Podcasts about Night market

Welcome to the latest episode of the WAB Podcast, where we explore one of WAB's growing student-led traditions: the Night Market. Joining us are Audrey and Rachel from Grade 11, and Chloe from Grade 10, three of the students who helped make this event happen.  From cultural showcases and global cuisine to student performances and an all-new Open Mic stage, the Night Market was a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and cultural connection. For the first time, the event also welcomed students from APAC schools who were visiting WAB for a badminton tournament, adding an exciting dimension to the evening.  Audrey described the Night Market as a platform for student clubs to promote their missions, raise funds for meaningful causes, and highlight WAB's cultural diversity. It also provides a stage for performers to express themselves. The event, she explained, was shaped through student input: “During club meetings, we hosted brainstorming sessions to gather input from all club members, which helped make the event more successful, engaging, and fun for the students.”  Rachel reflected on why she got involved: “We all participated in last year's Night Market and had such a great time. That's why we wanted to help organize it this year.” Their goal was to carry the tradition forward and elevate it. This year's event featured over 10 student clubs, two local restaurants, and five parent groups: Chinese Link, Korean Link, ASEAN Link, Tiger Spirit, and Tiger Den. Coordinating all these groups took time, teamwork, and clear communication. Chloe shared what made this year feel different: “It was a bit different because we hosted it at the same time as the APAC tournament.” Opening the event to visiting students created new opportunities for connection and cultural exchange. One of the most memorable additions was the Open Mic session. Though organizers weren't sure if anyone would step forward, the response exceeded expectations as students from multiple schools joined in and shared the stage.  Of course, organizing an event of this scale wasn't without its challenges. When weather forced a last-minute change of venue, the team acted quickly to relocate the entire market indoors. Audrey shared one key takeaway: “Make sure that you always have a backup plan.”  Tune in to this episode to hear more from Audrey, Rachel, and Chloe as they reflect on the planning, challenges, and community spirit behind this special night at WAB.

Happy April! For the second installment of the month I'm so happy to bring y'all an interview with Shveta Thakrar author of the Night Market triptych including it's latest installment DIVINING THE LEAVES!Follow ShvetaFollow OTSMap of Indie BookstoresGet Divining The Leaves!Inkwood BooksBrave + Kind BooksLittle Shop of StoriesOdyssey BooksQuail Ridge Books

Night Market at the Depot April 18, 2025 4-9pm WSDOT WE-Bike Rebate Program Applications open through April 23, 2025 Lacey Spring Fun Fair May 17 & 18 Saint Martin's University

Der Nightmarket ist wieder am Start und wir haben wieder ein Giveaway dazu! Ansonsten gibt es reichlich Updates aus dem internationalen eSports sowie ProjectV, Queens, und der VCL DACH.

A federal judge in Manhattan has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from fast-tracking migrant deportations in New York without due process, after it used a centuries-old law to expel alleged Venezuelan gang members. Meanwhile, a bird collector who smuggled endangered species through JFK Airport has been fined $900,000 and sentenced to probation. Also, Harlem's Uptown Night Market kicks off its season Thursday with food, music, and local vendors. Plus, in this week's politics brief, the state budget stalemate and Mayor Adams' independent re-election bid are in focus.

Kev goes through the news of the week Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:31: What Has Kevin Been Up To 00:04:26: Game News 00:31:13: Outro Links Rusty’s Retirement x Vampire Survivor Monsterpatch Kickstarter Rune Factory: Guardians of Azume Delay Artisan Story EA SoS: Grand Bazaar on Switch 2 rpgsite hands on for SoS: Grand Bazaar Oppidum Release Date Chronomon EA Release Date Tales of the Shire Gameplay Video Honeymancer Mac Support Mineko’s Night Market Soundtrack Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Kev: Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Kevin and with me today is Kevin (0:00:38) Kev: But in Spanish (0:00:40) Kev: No, come on. Come me us. Yes. Yeah (0:00:44) Kev: Hello everyone, it is a solo Kevin episode again. I’m just one of those (0:00:50) Kev: weeks slash weekends where a (0:00:54) Kev: bunch of schedules played a little bit of hot potato and well (0:00:58) Kev: in case of emergency. (0:01:00) Kev: break out the solo kevin episode. (0:01:30) Kev: he was right on in. (0:01:32) Kev: well actually before that (0:01:34) Kev: stuff i’ve been up to (0:01:36) Kev: nothing terribly interesting (0:01:38) Kev: busy work week (0:01:40) Kev: allergies are bad out here (0:01:42) Kev: the pollen has been bad (0:01:44) Kev: but we got ray (0:01:46) Kev: and i’m thankful for that (0:01:48) Kev: but in terms of fun stuff (0:01:52) Kev: playing some marvel rivals (0:01:54) Kev: the new season is coming out in a couple of days (0:01:56) Kev: we’re getting emma frost (0:01:58) Kev: to hold X-Men Hellfire Galath. (0:02:00) Kev: I’m going to go back to the last themed season. (0:02:02) Kev: That’ll be fun. (0:02:04) Kev: And yeah, I’m just racing, scrambling to get the final missions to get the last costumes and unlocks from the current season pass or whatever. (0:02:13) Kev: But so that’s been fun. Nothing terribly new, but still a very solid game. (0:02:20) Kev: Let’s see, Marvel Snap also in my rotation. (0:02:24) Kev: Fun game. A new season just started. (0:02:28) Kev: the cards good (0:02:30) Kev: Actually, I haven’t bought the season new season fast. I can’t talk about Captain Carter (0:02:34) Kev: It’s a what-if themed season for people who are familiar with the Marvel Disney Plus series. What if? (0:02:44) Kev: And so I haven’t played with Captain Carter, but the the other card injuries thus far Goliath he’s been pretty good (0:02:50) Kev: But yeah (0:02:51) Kev: One interesting thing about Marvel snap is that I see a lot more bots right now (0:02:57) Kev: and it’s not just because of a new season although that’s also common. (0:03:01) Kev: It just really feels like the player base has kind of tapered off a bit. (0:03:08) Kev: Which works in my favorites and easier on the ranked ladder. (0:03:13) Kev: But that’s just interesting. (0:03:16) Kev: I get it. It’s a game that demands a lot of your time because it’s just constantly pumping out new things every single week. (0:03:24) Kev: So it’s just a treadmill and it can be exhausting a lot to keep up with. (0:03:30) Kev: But here I am. I kept up with it. I still like it. (0:03:34) Kev: So yeah, that’s good stuff. Marvel Snap. (0:03:39) Kev: Other than that, nothing terribly interesting. I picked up some Minecraft because sometimes I just get niche for the Minecraft movies. (0:03:48) Kev: Is it related to the movie news? Maybe. It’s the subconscious, the name thing, I guess. (0:03:54) Kev: I don’t know, but I don’t know. I just like firing it up starting a farm and little, you know, settlement. (0:04:00) Kev: That’s always fun. (0:04:03) Kev: But yeah, that’s what I’ve been up to, more or less. Nothing terribly interesting. (0:04:09) Kev: Oh, and Mario Odyssey, like Kingdom, that’s working on Rainbow Road radio stuff. (0:04:16) Kev: Let’s keep an eye out for that. It’s a good game and I like water levels, Waterworld, so yay. (0:04:23) Kev: Okay, yeah, but that about sums it up. (0:04:25) Kev: So now let’s actually dive into Cottage Core game news. (0:04:30) Kev: Oh, I don’t know if you guys heard me, that was my cat, my teddy, he’s chilling out back there. (0:04:35) Kev: He probably wants some food. I’ll feed you in a little, buddy. (0:04:40) Kev: But after the news, let’s see here. (0:04:44) Kev: First up, oh, we’re starting with the showstopper, I see. (0:04:49) Kev: “Rusty’s retirement cross vampire survivors.” (0:04:55) Kev: You’ve gotta love an April Fools joke that, oh wait, no, this is real, actually. (0:05:01) Kev: Because it’s so wild and ridiculous, I adore that sort of April Fools joke/news drop. (0:05:08) Kev: That’s how we got Yakuza like a dragon, if I recall correctly. (0:05:14) Kev: But yeah, April 1st, they announced a crossover. (0:05:18) Kev: Specifically, vampire survivors coming into Rusty’s retirement, which is hilarious, really. (0:05:24) Kev: So vampire survivors is the “bullet heaven” game where you’re just… (0:05:30) Kev: power up and power up, and just shooting waves and waves of enemies and whatnot, horror/vampire/Castlevania (0:05:39) Kev: themed, and they’ve done a handful of crossovers, including with actual Castlevania, so no surprise (0:05:46) Kev: from vampire survivors, they’ve done very well. (0:05:50) Kev: But somehow, the guys over there at, what is it, Ponkle, I believe the studio is called? (0:05:57) Kev: They heard of Rusty, and they reached out to… (0:06:01) Kev: Rusty’s retirement, and we have a new skin pack/map, what would call you, of Rusty’s retirement, where the (0:06:13) Kev: titular character… (0:06:15) Kev: What was their name? Po. Oh, there we go. Po, what if they retired? And so now they’re just farming up a storm. (0:06:22) Kev: And (0:06:25) Kev: Yeah, it’s it’s fun. They introduced a new mechanic (0:06:29) Kev: Where you grow (0:06:31) Kev: To keep away bats from stealing your crops, which is fun, right? (0:06:35) Kev: It’s still a relaxed, you know laid-back game, but now you just have this new little flavor (0:06:46) Kev: uh… elements so I i like that that’s very cute (0:06:49) Kev: uh… overall like that the graphics look great (0:06:53) Kev: uh… (0:06:55) Kev: uh… (0:06:56) Kev: the trailer itself is is pretty (0:06:59) Kev: pretty great uh… (0:07:03) Kev: yeah the the skins look great and and (0:07:05) Kev: you know what this one is tempting me to to download it because this is such a (0:07:10) Kev: fun crossover (0:07:11) Kev: uh… well I guess we do it I don’t know (0:07:14) Kev: uh… (0:07:16) Kev: yeah good (0:07:17) Kev: good on you both vampire survivors and rusty’s retirement (0:07:21) Kev: people (0:07:22) Kev: and uh… props to wife (0:07:25) Kev: apologize with uh… morris I believe is the fellas name of the rusty retirement (0:07:29) Kev: dev (0:07:29) Kev: uh… he is a dead now yeah (0:07:32) Kev: congrats (0:07:33) Kev: uh… adorable little kid it’s it’s all there on the the steam post uh… go (0:07:37) Kev: check out the baby pictures they’re very cute (0:07:42) Kev: uh… and uh… there are more (0:07:44) Kev: Crossovers to come, which is exciting. (0:07:47) Kev: Will it I have no idea with the you know, these kind of indie games you never know (0:07:52) Kev: Will be other indie game. So we get (0:07:56) Kev: retirement (0:07:57) Kev: Necro dancer mid proper. Yeah, that’s what is right. Yeah, the Nick grow dancer Nick grow retirement, whatever you want to call it (0:08:05) Kev: Possibly we get shovel knight retired. Maybe (0:08:10) Kev: Will we get David actually David ever feels very likely? (0:08:15) Kev: You know very (0:08:16) Kev: Exciting who knows it feels like anything is possible with this so (0:08:20) Kev: Definitely keeping my eyes (0:08:23) Kev: Peeled my you know looking up for more (0:08:26) Kev: News on these crossovers today all sound very fun (0:08:32) Kev: Okay, so yeah, let’s see here next up we have (0:08:37) Kev: monster patch (0:08:39) Kev: So yeah last time we talked to it. I mean it was already funded with we talked about it (0:08:45) Kev: But (0:08:46) Kev: They have passed the 150,000 USD mark and we they have revealed the Nintendo switch stretch goal (0:08:57) Kev: And so let’s see here that is exciting we they reached a goal for a museum (0:09:04) Kev: That the structure you can unlock and you can donate the monsters (0:09:09) Kev: and read interesting facts (0:09:12) Kev: That is pretty cool (0:09:16) Kev: They’ll probably be a special collection that’s interesting right because you always have the Pokedex in these monster claking games (0:09:22) Kev: But an actual museum dedicated to that that’s fun (0:09:27) Kev: Let’s see here (0:09:29) Kev: But yes, Nintendo switch was at two hundred thousand dollars (0:09:35) Kev: Let’s see where they are currently they’re at 182. They already passed the battle tower (0:09:40) Kev: Stretch goal, so yeah that switch support is very likely (0:09:46) Kev: Yeah, so (0:09:48) Kev: Probably keep an eye out. We’ll have a something’s release. I don’t know (0:09:54) Kev: But I’m if it’s I’m definitely getting if it’s going to switch so keep an eye out I (0:10:00) Kev: certainly am I mean we’ll hear about it because this thing’s just (0:10:04) Kev: Blasting through these stretch goals and and you know the way kickstarters work (0:10:08) Kev: The the the biggest pushes are at the start and at the end so whenever this thing (0:10:13) Kev: Which is the end which is in two weeks, roughly (0:10:16) Kev: I will get another big blast, so I wonder how far we’ll actually go (0:10:22) Kev: Yeah, so good on you monster pets and senior Sean young. I believe it is doing good. Yeah, that’s the guy’s name all right (0:10:30) Kev: Let’s see here next up (0:10:32) Kev: Room Factory Guardians of Azuma the new room factory game with dance the power of dance (0:10:39) Kev: It’s it’s just a new flavor room factory (0:10:42) Kev: They have announced that they are moving the release date from (0:10:46) Kev: May 30th to June 5th. Why? Well because there’s a Switch 2 coming out on June 5th, and that makes a lot of sense. (0:10:53) Kev: That’s only a week and a week, you know, as I’m playing this release of the two versions, or multiple versions. (0:10:59) Kev: The Switch 2 version with the other ones. So yeah, only a week difference. I don’t think anyone’s going to mind to play on their Switch 2 if you’re getting it. (0:11:08) Kev: Okay, let’s see here. Next up… (0:11:16) Kev: Reverse of Delay. It’s an out now, I guess I would call it. Artisan Story. (0:11:24) Kev: So for this game, I don’t know if we’ve talked about it, but you play as an artisan blacksmith type character. (0:11:34) Kev: It’s that sort of 2D HD octopath look. A lot of minigames for crafting different weapons and tools. (0:11:43) Kev: Um… I was… some… (0:11:46) Kev: emphasis on combat it looks like to make use of all the blades and weapons you’re (0:11:51) Kev: making with different combat styles which actually looks pretty fun. I quite (0:11:55) Kev: like the look of this game. It’s got a pixel look that’s a little simplified (0:12:03) Kev: maybe but against the 2D HD thing where they’re out in a 3D space and it looks (0:12:09) Kev: like some of the weapon styles could be even fun maybe a little different from (0:12:12) Kev: your standard cottagecore fare, so that’ll be cool. (0:12:17) Kev: There’s plenty of characters and what not to talk to. (0:12:19) Kev: Is there romance? I don’t know. (0:12:21) Kev: Maybe. (0:12:23) Kev: We’ll see. (0:12:25) Kev: Anyways, the primary news story is that Early Access is out now. (0:12:32) Kev: They are aiming to be in Early Access for a year. (0:12:40) Kev: There’s a whole post on Steam. (0:12:43) Kev: I’ll just read the quick little blurb about explaining why it’s Early Access. (0:12:47) Kev: We’re bringing this vision to life with your help. (0:12:51) Kev: By launching Early Access, we aim to refine gameplay mechanics, (0:12:55) Kev: expand crafting possibilities, and ensure that every aspect of the world (0:12:59) Kev: from farming to monster taming feels truly rewarding. (0:13:02) Kev: Your feedback will shape the future of the game, (0:13:04) Kev: helping us create the best artisan experience possible. (0:13:07) Kev: If you have the idea of crafting farming (0:13:09) Kev: and raising dungeon monsters, join us on this journey. (0:13:11) Kev: Be the first to experience new features. (0:13:13) Kev: Share your thoughts and help us build something truly special. (0:13:17) Kev: So yeah, it is currently just out on Steam. (0:13:20) Kev: It is $20. (0:13:22) Kev: There is a free demo you can download. (0:13:24) Kev: But Early Access is $20. (0:13:26) Kev: They mentioned the price could change, (0:13:28) Kev: especially when the full release comes and whatnot. (0:13:33) Kev: They list the whole slew of features currently available in Early Access. (0:13:42) Kev: Early Access makes a lot of sense for a lot of people. (0:13:45) Kev: or, you know, the– (0:13:46) Kev: developers, I’ve– oh, I forgot to mention, yeah, the monster taming thing. That’s an interesting aspect. (0:13:53) Kev: It looks a little passive, like you take care of your monsters, and they generate materials for you, kind of like (0:14:00) Kev: Moonstone Island, similar to that game, but fun touch nonetheless. (0:14:06) Kev: Am I getting the early access, infinously? No, I’m not an early access guy, but (0:14:13) Kev: It’s a good it is out. That is a good first step, right? (0:14:16) Kev: So hopefully we’ll see if we’ll release within a year like they’re aiming to and (0:14:21) Kev: Yeah, check it out. If you are interested that is artisan story. Oh, oh one more important note (0:14:27) Kev: The blank story naming scheme is yeah. I’m that that’s it. I’m drawing another line in the sand (0:14:33) Kev: There’s a lot of lines around me, but come on. Come on. Let’s put a little more effort into the title at least a (0:14:41) Kev: Subtitle something give give throw me a bone people we can do better than this (0:14:47) Kev: The game looks pretty good (0:14:51) Kev: Okay (0:14:54) Kev: Speaking of things that look pretty good and this one (0:14:57) Kev: Yeah, it’s story of seasons. Let’s talk about Grand Bazaar (0:15:01) Kev: We got the switch to version confirmed during the direct. It’ll be $10 more on switch to (0:15:09) Kev: We they let’s see RPG site net. I was able to get a like preview copy and then post all (0:15:16) Kev: Thing about it (0:15:19) Kev: It looks it has you know, this standard (0:15:25) Kev: Story of seasons fair, you know all your villagers the romance the farming all the good the animals all the good stuff (0:15:34) Kev: It does have some of the earth would say more modern innovations from the series like you can grow plants in all seasons (0:15:42) Kev: Some specifically from pioneers of all of town (0:15:47) Kev: Raise buffalo beekeeping mushrooms and flowers (0:15:51) Kev: And perhaps the most interesting bit is that there is no shipping bin in this game (0:15:58) Kev: Only the weekly bazaar similar to mannequins night market (0:16:04) Kev: Yeah, that is an interesting mechanic is just fun as mannequins I don’t know but (0:16:10) Kev: That’s interesting because you don’t have your daily, you know shipping bin revenue. You gotta wait every week (0:16:17) Kev: But yeah, I mean overall it’s a story of seasons game, right? So (0:16:21) Kev: You know the the the (0:16:24) Kev: Title the pedigree is there and I’m sure it will be a quality game nonetheless (0:16:29) Kev: So, yeah, that’s uh, that’s good stuff (0:16:35) Kev: Let’s see here (0:16:44) Kev: I don’t know, oh I apologize, no I was just looking, there is uh, Fogoo.com also had um, (0:16:52) Kev: thoughts on the game, but you will post the link um, uh, on all sorts, you know, the kind (0:16:58) Kev: of comp of the trailer and had everything. (0:17:01) Kev: Um, but uh, but yeah, there’s also some interviews with the director talking about the game for (0:17:08) Kev: the, again this is a remake um, of Grand Bazaar. (0:17:12) Kev: So it looks pretty good. (0:17:14) Kev: Overall, though, like all the stuff they’re integrating, all the new things. (0:17:18) Kev: OK. (0:17:21) Kev: Let’s see here. (0:17:24) Kev: Next up, we have– oh gosh, I still don’t know how to say this. (0:17:29) Kev: Opidum? (0:17:29) Kev: Opidum? (0:17:31) Kev: Opidum, perhaps, even. (0:17:34) Kev: This is the three– we’ve talked about it before. (0:17:39) Kev: It’s a 3D– I’m just going to say it looks like Breath of the Wild. (0:17:44) Kev: Oh, Minecraft– more Minecraft-y Breath of the Wild, because you’re out there building settlements (0:17:52) Kev: and whatnot. (0:17:53) Kev: Looks combat-heavy. (0:17:54) Kev: The character– the player character kind of looks like Link, at least the one they’re (0:17:59) Kev: using. (0:18:00) Kev: I don’t know if it’s customizable or not. (0:18:03) Kev: But yeah, that– they have– excuse me. (0:18:10) Kev: They are release– release date. (0:18:12) Kev: That’s the big news. (0:18:14) Kev: But that is very close. (0:18:15) Kev: That’s what– at the time you guys are listening, about two weeks, I would say, ish? (0:18:22) Kev: Yeah. (0:18:23) Kev: Oh, there it is, character creation. (0:18:25) Kev: Yep. (0:18:26) Kev: OK. (0:18:27) Kev: You don’t have to be faux-link. (0:18:28) Kev: You can be your own thing. (0:18:29) Kev: Yeah. (0:18:30) Kev: They announced this release date. (0:18:33) Kev: They got a trailer. (0:18:35) Kev: It is co-op. (0:18:36) Kev: You can have up to three friends playing with you. (0:18:39) Kev: Adaptive storytelling. (0:18:40) Kev: That’s an interesting buzzword or cue. (0:18:44) Kev: I think if I were to guess, that’s just like Breath of the Wild, where you can do stories if you want to, you know, do certain temples and learn certain stories. (0:18:53) Kev: Or you can just ignore it. (0:18:55) Kev: But regardless, you can experience yourself April 23rd. (0:19:01) Kev: That is coming very soon. I think I was just on Steam for now. (0:19:06) Kev: But yeah, look forward to that. (0:19:10) Kev: Um, okay, here’s… (0:19:14) Kev: Uh, this is an interesting one because it’s… (0:19:19) Kev: A… (0:19:22) Kev: E-A, um… (0:19:26) Kev: Okay, well, let’s get into it. (0:19:27) Kev: So, Chronomon was going to launch full, you know, full 1.0, (0:19:32) Kev: but they have pivoted to making it to an early access launch. (0:19:36) Kev: Um, this will be on May 8th, 2025, just about a month away. (0:19:41) Kev: Um… (0:19:44) Kev: It is interesting because they do go into the details why they decided to move this. (0:19:48) Kev: Um, they’re pivoting to because they want to show their commitment to working on it more. (0:20:02) Kev: And, of course, as usual, they’ll take feedback and refine things and whatnot. (0:20:12) Kev: They are planning, again, for about a year for early access. (0:20:26) Kev: And, uh, the- the one nice, uh… (0:20:36) Kev: the full main campaign is fully playable you’re right because they they were more (0:20:46) Kev: or less playing a full release so they they’re pretty much the full campaign (0:20:49) Kev: there so that that is nice I will say that right having early access game (0:20:52) Kev: with an actual finish point that’s good and of course a lot of the features of (0:21:00) Kev: this is again this is chronomond it’s a 2d pixel mod (0:21:06) Kev: taming and farming all the bells and whistles of both of those genres it’s (0:21:14) Kev: pretty cute I like the the dungeon design some of them are a little more (0:21:18) Kev: urban your modern looking than just a cave which I think is a little (0:21:22) Kev: refreshing they have a deep suite of RPG elements and customizations for your (0:21:28) Kev: monsters and skills and everything battles are in the overworld which is a (0:21:32) Kev: This is a nice little touch, not a separate Pokemon screen. (0:21:36) Kev: It does look robust, I will say, for an early access. (0:21:40) Kev: Again, that is May 8th when it’s coming out, and yeah, hopefully within a year they’ll have a full 1.0. (0:21:49) Kev: I’ll definitely be interested in seeing what that looks like. (0:21:53) Kev: Okay, let’s see here, next up we have a game that is also an early access. (0:22:05) Kev: honey man through the (0:22:06) Kev: bear witch game (0:22:08) Kev: they have a big update (0:22:10) Kev: announcing mac support (0:22:12) Kev: which is great (0:22:14) Kev: I know a lot of mac people (0:22:16) Kev: I never used a mac I’m not one of them (0:22:18) Kev: but hey now you guys can enjoy the (0:22:26) Kev: But yeah, that’s that’s a big one. But of course that comes the whole slew of (0:22:30) Kev: Additions changes balances, etc. You can check out the link for all that but (0:22:37) Kev: That is good. And that is out. I believe yes (0:22:41) Kev: Then only a week after early access good on them (0:22:47) Kev: Let’s see here. Oh (0:22:50) Kev: Goodness. I can’t believe almost skip to the story tales of the shire. Um, so they released (0:22:56) Kev: a a very in-depth a (0:23:02) Kev: Very in-depth (0:23:05) Kev: Game or look at the game (0:23:08) Kev: How long is this thing? Um (0:23:10) Kev: Ten minutes long which is fairly decent (0:23:13) Kev: Um, it’s it’s not just looking at the game or but talking to the devs and the and whatnot or how their (0:23:20) Kev: inspiration I like him about whatnot (0:23:22) Kev: And I’ll be honest. I think this is a (0:23:26) Kev: very good trailer. It’s probably got me the most excited about the game out of anything I’ve seen. (0:23:34) Kev: I think they put a lot of emphasis on how they keep going back, not just to the source material, (0:23:44) Kev: but actually looking at Tokien’s inspirations, how he wrote The Hobbit, the Middle-earth and what. (0:23:56) Kev: A lot of the trailer discusses the “conflict” because in so many games you need some sort of (0:24:07) Kev: conflict or issue to resolve. And so they go back to one of the main themes from All Middle-earth, (0:24:15) Kev: which is Tokien’s issues with urbanization and modernization. As I mentioned, he bemoaned the (0:24:24) Kev: urbanization of his (0:24:26) Kev: childhood home and what not (0:24:28) Kev: trees and forests he was so fond of becoming modern and urbanized (0:24:34) Kev: and so we were seeing that reflected in this game with certain characters pushing for more modernization (0:24:40) Kev: and other characters standing against it trying to maintain the shire as it is (0:24:48) Kev: and so yeah they go into a lot of detail over that (0:24:54) Kev: uh… it’s it’s it’s fast (0:24:56) Kev: how much they researched on the right they reached out to actual artisans and (0:25:00) Kev: blacksmiths how would things look like and and again not just the the actual (0:25:06) Kev: middle you know middle earthworks but the these stories are inspirations (0:25:14) Kev: behind them I think that’s a that shows a lot of dedication and yeah the the (0:25:20) Kev: actual gameplay in the this trailer looks pretty good I think I think (0:25:26) Kev: it kind of shows off its identity finally because that was I think (0:25:30) Kev: something that was kind of lacking right like was this gonna be some sort of you (0:25:34) Kev: know weird Lord of the Rings skin on Animal Crossing and whatnot right and I (0:25:40) Kev: mean to be sure right like they’re still aiming for the cozy very clearly and (0:25:44) Kev: explicitly there’s the farming and the the fishing and and and crafting and (0:25:49) Kev: all those standard hallmarks you know interacting with the town but you can (0:25:54) Kev: You (0:25:56) Kev: Can Really See how it’s all coming together here all right like they mentioned the the sense of community is important not just as a gameplay mechanic (0:26:03) Kev: But like thematically for the the the Shire the the the setting they’re trying to create here (0:26:11) Kev: So yeah, you’re gonna have relationships with (0:26:15) Kev: Not so romantic relationships, but it’s just like you know friendships and and relationships with characters (0:26:22) Kev: Well, you know, all dead-named characters and whatnot. (0:26:26) Kev: Who influenced the story, um, so yeah, it looks pretty good. (0:26:30) Kev: I’m, uh, I’m actually pretty interested in this now. (0:26:34) Kev: Um, I really suggest you guys check out the, uh, the link and take a look at the (0:26:40) Kev: video, um, because it is, uh, I think it looks quite, this video is quite nice. (0:26:47) Kev: Um, yeah, so that is again, tales of the Shire. (0:26:50) Kev: Um, I don’t think we still have a, um, excuse me, (0:26:56) Kev: a date or anything for it. (0:26:58) Kev: Um, oh, oh, I’m wrong. (0:26:59) Kev: July 29th, uh, release date. (0:27:02) Kev: Um, so the couple of months, uh, all right. (0:27:06) Kev: Uh, looking forward to it. (0:27:07) Kev: Um, that sounds pretty specific. (0:27:10) Kev: So I, and from the, where the video, the game looks like in the videos, I believe (0:27:16) Kev: that date, um, so yeah, let’s keep an eye out for, uh, tales of the Shire. (0:27:22) Kev: Good stuff. (0:27:24) Kev: Um (0:27:26) Kev: and lastly but certainly not leastly we have Maneko’s night market out in the (0:27:32) Kev: news again let us not forget that it was that last year’s game of the year or is (0:27:38) Kev: that the year before I know the year but yes the year before 2023 yes harvest (0:27:44) Kev: season’s game of the year 2023 no one can stop me they’ve released the soundtrack (0:27:54) Kev: It’s 20 bucks. (0:27:56) Kev: It’s on Steam, I think it’s on Spotify in other locations as well. (0:28:00) Kev: Um, that is, I don’t know if we harped on that to cover the game. (0:28:04) Kev: But the game has a banger soundtrack. (0:28:08) Kev: Um, it goes the whole gamut of emotions. (0:28:12) Kev: You have very, like, relaxed, nature-y music. (0:28:16) Kev: You have very joyous, happy music. (0:28:20) Kev: A lot more melancholy or reflectful tunes. (0:28:26) Kev: A lot of, you know, bits and pieces of kind of Japanese-style music kind of influence and whatnot, (0:28:34) Kev: given the setting of the game and whatnot, kind of. (0:28:38) Kev: It fits. (0:28:40) Kev: Um, so yeah, I cannot recommend enough that you check out the soundtrack, right? (0:28:46) Kev: That’s one thing about me, I’m a big soundtrack guy, like, maybe not by the soundtracks, (0:28:50) Kev: but I’ll look up soundtracks online and listen to them and whatnot. (0:28:54) Kev: Because games, quality games have a good time. (0:28:56) Kev: I love good music, y’know? And so, another game I can put into that library rotation, I’m always down for that. (0:29:02) Kev: Um, so yeah, go out there, buy it, support Mineko’s Night Market, Harvest Season 2023, Game of the Year, because it’s a good one. (0:29:10) Kev: laughs I’ve gotta go back and finish it. (0:29:14) Kev: Um, and, y’know, maybe I will. Maybe that’s… I’ve been itching for something, and I feel like that could be it! (0:29:20) Kev: That could be it! (0:29:22) Kev: Um… (0:29:24) Kev: Ugh, okay. (0:29:26) Kev: Um, but, uh, but yeah, that’s, uh, that’s kind of it. (0:29:31) Kev: That’s the news. (0:29:32) Kev: Um, let me be covered a little fast since it’s just me, but, uh, but it was (0:29:36) Kev: still a beefy gamut of stories there. (0:29:40) Kev: Um, I’m, I’ve got to say, like, just looking down this list, it’s a (0:29:45) Kev: healthy diversity of games, right? (0:29:47) Kev: Like, yeah, you know, we’ve been us being at this for so long, right? (0:29:53) Kev: We’ve seen trends come (0:29:56) Kev: and go and what not right so many stardew clones and so on and whatnot but (0:30:00) Kev: I like I look at this this variety here right we got the big names we got you (0:30:05) Kev: know tales of the shire with its IP we’ve got story of seasons and rune (0:30:10) Kev: factory and then we have more indie stuff everything from classic Pokemon (0:30:15) Kev: monster patch the very rusty retirement whatever you want to call that rusty (0:30:21) Kev: or whatever that the genre was. Rusty likes, yeah. (0:30:26) Kev: Right, kind of this background game we’ve got. (0:30:30) Kev: You’ve got Opadum, Full 3D, Breath of the Wild, (0:30:34) Kev: and more traditional 2D, Chronomon, (0:30:36) Kev: and In Between, and the artisan story. (0:30:41) Kev: Yeah, that’s pretty exciting. (0:30:45) Kev: All these new stories, pretty, again, (0:30:47) Kev: kind of like last week, they’re pretty feel good. (0:30:51) Kev: Or was it the week before? (0:30:52) Kev: Regardless what glass study did (0:30:56) Kev: It’s exciting. I think we’re in a good place right now with cottagecore games in world (0:31:02) Kev: Nothing really bumming me out in these new stories (0:31:04) Kev: So that’s that’s awesome, and I could use less bumming out these days. I think we all could (0:31:13) Kev: But yeah that that’ll do it for me for the this again shorter solo episode (0:31:20) Kev: I did try to stretch it out, but yeah, I’m just a one-man show (0:31:26) Kev: Teddy left, so I couldn’t have a meal more, but (0:31:29) Kev: But yeah, I did what I could anyways well. Thanks for listening folks (0:31:37) Kev: Thanks for joining me you know tune in next week for other stuffs (0:31:45) Kev: You can find me at Koopa prez on blue sky at the art of squares don’t see some my artwork. I’m (0:31:54) Kev: Find me over at Rainbow Road. (0:31:56) Kev: Check that out. Listen to the thoughts. Be hyped for the MooMoo cow being very playable in Mario Kart. (0:32:26) Kev: and listen to me tear up Matt Kirby air writers if once you’re done listening to (0:32:31) Kev: all that you can find more harvest season stuff by following Al at the (0:32:35) Kev: Scott bot or Mastodon on Scott and blue sky sorry at the Scott bot on Mastodon (0:32:42) Kev: Scott and on blue sky you know creator the show he’s got stuff he posts things (0:32:48) Kev: cottage core things it’s also on tumblr at THS pod and blue sky at THS (0:32:56) Kev: pod for all the news and to re-tweets social media engagements all that good (0:33:02) Kev: stuff or you can just if you want to simplify everything just go to harvest (0:33:06) Kev: season club per day listen to the era all the episodes we got provide (0:33:11) Kev: feedback give us links or no other way no we provide the links you give us (0:33:16) Kev: feedback yeah yeah do that harvest season dot club or you can head down to (0:33:22) Kev: patreon.com/thspod where you can (0:33:26) Kev: become a patron to this wonderful show (0:33:28) Kev: and join us over at our slack where we (0:33:32) Kev: have deep cuts content stuff posted (0:33:35) Kev: during recordings I didn’t do that right (0:33:38) Kev: now but it’s been a thing it’s been a (0:33:40) Kev: trend or and you also get the bonus of (0:33:46) Kev: the greenhouse episodes the non cottage (0:33:49) Kev: core focused uh guess what there’s gonna (0:33:52) Kev: be one on switch to directly I mean you (0:33:56) Kev: know gallon I covered one on the the (0:33:58) Kev: switch the switch whatever switch to the (0:34:03) Kev: other one the switch one previous that (0:34:06) Kev: but now we got there’s that switch to (0:34:08) Kev: direct was beef you guys there was a lot (0:34:09) Kev: so tune in um listen listen to me cry (0:34:13) Kev: about Kirby air writers because it’s (0:34:15) Kev: it’s all I need in my eye it’s all I (0:34:17) Kev: need and I yeah that’s all I need okay (0:34:24) Kev: that’s enough of my rambling everyone (0:34:27) Kev: bearing with me thank you for joining me (0:34:28) Kev: on this this little episode here thank (0:34:31) Kev: you out for having me on I guess thank (0:34:35) Kev: you me for doing it being my co-host and (0:34:39) Kev: we’ll see you guys next week and until (0:34:42) Kev: then of course have a good artist (0:34:46) Theme Tune: The harvest season is created by Al McKinlay, with support from our patrons, including our (0:34:56) Theme Tune: pro farmers, Kevin, Stuart and Alisa. (0:34:59) Theme Tune: Our art is done by Micah the Brave, and our music is done by Nick Burgess. (0:35:04) Theme Tune: Feel free to visit our website, harvestseason.club, for show notes and links to things we discussed (0:35:10) Theme Tune: in this episode. (0:35:20) Kev: I don’t know three two one clap I guess because it’s only me it says the solar (0:35:28) Kev: recording oh there we go hacking up great way to start this um oh god let’s (0:35:34) Kev: uh let’s just dive on in shall we all right

New York City's Department of Sanitation is hitting landlords with a flurry of tickets for failing to follow the new composting rules. Meanwhile, the city has approved around-the-clock work to build Brooklyn's new jail, as officials plan to shutter Rikers Island. And finally, the Uptown Night Market returns this Thursday under what's known as the "Arches of Harlem.”

Night Market at the Depot April 4, 2025 4-9pm Lacey Comprehensive Plan Energize Thurston Workshop April 22, 2025 6:30-7:30 pm Lacey Timberland Library

King Carl and the Night Market by Skyla by 826 Valencia

About an hour's train ride from the capital, Bangkok, Mayu Tomaru explored a local night market where they were the only tourist. In this episode, Mayu shared insights into Thailand's traditional desserts as well as edible insects. - 首都のバンコクから電車に揺られて約1時間。「観光客は私たちだけ！」という、地元のナイトマーケットに潜入したという、メルボルンの料理講師・都丸真由さん。タイの伝統スイーツ、さらには昆虫食をご紹介いただきました。

Die Ruhe vor dem Sturm vor Bangkok. Wer konnte sich für Master qualifizieren und wer wird es machen? Außerdem schauen wir auf die Splitifinals, die am WE anstehen und sagen euch was das ein Pflicht Lineup für Fade ist.

On this episode of Kelly and Company, Dr. Danielle Jongkind helps us navigate the tricky world of pet emergencies—when should you rush to the vet, and when can it wait? Nutritionist Julia Karantjas breaks down the best foods for bone health (spoiler: it's more than just calcium!). Plus, JJ Hunt takes us on a mouthwatering tour of his favorite night market feasts from around the world. And in the news, a bluefin tuna sells for a jaw-dropping $1.3 million in Tokyo. Don't miss this info-packed episode! Find Kelly & Company on YouTube!About AMIAMI is a not-for-profit media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. Operating three broadcast services, AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French, AMI's vision is to establish and support a voice for Canadians with disabilities, representing their interests, concerns and values through inclusion, representation, accessible media, reflection, representation and portrayal.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail feedback@ami.ca

This week on the pod, Daniel Newman and Marceline Leiman drop in to discuss the Indie Games Night Market--which was a huge success at PAXU 2024--and also indie games in general. Keep the Faith: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/ffdefab3-adb6-48aa-8335-797e720c58a1/landing Beyond Solitaire is proudly sponsored by Central Michigan University's Center for Learning Through Games and Simulations, where learning can be both playful and compelling. Check them out here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts-social-sciences/centers-institutes/center-for-learning-through-games-and-simulationsCheck out CMU's game offerings here: https://cmichpress.com/shop/Sign up for an online game design class here: https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts-social-sciences/centers-institutes/center-for-learning-through-games-and-simulations/certificate-in-applied-game-designAll episodes of my podcast are available here: https://beyondsolitaire.buzzsprout.com/Beyond Solitaire Merch: https://sirmeeple.com/collections/beyond-solitaireEnjoy my work? Consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/beyondsolitaire or getting me a "coffee" on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/beyondsolitaireContact Me: Email: beyondsolitaire at gmail.comTwitter: @beyondsolitaireInstagram: @beyondsolitaireFacebook: www.facebook.com/beyondsolitaireWebsite: www.beyondsolitaire.net

Got questions, thoughts, or curious bat queries? Text us—we'd love to hear from you!S6E62

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Serendipity at Taibei Night Market: A Tale of New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-01-14-08-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 台北的夜市总是充满活力。En: The Taibei night market is always full of energy.Zh: 夜空中充斥着美食的香气和摊贩的喧闹声。En: The air is filled with the aroma of delicious food and the clamor of vendors beneath the night sky.Zh: 在冬季的寒风中，人们裹着围巾和色彩鲜艳的外套，兴奋地穿梭在摊位间。En: In the cold winter wind, people wrapped in scarves and colorful coats excitedly weave between the stalls.Zh: 此时正值农历新年将至，夜市的灯笼高挂，人们的笑声在摊位间回荡。En: It's the time just before Nongli Xinnian, and lanterns hang high in the night market, with laughter echoing between the stalls.Zh: 连是一位在台北工作的年轻专业人士。En: Lian is a young professional working in Taibei.Zh: 他尽管聪慧，却被繁忙的生活节奏弄得有些迷失。En: Despite being smart, the busy pace of life has left him somewhat lost.Zh: 他躲在一个小摊旁，希望暂避突如其来的雨水。En: He hides beside a small stall, hoping to shelter from the sudden rain.Zh: 雨滴打在摊篷上，似乎为夜市的喧嚣加了一层乐曲。En: The raindrops hitting the stall's canopy seem to add a layer of music to the market's bustle.Zh: 孟是一名学生，趁着新年假期来探望亲戚。En: Meng is a student who has come to visit relatives during the New Year holiday.Zh: 她喜欢探索，从未见过如此热闹的景象。En: She loves to explore and has never seen such lively sights.Zh: 正当她躲避雨水，来到连所在的摊位下时，两人不期而遇。En: As she seeks refuge from the rain, arriving under the same stall as Lian, they meet unexpectedly.Zh: 孟的笑容如冬日的阳光，她友好的问候触动了连内心深处的温暖。En: Meng's smile is like winter sunshine, and her friendly greeting touches a warmth deep inside Lian.Zh: “天气真糟糕，但这里真热闹啊！En: "The weather's awful, but it's really lively here!"Zh: ”孟说道，声音充满活力。En: Meng said, her voice full of energy.Zh: 连微微一笑，答应道：“是啊，感觉每个人都在庆祝，很有节日的气氛。En: Lian smiled faintly and replied, "Yes, it feels like everyone is celebrating; there's a real festive atmosphere."Zh: ”他们开始聊天，很快聊得投机。En: They started chatting and quickly found they had much in common.Zh: 孟对台北文化充满好奇，而连则渴望打破自己的生活常规。En: Meng was full of curiosity about the culture in Taibei, while Lian longed to break free from his routine life.Zh: 尽管连有些内向，但孟的好奇心和开朗让他感到放松。En: Although Lian was somewhat introverted, Meng's inquisitive and cheerful nature put him at ease.Zh: 两人共享了美食，观看了烟花。En: The two shared delicious food and watched fireworks together.Zh: 烟花在夜空中绽放，把天空染得五颜六色。En: Fireworks burst in the night sky, painting it in various colors.Zh: 借着烟花的光，两人也分享了彼此的故事和梦想，发现彼此好多相似之处。En: In the light of the fireworks, they also shared their stories and dreams, discovering many similarities between them.Zh: 随着夜晚的结束，孟做了一个大胆的决定。En: As the night came to an end, Meng made a bold decision.Zh: 她决定延长在台北的停留时间。En: She decided to extend her stay in Taibei.Zh: 她对连说：“我想在这里多待几天，我们可以再一起逛逛。En: She told Lian, "I want to stay a few more days here, and we could explore together again."Zh: ”连被这提议感动，欣然同意。En: Lian was moved by the proposal and gladly agreed.Zh: 他没有想到，一次简单的邂逅竟能让自己的世界变得不一样。En: He hadn't expected that a simple encounter could change his world.Zh: 两人约定第二天再见，满怀期待。En: They planned to meet again the next day, filled with anticipation.Zh: 最终，连变得更加开放，敢于寻找新的朋友和机会。En: Ultimately, Lian became more open and willing to seek new friendships and opportunities.Zh: 而孟也对这种自发的冒险和邂逅充满感激。En: Meng was also grateful for this spontaneous adventure and encounter.Zh: 夜市的灯光渐渐暗去，但他们心中的期待却越发明亮。En: The lights of the night market gradually dimmed, but the anticipation in their hearts grew even brighter.Zh: 故事在这夜市的一隅展开，却因这特殊的时刻而更加深刻。En: The story unfolded in a corner of the night market, becoming more profound because of this special moment. Vocabulary Words:aroma: 香气clamor: 喧闹声weave: 穿梭lantern: 灯笼laughter: 笑声shelter: 暂避raindrops: 雨滴canopy: 摊篷bustle: 喧嚣refuge: 躲避unexpectedly: 不期而遇invigorated: 充满活力festive: 节日的curiosity: 好奇routine: 常规introverted: 内向inquisitive: 好奇心cheerful: 开朗fireworks: 烟花burst: 绽放proposal: 提议anticipation: 期待spontaneous: 自发的adventure: 冒险encounter: 邂逅gradually: 渐渐unfolded: 展开profound: 深刻energy: 活力echoing: 回荡

Al and Kevin discuss their most anticipated games of 2025 Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:22: What Have We Been Up To 00:27:27: What We Are Looking Forward To In 2025 00:58:05: Outro Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello farmers and welcome to the first episode of the harvest season of 2025. My name is Al. (0:00:38) Kev: Wow, I’m Kevin and hmm. Did you smell that new 2025 smell that New Year’s? No (0:00:46) Al: It smells very much like 2024. We are recording this episode quite early. Four weeks early, (0:00:56) Kev: Yeah, something like that yeah, we broke a favor no (0:00:56) Al: three weeks early three weeks early three weeks early so uh (0:01:01) Al: so yeah who knows what the world will be like in three and a half weeks (0:01:06) Kev: Oh, and boy! (0:01:08) Kev: Oh, gosh, that, you know, that was a time that could have been a “haha” joke, you know, that’s a serious threat these days. (0:01:14) Al: So obviously, we will not have any news, any news that we’ve missed over the last two weeks (0:01:15) Kev: Oh, no! (0:01:24) Al: will be in the next episode. We’ll probably do a news catch-up episode. But yeah, we’re (0:01:30) Kev: Yep. So, you know, very. (0:01:31) Al: going to talk about our exciting, what we’re looking forward to for this year, our most (0:01:37) Al: anticipated games of 2025. (0:01:40) Kev: I mean, surely, you know, chocolate, or haunted chocolatier, which undoubtedly will have the release date by this point, because we’re not recording it early. (0:01:51) Kev: But yes, no. 2025, look at-looking. (0:01:53) Al: I mean, considering he just said that he hasn’t worked on it at all in the last year, (0:02:02) Kev: Yeah (0:02:03) Kev: Yeah (0:02:03) Al: basically, I don’t think that’s the case. (0:02:04) Kev: Yeah (0:02:06) Kev: Those screenshots were doctored (0:02:09) Kev: Yeah, no probably not but uh, but hey things to look forward to 2025 because boy do we need to find those especially out here in the (0:02:19) Al: So we’re going to talk about that, but first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:02:28) Kev: Okay, so all right since we already broke (0:02:32) Kev: All in um, I mean I’ve been playing a lot of the usual Marvel snap is it’s very busy right now (0:02:38) Kev: There’s a lot going on Marvel snap. I’m playing on its new season (0:02:43) Kev: I’m having fun with it (0:02:44) Al: Of course, when this comes out, it will be nearly time for another new season. (0:02:48) Kev: Probably actually the new season will be out but it’s funny though because (0:02:50) Al: No, because this is releasing on the 1st of January, so it will be another couple of days. (0:02:55) Kev: You’re right, you’re right. Okay. Well almost yeah (0:02:57) Kev: well the end of uh almost the end of that season well either way i’m having fun (0:03:02) Kev: at the start of the season I can’t say about future kevin who he’s out of my mind probably (0:03:07) Kev: um but um honestly that goes hand in hand with uh uh what i’ve really been up to uh because the (0:03:17) Kev: marvel snap season for december is a crossover season with marvel rivals which at the time of (0:03:24) Kev: recording just brought the kids to be here the day before yesterday it’s been a little more than 24 (0:03:29) Kev: hours. (0:03:32) Kev: It’s just Overwatch, but with Marvel, it is just Overwatch, and original Overwatch, (0:03:44) Kev: so I played Overwatch when it first came out in 2016, almost 10 years ago, which is wild, (0:03:50) Kev: 8 years at this point I guess, and I loved Overwatch, I adored it, I played so much Overwatch, (0:03:58) Kev: And then they basically ruined it. (0:04:02) Kev: It was two things. I mean, even before Overwatch 2, (0:04:06) Kev: they, the way they updated and patch things and balance things or whatever, (0:04:14) Kev: they started gearing it very much towards like high level competitive tournament stuff or whatever. (0:04:21) Kev: So they reworked a lot of characters and just basically they ruined a lot of it for me. (0:04:25) Kev: It was just nowhere near as fun when I dropped out. (0:04:30) Kev: which I can’t remember. (0:04:32) Kev: Pre-COVID I think when I finally kind of dropped it, but yeah. (0:04:35) Kev: And then Overwatch 2 came out, which was great because they just– (0:04:40) Kev: here’s the secret, Al, it really was just more Overwatch. (0:04:44) Kev: It was not Overwatch 2. (0:04:46) Kev: It was just the same thing, except they made it even worse (0:04:49) Kev: because I don’t think all the characters were free. (0:04:54) Kev: They changed it from 6v6 to 5v5 and just all sorts of nonsense. (0:05:02) Kev: It’s so– embarrassingly so, I would say. (0:05:06) Kev: Actually, just like the week before Rivals dropped, (0:05:08) Kev: Overwatch 2 did a mode called Overwatch Origins or something. (0:05:11) Kev: I don’t remember. (0:05:12) Kev: Basically, they had a mode where everything (0:05:15) Kev: was set back to the original Overwatch cast and abilities (0:05:19) Kev: and balances and stuff like that, which is really funny. (0:05:22) Kev: They were trying to capture that magic again (0:05:24) Kev: because Rivals was right around the corner. (0:05:28) Kev: But it doesn’t matter because Rivals is here (0:05:32) Kev: and die now. (0:05:34) Kev: So yeah, Mar– (0:05:35) Kev: OK. (0:05:37) Kev: First of all, Marvel Rivals, very stylistic. (0:05:41) Kev: It’s made by NetEase, a Chinese company. (0:05:43) Kev: They have that, what I call Chinese anime aesthetic, (0:05:47) Kev: like ancient impact and stuff. (0:05:49) Kev: Here’s this very edgy, pointy, and stylistic. (0:05:52) Kev: I like it myself. (0:05:55) Kev: But they also have– (0:05:56) Kev: I counted them where, I believe, 29 characters (0:05:59) Kev: at launch, which is insane. (0:06:02) Kev: Then when Overwatch 1 shut down, just at launch, which is wild. (0:06:07) Kev: So we have a good, healthy pick. (0:06:10) Kev: I’ve been trying to play different characters, (0:06:12) Kev: but there’s so many of them. (0:06:15) Kev: There’s– I mean, I like Squirrel Girl a lot. (0:06:19) Kev: She’s like the first one I picked. (0:06:20) Kev: And I think she still might be my favorite. (0:06:22) Kev: Penny Parker with her robot is pretty fun. (0:06:25) Kev: Captain America is really fun. (0:06:27) Kev: His shield just reflects everything. (0:06:29) Kev: I just stand there and let things hit the shield. (0:06:32) Kev: I’m contributing, yeah. (0:06:35) Kev: Hulk is fun. (0:06:37) Kev: Some characters are really hard. (0:06:39) Kev: OK, so Spider-Man played just like Spider-Man (0:06:42) Kev: from the PS4 or 5 games. (0:06:44) Kev: He has a swing. (0:06:45) Kev: He punches. (0:06:46) Kev: He does the web shoot. (0:06:47) Kev: His movement feels just like the PS5 version. (0:06:52) Kev: But that also makes him insanely difficult (0:06:54) Kev: because it’s such a chaotic game. (0:06:56) Kev: So you have to be very precise with Spider-Man. (0:07:00) Kev: and you’re trying to hit other, you know, actual… (0:07:02) Kev: players and such um it’s uh yeah it’s it’s uh it’s great great fun so you’ve never played overwatch (0:07:12) Al: I have not. I’m not a big first person game of any sort kind of person. Like, I’m struggling (0:07:18) Kev: - Mm-hmm. (0:07:19) Kev: - Okay. (0:07:20) Al: to think of any first person game that I actively enjoyed, whether it’s a shooter or anything (0:07:22) Kev: - Yeah. (0:07:24) Kev: - Short. (0:07:26) Al: else. I’m not a huge fan of the perspective, because I think the thing is that you’d think, (0:07:27) Kev: - Short. (0:07:33) Al: oh, well, first person should be the most realistic thing, right? But the problem is (0:07:38) Al: that your screen is not as wide as your (0:07:42) Al: peripheral vision is so I just feel like and this happens in a lot of games (0:07:43) Kev: Yeah, oh, that’s a good point (0:07:46) Al: with movable cameras in that I just feel almost claustrophobic is obviously (0:07:47) Kev: Uh-huh (0:07:51) Al: not a phobia but it’s that sort of idea of like I feel hemmed in and I can’t see (0:07:52) Kev: Yeah (0:07:54) Kev: I get it right yet (0:07:57) Kev: It feels busy. Yeah, I totally can get that. I’m generally not a first-person shooter person either (0:08:03) Kev: I did pick it up for overwatch and whatnot, but you know, here’s here’s the secret out. Here’s a surprise (0:08:09) Kev: Marvel Rivals is not first-person (0:08:11) Al: Oh, it’s not! (0:08:13) Kev: It’s it’s you you hold the back third-person camera. You see your full character when playing (0:08:19) Kev: So as you say you do have a much wider (0:08:23) Kev: Like scope you like how much you can see at once it is my yeah (0:08:26) Al: Oh, yeah. (0:08:29) Kev: So the camera is is focused on you like you’re always centered on it and whatnot (0:08:35) Al: Is Overwatch like this as well? (0:08:37) Kev: No, it is not (0:08:38) Al: Is Overwatch first person? (0:08:39) Kev: Overwatch is first-person. Yes, so you’re not you’re not (0:08:40) Al: Okay, so I’m not so I’m not just making I’m not just making because because people are (0:08:43) Kev: No [LAUGH] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I know, yes, because you’re not crazy, no, right? (0:08:44) Al: just saying this is just and you did this exactly. (0:08:46) Al: It’s Overwatch, but Marvel. (0:08:48) Al: So so I’m not going crazy. (0:08:50) Al: I was thinking if it’s Overwatch like Marvel, that would mean it was first person, but it’s (0:08:54) Al: not. (0:08:55) Al: Okay, fine. (0:08:56) Al: I was like, have I just miss on miss remembered this game for like, what, 10 years? (0:09:02) Al: Is that how long since the first one came out? (0:09:04) Kev: No, yes, no, no, no, you are correct and but yeah, here’s like, that’s a big thing, right? (0:09:10) Al: Not 10 years, eight years. (0:09:11) Kev: And yeah, eight years almost ten years, but. (0:09:13) Al: 2016 that year. (0:09:13) Kev: Well, okay. And that’s a big thing because I mean, first of all, like you said, the whole camera thing, like, yeah, I can understand. And so obviously that improves that, especially like I couldn’t imagine playing that as Spider-Man, like being first person while swinging around and fly. (0:09:31) Al: No, no, I’d feel sick. (0:09:32) Kev: Oh my gosh. That would be insane. That would be unplayable. So it works well. They can do stuff like that, right? (0:09:41) Kev: And furthermore, I think (0:09:43) Kev: Because much like overwatch one of the (0:09:50) Kev: Foundations let’s say of the game the pillars is cosmetics right like different skins and emotes and so on and so forth, right? (0:09:56) Kev: so (0:09:57) Kev: When overwatch you get a cool skin well, you can’t see it most of them (0:10:01) Kev: You don’t see it when you’re actually playing the game, right? You see like the characters hand maybe but and the death camera (0:10:06) Kev: I guess but here you can actually see your costumes the whole time when you’re playing the game, which is you know, very nice (0:10:14) Kev: And so and actually on that note (0:10:17) Kev: monetization like they were very clear and (0:10:21) Kev: Transparent about it. They dropped the link a blog like actually two days before the game came out (0:10:25) Kev: we didn’t actually know what it was gonna look so right then but (0:10:29) Kev: Two things they were very adamant and clear about one the game is free to play which overwatch (0:10:34) Kev: original was not I don’t know about overwatch - but Marvel rivals is completely free to play and download and play and (0:10:40) Kev: and furthermore, every character is free to play. (0:10:43) Kev: Like I said, Overwatch, I believe that is not the case anymore. (0:10:46) Kev: In Overwatch 2, you have to buy characters or whatever. (0:10:49) Kev: But here, nope, you can pick whatever character you like. (0:10:52) Kev: They have a Season Pass, Battle Pass thing. (0:10:55) Kev: They have bundles that they call them, (0:10:58) Kev: where you can buy a skin and an emote and an animation. (0:11:01) Kev: All sorts of different things, it’s all grouped up together, right? (0:11:05) Kev: And that’s how they’re going to focus on the monetization. (0:11:08) Kev: It’s all going to be cosmetics, which is fantastic. (0:11:12) Al: And so this game is free to play, and you can play all the characters, and it’s in third (0:11:13) Kev: It is free to play, yep. (0:11:17) Kev: That’s correct. (0:11:18) Al: person, and it’s characters I like. (0:11:20) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. (0:11:22) Al: Damn it. (0:11:23) Kev: Yes, I did it, score. (0:11:26) Al: And it’s on Steam, presumably, so I can play it on Steam Deck. (0:11:26) Kev: It is on Steam, PS5, and Xbox, whatever the current one is, I’ve lost track. (0:11:32) Al: Is it cross-play? (0:11:34) Kev: Okay, actually, I think they did a very fair way of approaching that. (0:11:38) Kev: It is cross-play, if you’re playing casual matches. (0:11:41) Kev: if you’re just doing quick play. (0:11:43) Kev: It is cross play and I see that all the time if you’re playing ranked. (0:11:48) Al: what about cross save (0:11:50) Kev: I think it is cross save. (0:11:52) Kev: I haven’t looked too hard into that but that probably should be I think so. (0:11:53) Al: so if I want to if I want to start it on my steam deck and then go on to my ps5 (0:11:59) Al: presumably I can keep any settings I have (0:12:01) Kev: I I yeah, I don’t I don’t have that hard information in front of me, but I would wager that’s the case. (0:12:10) Kev: But yeah, so if you play ranked, it’s uh, yeah, I know right. (0:12:13) Kev: They’re answering all the questions correctly. (0:12:16) Kev: If you, uh, play, um, if you play ranked, you, you just play with (0:12:20) Kev: people on the same systems or whatever you’re on, which seems fair. (0:12:23) Kev: Yeah, that’s, that’s fine. (0:12:24) Kev: Um, but you can totally play cross play with other folks on slack or whatever. (0:12:28) Kev: Um, so yeah, all right. (0:12:30) Kev: There you go. (0:12:31) Kev: Al’s on board. (0:12:32) Kev: You people should try it too. (0:12:33) Al: Oh, my word, forty seven gigabytes. (0:12:37) Kev: It’s, it’s a beefy boy. (0:12:38) Al: Oh, I literally don’t have enough space on my steam deck. (0:12:39) Kev: Um, wait, 40. (0:12:43) Al: Forty seven, I’m seeing forty seven is what it’s saying on Steam. (0:12:43) Kev: seven? Really? Oh. Good times. Good times. Um, but yeah, it’s, I can’t recommend it enough. (0:12:47) Al: Forty seven gigabytes. (0:12:48) Al: I need to uninstall something or get a bigger SD card. (0:12:52) Al: Because I have forty three gigabytes free. (0:12:59) Kev: It’s, it’s fun. It’s got lots of different styles of play. Groot builds walls. He’s fun. (0:13:06) Kev: Um, Iron Man is always flying. He’s just shoots from the air. He is always lying. Like a little, (0:13:11) Kev: I don’t think he can actually run. (0:13:14) Kev: Loki creates duplicates, so on and so forth. It’s good fun. (0:13:18) Al: this feels like a game that I’m going to stick on my PS5 and use, because I am one of those suckers (0:13:25) Al: that has a PS Portal. So it feels like I’m going to stick it on my PS5, use my PS Portal, (0:13:26) Kev: There you go. (0:13:32) Al: rather than trying to fit it on my Steam tech, which is full to the brim of different games. (0:13:38) Al: Whereas my PS5 currently, I have been playing Astro Bot on it just the last few games. They’ve (0:13:45) Al: they’ve added some the like speed as. (0:13:48) Al: Speed run levels, so I’ve been doing them and I’ve just about to once I’ve finished (0:13:54) Al: playing Zelda, which I will have done by the time this episode comes out, (0:13:57) Al: but I’m not going to talk about that because I’m talking about that. (0:13:59) Al: In the second episode that I’m recording today, just a little behind the scenes. (0:14:00) Kev: that is releasing that is releasing before this episode so you’ve already (0:14:07) Al: March before, three weeks before, I will, I’m going to once I finish Zelda, I’m going to start. (0:14:09) Kev: so you’ve already talked about it actually (0:14:18) Al: Hopefully finish before the end of the year, Sonic Shadows. Sonic Shadow generations. (0:14:24) Kev: Oh I gotta get into that too. Generations, yeah. Oh man I gotta get to that too. (0:14:27) Al: Yeah, because you finished it, haven’t you? (0:14:29) Kev: Uh, no, I finished Sonic, uh, uh, Frontiers, the, the, the open world one. (0:14:33) Al: Oh, I thought you said you finish it, January. I thought you said something about that. (0:14:36) Kev: Oh, I put, uh, original, Sonic Generations, the original Sonic, mm-mm, no, no, I’ve not (0:14:38) Al: No, no, no, no, no. I’m sure I saw you saying something about Shadow. (0:14:42) Al: Did I just misread what you said? (0:14:43) Kev: gotten, maybe, because I finished Sonic Frontiers, but not, uh, I’ve not touched Shadow Generations (0:14:48) Kev: yet, um, I, I actually do have it, it is ready to open, and as soon as I… (0:14:54) Kev: probably finish up the, well, we’ll see, I don’t know, because Marvel Rivals is eating (0:14:57) Kev: my life right now, so at some point I will get to it. Um, uh, going back to, dude, I just posted, (0:15:05) Kev: uh, in the chat here, uh, a Penny Arcade comic, you gotta see it, it’s about playing Marvel (0:15:09) Kev: Rivals on the Steam Deck, just like you were talking about, good times. Um, but yeah, that’s, (0:15:14) Kev: uh, Marvel Rivals, I’m glad I sold Al on it, sick, um, big thumbs up, I’m sure it’s even better by (0:15:21) Kev: by the time this actually comes out. (0:15:21) Al: Oh, well, what I’m going to talk about. Obviously, I’ve also been playing, (0:15:24) Kev: what do you have been up to, Al? (0:15:26) Kev: other than (0:15:30) Kev: yes, other than the Zelda (0:15:32) Kev: which you’ve already talked about (0:15:33) Al: yeah, I’ve also been playing Snap, but I think I’m kind of wrapping up on that for just now, (0:15:39) Al: because I’m just getting a bit tired. I’ve been playing it every single day (0:15:43) Al: a lot, because, I mean, you know, you’ve seen the leaderboard on there. I don’t stop. (0:15:47) Kev: I you you do you I play daily but yeah you curve saw me on the leaderboard (0:15:52) Al: I would love to see, what do I play? I play it on my Mac. I don’t think it has, like, (0:15:54) Kev: every every week you do play good (0:16:00) Al: time, amount of time you’ve played on that. But, like, yeah, the amount of time I put in is just (0:16:07) Al: stupid. Like, I would be playing it for, like, what, two to three hours every single day, (0:16:16) Kev: That’s not, ha ha ha ha ha ha. (0:16:16) Al: two to three hours minimum every single day for about six months. (0:16:21) Kev: Ahhhhhh. (0:16:21) Al: I think I’m rolling back on that a little bit, just because I want to play some other things, (0:16:25) Kev: I don’t, weren’t you so high? (0:16:29) Kev: Yeah, until they bring you back in. (0:16:30) Al: and I’m just getting a little bit tired. They will, of course, because this happened last (0:16:32) Kev: It’s the ebb and flow. (0:16:35) Al: time as well. I played it from launch for a good nine months or something like that, (0:16:41) Al: and then I got tired again, and stopped for a while, and then got back into it six months ago. (0:16:48) Al: I’m sure it will get me back in again, and I’m sure I’ll be annoyed that I… (0:16:51) Al: I took the break because obviously I will be so far behind with the cards, but… (0:16:55) Kev: Well, hopefully they’ll have fixed it by then. (0:16:59) Al: We’ll see. We’ll see. (0:17:00) Kev: We’ll see. (0:17:01) Kev: Probably not. (0:17:01) Kev: It’ll probably take them a minute to fix it. (0:17:04) Al: And I’ve been playing Pocket as well, just my regular daily Pocket. (0:17:09) Al: I’m managing to actually do that as an actual how people do daily games, right? (0:17:13) Al: Of putting like 15 minutes into it a day. (0:17:18) Al: Crazy, I know. I don’t do that. (0:17:18) Kev: I don’t blame you but um well hey pocket no I would just say like I still haven’t got (0:17:19) Al: I put my entire game. (0:17:21) Al: gaming time into a game normally when I’m playing it. (0:17:23) Al: But the other thing I’ve been up to recent. Oh, sorry, are you gonna say something? (0:17:34) Kev: into it and like I don’t know something about it it just feels almost uh the more I hear (0:17:41) Kev: about it while not playing it the weirder it sounds to me which like is very much a (0:17:46) Kev: a me thing like I don’t have all the pieces (0:17:48) Kev: in the puzzle but it’s just I don’t get it I still but regardless good for you (0:17:54) Kev: enjoy your wonder pics which I just learned what is today what’s that it’s (0:17:57) Al: I enjoy it, I like collecting things, and this allows me to collect things without battling. (0:18:09) Al: The other thing I’ve been up to, because I will have talked about all the other games (0:18:13) Al: in different episodes, I’m going to talk about I have been watching the TV show Legion. (0:18:19) Kev: Okay, I have not, but I am familiar with it. First of all, who thought of that premise? (0:18:26) Kev: Let’s make a show about Legion, the Professor X’s son. (0:18:28) Al: it’s it’s yeah and it’s funny it’s funny because um that it that’s the entire link (0:18:36) Al: to marvel stuff is legion and minor spoilers for legion but if you know anything about the (0:18:44) Al: character this will not be a spoiler for you shadow king right that is that that’s it (0:18:48) Kev: yeah yeah I actually found out about shadow king just yesterday I don’t remember how I ended up (0:18:55) Kev: it was a wiki hole and somehow I ended up well I don’t know too much about legion to be honest (0:19:00) Kev: but shadow king showing up threw me for a loop i’ll say that um I guess it makes sense because (0:19:05) Kev: he’s a telepath that’s probably the entirety of it um uh I will say um shadow king actually looks (0:19:05) Al: Yeah. (0:19:13) Kev: decent like they did a good job with how it looks. And Aubrey Plaza is sha- (0:19:18) Kev: I’m not okay when I read that. I was like, “Well, she’s possessed.” I know. Yeah. (0:19:20) Al: she’s yeah I don’t want to say too much because there’s some spoilers but yeah she is acting (0:19:26) Al: shadow king for some of it yeah it is she’s fantastic I mean she’s fantastic and everything (0:19:32) Al: I think I have never been disappointed by her and she does but it’s like such a different character (0:19:32) Kev: I was about to say that “yes” in everything. (0:19:39) Al: to other characters that she’s done like I know she does weird characters like that’s her thing (0:19:44) Kev: Yeah, I was about to she’s not her weird because she has the you know that very blasé face and a lot of the characters (0:19:44) Al: she does weird characters yeah no this is (0:19:50) Kev: They run into that, right? (0:19:50) Al: this is very much she turns up the evil rather than the weird right which is what you want from (0:19:54) Kev: That is yeah, yeah, that’s that’s interesting. I can’t remember the last time I saw replaza play, you know evil (0:20:02) Al: properly evil rather than just like accidentally evil. (0:20:03) Kev: but (0:20:06) Kev: Yeah, oh, yeah, yes, okay. Yes, that’s correct (0:20:10) Kev: Or let’s it may be malicious maybe not outright evil, but (0:20:13) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, for sure. (0:20:14) Kev: But yeah, but yeah like a straight evil that’s that is fascinating but hey, but look (0:20:19) Al: Straight evil and nobody said straight. (0:20:22) Kev: Yeah (0:20:24) Kev: She’s um, I mean hey good good. She’s good. She’s a great actress though. Like everyone. I’ve seen her so I’m sure she kills it (0:20:31) Al: Yeah, no, she absolutely does. (0:20:32) Al: She kills, the role is fantastic, but other than, yeah, other than Legion and Shadow (0:20:40) Al: King, every other character is like an original character for the show, which is a little (0:20:44) Kev: Okay, what about not even Charles like cuz that’s (0:20:46) Al: bit weird. (0:20:48) Al: He is, he’s hinted at, but he’s never explicitly said. (0:20:52) Kev: Okay as about this like I I don’t (0:20:54) Kev: Okay, cuz I don’t expect them on screen, but you know that’s kind of a fundamental part of Legion’s characters (0:21:01) Al: So I think they can. (0:21:02) Al: They kind of hint at the fact at some point they hint about his dad being a telepath and they have like a cartoon drawing of who is clearly Charles Xavier, obviously, but it’s just like it’s hinted at, he has never explicitly said. (0:21:17) Kev: Okay (0:21:20) Al: said. (0:21:21) Kev: Okay, so okay (0:21:24) Kev: Two questions one do they ever I’m assuming they don’t have the really stupid Legion here that you see in the comics (0:21:31) Kev: But do they ever make a joke about it? (0:21:32) Al: No, I haven’t, I haven’t noticed anything I like that he has. (0:21:33) Kev: Yeah (0:21:36) Kev: Okay, darn it (0:21:36) Al: I mean, his hair is kind of, yeah, I mean, it kind of sticks up in some way, (0:21:41) Kev: It’s vertical (0:21:42) Al: but it’s not, yeah, it’s not as tall. (0:21:44) Al: It’s nowhere near, it’s like, it looks like a normal, like a possible (0:21:47) Kev: Okay, it’s a plausible hairstyle, okay (0:21:48) Al: realistic hairstyle that is an homage to it, I think they do. (0:21:51) Kev: Okay, so they translated it. Okay. I see. All right. Okay, because yeah, his comics hair is ridiculous. It’s like taller than his head (0:21:57) Al: Yeah. (0:21:59) Al: Yeah. (0:22:02) Kev: Okay, the other question (0:22:04) Kev: how is the (0:22:06) Kev: Multiple personality stuff done right because the bar is now set at moonlight, right? How is how do (0:22:11) Al: So, the interesting thing, so I’m finished season two, and I’ve got one season left to (0:22:17) Al: go, the up until the end of season two, they don’t touch on the multiple personalities (0:22:26) Al: very much. (0:22:26) Kev: What? (0:22:26) Al: Obviously, they’d know, let me finish, let me finish, because up until that point, he’s (0:22:33) Al: almost, he’s not quite sure of what his deal is, right? (0:22:41) Al: He starts off the series being diagnosed with schizophrenia in a mental hospital, and then (0:22:48) Al: gets out of the hospital and is like, “Oh, I wasn’t mentally ill, I was just a powerful (0:22:53) Al: mutant and people didn’t understand that.” (0:22:57) Al: And by the end of season two, they’re like, “No, no, you’re not, it’s not that you’re (0:23:02) Al: not mentally ill, it’s that you’re both.” (0:23:06) Al: So that’s how they finish the second season. (0:23:09) Kev: OK. (0:23:11) Al: Up until the last episode of season two, they’ve done a thing where he’s got voices (0:23:19) Al: talking to him, but until the last episode of season two, they don’t do explicitly his (0:23:25) Al: different personalities talking to each other. (0:23:28) Kev: Okay. Well, yeah, towards. Yeah. Okay. (0:23:28) Al: So they’ve not done that very much. (0:23:32) Al: With Moon Knight, his personalities don’t talk to each other, right? (0:23:36) Al: that is dissociative. And I know that I know that legions meant to be dissociative. (0:23:41) Al: But they do seem to be talking to each other, which is interesting. (0:23:46) Al: So it’s very different from how “Moonlight” works. (0:23:51) Al: And this is probably one of these things where this is not at all what it’s like in real life, (0:23:54) Al: and I understand that, I’m not trying to say. (0:23:55) Kev: oh yeah oh yeah for sure like I have even less expectations of legion in that end because legion (0:24:03) Kev: is so over the top with everything he’s got going on so yeah okay so uh-huh okay (0:24:06) Al: It’s, yeah, it’s very much more towards schizophrenia rather than DID, because it’s like, it’s framed (0:24:16) Al: as voices talking to him in his head, and he talks back to them. And then, yeah, so (0:24:21) Al: are we interested to see what they do in season three with it? Because he’s now kind of like (0:24:26) Al: realized this and like, everybody else realizes it. And he’s kind of like moving towards a (0:24:30) Al: kind of almost villain arc, but it will be interesting to see where they take that because (0:24:34) Kev: Ah. (0:24:35) Al: ‘cause obviously he’s a complicated– (0:24:37) Al: –character who, you know, yeah. (0:24:37) Kev: Whoops. (0:24:38) Kev: Oh, just a little. (0:24:41) Al: So it’ll be interesting to see where they end up, but I’ve enjoyed it so far. (0:24:41) Kev: Just a little. (0:24:43) Kev: OK. (0:24:45) Kev: Well, that’s great. (0:24:45) Al: But yeah, it’s been very weird. (0:24:46) Al: It’s like there’s a character that’s clearly meant to be kind of like rogue, (0:24:52) Al: but not really, in that if she touches someone, she swaps bodies with them. (0:24:54) Kev: Mmm (0:24:58) Kev: Her name is bros not rogue (0:25:01) Al: No, it’s not. (0:25:02) Al: It’s Sydney. (0:25:02) Al: But no, instead of like stealing someone’s power, she literally swaps bodies. (0:25:03) Kev: Okay (0:25:05) Kev: Yeah, that’s that’s pretty cool (0:25:06) Al: With them is interesting, and they’ve very much gone in a dark way with this, rather like, you know, there’s a like, we go into her, her childhood and there’s some like really not great moments where she realizes she can do this and. (0:25:21) Kev: No, I’m sure. Oh, oh gosh. There’s a lot of bad places you can go with that. Oh, that’s not great. Oh (0:25:28) Al: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m not going to talk about them on the podcast, but I mean, I might, if you’re if you’re not going to watch it, I might tell you one of them after the podcast because it. (0:25:32) Kev: Sure, but (0:25:36) Kev: Dude I can already take a guess but do tell like mmm (0:25:37) Al: I don’t think that particularly got me. (0:25:40) Al: After the podcast. (0:25:40) Kev: Y’all you could you can yeah there is room to work with there. Absolutely (0:25:46) Al: But yeah, so everyone else, including her are like, as far as I can tell, unique characters, because I was like, I don’t recognize these characters and I went on to Wikipedia and they’re not like. (0:25:58) Al: Legion is linked as the Marvel Legion, and then obviously Shadow King is linked as Shadow King, the Marvel Shadow King and all the other ones, they’re just. (0:26:02) Kev: Yeah, no. (0:26:06) Al: So and so, as this character name, and there’s no like link to a Marvel equivalent for them, so I’m assuming they’re all original characters. (0:26:12) Kev: Uh-huh (0:26:15) Kev: Sure, sure. Okay. Okay. Well (0:26:17) Al: They also have Jermaine Clement. I don’t know if you know who I who I’m talking about. (0:26:21) Kev: That name sounds familiar, let me see. Ah, okay, okay (0:26:22) Al: He was a flight, one of the flight of the concords. No flight of the concords? Yeah, he’s excellent in it as well. So yeah, no, it’s very good. I’m enjoying it and I’m looking forward to season three. (0:26:36) Al: But I’m still finished by the time you hear this episode because I’m going to watch it this week. I’ve only got eight episodes left to go. (0:26:42) Kev: it is it’s such a fascinating thing right because he’s I mean Legion is he is a (0:26:50) Kev: character of some note but not like you know he’s not an A-lister to name in the (0:26:57) Kev: Marvel verse let’s say that right but here they are making a spin a show (0:27:04) Kev: entirely centered or out to him without any of the other Marvel connections so (0:27:09) Kev: So when you hear that, it’s such an interesting practice. (0:27:12) Kev: It’s very cool that they managed to do good with it. (0:27:14) Kev: I have heard good things about it. (0:27:18) Al: Maybe. Yeah, so that’s mostly what I’ve been up to that I haven’t talked about on other episodes. (0:27:26) Kev: All right, cool (0:27:27) Al: Shall we talk about what games we are most looking forward to in 2025? (0:27:34) Kev: “Wildflowers 2” which might be announced by the time this comes out. (0:27:38) Kev: I don’t know. (0:27:39) Al: Oh yeah, they’ve hinted at something coming, haven’t they? (0:27:42) Kev: Yeah, I think it’s coming out. (0:27:44) Kev: So I don’t remember any dates or anything, but that may actually be announced by the (0:27:49) Kev: time this comes out. (0:27:50) Al: Yeah, so I know. (0:27:51) Kev: That may not be a joke. (0:27:53) Al: I know that so I I sent you a link, didn’t I? (0:27:56) Al: Yes, here it was. (0:27:57) Al: So they’re announcing something in the wholesome snack, (0:28:00) Al: which as we’re recording, it’s happening in three days. (0:28:04) Kev: Oh, great. Wildflowers 2 is going to be announced in three days, and I’m not for– (0:28:05) Al: So. (0:28:09) Kev: I can’t confirm it, because I don’t actually know at the time of the recording. (0:28:14) Al: Like, have they hinted towards there being a Wildflowers, too, and it’s not just (0:28:17) Kev: No, okay. That’s me just being hyperbolic. I don’t know, but it’s Drydock Studios. (0:28:22) Kev: It’s from their account, isn’t it? The Wildflowers account, so… (0:28:26) Kev: I don’t know. Who knows? It could be. That would be my hope, of course. Maybe with a different art (0:28:31) Kev: style but you never know um who knows what it’ll be (0:28:35) Kev: um i’ve got my eye on it though for sure though so we’ll see (0:28:37) Al: You’ll play whatever they make, basically, is what you’re saying. (0:28:41) Kev: yeah basically (0:28:44) Al: OK, cool. So we’re going to go through. We’ve each got a list, presumably. (0:28:48) Al: I can’t see Kevin’s list, but presumably we both have a list. (0:28:52) Al: I think what we’ve previously done is talk through one each. (0:28:59) Al: I just kind of go alternately and we’ll talk through our opinions on why we’re looking (0:29:05) Al: looking forward to it, et cetera. (0:29:10) Kev: I am where I cannot find my list I do right if you have a big you had a big list on you (0:29:15) Kev: Where is it? Uh, hold on. Let me see. I’m trying to remember here. You need to go on in slack (0:29:22) Al: I don’t think I’ve posted a big long list of what’s coming out, but it should be on if you look on the notion, there’s a big long list. (0:29:23) Kev: You did yeah (0:29:34) Kev: Um, oh, here it is. Yes. Okay. Okay. Yes. Sorry. Okay. Yeah, I could not find it. Um, but alright, let’s uh, let’s um, yeah. Alright, you start it. (0:29:46) Al: All right, so my first one, and I feel like this has been on my list so many times, but (0:29:52) Al: that’s because I still haven’t properly played it. And that is Snacko because obviously Snacko (0:29:58) Al: is in early access. I haven’t played it yet because it’s been so busy. I think when it (0:30:04) Al: came out last year was a really bad time because it’s December and I’m not going to play a (0:30:08) Al: brand new farming game in December because I’m already like out of it. But. (0:30:16) Al: At some point this year, Snacko will release 1.0 unless something goes seriously wrong. (0:30:23) Al: Like they’ve posted their updated roadmap and it has four updates on it. And it sounds (0:30:29) Al: like they’re expecting that to be done kind of reasonably early next year. So I would (0:30:33) Al: be very surprised if Snacko 1.0 doesn’t come out. So I think that’s probably the thing (0:30:37) Al: I’m most looking forward to. (0:30:38) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:30:42) Kev: All right, yeah, no, that’s fair like I (0:30:45) Kev: snako isn’t on my radar, but like I (0:30:49) Kev: this is one of those I’ve talked, you know ad nauseam like (0:30:53) Kev: Games that are in early access forever and then they get the 1.0 release like it’s uh (0:30:59) Kev: It’s I don’t know something almost perplexing unless they have a send some games do do it. We’re like a massive (0:31:06) Kev: Addition or patch change, right? (0:31:09) Kev: To list the features to 1.0 (0:31:12) Kev: But you know, we’ll see if it can’t drop. Hopefully it will drop (0:31:15) Kev: Um, I will say the art style still looks great. I will say that right like the pixel cap, but everything else is 3d (0:31:22) Al: Yeah (0:31:22) Kev: um (0:31:23) Al: They’ve they’ve done a lot of work as well (0:31:26) Al: So I’ve seen some recent screenshots and some screenshots from like when they first announced it and they’ve they’ve improved the graphics (0:31:34) Al: A huge amount while still feeling like it’s the same style, which is really impressive (0:31:40) Al: And it’s just I think the thing about snako is I have been talking about this game since we started the podcast. I’m pretty sure (0:31:46) Kev: Oh, that sounds about right. (0:31:48) Al: So, you know to to go that long (0:31:52) Al: I can’t even remember how long is it is this is this the end of year six or is this the end of you? (0:31:57) Al: I think it’s the end of year six in January. It will be six years of the podcast. So (0:32:02) Al: Yeah, just the idea of you know, I’ve been talking about this game for that long (0:32:07) Al: And I’m super excited to to finally properly played it. Obviously I played a (0:32:12) Al: demo (0:32:13) Al: Years ago now, but it’s obviously changed a huge amount since then (0:32:16) Kev: Yeah, that will be cool. Once it hits 1.0. I will say heck maybe even I’ll get on board at that point. I don’t know (0:32:26) Kev: But yeah, it’s uh (0:32:28) Kev: That’s good. Can you imagine that the finally that since it’s you finally get into it (0:32:35) Kev: I mean everything talking about it for this many years and finally we get 1.0 and you play the game proper (0:32:42) Kev: But yeah, all right, I’ll (0:32:45) Kev: I’ll, I’ll take the baton. (0:32:46) Kev: Um, my first pick, um, kind of like, I just talked about Snacko, but this is a similar boat where the game is already out, but I haven’t gotten to it. (0:32:58) Kev: And more importantly, it’s going to be the console release of Hello Kitty Island Adventure. (0:33:02) Kev: Um, ah, well, there you go. (0:33:02) Al: Ah that’s on my list as well. This I’m so excited for because yeah I really liked the game in (0:33:12) Al: general but I hated playing it on my iPad so I was like I played it as much as I needed to (0:33:18) Al: for the episode and went I will play this when it’s on something else because it is such a good (0:33:25) Al: game it is such it looks great it feels great everything about it is great I just did not want (0:33:31) Al: to do it on a touch screen! (0:33:32) Kev: It looks like it looks I know I say this knowing Hello Kitty is like one of the biggest franchises in the world just (0:33:43) Kev: monetary wise right but it looks so much better than what I expect it to be right because I’m not saying Hello Kitty is isn’t like it (0:33:52) Kev: doesn’t do quality stuff but it just does so much stuff right like it’s so everywhere that I’m just I don’t know and I don’t (0:34:00) Kev: expect, you know, super high (0:34:02) Kev: highs, let’s say that, right? But this looks incredible. Just everything going on. Like the (0:34:08) Kev: writing, you write minecarts in this game, it’s wild! And finding the Gudetama’s hidden around, (0:34:15) Kev: oh my, it just sounds incredible. And like, just the massive list of Sanrio characters. (0:34:24) Kev: Yeah, no, this, this, like ever since the, you guys talked about it on that one episode, I’ve been so (0:34:28) Kev: hype for it. You and Maddy talk about it. (0:34:32) Kev: This is probably number one, just because I mean, of course, like we know what it is more or less, right? It’s come out. (0:34:39) Kev: We know I know what to expect. So that’s probably why out of all the names here, it is the one I’m most looking forward to, I would say. (0:34:46) Al: Yeah, I wonder, here’s a question for you. (0:34:47) Kev: Yeah, good stuff. Yeah. (0:34:49) Al: Do you think this will be a Switch 2 launch title? (0:34:57) Al: So as of just now, we just know 2025 for Hello Kitty Island Adventure. (0:35:02) Al: We don’t know when in 2025 and also we’re expecting the Switch 2 to be released in (0:35:10) Al: 2025 and it was announced that it was coming to Switch. (0:35:17) Al: Or it was announced that it was coming to anything else (0:35:20) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. (0:35:21) Al: in a Nintendo Direct, you know, in 2024 this year, June 2024. (0:35:29) Al: You know for a fact that if the Switch 2 is coming out next year, (0:35:33) Al: there are developers that have a version to build against an SDK, right? (0:35:40) Al: You know for a fact that there are games (0:35:41) Al: companies that have that because there’s no way they would release the game (0:35:46) Al: Switch exclusives and this feels like it could be something, right? (0:35:51) Al: Like, do you know? (0:35:52) Kev: fact that it’s already have you know it’s already out right it’s it’s just a port as opposed to ground-up game doesn’t make it a (0:35:58) Al: Exactly, yeah. (0:35:59) Kev: Lot more likely um I I don’t know how strong lead field I’ll say it’s greater than 50% chance. It’ll be a launch title (0:36:06) Al: It’s the fact that we still don’t–it’s been six months, and we still don’t know when it’s (0:36:08) Kev: You know I don’t know (0:36:12) Al: coming out next year, you know? And there were many–like, the general assumption is (0:36:13) Kev: Yeah, you know what that’s that’s fair um (0:36:16) Kev: Umm… (0:36:22) Al: that the Switch 2 release announcement was delayed from September. So June to September (0:36:30) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah (0:36:31) Al: could be a sort of expected timeline between announcement and date. Don’t know. (0:36:54) Al: Yeah, it will be backwards compatible, but I will say, and this is the thing that people (0:36:58) Al: keep getting wrong, backwards compatible does not mean it will run better on the Switch (0:37:02) Al: 2, necessarily. That’s not how these things work, right? (0:37:04) Kev: No, you’re right, I’m not saying, you know what, that’s a good point. (0:37:10) Kev: Yeah, no, you’re right. (0:37:10) Al: So if they make, because it’s the same thing with PS4 versions on a PS5, do not run better (0:37:16) Al: than on a PS4. Well, not better than a PS4 Pro. They do run better than a PS4, but they (0:37:21) Al: don’t run better than a PS4 Pro (0:37:24) Al: They’re not compiled for the PS5, they’re compiled for the PS4 and PS4 Pro (0:37:29) Al: and then they also work on the PS5 and so like when we got, I remember when I first got a PS5 (0:37:36) Al: Fall Guys was just the PS4 version and then like a year later they released the PS5 version and it (0:37:39) Kev: yeah (0:37:43) Kev: um really oh wow I didn’t try on the ps5 i’ll have to try that (0:37:48) Kev: um (0:37:48) Al: With your ps5 that’s just sitting in the corner (0:37:51) Kev: that’s cool look ps5 was my zen the zone zero machine (0:37:56) Al: Would you have a ps5? Oh, I didn’t know that fair enough (0:37:57) Kev: it was stupid oh yeah I do (0:38:01) Kev: yeah yeah yeah I like I use it it’s not just even the ps5 like in general my playstation or (0:38:08) Kev: or non-Nintendo consoles are– (0:38:09) Kev: get used just from a handful of games, right? (0:38:11) Al: » Yeah. (0:38:11) Kev: Like, they’re games, I want them, right? (0:38:12) Al: Same. (0:38:14) Kev: Like, it’s my Street Fighter machine, (0:38:16) Kev: it’s my Send the Zone Zero machine. (0:38:18) Kev: Now my Mar– well, actually, no, (0:38:19) Kev: I’m not even playing Marvel, (0:38:20) Kev: I’m playing Marvel, I was on Steam, (0:38:21) Kev: Calvin got the– (0:38:23) Kev: ‘cause Calvin was a big Overwatch fan, too, (0:38:25) Kev: so we’re both hyped about it, (0:38:26) Kev: so I was like, okay, you know what? (0:38:27) Kev: I have a computer that can run it, (0:38:29) Kev: I’ll run Marvel, I was on Steam, (0:38:31) Kev: you play on the PlayStation, (0:38:32) Kev: and that’s how we split it up. (0:38:33) Kev: But anyways, but there’s another– (0:38:36) Kev: yeah, Fall Guys, right? (0:38:40) Kev: I probably won’t try it, actually, (0:38:41) Kev: ‘cause I don’t have too much other stuff. (0:38:44) Al: I still love fall guys. It’s great. I don’t play as much as I used to, but I still, it’s (0:38:46) Kev: Oh, yeah, Fall Guys is excellent, (0:38:48) Al: a good fun, good. They they’ve been adding, they’ve been adding loads of great, uh, what’s (0:38:49) Kev: like, there is no denying that, (0:38:51) Kev: they knocked that out of the park. (0:38:52) Kev: I wonder how far it’s come. (0:38:53) Kev: Oh, now I’m curious, maybe I will. (0:38:58) Al: the word I’m looking for? Um, skins. And I really like how they’ve been doing the skins (0:39:04) Al: in that you can quite often get a lot of skins for free. Um, so there’s, there’s a, they (0:39:09) Al: They have a, okay, okay, here’s what I really love about what they’ve been doing. (0:39:14) Al: They have a premium pass, or what do you call it, a ladder, or whatever it is you (0:39:20) Al: call it. (0:39:21) Al: I can’t never remember the terminology these games use. (0:39:24) Al: The battle pass, yeah, sure. (0:39:24) Kev: Battle pass, season pass, I don’t know. (0:39:26) Kev: Yeah. (0:39:26) Al: Season pass. (0:39:27) Al: There we go. (0:39:28) Al: Season pass. (0:39:29) Al: They’ve got a season pass. (0:39:30) Al: But the season pass gives you back the currency that you use to buy the season pass. (0:39:38) Kev: Okay (0:39:38) Al: So if you reach level 40 in the season pass, you have a sentry. (0:39:42) Kev: Yeah (0:39:44) Al: Eventually, refunded your season pass. (0:39:47) Kev: You have the next one free which is always great, yeah (0:39:48) Al: Exactly, so if you’re playing it regularly, you can get so much stuff without actually (0:39:55) Al: having to pay except that first payment, which is really good. (0:39:58) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:40:00) Al: And they have like a whole bunch of bundles where it’s like, here’s a bunch of skins and (0:40:03) Al: the currency that you use to buy the battle pass. (0:40:04) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:40:06) Al: So I think, obviously, it still is shoving these things in your face a lot and there’s (0:40:11) Al: a lot of stuff you can’t get without paying. (0:40:14) Kev: Yeah. (0:40:14) Al: You’re exclusive to pay money, pay 20 quid, and you’ll get these skins, but that’s fine. (0:40:20) Al: It’s skins. (0:40:21) Al: Who cares? (0:40:22) Al: You know. (0:40:24) Kev: yeah yeah yeah exactly right at the end of the day even if you don’t care like the game’s (0:40:27) Kev: free and you can still play and it’s entertaining on its own right absolutely um yeah no um so so (0:40:29) Al: Exactly, but my other point about Hello Kitty is they are releasing on PS4 and PS5, they’ve (0:40:35) Kev: there you go fall guys one of my most anticipated 2020 (0:40:44) Al: exclusively said that, so it’s not like they aren’t known to release on two generations (0:40:48) Kev: Yeah, yeah, that’s great. Oh, so there you go. Maybe we’ll get (0:40:49) Al: of the same console at the same time. (0:40:56) Kev: That’s switch to version after all then the ounces (0:41:00) Al: we’re getting close to the point where we’re going to know when the switch is coming out and we’re (0:41:04) Al: going to get the first indications of what the launch titles are. Obviously there will be some (0:41:10) Al: Nintendo stuff but there’s going to be some third-party stuff as well and I would not be surprised if (0:41:15) Al: this is one of them. All right my second one, I guess, I mean my third one was Hello Kitty (0:41:16) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I, you know, yeah, I could see it. Um, okay. Okay, go ahead. Yeah. (0:41:27) Al: island adventure as well. So how many more do you have? (0:41:28) Kev: All right. Oh, god. I, wait, how many do you have? I’ll just try to match you, because I’m, I’m… (0:41:30) Al: For organizing this. I have four in total, but that included Hello Kitty. But if you have four. (0:41:38) Kev: Oh, oh, well, I could probably go, I could probably do… (0:41:42) Kev: We’ll see. I’ll see. I’m going down the list. Just double check again. (0:41:44) Al: You do another one, do another one now, then because I’ve just (0:41:47) Kev: Okay. All right. Well, first of all, stop the presses. Sorry, as I’ve been double checking all these things, I’ve been in double checking trailers. (0:41:47) Al: done alligator as well. So what’s your, what’s your next one? (0:41:56) Kev: There’s Professor Layton got an out. This is neither here nor there. This might be for the greenhouse. This is Professor Layton. Oh, my gosh. Anyways, okay. (0:42:05) Kev: Okay, here’s one. I’m going to say this not because I (0:42:13) Kev: I might not play it, but I’m just so… (0:42:16) Kev: …curious about it? (0:42:19) Kev: Uh, WANDERSTOP? (0:42:21) Kev: Because that’s the one by the Stanley Parable guy, right? (0:42:25) Kev: And it’s, like, such a wild departure from that. (0:42:30) Kev: I’m… I just wonder what it’s gonna look like, right? (0:42:33) Kev: And, like, we have a trailer, and the game looks fine and whatnot. (0:42:36) Kev: Um, it just looks like a straight, you know, straight-shooting, cozy-type game. (0:42:41) Kev: But, um, so, you know, I don’t know if it’s gonna bring anything super new, but… (0:42:46) Kev: Just the history of that developer really has me wondering what that’s gonna look like. (0:42:50) Kev: Because I’m not expecting there to be some weird Stanley Parable-esque twist, (0:42:57) Kev: but at the same time, I don’t know, maybe? (0:43:00) Al: I don’t expect it to be like a meta-commentary on games the way that Stanley Parable was, (0:43:01) Kev: Like… (0:43:05) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:43:06) Al: but I will say that it’s describing itself as a narrative-centric cosy game about change and T. (0:43:12) Kev: Uh-huh. (0:43:13) Al: I feel like it’s going to do something interesting, and that’s not going to be a really boring story. (0:43:16) Kev: » Yeah, it might. (0:43:21) Al: It’s going to be hard-hitting in some kind of way, like I don’t think they would make it (0:43:26) Al: just to make a cosy game. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was… (0:43:30) Al: Maybe a meta-commentary on coziness or something like that, you know, like I could see them (0:43:36) Al: like completely appending what you would expect from a cosy game. (0:43:40) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I I could see that absolutely (0:43:45) Kev: Yeah, so you know like I don’t know if I will get to it (0:43:49) Kev: Maybe it drops out and it’s amazing, but it certainly has grabbed my attention. I’ll say that (0:43:53) Kev: that. (0:43:54) Al: it will, even if you don’t play it, you’ll find out a lot about it because this is going (0:43:58) Al: to be talked about. You know, like the same way that the Stanley Parable was talked about (0:44:00) Kev: Oh, oh, absolutely, right? Like, oh, I’m sure, right. I mean, just having that pedigree alone, like, it’s gonna get talked about, absolutely. (0:44:14) Al: I just noticed the music is done by C418, the guy who did Minecraft music. (0:44:18) Kev: Oh, what? (0:44:20) Kev: Minecraft guy, yeah. Oh, I’m like, ooh. Ooh, that’s, that’s strong. That’s good music. Oh. (0:44:20) Al: » Yeah. (0:44:26) Kev: Um, alright, well, that was an honorable mention, but here, let me, uh, let me- (0:44:30) Kev: I can actually throw one. I probably will play, um, “Tales of Sekyu”? I think that’s how you pronounce it. (0:44:36) Al: say yeah I can I who knows yeah (0:44:38) Kev: I think so. Um, okay. (0:44:44) Kev: Uh, so there is, um, so it is a, you know, it’s- (0:44:50) Kev: What’s the premise? It’s- it’s farming, but it’s yokai. (0:44:51) Al: Jokai. Farming, but Jokai, yep. That’s a perfect explanation of it, really. (0:44:54) Kev: Farming but yokai, right

Part of me wanted to jokingly name this episode, “The Official Podcast of Indie Games Night Market,” but it would have probably been more confusing than funny. Anyway, this one is a special episode for so many reasons! First off, it's the first time the show has had a repeat guest. It's also the first time there have been guest episodes released in back to back weeks, as this “bonus” episode gets to serve as a little holiday present, making it the year's twentieth guest episode (I had four solo, rambly things to make the total count for the year twenty-four) and thirtieth guest episode overall. I am very proud of this. None of that would have been possible without awesome guests, so a huge thank you to Daniel for mentioning he'd chat with me on the podcast about the FIRST EVER Indie Games Night Market. It was a smashing success, and I was extremely fortunate to have been a part of it with a game of my own (a couple notes on that below). With Game Market West and Indie Games Night Market being the first couple of independent events like this in the states, there's a huge wave of excitement to see where this goes, and I'm here for it.Check out Daniel's site, New Mill Industries, for the two games he brought to the event (and many more awesome titles currently there while also being on the lookout for that batch of climbers he mentions are coming in February as well!!. The site also has a link to some information on Indie Games Night Market.Daniel on BlueskyA Discord for indie markets (seems like the link might expire, so check out US Indie Markets [Board Games] on Discord).As this episode is a little treat for you, I'm treating myself to not breaking this one up into chapters. Honestly, everything here kind of just flows from the episode's main idea.My game! It's called Oversized Sandwich. There's a BGG page. The deck is available for purchase on DriveThruCards. In the product's description, I try to make it very clear that there were elements of what I took to IGNM that aren't present when you buy just a deck, but you'd still be able to play the game if you pull up the rules. Check it out; I think it's cool.I typically try to come up with a "clever" episode logo, but Daniel's logo for IGNM is just really cool as is, so that's from his site.If you like this show, liking it on whatever platform you listen to and writing a review would mean so much! Furthermore, it's as independent as it gets (pretty fitting for this episode), so any financial support would help with the subscriptions that make this project go smoothly. That can be done here: Buy Me a Coffeevodthepod@gmail.comBlueskyInstagramTikTok

This holiday season, we're sharing our favorite episodes of 2024. Producer Jessica Kariisa's pick is our episode featuring San Jose's Story Road Night Market in the Little Saigon neighborhood. This episode first ran on Oct. 18, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Al, Codey, and Micah talk about their favourite farming and cottagecore games of 2024. Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:37: What Have We Been Up To 00:22:18: Rules Explanation 00:26:13: Update Of The Year 00:42:17: Early Access Of The Year 00:52:11: Game Of The Year Nominations 01:46:31: Debate 02:01:59: Winner Discussion 02:10:47: Outro Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello farmers and welcome to the sixth annual harvest season (0:00:35) Al: game of the year episode. (0:00:37) Al: My name is Al. (0:00:38) Codey: And my name is Cody. (0:00:40) Micah: And I’m Micah. (0:00:41) Al: And we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:44) Codey: Ooh. (0:00:45) Micah: Yay. (0:00:48) Codey: Make it, it’s a woo, not yay. (0:00:49) Micah: Yeah, wooh. (0:00:53) Al: All right. This is. Spicy, we, as mentioned, this is going to be our game of the year episode (0:00:54) Micah: I’m trying to add a little spice to it, you know, spice it up a little bit. (0:01:04) Al: for this year. Why all that? This is the sixth one. I don’t know how to deal with that. (0:01:10) Micah: Yeah, I can’t believe it’s it’s been that long you said I didn’t even register (0:01:15) Micah: I saw the list of the the previous ones you said six just now and it hit me like a truck (0:01:20) Al: We’ve changed things up this year a little bit compared to previous years. (0:01:21) Codey: Yeah you said it and I was like no way. This is wild. (0:01:30) Al: I’m not going to go into that just now, but just bear in mind listeners, there are some (0:01:34) Al: slight changes. (0:01:37) Al: Before that, Micah, what have you been up to? (0:01:38) Micah: Aww, I’ve been playing a lot of Jeragon Quest 3, HD2D, which I might talk a little bit about the Greenhouse episode. (0:01:50) Al: I love how you say might like we’ve not just recorded it. (0:01:50) Micah: Might, maybe, you’ll have to tune into the Greenhouse episode to find out. (0:01:56) Codey: You could cut it. (0:01:57) Codey: You could cut it out. (0:01:58) Micah: Great. (0:01:58) Al: No, it’s fine. It’s fine. I love when we like we break through the barrier and like stop (0:02:04) Codey: Oh, yeah. (0:02:04) Al: pretending like we record the greenhouse later. (0:02:06) Micah: that is primarily what I’ve been playing when I have the time to play games. Cody and I were (0:02:09) Codey: You’re right, you’re right. (0:02:17) Micah: just talking before we started recording about just being busy and not being able to play a (0:02:22) Micah: whole lot of games this year. So it’s always nice doing a game of the year recording because it (0:02:27) Micah: gives me an excuse to kind of revisit and catch up on things and have a an allotted time to play (0:02:34) Micah: games, but other than that, it’s been Drangle. (0:02:36) Micah: Quest 3. And I have also been shiny hunting a lot more in (0:02:41) Micah: Pokemon, but in older Pokemon games, I’ve been kind of (0:02:44) Micah: revisiting and kind of I don’t know what the term is, like (0:02:53) Micah: realigning myself with what I loved about Pokemon, and not so (0:02:56) Micah: much the how what modern Pokemon has become, I guess. And there’s (0:03:03) Micah: been a lot of like interesting I found in the (0:03:07) Micah: the kind of like deeper level in community, there’s a lot (0:03:12) Micah: of like really interesting new things that people have found (0:03:15) Micah: or like, you know, different hunts that people have set up (0:03:20) Micah: like one of the things that I’m working on right now is shiny (0:03:22) Micah: hunting, Kanto starters in the original gen one virtual console (0:03:27) Micah: games, which is something that you can do, but you have to do (0:03:27) Al: Oh, why? Why? (0:03:29) Micah: it by like, trading them over to a gen two virtual console game (0:03:33) Micah: to see or if you (0:03:37) Micah: have a totally legal copy of the virtual console games, (0:03:42) Micah: there’s a patch that you can apply that will just show you (0:03:44) Micah: if it’s shiny or not, which is very cool. (0:03:47) Micah: But there’s been a lot of like really neat little things like (0:03:49) Micah: that that I’ve been kind of experiencing and re-linking (0:03:56) Codey: You’re you’re getting back to your roots now. What’s your current hunt? (0:03:57) Micah: myself with and yeah, yep. (0:04:02) Micah: I think there’s been a lot of, well, yeah, that Gen 1 hunt is (0:04:05) Micah: my current hunt. (0:04:06) Micah: Uh, I’m doing all four of this stuff. (0:04:10) Micah: So like the three Kanto original Kanto starters and the Pikachu in the (0:04:15) Micah: games that they originate in, um, which is, has been a little bit complicated (0:04:22) Micah: to set up, uh, but it has been pretty enjoyable, like learning how things, (0:04:28) Micah: uh, work and how, how to, you know, like set things up properly. (0:04:33) Micah: Uh, it’s just been, I don’t know. (0:04:36) Micah: Interesting. (0:04:37) Micah: And I think there’s been a lot over the years that has like kind of had me (0:04:44) Micah: disconnect from Pokemon and in specific ways that like, kind of, like you said, (0:04:51) Micah: you know, coming back to my roots has kind of retaught me what it is that I (0:04:56) Micah: love so much about creature collecting and, you know, these core games and (0:05:02) Micah: stuff like that, this of course has nothing to do with the fact that, uh, (0:05:07) Micah: you know, earlier this year, they shut down the three S, uh, internet (0:05:12) Micah: capabilities and that may be possibly in the future. (0:05:15) Micah: Pokemon bank is going to shut down and that I am anxious about the (0:05:19) Micah: possibility of losing, you know, and I’m not rushing to, you know, it has (0:05:24) Micah: nothing to do with the fact that I’m like prepping for the quote unquote (0:05:24) Codey: Yeah. (0:05:28) Micah: end of the world when it comes to, but yeah. (0:05:32) Al: Prepping for something they haven’t even announced is going to happen yet. (0:05:35) Micah: Yes. (0:05:36) Codey: But it’s going to happen, though. (0:05:36) Micah: You know, that’s the glory of anxiety. (0:05:41) Al: Well, yeah, fair. (0:05:44) Codey: You can’t choose what you get worried about. (0:05:45) Micah: Yep. (0:05:46) Micah: Yep. (0:05:46) Codey: You just– yep. (0:05:47) Micah: And then you just over prepare for it. (0:05:48) Micah: And everyone’s like, why did you do that? (0:05:49) Micah: And I’m like, I don’t know. (0:05:50) Micah: I just felt like it was a good idea. (0:05:52) Al: There is no why there only is. (0:05:54) Micah: Yep. (0:05:55) Micah: That’s right. (0:05:56) Codey: Yep, I did that. I’ve been doing a PhD. I don’t know if you all know about that. So, I mean, I’ve just had like, this is like conference season. And then I’ve also had a lot of review requests lately. So journals have been like, hey, there’s a paper that you’re really like is within your like niche. Can you review this? Since you’re a subject matter expert? (0:05:56) Micah: So that’s primarily what I’ve been doing. (0:05:59) Al: Cody, what have you been up to? (0:06:26) Codey: And I’ve learned that I’m bad at saying no. So I am about to finish that. Like, literally after this, I have to write something for a nomination. And then I have to finish a review. And then I will finally be free of my obligations. And then I can actually focus on just my, my PhD. Yeah, lots of insect identification. Lots of that. And then (0:06:52) Codey: recently started playing, uh, Pokemon Pocket. (0:06:56) Codey: And, uh, I, during that Venusaur event that happened, um, I got three (0:07:03) Codey: of the promo Venusaur, but I did not get any of the Jigglypuff or the (0:07:06) Codey: Hunter and I am really salty about that. (0:07:08) Micah: Oh no. (0:07:10) Codey: Like I literally opened my game. (0:07:13) Codey: I was like, Oh, I need to do those. (0:07:14) Codey: Cause I thought today was the last day, like through like 11 59 tonight, (0:07:19) Codey: but it was yesterday, so rip. (0:07:21) Al: Yeah, this is the problem Cody, you need to be doing this this event all through the event, (0:07:26) Al: otherwise it’s going to because I did, I kid you not, 38 packs of that event. 38 packs I opened (0:07:32) Codey: That means, that means you won 38 of the, okay, with no Venusaur. (0:07:36) Al: with no Venusaur. Yes, correct. With no Venusaur in 38 packs. The last three packs that I could (0:07:44) Micah: That is unbelievable. (0:07:49) Al: could have opened in the game because of the timer. (0:07:51) Al: Without paying gold, the last three packs, all Venus are. (0:07:56) Codey: They turned up the Venus or the Venus or knob. I mean, maybe (0:08:00) Codey: that’s where they opened the cannon. Um, maybe that’s where (0:08:07) Codey: that’s my issue because I did start doing it near the end. And (0:08:11) Al: I don’t, yeah, I don’t think, I don’t think, I think it’s just cause like there were loads (0:08:12) Codey: so they, there was like all Venus or it’s just like (0:08:18) Al: of people I know who couldn’t get any Grinninja and kept getting Venus or instead. So I don’t (0:08:22) Al: think it’s, I don’t think it’s quite that simple, but yeah, if you want it like 41 is what I got, (0:08:27) Al: 41 packs is why I opened and that, and I needed to get, you know, 39 to get one of each. (0:08:30) Codey: Wow. (0:08:30) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:08:34) Al: So like, yeah, you can’t, you can’t half-heartedly do these events. If you want everything, (0:08:38) Al: You got to go all in. And the good thing is that like one. (0:08:41) Al: Once you’ve done the first couple of days, if you do all of the, like, use all of the (0:08:46) Al: hourglasses in the first couple of days, like just kind of like do everything as quickly (0:08:50) Al: as you can, then the most you can do a day is two because of the 12 hour timer. So it (0:08:56) Al: makes it really quick and easy after the first couple of days. I guess the problem. Well, (0:08:59) Codey: I mean my I’m not a try-hard though (0:09:03) Al: I think you’re always going to be disappointed in pocket if that’s the case, then. (0:09:06) Codey: I’m just I’m just always gonna be disappointed in myself. Let’s be honest. That’s never gonna not (0:09:10) Micah: I got the inverse of that initial I eventually did get to Venus or which was I was happy (0:09:22) Micah: with that because that’s you know, the max that you can put in a deck is two of a card. (0:09:26) Micah: But it took a very, very long time and I got an endless amount of Haunter like just a ridiculous (0:09:33) Micah: amount of Haunter to the point that I thought it was like something either was wrong or (0:09:34) Al: Yeah. (0:09:38) Micah: Or I was like, it’s been. (0:09:40) Al: Opening the wrong packs or something. (0:09:40) Micah: Having a trick played on me or something. (0:09:42) Micah: Yeah. (0:09:42) Micah: Like something was going wrong because it was just, it was just (0:09:46) Micah: Haunter all the time and I w I went to my, my work team and I was like, (0:09:51) Micah: Hey, is anybody else just pulling Haunter and everyone was like, no, (0:09:56) Micah: I got all of them already. (0:09:57) Micah: I figured, you know, whatever. (0:09:58) Micah: And I’m like, what is wrong with my game? (0:10:00) Al: Yeah, I got 13 Hunter and 11 Jigglypuff. (0:10:00) Micah: I’m like hard resetting and (0:10:04) Codey: Well, why don’t you save them for me, please, because I need it. (0:10:05) Micah: incredible. (0:10:09) Micah: - Yeah. (0:10:10) Micah: - There’s no shortage of, no shortage of Haunters for you when the trading happens. (0:10:11) Al: We’ll see what trading ends up being like, but yeah, got your name on it. (0:10:19) Micah: - Al, what have you been playing? (0:10:26) Al: Because I’m recording so many, I’m literally recording the live. (0:10:30) Al: So I am specifically going to talk about one game that I haven’t talked about on the other episodes so that I don’t get confused about things. (0:10:46) Al: So this is not all I’ve been up to. This is just what you’re getting this episode. I have played Sonic Shadow Generations, Sonic X, or to be specific, I’ve played Shadow Generations. (0:11:00) Al: I wasn’t playing Sonic Generations because I did enjoy it when I played it the first time, but I don’t have time to be replaying games. Come on, that’s not my life anymore. (0:11:08) Al: So I bought the game to play Shadow Generations. And let me tell you, I still do not like 3D Sonic games, even when it’s Shadow you’re playing as instead. (0:11:21) Micah: Okay, so is it is it sonic generations just with like added? Oh (0:11:28) Al: So, think of it like Bowser’s Fury with Mario. (0:11:31) Al: Did you play that? (0:11:32) Micah: Sure, yeah (0:11:33) Al: It’s exactly the same as that. (0:11:35) Al: You open up the game and it shows you the two things side by side, and you either choose (0:11:38) Al: Sonic Generations or you choose Shadow Generations, and they are different games. (0:11:40) Micah: » I see. (0:11:41) Micah: » Okay. (0:11:45) Al: It’s not like you’re playing Sonic Generations, but with Shadow, no. (0:11:48) Al: It’s a different story. (0:11:49) Al: It’s your different character, and it’s different levels, and he has different powers. (0:11:55) Al: It’s completely different. (0:11:56) Micah: And a motorcycle and swears I mean he has a gun and (0:11:58) Al: » Yeah, exactly, exactly. (0:12:01) Al: So, I keep trying to like 3D Sonic games, (0:12:04) Al: and I think part of the problem is I did enjoy Sonic Generations, (0:12:08) Al: which did have some 3D levels, (0:12:10) Al: and I don’t know whether maybe I should play Sonic Generations to check, (0:12:14) Al: but I’m not going to. (0:12:16) Al: But I wonder whether I liked that despite the 3D levels, (0:12:20) Al: and I just mostly enjoyed the 2D levels, (0:12:22) Al: or whether I actually enjoyed the 3D levels in that game. (0:12:25) Al: I can’t remember. (0:12:26) Codey: Well, the more important question is are you gonna see the movie or when are you gonna see the movie? (0:12:28) Al: Oh, yeah, I’ve already got tickets. (0:12:33) Codey: Okay (0:12:34) Al: Let me check when I’ve got them booked for. (0:12:36) Al: So I have them booked for the Saturday because I’m, yeah, I couldn’t do the Friday because (0:12:41) Al: Rona’s out to a concert, but yeah, I’ve got tickets booked for the Saturday. (0:12:42) Codey: Mm hmm. So there’s some showings on Thursday for me where I’m at, but I that’s also my partner’s (0:12:52) Codey: Christmas holiday party. So and we always go to like a fancy place and they pay for everything. (0:12:56) Codey: So I’m going to get a bunch. I’m going to slam free food in my face, but I’ll probably like really. (0:12:59) Micah: The dream. (0:13:02) Al: You’re gonna eat as much food as you can as quickly as possible and then go to see Sonic? (0:13:06) Codey: Uh, I don’t know if that’s going to work, but I will probably see Sonic on Friday. If not the (0:13:13) Codey: after when it’s like cheap, cheap, cheap. Um, because. (0:13:14) Al: hmm I see I don’t care about the price because I have the like season pass (0:13:20) Codey: Oh, what? Wait, what? (0:13:21) Micah: there’s a there’s a season pass to the theater (0:13:23) Al: you guys don’t have that yeah I i I paid 135 pounds and I can go to the (0:13:26) Micah: at least not that i’m aware of (0:13:31) Al: cinema as many times as I want it for a year for the whole year yeah (0:13:34) Micah: - What? (0:13:35) Codey: - What? (0:13:36) Micah: I’ve never heard of this. (0:13:38) Micah: What is your like, big name, like theater, like cinema? (0:13:42) Al: So we have, we have two bigs, we have two. (0:13:44) Al: big cinema chains. One is called ODEON and one is called Cine World. And both of them, (0:13:49) Micah: Okay, neither of those (0:13:51) Al: but yeah. Well, so I think, is ODEON I think is owned by MGM maybe? I don’t know. They’re (0:14:00) Al: both owned by big US brands, but they kept a specific name. No, maybe it’s not. Oh, sorry. (0:14:07) Al: It’s AMC, the audience owned by MGM and do not own actual cinemas. (0:14:10) Micah: - Okay, AMC, I do know. (0:14:15) Al: There is a filmmaker. Let’s see what. (0:14:17) Micah: They make the movie. (0:14:20) Codey: Literally all that they offer to us is $15 a year gets you like points and you don’t have to pay fees for if you buy tickets online and that’s pretty much it. (0:14:36) Micah: Okay. So I do see, I’m looking now, cause this is mind blowing, so I didn’t know this (0:14:39) Codey: It is yeah. (0:14:40) Micah: concept existed. Uh, we have Marcus theaters has a, it’s $10 a month and you get one movie (0:14:47) Codey: - Oh. (0:14:49) Micah: credit per month, which means you just get a, a single movie ticket. Yeah. I mean, you’re (0:14:51) Al: What’s the point, then? (0:14:56) Micah: kind of, I mean, if you’re seeing one movie a month, you’re probably not really, I guess (0:15:03) Micah: Maybe you’re saving a little bit (0:15:06) Micah: I mean (0:15:06) Al: Yeah. Yeah, whereas I, I see like easily for like, I’m easily seeing one. (0:15:14) Micah: Okay, so there’s there is also unused credits rollover so like if you miss a month you say there’s nothing right (0:15:20) Al: Yeah but that’s still, unless that’s cheaper than a cinema ticket, there’s no point. (0:15:22) Micah: You’re still paying for the month (0:15:26) Micah: Which I think it is I think it’s $10 a month (0:15:29) Micah: I don’t know what what like a movie ticket is there but here in the (0:15:34) Micah: Great (0:15:36) Micah: I think we’re in the ballpark of at minimum like 16 to 20 dollars for a movie ticket (0:15:41) Al: Oh my word. For 20, I’d be expecting at least IMAX. That’s wild. (0:15:42) Codey: - Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (0:15:43) Micah: So you are saving some but you’re also (0:15:50) Micah: No, you’re talking standard you’re talking getting your chairs kicked (0:15:54) Al: Oh no. So yeah, so that’s just because you said that. That’s the same company that is (0:15:56) Codey: Yeah, so regal which is a cinema place in some parts of the United States has (0:16:08) Al: world technically it’s cine world owns regal not the other (0:16:11) Al: for this one but yeah they’re the so they’re the same same company (0:16:12) Codey: Ok. (0:16:14) Codey: But you said you pay what? $100? (0:16:16) Al: I paid 135 pounds for the year so what does that work out at 135 (0:16:19) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:16:21) Codey: That is $170 US dollars. (0:16:24) Al: uh it’s (0:16:24) Codey: We can get… (0:16:26) Micah: Just I just looked at what you’re (0:16:28) Al: yeah so that’s that’s 14 dollars uh 14 dollars a month or 11 (0:16:32) Codey: Mm-hmm Regal unlimited pricing for the base tier that only has access to 148 theaters (0:16:39) Codey: So 100% not you’re not gonna get it where you are like where most people are going to be (0:16:46) Codey: is (0:16:49) Codey: $260 a year (0:16:50) Al: for the cheapest. (0:16:52) Codey: For the cheapest and that’s about $22 a month you get unlimited tickets (0:16:52) Micah: Mm-hmm (0:16:53) Al: Oh, my word. (0:16:58) Codey: It says tickets, but I’m assuming it’s just like you get a ticket. It’s not that’s probably it’s probably purpose (0:17:01) Micah: Right, I would imagine, yeah. (0:17:03) Al: Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it is. (0:17:03) Codey: and (0:17:05) Codey: Then you get 10% off concessions, which is nothing (0:17:08) Al: Yeah. Yeah, we get that as well. We get that as well, which is is is totally just a way to get you to buy more of the cinema, which I obviously do because I’m a sucker and I know that I’m a sucker. (0:17:09) Micah: Yeah, that’s pretty much nothing. (0:17:15) Micah: Now, (0:17:20) Micah: the next question is because our ticket prices (0:17:23) Micah: are so much higher than yours, (0:17:24) Micah: are your concession prices as high as ours are? (0:17:27) Al: I mean, so okay. (0:17:27) Micah: ‘cause we can, I mean, a small popcorn is $5, maybe. (0:17:31) Micah: And a small soda or small beverage is probably also like $5. (0:17:31) Codey: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. (0:17:36) Al: So I feel like they’re not too bad. (0:17:38) Al: So if I go, I can go into my app just now, because the good thing about (0:17:41) Al: the cinema that I have, that I go to now, which is like fantastically like 10 (0:17:45) Al: minutes drive from my house, which is, is amazing, um, which is, you know, for (0:17:50) Al: city people might seem weird, but like, yeah, I don’t have things 10 (0:17:54) Al: minutes away from my house. (0:17:56) Al: Uh, if I look, I can get, so you said a small popcorn, $5. (0:18:02) Al: Let’s see for us. (0:18:03) Al: uh yeah a regular popcorn would be five (0:18:07) Al: um but they do like deals that make them cheaper (0:18:10) Codey: they used to do that. They don’t do that anymore. I remember you could get like a meal deal. I don’t (0:18:16) Codey: think they do that anymore. (0:18:17) Al: - Yeah, so like me and Rona went to see Wicked (0:18:19) Al: and I never get run into the cinema. (0:18:21) Al: Like that’s the first time she’s been to the cinema since. (0:18:24) Al: Oh, what was that other musical? (0:18:26) Al: The one about the kid who kills himself. (0:18:28) Codey: You have to be more specific. (0:18:28) Micah: Holy moly. Yeah, there’s oh (0:18:29) Codey: You have to be more specific. (0:18:32) Al: Dear Evan Hansen. (0:18:33) Al: There we go, dear Evan Hansen. (0:18:33) Codey: Oh yeah. (0:18:34) Al: So that was the last film she saw in the cinema (0:18:38) Al: before Wicked. (0:18:39) Al: So that’s kind of, was that like two and a half years ago (0:18:41) Al: or something like that? (0:18:42) Al: So she doesn’t come out to the cinema very often (0:18:45) Al: just because she just doesn’t like going out in the evening. (0:18:47) Al: Which is fair, we went to see Wicked and we bought, we got two hot dogs, a large portion (0:18:57) Al: of tater tots and one large slushie and that was 17 pounds, so it’s not cheap, but for (0:19:08) Al: me that felt not terrible. (0:19:09) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:19:11) Micah: Yeah, we we really don’t get that much it’s I mean it’s it’s kind of the like the the the (0:19:12) Codey: Yeah, that’s a lot for that amount of money. (0:19:14) Codey: Yeah, I-M-O. (0:19:22) Micah: common concept of going to the theaters and eating anything is that you’ve kind of like (0:19:27) Micah: just bring your like sneak your own stuff in yeah. (0:19:29) Codey: You sneak. You sneak your own. Yeah, 100%. (0:19:31) Al: Oh, yeah, yeah. And I, to be fair, I do that a lot. I don’t often buy stuff from the cinema, (0:19:36) Al: right? We were doing that because it was a special occasion type thing, like let’s go. (0:19:37) Micah: Which like (0:19:40) Al: We went to IMAX because I have to pay more to go to IMAX. I don’t, it doesn’t include (0:19:44) Al: IMAX in the, in the bundle. I think I have to pay five, five pounds to upgrade a ticket (0:19:48) Al: to IMAX, which I feel is not too bad. But it’s not something I do every week, obviously. (0:19:53) Al: So we went to IMAX and we paid like stupid amounts for her ticket. And then we, we got (0:20:00) Al: their spindle of feed didn’t. (0:20:02) Al: And we just like made an evening of it. (0:20:03) Al: So it was fun. (0:20:06) Codey: All of this to say, I’m really excited for Sonic 3. (0:20:09) Codey: And I didn’t realize that Shadow is voiced by Keanu Reeves. (0:20:15) Al: Yeah. Wild. Wild that they have Keanu Reeves’ shadow and Idris Elba’s knuckles. It’s like, (0:20:18) Codey: Wild. (0:20:20) Codey: And Idris Elba. (0:20:23) Al: what a combination. Amazing. What other famous massive actors can they get playing furries. (0:20:26) Micah: That’s incredible (0:20:28) Micah: You (0:20:30) Micah: You (0:20:35) Codey: - I guess whose tails? (0:20:37) Al: Oh, I don’t know (0:20:39) Codey: I’m gonna Google it. (0:20:40) Codey: We could probably move on and fuck this. (0:20:42) Micah: Uh, I am also seeing the Sonic movie, but it’s, I’m not like a huge Sonic fan. (0:20:48) Micah: I like Sonic, but I’m not like, you know, mega fan or anything, but my like best friend (0:20:54) Micah: is absolutely obsessed. (0:20:56) Micah: So as part of our like Christmas get together, we’re going to see the, the Sonic three, um, (0:21:05) Micah: that like opening weekend, which is like, not don’t typically go to the theater that (0:21:09) Micah: often anymore. (0:21:12) Micah: So I’m kind of excited because it’s very rare. (0:21:14) Codey: Yeah (0:21:16) Micah: This is the first time I’ll be at the theater, I think, all year. (0:21:19) Codey: Tails is uh, Colleen O’Shaughnessy (0:21:20) Micah: Yeah, I don’t know what that is either. (0:21:22) Al: Don’t know who that is. (0:21:24) Codey: I don’t she sees she’s a voice actor. Uh, looks like that’s what it is (0:21:27) Al: Right, okay. So the only actual voice actor. (0:21:28) Micah: Okay. (0:21:30) Micah: I have seen the two previous Sonic movies, though, and they’re really good. (0:21:30) Codey: Yeah (0:21:31) Al: Because of course Ben Schwartz is Sonic as well. (0:21:34) Codey: Yeah, I’m just (0:21:39) Codey: I love those movies so much so good (0:21:39) Micah: They did a really good job of them. (0:21:42) Micah: Great. (0:21:42) Micah: Mm-hmm. (0:21:42) Micah: Mm-hmm. (0:21:42) Al: Yeah, I think they’re exactly what we need from Sonic films. (0:21:47) Al: And I think if you did this, what they’ve done with Sonic films, if you did it with anything else, (0:21:51) Al: it wouldn’t work the same. It works because of what it is, and nobody takes it too seriously. (0:21:58) Al: So yeah, I don’t like 3D Sonic games. That’s a shame. Maybe I should stop trying. I do still (0:22:06) Al: like 2D Sonic games, so hopefully they make another one of those. But yeah, that’s what I’ve been up to. (0:22:12) Codey: - Woo. (0:22:13) Al: Whoo! (0:22:19) Al: All right, so we are gonna go into our… No, let me just… Right, I’ll explain what’s happening (0:22:27) Al: first before I try and do a funny segue. So I’ve changed things up a little bit this year (0:22:35) Al: because there have been so many questions about early access games and updates and what counts (0:22:41) Al: for game of the year. So I decided. (0:22:43) Al: To make it simpler going forward, we’re going to have three awards now. (0:22:47) Al: Okay, we’re going to have update of the year, which is for any game that has (0:22:52) Al: previously released out of early outside of early access and now has a content update. (0:22:58) Al: We’re going to have early access, which is for games that are in early access. (0:23:02) Al: And then we’re going to have game of the year, which is for any game that has (0:23:05) Al: released their first non early access version. Does that make does that is that clear? (0:23:08) Codey: » Sounds good. (0:23:10) Codey: » Yep. (0:23:11) Al: See you next time. (0:23:12) Micah: Yes, I guess a great system (0:23:12) Al: Excellent, we’ll see, we’ve never tried it like this before, we’ll see whether it’s good or not. (0:23:14) Codey: Yep. (0:23:20) Al: So that this game, this episode isn’t three times as long as the previous ones, we’re going (0:23:27) Al: to do the nominations a little bit differently for update and early access. So for game of the (0:23:32) Al: year we’re going to do the same as we always have, except one slight change, which I’ll get to that (0:23:36) Al: in a minute, in round robining our nominations and then we’ll decide from. (0:23:42) Al: What we’ve done, which should be the winner for update and early access, we’ve just got a list (0:23:48) Al: of all the ones that came out that we could think of because there’s less than 10 of each. (0:23:54) Al: So it’s a nice list to just list them all and then we can debate. The one other thing is, (0:24:00) Al: because of the debacle last year of Carl Island not winning, I have been forced into, (0:24:06) Codey: - Got scammed. (0:24:11) Al: I would suggest to do. (0:24:12) Codey: - No one is forcing you. (0:24:12) Al: I was suggested by Johnny and I thought it was a good idea that when we, I sent (0:24:18) Codey: - It’s a good suggestion. (0:24:19) Al: out a Google farm to the other people who have been on the podcast this year, I think this year, (0:24:24) Al: I don’t know, some people who have been on the podcast, I sent them a form so they can input (0:24:29) Al: as well. So we’re going to also read their feedback on what they think should win the awards. (0:24:35) Al: And maybe that will, maybe that will stop the co-hosts complaining after (0:24:40) Codey: Nope nope (0:24:40) Al: - Sure. (0:24:42) Micah: I am convinced that the reason that Cody and I are both on this episode with you is because (0:24:42) Al: - I don’t know. (laughing) (0:24:46) Codey: You can uh you can dream out (0:24:56) Micah: this is the equivalent of the Coral Island committee jumping me in a back alley for my (0:25:03) Al: Oh yeah, because it was Kevin last year, wasn’t it, is that right, because Cody had played (0:25:05) Micah: game of the year 2023. Yes. Yeah. (0:25:12) Micah: It was, and it mostly was, yeah, it mostly was down to that. Kevin and I hadn’t played it. (0:25:13) Al: Carl Island (0:25:14) Al: Exactly, exactly. (0:25:18) Codey: Yeah, and you were like, oh, I really think it should be and we were all screaming at our podcast players. (0:25:19) Al: Because I think all three of you, you and Johnny and Bev all, all said that you would (0:25:27) Codey: Yeah. Yeah. 100%. (0:25:33) Al: be playing for Carl Island. (0:25:34) Micah: This is this is my formal apology to (0:25:38) Micah: everyone. [laughs] (0:25:39) Codey: You’re no you’re allowed to have like you provided your input with the knowledge that you had and I’m here to make sure that you do it the right way this time. (0:25:47) Al: This is why we have the farm. (0:25:50) Al: It’s so that we can see people, we can see the other co-hosts opinions (0:25:50) Micah: - Under, (0:25:53) Al: before we make a bad decision and then still make a bad decision. (0:25:56) Codey: And we can still make, yeah, we can still make that decision. (0:26:00) Al: No, I’m excited for this one. (0:26:01) Al: We’ll see, we’ll see how it goes. (0:26:02) Al: I’ve seen, I’ve seen the feedback from the other hosts. (0:26:05) Al: So I’m, I’m, I’m interested to see what your guys’s are. (0:26:07) Al: We’ll get to that in a minute. (0:26:10) Al: And I’m in it. (0:26:10) Al: Goodness me, probably like two hours, we’ll see. (0:26:14) Al: We’re going to start off with update of the year. (0:26:18) Al: And so I’ll just, I’ll read through the nominations for that this year. (0:26:21) Al: Uh, and hopefully I’ve not missed anymore. (0:26:23) Al: Cause apparently I list missed three off the list. (0:26:25) Al: When I sent the form to the other costs, we have Stardew Valley, 1.6, Carl Island, 1.1 (0:26:34) Al: Moonstone Island, cooking update, Disney, Dreamlight Valley, a rift in time, which yes, (0:26:39) Al: was this year, the whole thing we released it this year, which is crazy. (0:26:43) Al: I thought some of it had released last year, but. (0:26:45) Al: but uh (0:26:47) Al: farm skies of Azoria, Dave the Diver DLCs, those would be Godzilla and I can’t remember (0:26:54) Al: the other one. Yeah what was oh um oh Dredge Dredge uh Terranil Vita Nova and Wildflowers (0:26:55) Micah: whatever the non Godzilla one is, (0:26:57) Micah: ‘cause the Godzilla one is the only one I made it. (0:26:59) Codey: Yeah, I was gonna say it was a dredge. (0:26:59) Micah: Oh, sure, sure, sure, yeah, yeah. (0:27:05) Al: Magical Creatures. Yeah yeah because Kevin decided not to put anything in the farm until (0:27:15) Al: literally, what, five hours before we start? (0:27:18) Al: I’m not sure, and was the only person to mention wildflowers, I had completely forgotten the (0:27:24) Al: wildflowers had an update this year. Anyway. (0:27:28) Micah: You know, I looked at the show notes last night, too, and did not see that on there. (0:27:32) Micah: So that makes complete sense. (0:27:34) Al: Yeah. So, um, I’ll just go through our other hosts opinions and what should win, and then (0:27:39) Al: we can discuss what we think as well. Uh, so we have one person says, Dave, the diver, (0:27:47) Al: we have, uh, two people saying stardew outright, uh, one person adding stardew as one of their (0:27:55) Al: three that they decided, uh, but not like the ultimate, what they think should win. (0:28:01) Al: one for wildflowers. (0:28:04) Al: one for terra nell, vita nova, and then one for disney dreamlight valley. (0:28:09) Al: I feel like I need to read johnny’s out, because it’s just, this is a weird year for best update. (0:28:16) Al: carl island 1.1, a great update no doubt, it added everything carl island and yours were asking for, (0:28:20) Al: but to reward this with update of the year feels wrong, it should have been 1.0 but it wasn’t. (0:28:25) Al: stargie 1.6 added more to a great game and the updates are good, but also just stop, (0:28:30) Al: it’s okay for stargie to be done, i’m ready for it. (0:28:33) Micah: Which is funny maybe I’m wrong and in assuming this but I feel like that’s a wild take from Johnny is that. (0:28:40) Codey: No, I think he’s he would be a proponent of like, let like, like, stop the nostalgia machine from cranking. Yeah, I think that’s also Yeah. (0:28:46) Al: I think he’s worried for concerned apes mental health. (0:28:48) Micah: Okay, okay (0:28:49) Micah: for concern days (0:28:51) Micah: Yeah, I mean after that interview where he was kind of like, uh, I could just keep going forever. I don’t know (0:29:00) Al: I think that leaves Disney Dreamlight Valley is the one that stands at his best update that (0:29:03) Al: continues to add to a great game bringing in memorable characters in a way that continues (0:29:07) Al: to surprise and delight. So that looks what I can see that looks like two stardew votes, (0:29:13) Al: One Wildflowers, one Drusney Dreamlet Valley, and one Davey. (0:29:16) Al: The Diver. What do you guys think? (0:29:19) Codey: Um, so I, so I mean, some of these, I didn’t play. So like, I didn’t play moonstone island. Uh, I (0:29:23) Al: Fair. That list is just going to get longer as we go through the episode. (0:29:28) Codey: right. I feel like it’s true. I feel like Fay Farm Skye’s Zozoria when we were talking about it on (0:29:33) Codey: the pod, it did not fix the issues that people wanted in the first one. So I think in my opinion, (0:29:35) Al: No (0:29:38) Codey: we can just strike that off. Um, I think the same about Taranell. I don’t think that that added (0:29:39) Al: I agree. Yeah (0:29:43) Codey: anything really. Um, and I honestly like, honestly, like, (0:29:46) Al: R.I.P. Kevin’s option. (0:29:49) Codey: I will just like double retweet Johnny’s thing because I agree. Like my go-to was (0:29:59) Codey: Coral Island 1.1. Um, I really loved it, but it did basically add like, one of the reasons I loved (0:30:05) Codey: it is because it added the rest of the story, but that should have been in the initial game. (0:30:06) Al: Mm hmm. Yeah. (0:30:10) Codey: Like why, like you can’t have an update, just be like, oh, adding the things that we didn’t (0:30:17) Codey: I had originally, but finished again. (0:30:20) Codey: So I don’t want to go with that. (0:30:22) Al: I would, I would agree with that. (0:30:23) Al: Any objections, Micah, to those three being struck off. (0:30:26) Micah: I think Coral Island is an incredible game, and I think it should win. (0:30:32) Al: Have you played it yet? (0:30:34) Micah: So okay, I have not, but this is where I’m at with Coral Island, because if you recall on the (0:30:40) Micah: previous Game of the Year episode, the reason that I said that I didn’t get it yet was because I was (0:30:44) Micah: waiting for the Switch version, which we all kind of know how that went. So I did eventually just (0:30:48) Al: Awkward. You. (0:30:53) Micah: kind of buckle and get it on the steam deck so I do have (0:30:56) Al: Yeah, nice. (0:30:56) Micah: it now to play on the steam deck haven’t had a chance to (0:30:59) Micah: play it yet but I am excited to play it especially after (0:31:02) Micah: hearing uh how much 1.1 kind of made it a 1.0 I guess um but (0:31:06) Codey: Yeah. (0:31:10) Micah: there’s just you know II’ve been I’ve yeah I don’t know I’ll (0:31:15) Micah: get I’ll get into that more later but I have not played it (0:31:17) Micah: yet. (0:31:18) Codey: Okay. And then yeah, Stardew is the same, like, I agree with Johnny, like, let it, let it lie. (0:31:24) Codey: And so for what I’ve played. (0:31:25) Al: I’m not, just for the record, I’m not, I’m not striking stardew off the list. (0:31:28) Codey: Correct. Did not strike Stardew off the list. This is just my opinion. (0:31:30) Al: I’m not, yeah, I don’t care what you’re saying. I’m not doing it. (0:31:32) Al: I’m not letting that happen right now. Right. We’ll get to that. (0:31:37) Codey: My top one would be Disney, Journey Valley. They really did add a lot of really good characters. (0:31:42) Codey: I didn’t play specifically the Rift in Time, like the paid deals, because that’s the paid one. (0:31:46) Codey: Um. (0:31:48) Codey: But I saw all the stuff from it and I know that it added like a considerable amount to the game and added to the story and I would like to play it when it becomes free. Fingers crossed that that ever happens. (0:32:00) Al: Is it not included in Game Pass? (0:32:02) Codey: Um, yeah. (0:32:06) Codey: No, you have to pay, you have to buy the DLC in Game Pass. (0:32:08) Al: Oh, weird. (0:32:10) Al: I think for, right, that’s interesting, because the whole point of Apple Arcade is everything (0:32:10) Micah: - I think it’s the same way with Apple Arcade, (0:32:17) Al: is free and you never have to pay for anything, but anyway, well, okay, yes, but you don’t (0:32:20) Codey: You have to pay for Apple Arcade. (0:32:22) Micah: Yeah, yeah (0:32:23) Al: have to pay for anything else. (0:32:24) Al: Like it removes in-app purchases from every game and stuff like that. (0:32:26) Al: I think, for the purposes of argument, we will crown it for a game. (0:32:30) Al: I feel like nobody is arguing for Moonstone Island, is that correct? (0:32:34) Codey: Well then it’s gotta, if it’s just gonna be for a game, (0:32:36) Codey: then it’s gotta be Coral Island, right? (0:32:38) Codey: No, I’m kidding, I’m kidding. (0:32:40) Micah: - I agree, definitely, Coral Island. (0:32:43) Codey: Yeah, so that’s my two cents. (0:32:50) Micah: I have not played enough of Moonstone Island to be able to confidently to even touch the cooking update, so I don’t think that I could justify it. (0:32:58) Al: Yeah, I don’t think I think cooking is a fun thing to add and it did add a few more (0:33:04) Al: spirits, but I don’t feel like it added enough to be like (0:33:08) Al: Major like I don’t think it stands aside stardew 1.6 and all of the stuff that Disney dream life alley added (0:33:17) Micah: Uh I still have yet to play Dave the Diver. I’ve heard great things about it. Uh it just (0:33:21) Al: At all. Come on, maker. (0:33:25) Micah: it just there’s something about it that just you know just hasn’t like clicked with me yet. (0:33:31) Micah: It hasn’t hooked me. That’s not I didn’t mean that as a pun but uh but I will say the Godzilla update (0:33:32) Al: you need to start it, that’s why. You need to just play it. (0:33:39) Micah: got me enticed me a little bit because I I do love my Kaiju but uh I I want to play it and I’ve (0:33:47) Micah: heard nothing but good things about it. My boss is like in love with it and sings its praise all (0:33:50) Al: David Diver is a fantastic game. The Godzilla DLC in particular is so silly. I love it so (0:33:51) Micah: the time but um (0:34:00) Al: much, right? Like any game where you like find Godzilla in a cave underwater and then (0:34:07) Al: you end the story by literally controlling Godzilla has my vote. (0:34:12) Codey: Oh, so you’re, is that your vote then? (0:34:12) Micah: That sounds awesome. That sounds incredible, honestly. (0:34:17) Al: What was that Cody? Well, I mean, it’s, it would definitely be on the shortlist. (0:34:18) Codey: I said, is that your vote then? (0:34:24) Codey: Okay. (0:34:25) Al: I’m not saying it’s definitely my favorite, but I feel like it’s, I could be convinced of that. (0:34:30) Codey: Okay. (0:34:32) Micah: uh as far as the rest of them I think you know looking at the the two current feels like top (0:34:40) Micah: contenders being disney dreamlight valley and stardew I like cody have played disney dreamlight (0:34:48) Micah: valley base not the the paid dlc portion of it yet um and I did really really enjoy it (0:34:56) Micah: uh I just the the cost to get to (0:35:02) Micah: you know we kind of talked about this when I was on previously right around what disney (0:35:06) Micah: dreamlight valley came out um that I was under the impression that it was cheaper than it was (0:35:13) Micah: or that there was a they were doing a uh like a like a um uh like a free to play version of it (0:35:21) Micah: when it had originally started to come out but you know I feel like the price of disney dreamlight (0:35:26) Micah: valley has just felt bigger and bigger over the the years (0:35:32) Micah: and that’s that’s great if the amount of content is there and it’s a very like pretty game it seems (0:35:38) Micah: like there is plenty of content there um but it’s a really like pitting that against stardew which (0:35:47) Micah: you know I know stardew has been around for so long it is it’s it just keeps going I do agree (0:35:54) Micah: it is okay for stardew to be done again I i love the game but it is okay concerned you can focus (0:36:02) Micah: here now it’s okay you can work on other things it’s all right but the the 1.6 update for stardew (0:36:09) Micah: is so massive for free content that like it’s hard for me to pit it against you know something that (0:36:20) Micah: the total cost of it is like what are we you know pushing a hundred dollars at this point (0:36:27) Micah: with in-app currency and all this stuff. I don’t know. Again, (0:36:32) Micah: I really, really like Disney Dreamlight Valley and I’m looking forward to playing more of it. (0:36:38) Micah: I love that they have kept it up. The community for it seems great, but yeah, it’s just such a (0:36:46) Micah: hard comparison because it’s like massive franchise, massive brand, costs a lot of money. (0:36:54) Micah: They’re still keeping it up and doing a great job with it versus one guy making stuff for free (0:36:58) Codey: - Yeah, I get that. (0:37:02) Micah: and I’m like, you know, I don’t know. It’s hard. If I personally had to put it on something, (0:37:08) Micah: I would put it on Stardew, but I would not be opposed to Disney Dreamlight Valley yet, (0:37:12) Codey: I mean, you do have to put it we have to we’re here to put it on (0:37:17) Micah: which is very hard for me to try. But yeah, that would be my nomination. I think would be Stardew 1.6. (0:37:23) Al: I feel like we’re probably we’re striking wildflowers off right? I think I don’t think (0:37:30) Codey: Sorry, Kevin. (0:37:30) Micah: Sorry Kevin (0:37:32) Al: even he was seriously suggesting it because I think yeah I yeah so so he says wildflowers (0:37:34) Codey: Yeah, the first thing in his thing is stardew. (0:37:36) Micah: Just more the representation, you know (0:37:41) Al: because it hasn’t won anything yet and it’s amazing and wildflowers but in reality but (0:37:45) Micah: It’s got to get the wildflowers representation in this understandable (0:37:48) Al: in reality Terranell is the only update I’ve played is great so he hasn’t even played wildflowers (0:37:54) Al: I think I understand why he would want wildflowers to win something because he thinks it probably (0:37:59) Al: should have won game of the year last year but yeah I think as an update it I don’t think (0:38:06) Al: it compares to stardew 1.6 or to all of the updates that Disney Dreamland valued so we’re (0:38:12) Al: down to 3 stardew 1.6 Disney Dreamland Valley and the day of the diving (0:38:19) Codey: I think from what Micah said, I’ve moved over to Stardew. (0:38:24) Codey: I didn’t play it, but I know literally dozens of people who have. (0:38:31) Codey: And yeah, I think the amount of effort that this solo human keeps pumping into this game (0:38:37) Codey: that is so beloved by the communities, it deserves it. (0:38:42) Codey: - Bye. (0:38:43) Al: - Say that with more passion. (0:38:45) Micah: But, you know, that’s in the context of like how much effort and how much content there (0:38:47) Al: Yeah. (0:38:53) Micah: is in something like the Disney Dreamlight Valley DLC, like I think it’s just the greater (0:39:00) Micah: context of the amount of effort and money that is put into one versus the other, I suppose. (0:39:05) Al: I think I would also say that as much stuff as there is in the Disney Dreamland Valley (0:39:12) Al: updates over the last year, the fact of the matter is the day that Stardew 1.6 came on, (0:39:18) Codey: Yeah. (0:39:18) Al: it became like the fifth highest consecutive players on Steam for like a week. That is (0:39:23) Micah: Mm hmm. Which is (0:39:25) Al: a wild amount of control that that game still has over. (0:39:31) Micah: Yeah, that’s, I mean, remarkable for a game as old as it is to be able to update and hit (0:39:38) Micah: that milestone is incredible. (0:39:41) Micah: It’s just, you don’t see that with really anything aside from like me, you know, multiplayer (0:39:45) Al: Yeah, and legitimately, like, I can’t find the chart, but it’s all time peak was miles (0:39:47) Micah: online games or something like it’s, it’s impressive. (0:40:00) Al: lower than that. And then the update came out and then suddenly it was high up. So it’s (0:40:08) Al: all time peak takes a 56 place, place at 56. But I think on the week that it was out, it (0:40:15) Al: was top five. I think I can’t remember because we don’t have obviously the historical, historical (0:40:17) Micah: Mm-hmm, sure. (0:40:21) Al: data for that. But like, yeah, abs and that was, you know, I think it’s previous peak (0:40:26) Al: was something like 50,000 or something. So it like quadrupled its highest consecutive (0:40:32) Al: players for an eight year old game. That’s that’s mad. And I also got me to the point (0:40:38) Micah: Yeah, it’s pretty remarkable. (0:40:43) Al: of perfecting the game. (0:40:45) Al: Like I had never gotten close to that, and with 1.6, I put so much time into it because (0:40:51) Al: of all of the different things that it had and all the different additions it had. (0:40:56) Micah: Mm-Hmm (0:40:57) Al: I got to the point where I was like, Oh, I can, I can complete this game. (0:41:01) Al: You know, it’s like I created a new save, a brand new save, because I hadn’t really (0:41:01) Micah: Mm-Hmm (0:41:06) Al: played it on my steam deck. (0:41:07) Al: I had done it originally on, on switch and so I brought a brand new save and I sunk (0:41:14) Al: a hundred hours into it. (0:41:15) Al: So we’re giving it to Stardew, Stardew 1.6 update of the year with honorable mentions (0:41:20) Micah: Yeah. I think so. (0:41:30) Al: for Disney Dreamlight Valley and Dave the Diver, specifically the Godzilla one. (0:41:33) Codey: Godzilla. (0:41:34) Micah: I am floored. (0:41:36) Al: The dredge one is fun and has more content on it, but the Godzilla one was the one that (0:41:41) Codey: You’re floored. (0:41:43) Micah: I’m floored that Coral Island did not. (0:41:45) Micah: Going into this, I prepared, reading the list, I prepared that I was just going to fold to (0:41:50) Micah: Coral Island the second that you both defended it, but. (0:41:52) Al: No, I think everybody’s opinion is the same about Coral Island, is that 1.1 should have (0:41:58) Al: been 1.0. This is obviously what matters to them, but if they had waited until the 1.1 update to (0:41:59) Micah: Mm-hmm (0:42:06) Al: release 1.0, I reckon it would have been Game of the Year this year. For us, obviously not, (0:42:10) Micah: Mm-hmm. Yep (0:42:10) Codey: Yeah, yep, for everything. (0:42:14) Al: for the Game Awards. All right, next we have Early Access Game of the Year. (0:42:20) Al: So our nominations for this. (0:42:22) Al: A new leaf memories chill town for lands fields of mystery garden life cozy simulator go go down like your frontier of life and land and over magic. (0:42:36) Al: And the opinions from other hosts are one that I think we can probably discount over magic because it sounds magical. I think this person. I think this person has not played any early access games this year. (0:42:46) Codey: With the shrug emoji? (0:42:50) Al: Uh, we have to vote. (0:42:52) Al: I think the early access game of the year should be demos. (0:42:58) Al: Honestly, everything that’s come out in early access has been a disappointment. (0:43:02) Al: It’s become the vehicle for a game with a single cool concept to release, get bits of hype, and then proceed to deliver something exceptionally mid. (0:43:10) Al: Meanwhile, there has been a resurgence of demos, games trying to win your business by offering a slice. (0:43:14) Al: These games are the ones that have brought me joy this year. (0:43:18) Al: this year, death to early access, long-lived demos. (0:43:22) Al: So that’s two votes for Fields of Mystery and one for demos. (0:43:27) Al: There’s not any specific demo, just demos in general. (0:43:34) Al: For me, it’s Fields of Mystery. (0:43:36) Al: I think Fields of Mystery is a fantastic start for the game. (0:43:40) Al: I think it does. (0:43:42) Al: What I really hate about Early Access is when it’s like, here’s the game, but it’s buggy. (0:43:49) Al: I much prefer how Fields of Mystery have done it and how (0:43:52) Al: like Ooblets did it and Carl Island did it, which is here is a very solid base for the game. It feels (0:43:59) Al: like it’s a complete game and you just hit roadblocks along the way. I think that’s a really good way (0:44:03) Al: of doing it. I do kind of agree with Johnny and that this can be a problem in many cases. It’s (0:44:08) Al: sometimes hard to go back to games when you’ve started with early access, but I do think that (0:44:13) Al: means most people probably just shouldn’t play early access games, but you know, what can you do? (0:44:20) Al: I also enjoyed Gogotown. (0:44:22) Al: I am not sure if this is a good one, but I feel like they have a lot more work to do to make a fully formed game. (0:44:28) Al: It also released in AWP, it didn’t feel buggy sort of aspect and you had the core bones of the game there, but there’s no real narrative there and it kind of felt a little bit like it fell off quite quickly. (0:44:42) Al: So that’s why I would vote for Fields of Mistreer. (0:44:44) Al: Hmph. (0:44:44) Codey: Uh, I didn’t play any of these and, um, I kind of agree with Johnny, but also (0:44:51) Codey: like, basically early access is just a way to almost like crowdfund something. (0:44:56) Codey: So you’re like pitching your, your base ideas to an audience and then they (0:45:02) Codey: give you money to like, make it what you want it to be like to develop it. (0:45:07) Codey: Cause they’re, they believe in what you’re doing. (0:45:09) Codey: Uh, so like I see the value of early access, but I also. (0:45:14) Codey: I, I think that it’s often like abused in that it’s just, like you said, like (0:45:21) Codey: release the buggy version or release like a small version to like, generate (0:45:26) Codey: hype or something. (0:45:28) Codey: Um, so yeah, I’m, I mean, I, I am willing to just like pass or defer my (0:45:35) Codey: judgment to y’all, like whatever y’all decide, cause I just personally, unless (0:45:39) Codey: there’s this super big argument for any one particular thing, and we want to (0:45:43) Codey: thing and we want to discuss. (0:45:46) Micah: Well, that might make things easy because I also not voting for fields of mystery. (0:45:52) Codey: Yay, fields of mystery. (0:45:53) Micah: Yeah, I, I do, I agree with what a lot of what Al said that, you know, the, the core (0:46:05) Micah: of the game is so solid. (0:46:08) Micah: It’s also just, you know, it does feel so, so heavily based in like stardew core. (0:46:16) Micah: Or that like, you know, I think that can be seen as a negative sometimes now where like, (0:46:22) Micah: you know, it’s just, it started with a coat of paint or like, it started with like a different (0:46:28) Micah: slightly different feature or whatever. (0:46:30) Micah: But I think there’s enough things that stand out in fields of mystery to separate it. (0:46:36) Micah: Like, I don’t know, just quest progression and I just feel like the, I mean, personally, (0:46:47) Micah: I like the pixel, the pixel art is beautiful. (0:46:49) Micah: The, the character portraits are fantastic. (0:46:53) Micah: They’re done in that kind of like 90s Bishoujo, like anime style, like, like magical girl, (0:47:01) Micah: kind of like Sailor Moon era anime. (0:47:03) Micah: And I, it, it just also, you know, everybody in the game is, is beautiful, which I think, (0:47:12) Micah: you know, Cody had the issue with Coral Island, but you know, like (0:47:16) Codey: Yeah. (0:47:16) Micah: just like one, somewhat like normal person, you know, would be cool to see but, but, but yeah, I mean, everyone is very, very nice to look a

Jason chats with Connor Wake, Tony Tran, Amelie LaRoche, and Jamie Sabriel.

A typical hot night at the Da Lat night market, located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Locals crowd around an ice cream stand, where they order fresh strawberries chopped into ice cream and rolled up. Small motorbikes are everywhere. Recorded by Dan Rosato. IMAGE: The Erica Chang, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Night Market Mystique: A Tale of Honesty and Friendship Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2024-12-14-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 灯火通明的海港城夜市，是一个充满活力和色彩的地方。En: The dēng huǒ tōng míng de Hǎigǎngchéng night market was a place full of vibrancy and color.Zh: 空气中飘散着热腾腾的美食香气。En: The air was filled with the aroma of steaming hot food.Zh: 摊位上摆满各式各样的商品，节日的气氛洋溢在每个人的脸上。En: Stalls were brimming with all sorts of goods, and the festive atmosphere was evident on everyone's faces.Zh: 这是冬至节前夕，李明、张伟和小宁在夜市中穿梭。En: It was the eve of the Winter Solstice Festival, and Lǐ Míng, Zhāng Wěi, and Xiǎo Níng were weaving through the crowd in the night market.Zh: 李明一边走，一边好奇地打量着周围。En: As they walked, Lǐ Míng looked around curiously.Zh: 他想为爷爷的生日找到一件特别的礼物。En: He wanted to find a special gift for his grandfather's birthday.Zh: 张伟经营着一个小摊位，摊位上摆放着各种古玩。En: Zhāng Wěi ran a small stall displaying various antiques.Zh: 小宁是李明的好友，她总是能找到最划算的交易。En: Xiǎo Níng was Lǐ Míng's good friend, and she always managed to find the best deals.Zh: 李明被一个小雕像吸引了。En: Lǐ Míng was attracted to a small statue.Zh: 它看起来古老而精致。En: It looked ancient and exquisite.Zh: 李明上前询问价格，张伟正忙着与另一位顾客交谈，匆忙中说出了一个远低于市场价的数字。En: He approached to inquire about the price, but Zhāng Wěi, busy speaking with another customer, hastily quoted a price far below market value.Zh: 李明甚是高兴，立即购买了雕像。En: Lǐ Míng was delighted and immediately bought the statue.Zh: 小宁在一旁，对这种价格表示怀疑。En: Xiǎo Níng stood by, skeptical about the price.Zh: 第二天，李明发现雕像其实是一件昂贵的古董。En: The next day, Lǐ Míng discovered that the statue was actually an expensive antique.Zh: 他感到兴奋，但也有些不安。En: He felt excited but also a bit uneasy.Zh: 小宁建议他去找张伟，了解真正的情况。En: Xiǎo Níng suggested he go to Zhāng Wěi to understand the true situation.Zh: 两人来到夜市，张伟看到他们，脸上充满歉意和些许紧张。En: The two returned to the night market, and seeing them, Zhāng Wěi wore an apologetic and slightly tense expression.Zh: 经过一番解释，李明知道张伟是无意间卖错价格。En: After some explanation, Lǐ Míng learned that Zhāng Wěi unintentionally named the wrong price.Zh: 张伟恳求李明将雕像归还，并愿意作出补偿。En: Zhāng Wěi pleaded with Lǐ Míng to return the statue and offered compensation.Zh: 经过一番深思熟虑，李明决定归还雕像。En: After much thought, Lǐ Míng decided to return the statue.Zh: 他知道诚实比金钱更重要。En: He knew honesty was more important than money.Zh: 张伟感激地微笑，随后热情地为李明挑选了一件独特的礼物。这是一件民俗手工艺品，正好适合送给李明的爷爷。En: Zhāng Wěi smiled gratefully and then enthusiastically helped Lǐ Míng choose a unique gift—a piece of folk handicraft that was perfect for Lǐ Míng's grandfather.Zh: 随着夜市再次被节日的欢笑声淹没，李明明白了诚实和友谊的可贵。En: As the night market was once again filled with the sounds of festive laughter, Lǐ Míng understood the value of honesty and friendship.Zh: 他赢得了张伟的尊重，也为爷爷找到了一份心意满满的礼物。En: He earned Zhāng Wěi's respect and found a gift filled with sincerity for his grandfather.Zh: 在回家的路上，小宁调皮地笑着说：“下次我们还是多问几个价吧。”En: On the way home, Xiǎo Níng playfully said, "Next time, let's ask about more prices."Zh: 李明点点头，心里充满感激。En: Lǐ Míng nodded, filled with gratitude.Zh: 他知道在这一夜，他收获的不仅是礼物，还有珍贵的教训。En: He knew that in this one night, he gained not only a gift but also a precious lesson. Vocabulary Words:vibrancy: 活力aroma: 香气brimming: 摆满festive: 节日的eve: 前夕curiously: 好奇地antiques: 古玩exquisite: 精致hastily: 匆忙中skeptical: 怀疑uneasy: 不安apologetic: 歉意tense: 紧张unintentionally: 无意间compensation: 补偿sincerity: 心意gratefully: 感激地enthusiastically: 热情地folk handicraft: 民俗手工艺品respect: 尊重gratitude: 感激precious: 珍贵woven: 穿梭inquire: 询问delighted: 甚是高兴valuable: 可贵gained: 收获pleaded: 恳求thoughtful: 深思熟虑laughter: 欢笑

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Thrills and Chills: A Night Market Adventure in Taipei Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2024-12-12-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 台北的夜市在冬季的夜晚显得格外热闹。En: The Taipei night market appears especially lively on a winter evening.Zh: 霓虹灯闪烁，街上飘着胡椒饼和珍珠奶茶的香味。En: Neon lights flicker, and the scent of pepper buns and bubble tea wafts through the streets.Zh: 梅琳和建走进夜市，兴奋不已。En: Meilin and Jian walk into the night market, feeling elated.Zh: 梅琳眼睛发亮，饱含期待地说：“建，这里真棒！En: Meilin's eyes shine with anticipation as she says, "Jian, this place is amazing!Zh: 我们一定要尝试所有的新食物。En: We have to try all the new foods."Zh: ”建点点头，但他一脸谨慎：“记得小心点，人很多，我们要互相照应。En: Jian nods but looks cautious: "Remember to be careful, there are a lot of people, and we need to watch out for each other."Zh: ”他们一路走过市场，各种小吃摊炊烟袅袅，引诱着他们。En: As they walk through the market, the various street food stalls emit wisps of steam that tempt them.Zh: 梅琳停在一个摊位前，被热腾腾的臭豆腐吸引，而建却在旁边仔细观察着周围的人群。En: Meilin stops at a stall, attracted by the steaming hot stinky tofu, while Jian carefully observes the people around them.Zh: 他总觉得有些不妥。En: He feels that something is amiss.Zh: 正当梅琳递过钱准备掏出钱包的时候，忽然发现自己的钱包不见了。En: Just as Meilin hands over money and prepares to take out her wallet, she suddenly realizes it's missing.Zh: “啊！En: "Ah!Zh: 我的钱包呢？En: Where's my wallet?"Zh: ”梅琳着急地喊道。En: Meilin shouts anxiously.Zh: 建立刻皱起眉头：“一定是被偷了！En: Jian immediately frowns: "It must have been stolen!Zh: 我们得赶快找回钱包。En: We need to quickly find the wallet."Zh: ”他们努力回想刚才经过的地方，突然，梅琳眼尖地瞄到一个形迹可疑的人影。En: They try to recall the places they just passed, and suddenly, Meilin spots a suspicious-looking figure.Zh: 那个人的手正在悄悄伸向另一位游客的背包。En: That person's hand is stealthily reaching for another tourist's backpack.Zh: 梅琳急忙拉住建，小声说道：“那个人！En: Meilin urgently pulls Jian and whispers, "That person!Zh: 他好像就是小偷！En: He looks like the thief!"Zh: ”建明智地说：“我们需要通知夜市的保安。En: Jian wisely replies, "We need to notify the night market security."Zh: ”梅琳稍微犹豫了一下，但最终决定信任建的判断。En: Meilin hesitates slightly but ultimately decides to trust Jian's judgment.Zh: 他们迅速找到附近的一位夜市警察。En: They quickly find a nearby night market police officer.Zh: 警察听完他们的描述后，马上行动起来。En: After hearing their description, the officer immediately takes action.Zh: 梅琳和建站在一旁，心跳加速，紧张又期待。En: Meilin and Jian stand aside, their hearts racing, feeling tense and expectant.Zh: 不一会儿，警察抓住了那位小偷，找回了梅琳的钱包。En: Soon, the officer catches the thief and retrieves Meilin's wallet.Zh: 两人激动不已。En: The two are thrilled.Zh: “谢谢你，建，”梅琳感激地说，“要不是你提醒，我一定追不上小偷。En: "Thank you, Jian," Meilin says gratefully, "If it weren't for your reminder, I wouldn't have caught the thief."Zh: ”那位警察微笑着对他们说：“为了感谢你们的帮助，愿不愿意来一次夜市的特别导览？En: The officer smiles at them and says, "As a thank you for your help, would you like a special tour of the night market?"Zh: ”梅琳和建互看一眼，露出一个会心的微笑。En: Meilin and Jian exchange a knowing smile.Zh: 梅琳挥舞着钱包，感慨道：“还真是一次难忘的经历。En: Meilin waves her wallet and reflects, "This truly was an unforgettable experience."Zh: ”漫游夜市的这次冒险，让梅琳更加明白谨慎的重要性，而建也开始欣赏起冒险的快乐。En: This adventure through the night market made Meilin realize the importance of caution, and Jian began to appreciate the joy of adventure.Zh: 当夜幕降临，冷风轻拂，两人手拉着手，沉浸在热闹的欢乐中，更感受到了一份温暖的友谊和欣喜。En: As night fell and the cold wind brushed lightly, the two held hands, immersed in the bustling joy, feeling a warmth in friendship and happiness. Vocabulary Words:lively: 热闹flicker: 闪烁wafts: 飘elated: 兴奋不已anticipation: 期待cautious: 谨慎emit: 炊烟wisps: 袅袅tempt: 引诱amiss: 不妥anxiously: 着急frowns: 皱起眉头recall: 回想suspicious-looking: 形迹可疑stealthily: 悄悄notify: 通知hesitates: 犹豫heart racing: 心跳加速tense: 紧张expectant: 期待retrieves: 找回thrilled: 激动不已gratefully: 感激reflects: 感慨unforgettable: 难忘caution: 谨慎appreciate: 欣赏brushed: 轻拂immersed: 沉浸warmth: 温暖

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Tradition's Glow: Rediscovering Roots at Taipei's Night Market Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2024-11-22-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 台北的夜市灯火辉煌，五光十色。En: The Taipei night market is brilliantly lit, filled with colorful lights.Zh: 空气中弥漫着各式小吃的香味，有些是炸鸡排，有些是青草茶。En: The air is thick with the aroma of various snacks, some being fried chicken cutlets, and others being herbal tea.Zh: 琳娜和她的哥哥伟走在摊位间，他们的目的是为即将到来的重阳节寻找合适的礼物。En: Lina and her brother Wei are walking between the stalls, aiming to find a suitable gift for the upcoming Chongyang Festival.Zh: “这儿真热闹，”琳娜说，“我想给奶奶找个特别的礼物，表达我们的心意。En: "It's really lively here," Lina said, "I want to find a special gift for Grandma to express our sentiments."Zh: ”伟对传统节日不太感兴趣。En: Wei isn't very interested in traditional festivals.Zh: 他耸了耸肩说：“我们每年都这样，还不如看看有没有新的店家。En: He shrugged and said, "We do this every year, might as well see if there are any new vendors."Zh: ”琳娜叹了口气，但她不打算放弃。En: Lina sighed, but she wasn't going to give up.Zh: 她想让伟理解重阳节的重要性，尤其是对他们的奶奶。En: She wanted Wei to understand the importance of the Chongyang Festival, especially to their grandmother.Zh: 他们来到了一个摊位前。En: They came to a stall.Zh: 摊主佳在微笑，热情地招呼他们：“欢迎，请看看我的手工艺品。En: The vendor, Jia greeted them warmly with a smile: "Welcome, please take a look at my handmade crafts."Zh: ”琳娜见到摊位上摆着的一个寿桃雕像。En: Lina saw a statue of a longevity peach displayed at the stall.Zh: 它象征长寿和家庭和睦。En: It symbolizes longevity and family harmony.Zh: 她问佳：“这个寿桃有什么特别吗？En: She asked Jia, "What is special about this longevity peach?"Zh: ”佳微笑着解释：“这个寿桃是用传统工艺制作的，上面还有几个古老的图案，象征着健康和幸福。En: Jia smiled and explained, "This longevity peach is made using traditional craftsmanship, and it has several ancient patterns on it that symbolize health and happiness."Zh: ”琳娜很感兴趣，她问道：“这个的话，多少钱？En: Lina was very interested, and she asked, "How much is it?"Zh: ”佳看出她的诚意，答道：“这个特别适合重阳节，我给你优惠价。En: Jia saw her sincerity and replied, "This is especially suitable for the Chongyang Festival, I'll give you a special price."Zh: ”伟插嘴：“姐，你确定吗？En: Wei interjected, "Sis, are you sure?Zh: 这个真的值得吗？En: Is it really worth it?"Zh: ”琳娜没回答。En: Lina didn't answer.Zh: 她转向佳，问他：“为什么这些传统对你来说这么重要？En: She turned to Jia and asked, "Why are these traditions so important to you?"Zh: ”佳深情地说：“传统是我们的根，是我们和过去沟通的桥梁。En: Jia said with deep emotion, "Tradition is our root, it is the bridge connecting us to the past.Zh: 每一个节日都有它的故事和意义。En: Every festival has its own story and significance."Zh: ”琳娜点点头，她转向伟，说：“这些不只是古老的东西，它们是我们文化的一部分。En: Lina nodded and turned to Wei, saying, "These aren't just ancient things, they're part of our culture."Zh: ”伟沉思片刻，然后轻声说：“或许，我应该更多地了解这些。En: Wei pondered for a moment and then said softly, "Perhaps, I should learn more about these."Zh: ”最终，他们用优惠的价格买下了寿桃。En: In the end, they bought the longevity peach at a discounted price.Zh: 走在回家的路上，伟微笑着说：“我想奶奶会很高兴。En: On their way home, Wei smiled and said, "I think Grandma will be very happy."Zh: ”琳娜和伟都改变了。En: Both Lina and Wei had changed.Zh: 他们不仅找到了一份有意义的礼物，也重新认识了传统的重要性。En: They not only found a meaningful gift but also rediscovered the importance of tradition.Zh: 夜市的灯光在他们背后依然闪烁不定，而他们心中却多了一份温暖和连接。En: The lights of the night market continued to flicker behind them, but there was a newfound warmth and connection in their hearts. Vocabulary Words:brilliantly: 辉煌aroma: 香味suitable: 合适lively: 热闹express: 表达shrugged: 耸肩vendors: 店家sighed: 叹息stall: 摊位greeted: 招呼handmade: 手工crafts: 工艺品statue: 雕像longevity: 长寿harmony: 和睦craftsmanship: 工艺patterns: 图案symbolize: 象征sincerity: 诚意discounted: 优惠interjected: 插嘴worth: 值得tradition: 传统bridge: 桥梁significance: 意义part: 一部分pondered: 沉思rediscovered: 重新认识flicker: 闪烁warmth: 温暖

Codey tells Al about the new bee breeding Minecraft mod Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:21: What Have We Been Up To 00:11:55: Should Codey Get A Steamdeck 00:16:50: Game News 00:41:54: New Games 00:50:04: Feed The Bees 01:08:32: Outro Links Botany Manor Playstation Release Grimoire Groves Release Date Sun Haven Release Date Sugardew Island XB and PS4 Release Ova Magica First Major Update Fields of Mistria First Major Update Whimside Honey Grove Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. (0:00:34) Al: My name is Al, and we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:36) Codey: and my name is Cody. (0:00:41) Codey: Woo. (0:00:45) Al: A welcome back Cody. It’s been a while. (0:00:47) Codey: Oh, thank you. (0:00:48) Codey: It has really been playing a lot of stuff (0:00:51) Codey: that I haven’t played slash. (0:00:53) Al: Don’t you don’t you don’t you start yet. (0:00:55) Al: That’s not we’re not going into that section yet. We’ll get there. (0:00:58) Al: - Yeah. (0:00:59) Codey: What? (0:01:00) Al: I didn’t ask you what you’ve been up to, hello. (0:01:02) Codey: Well, yeah, I’m just saying that that’s why (0:01:04) Codey: I haven’t been on the pod. (0:01:04) Al: Okay, okay, it sounded like you were introducing that section. You gotta wait, you gotta wait. (0:01:07) Codey: No, no, no, my, my, my horses are held. (0:01:10) Codey: Nah, nah, nah, my horses are held. (0:01:15) Al: They’re heavy. This episode, we are going to talk about Minecraft again. (0:01:22) Codey: Woooo! (0:01:24) Al: Specifically, Cody has been playing a bee-breeding mod in Minecraft. So we’re going to talk about- (0:01:30) Codey: Thank you, Devin, my best friend who I play Minecraft with. (0:01:36) Codey: Who told me, “Hey, I put a mod that you might like on,” and surprise I do. (0:01:42) Al: Lo and behold, it was leaked. (0:01:46) Codey: Correct. (0:01:47) Al: Excellent. (0:01:48) Al: So we’re going to talk about that. (0:01:50) Al: Before that, we have obviously a lot of news. (0:01:53) Al: It’s a decent chunk of news, a decent chunk. (0:01:54) Codey: No, it’s– it seems on the lighter side, I would say. (0:01:56) Al: It’s not like an insane amount of news, but it’s enough news. (0:01:58) Al: It’s not. (0:02:04) Codey: Listeners, after the news section, (0:02:06) Codey: let us know if it’s a light amount of news (0:02:08) Codey: or a lot amount of news. (0:02:08) Al: Look, it all depends on how long it takes, right? (0:02:11) Al: so we’ll be clocking the tape. (0:02:12) Al: But before that, Cody, what have you been up to? (0:02:14) Codey: OK, so I’m not going to say anything (0:02:16) Codey: during the news section because I want to be right. (0:02:24) Codey: - Hello, I have been up to science. (0:02:29) Codey: So I’m getting to that point where, (0:02:32) Codey: whoo, I’m getting to the point where like a year from now, (0:02:35) Codey: I’m hoping to be defending my dissertation (0:02:38) Codey: and that is horrifying. (0:02:41) Codey: For a long time throughout your degree, (0:02:43) Codey: it’s like, oh, like two years from now, (0:02:45) Codey: oh, like, it’s like, you can kind of shove it forward (0:02:48) Codey: in the future. (0:02:50) Codey: And now it’s like, oh, oh shoot, you know. (0:02:54) Codey: Um, I was also just at a conference. (0:02:56) Codey: So the entomological society of America’s conference was in Phoenix, Arizona. (0:03:02) Codey: Um, so we went there and that was a thing that we did. (0:03:06) Codey: I actually, so it was actually, okay. (0:03:09) Codey: So when you go to conferences, like near the end of, of one chapter of your life, (0:03:13) Codey: you’re like, what am I going to do next? (0:03:15) Codey: And it was actually really gratifying because I had a few humans come up to me after like my talk (0:03:19) Codey: or that they just knew of me. (0:03:21) Codey: And they were like, Hey, I want to talk to you. (0:03:24) Codey: And they’re possibly interested in hiring me. (0:03:27) Codey: So that was really interesting. (0:03:30) Codey: One of them was, uh, a department of fisheries and wildlife on the Pacific Northwest, (0:03:34) Codey: which is where exactly where I want to be and exactly the kind of thing I want to do. (0:03:39) Codey: However, uh, government jobs are a little up in the air right now because of things. (0:03:44) Codey: And so, um, I’m kind of like, about that, like, like, Oh no, what do I do? (0:03:52) Codey: but I had someone from like literally (0:03:54) Codey: one of the best institutions for entomology (0:03:57) Codey: within the United States come up to me (0:04:00) Codey: and we were chatting and then he was like, (0:04:01) Codey: “Oh, when are you done? (0:04:02) Codey: Because we’re gonna be hiring a forest entomologist (0:04:04) Codey: here in a year.” (0:04:05) Codey: And I was like, “Holy crap.” (0:04:07) Codey: So that’s cool too. (0:04:09) Codey: So now I’m really, now the fire is under (0:04:13) Codey: the proverbial butt at this point (0:04:15) Codey: because I need to get this stuff finished. (0:04:19) Codey: But more importantly, I finally married Scott (0:04:22) Codey: in Coral Island. (0:04:22) Al: Wooo! You made your decision. (0:04:24) Codey: I also, I made, well, there was no decision to be made. (0:04:28) Codey: I just, he finally accepted my offer. (0:04:30) Codey: They like have, I think you have to go through (0:04:33) Codey: a certain amount of their heart events or whatever. (0:04:34) Al: You do, yeah. I ended up in that same situation with, oh goodness, I’ve forgotten my wife’s name. (0:04:42) Codey: Alice, was it Alice? (0:04:44) Al: Was it Alice? No, it wasn’t Alice. (0:04:47) Codey: It was the computer programmer girl, right, Suki? (0:04:49) Al: Yeah, no, not Suki. Suki’s Alice. (0:04:52) Codey: I don’t remember. (0:04:54) Codey: I also went for Alice for a bit. (0:04:57) Codey: But yeah, so I finally married him. (0:04:58) Codey: He finally got through all of his heart events. (0:05:00) Codey: And I’m happy to say that for a few days of the month, (0:05:04) Codey: at least, he does go to work. (0:05:06) Al: Oh, thanks. (0:05:07) Codey: There’s been a couple times where I see him (0:05:09) Codey: Walking around the town and i’m like who let you out? (0:05:11) Al: It probably doesn’t help that Lily, that’s her name, that I married Lily who, you know, (0:05:12) Codey: Got it. (0:05:22) Al: when she’s not married to you, spends all her time in her house. So that probably doesn’t help. (0:05:26) Codey: Yeah (0:05:28) Al: But the weird thing about it was not necessarily that she was in the house, (0:05:31) Al: because when she’s in her house, she’s like sitting at a computer doing work, (0:05:35) Codey: Yeah (0:05:36) Al: or, you know, in the kitchen. Whereas when she’s in your house, she’s standing next to the bed, (0:05:40) Codey: Yep (0:05:41) Al: staring off into space. (0:05:42) Codey: That’s what Scott does too, and I just feel so bad for him, especially because when you talk to him (0:05:47) Codey: He says cute things like you know people say that marriage changes a man (0:05:51) Codey: And you have changed me in all the most enticing ways. I love you, and I’m just like what the heck (0:05:56) Al: - No! (0:05:57) Codey: Or he’ll be like (0:06:00) Codey: Like babe, I love you so much. Thank you so much for for doing this and I’m like you’re just standing next to me (0:06:06) Codey: Please sometimes he goes outside for morning coffee, which is nice, but (0:06:10) Codey: Yeah, so I finally did that I also finally have unlocked the cave of memories (0:06:15) Codey: Oh, and I finally finished the frickin temple. I did that I did the temple (0:06:16) Al: Oh, nice. (0:06:20) Al: Nice. (0:06:22) Codey: So now I’m just trying to I don’t even remember what I got be honest (0:06:23) Al: “Is all you ever hoped?” (0:06:29) Codey: Yep, nope can’t remember so (0:06:30) Al: I don’t know if there’s like an overall unlock, I think. (0:06:37) Al: There’s different ones for different parts of it. (0:06:40) Codey: - Yeah, yeah, the last thing that I needed (0:06:42) Codey: was an osmium garlic, and I got that. (0:06:47) Codey: I haven’t finished the Cave of Memories 100%. (0:06:49) Codey: I finished enough to bring Gort back to the people. (0:06:56) Codey: He went dark, he was dark is the, yeah. (0:06:56) Al: » Cool. (0:07:02) Codey: So I’m trying to reach the bottom (0:07:03) Codey: of the Cave of Memories now, (0:07:05) Codey: and then just generally hitting that point (0:07:07) Codey: where I’m racking up money with nothing to spend at all. (0:07:10) Codey: But more importantly, Minecraft. (0:07:12) Codey: But I will talk about that later. (0:07:14) Codey: Al, what have you been playing? (0:07:16) Al: I have been playing, obviously, a lot of Pokemon TCG Pocket, I’ve talked about that in a few (0:07:24) Codey: Oh, okay. I mean, so I have been, because of conference and general malaise, I have (0:07:25) Al: previous episodes, but it sounds like you have questions. (0:07:33) Codey: not been up on the pod. I also have not really been listening to ISE very much. So what is (0:07:41) Codey: pocket? Is it good if you have, do you scan in real life cards that you have and that’s (0:07:47) Codey: how you get cards or… (0:07:49) Al: No, no, it’s entirely digital. It is so it is based on the TCG, but it’s some of the cards are (0:08:05) Al: digital equivalents of the real cards. Quite a lot of them are almost the same as physical cards, (0:08:11) Al: but like their attacks are slightly different or their retreat number is slightly different. (0:08:15) Al: And then there’s a few that are exclusive to the app. (0:08:19) Al: And basically, the idea is it’s a daily “you can open two packs of cards a day”. (0:08:20) Codey: Okay. Is it possible to literally just collect cards or do you have to fight people? (0:08:30) Al: Yeah, no, no, you can completely ignore the battles if you want to. (0:08:36) Al: You do get things for the battles, (0:08:36) Codey: BRB downloading this game right now. (0:08:40) Al: but you can just ignore that if you want, which is what I did to start with, (0:08:43) Al: and then I actually accidentally got into the battles. (0:08:46) Codey: It just happened out of nowhere, does it? (0:08:47) Al: oopsie (0:08:50) Al: I know well what they did is they’ve done three events right and uh two of them are event (0:08:56) Al: sorry battle-based events and so I was like well I need to try the battles for these events and (0:09:02) Al: get these exclusive items or whatever and then I enjoyed it and yeah I don’t know if i’ll be (0:09:09) Al: doing it outside of the events uh i’ve nearly finished the second event but um yeah it’s good (0:09:11) Codey: Okay, I’m downloading it. (0:09:18) Al: Fun! I really like it. (0:09:19) Al: And I reopened the other TCG app, the TCG Live, and I was like reminded of just (0:09:26) Al: how bad an app it is, is just so the interface just feels gooey, right? (0:09:33) Al: It doesn’t feel like anything does what you want it to do. (0:09:36) Al: And it’s overly complicated, whereas like you open up Pocket and you see the packs (0:09:43) Al: and you click on it and you open a pack, right? (0:09:46) Al: And if you want to go do other things, (0:09:47) Al: then sure you have to go down other levels but like you open (0:09:49) Al: the gap and the packs are there right in front of you. It’s (0:09:53) Al: really nicely designed in that aspect of things. And it’s like (0:09:57) Al: there’s five tabs along the bottom. And then that’s pretty (0:10:00) Al: much it. Whereas live is just like levels and levels of menus (0:10:06) Al: and it like opens up in this menu where you’re not really (0:10:08) Al: sure what anything is unless you use it regularly. Yeah, I don’t (0:10:12) Al: like him. So yeah, I’ve been enjoying that. I guess not much (0:10:17) Al: changed since I last talked about it it’s just yeah (0:10:19) Al: been going through the events that I talked about last week and i’ve hit the point where (0:10:26) Al: I because I played it during the beta period i’m at the point now where I am close to having (0:10:33) Al: finished the collection but that means that I almost never like I maybe get a new card (0:10:37) Al: every three days or something but I think they’ve said that they’re bringing out new (0:10:44) Al: cards in december so that’ll be fun but yeah it’s (0:10:48) Codey: Okay, I am opening it (0:10:49) Al: it’s nice I like it enjoy don’t get distracted on the podcast never i’ve been playing marvel (0:10:54) Codey: No, of course not (0:10:57) Codey: It’s not gonna happen (0:11:00) Al: snap as well although a little bit less this week because I was doing the battling in pocket but i’m (0:11:05) Al: sure i’ll get back into snap next week once i’ve finished the battles in pocket and i’ve started (0:11:09) Al: playing finally fields of mystery uh um it I have thoughts on the game but i’m gonna save them for (0:11:12) Codey: Whoo (0:11:19) Al: future episode um but it’s yeah I i don’t I definitely don’t hate it and it definitely has (0:11:28) Al: interesting ideas and it’ll be interesting to share my thoughts fully on the podcast (0:11:34) Al: but yeah I have started playing that so we’ll see how that goes I mean the good thing is i’ve (0:11:39) Al: actually been playing it right like sometimes when I play games for the podcast it’s really (0:11:43) Al: hard to get into them um so i’ve gotten over the initial hump and i’m actually like properly (0:11:49) Al: now uh every day so we’ll see how that continues on my steam deck (0:11:51) Codey: Mm-hmm, that’s good. How are you playing it? (0:11:56) Codey: Okay, I also have questions we can talk about this band about a steam deck because I was asked if I want and for Christmas (0:12:04) Al: This is the Steam Deck section. Talk to me. (0:12:09) Codey: So listen listeners if you’re also wondering if you should get a steam deck this section is for you. Hey Al (0:12:17) Codey: Why get a steam deck? (0:12:18) Al: because play games on portable console that aren’t on the Switch. (0:12:24) Al: I mean, realistically, right, like that’s that’s it. (0:12:27) Al: It is also more powerful than the Switch. (0:12:29) Al: Right. So some games will run better on it. (0:12:32) Al: But I mean, the the main reason that you would be doing it is because there’s lots (0:12:36) Al: of games that aren’t on the Switch yet or won’t come to the Switch or, you know, (0:12:41) Al: they are only coming to the Switch a couple of years after their Steam version. (0:12:45) Al: like Steam is still the default for most games. (0:12:46) Codey: Mm hmm. So is it can you play anything that’s PC or Mac on it? (0:12:56) Al: So it is the Steam Deck is Linux based but Valve have put a lot of effort into building (0:13:07) Al: a runtime engine that allows you to run the Windows versions of the games. So if it supports (0:13:14) Al: Linux or if it supports Windows, I don’t think anything just supports Mac, right? (0:13:18) Codey: Mm-hmm, okay. (0:13:20) Al: So I have not come across a game that you just flat out can’t play. There are a few games that (0:13:26) Al: controllers very well and in those cases it’s not great but it’s becoming a lot better now like (0:13:35) Al: most games will either launch with controller support or they will you know add it on if it’s (0:13:42) Al: an early access or whatever. Like Lens Island was one that didn’t have controller support to start (0:13:45) Al: with but it came out like right at the beginning of the Steam Deck so it wasn’t really popular at (0:13:51) Al: that point and they’ve obviously since added controller support. So I think most games have (0:13:55) Al: have controller support. (0:13:56) Codey: Okay, and then my other question is can you play it either like so is it like a switch where you can dock it and (0:14:02) Codey: Play it on your screen or carry it with you (0:14:04) Al: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so you can you can just connect it to a normal it’s just USB-C, right? (0:14:06) Codey: Mmm (0:14:10) Al: So you can just plug in a USB-C dock which you can get ones for like, you know (0:14:14) Al: 10 quid on Amazon or whatever and plug it into a monitor or a TV (0:14:16) Codey: - Mm-hmm, okay. (0:14:21) Codey: Well, to be determined, I probably will get one. (0:14:24) Al: I mean, if someone is offering to buy you one, I would definitely go on that, right? (0:14:30) Al: Like unless you have something else that you would want instead, it’s obviously the big (0:14:35) Al: thing for most people is it’s a lot of money, so you know, you probably wouldn’t be spending (0:14:38) Codey: Yeah. No, I was literally, it’s someone, correct. I would not buy one myself, but someone literally (0:14:41) Al: that money on it yourself. (0:14:45) Al: Yeah, the answer is probably yes. (0:14:45) Codey: saying, “Would you like one?” I’m like, “Wow.” Yeah. (0:14:51) Al: unless there’s like negative things that come from this. (0:14:54) Al: You know, you will owe this person something. But if it’s a friend or a family member who wants (0:14:58) Codey: No. Yeah. No, it’s my part. It’s my partner. So. (0:14:58) Al: to give you a gift, you know, and you don’t feel bad about it, then I would say yeah, absolutely. (0:15:03) Al: It’s great. It’s a bit bigger and chunkier. OK, it’s bigger and chunkier than the Switch, (0:15:09) Al: but personally, for me that actually makes it better. It’s better to hold. The ergonomics (0:15:16) Al: are better, so it less hurts my hands. So there’s that as well. But yeah, no, I really like it. (0:15:21) Codey: Okay. Yeah, I, I almost never play my switch in handheld mode. It’s almost always on the (0:15:27) Al: Interesting. (0:15:28) Codey: on my computer or not my computer, my TV. So, but I could then play that on handheld (0:15:34) Codey: and watch him play Factorio. Cause he’s been playing the Factorio like space age expansion, (0:15:40) Al: Yeah, I think the thing is that, you know, if you have like a gaming PC, gaming PC is (0:15:41) Codey: or maybe I could play the space age expansion on that. I don’t know. We’ll see. (0:15:51) Al: still going to be better, right? Because it’s still portable. But, well, that’s the thing, (0:15:53) Codey: Yeah, I would have to come all the way over here. (0:15:56) Al: right? The portable aspect of things is a massive, massive aspect. And yeah, it’s not (0:16:00) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:16:01) Al: as powerful, but it runs things just fine, right? Like most games will run on it in some (0:16:07) Al: way and because it’s like the bassline (0:16:10) Al: it’s like that’s what games are aiming for like if you can run on the steam deck then you’re fine (0:16:14) Codey: Okay. Final question. If you play something on your Steam Deck, so say I’m like playing (0:16:21) Codey: Lens Island on my Steam Deck, but I’m like, man, I want to play this on my desktop. Can (0:16:25) Codey: I just literally go to my desktop and it’s the same save? Okay. Okay. There. I told my (0:16:28) Al: Assuming that they support Steam and Cloud Save, yes. (0:16:31) Al: Games have to explicitly support that, but most games will. (0:16:38) Codey: partner after talking to Al, I wouldn’t say no to a Steam Deck. And that’s what we’ve (0:16:42) Al: And that’s the Steam Deck section. We’re gonna now talk about some game news. So, interestingly, (0:16:44) Codey: got to do. Whoo. Whoo. (0:16:56) Al: I can’t see any delays this week, which is rare for a November episode, but there we (0:17:01) Al: are. There’s still a lot of delays to come though, because I still see about 25 games (0:17:06) Al: saying 2024. Although some of them are special. (0:17:12) Al: They were like, “Oh, we’re in early access and we’re going to be in early access for (0:17:17) Al: a year.” And that means they’ll come out this year and then they’ve just not said anything (0:17:20) Al: because they never explicitly said they were coming out in 2024, but come on. So, it’s (0:17:24) Codey: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (0:17:28) Al: going to take some time going through that list and double checking if anybody said anything (0:17:31) Al: that I’ve missed. Anyway, Botany Manor have announced that they’re coming out on PlayStation. (0:17:33) Codey: - Yep. (0:17:38) Codey: - Mm-hmm. (0:17:38) Al: So I think they’re already out on… (0:17:42) Al: PC and Switch? (0:17:43) Codey: - I played it on Xbox Game Pass. (0:17:48) Al: Oh, yes. (0:17:52) Al: I probably should have double checked this. (0:17:53) Al: So they’re definitely on Steam. (0:17:55) Al: Yeah, they’re on Xbox, (0:17:57) Al: including Game Pass. (0:17:59) Al: They are also on Switch. (0:18:01) Al: So yeah, this is… (0:18:02) Codey: I was gonna say I think that Aislinn had played it on (0:18:04) Al: Yeah, so this is completing the standard list (0:18:08) Al: coming to PlayStation. (0:18:09) Al: they are releasing on the 17th. (0:18:12) Al: And that’s for both PS4 and PS5. (0:18:13) Codey: Woo. (0:18:14) Codey: Woo! (0:18:19) Al: Speaking of releases, (0:18:21) Al: Grimoire Groves is coming out. (0:18:26) Al: They have announced that their release date is the 6th of March next year. (0:18:32) Al: That feels like the length of time that I feel like is suspicious, right? (0:18:40) Al: Like when something says, oh, we’re going to. (0:18:42) Al: To come out on this date in two years, you know, it’s never going to happen. (0:18:45) Al: If they say we’re coming out on this date in a month, you’re like, okay, (0:18:47) Al: the game is ready and they’re just like making sure that they’re ready for (0:18:50) Al: release and, you know, getting all the release plans out. (0:18:53) Al: Like they’re not working on the game. (0:18:54) Al: Now they’re just ready to go. (0:18:56) Codey: Okay. (0:18:56) Al: But when they say four months away, I’m suspicious because that makes me sound (0:19:02) Al: feel like the game is not finished yet and they’re wanting to finish it. (0:19:05) Al: And they’re like, this is the point that we think we can get it done by, but (0:19:09) Al: something will probably go wrong. (0:19:12) Codey: Okay, are you making a prediction then? (0:19:12) Al: No, never, never make a prediction. (0:19:17) Codey: Okay, okay (0:19:18) Al: Never say you’re going to come out on a date. (0:19:22) Al: Do you see what I mean? (0:19:22) Al: No, it’s like, it’s a suspicious time frame. (0:19:24) Codey: Yeah, no I get it though, there’s also (0:19:26) Al: Like I’m not saying they don’t want to come out then, but I’m saying (0:19:29) Al: there’s a high probability that it gets delayed by a month. (0:19:33) Codey: Yeah, that’s fair. I detect no lies (0:19:38) Al: Good. (0:19:40) Al: I’m glad. (0:19:42) Al: Um, yeah, we’ll, we’ll, we’ll see. (0:19:45) Al: Will this be one of my 2025 games? (0:19:45) Codey: Correct. (0:19:48) Al: Maybe you don’t want to play this one. (0:19:49) Codey: It’s all you. (0:19:52) Codey: Um, I like how it looks, but I am over the witch aesthetic, personally. (0:19:57) Al: Oh, interesting. (0:19:58) Codey: So. (0:19:59) Al: I feel like we haven’t had many which games actually come out though. (0:20:01) Codey: No, I guess I just don’t I’ve never liked. (0:20:06) Al: Fair, fair. (0:20:07) Codey: So, yep. (0:20:10) Al: Uh, next we have Sunday. (0:20:12) Al: A release date for Switch. (0:20:16) Al: In the Americas. (0:20:18) Al: And only the Americas. (0:20:18) Codey: Bum. Bum. Bum. It is curious why it’s only the Americas. I know that they’re trying to do it (0:20:26) Codey: worldwide and they said that they’re encountering some “issues” or whatever with doing it. I mean, (0:20:33) Codey: it’s difficult, but I’m not entirely sure why because it’s not just the US. They have a bunch (0:20:38) Codey: in South America as well that it is coming out for. Correct, correct. (0:20:40) Al: Yes, yes. I did say Americas, to be fair. So it’s specifically coming to United States, (0:20:47) Al: Canada, Mexico. It sounds like the beginning. No, no, no. No, no, it’s not. It’s not. United (0:20:49) Codey: Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Republic Dominican. (0:20:55) Al: States, Canada, big pause, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. So I’m (0:21:05) Al: I’m guessing that it’s just that those are the only countries in the Americas that… (0:21:10) Al: the switch eShop is available in, and it’s not that they’re specifically saying you’re not allowed in Venezuela. (0:21:17) Codey: I am all four countries coming out in the order of that song. (0:21:23) Codey: And not just because the United States is the first one. (0:21:25) Al: Well, so my reason why I’m saying that I think it’s just those are the only… (0:21:29) Al: Because I don’t think you can do it on a country by country basis. (0:21:33) Al: I think you can only do it on a region by region basis. (0:21:36) Al: And there’s the Americas region. (0:21:38) Al: There’s– (0:21:40) Al: Europe and Africa, I think, and then there’s Japan, and then– (0:21:46) Al: Oh, sorry, Europe, Africa, and Australia are the same one, and then there’s Japan, and I don’t know what else there is. (0:21:50) Codey: interesting. Other countries. But yeah, so that’s coming out. And I really yeah, and they were really (0:21:58) Al: Oh yeah, we didn’t say the date, 29th of November. (0:22:02) Codey: wanting to try and make sure that the switch release did not was not like a version behind (0:22:08) Codey: or whatever. So it’s going to be released at the same version that it is, wherever else it’s (0:22:15) Codey: it’s released, except no multiplayer yet. (0:22:20) Al: Yes, that is the weird. It’s very not weird. It’s not weird. (0:22:24) Al: It makes sense. Multiple is difficult. (0:22:27) Al: But it is interesting that there earlier on in the announcement, they say (0:22:33) Al: essentially, and then in bold, zero content differences between the two platforms. (0:22:38) Al: So the thing you read because it’s like (0:22:40) Codey: Yep. (0:22:40) Al: in bold is zero content differences between the two platforms. (0:22:43) Al: But there is a word before which is essentially very sneaky. (0:22:46) Codey: Gotta look for that modifier. (0:22:48) Codey: Yep. (0:22:50) Al: And yeah, so no multiplayer. (0:22:52) Codey: Yep. Eventually. (0:22:52) Al: Yeah, I find it interesting why they’re doing because someone on I think it was (0:22:58) Al: the Kickstarter suggested it could be an issue with (0:23:04) Al: you know, some some law that something specific in the game isn’t (0:23:09) Al: covering, but it’s out on Steam world worldwide. (0:23:14) Al: So I don’t think that can be the case. (0:23:16) Codey: Hmm (0:23:18) Al: I suspect… (0:23:20) Al: This is a big theory, here’s my theory, my hypothesis. (0:23:25) Al: They didn’t know there were multiple eShop regions initially. (0:23:29) Al: And they went on, they set it all up, and then they realized, oh wait, this is just (0:23:34) Al: coming out in the Americas, and of course it takes a long time to get this stuff done (0:23:36) Codey: Yep. (0:23:36) Codey: Yeah. (0:23:38) Al: by Nintendo. (0:23:40) Al: Because who was it? (0:23:41) Al: There was another game that had a similar thing where they only gave eShop codes to people (0:23:46) Al: in the Americas. And they were like, Oh, we can’t we’re not these (0:23:50) Al: are the only codes we’re able to get. And everyone was like, but every game gets codes (0:23:53) Al: for the other regions. Why are you, why are you specifically not able to get ones for (0:23:57) Al: Europe and Japan, et cetera? And then yeah, then suddenly two weeks later, Oh, look, we (0:24:00) Codey: And then it’s ‘cause they had only applied for it. (0:24:05) Al: have the Europe codes now. It’s like, Hmm, funny that. So very suspicious. Maybe I’m (0:24:08) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:24:11) Al: being a bit unfair, but that is my theory. And we’ll probably never find out why. But (0:24:18) Al: I think if it’s like. (0:24:20) Al: A month later, or, you know, if it’s before the end of the year, I think that’s all it (0:24:23) Al: is. (0:24:24) Al: Because I don’t know what they could have been doing that was, I don’t know what else (0:24:27) Al: would have gotten their way because there’s no technical differences between the games, (0:24:32) Al: between the consoles. (0:24:33) Al: Right. (0:24:34) Al: Like I can, I can, I can create, and I have an American account on my switch as well. (0:24:38) Al: And I have a Japanese account. (0:24:39) Al: You can just download the games. (0:24:40) Al: There’s no content locking. (0:24:41) Al: The only content locking is the shop itself, which is based on your account, not your console. (0:24:47) Al: So I can’t imagine there would be a technical issue there. (0:24:50) Al: Only thinking is that it’s because they didn’t realise that there were multiple console, multiple (0:24:53) Codey: I mean, to be fair, that is weird. (0:24:53) Al: regions. (0:24:54) Al: What, that there’s multiple regions? (0:24:57) Codey: Like, yeah, like you would think that it wouldn’t be that there’s different shops, (0:24:59) Al: Ah, yeah. (0:25:04) Codey: just that there’s, it’s like, instead of Switch making, excuse me, all of these different shops, (0:25:11) Codey: different regions, they’re just, you just have one shop and then they would just choose what region (0:25:16) Codey: within the shop to sell it to. But that, but that makes too much sense. So they wouldn’t do that. (0:25:18) Al: I mean, it’s essentially the same thing, right? Like, it’s just a different way of doing it (0:25:23) Codey: Yeah. (0:25:25) Al: technically, right? Like, it doesn’t make any difference to users, right? It’s the same thing (0:25:30) Al: to them. But yeah, I don’t know. That’s my theory. Who knows? We’ll probably never know, but hey, (0:25:38) Codey: Yep. (0:25:38) Al: there we are. Sugardew Island. They’ve announced that they’re coming to Xbox and PS4. They were (0:25:46) Al: we’re already coming to PS5. (0:25:48) Al: Uh, this is, I don’t think I talked about this. (0:25:52) Al: They had posted this on Kickstarter like a month ago, and they were like, (0:25:55) Al: “We’re going to publicly talk about this later this month.” (0:25:58) Al: And I was like, “That’s really weird.” (0:26:00) Al: So I now have this information. (0:26:01) Al: I need to decide whether I’m sharing it or not. (0:26:03) Al: Cause they haven’t explicitly said, “Don’t share it.” (0:26:03) Codey: hmm okay oh is it up (0:26:05) Al: And I haven’t agreed to not share it, but also it’s like only pop- (0:26:09) Al: No, this one’s fine. (0:26:10) Al: It was the pre, like it’s now on Steam. (0:26:12) Al: Like they publicly said it now, but I was like, “Do I not share it?” (0:26:16) Al: because they’ve said we’re not (0:26:18) Al: there’s no like public version of it. (0:26:20) Codey: Yeah. (0:26:21) Al: Like I can’t cite my source because my source is a backer only Kickstarter post. (0:26:26) Codey: Yeah. (0:26:27) Al: I may as well say this now, the other reason they said this is one of the reasons on the (0:26:31) Al: Kickstarter, they said this is one of the reasons they put the delay in, (0:26:35) Al: because they got a grant to Xbox as well. (0:26:41) Al: But the other reason that they haven’t said publicly yet, but I’ve decided just to say it, (0:26:46) Al: is that they’re adding romance to the game. (0:26:48) Al: Um, which I’m not a huge fan of them delaying to add romance, but whatever. (0:26:50) Codey: Was. Yeah. Yeah. (0:26:55) Al: It is what it is. (0:26:56) Al: They haven’t said that publicly, so, um, I can’t prove it, but you’ll see (0:27:02) Al: in a couple of weeks, they’ll announce that they’re, they’re bringing romance (0:27:05) Al: to the game, um, lucky. (0:27:08) Codey: I also was laughing as I was looking at it that they titled themselves as the coziest (0:27:14) Al: which is a lot of a lot of technicalities there (0:27:15) Codey: farm shop game ever. (0:27:19) Codey: Yeah, like the coziest of not that many. (0:27:26) Codey: They also have a new trailer in it and I’m not, I watched the new trailer, but I’m not (0:27:29) Codey: really sure what in the trailer is new. (0:27:33) Codey: I did like, so they, they showed you like managing your shop. (0:27:38) Codey: And there was a point where like someone came up and they were (0:27:40) Codey: like, Oh, I only wanted this many, or I, I wanted this different. (0:27:45) Codey: I don’t know. (0:27:46) Codey: Someone was complaining. (0:27:48) Codey: And one of the things you could do is like offer a discount. (0:27:51) Codey: Um, so I don’t know. (0:27:55) Codey: I would never offer a discount. (0:27:56) Codey: I’ve worked retail before people can, people can follow the rules. (0:27:57) Al: They can they can buy it or they can not yeah (0:28:02) Codey: Yeah. (0:28:03) Codey: I’m not holding a gun to your head and saying you have to buy it or not. (0:28:06) Codey: like this. (0:28:08) Codey: Get out of here if you’re unhappy with the price. (0:28:12) Al: Yeah yeah I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again I don’t I just don’t think (0:28:12) Codey: But yeah, and this is still coming out in early 2025. (0:28:22) Al: that shops are fun gameplay experience and maybe this one will be the game (0:28:27) Al: that makes it happen but I highly doubt it based on what we’ve seen in the (0:28:30) Al: trailer it looks like every other game that has a shop ever which is where you (0:28:34) Al: put things out and then you have to stand there while people come and buy (0:28:38) Al: from you. And it’s like, this is not fun. Why would I? Why would I? (0:28:38) Codey: I mean, you could also do, uh, so Sims did it, they had a shop like where you could buy (0:28:42) Al: I don’t care about this, right? (0:28:43) Al: Um. (0:28:49) Codey: a business by a shop and then you have to run it, but you could hire people to like (0:28:54) Codey: greet or to run the register or to like schmooze with people. Um, but then you had to do whatever (0:29:04) Al: Yeah, and then it’s a management sim, and it’s like, that’s fine, those are games that (0:29:05) Codey: or else it is. (0:29:10) Al: people enjoy, but that is not what I want, and that is not, in my opinion, Cottagecore. (0:29:14) Codey: Yeah. Well, that’s the Sims for you. But yeah. So yeah, I don’t know. I mean, it reminds (0:29:14) Al: That is much more stressful. (0:29:16) Al: Well, exactly. (0:29:18) Al: There’s a reason I don’t play The Sims anymore. (0:29:28) Codey: me a little bit. We played, gosh, what is that? Galaxy Paws, Galactic Paws, something (0:29:34) Codey: Paws, Garden Paws, Garden Paws. There’s a store in that. Yeah. There’s a store in that. (0:29:37) Al: Garden Paws, there we go. (0:29:40) Al: Just put two generic words together, you’ve probably got a game. (0:29:45) Codey: That was really fun. (0:29:47) Al: Okay, I will correct myself. (0:29:49) Al: There was one game where running a shop was fun, and that was, of course, (0:29:52) Al: Meneko’s Night Market. (0:29:54) Al: But that was fun because of how very specifically curated it was. (0:30:00) Al: It was like one scene every in-game week, and you could still, you know, (0:30:05) Al: get money other ways at this (0:30:07) Al: was just the best way to get money, right? You got the most money if you sold things this way. (0:30:12) Al: So it, that one was fun, but these games where it’s just like every day you go to the shop, (0:30:16) Al: you put stuff up and you have to stand there. (0:30:20) Codey: Yeah. Garden Paws, you could just open your store and then walk away, but then if something like ran out or whatever. (0:30:28) Al: Well, this is the thing, they’re all just more annoying ways of doing the thing that (0:30:34) Al: in farming games we’ve had forever, which is you throw everything in a box and you get (0:30:38) Al: the money, right? Why would I want more complications to that? That’s not what I’m here for. I’m (0:30:45) Al: here for the farming, and for the living, and for the people sometimes. I doubt I’ll (0:30:51) Al: be here for the people in this game. I might be wrong, and I will admit when I’m wrong (0:30:55) Al: if it changes, but I suspect the- (0:30:56) Codey: if you’re wrong. Yeah. (0:30:58) Al: people will have no personalities. (0:31:01) Al: It’s going to be Faith Arm all over again, (0:31:03) Al: where there’s some nice stuff about the game, (0:31:05) Al: but overall the people are just boring. (0:31:08) Codey: Okay, you heard it here, heard it here first. Boring. (0:31:11) Al: Well, I mean, to be fair, I think I’ve said it multiple times. (0:31:16) Al: I will play this game, right? (0:31:17) Al: I need to play this game because it is getting so much buzz. (0:31:21) Al: Like people seem to really like the idea of this game, (0:31:24) Al: even though I don’t understand why. (0:31:26) Codey: Because it starts with an “S” and ends with “Dew Island”. (0:31:28) Al: » Oh man. I cry. I cry. What have we got next? We have OVA Magica. They’ve announced (0:31:29) Codey: And it starts with an “S” and ends with an “E” and ends with an “S” and ends with an “E”. (0:31:40) Al: that their first major update is out now. Yeah. I mean, to be honest, like, this is the sort of (0:31:44) Codey: - Yep. (0:31:45) Codey: It just… (0:31:49) Al: thing where it’s like, if you’re playing this game, you’ll be really excited about the updates (0:31:52) Al: in this. And if you’re not, you probably don’t care that there are new blobs, new blob worlds, (0:31:57) Codey: Yeah, but there’s new cosmetic. (0:31:58) Al: new events. It’s the wrong one. It’s in early access. I don’t think they’ve announced when… (0:32:00) Codey: Oh, nope, this is the wrong game. (0:32:02) Codey: Just kidding. (0:32:04) Codey: Yeah, that’s it. (0:32:05) Codey: When is this coming out? (0:32:09) Codey: No, this podcast. (0:32:11) Al: Oh, this episode. (0:32:13) Codey: If you are listening to this on release day, (0:32:17) Codey: if you are one of the cool kids, (0:32:19) Codey: you can get this game for 20% off right now on Steam. (0:32:24) Codey: But only for people, 20 on 20, (0:32:27) Codey: if you’re on the 21st, no 20. (0:32:30) Codey: No 20 for you. (0:32:31) Al: This is an example of one that will definitely not hit its time frame that it said in the Early Access. They said “Over Magic has currently planned to be in Early Access for roughly eight to 10 months with regular content updates leaving up to the 1.0 full release.” (0:32:31) Codey: That’s it, that’s all I have. (0:32:46) Al: The first version of this came out in July, and this is their first content update. So that’s what? Is that four months? (0:32:52) Codey: Yep. July is seven. This is, yeah, this, yes, four months. (0:33:02) Al: Which is fine, I’m not saying they have to rush it out, but they always underestimate it. (0:33:07) Codey: What if they’re not doing it regular? What if it’s like, here’s one update, and then here’s another one, here’s another one, here’s another one, and it’s released. (0:33:15) Al: Well, I mean, they did say regular, they did the best, but they use that word regular. (0:33:18) Codey: Oh, fair. They did. (0:33:22) Codey: Nevermind. (0:33:24) Al: You’re like, what if they don’t you mean this word that they used in the sentence? (0:33:27) Codey: That they literally say. (0:33:30) Codey: I tried, I tried to give them some grace. It did not work. (0:33:34) Codey: work. (0:33:35) Al: We’re not here for grace, we’re here for content. (0:33:38) Codey: Content, bam, bam, bam, bam. (0:33:41) Al: No, I actually, this is the problem with covering indie games. (0:33:45) Al: I actually really liked the developer of Emajica. She seems like a really nice person, (0:33:48) Codey: - Yeah. (0:33:50) Al: and I don’t want to be too harsh. So. (0:33:52) Codey: Yeah. (0:33:54) Codey: Well, and it’s all in good fun. (0:33:55) Codey: I mean, like I basically, (0:33:57) Codey: we joked about this at the conference that I was just at (0:33:59) Codey: that this is the third year in a row (0:34:01) Codey: that we’ve wanted to have a symposium about neurodiversions, (0:34:04) Codey: but all of the people who are trying to make the symposium (0:34:08) Codey: have ADHD. (0:34:11) Codey: And so it never happens because we all have ADHD. (0:34:15) Codey: And I’m at the point now where I’m like, (0:34:18) Codey: I’m not going to accept symposia ideas (0:34:21) Codey: or whatever until like March, (0:34:22) Codey: but I kind of want to start it right now (0:34:25) Codey: and just have it done (0:34:27) Codey: because I really want this to happen. (0:34:28) Al: Yeah, yeah, it’s why, yeah, I was talking to someone, a friend who’s been diagnosed (0:34:35) Al: with ADHD recently, and I was just asking, you know, what to expect if I end up looking (0:34:41) Al: for a diagnosis. And I was like, it’s really ironic that the way to start an ADHD diagnosis (0:34:46) Codey: Yeah, I saw this recently, it was like, people who have a thing that cripples their ability (0:34:47) Al: is to make an appointment. It’s like, what do you expect here? (0:35:01) Codey: to do small menial tasks and make appointments have to have three phone calls and make two (0:35:07) Codey: appointments and like all this stuff. (0:35:11) Codey: But that means that if you get through it all, you must really care. (0:35:14) Al: Well this is the thing is because she actually got the diagnosis because she, like someone (0:35:16) Codey: You don’t care enough. (0:35:25) Al: was noticing while she was postpartum, she’d just had a baby, and so they were like “I (0:35:29) Codey: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (0:35:31) Al: think we need to do this” and she was like “Great” so she didn’t even need to do that (0:35:35) Al: first step, like that’s the best way to get diagnosis when someone notices and does something (0:35:39) Al: about it, but most people don’t get that. (0:35:40) Codey: Yep. That’s pretty I had been going to doctors for a long (0:35:45) Codey: time. And then finally, one of them was like, oh my gosh, you’ve (0:35:48) Codey: been coming here for so long. Why don’t I just send you to (0:35:50) Codey: this other place? And the first person that saw me at that other (0:35:53) Codey: place was like, Oh, yeah, you have it. Like she didn’t even (0:35:56) Codey: have to take me through the test. But yeah, all of that to (0:36:01) Codey: say, our chiding is gentle, we please over magica human take (0:36:07) Codey: your time. We can’t do things. (0:36:08) Al: I mean, she probably doesn’t listen to the podcast anyway, you know. (0:36:10) Codey: Please, Claudia. We can’t do things on a timeline either, but if she does, you take (0:36:19) Codey: your time. We’re still here. We still are excited about your game. They’re cute. I want (0:36:23) Al: Your blobs are cute. (0:36:24) Al: I want your, I was just about to say I want your blobs, but that sounds really bad. (0:36:29) Codey: your blobs. One of the ones in the new trailer was a fox. That’s pretty cute. Yeah. I think (0:36:34) Al: Blob. You can, I’m pretty sure you can crossbreed the blobs as well. So could you make a Fox (0:36:41) Codey: it was a fox. I was thinking more fox B, but okay. (0:36:42) Al: cow blob? Ooh, Fox bee. Would that be like black and orange straighten? That’s too similar (0:36:51) Al: to be orange and yellow stripes. (0:36:54) Codey: I would yeah I would think it’s an orange and white striped bee that has a fox tail. (0:37:02) Codey: And maybe with like uh little fox ears too little white tipped ears could be cute. (0:37:08) Al: Interesting. Speaking of first major content update after an early access release. (0:37:16) Al: We have fields of mystery have also announced their first major content update, and that is out now as you’re listening comes out in the 18th of November, which is in the past now listeners. (0:37:32) Al: Similarly to the previous update, you probably don’t care about most of this stuff if you don’t play the game. (0:37:38) Al: It adds a bunch of stuff that will probably be really interesting to you. (0:37:42) Codey: This is the one that adds cosmetic things. (0:37:42) Al: So it does add cosmetic. (0:37:46) Codey: You can change how you look. (0:37:47) Codey: You can change how your pets look. (0:37:49) Codey: You can get new drops from the monsters in the dungeons (0:37:52) Codey: because surprise, there are new monsters in the dungeon. (0:37:54) Codey: Mines, it’s mines. (0:37:56) Codey: I said dungeon, I meant mines. (0:37:58) Codey: New heart events, new skill perks, a new festival, mounts. (0:38:02) Codey: I’m excited about the mounts. (0:38:02) Al: I don’t know, never say never. You know the fun thing about one thing I really like about (0:38:05) Codey: I’m never gonna play this game, (0:38:06) Codey: but I was excited about that. (0:38:13) Al: Fields of Mystery, just seeing as how we’re talking about it. I’ll talk more about this (0:38:15) Al: in the main episode that we talk about it in. But you can change everything about yourself (0:38:21) Al: after the initial thing, except your birthday. And that includes your pronouns, your name, (0:38:28) Codey: That’s cool (0:38:30) Al: your look, et cetera. (0:38:31) Codey: That’s cool (0:38:33) Al: Yeah, the number of times I’ve heard my trans friends say that they started a game (0:38:38) Al: pre-transition, and then they’re like, don’t want to play the game now because I’m pre-transitioning (0:38:43) Al: the game. Well, there you go in Fields of Mystery, you can just change. If only it was as simple as (0:38:46) Codey: In the real world, womp, womp, it is becoming more obvious, I guess. (0:38:48) Al: that. [LAUGHTER] (0:38:57) Codey: I’ve had a couple people, I don’t know if I’ve said this on the pod or not, but I have (0:39:01) Codey: decided to expand my pronouns to she/they, so anything she/her or they/them are acceptable. (0:39:10) Codey: This happened because I’m pretty sure my tattoo artist thought I was non-binary and they called (0:39:14) Codey: me think, for a really long time. (0:39:16) Codey: And I was like, you know what, that doesn’t sound wrong. (0:39:20) Codey: That does not sound wrong, but he does. (0:39:24) Codey: I do not identify as he/him. (0:39:26) Codey: So I am… (0:39:28) Al: Either you’re going to say “I do not identify as a he” or a him, a he or a him, either of (0:39:28) Codey: Yeah, or as… No, I don’t. (0:39:33) Codey: So yeah, I’m she/they. (0:39:35) Codey: Or him. Or his. None of those things. (0:39:36) Al: them. Or a his. Well, I don’t know. Well, I mean, it depends how traditionally possessive (0:39:39) Codey: So yeah. (0:39:46) Al: about relationships you want to go, because I presume your partner, does your partner (0:39:50) Al: go by he/him. Okay, but you could arguably say you are his. (0:39:51) Codey: Um, I think he’s also he they, but he Ooh, you, you’re right. (0:39:58) Al: But then I know that, you know, obviously there are negative connotations to the patriarchal (0:40:05) Al: view of relationships like that. Well, yes. Yeah, OK. Of course. Of course. I’m just saying (0:40:08) Codey: I mean, but he’s mine, so it’s not a one-way thing. (0:40:13) Al: that the idea of being owned by a man is obviously historically… What’s the word I’m looking (0:40:16) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:20) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:21) Al: for… “ablimatic” is the word, but yeah, it works. (0:40:22) Codey: Ick? (0:40:25) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:26) Codey: No, so all of this is to say like, (0:40:28) Codey: that is something that I have, (0:40:30) Codey: that’s recently occurred in my life, (0:40:31) Codey: but it’s kind of been like under the radar. (0:40:33) Codey: I didn’t have like a big, hey, this is happening now. (0:40:36) Codey: And I’ve had at least three humans (0:40:38) Codey: week reach out to me independently and say, (0:40:41) Codey: hey, may I ask what your pronouns are? (0:40:44) Codey: ‘Cause I think they’ve changed. (0:40:46) Codey: And I was like, wow, they have, thank you. (0:40:47) Codey: Thank you for confirming. (0:40:51) Codey: So it is, though, again, (0:40:53) Codey: I’m in a very liberal, progressive life. (0:40:57) Codey: But people are becoming more accepting of it. (0:41:01) Codey: I feel like in the general. (0:41:03) Al: the people you want to spend time with anyway. (0:41:05) Al: » [LAUGH] (0:41:06) Codey: Yeah. (0:41:07) Codey: Well, and it’s funny because (0:41:08) Codey: because of things in life right now, uh, there are those who are in hide (0:41:13) Codey: mode who are trying to protect themselves, which is 100% valid. (0:41:14) Al: Mm-hmm (0:41:17) Codey: Um, I’m in fight mode. (0:41:19) Codey: So both in my institution, uh, but also in my politics, I am not going to go (0:41:27) Codey: quietly into that good night. (0:41:28) Codey: I’m, I’m ready to fight. (0:41:30) Codey: Um, and I’ve told all of my friends that if they need someone to fight for them, (0:41:33) Codey: hit me up because I’m in fight mode right now, not flight. (0:41:38) Al: Fair enough. It’s fine, I’ll cut it. It doesn’t need to go in. Yeah, so a bunch of stuff. (0:41:39) Codey: Uh, that was a weird aside. (0:41:40) Codey: Anyway, we have a couple new games. (0:41:45) Codey: You don’t have to cut it. (0:41:46) Codey: It’s fine. (0:41:50) Codey: Mm hmm. (0:41:51) Codey: Woo! (0:41:54) Al: That’s all of the game news, but we also have new games. Two new games to talk about. (0:42:00) Al: The first is Whimsied, a creature collection game that sits at the bottom of your screen (0:42:07) Al: and fits easily into your… (0:42:08) Al: routine. Whether you’re working, studying, or relaxing, Whimsight is always ready to offer you cozy (0:42:15) Al: pauses, capture creatures, create new species, and decorate your whimsical space in this soothing (0:42:20) Al: adventure. So we’re finishing the trilogy of, we’re going to call them rusty retirement likes. (0:42:28) Codey: Yeah, that was a I said, Oh, no, what did Rusty’s retirement do? (0:42:34) Codey: Because they really opened up a a worm of cans. (0:42:38) Al: this feels like the most dangerous one to me (0:42:39) Codey: But yeah, I think it’s. (0:42:43) Codey: Yeah, yeah, because it’s it’s creature collection. (0:42:47) Codey: It’s also you breed things together and you create new things. (0:42:50) Codey: I also really like that the little creatures are 2D, like, (0:42:54) Codey: and when they turn themselves, they just turn they’re like a little plane of paper (0:42:58) Al: Like, yeah, people are mad at you, ask. (0:43:00) Codey: I don’t know. Yeah, very paper Mario esque and that was really cute. (0:43:05) Codey: Yeah. Oh, heck, I am. (0:43:09) Codey: My all my dollar bucks are going to go away for this. (0:43:12) Al: Oh, they call them winlings. (0:43:13) Codey: So, yeah. Yeah, they’re windlings. (0:43:20) Codey: Yep, it looks really cute. (0:43:21) Codey: The release date is currently to be determined, but you can (0:43:25) Codey: support the person, I think, on some way. (0:43:28) Codey: That I saw pre pre down. (0:43:32) Codey: I don’t know. You can do something to support them that one. (0:43:34) Al: Go add it to your wishlist. (0:43:37) Al: That’s always the best thing before games are out, (0:43:41) Al: because it pushes them up the charts when they do come out. (0:43:44) Codey: Oh, I didn’t know that. (0:43:46) Codey: The more you know. (0:43:48) Codey: Um, yeah, very cute. Are you are you are you going to get that one.&

Learn how to say the amazingly important word “night market” in Chinese with singer-songwriter Robin Mitchell. You will also learn words for some of the most common and most delicious “small eats” that can be found in some of the famous night markets in Taiwan. ✨ BIG NEWS ✨ Our brand new Talk Chineasy App, is now live on the App Store! Free to download and perfect for building your speaking confidence from Day 1. portaly.cc/chineasy Visit our website for more info about the app.

Night markets have exploded in popularity over the past few years in the Bay Area. Many local downtowns and shopping districts have invested in night markets as a way to regain the foot traffic of the pre-pandemic years.  In this episode, we go to the Story Road Night Market in San Jose's Little Saigon neighborhood to eat some delicious food and talk about whether night markets are here to stay. Links: Bay Area Night Markets Fall Guide Apply to be our intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Each weeknight at 9, people gather in Central Park near 4th and C streets, some to receive surplus food, some to hand it out. This is the Davis Night Market (pictured), a small-budget volunteer venture created in 2019 to feed people and reduce food waste. We talked with two of its co-founders in January 2020, and the market has since grown to five nights a week. “The food is kind of the carrot to get people in. It's more about the community,” adds Max Morgan, a volunteer since 2019. "People are in desperate need of community, as much as they need food.” “We really have only one rule: take what you can eat,” says Joanna Sodke, a volunteer for nearly a year. “Anyone can come here and take food.” (There are limits on pizza, she says, “a very hot item.”) Donors include well-known food purveyors in Davis, plus people with extra produce from their trees and gardens. The market operates with a county permit. Sometimes a volunteer will need to talk a person through a difficult moment. Today on Davisville, Joanna and Max talk about how it all works, including why they meet at night.

Narrator: Jessika Downes-Gössl

師大 Shīdà - National Taiwan Normal University 研究所 yánjiū suǒ - Graduate school 科系 kēxì - Academic department or program 對外華語教學 duìwài huáyǔ jiàoxué - Teaching Chinese as a foreign language 台電大樓 Tàidiàn dàlóu - Taipei Power Building (a MRT station in Taipei) 古亭站 Gǔtíng zhàn - Guting Station (a MRT station in Taipei) 師園鹽酥雞 Shīyuán yán sū jī - Shiyuan Salted Crispy Chicken (a popular food stall in Taipei) 鹽酥雞 yán sū jī - Salted crispy chicken 胡椒粉 hújiāo fěn - Pepper powder 蒜香 suàn xiāng - Garlic aroma 大蒜 dàsuàn - Garlic 香氣 xiāngqì - Aroma 調味 tiáowèi - Seasoning 剛好 gānghǎo - Just right 甜不辣 tián bù là - Fish cake 米血 mǐ xuè - Rice blood cake 雞皮 jī pí - Chicken skin 不踩雷 bù cǎi léi - Reliable or not making mistakes (in context, it means not disappointing) 咖哩飯 kālǐ fàn - Curry rice 炸物 zhà wù - Fried food 飲料喝到飽 yǐnliào hē dào bǎo - Free refills on drinks 爽 shuǎng - Refreshing or enjoyable 燈籠滷味 dēnglóng lǔ wèi - Lantern Lu Wei (a popular food stall in Taipei) 並列 bìngliè - Ranked together or listed together 必吃 bì chī - Must-try 大排長龍 dà pái cháng lóng - Long queue 滷味 lǔ wèi - Braised food 料 liào - Ingredients 滷蛋 lǔ dàn - Braised egg 豆干 dòu gān - Dried tofu 豆皮 dòu pí - Tofu skin 王子麵 wángzǐ miàn - Prince noodles (a brand of instant noodles) 滷汁 lǔ zhī - Braised sauce 青蔥 qīngcōng - Green onion 阿諾可麗餅 Ānuò kělì bǐng - Arno Crepe (a popular crepe brand in Taipei) 可麗餅 kělì bǐng - Crepe 香蕉巧克力口味 xiāngjiāo qiǎokèlì kǒuwèi - Banana chocolate flavor 抹醬 mǒ jiàng - Spread or sauce 創意 chuàngyì - Creative 口味 kǒuwèi - Flavor 玉米鮪魚可麗餅 yùmǐ wěiyú kělì bǐng - Corn and tuna crepe 可甜可鹹 kě tián kě xián - Can be sweet or savory 薄脆 báo cuì - Thin and crispy 餅皮 bǐng pí - Crepe skin 甜點 tiándiǎn - Dessert 正餐 zhèngcān - Main course 創意市集 chuàngyì shìjí - Creative market 冰火菠蘿油 bīng huǒ bōluó yóu - Pineapple bun with butter (a Hong Kong dessert) If you want your life in Taiwan to be more comfortable, fun, and stress-free, I warmly invite you to join my Chinese speaking course. In this course, you'll learn simple conversations for everyday situations like ordering food at night markets, asking for extra spice on your salted crispy chicken, or customizing your bubble tea with just the right sweetness and ice level. We'll also cover how to ask for directions, use the MRT, take a taxi, shop for clothes, visit the doctor, and much more. Check out the 14-Day Chinese Speaking Accelerator  If you've been learning Chinese but still find it hard to express your thoughts fluently or want to discuss complex topics like economics, news, or the environment in Chinese, you can book a one-on-one trial lesson with me. Let's set your goals and achieve Chinese fluency together! Book a one-on-one trial lesson with me !

In this episode, Weston sits down with Griffin Vanmeter, a creative force behind some of Lexington's most iconic projects, including Kentucky for Kentucky and the Night Market. Griff shares his passion for bringing joy and weirdness to every idea, and we delve into his background, from his early days to his current endeavors. We discuss the importance of nostalgia, community development, and the role of parks in economic growth. Griff also shares his excitement about current initiatives, including the Parks Initiative, and his vision for the future of Lexington. See what Griff has been up to YES FOR PARKS! KY For KY Bullhorn Creative ⁠⁠Subscribe to the DevelopLex newsletter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Weston Lockhart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ross Boggess⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DevelopLex is proud to be supported by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community Trust Bank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SVN Stone Commercial Real Estate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Craftsmen Contractors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about Middle Tech and our network of shows at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MiddleTech.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Intro music by SmithTheMister

So, after you hear about terrible information like maybe you have to spend time in the desert to stop the Dragon Queen, sometimes just sometimes, you have to hang out and have kabobs. You may spend money on magic crystals too. Just saying, some days go like that.

Join The Cozy Mystery Book Club's discussion of Death by Bubble Tea (LA Night Market Book One) by Jennifer J. Chow

Al and Micah talk about Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:09: What Have We Been Up To 00:12:01: Game News 00:39:50: New Games 01:15:05: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home 02:18:35: Outro Links Let’s Build a Zoo “Monstrous Structures” Update Cat Cafe Manager 2 Kickstarter Super Zoo Story Kickstarter Wylde Flowers “Magical Creatures” Update BokuMono: Life and Love Mika and the Witch’s Mountain Boardgame My Time at Evershine Dreamland Farm Danchi Days Amber Isle Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home on Apple Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home on Android Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. (0:00:33) Al: My name is Al, and we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore Games. (0:00:34) Micah: And I’m Micah (0:00:39) Al: Woo. (0:00:40) Micah: Yay (0:00:40) Al: So excited. (0:00:42) Micah: It’s still as much as I have heard you say cart cottagecore games, it’s still always those (0:00:50) Al: I keep like bouncing between like should it be cottagecore should it be farming (0:00:56) Al: it’s like I was running something over in my head today I was like games that (0:01:01) Al: quite often have a farming component but not always and are sometimes considered (0:01:05) Al: cozy but not always like we’d (0:01:06) Micah: I think it’s I think for me it’s because every time you have me on we are (0:01:15) Micah: talking about farming games specifically like you know the core the core farming (0:01:17) Al: Yeah, you have you have a niche. (0:01:20) Al: Ah. (laughs) (0:01:23) Micah: game groups the harvest moons the story of season (0:01:29) Al: Exactly. I mean, well, the thing is, right, most people don’t want to spend a lot of time (0:01:35) Al: on a lot of those games. I just want to go back to stardew. And this is the cheapest (0:01:37) Micah: understandable. I am more than happy to, uh, to bite the bullet for everybody else to be able to (0:01:46) Micah: experience, uh, you know. (0:01:49) Al: Harvest Moon game we’ve paid for in quite a long time. So, you know. OK, well, we’ll (0:01:52) Micah: Ah! Sure. Yeah, sure. (0:01:55) Al: get to that. So, before we get to that, we have… (0:01:59) Al: News. We’ve got a bunch of news to talk about. (0:02:03) Al: Oh yeah, I didn’t actually say… We’re going to talk about the new Harvest Moon game. (0:02:06) Al: Harvest Moon’s home to be home. (0:02:08) Al: But we’ve got news before that. (0:02:10) Al: First of all, Maika, what have you been up to? (0:02:12) Micah: I have been very busy. I have been (0:02:17) Micah: Very busy doing a few things I have work has been (0:02:22) Micah: Really crazy, and I I love that like I love when I’m busy, so it’s not a complaint. You know I love when I’m my time is (0:02:30) Micah: Caught up and preoccupied so I it’s it’s great, but it has not left me a lot of time for games (0:02:38) Micah: so (0:02:40) Micah: Primarily what I have been playing. (0:02:42) Micah: I have some personal projects that I’ve been working on too that are not work-related, (0:03:12) Micah: taking up a lot of time, which is great, and I’m really happy about that. (0:03:17) Micah: There is one where I have had some time to be able to play some older Pokémon games, (0:03:25) Micah: and I can’t really say why yet, but I have been enjoying that. (0:03:28) Al: I’m intrigued. I wasn’t intrigued until he said you can’t say why. (0:03:34) Micah: It is a big project that I’ve been working on for months now, and it is becoming a… (0:03:42) Micah: It’s one of those projects where you start and you’re like, “This is a really small, (0:03:46) Micah: fun idea,” and then it just grows over time, and you’re like, “This is getting really (0:03:49) Micah: out of hand, and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to get a hold of this.” (0:03:53) Micah: But it’s been really fun, and it has allowed me some time to do work and stay busy, but (0:03:58) Micah: also play games, play some games. (0:04:01) Micah: But primarily it’s been Pokémon, is what I’ve been playing. (0:04:04) Micah: I did download, I bought and downloaded Fields of Mistria. (0:04:09) Micah: I have not played it yet. (0:04:10) Micah: I’m very excited. (0:04:12) Micah: But I haven’t had a chance to touch it yet. (0:04:14) Al: I haven’t bought that one yet, that’s on my list of “I will probably pay this at some point, maybe.” (0:04:18) Micah: Yeah, yeah. (0:04:20) Micah: I just had seen, you know, the the most buzz around a farming (0:04:26) Micah: sim since I think maybe Stardew in like communities that were (0:04:32) Micah: specifically excited about like Stardew and you know that that (0:04:39) Micah: type of farming sim. (0:04:40) Micah: So I that. (0:04:42) Micah: Intrigued enough to be like, okay, if this is if people are like, you know, recognizing (0:04:47) Micah: it as a not a like competitor or anything or like the new Stardew or anything like that. (0:04:52) Micah: But if there’s enough interest there, then maybe it’s something to, to look into. (0:04:56) Micah: So, and I like the art style. (0:04:58) Micah: I like the pixel art and stuff. (0:04:59) Micah: So it’s a little, we’ll see have yet to play it. (0:05:02) Al: So, other than obviously Harvest Moon Home, Sweet Home, I have been trying to get back (0:05:02) Micah: So I can’t really say anything about it. (0:05:05) Micah: What about you? (0:05:06) Micah: What have you been up to? (0:05:13) Al: into Coral Island after their 1.1 update. Sometimes when you go back to a game, it takes (0:05:20) Al: a while to get yourself back into the zone. I spent over a month, I spent 100 hours in (0:05:29) Al: in Carl Island. (0:05:30) Al: So I’m not back at– (0:05:32) Al: at that point yet, but we’ll see. (0:05:34) Al: I mean that in and of itself might– (0:05:36) Al: will be interesting to talk about, you know, (0:05:38) Al: when we get to that, if I– if I don’t end up. (0:05:40) Al: But– (0:05:41) Micah: world’s biggest coral island fan. (0:05:42) Al: because– (0:05:45) Micah: As far as I know, at least he are. (0:05:48) Al: I like it! It’s a really fun game. (0:05:50) Al: But I think it’s interesting because if I– (0:05:52) Al: if I don’t manage to push myself back into it, (0:05:54) Al: that says something. (0:05:56) Al: Because I’ve managed to– I’ve managed to get obsessed (0:05:58) Al: about Stardew every single time I’ve gone back to it. (0:06:00) Al: to it. And (0:06:02) Al: that, you know, so if I can’t that says something, you know, like I started a new (0:06:07) Al: save for 1.6 when it came out and got perfection for the first time on it. So like, you know, (0:06:14) Micah: Oh, nice. That’s awesome. (0:06:15) Al: that’s how obsessed I got over it last time. So we’ll see. We’ll see. (0:06:17) Micah: Yeah. (0:06:19) Micah: I love that, though. I love when you… (0:06:22) Micah: That feeling of, like, finding a game that lets you do that, like, lets you obsess over it in that way. (0:06:28) Al: Yeah. (0:06:30) Al: I don’t know why does it happen though. (0:06:32) Al: Why do I keep coming back to stardew and keep playing it? (0:06:35) Micah: It’s your comfort game you know same reason why probably I’ve watched I don’t know the office (0:06:43) Micah: 18,000 times over not because it’s like incredible really and (0:06:48) Micah: Not because you know the a lot of the jokes are especially early on are not like questionable (0:06:52) Al: Heh. (0:06:54) Al: Yeah. (0:06:54) Micah: Especially today, but just cuz it’s Scott like you know (0:06:59) Micah: I don’t I don’t have to I don’t gotta think too hard about it. I just know what it is (0:07:05) Micah: It’s it becomes a comfort thing (0:07:08) Al: Fair. (0:07:08) Micah: Stardew Stardew Valley is your the office. I don’t let’s let’s let’s not use that let’s better on that comparison (0:07:14) Micah: I’m that I apologize that me. I don’t know why that made me think of it, but (0:07:18) Micah: I have been looking (0:07:21) Micah: looking at getting (0:07:23) Micah: back into (0:07:24) Micah: Pocket camp too recently cuz I kind of want to see it off (0:07:26) Al: Oh, good timing. Are you… are you gonna buy the offline version? (0:07:29) Micah: You know I’d put a lot of time into it (0:07:33) Micah: and money (0:07:36) Micah: I (0:07:37) Micah: Don’t probably here and there. I think part of it is that I just there were so many events that I (0:07:43) Micah: Didn’t feel like I could keep up with it as much. I will say (0:07:49) Micah: My wife Becky has is devastated. She is I (0:07:53) Micah: Think probably the biggest Animal Crossing fan (0:07:56) Micah: I I know like by far and I would have said years ago. I would have said that’s me (0:08:02) Micah: I am the biggest Animal Crossing fan that I know. (0:08:05) Micah: But that has, she has since taken that crown. (0:08:08) Micah: She has never stopped playing New Horizons. (0:08:12) Micah: She, she played New Leaf a ton. (0:08:14) Micah: She played through, you know, all of the, the previous (0:08:16) Micah: Harvest Moon’s, or Harvest Moon’s god. (0:08:19) Micah: I’m already in Harvest Moon Brain. (0:08:21) Micah: Uh, she’s played through the previous Animal Crossings, but (0:08:27) Micah: she has been, uh, nonstop playing New Horizons. (0:08:32) Micah: And I believe she’s literally, it’s, it’s Sunday. (0:08:35) Micah: So, you know, it’s her call, she calls her Goblin Day. (0:08:39) Micah: She’s literally out there playing New Horizons right now. (0:08:42) Micah: But in addition to that, she has never stopped playing Pocket Camp. (0:08:46) Micah: She has like thousands of hours, I would guess, in Pocket Camp. (0:08:53) Micah: And there are people that she knows only through Pocket Camp that (0:09:01) Micah: she’s like sad that it’s closing because she doesn’t know these (0:09:05) Micah: things outside of it. (0:09:05) Micah: Like she’s got, you know, hundreds of like friendship interactions (0:09:10) Micah: where they trade gifts or they trade, you know, items or whatever (0:09:13) Micah: in the game, but she doesn’t know who these people actually are. (0:09:16) Micah: So like when the game shuts down, that’s just going to go away, which (0:09:16) Al: Yeah. Well, and being a Nintendo game, it’s not going to have, like, free text, (0:09:20) Micah: is like an incredibly sad thing. (0:09:21) Micah: But like, how do you resolve that? (0:09:23) Micah: You know, like, what do you, right? (0:09:28) Al: so you wouldn’t have a way to be able to save that. Yeah. (0:09:28) Micah: There’s no social aspect to it. (0:09:31) Micah: Like broader social aspect to it that you can, you know, uh, (0:09:36) Micah: converse with the people outside of outside for good reason, right? (0:09:39) Micah: Like for kids games, but, but also in situations like this, it’s just (0:09:44) Micah: kind of, kind of weird and sad and like an interesting thing, but yeah. (0:09:48) Micah: So I, that has, has like touched me enough that I’m like, I kind of just (0:09:54) Micah: want to go back and see it off and, you know, be there when it shuts down (0:09:58) Micah: and stuff, because I’ve put so much time and unfortunately money into it. (0:10:02) Micah: so… (0:10:02) Al: Yeah, fair enough. Speaking of mobile games, I have gotten back into Marvel Snap quite (0:10:03) Micah: Bye. (0:10:06) Micah: So that’s next on the roster. (0:10:14) Micah: Oh, okay. (0:10:16) Al: a lot as well, like I have put so much time into it the last couple of months that I’m (0:10:26) Al: not quite at the top rank this season, but I’m close, and if I hit it, it’ll… (0:10:32) Al: be the first time I’ve hit it ever. So yeah, big. That’s big. 100. Or, oh, what’s the 100? (0:10:38) Micah: what is the top rank in marvel snap what’s the like the title for oh okay it’s not like a okay (0:10:43) Al: Platinum, I think. I don’t really pay attention to the names, I just pay attention to the number, (0:10:48) Al: right? Big number. Number go big. But I think it’s platinum. Oh no, it’s infinite. Infinite. (0:10:56) Micah: Oh, okay. All right (0:10:57) Al: So yeah, I’m at like 83 just now, so we’re… (0:11:01) Micah: Yeah, well I (0:11:04) Micah: Have heard nothing but good things about Marvel snap from those who play it, but I have never I’ve never (0:11:11) Al: Yeah, I find it really fun. I like its simplicity but also how complicated you can make it if (0:11:20) Micah: Mm-hmm sure (0:11:21) Al: you want to. Like I’ve got a deck that is like if I get the right cards basically unbeatable (0:11:29) Al: but you have to have a different way to win as well because you sometimes don’t get those (0:11:32) Micah: right yeah can I get those multiple win engines (0:11:34) Al: cards so it’s yeah, it’s fun. Exactly, exactly. (0:11:42) Al: It’s fun. I’m really enjoying it. They added a lot of stuff while I wasn’t playing it as well so (0:11:47) Al: trying to get back into that and being like oh they’ve got these alliances and leagues and all (0:11:54) Al: these cards that I don’t have because I hadn’t unlocked them etc etc but it’s good fun. Cool, (0:11:59) Micah: No, awesome (0:12:02) Al: so that’s what we’ve been up to. Now we’re going to talk about some news. First of all, (0:12:06) Al: Let’s build a zoo have announced a new update the (0:12:11) Al: structures update and this I mean it’s like there’s big balloons (0:12:21) Al: it’s interesting they call it a monsters monstrous structures I think it’s basically (0:12:26) Al: just because there are two massive balloons. (0:12:30) Micah: I do see, in the images, a giant warthog thing and a giant bear, but that’s the (0:12:37) Al: Exactly. There’s a lot of quality, well exactly, there’s a lot of quality of life improvements (0:12:40) Micah: extent of what I see. As far as monstrous goes, you know, (0:12:47) Al: as well, but like the name seems to be entirely hinging on those two balloons. Yeah, maybe. (0:12:54) Micah: Or just the concept that there’s a lot of stuff, you know, there’s like it’s a big update. Maybe I don’t know (0:13:01) Al: It’s a lot of little things, I think, right? Like you can now rename animals is the first (0:13:05) Al: thing in the patch notes, right? (0:13:07) Al: Like that’s not a mate, I mean, it’s fine, it’s good. (0:13:10) Al: Like I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s not like this is a game changer. (0:13:10) Micah: Mm-hmm. (0:13:14) Micah: Right, yeah. (0:13:16) Al: Yeah, it just, there’s lots of quality of life improvements. (0:13:19) Al: So if you’ve been playing, enjoy those updates. (0:13:22) Al: If you haven’t been playing because you couldn’t rename your animals, now you can. (0:13:26) Micah: or because there weren’t giant monster balloons. (0:13:31) Al: Yeah, yeah. (0:13:32) Al: Next we have Cat Cafe Manager 2. (0:13:36) Al: big city bliss. (0:13:37) Al: The Kickstarter is now live. (0:13:39) Al: Micah, have you seen this game yet? (0:13:40) Micah: I have not. (0:13:41) Al: Had you seen the original Kat Kaffee manager? (0:13:44) Al: Kat Kaffee manager. (0:13:44) Micah: I have not. (0:13:46) Micah: I can’t say that. (0:13:47) Micah: I so I should what I should say is I have seen games that feel similar in that, you (0:13:56) Micah: know, I’ve been on the Switch eShop and there’s a lot of games that look similar, I guess. (0:14:03) Micah: But is this the the original? (0:14:06) Micah: Is this the OG cafe manager? (0:14:10) Al: a good question. That I don’t have the answer to. Yeah, it’s quite a big difference to the (0:14:11) Micah: I like the art for this much better than all the other stuff (0:14:21) Al: previous game. So the previous one came out in 2022. It’s not like it looked bad, right? (0:14:28) Al: But it’s different art style. I do prefer the newer one. It’s very, I guess, shiny Paper (0:14:39) Al: from REO. (0:14:40) Micah: Okay. Yeah. (0:14:40) Al: It’s how I would describe it. This one, right? I like the look of it. It’s interesting. So they (0:14:47) Al: seem to… I’ve noticed that they are planning on having like an actual story here in this one, (0:14:56) Al: because I think the previous one didn’t have that. So if you look at one of their updates on (0:15:00) Al: Kickstarter, they say “Cat Caffe Manager 1 had a nice but fairly straightforward storyline (0:15:06) Al: with the sequel, we’re excited to introduce more complex characters, mysteries and even (0:15:10) Al: somewhat of a villain. Well, yeah, there you go. Yeah, it’s in. I’m intrigued to see what (0:15:12) Micah: Oh a villain in my cat cafe? (0:15:18) Micah: I I there are a lot of things that that could mean and that scares me (0:15:24) Micah: We’re talking about like, you know adoptable animals i’m worried about who the villain is but (0:15:28) Al: happens. We’ll see. We’ll see. I’m excited to find out. (0:15:33) Micah: It’s really (0:15:35) Micah: It is a very cute art style though. I like it a lot. I do like that. Um (0:15:40) Micah: kind of flat 2D characters in a 3D space. (0:15:42) Micah: kind of thing. Obviously, you know, things like Snacko and stuff like that. Paper Mario, like you said. (0:15:48) Micah: I like that concept. (0:15:52) Micah: So, yeah, it looks really cool. (0:15:54) Al: it hasn’t hasn’t hit its goal yet but it’s going to let’s be honest it’s it’s (0:15:59) Al: 32,000 of 40,000 so it’s it’s it’s nearly there and it’s try (0:16:06) Micah: I should clarify too, when I had said, you know, I’ve seen games similar to this, I don’t mean art style gameplay, stuff like that, more just like the branding of it feels, you know, like it felt very, obviously cat cafe manager, it’s very straight to the point, you know, like, and I see a lot of like, I don’t know, whatever tycoon, whatever, you know, like, manager, whatever, it’s there’s so many of those that I just, I could have seen this and I wouldn’t (0:16:34) Al: So the first one does have an 84% steam rating, very positive with 1,500 reviews. So it’s (0:16:36) Micah: know, because I kind of, you know, (0:16:44) Micah: - Wow. (0:16:50) Al: obviously some people liked it, so that’s good. And the fact that they’ve successfully (0:16:55) Al: made a game before makes me much more encouraged about backing a Kickstarter. It’s not just (0:17:01) Al: one of these Skinner boxes that they’ve thrown together in a week and throw (0:17:04) Al: on the eShop, which happens so often. Yeah, it’s getting so much worse with that. (0:17:05) Micah: Right, God, the AI art, so much of it on there. (0:17:13) Micah: Yeah, they really gotta get a handle on that. (0:17:15) Micah: You know, nevermind. (0:17:17) Micah: I don’t wanna start to get riled up a little bit. (0:17:23) Micah: I’ll keep it brief. (0:17:24) Micah: Nintendo made a big deal about not having, you know, (0:17:26) Micah: shovelware on their systems like they did with the Wii. (0:17:29) Micah: And then they just instead opened up the eShop (0:17:32) Micah: to literally everything. (0:17:34) Al: Yeah, and it’s a bit of a balance, right? Because I think it’s important that we have (0:17:40) Al: open access to develop and share your games. But… (0:17:41) Micah: oh yeah for sure but like maybe some level of regulation like (0:17:48) Al: Well, this is the thing they do. It’s not like with Steam where it’s like you can literally (0:17:51) Al: just create it and launch it with no, like, oversight. On the Switch, you have to go through (0:17:56) Micah: Mm-hmm. (0:17:57) Al: a process where they approve it. That’s what’s weird is, like, how are they approving all this (0:18:02) Al: nonsense like they’re not they’re clearly not (0:18:04) Al: approving it they’re just clicking the button they’re not actually looking at (0:18:07) Al: it so why do they have the process there why do they bother (0:18:08) Micah: Or they have some like automated process that’s relying on some artificial intelligence to be like it checks these boxes. So it is approved (0:18:17) Al: yeah yeah maybe they’re just going is it a game does it run there you go that’s (0:18:21) Al: fine but I don’t know (0:18:25) Al: next we have super zoo story they have announced that their kickstarter goes (0:18:30) Al: live on the first of October. It’s just another… (0:18:34) Al: It’s another Zoo Tycoon game. Yeah, that’s it. (0:18:41) Micah: It definitely looks like a Z-Teku. (0:18:42) Al: Am I gonna play this game? I don’t know. It’s it. So I will say, I will see. The one (0:18:49) Al: thing that makes me more interested in this is it does appear to be like you… (0:18:54) Al: It’s an RPG style game rather than like a God style management game. And that (0:19:01) Al: interests me, because I am not a huge fan. (0:19:02) Micah: I agree, that- (0:19:04) Al: I am a fan of management games, but I am a fan of RPG management. (0:19:10) Micah: I agree with that. I’m also in that same boat where if it’s if it says tycoon and it’s got a you know (0:19:17) Micah: Like you’re you’re kind of like managing resources and filling a space and then (0:19:23) Micah: Making money. I’m not as interested in it (0:19:26) Micah: But the the RPG the added RPG element sounds more interesting to me (0:19:32) Micah: You know same way that like was a golf story like to be fair like loved Mario golf (0:19:36) Al: Yes, Golf Story is fantastic! (0:19:40) Micah: You know (0:19:41) Micah: Some of the like more goofy golf game games like (0:19:46) Micah: non-traditional golf games big fan of those but (0:19:49) Micah: Things like golf story sports story like that where they add an RPG element to it definitely makes it much more (0:19:55) Micah: You know exciting and more unique of an experience. So (0:20:00) Al: Yeah, yeah. I’m not a huge golf fan. I mean, I don’t even mean in real life, right? Because (0:20:04) Micah: Oh me neither. I don’t know. I don’t know anything about golf (0:20:09) Al: that’s a whole different discussion. I will rant about golf if you want me to, but I don’t think (0:20:13) Al: we want to. But game-wise, I like Mario Golf, and that’s probably about it. But yeah, Golf Story (0:20:24) Al: absolutely adored it. It was fantastic in so many ways. The actual golf was fun, (0:20:29) Al: But also, it was just– (0:20:30) Al: just my kind of humor. (0:20:31) Al: The story was just enough to be interesting, (0:20:35) Al: but not too much that you felt completely overwhelmed. (0:20:38) Al: It was my perfect RPG. (0:20:40) Al: It was just enough. (0:20:41) Al: Just enough RPG in– (0:20:44) Al: just enough RP in my G. Yeah, sports story was good as well. (0:20:49) Al: A little bit rushed, but I still really enjoyed it. (0:20:55) Al: Yeah, so I mean, I’m probably going to play this one purely (0:20:58) Al: because it’s rather than the kind of, you know. (0:21:00) Al: Tycoon style game, it is an RPG style game. (0:21:03) Al: It’ll be interesting to see how they balance that, obviously, (0:21:05) Al: because these things have to be on a much smaller scale (0:21:08) Al: because you’re doing everything every time. (0:21:11) Al: And will there be some level of automation to that? (0:21:13) Al: Like how, you know, Stardew adds that in as you go. (0:21:16) Al: We’ll just, you know, we’ll see what happens. (0:21:20) Al: Next, we have a new update from Wildflowers, (0:21:22) Al: which came out a few days ago. (0:21:23) Al: This is the magical creatures update. (0:21:26) Al: And can you guess what this brings to the game? (0:21:29) Micah: I’m gonna guess some magical creatures. No way (0:21:30) Al: You are correct. I know, imagine that. Go for it. I need to find if there’s a list. (0:21:37) Micah: Can I guess some of the magical creatures unicorn, oh, okay, never mind abort abort (0:21:48) Al: Oh, here we go. I can’t see a unicorn, but no, you’re correct. I think they’re trying to, (0:21:50) Micah: Okay, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not there, you know (0:21:55) Al: you know, not spoil everything, but what I do see is what looks like a cross between (0:21:59) Al: a tiger and an elephant. (0:22:00) Al: This is like tiger legs, elephant head, but also the size of a small dog. (0:22:00) Micah: Mm-hmm (0:22:04) Micah: Don’t don’t know that I’ve I know that one don’t know that I (0:22:09) Micah: Do see that one. It is very cute though. Do you’re like (0:22:14) Micah: Description of it, you know tiger with the head of an elephant just (0:22:19) Micah: Was did not prepare me for what it looks like and it is very cute (0:22:23) Al: that’s what it is though, right? Like you can’t say I’m wrong. Yeah. And then like some sort of (0:22:24) Micah: It is you’re totally right, but it is it’s really cute (0:22:32) Al: lizard gecko type thing with chicken legs. And then a Shiba Inu, of course. (0:22:34) Micah: Yep. (0:22:35) Micah: Chicken Lizard? (0:22:37) Micah: The classic mystical creature? (0:22:40) Micah: Yep. (0:22:42) Al: It’s like, what makes that magical? I don’t know. That’s the main thing. There’s other things as (0:22:49) Al: as well. There’s some more story about the lighthouse. (0:22:51) Al: Um, I don’t know. (0:22:53) Al: So this is the time, I mean, well, when I mentioned it to him, he said, oh, I guess (0:22:58) Micah: Oh, okay. (0:23:01) Micah: Is Kevin going to be okay? (0:23:05) Micah: That this is their final update? (0:23:08) Al: I need to get back into the game then. (0:23:09) Al: Uh, so I think it’s been a while since he’s played, he’s played it. (0:23:12) Al: So we’ll, we’ll see, we’ll see how he feels once he’s actually played it. (0:23:16) Micah: Got it. (0:23:17) Al: The update. (0:23:18) Al: Be interesting to see what the studio do next. (0:23:20) Micah: Yeah, definitely. (0:23:22) Micah: And now that they have got such a, like, you know, well-loved thing under their belt, there’s… (0:23:27) Al: Yeah, the moment you see from the makers of Wild Flowers, you’re like “OK, I’m paying attention”. (0:23:34) Al: So next we have possibly one of the weirdest things I’ve seen in a while, and this is (0:23:40) Al: “Bokumono Life and Love”, which is a G-mode phone game from a long time ago that has been ported (0:23:50) Al: to Steam and Switch. (0:23:52) Micah: I cannot tell you how happy I am about this for a couple reasons just also for (0:24:02) Micah: full clarification it is not in English there is no English for this it is a (0:24:06) Al: Yes, I’m important to point that out. (0:24:09) Micah: straight-up port of the Japanese phone game that’s it they’re not doing (0:24:14) Micah: anything else with it (0:24:16) Al: The good thing is the Steam page does make that very clear, it’s above the buy button, (0:24:18) Micah: yeah (0:24:21) Al: it says “English language not supported” in red letters. (0:24:22) Micah: right (0:24:25) Micah: there is uh it looks like well it says partial controller support but it it (0:24:32) Micah: looks like there are controller controls like you know I see like L&R buttons and (0:24:39) Micah: the screenshots and stuff like that so you know there’s not like you won’t need (0:24:43) Micah: some t9 cell phone flip phone peripheral to control the game or whatever it’s (0:24:47) Al: Yeah. (0:24:52) Micah: it is straight up that port though and I love that there are a couple reasons (0:24:56) Micah: why I love that one really stupid really dumb right like really like unexpected (0:25:02) Micah: weird bizarre decision from marvelous great I love it but also because there (0:25:10) Micah: are so many lost media games that are caught in this like g-mode old Japanese (0:25:19) Micah: phone game that like… maybe this o- (0:25:22) Micah: opens the door for more of those to be able to release- get- be released like this? (0:25:24) Al: Well, that’s an interesting question. Are they going to make this technology that they’ve (0:25:30) Al: clearly built as an emulator or whatever? I don’t know exactly what they’ve done, (0:25:34) Al: but something. Are they going to be able to share that with other people? That would be really cool. (0:25:35) Micah: Mm-hmm (0:25:39) Micah: Right, definitely. Well, the other positive there is that (0:25:44) Micah: even just releasing the game gives way to a lot of (0:25:48) Micah: really brilliant people in the (0:25:51) Micah: homebrew community to be able to dissect it and figure out (0:25:56) Micah: what they did as far as you know emulation goes and (0:26:00) Micah: maybe be able to just find a way to (0:26:04) Micah: to… to… (0:26:05) Micah: you know, port some of that stuff themselves, or you know, I don’t know if there’s a lot (0:26:10) Micah: of opportunities here for some really interesting and really cool, like, lost games to be able (0:26:20) Al: So it looks like they’re not the first people to do this. (0:26:23) Al: So it looks like Gmail themselves (0:26:25) Al: released released a bunch of games on Steam a couple of years ago. (0:26:31) Al: So maybe this is, (0:26:34) Al: you know, because of this, like maybe that technology has then been used in this (0:26:39) Al: situation. (0:26:39) Micah: Mm-hmm. There are also some on the switch as well (0:26:44) Micah: But this I think is the like most (0:26:48) Micah: Popular franchise I could be wrong about this, but I think this is the most popular franchise to be (0:26:52) Al: I don’t think you’re wrong. I think saying a bokumono game on a really niche Japanese (0:27:03) Al: phone brand is possibly the most popular game on that. I believe you. I think probably. (0:27:11) Micah: yeah I I think that that’s possible to at least that’s my impression right is (0:27:17) Micah: that like that’s you know we’re we’re you know in a world now where like being (0:27:23) Micah: able to people people may be more aware of it now as being a thing I know that (0:27:29) Micah: there was a persona game that was like last year (0:27:32) Al: I was just… that is what I was just about to say. I have immediately (0:27:35) Al: changed my opinion on that. When I saw on their list that Persona 3 is one of them. (0:27:40) Micah: Yeah, well it’s so it’s a persona it and it is like a such a like small. I don’t know. Maybe I where is the the (0:27:51) Micah: The like chart that shows the growth between like persona fan base and (0:27:58) Micah: The like harvest moon fam, you know, that’s the story seasons fan base because I (0:27:59) Al: Yeah. (0:28:04) Micah: feel like you know prior to persona 5 that was definitely not like the you know (0:28:11) Micah: Either way (0:28:11) Al: Yeah, but I feel like people are going back to the older games, especially with, you know, (0:28:15) Al: 3 getting its Switch release. I feel like people are going back to the older ones when they started (0:28:18) Micah: oh yeah for sure it is a huge franchise now for sure I just don’t know if like (0:28:28) Micah: you know how big is the heart like how big is the harvest moon name you know (0:28:32) Micah: how big is the story of seasons name you know (0:28:32) Al: Well, and it’s more complicated obviously because like the name in Japan is as big as (0:28:38) Micah: it’s not right (0:28:39) Al: it has ever been, but like what does the main name mean over here? And they don’t use either (0:28:43) Micah: mm-hmm (0:28:47) Al: name because obviously they don’t have an English name for this, right? They obviously (0:28:52) Al: would be calling it Story of Seasons if they had, but then it would be like because it’s (0:28:57) Al: a port. They’ve not done a port, right? So this is the weird thing. They’ve not done (0:29:00) Al: on a port, so actually that’s not true. (0:29:02) Al: I guess they did. They did the original Harvest Moon on Nintendo Switch Online, didn’t (0:29:07) Al: they? And they called that Harvest Moon. They didn’t call that a story of seasons. So maybe (0:29:10) Micah: True. Yeah, you’re right (0:29:12) Al: they would, and maybe they would call this Harvest Moon then if they released it in the (0:29:16) Al: West. What I find interesting is they’re about this game, they have an English description (0:29:16) Micah: Yeah, I don’t know (0:29:20) Al: of this game on Steam. (0:29:23) Micah: Right, like it is it is on the the American Steam store like it is accessible (0:29:29) Al: Even if it’s not just that, it says “enjoy a heartwarming” and this isn’t auto-translated (0:29:34) Al: in Chrome or anything, it just says “enjoy a heartwarming farm life while growing crops (0:29:38) Al: and interacting with animals”. (0:29:39) Al: This title is a port of a title released in 2007 for feature phones in the popular series, (0:29:44) Al: which has been developed for numerous hardware platforms. (0:29:47) Al: It simultaneously includes For Boy, in which a boy is the main character, and For Girl, (0:29:51) Al: in which a girl is the main character. (0:29:52) Micah: No way (0:29:53) Al: Funny that they decided to just add them both and just like smash them together into one (0:29:57) Micah: Yeah (0:29:59) Micah: I’d be curious to like how that plays it like is it just a selection right? (0:29:59) Al: Fair enough. (0:30:03) Micah: Do you just like select which game it is or they kind of just like blood them together? Yeah (0:30:03) Al: I suspect so. (0:30:05) Al: I suspect so, yeah. (0:30:08) Micah: I can’t imagine. There’s a lot of you know (0:30:08) Al: Like, they’re calling it a port. (0:30:10) Al: They’ve not changed it. (0:30:11) Micah: Yeah (0:30:13) Micah: Development going on there. Yeah, so I don’t know I guess between persona and this (0:30:19) Micah: you know, and persona happening with (0:30:22) Micah: in the last within a like, a year, almost a year to date, I (0:30:26) Al: Yeah. (0:30:27) Micah: think. No, September 23, it looks like. But yeah, either (0:30:33) Micah: either way, you know, the fact that bigger games now are (0:30:38) Micah: getting these like G mode ports is kind of exciting. So I don’t (0:30:43) Micah: know, even beyond G mode, there are other mobile games from that (0:30:50) Micah: time period that are just like, you know. (0:30:51) Al: Yeah, I agree. I agree. I look forward to playing Gregory Horror Show, which is another (0:30:52) Micah: Completely lost. That would be great to be able to see some of that stuff. (0:30:58) Micah: Go this route, so. (0:31:04) Al: one, which comes out in October. (0:31:07) Al: All right. Can’t believe we spent that much time talking about a G-mode game. What is (0:31:10) Micah: I mean. (0:31:13) Al: this podcast? Finally, before we get into it, we’ve got a few new games to talk about. (0:31:19) Al: For that, we have. (0:31:21) Al: A board game based on Mika and the Witch’s Mountain that’s coming to Kickstarter. (0:31:28) Micah: Okay, I can’t could not have expected that honestly (0:31:32) Al: No. No. I don’t really know what to say. Yes, yes, I’ll probably buy it. Stop asking. It’s, (0:31:38) Micah: I don’t either. (0:31:43) Al: I mean, it’s very, with the intro, so, okay, I have, my brain’s doing the brain thing. (0:31:50) Al: There’s, it’s called Delivery Witches, right? But it’s not branded Mika on the Witches Mountain (0:31:57) Al: or anything like that, but it’s very definitely Mika, right? Like, it’s the same art. (0:32:02) Al: Chibig shared it on their Twitter, so it’s like very clearly in collaboration with them. And, (0:32:08) Micah: same fonts (0:32:09) Al: and all the characters are the same. They’ve got all their art, etc. Like, it’s very much, (0:32:15) Al: it is the Mika and the Witches Mountain game. They just didn’t call it that. (0:32:20) Micah: Right, right. (0:32:22) Al: Which is fair, I guess. Like, you don’t have to call it the same thing, (0:32:25) Al: But it just I just find it interesting (0:32:27) Al: Um, I. (0:32:28) Micah: yeah it is I i guess I didn’t even think about like you know I i think if I had seen this on its own (0:32:35) Micah: without you telling me um and without drawing that association I probably would have been like (0:32:41) Micah: this looks really familiar but it just seems weird that like they wouldn’t do something to (0:32:42) Al: Yeah (0:32:49) Micah: like further I don’t know maybe that’s enough or I just don’t know if that game is has the uh the (0:32:56) Micah: popularity to be able to. (0:32:58) Micah: to say, like, oh, it is very loosely referential to it, but that’s enough for people to know that it’s based on this game, right? (0:33:07) Micah: Like it’s not, I don’t know, I could see that with other franchises, but maybe not this one. (0:33:13) Al: I think what I find weird is like there’s not a single mention of the game or the game (0:33:19) Al: developer on this Kickstarter page so far. Now granted it’s quite small, like they’ve (0:33:23) Al: not gone live, but they still have like five paragraphs of text and not once does it mention (0:33:29) Al: that it’s based on a game. And the company that’s making it is not the same, right, they’ve (0:33:32) Micah: Yeah, it’s very odd (0:33:36) Al: I’ve obviously been farmed out to another company that makes games. (0:33:40) Micah: But it is the you said it like, how is the developer related? (0:33:47) Al: Well, presumably they own like they are because it is the same characters, right? (0:33:52) Al: They use the same character art that you see in game. (0:33:56) Micah: Yeah, I just meant not not in that way. I meant like how was the other than say the the (0:34:02) Micah: Chibig retweeted it or something, you know, like what what is their relay? (0:34:06) Micah: Is there any other relation to like if they said we’re collaborating with them. I guess I do see (0:34:12) Al: Yeah, I think they made it clear that it was a collaboration. (0:34:15) Micah: Okay, I because it (0:34:18) Al: I guess what I know, I’m not trying to say that it’s as popular as Stardew, (0:34:21) Al: but it would be like if the Stardew Valley board game came out and they called it (0:34:26) Al: “farming game”. Right? Like, it would just feel weird. (0:34:28) Micah: Right, like my immediate my immediate reaction would be like they’re ripping off (0:34:33) Micah: Stardew Valley not like oh, it’s a Stardew Valley game, but they’re but they’re calling it something else (0:34:34) Al: Yes, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. And there’s nothing that makes it clear on this Kickstarter (0:34:41) Al: page. (0:34:42) Al: This is an official collaboration, but it is. (0:34:44) Micah: And that’s why I was asking well, how were they related to this other than like, you know, but obviously they have cosigned on it because they’re (0:34:53) Micah: Sharing it and like the art, you know, like if it weren’t (0:34:57) Micah: Theirs, they would probably be in litigation with them or something. I’m sure so (0:35:02) Al: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Like it’s not, it’s not even like, you know, close. (0:35:08) Micah: Yeah, it’s really interesting it’s very it’s a very pretty looking board game like every (0:35:14) Micah: Looks cool that some of the like, you know card effects and stuff look neat (0:35:19) Micah: The the character pieces are really really cute. I like almost want to get in on it just for the the little (0:35:29) Micah: What do you call those little guys from the (0:35:30) Al: You can’t call them meeples anymore. (0:35:33) Micah: You can’t call them meeples anymore no, I did not (0:35:35) Al: Oh, did you not hear this news? (0:35:37) Al: All right. Sidebar. (0:35:38) Al: So Carcassonne have trademarked meeples and they’re suing anybody that uses the name now. (0:35:41) Micah: Uh-huh (0:35:44) Micah: Oh (0:35:46) Al: So let me find out what they… (0:35:46) Micah: That’s (0:35:49) Al: It’s very, it’s very stupid. (0:35:52) Al: What is the name that is that people have kind of agreed they should call it instead? (0:35:59) Al: Oh, apparently it’s not. (0:36:00) Al: Not being trademarked in the US, so maybe they’ll continue, people will just continue (0:36:02) Micah: Oh. (0:36:04) Al: to use the word ‘meeple’ and make their games in the US. (0:36:05) Micah: Yet, at least. (0:36:07) Micah: Obviously, they’re trying, so… (0:36:08) Al: Can’t remember, because there was one in particular, so it’s an EU trademark ‘meeple’, because (0:36:16) Al: Carcassonne are German, and what? (0:36:19) Al: Oh yeah, so this was, so a company was making a game called ‘Meeple Inc’, and they were (0:36:26) Al: sued by Carcassonne, so they’re now calling it ‘Table Inc’. (0:36:30) Micah: Leave it to a, you know, a lawsuit to ruin the fun for her. (0:36:35) Al: I know it’s so like seriously nobody is confusing their game with carcass on (0:36:43) Al: just because it says meeple like come on I can’t see anywhere what the (0:36:46) Micah: but uh what do we call these um meekles because it because meika and the you (0:36:54) Al: which which which pole (0:36:55) Micah: know which pool um we’ll just we’ll call them meeples with the asterisk that it (0:37:03) Micah: spelled MI PLE because because meekah and the you know yeah yeah yeah they’re (0:37:06) Al: It’s my poles. (0:37:09) Al: Oh, meekles, meekles, yeah, okay, right, I get you. (0:37:13) Micah: really cute though they’re I that’s probably my favorite part of this whole (0:37:16) Micah: thing like they’re very cute game pieces and I hope that they don’t get (0:37:22) Micah: sued by Carcassonne (0:37:23) Al: Well they’re not using- I don’t see meeple being written anywhere and I don’t think they’re trying (0:37:27) Al: to like trademark the concept of having a meeple, it’s just the name that they’re (0:37:31) Micah: Not yet, at least, you know, it’s opens the doors, you know, the next thing, the next litigation. (0:37:39) Micah: This is, yeah, this is interesting, though, this is such a like strange thing, like a strange decision. (0:37:46) Micah: Maybe part of it is like that they are working with this team and they want to give them because that team is like working as hard as they are in this game and everything they’re giving all of the, you know, like they’re setting it up in a way. (0:38:01) Micah: So that undigital owns the rights to this without having to like, you know, there being any question about who owns the rights to their game that they’re working on because it’s related to something else. (0:38:14) Al: I’m sure they’ve got, I’m sure they have all their legal things in a row, right? (0:38:17) Al: Like it’s not like they, they launched this, they announced it on the same day. (0:38:22) Al: It looks like on Twitter, like it’s very clearly like done together. (0:38:26) Al: So I, I’m sure they know. (0:38:28) Micah: Oh sure, I just mean that, like, that would be a positive thing, you know, if they had given them the, you know, had them just change the name so that in the future there was no potential for any possible, like, you know, legal issues or something, and they could just claim all of the rights to this board game and the profits and whatever without having to, you know, answer to Chibig or whatever, which would be a cool thing for Chibig to do. (0:38:58) Micah: You know, people will say like, hey, just, this is yours. You make all the money from it. But who knows, I don’t, I don’t know what the decision was to do this, but it’s an interesting (0:39:08) Al: I have fallen into a deep dark hole of trademark stuff now. It looks like (0:39:16) Al: the EU trademark doesn’t actually cover toys and games, but there’s a (0:39:21) Micah: All for meeples? (0:39:23) Al: Germany trademark that does cover them. I’m so confused. (0:39:35) Al: What have I done? Why have I started reading this? (0:39:37) Al: Um… (0:39:38) Al: OK, right, no, we’re done with that, right? Anyway, game, uh, the Kickstarter isn’t live yet. (0:39:46) Al: You can go and save it if you want to get notified when it goes live. Link will be in the show notes. (0:39:51) Al: All right, we have a few new games as well. Uh, so a new My Time At game, My Time At Evershine, (0:39:59) Al: um, is coming out. The Kickstarter is launching sometime this month. You want another My Time game? (0:40:06) Micah: Uh, I am. (0:40:09) Micah: Yes, I do. (0:40:10) Micah: I do, because I think that my time at Portia (0:40:14) Micah: was such a like, what do they call it? (0:40:17) Micah: Bottled lightning or whatever. (0:40:20) Micah: For what it was at that time, which was, you know, (0:40:24) Micah: a time shortly after Stardew Valley is like massive success. (0:40:29) Micah: And shortly before the boom in. (0:40:36) Micah: Farm Sim type, like Life Sim type games, you know. (0:40:41) Micah: And I think that there were a lot of really positive things (0:40:43) Micah: about my time at Portia, but I think my time at Sandrock, (0:40:47) Micah: on the other hand, was not what I would have wanted it to be (0:40:52) Micah: or would have expected. (0:40:53) Micah: And just personally, not for me. (0:40:56) Micah: So I’m interested to see. (0:40:58) Al: Did you play it? Did you play Sandra? (0:41:01) Micah: No, I did not. (0:41:02) Micah: I from listening to (0:41:06) Micah: and watching things and seeing how the game played, and especially after my time at Portia Port, (0:41:12) Al: Yep. (0:41:13) Micah: I made the conscious decision not to, but just because I didn’t think that it was really for me, (0:41:20) Micah: you know? But I’m excited to see, like clearly they’re capable, right? That’s what I’m getting (0:41:26) Micah: at, is like they’re a very capable studio, and they have some really great ideas. I think there (0:41:34) Micah: there were a lot of really awesome ideas (0:41:36) Micah: in my time at Portia had that just maybe weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been (0:41:40) Micah: especially now that we have had this boom of, you know, Farm Sims and Life Sims and stuff (0:41:45) Micah: that have, you know, made a lot of differences in how these games are played and stuff like (0:41:53) Micah: that. (0:41:54) Micah: So I’m excited to see what they can do with more games, like, I’m always interested in (0:42:00) Micah: seeing, you know, a talented developer make new stuff. (0:42:05) Al: Yeah. So, I mean, just looking at some numbers on Steam. Yeah, well, that’s the thing. I (0:42:06) Micah: Um… (0:42:07) Micah: This is also- (0:42:12) Al: mean, we’re interested to see what they continue on and what they don’t. I mean, to me, Sandrock (0:42:16) Al: always looked just like the same game, but slightly more. And I was like, I’m not interested (0:42:20) Al: in that. But the, so looking on Steam, so they had, so they both have very, very positive (0:42:28) Al: reviews. So we’re ignoring Switch, right? The Switch debacle, we’re just ignoring that, (0:42:33) Al: Right? These things happen. (0:42:34) Micah: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:42:35) Al: They should just not. (0:42:40) Al: So Portia had 33,000 reviews, and Sandrock had 20,000 reviews. (0:42:48) Al: But Portia’s alt, 33,000 versus 20,000. (0:42:50) Micah: Wait how many did Portia have? (0:42:53) Micah: That’s so close. That’s way closer than I would have thought. (0:42:57) Al: It’s a… Yeah, but interestingly, there are all-time peaks of concurrent players. (0:43:03) Al: Porsche was 13,000. (0:43:05) Al: 1.3, and Sandrock was 21,000. It was higher. (0:43:10) Micah: Wow, yeah, I mean, people, I think people knew that, (0:43:13) Micah: you know, by the time that Sandrock came out, (0:43:16) Micah: people had already known Portia so well (0:43:19) Micah: and have been like preaching it (0:43:20) Micah: that I guess maybe even beyond what Portia was, (0:43:24) Micah: people were more excited about it or interested in it. (0:43:27) Micah: I don’t know, I remember the conversation (0:43:30) Micah: around my time at Sandrock being like, (0:43:32) Micah: people were very excited about it. (0:43:34) Micah: I think a big part of it for me was that (0:43:36) Micah: I I’m not a like humongous fan (0:43:40) Micah: of the Southwestern American motif motif in like games and I get really (0:43:41) Al: Yeah, fair, fair. (0:43:48) Micah: really bummed out when I get to the point in games where it’s like okay now (0:43:52) Micah: you got to do the desert level and I’m like I just don’t wanna I don’t wanna do (0:43:57) Micah: that and it kind of looked like Porsche but in that setting and with the whole (0:43:58) Al: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. (0:44:02) Micah: the whole game is desert level basically is what it felt like so and it looked (0:44:07) Micah: Like a lot of the say I mean obviously a lot (0:44:10) Micah: more but you know it looked like a lot of the same of what Portia had that I (0:44:15) Micah: was kind of like I’ll just play Portia you know that’s more in my setting (0:44:18) Al: Yeah, you’re still, I mean, you’re still essentially a builder, right? Like, it’s the same core (0:44:20) Micah: that’s more me (0:44:23) Al: loop of building things, which, if you like, that’s good. I really didn’t like, so I’m (0:44:30) Al: obviously not gonna like it when it has the same core mechanic that I didn’t like. (0:44:32) Micah: - Right. (0:44:35) Micah: There is also something that about the character design (0:44:39) Micah: that I didn’t really love in Porsche or Sandrock, (0:44:44) Micah: but I was more like forgiving obviously with Porsche (0:44:47) Micah: ‘cause it was such a, like at the time it was, (0:44:51) Micah: you know, kind of like unique and exciting thing (0:44:54) Micah: where now this is a little bit more common of a game, (0:44:57) Micah: like a game style and stuff like that. (0:44:59) Micah: So, but. (0:45:02) Micah: It’s just, I don’t know. There’s something about the character design that I didn’t really love. (0:45:06) Micah: And I think for the new thing, this new thing, what is it my time at Evershine? (0:45:10) Al: Evershine, yeah. (0:45:10) Micah: The character design looks so different and like, more aged up. Right, right. (0:45:12) Al: Well, so we just have one image to go by, right? Just to point there, like this could (0:45:18) Al: - because if you look at, for example, the original image that was released for - what (0:45:24) Al: was that game you were talking about before? Why have I forgotten the name of it? The one (0:45:28) Al: you’ve bought but not played yet. The farming game. Yeah, it feels a mystery. If you look (0:45:30) Micah: Oh, fields of mystery. (0:45:32) Al: at the original image, that does not look anything like the game. So you can’t rely (0:45:36) Micah: Yes, you’re right. Absolutely right. (0:45:40) Al: on that first initial image. But yes, it does look very different to the actual art (0:45:48) Al: style of Porsche and Sandrock. So maybe that’s going to do something different? I don’t know. (0:45:48) Micah: Mm hmm. And I should say. (0:45:54) Micah: Yeah, I should say contextually, the you know, the looking at the (0:45:59) Micah: the key art illustrations they’ve had for Portia and for Sandrock, (0:46:03) Micah: the character design in those has matched what the character design is. (0:46:08) Micah: Roughly, you know, like proportions and facial, (0:46:11) Micah: you know, facial features and stuff like that. (0:46:13) Micah: So again, yeah, we don’t know. (0:46:16) Micah: There’s only one image. (0:46:17) Micah: We don’t know what the game actually looks like. (0:46:18) Micah: Based on that, contextually, this feels like it’s it’s going to be a little bit (0:46:25) Micah: more aged up, a little bit more mature looking, maybe feeling. (0:46:29) Micah: So that at on its own intrigues me that it’s, you know, kind of taking (0:46:35) Micah: like a little bit more serious tone with this key art. (0:46:39) Micah: So we’ll see. Maybe it’s not. (0:46:39)

The other half of the podcast is back this week on *Lone Lobos*! Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand return to catch up on their ventures from the past month. Jacob shares his experience working on a K-drama and attending a carpenters' retreat in Latvia, while Xolo talks about attending the US Open. We also bring you a special new weekly addition to the podcast, the Fantasy Football League Weekly Recap!For our *Lobitos Exclusivos*, Monica breaks down her on-set injury, and the team congratulates Jordan on his debut at the 626 Night Market. Lastly, we chat with our summer interns about our Fantasy Football league. Join Supercast Today: https://lonelobos.supercast.com/

Join Melissa Carter on the Paulding County Cast as we dive into this week's hottest stories. Experience the excitement of the upcoming Night Market and Moonlit Movie in downtown Dallas on September 27th, where local vendors and community fun await. Discover how STEM Day is inspiring young minds with hands-on engineering activities for 3rd to 8th graders. Stay informed with updates on the recent thefts at Big Doug's Hiram location and learn how you can help solve this local mystery. We also cover the latest weather forecast for Hiram and Dallas, an arrest report involving former employees from Apple Tree Learning Center, and the thrilling sports results, including the Hiram Hornets' upcoming game. Don't miss this episode packed with all things Paulding County news! SOCIAL: Facebook YouTube Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Community Events01:26 Crime News and Updates02:20 Educational Programs for Students03:17 Supporting Local BusinessesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason chats with Connor Wake, Tony Tran, and Amelie LaRoche.

An investigation is underway in Pacific Beach after a man reportedly drowned. With Labor Day right around the corner, travel experts expect this to be one of the busiest holiday weekends in recent years. To celebrate their 10 year anniversary, the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is hosting a one night only Night Market. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This Week's Panel - n/a Show Discussion - The AH101 panel is taking a break for the summer but we've still got extra content segments to release. This week a better-late-than-never episode of Game Passible. Game Passible - Fream and Koosh return with your October Game Pass leavings predictions. Check out Game Passible to get the most gamerscore from your Game Pass subscription. ----- AH101 Podcast Show Links - https://tinyurl.com/AH101Links Year of the Veiner spreadsheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VkAvMjmVmXLjRWS61eoMimaoovUz7fr7uPsD6DQPIz4/edit?usp=sharing Intro music provided by Exe the Hero. Check out his band Window of Opportunity on Facebook and YouTube

A raid at the Night Market sets our party on a trek through the Under-Sigil as our party dynamic is put into flux. Come join us on Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/ntaEjvc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Consider supporting us on Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndoorAdventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Merch:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠indooradventure.red⁠⁠⁠bubble.com

Episode 434 / Dabin Ahn (b. 1988, Seoul, Korea) received a BFA (2017) and an MFA (2020) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ahn's recent solo exhibitions include Silent Whisper, 1969 Gallery, New York, NY (2024); Staged, Ochi Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2023); 1st Dibs, Artruss, Chicago, IL (2023); ONE-OFF, Shatto Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2022); Liminal Fictions, Selenas Mountain, Ridgewood, NY (2021); and Apocrypha, Chicago Manual Style, Chicago, IL (2020). Selected group exhibitions include Night Market, Christie's, NY (2024); Picnic at Hanging Rock: Chapter II, Sargent's Daughters, LA (2024); I Go To Seek A Great Perhaps, Make Room, LA (2024); 36 Paintings, Harper's, East Hampton, NY (2024); Serenity of Less, RHAA, Chicago, IL (2023); Focal Point, Long Story Short, New York, NY (2023); BIG OBJECTS, Marvin Gardens, Ridgewood, NY (2023); Storage Wars, The Hole, Los Angeles, CA (2023); Composition and Layout, Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami, FL (2022); Best Practices, Edgewood College Gallery, Madison, WI (2022); The Ground Floor Biennial, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL (2020); and The Green Gallery Works, The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI (2020). Ahn's work has appeared in Chicago Magazine, Korea Times, and Chicago Gallery News. Ahn lives and works in Chicago, IL. https://dabinahn.com https://www.instagram.com/dabinahn/

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Finding the Perfect Mooncake: A Night Market Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/finding-the-perfect-mooncake-a-night-market-adventure Story Transcript:Zh: 夏夜的夜市场，在五彩斑斓的灯笼下熙熙攘攘，人声鼎沸。En: The night market on a summer evening was bustling and noisy under the colorful lanterns.Zh: 人们忙着为即将到来的中秋节做准备。En: People were busy preparing for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.Zh: 小明在市场入口处站着，微微焦虑。En: Xiaoming stood at the entrance of the market, feeling a bit anxious.Zh: “小明，你来了。”丽华笑着迎上来。En: "Xiaoming, you're here," Lihua greeted him with a smile.Zh: 她是小明的童年好友，对这个市场熟得不能再熟了。En: She was his childhood friend and knew the market very well.Zh: “我得买一些好月饼送给新老板，否则他会对我印象不好。”小明无奈地说道。En: "I need to buy some good mooncakes for my new boss, or he'll have a bad impression of me," Xiaoming said helplessly.Zh: “别担心，我知道谁的月饼最好，我们去找家俊师傅吧。”丽华自信地说。En: "Don't worry, I know who makes the best mooncakes. Let's go find Master Jiajun," Lihua said confidently.Zh: 他们穿过市场，灯光照亮了琳琅满目的摊位，空气中弥漫着香甜的气味。En: They walked through the market, the lights illuminating the array of stalls, and the air filled with sweet aromas.Zh: 走到一个角落，他们看到了家俊的摊位。En: When they reached a corner, they saw Jiajun's stall.Zh: 家俊正在跟一个顾客争论什么，脸色不太好看。En: Jiajun was arguing with a customer, his face not looking too happy.Zh: 小明深吸一口气，准备上前。En: Xiaoming took a deep breath, preparing to approach.Zh: “小明，冷静，要真诚。”丽华低声提醒。En: "Xiaoming, stay calm and be sincere," Lihua reminded him in a low voice.Zh: 小明点点头，走上前。En: Xiaoming nodded and stepped forward.Zh: “家俊师傅，我想买一些您的月饼送给我的新老板，En: "Master Jiajun, I'd like to buy some of your mooncakes to give to my new boss.Zh: 他非常挑剔。”他说得很诚恳。En: He's very particular," he said earnestly.Zh: 家俊师傅抬头看了看小明，又看了看正在旁边冷静地劝说的丽华。En: Master Jiajun looked up at Xiaoming, then at Lihua, who was calmly persuading the customer nearby.Zh: 他撇了撇嘴说：“看你的样子，也是诚心诚意的。En: He pursed his lips and said, "You seem sincere enough.Zh: 好吧，我只剩下几盒，你要几盒？”En: Alright, I only have a few boxes left. How many do you need?"Zh: 小明一听松了口气，连忙说道：“我要两盒，您能给我吗？”En: Xiaoming breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "I'd like two boxes, could you spare them?"Zh: 家俊点点头，递给了小明两盒包装精美的月饼。En: Master Jiajun nodded and handed Xiaoming two beautifully packaged boxes of mooncakes.Zh: “祝你事业顺利。”En: "Wish you success in your career."Zh: “谢谢您，家俊师傅！”小明感激地说道。En: "Thank you, Master Jiajun!" Xiaoming said gratefully.Zh: 丽华看着小明，眼中闪烁着骄傲的光芒。En: Lihua looked at Xiaoming, her eyes shining with pride.Zh: 她拍了拍小明的肩膀说：“看吧，我说你可以的。”En: She patted his shoulder and said, "See, I told you you could do it."Zh: 走出夜市场，小明觉得自己变得更自信了。En: As they walked out of the night market, Xiaoming felt more confident.Zh: 他发现只要真诚，用心，很多困境都能解决。En: He realized that as long as he was sincere and put his heart into it, many difficulties could be resolved.Zh: 而他和丽华的友谊也因此更加深厚。En: And his friendship with Lihua grew even deeper as a result.Zh: 夜市场的灯光依旧闪烁，空气中弥漫着节日的气氛。En: The lights of the night market still flickered, and the festive atmosphere filled the air.Zh: 小明拿着月饼，心情愉快，准备迎接一个美好的中秋节。En: With mooncakes in hand, Xiaoming felt happy and ready to welcome a wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival.Zh: 故事就是这样结束的。En: And that's how the story ends. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 熙熙攘攘lanterns: 灯笼anxious: 焦虑helplessly: 无奈地particular: 挑剔earnestly: 诚恳persuading: 劝说pursed: 撇嘴sincere: 真诚boxes: 盒festive: 节日的array: 琳琅满目stalls: 摊位aromas: 气味corner: 角落arguing: 争论customer: 顾客calm: 冷静spare: 给gratefully: 感激地friendship: 友谊flickered: 闪烁entered: 进入preparing: 准备smile: 笑confidently: 自信地array: 排illuminating: 照亮sweet: 香甜persuading: 规劝

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Anything can be bought or sold at the Night Market. A dozen hummingbird tongues curled like tiny snails, basted in honey and chili oil and served on a silver tray. A mermaid's song, caught in an antique bottle of smoked glass. | © 2024 by Vanessa Fogg. Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff has questions about the dead internet theory, Shuddy Boy is training like a maniac for his boxing match, Kevin and Geoff made their yearly 626 Night Market visit and Kevin is counting down the days until he can move from his mold infested Poopslime Alley adjacent apartment.

大腸包小腸 dà cháng bāo xiǎo cháng - small sausage wrapped in large sausage 攤販 tān fàn - street vendor 香腸 xiāng cháng - sausage 糯米腸 nuò mǐ cháng - glutinous rice sausage 切開 qiē kāi - cut open 夾住 jiā zhù - hold (between) 塗抹 tú mǒ - spread 醬油膏 jiàng yóu gāo - soy paste 醬料 jiàng liào - sauce 生大蒜 shēng dà suàn - raw garlic 酸菜 suān cài - pickled cabbage 必吃 bì chī - must eat 蚵仔煎 é ā jiān - oyster omelet 平底鍋 píng dǐ guō - skillet 油 yóu - oil 燒熱 shāo rè - heat up 蚵仔 é ā - oyster (in Taiwanese dialect) 攪拌 jiǎo bàn - stir 雞蛋 jī dàn - egg 蔬菜 shū cài - vegetables 淋上 lín shàng - drizzle 澱粉漿 diàn fěn jiāng - starch slurry 勾芡 gōu qiàn - thicken with starch 盛起 chéng qǐ - serve up 特製醬料 tè zhì jiàng liào - special sauce 配上 pèi shàng - pair with 美味 měi wèi - delicious 蝦仁煎 xiā rén jiān - shrimp omelet 蝦仁 xiā rén - shrimp 豆乳雞 dòu rǔ jī - fermented tofu chicken 豆腐乳 dòu fu rǔ - fermented tofu 醃 yān - marinate 油炸 yóu zhà - deep-fry 嫩 nèn - tender 香酥 xiāng sū - crispy 多汁 duō zhī - juicy 鹽酥雞 yán sū jī - salt and pepper chicken 地瓜球 dì guā qiú - sweet potato ball 木薯粉 mù shǔ fěn - tapioca starch 脆皮 cuì pí - crispy skin 空心 kōng xīn - hollow Ｑ彈 q tán - chewy 剉冰 cuò bīng - shaved ice 黑糖珍珠 hēi táng zhēn zhū - brown sugar pearls 讚 zàn - awesome Follow me on Instagram: fangfang.chineselearning !

Westown Association Executive Director Stacy Callies joins Wisconsin

In the shortened noon hour of today's show: -(00:34) Now at Noon: The Biden Administration awards $85 million to 21 states, including Wisconsin, to help with affordable housing, the Bucks own the 23rd overall pick in Night 1 of the NBA Draft tonight, and a new AP Poll reveals that 6 in 10 U.S. adults are likely to watch Thursday

KCBS Radio's Foodie Chap Liam Mayclem is here to discuss this weekend's events from a Bacon Fest at the Saw Shop in Kelseyville to the Alameda County Fair and the Chinatown Night Market in San Francisco.

This week, we're bringing you a show we recorded with LAist in Orange County, CA, one of the richest food scenes in the US. We talk to award-winning journalist Gustavo Arellano about the evolution of OC's culinary scene, the immigrant influences, and how its diverse foodways continue to be embraced by the different generations. Gustavo is the Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America and his latest, A People's Guide to Orange County; then, Chefs Brenda and Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue join the stage to talk about making Texas barbecue in CA and making it their own and then, Kenneth Nguyen, host of The Vietnamese Podcast and Patricia Huang, former general manager of the famous Asian 626 Night Market, talk about Orange County's Asian street food culture. Broadcast dates for this episode:February 23, 2024 (originally aired)Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.