Licensing”Summary:Brad and Marco talk about creating a good Brand that you can feel good about Licensing to others. Learn all about how a good, consistent set of guidelines can ensure that your IP remains faithful to its source material. All this and MORE in this episode!A good IP starts with something cool that "explodes" into something that fans love and want to make part of their lives.A solid and consistent set of guidelines means that you don't lose sight of the image you want to be associate with your brand. It also means that merchandisers and the people you license to will keep your image intact.Licensing your IP means that you're extending your reach. Needless to say, make sure you license to partners that make sense. Mortal Kombat featuring Elsa from Frozen wouldn't make anyone particularly happy outside of the laugh you'll have from the sheer absurdity.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 15 (Recorded on April 15)OFFICIAL Newsletter: https://lvl99games.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04f7e7faf4142bab287bb1d50&id=089a873e3aDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Games as a Platform”Summary:Brad is back! He and Marco talk about games as a platform. If you're a fan of a "game series" like Pokemon or Dark Souls, then you'll definitely know what we're talking about. What makes a game a good platform? What are the advantages and pitfalls? All that and more on this episode!A game is a platform when it continuously builds content on top of a pre-laid-out system (think of Pokemon or BattleCON).A game must first be a platform before it can become a service. A game that is not mutable, updateable, or extendable is usually hard to turn into a service.One must remember that there is a certain expectation to be met, but this must be balanced with a healthy dose of innovation to keep a platform fresh.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 14 (Recorded on April 2)EXCEED Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Exceed/DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Community in Games”Summary:In this episode, Marco has Jackie guest for an episode all about Community! How can a community enhance the game experience you provide? How can you build and design your game to help it form a Community? All this and more on this episode!A Community is a group of individuals who share a common interest. For this podcast, let's say that it's games or gaming!A great Community can extend the life and "content" of your game through a variety of means: guides, discussions, fan art, and more!Designing your games to have a "low barrier of entry" is crucial to forming larger Communities. Be inclusive with your design.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 13 (Recorded on March 27)EXCEED Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Exceed/DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice”Summary:In this episode, we’ll talk about a recent game that came out and how we’re enjoying it. This week, the topic is “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” by From Software, the developer of some of the games we hate to love (AKA Dark Souls)Sekiro is a character action game that blends the "stealth creative takedown" system of the Arkham games with Bloodborne-esque samurai sword combat.It is most definitely not Dark Souls 4, Bloodborne 2, or Tenchu 2 Electric Boogaloo. It is its own game and should be taken as such.Sekiro's use of a predetermined protagonist, as opposed to a custom character, give it a few advantages in its story, presentation, and game design.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 12 (Recorded on March 20)DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Games as a Service”Summary:Brad and Marco talk about games as a service. If you've ever subscribed to an MMO or bought into a Season Pass, you'll know what we're talking about. Are these as bad as people say they are? Listen to find out!Games as a Service may be looked at as a modern way of developer-customer relationship where players pay for the "service" of being able to play the game.Ideally, this set-up is ideal for everyone. Players keep getting more content for their favorite games and developers have a continuous revenue stream.However, things aren't always like this. When developers use this tool to exploit their players, it can result in a lot of the bad things that many modern gamers dislike about games.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 11 (Recorded on March 18)DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Replayability”Summary:Brad and Marco talk about making the most of your game's content with replayability. This is a topic near and dear to us at Level 99 Games, so give it a listen!Replayability is the gap of time between learning a game and mastering it. When you stop learning or experiencing new things when you play, the game is "over".You can add more replayability by using variable set-ups, differences in play, and post-game content.Replayability has its down-sides: it doesn't allow for a catered or guided experience, possibly making it hard for newer players to enjoy.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 10 (Recorded on March 7)Millennium Blades Kickstarter: https://goo.gl/fk4VqgDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“News @ 99”Summary:Marco and Brad give you the Level 99 Games news and all things otherwise! Learn about our current project status and our plans for future games!Millennium Blades was a smashing success and we want to involve our fans in more design-related aspects during our projects.Empyreal and BattleCON Unleashed face some delays due to art.Future projects are coming, including more Pixel Tactics and Seventh Cross!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 9 (Recorded on Feb 28)Millennium Blades Kickstarter: https://goo.gl/fk4VqgDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Co-Op In Games”Summary:Marco and Brad talk about cooperative games and how coordination becomes very important in delivering a good experience! Listen to learn more!Co-op games are usually fully-cooperative or semi-cooperative.Some cooperative games simply take a single player game and “chop it up” to increase the number of players.This can be problematic as the full information means that an “alpha player” can step-up and essentially play the whole game for everyone.Truly great cooperative games require players to coordinate in order to achieve their goals, making “alpha players” less of an issue.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 8 (Recorded on Feb 21)Millennium Blades Kickstarter: https://goo.gl/fk4VqgDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjFollow John at: https://twitter.com/DasBriegerPre-order Cartographers here: https://www.thunderworksgames.com/cartographers.html“Playtesting”Summary:Marco and Brad bring on special guest John Brieger to talk about playtesting and certain practices you should consider when doing it!Invitation - Getting the right testers and considering your target audience is important.Direction - As the moderator, it is important that you’re testing with a purpose in mind.Reception - Understand that your players always give you good feedback. Just don’t take it at face value. Learn how to dissect it and get to the core issues.Iteration - Playtesting is about doing things again and again. However, remember that big sweeping changes aren’t the only way to iterate. Small changes matter, too!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 7 (Recorded on Feb 8)Millennium Blades Kickstarter: https://goo.gl/fk4VqgDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Game Difficulty”Summary:Ore no turn! Marco goes full Yu-Gi-Oh while Brad breaks the embargo on Dark Souls and Kingdom Hearts in order to talk about game difficulty. How do you adjust difficulty in your games? Listen to find out!All games will have difficulty in them, to varying degrees. Whether we choose to manipulate and consider it in our designs is up to us. Hint: You probably should.There are 3 “common” kinds of difficulty: Number Difficulty, Skill Difficulty, and Route Difficulty. Implementing them correctly is important as they could easily lead to frustration.Your game’s difficulty can be looked at in two ways: are players mean to bump against the difficulty or to ride with it? That is to say: is it Dark Souls or Kingdom Hearts?This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!You can also just visit our page on some popular podcasting apps: Apple Music, Google Play, and Spotify.Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 6 (Recorded on Feb 5)Millennium Blades Kickstarter: https://goo.gl/fk4VqgDISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Matrices & Payoffs”Summary:Brad goes full Donald on this new episode! He and Marco talk about Decision Matrices and how they are informed by the various "benefits" or "payoffs" you get from giving certain inputs!All games make use of this structure. Player inputs are "fed" into the decision matrix and there are assigned payoffs mapped to those decisions.Matrices & Payoffs ultimately determine how people choose to interact with the game. Certain huge payoffs may incentivize a certain type of play.This can be a good tool for adjusting the play experience without inherently changing the mechanical interactions between entities in your game.This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 5 (Recorded on January 30)Millennium Blades Kickstarter Preview: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/level99games/1480130203?ref=645213&token=1c9cc4c7DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Headwinds & Tailwinds”Topic List:What are Headwinds and Tailwinds?What are some examples?How can they positively/negatively impact an experience?Can’t listen right now? Download a copy of the show outline by CLICKING HERE!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 4 (Recorded on January 25)Millennium Blades Kickstarter Preview: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/level99games/1480130203?ref=645213&token=1c9cc4c7DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Transmedia Adaptations”Topic List:What are Transmedia Adaptations?What are some examples?Case Study: Batman.Can’t listen right now? Download a copy of the show outline by CLICKING HERE!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 3 (Recorded on January 16)BCO on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/792570/BattleCON_Online/DISCORD LINK (ORGANIZED PLAY): https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Flexibility of Use”Topic List:What is Flexibility of Use?What are some examples?What are their advantages?What are their pitfalls?Can’t listen right now? Download a copy of the show outline by CLICKING HERE!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 2 (Recorded on January 9)BCO on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/792570/BattleCON_Online/DISCORD LINK: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj “Branching-Path Mechanics” Topic List: What are Branching-Path Mechanics? How are they used? What are their advantages? What are their pitfalls? Can’t listen right now? Download a copy of the show outline by CLICKING HERE! This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed! Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 1 (Recorded on December 29)BCO on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/792570/BattleCON_Online/DISCORD LINK: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYj“Purpose in Design”Topic List:-What’s a Design Philosophy?-What’s our Design Philosophy?-Who is the typical Level 99 Games fan?-What are we going to make in 2019?-What is this show?Can’t listen right now? Download a copy of the show outline by CLICKING HERE!This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed!Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 99 (Recorded on November 27)BCO on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/792570/BattleCON_Online/DISCORD LINK: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSubmit Questions here: https://goo.gl/forms/7QYgcANChHORLIfF2 "The Cringe is the crave.” Songs in Japan Marco and Brad countdown their Top 5 Podcast Moments Level Cap Podcast will come back next year with a new a format Your questions answered and our news delivered This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed! Music provided by Wesley Slover

Episode 98 (Recorded on November 20)BCO on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/792570/BattleCON_Online/DISCORD LINK: https://discord.gg/XKY2aYjSubmit Questions here: https://goo.gl/forms/7QYgcANChHORLIfF2 "Okay, we’re done.” Marco sings even more openings! Game Club: Exploration Games The Pipeline: Planning for Level 99 Games Brad has taken a more data-driven approach Brad’s plans for the following year are now more informed by data from a recent survey The most “popular” Level 99 Games game would be a Co-Op Dungeon Crawl set in Indines We have lots of projects in the works, instead of just one or two Your questions answered and our news delivered This blog supports an RSS Feed which you can add to your podcast app of choice to automatically get each episode as it releases! Here's a link to the feed! Music provided by Wesley Slover