Podcast appearances and mentions of Bill Roper

How has the classical music industry approached representation and how has the new music community forged new paths to embrace diverse musics? On tonight's episode of Obbligato on APEX Express, Isabel Li is joined by violinist Shalini Vijayan, who discusses her vibrant career and reflects upon the ways contemporary classical music can build community.  Violinist Shalini Vijayan, deemed “a vibrant violinist” by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times is an established performer and collaborator on both coasts. Always an advocate for modern music, Shalini was a founding member and Principal Second Violin of Kristjan Jarvi's Absolute Ensemble, having recorded several albums with them including 2001 Grammy nominee, Absolution. Shalini was also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles' most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series, for Jacaranda Music and helped to found the Hear Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles.  Shalini performed for over a decade with Southwest Chamber Music and can be heard on their Grammy nominated Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 3. She has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Chinary Ung's Spiral XII and Tan Dun's Water Passion, including performances at the Ravinia Festival. As a chamber musician, Shalini has collaborated with such luminaries as Billy Childs, Chinary Ung, Gabriela Ortiz, and Wadada Leo Smith on whose Ten Freedom Summers she was a soloist. Shalini joined acclaimed LA ensemble, Brightwork New Music in 2019 and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays@Monkspace series, a home for contemporary music and performance in Los Angeles. As a teacher, she has been on the faculty of the Nirmita Composers Workshop in both Siem Reap and Bangkok and coaches composition students through the Impulse New Music Festival.  Shalini received her B.M. and M.M. degrees from Manhattan School of Music as a student of Lucie Robert and Ariana Bronne. As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, Shalini served as concertmaster for Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. She was also concertmaster for the world premiere performances and recording of Steven Mackey's Tuck and Roll for RCA records in 2000. Shalini was a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons and also served as Principal Second Violin of Opera Pacific. She lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.  Check out more of her work at:  https://brightworknewmusic.com/tuesdays-at-monk-space/  https://www.lyrisquartet.com/    Transcript  Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the APEX Express.    00:01:03 Isabel Li  You're listening to Obbligato, which is a segment about the Asian American Pacific Islander community, specifically in classical music.  00:01:11 Isabel Li  I'm your host, Isabel Li, and today joining me is Shalini Vijayan, who is a violinist, established performer, and always an advocate for modern music.  00:01:21 Isabel Li  Shalini is also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series for Jacaranda Music, and helped to found the Here and Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles. She joined acclaimed LA ensemble Brightwork New Music in 2019, and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays at Monk Space series. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs, and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.  00:02:04 Isabel Li  Well, Shalini, thank you so much for joining me in this conversation today.  00:02:09 Shalini Vijayan  I'm so happy to be with you.  00:02:11 Isabel Li  Awesome. I'd like to just get to know you and your story. How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  00:02:18 Shalini Vijayan  I use the pronouns she, her, and I. Um, I identify as South Asian. I grew up in an Indian family. My parents immigrated to the US in the sixties to teach at medical school. And I grew up with a great deal of Indian culture. And I've spent a lot of time going back and forth to India from the time that I was very young. You know, it's interesting because I feel like in LA, where I live and work specifically, there is so much overlap between all of our different musical communities. You know, I went to school in New York, and I feel like there I was much more, I'm very connected to the new music community in New York and felt really kind of entrenched in that at the time I was there. And after coming to LA, I realized that, um, there are a lot of musicians doing so many different things. That's one of the things I love about Los Angeles, actually. And, you know, I'm definitely very, very rooted in the new music community in LA. And that was where I made my first sort of connections when I first moved to Los Angeles. But I also, you know, worked in an orchestra when I first came to LA. I played in the Pacific Symphony for almost ten seasons, and so I became a part of that community as well. And you know, as the years went on, I also became much more involved in the studio music community of LA studio musicians playing on movie scores, playing on television shows, records, what have you, Awards shows, all sorts of things. And these are all very distinct communities in LA in music. But I see a ton of overlap between all of them. There are so many incredibly versatile musicians in Los Angeles that people are able to really very easily move from one of these groups to the other and, you know, with a great deal of success. And I feel like it gives us so much variety in our lives as musicians in LA, you don't feel like you're ever just in one lane. You can really occupy all these different kinds of spaces.  00:04:23 Isabel Li  Right, yeah. So you're classically trained, from what I know, and you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music. So why modern music?  00:04:33 Shalini Vijayan  That's a great question. I have have had to answer this question quite a bit over the years, especially to non-musicians. And it's always an interesting story for me. You know, as a violinist in particular, you know, we have such a storied history of repertoire and pedagogy, and there is such an incredible, um, library of music that we have access to from the very standard classical repertoire. And there is a great deal to be learned about the instrument and about music from playing all that repertoire. I think at some point when I was in high school, I started to become interested in more modern music. And actually I grew up in Davis in Northern California.   My parents both taught at the university there, at the medical school and in Sacramento. Nearby there was a festival of modern American music that I think still goes on to this day at Cal State University, Sacramento. And it was really a great festival. And at that time, you know, they would bring professional artists, they'd have composers, they'd have commissions, all sorts of things. But at the time that I was like in high school, they also had a junior division to the festival, and I was asked to play a couple pieces in the Festival of, um, Modern Works, and I can't remember at this time what the pieces were, but it left such a huge impression on me. And I think what I really took away from that experience as a kid is that in my studies as a violinist, I was always being asked to sort of live up to this history and this legacy of violin music and violin playing in Western classical music. And it's a very high bar. And it's, um, you know, of course, there's so much great stuff there. But there was something so freeing about playing this music that had either never been played or not been recorded. So there was nothing to reference in terms of listening to a recording, um, and listening to how you, you know, quote, should be playing it that it made me feel, uh, you know, all this, this freedom to really interpret the music, how I felt, rather than feeling like I had to live up to a standard that had been set for me, you know, decades or centuries before. And I think that really something really clicked for me with that, that I wanted to have that kind of freedom when I, when I was playing. And so from there on out, um, you know, when I went to college and I really sought out opportunities in new music as much as I could.  00:07:00 Isabel Li  So you were first exposed to new music when you were in high school. Did that influence your decision to become a musician at all? Or were you already set on becoming a musician and that was just part of what shaped your works over the years.  00:07:15 Shalini Vijayan  I think by that time, I had already decided that I wanted to be a musician. I mean, as you know, so many of us as musicians and I think particularly string players, we decide so young because we start our instruments at such a young age and we start studying so early. Um, that I think by that time I, I had decided I wanted to do music, but this sort of opened another door for me that made me realize that it wasn't just one path in music necessarily. I think it's very easy as a, as a kid and as a violinist to think you admire these great soloists that you see and, you know, people like Perlman and, you know, Isaac Stern, who were the stars of the time when I was growing up. But, you know, you get to be in high school and you realize that hasn't happened yet. It's probably not going to happen. And so, you know, what's then then what's your path forward? How do you find a life in music if you're not going to be one of these stars? And I think, you know, new music really opened up that opportunity for me. And yeah, made me look at things a little differently for sure.  00:08:18 Isabel Li  And currently you're in the contemporary classical music ensemble, Brightwork newmusic, and you curate the ensemble's concert series, Tuesdays @ Monk Space. So how do you go about curating concerts with music by contemporary or living composers? What do you look for?  00:08:33 Shalini Vijayan  Well, right now I'm really focused on trying to represent our new music community in LA at Monk Space, which is such, you know, we have such a diverse community of musicians, not just in the makeup of who the people are making the music or writing the music, but also in just the styles of music. And so I think I try to really represent a very diverse set of aesthetics in our season. Um, you know, everything from, you know, last season we had, uh, Niloufar Shiri, who is a traditional Persian kamancheh player, but she also she can play very in a very traditional way, but she also plays with a jazz pianist. And, you know, it does all this very improvisatory stuff. And, you know, then we would have other programs where everything is very much written out and very through, composed and you know, it's been a very wide variety. And, you know, when I try to build the season, I try to make sure that it's really balanced in terms of, you know, the different types of things you'll be hearing because not every audience member is going to want to engage with every type of music. Um, or, you know, if we if we really stuck to one style and it was just in that language for the whole season, then I feel like we would, you know, alienate potential audience members. But with this, I feel like if we can bring people in for one concert and they're really into it, then hopefully they'll come to something else that is new and different for them and be exposed to something that they may really get into after that. So yeah, I think diversity and variety is really where I try to start from.  00:10:09 Isabel Li  How does that engage the community? Have you observed audience reception to this type of new music when there are composers from all different types of backgrounds?  00:10:20 Shalini Vijayan  Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think that each composer and each artist brings their own community into the space, which and so that's another. I feel like another strong reason why I try to make things very different from concert to concert. And, you know, we have some younger players who come in and bring in, you know, everyone from college students to, you know, their friends and family. And then, you know, really established composers. Like this season we have Bill Roper, who is kind of a legend in the music community in LA. Mult instrumentalist and composer who has been around for decades. And, you know, I think people will come out just because they want to see him and he's such a draw. And, um, you know, I, I also would love to be able to incorporate more world music into the series. Like I said, we did do Niloufar concert, which I felt like I really hoped would like engage with the Persian community in LA as well. And a couple seasons ago we had Rajna Swaminathan, who is, I just think, an incredible artist. Um, she plays mridangam, which is a South Indian percussion instrument, but she also writes for Western instruments, uh, and herself. And we had her and a pianist and then Ganavya, who's a vocalist who's amazing. And, you know, Ganavya had her own following. So we had and Rajna has her own following. So we had a whole full audience that night of people who I had never seen in the space before. And that was for me. That's a success because we're bringing in new friends and new engagement. And, um, I was really excited about that. When I'm able to make those kinds of connections with new people, then that feels like a success to me.  00:12:05 Isabel Li  Certainly.  00:12:06 Isabel Li  Let's hear one of Shalini's performances. This is an excerpt from the 10th of William Kraft's “Encounters”, a duologue for violin and marimba, performed here by Shalini Vijayan with Southwest Chamber Music.  00:12:20 [MUSIC – Encounters X: Duologue for Violin & Marimba]  00:17:18 Isabel Li  An excerpt from William Kraft's Encounters, the 10th of which is called Duologue for Violin and Marimba, that was performed by Shalini Vijayan, the violinist, with Southwest Chamber Music.  00:17:31 Isabel Li  And Shalini is here with me in conversation today. We've been discussing contemporary music and her involvement in the new music scene, specifically in Los Angeles.  00:17:40 Isabel Li  Music is all about community, drawing people together. So going back to how you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music, what are other ways that you have advocated for modern music besides curating the concert series?  00:17:53 Shalini Vijayan  Well, over the years, um, you know, I feel like in all the ensembles I've been in, there's been a real focus on commissioning composers and on performing works that have not been, uh, either performed or recorded before. And I feel like the only way to really get the music out there is to, obviously, is to play it and hopefully to be able to record it. We've worked especially with the lyrics quartet. We've worked with so many young composers in LA either just strictly, you know, contemporary classical composers or even film composers who, um, have works that they'd like to have recorded. And, you know, it's been great to see a lot of those people go on to really amazing things and to be a part of their journey, uh, and to help support them. And, uh, the other thing that the quartet has been heavily involved in and now Bright Work Ensemble has been involved in as well, is the Here Now music festival, which has been going on in LA for well over a decade now. We were involved in the first, um, seasons of that festival. We've been one of the resident ensembles since the very beginning, and that festival is dedicated to the music of LA and Southern California composers. And, um, we have a call for scores every year that we, the four of us in the quartet, are part of the panel that reviews all the scores, along with a lot of our other colleagues, um, who are involved with the festival, and Hugh Levick, who is the artistic director of the festival and has we've worked side by side with him on this for a very long time. And that's also been a fantastic avenue for, um, meeting new composers, hearing new works, having them performed. And the thing I always say about that festival every time it comes around, usually in the spring we have at least three concerts. It's this incredible coming together of the new music community in Southern California, where all these great composers and all these amazing players come together and play these series of concerts, because there's such a vast number of pieces that end up getting programmed. They can't rely on just like one group or one or two groups to play them. So it really pulls in a lot of players from all over town. And I don't know, it always just feels like a really fun time, a fun weekend for all of us to see each other and connect. And, um, and again, just build our community to be even stronger.  00:20:20 Isabel Li  That's really cool. How do you ignite interest in new music? Because this is a genre that I think is slightly underrepresented or just underrepresented in general in both the classical music community and the music industry as a whole.  00:20:35 Shalini Vijayan  That's a great question, and I think it's a really important question for our whole industry and community. How do you engage people in new music and get them into a concert? Um, you know, I think one of the biggest hurdles for classical music in general, I will say, um, when I talk to people about why they don't want to come to a concert or why they don't want to, you know, let's say, go see the LA Phil or, you know, wherever, whatever city they're in, the major cultural music institution. I think there is a misconception generally that, oh, it's, you know, I have to be dressed a certain way or I it's going to be really stuffy. And, um, I, you know, I don't know what to wear or I don't know how I'm supposed to dress or how I'm supposed to act when I'm in the concert. Am I going to clap at the wrong time? You know, is it going to be really long? And, you know, and I and I get it, you know, I mean, I understand why that would be uncomfortable for a lot of people.   And it's not, um, it's something that necessarily everyone has grown up with or that it's been a part of their life. So I think it's really up to us, as you know, when we're on the side of programming concerts or putting together festivals or whatever, um, that we make things more accessible in terms of, um, concert length and interaction with audience. And, um, you know, I think it's I know I've been told so many times and I really think it's important that I think audiences love it when performers talk to them, when they talk about the music and, and set things up for a listener. I think that puts a kind of context on things that makes it so much easier for perhaps a new audience member, someone who's never come to a concert before to feel at ease and feel like, okay, I know what I'm getting into.   One of our, actually our former executive director at Brightwork, Sarah Wass, who was fantastic, and I was very happy to work with when I was just starting out programming, Monk Space had the idea of putting on the program the running time of the pieces, and I think even that is just something that, like, can prepare people for what they're getting into when they're about to listen to something new. And in terms of the music itself, I think that if someone, especially a younger person, doesn't feel like they have any connection to Beethoven or Brahms or Mozart, they might actually feel more connected to someone who is their age or a little older.   Someone who has had similar life experiences to them, or grown up in the same era as them, rather than someone who grew up, you know, in the seventeen hundreds. You know, there can be more of a real connection there, and that that person is writing this music and reflection of their life and their experiences. And, um, you know, again, I think that kind of context is important for a listener. And yeah. And then just lastly, I would say also, I feel like our space at Monk space is very inviting. It's very low key. It's, um, you know, it's casual, it's comfortable. Role. Um, we have, you know, snacks and a bar and, you know, everyone is very relaxed at intermission and has a good time. And I mean, for me, every time we host one of those concerts, I feel like I'm hosting a little party, you know? That's what it feels like for me. And that's what I want it to feel like for the audience as well.  00:23:52 Isabel Li  That brings up a really good point in that new music can make classical music or a new classical music, contemporary music, more accessible to different audiences. And certainly I've definitely heard the complaint from people over the years about classical music being a little too uptight. Would you say that these are two different genres?  00:24:11 Shalini Vijayan  I think that there is overlap, and I think, you know, for an ensemble like ours, like Brightwork, we have chosen to make our focus new music. So that's our thing. That's what we do. Um, and, uh, all of our concerts and our programming reflect that. Very rarely do we do anything that's not considered a contemporary piece. Um, but, you know, if you do look at some of our major institutions, like I think the LA Phil and I think the San Francisco Symphony, um, earlier, you know, like in the nineties under MTT, really started to pave the way for incorporating contemporary music into a standard classical format. And, you know, I think that's been very important. And I think it's really changed the way that orchestras have programmed across the country. And there has been such a nurturing of contemporary music in larger spaces. Now that I think that kind of overlap has started to happen much more frequently. I think that in more conservative settings, sometimes there's pushback against that. And even even, you know, in some of the places that I play, you know, sometimes with with the lyrics quartet, um, we are asked to just purely program standard classical repertoire, and we will occasionally throw in a little short piece, you know, just to try and put something in there, you know, something that's very accessible. Um, and, uh, you know that we know the audience will like so that we can help them, you know, kind of get over that fear of connecting to a newer piece. And I, I think in some ways, that's where the path forward lies, is that we have to integrate those things, you know, in order to keep kind of the old traditions of classical music alive. I think we have to keep the newer tradition alive as well, and find a way to put them in the same space.  00:26:00 Isabel Li  I certainly agree with that.  00:26:01 Isabel Li  Let's hear more of Shalini's work in new music. This is a performance of the first movement of Atlas Pumas by Gabriela Ortiz. Violinist Shalini Vijayan is joined by percussionist Lynn Vartan.  00:26:18 [MUSIC – Atlas Pumas, mvt 1 by Gabriela Ortiz]  00:29:21 Isabel Li  The first movement of Gabriela Ortiz's Atlas Pumas played here by violinist Shalini Vijian, and Lynn Vartan plays the marimba.  00:29:30 Isabel Li  And Shalini is actually joining us here for a conversation about new music, performances, identity, and representation.  00:29:38 Isabel Li  Many Asian American Pacific Islander artists in music have varying relationships between their art and their identity. I was wondering, to what extent do you feel that perhaps your South Asian identity intersects or influences the work that you do with music?  00:29:54 Shalini Vijayan  Growing up, um, you know, I grew up in a in a university town in Northern California and, you know, a lot of highly educated and, you know, kids of professors and, you know, but still not the most terribly diverse place. And then going into classical music. And this was, you know, in the early nineties when I went to college, um, it still was not a particularly it was very much not a diverse place at all. And, um, there certainly were a lot of Asian students at, um, Manhattan School of Music where I did my my studies.   But I would say it was a solid decade before I was ever in any sort of classical music situation where there was another South Asian musician. I very, very rarely met any South Asian musicians, and it wasn't until I went to the New World Symphony in the early late nineties, early two thousand, and I was a musician there. I was a fellow in that program there for three years that I walked into the first rehearsal, and there were three other South Asian, I think, of Indian descent musicians in the orchestra, and I was absolutely blown away because I literally had not, um, other than here and there at some festivals, I had not met any other South Asian classical musicians.   So it was really like that was the hallmark moment for me. It was a really big deal. And coming with my family, coming from India, you know, there is such a strong tradition of Indian classical music, of Carnatic music and Hindustani music. And, um, it's such a long, long tradition. And, you know, the people who have studied it and lived with it are, you know, they study it their whole lives to be proficient in it. And it's such an incredible, incredible art form and something that I admire so much. And I did as a kid. Take a few lessons here and there. I took some Carnatic singing lessons, um, and a little bit of tabla lessons when I was very young. Um, but I think somewhere in middle school or high school, I kind of realized that it was, for me at least, I wasn't, um, able to put enough time into both because both of them, you know, playing the violin in a Western classical style and then studying Indian classical music require a tremendous amount of effort and a tremendous amount of study. And I at that point chose to go with Western classical music, because that's what I'd been doing since I was five years old. But there has always kind of been this longing for me to be more connected to Indian classical music. Um, I'll go back again to Rajna. When I presented Rajna Swaminathan on Monk Space a couple of years ago, it was a really meaningful thing for me, because that's kind of what I'd always wanted to see was a joining together of that tradition, the Indian tradition with the Western tradition. And, um, I'm so happy that I'm starting to see that more and more with a lot of the artists that are coming up now. But at the time when I was young, it just it felt almost insurmountable that to to find a way to bring the two together. And, um, I remember very clearly as a kid listening to this, um, there was an album that Philip Glass did with Ravi Shankar, and I thought that was so cool at the time. And I used to listen to it over and over again because I just again, I was so amazed that these things could come together and in a, in a kind of successful way. Um, but yeah, there is, you know, there there's a part of me that would still love to go back and explore that more that, that side of it. Um, and but I will say also, I'm very happy now to see a lot more South Asian faces when I, you know, go to concerts on stage and in the audience. And, you know, a lot of composers that I've worked with now, um, of South Asian descent, it's been, you know, I've worked with Reena Esmail and Anuj Bhutani and Rajna and, um, there's so many more, and I'm so glad to see how they're all incorporating their connection to their culture to, to this, you know, Western kind of format of classical music. And they're all doing it in different ways. And it's it's really amazing.  00:34:22 Isabel Li  That's fantastic.  00:34:24 Isabel Li  I was wondering if you could maybe describe what this merging or combination of different styles entails. Do you think this makes it more accessible to audiences of two different cultures?  00:34:36 Shalini Vijayan  For me, one example, before I started running the series at Tuesdays at Monk Space, Aron Kallay, who is our Bright Work artistic director, had asked me to come and do a solo show on Monk Space, which I did in November of 2019.  00:34:52 Shalini Vijayan  And at the time, I wanted to commission a piece that did exactly that, that, that, um, involved some sort of Indian classical instrument or kind of the language of Indian classical music. And so I actually did reach out to Reena Esmail, and she wrote me a very cool piece called blaze that was for tabla and violin. Um, and I really had so much fun doing that. And Reena, Reena really has a very fluid way of writing for the violin, which she actually was a violinist, too. So she's she's really good at doing that. But being able to write for any melodic instrument or for the voice, which she does quite a bit as well, and incorporating sort of the tonality of Indian classical music, which obviously has its own scales and, um, has its own harmonic, harmonic world that is different from the Western world, um, but finds a way to translate that into the written note notation that we require as, uh, Western classical musicians. And, you know, I think that's the biggest gap to bridge, is that in Indian classical music, nothing is notated. Everything is handed down in an oral tradition, um, over the generations. And for us, everything is notated. And in Indian classical music, you know, there's much more improvisation. And now, of course, with modern classical music, there now is a lot more improvisation involved. But in our old standard tradition, obviously there isn't. And in the way that we're trained, mostly we're not trained to be improvisers. And um, so it's it was great. She has a great way of writing so that it kind of sounds like things are being tossed off and sounding sounds like they're being improvised, but they are actually fully notated, um, which I really appreciated.  00:36:50 Isabel Li  Yeah.  00:36:51 Isabel Li  So your career has spanned orchestras, recording ensembles, chamber music. Having had so much experience in these types of performance, what does representation in classical music mean to you?  00:37:04 Shalini Vijayan  Well, representation is is very important because we're talking about a tradition that was built on white men from centuries ago, European white men. And and it's again, it's an incredible tradition and there's so much great repertoire. But I'm going to circle back to what you were saying or what you asked me about connecting to audiences and, you know, connecting to audiences with new music. It's I think people like to see themselves reflected in the art that they choose. They choose to consume. And, you know, whether that's movies or television or music, I think that's how you connect with your audience is by being a bit of a mirror.  I think the only way that we can really continue to connect with a diverse audience is by having that type of diverse representation on our stages and on our recordings. And again, also not just the people, but the types of music, too. You know, musical tastes run wide, genres run wide as well. And it's I think It's good for all of us to be exposed to a lot of different kinds of music, to figure out what we connect with the most. And, um, yeah, the only way we can do that is by really, you know, opening our arms to a, a much wider variety of styles of music. And so I, you know, I mentioned improvisation, improvisation earlier. And I think that is something that's now starting to happen so much more in modern classical music. And, you know, I think there's something about the energy that a player has when they're improvising that is maybe not something that an audience member could quantify verbally, but there's a looseness and a freedom there that I think, you know, for a lot of audience members, they probably really can connect to. And, you know, that's a lot of why people go and listen to jazz is because there's so much freedom and there's so much improvisation.   I've been very lucky to be able to work with, um, Wadada Leo Smith, who's a trumpet player and composer. I've worked with him for probably almost ten years now. And um, through Wadada, actually, I have learned to become much more comfortable with improvising on stage and not within a jazz language of any kind or any kind of harmonic structure necessarily, but within the language of his music, which is very unique and very open and very free and, um, but also has a really strong core in its connection to history. And, um, you know, he's written a lot of amazing works about the civil rights movement and about a lot of, you know, important moments in history for our country. And, um, that's been a real learning experience for me to connect with him in that, in that way and learn from him and learn to be more comfortable with improvisation. Because I think growing up, improvisation for me always meant jazz, and that was not a language I was comfortable in. And um, or even, you know, jazz or rock music or folk music or whatever, you know, it was just not something that came naturally to me as a kid to, I mean, I listened to all of it. I listened to everything when I was a kid, but I never played in any of those styles. And I think the older you get, the scarier it gets to start branching out in those ways. But, um, I think, uh, that's been a an incredible, like, new branch of my life in the last decade has been working with Wadada.  [MUSIC – “Dred Scott, 1857,” from Ten Freedom Summers, by Wadada Leo Smith]  00:42:23 Isabel Li  An excerpt of Wadada Leo Smith's music to give you a sense of the jazz influences in these types of contemporary new music pieces that also touch on pieces of history. This was an excerpt from his album, Ten Freedom Summers, which also consists of compositions based on pieces of American history. For example, what we just heard was from a piece called Dred Scott, 1857.  00:42:49 Isabel Li  Now that I realize that we've been having a conversation about new music, I realize that, hmm, when does new music really start? So if you take a look at maybe music history, when does new music really become new music?  00:43:07 Shalini Vijayan  I guess it depends on who you ask, probably. Um, it's it's pretty recent. You know, it has to be really legitimately pretty new. And, um, again, you know, if you ask an audience member, um, and I think of some of my friends or family who are maybe who are not musicians who come to concerts, and I'm always so interested in talking to them and hearing their opinions about things. Um, you know, they will listen to Bartok and say, oh, that sounds like new music to me. But, you know, Bartok, Bartok passed away a long time ago, and it's, you know, and for me, that's more like canon now. You know, that's like now for me, part of the the standard repertoire. But there was a time when Bartok was new music. And I think for, you know, maybe the listeners who are more comfortable with the very diatonic, you know, world of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, then something like Bartok really does sound so modern for me. Boy, maybe around the time that minimalism started, you know, John Adams and Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, all of that for me feels like maybe that's the older like the The edge of new music now even though that was that would be the eighties, probably seventies 80s, you know, but that we're talking about like, you know, fifty years ago. So yeah, I mean, it's not that new, but those are all still living composers. So maybe, maybe that's part of what it is for me is that it's the composers of our era, the composers who are alive, who we can communicate with and ask questions of. And, um, you know, at the very least, if you can't talk to John Adams, you can talk to somebody who has worked directly with him and get their impressions of how something should be played, um, as opposed to composers who have been gone for hundreds of years. And you can't have that level of communication with them. I think that, for me is what new music, new music is about. It's about working with living composers and, um, having that type of interaction.  00:45:15 Isabel Li  Yeah. So would the word or the phrase contemporary classical music, be a little oxymoronic in a sense?  00:45:26 Shalini Vijayan  No, I don't think so. I think it's still part of the same tradition. Um, yeah. I really do think it is, because I think there is a lineage there. Um, for a lot of composers, not all of them, um, that I mean, I think particularly if you're writing for, let's say, an orchestra or a string quartet or sort of one of these very standard classical ensembles. Um, even if you're writing in a very new language and you're writing in a very different way, I think there is still a through line to the canon of classical music. I guess for me, new music and classical music are not mutually exclusive. I think they can be the same. So I don't I don't think they're totally different. I think that there is a lot of a lot of overlap.  00:46:16 Isabel Li  For sure, considering how new music fits into the classical music or the classical music industry as a whole. Have you noticed any sorts of shifts in the classical music industry in the past several decades in regards to diversity, equity, inclusion? And have you just noticed any changes?  00:46:35 Shalini Vijayan  I have noticed some changes. I mean, I think that most organizations in this country are making an effort to be more inclusive in their programming now. And, um, you know, another another South Asian composer who I just think is fantastic is Nina Shekhar. And, um, she has had pieces played by the New York Phil for the last couple seasons. I mean, you know, so on on major, major stages, I feel like now I'm seeing more representation and that is definitely Encouraging and, um, you know, uh, same for Anuj and Rajna and Reena. They've all, you know, had their works done by major ensembles. And, um, I think I think there is definitely movement in that direction, for sure. I think it could always be more.   I think also for women and women composers, women performers, I think that has also always been a struggle to find enough representation of women composers and you know, especially if like as I mentioned before, when you're in a situation where an organization asks you to program a concert, like, let's say, for our quartet and wants much more standard repertoire than it does limit you, you know, how because there isn't much from the older canon. You know, there is. You know, there's Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann and, um, you know, I think in the last five to ten years they've both been played a lot more, which is great. But, you know, I think, uh, there's so many amazing female composers right now that I think are starting to get much more recognition. And I think that just needs to be more, more and more, um, but, uh, you know, that is why, again, like on those programs, sometimes we try to just sneak one modern piece in because it's important for those voices to be heard as well. But yes, I do see some forward movement in that direction with, um, classical programming. And, you know, you just have to hope that the intent is always genuine in those situations. And I think, um, you know, I think that's the most important thing. And giving a platform to those voices is really important.  00:48:59 Isabel Li  How would you go about arts advocacy during this current time when, well, the arts are being defunded and devalued by our current administration and how everything is going on right now?  00:49:10 Shalini Vijayan  Yeah, it's really, really difficult right now. And, um, you know, I think a lot of arts organizations are losing a lot of government funding. Obviously, I know of a couple projects that lost their NEA funding because of DEI, and which is so disheartening. And, um, I think, you know, there's going to be a lot of leaning on private donors to try and, uh, make up that difference or, you know, private foundations to make up the difference in funding, hopefully. And, um, uh, you know, it's yeah, it's scary. It's  a scary time. And I think, you know, even for private funding and, um, private donors, it's, you know, everyone is feeling stressed and feeling concerned about our future right now, just as a country. and there's so much uncertainty. And, um, but I think people who really rely on the arts for all the things that it can provide, you know, an escape and pleasure and, you know, stimulation of a different kind. And especially in a time like this, when you want to be able to get away from maybe what's going on around you, you know, I'm hoping we can find a way to really come together and, um, kind of, you know, rally around each other and find a way to support each other. But, um, I think it is going to be hard for the next few years if we can't find ways to replace that funding that so many people have lost. And I certainly don't think that anyone wants to back away from the progress that's been made with inclusion and representation, you know, just to get funding. So I know we have to be very creative with our path ahead and find a way to, to keep doing what we're doing in this current environment.  00:51:07 Isabel Li  Yeah, on a brighter note, I read about your work with Lyris Quartet earlier this year when you presented a concert with Melodia Mariposa called Altadena Strong with the Lyris Quartet, raising funds for those who have been affected by the LA fires. Can you talk a bit about the power of music? And we're going to end on a stronger note here about the power of music in bringing communities together and accelerating community healing.  00:51:31 Shalini Vijayan  Well, I have to say that concert was really a special one for us. You know, um, so many musicians were affected by the fires in LA. And, you know, I, I've lived in LA for over twenty years now, almost twenty five years and, um, certainly seen my share of wildfires and disasters, but this one hit so much more close to home than any of the other ones have. And, you know, I know at least twenty five people who lost their homes in between the Palisades and Altadena and Altadena in particular.   When I moved to LA, it was a place where a lot of musicians were moving to because you could it was cheaper and you could get a lot of space, and it's beautiful. And, you know, they really built a beautiful community there among all the musicians out there. And it's just heartbreaking, um, to see how many of them have lost everything. And I have to say, Irina Voloshina, who is the woman who runs Melodia Mariposa, and just an amazing violinist and an amazing, wonderful, warm, generous person. You know, she started that series in her driveway during COVID as a way to just keep music going during the pandemic, and it really turned into something so great. And she's, you know, got a whole organization with her now and puts on multiple concerts a year. And when she asked us if we would play that concert for the community in Altadena is, you know, there's no question that we were going to do it. I mean, we absolutely jumped at the chance to support her and support the organization and that community. And people really came out for that concert and were so excited to be there and were so warm and, um, you know, and and she talked to the crowd and really connected with everybody on a very personal level, because she also lost her home in Altadena and, um, you know, it was it was a really meaningful show for all of us. And again, those are the moments where you realize that you can use this art to really connect with people that you may have never met before and show your your love for them, you know, through music, as corny as that may sound, but it's true.  00:53:54 Isabel Li  Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Shalini, for sharing your visions, your knowledge with new music and community building with us today. Thank you so much for being on Obbligato.  00:54:07 Shalini Vijayan  Thank you so much for having me, Isabel. It was really a pleasure.  00:54:10 Isabel Li  What a wonderful conversation that was with LA-based violinist Shalini Vijayan. If you go to kpfa.org, you can check out more of her work. I put the links to two of her ensembles, Brightwork New Music and Lyris Quartet up on kpfa.org. And thank you for listening to our conversation here on Obbligato on Apex Express.  00:54:32 Isabel Li  We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important.  00:54:42 Isabel Li  APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, and Cheryl Truong. Tonight's show was produced by Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA for their support. Have a great night.  [OUTRO MUSIC]  The post APEX Express – 11.13.25 – Obbligato with Violinist Shalini Vijayan appeared first on KPFA.

关于奇人奇事，吕兴老师的素材库咱们还能给他挖一挖，说完学生时代和日本职场奇遇，我们把时间线拉回到最近，聊一聊近些年来发生的故事。结束日本的工作，吕兴老师回国在一家摩托车店担任店长，从店里的技师到来访的顾客，每个人都有着不寻常的故事和经历。既有从美国贫民窟到798修车的奇人技师，也有挑战吉尼斯纪录的骑行情侣，甚至连店里的奶牛猫也是来头不小。而说起目前所在游戏行业，更是卧虎藏龙，吕兴老师究竟还有哪些精彩故事？如果上期你还没听过瘾，那么千万别错过这期节目。主播 / 相征嘉宾 / 吕兴音频后期 / 陆凯BBBBUDDHA音频上传 / 桃子- 本节目由深夜谈谈 Midnight Network出品 -Playlist:02:05:51 The Killers - When You Were YoungTimeline：00:05:59 回国后，竟然成为摩托车店长00:12:43 猫王瓜子和铁汉技师的爱恨情仇00:22:25 每年都去塔克拉玛干的神奇大哥00:25:49 爱炸街的店员小哥00:30:38 爱吃西红柿鸡蛋盖饭的奇人技师Michael00:40:53 美国Michael成为中国女婿00:48:25 外国情侣进店就开口要赠车 01:01:45 游戏圈秘闻之怎么对老板下手了？01:09:49 聪明反被聪明误01:19:40 A总是个什么样的人？01:21:47 Bill Roper的新构思01:26:40 住在Yosemite的世外高人01:32:09 名字这么长的这游戏能火吗？01:37:36 吕兴老师与索尼的机缘01:44:44 姓Eternal的约翰·永恒01:52:40 Eternal的情感经历01:57:48 最侠义、最爱折腾的男人深夜谈谈春季招聘2.0，本次开放岗位节目制作人、AE客户执行（全职/兼职），感兴趣的朋友们请发送求职信+简历+个人作品请发送至邮箱jobs@midnightalks.com✈️2025年大内FUJI ROCK团现已开团，5组主播带队，带你奔赴亚洲最值得去的音乐节。具体行程和购买方式还请前往微信小程序「大内夜市」～大内夜市近期上新！大内人气玄学嘉宾张无梦特别推荐5款文玩手串和1款伏藏紫檀五股降魔杵，旺人缘、增桃花、添财运、保健康、增智慧，咱敲多了电子木鱼，转多了赛博锦鲤，不如给自己来条趁手法器。微信搜索「大内夜市」即可购买！-深夜谈谈播客网络旗下播客：大内密谈、枕边风、空岛、随便聪明、淮海333-你还可以在这里找到我们：小红书：@深夜谈谈子、@相征terryB站：@大内密谈midnightalks视频号&抖音：@深夜谈谈子微博：@大内密谈 微信公众号：大内密谈商务合作邮箱：biz@midnightalks.com加听众群：加深夜谈谈子微信（微信号: aidanei17301214531）并回复【听众群】即可进群。

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we are catching up on our mailbag! Let's face it, it's mostly about Minecraft, though we spend a lot of time on video game preservation. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Issues covered: the manananggal, Defeating Games for Charity, ownership of work materials, Tim's notes on the Discord Game Club interview with Phil Salvador, our own games disappearing, the value of libraries, preserving all games, copyright lawyers, the tension between corporations and preservationists, protecting children online, defending your kids, engaging with your kids over games, external references, limits on exploration interest, Tim and Brett disagree about whether Minecraft devs relied on the existence of a wiki, older version availability in Minecraft Java Edition, speedrunning Minecraft, modding and Minecraft, YouTube and Minecraft trajectories, Lego Fortnite's means of directing you, limited building or building towards story purposes, curbing anxiety, dating the Balrog.  Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Dungeons & Dragons, Dark Matters/X-Files, Minecraft, CalamityNolan, Video Game History Foundation, KyleAndError, Hollow Knight, Kaeon, DuckTales, Trespasser, Tower Song, Pikmin, N0isses, Rocksmith, Robotspacer, Enchanted Scepters, Mystery House, Artimage, Jedi Starfighter, Katamari Damacy, BioStats, Phil Salvador, Midway/Bally, Nosferatu (1922/2024), Prince of Persia, Warcraft, The Sims, Tony Rowe, Microsoft, Bill Roper, Wil Wright, John Romero, Leo Tolstoy, Socrates, Frank Cifaldi, Nintendo, Tim Schafer, Double Fine, Devin Kelly-Sneed (P2 programmer), Joe Lieberman, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Mickey Mouse/Disney, mysterydip, Roblox, Lego Fortnite, Just Dance, Ubisoft, Club Penguin, Luke Theriault, LostLake, Dwarf Fortress, Raymond, Mojang, Factorio, Satisfactory, Father Beast, Skyrim, Ben from Iowa, Dragon Quest Builders, The Lord of the Rings Return to Moria, The Long Dark, Pacific Drive, Valheim, Final Fantasy VI, Epic Games, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: Our next game (whatever that may be) Defeating Games for Charity Twitch: timlongojr Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com

TCW Podcast Episode 221 - North to Hellgate London   In a pseudo part three of our look at Condor and Blizzard North, we explore the troubles the company faced after a year and a half of crunch. David, Max, and Eric were all burned out along with the rest of the staff. David was going through a divorce and had trouble putting his heart into figuring out what the next game would be. Due to lack of leadership and a proper chain of command, many employees felt frustrated switching games over and over. At the same time, the expansion, Lord of Destruction, was completed after a year of development with no crunch. Through a combination of bad corporate structure, not empowering middle management, factionalism, and troubles with Blizzard's corporate owners being bought and sold amid their own scandals, David, Eric, Max, and Bill Roper from Blizzard South went on to form Flagship Studios and work on Hellgate: London. Unfortunately, the game was not well received due to expectations exceeding the financial and technical hurdles that needed to be overcome. There is a lot more to this story, so prepare yourself as we leave one hell for another!   Thor - Game Studio Gambles: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NLb9-DPspgA Thor - Email Mike: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1ilUpXkGxbo Karateka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKqk9kosCs4 Dale Carnegie - How  to Win Friends and Influence People: https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034 Flagship Studios: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagship_Studios Fate Longplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGH577lznLk&list=PL112CEBA37FF962EE Mythos Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fEsOrRvZ58 Hellgate London E3 2005 Cinematic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xG9puQZJ1c Hellgate London E3 Bill Roper Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh1EQhHQPbQ US/China WOW Model Differences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtI2GcUPEFQ Hellgate London Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiKbGoiIHqo   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds - Sign up through the website not the iOS App! Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1   Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we conclude our series on Heroes of Might and Magic. We confess that we should have learned more about this game before we tried it, and then turn to takeaways and email. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played:  Some... more? Issues covered: games we've fallen down on, the commitment, why we don't play certain genres, falling short, the possibility of finding guest hosts, game selection moving forward, having a tech tree in the manual but things we missed, board games and picking up strategy, hot seat multiplayer, modernizing the series, the limits of the audience, adding narrative, the heroes off the battlefield, June alert, whether you should do something, thinking about the computer audience, clarity and taste, how you present the information to the player in the manual, ramping up the campaign, "board games can be fun," creating your own space, learning design from board games, enjoying the tactical map, coming up with the names for things, not overthinking it, deepening and alienating people, machinima, stories from The Sims, boxes from the past. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Waypoint, Austin Walker, Patrick Klepek, Danielle Riendeau, MegaMan, GTA III, Final Fantasy Tactics, Kaeon, Dwarf Fortress, Artimage, The Sims, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Smash Brothers, NES/SNES, Apple ][, Lode Runner, Wizardry, Final Fantasy VI, Ubisoft, Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldblum, Slay the Spire, Civilization, X-COM, Warhammer, Andrew Kirmse, mysterydip, Bethesda Game Studios/Zenimax, Notch, Halo, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Battlefront, Battlezone, Jeffool, Red vs Blue, Quake, Tacoma, PUBG, LucasArts, Father Beast, Margot Robbie, Barbie, Ashton Herrmann, Lords of Magic, Lords of the Realm, Stonekeep, Interplay, Day of the Tentacle, Burn: Cycle, Phantasmagoria, Tony Rowe, Trespasser, Bill Roper, Warcraft, Diablo, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: TBA! Note: I think the person Tim was thinking of is Natalie Watson. We regret our lack of memory. Also note: Philip Johnson is the architect Brett was thinking of, with his "Glass House" in New Canaan, Connecticut. Twitch: timlongojr Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome back, wanderer. Join us on an exhilarating journey through the wild and immersive world of survival gaming as we delve into the depths of environmental storytelling with industry veteran Bill Roper. With a legendary career spanning decades, Bill has made his mark on gaming history with iconic titles such as Warcraft, Diablo, and Starcraft. Now, as the CEO of Lunacy Games, he leads the charge into uncharted territory with an upcoming survival game. In this captivating conversation, we explore the intricacies of environmental storytelling while also uncovering fascinating anecdotes from Bill's illustrious career. From his time at Disney to his contributions to Hellgate: London, and the unexpected journey from musician to writing and producing for Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, no stone is left unturned. Tune in as we unravel the secrets behind crafting immersive gaming experiences and discover the untold tales behind some of the industry's most beloved games. Bill: -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn -> Lunacy Games -> Severed Studios Twitch⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Corner of Story and Game: -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -> Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gerald@storyandgame.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please let me know if you have any questions or comments on this or any other episode. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to hear more conversations with professionals in the video game, tabletop, and fiction industries. #BillRoper #VideoGameProducer #VideoGameDesigner #DigitalGameWriter #Warcraft #Starcraft #Diablo #HellgateLondon #LunacyGames #SurvivalGames #WritingAdvice #DesignAdvice #EnvironmentalStorytelling #TheCornerOfStoryAndGame #PodcastsToListenTo #Narratology #Ludology

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on GoldenEye 007 by diving a bit into the multiplayer and discussing our overall takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Multiplayer (for about an hour) Issues covered: getting the good old Rare stories, writing music for the Nintendo 64, finding the Donkey Kong pitch, how remarkably easy it was to play it multiplayer, privacy concerns and game services, car horns and dogs, motion sickness, picking the guns, weapon placement, modes versus mutators versus picking your guns, asymmetrical play, house rules, a social multiplayer experience, lower stakes, not shooting if the other person doesn't have a gun, bullet penetration, more depth than anticipated, feeling the depth, rocket explosion use, a feature under the radar, ease of use, convincing the publisher, a humorous multiplayer, breaking the rules of FPSes, a historical development branch, seeing the one-upmanship in action, the multiplayer dark horse, the multiplicity of the modes, a cinematic FPS that uses the license really well, good characterization and escort missions that don't bug you, spending time makes characters matter, friendly AI at the time, objectives and level of difficulty, learning on the easy difficulty so you can play on the more difficult levels, drowning in nostalgia, building the realistic levels, the limitations of the tech and how it helped, the spookiness of fog. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Grant Kirkhope, Neill Harrison, Stamper (family), Donkey Kong Country, Bill Roper, Calamity Nolan, Switch, DOOM (1993), Halo, Unreal Tournament, Outlaws, Quake, Artimage, Biostats, LucasArts, Clorf, Starfighter, Noclip, Gran Turismo, Pete Brubaker, id Software, Time Splitters, Sid Meier, Peter Molyneux, Starsiege: Tribes, Rogue Spear, Mario Kart 64, Steve Ash, Chris Klie, Alan Cumming, Drew, Minnie Driver, No One Lives Forever 2, The 002nd Quest, Shadows of the Empire, Silent Hill 2, Turok, Dead Space, Dark Souls 2, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: Our next game! Twitch: brettdouville or timlongojr, instagram:timlongojr, Twitter: @timlongojr and @devgameclub Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com

On this episode of The Fourth Curtain, Alex and Aaron have long time pal and game maker Bill Roper on the program talking about the early days of Blizzard, his love of music, building HellGate London and the joyride that was Disney Interactive. We get a peek at some of the special items in Bill's collection and he may even do a voice or two!Bill Roper arrives at: 10:00Alex mentions a "A Theory of Fun" by old pal Raph Koster.Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.comCome join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfeVideos available at https://www.youtube.com/@thefourthcurtainFollow us on twitter: @fourthcurtainFeaturing the music track Liberation by 505Please consider supporting the show by pre-registering for our Season Two Kickstarter at www.thefourthcurtain.com/kickstarter

Noah, Bill Roper, and Austin Lewis look back at the first series, and speculate about what comes next. Recapping a D&D 5E live-play adventure starring @MyLawyerFriend, @KatSkratchh, @JustSeum, and @Edward_Spence_.  Featuring special guests @BillRoper and @nick_triumph.zip ! Support us and unlock rewards on Ko-Fi. Produced by Remember Tommy Productions for the May Contain Action Media network. Music by @ApproachingNirvana.  Art by @EvanEckard.

Keerie, Kabo, and Viessa are taken to a eerie carnival. A D&D 5E live-play adventure starring @MyLawyerFriend, @KatSkratchh, @JustSeum, and @Edward_Spence_! This episode featuring special guest Bill Roper! Support us and unlock rewards on Ko-Fi, at ko-fi.com/forgottenpathspodcast. Produced by Remember Tommy Productions for the May Contain Action Media network. Music by @ApproachingNirvana. Art by @EvanEckard.

Diablo II Diablo II is an action role-playing hack-and-slash computer video game developed by Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2000 for Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, and macOS. The game, with its dark fantasy and horror themes, was conceptualized and designed by David Brevik and Erich Schaefer, who, with Max Schaefer, acted as project leads on the game. The producers were Matthew Householder and Bill Roper. The game was developed over a 3 year period, with a crunch time of 1.5 years long Search for "Registry patch diablo 2", "borderless gaming diablo 2" PlugY PlugY is a mod whose primary purpose is to increase the stash size for Diablo II characters. Over the years it has grown to include numerous other useful functions, such as enabling Ladder Only Rune Words outside of the Battle.net Ladder, enabling the Uber quests outside of Battle.net and various other small tweaks and additions. PlugY is not a conversion of the original Diablo, and it doesn't alter gameplay by changing monster stats, skills, maps or items. median xl The most popular Diablo II overhaul modification, Median XL is an action RPG with extensive endgame content, deep character customisation and challenging gameplay. It offers thousands of new items, new skills for all classes, and multiple improvements to the Diablo II engine.

WIA's Bill Roper honoured by an OAM. - Australia's WIA offers help to the Australian Maritime College. - WIA Director Oscar VK3TX with a brief look at how IARU continues engagement in the WRC-23 preparations.

The Effect of Video Games on Relationships Where Bill would like to be found: Twitter (@billroper), Currently GMing Traveller on the Happy Jacks RPG network (http://www.happyjacks.org/yumastation/) and Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billfreakinroper  4:31 The Impact of 1977 on Nerd Culture From Kinko's to Blizzard 10:52 Save One of Everything Prized items from his collection Saving things from Disney 17:36 Fish & Chip Friday Favorite Beer Scotch Whiskey Club  20:45 Choices What excited Bill about people's choices End of Current Campaign 25:58 Bill Avoids the Question Seeing Braveheart w/Gary Gygax What is Poxy Boggard? Why the love for Traveller's character creation 36:33 Sh*t Gets Real Day Equality of gaming Election Day as a National Holiday Thoughts on gatekeeping 40:19 Just Do It 

Diablo II is an action role-playing hack-and-slash computer video game developed by Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2000 for Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, and macOS. The game, with its dark fantasy and horror themes, was conceptualized and designed by David Brevik and Erich Schaefer, who, with Max Schaefer, acted as project leads on the game. The producers were Matthew Householder and Bill Roper. The game was developed over a 3 year period, with a crunch time of 1.5 years long.[3] Set shortly after the events of Diablo, the player controls a new hero, attempting to stop the destruction unleashed by Diablo's return. The game's 5 acts feature a variety of locations and settings to explore and battle in, as well as an increased cast of characters to play as and interact with. Building on the success of its predecessor, Diablo (1997), and improving the gameplay, both in terms of updated character progression and a better developed story[4] Diablo II was one of the most popular games of 2000[5] and has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. Major factors that contributed to the game's success include its continuation of popular fantasy themes from the previous game and its access to Blizzard's free online play service, Battle.net.[6] An expansion to the game, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, was released in 2001 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/retro-renegades/support

Victor Lucas brings back Bill Roper for a deeper dive into his history of great game making at Blizzard, Disney, Cryptic, Flagship and more! Thanks for Listening, Reviewing Vic’s Basement and for Subscribing! Watch Vic’s Basement at YouTube.com/EPNtv Check out EPN Merch at EPN.tv/Merch #PlayForever​

Victor Lucas welcomes Bill Roper, a long time game maker with a great history at companies like Blizzard, Disney and many more. He’s worked on epic games and he’s got some epic stories to tell! Thanks for Listening, your Review and for Subscribing! Watch: YouTube.com/EPNtv Check out EPN Merch at EPN.tv/Merch #PlayForever​

Season 2 Final with Bill Roper, Niklas Gray, and Tricia Gray. We discuss game dev and the Covid19.

On this episode we welcome guest Bill Roper, Chief Creative Officer at AuthorDigital and Adept Games. We start by discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on work and personal life and rising to the challenge of digitalizing our lives in completely unusual circumstances. Bill emphasizes the importance of taking time for yourself, focusing on mental health and being “family first”.   “Games are an amazing way for people to connect via distance, it’s what videogames were designed to do.”  - Bill Roper   Bill then talks about bringing his vision of empowering storytellers and giving them the ability to bring their craft into new digital spaces into a reality. He shares about his new role as co-founder of AuthorDigital and his work with Blizzard. He reflects on what he wishes he had known when he started his journey in the game developing industry, as well as advice for people who are in it right now. Bill happily divulges some of his favorite games to work on, aspects of the industry that he’s currently curious about, and even threats he sees. He then shares thoughts on AR and VR, games he’s excited about, and tells a few hilarious stories that he’s collected over the years.   “There is no greater return on your entertainment dollar, than a videogame.”  - Bill Roper   Bill Roper has been a well-known figure in the global gaming industry for 25 years. Since starting out at Blizzard Entertainment doing sound, music, and voice-over, he has basically done it all. From his nine years at Blizzard Entertainment dating back to 1994, to overseeing Design at Cryptic Studios, to the launch of Disney Infinity, he even co-founded multiple companies, including AuthorDigital. Bill is currently working on his passion of turning storytellers into game developers.   Connect with him on LinkedIn Follow him on Twitter   Discussion Details: [01:04] Introducing Bill Roper [02:19] Addressing COVID-19 and its impacts on work and personal life [05:35] Making the separation of work and personal life + taking time for yourself [08:13] Bill’s new role as co-founder of AuthorDigital [14:10] Work at Blizzard in the early days [20:04] Passion & Money [27:00] What do you wish you had known when you started? [33:29] Advice for people in the industry [38:58] Bill’s favorite games to work on [55:13] What are you curious about right now regarding the industry? [59:32] Threats to videogames [1:09:38] Thoughts on AR & VR [1:12:34] Games Bill is excited about [1:17:10] Funny and odd stories of working in the industry [1:27:20] Last piece of advice for people [1:28:30] Outro   Show Links: *AuthorDigital *Adept Games *Blizzard Entertainment *Warcraft II *Diablo *Disney Infinity *Fantasia: Music Evolved *Animal Talking with Gary Whitta *Animal Crossing *Kards *Townscaper   Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice Email *Game Dev Advice Website *Level Ex Website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give me a call and ask a question *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links

MusicA big hand to Eli Goldberg from Prometheus Music for this incredible find. And to Scott Dorsey from Kludge Audio for his restoration of the original tapes. Adam Puche for the digital processing. And Margaret Middleton, Bill Roper and Clif Flynt for the liner notes and wrangling all the permissions to get this released.http://www.prometheus-music.com/audio/Filkcon1.zipMargaret Middleton - Come To The FilksingAl Frank And Bob Asprin - Fafhrd And MouserAnne Passavoy - Little Black TrainJuanita Coulson - ChessMary Jean Holmes - Everyman Bill Marischiello - The Filker Bill Roper - One Last BattleAnne Passovoy - Mary O'MearaJuanita Coulson And Leslie Fish - Peter Grubb Bob Asprin - Reminder / The Tzen Mary Jean Holmes - Question SongJuanita Coulson - LishaMargaret Middleton - Fal Morgan (Coady-Kurtz-Dickson)Bill Roper And Clif Flynt - The Title Will FollowAnne Passavoy - Starship UnityAnne Passovoy - Harbors Hidden Track - Bill Roper - Two Show StoppersLinks for this week's showOnline ShowsAlexander James AdamsJuly 10th 7:30 Centralhttps://www.twitch.tv/alexanderjamesadamsCathy McManamonhttps://facebook.com/cathymcmusicEurofilk CircleJuly 918:00 Central European TimeCheshire Moon LiveEvery Wednesday Night at 8:00pm Central Standard Timehttps://www.youtube.com/user/CheshireMoonBandFestival Of The Living Rooms 3 - July 10-12Friday - 7-10-20204:00 - Via Bella5:00 - Nefarious Ferrets5:30 - Miles Vorkosigan6:30 - Ian O'Donnell7:00 - CircleSaturday - 7-11-202011:00 - Gathering-Con Suite12:00 - Don Neill12:30 - JT Thomas1:00 - Jane Garthson And Phil Mills2:00 - Cecilia Eng3:00 - David Kushner4:00 - Kim The Comic Book Goddess5:00 - Madison Metricula Roberts6:00 - PDX Broadsides7:00 - CircleSunday - 7-12-202011:00 - Workshop - FilkCast - Eric Coleman12:00 - Joseph Abbott12:30 - Norma McPhee1:00 - Art Warneke2:00 - Deirdre Moira Murphy2:30 - Chris Clarke3:00 - Lauren Cox3:30 - Dave Stagner4:00 - Bill Laubenheimer5:00 - Kerri-Ellen Kelly5:30 - Eric Coleman (solo)6:00 - Vanessa Cardui7:00 - Dead Dog (circle)Time Conversion Chart - All Times MountainWest Coast -1Central +1East Coast +2UK +7Germany +8FundraisersUncle Hugo/Edgar Go Fund Mehttps://www.gofundme.com/f/let-us-help-save-uncle-hugo039sDreamhaven Go Fund Mehttps://www.gofundme.com/f/dreamhaven-restorationFilk InformationFilk Streamshttp://filkstreams.org/House Concerts and House FilksFriends Of Filkhttps://friendsoffilk.orgMassFilchttps://www.massfilc.org/meetings.shtmlPhoenix Filk Circlehttps://phoenixfilkcircle.wordpress.comLos Angeles Filk Circlehttps://www.conchord.org/lafaad.htmlDes Moines First Friday Filkhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/548389495176195Milwaukee Housefilkhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/533294056830869/Provo Filk Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/Provo-Filk-Group-713192665748714/Minneapolis House 4th Weekend House Filkshttp://freemars.org/mailman/listinfo/housefilk_freemars.orgSouthern California House filkswww.sandiegofilk.com/SouthernCaliforniaHouseFilksMain.htmlLinks to the Podcasthttp://filkcast.blogspot.comhttp://facebook.com/groups/FilkCasthttps://twitter.com/FilkCast

As of April 29, 2020 there have been 10,330 confirmed cases in North Carolina. 551 people are hospitalized and 379 people have died. People applying for unemployment are having a hard time getting answers or payments. Tonight, WRAL News goes through the process to find out how long it takes, and where the stoppages are happening. What will the Fall 2020 college semester look like for students in the UNC System? Dr. Bill Roper, Interim UNC System President discusses plans to move forward with the new academic year. NC Speaker of the House, Tim Moore discusses the new plan to use federal stimulus money to help the state move back toward normalcy. For complete coverage, go to https://www.wral.com

CCO of Author Digital, Bill Roper talks shop with Tricia and Niklas on all things game development.

Bill Roper, Chief Creative Officer at AuthorDigital guest hosts for several episodes this season. We talk about his history in the video game industry from his beginnings at Blizzard and his current adventure at AuthorDigital.

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we engage in a little bonus talk about 2014's Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. We talk about the game's strengths and iterations over Civ III and also the things that particular work for the hosts in the game, before turning to a brief celebration of our episode 200 and some feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A few hours of Beyond Earth (9 for Brett, 15 for Tim) Podcast breakdown: 0:57   Beyond Earth Discussion 40:31 Break 41:16 Ep 200 and Feedback Issues covered: how much Beyond Earth we played, getting its hooks in, knowing you've lost, many types of victories, pursuing victory types, not stacking units, board game simplicity, being mocked by other leaders, having a good set-up for interest if not for victory, being condemned for violence against aliens, getting over the hump, the huge benefit of tooltip additions, integrating advisors into the UI, the web of technology rather than the linear development, more visually parsable tech web, colorblind settings in Civ III, affinity colors and positions, exploring the tech web, adding RPG elements/progression to units, expanding your city, preferring the tone and setting, putting money into an opening cinematic, Brett's Book Recommendations, 200th episode surprises, the castle flip, being into the JRPG nonsense, our good fortune in interviews, spending time with immersive sims, Brett unwraps a thing, our poster with six Easter Eggs (true video game fashion), a heartfelt thank you from a listener, our own thank you to our listeners, some gentle ribbing about our ability to count, whether designers should be programmers, not being held back by what you know to be possible, being able to communicate clearly between design and engineering, the value of communicating and terminology, Caveman Tim, finding a way to say yes as an engineer, laying out logical steps for programmers, following up on older episodes, why Shenmue contracts down to having a job, autobiography in Shenmue, the Civilopedia being what you can do and not what you should do, Civilopedia as a legacy feature, a fantasy Civ. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Jurassic Park, Dark Souls, Confucius, Boris Johnson, Shenmue, Simon Parkin, A Game of Birds and Wolves, The New Yorker, Metroid (series), Castlevania (series), Alex Neuse, SNES, PlayStation, Kingdom Hearts (series), Disney, MYST (series), Final Fantasy (series), Persona 5, Prey (2017), David Brevik, Robyn Miller, Ken Levine, Bill Roper, King's Quest, Space Quest, Mark Crowe, DOOM (1993), Diablo, Quake, System Shock II, Hitman 2, Deus Ex, Thief, Ultima Underworld, Arkane Studios, Dishonored (series), Giant BeastCast, Vinny Caravella, Aaron Evers, Mark Sean Garcia, Devil May Cry, Mario 64, Halo, Skyrim, Fallout, Gothic Chocobo, Pokemon, Game Maker's Toolkit, Johnny Grattan, John Romero, Murray Lorden, Roberta Williams, David Perry, Shiny Entertainment, Republic Commando, MDK, Ben "from Iowa" Zaugg, Warcraft (series), Jedi Starfighter, GTA III, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Yu Suzuki, Björn Johannson, Magic: The Gathering, Warren Linam-Church, Mikael Danielsson, Master of Magic, GOG.com, MicroProse, Ultima VII, SimTech, Master of Orion, Wargaming, Star Control II. Brett's Book Recommendations: For Civ III: A Game of Birds and Wolves by Simon Parkin For Shenmue: What I Carry by Jennifer Longo Next time: more Civ bonuses! Twitch: brettdouville, instagram:timlongojr, @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we this week we start a new series with a bit of a different goal: a game we'll play for an initial couple of episodes and then return to from time to time. We discuss 2004's seminal and crowning MMORPG World of Warcraft, discussing the year in which it came out, a history (personal and not) of MMOs, and then dig a bit into the initial hours of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up until level 8 Issues covered: revisiting our chat with John Romero, looking at 2004 in games, a live game model in EverQuest, self-cannibalization, early history of MUDs, a sad discovery, reflecting on Brad McQuaid's career, sharing games as source, MUDs and theming, talking through the history of a number of MMOs, talking about the market and approachability of other MMOs, peak users, the influence of other Blizzard games on WoW, Brett's confession, introducing characters through the RTS, modding and Warcraft III, launch and WoW, pulling the games from the shelves, server queues, revenue gross, Brett does some on-the-fly math, Activision-Blizzard merger, the starting area for gnomes and dwarves, inviting you into the world like a DM, learning the design language of the game, usability of the quest system, shifting the focus to quests (vs combat grinding), doing multiple things with the quests and rewards, changing your character's look, each race having its own animation set, differentiating races strongly, pre-rendered introduction, RTS influence again, seeing your first human (on a horse), simplifying WoW in the modern version, having to read the text to understand where to go, adding user interface mods, increasing intrinsic reward through difficulty, managing your own grouping, growing the scale of what you see, scale of towns and villages, growing up with the world through exploration, experience ramp. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: John Romero, LucasArts, Republic Commando, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Half-Life 2, DOOM 3, Metal Gear Solid 3, Fable, Halo 2, Far Cry, Chronicles of Riddick, Katamari Damacy, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, Source Engine, Troika Entertainment, Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky, The Outer Worlds, EverQuest & EverQuest II, 989 Studios, Sony Online Entertainment, Rob Pardo, MUD, Roy Trubshaw, Richard Bartle, DikuMUD, Brad McQuaid, Zork, Adventure, MOO, Pantheon, Saga of Heroes, Habitat, LucasFilm Games, Randy Farmer, Chip Morningstar, Meridian 59, Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, Asheron's Call, Raph Koster, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Underworld, Turbine Entertainment, Lord of the Rings Online, Mythic, EA, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Blizzard, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Bill Roper, Diablo, David Brevik, Warcraft III, Chris Metzen, DotA, Icefrog, Riot Games, Dark Souls. Next time: To level 20 https://twitch.tv/brettdouville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we this week we turn to the start of our annual spooky game content by looking at 2002's GameCube horror adventure Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. We situate the game in time a bit and talk about its critical and commercial reception, as well as the GameCube, before turning to the game proper. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The first three levels Issues covered: how names appear backwards, our horror tradition, this year in games, Nintendo and close third parties, the mythology around a good GameCube game that disappeared, moderate sales but critical success, the Nintendo horror gap, Japanese lens on sales, understanding the mind of Nintendo, finding the comic spookiness rather than true horror, avoiding mature stuff for first party, cosmic horror, not connecting with Lovecraft, Mantorok the Corpse God, paying plenty homage to Lovecraft, Brett's tax on game lore, taking itself seriously, minimal insanity effects, Brett's never-empty bar, Tim describes an insanity effect, describing the initial experience, reading the Tome of Eternal Darkness and as a result playing the game, writers and writing and their madness, ancient history and its influence on modern day, using libraries to find information and history books, seats of American academia, delving into memory, using an Animus vs a book version, the Necronomicon, changes to Alex as to whether she's astrally projected, having multiple interpretations, Pious Augustus's transformation, making an uninformed choice, making better informed choices in Kingdom Hearts, starting to see the structure, being in the same location across multiple time periods, whether or not one required a manual, the forces for and against manuals, slowly adding mechanics in a Nintendo way. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Resident Evil, Silent Hill 2, Thief, Nintendo GameCube, Metroid Prime (series), Resident Evil 0, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Animal Crossing, Super Mario Sunshine, Kingdom Hearts, Hitman 2, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Jedi Starfighter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus, Warcraft III, PlayStation 2, LucasArts, Silicon Knights, Denis Dyack, Tatsuya Hishida, Hiro Yamada, Shigeru Miyamoto, Satoru Iwata, Resident Evil 4, Capcom, Retro Studios, Nintendo Switch, Mother 3, Kirby Dream Course, SNES Classic, Disneyland, Haunted Mansion, Luigi's Mansion, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta (series), Cthulhu, HP Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, In the Mouth of Madness, Assassin's Creed, Evil Dead 2, Alan Wake, Dungeons & Dragons, Kingdom Hearts, MYST, Super Mario Bros, Bill Roper, Lurking Horror, Infocom. Next time: The next three levels (until Lurking Horror) https://twitch.tv/brettdouville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we extend our time with 1996's Diablo with an interview with Condor/Blizzard North co-founder and Diablo lead programmer and designer David Brevik. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:39 Interview 1:21:19 Break 1:21:51 Wrap-up Issues covered: falling in love with games as a young person, learning how to program, finding out you could make a living making games, typing in programs from magazines, sticking with games, clip-art discs, founding Condor, Diablo pitch document, meeting people at CES, genre calcification and RPGs, working on a fighting game and finding out the SNES and Genesis games were being developed independently, switching to PC games, having the whole gang up to get a pitch, starting with Rogue and adding graphics, the short life of claymation-based graphics, signing as turn-based but Blizzard wanting real-time, getting a 3D0 contract for a football game on the M2, a side distraction into baseball and other sports, cutting turns up fractionally, being all-in on the turn-based/permadeath nature of Rogue-likes, strategy games going to real-time, squeezing more money out of the publisher, getting real-time running in a couple hours, stealing from X-COM's graphics, having a moment when the clouds part and the angels sing, democracy works, having an "I've never seen this before" moment, moving away from D&D tropes and getting darker, having internal hockey tournaments, lowering "time to killing monsters," removing complexity from potions and also verbs, pen and paper requiring character development and games less so, stealing the attributes/requirements loot properties from Angband, getting away from Tolkien and towards the Gothic from the art direction, the contribution of music to the tone, trading player-oriented drama for immediacy, constraints leading to a cornerstone of the series, simplification of the good and the evil, having the stories you get from playing rather than from dialog and designer-written story, running around in multiplayer, getting owned by The Butcher, tackling lots of big new programming stuff on Diablo including networking, having a tutor in Pat Wyatt, inventing Battle.Net, coming in with the multiplayer very late, peer-to-peer model and notifying others, non-deterministic model and rampant cheating, erring on the side of being generous, uniting people on the Internet, the huge impact of Diablo's designs on gaming as a whole, David's latest project, going from CEO to a one-man-show, the huge impact David's had on the industry, transformative games. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Iguana Entertainment, Condor/Blizzard North, Flagship Studios, Hellgate: London, Gazillion Entertainment, Marvel Heroes, Graybeard Games, It Lurks Below, Pong, Apple ][+, Richard Garriott, Ultima, Inside (magazine), Intel, FM Wave, Tramiel family, Atari/Atari Lynx, Gordo 106, Sunsoft, Acclaim, 3D0, Justice League Task Force, SNES, Sega Genesis, Silicon & Synapse, Warcraft, Davidson & Associates, Math Blaster, Reading Blaster, Allen Adham, Mike Morhaime, Pat Wyatt, Chris Metzen, Rogue, Nethack, Moria/UMoria/Angband, Primal Rage, Dune 2000, Baldur's Gate, X-COM, Starfighter, Mortimer and the Riddle of the Medallion, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dungeons & Dragons, NHL '94, DOOM (1993), Erich and Max Schaefer, Matt Uelmen, Dragon magazine, Amazon, Total Entertainment Network, Daron Stinnett, Dark Forces, Loderunner, Terraria, Starbound, Zork, Don Tomassello (now that's random), Planescape: Torment, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Bill Roper. Next time: An additional bonus episode with Diablo III! https://twitch.tv/brettdouville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Warning: Contains a high amount of profanity, possibly offensive jokes, adult situations, etc.Please support us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/werenotafraidofthedark/New YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHlQVnRbxDNdIHNvoVD-CRwhttps://www.instagram.com/werenotafraidofthedark/https://www.facebook.com/werenotafraidofthedark/werenotafraidofthedark@gmail.comIntro and outro theme by glassdevaney: https://soundcloud.com/glassdevaney/are-you-afraid-of-the-darkIf you would like a sticker, send us an email or message us on social media!Episode edited by Adam at Modulation Studios.“The Tale of the Renegade Virus” Are You Afraid of the Dark? Directed by Ron Oliver. Written by Andrew Mitchell & Gerard Lewis. Season three, episode three. Episode aired October 8, 1994. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0514441Aerosmith, artist. Amazing. Release November 1993. Geffen Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmOvYzSeaQChandrasekhar, Jay, dir. Club Dread (2004). Broken Lizard Industries,Cataland Films,Coconut Pete Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0331953/Cohn, Alan, dir. Dead Man on Campus (1998). Paramount Pictures,MTV Productions,Pacific Western. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118301/Diablo. Video game franchise. Developed by Blizzard North. Published by Blizzard Entertainment. Produced by Bill Roper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo_(video_game)Johnston, Joe, dir. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). Walt Disney Pictures,Silver Screen Partners III,Doric Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097523/Knight, Peter, dir. Big Wolf on Campus (1999-2002). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189392/McHugh, creator.. Avonlea (1990-1996). Television series. Disney Channel,Sullivan Entertainment. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098900/McInnis, Allen. "Actor Paul Cagelet Sentenced to 15 Months for Possession of Child Porn." Montreal Gazette. July 04, 2018. Accessed August 25, 2018. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/actor-paul-cagelet-sentenced-to-15-months-for-possession-of-child-porn.The Sims. Video game franchise. Developed by Maxis. Published by Electronic Arts. Created by Will Wight. First released on February 4, 2000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sims

Warning: Contains a high amount of profanity, possibly offensive jokes, adult situations, etc.Please support us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/werenotafraidofthedark/New YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHlQVnRbxDNdIHNvoVD-CRwhttps://www.instagram.com/werenotafraidofthedark/https://www.facebook.com/werenotafraidofthedark/werenotafraidofthedark@gmail.comIntro and outro theme by glassdevaney: https://soundcloud.com/glassdevaney/are-you-afraid-of-the-darkIf you would like a sticker, send us an email or message us on social media!Episode edited by Adam at Modulation Studios.“The Tale of the Renegade Virus” Are You Afraid of the Dark? Directed by Ron Oliver. Written by Andrew Mitchell & Gerard Lewis. Season three, episode three. Episode aired October 8, 1994. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0514441Aerosmith, artist. Amazing. Release November 1993. Geffen Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmOvYzSeaQChandrasekhar, Jay, dir. Club Dread (2004). Broken Lizard Industries,Cataland Films,Coconut Pete Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0331953/Cohn, Alan, dir. Dead Man on Campus (1998). Paramount Pictures,MTV Productions,Pacific Western. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118301/Diablo. Video game franchise. Developed by Blizzard North. Published by Blizzard Entertainment. Produced by Bill Roper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo_(video_game)Johnston, Joe, dir. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). Walt Disney Pictures,Silver Screen Partners III,Doric Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097523/Knight, Peter, dir. Big Wolf on Campus (1999-2002). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189392/McHugh, creator.. Avonlea (1990-1996). Television series. Disney Channel,Sullivan Entertainment. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098900/McInnis, Allen. "Actor Paul Cagelet Sentenced to 15 Months for Possession of Child Porn." Montreal Gazette. July 04, 2018. Accessed August 25, 2018. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/actor-paul-cagelet-sentenced-to-15-months-for-possession-of-child-porn.The Sims. Video game franchise. Developed by Maxis. Published by Electronic Arts. Created by Will Wight. First released on February 4, 2000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sims

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life. This week we welcome Marc Laidlaw, long-time Valve employee and writer of Half-Life. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:40       Interview with Marc Laidlaw 1:04:50  Break 1:05:16  Feedback/Questions Issues covered: getting started at Valve, looking at story in first person games, unshipped game at Valve, getting Quake community people to work on Half-Life, the early plan for the company, finding features by building lots of tests, randomly discussing features with press, making outrageous promises to spur on the team, the development of a fully realized place, totality of effect, designing from the bottom-up and fitting stuff together later, having employees who were used to working alone, going back to the drawing board, hinting at other levels and wanting the glory, non-physical spaces, lone wolves, needing an overall director to enforce co-authorship, using the Cabal to fulfill that role, being in the trenches and etching into your brain, living Half-Life for two years, avoiding the space marine trope, making the gimmick "science," doing science experiments in game development, intricacy of clockwork levels/Chinese puzzle boxes, the technology of magic, working to get a reaction, characters emerging from setting, bridging to Half-Life 2, magic tricks being even more impressive when you know how they're done, user testing, knowing what questions to ask, players not getting to the ends of games, trying to avoid having to teach the player, expecting a literate player, keeping it clean and transparent, having no model for the main character generating a constraint, reacting to player experiences of the demo, working out of a corner/desperation, creating within constraints, having too much freedom (analysis paralysis), Marc's work available on Kindle, taking breaks, writing in the early days of video games, always in the helmet, E3 memories/discussion. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Day of the Tentacle, Half-Life 2, Portal, Counterstrike: Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, DotA 2, Eric Wolpaw, Jay Pinkerton, id Software, Quake, Michael Abrash, Mike Harrington, Gabe Newell, WIRED Magazine, Worldcraft, Ben Morris, Prospero, John Guthrie (Choryoth), Steve Bond (Wedge), Blues News, Harry Teasley, Peter Molyneux, Edgar Allan Poe, Thieves' World anthologies, Randy Lundeen, Shigeru Miyamoto, Kelly Bailey, Dave Riller, Ken Birdwell, Dario Casali, Alfred Hitchcock, Microsoft, Uncharted 4, Duke Nuke'em, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Prey (2017), Nioh, Breath of the Wild, Bill Roper, Janos Flosser, Starfighter, Wayne Cline, Republic Commando, Ryan Kaufman, Mike Stemmle, Hal Barwood, Sean Clark, Jonathan Ackley, Larry Ahern, Tim Schafer, Dave Grossman, RebelFM, Phil Rosehill, Link to the Past, Super Metroid, ToeJam & Earl, LucasArts, Alexander Farr, Kotaku, Final Fantasy 9, Jason Schreier, Tacoma, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian, Halo 5, 343 Industries, Bethesda Game Studios, Unreal, Nintendo Wii, Evil Avatar, Phil Kollar, Polygon, Sony, Metal Gear (series), Witcher III, Anthem, No Man's Sky, Hello Games, Joe Danger, Assassin's Creed (series), Red Dead (series), PAX, Ficus/@giant_rat. Next time: Another Interview! Links: Marc's website @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

The inaugural alpha test of the Binwin's Minions RPG, recorded live at PAX South 2017 in San Antonio, TX! Binwin Bronzebottom is looking for a few good adventurers to help acquire all the loot from the Ruined Keep of Ikillyah. Chris Perkins is your dungeon master with Table Titans creator Scott Kurtz as Binwin Bronzebottom along with our first set of foolishly brave adventurers: Tavis Maiden as the Wizard, Angie Kurtz as the Druid, Bill Roper as the Thief, and Cory Casoni as Paul the Warrior.

Welcome to a bonus episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter. We welcome two guests, Reed Knight and Darren Johnson, who worked in QA on the original titles and co-led the QA team on the Collector's Edition. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. TTAJ: 14:24 Podcast breakdown: 0:29        Interview segment 1:10:00   Break 1:10:22   Outro, Next time Issues covered: Tim introduces QA as a discipline, Reed self-introduction, QA being in start credits of Full Throttle, Tim's interviews, Darren self-introduction, early history of Reed and Darren in QA, games that are fun to test months in, score competition, day in the life of a tester, bug entry process, having only one computer for entering bugs, "anti-speed runs," thinking in terms of triggers or events, gluing events together, getting the editor and looking for bugs, finding voice lines that had never fired in original TIE Fighter, finding bugs that weren't literally visible in-game, non-crash "A" bugs, Reed disputes Brett's account of an "A" bug, Darren defeating Darth Vader, best gaming moments, the lengths you go to to break a game, "SUM PIN TO DO," missing a bug because you haven't gone far enough, fighting for bugs on behalf of the player, suggesting technical solutions from QA, healthy tension between departments, "upstairs," Kerner Blvd, adversarial advocacy vs. regulatory capture, maintaining objectivity, balancing games from test, lead tester importance as ship date looms, maintaining loyalty to the QA team, turning to the Dark Side, getting QA consensus, "once a tester always a tester," humility vs arrogance, direct discussion with testers, every 1000th bug, golden age, free range testing, working on a platform title (due to license holder requirements), compatibility, quantity of bugs in modern day, playing console manufacturers off against one another, day one patches, usability issues, playing XvT co-op as former QA, TuneIn and Amazon Echo. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Rogue One, Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear, Emperor Zurg, Dark Forces, Full Throttle, Tim Schafer, Metal Warriors, Big Sky Trooper, Jedi Knight, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, Stormfront Studios, Eragon, Don Daglow, Smithsonian, Leap Frog, Duke Grabowski, Bill Tiller, Gene Mocsy, Hal Barwood, Zelda, Indiana Jones Desktop Adventures, Yoda Stories, Afterlife, Day of the Tentacle, Dave Grossman, Mad Otter Games, Disney, Brian Kemp, Larry Holland, Totally Games, Dan Connors, Mark Cartwright, The Last Starfighter, Fallout 3, Todd Howard, Daron Stinnett, Starfighter, Brett Tosti, Galactic Battlegrounds, Battle for Naboo, Obi-Wan, Bill Roper, Tim Cain, Bethesda Game Studios, Nintendo 64, Shadows of the Empire, Livia Knight, Telltale Games, Sean Clark, Tabitha Tosti, Battlehawks 1942, Their Finest Hour, Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, Ico, Fumito Ueda, BlueTieCasual. Next time: Interview with Larry Holland! @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome to our first episode in our series examining Super Metroid, our first foray into playing something that is exclusively on console. We first situate the game and the series in importance and discuss the influence of Japanese design before turning to the first couple of hours of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up until the Charge Beam Podcast breakdown: 0:31      Segment 1: Relevance/Impact 26:47    Break 1 27:23    Segment 2: First part 1:10:30 Break 2 1:10:54 Segment 3: Outro/Next time Issues covered: how one pronounces "Douville," synchronization bugs, impact of Japanese, mix of skill-based play and environmental puzzles and exploration and tactical decisions, concurrent original development of multiple storied franchises, the time constraints on adult players, open world games and growing the space, narrative and the environment, foreshadowing in the main menu, narrative tone, stylized minimalistic music, opening cutscene, pixel art, character design, weapon and damage types, weapons and macro/micro design, less economical design at AAA, depth vs breadth, constraining the player to drive creativity, testing what you've learned, "mode 7" rendering, parallax and storytelling, reverse blood-locking, RTFM, tiny lessons and reinforcements, forcing you to learn, map limitations, giving you the things that you need, the need for elevators, conveying information in tile art, playing with player expectations. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: DLC podcast, Jeff Cannata, Christian Spicer, Bill Roper, Blizzard, WarCraft, Patrick Wyatt, Nathan Martz, Brütal Lëgënd, Nintendo R&D, Yoshi Sakamoto, Castlevania, Mario series, Legend of Zelda series, No Man's Sky, Metroid Prime series, Starfighter, Tomb Raider (2013), Firewatch, Alien, Aliens, Boba Fett, Star Wars, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime Federation Force, Shovel Knight, Axiom Verge, Halo, Mode7 Games, Paul Kilduff-Taylor, Warren Spector, Harvey Smith, Randy Smith, Dishonored, Doom (2016), Metal Gear Solid series, Final Fantasy VII/IX, Outlaws, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, Headlander. Next time: Up until the Ice Beam @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome to our final episode in our series examining Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, where we welcome guest Bill Roper! Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Quick show note: We had some technical difficulties with Bill's mic, so he's a little quiet. Apologies. It is worth boosting your headphones to hear him. Podcast breakdown: 0:38      Bill Roper Interview 1:12:41 Break 1 1:13:06 Outro, next game Issues covered: Blizzard pre-Warcraft, how Bill got in, voice over, joining up to do anything, having empathy for orcs, manual symmetry, making investments in quality, notepads add heft, guerrilla marketing, "Growing up Blizzard," inclusivity and the "Mom test," getting into the RTS market, raising the bar back and forth with Westwood, SVGA resolution, LAN multiplayer, desynchronization bugs, pushing the capabilities of the engine, stringing missions together into a story, constant iteration of game writing, ebb and flow of mission types, longer development time for 1993, everything going right for Warcraft 2, emergence of the multiple click voice lines, letting the team find a new feature, AAA production focus vs indie innovation ability, planning for innovation and leadership buy-in, great ideas come from everywhere, Blizzard culture and design credited to the team, flip-side: killing your babies, everybody playing the game, the quote board, the world's most expensive QA team, meritocracy, Blizzard's influence on the industry and its inclusivity, simple to learn/difficult to master, supporting approachability with humor and aesthetics, grognard capture, free multiplayer clients with the single-player game, genesis of Battle.Net, pay-to-play multiplayer services, the influences that led to the orcs, the origins of Medivh's name, exiling the wolf riders, characterizing units through voice and portraiture, embedding character into the gameplay, telling side stories because you don't know what the player looks like, audio cues as feedback system, economical design, micro-management, building on roads, mini-map choices: essentially just an alert, no playing the game off the mini-map, trolling pro players, avoiding mini-map distraction, design discipline. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Warcraft series, Starcraft series, Diablo series, Champions, Star Trek Online, Blizzard, Silicon & Synapse, Justice League Task Force, Lost Vikings, Rock n' Roll Racing, Dune 2, Herzog Zwei, Blackthorne, Mars: Bringer of War (Hölst), Glenn Stafford, Allen Adham, Mike Morhaime, Magic: The Gathering, Jeopardy, MAD magazine, Davidson & Associates, Bethesda Game Studios, Oblivion, Command & Conquer, Westwood Studios, Ron Millar, id Software, Epic Megagames, Starfighter games, Bob Fitch, Republic Commando, Daron Stinnett, Dave Brevik, Erich and Max Schaefer, Farmville, Mafia Wars, Mario Kart, Hearthstone, Chris Metzen, Wing Commander, Skyrim, Myth series, Stu Venable, GURPS, Happy Jacks, Poxy Boggards. Links: You should follow @BillRoper on Twitter! Check out his podcast, Happy Jacks RPG Podcast! Or their website! Bliss out to the RennFaire strains of the Poxy Boggards! Next time: Super Metroid! Play until you get the charge beam (save around that) @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

A sudden emergency made recording our guest interview with Bill Roper impossible, so we postponed. Brett hops on the mic to quickly brief you on that, and to announce our next game! Next time: Still Bill Roper!   @brett_douville, @timlongojr, @devgameclub www.devgameclub.com devgameclub@gmail.com

Welcome to our fourth episode in our series examining Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. We finish off our discussion of the game, discussing the last few missions and turning to our takeways and pillars. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Humans 10-12 and Orcs 10-12 Podcast breakdown: 0:36     Segment 1: Last four missions 32:35   Break 1 33:12   Segment 2: Takeaways, pillars, and next time Issues covered: big army missions, Brett's final strategy: wizards and warlocks FTW!, demons and elementals as hero units, level design as scheduling, cheating AI, Brett the programmer nerd: using a unit as a counter variable, constraints inspire creativity, finding the fun, player-centric design, mission customization in later RTSes, unique locations at the end of the game (Stormwind Castle and Blackrock Spire), limiting need for upgrades at end of game, "more" instead of "different," turning drama into tedium, Warcraft nerd-out time, Warcraft radio drama, embracing micromanagement, focusing a challenge due to street-to-street fighting, stationed units, variety in mission types, light narrative elements as motivating force, DOS technical limitations, ending cinematics, whole team as design credit, scoring ranks, rhythm and timing and time as a currency, tension in real-time vs turn-based, RNG vs determinism. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Cary Grant, The Bachelor and the Bobby-soxer, Labyrinth, Chess, Dawn of War II, Company of Heroes, Starcraft II, Dark Forces, Sid Meier, Civilization, Doom, ARMA, Starfighter, Star Wars, Daron Stinnett, Rogue Squadron, Rogue Leader, Warcraft III, Starcraft: Brood War, DotA, Relic Entertainment, Reed Knight, World of Warcraft: Legion, Cataclysm, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, The Trouble with Tribbles, Chris Metzen, Samwise Didier, Dune 2, Diablo, Bungie, Myth series, Command & Conquer, Tetris, Drop 7, Conan, Warcraft II, XCOM, Gold Box series, Bill Roper, Disney, Hellgate: London, Flagship Studios. Next time: Special guest BILL ROPER! @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Welcome to our second episode in our series examining Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. We specifically discuss unit introduction and the evolution of the genre and how it does and doesn't parallel tabletop wargaming. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Four more of each campaign -- Human 3-6, Orc 3-6 Podcast breakdown: 0:31       Intro and segment 1 37:11     Break 1 37:31     Segment 2 1:05:08  Break 2 1:05:34  Next time Issues covered: destroying bases, unit introduction as enemies and as friendlies, unit costs as a bar to trying out new types, usability issues, Tim's difficulties with having to restart, preconceived notions, seeding towns with units for difficulty, ranged strategy and pull radii, abusing pathfinding, similarity to tower defense, playing orcs differently from the humans, Tim's changing style of play, micromanaging formations, tuning difficulty for different speeds of play, archers vs catapults, Brett thinking about how to actually build games like these, scripted pathing in Starfighter, interface challenges vs the AI player, inner workings of the Starfighter AI, dungeon levels, influence of dungeon levels here on later Blizzard games, parallels between RTSes and wargaming and early tabletop role-playing, story in Blizzard games, National Conventions and Lothar 2016, purification of genres, friction between mechanics and dungeon levels, multiplayer and game masters and playing like a machine, WarCraft 2 arriving so soon after, Blizzard development model, Blizzard maintaining corporate identity under Activision, alternating levels, playing campaigns one after the other. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Pokémon Go, Geocaching, Command and Conquer, StarCraft, Final Fantasy IX, System Shock, WarCraft 2, Bungie, Myth, Hitman 2, Hitman (2016), Starfighter, World of WarCraft, WarCraft III, WarCraft (2016 film), Samwise Didier, Chris Metzer, Michael Morhaime, Bill Roper, Disney, EverQuest, Overwatch, Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Falling, Activision, EA, Origin, Bullfrog, Lionhead, Treyarch, Bobby Kotick. Next time: Play three more of each campaign (if you'd like): Human 7-9, Orc 7-9 @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

In this first episode of our series discussing Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, we examine the relevance of the original game to the series as a whole and its genre in particular and begin delving into the mechanics on display in the first few levels of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: First two levels of each campaign: H1, O1, H2, O2 Podcast breakdown: 0:32        Intro and segment 1 (relevance, personal and industry wise) 33:55      Break 1 34:23      Dev and mechanics talk 1:07:05   Break 2 1:07:32   Quick additional topic and next time Issues covered: committing to the division of Orcs and Humans, reading the freaking manual, what went into manuals and not, training the player and avoiding the manual, credits in the PS2 era, what did you need a manual for, the Indie Box, tooltips and in-game instruction, story development inside of Blizzard games vis a vis Westwood, CD-ROM and FMV, mission type variety, mods as aid to development, unit grouping count, small squads vs large armies, moving towards hero focus, MOBAs born from heroes, prioritizing even derivative lore and the potential benefits, reading 8 to 10 Warcraft novels, beneficial aesthetics, humor, self-seriousness and camp, playing with your toys, discovering games on shared computers, multiplayer culture in RTSes and FPSes, using multiplayer for develop, pathfinding and the Dining Philosophers problem, lack of formation, micromanagement for tactical gain, counting frames and managing combat closely, unsignaled progress, energy and efficiency, levels of fog of war and the Eye of Kilrogg, the weight of individual units, build speeds, deliberate pacing (lack of click-to-move), contextualization and automation debates in the mid-90s, "the game playing itself," automating those things which are not the focus, stylization and exaggeration in visual design, minimum spec. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Dave Grossman, Tim Schafer, Uncharted 4, Day of the Tentacle, LucasArts, Starfighter, Dark Souls, Gone Home, Dune 2, XCOM, Westwood, Command & Conquer, Starcraft, Wing Commander, The 7th Guest, Rebel Assault, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3, Sid Meier, Dawn of War II, Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment, Defense of the Ancients, J. R. R. Tolkien, Gary Gygax, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen, Samwise Didier, Michael Morhaime, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Games Workshop, Dungeons and Dragons, Patrick Stewart, Dark Forces, DOOM (original and 2016), Castle Wolfenstein, Prince of Persia, Myth: The Forgotten Lords, Bungie, Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void, Starship Troopers, Little King's Story, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Wayne Cline, Ultima IX, Tomb Raider, Super Mario 64, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, Hal Barwood, Overwatch, Diablo III, Disney, Nintendo, Pokemon Go. Next time: Play four more from each campaign, still alternating Humans and Orcs! @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com

Bill Roper spoke with Deloitte Advisory’s Mike Kearney about stepping into the role of CEO at VeriSign in 2007 in the midst of stock option backdating allegations. Faced with addressing short-term issues related to the investigation, VeriSign framed the crisis with an eye on the long game as well: helping the company restructure and better position itself for the future.

Welcome, Champions Online fans! The Balanced Mind Parent Network improves the lives of families raising children and teens with bipolar disorder and related conditions such as depression and ADHD. Over 80% of our funding comes from individuals like you. Please consider a small donation in support of The Balanced Mind Parent Network families. In our continuing series on video game addiction, we talk to renowned video game designer Bill Roper. Currently, Roper is an executive at Cryptic Studios where he oversees MMORPG's like Champions Online and Star Trek Online. We get an insider's perspective on what goes into creating a successful game, including game mechanics, demographic considerations, and more. We specifically ask him his thoughts on video game addiction as well. Roper has worked on tons of the most famous MMORPG's ever created. You can sample his current work at http://crypticstudios.com/.

Welcome to show 100!Literally months in the making coordinating schedules with guests from all over the world.  The best of the best moments of the past 100 shows.  This show includes community guests, industry professionals and even Dr. Richard Bartle! See you online,Julie and FranPart 1Music:1. Star Wars Theme, Paul Barnet2. La Grange, ZZ Top – Scott Hartsman3. Hang on St. Christopher, Tom Waits – Shannon Posniewski4. Life in the Fast Lane, Eagles – Bill RoperTopics: 1. Women in games and women gamers2. EA joins Sony in trying to waive their liability.3. Is the Subscription model DOA?4. The wrong way to go free 2 play5. Should developers go mobile or go home?Guests: Darren from Catholic Gamer, Brent from Virgin Worlds and Karen Bryan from MassivelyPart 2:  with R.W. HarperMusic:1. Concerning Hobbits,  Marie Croall2. Bill Roper phone call Blondie Call me bit3. Low Rider, Funcom community managers4. Star Wars Sith Theme, Paul Barnett5. Alganon Developers, Life in the fast laneSubjects: 1. Star Wars the Old RepublicPart 3: with Dr. Richard BartleMusic:1. Soul Man, James Brown, Dr. Richard Bartle2. Sharp Dressed Man, ZZ Top, R.W. Harper3. Colin Dwan, ZZ Top, Tush4. Richard Cheese, Star Wars Cantina ParodyTopics:1. The Decline of Virtual Worlds,   Games people play and who pays for them, 2. Virtual Worlds that let players be free to be themselves.3. Survey says puppies play games too.

Welcome to Show Number 68! Fallout: New Vegas is discussed, including the talents of Wayne “Mr.Las Vegas” Newton. Fran and Julie see the handwriting on the wall (itspells net neutrality). Also discussed - World of Warcraft, TheTransformers mmo, Bill Roper, Medal of Honor, Star Wars, Blue Ray andlaser disks the size of a tire on a buick. The topics of the week are Guild Wars 2, including the dynamic eventssystem, and Julie decides that it really could be the future of mmos.Next we talk about World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm expansion.  We savethe best for last and spend a few minutes with Dr. Richard Bartle andchat about his upcoming award as a legend of gaming. Julie and Fran Sites we discuss on the show:blog.weflyspitfires.com/biobreak.wordpress.com/usuallyfine.blogspot.com/www.tgdaily.com/

What do you know about know about “The Poz”?  No, we are not talkingabout the cousin of Arthur Fonzarelli from “Happy Days.”  We aretalking about the man who will be steering Champions Online in thedirection of happy days to come.  Yes none other than Mr. Shannon“Poz” Posniewski, the new executive producer for Champions Online.Share an hour of fun and laughter with Julie, Fran and Poz and findout the answer to such burning issues as…Who at Cryptic wear a size 13 shoe with flames down the side?What other noted game developer did Poz go to school with and why didthat person dance for money at an early age?What does Poz do in his spare time?What is Bill Roper up to now? (Aside from 6 feet tall)What does the new executive producer for Champions think about wherethe game has been and where it is going?Why is approach to Player Vs. Player different for Champions than itis for other games? Where does it shine and when did it have its“light under a bushel basket”?

Welcome to our BIG ANNIVERSARY SHOW! We have actually been on the air about a year and a half now, all shows included, but we are claiming this one as our anniversary show. We have a fantastic show this time. Not one, but two professional developers. First up is Mr. Bill Roper from Cryptic Studios. After that is our own R.W. Harper (we would tell you where he works but then he would have to kill us).  Two hours of in depth discussion, lots of fun and  truck loads of laughs. Julie and Fran

Join Roger, Joe and Enrique, along with special guest Bill Roper on this most excellent episode. iTunes | Stitcher | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!

Welcome to show number 49.  This week we have a round table discussion with JMO/Jeremy from the MMO Voices Podcast and Tipa from West Karana.  Many laughs are had although at the end of the podcast....well you will hear.  Join us next week for two developers on our anniversary show - R.W. Harper and Bill Roper. See you online Julie Whitefeather Fran Kosac

The M-Team discusses Tabula Rasa boxes as currency, Champions Online under Bill Roper, and more.