The Shade Chamber: a Genshin Impact Podcast

The Natlan AQ episode will arrive a little later. For now, enjoy this ep where the churls argue which Archon Quest installments were good! Agree? Disagree? Drop us a comment! To support the podcast: ko-fi.com/theshadechamber

Genshin Impact's Fontaine was a mixed bag. As a group of podcasters with various degrees of AAA game industry experience, we are here to close the curtain on a flawed but often brilliant chapter of Genshin's development history. In this episode, let us bid adieu to the land of Focalors and turn to the blazing sun. Why are we sick of lore? What succeeded and what didn't? Did Arlecchino steal Furina's hair? Will Kujou Sara get her hot dog? This time, on The Shade Chamber: a Genshin podcast. TIP JAR: https://ko-fi.com/theshadechamber TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ShadeChamberPod ___ 00:00 Misc News and There Is No W In Tengu 08:41 French and other irl inspirations for Fontaine 27:58 The theme of Justice, and where it went wrong 40:54 Spicy Takes: Lore Burnout and Cannibalism 52:48 Arlecchino 1:04:42 Fontaine Wins, Fontaine Bingo 1:16:27 Wrap-up and Road To Natlan

Discord: https://discord.gg/wYFbcr9PcD The churls have plenty to say about the writing and gameplay of the Fontaine and Version 4.X World Quests. Plus, the winner of our annual Golden Teppei award! 00:00 World Quests 2:44 Narzissenkreuz 10:46 Chenyu Vale 16:09 Remuria 22:12 Wrap-up and Golden Teppeis

The churls reflect on some of the changes we've seen occur over the last year of Genshin, including a new endgame mode to free us from the shackles of Spiral Abyss. What this means for the Genshin meta - or "metas", rather - and why you're probably using that word wrong in the first place. Also, what the heck was Chronicled Wish? This time, on The Shade Chamber. 00:00 Chronicled Wish (remember that thing?) 04:29 Early Game Changes & QoL 08:33 Imaginarium Theater and The End (and Beginning) of Meta

Join our new Discord! bit.ly/shadesofteyvat In partnership with fellow Genshin podcast Tales of Teyvat! Go check them out! The churls started off this season of The Shade Chamber discussing the writing of the Fontaine Archon Quest. Now as we prepare to depart Fontaine, we're looking at the region and the 4.X patches of Genshin Impact from a game design perspective. What could have been better? What could have been a lot better? And what was really great? Join us in the first of 3 episodes in our Fontaine Finale series. 00:00 Allons-y Fontaine 8:08 Underwater Gameplay 21:42 Fontaine Overworld 36:48 HP Mechanics & Bond of Life

This episode we sent our beloved green gigachurl Break to the first Genshin Impact Podcast Summit Jeopardy competition! A huge thank you to Tales of Teyvat for hosting and producing this episode, it was an absolute blast facing off against them, Genshin Guys and The Resonance. Looking forward to the next collab!

Ready for patch 4.6? We're not! Let's take a quick rewind and revisit a the history of Lantern Rite, the new zone, Chenyu Veil, and play up two-month stale memes. Join us for 45 minutes of Liyue laughs (ugh), and ask yourself: Who in the cast has been co-opted by malignant forces? 00:00 -- Opening 03:13 -- Previous Lantern Rite Recaps 07:12 -- Lantern Rite 2024 19:26 -- Receiver of Friends From Afar - Our worst segment yet ?? 29:42 -- Chenyu Vale 43:12 -- Closing

Just a normal episode for a normal live service game podcast that has always been about Bluey.

Sorry guys, this ep was muted by our publisher, probably for ID'd audio. We had no idea until some listeners told us. please tell us in the Q&A section if this version's audio works or not.

Join the Churlmen as they board the Astral Express, and give their thoughts on the first few months of Hoyoverse's latest wallet hunter: Honkai: Star Rail! MAIN EPISODES: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQBtjtx5pxJjCeQDppskmE4GSIl0520wR TIP JAR: https://ko-fi.com/theshadechamber TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ShadeChamberPod ___ 00:00:00 -- Intro 00:09:29 -- Lore and Leigion 00:15:11 -- Characters 00:33:31 -- Herta Space Station 00:45:52 -- Belabog 01:03:14 -- Xianzhou Luofu 01:07:33 -- A playable character snaps her own neck on screen == Or == Tingyun 01:15:31 -- Gameplay 01:20:30 -- Fluff 01:30:13 -- Closing

Beefy tells you what's up in advance of The Shade Chamber Season 3!

The full force of 8 Genshin theorists pile into the Opera Epiclese and discuss the Fontaine Archon Quest: its ups, its downs, its way downs, and its butts. Now in glorious video format on spotify and yt. Thank you so much to Tales of Teyvat for joining us in the Shade Chamber for this most French of Archon Quests. We had a blast collabing with you and hope to do so again in the future! 00:00 Welcome To The Show 05:09 Fontaine AQ Hot Takes 32:58 Neuvillette & The Dragon Sovereigns 49:14 Furina, Focalors & Celestia 1:12:00 Arlecchino, The Harbingers & The Fatui 1:23:25 Childe, Skirk, & The Realm Beyond Teyvat 1:35:06 Concluding Thoughts

video version coming soon! In this episode, 8 people talk about Genshin Impact for several hours, but only one remembered that Arlecchino beat up Furina in an alleyway. Is it justice to let the Fonch people melt? Was Momoyo's quest a mistake? What piece of new lore is so terrible, Beefy is going to pretend it never happened? And most of all, how do you pronounce "Oratrice Mechanique...." ahhh forget it. Thank you Tales of Teyvat for collaborating with us! We churls have been wanting to hang with you guys for a while, and the conclusion of the Fontaine Archon Quest was the perfect excuse. We had an absolute blast of a time, and we hope our listeners will too.

-Tip Jar ⁠-Twitter Hi you guys! We have a whole episode in the works that's supposed to go before this one. but we wanted you to have our pre-Fontaine ep in time for your evening commute! We can't rearrange eps, so the only solution was to publish this one temporarily, then delete it (and reupload it) once the intended previous episode is released. Please enjoy, pardon our jank, and see you in Fontaine!!! 00:00 Genius Invokation TCG (aka "Gwent's In Impact") 04:50 There's No "W" in "TENGU" 10:24 Transmedia: Genshin x Ufotable anime, Astra Carnival & IRL Events 20:22 Sumeru Report Card 43:54 4.0 Preview Thoughts, Hype & Shade 48:48 FONTAINE BINGO 01:09:09 Final thoughts

The citizens of Sumeru's deserts and rainforests represent 5000 kilometers' worth of real-world cultures, each with their own rich history, folklore and tradition. Join Grand Sage Amir [Twitter: Boram76] and the Churlmen of the Shade Chamber as we delve into the many inspirations of Sumeru, look at how these cultures are portrayed by the outside world, and examine Genshin Impact's good, bad and ugly handling of cultural representation in the Sumeru region. This episode is a preview of "Sumeru 101", a spinoff series hosted by The Shade Chamber & Amir about the real-world cultures behind Genshin's most diverse, and most misunderstood, region. ___ 00:00 Intros 11:36 What ARE the cultures in Sumeru? 19:56 Sumeru: The Dharma Rainforest 27:32 Sumeru: Akademiya & The City 34:13 Sumeru: The Desert 40:02 Characters: Dehya 43:13 Characters: Nilou 58:32 Dori & Orientalism 01:13:36 Fatal Flaw: Colorism 01:22:12 Fatal Flaw: Portrayal of Racism 01:32:24 Sumeru's Successes 01:44:22 Takeaways

The Genshin Podcast Summit comprises four Genshin podcast hosts that have gathered around Rosalyne, sharing their experiences and discussing the state of Teyvat. This episode may be the final Celestial nail in the coffin. The Resonance: A Weekly Genshin Impact Podcast - https://discord.me/theresonance  Genshin Guys Podcast - www.genshinguys.com The Shade Chamber - https://linktr.ee/theshadechamber  Tales of Teyvat - https://beacons.ai/talesofteyvat    Music Used: Sangonomiya Kokomi Demo Trailer Theme Extended | Epic Version - Cover/Remix by brittle bear https://youtu.be/G2hG-5aF8Ck Shenhe Demo Trailer Theme Extended | Epic Version | "Crane in the Wild" Trailer Soundtrack - Cover/Remix by brittle bear https://youtu.be/20HPqjj6jL4 All Genshin 2.4 Character Music Compilation | 1 Hour OST Mix | Epic Version - Cover/Remix by brittle bear https://youtu.be/9WnTEWWcs64 https://www.twitter.com/brittlebearm https://www.instagram.com/brittlebearmusic/ Original music by Yu-peng Chen and HoYo Mix

This Sunday, August 6th, 2PM PDT on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Rvf0kE2II We hope to see you there!

DOWNLOAD: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15Tcv... This was the "silly little gift". Now, some of these tracks are spiced up in post, but honestly, none of us actually know how to make music. We're just 5 idiots with an algorithm playing Dollar Store SiIvagunner. But these dumb little bangers have entertained us on our journey through S2 of the podcast, and we hope you enjoy them as well. TRACKLIST: 00:00 01. Faruzantae 03:02 02. Friend Like Collei 04:33 03. Port Ormilton 06:55 04. Prisoner In The Forest 09:05 05. Käärämouche 11:39 06. Sumpter by Sumpter 15:03 07. Candance With Me 16:35 08. Talk Dendro To Me 18:38 09. The Divine Damsel of Decathlon 20:40 10. I Got 5 School Of Inazuman Swordsmithing On It 24:42 11. Unbreak My Pines 27:25 12. Swirls of Puttar

Continuing from ep. 16, the Churls and Aster look at the ploys that Genshin pulls to get paid. Last time was all about casino-like gameplay mechanics and sensory immersion, but this time we look at the good old gacha game tenets of parasociality, peer engagement and FOMO. Come for the otaku anthropology, stay for the Paimon impressions. 00:00 Social Media & FOMO 04:49 Intro to Parasociality 08:07 Designing Sellable Characters 12:16 Voice Actors and Parasociality 15:10 Fandom for Profit 19:39 Takeaways THANK YOU for supporting us on youtube and podcast platforms. we have a couple more eps we want to get done before Fontaine, so lend us your energy. Keep an eye out on our youtube channel for our upcoming livestream and our 1K subs gift to our beloved Hiluminati! Further reading: Patrick Galbraith: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/... "Against all odds: desire and monetisation in Japanese Mobile Games" https://digraa.org/wp-content/uploads... Kotaku interview with Genshin whales https://kotaku.com/genshin-impact-wha...

Join us in The Shade Chamber as we look at the tactics used by Genshin and casinos to influence their players! It's game design talk! It's history! It's 2 thwarted kidnappings! and IT'S HERE! This is only part 1 of our collab with  @ChillwithAster . Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss part 2! 00:00 Intro 06:08 Game Design: Flow State & Fun 07:52 Game Design: Time Gating 10:19 Casino Tactic: Abstraction of Currency 15:57 The Perils of Pity 19:16 Casino Tactic: Sensory Overload Recorded on April 22, 2023 TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ShadeChamberPod TIP JAR: https://ko-fi.com/theshadechamber Thank you to the following creators for letting us use their footage!  @ADAPTChance  Feens: https://www.twitch.tv/the_feenster  @ccrzone  ___ Preshow theme: Airport Lounge by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3347-airport-lounge License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

MAILBOX (or mailbox@shadechamber.com) TIP JAR (buy us a coffee!) The churls jet across the pond to the hype new region, England, and its accompanying story quest. This time there's no time travel, ghost pirates, or LARPing dictators, but this patch's Misfits-driven comedy of errors still delivers the hijinks. And there's an explosion. We break down the rhythm game segments, analyze the newest playable characters, Raya and Jetta, and discuss the deep Craig lore. This time, on Jemshin Impact. Recorded on April 1st, 2023 "Britrock" Story Quest full playthrough (no commentary) Thank you friend of the show Snekstation (on Twitch) for the rhythm game footage! ___ Jem is a product of Hasbro, all footage is presented under Fair Use Wardrobe sprite rips by Pranceatron Intro song is Ailad's Wonderland by tubebackr Music promoted by free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-ND 3.0)

This is a trailer for Spotify Video Podcasts. if you're not on Spotify, disregard, or enjoy the audio!

Transcript Part 2 of the Scaramouche discussion. Please excuse Beefy's sick voice lol Recorded on 01/21/2023 (Covering 3.3 content) ___ Ending theme: Talk Dendro To Me II - DJ Break Ending SFX by Vecteezy

Watch on Youtube Like the show? Tip us on Ko-fi! We did a combo discussion/watchalong for our special Lantern Rite episode. Because Lantern Rite's a special time. It turned out unhinged. ___ Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX and kid getting scolded photo by Vecteezy

(00:00) Intros and post-Louboutin Housekeeping (03:04) There Is No "W" in "Tengu": Ping Pong Party Special (04:42) Genshin Check-In: who was on our teams in 2022? (10:43) From Kabukimono to Wanderer: Scaramouche's Archon Interlude (15:09) Journey To The West: Buddhism and the Pilgrimage to Sumeru (21:09) What's In A Name: the biggest player choice in Genshin Impact (22:25) Mother Inferior: The Churls Slander Raiden Ei Again Recorded on 01/16/2023  (Genshin Impact version 3.4, but we only cover 3.3 content) Ending theme: Talk Sumeru To Me - DJ Break  Ending SFX by Vecteezy

Watch on youtube: https://youtu.be/J5PchoO3VSs My first scripted video! We won't be recording TSC ep. 13 for a while, but here's a little something to tide you guys over. ...Sorry not sorry. Have a great new year, Hiluminati, we'll see you in 2023! -Beefy Track list: -Return of Spring - Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST -Conversing with a God - Okami OST -Natural Life A - Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST -Theme of the Celestials - Okami OST -Colorful Flowers A - Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST -Scenic Beauty A - Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST -Magnificent Palace A - Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST -Issun's Theme - Okami OST -Neon Tiger - Purrple Cat trippy purple bg by Vecteezy all images not attributed, promotional or public domain fall under Fair Use for educational purposes Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

THE WEBSITE THE YOUTUBE SUPPORT THE CHANNEL and/or BUY CYNO'S FURSONA HERE https://ko-fi.com/s/c37020eec9 Rejoice, Hiluminati. The Churlmen of the Board have finally returned to the Shade Chamber, to put a neat little bow on our first foray into Sumeru. Honestly there is very little shade in this one. Sumeru was awesome. What have the devs and the writers learned since creating the last region? What do they still need to learn? And why was everyone so hot? No one knows. We attempt to answer. The Shade Chamber. Recorded on 11/19/2022, during Genshin Impact version 3.2. Hence, no Scaramouche interlude or Genius Invokation TCG. That'll be next time! ___ 00:00 A (Re)Introduction 05:00 Intro To Sumeru: overworld design after Inazuma 11:52 Welcome to the Jungle: Sumeru's rainforest ecology 16:08 Caffeine, Classes & Crypto: Sumeru society from village to campus 22:35 Dendro: The deckbuilding element 29:26 Cybertrunk 2022: Sumeru Archon Quest 36:57 It's Me, Ei, I'm The Problem It's Me: our favorite purple disaster does it again 39:33 Lesser Lord "Nahida" Kusanali: Teyvat's Okayest God 45:51 World Remember Me: Irminsul, Descenders & The Memory of Teyvat 50:49 Misc: new game mechanics and narrative tech 56:49 Misc: Traveler, The Not-So-Silent Protagonist 1:00 Misc: final thoughts, loving hating and simping (featuring the Golden Teppei Recipients of 2022) ___ Reddit thread about post-Archon Quest UI changes https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/ykuixi/the_impact_of_the_aq_is_huge/ trippy bg by freestockfootagearchive.com Lumine footage by @Potatozshara Ending theme: Swirls of Puttar - DJ Break Ending SFX by Vecteezy

This is just a trailer for Spotify Video. If you're listening to our podcast on an audio-only platform, watch it here, or just enjoy audio of Jeur rapping about Childe. Season 2 coming soon.

The churls finally cover Golden Apple, their thoughts on Sumeru, and a few other matters before The Shade Chamber adjourns for the season. We'll be back sometime after the Archon Quest, so keep an eye on our Twitter https://twitter.com/ShadeChamberPod for when we return. Thank you everyone who responded with thoughts about Sumeru's cultural representation. This is a fraught subject and not one that we're really qualified to talk about, but it is important to us. This is also in no way an attempt to show the "right" way to feel about how your culture appears in Sumeru. People are not a monolith and we had a very small sample size. We want to use this as an opportunity to platform and learn from marginalized groups, so please keep the dialogue going and don't hesitate to point out our inevitable screwups. But for now, we'll see you in Sumeru. _ 00:00 Intro and Housekeeping 01:44 Golden Apple Archipelago 2022: Welcome to Therapy Island 05:51 Embrace Your Cringe Destiny: Fischl's Journey 09:04 GAA 2022: other thoughts and development discussion 20:04 Fatui Harbingers: An Organization XIII For The Zoomer Era 27:32 Industry News & Current Events 37:42 Road To Dendro: 3.0 & Sumeru Speculation 47:26 The matter of cultural representation 53:55 There's no cute name for this chapter, just please be normal about this 01:03:12 Closing Remarks Recorded August 15, 2022 (ver. 2.8) _ Articles Cited: https://www.thegamer.com/unity-criticised-for-merging-with-known-malware-distributor/ https://www.gamerbraves.com/tower-of-fantasy-team-apologizes-after-caught-using-honkai-impact-3rd-assets-in-newest-pv/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/wiyz7k/in_a_few_weeks_from_now_genshin_impact_will_be/ Tower of Fantasy ID Debacle Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HO-ARvYQVE Shirtless Childe art: https://www.reddit.com/user/quitboot/ Genshin Times Square Jumbotron footage: https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/rtdxsq/guess_what_i_saw_on_the_largest_jumbotron_in/ Germany Pavilion at Epcot Center photo by deror avi Coffee shop, billboard and forest fire media by Vecteezy Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

You might not wanna play the second segment in public. blame/thank us later. For our coverage of 2.8 we've spent 2 episodes covering pre-2.8. The Chasm is the last one. Also we did audience Q&A's for this one and had a good ol' time. If you enjoyed our werk, please consider subbing and if you can, share us with friends! We're niche little guys out there just looking to find fellow passionate overanalyzing memelords. _ 00:00 The Chasm: Bringing Geo back to Liyue 4:40 No Fortunate Son: The story of the Visionless 8:33 Perilous Trail (with takes hotter than Yelan) 15:03 Q&A: Favorite character gameplay/aesthetics 21:14 Q&A: Favorite past events/minigames 24:21 Q&A: Favorite weapon gameplay/aesthetics 30:20 Q&A: Future hopes for Genshin Recorded on July 24, 2022 (ver. 2.8) _ Shirtless Childe by https://www.reddit.com/user/quitboot/ VHS screen effect and Skateboard image by Vecteezy Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

The churls take a look at the Sea Greeks of Teyvat. There's Orobashi! There's Lore! There's Sneople! There's so much to cover before 3.0! Aaaaahhh!! We're big mythology nerds so this ep was a treat. If you enjoyed our werk, please consider subbing and if you can, share us with friends! We're niche little guys out there just looking to find fellow passionate overanalyzing memelords. More background on mistranslations of "The Heavenly Principles": https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Lore... _ 00:00 Enkanomiya: Premise and Mechanics 3:37 Comparative Mythology (Greek and Japanese) 6:35 Tangent Time: Hoyoverse's Bilingual Tengu Pun 8:15 Forbidden Lore: before Sun and Moon (with special guest The Titanomachy) 14:03 Istaroth: The God of Moments 16:21 More Like Tsurumi 2: Underwater Boogaloo 19:51 Goddess of Chaos: The Alice Stuff Recorded on July 24, 2022 (ver. 2.8) _ Queen Himiko illustration copyright: Newton Graphic Science Magazine “Nihon no ruutsu” Statue of Asclepius: Ken Russell Salvador Trojan Horse Jorge Láscar Tangent Time theme: Casa Bossa Nova by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3481-casa-b... License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

Sumeru's around the corner and there's a lot of Genshin to cover. First on the docket: the Irodori Festival event. Inazuma's borders are open, and the Churlmen of the Board head over to buy some doujins. We meet Ayato, forget the names of several Anemo users, discuss the Raiden Shogun's built-in DRM, and watch Kujou Sara take 3 separate L's. Which minigame got nerfed before release? Who's been bullying all the youkai? Find out on The Shade Chamber. 00:00 Intro & Housekeeping (State of the Chamber) 02:15 Irodori: Comiket & Country-Hopping 08:00 Iro-Story & Iro-Lore-y 11:43 Oh Right, There Were Minigames 15:51 There's No "W" In "Tengu" (or "Kitsune"): Anti-Bullying Edition Recorded on July 24, 2022 (ver. 2.8) _ Comiket & Fumigation photos used under CC 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

Mihoyo is dead, long live Hoyoverse. What does this mean for us, and why is no one talking about it? Come see what hot scoops the churls dug up, because the future, if the boyos from Hoyo have anything to say about it, is gonna be wild. Was Scapulagate an inside job? What do Hoyoverse's plans have to do with Beefy's cursed virtual past? How smug are the churls about predicting Ei's character arc? Which Churlman didn't realize that Cutwater Margaritas are two servings per can? This time, on the Shade Chamber. 00:00 Story Discussion: Interlude Chapter "The Crane Returns on the Wind" 05:59 Story Discussion: Imperatrix Umbrosa Act II "Transient Dreams" 16:35 State Censorship and Scapulagate 23:50 Industry Talk: Hoyoverse Expansion and Future Projects We did a ton of original research for both parts of 2.5. If you found it interesting, please throw us a review, or just recommend us to your friends. Recorded on February 21, 2022 (ver. 2.5) _ -Raiden quest footage & Ningguang shoulder pics: Streetwise Rhapsody https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3OvESMThc9sA0MzZwkpmhg Tangent Time theme: Casa Bossa Nova by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3481-casa-bossa-nova License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

2022 in Genshin is off to a prosperous start. Inazuma's Hot Pink Queen of Mean blesses us with her presence, the two new story quests were bangers, and Lantern Rite gave us more than we dared ask for. What's there to throw shade at? As always, plenty. Are new players screwed? What could be done to fix this? Is Beiguang real, or are shippers just crazy? Will the Churlmen of the Board ever figure out their technical issues, or just keep making new ones? This time, on The Shade Chamber. Thanks to @Chris Mayek for the interviews that inspired this ep's Culture Talk segment! You can check out more awesome VA interviews on his channel. 00:00 Sign-ons 01:13 We got Yae! 03:09 Design Talk: The New Player Problem 14:58 This Game Is Made On A 6-Week Turnover (And That's Insane) 18:30 The Chad Lantern Rite 2022 vs The Virgin Lantern Rite 2021 22:11 Culture Talk: Shipping Fandom and Otaku Media Practices, or "How We Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Beiguang" We did a ton of original research for both parts of Ep 3. If you found it interesting, please throw us a like, a sub, or just recommend us to your friends. We'd love to do more topic deep dives like this, so if you have any suggestions, please send a comment our way. Recorded on February 21, 2022 (ver. 2.5) _ -Doujinshi photo: Kana Natsuno, - CC BY 2.0 / cropped -Acrylic standee photo: Kana Natsuno, - CC BY 2.0 -Comiket photo: Guilhem Vellut - CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

Let us take you back to winter, 2021. While the greater Genshin fandom wonders, "Who is Albedo?", only the Churlmen of the Board dare to ask the real question: "Who is Jen Shin?" Now, 7 months after the fact, they finally have their answer. Also, we ponder how Genshin respects players' time in terms of story pacing, but not in terms of gameplay. Beefy and Rad get to flex their Japanese Folklore chops, and we take a long, loving look at the biggest jobber in Teyvat: our dear Kujou Sara. This time, on the Shade Chamber. 00:00 Story Talk: "Shadows Amidst Snowstorms" postmortem 05:27 Anniversary Controversary (and the very cool fan videos) 09:55 Culture Talk: Itto and Oni folklore 14:26 We complain about the grind for a hot minute and 20 seconds 15:45 There's No "W" in "Tengu": Inaugural Edition/overview of Sara's life Recorded on Dec. 12, 2021 (ver. 2.3) _ Spinning top footage: Ramsaur Films https://www.youtube.com/user/ramsaurf... Labyrinth Warriors & Kokomi quest footage: Potatozshara https://www.youtube.com/c/Potatozshara Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

The churls are unhinged in this one. But Labyrinth and Moonchase were awesome! Why can't more games just be Hades? Why don't writers do more with the concept of rocks? When will we figure out our release schedule? What the hell is a Keqing? _ 00:00 Sign-ons 00:52 Housekeeping and goalpost-moving 03:15 Labyrinth Warriors: The Funner Endgame 06:28 Design Talk: Constellations, and how gachas handle duplicate prizes 10:00 The Virgin Lantern Rite 2021 and the Chad Moonchase 2021 15:14 Industry Talk: how "fan service" can be more than just skeeze 20:05 We Love Cloud Retainer Recorded on Dec. 12, 2021 (ver. 2.3) _ Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

The churls look at inventory-based storytelling (through the lens of more dead people in Raiden's life), as well as some of the spicier topics surrounding Genshin's business model. Where's all the Signora lore from? Are leakers the equalizer in an exploitative genre? Why is Genshin bogged down with so many minor, but frustrating design choices? And most importantly, when's Chiyo? A huge thank you to Astruma2 (https://twitter.com/astruma2) for letting us use their gorgeous "Signora's Story: The Fair Lady" series in our video. Recorded on September 18, 2021 (ver. 2.1) _ 00:00 Inventory Storytelling pt. 1: Ei's Posse and Signora's Backstory 05:27 Sayonara La Signora (also, give us that catty) 10:52 Inventory Storytelling pt. 2 + Live Service Storytelling 12:33 Fandom Talk: The Raiden/Beidou Beta Blunder 13:52 Industry Talk: Raiden's release and MHY getting the most bang for your buck 16:00 Industry Talk: Leaker Crackdown & The Gacha genre's issue with transparency 21:44 Design Talk: Artifacts of the F2P genre, or "Little Ways That Genshin Sucks For No Reason" 24:07 Outro: Hopes and Dreams for the rest of 2.1 _ Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

In this special episode, the churls go hard on Inazuma, the 2.1 Archon Quest, and their new problematic fave, Raiden Ei. What has Mihoyo learned since designing Mondstadt and Liyue? How do you turn your season antagonist into a marketable character without making her lame? And how can the churls possibly defend "The Ei Date"? 00:00 What If It Was Purple?: The level design of Inazuma 08:11 2.1 Characters: Kujou Sara 11:15 Raiden Shogun: Leaked expectations 16:25 An Archon Antagonist 19:16 "Even the Blossoms Scatter": Lightning can never know Eternity 25:05 Tangent Time: "I haven't seen a body" 26:53 How we got a complex character & Mihoyo got a cash cow 34:00 Yae Miko: MVP (Most Valuable Pet) 36:21 Fatooey! 41:06 In defense of The Ei Date 43:22 "I will never change, I will never improve, that is a promise" 48:03 The Trinary Raiden Shogun: who Ei is, and what Ei isn't Recorded on September 18, 2021 (ver. 2.1) - Tangent Time theme: Casa Bossa Nova by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3481-casa-b... License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Ending theme: Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze Ending SFX by Vecteezy

Fresh off the 2.1 Archon Quest finale, the Churlmen of the Board introduce themselves, recount their personal histories with Genshin, and explain how Inazuma compelled them to finally start talking about this game. Recorded on September 18, 2021 (ver. 2.1) _ Ending SFX by Vecteezy Ending Theme - Purrple Cat - Neon Tiger - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/dx3wKApuVRQ - Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/SoothingBreeze