Podcast appearances and mentions of crystal tower

Show all the true soul of this imposter. Show your ears the tales of us demonstrating bravery, wearing underthings on the dome, prohibiting weapons at church, restoring memory with song, kidnapping singers for occult rituals, going Full Mom, predicting anime, desiring evil mommy punishment, blinging the dragon ring, passing back through the Cave of Trial, sorting through extended Sega CD events, and debuting the world's finest Ghaleon impression. Brought to you by Michael “Rage” Hardy and James “Smarty” Cools. 00:00:00 Let's Be Cops 00:01:09 Intro 00:02:43 Return to Magic Guild 00:07:12 Crystal Tower 00:15:33 Star Chamber 00:26:06 Anime Spiral 00:28:39 Resuming Star Chamber 00:35:40 Sega CD Star Chamber 00:42:14 Star Chamber Debrief 00:47:40 Real Net 00:55:43 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Our Crystal Tower adventure concludes with a foray into the World of Darkness. For the first time in documented history, mortals will enter the Void! Our chances of survival are slim, but it's the only opportunity we have to rescue the ones seized by the Cloud of Darkness. Join us for this finale to the A Realm Reborn alliance raid series!   You can reach us at: https://discord.gg/SUHTBVMVxj  podreturnffxiv@gmail https://www.patreon.com/Podreturnffxiv   FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/skippy-mr-sunshine License code: 91CJGK73DTQIXILK https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales License code: PQ1IMSLKP0XTU1IC

Stock up on shuriken because this episode is all about the hugely influential (if only in Japan) Final Fantasy III. And the fact we don't even mention the naming differences between FFIII for SNES vs. FFVI vs. the ACTUAL FFIII means maybe the world has moved on! Join Archons Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, and special guest Retro Ali as we take a deep dive into the Crystal Tower, the Warriors of Darkness, Eureka, and more! Music in this Episode: Battle 2 - [Final Fantasy III] Battle 2 - [Final Fantasy III - Four Souls -] Shattered - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn] The Reach of Darkness - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn] Eternal Wind - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn]

Every day is leg day as our Crystal Tower series continues into Syrcus Tower itself! We welcome an old nemesis and new friends into NOAH, and we gain entrance to the tower proper. Our mission: regicide. Join us for part 3 of our coverage of this A Realm Reborn alliance raid series.   You can reach us at: https://discord.gg/SUHTBVMVxj  podreturnffxiv@gmail https://www.patreon.com/Podreturnffxiv   FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/skippy-mr-sunshine License code: 91CJGK73DTQIXILK https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales License code: PQ1IMSLKP0XTU1IC

We resume our Crystal Tower series with us setting foot into the tower itself! Or the basement, anyway. We must overcome the preserved Allagan horrors and voidsent that still lurk in the labyrinth below the tower. Will NOAH overcome these trials? Not that Noah, the other one. Join us as this FFXIV alliance raid series continues!   You can reach us at: https://discord.gg/SUHTBVMVxj  podreturnffxiv@gmail https://www.patreon.com/Podreturnffxiv   FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/skippy-mr-sunshine License code: 91CJGK73DTQIXILK https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales License code: PQ1IMSLKP0XTU1IC

We kick off our Crystal Tower adventures with a look back into the past, recounting the rise and fall of the Allagans and the events that led to the creation and rediscovery of the tower. Join us as we explore this essential part of the Final Fantasy 14 story and start on our first alliance raid series!   You can reach us at: https://discord.gg/SUHTBVMVxj  podreturnffxiv@gmail https://www.patreon.com/Podreturnffxiv   FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/skippy-mr-sunshine License code: 91CJGK73DTQIXILK https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales License code: PQ1IMSLKP0XTU1IC

Jesse Cox returns for the final grilling before the end of Endwalker. The test is stacked, the questions are hard and our memories are shit. Better than most? Maybe. Are there dragons in the Crystal Tower? Who has cloud hair? What characters are missing? What happens in patch content given the meta knowledge of the launcher? Jesse leaves no stone unturned, while Garrett and Kyle loose the stones. 

Ash was expecting to have a fun time in the town of Greenfield after gathering all of his badges in The Orange Islands, but now he must rescue Molly wants to stay in her fantasy world forever after her father goes missing, and Entei will do whatever it takes to make her happy, even if it means taking her away from her world forever! How will this story play out? Let's watch and find out! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/everypokemon/support

Hasbro City opens in Mexico, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park reopens Haunted Mide Drop as Crystal Tower, and The Mall of America (Bloomington, MN) and American Monsters are set to open a new haunt this Halloween season: “Onionhead's Revenge”.

Kick back and relax as Field Studies returns for a guided audio commentary track through fan-favourite Shadowbringers dungeon, The Twinning. Sharlayan Dropouts host Victor Hunter takes you through the history of the Crystal Tower, the cascading effect that delays in the mid-2000s had on Square that are still being felt today, and the crystalline metaphor at the heart of this tragic-but-hopeful tale. Spoiler level: Yellow. The Twinning quest is available at the conclusion of Shadowbringers. Music: A Long Fall - Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Full Speed Ahead - Final Fantasy XIII Eternal Wind - Lightning Returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kick back and relax as Field Studies returns for a guided audio commentary track through fan-favourite Shadowbringers dungeon, The Twinning. Sharlayan Dropouts host Victor Hunter takes you through the history of the Crystal Tower, the cascading effect that delays in the mid-2000s had on Square that are still being felt today, and the crystalline metaphor at the heart of this tragic-but-hopeful tale. Spoiler level: Yellow. The Twinning quest is available at the conclusion of Shadowbringers. Music: A Long Fall - Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Full Speed Ahead - Final Fantasy XIII Eternal Wind - Lightning Returns

We start this episode by going over the meaning of a lost crystal. Sadly, Cassie recently experienced this and wanted to share her findings. Then while we're already on a witchy topic, we might as well cover the Witch's Castle in Portland, OR! Local legends swirl around this magical, abandoned, moss covered, stone building. But there is more than just urban legend buried in the dark history of the land. I mean this place HAS to be creepy, since it's situated VERY near two of our other show topics -  Forest Park & The Pittock Mansion! The Crystal Tower! EVPs from The Supernatural Investigation UnitThis week we're sharing a promo for Designated Quizzers Podcast  If you're enjoying our podcast, please consider leaving a rating & review on Apple Podcasts. It helps get us seen by more creepy people just like you!  Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Patreon,  & more!  If you have any true crime, paranormal, or witchy stories you'd like to share with us & possibly have them read (out loud) on an episode, email us at pnwhauntsandhomicides@gmail.com or use this link.  Another great way to support the show is by making a one time donation through BuyMeACoffee.We're Birdie Ambassadors! Birdie is the modern personal safety alarm made for women, by women.  Use our Ambassador Link and coupon code to receive 10% off your purchase.Coupon Code: PNWHAUNTSANDHOMICIDESIntro/Outro Music from Uppbeat License I74RAVIRTFQ4CRXE AD Music from Uppbeat License YWG9BPO0I7XYQBBQ Cover art by Chris & Cassie Pastebin: for sources. F**k ThatF**k That is a true crime podcast hosted by Ashley, a true crime fanatic, and Dan, who...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify The CapricornerDating, relationships, psychology, and copious controversy - Capricorn style!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Notre critique du film "Tous en scène 2" réalisé par Garth Jennings et Christophe Lourdelet avec les voix de Jenifer Bartoli, Elodie Martelet.   Abonnez-vous à notre chaîne YOUTUBE : https://bit.ly/3nm7Oy9 ---   Titre : Tous en scène 2 (Sing 2) Sortie : 22 décembre 2021  De : Garth Jennings et Christophe Lourdelet Avec les voix de : Jenifer Bartoli et Elodie Martelet.   Synopsis : Si Buster et sa troupe ont fait du Nouveau Théâtre Moon la salle de concert à la mode, il est temps de voir les choses en plus grand : monter un nouveau spectacle dans la prestigieuse salle du théâtre de la Crystal Tower à Redshore City. Flanqué de sa troupe — dont Rosita la mère de famille nombreuse constamment débordée, Ash la rockeuse porc-épique, Johnny le gorille romantique, Meena l'éléphante à la timidité maladive sans oublier l'incroyable Gunter, le cochon le plus extraverti de la profession — Buster va devoir trouver comment se frayer un chemin dans les bureaux inhospitaliers de la prestigieuse Crystal Entertainment Company et atteindre son directeur, le loup du show-biz : Jimmy Crystal, qui y règne en véritable nabab. Dans un effort désespéré pour attirer l'attention de Jimmy, Gunter lance soudainement un pari fou que Buster relève sur le champ : la promesse de faire participer au spectacle le roi du rock, le lion Clay Calloway. Le problème est que… Buster n'a jamais rencontré Clay… surtout depuis que ce dernier s'est retiré de la scène 10 ans plus tôt, après avoir perdu sa femme. Mais pire que tout notre koala préféré ne se rend pas compte qu'il fait cette promesse à un escroc à l'égo surdimensionné qui préférerait défenestrer quelqu'un plutôt qu'on lui mente. Tiraillé entre les rêves de spectacle dithyrambique de Gunter et les menaces quasi littérales de Jimmy Crystal, qui en profite pour remplacer le rôle principal tenu par Rosita par sa propre fille pourrie gâtée Porsha, Buster va se mettre à la recherche de l'idole du rock pour le persuader de revenir sur scène. Ce qui avait commencé comme une course au succès va finir par rappeler à tous que la musique est le remède ultime pour tous les cœurs, même les plus brisés. Bande-annonce : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjcp-7SS1Dk #Tousenscene2 #CINECAST #Podcast

Welcome to Hear, Feel, Think: the podcast about the complete Final Fantasy XIV experience. Join your hosts KD, Chrysa, and Lumi as they talk about one of their favorite games, Final Fantasy XIV. In this episode, everyone talks about their different experiences with the entire FF franchise as well as a general overview of their time with the game. Then, Chrysa talks about going through the Crystal Tower raids for the first time and how she couldn't find her character in the crowd of 24 people! Find Chrysa at @CautiousAmber on all social media! Find Lumi at @leanmeanstringbean on instagram and his podcast "Screw Up The Podcast" where ever you found this podcast! Find KD at @KD_Boom on twitter and KDBoom on twitch. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The crew still shake from their last encounter take off from the crystal tower to meet back up with their sentient ship Adùnë. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rumpropelledgaming/message

We explore the tendency of Magician-inflated men to dissociate.

Our 100th Episode Pokémon spectacular comes to a close with Pokémon 3: The Movie: Spell of the Unown. After her father disappears, a young girl named Molly is bewitched by the mysterious Unown. Molly's wish to see her father again is granted in the form of the legendary Pokémon Entei (as voiced by Dan Green, of course). The surrounding area is engulfed in a crystalline structure through the power of Molly's imagination. To complete the girl's new family, Entei kidnaps Delia Ketchum and brings her to the Crystal Tower. Ash and his friends set out to rescue Delia and unravel the mysterious of the Unown. Charizard also comes back, as does Marge Simpson for some reason. We hope you'll join us for this proto-WandaVision adventure in the world of Pokémon.  Follow us on Instagram:@animewasnotamistakepodcast Or on Facebook:@animewasnotamistakepod Music Provided By: Kakusei (Awakening) – Superfly – Ambitious//Promare Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Sis Puella Magica! (Jazz Cover) – Composer: Yuki Kajiura//Arranger: Gatuo – Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Pokémon DPPt: Champion Cynthia (Jazz Cover) - insaneintherainmusic (Feat. Xnarky, SungHa, & Serena)

The Adventures, the Rum Rollers, begin their journey through the Crystal Tower. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rumpropelledgaming/message

This is the end. The end of the road. The final episode of the third season. Without further ado, enjoy it!

It's the first episode of JRPGs and Me! In this episode, Austin talks all about Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS. After starting it in 2006, he finally bought the game again and played it this year. First Facts Let's talk about the big names associated with FF3, as well as some of the behind-the-scenes info. Austin also talks about some of the differences between the original Famicom version and the DS remake, and a little bit of the history around the series in the U.S. What's It All About? Trying to keep spoilers to a minimum, this is where you get the rundown on the story. We'll explore tidbits like collecting crystals, changing jobs, and taking on challenging bosses. Personal Experience This is the bulk of the episode, where Austin talks about his personal experiences with the game. You'll find some candid commentary on characters like Doga and Unei, bosses like Hein and the Nepto Dragon, and dungeons like the Crystal Tower. Music courtesy of bensound.com

3/4 hosts recommend you use this time to catch up on the Crystal Tower quests; 4/4 hosts recommend you listen to this podcast. Time to rant about all things on the most recent live letter.

This podcast may contain things that some consider offensive. Most non-game items have been removed, thus any uncomfortable reactions removed from this recording. Please take the episode understanding the players and storyteller are portraying characters. Mr. Polite blows up Crystal Tower? Not quite but Polite does like to get things up in flames. The gang...

This podcast may contain things that some consider offensive. Most non-game items have been removed, thus any uncomfortable reactions removed from this recording. Please take the episode understanding the players and storyteller are portraying characters. Mr. Polite goes to the Crystal Tower (it is not on fire), Remy goes on a date, and Enzo wonders...

The game this time is Lankhmar: City of Thieves for Savage Worlds from Pinnacle Entertainment! Show page:  http://www.chippewavalleygeek.com/2019/09/the-cvg-actual-play-community-theater.html   Intro/Outro Music:  "We Must Believe In Magic" by Crystal Gayle

In Yeshiva - a system of advanced learning in the orthodox Jewish world, there’s a saying: “Shiv'im Panim laTorah” - which means “there are 70 faces of Torah”, but implies that there are many equally valid ways of getting to a certain point. That idea resonates with IT practitioners, because there are many paths that led us into our career in tech. In this episode, Leon speaks with guests Corey Adler, Rabbi Ben Greenberg, and returning guest Yechiel Kalmenson about how that made that literal pivot, from yeshiva into the world of IT, and what their experiences - both religious and technical taught them along the way. Listen or read the transcript below. Leon: 00:00 Hey everyone, it's Leon. Before we start this episode, I wanted to let you know about a book I wrote. It's called "The Four Questions Every Monitoring Engineer is Asked", and if you like this podcast, you're going to love this book. It combines 30 years of insight into the world of it with wisdom gleaned from Torah, Talmud, and Passover. You can read more about it including where you can get a digital or print copy over on https://adatosystems.com. Thanks! Josh: 00:24 Welcome to our podcast where we talk about the interesting, frustrating, and inspiring experiences we have as people with strongly held religious views working in corporate IT. We're not here to preach or teach you our religion. We're here to explore ways we make our career as IT professionals mesh - or at least not conflict - with our religious life. This is Technically Religious. Leon: 00:48 In yeshiva, a system of a dance learning in the orthodox Jewish world, there's a saying: "Shiviim paanim laTorah,", which means "there are 70 faces of Torah". But it implies that there are many equally valid ways of getting to a certain point. That idea resonates with it folks, because there are many paths that led us to our career in tech. Today I'm going to speak to people who made that literal pivot - from yeshiva into the world of IT - and what their experiences, both religious and technical, taught them along the way. I'm Leon Adato, and the other voices you're going to hear on this episode are returning guest Yechiel Kalmenson Yechiel: 01:20 Hey, thanks for having me back. Leon: 01:24 No problem. And also his partner in coding crime, Rabbi Ben Greenberg. Ben: 01:29 It's great to be here. Leon: 01:31 It is wonderful to have you. And sitting across from me, because he's also a Cleveland-based Orthodox Jewish Geek, is Corey Adler Corey: 01:39 Live long and prosper, Papu. New Speaker: 01:41 There we go. Okay. So before we dive into the actual topic at hand, I want to let you all do a little bit of shameless self promotion. Everyone, take a minute and tell the Technically Religious audience a little bit about who you are and how they can find you on the interwebs. Corey: 01:58 So, hi, I am Corey Adler. I am a team lead engineer at Autosoft. You can find me on Twitter @CoreyAdler and I am the constant pain and Leon side, Leon: 02:08 Literally and figuratively, yes! Yechiel: 02:10 Well, uh, my name is Yechiel. I'm a software engineer at Pivotal. Um, on Twitter you can find me @YechielK. My blog is at RabbiOnRails.io, and I also co-author a weekly newsletter called "Torah & Tech" with Ben Greenberg. Ben: 02:26 And I am that Ben Greenberg that Yechiel just mentioned. I'm a developer advocate at Nexmo, the Vonage API platform. And I also am that coauthor of "Torah & Tech" with Yechiel, and you can find me on the Twitter world @RabbiGreenberg, or on my website at BenGreenberg.dev. Leon: 02:44 Great. And for those people who are wondering, we're going to have all of those links and everything in the show notes. And finally I should just to round out the four, uh, Orthodox people of the apocalypse, I guess? I don't know. Corey: 02:56 You've been watching too much Good Omens. Leon: 02:58 Right? I just finished binge watching it. Anyway. I am Leon Adato and you can find me on the twitters @LeonAdato, I did not attend to Shiva, which is a point that my children who DID attend yeshiva are quick to mention whenever I try to share any sort of Torah knowledge. I started out in theater. I know that comes as a complete shock to folks who wonder why I could do that if I'm so shy. It's almost as weird a path to IT as Torah is. And one that's definitely informed my understanding along the way. But again, we're focusing on this yeshiva path and that's where I want to start. I want to hear from each of you, where you started out, what your sort of, growing up experience was. Ben: 03:41 Uh sure. So I guess I'll start. So I grew up in San Diego, California, a little far also from the center of what seems like the center of Orthodox Jewish life in America, in New York City. But I moved to New York for Yeshiva and college at the same time. And I went to a yeshiva college called in English, the Lander college for Men, and in Hebrew, or in a New York accented Hebrew, The Beis Medrash L'Talmud, which was and still is in Queens, in a little neighborhood in Queens called Q Gardens Hills. And so I was there for four years, right, that simultaneously yeshiva and college. And then after I graduated that I said, "I'm not done with yeshiva." So I went for another four years to another yeshiva, this time to study for a rabbinic ordination. And I did that at yeshiva called - and they only have a Hebrew names so I apologize for the three words in Hebrew here - Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, which at that time was based near Columbia University in the upper west side of Manhattan, and is now in Riverdale, which is a neighborhood in the Bronx, also in New York City. Corey: 04:55 So I guess I'll go next then. I grew up, born and raised in Chicago. I went to Skokie Yeshivah, and that's yeh-shivuh, not Yeshiva. Why? It's that way. Nobody knows. Leon: 05:07 But they beat you enough until you just stopped saying it the other way. Corey: 05:10 You get shamed if you say it the wrong way there. After high school I went to tlearn in yeshiva in the old city of Jerusalem for two years at a place called Nativ Ariyeh. Afterwards I came back to the United States and went to New York University. Not "YU" Leon: 05:30 Yeah, NYU, not YU. I went to NYU also, although we didn't know each other because I'm old and you're a baby. Okay. So that means Yechiel you're bringing up the rear on this one. Yechiel: 05:43 Yeah. I'll round off the lineup. So, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, center of the world. But for yeshiva, I left town. I went to Detroit, I was there for five years after which I went to a yeshiva in a small village in Israel called Kfar Chabad. Then I came back to New York and I studied, for my Rabbinic ordination at the Central Chabad yeshiva in Crown Heights in New York. Leon: 06:10 Fantastic. Okay. So now we get to laugh at ourselves when we were young and idealistic and had no idea what the world was going to throw at us. What were your plans at that time? Like what did you think life was going to be like? You know, IT may not have been your ultimate life goal. So what did you think it was going to be? Yechiel we'll go backwards. We'll start with you this time. Yechiel: 06:32 I'm glad you can laugh because I actually look back to those days pretty fondly. So back then I was of course very idealistic. My plans were to be a Chabad rabbi. For those in the audience who don't know Chabad is a sect within Orthodox Judaism. And at least for the sake of simplicity all I'm going to say about them is that they're very strong into Jewish outreach and bringing Judaism to unaffiliated Jews, all Jews. So back then I had plans to be, to go out somewhere in the world and be a Chabad rabbi and that's what I was studying towards and what I was learning. And in fact after I got married, I even did live out part of that. I moved to Long Island for a few years and we helped a local Chabad house until eventually the bills caught up with us and we realized that it wasn't paying. Leon: 07:23 So Ben, how about you? Ben: 07:24 So I first of all, I do want to comment on the fact that only a Brooklynite would think "moving out of town" was moving to Long Island, New York. I do just want to make that comment as we're engaging in this conversation. Leon: 07:39 It is definitely the New York state of mind. Corey: 07:41 Yup. Ben: 07:42 And I also do want to say another wonderful thing about... well *a* wonderful thing about Chabad: In my role now is a developer advocate. I do a lot of traveling and I have encountered and have had the great fortune to spend, many Shabbatot and holidays - many Jewish Shabbats, Sabbaths - with Chabad houses around the world and have truly seen the diversity of both Jews and non Jews who attend Chabba for Shabbat meals, for Shabbat services. Just a couple weeks ago I was at Chabad in Venice in Italy and saw just really like every, every type of person. The whole spectrum of human life, it felt like, was present in the Jewish ghetto in the courtyard, celebrating Friday night services and dancing in the streets for Shabbat services with the Chabad. So it was really just quite beautiful. I had such a wonderful time in yeshiva for those eight years, I decided I actually wanted to be a rabbi and so I spent about 10 years of my life actually working as one. And I worked in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a campus Rabbi, A Hillel Rabbi, which is central for Jewish student life on campus. And then I went from there and I worked as a congregational rabbi in Colorado. And then I actually did some community organizing work after that in Chicago around gun violence and immigration reform. And so I kind of got to experience both nonprofit Jewish organizational life in the latter part of my career in the Jewish world. And then also in the beginning part, more traditional forms of being a rabbi, like a campus outreach and congregational rabbinate, the synagogue / pulpit rabbinate. So I actually did it for a bit and I feel fortunate that I've had that opportunity. Leon: 09:49 Wow. That was kind of the gamut. Okay. Corey top that! Corey: 09:54 For me, actually, I've known since fifth grade, pouring over old Tiger Direct catalogs Leon: 10:04 Oh that brings back..., Corey: 10:04 I've known for a long time that I wanted to get somewhere into the tech industry. But I always, I imagined myself originally going into programming video games. I loved playing Starcraft and Madden and all these fun games and I wanted to actually work for one of these companies and imagined it was going to be so much fun programming video games for a living. Speaker 1: 10:32 So, so you didn't, you didn't have visions of being a Chabad rabbi on Mars? Corey: 10:37 No. Leon: 10:38 Okay. All right. Okay, fine. So, um, along with that, along with what you thought was going to be, what was the part - because I know a lot of the folks who listen to Technically Religious don't have a window into this world. So what was the thing that you enjoyed the most; or the most impactful thing about that part of your life that, you know, the time that you were learning in yeshiva? What was it that that really just, you know, would have drawn you back? That you would've gone back again? That you look back most fondly. Ben: 11:05 So for me, I think there are very few spaces in life, or opportunities in life where you get to just sit and ask questions, meaningful questions, and engage in the pursuit of trying to figure out what... meaning: trying to figure out the intentionality behind why... why you do things, why you don't do things? And get engaged in just intense philosophical, theological questions ranging from sometimes the most pragmatic - like, "Is my dishwasher kosher?" And all the ramifications and permutations of that; To very theoretical questions around, "Well, who possesses greater reward for doing a good deed: somebody who is obligated to do that, or somebody who's not obligated?" And spending hours delving deeply into questions like that. Where else do you get the opportunity to do that, and just take the time? It was a precious gift to have that time and to have a carved out dedicated space for those kinds of ponderings and intellectual pursuits. Leon: 12:15 Nice. Nice. Corey, how about you? New Speaker: 12:19 For me it was the ability to stop thinking about the end result and focusing on those individual steps that lead to that end. Quite often we, as a society and as individual people, we end up trying to jump to the conclusion trying to find ... just go straight to the end, see what happens. But when you're learning, Talmud in particular, you may already know what the law is before you started learning a particular section. You may have read it in some law book else elsewhere before you even seen this discussion. But that doesn't mean you're going to know all the particulars. You don't know what all of the edge cases are, as we would say. Arguments for and against various positions. And even on something simple like, "hey, my animal just caused damage to your animal." Like, what do we do in this circumstance. Even that, just getting that ability to focus in and delve into the steps versus getting straight to the end. Leon: 13:25 Nice. Okay. Yechiel anything to add to that? Yechiel: 13:29 Yeah. For me it was actually, the fact that how yeshiva was a world where you're totally immersed in - like people I speak to are generally shocked to find out that a regular day for yeshiva boy, or yeshiva, bochur in our parlance, would start at 7:30 AM and go till 9:30 PM sometimes. And it's nonstop learning. You have a small break for eating, obviously for the three prayers every day. But other than that, it was just nonstop sitting and learning for over 12 hours a day. And that's something that you don't find anywhere else. It was, I think, a totally life transforming experience Leon: 14:07 You know, for those folks - and again, I didn't attend any of that, but I watch, I'm watching my kids go through it - and it's a very different thing than sort of the secular educational system where the goal of every school child is, "how do I get out of this as fast as possible? How do I skip as much as I can? How can I just memorize the questions for the test." This is a culture, this is a world that, as I like to tell folks, it's almost that nobody cares about the answer. The highest praise, the highest reward you can get from a teacher is "you asked a really good question." And that says something about the attitude that's there. That we enjoy this, we enjoy the playfulness with ideas. Yechiel: 14:51 And to add to that, that's actually a big difference between studying in a yeshiva for example, or studying for a degree or for a certification or whatever. Whereas in most cases you're studying, you're trying to gain a piece of knowledge. You want to... you're learning for your degree, so you want to know all that. Let's say you're learning for your law degree or for your computer science degree, wheatever it is - there's a certain piece of knowledge which you want to acquire. In yeshiva it's not about learning the subject, it's about, like I said, it's about the journey, not about the destination. It's about spending the time learning. It's not like if you can finish the tractate of Talmud quicker, then like, "okay, that's it. You can go back to you know, to your house and go to sleep." That's not what it was about. It wasn't about gaining a particular piece of knowledge. It was about the process of learning. Leon: 15:38 And the joyfulness of... taking joy in the process. Given that: Given how wonderful it was and how exciting and fun it was, what made you decide that you are going to pivot away from it? That you weren't going to become the Chabad rabbi, Yechiel. That after 10 years as a pulpit rabbi or organizational rabbi, you're going to make a move and specifically into IT What, what was it that got you to that direction? Yechiel: 16:04 Okay, so I'll take this one. So as I mentioned earlier, for various reasons we wont' get into, the rabbinate didn't work out at the time and got to a point, you know, a growing family, bills don't pay themselves., food doesn't put itself on the table. So I started looking outside of the rabbinate for other sources of income and tech was a pretty natural choice for me. When I was a kid I was that kid in the back of the classroom with the mechanical pens taking it apart, breaking and trying to figure out how the spring worked. Or anything. I don't know how many watches my parents bought me that ended up in like a mess all over my desk. So that was always something I enjoyed, figuring how things worked. And when computers, when I started getting access to computers, that was like a whole new world for me to take those things apart. I, I'm not one of those kids like wrote code at the age of 10, but I did enjoy figuring out like, you know, what tick, what made computers take, how they worked on what was going on under the hood. So when I was looking for something to do, my first job actually out of the rabbinate was doing tech support. Which was great for me because I was learning these different systems and how they worked and how to troubleshoot them and how to debug them. And it slowly progressed from there. Eventually programming was just the logical next step and haven't looked back since. Leon: 17:25 So Ben how about you? Ben: 17:26 So I've always been a bit of a geek and I've always loved tech. In fact, so this is my second career, but in many ways it's also my third career because when I was in high school, I founded a hacker conference with my friend and partner in crime at that time. And we actually just celebrated its 20th year of the Hacker Conference in San Diego, and it's one of the largest infosec conferences in southern California to this day. And we had our own little network penetration, security testing company back then as well. We didn't necessarily use those words back then because then the mid to late nineties, it was all kind of new and everything was evolving at that point. We were kind of right on the cusp at that point. And so it was actually a really exciting time to be in it. And so when I decided that it was time really to take a break from the rabbinate take a break from the clergy life - 10 years in the clergy is kind of like 40 years in another career. And I was ready for a bit of a break and it was also correlating with the desire of my family and I to think about a move out of the States into Israel. And to start thinking about ways in which we would support ourselves in Israel. And the idea of going back to a career in tech, which was something I was always interested in to begin with. And I had a bit of a history in it, albeit a very old history at that point because tech has moved and has continued to move to move really fast. So things that I was doing in the 90s like writing some code in Perl for example, would be like totally... Right? Leon: 19:11 Perl! Everyone else: 19:11 (general mocking of both Leon and Perl) Ben: 19:16 So one of the conference I was at a few months ago was at FOSDEM, which is one of the largest open source conferences in the world. Totally a free conference. Unbelievable amounts of people are there. It's in Brussels or, at least was that year. And literally every sector of the tech community is under that roof, including Perl associations and Perl groups. Leon: 19:39 Ahhhhh. It's my happy place! Ben: 19:39 And it was so beautiful to see that, it brought back so many memories of my childhood. And so tech felt like a good place to go back to. And it's a very good career and a good career path where I live now in Israel. So it just, it made a lot of sense, Corey: 20:00 Dear God, you guys are old. Everone: 20:01 (laughter) Leon: 20:05 OK Corey. All right. So what about you? Corey: 20:08 Well, I second the idea of being a total geek as you well know, Leon. But for me yeshiva was always just the first step in a journey. I knew I was going to end up in IT, but I knew that the whole yeshiva experience was something that I needed for myself in my life, it helped me become more independent. It helped me figure out a lot of things about myself along the way. So I knew I needed that. I knew what I wanted to get out of it and needed to get out of it, but it was not the permanent solution for me. I knew that eventually I was going to come back down to Earth as it were and... Leon: 20:48 Oh yes. Come down from on high, the Crystal Tower of Yeshiva and back down to down to the dust, in the gutter, Corey: 20:57 Which is better than the dark tower. Leon: 20:58 Well, okay. Corey: 20:59 Of Perl for example. Leon: 21:01 Oh See, okay. See we had to go there. Al right. So I'm curious about this because again, it was such a pivot. Were any of you resistant to the idea at first? You had this opportunity, you each had a predilection for technology, so you saw that it could work. But was anything in you saying, "Nah, that just... Oh, you know, what will the neighbors think? What will my mother think?" Was there anything that held you back? Yechiel, how about you? Yechiel: 21:27 So yeah, actually I was pretty resistant to the idea at first. Like I mentioned, I've always seen myself going into community service, going into adult education. Teaching is something that I really enjoy. I still enjoy it. I try to incorporate it into my tech career. Like the Torah & Tech newsletter and my blog and also at work mentoring, mentoring interns. Teaching is in my blood. And I always thought that I would be someone who taught, who led, who spoke. And in addition I was also, I was raised on the ideals of community service. So going off to the other direction was tough for me. Though what helped me come to terms was going again back to when I was a kid, a particular genre of stories that I really lovedwas stories from the old country, from the shtetl. There were the Jewish towns with a Jewish shoemaker and the Jewish tailor. And there's actually like a class of Great Torah scholars who could have easily gotten a position as a rabbi or in some yeshiva teaching. But they specifically did not want to use their Torah as a means to support themselves. And as a kid that was something that really touched me and I sort of romanticized it. So now when I started looking away from the rabbinate towards working for myself and I realized that actually technology nowadays is the blue collar work of today. Today's programmers and developers and sysadmins - those are today's shoemakers and blacksmiths. And you know those are the people that make the world run. And the idea of supporting myself through my own handiwork started appealing to be more and more. Leon: 23:11 It's an interesting thought. I have met one rabbi who is also an auto mechanic, but that's not the typical career path that you find for folks. So yeah, I like the idea that, IT is the next tradesman for, especially for itinerant scholars. Ben: 23:27 I will say though that now having lived in Israel for about a year, this is an area where there are, I do believe there is a cultural divide between American Orthodox Jewry and Israeli Orthodox Jewry. And the fact that in my own neighborhood, I know somebody, for example, who has a Ph.d in Academic Bible from Hebrew University and works with his hands all day as a craftsman. And it just brings back to mind stories of maybe some famous Jewish carpenter from 2000 years ago that some people might have been around... Leon: 24:03 Wow. We're just going to throw little shade. Yechiel: 24:07 Pretty sure this is your first all Jewish panel. So we had to, you know... Leon: 24:11 Yeah, we had to at least take one shot. Ben: 24:14 But I say that as a joke, but there's so many people like that in my neighborhood and my community who have ordination or I would advance degrees in Jewish studies or both and who are not working in that field, who are not working in Jewish communal service. And yet they volunteer. They give classes at night or on weekends on Shabbat. They teach they offer sermons. Our community is basically... Our personal community, where we go to synagogue, our community in Israel is essentially lay-led. And so people take turns signing up an offering words of Torah on Shabbat and holidays and a lot of those people who do that are, those possessing rabbinic ordination. Or, if not rabbinic ordination, having spent years of their life in yeshiva and who had decided to pursue a career as opposed to making the Torah or Jewish life their career. And a part of that is just the economics of the country, that it's just hard to sustain oneself in Jewish communal service in Israel. So people end up taking other jobs. But it's also, I think there's part of an ideal here of, we would call maybe "Torah v'Avodah" of Torah being combined with a job - of Torah and some kind of occupation going hand in hand. And that not being a less than ideal, but that actually being the ideal. So just an interesting reflection as I'm listening to this conversation and thinking about how I situate myself and sit where I sit now and can see both sides. And I've lived in both sides and the differences between those two. Leon: 26:02 Nice. Okay. So Ben as long as you're going, how about you? What was the challenge pivoting away from the rabbit into a career in coding? Ben: 26:10 I think it's a challenge that a lot of people who are going into a second career often face regardless of what their own particularities are, which is letting go of what others think; or what you think others are thinking. And for me that was a challenge. Leaving the rabbnic world was challenging because you - especially if you go to a hyper-focused mission driven rabbinical school, which I went to - there is, uh, a real sense of serving the community and that being the passion and drive of one's life. And switching to another career can feel like you're letting down your teachers, your mentors, your rabbis, your peers, your fellow alumni, you're a co collegial community. But recognizing that what helped me was the recognition that all of those people that I just mentioned, they also care about you and they wants what's best. They want what's best for you as well. And if they don't, they probably are not somebody you want to be invested in a friendship with to begin with and you shouldn't be necessarily taking their opinion to heart to that extent. That anyone who cares about you, who wants what's best for you, will recognize that maybe it's time. Will recognize along with you, and honor the fact that you expressed the idea that maybe it's time to switch careers and maybe it's time to move to something else. And I think getting to that point where recognizing that others value you and care for you and are not looking down upon you or critiquing you. And if they are, it's okay to say, "enough of you, you're out of my life." It's okay to do those things and to put your life first. And what's best for you and your family. Those were some major hurdles, but once I got over them became it became pretty straightforward. Leon: 28:18 Nice. Corey! Corey: 28:20 For me wasn't too difficult because, as I previously mentioned, I knew I was gonna go into IT all along. For me, the most difficult part - was because I had grown up and been in some religious schooling system for my entire life - It was the idea, of leaving the cocoon as it were. And you know, now not everybody I'm going to meet is orthodox. Not everybody that I'm going to have to deal with in school or in work is going to be, you know, a member of the tribe as it were. You know, so there was a little bit of trepidation, but I knew it was gonna happen. Leon: 29:12 Got It. Leon: 29:13 We know you can't listen to our podcasts all day. So out of respect for your time, we've broken this particular discussion up. Come back next week where we continue our conversations about "Pivoting Our Career On the Tip of a Torah Scroll." Roddie: 29:25 Thanks for making time for us this week. To hear more of Technically Religious, visit our website, https://technicallyreligious.com, where you can find our other episodes, leave us ideas for future discussions, and connect to us on social media. Leon: 29:38 So there's these three rabbis that walk into a bar. Ben: 29:40 Uh, that's not how it goes. Yechiel: 29:42 I think you totally ruined that joke. Corey: 29:44 This is how that joke goes.    

This week, Klauss, Chille, and Seyrr are joined by Neil Bolt, video games editor at bloody-disgusting.com and new adventurer in Final Fantasy XIV. We discuss his experiences so far, and talk about whether or not this game is still accessible to new players. Seyrr gives us a remedial lesson on the history of the Crystal Tower. Show notes:Bloody Disgusting Video Games: https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/videogamesNeil on Twitter: https:// twitter.com/nezzko Menphina Madness Tournament info: http://menphinamadness.orgSupport the Kugane Koban Crushers: https://give.twloha.com/fundraiser/2056201 Heavensward is Free until June 27th: https://square-enix-games.com/en_AU/news/final-fantasy-xiv-heavensward-free-limited-time

This week, Klauss, Chille, and Seyrr are joined by Neil Bolt, video games editor at bloody-disgusting.com and new adventurer in Final Fantasy XIV. We discuss his experiences so far, and talk about whether or not this game is still accessible to new players. Seyrr gives us a remedial lesson on the history of the Crystal Tower. Show notes:Bloody Disgusting Video Games: https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/videogamesNeil on Twitter: https:// twitter.com/nezzko Menphina Madness Tournament info: http://menphinamadness.orgSupport the Kugane Koban Crushers: https://give.twloha.com/fundraiser/2056201 Heavensward is Free until June 27th: https://square-enix-games.com/en_AU/news/final-fantasy-xiv-heavensward-free-limited-time

With less than a week to go before Fan Fest kicks off in Tokyo, Japan, the Speakers make their predictions. Speakers will be covering almost all of the event LIVE: https://speakersxiv.com/fanfestjapan19/. In addition to this, the Speakers continue last week's discussion about the Crystal Tower theory and some additional theories that came to light as a result. And last but not least - MogMail! (Episode 133 was never uploaded in audio form due to the visual nature of the episode.) Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/speakersXIV MogMail: https://speakersxiv.com/mogmail/ ***************************************► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SpeakersXIV ► Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakersXIV ► Catch us LIVE on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/speakersofhydaelyn ► Speakers Discord: https://discord.gg/ATBUccS

It's time for our Nobuo Uematsu spotlight episode. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the tunes!   PART I   With the exception of Hironobu Sakaguchi, there really isn’t any other name more synonymous with Final Fantasy than that of “Nobuo Uematsu”. Composing either all or part of 12 of the 15 main-series final fantasy games, much of the feel and atmosphere, that visceral, unspeakable part of us that sings when we are reminded of a Final Fantasy, may be the melodies that Nobuo Uematsu is responsible for. With numerous remixes, live symphonic performances, and the original scores themselves, fans of Final Fantasy have relived their FF adventures through listening to the plethora of material presented by Nobuo Uematsu through their headphones while they do homework, clean their homes, or drive to work. There is no doubt that without the contribution that Nobuo Uematsu has brought to the series, much of our experiences with these games would be dramatically altered from what they are. Where would Star Wars be if it weren’t for John Williams? You could ask the same of Uematsu.   Note: You will be hearing a large number of remixes through this two-part Nobuo Uematsu spotlight, as well as some concert performances, and tracks from the games themselves. The youtube links for all of the pieces will be provided in the descriptions, and we ask that if you like a particular piece to consider following the links and supporting the artists that keep the music of Uematsu alive.   Let’s get to it…   [small interlude with the main FF theme]   Nobuo Uematsu was born on March 21st, 1959 in Kochi, Japan. Inspired by the music of Elton John, he taught himself how to play the piano at the age of 12.   Shortly after graduating from Kanagawa University, Uematsu began writing music for commercials before being hired by Square Co. in 1986 to work on video game scores.   For 18 years Uematsu worked at Square, creating over 30 video game and movie soundtracks before separating from square in 2004 to become an independant contracter.   We’re gonna pay special attention to these years, as that’s where most of the Final Fantasy meat is at; but first, let’s rewind the clock back to his very first game score, co-written with Takashi Uno, this is a piece from “Cruise Chaser Blassy” called “Space”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcmWisadc9Q   1986 would end up being a very busy year for rookie Nobuo, the next game he’d work on would be his first that he’d compose entirely on his own called “Alpha”, although we can’t seem to find any tracks for that game, his next would be a NES classic called “King’s Knight”. Here’s the theme from that game:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBui5DMZAVs   December of 1986 would feature his next soundtrack, that for Suishō no Dragon. Here’s the intro track for that game:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MIhB2mgcRA   The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner would push Square’s stereoscopic 3D technology to the limits and with the music of this game, we would see a side of Nobuo we hadn’t seen before, you could call it “super pep” here’s a cover of the main theme:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDZhruBVzP4   Another soundtrack was made for a little piece of software called “Apple town story”, and he would follow that up with “Mystery Quest” (not to be confused with Mystic Quest, a later game). Here’s a taste:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_qIcMhmXJ0   With few exceptions, most of the pre-FF games Nobuo Uematsu worked on have been forgotten, with the most notable detail about them being that they had soundtracks created by Uematsu. Nearly forgotten games such as Genesis, Alien 2, and Cleopatra no Maho, which were next up in line, could probably be seen as pot boilers for what was to come, quick cash grabs before Square’s impending doom in 1987. Here’s a taste from the 26/40-famitsu scored Cleopatra game:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGnh3e6wNdo   Rad racer would come next, notable for being one of the few racing games on the NES. This is a track called “Grand Canyon”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpzbHphuVrk&index=4&list=PL0D98064E11A94D91   One of the first dating sim games would follow (I sense desperation) with the long-winded mother fucking title of a game called “Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School”, that Nobuo would co-score with Toshiaki Imai. And the last game Nobuo would score, a sequel of sorts to 3D worldrunner would be that of “JJ”. But ya’ll wanna get to the good stuff. I can feel it. Fine. His last effort of 1987 would be the soundtrack for Final Fantasy.   This now-legendary soundtrack featured both the arpeggio prelude and main theme that would be staples in the series to come. He remarked once that he felt kind-of embarrassed as he hadn’t worked all that hard on pieces that would be hummed by gamers around the world. This is one of the best songs in the game. Here’s a cover for “Matoya’s theme”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRMfqWNJok   Beginning in 1988, Nobuo would slow down his work to 1 to 2 games per year, primarily being that of the scores for Final Fantasy games. Occasionally though, he would take a detour. Here’s a track from “Hanjuku Hero”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebIzHCFGxTc   His other score of 1988 would be for the sequel to FInal Fantasy, Final Fantasy 2. Much of the original score from FF1 would make it into FF2 for our enjoyment, along with some original works. Here’s a remix of “Rebellion”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU06ttrbqcM   For some reason Square thought it would be a really awesome idea to make a game based on the book Tom Sawyer, but if there were someone who could make a killer soundtrack for such a game, it would be Uematsu for Square’s Tom Sawyer in 1989.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auLBLk4ibAk   Ha ha jk   Here’s a real piece from the game. An effort from Nobuo to make a soundtrack more, as he calls it “scenic”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2uUfAcF7T8&list=PLfUvsxulQQd-zuBTVzmYzj1RvOArPnnEp&index=1   The Final Fantasy Legend, or as it was originally called in Japan, “Makai Toushi Saga” (the reason it’s not counted as an FF game in our podcast) would round out 1989 with this Game Boy classic and square’s first platinum hit at the time with 1.37 million copies sold. Nobuo remarked that he had difficulty coming up with the 16 tracks for the game because of the hardware limitations of the game boy. Despite this, the game would have a soundtrack considered as classic for many of its fans. Here’s a remix of “Battle With Creator”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXTMQ4APiwg   Final Fantasy 3 would follow in 1990, and with this game came the fucking awesome piece “Crystal Tower” check out this power-metal remix:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT8humrSC2c   Considered one of the best Racing Games of the NES, Rad Racer II would be yet another game graced with Uematsu’s presence, as his 11th game score. Here’s a super upbeat cover of Gumball Crash titled “Fire in the Tires”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trFfjaNtySI The second Saga game or “Final Fantasy Legend 2” would come next, and would eventually be heralded as 97th of the greatest games of all time in a poll by Famitsu. For this game, Kenji Ito would assist in composition. Here’s a piano cover of “Save the World”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCLU6V6coqg   Nobuo’s first masterpiece would come on the SNES and would be his only game of 1991. He’s called the composing process for the game one of the hardest in his career.  Staying up with the sound team deep into the night, the music would be so heralded that one of the tracks from the game would go on to be official music curriculum for japanese school students. That game would be Final Fantasy IV, and that song would be “Theme of Love”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfV0YlvBpvE   And, how can we call ourselves fans of FF IV if we don’t include Fabul’s Theme?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlklyML9Pu8   Nobuo wouldn’t write anything for Romancing Saga, although for it and its sequel he would assist with the arrangement, his next mega-work would be Final Fantasy V. FF5 would require Uematsu to create over 56 tracks, a favorite of the game being the song “Dear Friends”, which Nobuo has performed on countless occasions:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgBccEEtu64   The next track is featured during the fight with one of the series’ most beloved opponents; Gilgamesh. Here’s a cover of “Clash on the Big Bridge”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQGcv3encAo   We could legiimately make one of these entire episodes about FF6, but we’re gonna go ahead with the two big tracks from that masterpiece of a game. Here’s an amazing metal cover of “Dancing Mad”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqPP9tp6PKo   And let’s finish it off with a favorite of ours, Terra’s theme. Join us next week for part 2.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG-Q9ELmGpw

News:   Final Fantasy Explorers: According to Siliconera, Japanese Amazon reviews on the new monster-hunter-like Final Fantasy game note that although people liked the game, most were expecting something MORE similar to Monster Hunter. Insead, there were many complaints that there was too much walking in the game, being compared to Final Fantasy XI. There has been talk of a patch to address these problems, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.   Final Fantasy XIV: The last patch of the current patch cycle for the game, before the release of Heavensward, patch 2.5 entitled “Before the Fall”, is not only an ominous title, but also a patch of epic proportions. This is what we know about the patch according to Square Enix:   “Part one of Before the Fall is scheduled for the mid to end of January with the release of patch 2.5, which contains myriad challenges for adventurers of every persuasion. The patch will include roughly two-thirds of the final main scenario quests, three new dungeons, and the conclusion of the Crystal Tower questline and the World of Darkness. The patch will also feature the adventures of Hildibrand─agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire─on his latest (and perhaps final?) investigation, a new battle against Odin, the Dark Divinity of legend, in Urth’s Fount, new gear for gatherers and crafters, numerous new recipes, and more. We have plenty planned to make this patch a befitting prelude to the end of the 2.X storyline.   There will be much to do in patch 2.5, and before we bombard you with more in part 2, we’ll be offering players a change of pace with patch 2.51, which focuses on the introduction of the Gold Saucer. It bears mentioning, however, that the establishment is known as the Manderville Gold Saucer in Eorzea. You’ll have to check it out for yourself to figure out where this moniker came from. Including chocobo racing, chocobo breeding, and the return of the FF card game Triple Triad, you can look forward to a fun and relaxing time in the Gold Saucer.   Part two of Before the Fall is scheduled for the end of March, closing the curtain on the story that brought about the rebirth of Eorzea. What trials and tribulations await the Warrior of Light? What drastic turn of events will grant passage to the reclusive nation of Ishgard? Only time will tell.”   Final Fantasy XV:   According to gameranx: Final Fantasy 15 lead game designer Wan Hazmer shared some new details regarding the game in a panel named The History and Future of Final Fantasy. We'll pass over details mentioned before and discuss what they revealed here that's new. Wan stressed the importance of camping periodically. Basically, camping is when you have an opportunity to power your self up, using food you can prepare using different ingredients. These effects gradually decrease in time, giving you incentive to camp again. Also an incentive to camp is experience. While you earn experience throughout the game, you can only 'cash in' that experience and level up at camp. The game will now have a 60 minute day/night cycle. 40 minutes of that will be daytime, and 20 minutes night. The doubling of a day from 30 to 60 minutes implies there are some tasks that will take you a considerable amount of time to accomplish. Final Fantasy XV: As per the recent interview between Famitsu and Hajime Tabata: They’re trying to make a more realistic feel to the games dimensions. They based the town we saw in the most recent trailer on the people and design of the Bahamas. We will be able to talk to NPC’s, and they will react accordingly to a prince in their presence. Boob jiggle for Cid used to be insane, but is being altered.   And the Categories are… For All Best Final Fantasy Podcast    -Aetheryte Radio    -ARRpod    -Damn Chocobo    -Final Fantasy Union    -Limit Break Radio    -Ultima Final Fantasy Best 2014 Final Fantasy Release    -Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII    -Final Fantasy Agito    -Final Fantasy Artniks Drive    -Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call    -Final Fantasy Explorers    -Final Fantasy: World Wide Words    -Final Fantasy VII G-Bike   For the Show Best UFF Episode Worst Episode (minisodes and commentaries don't count) Best Rant Best Impersonation (celebrity or otherwise) Best Song (remixes before the discussions don't count)   Remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5dWEI0LrFw FF10 - Someday The Dream Will End (Folk/Medieval Remix) by Exsanquis

[embedplusvideo height="343" width="560" editlink="http://bit.ly/1kgVMRd" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ScIL5hqAUI?fs=1&hd=1" vars="ytid=3ScIL5hqAUI&width=560&height=343&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=1&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=" id="ep1503" /] On this episode of The AIE Podcast... - Time to start planning your meetups! - Time to share the love - And Time to talk to Jasmine about AIE in Final Fantasy All that and more coming up right now...   AIE NEWS For those of you into Music and Gaming, and if you're listening to this podcast we know you are,    There will be an AIE meetup at MAGFest in National Harbor, Maryland, this Saturday, January 4th at 3pm. So if you're anywhere near the area, you'll want to RSVP on the AIE Meetup.com site and check it out.   The fan-con which has turned into something MUCH larger, now held 3 times a year, is happening soon on the east coast! PAX East Meetup April 13th 6pm (book hotel room now!) The tickets are sure to sell out, and this con is crazy, meet up with some AIE folks there!   Speaking of Meetups, don't foget AIE has our own Meetup.com page! So if you've ever wanted to get together with a bunch of your AIE pals and catch a movie, play some games, or whatever, head on over to our page and arrange your own meetup.   The AIE World of Warcraft Love is in the Air event is just a month and a half away. This is where we celebrate Valentine's day by holding a big group love-in complete with happy couples renewing their vows in front of a special guest master of ceremonies. Oh, and did I mention we hold it in the chapel in Stormwind? That's right, in addition to honored guests, we need an honor guard. Heavy on the guard. Come help us share our love with the Alliance in the best way we know how, with large heavy weapons! For more information, see Syrene's post in the forums.   For those of you that like to boldly go where no one's gone before, here's a chance to win something no one's won before - a starship with your own name on it! Perfect World has announced a contest to win a starship scale model of your choice, an actual physical object you can make your friends jealous over, with your own name and registry printed on it! For more information on how to win, see the Perfect World website, or find Capt Hunter's post in the forums.   And speaking of Star Trek Online, we want to give a big shout out to the AIE STO crew for earning their 2013 starbase ornament. As Capt Hunter says in the forums, we can't wait to see the 2014 ornament hanging there next year.   Just a reminder, if you miss being able to chat with your AIE buddies when you're not in game, then miss it no more! AIE has our own Jabber client, so now you can sign in and chat with AIE, even when you're stuck in that game called Real LIfe. For more informations see the Jabber post in the forums or search the AIE Wiki   GAME NEWS (FF XIV: ARR)   Housing: -General Housing Stuff (how it works, different housing zones, etc) -Wow this stuff is expensive wow -How many other guilds have houses -Where our donations stand right now   Ooooo New Patch: -Crystal Tower begins, first 24 player raid, three teams of eight -AIE cleared Crystal Tower as a full eight-player team -Fun, reasonably tactical fights still managing to be reasonable for PuG teams -Tons of small "quality of life" changes -Treasure hunts -Dungeon roulette system (random dungeon finder that yields daily rewards)   Recruitment: -Abovan has begun posting about our Free Company in a few different spots -Response has been positive, welcomed several new people into AIE -Current numbers, around 150 members -FFXIV is only $15 on Amazon now CLOSE   And that's our show for tonight, We want to thank Jasmine for joining us!   Next week we'll be talking to a mystery guest, so you should join us! (it's not really a mystery, we just haven't figured it out!)   Stay tuned, as we've got a full ride of great AIE members segments coming right up, including... Much Lesser-Known Shas