Podcasts about Rune Factory

I reviewed the Switch 2 and Steam versions of this great entry to the Run Factory franchise!

This week on NintenDomain, we all got Switch 2s! We bring you all the impressions of Mario Kart World, Deltarune, Bravely Default, Hitman, Welcome Tour, Street Fighter 6, and so much more! Support the show at: www.patreon.com/nintendomainpodcast Music: Intro: Deltarune: The Legend Break 1: Mario Kart World: Dino Dino Jungle Break 2: Mario Kart World: Boo Cinema Outro: Mario Kart World: Rainbow Road Section 4 Topic Times: 00:02:26 Purchasing the Switch 2 01:00:40 Mario Kart World 01:27:30 Welcome Tour 01:36:51 Switch 2 Games we played on Switch 2 02:14:58 Switch 1 Games we played on Switch 2      

Bazinga. Discussed: Brendon is back!, the Switch 2, this post on bsky,  Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Elden Ring Nightreign, The Summer Game Fest Problem by Brendon for Wavelengths, We're Really Just Going Through With All This, Aren't We by Luke Plunkett for Aftermath, Consume Me, The award that changes the lives of its winners by Chris Plante for Post Games, Mina the Hollower, Silksong is not out yet, video game "Free Bird", Galak-z, The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.online Buy some NEW merch if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.online Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast --- Follow Stephen Hilger: https://stephenhilgerart.com/ Follow Brendon Bigley: https://bsky.app/profile/bb.wavelengths.online Produced by AJ Fillari: https://bsky.app/profile/ajfillari.bsky.social --- Season 7 cover art by Scout Wilkinson: https://scoutwilkinson.myportfolio.com/ Theme song by Will LaPorte: https://ghostdown.online/ --- Timecodes: ~~TIMES MAY BE OFF DUE TO DYNAMIC AD PLACEMENTS~~ (00:00) - Brendon is back! (01:41) - The Switch 2 | The juice is worth the sqWiiz (08:37) - Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time | Brought to you by Japanese Wi-fi (38:31) - Break (38:33) - Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (01:10:16) - Break (01:10:18) - The state of SGF, briefly (01:13:21) -

Follow us on BlueSky! https://bsky.app/profile/gigaboots.com https://youtu.be/-XwBHcJk4t0 Podlord Song: https://youtu.be/jdkTdaNJsvs Industry Burning Down Song: https://youtu.be/6XJmalxng0Q Become a podlord or normal patron today! http://www.patreon.com/GBPodcasts RSS Feed: https://gbpods.podbean.com/ Kris' BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/kriswolfheart.bsky.social Dr. Aggro's BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/draggro.bsky.social Bob's BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gigabob.bsky.social GB Main Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/gigaboots GB Fan Discord: https://discord.gg/XAGcxBk #DoomTheDarkAges #Borderlands4 #Warhammer Tags: gigaboots,big think dimension,weekly gaming news podcast,borderlands 4 price,$80 video games,marathon,top 5 selling games,Mario Kart World,Doom the Dark Ages,Doom 3,Doom Eternal,Doom 2016,Mega Man Network Transmission,Rune Factory guardians of Azuma,ratshaker,kidbash super legend,survival kids,NSO,Six One Indie Showcase,To a T,Capcom Fighting Collection 2

Trant hat die Zukunft von DOOM selbst erlebt – und sie liegt in der Vergangenheit! Genau genommen in den DARK AGES. Fabian war derweil in der DDR, hat das ungewöhnliche KARMA: THE DARK WORLD gespielt. Gregor wiederum erzählt uns eine neue STORY OF SEASONS, war außerdem in der RUNE FACTORY. Zurück ins 16-Bit-Zeitalter geht es bei RENDERING RANGER: R2 [REWIND]. Die erstaunlich vielen Themen der letzten NINTENDO DIRECT wie METROID PRIME 4: BEYOND, MARVEL COSMIC INVASION und RHYTHM PARADISE GROOVE runden diesen GAME TALK ab. Viel Freude damit!

Kev and Codey talk about Cinnabunny Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:03:07: I Know What You Released Last Month 00:06:45: What Have We Been Up To 00:23:19: Game News 00:52:48: New Games 01:02:27: Cinnabunny 01:34:10: Outro Links Elusive Kickstarter Disney Dreamlight Valley Tales of Agrabah Travellers Rest 0.7 Update Resarch Story 0.12 Update Horticular Frozen Frontier DLC Stardew Valley Merch Oppidum Ashwood Valley Farming Simulator VR Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Kev: Hello farmers and welcome to the harvest season on Kevin and with me today is (0:00:37) Codey: Cody! (0:00:39) Kev: Whoo, we’re here to talk about cod score games. Whoo. There’s somewhere in there put those things in the right order (0:00:40) Codey: Woo! (0:00:43) Codey: Woo! Ow, ow, ow! (0:00:47) Kev: Hungry like that man hungry like the wolf already going off in the first change a deal. I’d like to rant around (0:00:52) Kev: But what a good it’s been (0:00:53) Codey: I love Duran Duran. (0:00:56) Kev: So good (0:00:57) Codey: I grew up on Duran Duran. (0:00:59) Kev: I grew up (0:01:00) Kev: on a lot of 80s because I know that’s what my parents listened to and that just transferred over (0:01:05) Kev: to me right um so a lot of fondness for those groups um but yeah her name is rio and she’s (0:01:10) Codey: Mm hmm. She dances on the sand, man. (0:01:13) Kev: dancing on the sand don’t you know yeah oh man um it it kind of paints me how many of these bands (0:01:22) Kev: that i’ve never actually going to see in concert that I enjoy right because we’re all you know (0:01:26) Codey: Oh my god, I’ve never thought of that. Why did you just do that to me? (0:01:31) Kev: the one I mean yeah I would kill for a hall of notes concert but I don’t know when that’ll happen (0:01:41) Kev: I need hachi are they touring I don’t know you know because they make money so um maybe they’re (0:01:49) Kev: still touring I don’t know oh apparently they’re touring hall of notes in canada and houston and (0:01:56) Kev: And Santa Tony would say, “Well, keep tuned, listen to me.” (0:02:00) Kev: And he was like, “Will Kevin get to see Hall & Oates in concert? Maybe.” (0:02:06) Kev: Anyways, well, we’re actually here to talk about not just reverence for the ’80s, (0:02:10) Kev: but we are here to talk about College Corps games, in particular Cinnabunny, (0:02:18) Kev: the bunny-baking game, action RPG game, throwing all those genre modifiers in there. (0:02:26) Codey: the bunny baking action RPG, the way that you said that makes me think that you bake something and then that’s like a weapon that you use to defeat evil. And I’m so looking forward to discussing how that’s incorporated into the game. Right? (0:02:34) Kev: Oh my gosh, I’d be sick that would be so sick doing ear combos with a baguette (0:02:51) Kev: It is RPG though, I mean you are doing actions, you can fly planes. (0:03:04) Kev: Alright but before we get to that we got news, we got other stuff, and you know what, I missed (0:03:10) Kev: the last episode or two, do we formalize this segment name, I know what you released last (0:03:14) Kev: month, yeah I remember you did it, yes, yes, yeah, yeah I don’t think that, I haven’t seen (0:03:14) Codey: Well, so we did it at the end of January and I think that’s what we joked that the thing (0:03:23) Codey: would be called. (0:03:24) Codey: And so now I think that’s what it is. (0:03:26) Codey: So it’s “I know what you released last month.” (0:03:31) Codey: Ooooooh! (0:03:32) Kev: those numbers, but here we go. Let’s see what the scary thing is. (0:03:34) Kev: What came out in February of 2025? Well, first of all, Cinnabonnie did (0:03:46) Kev: indeed release in just the past few weeks. I will get to play that game, but it’s (0:03:51) Kev: good. It’s on Steam right now only for Windows. Sadly, no Mac or whatever. It is (0:03:58) Kev: only $24.99 USD. I think it’s a great buy at that price. Obviously, I will get into (0:04:04) Kev: it more later, but the price. We got Pixel Cross Rune Factory on Switch and Steam, (0:04:13) Kev: again, Windows only, for $12 USD. This is the Not Pick Cross, because it’s a brand, (0:04:19) Kev: but same type of game. We covered it before. There’s some money for Pixel Cross on (0:04:25) Kev: Harvest Moon, but now this is the Rune Factory iteration, which is interesting. (0:04:30) Kev: Well, it’s so interesting, who knows, maybe somebody will talk about it on a shirt. (0:04:36) Kev: We also have echoes of the Plum Grove. We’ve got the Switch version. It has already been out on Steam for Windows and Mac. (0:04:46) Kev: It is $19.99 USD, 40% off until March 12th. So that’s like a week after you guys are listening to this, so get to it. (0:04:58) Codey: Yeah, and part of that is the women’s day (0:05:03) Codey: Sale so on yeah on Steam right now is the women’s day sale and that goes in through March 9th and that is honoring (0:05:04) Kev: Oh, is that what it is? Okay, cool cool. (0:05:12) Codey: Studios that are led either by women or by gender minor gender identifying minorities (0:05:19) Codey: So yeah (0:05:20) Codey: So I think that’s at least 20 percent because everything on the women’s day sale is 20 percent (0:05:24) Codey: so at least 20% of the 40% off on the echoes of the bum grove is (0:05:25) Kev: - Yeah. (0:05:28) Codey: for the women’s day sale, but but yeah. (0:05:30) Kev: Yeah, and this one is, (0:05:35) Kev: well, it’s a lot more traditional-esque, cozy, (0:05:39) Kev: stardew stuff. (0:05:41) Kev: But it’s notable because it has a very cute, (0:05:42) Kev: almost Paper Mario art style. (0:05:46) Kev: So that is almost worth checking out for that alone, (0:05:49) Kev: I think, I love that art style, right? (0:05:52) Kev: But yeah, you’re farming. (0:05:53) Kev: It looks kind of like in a– (0:05:55) Kev: Victorian Englandy colonial America setting, but yeah, check that out. (0:06:02) Kev: I might check that out. That’s interesting, actually, now that I look at it closely. (0:06:07) Kev: Wow, all these things I’ll be checking out because the last one, for sure. (0:06:12) Kev: We got Amber Isle on the switch for $24.99 USD. (0:06:16) Kev: Finally on the switch. I’d been wanting that for a while. I’ll get to it soon, I hope. (0:06:21) Kev: That’s the dinosaur crossing, basically. (0:06:25) Kev: Then I like dinosaurs and then I get one crossing, so right up my alley. (0:06:30) Kev: That’s been out on Steam for a while, but we got the Switch version, which, yeah, makes (0:06:35) Kev: sense. (0:06:36) Kev: Good fit. (0:06:38) Kev: And yeah, that is what has come out in the last month. (0:06:43) Kev: And before we get into other game news and updates and whatnot, Cody, what have you been (0:06:48) Codey: I have been playing a lot of the games (0:06:51) Codey: that I have continued to talk about on previous episodes. (0:06:54) Codey: But I just realized, in danger of leading a tangent, (0:07:02) Codey: that you like Marvel. (0:07:04) Codey: And two or three days ago, my Adderall told me– (0:07:10) Codey: which I’m now on Adderall. (0:07:11) Codey: It’s lovely. (0:07:12) Codey: My Adderall told me, hey, you haven’t watched the Marvel (0:07:15) Codey: movies in a while. (0:07:15) Codey: And so I watched all of phase one. (0:07:16) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:07:18) Codey: In one day, yeah, so let me, let me look at, look at my list for that. (0:07:19) Kev: Whoa, whoa, I mean Wow (0:07:27) Codey: So folks might not know what I’m talking about. (0:07:27) Kev: Okay, first of all (0:07:30) Kev: First of all, that’s that’s a lot of movie right? Um (0:07:33) Codey: It was there’s so good. (0:07:35) Kev: But second of all, those are also almost all really good. Look, you know (0:07:40) Codey: I think that I’m going to have to skip some later on, but I don’t know. (0:07:43) Codey: We’ll see. (0:07:43) Codey: So phase one, the infinity saga includes iron man, the 2008 iron man, (0:07:48) Codey: incredible Hulk, uh, Iron Man two Thor captain America, the first Avenger (0:07:52) Codey: and the Avengers, um, I am now in phase two. (0:07:56) Kev: Wait, Thor? You said Thor right there, didn’t I hear you? (0:07:57) Codey: I said, Thor. (0:07:58) Codey: Yeah, I am now in phase two, which is Iron Man three Thor, the dark world, (0:08:03) Codey: captain America, winter soldiers. (0:08:05) Codey: I’ve already watched. (0:08:05) Codey: I watched those three yesterday. (0:08:08) Kev: Well, see, this is when things get interesting, because we get to the highest of high and lowest of lows in this spread. (0:08:14) Codey: Yeah. (0:08:14) Codey: So the next one is guardians of the galaxy. (0:08:18) Codey: And then Ultron and then Ant-Man. (0:08:20) Codey: So yeah, I think everything in the first saga phase one is was gold. (0:08:26) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:08:26) Codey: I liked it. (0:08:27) Codey: I mean, I don’t like captain America at all, but like that was an okay (0:08:28) Kev: It’s the (0:08:30) Codey: movie, whatever, um, Correct. (0:08:31) Kev: It’s the reason it worked like I mean the whole reason the MCU exists if the phase one had failed at any point (0:08:39) Kev: We would not it would not be here today (0:08:42) Codey: Iron Man three chef’s kiss, no notes. (0:08:44) Codey: I love that movie. (0:08:44) Codey: And then the Thor, second Thor and second Captain America movies. (0:08:48) Codey: I could probably, I couldn’t tell you much about what happened in those movies. (0:08:52) Kev: That’s fine. (0:08:52) Codey: So excited for guardians of the galaxy though. (0:08:55) Codey: Later. (0:08:56) Kev: Guardians is good. (0:08:58) Kev: Guardians is good. (0:08:58) Codey: So yeah, I’ve been doing that. (0:09:00) Codey: That’s one thing I’ve been up to. (0:09:00) Kev: Man. (0:09:02) Kev: Oh, man, what? (0:09:03) Codey: What is your favorite MCU movie? (0:09:04) Kev: Oh, that’s… (0:09:06) Kev: You know, I’m going to go with original Avengers, 2012 Avengers. (0:09:10) Codey: Yeah, it was, it was real good. (0:09:12) Kev: Because one, it’s good. (0:09:14) Kev: And two, it’s like… (0:09:16) Kev: It’s a handful of things because I was in a Marvel fan before the MCU, right? (0:09:20) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:09:22) Kev: Deep, deep, and I knew dumb characters and stuff like that, right? (0:09:26) Kev: So this was a moment of, like, I can’t believe this is actually happening. (0:09:30) Kev: I can’t believe I live in a world where Avengers have taken center stage in a hit blockbuster Hollywood movie. (0:09:40) Kev: And also, I mean, just everything works, right? (0:09:42) Kev: They built up to it correctly, and it’s a big cast, and they still manage to play around, and everyone gets their moments. (0:09:48) Kev: moment. It’s, it’s, it’s a chef’s kiss. (0:09:52) Codey: I did also, I think it was either in this movie or in Ironman 3, I can’t remember, but like someone comes forward and is like talking about how they’re watching. I think someone from S.H.I.E.L.D., maybe, I don’t know, they’re like, we’ve been watching all the big characters like Oni Stark, duh duh duh duh, and then he says Steven Strange and okay, cool and Dr. Strange isn’t even in this phase, so it’s like a drop, like it’s a name drop that people who would know. (0:10:02) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:10:06) Kev: Yeah (0:10:09) Kev: That is that is from Captain America the second one. Mm-hmm (0:10:16) Kev: Yeah (0:10:19) Kev: It it is (0:10:22) Codey: I was like, did we miss, did I skip that movie because, but no, it’s way later, so. (0:10:22) Kev: Yeah (0:10:24) Kev: No (0:10:27) Kev: Yeah, and it’s it’s really funny because it makes no sense because up to at that point because you know (0:10:32) Kev: Taking more or less place in real time (0:10:34) Codey: - Yeah. (0:10:35) Kev: He’s literally just a doctor. I don’t know why they (0:10:39) Codey: Yeah, like why do they, why are they, yeah. (0:10:39) Kev: but (0:10:41) Kev: He’s too good of a doctor I don’t know because he looks too much like Benedict Cumberbatch, I guess I don’t know (0:10:42) Codey: Why do they care about him? (0:10:43) Codey: He’s just doing his thing. (0:10:45) Codey: - So. (0:10:49) Codey: - I like bumper sticker, cabbage patch. (0:10:51) Codey: That’s my favorite Benedict Cumberbatch name thing. (0:10:54) Kev: Oh, that’s a good one. I’ve always been Benedict Cumberland myself. (0:10:59) Codey: - Oh, Cumberbund, that’s another really good one. (0:11:02) Codey: - Okay, so the games that I’ve been playing, (0:11:05) Codey: I’m gonna just run through them really quick. (0:11:06) Codey: I am still playing Animal Crossing, pocket camp complete, (0:11:10) Codey: and I am now level 105. (0:11:14) Codey: I think previously I was in the sixties. (0:11:17) Codey: So I’ve been playing it. (0:11:18) Kev: Oh dang. Oh dang. (0:11:21) Codey: Still playing mini, mini farm. (0:11:23) Codey: I am in the last area now (0:11:24) Codey: and I just need to buy the last house. (0:11:28) Codey: The story has progressed, but I still have questions. (0:11:31) Codey: So it’s– (0:11:31) Kev: I’m, I’m, I’m, you close my mind, there’s a story to it. (0:11:35) Codey: It’s intriguing enough, yeah, for sure. (0:11:38) Codey: Still playing Honey Grove as well. (0:11:41) Codey: I mean, the game loop of that game is you’re planting stuff, (0:11:46) Codey: you’re getting resources, you’re clearing the area (0:11:50) Codey: around your hive so you can decorate it. (0:11:52) Codey: And then there’s a map that you’re (0:11:54) Codey: clearing by the adventures of your bees. (0:11:58) Codey: So I am just pretty much just going through the map. (0:12:04) Codey: Clearing stuff at this point, but it all takes time. (0:12:07) Codey: It’s always usually at least three hours for your bees (0:12:08) Kev: Okay. Okay. (0:12:11) Codey: to be sent out on a mission. (0:12:13) Codey: But it’s just a fun little– (0:12:16) Codey: I jump on it. (0:12:16) Codey: I spend maybe five minutes getting everything done. (0:12:19) Codey: And then I play it later that evening, so it’s fine. (0:12:24) Codey: The final thing is Bug and Seek, which I don’t know (0:12:27) Codey: if I’ve mentioned on– (0:12:28) Codey: well, I think we’ve mentioned it on the pod last time I was on (0:12:32) Codey: as this is now out. (0:12:34) Codey: So it’s basically you come to a town (0:12:35) Kev: Okay, due to I’ve seen I heard that I don’t remember do tell me what it is (0:12:47) Codey: to revive the insectarium of the town, which is basically (0:12:53) Codey: the insect zoo of the town. (0:12:55) Codey: And your whole job is to walk around this town (0:12:59) Codey: and collect insects and give people– (0:13:02) Codey: some people are like, oh, man, I really (0:13:03) Codey: want this for my collection. (0:13:04) Codey: And some people are like, these cucumber beetles are eating my plants, bring me three (0:13:09) Codey: dead ones to show that you’ve like murdered them or something. (0:13:13) Kev: bring bring me the trophies of your your kill of the hunt so we can parade it (0:13:13) Codey: Because they’re like upset. (0:13:16) Codey: Exactly. (0:13:18) Codey: And like, so there’s multiple so we can put them on posts to warn any other cucumber beetles. (0:13:20) Kev: around the village square (0:13:24) Kev: yes (0:13:26) Codey: Um, yeah, no, so it’s basically just an entire town that is all very conscious of insects. (0:13:33) Codey: and I am here for it. (0:13:35) Codey: There are like, you can buy tanks at a couple different stores. (0:13:39) Codey: You, that you catch insects in a bunch of different terrains. (0:13:43) Codey: Like you either get them out of trees. (0:13:44) Codey: They’re either flying around, they might be under a rock in grass, like whatever. (0:13:50) Codey: Um, and you are trying to revive the insectarium and fill it back in the (0:13:55) Codey: zoo, because apparently someone in the great bug heist of the previous year, (0:14:02) Codey: someone just like stole everything. (0:14:04) Codey: And you’re trying to figure out who, who done it. (0:14:08) Codey: It’s like a who done it as well. (0:14:10) Kev: - Okay. (0:14:11) Codey: Because you’re, you go through and you’re like, someone’s like, Oh, this guy looked (0:14:14) Codey: really shady. (0:14:16) Codey: And so you go and you’re like, what the heck? (0:14:17) Codey: And he’s like, Oh, but I was, I have an alibi for that night. (0:14:20) Codey: But this girl, like she, she was saying some bad things. (0:14:24) Codey: And so it’s all about. (0:14:25) Kev: gosh, so I’m, I’m, I’m looking at the trailer and there’s like, (0:14:27) Codey: Yeah. (0:14:28) Codey: Yeah. (0:14:28) Kev: literally like a notebook where you’re jotting down your clue (0:14:29) Codey: Yeah. (0:14:30) Codey: Yeah. (0:14:32) Kev: notes to figure out who did it. That’s incredible. (0:14:34) Codey: It’s so fun and you could totally just run around and catch all the bugs if you want. (0:14:41) Codey: And there’s also an entomologic, wait, Institute, it’s called like EEII or something, but it’s (0:14:49) Codey: like basically the museum and it’s something for insect in excellence or something. (0:14:54) Codey: I don’t know. (0:14:55) Codey: It was amazing. (0:14:56) Kev: » This is incredible. I’m going to do this. I’m going to do this. I’m going to do this. (0:14:56) Codey: I think it’s entomological Institute for insect excellence and I, I love it. (0:15:05) Codey: I love this game. (0:15:06) Codey: So, uh, I’m going to, I’m a promissor y’all know me. (0:15:08) Codey: I’m the promissor of the podcast and I promise we’re going to have an episode on this. (0:15:12) Kev: I mean, you don’t even have to, like, that’s, I think, just a given by anyone who knows. (0:15:16) Codey: It’s a given. (0:15:18) Kev: Um, so I’m looking at it, it’s very simple sprite art style, it’s very cute, um, everyone (0:15:23) Kev: just has like little rectangle eyes, no other facial features, um, this is good, I love (0:15:28) Codey: But the bugs, the bugs are like legit and as you catch more of like the different categories and they have wasps and bees in like different categories, which is just chef’s kiss and like there’s just, I can’t, I can’t go on enough about this game. (0:15:29) Kev: this. (0:15:30) Kev: Yeah, they’re detailed. (0:15:38) Kev: as it should be. (0:15:46) Kev: Well, you’ll have to at some point. (0:15:46) Codey: So, yeah, look forward to that, folks. Kev, what have you been up to? (0:15:51) Kev: And I just want to say that’s only 15 USD, and it’s on switch. (0:15:54) Codey: I know! And I have it on Switch! (0:15:58) Codey: Yeah, okay. (0:15:59) Kev: That’s impressive. (0:16:00) Kev: Okay. (0:16:01) Kev: Um, so what have I been up to? (0:16:04) Kev: Okay. (0:16:05) Kev: First of all, Pokemon Day happened. (0:16:07) Kev: The Pokemon Presents. (0:16:08) Kev: We did. (0:16:09) Kev: We have a greenhouse on it. (0:16:10) Kev: Um, you saw it, uh, Cody? (0:16:12) Codey: I, I like skimmed something, I saw the highlights, um, I didn’t really like look that much into (0:16:16) Kev: Okay. (0:16:17) Kev: We saw the highlights. (0:16:18) Kev: Um. (0:16:19) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:16:20) Kev: Okay. (0:16:21) Kev: Yeah. (0:16:21) Codey: the ZA stuff, but I listened to your guys’s prediction app, but not the response app. (0:16:22) Kev: We didn’t actually, we should have probably, like, whilst examined, you know, gone back (0:16:34) Kev: and see if we got right or wrong. (0:16:35) Kev: I don’t know why we didn’t think about it, but, um. (0:16:37) Codey: I mean, that’s totally fine. I think the funniest thing was that I was literally I opened Pokemon Pocket while I was listening and to that episode and I opened it and I was like, Oh, there’s a new pack and then literally like immediately after I thought that Al was like, and I’m sure Pokemon Pockets going to have a new pack come out and I was like, Oh, my God, it’s so funny, it was so funny. (0:16:44) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:16:56) Kev: Yep, there were a few we got right, there’s no doubt about that. (0:17:02) Kev: I believe, gosh did I say it on that episode where if we were going to get a new side game (0:17:07) Kev: it was going to be mobile and Switch maybe. (0:17:11) Codey: Yeah, I think you did say something like that. (0:17:14) Kev: And there we go, we got champions. (0:17:15) Codey: So yeah, tell me about it. (0:17:16) Kev: Anyways, so anyways, I’m bringing it up because, for anyone who didn’t see one of the, in ZA, (0:17:26) Kev: starters, is Totodile. (0:17:30) Kev: And I’ve seen a lot of fan art and because there’s a description of Totodile on the website (0:17:35) Kev: and just talk about, like he’s always just that empty, he wants to bite everything, right? (0:17:41) Kev: And I just want to say, I have one of those at home. (0:17:44) Kev: I know what it’s like to live with that because I have a puppy and he’s growing up, but he (0:17:47) Kev: is still just that empty biked every time. (0:17:52) Codey: he just bites everything he’s just a mouth oh yeah they get good at it (0:17:54) Kev: basically. I… (0:17:56) Kev: and he just he does it so fast so nonchalant when I take him on a walk (0:18:01) Kev: he’ll just you know just walk and just sideswipe grabs a pinecone out of no (0:18:06) Kev: um yes but anyways yeah (0:18:09) Codey: so listeners anytime we mentioned an animal in the pod there’s gonna be a (0:18:14) Codey: picture of it on the slack so have will have will post a picture on the slack (0:18:15) Kev: I’ll put it up yeah I’ll post lucky um he is he’s growing up he’s becoming a big (0:18:23) Codey: No (0:18:24) Kev: He lifted his leg when he- (0:18:26) Codey: Oh Remus doesn’t even do that (0:18:26) Kev: and he peed the other day for the first time. (0:18:30) Kev: Umm, sorry. (0:18:32) Kev: Yeah. (0:18:33) Codey: Remus is 14 (0:18:34) Kev: Oh, my goodness. (0:18:36) Codey: he’s still squatty bodies (0:18:38) Kev: No. (0:18:41) Kev: Oh, I don’t know. (0:18:44) Kev: Well, I don’t know if it’ll stick. I only saw it once, but, uh, but yeah, that’s, uh, that’s lucky. (0:18:48) Kev: Um, uh, other than that, um, I’ve been a little bit very busy work-wise, so, not too much game-wise. (0:18:55) Kev: Obviously, I’ve been playing since– (0:18:56) Kev: in a bunny as much as I could to talk about it. (0:19:00) Kev: And we’ll get there. (0:19:01) Kev: The other one that– (0:19:03) Kev: I have my usual stuff. (0:19:06) Kev: Zendless and Pokemon Unite and yada, yada, all regular. (0:19:10) Kev: The only one of real interest is Marvel Snap. (0:19:14) Kev: So they came out with a new mode called Sanctum Showdown. (0:19:18) Kev: And I just want to talk about it because I think it’s very fun. (0:19:22) Kev: So in Marvel Snap, for people who don’t know, (0:19:25) Kev: you have three locations. (0:19:26) Kev: And you win the game at the end of turn six or seven or whatever. (0:19:31) Kev: Whoever– and you just– (0:19:33) Kev: it’s points, right? (0:19:34) Kev: Whoever has the most points win the location. (0:19:35) Kev: So you’re trying to win the most locations, (0:19:37) Kev: two out of three locations or whatever. (0:19:40) Kev: In this mode, the Sanctum Showdown, they change it up. (0:19:44) Kev: What it is is every turn, you get– (0:19:50) Kev: basically, each location has a number of points assigned to it. (0:19:54) Kev: There will be like two locations, one and a third. (0:19:56) Kev: One with four points or something like that. (0:20:00) Kev: So instead of trying to win them after a certain number of turns, (0:20:02) Kev: you’re trying to win as many points as you can every single turn. (0:20:07) Kev: So you want to build fast and early. (0:20:10) Kev: It’s fun, you know, getting, you know, getting too deep into the weeds. (0:20:13) Kev: It’s just I, you know, anytime you have a long, I’m running game or whatever (0:20:20) Kev: and they introduce a new mode, it’s always a breath of fresh air, right? (0:20:23) Kev: I’ve been enjoying it. (0:20:25) Kev: The only… (0:20:27) Kev: I’d complain about is, so there’s these rewards right, you get special (0:20:32) Kev: sanctum fund bucks basically, a special currency just for this mode and you get special, there’s (0:20:36) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:20:37) Kev: a shop for this mode. The rate they give it out is horrible. What they want you to do (0:20:43) Kev: is to go on twitch and to put on marvel snap streamers and they’ll give you (0:20:49) Kev: currency for doing that. Which is so… yeah. (0:20:53) Codey: Yeah, that’s a yic, that’s an ick for sure. (0:20:57) Kev: Um, because yeah, um, some of the other guys that I was talking to, they uh, they said, “Oh yeah, (0:21:02) Kev: I’ve got a bunch of rewards after I did that.” I was like, “Well, I guess I might have to (0:21:06) Kev: put it on somewhere in the background and not watch.” Um, but that’s… yeah. Um. (0:21:10) Codey: Yeah, I mean I think that that’s cool for like as an option (0:21:14) Codey: But I feel like they should have another option that does not require you to watch people on switch or twitch (0:21:21) Kev: Mm-hmm. I am of the wild opinion that if you play the game you shoot the robots (0:21:27) Codey: No, no, no, this is a Marvel game they have to put it in five different places so that you you have to be (0:21:34) Codey: Some stuff you only get from you know because they they got TV shows they got (0:21:37) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:21:39) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:21:40) Codey: This we’re not in phase one anymore. We’re in phase (0:21:42) Kev: Yeah, it’s whatever (0:21:44) Kev: We’re in we’re y’all say what phase we’re in phase (0:21:48) Kev: Fantastic force coming, that’s what fish in it (0:21:50) Codey: Oh God, is it? (0:21:52) Kev: Oh, have you seen anything about it? (0:21:55) Kev: So it’s coming this year. We got the fantastic four and I don’t know if you’ve seen the cast but Pedro Pascal is mr. Fantastic. I (0:22:02) Codey: Oh, okay, I’m watching it (0:22:04) Kev: Knew that’s why I brought it in because I knew you I’d sell you right away (0:22:11) Kev: So and just a side note about that I (0:22:15) Kev: Obviously, I love Pedro Pascal because who on earth doesn’t because he’s an incredible human and actor (0:22:17) Codey: Yeah. (0:22:20) Codey: Yeah (0:22:21) Kev: I’m all down for that and you know getting more Latino (0:22:25) Kev: Accu-whatever. That’s great. Right? The only the only small call my have is it’s mr. Fantastic (0:22:30) Kev: why in my head should be the most wonderbred white boy pasty nerd ever but (0:22:39) Kev: But what what can we do? It’s Pedro Pascal (0:22:41) Codey: But that’s Captain America. (0:22:43) Codey: Captain America is the one that’s (0:22:44) Codey: supposed to be Wonder Bread. (0:22:46) Kev: Yeah, that’s true. Oh, well, I mean who cares it’s (0:22:49) Codey: But I guess this is DC, isn’t it? (0:22:51) Codey: This is like a completely different– (0:22:52) Kev: Yeah (0:22:54) Kev: But it’s you know, it’s fine. Um, it’s Pedro Pascal. So I’m not gonna complain in the end, right? Like (0:22:54) Codey: OK. (0:23:00) Kev: So, yeah, keep an eye out for that that’s this summer I think look up the trail looks good looks funky (0:23:06) Kev: Yeah, fantastic for is gonna be big there. They’re pushing it like in Marvel Rivals. We already got the (0:23:11) Kev: This month and good stuff. Anyways, um, yeah, that’s that’s what we’ve been up to and that’s all I got to report (0:23:19) Codey: Cool. (0:23:20) Kev: And with that, let’s get started. (0:23:22) Kev: Other people have to report to talk about some game news starting with a new game. (0:23:29) Kev: Um, one called is elusive, not new game or have we? (0:23:30) Codey: Wait, are we in the new game? (0:23:32) Codey: Section are we in the. (0:23:36) Codey: We’ve talked about it so new game, I think. (0:23:38) Kev: Okay. (0:23:38) Codey: Yeah, new game is when we haven’t talked about it before, but we have talked about elusive. (0:23:42) Codey: So this is the. (0:23:42) Kev: Okay. (0:23:43) Kev: We have, oh yeah, you’re right. (0:23:43) Codey: The game about me can which is that’s developed by the creator of me, which is mountain. (0:23:50) Codey: And it’s like little fairy folk. (0:23:51) Codey: I think the Al mentioned the borrowers. (0:23:54) Codey: I don’t know if you ever saw the borrowers, but it’s like. (0:23:56) Kev: I’m- I’m familiar. It’s like a faint memory of ’em. (0:24:01) Codey: Yeah, it’s like little fairy folk that like live in people’s homes and they just take like one thing at a time. (0:24:07) Codey: So you never really notice that something’s missing, but they’re avoiding dangers. (0:24:12) Codey: I think there’s like a cat and like that kind of stuff, but. (0:24:15) Kev: Yeah, yeah, tiny, honey, I shrunk the kid adventures. We know the drill. (0:24:20) Codey: I don’t know. (0:24:22) Kev: Um, it looks… (0:24:22) Codey: People might not know. (0:24:23) Codey: Honey, I shrunk the kids. (0:24:26) Kev: No! No, don’t say that! No! (0:24:29) Codey: Kids, if you don’t know what it is, Google it. (0:24:32) Codey: But but what’s the what’s the news with elusive? (0:24:34) Codey: What do we got? (0:24:36) Kev: Cue the, uh, was it Principal Skinner? I don’t know, it’s the children who are wrong. (0:24:43) Kev: Anyways, okay. (0:24:45) Kev: The news is that we got a Kickstarter. (0:24:47) Kev: It is launching soon. March 5th. (0:24:52) Codey: Fifth. (0:24:52) Kev: Well, actually, so I guess the day after this episode. (0:24:55) Codey: The- the- (0:24:56) Kev: No, the day drops. (0:24:56) Codey: No, it should be the day of the episode. (0:24:58) Kev: Yeah, you’re hearing this, it’ll be live. (0:25:01) Kev: Check it out. It does look cool. At least all the art and stuff. (0:25:04) Kev: We got it for Switch 1 and 2. (0:25:08) Kev: Look at that. Right there, labeled Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X. (0:25:15) Kev: Yeah, it’s got a very lovely art style as expected from the Mika crew. (0:25:22) Kev: Or is it just one? I don’t know, whatever. It’s a nice art style. (0:25:25) Codey: Mm hmm. I don’t know if it’s she big or if it’s just specifically wait, she big isn’t Mika. (0:25:26) Kev: Is this actually Chibig? Do we know? I don’t know if it is. (0:25:36) Kev: She makes Mika. Yeah. Yeah. Because if it is Chibig, yeah, I’m not sure Abraham, Khozar, you know. Yeah. So this might not be Chibig, which is a shame because that’d be, that would be a great setup for, you know, Chibig loves their little crossover. (0:25:37) Codey: Oh, it is. Maybe it’s she big. You’re right. You’re right. (0:25:43) Codey: I think maybe it’s only one of the people who are in she big because if you go on (0:25:47) Codey: the Kickstarter, it only has one person’s name. Yeah, Abraham Kosar. (0:26:02) Codey: Yeah. I mean, so it says on the Kickstarter indie game developer currently working in elusive at (0:26:08) Codey: Chibig. So I guess we can say Chibig. I don’t know. (0:26:09) Kev: mmm okay question mark we’ll see I don’t know uh i’m just saying because there’s like a witch’s (0:26:17) Kev: cat they specifically mentioned that um so who will that be meek of thing maybe question mark (0:26:25) Kev: keep an eye out um obviously details will be up when you hear this we don’t know what it is but (0:26:31) Kev: um you check it out um all right uh you can also be checking out uh agro buff because that’s coming (0:26:38) Kev: the Disney Dream Lightroom. (0:26:39) Kev: the Disney Dream Lightroom. (0:26:47) Codey: I wonder if there’s like, I think, I wonder if a whole new world is like too broad now, so many. (0:26:55) Kev: I guess they played themselves, they got– (0:27:01) Kev: but yeah. (0:27:02) Kev: Nails of Agrabah, free update. (0:27:05) Kev: You get to ride the carpet. (0:27:08) Kev: Is that all that matters? (0:27:09) Kev: Mostly. (0:27:10) Codey: » No, so there’s a lot of different things. I don’t know if you get to ride the carpet, (0:27:15) Codey: but you can get carpet as a person, like as a familiar companion, companion sword that they use. (0:27:17) Kev: Oh, yeah. (0:27:25) Kev: They have a character riding the carpet in the railing, (0:27:28) Kev: I don’t know. (0:27:28) Codey: Oh, it’s probably in the Aladdin realm. But yeah, so it adds the Aladdin realm, (0:27:38) Codey: It adds Aladdin and Jasmine. (0:27:40) Codey: It also adds, they showed like new things, new premium items in the shop. (0:27:46) Codey: And there was a bunch of Winnie the Pooh stuff. (0:27:49) Codey: Um, which was kind of a, a now for something completely different moment, but okay. (0:27:54) Kev: Yeah, okay (0:27:57) Codey: Um, I mean, I think it’s adorable. (0:27:59) Codey: Uh, it’s so funny. (0:28:02) Codey: This is another tangent. (0:28:03) Codey: Um, think of Winnie the Pooh and like who, what character did you identify as, as a child? (0:28:08) Kev: Okay, I was about to ask you who’s your favorite from the hundred-acre wood crew. I was about to ask almost this exact question (0:28:12) Codey: Well, okay. (0:28:14) Codey: So as a child, I identified with Tigger. (0:28:17) Kev: Yes (0:28:19) Kev: Tigger (0:28:19) Codey: And then as a teenager slash young adult, I identified with Eeyore and now I’m rabbit. (0:28:25) Kev: Yeah, sure sure I think we’re all oh (0:28:30) Kev: I see the trajectory. I just say are we all yours now? No, I see the rapids. You’re right, right. I see. Yeah, I see it (0:28:34) Codey: No, I’m rabbit, but it’s yeah, but I guess it’s really funny because they, they all (0:28:37) Kev: Um (0:28:39) Kev: You (0:28:39) Codey: all represent different. (0:28:40) Codey: It’s like disorders, though. (0:28:41) Kev: Yeah, archetypes personality types whatever you want to call (0:28:42) Codey: So like Eeyore’s depression. (0:28:44) Codey: Eeyore’s depression, Tigger’s ADD or ADHD. (0:28:47) Kev: Tortoise specific (0:28:48) Codey: And then Rabid, I think is either OCD or plus anxiety. (0:28:54) Codey: Oh, right. (0:28:56) Codey: Piglets anxiety. (0:28:57) Kev: Sure. I mean, Piglet is anxiety. Rabbit is OCD. Okay. What is poo? What is poo? (0:28:58) Codey: Yeah. (0:29:00) Codey: Rabid’s OCD. (0:29:02) Codey: How about you? (0:29:04) Codey: Who is probably like the neurotypical? (0:29:06) Codey: Who is probably like the neurotypical? (0:29:10) Codey: I guess he’s forgetful. I don’t know. (0:29:11) Kev: Oh, is that what it is? (0:29:15) Kev: Oh, yeah. I guess. I don’t know. (0:29:18) Codey: Listeners, write it. What do you think Pooh is? (0:29:21) Kev: what Mitchell else ordered. (0:29:22) Codey: And who did you identify as? (0:29:24) Codey: Have you gone through a trajectory of different characters or have you stayed the same? (0:29:27) Kev: I mean, like, no, like when I was younger, probably I didn’t fly with poo at best, but I would say so, like, right, because that’s different from my favorite or whatever, right, but when thinking about it, I probably would have said poo, but like now, the Eeyore, when that was, oh, Eeyore, the agony of the little stick house just being knocked over. (0:29:42) Codey: Okay. (0:29:49) Codey: Yep. (0:29:56) Codey: Get knocked over. Oh, bother. (0:29:57) Kev: Every episode. Oh, I get it. I get it. Oh, man. Oh, bother me. My life is this thing. Also, did you know he’s the voice of Optimus Prime? Yeah, just just one fact for people. You’re holding, I believe. (0:30:05) Codey: It’s it’s so true. Our country’s the stick house. Anyway, there’s also (0:30:12) Codey: no Kevin. (0:30:18) Codey: That’s amazing. (0:30:23) Codey: See, so you can either die that you’re the Eeyore or you can live long (0:30:27) Codey: enough to see yourself become optimist. (0:30:28) Kev: Yeah. (0:30:32) Codey: Oh my gosh. Um, they also back to Disney dream. I value. (0:30:35) Codey: They also added a slow cooker in Tiana’s shop. (0:30:39) Codey: and so this allows you to kind of like (0:30:42) Codey: set and forget meals (0:30:44) Kev: Whoa, that’s such a good off day. (0:30:46) Codey: yeah they also added a lot of really cool things in this update (0:30:50) Codey: so they also added (0:30:52) Codey: you can now search through the meals (0:30:54) Codey: so if ever you’re supposed to do something (0:30:56) Codey: or like you really want to make a certain meal (0:30:58) Codey: or someone wants a specific meal (0:31:00) Codey: but it’s not technically a quest (0:31:02) Codey: so you can’t go to like the quest tab (0:31:05) Codey: you can now just search for it (0:31:07) Codey: which is amazing (0:31:08) Kev: then that’s oh my gosh why yeah yeah needed (0:31:12) Codey: also added (0:31:16) Codey: any item that is a (0:31:18) Codey: character’s favorite item for the day (0:31:22) Codey: now has a label next to it (0:31:24) Codey: so in your inventory (0:31:26) Codey: I’m wondering if it also has it in the cooking menu (0:31:29) Codey: which would be amazing because then you could be like (0:31:31) Codey: oh let’s see who wants what today (0:31:33) Codey: oh yep there’s, I really want to work on my aerial reputation (0:31:38) Codey: so I’m going to make her the meal she wants today or whatever (0:31:42) Codey: it’s so good because I would always have to like mentally like (0:31:45) Codey: separate my inventory (0:31:47) Codey: and be like okay this is the part that (0:31:50) Codey: is the items that this person wants (0:31:54) Codey: and like kind of try and keep track of it (0:31:57) Codey: and y’all know I (0:31:57) Kev: - Yeah, bring out the notebook, the handy dandy notebook. (0:31:59) Codey: I literally had to write it down (0:32:01) Codey: I had like 15 pages out of one notebook (0:32:04) Codey: that were just dedicated to (0:32:05) Codey: here’s this character’s favorite thing (0:32:07) Codey: okay here’s a check mark because I’ve got it (0:32:10) Codey: And then here’s the check mark because I gave it to them (0:32:12) Kev: uh-huh so on the one hand I’ve always found something I don’t know cathartic (0:32:13) Codey: It was so goofy (0:32:20) Kev: or I enjoy getting out a notebook and writing things down I find it feel like (0:32:24) Kev: that but on the other hand like I also wish the game would help you keep track (0:32:29) Kev: of that so you didn’t have to physically bring out a notebook or whatever but so (0:32:34) Kev: you know it’s appreciated and yes spoilers what I know of a game that (0:32:39) Kev: actually does let you do that, bring a notebook in the game. (0:32:42) Codey: Oh, oh, okay. Cool. Cool! (0:32:42) Kev: But that’s good stuff. That sounds like good update, and one more thing. It’s, it’s, I think, (0:33:01) Kev: a blessing and a curse. We don’t get to see Genie, right? Because, you know, Robin Williams set him (0:33:04) Codey: Yeah. Yeah. Well, and so I actually recently watched the Aladdin movies again because I (0:33:07) Kev: free with his last wish, but it was a tie. I really liked it. (0:33:19) Codey: hadn’t seen them in a long time and I love King of Thieves and so which is a third one. (0:33:19) Kev: Yes. (0:33:24) Codey: I didn’t know that they replaced genie’s voice genie in the second one and well, because Robin (0:33:29) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:33:30) Codey: Williams didn’t agree to it or something? Oh, because he- (0:33:34) Codey: He wanted- In the first movie, he’s like, “I’ll do this, but I don’t want genie themed merch or anything.” (0:33:40) Kev: Yep, yep. You didn’t want focus on genie. Yeah (0:33:42) Codey: He specifically didn’t want it to be that, and then there was a bunch of it, and so he protested the second movie. (0:33:49) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:33:50) Codey: But then it wasn’t the same, and so he came back for the third one. And it was honestly- He just is genie. He just brings- (0:33:53) Kev: Yeah (0:33:56) Kev: I mean like (0:33:56) Codey: He did it! Yeah, he did it! Please! (0:33:58) Kev: Supposedly he didn’t have a script for the first one. So yes quite literally it quite literally is all his creation (0:34:04) Codey: They were- They were just like, “Say whatever, we will animate it.” It’s amazing. He’s just such a loss, but also, yeah. Anyway, such a- He was an amazing- (0:34:09) Kev: Yeah (0:34:10) Kev: So yes, that is (0:34:18) Kev: Yeah, he is a treasure (0:34:21) Kev: But yeah, so and yeah, and then for people who don’t know (0:34:25) Kev: later, I don’t know if is when he passed away or (0:34:29) Kev: at some point before shortly before he basically (0:34:33) Kev: Like legally said okay, you can’t use my likeness for genie anymore (0:34:37) Codey: Mm-hmm. Hmm. Well, I wonder if they were to bring Jeannie into Disney Dreamway Valley, (0:34:38) Kev: Which is why anytime you will see a Latin (0:34:40) Kev: You will never see genie stuff because you they can’t use his voice likeness or whatever (0:34:54) Codey: if they would do like a Will Smith version then. Because he was the Jeannie in the live (0:34:58) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I guess that’s the only way you could do it. (0:35:00) Codey: action. So. (0:35:04) Kev: Well, that’s that’s a thought. (0:35:07) Codey: Yeah. (0:35:10) Kev: Oh, I like the one. Did you? So one thing, it was caught, there was a fan theory about something that was quite an eventually confirmed later. (0:35:20) Kev: So people may remember the entire thing is actually framed by a the original led movie. (0:35:28) Kev: There’s a merchant, you know, the merchant at the beginning who’s telling you the story. Yeah, it was cut from the movie and fans theorized it forever because there’s little hints. (0:35:30) Codey: Yeah, uh-huh. (0:35:36) Kev: That merchant is supposed to be the genie as well. I don’t know if you caught that and knew about that. (0:35:42) Codey: I mean I the voice is this he’s he is the voice. Yeah, yeah (0:35:42) Kev: Yep, it’s Robin Williams, but also he’s the only he’s the only character who has four fingers other than the genie. (0:35:49) Codey: Oh (0:35:50) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:35:51) Codey: Okay, I thought that they just voiced he just voiced that character as well, but that’s hilarious (0:35:58) Kev: Good stuff. I like that. (0:36:00) Codey: Cuz my mom and I would like we would quote that all the time like will not break will not break it’s broke (0:36:08) Codey: It’s one of the in the first movie (0:36:10) Kev: yeah yeah yeah all right what’s next who’s gonna try to follow up bro it’s (0:36:18) Kev: ingenious novel is rest is um so this is an interesting one because they have the (0:36:18) Codey: Well, it’s a real simple one. It’s travelers rest (0:36:27) Kev: online multiplayer update which is that’s a big deal for any game really (0:36:32) Kev: right and you know at first I was like okay sure you know you got the starting (0:36:38) Kev: you’re growing things and fishing. (0:36:40) Kev: But the one that interests me, the bit, the highlight in my opinion, so when you’re actually running the in/tab and in Traveler’s Rest, you now have four people running that together, so almost an overtook-like field. (0:36:56) Kev: Obviously, well, not that level of chaos, but that is kind of fun. So yeah, there you go. Some play trailers. (0:36:58) Codey: Yeah. Yeah. I’m a very like, I don’t want people messing with my, my setup though. So (0:37:09) Codey: like, I’d be like, get out of my. Oh no. Oh yeah. That was one of my friends just moved (0:37:10) Kev: What was that, Rabbit? (0:37:20) Codey: into my spare room and he reorganized it. But I told him, I was like, go ahead and reorganize (0:37:24) Codey: cupboards. I don’t really care. And then I opened the cupboards today and I was like, (0:37:26) Kev: Mmm. (0:37:28) Codey: I care. He already reorganized this. So I have to like, I just have to find a way to (0:37:29) Kev: Ouch. (0:37:34) Codey: make it okay. So wild. Yeah, exactly. I’m learning. I’m learning, I think. Well, yeah. (0:37:35) Kev: Oh my gosh. (0:37:38) Kev: Wow, my God, oh man. (0:37:40) Kev: That sounds like another rabbit movie. (0:37:42) Kev: A rabbit spare room. (0:37:46) Codey: Okay. Anyway, I’m learning. I might need to add OCD to my, my, my, uh, list of qualifications. (0:37:52) Kev: The labels, the identifiers. (0:37:54) Codey: do you want to call it? (0:37:59) Codey: My identifiers. It’s so stupid. I was also talking to I’m for (0:38:04) Codey: my the conference that there’s a conference I’m going to in (0:38:07) Codey: November. And I’m running a workshop on neurodivergence in (0:38:12) Codey: entomology, which is my field. Super excited about it. And I (0:38:14) Kev: Okay, should you just is the summary we’re studying bugs is it we’re all (0:38:17) Codey: got I got it’s just me. That’s the that’s the thing. Like we (0:38:25) Codey: all are pretty much neurodivergent in some way. (0:38:28) Codey: I don’t think neurodivergent is a bad thing because we’re getting a lot of late in life (0:38:36) Kev: Yeah (0:38:40) Codey: diagnoses but once we know we don’t want to disclose it because it’s a shameful thing (0:38:41) Kev: Yeah, sure (0:38:48) Codey: “the world has made it seem as though it’s a bad thing to not be neurotypical” but it’s actually kind of a superpower too. (0:38:58) Codey: No, okay, that’s not the right wording but to know about yourself that you are not neurotypical so you can release yourself from those expectations (0:39:04) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:39:09) Kev: Sure, sure. (0:39:10) Codey: because then you’re not as like “why am I lazy? Why am I stupid? Oh no, I just have a different brain. I just think different.” (0:39:18) Kev: Yeah, I mean, yeah. That applies to Woofield Run, absolutely. (0:39:19) Codey: Yeah, all of this to say, I was talking to the person who’s going to do the OCD seminar. (0:39:28) Codey: or OCD talk or whatever on it and I was like “oh no” I was like “what makes an OCD person?” and she was telling me I was like “oh no, the worst.” (0:39:41) Codey: But yeah, Traveler’s Rest, if you do not have OCD or if you’re fine with sharing control you can now do that in the online multiplayer. (0:39:51) Codey: It’s out now in the 0.7 update. That’s that. (0:39:52) Kev: Yeah (0:39:55) Kev: That’s that hey Cody you’re talking about research symposiums and researchers you want to tell us about research (0:40:02) Codey: Yeah, you sure can. So research story has the 0.12 update. And this update adds powered chests. (0:40:12) Codey: Woo. So that is basically like, sorry, go for it. So basically, like, think of Minecraft and like (0:40:14) Kev: All right, wait, what what does that mean? (0:40:21) Codey: hoppers. So that, so that if so if you have something going, well, it’s maybe it’s not (0:40:23) Kev: Oh, OK. They organize. Mm hmm. (0:40:28) Codey: Poppers isn’t the right word. I don’t remember what exactly it is, but like you have (0:40:32) Kev: Are they sorting automatically? (0:40:33) Codey: I don’t know if it’s sorts automatically, but it automatically like runs something. (0:40:38) Codey: So say you have a coal furnace, you’re pumping coal into it. You’re trying to make something, (0:40:45) Codey: whatever. Um, you don’t have to keep going back and like emptying it and then refilling (0:40:53) Codey: it with the new stuff. The power chest will just automatically like put things in and take things (0:41:00) Codey: out so that you can just like. (0:41:02) Codey: Dump the input resources in and then take the output resources (0:41:09) Codey: that you want and then just leave it. (0:41:11) Codey: You don’t have to like go to all of these things. (0:41:14) Codey: It just makes it a bit easier for the automation side. (0:41:20) Codey: And less what do we call that management? (0:41:25) Codey: UI manager. (0:41:26) Codey: I don’t remember exactly what what I’ll calls it, but yeah, (0:41:28) Kev: Yeah. One of the coolest things I think Minecraft has ever done is basically introduce circuitry (0:41:30) Codey: less of the managing and more of the planning. (0:41:33) Codey: And getting the resources you need. (0:41:44) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:41:45) Kev: logic in the game, right? So anything that kind of goes in that direction. This might (0:41:50) Kev: not be that advanced, but the idea of these automated things that kind of sort things (0:41:54) Kev: and set up. You put the inputs and it does the thing for you. (0:41:56) Codey: Mm hmm. Yeah, and I feel like you could probably set up a chain. So like, if you need to create one (0:41:58) Kev: Thank you. I think that’s pretty cool. (0:42:06) Codey: thing with one crafting thing, and then that becomes an input for the next one, I think you (0:42:13) Codey: probably just put them next to each other and put a powered chest between them or something. I’m not (0:42:17) Codey: entirely sure. But that it opens the possibility for that kind of automation and that kind of like (0:42:24) Codey: set up, which is also very factorial. (0:42:26) Codey: Um, but I am here for it. (0:42:30) Codey: I like it. (0:42:32) Codey: Um, they’ve also added a couple of other things. (0:42:34) Codey: There’s a new year UI, uh, rework that they did. (0:42:37) Codey: I think it looks really crisp. (0:42:39) Codey: Um, they basically incorporated a lot of feedback that, um, test players or (0:42:44) Codey: users or whatever, even people who have been playing the demo or the early (0:42:49) Codey: access, they’ve been saying like, Hey, this is a little clunky. (0:42:52) Codey: And so they’ve incorporated that. (0:42:54) Codey: We love getting responses to our. (0:42:57) Codey: That is amazing. (0:42:58) Codey: Thank you. (0:43:00) Codey: Um, they also added seven new hair options and the red orange spectrum. (0:43:05) Codey: Um, again, people were like, my hair color is represented. (0:43:09) Codey: And so they made sure to incorporate, um, more colors, uh, that (0:43:14) Codey: represent those, that spectrum. (0:43:17) Codey: Um, and finally, this is also currently 20% off until March 9th (0:43:21) Codey: for the women’s day sale. (0:43:23) Codey: So currently only it’s only. (0:43:24) Kev: That’s all good stuff. (0:43:26) Codey: 1399 game to begin with, but now it’s 1119 and it isn’t early access, but it’s I, it’s pre cute little game and getting it supports the developers to making the studio to, you know, continue to make and continue to be able to incorporate community feedback, which is amazing. (0:43:35) Kev: - Yeah. (0:43:46) Kev: Yeah, that’s that’s all good stuff. There you go. And again, you got till March 9 to get down to good stuff, but for you to reach your story all that sounds excellent. (0:43:56) Codey: » I just want them to make a Mac one. (0:44:00) Codey: It’ll probably come later, (0:44:02) Codey: like either a Mac port or Twitch. (0:44:04) Kev: Well, there’s still an early access. I imagine at the 1.0, they’ll dip into new console. (0:44:12) Codey: that’s all I want in the world really I would die happy if that’s all if that’s if I got that you (0:44:17) Codey: know okay cool (0:44:17) Kev: well I i I consider it likely (0:44:22) Kev: at least which (0:44:28) Kev: all right next up we got more dlc’s and updates we got horticular with the (0:44:34) Kev: frozen frontier dlc okay it’s not well this is one of the things where we got (0:44:38) Kev: like two aspects to it there is a 1.4 update for the base game but (0:44:42) Kev: there’s also this frozen frontier which is an expansion a separate dlc they have (0:44:48) Kev: they got a bundle for whatever but horticular is on sale right now on steam at least (0:44:54) Kev: from 35% off pretty nice discount from 20 usd to 13 years (0:45:04) Kev: But yeah, Frozen Frontier, as the name would imply, we get snow stuff, right? (0:45:12) Kev: We get snow mechanics, a whole bunch of new animals. (0:45:15) Kev: There

Al and Codey interview Jordan, the developer of Rusty's Retirement Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:43: What Have We Been Up To 00:17:26: Game News 00:40:24: Rusty’s Retirement Interview 01:22:47: Outro Links Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Trailer Harvest Hills Release Mika and the Witch’s Mountain Exiting EA Galactic Getaway EA Release Usagi Shima “Chinese New Year” Update Chill Town Roadmap Fields of Mistria Roadmap Webfishing Cat Plush Animal Crossing Aquarium UK Tour Rusty’s Retirement on Steam Rusty’s Retirement Links Contact 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. (0:00:36) Al: My name is Al. (0:00:38) Codey: and I am Cody. (0:00:40) Al: And we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore Games. (0:00:44) Codey: Woo. (0:00:45) Codey: Whoooo! (0:00:46) Al: This episode, we have a very exciting thing. (0:00:49) Al: It’s not often we get an interview, but the first interview of the year this year (0:00:53) Al: is with the developer of 2024’s The Harvest Season game of the year. (0:01:01) Al: Rusty Retirement, Jordan, the developer of Rusty Retirement, (0:01:05) Al: will be joining us later in the episode to talk about the game and many other things. (0:01:12) Codey: Yeah, we talk, we kind of talk about a couple things. (0:01:12) Al: So we talk about stuff, it is, it is mentioned, and some super exciting secret stuff. (0:01:16) Codey: The game is mentioned though. (0:01:18) Codey: Yeah, it is talked about, which will be revealed in this episode. (0:01:27) Al: Yeah. (0:01:31) Al: So if you’re here just to listen to that, you can see the time in the show notes, (0:01:35) Al: or you can click on the chapter in your podcast episode. (0:01:38) Al: But please do stay around as we talk about the news for this week. (0:01:43) Al: And also, Cody, what have you been up to? (0:01:46) Codey: I have been playing Slay the Spire. (0:01:52) Codey: I haven’t been playing it nearly as much, (0:01:54) Codey: but I did finally beat all of the characters (0:02:00) Codey: and beat like the end game once you– (0:02:04) Codey: and like got credits. (0:02:06) Codey: But it doesn’t really ever end, really. (0:02:08) Codey: You just keep playing. (0:02:10) Codey: But it’s fun. (0:02:12) Codey: doing that, doing more PhD studies. (0:02:16) Codey: It’s like starting to hit me now that like, cause I was talking to my advisor (0:02:20) Codey: and he was like, yeah, so if you’re going to defend in or graduate in December, (0:02:24) Codey: you have to defend in October, which means you should have your data done by (0:02:28) Codey: July. And like, I was just like, Oh, oh gosh, it’s all coming up so fast. (0:02:35) Codey: So yeah, it’s starting to hit. (0:02:38) Codey: Um, and also clearly Rusty’s retirement played a hot minute of that by you. (0:02:38) Al: Fair enough, obviously. (0:02:44) Al: Nice. I think last episode I talked about playing Legends Arceus for the second time, (0:02:51) Al: gone through and caught most of the Pokémon, I was nearly done. I have now finished that, (0:02:56) Al: so that’s that’s done. I’ve got my full Pokémon home decks, got the crown on Pokémon home for (0:03:03) Al: for that. And then I decided to do go from (0:03:08) Al: the best Pokemon game to the worst Pokemon game. And I am now playing Brilliant Diamond (0:03:13) Al: and Shining Pearl again. So it hasn’t, I already, I had a save. I had done a Professor Oak challenge. (0:03:24) Al: So I still had that. However, I didn’t finish, I didn’t keep everything. So there was a bunch (0:03:30) Al: of Pokemon I need to catch and breed and stuff, but it wasn’t too hard, except I am now, I (0:03:36) Al: I now need– (0:03:38) Al: Well, two Pokémon lines, one of which is just a version exclusive, (0:03:44) Al: so I’ve been playing through the other game, Pearl, to get that one. (0:03:47) Al: And I’ve almost got it. I’m almost there. (0:03:49) Al: The other one I need is Palkia, so I do need to finish Pearl till the end. (0:03:54) Al: So I do need to play through that game all the way to the end (0:03:58) Al: and get Palkia and be finished with that. (0:04:00) Codey: I’m sorry. That sounds awful (0:04:03) Al: I do– I feel like I don’t know. (0:04:05) Al: I didn’t, I don’t feel like I hate. (0:04:08) Al: the games when I was playing them, but maybe that rose tinted glasses. (0:04:11) Al: Maybe I did when I was playing it, but they are not great. (0:04:13) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:04:19) Al: I do not miss random encounters in the grass. (0:04:23) Al: I mean, that in and of itself, like I don’t, I don’t want that to ever come back. (0:04:28) Al: I know some people like it. (0:04:29) Al: Whatever. (0:04:29) Al: I don’t, please don’t, please don’t bring it back, please. (0:04:35) Al: and obviously just the thing that annoys me. (0:04:38) Al: most about Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is the stickiness. Like if you walk next to a wall (0:04:48) Al: you slow down. I just hate that so much because it’s like especially if you’re going through a (0:04:53) Al: cave and it’s like you happen to brush against a rock and suddenly you’re going at snail space. (0:04:59) Al: It’s just I really hate it. I do hate it so much and I feel like those games could have been a lot (0:05:05) Al: a lot better if there’s just been like a few decisions made. (0:05:08) Al: I could have dealt with the fact that it was random encounters in the grass right, (0:05:12) Al: like I would have preferred if they’d done something like Let’s Go right like I think (0:05:12) Codey: Yeah. (0:05:16) Al: Let’s Go is one of my favorite games. So if they’d done something like that I would have (0:05:21) Al: been much preferred it but I can understand why they would want to do like let’s keep let’s bring (0:05:26) Al: back the random encounters because that’s what these games were fine but it’s just all the other (0:05:32) Al: decisions that were made. Yeah, not fun. So (0:05:34) Codey: Yeah, I think that was like why I didn’t get them because if I wanted to play Diamond or Pearl, I would play it first like they didn’t change enough to me to make it worth it. (0:05:46) Al: Yeah, are we past the point now where you can just remake a game? Like, red and blue, (0:06:00) Al: when they were remade into Fire Red and Leaf Cream, I think that needed to happen, right? (0:06:05) Al: To make those games fun. Because those games were so, like, they were obviously really (0:06:10) Al: complicated and difficult for what they were at the time, and they were running on like (0:06:14) Al: of shoes. (0:06:16) Al: The company nearly folded multiple times before they got those games out. (0:06:20) Al: And so I think it makes absolute sense to redo those. (0:06:23) Al: I think HeartGold and SoulSilver, whether you like those games or not, I think did a (0:06:28) Al: lot to those games and made them better in a lot of ways. (0:06:33) Al: I personally really like what they did with Oras. (0:06:36) Al: I liked how they did that in the 3D style. (0:06:43) Al: And then let’s score, I think is. (0:06:46) Al: One of their best, I think it’s their best remake full stop. (0:06:48) Al: I think it’s amazing what they did with it. (0:06:50) Al: They took what was the original games and made it different. (0:06:54) Al: I really like that. (0:06:57) Al: And even if they’d done Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as Platinum, (0:07:01) Al: I still feel like people would have been like, “But why?” (0:07:04) Al: Right? Because you can use it. (0:07:05) Al: Like a DS is not, DS games don’t feel old, like Game Boy games feel old. (0:07:12) Al: And yeah, some people would prefer to play a Game Boy game (0:07:16) Al: and remake of a Game Boy game. (0:07:17) Al: But a lot of people wouldn’t. (0:07:18) Al: A lot of people would prefer to play a newer game. (0:07:20) Al: But I feel like if you’re looking for a 2D Pokémon game, (0:07:24) Al: go play a 2D Pokémon game. (0:07:26) Al: I don’t think just remaking them as what they are makes sense anymore. (0:07:30) Codey: Yeah, I agree. I don’t think that that’s exciting enough to merit people dropping down another $60 or $50 or however much these games cost nowadays. (0:07:44) Al: or 120, if you buy them both, which obviously I would never do. You’d never find me doing that. (0:07:46) Codey: Yeah. No, of course not. No. Yeah, so I don’t… I think that it does a disservice to them to… (0:08:00) Codey: Not try and improve the games with the quality of life features that the fandom clearly needs or at the minimum, like have them be like a setting you can toggle or something. (0:08:14) Codey: So if people want to play the game on hard mode, they can. (0:08:18) Codey: Yeah. (0:08:18) Al: Let’s not get into the debate of hard mode. (0:08:22) Al: Yeah, I think, yeah, I just, it’s not even like Brilliant Diamond and Chime Pearl brought (0:08:30) Al: it up to the best or the most modern 2D games, right? (0:08:34) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:08:34) Al: Like the graphics were better, right? (0:08:37) Al: In my opinion, I know a lot of people didn’t like how it looked, but that’s fine. (0:08:40) Al: If you don’t like how it looked, that’s fine, but it is like more modern looking. (0:08:44) Al: It’s cleaner graphics, et cetera, et cetera, right? (0:08:48) Al: No, it’s not, it didn’t have as many quality of life improvements as even Gen 5 did, one (0:08:54) Codey: Mm hmm. Yeah. (0:08:55) Al: generation later, right? (0:08:58) Al: And so what are you doing if you’re not even going to improve it in that way, right? (0:09:04) Al: And that’s ignoring the stuff that they ignored that they had improved in Platinum. (0:09:09) Al: A Gen 4 game that came out two years later, right? (0:09:14) Al: Like if you’re going to ignore all of those improvements that you have made over the years (0:09:19) Al: don’t bother, but anyway, so yeah, I think I enjoyed the Professor Oak challenge because (0:09:20) Codey: Yeah (0:09:23) Codey: Hard agree (0:09:27) Al: it was very different compared to other ones, like having the grand underground, I think, (0:09:33) Al: was made that more interesting, but anyway, most people don’t care about that sort of (0:09:40) Al: stuff. (0:09:41) Al: So yeah, I’ve been playing through that and I’ll get there eventually. (0:09:44) Al: I’ve taken a break today to do some shiny hunting in Scarlet and Violet. (0:09:48) Al: But once I’ve done this, once I’ve caught Palkia, (0:09:52) Al: the only ones I’ll have left to do are, I don’t have a, (0:09:57) Al: because I’ve been for listeners who are, for new listeners or people who aren’t aware, (0:10:01) Al: I lost almost all of my Pokemon saves two years ago on my Switch. (0:10:05) Al: And I’ve recreated most of them now. (0:10:07) Al: So I have the only one, the only one I say I didn’t lose was my sword, (0:10:14) Al: Pokemon sword, because that was on a different Switch. (0:10:16) Al: because I was running two games at the same time. (0:10:18) Al: And I didn’t really like having to close a game and reopen it. (0:10:22) Al: So I just had two switches running the two games. (0:10:25) Al: So because of that, I managed to keep my sword. (0:10:29) Al: But other than that, I lost everything else. (0:10:31) Al: So all I’ve got left I don’t have is Let’s Go Pikachu and Shield. (0:10:39) Al: I think I have everything else because I’ve got Scarlet and Violet. (0:10:41) Al: I’ve got Legends Arceus. (0:10:44) Al: I’ve got Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl now. (0:10:47) Al: and I’ve got Let’s Go Eevee. (0:10:48) Al: And I’ve obviously got my original sword. (0:10:50) Al: So I think I’ve just got Let’s Go Pikachu to do and sword. (0:10:55) Al: And I will probably, I think I’ll probably do with Let’s Go Pikachu (0:10:58) Al: like I’m doing with Palkia and I’ll just kind of like rush through it (0:11:01) Al: and get it finished and then do the last couple of Pokémon (0:11:03) Al: that I need for the crown on Pokémon Home for those games. (0:11:06) Al: And then I think I will probably at some point, (0:11:11) Al: certainly not before the next Pokémon games that comes out, (0:11:14) Al: maybe at the end of the year or something, (0:11:17) Al: I will probably (0:11:18) Al: do a Professor Oak Challenge in Shield and get that done that way and finish up that (0:11:24) Al: dicks like that. Because that’s the only set of games on the Switch that I haven’t done (0:11:33) Al: a Professor Oak Challenge in because I started it for brilliant time in Shining Pearl. What a game (0:11:40) Al: to start that on. And then I went back and did Let’s Go Pikachu, but I didn’t go back and do (0:11:49) Al: Shield. No, I didn’t go back and do Pikachu because I already had a Pikachu save, (0:11:54) Al: but then I’d lost it, so I did Eevee. Anyway, doesn’t matter. Point is, I suspect by the middle (0:12:03) Al: of February, I will only have one Pokémon game not finished and that’ll be Shield and (0:12:12) Al: that’ll be the only Pokédex I don’t have finished on home as well. But I’ll get to that eventually. (0:12:16) Al: There’s no rush. (0:12:17) Codey: So, so I have a question. (0:12:19) Al: Yes, go for it. Yes, my secret is I don’t work. (0:12:20) Codey: Do you sleep? (0:12:23) Codey: I don’t believe you. (0:12:27) Codey: Oh, that worked. (0:12:28) Codey: That’s, that’s fair. (0:12:30) Al: Or if you are my employer, please don’t listen to this. The secret is that obviously the ADHD (0:12:35) Codey: Yeah. (0:12:38) Al: allows me to do like a week’s worth in like a day. And then I spend the rest of the time feeling (0:12:41) Codey: Yep. (0:12:43) Al: guilty that I’m not doing anything because my brain can’t, but it then distracts me. (0:12:45) Codey: Yep. (0:12:47) Codey: Yep, that’s where I am, too. (0:12:52) Codey: But that is part of working with neurodivergence. (0:12:59) Codey: So yeah, that’s actually, I’m doing a conference in November, and (0:12:59) Al: Yeah, weeeeeeee. (0:13:04) Codey: I’m going to try and have a symposium in that conference for, (0:13:08) Codey: it’s an entomology conference. (0:13:10) Codey: I want a symposium specifically on neurodivergence and why, and (0:13:14) Codey: and how to accommodate for… (0:13:17) Codey: people that work in your in your area or group or whatever university (0:13:22) Codey: accommodate for students and faculty that have neurodivergences versus like (0:13:27) Codey: just trying to make them conform because that is very left hand of left hand right (0:13:35) Codey: hand of people so that’s what we’ve been up to oh my gosh he doesn’t sleep you (0:13:38) Al: Oh, oh, wait, no, I’m not finished yet. (0:13:43) Al: I’ve been playing Harvest Moon Home Sweet Home. (0:13:45) Codey: guys I don’t believe it (0:13:47) Al: I’ve not been doing this very much, (0:13:49) Al: because I’ve just been doing like a day or two every day, (0:13:54) Al: which only takes like five or 10 minutes. (0:13:56) Al: But I’m trying to play these games like some people play (0:13:58) Al: them and just playing a little bit every day. (0:14:00) Al: And it’s been so much better with the controller support. (0:14:02) Al: I can actually play it now. (0:14:04) Codey: But can you save it the right way? (0:14:06) Codey: Bye. (0:14:08) Al: It doesn’t seem to work properly in so much as it saves fine, (0:14:12) Al: and it seems to be saving fine. (0:14:14) Al: And it seems like it loads when I go on. (0:14:16) Al: So I’m using it on my iPad, and I play it on my iPad, (0:14:19) Al: and it all seems to work. (0:14:20) Al: And I close the app, and I open up, and it all works fine. (0:14:22) Al: And then I go on to my Mac, and I open it up, and it says, (0:14:25) Al: oh, you’ve got new data. (0:14:26) Al: Do you want to download this? (0:14:27) Al: You go, yes, I’ll take the new data. (0:14:29) Al: And it shows the right thing on there. (0:14:31) Al: It says I’m at spring 23, year one, (0:14:34) Al: and I’ve got this much money, blah, blah, blah. (0:14:36) Al: And then you click on it, and then you actually (0:14:38) Al: get the game, and you’re back on spring one, (0:14:41) Al: and you have nothing. (0:14:42) Al: And the best thing about it is the save (0:14:44) Al: is completely mucked up in so much as there are no people. (0:14:46) Codey: Mm hmm. That sounds lovely, actually. (0:14:48) Al: People don’t exist in the game. (0:14:50) Al: There are no NPCs, and there’s nothing you can do. (0:14:53) Al: You just walk around and do nothing. (0:14:56) Al: It’s– it’s an autistic paradise. (0:15:02) Codey: That’s my kind of farming. (0:15:05) Al: Um. (0:15:06) Codey: Just give me give me all the tasks to do without the social interaction. (0:15:14) Al: So yeah, I can still only play on my iPad, (0:15:17) Al: which I do want the cloud save, (0:15:19) Al: and that would probably, (0:15:20) Al: I’d probably play it more if I had the cloud save, (0:15:22) Al: but the controller support means (0:15:24) Al: that I’m actually playing it. (0:15:26) Al: So, yeah. (0:15:29) Al: So that’s why I’ve been up to, (0:15:30) Al: I’ve also been thinking about the Switch 2. (0:15:32) Al: I don’t know if you’ve been thinking (0:15:33) Al: about the Switch 2 at all. (0:15:34) Codey: Nope. I don’t play my Switch that often, like at all. I know that I am going to play it. (0:15:35) Al: No, that’s fine. (0:15:37) Al: I’m excited for the Switch too. (0:15:38) Al: Hmm. (0:15:44) Codey: I’m going to play the Zelda games eventually, right? And then I enjoy having it for if I (0:15:50) Codey: want to play anything, but Xbox Game Pass has all I really need right now. And no, no, (0:15:57) Al: did you get did you get us a steam decadent Oh sad come on Jeff by the (0:16:03) Codey: I did not. (0:16:04) Codey: I am unloved no we yeah he was like still deciding if he wanted to do it or not he (0:16:13) Codey: actually did just get a raise so yeah maybe I’ll like walk by his phone and do that whole (0:16:16) Al: There you go. Perfect. (0:16:22) Codey: like steam deck like whisper into his phone so that his algorithm will start picking up (0:16:27) Codey: like ads first yeah. (0:16:28) Al: or we can get your is is it your neighbor Micah is it Micah can go in when Jeff moves (0:16:34) Al: in and get Micah to go and talk to him hint are you listening Micah you can we can we (0:16:35) Codey: Uh-huh does Micah have one I can’t remember I don’t know but yeah no my neighbor I’m wondering (0:16:46) Al: confusing Micah’s again I have no idea I don’t think that’s relevant to whether or not he (0:16:50) Codey: if he has a steam deck yeah oh true true true true yeah Micah when we have like a Jeff moved (0:16:55) Al: can convince Jeff to buy U.S.D. (0:17:03) Codey: and party. (0:17:04) Al: Yeah. Yeah, I heard it. I heard it on the podcast. (0:17:04) Codey: Um, you should be like, man, Cody really like was excited about (0:17:08) Codey: possibly because Jeff doesn’t, because Jeff does not listen to this. (0:17:15) Al: I guessed, I guessed. (0:17:18) Codey: Yeah, for sure. (0:17:19) Al: All right. Well, I’m excited about the switch too. And I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about it in (0:17:23) Al: the future, even though they’ve not really said anything yet. But all right, should we talk about (0:17:28) Al: the news? First up, we have Rune Factory Guardian. (0:17:29) Codey: Sure. (0:17:34) Al: So, first of all, they’ve announced that it’s coming out on the 30th of May. (0:17:39) Codey: Woo. (0:17:40) Codey: Something. (0:17:44) Al: So, there we go. That’s the thing. They’ve given a bunch of information on the new features. (0:17:52) Al: So, it has a village building thing, which is, I think, quite cool. In the trailer, (0:17:58) Al: you see them placing buildings and stuff and that. (0:18:04) Al: That’s cool. I quite like that idea because I get all the previous Rune Factory games have been like, (0:18:09) Al: “Here is an existing village. Go and interact with it.” Whereas this seems to be like you’re (0:18:14) Al: building up a village from small as you do the rest of things as well, which is a fun addition. (0:18:20) Codey: Yeah, I got the vibe that you’re like going through an area that has been like devastated and you’re helping to like rebuild (0:18:28) Al: Yeah, but that’s cool. Because if the whole point of Rune Factory is, it’s what if farming (0:18:38) Al: game plus adventure, I feel like adding in Village Building to that is a good logical (0:18:45) Al: continuation of that. (0:18:46) Codey: Yeah, going elsewhere, spreading your farming knowledge to the masses. (0:18:52) Al: The rest of it seems pretty similar to previous Rune Factory games, your combat and stuff (0:18:59) Al: like that. (0:19:00) Al: There maybe seem to be a bit more in terms of what’s the word I’m looking for, the movement. (0:19:06) Al: You seem to be able to glide on wind and stuff like that that I haven’t experienced in the (0:19:12) Al: previous games, which is a fun addition, making it more Breath of the Wildy, I guess. (0:19:19) Al: And there’s also 16 romanceables in this game. (0:19:22) Al: Get your waifu or husbandu. (0:19:25) Codey: Has a bundle I think it’s Joe (0:19:31) Codey: Yeah, never played a room factory game so I don’t have much (0:19:34) Al: Probably never going to. (0:19:37) Codey: Probs not (0:19:40) Codey: But I mean it looks the village building aspect I really do like like the idea of (0:19:47) Codey: going through an area and like helping to rebuild and restore peace and (0:19:52) Codey: maybe like you can set up farms and then you (0:19:55) Codey: find someone who can farm it and then you (0:19:57) Codey: move on. So it’s like you are creating the (0:19:59) Codey: farms and that kind of stuff and creating the (0:20:03) Codey: little societies. But then you get to disappear (0:20:06) Codey: into the ether. (0:20:07) Al: Is this going to be a, this is going to be the third run factor in a row where I go, (0:20:10) Al: “Ooh, I could, I could, maybe I’ll like this.” (0:20:13) Al: And then I play it and go, “Eh, it’s not really for me.” (0:20:16) Codey: Okay, maybe maybe the village maybe the village thing will be not will will make it change, (0:20:16) Al: Isn’t it? (0:20:17) Al: It’s going to, it’s going to happen again, isn’t it? (0:20:20) Al: Cause I’m getting that feeling. (0:20:27) Codey: maybe you will enjoy. We’re going to be optimistic here, because you’re going to have to play it. So (0:20:28) Al: Yeah, no one’s making me. (0:20:38) Codey: I am promising at this because I make the promises in this hostel. (0:20:46) Codey: Yeah, if you you can only marry. Yeah. (0:20:48) Al: What I didn’t notice is there didn’t seem to be anything about whether the romanceables (0:20:56) Al: are segregated. Oh dear. You know what I mean? Whether you can romance anyone or not. It (0:21:06) Al: does look like… I’m not seeing anything… I can’t remember five, but before five it (0:21:09) Codey: What has it been in all the previous games? (0:21:15) Al: It was definitely only… (0:21:18) Al: opposite gender. But I can’t remember what five did. However, obviously, that was also an issue (0:21:24) Al: for Story of Seasons and is no longer an issue for Story of Seasons and it’s the same company. (0:21:29) Al: So I would hope that now it will allow you to romance any character, but who knows? We’ll see. (0:21:39) Codey: We live in a society. (0:21:41) Codey: Thank you. (0:21:45) Al: It is $60. (0:21:48) Al: euros or 42 pounds. (0:21:50) Al: That is pretty cheap here. (0:21:52) Codey: What why why did you guys like pay a premium to like your government paid a (0:21:53) Al: I don’t know why it’s cheaper here than not though, I don’t know. (0:22:02) Codey: premium so they could get it for cheaper. (0:22:05) Al: The limited edition is $100 or 66 pounds and 66 pence. (0:22:10) Al: What a weird… (0:22:11) Codey: What the heck? (0:22:11) Al: Why is this such a weird number? (0:22:15) Al: it’s interesting. So the standard way. (0:22:18) Al: One. So this is for switch physical is (0:22:18) Codey: Uh huh. (0:22:21) Al: fifty nine ninety nine dollars forty one sixty six pounds or forty nine ninety nine euros. (0:22:27) Al: Right. So I would think maybe it was just (0:22:29) Al: auto-converted if it weren’t for the fact that the euros was a sensible one as well. (0:22:33) Al: So that’s weird. (0:22:34) Al: But then you go on to the limited edition one, which is nine ninety nine ninety nine (0:22:40) Al: dollars sixty six sixty six pounds or eighty three thirty two euros. (0:22:43) Codey: I mean, is it, do you guys have like a tax or something like a tariff on them that that (0:22:48) Al: What is with these numbers? (0:22:51) Al: So confused. (0:22:56) Al: Yeah, but. (0:22:58) Codey: would counteract? (0:23:00) Al: I mean, not if if so, it would be the case on every game, right? (0:23:06) Codey: Well, but maybe they’re like doing you a solid, like this company is like, we know, we know that (0:23:09) Al: Well, not rounding up. (0:23:11) Codey: you have to pay out your nose for shipping. So we’re just going to make the cost cheaper. (0:23:20) Codey: Yeah, I don’t know. I’m just trying to grasp the straws because that’s a little bizarre. (0:23:20) Al: if amazon has the the limited edition for 80 and the standard for 45 which I think was (0:23:24) Codey: Seems like a typo. (0:23:35) Al: the limited edition was more expensive yeah that was like 20 quid more for the limited edition (0:23:35) Codey: the euro prices. (0:23:41) Al: and three pounds more for the oh it’s very confusing what is happening here (0:23:46) Codey: There’s no logic in this place. (0:23:49) Al: I think these must. (0:23:50) Al: be auto translated like auto thing made because I can’t even find I can’t even find (0:23:59) Al: that number anywhere on any shop so I’m just going to ignore it I’m in all right anyway (0:24:03) Codey: Are they trying to say that this is the devil’s game? (0:24:11) Al: there’s that you can go pre-order it now if you want to go go go buy the game if you want (0:24:15) Al: it or if you’re me um next we have harvest hills uh have announced (0:24:15) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:24:20) Al: they’re out now uh I don’t think we got previous notice of this coming out on this date because (0:24:26) Al: I didn’t have it down as that so they’ve just it’s out shadow drop they go (0:24:30) Codey: Yep, that’s the way to do it (0:24:33) Al: um trying to decide if I wanted to play this game or not uh it looks nice it’s nice graphics (0:24:41) Al: but oh no they did announce their release date I just missed it they released it on Christmas eve (0:24:47) Al: I don’t think this had an early access, so this is just… (0:24:52) Codey: Yeah, no, this one was one that I was interested in because of the beehives looking actually like beehives. (0:24:58) Al: Oh yes, oh yes. Oh, it’s cheap. Five quid, that’s wild. Okay, okay. (0:25:00) Codey: And I’m really, yeah, it’s only like $5. (0:25:07) Codey: Okay, the final the final question, can it be played on Mac? Nope. Sorry, y’all. (0:25:12) Al: Oh, but it can on Steam Deck. I’d say it’s unknown compatibility on Steam Deck, but (0:25:17) Codey: Well, I (0:25:20) Al: I suspect it’ll be fine on Steam Deck, because it has controller support. (0:25:22) Codey: It does look really cute, cool. (0:25:24) Al: Interesting. Okay. Yeah. So if you want that game, go play it. Mika. (0:25:28) Al: Which is mountain have announced that their non early access release is coming on the 22nd (0:25:35) Al: of January. What I’m a little bit confused by is that they’ve said that the third update is coming (0:25:44) Al: in the coming weeks. So this seems to be leaving early access without an update. (0:25:50) Al: Like they’re just going, Oh, it’s not early access anymore. But this is this is they’ve been weird (0:25:56) Al: about this since the beginning, right? Because I… (0:25:58) Al: Still don’t understand why they ever put this out in Early Access, (0:26:01) Al: because it wasn’t Early Access. They just added extra content after the fact. (0:26:04) Al: And now they’re releasing their non-Early Access version before the final update. (0:26:10) Codey: I mean, that seems pretty par for the course, given that Coral Island did a lot of the same stuff. (0:26:11) Al: Weird. Weird. What are they doing over there? (0:26:19) Al: - Well, yeah, I mean, I feel like “Mika and the Witch’s Mountain” was more complete on (0:26:23) Codey: Yeah. (0:26:23) Al: its early access release than “Coral Island” was on its 1.0 release. I don’t know, weird, (0:26:28) Codey: Yeah, that’s fair. (0:26:33) Al: confused, whatever. Why they didn’t go, “Oh, this is now out of early access” with their (0:26:38) Al: second content update, because the third content update is extra stuff that they’d want to (0:26:44) Al: add but wasn’t originally promised and so why they didn’t go or the second up (0:26:49) Al: it is the non-early access release okay great fine done but they didn’t do that they’ve gone (0:26:55) Al: no this random date a few weeks before the final update that doesn’t have an actual update (0:27:02) Al: that is the non-early access version (0:27:04) Codey: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I don’t know is this this is the one where they’re gonna do they’re gonna add dungeons, right? (0:27:11) Al: yes correct (0:27:11) Codey: Yeah, cuz it says into the mount gone (0:27:14) Codey: uh (0:27:15) Al: Yeah, this is the time if you played the game before and you haven’t played. (0:27:19) Al: either of the content updates this will be the time to play it because I believe this is the (0:27:23) Al: final update and yeah it has a lot of extra content whereas the previous ones they were fun (0:27:30) Al: they do look fun but they were kind of small things it was like here’s a minigame here’s (0:27:35) Al: an extra collectible whereas this is yeah here are dungeons that you can go into much bigger. (0:27:40) Codey: Mm-hmm. Yeah, cool (0:27:42) Al: Galactic getaway they have announced that their early access comes out in March (0:27:48) Codey: Sorry, I just reread my comment and didn’t even realize it was a pun. (0:27:53) Al: Yeah (0:27:55) Al: You (0:27:57) Codey: So I wrote, how are they getting away with this? (0:28:01) Codey: And it’s galactic getaway. (0:28:04) Codey: So what I was referring to, I almost typed it out, but I wanted it to be like a secret. (0:28:09) Codey: When I look at this like Kickstarter picture that they have, the little robot is clearly (0:28:18) Codey: WALL-E with like a headset on and the dog looks kind of like Doug from up. (0:28:18) Al: Okay, bye. (0:28:27) Codey: And then the spaceship in the back left looks like Stitch’s spaceship from Leelo and Stitch. (0:28:34) Codey: So they’re just, the getaway part of this is that they’re getting away with not being (0:28:38) Codey: sued by Disney, I think. (0:28:38) Al: Right. Okay. So a couple of things. One, I don’t get the spaceship one. It doesn’t look (0:28:41) Codey: Okay. (0:28:44) Al: in it. Oh, no, I see. I know. I see. You mean that one. And I feel like I can see what you’re (0:28:51) Al: getting, what you’re coming, where you’re coming from, but they’re all pretty generic anyway, (0:28:56) Al: right? Like Eve is a pretty like generic looking robot. Doug is a dog, right? Like there’s only (0:29:01) Codey: Yeah, this is the we have Eve at home. (0:29:04) Codey: Uh-huh. (0:29:07) Al: so many dogs that the. (0:29:09) Al: And the spaceship is a red spaceship it it doesn’t even. (0:29:14) Codey: And the watering can has a star on it, like in, uh, I look at, I’m, the more I look someone (0:29:15) Al: Like it doesn’t even have the exact same design. (0:29:19) Al: Oh, come on. (0:29:22) Al: Come on. (0:29:28) Codey: in the background has buns like in, uh, Star Wars. No, I just, that like the, the picture. (0:29:34) Al: The robot is your biggest argument, I see why you’re saying that and I understand what you’re coming from, however, it’s a pretty generic looking robot shape, I think, personally. (0:29:51) Codey: But no, I, I just, I noticed that and I was like, Oh wow. (0:29:55) Codey: But yeah, I don’t know. (0:29:57) Codey: I’d like to see, uh, more stuff about this game. (0:30:00) Codey: I mean, they’ve, they’re going to add, they’re fixing the creatures, the (0:30:04) Codey: farming, the crafting, the mini games, um, and early access in March, 2025. (0:30:11) Codey: So, oh, woo. (0:30:15) Al: Usagi Shima have announced that they have a Chinese New Year update out now with one (0:30:21) Al: very important thing. Would you like to mention it? Yeah, you can give a costume to your bun (0:30:22) Codey: Uh, lion… lion dancing. (0:30:29) Al: to make it look like a… See, I thought these were dragons. I know it says lion, but I feel (0:30:33) Codey: No, they’re quick. Yeah. Have you ever seen lion dancing? Have you ever seen lion dancing? (0:30:35) Al: like it’s the Chinese New Year dragon, isn’t it? No, from a traditional saying. (0:30:43) Codey: I had um, I had a woman. Yeah, no, they’re lions. Um, there were a couple people in my high school (0:30:45) Al: Those are really, those are meant to be lions. I thought they were dragons. They don’t look (0:30:53) Al: anything like lions. (0:30:56) Codey: that uh were lion dancers and so they would do um in all the (0:31:03) Codey: like assemblies. They’d have a lion dancing part to the assembly. It was really cool. (0:31:10) Codey: Oh, that’s that was a big jump that I had to make. So you said this is a costume? (0:31:16) Al: So there’s a costume and there’s a minigame. You maybe have to do the minigame to get the costume, (0:31:21) Al: I’m not sure. Yeah, you jump over buns, some of which are in the costume. (0:31:22) Codey: Is the minigame the jumping? (0:31:29) Codey: Well, I just jumped over a plant and then lost to a mushroom, so. (0:31:33) Al: Oh, OK, so it’s more than buns that you jump over. Fair enough. (0:31:36) Codey: But that’s exciting. (0:31:39) Al: Yeah, if you love this game, it’s another update and with stuff for you to do. (0:31:40) Codey: I haven’t played this game in a while. (0:31:45) Codey: And it’s still cute. (0:31:47) Al: Yes, if you liked the game before, you’ll probably like this update. Let’s be honest. (0:31:50) Codey: you will continue the (0:31:52) Codey: liking shall continue. (0:31:54) Al: Yeah, for sure. (0:31:56) Al: Chill Town have announced their upcoming updates, 0.9 and 1.0. They’ve given some details on them. (0:32:04) Al: It’s mostly 0.9, like right at the end of the post to go, (0:32:10) Al: “Oh, and by the way, there will be festivals. That’s coming in 1.0.” (0:32:15) Codey: Yep, they talk about how they have sprinting, which I thought folks might like given that, (0:32:16) Al: But the rest of it seems to be 0.9. (0:32:28) Codey: you know, the issue was that you had to run across the map, right? That was something (0:32:32) Codey: folks were complaining about when they played it. So maybe being able to run faster will (0:32:37) Codey: alleviate some of that. But the more important thing is that they lied to me in that steam (0:32:45) Codey: that says that there’s a nature exhibit with it that you can fill with insects. But I saw no insects. (0:32:50) Codey: So that’s all they haven’t. But like, you can’t mention that without showing an insect or two, (0:32:51) Al: Maybe they’ve just not put any in yet (0:32:59) Codey: as like an example. They don’t, they, they literally just, they just walk through it’s as (0:33:02) Al: Don’t think they show anything in that they just it’s like completely empty (0:33:08) Codey: if an animal crossing or coral island or whatever, like you just walk through the part of the museum (0:33:13) Codey: in which the insects are supposed to be. (0:33:15) Codey: I was like waiting, I’m like, is there going to be like a butterfly that lies out? (0:33:16) Al: Yeah, very weird. (0:33:27) Codey: Um, yeah, I was, I was really excited to see insects and then there weren’t any, but that’s (0:33:33) Codey: okay. (0:33:34) Codey: Something to look forward to. (0:33:34) Al: Wooo! (0:33:37) Al: Fields of Mystery app have announced their next update, the second major update coming in March. (0:33:46) Al: It adds a new villager, some additional dialogue and schedules for the NPCs. (0:33:54) Al: More unlocks in the mines, which is important. I need to get further down those mines, (0:34:01) Codey: Yep. Yep. (0:34:01) Al: Although I need to I need to not play this (0:34:05) Al: yet. I need to not go into the cut zone. I think I need to wait for more updates, (0:34:10) Al: otherwise I’ll just end up burning out before the end of it. New areas in the town, additional (0:34:17) Al: requests, more museum stuff, new festival, just yeah. Oh the farmland expansion is added. Oh yes. (0:34:27) Al: Gotta get a bigger farm. Do I need a bigger farm? No I do not. Sprinklers! Yes! Finally! Adding (0:34:30) Codey: But you can. (0:34:34) Al: sprinklers and an auto petter. This is getting good. This game’s getting good. It was already (0:34:43) Al: good. It’s getting even better. They’ve also listed a bunch of stuff that’s coming in future (0:34:48) Al: updates but they just they say in no particular order. Just like here are things that we’re (0:34:50) Codey: But, but the automation is the most important. (0:34:53) Al: thinking about. Oh yes. Gotta love it. Also in-game time adjustment options, which is something that (0:35:03) Al: that always sounds like a good idea. (0:35:07) Codey: I mean people probably use it because they want to like skip forward to something or (0:35:12) Codey: other or skip back possibly if they missed a festival or something. (0:35:16) Al: Yeah. All right. And finally, finally, second, finally, next, next we have (0:35:24) Codey: But penultimate final. (0:35:30) Al: just an ultimate. You don’t need to add on the final one to the end. (0:35:35) Al: Next, we have webfishing have released a plush of their main character, the cat, (0:35:43) Al: on Makeship. So if you want that, and it’s funded, it’s out. (0:35:47) Codey: Uh-huh (0:35:47) Al: Definitely happening. So if you want it, go get it. (0:35:51) Codey: Yep, it is $29.99 and most importantly that Al did not mention is that it is holding a salmon (0:36:00) Al: for sure it’s very cute I don’t need (0:36:01) Codey: That’s the most important part (0:36:05) Codey: No, but wait, do you what if you don’t get it and then you want it later? (0:36:10) Al: So Craig, my youngest, is really into Astrobok recently, right? (0:36:12) Codey: Uh-huh (0:36:14) Codey: Okay (0:36:15) Al: Like obsessed with it. (0:36:17) Al: He’s been playing it a couple of hours most days of the week. (0:36:17) Codey: You (0:36:20) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:36:21) Al: He is, and he’s getting really good at it, right? (0:36:22) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:36:23) Al: This is his first proper game that he’s played. (0:36:26) Al: Like he’s done a couple of bits here and there, (0:36:28) Al: but he’s not really like been playing them properly. (0:36:31) Al: But this is, he’s like doing most of it. (0:36:33) Al: There’s a few times where he’s like, can you help me with this? (0:36:35) Al: Because it’s too difficult, but he’s getting really good at it. (0:36:38) Al: like from it’s been like three weeks. (0:36:40) Al: or something and from the start till now he’s improved so much but he’s absolutely obsessed (0:36:46) Al: with it so much that we we just ordered the astrobot plush and that should be arriving (0:36:49) Codey: Oh. (0:36:51) Al: the day this episode comes out so he is very excited about that. (0:36:54) Codey: So if I hear a squeal from around the world of excitement. (0:36:59) Codey: Cool. (0:36:59) Al: Yeah finally we have information on a new Animal Crossing aquarium tour this time in the UK. We’ll (0:37:07) Al: We’ll come back to that word in a minute. (0:37:10) Al: I believe they did this in Japan and a few other places. (0:37:14) Al: I feel like I said about it in Canada and America, maybe as well. (0:37:18) Al: There’s a few. (0:37:19) Al: Anyway, it’s coming to the UK as well in collaboration with Sea Life UK. (0:37:23) Al: Now, I say UK because it is very much a tiny, tiny portion of one part of the UK. (0:37:32) Al: It’s like four different cities that are like half an hour to travel between each other. (0:37:40) Al: It is like a pathetically small amount, and you might go, “Oh, well, it’s because it’s (0:37:45) Al: Sea Life. (0:37:46) Al: It’s a specific company, and they don’t have any other place. (0:37:49) Al: They do. (0:37:50) Al: They have one in Scotland, and they didn’t do it there. (0:37:52) Codey: Well, yeah, they don’t want to do that, right? (0:37:53) Al: Thank you very much.” (0:37:53) Al: Don’t call it a UK tour if it’s just England. (0:37:57) Al: It’s an England tour, but like saying a US tour, and it’s just New York. (0:38:02) Codey: Yeah, just New York and Los Angeles. (0:38:02) Al: Go away. (0:38:05) Al: It’s a Europe tour, European tour. (0:38:10) Al: I’m annoyed. (0:38:10) Codey: Yeah, I guess I don’t really understand like what this is, (0:38:14) Al: Yeah, I think so, yeah, I believe so. (0:38:15) Codey: like, will there just be characters around? (0:38:20) Codey: Around. (0:38:24) Al: There’s activities as well. (0:38:25) Al: I think they have the stamp thing that they do in the game, so it says, “Visitors will (0:38:31) Al: be able to collect character stamps, discover many interesting facts about the inhabitants (0:38:35) Al: of Sea Life, and meet with Tom Nook and Isabel. (0:38:38) Al: at the end of the visit fans will be able to purchase. (0:38:40) Al: Animal Crossing New Horizons merchandise, of course they will, at the Aquarium store. (0:38:44) Codey: What villager would have to be included in either the merchandise or the stamp thing for you to go? (0:38:54) Al: or for me to travel all the way down to, I think Manchester is the closest one, (0:38:59) Al: which would be a, I think it’s a five hour drive for me, which is not insignificant. (0:39:08) Al: I know it means nothing to Americans who will drive five hours for dinner. (0:39:16) Al: I don’t think there is someone, I don’t really think so, like, (0:39:19) Codey: I would think, so if this was in New York or DC, which are like a three to five hour drive from (0:39:24) Codey: where I am, if Blue Bear was in there, Blue Bear is my favorite. (0:39:30) Al: Yeah, I just don’t think… I think it would be… I would drive two hours to go to this, (0:39:37) Al: I think. That’s how far I would drive to get to this. Coincidentally, about the time it (0:39:41) Al: takes to leave Scotland. I would drive two hours to this. I don’t think there’s anything (0:39:49) Al: realistically that would make me drive five hours. I don’t think I could do that. That’s (0:39:56) Al: too far. Especially considering we have an (0:40:00) Al: aquarium five minutes from us that we have a season pass to. So I would be paying to travel (0:40:08) Al: five hours to then pay to get into an aquarium when I have a season pass to an aquarium next to (0:40:14) Al: me. That doesn’t feel the most sensible situation, right? Oh, we do. All right, that is the news. (0:40:18) Codey: We have an aquarium at home. (0:40:25) Al: So next we will be going into our interview with Jordan, the developer of (0:40:30) Al: overseas retirement. We recorded that at a different time. So if it sounds different, (0:40:36) Al: that’s why. I hope you enjoy the interview. (0:40:38) Al: Weeee! (0:40:39) Al: Woo! (0:40:39) Al: Woo! (0:40:48) Al: Okay, we are now back with the developer of Rusty’s retirement, which just to remind listeners (0:40:56) Al: was the winner of the Harvest Seasons Game of the Year last year. (0:41:01) Al: Hello, welcome to the podcast, what is your name and what are your pronouns? (0:41:06) Jordan: Hiya. My name is Jordan, he/him. Yeah, I’m the developer of Rusty’s retirement, and also a smaller, lesser-known metroidvania called Hyekuda Robot, which is in the same universe as Rusty, actually, if you didn’t know that. A little bit of lore for you. (0:41:24) Al: I did not know that and I do like metroidvanias, maybe I’ll look at that at some point. (0:41:30) Codey: wait it’s a metroid haiku as in haiku the helper of russey (0:41:35) Jordan: Yep (0:41:37) Codey: he metroid what okay continue I have questions (0:41:41) Al: Well, good thing that you have questions because this is an interview, so I guess we’ll start (0:41:48) Al: off with a couple of easy questions. What is your history with games, just in general? (0:41:54) Al: What did you play when you were young? How did you get to where you are with games? (0:41:59) Jordan: Yeah, so I think my sort of gaming journey, let’s say, started when I was little, (0:42:08) Jordan: and I can’t remember the age exactly, but it was when Game Boy Color came out, (0:42:13) Jordan: because that was my first console that I ever got. And I just have super fond memories of playing (0:42:21) Jordan: Pokemon Gold on the Game Boy Color. So yeah, after that, and it was just like all the game. (0:42:29) Jordan: Boy stuff, Game Boy SP, Game Boy SP Advance, all of those ones. Nintendo DS when it came out, (0:42:39) Jordan: you know, all that sort of stuff. And then eventually I got like a PlayStation, I think. (0:42:44) Jordan: So I played like typical PlayStation games like GTA and stuff when I was definitely not age (0:42:51) Jordan: appropriate to play GTA, but still pretty fun times. So yeah, just sort of a mix, but it definitely (0:42:59) Jordan: with Game Boy and Game Boy Color. (0:43:01) Al: Yeah, fair enough. What was your starter in in Pokemon gold? (0:43:04) Jordan: Oh, I think it was the crocodile looking guy. Yes, that’s the one. (0:43:09) Al: Totodile. Yeah, good one. Good one. You’re in good company because we are both also Pokemon fans. (0:43:16) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:43:16) Al: I’ve been doing a lot of Pokemon recently. (0:43:20) Jordan: Yeah, I even I even actually bought because they did this remaster edition of like heart (0:43:25) Jordan: gold or something for like at the time I didn’t have a DS, I think it broke or I was only using (0:43:33) Jordan: my cousins or something like that. So I literally went out and bought a DS just so I could buy (0:43:39) Jordan: Pokemon Heart Gold. And that was like the only game I had for it. That was it. (0:43:44) Al: Yeah, I was actually the same because I dropped out of Pokémon after Gen 2 and came back (0:43:50) Al: for HeartGold SoulSilver. And I didn’t have a DS either, but my mum had a DS for brain (0:43:55) Al: training games. And so I was like, “Can I use your DS, please?” I used her DS and played (0:44:02) Al: HeartGold SoulSilver. I then got my own DSi for when the black and white came out. It (0:44:08) Al: a good time to jump back in, I think. (0:44:10) Codey: I think everyone had that like break period where they like played and then they stopped (0:44:15) Codey: playing and then they jumped back in, or at least I had that, yeah, yeah. (0:44:18) Jordan: - Yeah, I did as well. (0:44:20) Jordan: After HeartGold, I think I went and played all the DS, (0:44:24) Jordan: Pokemon games that released, (0:44:25) Jordan: like Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Ruby, all of those ones. (0:44:30) Al: Fair enough. Rusty’s retirement is obviously a farming game. What is your history with farming (0:44:36) Al: games? When did you because obviously there’s got to be a point where you’re like I’m making (0:44:40) Al: a farming game. So how did you get to that point in enjoying farming games or you know (0:44:46) Al: cottagecore games in general? Wow, okay interesting. (0:44:48) Jordan: I’ve never played a farming game, still to this day, other than Rusty’s retirement. (0:44:58) Codey: - Wild. (0:45:00) Jordan: So I know they exist, I know how they work, and obviously when I landed on Rusty’s retirement, (0:45:09) Jordan: well first of all, let me go back a little bit more. So after my first game, which was (0:45:14) Jordan: haikura robot, the same haikura that appears in Russia’s retirement. (0:45:19) Jordan: I was kind of stuck with what to do because making a Metroidvania was just a massive undertaking, especially to do it solo. (0:45:27) Jordan: Like I did all the art, animations, the coding, and there’s just so much content like you need. (0:45:33) Jordan: There was like 10 or 10 to 15 bosses at the end, you know, it’s just so much work. (0:45:39) Jordan: Like each boss needs their own unique animations, attack patterns, all this sort of stuff. (0:45:45) Jordan: And I was like, vowed to myself that I’m never going to (0:45:48) Jordan: put myself through this again, that I’m going to try and make (0:45:52) Jordan: something smaller and simpler as my next game. But when I (0:45:56) Jordan: finished from Metroidvania, that I didn’t know what to do. So I (0:46:03) Jordan: had this sort of brainwave of, I’m just going to make these (0:46:07) Jordan: sort of small prototypes, spend about two weeks on an idea (0:46:11) Jordan: because, you know, I had a bunch of ideas I wanted to try out, (0:46:15) Jordan: spend about two weeks on each sort of idea. (0:46:18) Jordan: And just test them just to want to see if I could actually do some of this stuff, you know, like some my technical capability isn’t like fantastic. I’m not like a fantastic coder. So some of this stuff is just simply out of my reach, just from a technical standpoint. (0:46:34) Al: You’re not making a 3D Zelda game. (0:46:35) Jordan: And then (0:46:37) Jordan: Yeah, or like, you know, I love strategy games and forex games as well. So like, but those things are like humongous. I would never be able to do something like that. (0:46:47) Jordan: And, and yes. (0:46:48) Jordan: So I just did these prototypes and I made Rusty and funnily, funnily enough. (0:46:55) Jordan: I actually shelved Rusty for like three months because I made it and most (0:47:01) Jordan: of the prototypes I made, and then I showed them on Twitter, right? (0:47:06) Jordan: I showed like, Hey guys, what do you think of this sort of thing? (0:47:10) Jordan: Just to kind of gauge, you know, interest and stuff like this, because I (0:47:14) Jordan: didn’t want to make something that, you know, at the end of the day, (0:47:17) Jordan: nobody wants to play. (0:47:18) Jordan: I was kind of trying to find this balance of like, okay, I’m going to do these (0:47:21) Jordan: ideas that I want to make and find out if I want to make them, but then also (0:47:26) Jordan: show them to people to see if there’s interest because I think if there’s (0:47:28) Jordan: interest, it also kind of motivates you to make it as well. (0:47:31) Jordan: You know, so it’s like this balance. (0:47:34) Jordan: Uh, but for Rusty, I thought, man, this is such a stupid idea. (0:47:38) Jordan: Nobody’s going to want to play this. (0:47:40) Jordan: And I just shelved it for like three months. (0:47:42) Jordan: Uh, but luckily I had commissioned, um, the sprites for. (0:47:48) Jordan: Rusty and they came through and I was thinking, you know, I should at (0:47:52) Jordan: least put sprites in the game now that they’ve done, just see what it looks like. (0:47:56) Jordan: And that’s when I thought, Oh, it was pretty cool. (0:47:58) Jordan: And I should make this into something. (0:48:00) Jordan: But before that, I hadn’t played any farming games or anything like that. (0:48:04) Jordan: But then once I kind of had this rusty idea and I also put it on Twitter (0:48:09) Jordan: and people really liked it, then I started like, uh, researching more (0:48:13) Jordan: into farming games and stuff. (0:48:14) Codey: » Mm-hmm. (0:48:16) Al: if you still not played any. (0:48:16) Jordan: But interestingly enough, I… (0:48:18) Jordan: No, I haven’t, because I was tempted to play Stardew Valley, (0:48:22) Jordan: but I didn’t want to get too influenced by the decisions that were made in that game. (0:48:29) Jordan: Like, I researched enough to know what’s the sort of loop, the core gameplay loop, (0:48:34) Jordan: and understand how that works, but I didn’t want to play it and see exactly how it’s done, (0:48:39) Jordan: because then I felt like it’s just going to influence my decision too much. (0:48:43) Jordan: And that kind of happened with my first game th

Liss & Josh discuss The Sims series, the MySims: Cozy Bundle, along with all of this month's cozy games releases! In the news, a new update is out for Fields of Mistria, Sun Haven is finally coming to Switch, a new Stardew Valley concert is announced, and a new game from the creator of Rune Factory!   Watch The Gaming Garden Podcast in video format: https://linktr.ee/GamingGardenPod Liss' channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lissthelass Josh's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JoshGamingGarden

Al and Kev rank the Stardew Valley Characters Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:36: What Have We Been Up To 00:25:25: New Games 00:33:54: Stardew Character Tier List 01:02:17: Outro Links Orange Season 1.0 Release Petit Island Story Trailer Paleo Pines new DLCs Go-go Town Major Update 1 Moonstone Island “Festivals” Update Seasonspree My Time at Evershine The Last Farmer Castaway Artisan Story Luma Island Stardew Tier List Video Stardew Final Tier List 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 (0:00:36) Kev: And my name is Kevin. (0:00:38) Al: and we are here today to talk about Cottagecore games (0:00:41) Kev: Yeah. (0:00:45) Kev: The cottage court game more specifically. (0:00:47) Al: well I mean lots of other ones as well but what Kevin is talking about (0:00:50) Kev: No, but the. (0:00:53) Al: is we are going to this episode do a Stardew Valley (0:00:56) Al: character tier list. So we’re going to go through every character. (0:01:00) Al: in Stardew and we’re going to tier them. Tier list them. Tier list them. List tier them. (0:01:01) Kev: and judge them yum we’re gonna be patty and biased and mean oh there’s yeah it’s (0:01:07) Al: We’re going to judge them and put them on a tier list from S to D. (0:01:17) Al: Oh we will be mean. There will be lots of mean because these people don’t exist. (0:01:22) Kev: that’s I thought you were gonna say see people are awful and I was gonna agree (0:01:28) Kev: Amen. (0:01:30) Al: We’re going to talk about a bunch of news. There’s quite a bit of news this week. (0:01:36) Al: But first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:01:39) Kev: uh i’ve been not much game wise to be honest i’m busy (0:01:44) Kev: trying to grind away at work as I can but anyways i’m in the brief moments i (0:01:48) Kev: do more well you know what forget all this (0:01:50) Kev: let’s get into marvel snapcast because you’ve been playing it too I know (0:01:54) Kev: you’ve been doing really well because holy mackerel you hit infinite like in a (0:01:58) Kev: week it’s insane insanity (0:02:02) Kev: um you know marvel snap is good I have been (0:02:06) Kev: I have not progressed it like i’ve been going back and forth not (0:02:09) Kev: stopped in the 70s but i’m still having a blast a lot of great cards this season (0:02:14) Kev: move is getting some love I like the spider people’s um yeah marvel snap’s good which uh (0:02:22) Al: Well, yeah, I don’t disagree with you there, because yeah, I’ve fallen off a little bit (0:02:23) Kev: what are you doing over there in snap world (0:02:29) Al: the last kind of week or so, purely because I’m not really sure what I want to do now (0:02:34) Al: that I’m at infinite. (0:02:35) Kev: Yeah, that’s fair. (0:02:36) Kev: I live in the conquest mode, but I’m only- (0:02:39) Kev: I can’t mainly do it because I want the- (0:02:41) Kev: Like, if I want the, you know, the big reward variant or whatever. (0:02:45) Kev: And I like it, it’s a duck walk in a suit, I think it’s snazzy. (0:02:45) Al: Yeah. (0:02:48) Kev: I’ll probably go for it if I can. (0:03:00) Kev: yep it is you know that’s super fair um I have been like in the last match and lost it you know (0:03:10) Kev: the last one before hitting infinite or final infinite one or whatever um it’s it is rough it (0:03:17) Kev: is um so yeah I know you’re right yeah kind of girl ears um oh my gosh the more I think about it (0:03:18) Al: It’s like a roguelite. But overall I’m still really enjoying, overall I’m still really (0:03:29) Al: enjoying Snap. I’m loving the idea, like different strategies and stuff like that. And yeah, (0:03:34) Al: as you mentioned, I’ve hit infinite for my, for the first time this season, which is, (0:03:38) Kev: Clap, clap, clap. Good for you. (0:03:41) Al: is fun. Yeah, I honestly never thought I would get to this point. So it’s, it’s fun to be (0:03:46) Kev: And there you go and the cool thing is it’s you know, relatively easy, you know next season cuz you’ll just be down to 70 (0:03:54) Al: Mm. Yeah, yeah, I. (0:03:54) Kev: You only have to go 30 levels not a huge climb (0:03:58) Kev: So yeah, good on you man. Um (0:04:02) Kev: Marvel snap aside (0:04:04) Kev: Sorry, go ahead (0:04:05) Al: No, no, I yeah, no, you go. (0:04:06) Kev: Okay. Okay, Marvel snap aside. Um, I’m continue to plays endless zone zero the (0:04:13) Kev: will you overst… er… er… (0:04:18) Kev: I don’t know what to call this, but it’s kind of become a daily for me because you can log in and if you want you can just do your dailies in like 5 minutes or so. (0:04:28) Kev: Because it’s really easy really quick. (0:04:32) Kev: It’s interesting to be in a game as it’s just releasing content, you know, it’s still early on. (0:04:38) Kev: There’s 3 chapters of the main story and I completed them all right so I’m just kind of… (0:04:44) Kev: my wheels, but I’m just dedicating time to improving my character. (0:04:46) Kev: It’s still not spent any money on it, but it is a game that works well for me to get in and just zone out, or whatever, and just push buttons and whatnot. (0:05:04) Kev: Yeah, that’s it. I know there’s a new chapter coming, I think they’re saying, but yeah, that’s it. (0:05:16) Kev: It’s a good style. What about you, what’s going on, other than Snapworld? (0:05:20) Al: Yeah, well, I just want to say you’ve not spent any money on that game unlike Marvel (0:05:24) Al: Snap. (0:05:26) Kev: Oh my god. Oh, I don’t want to talk, oh. (0:05:29) Al: Look, just think about what you get from it though, the amount of fun you get from it. (0:05:30) Kev: If I think about that for one second, just try to even consider how much I spent on Snapworld. Nope. (0:05:38) Kev: Were mistakes made? I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like a mistake. (0:05:42) Kev: I I do have down a lot of good for it, but (0:05:46) Al: I try and limit myself to just the season pass. (0:05:46) Kev: Yeah, me too, especially in this day and age. (0:05:51) Al: Nothing more, but I always pay for the more expensive season pass. (0:05:58) Al: Also, when I say try to, I don’t… I haven’t. (0:06:02) Al: I haven’t just stick to the season pass, but I try to. (0:06:02) Kev: Yeah. Yeah, me too. Rarely. Yeah, I agree. I haven’t done it since getting unemployed (0:06:05) Al: Most seasons, I just do the season pass. (0:06:08) Al: But yeah, there have been a few good pass packs that I’ve purchased for a fiver or whatever. (0:06:17) Kev: because obviously, but beforehand, yeah, no. And there were some that I had to like, “Oh, (0:06:17) Al: Well, yeah, yeah. (0:06:23) Kev: my rule of force.” It’s those cheap ones, you know, like the $10 one. Like, “Oh, man, (0:06:26) Al: Yeah, yeah (0:06:27) Kev: look at all this bull and the bull.” They get ya. (0:06:29) Al: Yeah, they’re dangerous (0:06:31) Al: Look, I’ve put in way less money into snap than I have into Pokemon go. So so that’s okay, right? (0:06:32) Kev: You know what? Yes. Wait, wait. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Either way, you look at it. Yes. I haven’t (0:06:44) Kev: put any money in going. I’m proud of myself for that. So, you know. (0:06:47) Al: It’s a wise a wise decision (0:06:51) Al: What else have I been playing I have played and completed astrobot the new (0:06:56) Al: the new astrobot game which is just called astrobot. It’s confusing because (0:07:03) Al: they have astros playroom which was the free one that came with the ps5 and they (0:07:09) Al: have astrobot which is the new one that came out but they also have what was the (0:07:13) Al: other one called there was a psVR one ask no it wasn’t astrobot rescue mission (0:07:16) Kev: Wasn’t Playroom the VR one? (0:07:20) Al: that’s the VR one. I haven’t played that one but (0:07:21) Kev: Oh. (0:07:26) Al: yeah whatever. Astrobot is so fun it’s basically like it feels like a cross (0:07:33) Al: between Mario Galaxy and Mario Sunshine and I think it it’s a really nice (0:07:39) Al: crossover between those two things and it does a really nice job of every (0:07:47) Al: level feels the right length it feels like everything comes back just enough (0:07:53) Al: that you don’t get sick of anything (0:07:56) Al: like you don’t go, oh, not another one of these levels. (0:07:59) Al: And the game is a good length, I think. (0:08:02) Al: So I’ve 100%ed it, and I’ve got the Platinum trophy. (0:08:06) Al: And I think it took me about 35 hours, which (0:08:08) Al: feels like a good length to me. (0:08:11) Al: It’s not a super difficult game, but there (0:08:14) Al: are a few levels that are, if you (0:08:17) Al: want to 100% it, that are quite difficult and difficult (0:08:23) Al: platforming challenges. (0:08:27) Al: Kind of think about it like with Mario Wonder, (0:08:30) Al: most of it was reasonably easy, like not difficult. (0:08:34) Al: But there was a few right at the very end (0:08:37) Al: after the main story that were super challenging. (0:08:40) Al: But you didn’t need to do them to complete the story. (0:08:42) Kev: Okay, it’s curvy-ish in nature, um, that’s cool. (0:08:42) Al: It’s kind of like that. (0:08:46) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:08:48) Al: No, I really think it’s super fun. (0:08:50) Al: And I mean, it’s a big PlayStation nostalgia fest. (0:08:56) Al: Like, you’re collecting bots that are all old characters (0:08:56) Kev: Yeah, it’s… it’s a shame that Sony fails to protect their legacy, though. (0:09:00) Al: and stuff like that. (0:09:06) Kev: You saw that tweet, right? (0:09:10) Kev: Okay, what? So, I didn’t understand. Are those just little… what are those characters? (0:09:16) Kev: Are they skins or are they just hanging out somewhere? Like, I don’t… you know? (0:09:20) Al: So there are other bots that you have to save who help run your ship, and some of them just (0:09:24) Kev: Okay. (0:09:26) Kev: Okay, I see. (0:09:26) Al: happen to look like characters in games. The best part about it is you’ve got, (0:09:32) Al: obviously, you’ve got Crash Bandicoot. There’s a Crash Bandicoot one. There’s an (0:09:36) Kev: Yeah, of course. (0:09:37) Al: Eloy from Horizon 1. There’s loads of other ones that I were like, “Okay, (0:09:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:09:42) Al: I kind of vaguely know what that is.” There’s a Pyramid Head one. (0:09:44) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:09:48) Al: It feels like the whole- (0:09:50) Al: The whole rest of the game is very much like kind of cutesy kidsy and then you’ve got this (0:09:55) Al: bot dressed up as pyramid head (0:09:58) Kev: Uh, well, you know, he was already in a, in a Bomberman game and his cute cartoony chibi. (0:10:06) Kev: So, okay. (0:10:07) Al: But it’s quite funny because they don’t name most of them right they have these like kind of funny names (0:10:14) Al: that kind of try and (0:10:16) Al: explain something about them without actually using the name. (0:10:20) Al: So it’s a little bit weird in that it feels kind of, I heard someone describe it, it was kind of like they’re using it without the rights to the characters. (0:10:28) Al: So it’s like a legally distinct sort of thing and the pyramid head one is he’s called the executioner. (0:10:28) Kev: okay (0:10:31) Kev: okay okay (0:10:37) Kev: why are just calling him that? (0:10:39) Al: Yeah, it’s very funny, but. (0:10:43) Kev: oh my gosh I just saw him call threat us dad of boy (0:10:46) Kev: and hgs boy (0:10:46) Al: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. (0:10:48) Kev: that’s incredible (0:10:50) Al: Well, exactly. It’s stuff like that. It’s just very funny, silly stuff. (0:10:54) Al: I’m trying to think what else it was. Oh yeah, Thor was Thunder God. (0:10:58) Al: And it’s not like the– Aloy was Machine Hunter. (0:11:02) Al: It’s not like they didn’t have the rights to these characters. (0:11:04) Al: They are. They’re characters. Right? Like, but it’s, yeah. (0:11:04) Kev: - Yeah, yeah. (0:11:09) Al: Nathan Drake is Raider Dude. (0:11:12) Kev: Yep (0:11:14) Al: So yeah, it’s really fun. I enjoyed it a lot. (0:11:17) Al: I would really OK, I would recommend. (0:11:20) Al: I would recommend it to anybody who has a PS5. (0:11:22) Al: If you have a PS5, I don’t think you have a good reason not to buy this game. (0:11:26) Al: If you don’t have a PS5, obviously do not buy a PS5 for this game. (0:11:30) Kev: Why would you do that when you could buy the PS5 Pro for this age? (0:11:37) Kev: Well, the one with the old colors. (0:11:43) Al: Oh, it just I didn’t even notice this at the time, but they have a Boku from Boku no Natsuya Sumi. (0:11:49) Kev: Oh, wow, there you go. There’s your cottage core (0:11:56) Al: All right. Cool. I think that’s I think I’m probably done talking to Astro about now. (0:12:01) Al: Three episodes in a row. That’s probably enough for you listeners. (0:12:06) Al: Cool. So we get into some news then. (0:12:08) Kev: Yeah, I guess so. Legally obligated to. Like, no one. (0:12:13) Al: We have. First of all, Orange Season have announced that there are 1.0 releases coming on the 24th of October. (0:12:21) Kev: Okay, all right. (0:12:25) Kev: Which one’s hard? (0:12:25) Kev: Wait, is that this one or you’re growing orange trees, right? (0:12:29) Al: I don’t think it’s like specifically growing just oranges. I think it’s a standard farming game. (0:12:34) Kev: Oh, okay. (0:12:35) Al: This is the one that had like a longer name and they renamed it. It was something something Orange (0:12:38) Kev: Okay. (0:12:39) Al: season rather than and then they renamed it to just orange season (0:12:41) Kev: Oh. (0:12:43) Kev: Oh, I… (0:12:44) Al: Yeah, it just feels like a pretty standard farming game there’s nothing about this that’s like oh, I must get this (0:12:47) Kev: Yes. (0:12:50) Al: - Yes. (0:12:51) Kev: Obviously, this is an us problem, because we’re the ones (0:12:51) Al: the (0:12:54) Kev: always reading the news and whatever, so we’re the ones who feel the fatigue. (0:12:58) Kev: Oh, it’s so rough, when, you know, it’s hard to stand out, like, (0:13:02) Kev: I feel so bad that I feel- (0:13:04) Kev: so unexcited or you know like it is this one’s very paint-by-the-numbers farming. (0:13:12) Al: Woofed apparently the first early access version of this was (0:13:18) Kev: Aw, sick. (0:13:20) Kev: Oh, good times. (0:13:22) Kev: Good time. (0:13:24) Kev: Well, hey, it made it. I will say that it did make it. (0:13:26) Al: Next we have Petite Island, have released a story trailer for the game. This is definitely (0:13:39) Al: not Animal Crossing. I mean it looks nice blah blah blah, too many games. (0:13:42) Kev: It’s, it’s animal intercession. (0:13:46) Kev: Aww. (0:13:48) Kev: Let me see. (0:13:50) Kev: Yeah. (0:13:52) Kev: They have, what is that? (0:13:54) Kev: Calico cat? Is that what it’s called? (0:13:56) Kev: It’s a cute, it is a cute cat. I’ll say that. (0:14:00) Kev: Oh my gosh, I don’t understand. (0:14:02) Kev: Did you have to go for the island motif? (0:14:04) Kev: You, you horizons cave out. (0:14:09) Al: Everything has to be an island or a valley, or both. (0:14:12) Kev: Oh gosh. All right. (0:14:14) Al: Next we have Paleo Pines. (0:14:16) Kev: Oh, oh wait, this one I care about, actually. (0:14:18) Al: New DLCs and a new update coming out (0:14:21) Al: on the 26th of September. (0:14:22) Kev: What are we getting? (0:14:26) Kev: Two deals. Wait, they’re playing it. (0:14:30) Kev: Michael Jackson’s Thriller is to Michael. (0:14:34) Kev: The trailer is to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. (0:14:36) Al: I don’t think they’ve announced anything about them. I’m just looking at their news. All I see is the names and then the announcement that they’re coming on the 26th. So we’ll see. (0:14:38) Kev: I didn’t expect that. (0:14:40) Kev: Oh, spooky stuffs, I guess. (0:14:48) Kev: Mm-hmm, okay (0:14:55) Kev: Okay, they’re probably just in-game events then adding new holidays or something. That’s probably what it is. All right, cool cool cool (0:15:00) Al: Yeah. We’ll see. We’ll keep you up to date when we get more information. (0:15:07) Al: Next, an update that we do have more information on. Gogotown, their major content update is now out. I think we recorded last time like four hours before it came out. So we didn’t have a lot of information. (0:15:18) Kev: Of course, of course. (0:15:21) Al: But yeah, we do have more information now. The biggest question I had was how the redoing of the industry zones works and you can basically decide how much space and how many on industry zones you have. (0:15:37) Al: Which is cool. I’m still not sure because I haven’t actually booted up the game since they’ve updated it. I’m still not sure how that affects the literal cave that exists and whether you can move that or not. (0:15:48) Kev: Mm-Hmm (0:15:50) Kev: Huh. (0:15:51) Al: But the rest of it makes sense. I guess you can just go. This is an area where we have mining and this is the area where we have trees and stuff like that. And more importantly, these are the places we have farming. (0:16:04) Kev: I’ll wait for 1.0 and this is good news, it sounds like stuff that’s good for 1.0. (0:16:04) Al: because they pointed out like you could set up one farm for animals. (0:16:06) Al: And a lot of crops, for example, so that’s cool. (0:16:10) Al: I need to spend some time with this update and see how it actually feels. (0:16:21) Al: Yeah, yeah. (0:16:22) Al: And they’ve added a bunch of expanded areas which you can purchase as you go, which is cool. (0:16:28) Al: And we got more information about the subways as well, so they’ve added in subways. (0:16:33) Al: It’s a little bit weird in that it’s very much. (0:16:36) Al: Clearly meant to be like a train subway, but you just walk in and then you walk out of a different exit to get to a different place. (0:16:44) Al: So it’s just kind of, it’s not even going to, it’s not even pretending that you’re actually getting on a train, which is a little bit weird, but simplest, probably implementation. (0:16:50) Kev: can’t they at least can’t they can’t they at least throw in the spider-man the metro (0:17:02) Al: Yeah, exactly, exactly. (0:17:03) Kev: little cutscenes in between (0:17:06) Al: Um, and the, the bike place spaces and the car parks are pretty cool. (0:17:13) Al: Uh, I noticed that they have a way to be able to summon vehicles that aren’t a (0:17:17) Al: specific one, which is nice as well. (0:17:18) Al: So if you’ve lost a vehicle or you’re on the other side of a map. (0:17:24) Kev: No, that’s great. (0:17:25) Kev: Alright. (0:17:27) Al: Yeah I think that’s the main three things. There’s a bunch of other kind of extra (0:17:31) Al: content and stuff but yeah I definitely need to need to try this out. (0:17:36) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:17:36) Al: Next we have Moonstone Island. We’re getting all our favorite games today. (0:17:43) Al: The festivals update is coming on the 30th of September and this has, can you guess, new (0:17:49) Al: festivals! There’s also some new spirits. I feel like this is one really good thing about… (0:17:50) Kev: Wow. Blowing my mind here, Al. (0:17:57) Al: they seem to add in a new spirit every update no matter how big the update is. (0:18:02) Kev: Yeah, it does like so (0:18:05) Kev: Okay, I think I’ve discussed this before like I wish I I appreciate them putting the work in love for it (0:18:13) Kev: But I’d rather they just make the spirit and hold off till they can release like kind of them at once (0:18:18) Al: interesting. Why do you say so? (0:18:19) Kev: Yeah, I like okay. Well, you know what? It’s honestly like going back (0:18:24) Kev: Let’s say that’s the motivating factor for me, right? Like I like to collect the spirits, right? Just going back for one (0:18:29) Kev: I don’t know. It feels very (0:18:32) Kev: Whatever because it’s not like anything any sort of special event fruit or whatever. You just it’s a random counter in the wild, you know (0:18:40) Kev: It’s a very small thing to look forward to whereas if it’s a ten (0:18:44) Kev: Okay, that’s at least a little more to to go through and motivate me getting getting them (0:18:46) Al: Yeah, so this this one’s four specifically (0:18:51) Kev: Okay, all right, um, the designs are usually good though, so I’m looking forward to see what they are (0:18:57) Kev: One big thing (0:18:58) Al: The the cooking update also get added for I’m just checking the previous ones as well (0:19:00) Kev: - Yeah. (0:19:02) Kev: I don’t know, well, it’s been a few updates, (0:19:04) Kev: so maybe I will check it out soon. (0:19:06) Kev: No, why not? (0:19:07) Al: Yeah if you’ve not if you’ve not played it since the first version it definitely feels like it’s (0:19:08) Kev: Maybe it’ll feel like 10. (0:19:11) Al: It’s a good time to jump in (0:19:13) Kev: Yeah, but honestly, the biggest problem for me (0:19:16) Kev: with Moonstone Island and their updates, (0:19:18) Kev: like it just, I don’t know, (0:19:21) Kev: it almost doesn’t make sense to me how they’re doing it, (0:19:26) Kev: because all their updates feel very like, (0:19:29) Kev: you know, the Cottagecore focus on decorations (0:19:33) Kev: and festivals and things like that, right? (0:19:35) Kev: But the game is still so very, like, (0:19:38) Kev: plot mode or objective motivated, let me say that. (0:19:43) Kev: And they haven’t really added more missions (0:19:45) Kev: or post-game things like that, (0:19:46) Al: Hmm (0:19:47) Kev: just left to decorate your house. (0:19:50) Kev: And like, and spirits, right? (0:19:53) Kev: Like, so, you know, you collect the spirits, (0:19:57) Kev: but I guess you have them, and that’s it, I guess. (0:20:00) Kev: I don’t know. (0:20:02) Kev: Oh, cool, now I see the little image (0:20:04) Kev: of the spirits being added on those mitten, that’s good. (0:20:08) Kev: But I don’t know, yeah, that’s all I really want, (0:20:10) Kev: more than anything from Moonstone Island, (0:20:12) Kev: you know, something actually to work towards (0:20:14) Kev: or to feel like to use my spirits for. (0:20:16) Al: Yeah, so it looks like it it looks like one of the so I’ve just gone through all the updates (0:20:18) Kev: Yeah, because, mm-hmm. (0:20:23) Al: since they released. One of them had three and all the others had four. So, yeah, it (0:20:24) Kev: Yeah. (0:20:27) Kev: Okay, all right, well, that’s a decent number altogether. (0:20:29) Al: doesn’t feel like a ridiculously low number to go with each update for but. (0:20:32) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. (0:20:36) Kev: All right, but it is what it is. (0:20:38) Kev: I’m glad the game’s still being worked on, I’d still give it. (0:20:43) Al: Next, we have Seasons Spree. We talked about this at some point. I can’t remember when. (0:20:49) Al: I know we talked about it because it’s on my wish list. It’s out now, so if you care (0:20:57) Al: about this game, which again, definitely not Animal Crossing. I think it does do one interesting (0:21:04) Kev: how gosh one of the first things (0:21:07) Al: thing. It says that you control the flow of time just by walking around. (0:21:12) Kev: That’s okay, I don’t know I’m looking at it like it’s around spherical world (0:21:18) Al: Yeah, but that seems to be your progressing time as you’re moving left and right. (0:21:23) Kev: Yeah (0:21:25) Kev: Then that is an interesting mechanic. I will say that (0:21:30) Kev: So I wonder how well they utilize that (0:21:34) Kev: That is interesting (0:21:37) Kev: But are you excited for a cozy world because that’s one of the first things pieces of text in the trailer (0:21:41) Al: I love a cosy world nothing makes me more excited to be game than cosy world. (0:21:43) Kev: Wow (0:21:47) Kev: There you go, well season sprees got you covered don’t you worry (0:21:54) Al: We also have a steam page up for my time at ever shine now with a lot more information (0:22:00) Al: it’s very funny because they announced that this game was coming with no information and (0:22:04) Al: then like a week later the steam page is up with paragraphs and paragraphs and like ten (0:22:11) Al: different videos and screenshots of what’s happening in the game. (0:22:14) Kev: You know, I kind of like that, actually, like that, you know, (0:22:19) Kev: the first announcement isn’t a proper teaser, actually, right? (0:22:23) Kev: Like just if there’s a thing and we just wonder (0:22:26) Kev: and then they drop all the information. (0:22:28) Kev: I like that. That’s you. (0:22:29) Al: But like a week though, that feels really fast. (0:22:32) Kev: Oh, you’re right. OK. Weak is fast. You’re right. (0:22:35) Kev: But in general, I like the strength, but I like you. (0:22:39) Kev: Well, but hey, hey, what really matters? (0:22:42) Kev: You know what? Everyone wants to hear out. (0:22:45) Kev: The biggest announcement they’re developing (0:22:47) Kev: for currently unannounced Nintendo platforms. (0:22:50) Al: Oh no, I didn’t want to talk about this! (0:22:54) Kev: Oh, you thought you were going to get away with me on here? (0:22:54) Al: Oh my word, I forgot all about this. (0:22:56) Kev: It’s just. But. (0:22:58) Al: Okay, right, so, so many articles popped up and like, “Oh, (0:23:05) Al: first game confirmed for the Switch 2. Oh, we’ve got Switch 2 game!” (0:23:10) Al: And you’re like, “Okay, well let me read what they’ve actually said.” What they’ve (0:23:13) Al: said is, “We are committed to releasing this on the next (0:23:17) Al: Nintendo console and you’re like (0:23:20) Al: that is not first of all shut up secondly that is not anything like what you’re saying it is (0:23:28) Al: and thirdly it’s not even the first game that said that there are many games that have said (0:23:33) Al: they’re going to do that this is not a first it made it sound like it was an official announcement (0:23:40) Al: about the new console and it was nothing like that. (0:23:40) Kev: Yeah (0:23:45) Kev: Search to announce through my time at ever seen update (0:23:51) Al: I’m just- the good- the interesting thing about this- (0:23:53) Kev: Still more games than the PlayStation 5 already. I just want to say (0:24:00) Al: I mean half of the- so there’s only like 20 exclusive ps5 games and half of them are remakes. (0:24:06) Kev: Sick (0:24:08) Al: What was I saying? Yes, so the interesting thing about My Time at Evershine is that they do appear (0:24:14) Al: to be using a new character model which looks like much more like actual humans. (0:24:18) Al: Thank you very much. (0:24:21) Kev: Wow, I want to step up. (0:24:22) Al: Proper dimensions and proportions. (0:24:25) Al: I mean, I think it is. (0:24:26) Al: I think they look much better like this. (0:24:29) Al: I think some people probably prefer the previous character models. (0:24:30) Kev: No, I get what you’re saying. (0:24:32) Kev: Yeah, I get what you’re saying, (0:24:34) Kev: but it just, it also can sound like (0:24:36) Kev: they were using freak abominations before. (0:24:40) Al: They did have very big heads in the previous game. (0:24:41) Kev: Yeah, oh no, those, yeah. (0:24:44) Kev: Those are people, people, all right. (0:24:46) Kev: Wow, that’s a Breath of the Wild. (0:24:48) Kev: Wow. That’s good. (0:24:50) Kev: Breath of the Wild with dofers with hats on there. (0:24:53) Kev: Okay. Okay. Oh. (0:24:54) Al: I mean, I’ll be honest, unless they’ve fundamentally changed how the crafting works, I’m not playing (0:25:00) Kev: Yeah, no, I mean, it’s like, oh my gosh, I don’t know how to feel about this. (0:25:05) Kev: Okay, it feels, I don’t know, and going more in a normal portion, it almost feels a little more generic. (0:25:12) Al: Yeah, that’s fair. That’s fair (0:25:12) Kev: Um, uh, here we go, my time at power, non, non-loss-suit edition. (0:25:14) Al: You (0:25:22) Kev: Let’s, uh, okay, well, there you go. (0:25:24) Al: All right, well, we also have some new games because the list of new games is never ending. (0:25:33) Al: First of all, we have The Last Farmer. (0:25:36) Al: The Last Farmer is not just a tale of survival. (0:25:40) Al: It’s a journey of restoration amidst the sprawling deserts of a forgotten Texas. (0:25:45) Al: I mean, don’t we all wish Texas was forgotten? (0:25:48) Kev: Okay. Oh, oh wow. Wow. This is not what I expected. Sorry, I just clicked on the little. It’s not (0:25:48) Al: Your farm becomes a symbol of hope and persistence. (0:25:59) Kev: the aesthetic I expected at all. No, no, I didn’t. Oh, no. The local looks like (0:26:00) Al: You didn’t expect, you didn’t expect a zombie game? (0:26:05) Al: And oh, my word, there’s the. (0:26:11) Al: Zombies, just listen to this sentence. (0:26:15) Al: Zombies can be processed into fertilizer, helping you restore the fertility of the dead land. (0:26:22) Al: You have a literal meat grinder that you put a zombie on and it turns it into (0:26:27) Al: fertilizer and it does not. (0:26:30) Al: It does not hide away what it’s doing. (0:26:32) Kev: Aww, it’s SICK. (0:26:32) Al: It is like so clear what is this. Horrific. (0:26:35) Kev: That’s kind of sick. That’ll, you know, leaning in all the way. (0:26:39) Kev: Oh my gosh, so… oh my god. (0:26:42) Kev: I’m just… still recovering from the sh… the jump scare I got you from, but that, like, jump scare just completely unexpected. (0:26:53) Kev: So when they say “the last farmer,” they mean “the last of us farmer.” (0:26:58) Kev: that’s what they mean because that’s that is the aesthetic that’s (0:26:58) Al: - Yeah, yeah, that’s pretty much what it is. (0:27:02) Kev: the local that is what they’re saying you are the last of us (0:27:05) Kev: far oh wow (0:27:06) Al: Farming is only part of survival. You’ll need to craft tools and firearms to defend yourself and maintain your farm. (0:27:12) Al: Resources can be processed into biofuel, which is vital for keeping your operation running and surviving in this harsh state. (0:27:12) Kev: there you go (0:27:20) Kev: there you go (0:27:23) Kev: oh okay (0:27:24) Kev: you got me oh my god okay (0:27:26) Kev: sorry I just looked at the next link and I got another bitch hah! (0:27:29) Al: All right well let’s go on to the next one then. Uh cast away. Retrieve your weapons. Face bosses (0:27:35) Kev: Oh my gosh. (0:27:35) Al: to save your dog in a retro adventure focused on three dungeons. Finish the story mode to unlock (0:27:41) Al: the survivor mode. A 50 floor death tower. You’ll enjoy classic mechanics, charming visual style, (0:27:46) Al: and enchanting soundtrack. Um is this not actually farming? I don’t think this is farming at all is (0:27:52) Al: it? Why did I add this into the list? Is there no farming in this at all? I’m sure. (0:27:53) Kev: No, I don’t. I’m looking at it. (0:27:59) Al: I added this in for a reason. (0:28:01) Kev: Like, I’m looking, I’m playing the trailer. I don’t know. (0:28:04) Al: Nope I don’t know how this managed to get in there but (0:28:08) Kev: I don’t know why you added a… (0:28:10) Al: it’s a Zelda game. (0:28:11) Kev: It is not just a Zelda game. It is the Link’s Awakening. It is the power of the equivalent (0:28:17) Al: Yeah yeah. (0:28:20) Kev: of Link’s Awakening. (0:28:23) Kev: Wow, they’re character, it’s just Breath of the Wild Link, wow, wow, okay, boy I hope you’d (0:28:28) Al: You know what, I think I probably did. (0:28:29) Kev: yeah, I don’t blame you, like that’s a common trope for us, well I hope they don’t have (0:28:30) Al: I probably saw the word cast away and just assumed it was a farming game. (0:28:41) Kev: any mechanics that are plantive, oh, okay, what’s next, is the next one actually Cottage (0:28:44) Al: This one’s definitely Cottagecore. We have Artisan Story. Aspiring to be the best artisan (0:28:47) Kev: Club. Oh, oh, yeah, story. (0:28:53) Kev: You know it, you know it, it’s. (0:28:58) Al: in the world are young artisans are opening their workshop complete with a monster ranch. (0:29:03) Al: Monsters from the dungeon tend to your fan. I mean, it’s Rune Factory, right? (0:29:08) Kev: It’s- It- Every- You- You’ve ruined the genre for me, Al. Every game is just a Yahtzee of other games now. This is just a ruined factory. (0:29:16) Al: Sorry. (0:29:18) Kev: Hahaha. (0:29:22) Al: Is this how this podcast dies? (0:29:24) Al: With a whimper of the hahaha. (0:29:26) Kev: Oh, that was, that was without question. (0:29:30) Kev: What’s, oh, what’s, what’s the gummy guy game, the gummy bum drop guy? (0:29:36) Kev: I can’t remember physics based one. (0:29:38) Al: Oh, yes, Southfield, yes. (0:29:44) Kev: what is it called southfield i’m gonna go look at southfield to see what it’s just as (0:29:49) Al: Make yourself feel better. (0:29:54) Kev: verbal drink for my eyes because oh my goodness this is this is a rune factory what’s the artist (0:29:59) Kev: oh my gosh and the name it’s uh we’re just oh my gosh (0:30:06) Al: So you’re not excited about this? (0:30:08) Kev: oh but you know the worst part is it looks it it actually looks or at least (0:30:14) Kev: the trailer like I you know assuming I don’t know if this all the in-game or whatever but (0:30:18) Kev: it does look um the visual presentation is nice they’re kind of going for the octopath (0:30:24) Kev: 2.5 d what are you gonna call it right with kind of flat sprites whatever yeah with flat (0:30:26) Al: 2d HD or what? Yeah (0:30:30) Kev: sprites on a uh a uh 3d world um so oh my gosh some of the monster designs that I mean they (0:30:38) Kev: they work well but they’re they’re just ripping off other things it’s the characters that get me (0:30:44) Kev: those are just rune factory I mean you know it doesn’t help rune factories already (0:30:48) Kev: never gets into those designs but oh my gosh it’s clear what we’re going for oh (0:30:52) Al: Alright, let’s finish off the new games with Luma Island. (0:30:59) Kev: we need a section of new games in quotes and actually new games (0:31:04) Kev: uh (0:31:04) Al: Oh yeah look, it’s another island. Travel to Luma Island to go on an epic adventure by yourself (0:31:10) Al: or with your friends and family. Build your dream farm, master professions, collect magical (0:31:17) Al: lumas, find treasures and unravel the mysteries of the island. (0:31:21) Kev: Finally, we can build our dream farm and unravel missions of an island. (0:31:26) Al: I will say I quite like the the graphics in this game. It is the art style, it’s kind of, (0:31:32) Al: It feels like it’s trying to do. (0:31:34) Al: I’m going to do pixel art in three. (0:31:37) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I can see what you’re saying. Yeah, I can go where it reminds me of fabled them a little less cartoony (0:31:43) Kev: Um, like you said, I think yeah the pixel heart and 3d kind of like rounded fully rounded (0:31:48) Kev: I can kind of I see what you’re saying (0:31:51) Kev: Um, it it does look nice the visuals. Um (0:31:55) Kev: You know nothing like it’s not super (0:31:58) Kev: Super stylized the characters are fine, but it looks nice. It’s it’s well done. I’ll say that right. Um, and we can rotate the camera (0:32:06) Kev: I like that. (0:32:06) Al: Yeah, I hate how, I hate how every scene is just the camera constantly rotating, I’m feeling (0:32:07) Kev: I’ll say this. (0:32:08) Kev: I… (0:32:09) Kev: Yeah it is. (0:32:10) Kev: Yeah you can. (0:32:11) Kev: I get it. (0:32:12) Kev: You’re right. (0:32:13) Kev: You’re sober. (0:32:14) Kev: I appreciate… (0:32:15) Kev: Like I said before, I appreciate it when they go for 3D because, or generally speaking, (0:32:25) Kev: I do. (0:32:26) Kev: Looking at you, artist in story. (0:32:28) Kev: Because it’s so easy to do a Stardew clone. (0:32:32) Kev: But it looks nice. (0:32:34) Kev: I’ll say that. (0:32:36) Kev: Feels very like a san- (0:32:37) Kev: boxy sort of game, I don’t know what a luma is, but uh, there you go, luma, I’m- (0:32:40) Al: Uh, it’s the, the, the star from Mario. (0:32:44) Al: » [LAUGH] (0:32:44) Kev: I d- I’ve no- I was- I- I probably make a joke, but I lost the train in my head, so. (0:32:52) Kev: But yeah. Where’s that game? Where is this? (0:32:54) Al: I… well Mario farming game. A Luma farming game. (0:32:57) Kev: Ye- oh, yes. Tour, I don’t know. (0:33:01) Kev: Lu- yeah, why not? (0:33:03) Al: You’re just… you’re playing as Rosalina and you’re breeding Lumas, (0:33:03) Kev: Somebody’s gotta grow crops on that spaceship. (0:33:07) Kev: You know, I hate how much I love that concept of fiction. (0:33:10) Al: sending them off in to make stars. (0:33:17) Kev: Well, that’d be great. (0:33:19) Kev: Well, I’d love a game just running the starship, whatever, the observatory, whatever, with Rosalina. (0:33:27) Kev: Oh my gosh, that’d be great. (0:33:28) Al: all right there we go that’s that’s the only one that I’m looking at out of this (0:33:29) Kev: Thank you, Luma Island, for giving us that concept. (0:33:33) Kev: - Okay. (0:33:36) Al: list and going I could see myself playing (0:33:38) Kev: » Yeah, that is by far the best one, (0:33:40) Kev: because it’s the only one that’s not complete knockoff of something else. (0:33:45) Kev: » Yep, we had Last of Us, Link’s Awakening, and Rune Factory. (0:33:51) Kev: New entry synapse for them. (0:33:54) Al: All right, so that’s all the news and the new games. We are now going to do our Stardew (0:33:54) Kev: » [SOUND] (0:33:59) Kev: » Okay. (0:34:01) Al: character tier list. A few ground rules for this. First of all, it is every single character (0:34:03) Kev: » Tier list. (0:34:05) Kev: OK, so– (0:34:07) Kev: That’s the sign for you listeners to, you know, turn us off. (0:34:10) Kev: Lest you, you know, hear our awful, awful opinions. (0:34:18) Kev: OK. (0:34:20) Al: in Stardew, every single one. (0:34:21) Kev: All right. (0:34:24) Al: Secondly, we’re going to do this as there’s five tiers. There’s S, A, B, C, and D. (0:34:31) Al: We’re just going to argue about it until we agree on something. Some of them I think will be pretty (0:34:35) Al: obvious, but there might be some that we have to kind of disagree on and argue and finally get to (0:34:40) Kev: - All right, sure. (0:34:41) Al: decision. And just for listeners, if you’re hearing this part of the podcast, that’s because (0:34:47) Al: I got the video successful. We are hopefully going to have a video of this, of Bill (0:34:54) Al: building the tier list. We’ll see if it works or not, but I am sharing my screen with Kevin. (0:35:01) Al: He can see what I’m doing, and we’re going to build up this tier list together. (0:35:05) Al: If that doesn’t work, there’ll be an image of the tier list as well. I mean, there’ll be an image (0:35:09) Al: of the tier list either way, because can’t make people watch the video just to see the visual of (0:35:14) Al: it. But yeah, we’ll see how that goes. Okay, so we’re starting off. We’re just going to take this (0:35:18) Kev: Okay, let’s do this. (0:35:22) Al: in the order that they have them. (0:35:24) Al: in this list. First up we have Abigail. (0:35:26) Al: Oh, it may be alphabetical, yeah. (0:35:26) Kev: uh I think this is this alphabetical I don’t know whatever i’m at evergills (0:35:33) Kev: she’s fine I guess we I don’t know i’m pretty indifferent (0:35:38) Al: I’m thinking A, personally, because she eats rocks. (0:35:40) Kev: okay (0:35:45) Kev: wow I don’t remember that detail a for sure (0:35:49) Al: I think she’s fun, and she’s a little bit weird, and I like weird. (0:35:53) Kev: Yeah, you know, you know what? Hold on, I’m remembering. (0:35:57) Kev: He’s the product of an affair, basically, right? (0:35:59) Kev: That’s the implication we’re getting. (0:36:03) Kev: So, you know what? (0:36:03) Al: She literally, you give her amethyst and she will eat the amethyst. (0:36:06) Kev: Oh, oh, oh, that’s right! (0:36:08) Al: Like, it’s not even, it’s not even hinted at. It is very clear she eats the amethyst. (0:36:10) Kev: All right, A tier for that alone. (0:36:16) Kev: Yep, I’m down for it. (0:36:16) Al: And I love that. Okay, cool. Alex. He is the jock. Um, I will say the one thing that kind (0:36:17) Kev: I’m down for that. (0:36:18) Kev: All right, A tier for Abigail, absolutely. (0:36:22) Kev: He, I guess, he’s the jock, right? (0:36:29) Al: of like justifies him is that if you, if you are a male character in the game and you go (0:36:36) Al: the relationship with Alex he (0:36:38) Al: kind of goes through a journey of self-discovery. (0:36:42) Kev: That’s pretty cool actually, I didn’t realize that. (0:36:45) Kev: If you want to go A for that, I don’t mind it. (0:36:47) Kev: I’m fine. (0:36:48) Kev: B, A, whatever you want. (0:36:48) Al: Yeah, Mogo B. He’s a little bit more rounded than some of the other characters, but I don’t (0:36:49) Kev: That is a nice touch, the fact that they made the effort for that. (0:36:54) Kev: Alright, B. (0:36:58) Al: think he’s quite A. (0:37:04) Al: Next we have The Bouncer from Calico Desert. (0:37:08) Kev: that’s (0:37:11) Kev: Does his job well (0:37:11) Al: So as far as I know, he has exactly two lines, one of which is “No, you’re not getting in” (0:37:19) Al: and the other one of which is “OK, on you go”. (0:37:20) Kev: Perfect. Nailed it. No notes. He delivered. He promised. He came. He delivered. I had (0:37:23) Al: And that’s it. (0:37:27) Al: I don’t know what to say. (0:37:31) Kev: a boy last week. I almost want to say yes because there’s nothing else. It’s up. Or (0:37:42) Al: I mean, he’s not particularly… (0:37:43) Kev: just you have to put him in B because that’s the normal. He’s not good or bad. That would (0:37:48) Kev: be the. (0:37:49) Al: OK, sure, fine. (0:37:51) Al: Let’s put The Bouncer from Calico Desert into B. (0:37:56) Al: Next we have Caroline. (0:38:01) Al: So Caroline gives you tea. (0:38:07) Al: That’s her best thing. (0:38:09) Al: No, she’s married to Pierre. (0:38:12) Al: She’s Abigail’s mum. (0:38:12) Kev: Okay, okay, okay, okay. Oh, so she’s the one who had the affair. Oh, yeah. Oh, that’s spicy (0:38:18) Al: She’s a little bit more of a married girl. (0:38:24) Kev: I’m (0:38:25) Kev: Good. They only kind of briefly reference that they don’t lean into it too much. I can get kind of get why but (0:38:30) Al: Mm-hmm (0:38:34) Kev: Like I wish they kind of did that would be a good plot line to follow through with (0:38:39) Kev: But yes, and remembering her now. Yeah, she’s just kind of there isn’t she? (0:38:42) Kev: um (0:38:43) Al: she’s fine. Yeah. I don’t think she’s particularly bad. Are we thinking B? Yeah. See what’s the (0:38:48) Kev: Maybe see even I don’t know cuz like (0:38:53) Kev: Just not as memorable as Alex or the bouncer that’s the only thing (0:38:58) Kev: But I mean, yeah, I don’t know. I’m fine either way. I’m not TV (0:38:58) Al: OK, fine, fine, let’s go see. (0:39:02) Kev: Okay. Well this call the next one calls for the establishment of a new tier the Flint tier at the bottom (0:39:08) Al: The Clint tier where we have very bad kerning between the L and the I, yeah. (0:39:11) Kev: Do we have to go? (0:39:18) Al: Yeah, he’s D tier, right? (0:39:18) Kev: - Well done. (0:39:23) Al: He doesn’t learn anything, he never has any personal growth, he’s just a little grumpy (0:39:28) Al: who can never admit that his problems are somewhat self-inflicted and could absolutely (0:39:35) Al: be solved. (0:39:36) Al: There’s no reason why he couldn’t get into a relationship with Emily if he actually tried. (0:39:49) Al: She is a lovely person and she gives him plenty of opportunities and he never even bothers (0:39:52) Al: to try. (0:39:53) Al: And he gets grumpy when you get in a relationship with her, despite the fact that he was never (0:39:57) Al: doing anything. (0:39:58) Al: He is not a good person. (0:40:00) Al: He’s not nice to be around. (0:40:02) Kev: Fine you win now (0:40:02) Al: D. I’m sorry. (0:40:04) Al: Was I trying to convince you? (0:40:05) Al: I don’t think so. (0:40:06) Al: I don’t think I needed to convince you. (0:40:06) Kev: No, that’s what he told you remember, and that’s what he says when you were all right, so that’s probably the easiest one (0:40:13) Al: Demetrius. (0:40:14) Al: Oh yeah, for sure. (0:40:15) Kev: Okay, Demetrius (0:40:17) Al: I’m thinking C for him. (0:40:19) Al: He’s fine. (0:40:20) Al: But again, not particularly, like, interesting. (0:40:20) Kev: Yeah (0:40:23) Kev: Yeah, he’s a scientist right he just sciences it up off-screen yeah, I’m fine for see (0:40:26) Al: Yeah (0:40:28) Al: He’s sciencey, but Maru does the science angle much more interestingly. (0:40:32) Kev: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I agree. Uh, let’s see his mind, ‘cause yeah, he’s just… (0:40:38) Al: Yeah, he’s fine. I don’t, he’s a little bit, he does, I will, the other reason for, I guess, (0:40:44) Al: putting him down to sea is, I feel like he, so he is, I think, canonically autistic, (0:40:52) Kev: Hm, okay. Yeah, I remember, mm-hmm. (0:40:52) Al: and he’s very much using that as an excuse rather than… (0:40:58) Kev: Right. (0:40:59) Al: like an explanation for things and trying to understand, what’s her name? (0:41:02) Kev: Uh-huh. (0:41:04) Kev: Yep. (0:41:10) Al: Yes, Robin, thank you. He doesn’t really try and understand Robin’s point of view, (0:41:14) Al: he just uses his autism as an excuse, and so that’s why I marked him down. (0:41:17) Kev: You know bumping down to D, I forgot he took Robin from me. (0:41:21) Al: All right, fine, yeah, sure, fine. Maybe we do need to add, maybe we do need to add a Clint here, (0:41:23) Kev: I don’t care, I said I juggled, but I’m fine either way. (0:41:28) Al: because he needs to be lower. (0:41:32) Al: Dwarf. (0:41:32) Kev: The D tier with the understanding coin’s actually a tier lower. (0:41:37) Al: All right, so we’ll put him there, and Clint can be at the bottom of deer tier. (0:41:40) Kev: Yeah, there you go. (0:41:43) Al: Dwarf, B tier. So he runs the shop in the cave, in the mines. (0:41:50) Kev: Ah, okay, sure, it’s cool (0:41:54) Al: you also get a little bit of backstory about him when you progress. (0:41:58) Al: progress crow buses line because the dwarfs and the shadow people had a war and they end up fighting and you have to like calm them down and say “look it’s not a war anymore, would you shut up?” (0:42:00) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:42:04) Kev: Oh, I did it (0:42:09) Kev: Whoa, I didn’t know that well, he’s that one guy (0:42:12) Al: Have you not experienced that bit? (0:42:13) Kev: No, I don’t think I have. Well, that’s cool. Like that one guy in Vietnam. I thought the world’s still going on or whatever (0:42:20) Al: Yeah, I think they both know the war is not going on but they still like, it’s like a (0:42:22) Kev: Sick (0:42:25) Al: low level feud they have. (0:42:27) Kev: Okay, good times, all right (0:42:30) Kev: Elliot (0:42:32) Kev: You know what my biggest thing for Elliot or the biggest plus for Elliot is he’s not (0:42:37) Kev: As big as of a d-bag as thought he would be just from how he looks (0:42:40) Al: Yeah, that’s fair. That’s fair (0:42:42) Kev: He’s pretty he likes to write right he’s just over there just poetrying it up or whatever (0:42:49) Kev: It’s fine. He’s not particularly mean or nasty or anything. He’s just kind of his own space doing his own thing (0:42:56) Kev: I haven’t done–I don’t remember too many events with him, to be honest. (0:43:00) Kev: Like, he’s fine. (0:43:00) Al: I think if you go into the Romance things, he is quite doting on you, shall we say. (0:43:07) Kev: Oh, that’s nice. (0:43:09) Kev: You know, I’ll give him an A. There’s a lot of awful people. (0:43:13) Kev: He’s A for being not awful. (0:43:15) Al: Emily S tier. Yeah, we love Emily. Evelyn S tier. Good, good, good. George B tier. He (0:43:18) Kev: Uh, yeah, all right. (0:43:25) Kev: Oh, one thousand percent. (0:43:32) Al: has some positives and he has some negatives. He’s a grumpy old man, but I think he has (0:43:36) Al: the right to be a grumpy old man. And also he can be quite nice in a few situations where (0:43:44) Al: you actually you realize (0:43:45) Al: that there’s reasons why he’s grumpy and oh well obviously he’s old you know (0:43:49) Kev: Yeah, I mean, yeah, but (0:43:49) Al: why he’s old but he comes across initially as just a grumpy old man but (0:43:55) Al: you find many more layers to him and he actually can be quite nice when you get (0:43:55) Kev: Mm-hmm. Yeah (0:43:58) Kev: Yeah, I agree be for that cuz he’s got he’s layered like you say right that’s that’s all (0:44:06) Al: ‘Gill’ he’s one of the adventurers guilds people. I’m gonna go for C purely because (0:44:14) Kev: Okay, that’s why his name is Gil. (0:44:21) Al: there’s nothing really we know about him other than just he is there and yeah I feel like (0:44:24) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:44:27) Al: I want to know more about him. (0:44:29) Kev: Isn’t either one who go saves you if you fall in the caves (0:44:31) Al: All right no Linus saves you if you if you die in the caves. (0:44:34) Kev: No lines you’re right right sorry, yes, I can’t next up yes next up (0:44:37) Al: Don’t be taking it from from our guy Linus. (0:44:41) Al: Next we have the governor. (0:44:44) Kev: Oh my gosh, I forgot it comes for that one festival, right? (0:44:45) Al: So I think his I think yeah I think that’s his only his only appearance is the festival (0:44:52) Al: and let me tell you he is not very good at telling you that your soup isn’t great right (0:44:57) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:44:57) Al: he doesn’t he doesn’t he doesn’t go there oh no he goes this is disgusting. I think he’s I think (0:45:03) Kev: Mm-hmm sure I didn’t vote for him (0:45:04) Al: you see. (0:45:07) Al: Uh, grandpa. (0:45:11) Kev: Okay, I’ve never made it to grandpa I (0:45:14) Al: What? You’ve never made it past year two. (0:45:16) Kev: Made it to year two. I never know so tell me about grandpa (0:45:19) Al: What? So, right, okay. So, obviously, positive, he gave us the farm. (0:45:27) Al: That is where the positives end. Why does he wait until we are, you know, (0:45:35) Al: nearly going to kill people and are (0:45:36) Al: off his job for us to open this letter, like he tells you, you should only open this (0:45:41) Al: letter at this situation. And it’s like, why could we not have had more years of an enjoyable (0:45:47) Al: life helping people in the valley? And like, I don’t understand that. He’s really judgmental. (0:45:53) Al: He gives you, he doesn’t consider you as a whole person unless you are married and have (0:46:02) Al: children. I just yeah he he’s a little bit (0:46:06) Al: old-fashioned. I don’t really feel like he having said that at least his dot (0:46:11) Al: his he

Al and Codey talk about Coral Island 1.1 Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:04:04: What Have We Been Up To 00:20:18: Game News 00:42:25: News Games 00:48:02: Coral Island 1.1 01:28:16: Outro Links Tales of the Shire Delay Tales of the Shire Hobbit Day Announcement Sugardew Island Delay To Pixelia Delay Go-go Town “Build and Bustle” Update Harvest Moon: Winds of Anthos “Great Outdoors” Update Len’s Island “Controllers and Steam Deck” Update Danchi Days on Steam Sea Sniffers on Steam Garden Trills on Steam Piczle Cross: Rune Factory on Steam 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. (0:00:36) Codey: and my name is Cody. (0:00:37) Al: And we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:41) Codey: Woo! (0:00:44) Codey: It sure has, I went to Costa Rica and back. (0:00:49) Codey: You guys almost lost me because I almost stepped (0:00:52) Codey: on the most venomous snake in Costa Rica. (0:00:55) Al: Oh no. Well, I mean, you know, a snake isn’t an insect. (0:01:01) Codey: It’s not, but it’s like in the very first day (0:01:04) Codey: They were like, this is the ultimate– (0:01:06) Codey: pit viper. If you get bit by one, you need to go to a hospital immediately, and you still might lose your limb. (0:01:13) Codey: And they had all these things. And then literally the next day I’m walking on a trail, and I– (0:01:18) Codey: I’m from Pennsylvania. We have– or I’m not from Pennsylvania, but I’m in Pennsylvania. (0:01:23) Codey: There’s lots of rattlesnakes here, so I’m used to it. You’re walking on a trail. You still look down. (0:01:27) Codey: You don’t look around you. You look down. And I almost set my foot down, and I was like, “Oh, that’s a snake.” (0:01:33) Codey: She was very well camouflaged. (0:01:36) Codey: It was Epen, she remained Epen, but I told people, I was like, “Hey, don’t go that way. There’s a Tertio Pelo or, gosh, what is the other, Fertilance?” (0:01:44) Codey: And people, of course, were like, “Oh, I wanna see it!” (0:01:48) Codey: And then I came over, so then I stood there and was basically like a bouncer for this snake. (0:01:56) Al: I - this is why I don’t travel very much. I just don’t - we just - like Scotland, pretty (0:02:05) Codey: Ah. (0:02:06) Al: safe place. We don’t really - technically we have one venomous snake, but it’s like (0:02:13) Al: the sort of venomous that you’re gonna have an itchy leg for a while, like that’s about (0:02:18) Codey: Yeah. Yeah, I know this one. This one’s not good. And we were pretty far away from a hospital. (0:02:18) Al: it. Yeah, no, I’m all right. In fact, like I - (0:02:25) Codey: It was fun, though. (0:02:26) Al: I think I’ve only ever seen a snake in the wild like once ever because they’re just - like (0:02:32) Al: they exist here, but they don’t really exist. So anyway, I’m glad you’re not dead. (0:02:37) Codey: Yeah, so I’m back. If anyone if anyone has any questions about Costa Rica, let me know in the slack. (0:02:45) Codey: Gotta be a member of the Slack, gotta be a Patreon subscriber. (0:02:48) Codey: Patreon.com/GHSpod. (0:02:50) Codey: But we’re not here to talk about that. What are we here to talk about today, y’all? (0:02:52) Al: This episode we are kind of going to talk about the Coral Island 1.1 update (0:03:00) Codey: Kind of. (0:03:01) Al: They’ll understand why soon (0:03:04) Al: There’s a whole thing (0:03:06) Al: We’re gonna talk about that before that we have some game news a decent chunk of game news (0:03:11) Al: We’ve gotten it’s gotten busy again, and it’s not all game delays (0:03:16) Al: But we have hit that period and we have had that time in the year where there’s lots of games getting delayed till next year (0:03:18) Codey: It is getting to be mostly game delays, but not all. (0:03:24) Codey: Maybe like half game delays right now. (0:03:24) Al: No, no, it wasn’t, it’s not… (0:03:26) Codey: Next episode will be more. (0:03:29) Al: This is not even half, it’s not even half. (0:03:31) Al: There’s only three game delays this episode. (0:03:33) Codey: Uh-huh, for now. (0:03:35) Codey: But, but literally the second after we record this, (0:03:39) Codey: you’re going to hit, we’re going to hit the boop (0:03:39) Al: Oh yeah, oh, for sure. (0:03:41) Codey: and then they’re going to be two more, 100 percent. (0:03:42) Al: For sure. (0:03:44) Al: I mean, we currently still have… (0:03:47) Al: Okay, like 20, like 30. (0:03:48) Al: We still have 30 games that are meant to be coming out this year. (0:03:51) Al: And it is halfway through. (0:03:52) Al: So, um, there’s going to be a lot more, a lot more delays. (0:03:55) Codey: Here we go. (0:03:58) Al: It’s my favorite time of the year, uh, game delay season. (0:04:00) Al: Uh, yeah, cool. So we’ve got some news, but first of all, Cody, what have you been up to? (0:04:06) Al: Other than trying to die in Costa Rica. (0:04:08) Codey: Uh, well, uh, unsuccessfully dying in Costa Rica. (0:04:13) Codey: Uh, and then just a lot of research stuff. (0:04:16) Codey: Um, and I was very, so I was in Costa Rica to do fly school, learn about flies, (0:04:21) Codey: learn how to identify them. (0:04:22) Codey: So I’ve been like super jazzed about getting through some of my (0:04:24) Codey: specimens, which is great. (0:04:26) Codey: Um, also did, uh, just did the great insect fair, which is Penn state’s big, (0:04:30) Codey: um, outreach event. (0:04:31) Codey: We had about 3000 people from across the state come and visit, um, (0:04:34) Codey: and learn about insects. (0:04:36) Codey: And that was super cool. (0:04:38) Codey: Uh, but when I wasn’t, uh, crippled by stress about the great insects, (0:04:43) Codey: great insect fair, uh, I was playing, uh, coral Island, of course, (0:04:47) Codey: a dove back into this game with both feet. (0:04:50) Codey: Um, not deep enough, but let, but we’ll get to that. (0:04:53) Codey: Uh, also a Disney dream light Valley. (0:04:56) Codey: I still play it every day. (0:04:57) Codey: Um, I’m trying to get all the critters and they, whether or not they show (0:05:02) Codey: up each day as a, you know, tossup. (0:05:05) Codey: Um, so I check. (0:05:08) Codey: Log on every morning and I check and see like, Oh, are they here? (0:05:10) Codey: I think I still have two of the crocodiles that I want and then one (0:05:14) Codey: Fox, um, that I don’t have, but I have befriended all of the other critters. (0:05:19) Codey: I’m also just like 100%ing everything in that game. (0:05:23) Codey: So I’m trying to get all the achievements. (0:05:24) Codey: So I give it maybe like 20 to 30 minutes a day. (0:05:28) Codey: Um, and then, uh, my best friend, Devin and I have moved on from (0:05:33) Codey: Minecraft for now, we’ve just tabled it. (0:05:36) Codey: and we’re playing Call of the Wild. (0:05:38) Codey: the angler so it’s a very uh it is farmville fishing oh sorry not farmville um (0:05:45) Codey: farming simulator fishing it’s like that quality but fish where it’s like really detailed about (0:05:53) Codey: do you have a float set up do you have a spinner set up do you have a what kind of set up do you (0:05:57) Codey: have what kind of rod do you have it’s it’s pretty intense but i’m enjoying it (0:06:02) Al: That looks like a game I do not want to play (0:06:06) Codey: it’s nice because it’s it’s all (0:06:08) Codey: open world. So there’s like, a bunch of different maps that (0:06:11) Codey: you can go to. And part of it, you just like explore the world. (0:06:15) Codey: And you also find you tell the people like when you see the (0:06:20) Codey: invasive bark beetle or the invasive purple loosestrife, (0:06:26) Codey: which is an invasive plant that often takes over like around (0:06:29) Codey: ponds. So you find these things. And it’s really cool because a (0:06:32) Codey: lot of it is legit. Like they told me about oxide daisy and (0:06:38) Codey: be on the lookout for oxide daisy. And then I was like, (0:06:40) Codey: this plant is glowing. And this is an oxide daisy. This looks (0:06:42) Codey: like a loosestrife. And I was like, Oh my gosh, it is. So it’s (0:06:47) Codey: just another thing that I can turn on play for like, five (0:06:51) Codey: minutes and then turn off if I don’t want to play it anymore. (0:06:54) Codey: The problem with Coral Island and games like it is I start a (0:06:58) Codey: day and then I’m like committed to that day. And then after the (0:07:02) Al: Yeah, but the games aren’t very long (0:07:02) Codey: day, you’re like, Oh, I can make those days last man. (0:07:08) Codey: I think I’ve also isn’t this one of the games you can like make (0:07:10) Codey: the days go slower? I think that’s one of the one of the (0:07:12) Al: Maybe I mean coral islanders are yes, we will do everything that you suggest type of game. So probably (0:07:13) Codey: accessibility things that you can do. (0:07:18) Codey: So I think I’ve done that because that was one of my (0:07:20) Codey: issues with Stardew is I was like you blink in the days over. (0:07:21) Al: Yeah, oh (0:07:23) Codey: But (0:07:23) Al: No, I like I like the shortness cuz then it’s like bam done I can put it away (0:07:28) Codey: no, I need, I need to be able to do everything. (0:07:29) Al: We. (0:07:32) Al: But you’ve got another day. See, this is how, this is how I’m four years into the game, (0:07:36) Codey: And I’m not even, it’s true. (0:07:36) Al: and you’re not even one year into the game. (0:07:40) Codey: The FOMO is so hard. (0:07:43) Codey: Like I, I finally did the thing where you like write down what you need to do for (0:07:49) Codey: like the basically community center, but it’s the Lake temple. (0:07:53) Codey: Like I wrote it down in a notebook that I have in front of me at all times. (0:07:57) Codey: And I wrote down like when you find all of the things. (0:08:00) Codey: So I’m like, and I didn’t do this until fall. (0:08:03) Codey: So now I’m like, look at all these fish that are spring and summer that I didn’t (0:08:06) Codey: know that they were evening fish in the river forest. (0:08:08) Al: Yeah. The fish is the thing I don’t have the most, and oh my word. We’ll get to that. We’ll get to that. We’ll get to that. We’ll get to later in the episode. (0:08:12) Codey: Or that, or that one. (0:08:16) Codey: What have you been plucked to? (0:08:18) Al: This, just before I do it, I was reading reviews on Call of the Wild, The Angler, because the reviews are, shall we say, mixed. (0:08:21) Codey: Yep. (0:08:27) Al: There are lots of people really like it, but here’s a fantastic review. (0:08:32) Al: 4.1 hours on record, not recommended, posted 4th of September. Somehow they managed to- (0:08:38) Al: -capture the true essence of real-life fishing in this game. Boring as hell? Check. Managing gear is tedious as hell? Check. You can spend hours fishing and catch nothing? Check. (0:08:47) Codey: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. (0:08:51) Al: The only thing they failed to capture was what a chura is to clean the fish/gear at the end of the day, but I shouldn’t give the devs any ideas. (0:08:58) Codey: Correct! So if you like fishing I’m sure you’d love this game because then you (0:09:02) Codey: don’t have to clean it either but yeah it is TDM it is the TDM of like (0:09:06) Codey: having to pick like oh you’re like oh you want a rainbow trout you have to (0:09:11) Codey: make sure that you have the right bait the right gear you have to go to the (0:09:15) Codey: right place you have to do all this stuff the right way and then yeah you still (0:09:21) Al: I mean, I will agree, that sounds like not fun. (0:09:24) Al: It does not sound like something that I would want to have anything to do with, but it’s (0:09:29) Al: a fishing sim. (0:09:30) Codey: Yep. What did you expect? (0:09:33) Al: If you don’t like fishing, maybe don’t play a fishing sim. (0:09:37) Codey: Yep. (0:09:37) Al: It’s not like something like trying to be different and trying to be interesting. (0:09:41) Al: It’s trying to be realistic, right? (0:09:45) Al: play a realistic fishing sim if you don’t like fishing. (0:09:48) Codey: Yep. It was funny because after playing it, and Jeff watched me play it a little bit, (0:09:54) Codey: we ended up we were near a Bass Pro Shop, which is like a giant, it’s like a Cabela’s or a big (0:10:02) Codey: like hunting store, but for fit, but mostly just for fit. Well, they I guess they had they had guns (0:10:07) Codey: as well. And we went in there to just walk around. Yeah. And we went in and walked around and then (0:10:09) Al: Of course it’s America, of course you would. (0:10:15) Codey: and then someone tried to sell us a vacation. (0:10:18) Codey: We’re like, Oh, we’re done. It was a hunting trip. (0:10:20) Al: I do enjoy how you mentioned like a fishing shop, which I was like “okay, a shop that (0:10:25) Al: has everything you need to do fishing, fair enough” and then you try and explain it by saying (0:10:29) Al: “it’s like a hunting shop, but for fish” and I’m like “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hunting shop”. (0:10:36) Codey: Yep. (0:10:38) Codey: Well, so I started explaining like, (0:10:40) Codey: oh, it’s like a Cabela’s. (0:10:41) Codey: And then I was like, I bet. (0:10:42) Codey: Al does not know what a Cabela’s is. (0:10:43) Al: I don’t know what that is either. Like I’m pretty sure shop that sells you fishing (0:10:50) Al: pretty self-explanatory. I know what that would mean. (0:10:54) Codey: but it does also have a hunting area and like you you can make bait bait traps (0:11:00) Codey: for your deer to like bait deer into your property like scent for deer like (0:11:04) Al: Oh. Classic fish. And also guns. What have I been up to? I have been playing Astrobot. (0:11:06) Codey: all there’s there’s more than just that yeah America anyway what have you been (0:11:21) Codey: You have to explain to me. (0:11:22) Al: So are you not aware of what Astrobot is? So, and he’s a little bit of background here. (0:11:24) Codey: I am not aware. (0:11:27) Codey: Okay. (0:11:29) Al: So Astrobot is a PlayStation character and he (0:11:34) Al: I think his first game was Astro’s Playroom, which was a free game that came with the PS5 (0:11:45) Al: and was basically like a tech demo of like all the things that the new controller could do. (0:11:51) Al: And it was super fun. And it’s like he’s this little cute robot. And the idea was you’ve got (0:11:55) Al: these little levels where you’re going around and you’re basically rescuing old Sony PlayStation (0:12:00) Al: stuff so you’re like getting a playstation one and then (0:12:04) Al: you’re getting like accessories for it you’re getting the original controller and then you get (0:12:09) Al: a ps2 and you get accessories for and it’s like that you end up building out this really nice (0:12:12) Codey: Grabbing the–grabbing those memory cards that you had to grab. (0:12:15) Al: yeah yeah exactly exactly loads of things like that and you’re built basically building out this (0:12:19) Al: museum and it was super fun um so they’ve built onto that and made a bigger game that they could (0:12:26) Al: actually sell um called astrobot and so it’s um I mean I basically it’s like (0:12:34) Al: way I would describe it is if sony decided to make a 3d mario game that’s basically what it is (0:12:42) Al: so it’s super fun i’m not very far through it because it came out a week ago and i’ve (0:12:46) Al: not had a huge amount of time so i’ve you know i’m through a few levels and um stuff but yeah i’m (0:12:52) Al: i’m enjoying myself it has the same fun whimsy of astro’s playroom it has the really nice controls (0:13:00) Al: of a good mario game it has the (0:13:04) Al: unique mechanics that mario wonder had um where lots of different levels have like one specific (0:13:10) Al: thing that doesn’t that level uh less kind of like trippy and more just like a mechanic type (0:13:15) Al: thing like oh sometimes you have monkey arms and you use them for climbing and sometimes you know (0:13:21) Al: the standard kind of mario stuff um so yeah it’s super fun um and it’s it’s I don’t know if it’s (0:13:28) Al: meant to be I don’t know if it’s going to be as nostalgic as the other one but it’s it feels like (0:13:34) Al: trying to do a similar sort of thing um in that your ship that you’re trying to rebuild is a ps5 (0:13:42) Al: and there’s a few things that i’ve kind of found that they’re not hardware stuff they’re like game (0:13:47) Al: based stuff this time so like you’re rescuing little robots like astrobot and there some of (0:13:53) Al: them are in costumes so I found the crash bandicoot one and I found the spyro one and stuff like that (0:13:55) Codey: oh my gosh (0:13:58) Al: so I think it’s more going for the nostalgia of the games this time which I mean makes sense (0:14:03) Codey: nostalgia machine activate. (0:14:05) Al: Um, I was wrong. They did have another Astro Bot game before Astro’s Playroom, (0:14:09) Al: and that was a PlayStation VR game for the PS4 in 2018 called… (0:14:14) Codey: So still showing off new technology. (0:14:16) Al: Yes, yeah, so I guess that’s kind of the same thing. But yeah, it does really fun stuff with (0:14:21) Al: the controller, and it’s enjoyable to play. And, you know, it’s a game for me to actually play on (0:14:26) Al: my PS5. [LAUGHS] There’s like 20 PS5-exclusive games, and half of them… (0:14:28) Codey: to justify that expense. (0:14:34) Al: And we’re four years into this console. (0:14:40) Codey: seems legit have you played a heavy rain have they remade that (0:14:44) Al: I have not. I don’t know. [LAUGHS] (0:14:49) Al: Fair enough. I remember when it came out, and I remember being like, “Oh, it’s great.” (0:14:56) Al: I’ve not made a remake. I’m not seeing anything about a remake. (0:15:02) Al: What else? I’ve also been… (0:15:04) Al: playing lots of Marvel Snap and this week, if people were listening last week, I was (0:15:09) Al: sitting kind of like ranks 70 I think. I am now at rank 100, infinity rank, so I’m at (0:15:15) Al: the top of the ladder. So wooo! Exciting. I know I’m not sure what to do. Well, yeah, (0:15:17) Codey: Woo. (0:15:20) Codey: Well, no, now that now the real game begins, right, max rank. (0:15:26) Al: I don’t really care. So the problem is, I don’t really care about grinding that number (0:15:31) Al: out because you don’t really get any good rewards for it. (0:15:33) Al: And so it’s– (0:15:35) Al: for the sake of playing, and I’m never gonna get up to the top. So I like goals that are realistic. (0:15:40) Al: So I’m just playing conquest instead, which is like you have to play a– you have to win a match (0:15:46) Al: in a row to get the first ticket, and then you get two in a row to get the next ticket, and then three (0:15:52) Al: in a row, and then you have to– so you essentially have to win, I think it’s like 10 battles in a row, (0:15:57) Al: and then you win a bunch of another currency that you use to buy something. So that’s what I’m (0:16:02) Al: what I’m doing just now, but it’s pretty hard. (0:16:04) Al: And the problem is that any time you lose you have to go all the way down to the beginning again (0:16:04) Codey: Yeah. (0:16:08) Al: Win one to get the next ticket and then win two to get the next (0:16:08) Codey: Of course you do. (0:16:12) Codey: Could you pay a premium currency to not lose your space? (0:16:16) Codey: Oh, that’s a that’s a missed opportunity from them. They (0:16:21) Al: you can grind out the lower tickets. So that’s what I’m doing just now, like grinding out (0:16:25) Al: as many of the silver tickets as I can so that I don’t have to keep going back down. (0:16:30) Al: And I can just like then grind out as many of the gold ones as possible. And then when (0:16:35) Al: I eventually win the gold one, then I can like try and grind that for the infinity one. (0:16:40) Al: I can’t remember. And I’ve been I’ve been getting back into reading comics. So as as (0:16:49) Al: As happens every year, I resubscribed. (0:16:51) Al: For a year of Marvel Unlimited when I should actually use this and went and read a bunch (0:16:57) Al: of comics. So I’m reading through the Ms. Marvel comics just now because I really like Ms. Marvel. (0:17:03) Al: She’s one of my favorite characters. And yeah, it’s been good. I’ve just finished the Inhumans (0:17:10) Al: versus X-Men comics line, which was good. I enjoyed that. But what I find really funny is, (0:17:17) Al: as you’re following stories. You come across characters that you’re not (0:17:21) Al: actively following, but you know some about. But then, because you’ve not been actively (0:17:26) Al: following them in the comics, their status is completely different from what you would expect (0:17:30) Al: it to be, right? And so you’re like, “I need to find out why, for example, why is Cyclops a child (0:17:30) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:17:35) Al: just now?” And so you look into the reasons for why Cyclops is a child, and you find out that (0:17:36) Codey: Yeah, see (0:17:40) Al: actually Cyclops went evil and died. And this is Cyclops from the past, who’s now having to deal (0:17:46) Al: with the fact that he knows that he grows up to be evil and dies. (0:17:52) Codey: Yup, this is classic Marvel to me, because like I mean, it (0:17:53) Al: Yeah. (0:17:58) Codey: requires it’s no longer like standalone, like it requires (0:18:02) Codey: that you have seen everything. I remember going and seeing one (0:18:05) Codey: of the most recent movies, like the multiverse of madness or (0:18:10) Codey: whatever. And I was like, wait, why is Scarlet Witch bad and (0:18:13) Codey: wait visions dead? And like it was just like, wait, what? (0:18:13) Al: think yeah I mean I’m not I think I think this is just one of these things (0:18:19) Al: where you just have to kind of if you’re not willing to do everything you just (0:18:23) Al: kind of have to accept that sometimes you won’t know the current state of (0:18:26) Al: things and you know I would go into these things I mean obviously I watch (0:18:30) Al: all of the Marvel stuff like all the shows and films because it’s not really (0:18:32) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:18:34) Al: on the level of reading all the comics like reading all the comics is basically (0:18:37) Al: impossible watching all the shows and TV series the films and TV series it’s not (0:18:37) Codey: Right (0:18:42) Al: that difficult, right? (0:18:43) Al: You have any sort of, like, time that you can do on a weekly basis. You can keep up (0:18:47) Al: to date reasonably easily, if you want to. But, well, like, this year, for example, so (0:18:49) Codey: No. (0:18:50) Codey: I’m going to do a little bit of a (0:18:54) Al: far we have had one 10-episode series in one film, so far, this year, and we’re in September. (0:19:03) Al: So it’s not… that’s not an unreasonable amount to try and keep up to date if you care (0:19:07) Al: about it. And the TV series was, like, an animation anyway. It was unrelated to the (0:19:11) Al: current multiverse, you don’t have to pay attention. (0:19:12) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:19:14) Al: There’s one film, that’s all that’s been so far this year. (0:19:16) Codey: Yeah, no, it’s good wait was the one film that the Deadpool okay, I did (0:19:17) Al: So, yeah, so I also enjoyed it. But yeah, so I don’t, I think it’s just kind of one of these (0:19:29) Al: things we just have to accept if you’re not willing to keep up with it. But why I find fun (0:19:33) Al: about it in the comics is it’s like, oh, this is a really weird situation. I just stop reading the (0:19:38) Al: comic, go find out why this person is in this situation, and then come back. Because there’s (0:19:43) Al: a lot of explanations for most things. And you learn more about other storylines that you’re (0:19:44) Codey: Yeah, no, my ADHD, I would be like, huh, I want to know why this is the way it is. (0:19:48) Al: not going to go and read. (0:19:56) Codey: And then I’d read that and then be like, Oh, because he went evil. (0:19:59) Codey: And I’d be like, huh, why did he do that? (0:20:01) Codey: And then I’d go down that rabbit hole. (0:20:03) Al: Yeah, and that’s one way to do it as well, you know, and it just like each their own and maybe (0:20:03) Codey: And then, yeah, that’s, yeah. (0:20:07) Al: you decide that means that you don’t read comics and that’s fine, you know? Like, um, that is, (0:20:11) Codey: Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. (0:20:13) Al: I am enjoying it. It’s good fun. So, uh, yeah. That’s what we’ve been up to. (0:20:19) Al: All right, time for some game news. First of all, Tales of the Shire has been delayed till 2025. (0:20:26) Al: Uh, uh, yeah, the, they’ve not really. (0:20:33) Al: Said much about it other than I want to make the game better. Um, the standard. Fine. Uh, but (0:20:41) Al: they announced that just after, it’s interesting. They announced it just after the announcement for (0:20:45) Al: the announcement. Uh, but yeah, they announced that they are having a showcase on Hobbit day, (0:20:54) Al: which is apparently a thing apparently has been a thing for years. Hobbit day, the 22nd of sort (0:20:58) Codey: Oh, I wonder why it’s Hobbit. (0:21:07) Codey: I thought it was because it was his birthday, but it’s (0:21:09) Codey: There we go. (0:21:10) Al: It’s the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo. (0:21:13) Codey: Make sense. (0:21:13) Al: Interesting, I didn’t realize I had the same birthday. (0:21:15) Al: That’s funny. (0:21:16) Codey: Yep. (0:21:17) Codey: Delayed. (0:21:18) Codey: Delayed. (0:21:21) Al: But yeah, we’ll have some more news about that. (0:21:23) Al: Maybe in the next episode, it’s the 22nd, which is the Sunday. (0:21:27) Al: I don’t know if I want to wait till after that’s been done. (0:21:29) Al: We’ll see. (0:21:30) Al: I’ll decide later. (0:21:30) Codey: Mm-hmm. It’s fine. It’s not going anywhere clearly (0:21:31) Al: We’ll, we’ll see. (0:21:32) Al: We’ll see. (0:21:36) Al: No, I know, but you know, this is our, you know, up to date. (0:21:40) Al: News podcast. (0:21:40) Codey: You know what we should totally do listeners let me know if you think this would be funny if ever there’s anything like that (0:21:45) Codey: We’re like we record or some news comes out after we record you could have a section. That’s like the (0:21:52) Codey: Breaking news and then you just like input that into the podcast, but you record it after their podcast (0:21:58) Al: So my my hesitation on that is that that involves like setting up another called (0:22:05) Codey: No, I’m just thinking like you have either you do it or you’re like, hey, (0:22:08) Codey: Cody, do a boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, breaking news about this news. (0:22:12) Al: But I but I think the fun thing about this podcast (0:22:16) Codey: I mean, people listen to me ramble by myself. (0:22:20) Codey: It happens. (0:22:22) Codey: It’s not unenjoyable, I guess. (0:22:23) Al: “Shookajoo Island have announced that they are delayed until early 2025.” (0:22:24) Codey: [LAUGH] Delayed. (0:22:29) Codey: Woo! (0:22:30) Al: I’m shocked about this one. I definitely didn’t predict this one at all. (0:22:30) Codey: Nope. (0:22:37) Al: So, I mean they’re using the excuse of a grant. (0:22:43) Al: Okay, fine. But presumably the grant means that you can do something for the game that (0:22:48) Al: you wanted to do for the game and have it in the release. So it’s something you always want. (0:22:53) Al: I just feel like this team, they just keep expanding the scope of the game. (0:22:58) Al: Because they added loads of stretch goals in the Kickstarter campaign and they were all (0:23:03) Al: things that just push out the release date. So, I wonder if this game will ever actually come out. (0:23:06) Codey: Yep, these are all things that (0:23:09) Codey: These are all things that could come out after the relief (0:23:13) Al: Yep. (0:23:14) Codey: But it’s I mean, I think it’s cool that they got money from the state that they live in in Germany (0:23:19) Codey: I think that’s really cool. Like the government’s getting involved. I don’t know how that happened (0:23:24) Al: Yeah, I don’t know if this is a thing in America or not, but it’s a reasonably common thing (0:23:29) Al: over here, where most countries have arts funds that they give out as grants to people. (0:23:35) Codey: Nah, no, it’s sports funds over here. (0:23:40) Al: Oh, funny. See, if I go on to Kickstarter, every time I go on to Kickstarter there’s a little (0:23:44) Al: banner up at the top that says, I’m just loading it up, of course the banner doesn’t appear the (0:23:51) Al: one time I actually talk about it. Literally every saying I’ve ever gone to (0:23:55) Al: this banner appears and it basically says something about their being. You can apply for (0:24:00) Al: Creative Scotland funding. So that’s the one that’s obviously in Scotland. So yeah they all have, (0:24:06) Al: most countries in certainly in Western Europe that I know of have similar sort of ideas where (0:24:12) Al: there’s a certain amount of their budget that they’ll put towards arts funding. (0:24:16) Codey: yep nope nothing here though I think it’s cool on the home page of kickstarter there have been (0:24:21) Codey: eight billion dollars put towards creative works wild look at us (0:24:24) Al: Nice. (0:24:29) Al: Yep, and they’ve also confirmed that their Switch version is started. (0:24:34) Codey: - Yep. (0:24:35) Al: So they’re started the porting. (0:24:37) Codey: - It’s happening. (0:24:39) Codey: - I think we need another delay, Al. (0:24:42) Al: Well, next we have two Pixellia, who’ve announced they’re delayed till 2025. (0:24:48) Codey: Oh, oh, so happy, thank you, I needed that. (0:24:53) Al: they are currently (0:24:55) Al: targeting March, April next year. (0:25:00) Al: So we’ll see. (0:25:01) Al: I like the wording there, right? (0:25:03) Al: It’s like, it’s not we’re planning to release then. (0:25:06) Al: It’s that that’s our target. (0:25:08) Al: And I think people are, I think people understand that difference in wording to (0:25:14) Al: make it like, oh, that’s kind of a wibbly, wobbly. (0:25:16) Codey: Mm-hmm a little bit of a hand wavy deadline. I did love (0:25:21) Codey: One of some of the reasons that they wanted to do it is they want to create (0:25:24) Codey: Quote customization options free from gender, which I like (0:25:30) Codey: Totally like that. I also like that. They wanted to quote add more crime (0:25:35) Codey: opportunities (0:25:36) Al: “Be gay, do crime”, that’s what you’re saying, right? (0:25:37) Codey: Be gay do crime (0:25:43) Al: Was that just a really long way of getting to that phrase? (0:25:45) Codey: I actually had (0:25:46) Codey: not even thought be gay do crime you said it and I was like oh my god but yeah yeah be gay do crime (0:25:55) Al: Oh dear, am I going to be brave enough to put that as the title for this episode? (0:25:59) Codey: please please i’m gonna add it in to mention it and everything (0:26:07) Al: Oh dear. (0:26:08) Codey: too pixelly I think I think i’ve had it with delays though so let’s maybe (0:26:12) Al: Well, have I got an exciting update for you. (0:26:15) Al: Gogotown have announced that their build and bustle update is technically not out right now, (0:26:21) Al: but it will be out by the time this episode comes out. (0:26:24) Al: I think it’s out in like three or four hours as we’re recording. (0:26:28) Codey: Oh sweet, okay. (0:26:30) Al: Because it’s Monday in Australia. (0:26:30) Codey: Which… (0:26:33) Codey: Oh yeah. (0:26:34) Codey: If I remember correctly, some of the things they’re adding (0:26:37) Codey: are things that you thought they should add, right? (0:26:40) Al: Yes, so they are, big things about this are that they, so it’s called the build and bustle update. (0:26:49) Al: They have the ability to buy more land to expand the town, which is good. And they are again saying (0:26:55) Al: that you can customize the industry zones. We still don’t have a huge amount of detail of that (0:26:59) Al: as far as I can see. They do talk about, I’ve seen something on their Twitter about moving (0:27:05) Al: the items within the zone, but not about, I’ve not seen anything about, (0:27:10) Al: moving the industry zone, which is, I mean, it could be just the one thing that makes me think (0:27:18) Al: that might not be what they’re doing is because there are big things that are like part of the (0:27:22) Al: ground, right? Like there’s a cave, which is part of the, which is the industry zone for the mining. (0:27:27) Al: And it’s like, are they actually moving the cave? I guess we’ll find out when it actually comes out. (0:27:31) Codey: They discovered a new cave that looks exactly like the old cave. (0:27:35) Al: And the first cave filled itself in. (0:27:38) Codey: And there, yep, the old cave. We just didn’t like it anymore. It collapsed. (0:27:41) Al: It just collapsed. (0:27:44) Al: So yeah, I don’t know. I mean, maybe they’re just going, (0:27:47) Al: “It doesn’t matter. Suspension of disbelief. The cave will move.” (0:27:50) Codey: Yeah (0:27:51) Al: Which they can do. I just don’t know if they’re going to or not. We’ll see. (0:27:56) Al: Hopefully we’ll get some details pretty quickly after it comes out. (0:27:59) Al: And the other big thing is they’ve added a subway system. (0:28:04) Al: So you can have up to four lines on your subway, which is cool. (0:28:10) Al: That’s cool. Allowing people to get around the town more efficiently. (0:28:14) Al: Because this was a little bit of my worry. If you make it bigger, which it needs to be bigger, (0:28:15) Codey: Yeah. (0:28:17) Al: but if you make it bigger, do you have a problem where nobody gets to the outer bits? (0:28:22) Al: But hopefully, this just means that some of them will go to the stuff in the middle, (0:28:27) Al: and some of them will immediately jump on the subway and go to different parts of the town. (0:28:28) Codey: I guess, is the subway system like do you see yourself riding it or do you just be like (0:28:37) Codey: I want to go over here and then it just like fades to black and then you’re like yay I’m (0:28:42) Codey: over here now. (0:28:43) Al: I haven’t seen any video of it happening, but I have seen there are some screenshots (0:28:52) Al: of inside the subway station. So I feel like you’re at least kind of going into the subway (0:28:59) Al: and I guess we’ll see what that means. (0:29:02) Codey: I hope it’s authentic in that one of the subway systems is really really dirty and has a lot (0:29:09) Codey: of graffiti and then the central one is like pristine and clearly is the one that’s actually (0:29:15) Al: Not everywhere is the same as America, Cody. (0:29:16) Codey: because I hope it’s America realistic. America being a new verb that I just made. (0:29:24) Al: We have exactly one subway system in Scotland, and it is very nice. (0:29:29) Codey: It’s not real. (0:29:30) Al: It’s the third oldest subway in the world, fun fact. (0:29:32) Codey: That is super cool. (0:29:33) Al: Yeah. (0:29:34) Al: Do you know what two subways are older than it? (0:29:37) Codey: London Underground, maybe? (0:29:39) Al: That’s one of them. (0:29:40) Codey: Something in India. (0:29:41) Al: Nope. (0:29:42) Codey: Okay, I don’t know, I give up. (0:29:42) Al: I’m not gonna guess anymore (0:29:45) Al: you just guess guess no I’m pretty sure it was Bucharest but I’m just double (0:29:46) Codey: I genuinely don’t, I genuinely don’t know what else there was. (0:29:54) Al: checking no not Bucharest I was wrong failed Budapest Budapest so I was so (0:30:01) Codey: Though oh, yeah, okay cool (0:30:07) Al: close same thing Budapest Bucharest ah (0:30:09) Codey: Well, I love how I (0:30:12) Codey: Love how your guys is (0:30:14) Codey: Like more the OG than ours, but when people think of subway they think of our subways (0:30:22) Al: Do they now? (0:30:22) Codey: I mean if you ever see someone use a subway in any movie, it looks like (0:30:27) Al: In American movies? (0:30:28) Codey: The underworld movies which I think they’re supposed to be (0:30:32) Codey: have (0:30:32) Al: What’s that? Sorry, Underworld. It’s an American film. (0:30:35) Codey: It’s okay, it’s an American film, but it’s not supposed to be in (0:30:38) Al: Uh-huh. (0:30:40) Al: I’m sorry, American people make films that have American-looking things and is not a surprise. (0:30:48) Al: Is it now? (0:30:48) Codey: Wes Craven is rolling over in his grave right now. Actually I don’t know if he’s dead. Anyway! (0:30:48) Al: - Mm-hmm. (0:30:49) Al: Mm-hmm. (0:30:52) Al: They also are adding car parks and vehicle racks for all of your vehicles that you use, which is cool. (0:31:00) Al: Because I mean, I was just like leaving them in the middle of the street. (0:31:02) Al: I don’t know what to do with this. It just goes there. So that’s nice. (0:31:06) Al: And a bunch of new items. (0:31:10) Al: Well, so you have cars that are vehicles that you use and you have bikes that are vehicles that you use. (0:31:16) Al: So one presumably is like, yeah, a car park is like a parking lot, as you would call it, yeah. (0:31:16) Codey: OK. (0:31:18) Codey: Cool. (0:31:22) Al: It’s a park for your car and the vehicle racks will be for bikes and trikes and stuff like that. (0:31:28) Al: So, yeah, we’ll see what that’s like once it’s out. (0:31:32) Codey: a 1.1, I guess it wouldn’t be a 1.1, but a second harvest. (0:31:36) Al: Yeah, they’re just calling it the build and bustle update, which is the major update one. (0:31:42) Al: I don’t know if they’ve got a version numbering scheme or not. I haven’t looked. We’ll see, probably. (0:31:48) Codey: Don’t look it’s probably disappointing (0:31:50) Codey: Cool no no don’t look numbering schemes are awful (0:31:52) Al: I mean, you know that I’m looking, right? (0:31:56) Al: I can’t find it. You’re lucky. You’re saved this time. (0:31:59) Codey: It’s for the best (0:32:02) Al: Yeah, it probably is. Steam seems to be really kind of unsure as to how it actually shows you version numbers. (0:32:08) Codey: aren’t we all version numbers are just a myth. Oh no he found it. (0:32:10) Al: Oh, here we go. Here we go. Here we go. (0:32:12) Al: So minor update five was version number. Are you ready for this? 0.4, 0.53. (0:32:22) Al: 0.16416EA. (0:32:25) Codey: Oh, ‘cause it’s early access, right, right. (0:32:30) Al: So it’s yeah, I don’t know why. So presumably this will be 0.5 because all of the minor updates have been 0.4 point something. (0:32:40) Al: So 0.5 point zero point. And then the last bit is, I think, a build number. (0:32:46) Al: So it’ll be 0.5.0 point something. (0:32:52) Al: You don’t need to put the build number in your version number that you publish, just (0:32:55) Al: letting you know, but fine, you can do what you want. (0:32:58) Al: I’m not in charge of you. (0:33:02) Al: Next we have, for some reason, a new paid DLC for Havrest Moon Winds of Anthos. (0:33:07) Codey: It’ll bring people in. (0:33:08) Al: The Great Outdoors. (0:33:11) Al: The weird thing I guess is that like, they’ve just released a new game, and now they’re (0:33:15) Al: releasing DLC for their console game rather than their mobile game, and yeah, I don’t know. (0:33:22) Codey: I mean, I like the idea of this DLC. (0:33:22) Al: Yeah, sure, so it’s a camping one, basically. (0:33:28) Al: You can go out and first of all, you can find treasure out and about, but you can also camp, (0:33:34) Al: so you can have a tent and camp wherever you are, so you don’t have to go home to sleep, (0:33:38) Al: which is cool. (0:33:38) Codey: I do like that a lot. (0:33:39) Al: We’re like this, yeah. (0:33:40) Codey: These games where you have to run all the way back home (0:33:42) Al: Yeah, yep. (0:33:42) Codey: are really flipping annoying. (0:33:45) Al: It doesn’t make the game fun, but it does, it would be, in a game that actually is fun (0:33:50) Al: come to play, this would be a nice addition. (0:33:52) Al: Look, if they want to make a game fun to play I will say it’s fun to play. You can (0:33:53) Codey: - The shade. (0:34:02) Al: also take… Oh yes, so apparently they’re also adding a new robot that will take care (0:34:08) Al: of your pets and animals while you’re away, so that’s cool. And then you can also take (0:34:14) Al: animals with you on your adventures, and I see there’s a screenshot of you with a bear, (0:34:20) Al: like just sitting by a big breath. (0:34:22) Al: Brown bear. I don’t think that’s safe. (0:34:22) Codey: Yep. They said that it’s not 100% do not condone sitting next to a bear ever, mostly because then if something happens and if the bear attacks you, then it becomes the bear’s problem, which is not great. (0:34:39) Codey: Yeah, I like the idea. They all it also mentions that like depending on which pet like each pet has a different boost or like benefit of coming with you. (0:34:49) Codey: no idea about the details of that, but maybe like. (0:34:52) Codey: It’s like, oh, if you bring this dog, this dog with you, they might find something. (0:34:56) Codey: Or I don’t know, but I think that’s cool. (0:35:01) Codey: And I just like the idea of not having to like end it at your house. (0:35:05) Codey: Cause like, what if you’re in the mines and you just really want to be in the mines, (0:35:10) Codey: but it’s getting to that time of night and you can just like go back to the (0:35:12) Codey: entrance of the mines and just camp. (0:35:14) Codey: And then when you open, when you like start the day again, you’re just at your camp. (0:35:18) Al: Yeah, I agree. I agree. The robot seems to be one that you put in your barn, and it will (0:35:25) Al: do all the kind of tasks that you want it to do, which is, I mean, good, but, you know, (0:35:30) Al: Stardew has had that for six years. So yeah, cool. That is coming out on the 3rd of October, (0:35:37) Al: and it is $10. Also, I hope the robot isn’t required to have the paid DLC. That’s bad. (0:35:40) Codey: I don’t know if I’d pay that, but… (0:35:46) Al: add quality of life improvements. (0:35:49) Al: Add content in DLC, bad boo, don’t do that. (0:35:54) Al: Next we have the Lens Island controllers and Steam Deck update. (0:35:58) Al: Hey Cody, can you guess what update, what this brings? (0:36:02) Codey: I think that it brings gay crime. (0:36:07) Codey: No, that’s super cool. (0:36:08) Codey: You’ve been wanting a steam deck compatibility, right? (0:36:12) Al: Yes. (0:36:12) Codey: Is this– are you going to start playing it now? (0:36:14) Al: Well, no, at this point, I’m just going to wait for 1.0, which is meant to come out, (0:36:15) Codey: Yeah, that’s– I’m the same. (0:36:17) Codey: I’m– yeah. (0:36:18) Al: this year, so it’s definitely, yeah, no, I’m waiting for 1.0 at this point. (0:36:19) Codey: Yeah. (0:36:22) Codey: They’re still making progress. (0:36:23) Codey: It’s really cool. (0:36:25) Codey: They also have said that now, if you put a bed in the dungeon, (0:36:30) Codey: This is a very… (0:36:32) Codey: similar to what we were just talking about. (0:36:33) Codey: If you put a bed in the dungeon, and then you die in the dungeon, (0:36:36) Codey: you actually respawn in the bed instead of, like, all the way back at your house. (0:36:39) Codey: Which is pretty neat. (0:36:40) Codey: Uh, and then they also said that they fixed, um, (0:36:44) Codey: apparently some of the enemies were targeting your bed, (0:36:46) Codey: and would damage your bed. (0:36:48) Codey: And, like, break your bed. (0:36:48) Al: Hahahahaha! (0:36:49) Codey: Which, honestly, kind of funny. (0:36:50) Al: Don’t break my badge! (0:36:50) Al: Hahaha! (0:36:51) Al: Hahaha! (0:36:53) Codey: Kind of wish that was still in there. (0:36:55) Codey: Like, you put a bed down, and then you gotta protect your bed. (0:36:56) Al: Hahaha! (0:37:00) Codey: I mean because if I was an enemy and i (0:37:02) Codey: saw someone lay a bed down i’m tagging that bed down like you don’t get to (0:37:06) Codey: respawn there again you gotta go walk your butt all the way back to the (0:37:09) Codey: beginning of the dungeon no no bed in the beginning but yeah (0:37:13) Codey: no so the enemies will no longer target your bed (0:37:16) Codey: um you can respawn I they just keep they’re really on (0:37:20) Codey: on it with these uh updates for this game and just (0:37:23) Codey: it has come so far and i’m so excited to play it when it’s a 1.0 (0:37:28) Al: Yeah, maybe this should be my, like, December game. Maybe. We’ll see. I mean, I already own it, (0:37:32) Codey: yeah (0:37:35) Codey: yep (0:37:35) Al: right? So I just need the time. So I think that I couldn’t find this when I tried to look for it, (0:37:40) Codey: happy holidays to you (0:37:48) Al: but I’m pretty sure I saw somewhere that this was their last update before the 1.0. (0:37:54) Al: But I can’t, I couldn’t find it when I tried to look for it. So maybe it was on Twitter or (0:37:59) Al: I dare not speak the name of. Well, it’s not the name of it, is it? (0:38:01) Codey: after speaking the name of. (0:38:04) Codey: Oh, you’re right, you’re right. (0:38:07) Al: OK, and finally, we also have Danchi Days. So we mentioned this in the last episode. This is the (0:38:15) Al: kind of Game Boy inspired 2D summer, Japanese summer game. They (0:38:26) Al: replied on YouTube to say that they (0:38:28) Al: have just launched their Steam page. So we’ll have that as a link in the show notes for you, (0:38:34) Al: and there’s a few more kind of screenshots and stuff like that. And the new information I get (0:38:40) Al: from this is they say the aim of the game is to invite 151 people to a summer festival. (0:38:47) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:38:49) Codey: For a lot of people who play Game Boy games (0:38:52) Codey: and hear the number 151, I don’t think so. (0:38:54) Al: Yep. Coincidental number? I probably think not. (0:38:59) Codey: But it is cool. (0:38:59) Codey: You are basically– you use the internet and the social media (0:39:03) Codey: to try and understand what those 151 people like. (0:39:08) Codey: They are actual people. (0:39:10) Codey: I mean, some of them might not be people. (0:39:11) Codey: You have a duck buddy. (0:39:13) Codey: But, um, oh. (0:39:14) Al: Docks are people, T. (0:39:16) Codey: Awwww. (0:39:17) Codey: I’ll be darned um so uh you use like social media and kind of like learn try and find see what (0:39:25) Codey: people like and make sure that they have it at the event and befriend them and invite them to (0:39:30) Codey: the summer event um it’s basically teaching people to be um advertisers (0:39:36) Al: Yeah and each of the different, so you have different the people you want to (0:39:40) Al: invite all have different websites because it’s very much set in the 90s (0:39:43) Al: right? So everyone has to have their own website and they all seem to have quite (0:39:47) Al: a lot of personalities so like there’s someone who’s an entrepreneur and then (0:39:51) Al: there’s someone who likes water and then there’s someone who’s like rules are (0:39:54) Al: meaningless do whatever you want and they just have three buttons that say do (0:39:57) Al: not press and then you can press the buttons. So yeah it looks like they’re (0:40:02) Al: all kind of quite unique, which is fun. I suspect 150. (0:40:06) Al: One of them won’t be unique, but there’s at least, you know, some personality there, which is cool. (0:40:07) Codey: Right. (0:40:10) Codey: I did, it did make me laugh like looking at it (0:40:12) Codey: ‘cause it says it’s a Y2K inspired game. (0:40:15) Codey: And that, (0:40:16) Al: Oh, so it does. Yeah, so not 90s. Sorry. 2000. I was I was close. (0:40:19) Codey: yeah, I mean, that’s late 90s. (0:40:23) Codey: But yeah, it made me laugh like to see that (0:40:23) Al: Don’t do this. Don’t do (0:40:28) Codey: press any button you want, like style thing. (0:40:31) Codey: ‘Cause that era was the era of like the impossible game (0:40:37) Codey: online that you were supposed to do (0:40:39) Codey: all these different things. (0:40:40) Codey: And if you do one thing wrong, (0:40:41) Codey: you’re set back to the beginning. (0:40:42) Codey: And it was just really silly things, (0:40:46) Codey: like hit the smallest circle (0:40:49) Codey: and it’s the dot on the eye and stuff like that. (0:40:51) Codey: Or another game that was really popular at that time (0:40:53) Codey: was Don’t Shoot the Puppy. (0:40:55) Codey: And it was literally, if you move your, (0:40:58) Codey: you start the game and if you move your mouse (0:40:59) Codey: that all this giant machine gun shoots a puppy. (0:41:02) Codey: So you literally just have to like click the button (0:41:04) Codey: and then do nothing until… (0:41:07) Codey: you can click the button again and classic Y2K game so it captures the vibe (0:41:11) Al: classic. We had one that we played in my school where we were - it was literally just (0:41:19) Al: a button that you press and it increases the number, kind of like the one in the thing. (0:41:23) Codey: Yeah like cookie clicker. (0:41:23) Al: And so we would like all be sitting - yeah, it was kind of like a clip but there was no like (0:41:27) Al: expansion to it. It was literally just number, one number, one click. And so we would like (0:41:33) Al: try and play it like in our computing classes without the teacher noticing and just see who (0:41:36) Al: who could get the biggest number in one period. (0:41:41) Al: It was… (0:41:42) Codey: back in our day kids you just clicked a button as many times as you could and that was entertainment (0:41:48) Al: Or in the case of “Don’t Shoot the Puppy” didn’t click a button! (0:41:51) Codey: or didn’t click a button and that was and you just watched this puppy and it went in one of (0:41:56) Codey: them it was like one of the things that like brought up the button that was like start the (0:42:01) Codey: level or whatever and then you’re like oh I forgot to click it and then you move the thing (0:42:05) Codey: and then it shoots the puppy and it’s like ah I didn’t forget to click it it just got me (0:42:09) Codey: me. (0:42:10) Al: And then there was the stuff with like Webull’s stuff, the cartoon, the flash. (0:42:12) Codey: No, weebles. (0:42:14) Al: Yeah, classic. (0:42:16) Codey: Uh. (0:42:17) Al: Anyway, we’re going to stop being nostalgic here. (0:42:19) Codey: What? (0:42:23) Al: That’s all the news. (0:42:24) Codey: Whoo! (0:42:26) Al: We do have three new games as well to cover. (0:42:28) Codey: Whoo. (0:42:31) Al: Wow. (0:42:32) Al: First of all, we have Sea Sniffers. (0:42:34) Al: All right, here we go. (0:42:36) Al: Sea Sniffers is a cosy diving game in (0:42:40) Al: the ocean with your trusty sea companion encounter strange creatures and exotic (0:42:44) Al: treasures and nearly nearly said a different word than exotic in sunken (0:42:49) Al: ships or hidden caves discover the deep sea and all its secrets. (0:42:54) Al: And I need to do my usual don’t call your game cosy. (0:42:56) Al: You don’t get to decide that. (0:42:57) Al: Yeah. (0:42:58) Codey: Also, don’t call your game cozy (0:42:58) Al: You. (0:42:59) Codey: when that seal is throwing hands. (0:43:03) Codey: That seal, like to fight off people (0:43:07) Codey: but also to like harvest things, (0:43:10) Codey: it just seems to punch. (0:43:12) Al: It is an interesting level of cosy, I will say, in the, you know, obviously a game doesn&a

Hi Everybody! Surprise FNGC Drop for your Wednesday listening pleasure (remember every day can be a Friday if you Believe hard enough). This has been exclusive on Patreon for quite some time since April so on the cusp of posting our Asura's Wrath review over there, and in light of scheduling issues over here, now is the perfect time to let the world know if Rune Factory 4 is good or not!This episode was so fun and gives a lot of insight into specifically what Will does/doesn't like! Lots of Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley & Cult of the Lamb mentioned so make sure you take the chance to jump in and hear exactly what Will thought of this interesting farming adventure!Music, Mix & Master by: Daniel Campolihttps://www.danielcampoli.com/portfolioIf you want to reach out to Nick and Will personally to engage with us about the show, follow us on any link here:https://linktr.ee/FridayNightGamecastSupport the show

Al and Kelly talk about the story of Dave the Diver Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:03:12: What Has Kelly Been Up To 00:04:19: Tangent 1 - The Scots Language 00:11:53: What Has Al Been Up To 00:21:22: News 00:35:50: Tangent 2 - Rockstar North 00:44:55: Dave The Diver Upcoming DLCs 00:53:45: Kelly’s Mechanics Thoughts 01:02:31: Dave The Diver Story 01:16:01: Tangent 3 - Game Hyperfocus 01:18:44: Dave Story Conclusion 01:29:12: Outro Links Research Story “0.9” Update Sprittea “Moving & Grooving” Update Loddlenaut “Goddles” Update Outlanders “Wandering Star” DLC Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Trailer Dave the Diver Upcoming DLCs 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 Divers, and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season. (0:00:34) Al: My name is Al, and we are here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:36) Kelly: and my name is kelly (0:00:41) Kelly: whoo (0:00:42) Al: We’ve not come to a conclusion on whether David the Diver is a Cottagecore game or not. (0:00:45) Kelly: maybe it’s like a bungalow, like you know bungalows are the the the cottages of beach towns (0:00:50) Al: Well, the problem there, right, so if Cottagecore games are for lesbians, what are bungalow games (0:00:57) Al: for? (0:00:58) Al: games for them. (0:00:59) Kelly: non-binary people (0:01:01) Al: I’ll take it. (0:01:04) Al: All right, excellent. (0:01:04) Kelly: I don’t know! (0:01:07) Al: Fantastic. Well, OK, so I think it is a college school game, right? (0:01:11) Al: Because, yes, there are some, like, stakes and stuff, but there’s fewer stakes, I think, than, say, Stardew Valley. (0:01:18) Kelly: Yeah, and I would say also it’s like you still have like the mines in Stardew Valley? (0:01:23) Al: Exactly. Yeah, that’s what I’m meaning. The mines in Stardew Valley are definitely scarier (0:01:28) Al: than most in here. But you can’t ignore nighttime entirely if you want to. The only stuff that (0:01:28) Kelly: Yeah, I would say that the nighttime is the scary part. (0:01:39) Al: only spawns in the night are some fish, which you want if you want to collect the collection, (0:01:44) Al: and a few optional side quests. I don’t think any part of the story is required for you (0:01:49) Al: to go out at night? Or was there one, maybe? (0:01:50) Kelly: I think there was, unless I’m mistaken, I think there was one with the more eels. (0:01:53) Al: There was one. Yeah. (0:01:57) Kelly: It’s been a while. I played that part I think a year ago now so that’s (0:02:03) Kelly: been a while, but I think one part was required and then after that it was like (0:02:07) Kelly: you don’t have to do this again. (0:02:10) Al: So yeah, I think it counts. If Stardew counts this counts. (0:02:13) Kelly: Yeah, I think so. You have farms, you have little (0:02:18) Al: You do, you do. (0:02:18) Kelly: Fish tanks and chickens. (0:02:21) Al: Yeah, the chickens is the most un-feature-rich thing in the game. (0:02:27) Kelly: Yeah. (0:02:28) Al: Chickens exist and if you turn up you get an egg. Great, congrats. (0:02:32) Kelly: You can name them, but you can’t pet them. (0:02:36) Al: All right, cool. So we are here to talk about (0:02:40) Al: well, we’re here for the final episode of Dave the Diver Month. (0:02:44) Al: Two weeks late. (0:02:49) Al: And I’ve got Kelly along to talk about the story for Dave the Diver. (0:02:52) Kelly: Hey, um, I loved this game. I got it, I think the day it came out, and I played it until my fingers hurt. (0:03:01) Kelly: So, weirdo, oh, yeah, yeah. (0:03:03) Al: So hopefully we’ll have lots to talk about in the main topic then. (0:03:08) Al: Exciting. So before that, we obviously have some news. First of all, Kelly, what have you been (0:03:14) Kelly: I have been actually getting ready for a trip to Scotland. (0:03:21) Al: Woo! (0:03:21) Kelly: Woo! (0:03:22) Kelly: But besides that, I’ve been playing Day of the Diver to catch up on the DLCs, playing (0:03:29) Kelly: Solitaire because that is my brain-dead dissociation game, and I’ve actually started doing Dooling (0:03:38) Kelly: Go again, which has been interesting. (0:03:40) Al: In fact, what are you learning? (0:03:42) Kelly: I decided to try Japanese, ‘cause I– (0:03:44) Al: Okay. (0:03:44) Kelly: I’ve tried Spanish, I’ve done German, I’ve done Italian. (0:03:48) Al: So you’re not trying to learn any Scottish Gaelic, or I think Scots is on there as well. (0:03:52) Kelly: No. (0:03:56) Kelly: I didn’t even think about that, to be honest. (0:03:58) Kelly: Which would have been interesting, ‘cause I was just like, (0:04:00) Kelly: “Oh, let me try something that’s completely different than, you know, any of the, like, uh, Latin languages, or German language.” (0:04:09) Al: Germanic. No, it’s just Gallic. They don’t have Scots. I thought they had, I thought (0:04:10) Kelly: Yeah. (0:04:15) Al: I’d seen some where they have Scots, but they don’t. Is it? So, well, okay, so this is gonna (0:04:18) Kelly: Interesting. Can you speak, Scotts? (0:04:22) Al: be a whole tangent, but we’re going for it anyway. I’m just checking. Yeah, Google doesn’t (0:04:27) Al: have it either, it just has Gallic. They all call them Scots Gallic, which is technically (0:04:32) Al: not true, because Scots is a language and Gallic is a language. Gallic is a language (0:04:36) Kelly: Mm. (0:04:39) Al: longer than Scotland has existed. But anyway, that’s not neither here nor there. So I definitely (0:04:44) Al: can’t speak Gallic. I can speak some Scots, but a lot of the Scots that I know is not (0:04:51) Al: stuff that I knew was a different language. So when I was, a lot of people in Scotland (0:04:54) Kelly: Okay. (0:04:57) Al: grow up learning what some people refer to as Scottish English, which is like a weird (0:05:03) Al: amalgamation amalgamation of English and Scots. And so (0:05:08) Kelly: So kind of like Spanglish, like when people grow up in like, you know, like mixing Spanish and English words in the theme. (0:05:09) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it’s when you start to like encounter people outside, you (0:05:20) Al: realise, oh wait, this word that I’ve been using is a word that is not English, right? (0:05:26) Al: And to a lot of people, they would just think it’s, oh, it’s just a dialect word, right? (0:05:30) Al: But it’s from a different language. We just use it not in… So I would never use an entire (0:05:36) Al: sentence in Scots because that’s just not how I grew up. (0:05:39) Al: But a lot of the words that I would use, obviously not on the podcast, not when I’m (0:05:46) Al: working because I don’t work with many Scottish people, but like in my day-to-day life, there (0:05:51) Al: are a lot of words that I would use that would be Scots. Like for example, in the classic (0:05:56) Al: Scottish way, I’m going to use a weather word, a word about the weather. So the weather here (0:06:02) Al: today is drich, and that is a Scots word that means, it basically means overcast, right? (0:06:09) Al: Like it’s cloudy, it’s just not nice, it’s like it’s not sunny, but it’s not like pouring down (0:06:14) Al: with rain, it’s just, it’s drich. So that is an example of a Scots word that I would use (0:06:16) Kelly: okay (0:06:20) Al: most days because of the weather. It does, yeah, it’s a d, drich. (0:06:21) Kelly: is that does it start with a D or a B so so is it kind of like it almost reminds (0:06:28) Kelly: me of like dreary you know what I mean in this sense and I would kind of use (0:06:29) Al: Yeah, it’s, yeah, yeah, it’s kind of, it definitely, yeah, I would say, yeah, they’re almost synonyms. (0:06:33) Kelly: that word to (0:06:39) Al: I would say that drich, I think, can be used in other contexts, whereas drich entirely would be (0:06:42) Kelly: Outside of weather. Yeah. (0:06:45) Al: about the weather. So like you would talk about, oh, that’s a drichy meeting, or people were drich, (0:06:46) Kelly: No, that totally makes sense. Is- so he’s like… (0:06:51) Kelly: Mm-hmm. (0:06:52) Al: or whatever, but you couldn’t say something else with drich other than the weather. So yeah, that, (0:06:56) Kelly: Okay, that makes sense. That’s so interesting. Is… (0:06:59) Kelly: like, I’m gonna totally butcher this, but like, (0:07:03) Kelly: can I? Like, how do you say that? C-A-N-N-A-E? Is that considered Scots? (0:07:10) Al: Oh canny. Yeah, that would be another. So this is where we get into some technicalities of (0:07:10) Kelly: Yes. Yes. Yes. (0:07:17) Al: where English comes from. So modern English is itself, it comes from not just old English, (0:07:28) Al: but it also comes from old Scots, and old is, you know, auld lang syne, that’s A-U-L-D, (0:07:32) Kelly: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. (0:07:35) Al: that’s Scots for old. And so a lot of English words… (0:07:40) Al: Scots are, you know, very similar to Scots words because, you know, both languages come (0:07:45) Al: from both old languages, Old English and Old Scots. (0:07:47) Kelly: Okay (0:07:48) Kelly: So it’s kind of like it’s like Portuguese and Spanish and like German and like Dutch kind of where it’s like you can (0:07:49) Al: Yeah, yeah. A very… exactly. Yeah, and you wouldn’t know every word and these sorts of (0:07:55) Kelly: Understand them, but they’re not exactly the same (0:08:00) Al: things, but some words you could maybe guess at, like “old”. Most people would be able (0:08:05) Al: to guess what that means, stuff like that. Different words. (0:08:06) Kelly: Mm-hmm. Yeah, in the context. (0:08:10) Al: Clearly different language, but, you know, you can kind of guess what it means because (0:08:14) Al: they’re similar languages, absolutely. But, like, one example of the Old English/Old Scots (0:08:19) Al: thing is, so you’ve got fox, the animal, and you know what the female fox is called? So (0:08:26) Kelly: I feel like I do, but not right now. (0:08:28) Al: it’s a vixen. So fox with an F and vixen with a V. I can never remember which one it is, (0:08:36) Al: in one of Old Scots and Old English. It’s Fox and Fixing. (0:08:40) Al: They can, they can, they can. The other interesting thing is that there’s also a lost letter from (0:08:50) Kelly: and v and f kind of can sound the same too, you know, yeah. (0:08:59) Al: Scots that is not used anymore thanks to the anglification of keyboards. So when (0:09:10) Al: typewriters started becoming a thing, they were obviously, they used the standard QWERTY (0:09:14) Al: layout that we’re using now. And the letter is called a yod, and it kind of looks like (0:09:20) Al: a cross between a z and a y. And it has a sound like a y sound. It’s kind of like a (0:09:22) Kelly: Okay. (0:09:24) Kelly: Okay. (0:09:26) Kelly: Okay. (0:09:29) Al: y, but it’s not quite the same. And I can give you an example of a word that this would (0:09:33) Al: be used in. Do you know the company that does all the logistics at airports? (0:09:40) Al: And they’re called Menzies, do you know them? M-E-N-C-I-E-S. So they do a lot of, like they (0:09:47) Al: are a huge worldwide company that do logistics at airports. So if you’re at an airport and (0:09:52) Al: you look out on airside and you see, you know, people with their high vis on, in most airports (0:09:59) Al: in the West, they will be Menzies employees. Which is actually fun fact, that company started (0:10:07) Al: out as a paper shop in Scotland. (0:10:10) Al: But that zed is not actually originally a zed, it was actually a yod. (0:10:10) Kelly: Oh, that’s cool. (0:10:18) Kelly: Okay. (0:10:19) Al: And so the word ‘menzies’ shouldn’t actually be said menzies, it said ‘mingies’. (0:10:25) Al: Yeah, and so there’s a lot of words, a lot of places in Scotland that you might notice this (0:10:30) Al: when you’re over here, a lot of places in Scotland that have zeds in their name in the middle, (0:10:34) Al: and it’s not actually a zed, it’s a yod. So there’s a place in near Glasgow, (0:10:40) Al: that’s called Calane, and that’s C-U-L-Z-E-A-N, but of course that zed was a yod, (0:10:47) Al: which is why it’s Calane, not Cal-Zane. (0:10:50) Kelly: Okay, so you guys all just acknowledge that it should be pronounced (0:10:56) Al: We just ignore the fact that it’s a zed, because that’s what you learn. (0:10:59) Kelly: Yeah (0:10:59) Al: I didn’t know for a long time that it wasn’t originally a zed. (0:11:03) Kelly: Okay (0:11:04) Al: But yeah, we don’t pronounce it like that. (0:11:06) Kelly: Okay, sorry to derail (0:11:07) Al: But yeah, so you will. (0:11:10) Al: So it’s fine, I’ll put this in specifically as a section on the Scots (0:11:15) Al: language for some reason. But yeah, so you might hear some people, (0:11:18) Al: if you ever see the paper shop that still does exist, Menzies, (0:11:21) Al: some people will call it Menzies, and some people call it Menzies, (0:11:25) Kelly: Oh, very interesting, that’s pretty cool. (0:11:25) Al: because it depends on who you are. (0:11:28) Al: There used to be a politician in Scotland calls Menzies Campbell, (0:11:30) Al: and nobody would ever call him Menzies Campbell, (0:11:32) Al: despite the fact that it’s spelled the exact same way. (0:11:34) Kelly: That was a fun fact. (0:11:35) Al: But they still call the paper shop Menzies for some reason. (0:11:38) Al: So Ming is fun fact. (0:11:40) Al: There you go. That’s your Scott’s language history on the Cottagecore podcast, (0:11:46) Al: The Harvest Season. (0:11:48) Kelly: I’m just really good at derailing the podcast, what can I say. (0:11:52) Al: Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that. (0:11:55) Kelly: What have you been up to, Al, besides history lessons? (0:11:56) Al: What have I been up to? (0:12:00) Al: I have been playing, well kind of playing, Harvest Moon, Home Sweet Home, and Coraline 1.1. (0:12:10) Al: I quite often, if I’m like trying to play a game for a podcast and I’ve not quite got (0:12:14) Al: into it yet, I will feel guilty about that and not play any other games. (0:12:22) Al: So I have played about two in-game days of Harvest Moon Home Sweet Home. (0:12:28) Kelly: That’s it! (0:12:28) Al: That’s it. (0:12:29) Al: So we’ll see. (0:12:30) Al: Hopefully I’ll manage to play enough before the podcast that I’m recording in a week. (0:12:36) Kelly: It’s crunch time! (0:12:38) Al: - It’s crunch time. (0:12:40) Al: So we’ll see. (0:12:40) Al: The annoying thing I also found out is that, (0:12:42) Al: so it’s, I don’t know if you’re aware of this game, Kelly, (0:12:45) Al: but it is a mobile game. (0:12:48) Al: So it’s on Android and iOS. (0:12:50) Kelly: the harvest moon one (0:12:51) Al: The new Harvest Moon game, yeah. (0:12:53) Al: And they haven’t enabled cloud safe for it. (0:13:00) Al: So I installed and started playing it on my 13 inch iPad. (0:13:00) Kelly: Oh. (0:13:05) Al: And that is now the only device I can play this game on. (0:13:05) Kelly: Oh. (0:13:09) Kelly: That’s… that’s so… wrong. (0:13:10) Al: I just ate is bizarre, because a special. (0:13:16) Kelly: Especially on like a harv– like, I’m assuming the Harvest Moon game, you know, it has a lot going on. (0:13:21) Al: Yep, you should be here. (0:13:21) Kelly: You’re dedicating a good amount of time to playing it. (0:13:25) Kelly: Yeah, like, you have items, you have things that you’re building up, like, why would– (0:13:30) Kelly: Like, don’t most of these games have that built in by now? (0:13:34) Al: Yeah. Yeah. And it’s not even you don’t even need to do much. You just need to say yes, you can do it. (0:13:44) Kelly: Yeah, and especially with I feel like I’m sure they’re different games, but like just having like knowing that animal (0:13:52) Kelly: crossing (0:13:53) Kelly: Is whatever Pacicapia is like shutting down their app? (0:13:54) Al: Bocky camp (0:13:57) Al: Yeah (0:13:58) Kelly: Wouldn’t you kind of want to make sure that your app is there to like fill the void? (0:14:02) Kelly: - I enjoyed. (0:14:03) Al: Anyway, so that’s that that’s another reason why I’ve not played a lot of it yet is because I can only play it on one (0:14:08) Al: Device and it’s the 13 inch iPad which I like as a device, but it’s not the best for a mobile games, obviously (0:14:15) Kelly: Is it annoying to like, hold for… Is that what the issue is or is it? (0:14:19) Al: That’s part that’s part of the issue although I do have it on a (0:14:22) Al: I stand at my desk, so I (0:14:24) Kelly: Mm. (0:14:24) Al: don’t have to hold it when I’m at my desk, but that means that realistically the only (0:14:27) Al: time I’m playing this game is when I’m working. Which is not a great way to play a game, right? (0:14:29) Kelly: Yeah. (0:14:35) Al: But anyway, whatever. It’s especially annoying because they haven’t disabled playing it on (0:14:39) Al: Macs as well, so now you can play iPad and iPhone stuff on Macs, which is great. It’s (0:14:46) Al: a great feature, but it means that I’ve installed the game on my Mac, but I’d have to start (0:14:52) Al: and you saved to play it there. (0:14:54) Al: Like I was like, this is great because there are like so many ways for me to play this. (0:14:59) Al: I can play it on my iPad during work. (0:15:00) Al: I can play it on my Mac when I’m sitting in front of the TV. (0:15:04) Al: I can play it on my iPad mini when I’m in bed and I’m like, nope, you get one of those. (0:15:09) Kelly: Yeah jokes on you. That’s annoying. (0:15:10) Al: One of those. (0:15:11) Al: Yeah, I should have just gone with the Android version, but the problem is the Android version (0:15:16) Al: crashed when it first came out. (0:15:18) Al: So I couldn’t play it for, in fact, I don’t think it’s, I think it’s still not working (0:15:18) Kelly: So they kind of, they, they dug you into a little corner. (0:15:29) Al: So, I’ve done a little bit of Carlisle in 1.1 as well, because I hadn’t been playing (0:15:34) Al: that yet, so that’s that, and I have gotten very much back into Marvel Snap. (0:15:40) Kelly: Whoa, I haven’t heard that name in a while. (0:15:42) Al: Yeah, so it was, oh they make, they make loads of real decisions, but they’re quite good (0:15:46) Kelly: Did they, like, fix the game? (0:15:47) Kelly: Because I know they were having… they made some kind of weird decisions last winter. (0:15:54) Kelly: Okay. (0:15:54) Al: at fixing these things quickly, like you get multiple changes a week. (0:15:56) Kelly: Okay. (0:15:58) Kelly: Okay. (0:15:59) Al: So, if there’s something that’s completely killing the game, they kill that really quickly. (0:16:04) Al: They’re pretty good at that. (0:16:06) Al: No, we’re at the end of a season, and the next season has like a new type of ability, (0:16:12) Al: which is the first time they’ve done that since launch, so that’s exciting. (0:16:15) Al: And a lot of new Spider People cards, which is also cool. (0:16:21) Al: I do like some Spider People. (0:16:23) Kelly: when did they release marvel snap? was it like around this time last year? (0:16:24) Al: But it’s only a year, I don’t know. (0:16:29) Kelly: right? is it older than that? (0:16:29) Al: It can’t only be a year, really. (0:16:32) Al: No, two years, October 22. (0:16:33) Kelly: okay okay. I didn’t think it was only a year old but I was like I don’t I don’t keep up with that (0:16:39) Al: Yeah, yeah. (0:16:40) Kelly: game so there’s also that. there just happened to be a streamer I was watching who was like obsessed (0:16:46) Kelly: with it for a while. (0:16:47) Al: I really love it, because it’s, I like card games, but one, they’re so hard to keep up (0:16:55) Al: with all the cards, right? (0:16:57) Al: And the good thing about Marvel Snap is so many. (0:17:00) Al: There’s many different types of playing are viable. (0:17:02) Kelly: So it’s not like you get one or two meta that are like (0:17:06) Al: Exactly, exactly. (0:17:06) Al: There’s like, you know, Destroy decks are really good just now. (0:17:10) Al: Move decks are pretty good just now. (0:17:12) Al: There’s also like a couple of other types of decks that you can use based on multiple cards. (0:17:18) Al: Like I have played four different decks and won with them over the last two days. (0:17:23) Al: So it’s, yeah, it’s pretty good. (0:17:25) Al: Discard decks are still quite good as well. (0:17:27) Al: Like there’s lots that’s working just now. (0:17:30) Al: And yet there are a few cards that if you don’t get them, you’re unlikely to get up to like (0:17:35) Al: level 100, rank 100. But I’m unlikely to get there anyway. And it’s still fun. Like it takes a long (0:17:41) Al: time to build up the ranks anyway. So, you know, it takes it only now are my rank 60 now. (0:17:49) Al: And, you know, granted it’s only been, I’ve only been playing for two weeks of this season, (0:17:57) Al: which is about half of it, but… (0:18:00) Al: It’s like, I… Yeah, I think it would have been unlikely for me to get to 100 anyway, but… (0:18:06) Al: So yeah, and also the actual matches are simpler than most card games. (0:18:11) Kelly: Okay. (0:18:12) Al: So you’ve only got a few things to think about while still having a lot of different strategies. (0:18:17) Al: And obviously they’re fast. (0:18:20) Al: You know, you can get a match and done in a cut in, you know, the longest matches take five. (0:18:20) Kelly: Yeah, no, it seems like, you know, I I’m not a big Marvel person, but it seems like a fun game with a lot of creativity and like options. (0:18:34) Kelly: And the fact that they’re still actively updating it, I think says a lot. (0:18:34) Al: Yeah. Yeah. It’s obviously making money. Um, so yeah, I mean, basically the reason why (0:18:42) Kelly: Yeah, that too. (0:18:46) Al: I’m back into it is because, um, Hannah, uh, from the ISE slack, um, she walk got, she (0:18:54) Al: came over and was like, Oh, I’m interested in this because I hear that it’s quite similar (0:18:58) Al: to what the new Pokemon trading card app will be like. So I want to see how this works before (0:19:02) Kelly: Oh interesting, smart of Pokemon. (0:19:04) Al: to see how similar it is and compare it to that. And so when she said that, well, yeah, (0:19:12) Al: exactly. It will be interesting to see how much it actually is because we don’t know much details (0:19:16) Al: about how the battles will work. Um, but it will be very clever if, if it is, if it works out well. (0:19:22) Al: Um, but because she came through and did that, I was like, Oh, now I really want to play (0:19:28) Kelly: Mm-hmm. (0:19:28) Al: and I haven’t stopped playing since. So that was two weeks ago. (0:19:33) Kelly: I… I trust me. I understand. I understand. (0:19:37) Kelly: I’m sure you’ll get out eventually. (0:19:39) Al: Yeah, this is my problem, is I don’t play games casually, I play games until I stop (0:19:40) Kelly: You’ll be free. (0:19:46) Al: playing them, and it is my life until I stop playing them, and then I never think about (0:19:52) Kelly: Yeah, literally, I completely understand. (0:19:55) Kelly: That’s why I’m not allowed to play stuff like Cafe Mix anymore. (0:20:01) Kelly: I like… it was a phone game, you know? (0:20:05) Kelly: But it was a phone game that, uh… (0:20:07) Kelly: Once I started playing events, I got really hooked, (0:20:10) Kelly: and I was good at the events, and I kept winning events, (0:20:12) Kelly: and then I would get money out of it. (0:20:12) Al: Yeah, yeah, my (0:20:14) Kelly: And it was just like, it was like, you know, daily. (0:20:16) Kelly: It was a daily thing where I’d go in, I’d play five games, I’d do this, (0:20:20) Kelly: and then the events. (0:20:22) Kelly: were like, “You have to play all weekend, otherwise you won’t win,” and I’d be like, “Well, I have to win.” (0:20:27) Kelly: Um… (0:20:28) Kelly: So now I’m just not allowed to play that game. (0:20:30) Kelly: But I do that with all games, that’s why I played Day of the Diver until my fingers hurt, you know? (0:20:33) Kelly: That’s, uh… (0:20:34) Al: Yeah, yeah, I just I never got into cafe mix because I just didn’t like the gameplay like it felt too imprecise (0:20:35) Kelly: That’s what I do. (0:20:39) Kelly: Yeah. (0:20:41) Kelly: It’s… it is. (0:20:43) Kelly: It’s very sloppy. (0:20:44) Kelly: Which I think can work in your favor if you know how to use it correctly. (0:20:50) Al: Yeah, probably, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to learn. You know, it’s like, I loved like (0:20:52) Kelly: Yeah, no, that’s fair, that’s fair. (0:20:56) Al: shuffle, Pokemon shuffle, which is not, I know it’s not the same game, but it’s, it’s like similar (0:21:01) Kelly: It’s very similar, yeah. (0:21:01) Al: ideas in some ways. But I much preferred that because it was very clear, like, it’s precise, (0:21:07) Al: right? This place goes to that piece and that’s it. Whereas with Cafe May, it’s like, oh, you’re (0:21:11) Al: kind of like circling. And it’s like, I didn’t. (0:21:14) Kelly: Yeah, no, it’s it’s definitely very different in actual gameplay (0:21:20) Al: Cool. So that’s what we’ve been up to and a (0:21:22) Kelly: Yeah (0:21:24) Al: tangent on the Scottish language. (0:21:27) Al: Now we’re going to talk about some news, some game news. (0:21:30) Al: First of all, we have the zero point nine update of Research Story is out now. (0:21:35) Al: So this includes a new NPC, (0:21:39) Al: lots of extra content for the NPCs, a cooking system and your classic on a daily (0:21:47) Al: Cottagecore game, the daily summary, when you (0:21:50) Al: go to sleep, gives you everything that you’ve done in that game. (0:21:50) Kelly: I laugh, but honestly I need things like those. (0:21:55) Al: Well, that’s the thing. And it’s like you have, like, especially in farming games where (0:21:56) Kelly: Like when games don’t have that, sometimes I’m like, “hmm, what was I doing? (0:22:05) Al: you are selling a bunch of stuff on a daily basis, it’s good to know one, how much you (0:22:06) Kelly: Mmhmm. (0:22:09) Al: actually sold, and two, how that break broke down. You know, that was a key point of Stardew (0:22:11) Kelly: Yeah. (0:22:17) Al: is trying to figure out what was the most efficient stuff. (0:22:20) Al: This is really nice in that it’s building up into other things as well, so it’s like, (0:22:26) Al: “Oh, here are the people you talk to, and here’s the XP you gained,” and that sort of stuff. (0:22:32) Kelly: Yeah, no, it definitely does help, and I think also with farming games it’s so easy to get sidetracked on things. (0:22:38) Kelly: So it’s, like, good to see at the end of the day, like, “Oh, I actually did not sell as much stuff that I wanted to,” (0:22:44) Kelly: or “Didn’t talk to the right amount of people,” or, you know, “It’s two days until I have to buy something that’s really expensive, I better start selling a bunch.” (0:22:53) Al: They have also released their roadmap to 1.0, so they’re getting close. They have two more updates (0:22:59) Al: before the 1.0. That is 0.10 should be coming out at the end of September. That is player (0:23:06) Al: customization. 0.11 should be coming out at the end of the year, and that is orange hearts and (0:23:14) Al: shimmers. The orange heart events that will be for NPCs. And I don’t know what shimmers means. (0:23:20) Al: Oh, shiny creatures right in front of me. (0:23:23) Al: I always got to translate into Pokemon. (0:23:27) Kelly: Translate, yeah. (0:23:31) Al: And then the 1.0 will be coming out in Q1 next year. (0:23:36) Al: So if you’ve been looking for 1.0 to finally get into this game, (0:23:40) Al: it’ll be next year, be warned. (0:23:41) Kelly: Have you played the, um, is there an Early Access? (0:23:45) Al: Yeah, that’s what this is. (0:23:46) Al: I haven’t played it. (0:23:47) Al: I know that Cody has played it, and I think Bev played it as well. (0:23:50) Al: and they had a chat about it on one of the episodes. (0:23:53) Al: And they both really liked it. So, I don’t know. (0:23:55) Kelly: It looks cute. I like the note about married life events because I feel like a lot of these games kind of end events once you marry your characters of choice. So that’s nice. (0:24:02) Al: Yes. Yeah. Yeah, not looking at anyone in particular, Coral Island. (0:24:11) Al: Uh, Spirity have also got an update out now. The moving and grooving update, um, was animations. (0:24:20) Al: Hahaha. Hmm. Yeah, did you play it? (0:24:22) Kelly: This game is so upsetting to me because I really wanted to like it so bad. (0:24:27) Kelly: So like, seeing this update, it’s like, these look so funny, and like, they look so silly but it’s like, I’m not gonna go back to play like this. (0:24:34) Al: This is the problem is like you can like everything about a game, but if you don’t actually enjoy the core loop of the game (0:24:40) Al: It doesn’t really matter (0:24:40) Kelly: Mm-hmm (0:24:42) Kelly: Yeah, and I gave it I think I put like 30 hours in or something so I like I gave it a good (0:24:45) Al: Oh, wow, that’s more than I put in I may be I may be put in ten hours (0:24:48) Kelly: Try (0:24:51) Kelly: I wanted to like it so bad, but what can you do? (0:24:53) Al: Yeah (0:24:54) Al: Yeah, I wonder how much of it is just like a personal preference thing, right? Like some people just don’t like certain times of games (0:25:00) Kelly: Yeah (0:25:02) Kelly: I (0:25:03) Kelly: Mean, I don’t know cuz I love games like this. Typically. I wish I could I play this like back in (0:25:10) Kelly: fall so I can’t remember exactly what it was, but I know some things were just like (0:25:15) Kelly: kind of really repetitive in like a (0:25:19) Al: I think that the repetitive bit is probably my problem, is that the bathhouse you did upgrade, (0:25:27) Al: but it didn’t really feel like you were progressing. Whereas with farming games, (0:25:33) Al: you go from like a two by two square that you’ve made of turnips to thousands of crops over your (0:25:41) Al: farm, and tens of animals giving you millions every season. And it didn’t feel like there was (0:25:49) Al: level of progression to aim for. And that was what I think really lost me about it. (0:25:56) Kelly: Yeah, I agree because I updated like I think as much as I possibly could in the bath house, too (0:26:03) Al: but it’s like oh now I have three baths it’s like oh is there right okay (0:26:06) Kelly: Yeah, there’s actually a second floor yeah, but it doesn’t add that much (0:26:15) Al: yeah anyway but if you’ve if you enjoyed the game there’s more updates to it and you know (0:26:17) Kelly: But yeah (0:26:21) Al: as you say these animations are pretty goofy and fun and add some more (0:26:24) Kelly: Yeah, they look so silly and cute, you know. (0:26:26) Al: they add some more character to the npc’s next we have a new update for (0:26:33) Al: Laudelnot coming out on the 19th of September and oh boy do I hate the names (0:26:38) Al: that they give these updates this one is the Goddles update what’s a Goddle you might say (0:26:45) Al: that’s a good question this includes a new secret cave biome that houses three mysterious Goddles (0:26:52) Al: was this cavern forgotten by guppy what ancient abilities do these Goddles have (0:26:59) Al: I’m still not quite sure what I got all this is it the little (0:27:03) Al: like tree looking thing in this image, maybe. (0:27:06) Kelly: I don’t know. I think it’s cute that it’s like, oh, plant these to prevent pollination, uh, pollution, but you know, still it’s like, yeah, to your point, like, what is this made-up word? (0:27:20) Al: Yeah, I think this might be one of those updates that if you have played the game, which I (0:27:26) Al: haven’t yet, that you might be more interested in it. Yeah, I want to play this game at some (0:27:34) Kelly: It looks cute. I like whatever this aesthetic is called. I can’t think right now. (0:27:42) Al: Yes, I can’t remember either. They’ve all got fancy names. (0:27:44) Kelly: Yeah, but I like this game design. I think that (0:27:48) Kelly: style of animation is very cute and very fun for a little underwater game. Yeah. (0:27:51) Al: It works, it works, yeah it works well especially when all your creatures are axolotls, which (0:27:58) Kelly: Yes. (0:28:00) Al: the goofier an axolotl is, the cuter it is. (0:28:04) Kelly: That is true. That is, it is unbeatably cute looking. (0:28:10) Al: Next we have a new DLC for Outlanders, this is the Wandering Stars DLC, and I mean if (0:28:18) Al: you’ve played Outlanders you can look at it, I don’t really think we need to go into the (0:28:21) Al: details of this. (0:28:24) Al: Outlanders is a city builder game, so I’ll probably not play it, because every time I (0:28:29) Al: try and enjoy a city builder I just get frustrated with them, it’s not my kind of game. (0:28:34) Kelly: I get too into city builder kind of games and then it’s also really not enjoyable for me and like actually just stressful, so yeah. (0:28:42) Al: I think part of my problem, so I used to love City Builders, I was obsessed with SimCity2 (0:28:49) Al: so much, but I think part of the problem is that they never work well with controllers. (0:28:58) Al: They’re just not fun to play unless you have a mouse and keyboard, and that’s not how I (0:29:03) Al: game anymore in my life. (0:29:04) Kelly: It’s so funny because I’ve (0:29:04) Al: I am past the point. (0:29:07) Kelly: I’ve flipped from like being a controller only person to (0:29:13) Kelly: playing a lot of games mouse and keyboard now with like an occasional controller and (0:29:18) Kelly: It’s true a lot of these games are so different when you have the option to mouse and keyboard them (0:29:24) Kelly: Like there’s some games where it just makes such a big difference (0:29:26) Al: Yeah. Yeah. I just like, the way that I game nowadays is sitting on my sofa, watching TV (0:29:33) Al: with Rona, because that’s the time we get together and that’s how we like to spend our (0:29:34) Kelly: Mm-hmm. (0:29:38) Al: time together. So I’m not going to go, Oh, sorry, Rona. I’m going to go into the office (0:29:41) Al: and play games on my computer. Like, I’m just not going to do that. So, um, but I used to (0:29:47) Al: like when I was a student or whatever, I would, you know, be up till two, three. (0:29:56) Kelly: It’s tough (0:29:57) Al: Yeah. Finally, we have an update on what was called Runefactory Project Dragon and is now (0:29:59) Kelly: The sacrifices (0:30:10) Al: called Runefactory Guardians of Azuma. (0:30:14) Kelly: that’s a kind of oh wait so i’m sorry to cut you off but was it called rune factory project dragon (0:30:21) Al: Yes. So I don’t know if that was ever meant to be the title, because when you see project you (0:30:21) Kelly: and they changed that’s interesting (0:30:28) Al: quite often think that’s not the final title. So I suspect it was like we haven’t thought up a name, (0:30:30) Kelly: Yeah. (0:30:32) Kelly: Yeah. (0:30:35) Al: it’s about dragons, call it project dragon. But anyway, now they’ve got given an actual name, (0:30:43) Al: and they’ve said it’s coming out spring next year, and we have a trailer. So the interesting, (0:30:50) Al: Have you ever have you played (0:30:51) Al: any Renfactory games? (0:30:52) Kelly: No. I never got onto that bandwagon. I don’t know how I missed it. I think I was (0:30:53) Al: Okay, so (0:30:58) Kelly: just too dedicated to The Sims at that point in my life. (0:31:02) Al: fair enough. I mean, we’ve all been through our Sims phase. Again, interestingly, spent (0:31:09) Al: a lot of time playing Sims and Sims 2 specifically, and then not really since then. Probably for (0:31:14) Kelly: That’s fair. (0:31:15) Al: the same reason that they don’t really work very well with controllers. (0:31:17) Kelly: Oh no, they’re awful. Those games are the games that made me realize that not all games can be played the same way. (0:31:24) Al: Yeah, yeah. Like, I think it’s good that they add support for it because some people (0:31:29) Al: will have no other option and they would rather go through the pain and do it anyway. But (0:31:36) Al: anyway, so the interesting thing about this game is it says that it is a boldly reimagined (0:31:44) Al: gameplay. And the interesting thing is I watch this trailer and I’m not sure what the (0:31:49) Al: boldly reimagined gameplay is because previous Rune Factories are at a (0:31:54) Al: level. It’s basically Harvest Moon, but also combat. And this is Harvest Moon, but also combat. (0:32:04) Al: So, you know, you still have all the exact same farming stuff and then you go off and you fight (0:32:13) Al: creatures. Now granted, it does seem to be that some of the combat is dance-based rather than (0:32:21) Al: with a sword, but I… (0:32:22) Kelly: Interesting. So it’s like a rhythm? (0:32:24) Al: I don’t think it is rhythm-based, so this is the thing. I think it is just you press a button (0:32:31) Al: and you do a dance move, which isn’t fundamentally different than you press a button and you hit (0:32:37) Al: something with a sword. So… I don’t know. I don’t know the specifics of that. Well, this is the thing, (0:32:38) Kelly: So it’s still tur- like, it’s still… (0:32:43) Kelly: Are you gonna, like, start breakdancing at enemies? (0:32:47) Al: because the dancing… this is the weird bit. The dancing just seems to give you weapons that you (0:32:51) Al: you hit the enemies with. (0:32:54) Kelly: Are you dancing to the gods to, like, ask for a weapon? (0:32:54) Al: I just, Kelly, I have no idea. (0:33:00) Al: They’ve not shown any real gameplay. (0:33:03) Al: I guess my point is, I don’t know what the new part of this is. (0:33:07) Al: It just looks to me like the next Rune Factory. (0:33:10) Al: And there are some changes to it, and it’s a different story. (0:33:13) Al: And that’s all great, and people will love that. (0:33:15) Al: But like, why are you pretending that it’s something fundamentally different when it’s clearly not? (0:33:21) Kelly: Have there there’s been like a quite a few ruin factories, right? (0:33:24) Al: We’ve had five so far. (0:33:25) Kelly: And maybe they’re just lying to forget it I don’t know (0:33:31) Al: I mean, one person’s boldly reimagined is another one’s iterative change, right? (0:33:36) Kelly: Yeah, this seems like a pretty far reach though based on what you’ve said (0:33:42) Al: It does. (0:33:43) Al: This just, it feels like Rune Factory 5, but with some advances, which is fine. (0:33:48) Kelly: Maybe they’re… maybe they’re hiding it. (0:33:49) Al: I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but why would you do that? (0:33:50) Kelly: Maybe they’re hiding the… (0:33:54) Al: It even says, “Restore your lost memories.” (0:33:56) Al: You still have Amnesia, like in every single Rune Factory game. (0:33:59) Kelly: Oh it’s one of those games, okay I see. (0:34:05) Al: This game. (0:34:06) Al: I don’t know if I can, I don’t know if I can go through playing another Rune Factory game. (0:34:06) Kelly: I don’t know. (0:34:10) Kelly: Have you played all of them? (0:34:11) Al: No, I have not. (0:34:12) Al: I have played just four and five, but I feel like that’s enough for me. (0:34:20) Al: I’m not a fan of the combat in these games. (0:34:23) Kelly: Okay, is it turn-based or is it like? (0:34:24) Al: No, it’s action based. (0:34:27) Al: Like real-time, whatever you want to call it, real-time combat. (0:34:31) Al: It’s just, I never feel like it’s responsive enough for me to feel like it’s enjoyable. (0:34:34) Kelly: Okay. (0:34:38) Al: It feels more like hack and slash rather than something like, I don’t know, Breath of the Wild, (0:34:45) Al: where you can have like precise combat with dodging and what’s the other one where you (0:34:52) Al: hit at the right parry, that’s the right one. (0:34:54) Al: So, I don’t know. I say that I don’t want to play it, but I’ll probably play it. We’ll (0:35:00) Al: see. We now have a trailer for it, so if you’re interested, go watch it. We’ve not heard anything (0:35:08) Al: else about Rune Factory 6, which fun fact Kelly, they announced at the exact same time (0:35:12) Al: they announced this game. No, this isn’t 6. This is… Yeah, but this is the thing. It’s (0:35:13) Kelly: Oh, this isn’t six. This is a side project. (0:35:20) Al: It’s not though. (0:35:21) Al: It’s not. (0:35:22) Al: It’s just the next. (0:35:24) Al: It will be interesting to see how long our Silkkox song is, and we can (0:35:26) Kelly: So, when does six come out? (0:35:30) Kelly: That’s… that’s… (0:35:35) Kelly: But this one seems to be coming out pretty quick. (0:35:40) Kelly: That’s… that’s not too bad when your other ones take five years. (0:35:46) Kelly: Yeah, that’s my… that’s my gauge for everything. (0:35:55) Al: to this is half a Silkkox song or whatever. (0:35:58) Kelly: » Well, I think the psychos have run out of other games, or (0:36:02) Kelly: they’re starting to run out of other games to compare it to. (0:36:06) Al: Yeah, I think GTA6 is the only other one that feels like that has been longer. (0:36:08) Kelly: Yeah, [LAUGH] yeah, and that’s just a meme in itself. (0:36:12) Al: Yeah. Yeah. Yes, GTA6 is not coming out next year, no matter how much they say it is, it’s (0:36:13) Kelly: So the two meme games, we’re just [BLANK_AUDIO] (0:36:21) Al: not coming out next year. It is a, like, because I don’t know if they actually announced that (0:36:26) Al: it was coming out in 2025 or something, but be- (0:36:29) Kelly: No, ‘cause there was that whole meme just going around of like, “We got this before (0:36:34) Kelly: GTA VI.” (0:36:35) Kelly: Oh, so end of next year. (0:36:35) Al: Yeah, so the announcement it was going to come out in Q4 2025, which late 20… Yeah, (0:36:42) Kelly: That’s never gonna happen. (0:36:43) Al: that means it’s coming out 2026. It was hilarious because they announced it in December last (0:36:44) Kelly: Yeah. (0:36:50) Al: year. So it was like, “Oh, they’re going to announce the new game. Great.” And then it (0:36:53) Al: came out and it was like, “Oh, wow, that’s exciting.” And then at the end it was like, (0:36:56) Al: late 2025. You’re like, “Really? You’re announcing it two years before you’re currently planning (0:37:02) Al: on it coming out. (0:37:04) Kelly: It’s just I went into a little bit of a spiral recently because of GTA 6 and that whole timeline (0:37:11) Kelly: because I was like, wow, it has been, I lived at my parents house when GTA 5 came out. (0:37:12) Al: Yeah. It’s, it’s basically my entire career. So I, so (0:37:19) Kelly: I was in college. (0:37:24) Kelly: Literally I was so excited because the weekend it dropped, my parents were away and I set (0:37:29) Kelly: up the big screen TV in the living room, and moved like the comfy (0:37:32) Al: Yeah. (0:37:32) Al: Thank you so much for watching. (0:37:34) Kelly: you know armchair to the center of the living room and sat there, and played GTA 5 on the big screen TV and (0:37:34) Al: If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe. (0:37:36) Al: If you want to see more videos like this, please like and subscribe. (0:37:42) Kelly: That’s how long it’s been (0:37:44) Al: It’s funny, so it came out on the 17th of September 2013, I got my first job outside (0:37:48) Kelly: No literally like so literally this is (0:37:53) Al: of uni on the 8th of August 2013. So just over a month before GTA 5 came out, I started (0:38:01) Al: my career. Since then, I’ve changed job like five times. I have had two children, I have (0:38:07) Al: bought two different houses, not at the same time, I’m not a crazy person. (0:38:14) Al: I was technically married before that, but only by two months. So like my entire career. (0:38:21) Al: I remember explicitly that it came out around that time because my first job, their office (0:38:28) Al: was right next to the Rockstar offices in Edinburgh. And so they had this massive, four-storey (0:38:30) Kelly: Uh, okay. (0:38:35) Al: poster on the office building that I walked past every single day for like a month before (0:38:42) Kelly: it’s it’s crazy it’s it’s it’s so funny like it’s yeah like you said like my whole life (0:38:50) Kelly: like I was still in college still living at my parents still working you know some like college (0:38:56) Kelly: level job (0:38:58) Al: I have a nine-year-old who was born a year and a half after it came out. (0:39:04) Kelly: you know I gotta say they really um milked gta live for all it’s worth (0:39:11) Kelly: because the fact that that kept (0:39:11) Al: - Yeah, they really did. (0:39:12) Kelly: that game so relevant is absolutely insane. (0:39:16) Al: Yeah, I mean, I’m never, I’m not really a GTA person, (0:39:21) Al: so I never played GTA Live. (0:39:22) Kelly: Well, I was. I was, you know, for literally most of my childhood (0:39:28) Kelly: and then they didn’t release a new game for half my life. (0:39:34) Kelly: Like, that’s crazy. One of my first- I used to rent (0:39:37) Kelly: GTA Miami Vice and GTA 3 from Blockbuster. (0:39:42) Al: I think it’s a very good example of how modern games have become too big. So from 1997, when (0:39:53) Al: the first GTA came out, there were 16 years between that and GTA 5. 16 years. It depends (0:40:00) Kelly: And what did they put out like 12 games? (0:40:03) Al: which one you’re counting, which ones you’re counting, because there’s like… so if you’re (0:40:05) Kelly: I’m counting the mini like the the side like the PSP games and stuff like that too. Yeah (0:40:12) Kelly: I could hear I could hear the little tapping (0:40:12) Al: going to be 15. 15 games. So an average of one a year. And since GTA 5… or let’s just (0:40:16) Kelly: Okay, so I wasn’t too far off (0:40:21) Al: shoot… so between GTA 5 and GTA 6 releasing, and this is just GTA games by the way, it’s (0:40:26) Al: not all Rockstar games. I’m just talking GTA stuff. So between GTA 5 and GTA 6 releasing, (0:40:31) Al: there will be at least 12 years. So 12 years between… and in that time, what have they (0:40:33) Kelly: That’s absurd. (0:40:38) Al: they had GTA Live and well, ignoring (0:40:38) Kelly: Red Dead Redemption? (0:40:42) Al: the other so GTA stuff specifically GTA Live or online or whatever you call it and their remastered (0:40:42) Kelly: Yeah, yeah. (0:40:48) Al: trilogy. No, exactly. And I was counting for the record like I wasn’t I wasn’t even counting like (0:40:49) Kelly: Oh, right, okay. Which, that doesn’t count. (0:40:56) Al: they had a double pack and a trilogy re-release. I wasn’t counting those before so literally and (0:41:04) Al: GTA online came out at the same time as 5 came in 2013 was like two weeks after 5. So (0:41:08) Kelly: Yeah, yeah. (0:41:12) Al: yeah Rockstar have done other games of course since then but it just… (0:41:16) Kelly: But they literally had such a, like they are who they are because of GTA. (0:41:22) Al: yeah, uh-huh. Also well also also also Lemmings but yeah. (0:41:24) Kelly: Like again, that was my childhood. I could tell you the craziest cheats for those games. (0:41:30) Al: We can’t forget Lemmings come on. (0:41:32) Kelly: What is, is that a Rockstar game? (0:41:35) Al: Did you never? So okay right this is where we get into the history of Rockstar North. (0:41:40) Al: Not Rockstar, Rockstar North. (0:41:41) Kelly: Is that the Scotland office? (0:41:42) Al: So, well, let me get to that. Let me get to that. So, GTA was originally developed (0:41:50) Al: by a company called DMA Design. This was a company based in Dundee, in Scotland, which (0:41:52) Kelly: Mm-hm. (0:42:00) Al: it’s actually the heart of games design in Scotland. The university there, people come (0:42:07) Al: from all over the world to study games design. It’s like well known for that. (0:42:13) Al: DMA Design, after GTA 3, were bought by Rockstar and renamed Rockstar North. But before that, (0:42:23) Al: they also released many games. GTA is the one that obviously most people know of, (0:42:29) Al: but they also released Lemmings, which was a big game. Did you never play Lemmings? (0:42:37) Al: So, this was a game, the game play for this was you have… (0:42:42) Al: Obviously, this is based on the false idea of Lemmings walking off cliffs, (0:42:46) Al: which is obviously nonsense, but it was a fun game. (0:42:50) Al: So, you know about the creatures Lemmings, right? (0:42:52) Kelly: Yes, yes. (0:42:53) Al: And you know about the Disney’s terrible thing where they pretended that Lemmings (0:42:58) Al: walked off cliffs, but actually they just basically pushed them off a cliff for a documentary. (0:43:02) Kelly: Yes, I do know about that. (0:43:03) Al: Yeah, OK, cool. (0:43:06) Al: So, DMA Design made a game called Lemmings that was based off this idea. (0:43:10) Al: Um, you have a lot of little (0:43:12) Al: lemmings and you have to guide them through a 2D world, get them from the start to the end using (0:43:20) Al: different things like you can, you know, you can tell a lemming to mine through this thing, (0:43:24) Al: you can tell one to build a stair, you can, you know, loads of things. It was a really fun game. (0:43:28) Kelly: They’re so cute looking, honestly. Like, I’m looking at it now, it looks adorable. (0:43:30) Al: Yeah. So I don’t think they made a single lemmings game after they became Rockstar North, (0:43:36) Al: which I’m very sad about, but it’d be amazing. They basically- (0:43:39) Kelly: Ugh, could you imagine? (0:43:42) Al: became the GTA place, even though they did so many other games before that. (0:43:47) Kelly: Yeah, that’s crazy. I never would have guessed that, to be honest. (0:43:50) Kelly: But yeah, GTA. What is life? (0:43:53) Al: Yes, there we go. So many tangents in this episode. (0:43:56) Kelly: Derailment 2. (0:43:57) Kelly: - What? (laughs) (0:43:59) Al: Um, but hey, I mean, GTA 6 probably come out before Elder Scrolls 6. (0:44:04) Kelly: I’ll probably get it before a silk song, you know, that’s (0:44:07) Al: Well, I don’t know… I don’t know… (0:44:10) Al: Bye. (0:44:10) Kelly: Al I have to say these things to jinx it so (0:44:12) Al: Yeah, okay, sorry, sorry. Right, I think we’re done with our tangents for now, (0:44:18) Kelly: Yes (0:44:19) Al: and that’s definitely the news finished. I think the news was finished 20 minutes ago. (0:44:25) Kelly: We had to have another history lesson, okay (0:44:25) Al: So now, yeah, yeah, we’ve got two Scottish history license, one about the language, (0:44:31) Al: and one about the only games company that has actually been successful. (0:44:38) Kelly: You have to say we’re consistently on theme, at least, somehow. (0:44:42) Al: I’m just getting you ready. I’m getting you ready for coming. You can have a look at the (0:44:47) Al: Rockstar North offices in Edinburgh when you’re there. I don’t know where their current offices (0:44:52) Al: are because I think they moved since I worked in Edinburgh. Anyway, we’re going to talk (0:44:57) Al: about Dave the Diver. Specifically, we’re going to talk about the story aspect of it, (0:45:02) Al: but there are two things we need to discuss beforehand. First of all, they have, for some (0:45:09) Al: reason I know it’s new DLCs since the last day of the day. (0:45:12) Al: So we need to talk about them. (0:45:14) Al: So the first one is Bilateral. (0:45:17) Al: This is the card game, the like ridiculous rogue-lite card game where you have to like (0:45:24) Al: build up a hand and make, like you’ve probably seen people with trying to break it by having (0:45:31) Al: numbers so large that the game crashes and stuff like that. (0:45:38) Al: I don’t think we know for certain what’s happening here, but it looks like they’re (0:45:41) Al: putting (0:45:42) Al: the game as a minigame inside, but I also noticed on the Nintendo Direct this week that (0:45:42) Kelly: It’s like a minigame, right? (0:45:50) Al: also Dave the Diver themed decks are going in bilateral as well. (0:45:56) Kelly: that’s cute I think that’s a nice like I feel like Dave does such a good job of (0:46:02) Kelly: these cute little like you know they’re they remind me like back in the day when (0:46:07) Kelly: you do like follow for follow or like photo like my photo and I’ll

Al and Kevin talk about the people they wish were marriage candidates Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:18: What Have We Been Up To 00:07:01: Marvelous Game Showcase 00:28:38: New Games 00:33:40: Other Game News 00:49:36: People We Want As Marriage Candidates 01:15:43: Outro Links Marvelous Game Showcase Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Gourdlets Release Date Slime Rancher 2 0.5.0 Update Paleo Pines 1.4.3 Update Minami Lane 1.1 Update Potion Permit Complete Edition Sakuna Anime Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:31) Al: Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season. (0:00:37) Al: My name is Al and we’re here today to talk about cottagecore games, woohoo, woohoo, wow. (0:00:38) Kev: My name is Kevin last I checked (0:00:45) Kev: Whoo (0:00:46) Kev: Like cottage snore games. I’m kidding. No, actually it’s very exciting today. We have a lot of views (0:00:51) Al: I was gonna say, I was gonna say, are you Johnny? (0:00:54) Al: Like that’s, feels like something he would say. (0:00:56) Kev: No, no, I just I I don’t think that jokes been made yet. Um, I had to seize the opportunity (0:01:01) Al: I’ll need to search through the transcripts to see if it’s been said or not, but you’re (0:01:05) Al: right, I don’t remember it being said. (0:01:08) Al: All right, this episode, our main topic, if you will, although I suspect it will be the (0:01:15) Al: smallest part of the episode, but we’ll see, our main topic is people in cottagecore games (0:01:22) Al: that we want as marriage candidates that currently are not available as marriage candidates. (0:01:27) Al: This is the third of the trilogy of our marriage candidates. (0:01:30) Kev: Yeah, I get that the new that’s the you know, the last of news regards last minute last minute is so big (0:01:38) Kev: Like I forgot that’s what we’re here to talk of (0:01:39) Al: You’re like, oh, yeah, we’re actually we’re going to do that. (0:01:42) Al: Yeah, we’ve got that bit to do as well. (0:01:43) Kev: Yeah, I’m glad you also specified a (0:01:47) Kev: Cottagecore games, right because unfortunately I can’t talk about Jenny from high school (0:01:55) Al: Before that, we have some news. (0:01:58) Al: We have just some generic news. (0:02:01) Al: We also have some new games announced and we have we’re going to talk about (0:02:06) Al: marvellous games showcase, that’s marvellous (0:02:09) Al: the games company not marvel the comics company marvellous so we’re going to (0:02:16) Al: talk about that but first of all Kevin what have you been up to (0:02:21) Kev: Um, so, not, I mean, okay. (0:02:25) Kev: A lot of my pre times being consumed by fable them, the 1.0 came out. (0:02:29) Kev: I picked it up. (0:02:30) Kev: I’m playing it. (0:02:31) Kev: I’m enjoying it. (0:02:32) Kev: It’s, it’s the village builder I wanted. (0:02:36) Kev: I’m doing it. (0:02:37) Kev: Um, you know, I, like, I could go into detail, but that’s probably better for (0:02:42) Kev: another time, um, just, it’s really good. (0:02:43) Al: Yes. Yes, I’m sure you’ll go into detail on it on a future episode. (0:02:45) Kev: I enjoy it. (0:02:45) Kev: Thumbs up. (0:02:46) Kev: Um, when uh, uh, (0:02:51) Kev: um, uh, so that’s when I need the chill to, you know, brain dead game, more or less. (0:02:59) Kev: Uh, when I do feel like actually playing, I picked up some fighting games this week. (0:03:05) Kev: Uh, again, in particular, uh, Street Fighter 6 is the big one because they had, uh, the last of their wave of season one DLC or whatever dropped. (0:03:16) Kev: They added Akuma, who’s a big scary guy, both as a character. (0:03:21) Kev: I’m enjoying getting back into that. I am bad, I have lost everything, I feel worse than ever, but I am still playing. (0:03:32) Kev: So, you know, fighting games. (0:03:32) Al: when you when you said that you’re you’re bad I was going to say obvious the (0:03:35) Kev: What about you, Al? What have you been up to? (0:03:38) Kev: Okay, go ahead. (0:03:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:03:42) Al: important thing is that you’re enjoying it and then you immediately followed up (0:03:45) Al: with I feel worse than ever about it so I was like mmm well awkward well we love (0:03:51) Kev: Yeah, well, look, we’re Pokemon fans. (0:03:55) Kev: We’re gluttons for punishment. (0:03:58) Al: Okay, what have I been asking for? (0:04:02) Al: I have picked up Starstruck Thagobond, which came out about a week ago as we’re recording. (0:04:10) Al: And yeah, I’m enjoying it so far. We’ll see where it goes and how much I enjoy it, etc, etc. (0:04:20) Al: I also may well go into more detail on that in the future episode. (0:04:26) Kev: Okay. [laughs] (0:04:28) Al: I’ve… (0:04:32) Al: Yes, yes it does. I have also been playing more farm RPG, which was, (0:04:39) Al: I don’t know if you’ve listened to this week’s episode or not, Kevin, because it’s only two days (0:04:42) Al: since it came out. Well, that’s what we were talking about me and Cody, and I have continued (0:04:42) Kev: I’m… Yeah, no, I have not caught up on that. (0:04:49) Al: to play it, so I don’t know how long I will continue to play it for, but it is, it’s very (0:04:52) Kev: Hey, well, there you go. (0:04:55) Al: much my just, I’ve just been kind of tapping buttons on mobile when I feel like it sort of thing for it, (0:05:01) Al: So. (0:05:03) Al: Yeah, I have been, I have been playing that. I don’t know if enjoying is the right word. (0:05:04) Kev: You enjoy the number go big some people do (0:05:09) Al: It’s like, do you, it’s like if you play cookie clicker, do you enjoy that? (0:05:13) Al: Is it? I don’t know. Yeah. Yeah. Enjoy is just an interesting word for it. Anyway, (0:05:21) Kev: That’s that (0:05:23) Al: we don’t need to get into that. And I’ve been playing some more Pokemon, as usual. It’s, (0:05:28) Al: It’s raid weekend, Kevin, so I’ve done the raid this weekend. (0:05:32) Al: I thought you were going to say Street Fighter 6 has Swampert. (0:05:32) Kev: Who’s rate or what is being attacked? What is that a Swampert? You know, what’s crazy? (0:05:41) Kev: What if I told you Street Fighter 6 introduced rates (0:05:48) Kev: No, no, I wish (0:05:49) Al: How does a raid work in a fighting game, a one-on-one fighting game? (0:05:54) Kev: Yeah (0:05:56) Kev: Basically, you’ve got to beat up a bunch you beat up X number of opponents or whatever and you (0:06:02) Kev: Earn attack points and then those attack points are used to fire a big cannon at a big scary version of Akuma in this case (0:06:12) Kev: To whittle down. It’s held to a zero and rewards are based on how much you contribute yada. Yada (0:06:18) Kev: Obviously, it’s not actually like a (0:06:20) Al: Yeah, yeah, it’s it’s like a yeah, it’s a it’s a whole world sort of get a big number type thing. (0:06:22) Kev: You know cooperative thing (0:06:27) Kev: Yeah, yeah, it’s a goal like like those Sun and Moon events you remember back (0:06:32) Al: Yes, I do. (0:06:33) Kev: 8 billion eggs or whatever. Yeah, I like that. But okay Swampert’s cool. I like Swampert. They should bring (0:06:42) Al: Well maybe they will with this upcoming game. (0:06:46) Kev: I hope so. (0:06:46) Kev: Yeah, I know. (0:06:48) Kev: I’m so excited. (0:06:48) Kev: Oh my gosh, we’re back. (0:06:51) Al: Excited but excited-ish. Excited for what could be. (0:07:00) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:07:02) Al: All right let’s talk about we’re gonna first talk about the Marvelous game (0:07:06) Al: showcase. It’s interesting. Marvelous game showcase. It’s not games. (0:07:12) Al: It makes it sound like they’re just showcasing one game but it was definitely (0:07:15) Al: multiple games. Well it was multiple games kind of because we didn’t really (0:07:20) Al: get any details about anything. Are you excited about Far Magia? (0:07:22) Kev: Speaking of being excited for what COULD be… (0:07:29) Al: The concept of it anyway. (0:07:31) Kev: Uh, okay. So… (0:07:35) Kev: What is the concept? (0:07:36) Al: Well that’s a good question. So Far Magia is their first. They (0:07:41) Al: He originally announced this game a year ago. (0:07:42) Al: This is going to be, you’re going to hear this a lot in this section. (0:07:47) Al: They originally announced this game a year ago at the Marvelous Game Showcase (0:07:50) Al: 2023 as Project Magia, and they didn’t really say anything about it. (0:07:55) Al: They just said, we’re making it. (0:07:57) Al: And then they’ve shown a little cut scene, game introduction type thing with a bunch (0:08:04) Al: of characters and they went into detail about some of the characters. (0:08:07) Al: And that’s, that’s it. (0:08:08) Al: We still don’t have any game, game footage, gameplay. (0:08:12) Al: We don’t have any real information about the game itself, like what actually is it. (0:08:18) Al: I’m assuming it’s going to be a farming game based on the name, but I might be wrong. (0:08:24) Kev: That would, that would be why, I mean, yep, right. (0:08:24) Al: Because my assumption is it’s farm, magia, as in like magic farm, that’s my assumption. (0:08:32) Al: But it could, it might be far. It might not be farm, it might be far. (0:08:38) Al: Because we didn’t even hear them say the name because it was said in Japanese. (0:08:42) Kev: Oh, no, you’re right (0:08:42) Al: I assume a lot of things, but my current assumption is it’s farm, magia. (0:08:48) Al: And it’s going to be a magic based farming game. (0:08:48) Kev: Well, and I mean, you know (0:08:53) Kev: Given this company’s history you would expect that right? (0:08:56) Al: You would, yeah, you would think so. (0:08:58) Kev: But like I don’t yeah, yeah, that’s a reasonable assumption (0:09:03) Kev: But like at the same time, I don’t think we actually saw any sort of form ish related thing (0:09:08) Al: No, nothing. (0:09:10) Kev: But we did see Wasmoth. (0:09:12) Kev: Monster collecting, or monster fighting, yeah I don’t know. (0:09:14) Al: Monster fighting. I don’t think there was any collecting, but there was there was definitely fighting of some kind. (0:09:18) Kev: Well, there were different kinds of monsters it might be collecting, who knows. (0:09:23) Kev: It’s popular with the kids. (0:09:25) Kev: Um, and, yeah, I want to be excited, oh okay, okay. (0:09:30) Al: Oh we do actually see a farm. We do see a farm. I’ve just noticed four minutes and 58 seconds into (0:09:37) Al: the video, the showcase, we see what we see. This looks like a farm with moving plant, (0:09:39) Kev: Okay let me, let me look at that. (0:09:42) Kev: No, so there’s, there’s don’t. (0:09:47) Al: they look like they might be creatures. It’s it’s like literally shown for a second. (0:09:54) Al: And it’s like little tails waggling. (0:09:54) Kev: going through but yeah I mean that I mean you know obviously there’s a few (0:10:00) Kev: people there’s a few does room fact like someone’s never actually played a room (0:10:04) Kev: factory game does room factory combined monsters with your farming and whatnot (0:10:08) Al: Yeah, it’s basically it is essentially just a farming game, but with much more emphasis (0:10:14) Al: on the fighting. (0:10:16) Al: So think of it, I mean, it’s actually not miles away from what Stardew is right with (0:10:23) Al: the cave and with the skull cavern and stuff like that because Stardew has quite a few (0:10:28) Al: different areas now with monsters. (0:10:32) Al: But it’s much more like there is a story to that, to the monster fighting as well. (0:10:38) Al: Like you’re going out and trying to find your way through an area for a story whereas in (0:10:39) Kev: - Yeah. (0:10:43) Al: Stardew you’re doing it because it’s there, you know. (0:10:48) Kev: OK, right. I get you. (0:10:52) Al: So yeah, the fighting isn’t the unique thing, the kind of the story around why you’re fighting (0:10:52) Kev: Well, hopefully. OK. (0:10:57) Al: and what you’re doing and why you have amnesia. (0:10:58) Kev: Now, OK, I get you. (0:11:01) Kev: Well, hopefully this does combine the two, maybe a bit more. (0:11:09) Kev: You know, I’m always down for that, right? (0:11:11) Kev: Because I feel like at this point, we’ve had a handful of games (0:11:14) Kev: trying to combine the monster catching and the farming. (0:11:17) Kev: but I don’t feel like (0:11:18) Kev: any have actually done it that well (0:11:22) Kev: meshing the two together not not just having them both in the game but (0:11:24) Al: Oh, you’re right, it does look like Monster Collection, because it definitely looks like (0:11:25) Kev: actually you know (0:11:26) Kev: working together that’s what I want to see like paleo pines is the one that i (0:11:31) Kev: can think of that i’ve (0:11:37) Al: they’re telling monsters with cards what to do. (0:11:42) Kev: Yup, that you go triple A, level, I don’t know whatever A, this is Moonstone Island, maybe, who knows. (0:11:42) Al: So it looks like it might be a deck builder. (0:11:50) Al: A farming creature collector deck building. (0:11:52) Kev: Marvelous Moonstone Island, there we go. (0:11:59) Kev: Maybe, who knows. One, one other thing, like, I don’t, I’m gonna, you haven’t mentioned it, (0:12:07) Kev: So I’m guessing it doesn’t hold much weight for you, but they got Hiromashima to work on (0:12:12) Kev: the art, which is pretty cool for people not familiar. He’s a Japanese bengaka. He has (0:12:18) Kev: some pretty big hits. I think most notably he’s called Fairy Tail. The art for the characters (0:12:23) Kev: he has. Very distinct that those eyes are like his trademarks. But anyways, personally (0:12:29) Kev: that excites me. I like Hiromashima, so that’s pretty cool. That’s a good get. (0:12:32) Al: enough so they say this game is in development and will be releasing this (0:12:38) Al: year I don’t think it’s releasing this year like if this is I mean it’s June (0:12:40) Kev: which is wild (0:12:44) Al: basically right it’s June and they they’ve not even shown any game footage (0:12:45) Kev: yeah (0:12:50) Al: or even really given us a good idea of what the game is and they say it’s (0:12:52) Kev: yeah that’s wild to me (0:12:55) Al: coming out this year doubt it we’ll see we’ll see six months you can do a lot in (0:12:57) Kev: I don’t I don’t know (0:13:01) Kev: we’ll see (0:13:02) Al: a guess me I mean it’s it’s very possible that they just don’t want to (0:13:04) Kev: that you can (0:13:06) Al: hype it up too quickly and too fast and actually they are on track to be ready (0:13:09) Kev: - Yeah. (0:13:11) Kev: Yes, I will say that I haven’t, okay, I haven’t kept up with Marvelous' (0:13:17) Kev: released schedule history, but I haven’t heard bad things about it at least, right? (0:13:22) Kev: Like, I haven’t heard huge delays or whatever. But, um, the real question is, (0:13:24) Al: no they don’t they don’t they don’t tend to do they don’t tend to have delays (0:13:30) Kev: yeah. Yeah, so we’ll see. I think 20, 24, it’s, I think it’s possible. (0:13:35) Al: oh except for Rune Factory 5 that was delayed by multiple years but (0:13:40) Kev: Well, yeah, touche. (0:13:42) Al: to everyone that’s listening and screaming Rune Factory 5 yes yes yes (0:13:43) Kev: The question for me is when or if it will get localized. (0:13:54) Al: Yeah, yeah, that’s always a good question because they have… I’m trying to remember (0:13:54) Kev: That’s what I wanna know. (0:13:59) Al: if any… I think Pioneers of All of Town may be released the same time over here, but yeah, (0:14:06) Al: I don’t think they generally… Oh, and the newer Doraemon game, Doraemon, Story of Seasons, (0:14:14) Al: Friends of the Great Kingdom, that released at the same time everywhere, but I think in (0:14:21) Al: general, like a wonderful life was (0:14:24) Al: was like a couple of months, wasn’t it? (0:14:26) Kev: Yeah (0:14:27) Al: And the Friends of Minero Town remake was a couple of months (0:14:30) Al: and Rinfactory 5 was like three or four months. (0:14:31) Kev: Yeah (0:14:33) Kev: Well, I mean that’s a reasonable time right like question the bigger question is the if all right because (0:14:40) Kev: You know, this is a new title and franchise whatever right? (0:14:43) Al: Well, let’s, I mean, let’s put it, let’s put it this way. I, I mean, this was the English (0:14:43) Kev: So I don’t know if they’re gonna feel like it’s gonna hit in the States or outside (0:14:53) Al: language version of their showcase. Now granted it was in, it was all of, they didn’t have (0:14:59) Al: it dubbed, but they did have it subbed and it was a specific version of the video for (0:15:05) Al: the English language YouTube channel. (0:15:06) Kev: That is true, and we get in English official English title for major. You know I take it back (0:15:11) Kev: It’s gonna get localized. Doesn’t think about that (0:15:13) Al: I think Farmagia is just, is just the name. I think that’s what they’re calling it in (0:15:14) Kev: and they (0:15:17) Al: Japan as well. Yeah. (0:15:17) Kev: Oh is it okay (0:15:19) Kev: Well there you go (0:15:22) Kev: Well, they said showed it like in English. I don’t know and that could have been the name in Japan in Japan (0:15:25) Al: Yeah, they called it… (0:15:27) Kev: But with Japanese characters you know I mean (0:15:30) Al: Yeah, I just listened to it, and yeah, they called it “Pharmagia” is what they called it in the in the Japanese. (0:15:30) Kev: But we’ll see (0:15:32) Kev: Okay, Mike. I hope sir hi (0:15:36) Kev: All right, there you go. (0:15:41) Kev: And also, they very clearly labeled other things in the showcase as Japan only. (0:15:43) Al: They did, yeah. That’s a good point. They had one of the arcade cabinets was Japan only, the Pokemon one, and one of the mobile games was Japan only. (0:15:54) Kev: In the crane game we don’t get fluffy cow plush (0:15:56) Al: Oh yeah, the crane game. Well, you say game. I do feel like it’s like, is it a game? Like, this is stretching game quite a lot, like gambling box. (0:16:06) Kev: Okay, that one, that one I don’t know. (0:16:11) Kev: Other crane games, I, yes, I think they are, (0:16:14) Kev: but that one did specifically. (0:16:16) Kev: I don’t know, that was a weird design. (0:16:16) Al: it was very different it was very it definitely looked a very large plush (0:16:18) Kev: But who cares? (0:16:19) Kev: I just want the cow inside. (0:16:25) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:16:27) Kev: So just, we gotta plan our trip to Japan (0:16:30) Kev: so we can review the cow plush. (0:16:34) Al: Subscribe to our Patreon! (0:16:38) Al: I promise, Kevin, if we get enough patrons to mean that I can afford to take me and you (0:16:41) Al: to Japan, I will do it. (0:16:43) Al: It’s not gonna happen, but… (0:16:44) Kev: that’d be great yeah yeah we need okay that’s (0:16:48) Al: Next we have Story of Seasons. (0:16:50) Al: So in the grand tradition of this video of not giving us any real information, we got (0:16:55) Al: No real information about this either! (0:16:58) Kev: Nope. (0:17:00) Al: So we got the same little video that we got last year (0:17:04) Al: of the chickens and the cows. (0:17:05) Al: And then they showed us a little bit more of the seasons (0:17:11) Al: and the weather and someone looking up at the sky (0:17:14) Al: and seeing fireworks. (0:17:16) Al: And we saw a horse. (0:17:18) Al: And the one gameplay feature difference that we’re seeing (0:17:21) Al: is there’s a glider, which is interesting. (0:17:24) Kev: Yeah, I don’t know how about it. I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t know how gliders you’re gonna fit in (0:17:29) Kev: But I guess we’ll see (0:17:31) Al: I mean, it definitely leans towards the fact that this is going to be, if possibly not (0:17:36) Al: open world, but certainly a full 3D exploration kind of farming game type thing, more like (0:17:41) Kev: I imagine, at the very least, I bet they’re gonna have a big wild area type of area, where (0:17:46) Al: how the… yeah, they’re going to do something. (0:17:53) Kev: you can maybe catch canvas or something, I don’t know. (0:17:57) Kev: The one thing that I haven’t paid attention to previously when they nest or whatever, (0:18:02) Kev: but they did emphasize, like, they’re putting a lot of focus on the visuals, and it is absolutely (0:18:07) Al: Yeah, it looks, it looks, it looks fine, but like, I mean, I’m also just okay. Fine. Like, (0:18:09) Kev: the prettiest story of season’s game ever. (0:18:19) Al: but why? Like, I just, I don’t know what I have to be excited about it, other than, (0:18:25) Al: yeah, it looks, looks, looks nice. (0:18:28) Kev: We get HDTaos. (0:18:29) Al: Yes, but what is this game? Like, I don’t know, what is it? I want to know what it (0:18:30) Kev: That’s exciting for me. (0:18:37) Al: is. And like, what was the last game they actually released that was actively exciting? (0:18:37) Kev: That, eh, validating, yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:18:45) Al: I know you liked A Wonderful Life, but you liked A Wonderful Life because you like A (0:18:49) Al: Wonderful Life, right? Like somebody who had not played that before would not be excited (0:18:51) Kev: Yes. (0:18:54) Al: about that. The second Doraemon game was okay, but it wasn’t like exciting and different (0:18:55) Kev: They should be. (0:19:00) Al: from the first, really. The first Doraemon story of season’s game, that was probably (0:19:05) Al: the last actually exciting. (0:19:07) Al: and pioneers of all of town was fine but it wasn’t amazing it didn’t do it I mean (0:19:10) Kev: Well, yeah, I guess we’ll have to see, won’t we? (0:19:18) Kev: Right. (0:19:19) Kev: Yeah. (0:19:20) Al: it wasn’t bad right but nothing about it is memorable like as bad as bad as the (0:19:23) Kev: It was whelming. (0:19:27) Al: most the last to harvest moon games have been at least they’re memorable like (0:19:33) Kev: It is better to be a trash fire than just a mediocre. (0:19:34) Al: pain. (0:19:38) Al: Yeah. So I hope they’re doing something rather than just going, what if story of seasons, (0:19:45) Al: but 3D, you know, like, I hope it’s more than that. (0:19:50) Kev: Yeah (0:19:51) Kev: Well, yeah, well, yeah, that’s a good question. I will have to see who knows (0:19:56) Al: But I’m also, well possibly, I’m also just a little bit surprised by (0:19:57) Kev: Maybe for Magia be the winners (0:20:04) Al: we got maybe a little bit (0:20:07) Al: more than the amount of footage we got last year, a year ago. We still don’t have a name, (0:20:13) Al: we still don’t have any actual gameplay, just some pre-rendered cutscenes. And no idea about (0:20:18) Al: what this game actually is, a year later, after the first initial indication that this (0:20:21) Kev: Yeah, that’s a good point, yeah. (0:20:23) Al: game was coming. And that’s not the last time I’m going to say this. But the other thing, (0:20:28) Kev: When will you say it again? (0:20:35) Al: before we get on to that. The other thing that I’m surprised (0:20:38) Al: by is last year they announced there were two Story of Seasons games coming. This one (0:20:41) Al: that they’ve been talking about now, a single player focused one, but also a multiplayer (0:20:45) Al: focused one. We got no indication that they’re even still doing that at all. It wasn’t even (0:20:50) Al: a like ‘oh we’re still doing this’. Nothing at all. They didn’t mention it at all. They (0:20:55) Al: talked about one Story of Seasons game. So has that second Story of Seasons game died? (0:21:01) Al: Have they decided to just stop talking about it until it’s closer? (0:21:04) Kev: I don’t know became became the nude Damon ex machina. That’s what happened (0:21:12) Al: Right, okay, next we have Rune Factory, Rune Factory Project Dragon, which is not Rune (0:21:16) Kev: So what what else did they talk about? (0:21:24) Al: Factory 6, because as I’ve just mentioned for the Story Seasons multiplayer game, they (0:21:29) Al: didn’t mention Rune Factory 6, even though they mentioned Rune Factory 6 a year ago. (0:21:32) Kev: Yep. (0:21:37) Al: Yeah, I don’t know why… (0:21:37) Kev: I’m starting to get the impression (0:21:39) Kev: they may have made some questionable PR decisions. (0:21:42) Al: Whoever decided what they were going to tell us all that information last year, like, (0:21:47) Al: just silly, silly decision, you should not do that. (0:21:52) Kev: Yeah, although they did give the small disclaimer at the beginning that they were there were gonna be games (0:21:58) Kev: They talked about last year that they were gonna talk about this year (0:22:01) Kev: So they acknowledged it (0:22:02) Al: Yeah, but for what reason, though? This is the thing. They didn’t say why. Right? So (0:22:07) Al: this is my thing. It’s like, don’t announce a game. Because they did this with Rune Factory (0:22:08) Kev: That is fine (0:22:14) Al: 5, right? They announced, “Oh, we’re making Rune Factory 5.” And then it took four years, (0:22:19) Al: was it? Until they actually released Rune Factory 5, and they basically gave no information (0:22:28) Al: for most of that time. (0:22:30) Kev: Yeah, mmm, so look forward to farm Asia is the theme of this showcase (0:22:36) Al: Fine, let’s talk about Project Dragon. (0:22:40) Al: So they said that this is a game where you save the world through dance, (0:22:41) Kev: Dance (0:22:46) Al: but all the stuff they showed us was just pretty standard combat. (0:22:46) Kev: And I didn’t see dancing (0:22:50) Kev: Yeah, I was about to say that it looks you know what it looks like it looks like genshin impact boy, that’s that’s some genshin impact (0:22:58) Kev: Okay. (0:23:00) Al: I’ll take your word for it. I haven’t actually played (0:23:00) Kev: Um, I mean, I haven’t played that much either, but I’ve seen Genshin Impact gameplay and it, it looks very similar. (0:23:08) Kev: Um, but yeah, it, like one thing ever and down here is like, it, there’s no farming that we really saw. (0:23:16) Kev: Is it just the combat oriented one? (0:23:18) Kev: Maybe because brand. (0:23:18) Al: I feel like why would they call it Runefactory if it didn’t have farming in it? (0:23:22) Al: But then I feel like if they were going to do that, they would have called Farmagia one of, they would have called it a Runefactory. (0:23:29) Kev: Well, you know what? The thing is, this isn’t a mainline room factory game. It’s a side game. (0:23:36) Al: I mean you’re right though they didn’t say anything about farming so we don’t know if (0:23:42) Al: it’s got farming in it. We do know it’s got combat which they claim is dance. I didn’t (0:23:42) Kev: Yeah. (0:23:48) Kev: I didn’t see dancing. I wish it were. I’d be excited if it were actually fight dancing. (0:23:50) Al: see dancing either. I guess there’s a bit that I’m watching where they’re they’re fighting (0:23:59) Al: a wooly and it does look like they don’t actually have a weapon and they’re doing moves like (0:24:03) Al: you have a weapon and it’s shooting off fireballs. (0:24:06) Al: That just looks like standard magic stuff in these games, right? (0:24:10) Kev: Yeah (0:24:10) Al: Like it doesn’t… (0:24:11) Al: I don’t… (0:24:12) Al: What makes this dance? (0:24:13) Kev: Yeah, it doesn’t it’s probably just the story whatever it’s probably not actually the game (0:24:16) Al: Yeah. (0:24:18) Al: No information on when it’s releasing. (0:24:23) Al: I think they’d originally said this was meant to be coming out this year. (0:24:26) Al: It’s probably not. (0:24:28) Kev: Yeah, who knows? (0:24:28) Al: Yeah. (0:24:29) Al: Yeah. (0:24:29) Kev: So far, Meiji, uh-huh. (0:24:30) Al: I don’t… (0:24:32) Al: It certainly weirdly seems like the one that’s closest to release, and also the (0:24:36) Al: one that’s possibly most exciting out of these. (0:24:37) Kev: Yeah. (0:24:39) Kev: Because it feels the most real. (0:24:42) Al: Maybe that’s… (0:24:43) Al: Maybe that’s why. (0:24:44) Kev: Yeah, I mean, yeah, like, (0:24:46) Kev: even though we didn’t get the gameplay trailer, (0:24:48) Kev: first of all, we get the release date, (0:24:50) Kev: which implies they’re close to completion to some degree. (0:24:52) Al: Well, we got released year, year, yeah, but I like it’s, it’s a very wide way. (0:24:55) Kev: Release year, oh yeah, yes, year, right? (0:24:58) Kev: Release window, let’s say that, right? (0:25:00) Kev: There is a number. (0:25:02) Al: It’s a six month long window at this point. (0:25:04) Kev: Sure, sure. (0:25:06) Kev: Yeah, but I mean, the others have a much wider window. (0:25:12) Kev: At least, they’re telling us that this game (0:25:15) Kev: will very likely exist from Asia, (0:25:19) Kev: from Agia, whatever they call it. (0:25:21) Kev: And hey, like, what we can in French on the trailer, (0:25:24) Kev: you know, monster catching farming, (0:25:26) Kev: It all sounds fun, so. (0:25:28) Kev: So, yeah, I’m excited about it, and hey, yep, yeah, the Dracula one, yep, that’s, uh, it’s fine. (0:25:30) Al: Yeah, they had a little indie section in the middle as well where they talked about a few (0:25:36) Al: of the games that they are publishing, including Moonlight Peaks, which is one we’ve talked (0:25:41) Al: about before, which is interesting. They’ve apparently said it’s coming out in 2026 now, (0:25:48) Kev: Okay, sure, take your time. I’m in a rush. I’m keen on the game. (0:25:49) Al: which before it was saying they didn’t have any date before, so just updating my list. (0:25:58) Kev: You know how your grandpa. (0:26:00) Al: That is, that is the first game. That’s the first game on my list to say 2026. Bing, bing, bing, bing, bing. (0:26:06) Kev: You know how it’s always your grandpa or whatever who judges your farm? (0:26:14) Kev: Does this mean we’ll get Dracula to judge our farm? (0:26:15) Al: Yeah. (0:26:18) Kev: I like that. (0:26:24) Kev: There was that Death by Guitar game. (0:26:26) Kev: game. It wasn’t Cottagecore, but you played it. (0:26:28) Kev: It plays an electric guitar. I think that’s red. (0:26:30) Al: Yeah, I kind of vaguely paid attention to that, but I was like, I don’t have the headspace (0:26:34) Al: to figure out what is happening. And there was a… (0:26:34) Kev: And that’s fine. And Pokemon– who thought– I didn’t know Pokemon actually would ever hear one of these, but there we are. (0:26:38) Al: Yeah, the… (0:26:42) Kev: It’s not Cottagecore, it’s an arcade game. Very excited-looking children, but… (0:26:42) Al: Yeah. (0:26:45) Al: I think it actually looked kind of cool because it was like too stuck together and you can (0:26:53) Al: play them individually or you can join up for co-op and it covers all both screens for (0:26:56) Kev: Yeah (0:27:01) Kev: Yeah, arcade machines are cool and like they do really cool stuff in Japan with them (0:27:06) Kev: So it’s a pity they’re dead pretty much everywhere else, but that there you go (0:27:12) Kev: No cow plushie for us (0:27:12) Al: There was a Metroidvania as well, which looked fine, but it looked like a pretty standard (0:27:16) Kev: Yeah, I do I (0:27:18) Al: Metroidvania, right? (0:27:19) Al: There’s nothing like, “Oh wow, it was amazing,” but it was fine. (0:27:20) Kev: Followed Hollow Knight did the Stardew thing where it’s just kind of ruined (0:27:27) Kev: Genre, why why did you have to give it the cape like the Hollow Knight? (0:27:35) Al: I’m looking for my first farming Metroidvania. (0:27:39) Kev: Oh (0:27:42) Kev: I’m trying to think you know Hades 2 has farming. It’s not metroidvania. Oh, no, I’m not it has farming. Absolutely (0:27:47) Al: Oh please tell me you’re joking. (0:27:52) Al: So it’s more like Cult of the Lam. (0:27:55) Kev: And maybe? (0:27:56) Al: Damn, am I gonna have to play this stupid game? (0:27:58) Kev: Because I don’t know if you remember Hades one had the fishing right so they like they said we’re gonna kind of expand on (0:28:04) Kev: That and they threw in farming now (0:28:05) Al: Yeah, the thing the thing is, right, the fishing is just like, it’s not really interesting to me, (0:28:11) Al: because it’s just all of the stuff in Hades between the runs was just things you did (0:28:11) Kev: Yeah (0:28:15) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:28:16) Al: to make the runs better, right? Whereas the thing about Cult of the Lamb was the runs (0:28:21) Al: were to make your your village better, not the other way around. (0:28:24) Kev: Yeah (0:28:26) Kev: That’s a good point. I don’t know how far goes into that. I just know farming exists in the game (0:28:32) Kev: I haven’t played it myself or anything (0:28:34) Al: I don’t want to play this game. Don’t make me play this game. (0:28:36) Kev: Cottagecore (0:28:39) Al: Speaking of games that I’m gonna play but I don’t expect to enjoy, we have a new Harvest (0:28:45) Al: Moon game being announced, Harvest Moon Home Sweet Home, but this is a mobile game. It (0:28:52) Al: is coming to iOS and Android in August of this year. So in two months, between two and (0:28:58) Kev: Ha! (0:28:58) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:28:59) Al: three months, but we didn’t get any gameplay footage or screenshots of this game at all. (0:29:04) Al: in this announcement. And it very much feels like they went, “Oh, (0:29:08) Al: the Marvelous Showcase is tomorrow. Let’s announce our new game, even though we’re not ready to.” (0:29:14) Al: Because it was announced literally 24 hours before the Marvelous Showcase. (0:29:18) Kev: Look, there’s no denying that Marvelous has done better than Natsume, but Natsume likes (0:29:25) Kev: to hold up that Harvest Moon logo just to remind them. (0:29:28) Al: Yeah, so they announced this game, all they did was one tweet and it says “Harvest Moon (0:29:29) Kev: Just to rub the salt on their one win. (0:29:33) Kev: And it works! (0:29:34) Kev: It hurts me to see it! (0:29:42) Al: Home Sweet Home is coming to iOS and Android August 2024. Home is where the heart is. After (0:29:48) Al: 10 years of city life, you’re ready to head back home in Harvest Moon Home Sweet Home. (0:29:53) Al: Your childhood friend has convinced you to move back to your hometown to try to revitalize (0:29:58) Al: to be easy going. The town of Alba, I’m assuming it’s Alba, not Alaba, because I don’t know. (0:30:04) Al: Did we have this conversation around the other game? What was it called? Alba Wild Life Adventure, (0:30:08) Kev: I mean, there’s Jessica Alba, right, so I’m going with that. (0:30:17) Al: because the word Alba is also, that spelling is a Gaelic word to refer to Scotland, but (0:30:28) Al: it’s not pronounced Alba, it’s pronounced Alapa. So it’s like, I’m assuming you’re correct in this (0:30:31) Kev: Well, the invisible woman lied to me. (0:30:35) Al: Alba, but I can’t read it and not think about that, the fact that it could theoretically be (0:30:43) Al: Scotland. I doubt it, but anyway, we’ll move on. Back to the quote. “The town of Alba,” I’m just (0:30:49) Al: going to say Alba for now, “has seen better days and not all its residents are happy to see a city (0:30:53) Al: slicker like you back. Can you convince even the negative naysayers? (0:30:58) Al: That you truly have the village’s best interests at heart? And can you revitalize Alba with the (0:31:03) Al: help of your childhood friend and other villagers on your side? You definitely can. (0:31:08) Kev: okay so there’s there’s nothing here like uh let’s be clear but but it’s giving me some ideas (0:31:11) Al: No. (0:31:13) Al: Yeah, that was a lot of words to tell us nothing. (0:31:17) Kev: but it’s giving me some ideas and we get a cottage poor farming game where the residents (0:31:26) Kev: all are hateful and and discriminating and and not nice i’d be down for this (0:31:32) Al: We should do it where you like you get to choose um I don’t know if this is really bad (0:31:39) Al: or not but I’m going with it anyway I’m leaning in you get to choose what minority you are (0:31:44) Al: and then everybody in the village hates that specific minority and you have to justify (0:31:47) Kev: Yeah (0:31:53) Kev: Yeah (0:31:54) Al: justify why you should exist oh no (0:32:01) Kev: Somebody get on this. This is gold. Mmm. Oh (0:32:04) Al: don’t know how I feel about even talking about that. That’s dreadful. Oh my word. No! (0:32:09) Kev: You could you could do some mean stuff at one point they have to burn your crops, you know when they have to (0:32:15) Kev: - Thank you. (0:32:17) Al: - No. (0:32:17) Kev: - Yeah, it’s good stuff. (laughs) (0:32:22) Kev: Hmm. (0:32:24) Al: Yeah, so there’s nothing here about this game, we don’t have any information about it, because (0:32:29) Al: like all of this is saying is basically the plot of every farming game. (0:32:35) Kev: Yep, yep, this this description gave me an another angle to another idea (0:32:41) Kev: Why don’t we do the reverse where you move to the city to? (0:32:46) Kev: Gentrify the village to modernize it ruin ruin the lifestyle. Let’s see that. Let’s see that angle. Come on (0:32:53) Kev: Be the this slick real estate guy (0:32:57) Al: It’s just taking the, um, the Georgia route to the extreme. (0:33:02) Kev: Yeah, yeah, basically (0:33:05) Kev: Thank you harvest moon for in announcing these ideas in my head (0:33:05) Al: You know, you know, there’s a fun. (0:33:10) Kev: Heh heh heh. (0:33:10) Al: There’s a fantastic bit in, you know, how on, in the 1.6 stardew update, (0:33:15) Al: you can pay to find the walnuts on ginger Island. (0:33:18) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:33:19) Al: If you do that, there’s a fantastic cut scene where, uh, what’s, isn’t (0:33:24) Al: Morris is sitting on our bed. (0:33:27) Al: Deck chair in the middle of the island with bags of cash sitting around him while his (0:33:29) Kev: Yeah. (0:33:32) Al: parrots go and find all the walnuts is fantastic okay so that’s that’s all of this the marvelous (0:33:32) Kev: You’re the last. (0:33:35) Kev: It’s good, that’s good, I like that. (0:33:39) Kev: That’s, that’s strong. (0:33:44) Al: stuff and the natsume stuff so we have some other game news as well which is a little (0:33:50) Al: bit more concrete shall we say so first of all we have gourdlets gourdlets have announced (0:33:57) Al: they’re releasing in summer 2024 so just to summarize this this was this is it describes (0:34:05) Al: itself as an easy-going sandbox game about building towns for cute vegetable folks yeah (0:34:12) Kev: That’s exactly what it looks like. (0:34:16) Al: you love when you’ve got a description of a game and you’re like yeah that is yeah okay (0:34:19) Al: sure and it’s very sad it like it’s very sandboxy like there’s some bits of them actually just (0:34:25) Al: putting just making. (0:34:27) Kev: It’s that isometric (0:34:29) Kev: You know view with you see the whole island and clearly you can add to it and cubicle or whatever (0:34:36) Kev: Yeah (0:34:37) Kev: Those are some Pikmin vegetable people (0:34:40) Al: I. I mean. (0:34:40) Kev: Yeah, all right. That’s cute. When do they add the turnip boy crossover to ruin everything? (0:34:47) Kev: Does he fit in? (0:34:47) Al: I’m intrigued as to see how well this will work with controller, (0:34:50) Al: because it does say it will have controller support. (0:34:53) Kev: Hmm (0:34:54) Al: I’m intrigued to see how well that will work, because it looks very mouse based. (0:34:57) Kev: It does, one of those vegetable people is cooking, okay. (0:35:03) Kev: I don’t know, they don’t have hands, I don’t know how they do it, but they do it. (0:35:06) Al: You don’t need to question these things (0:35:10) Kev: Also, this isn’t their fault, but (0:35:14) Kev: Ooblets has really claimed their stake on that name and (0:35:20) Kev: the (0:35:20) Al: let’s hmm well we’ll see what we’ll see what comes of it so they’re releasing in (0:35:27) Al: the summer and I don’t think that’s early access I think that’s just 1.0 (0:35:32) Kev: Yeah, their demo’s out now, so probably. (0:35:34) Al: slime rancher 2 have announced that they have just released a 0.5 update it (0:35:42) Al: doesn’t seem like there’s much to talk about if you don’t already have played (0:35:46) Al: the game. There’s stuff about a new shop. (0:35:50) Kev: Okay. Look, I, well, I get, like, I get marketing has to be a thing, but you can announce your early access. I get that. But after that, I don’t want to hear anything about it until 1.0. (0:36:03) Kev: It feels so weird to me to announce these half updates or whatever. Like it’s wild. (0:36:12) Al: Am I part of the problem Kevin? Speaking of weird update numbers, (0:36:15) Kev: No, you’re not. You’re, no, no, no, no, not by any means. It’s, it’s like, (0:36:21) Al: Paleopine’s 1.4.3 adds the now let me see if I got this, (0:36:21) Kev: ha ha ha. (0:36:28) Al: if I can pronounce this properly, Sarcosuchus, or Sarcosuchus? (0:36:32) Kev: Uh, circus sutures, I’d say sutures, but it could be, because I don’t, you might be right. (0:36:38) Kev: It might be circus, circus, circus, circus, circus, circus. (0:36:39) Al: A new dinosaur. (0:36:41) Kev: I don’t know which one. (0:36:43) Al: - It adds a new dinosaur, that’s what matters. (0:36:46) Al: And if you, listener, are like, I love dinosaurs, (0:36:50) Al: but I specifically wanted the Sarkosuchus, (0:36:52) Al: and I wasn’t gonna buy paleopines until that was in the game. (0:36:56) Al: Now’s your time. (0:36:57) Kev: there you go um I think then that’s a plushie too yep there’s a plushie of it yep a good old (0:37:05) Kev: makeshift um I do think it’s cool that they add more dinosaurs to this game because you know (0:37:11) Kev: obviously that’s going to be the appeal right but but I want a really big on the 2.0 update that adds (0:37:18) Kev: like a whole new class of dinosaurs like the sauropods they were in the game they were just cut (0:37:22) Al: You’d rather wait six months and then get 10 dinosaurs than get one a month. (0:37:28) Kev: Yes, absolutely, absolutely. (0:37:30) Al: I think that’s fair, and maybe there’s a time we need to have a conversation about (0:37:34) Al: this on the pod properly, but I do feel like there’s something big about that, like (0:37:39) Al: there’s something exciting about like the Stardew updates every two or three years. (0:37:45) Kev: Yeah, and like, I think, because like, I mean, it’s Hello Pines is very much in the vein of monster collect the right maybe not as as intense as other games but it’s a lot of the same bones right of collecting dinosaurs right. (0:38:02) Kev: I think monster collectors in general like, because Moonstone Island does the same thing every couple of months they’ll release like one or two new creatures or whatever which in a game we’re collecting (0:38:15) Kev: is a big deal like, I think it’s just not exciting to collect one new one you know, like, I mean, Pokemon right they do they drop, you know, a whole (0:38:20) Al: Yeah, well that’s actually, Pokemon’s a really good example of that actually because I still (0:38:30) Al: play Pokemon Go all the time, Pokemon Go specifically, but I really miss when every (0:38:38) Al: few months they had here’s 10 new Pokemon, right? And now that it’s like every so often (0:38:45) Al: there’s one new Pokemon, you know, because they’re obviously slowing down because they can’t create (0:38:47) Kev: Yeah, or can they? (0:38:50) Al: Pokemon to add in, they can only work with what they’re given. (0:38:57) Kev: We don’t know what what gen 10 will be, could be released exclusively through Go. (0:39:01) Al: Well sure, but that’s still the Pokemon company and Game Freak making the Pokemon up, right? Niantic (0:39:03) Kev: I know, I’m, yeah, I know, I’m messing, but yeah. (0:39:07) Al: cannot create new Pokemon, they can only work with what they’ve got, and so they’ve slowed (0:39:13) Al: that down massively so that they don’t run out, but that just makes it less exciting, right? (0:39:20) Al: Oh, here’s a Pokemon, you’re like, oh great, I’ll go out and catch that one new Pokemon. (0:39:24) Al: It’s not exciting. Yeah, I would agree. (0:39:26) Kev: yeah yeah yeah so um yeah but yeah so that and and again paleo going back to the paleo (0:39:35) Kev: pines thing like it’s like dinosaurs are cool and I appreciate but just and I know they’ve shown (0:39:41) Kev: they had a lot of content or things they were planning to add so I feel like they’re gonna (0:39:46) Kev: plan a 2.0 some sort of big update with a bunch of dinosaurs and I don’t know like I said I personally (0:39:50) Al: It’s possible that they are doing that. I will also say that Paleopine’s works a bit (0:39:53) Kev: Well wait, but it does keep it in the news cycle. (0:39:59) Al: differently to like normal creature collection and you can’t - it’s hard to like just go (0:40:02) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:40:05) Al: out and collect everything, right? So actually having that steady release of here’s a new (0:40:06) Kev: Yeah, it is, yes. (0:40:10) Al: one means that you might always have something that you haven’t got yet, which is possibly (0:40:16) Kev: - That is true, that is true. (0:40:16) Al: a good thing. It’s a difficult one. (0:40:20) Kev: Yeah. (0:40:20) Al: My point is I don’t think there’s a “this is always the best way” because I think we’ve (0:40:24) Al: talked about it before and that I don’t think everybody can do the stardew thing because (0:40:29) Al: you’re not going to be constantly interested in every game releasing a massive update every (0:40:35) Al: two years. You’re also not going to be interested in every game releasing an update every month (0:40:36) Kev: Yeah, I guess. (0:40:40) Al: but be that as it may. Speaking of updates, Minami Lane. Minami Lane. Minami Lane. (0:40:41) Kev: Yeah, that’s true. (0:40:48) Kev: What? Oh, minomulate? I don’t know, whatever. (0:40:50) Al: Minami Lane. Anyway, they’ve released an update 1.1. It has gamepad support and six new languages (0:40:58) Al: and a bunch of quality of life and improvements and (0:41:02) Al: fixes etc. But the main thing is that the controller support and the languages. (0:41:07) Kev: This is the one with that raccoon, the war veteran, right, I think? (0:41:11) Al: No, that was Akka was the war veteran. (0:41:14) Kev: Oh, yeah, no, you’re right, that is that guy. (0:41:18) Al: Yeah, I know this one’s a (0:41:20) Al: a small village builder. It’s not really a town builder. It’s a village builder. (0:41:26) Al: It’s more like a street. It’s like one street. (0:41:26) Kev: almost like a neighborhood builder yeah okay yeah that’s there’s that isometric sandbox again (0:41:36) Al: we love it I have owned this I do own this game I haven’t played it yet (0:41:43) Al: because do you want to guess why I haven’t played it yet (0:41:43) Kev: Okay (0:41:47) Kev: You’re playing Stardew Valley no, I don’t know (0:41:49) Al: nope it didn’t have controller support (0:41:52) Kev: Now I was that I was about to actually guess that after I said that I don’t know I was like I look like oh (0:41:58) Al: if you release a game on steam and it doesn’t have controller support i’m not (0:42:01) Al: playing it until it has controller support because i’m playing it on my (0:42:04) Al: my Steam Deck, that is where I’m playing it. (0:42:06) Kev: Yeah, even as someone who doesn’t have this thing, I feel very similarly. (0:42:14) Al: I feel like if I was like a student now rather than 15 years ago, instead of building a gaming (0:42:23) Al: PC, I would have just bought a Steam Deck, I think, because the portability is such a (0:42:28) Al: huge thing. And you can still use it like a standard PC by plugging it into monitors (0:42:35) Al: and stuff like that. But obviously it didn’t exist back then. Sad. (0:42:37) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:42:40) Kev: Yeah, that’s yeah, yeah, that’s fair. Yeah, I think so and (0:42:45) Kev: steam tech saw like it’s a big appeal of (0:42:49) Kev: The consoles for me or just open the box and play the thing right like in steam deck is very much in the line (0:42:52) Al: Exactly. And yes, sure, it’s something you might have to update more often than you would if you (0:42:59) Al: were putting a lot of money into a high-end PC. But one, you’re still spending less money, (0:43:02) Kev: …Right. (0:43:04) Al: right? Because high-end PCs cost a lot of money. People go, “Oh, well, you can get a lot more for (0:43:04) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:43:09) Al: your money in a PC, sure, but you have to spend a lot to get something better than a console.” (0:43:13) Kev: We have updating you don’t need to update as much. (0:43:15) Al: And two, I can’t remember my number two. What was my point? What was I arguing about? (0:43:21) Al: Yeah. You. (0:43:23) Al: Yeah, it’s just it’s one of the oh, yes, I remember the steam deck is like the baseline now for games. So if you have a game, a steam deck, you know, it’s going to be able to run most games, most games are going to be able to run on it. Not all, but most games will be able to run on it. (0:43:38) Kev: Yeah, mm hmm. (0:43:41) Al: And so even though they might not run the best and they might not have the best graphics, it’s still, you know, you’re going to be able to run it. Whereas if you have like a cheap PC you’ve put together with a bunch of things or you have. (0:43:52) Al: Like a cheap laptop or something, no guarantees there, you know, having that guaranteed hardware that, you know, that someone has played someone, someone else in the world has played this game on that hardware. (0:44:05) Al: You know that you can guarantee that there is somebody that has played this game on a steam deck. And if if there’s an issue with it, they will have told the developer, whereas your random PC that you’ve shoved stuff together may well have some really weird edge case bug. (0:44:20) Kev: Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Yeah, it’s absolutely the (0:44:30) Kev: Consistency that’s around looking for here consistency, right? That’s that’s a big appeal (0:44:32) Al: Yep, exactly. Potion Pyramid have released their Complete Edition. The Complete Edition (0:44:39) Al: will contain the base game of Potion Pyramid and all paid DLC, with over 30 cosmetic pieces (0:44:46) Al: of furniture to decorate your potion house. The Complete Edition will be available as a physical (0:44:50) Al: version on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. A Complete Edition DLC pack will be available (0:44:56) Al: digitally for those that own the base game and want all the available DLC. (0:45:00) Kev: Yeah, I do appreciate get doing the big everything’s here release including the physical (0:45:02) Al: Yeah, it also seems to be 66% discounted just now. The complete bundle. You can get the whole (0:45:18) Al: bundle for £18, which is only £1 more than the base game is at its standard price. (0:45:26) Kev: Well there you go. (0:45:27) Al: And I assume it’s a similar sort of price in the US, but I’m looking at the non-US price. (0:45:31) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:32) Al: So if you have been… no, you go, nope, you go. (0:45:33) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:34) Kev: Look, I’m sorry. (0:45:35) Kev: Just go in. (0:45:38) Kev: I would just get it. (0:45:38) Kev: Look, I’m sorry. (0:45:39) Kev: Like potion permanently. (0:45:40) Kev: Good for you. (0:45:41) Kev: And I’m looking at the next news items so harder. (0:45:45) Al: All right well let’s go for it then. I could have added this into last week’s episode but (0:45:49) Al: I felt like I needed to leave it for this one because Kevin the Sakuna anime is now going to (0:45:52) Kev: I’m so excited. It’s so pretty oh (0:45:56) Al: be airing in Japan from the 6th of July. It does look really good. (0:46:01) Kev: That’s so close it looks so good. Holy mackerel. They got I didn’t realize that Toho animation like that is a (0:46:10) Kev: An anim

Episode #337 of BGMania: A Video Game Music Podcast. Today on the show, Bryan and Bedroth from RPGera tie the proverbial knot in an episode dedicated to the time of the year, focusing on games that feature some classic Wedding scenes as part of the narrative! Email the show at bgmaniapodcast@gmail.com with requests for upcoming episodes, questions, feedback, comments, concerns, or whatever you want! Special thanks to our Executive Producers: Jexak & Xancu. EPISODE PLAYLIST AND CREDITS Wedding March from Super Street Fighter II Turbo [Felix Mendelssohn/Neil Baldwin & Steve Duckworth, 1996] Wedding from Rune Factory 3 [Tomoko Morita, 2009] Red from Red Dead Redemption II [Daniel Lanois, 2018] A Place to Rest from Fire Emblem: Three Houses [Hiroki Morishita, 2019] The Bride from Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life [Hiroshi Nakajima, 2003] Wedding Waltz from Super Paper Mario [Naoko Mitome, Chika Sekigawa & Yasuhisa Baba, 2007] Wedding from Tomodachi Life [Daisuke Matsuoka & Asuka Ito, 2013] Bridal Waltz from Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride [Koichi Sugiyama, 2008] False Wedding on the Sea from Wild Arms: Alter Code F [Michiko Naruke, 2003] Sarah's Theme from Days Gone [Nathan Whitehead, 2019] The Merry Mary Bells Ring from Super Mario RPG Remake [Yoko Shimomura, 2023] The Great Wedding from The Lord of the Rings Online [Bill Champagne feat. Tera Catallo, 2007] Illya: Gothical Radical Eternal Wedding from Princess Connect! Re:Dive [Soutarou Namikawa feat. Sakura Tange, 2018] Dewdrops at Dawn from Final Fantasy XV [Yoko Shimomura, 2016] SUPPORT US Patreon: https://patreon.com/rpgera CONTACT US Website: https://rpgera.com Discord: https://discord.gg/cC73Heu Twitch: https://twitch.tv/therpgera Twitter: https://twitter.com/OriginalLDG Instagram: https://instagram.com/bryan.ldg/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/leveldowngaming RPGERA PODCAST NETWORK Very Good Music: A VGM Podcast The Movie Bar

Al and Kev talk about Homestead Arcana Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:41: Feedback 00:05:56: What Have We Been Up To 00:22:36: News 00:49:30: New Games 00:57:20: Homestead Arcana 01:18:39: Outro Links Fabledom 1.0 Fields of Mistra EA Date Research Story 0.8 Update My Time at SAndrock 1.3 Update Moonlight Peaks Publisher Travellers Rest Switch Version Garden Witch Life Coming to Consoles Southfield Multiplayer Info ConcernedApe Interview Phoenix Labs Statement Little Known Galaxy Overthrown 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. My name is Al (0:00:39) Al: and we’re here today to talk about cottage core games. (0:00:43) Kev: woooooo (0:00:44) Al: Kevin’s not distracted by writing something in the show notes at all. (0:00:47) Kev: Yes (0:00:50) Kev: Look look, okay, you know, I you see the foghorn leghorn trend on twitter. Oh (0:00:55) Al: No I have not. (0:00:56) Kev: Oh my gosh, I thought about doing it for this show (0:00:59) Kev: but I I I lost uh some of the energy for this weekend, but um, uh, basically (0:01:04) Kev: People have just been putting foghorn leghorn into anime scenes (0:01:08) Kev: Or just like images and just a whole rant of him that he would say and it’s been hilarious (0:01:13) Kev: Like so much (0:01:14) Al: I think, yeah, I think didn’t is the best option there. (0:01:15) Kev: um (0:01:16) Kev: Anyways, I was thought about introing like that, but I didn’t so you’re welcome people (0:01:28) Al: Transcripts for this episode are available in the show notes and on the website and hopefully (0:01:33) Al: they’ll be quicker generating from now on because I have a new iPad which is much faster (0:01:37) Al: than my six-year-old iPad. (0:01:41) Al: I think I ran Transcriber. (0:01:44) Al: That’s what that’s what happens when you spend six years between between iPads is you get an insane (0:01:49) Kev: yep (0:01:53) Kev: oh wow wow okay that’s that’s good that’s faster (0:02:03) Al: insane speed increase so this episode we are probably going to talk about homestead arcana (0:02:06) Kev: we have the technology (0:02:13) Al: It depends on how you do it. (0:02:14) Kev: That’s a game. (0:02:14) Al: It depends on how much kevin has played it. (0:02:18) Al: I have played it, I have opened the game and I have done stuff in it. (0:02:23) Al: I have a save file with a character and I have some opinions. (0:02:24) Kev: Okay. Alright. (0:02:26) Kev: Good opening, Salvo. (0:02:28) Kev: Salvo (0:02:30) Al: So we’re going to talk about that. (0:02:33) Al: Before that we’ve got a bunch of news including a couple of new games and some exciting news. (0:02:43) Al: before all of that, and before what we’ve… (0:02:44) Al: been up to. I want to respond to Johnny. So, was it two episodes ago? Johnny ranted about… (0:02:51) Al: Yeah, it was in the Rusty’s retirement episode. Johnny ranted about Coral Island. He ranted (0:02:54) Kev: Uh, yeah, I’m in the middle of it, okay (0:02:57) Al: about Coral Island, and he said that it’s ridiculous that I’m suggesting that Coral (0:03:02) Al: Island is the standard for farming games. And what I would like to say is Johnny is (0:03:07) Al: right in everything that he says, except… except that’s not what I s… (0:03:09) Kev: He’s right, because wildflowers should be. (0:03:14) Al: said. I did not say that it’s the standard for farming games, or if I did, I didn’t mean (0:03:20) Al: it. What I mean is that Coral Island, the farming part of Coral Island, should be the (0:03:27) Al: standard for farming games going forward. The features that it adds to the genre, that (0:03:35) Al: is how things should be. That is what I’m trying to say. He’s absolutely right about (0:03:39) Al: everything else he says about Coral Island. It is definitely unfinished. I have complained (0:03:43) Al: about this before. (0:03:44) Kev: Hahaha! (0:03:44) Al: . I still think it is the best, if not the second best farming game, personally. (0:03:47) Kev: Well. (0:03:51) Kev: Well. (0:03:52) Kev: Hey, good news, though. (0:03:54) Kev: Being unfinished already IS the standard for ghost games! (0:03:59) Kev: Hahaha! (0:04:00) Al: Fair fair. And it is still to see whether 1.1 will finish Coral Island or not. We will (0:04:01) Kev: Hahaha! (0:04:08) Al: see the betas coming out in a week, I think. (0:04:09) Kev: Okay, okay (0:04:13) Kev: Wait, they’re doing a beta for the 1.1. Oh (0:04:15) Al: They are, yeah. Yeah. (0:04:17) Kev: My good. Oh, wow, nothing evokes confidence like saying we’re (0:04:19) Al: I refuse to play that, though. (0:04:24) Kev: Beta, we’re doing a beta post launch (0:04:26) Kev: a (0:04:28) Al: And obviously, nothing will ever live up to Stardew in its longevity, I don’t think, so. (0:04:36) Kev: Oh, concern date refuses it for anything else to do. So I know that’s foreshadowing. (0:04:41) Al: Well, we’re gonna talk about that later. We’ve got we’ve got stuff. We’ve got news on (0:04:44) Al: stardew. Well, news on stardew who’d have thought it. So that’s, that’s why I wanted (0:04:50) Al: to wanted to point out, I’ve talked to Johnny about this on slack. Anyway, and he thinks (0:04:56) Al: that he, I believe he said what I said is fair now that he understands that it’s about (0:05:01) Al: the farming aspect of things. But I felt it was important to talk about on the podcast (0:05:02) Kev: We don’t want fair. We want reactionary content. (0:05:05) Al: as well. Because I don’t think I’ve been on the podcast for like four episodes now. More (0:05:12) Al: More than that, oh my word, the last episode I was on (0:05:15) Al: was over a month ago. (0:05:17) Al: Wild. (0:05:18) Kev: Wait, was it the one I was on? Was EPUF on last time? (0:05:21) Al: It was. (0:05:26) Al: Wow. (0:05:27) Al: It’s a Cody show now. (0:05:29) Kev: There, well, you know. (0:05:30) Al: Cody was on the last four episodes. (0:05:32) Kev: Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:05:34) Kev: Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:05:36) Al: No, oh wait, yes. (0:05:37) Kev: Aww… Yes? (0:05:39) Al: Wait, have I? (0:05:39) Kev: Have you? Oh… (0:05:40) Al: No. (0:05:41) Kev: Yeah, I was about to make a reference. (0:05:43) Al: I think it’s on my list to watch. (0:05:43) Kev: Okay, well you should. (0:05:44) Al: I can’t remember what… (0:05:45) Kev: I was just gonna say the fans have voted. (0:05:47) Kev: Just like Smormu. (0:05:49) Kev: Um, but, alright. (0:05:50) Al: No, I’ve not seen it. (0:05:51) Kev: Heh, I’ll get to watch it. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:05:52) Al: That confirms it. (0:05:53) Al: I don’t understand the reference, therefore no. (0:05:55) Al: Right, okay, cool. (0:05:56) Al: So, blah blah blah, a lot of stuff to talk about. (0:05:59) Al: Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:06:02) Kev: Um… (0:06:04) Kev: Non-video… (0:06:06) Kev: It’s been a chaotic week for me. (0:06:08) Kev: Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:06:10) Kev: Um, alright. (0:06:12) Kev: I caught up and finished X-Men 97. (0:06:14) Kev: Hey, guess what? That game is good. (0:06:16) Kev: You know what? We should talk about it sometime. (0:06:17) Al: laughs Imagine that. Foreshadowing! laughs (0:06:18) Kev: Heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:06:20) Kev: Just the thought. (0:06:22) Kev: Heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:06:24) Kev: X-Men 97, very good. (0:06:26) Kev: Heh, heh, heh, heh… (0:06:28) Kev: Let’s all say all that for now. (0:06:30) Kev: I caught up on (0:06:32) Kev: Uhh, well yeah, Smiling Friends. It’s very short so probably since the last time I watched it I binged that. (0:06:39) Kev: Very very funny, very enjoyable. I suggest you go watch it out. It’s Adult Swim, so they’re like 10 minute episodes (0:06:44) Kev: So you can knock it out real quick (0:06:45) Al: Yeah, I haven’t seen this one but it was on my list to watch at some point (0:06:48) Kev: All right, we’ll go do it. Season 2 is ongoing (0:06:52) Kev: They’re releasing new episodes and very excited for that. Like, one should be this weekend, I think? I don’t know. (0:07:00) Kev: Outside of that I’ve been doing a lot of (0:07:02) Kev: my daily grinds because that’s comfort gaming for me, Pokemon Unite. (0:07:06) Kev: Falinks came out and he’s funny and adorable and as great as I’d hoped. (0:07:11) Kev: Umm… (0:07:12) Kev: The game in general is… (0:07:12) Al: Does he split up and beat people up? (0:07:15) Kev: Yes! He can! (0:07:17) Kev: He has two, he has two, uhh… (0:07:20) Kev: So every Pokemon basically has two, like, branches for their attacks that you can pick. (0:07:24) Kev: Falinks has either they all stick together and form a big shield, or they all separate and beat up people. (0:07:29) Kev: And his is united his ultimate move (0:07:32) Kev: The little guys just start spinning around him just just carouseling around him and beating up anyone. It touches. It’s great (0:07:40) Kev: Yeah, I love falling sees fantastic little dude or dudes, let’s see Disney speedstorm (0:07:40) Al: Love it (0:07:49) Kev: The the Disney racing game the (0:07:52) Kev: Wreck-it Ralph season is ongoing (0:07:56) Kev: Boy they’re they’re just getting more (0:07:58) Kev: Money they want money (0:08:01) Kev: because (0:08:02) Kev: They actually split the season into two parts, so you have to buy two passes if you want the premium characters or whatever (0:08:10) Kev: Heart one was Vanellope. She was like the premium character and I bought it because I like Vanellope. Heart two was Sergeant Calhoun the that lady (0:08:19) Kev: The from the hero’s duty game or whatever (0:08:21) Kev: I’m not buying because I don’t care about her that much but the the racetrack from the game and sugar rush is there (0:08:27) Kev: It’s very fun. I like to beat storm still very fun game (0:08:32) Kev: Marvel snap continues to be Marvel snap (0:08:36) Kev: The game’s really big there’s a lot of cards I keep up with it (0:08:41) Kev: I think for I don’t know for better or for worse, but I still play it (0:08:42) Al: I think I’ve given up on it. (0:08:47) Kev: That’s good for you, you know what you’re smart man, yep (0:08:49) Al: It was a period of time for me, I enjoyed it while it was a period of time, but I think (0:08:53) Kev: Yep (0:08:54) Kev: That’s that’s fine. I salute you for that. So those are my daily stuff. Um Ori and the Blind Forest I have (0:09:02) Kev: I’ve gone through that. Are you familiar with that one now? (0:09:04) Al: I’m I’m familiar with it, but I’ve not played it and that’s a metroidvania, right? (0:09:08) Kev: Okay, what yep it is and it (0:09:11) Al: Yeah, I think I heard you talk about it. I think I heard you talk about it on Rainbow Road radio (0:09:15) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:09:17) Kev: Yeah, you can hear me talk about it there. Well, yeah, I’m just gonna repeat what I said there (0:09:20) Kev: It’s it is a metroidvania, but unlike say Metroid (0:09:24) Kev: Dread or other metroids. It’s not so much combat focused. It’s much more (0:09:29) Kev: Like platforming obstacle focused which (0:09:32) Al: Yeah. (0:09:32) Kev: I think I might have a harder time with. (0:09:33) Al: Oh, interesting. (0:09:35) Kev: Some of them can feel very challenging because you have to (0:09:39) Kev: time your jumps, you have to extend jumps, turn in mid-air, you have to bounce off (0:09:43) Kev: enemies or projectiles. Wild, wild nonsense that they come up with. (0:09:47) Kev: The game is very pretty and enjoyable. I’m still going through it. (0:09:51) Kev: There’s that. (0:09:52) Kev: Speaking of Rainbow Road Radio, the podcast I do with our mutual friend Alex, (0:09:57) Kev: I have, I think like since the last time I’ve been on, (0:10:00) Kev: I played through a lot of the classic (0:10:02) Kev: We’ve been doing good the spring time for jump man. That’s what Alex calls it (0:10:06) Kev: We the original Super Mario Bros. We did the lost level Super Mario Bros 2 and 3 and a world is upcoming (0:10:13) Kev: So I’ve been going through that getting my fresh course in Mario history. I guess what Mario platformers are good shocker. I know (0:10:20) Al: Yeah, I really know (0:10:21) Kev: Lost levels - yeah, go ahead. Oh (0:10:24) Kev: I was just say lost levels is good, but it’s also really hard to mean (0:10:30) Al: yeah I really like lost levels um I found too very funny because it’s it’s (0:10:32) Kev: » Yeah, yeah. (0:10:42) Al: sure it’s a mario game but it’s not a mario game it’s it’s like a skinner a skinner on top of (0:10:44) Kev: That is correct (0:10:48) Al: another game and and it makes it makes it so weird in so many ways right because it’s like (0:10:49) Kev: That is literally what it is, yes, uh, yes you are right it is (0:10:56) Kev: Right (0:10:57) Al: so different to the first one but also so… (0:11:00) Kev: Yep (0:11:00) Al: different to everyone since. There’s so much stuff in this game that never happens again. (0:11:03) Kev: Absolutely (0:11:08) Kev: Yeah (0:11:09) Kev: And it’s and what’s really weird is they some things did stick around maybe not like mechanics or whatever (0:11:14) Kev: But like turnips and shy guys and you know different things like the elements and features floating and all that stuff, right? (0:11:22) Kev: Like I still kept some of that. So I guess they were happy with what came out, but it is (0:11:28) Kev: It’s wild like I can’t think of another example where they you know (0:11:32) Kev: Reskinned a game and they kind of claimed ownership to that and it still stayed but not really (0:11:38) Kev: wild wild nonsense (0:11:38) Al: Well the funny thing is as well, it’s a skinner on top of a game, but it’s also the 5th best selling game on the NES ever. (0:11:45) Al: Like, I don’t think any other skinner box game has ever done that. (0:11:52) Al: Like, that’s wild. (0:11:54) Kev: Yeah, it is. (0:11:55) Kev: I didn’t know that. (0:11:56) Kev: That’s what, that is wild. (0:11:57) Kev: Holy moly. (0:11:58) Al: It’s just so weird. (0:11:59) Al: “It was critically well received for its design aspects and for differentiating the Super Mario series.” (0:12:04) Al: That’s because it wasn’t a Mario game! (0:12:08) Al: It’s a different game! (0:12:12) Al: I mean, I really like it. It’s fun, but it’s really funny. (0:12:15) Kev: Maybe, yeah it is. (0:12:18) Kev: Maybe other things should start doing that more. (0:12:21) Kev: This is how we’ll save the MCU. (0:12:22) Al: I put Spider-Man in every film that he has referenced in the MCU. You know that old film’s (0:12:22) Kev: We’re just gonna copy other movie- (0:12:24) Kev: -put Spider-Man in it. (0:12:29) Kev: Oh yeah. (0:12:30) Kev: Um… (0:12:32) Kev: Wow, that’s great. (0:12:42) Kev: Yeah. YEAH. AHHH. He’s been there. That’s why he knows it. He’s been there. Ah, okay. (0:12:43) Al: alien? That old film’s Star Wars! (0:12:52) Al: And then just make it self-referential so he has to refer to the fact that he’s in this thing that (0:12:56) Al: is like a film that he he knows of. Good fun. (0:13:03) Kev: So that’s all the fun stuff. The unfun stuff. I got laid off this week. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Oh, (0:13:08) Al: Just remember, this is the family friendly episode, no swearing. (0:13:12) Kev: man. So, I mean, you know. Yes, okay. I will not. But it came out of left field. It was, (0:13:27) Kev: and I asked them, because of course when you find out you’re losing your job, you know, (0:13:32) Kev: you’re like, “Is it anything I did?” And they’re very adamant. It was nothing personal about (0:13:37) Kev: me or my performance or whatever, but they just had to get some jobs. (0:13:42) Kev: mine happened to be on that list I was laid off last year as well but that (0:13:57) Kev: was a different scenario because that company was a small startup and basically it collapsed (0:14:03) Kev: it just failed so the whole company died all employees were laid off at the same time right (0:14:12) Kev: so it was very sad because I really liked we all really liked that company we liked (0:14:16) Kev: each other our co-workers and whatnot and at least we were in it together more or less (0:14:21) Kev: right like we all went out to lunch and just drank our sadness away or whatever (0:14:25) Kev: um we’re like this is a massive so the company I worked for directly was a large company (0:14:36) Kev: that’s like headquartered in pencil in pittsburgh different state from where I am and they’re (0:14:40) Kev: owned by an even bigger company, Amor. (0:14:42) Kev: The biggest stinger is just, you know, why me over other people who might be working in similar positions to me, right? (0:14:59) Kev: So like, I can’t help but feel like there is probably some weight of performance issues, but yeah, I mean, I could get into the whole thing. (0:15:07) Kev: like I don’t think it was my performance but like light work was light and ultimately it all just (0:15:12) Kev: money right like they felt like they weren’t getting enough money so i’m they’re just gonna (0:15:16) Kev: get rid of me um (0:15:19) Al: Yeah it’s one of these things where you need to not overthink these things because it could be (0:15:23) Al: for any number of reasons. It could just be first in, last first in, first out sort of thing. You (0:15:24) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re right you’re right (0:15:27) Al: just never know and it’s not fun, not fun but sometimes stuff like that. (0:15:31) Kev: Yeah, but c’est la vie, um (0:15:34) Kev: But the the silver lining bits one (0:15:36) Kev: I have already been actually I picked up uber as a side hustle just a few weeks ago (0:15:40) Kev: So I can double down on that now. It’s not the obviously not the same level of salary (0:15:46) Kev: I was making right but it’s more than unemployment (0:15:48) Al: Keeps you going. (0:15:49) Kev: Yep, and and because this company is big they I actually got some severance (0:15:54) Kev: pay and stuff like that so I have at least a little to keep me going (0:16:00) Kev: obviously there’s a lot of pressure to find a proper job to get a steady (0:16:04) Kev: paycheck and whatnot but but yeah that’s that’s just how it is sale of me all (0:16:10) Kev: right what about you I hope you haven’t been laid off what it what else have (0:16:12) Al: No, thankfully I’ve not been laid off, I’m still at my terrible job. I’ve not done a (0:16:14) Kev: you been up to (0:16:20) Kev: that’s correct (0:16:23) Al: huge amount of games, I feel like I’ve been procrastinating with gaming in general because (0:16:29) Al: I didn’t want to play Homestead Arcana and the problem is if I’m procrastinating playing (0:16:37) Al: a game for the podcast because I’m not enjoying it, the problem then is that I don’t play (0:16:42) Al: it because I feel guilty when I play different games so I just end up not playing games which (0:16:44) Kev: I built! (0:16:46) Kev: Yea! (0:16:48) Al: is really bad but we’ll get into that we’ll get into that later but what I have done is (0:16:50) Kev: Yea! (0:16:52) Kev: Blang! (0:16:54) Al: I did before I picked up Homestead Arcana because I think we only decided to do this (0:16:58) Al: two weeks ago, I played Let’s Go Eevee because I hadn’t finished that game so I have now (0:17:06) Al: played and finished that game, caught a shiny seal in it, oh boy that was a long slog. (0:17:08) Kev: Okay, yeah (0:17:13) Al: The game I still really like Let’s Go and I think it is one of the best Pokemon games (0:17:17) Al: full stop. I understand why some people don’t like certain aspects of it but personally (0:17:18) Kev: Okay (0:17:21) Kev: Yeah (0:17:23) Al: I think it is one of the best in so many ways. (0:17:26) Kev: Sure sure like I get that like there’s like visually it’s it’s a beautiful beautiful game right absolutely one of the best and (0:17:35) Kev: There’s it’s very cute (0:17:38) Kev: It does a lot of things, right? (0:17:40) Kev: My problem with me is I don’t like the go-catchy (0:17:42) Kev: So, if that’s the core mechanic, yup (0:17:44) Al: Yeah. No, I know. That’s and that’s and that’s what I’m saying. And that’s what I’m saying. (0:17:48) Al: That’s why I think I think that that’s I know that’s why people don’t like it. And I understand (0:17:52) Kev: Yeah, and to be fair, that’s like a completely subjective thing, right? (0:17:53) Al: that. (0:17:56) Kev: Like, I know, like, I think you would maybe fall into this category where a lot of people don’t care much for the battling (0:18:04) Kev: or just grinding endlessly in the other games, right? (0:18:04) Al: Yeah, absolutely. (0:18:08) Kev: So, yeah, that’s completely to taste, but I will say, like, what I see, I think, it is a well-done game. (0:18:16) Kev: It is very competent, technically, it looks very good, and I didn’t–any discourse on it, I didn’t hear about, like, let’s say Scarlet Violet, any technical issues, glitches, or crap. (0:18:26) Al: No, no, I think, I think the most of it, so it’s definitely going through a resurgence (0:18:31) Al: of rose-tinted glasses with people, you know, people who didn’t like it at the time now (0:18:33) Kev: Okay. (0:18:35) Al: like it because that’s just the cycle with Pokemon games, right? (0:18:38) Al: People don’t like it and then they like it because the newer thing is something else (0:18:41) Al: they don’t like, so they have to compare it to just, oh my word, so it’s just the classic (0:18:42) Kev: If you thought that was bad, just wait till we drop NOW! (0:18:48) Al: cycle of Pokemon games but yeah, I think the main thing that people didn’t like was the (0:18:52) Al: catching and I understand that I it’s not like (0:18:56) Al: I think it’s amazing but I like that it’s different I did I don’t like catching in (0:19:01) Al: pokemon games in general I don’t think it’s fun and so doing something different I think is (0:19:06) Al: exciting and fun in being different in and of itself right the whole yeah and I actually think (0:19:10) Kev: I am glad they did something different, I will say that. (0:19:15) Al: that what they did with the legendaries in that game was the best where you have to battle it to (0:19:19) Al: whittle it down and then once you’ve defeated it then you can catch it I think that’s actually (0:19:24) Kev: And that is fun. (0:19:26) Al: and then they ended up doing that later on with raid battles right so now we have the (0:19:31) Al: raid battles where it’s essentially that is you have to defeat it and then once you’ve (0:19:34) Al: defeated it you get guaranteed catch that for me is actually the perfect thing defeat a pokemon (0:19:39) Al: then catch it i’ve never understood oh if you knock the pokemon out you can’t catch it i’m like (0:19:43) Al: why not it’s just lying there just let me throw a ball at it surely this would be the easiest time (0:19:44) Kev: You know what? Well said. Well said. I don’t even need a Pokeball, I can just drag it! (0:19:50) Al: to catch it (0:19:56) Al: yeah yeah yeah um (0:19:58) Kev: The clip looks right there! You know, that is an excellent point. Yeah, no, I can see (0:20:10) Kev: cassette piece you can hear about that on that greenhouse I did (0:20:14) Kev: it has the mechanic where when you say you’re going to catch on a turn the the (0:20:25) Kev: target monster will not die right otherwise it can die normally but if (0:20:30) Kev: you’re saying I’m going to catch you this turn it will not die which I think (0:20:33) Kev: is a clever way of solving that problem (0:20:34) Al: Fine, I’ll play cassette beasts already. My word. I just need to find some time to do (0:20:38) Kev: it’s (0:20:42) Al: that. I will do it. All right. Goodness me. We need to have like a bunch of episodes in (0:20:48) Al: a row that are not game specific game based so I can just play a game without feeling (0:20:53) Al: guilty about not playing a farming game. So I’ve also done there was a bunch of Pokemon (0:20:54) Kev: Heh heh heh heh heh heh (0:21:01) Al: violent events that I’ve done which I’m still enjoying lots of sh- (0:21:04) Al: is in the outbreaks and the I like the raids blah blah it’s fine you don’t need to comment on it (0:21:10) Kev: I’m not, I’m not. (0:21:11) Al: um and um I’ve also picked (0:21:14) Kev: I will say I salute them for keeping the game going. (0:21:19) Al: yeah yeah and they’ve not recycled anything other than like one one seven star raid they’ve recycled (0:21:25) Al: they keep bringing out new ones which is pretty impressive we’re you know we’re what 18 months out (0:21:25) Kev: So yeah that is impressive, I salute them for that. (0:21:30) Kev: Yeah that is impressive, almost two years, yeah. (0:21:31) Al: So, uh, almost. (0:21:35) Al: Stretching it a lot there almost two years. Yeah. That’s why I said 18 months. That’s why I said 18 months Kevin. Oh (0:21:36) Kev: A year and a half! (0:21:38) Kev: Year and a half. (0:21:40) Kev: Look, the next six months will fly by, just you wait. (0:21:45) Al: Sure sure and then in six months, I will say it’s been two years, but I won’t say it’s almost two and a half years (0:21:49) Kev: Okay. (0:21:50) Kev: Now mathematically, if you round, if you’re… (0:21:51) Al: Will I? (0:21:55) Kev: Five, you round up to the nearest ten. (0:21:58) Kev: Alright. (0:21:58) Al: And I’ve just recently picked up Farm RPG which I don’t want to say too much about it (0:22:04) Kev: What is Farm RPGA? (0:22:05) Kev: Tell me, I don’t remember. (0:22:08) Kev: Oh, oh, is there another time you’d like to talk about it? (0:22:08) Al: just now but basically it’s a text-based farming game on mobile so I don’t want to talk much (0:22:15) Kev: Oh, okay. (0:22:21) Al: more about it but it’s a thing that may well be mentioned in the future. (0:22:26) Kev: Yeah, okay. (0:22:28) Al: He says looking at the list of upcoming episodes right next to the show notes all right cool (0:22:38) Al: should we talk about some news because apparently we’re 25 minutes in and we’ve already done (0:22:41) Kev: Already, wow, okay. (0:22:41) Al: an over an over an hour long greenhouse so the first few bits of news are pretty quick (0:22:48) Al: so first of all we got fabled them 1.0 is out now there we go done it is it is still (0:22:52) Kev: Yes! And it was on sale. I don’t know if it still is, but I bought it. It was on sale. Yes! (0:22:57) Al: on sale. (0:22:59) Kev: Uh, yes, for 1.0. Yes, I bought it, I installed it, I haven’t played it, (0:23:03) Kev: but it’s there ready for me to fire. Uh, yeah, I did. Yes. (0:23:12) Kev: James! This is the village builder. Alright, well. (0:23:14) Al: if no one else has covered it by the time i’m done with stars drop vagabond I will do that (0:23:20) Al: but that’s a month away uh next we have fields of mistra um their early access is coming out on the (0:23:28) Al: 5th of august I i this so this this was the one that when it was first announced it was like all (0:23:30) Kev: Okay, let me see. (0:23:31) Kev: Hold on. (0:23:33) Kev: I don’t remember this one. (0:23:37) Al: these high quality graphics and then the the first game they showed they showed it was like pixel art (0:23:43) Al: and were like “I was not expecting pix- (0:23:44) Al: al art” based on all of the images you’ve already put out. It says it’s RPG so presumably there’s (0:23:55) Al: more of a story to it but other than that it just looks like it’s just another Stardew type thing. (0:24:02) Kev: I’m looking at it. It’s Stardew-y. Their aesthetic is different. Like, even from the base art, (0:24:02) Al: so yeah I don’t know maybe I’ll play (0:24:14) Kev: like they’re trying to invoke 90s-ish anime Sailor Moon-looking stuff. I think it’s coming (0:24:20) Kev: across pretty well in pixel art. It is cute. I think it might have a little more personality (0:24:28) Kev: than Stardew, just art-wise. (0:24:32) Kev: I like how there’s 12 marriage candidates and two of them are in shadow. (0:24:40) Al: Yeah, I mean, nothing about it looks bad. (0:24:42) Al: It’s just, nothing makes me go, “I need to play this.” (0:24:44) Kev: Yeah, I get that for sure. (0:24:48) Kev: It does feel like a lot of inspiration from 90s RPGs, like Final Fantasy and stuff like that. (0:24:56) Kev: Just a lot of the animations and things like that. (0:24:58) Kev: the like when they pick up the end of an item that. (0:25:02) Kev: do a little V with their fingers and it’s cute I will say the game looks cute (0:25:07) Kev: all right I don’t see any huge mechanics that make it’s screams that stand out (0:25:13) Kev: from Stardew but it’s a looks like a pretty nice stardew-esque a stardew (0:25:19) Kev: light you can’t we’re gonna coin that sir what is the difference between a (0:25:24) Al: called farming game stop it i’ll ban you from the podcast research story have their 0.8 update which (0:25:24) Kev: stardew light and a stardew light (0:25:36) Al: i’m pretty sure is out now they’ve not actually said it’s out now but i’m pretty sure it’s out now (0:25:42) Al: let’s go with this out now um uh they’ve added more farm buildings um and the ability to build (0:25:51) Al: to move and demolish them. (0:25:54) Al: Barns, sheds, fun times, and lots of other small stuff. Lots of quality of life features, (0:26:02) Al: lots of new content, new creatures, blah, blah, blah. Looks like they’re getting close to 1.0 (0:26:08) Al: if they’re at 0.8. It’s about a year it’s been in early access so far, I think. Yeah, February 20th. (0:26:22) Al: what do I look like someone who plays a game pre 1.0 come on (0:26:30) Al: uh speaking of updates my time at sandrock the 1.3 update is coming 28th of may (0:26:36) Al: and they’re also releasing a monster whisperer dlc which includes new pets (0:26:42) Kev: - Okay. (0:26:45) Al: with a new pet training and battle related content so you’re gonna get your pet (0:26:51) Kev: Oh, sick! A game where animal creatures fight each other? I, I, I, okay. (0:26:56) Al: It’s the ‘Might I’m a Sandrock’ Pokemon update! (0:27:01) Kev: This has, this idea has potential. (0:27:05) Kev: It’s like a lizard with a pumpkin on its back. Oh my goodness. Okay. (0:27:09) Kev: Um, these, some of these animals are really cute. I can’t wait. Literal dog fighting in this one. (0:27:16) Kev: Um… Oh! I was just shooting, Chris. (0:27:16) Al: Yeah I’m still not gonna play it. Moonlight Peaks have announced that they are going to be published (0:27:24) Al: by Exceed which is a part of Marvelous so that’s cool that’s all that’s that’s all the news about (0:27:28) Kev: Yep, that’s (0:27:32) Kev: What is this one I know I don’t remember this one is the vampire life (0:27:34) Al: that one uh yeah the vampire one you’re a vampire or there are vampires I can’t remember yeah no (0:27:42) Kev: Okay (0:27:44) Kev: Says you are a vampire just live the vampire life in a magical town (0:27:44) Al: I know you’re the vampire. (0:27:46) Al: Yeah, it’s got that chibi art style. (0:27:52) Kev: The supernatural dating are you excited boy that that’s that’s an Animal Crossing (0:27:58) Kev: Style that’s what that is (0:28:02) Al: Werewolves, witches, and mermaids (0:28:03) Kev: It feels (0:28:05) Kev: Yeah, it looks cute for somebody who’s big fan of lean a little horror (0:28:16) Al: I’ll probably I’ll probably play it at some point look it’s not about how skated they (0:28:20) Kev: How scary are the werewolves? (0:28:27) Al: are is it for you it’s about how good-looking they are and are they voiced by Ray Chase? (0:28:29) Kev: Well, you… you… what do you think about that? Well, you got me there. You got me there. (0:28:36) Kev: Well, you got me there. You got me there. (0:28:43) Al: If you want Kevin to like something, put Reaching (0:28:46) Al: in it. Traveller’s Rest have announced that they are going to work on a Switch version (0:28:55) Al: after their roadmap is finished. So I think that means probably in many years to come. (0:29:00) Kev: Oh my goodness, that sounds correct! (0:29:07) Al: Like there is no way that they get their roadmap done before next year and if they’re not even (0:29:16) Al: the Switch version until after their whole roadmap is finished, it’s going to be 2027 (0:29:20) Kev: Oh, Switch 2 will be out. (0:29:22) Al: before that comes out. Oh for years! Switch 2 will be two years old by then! (0:29:23) Kev: Switch… (0:29:24) Kev: Switch 3! (0:29:28) Kev: Oh yeah… (0:29:30) Kev: When was the last time a game finished a road match? (0:29:33) Al: Oh well that’s the thing yeah. Stardew maybe? Maybe not. (0:29:42) Al: speaking of switch coming to switch is gardenwood (0:29:46) Al: have announced that they’ll be releasing on switch and xbox and playstation (0:29:51) Al: they didn’t say when but the way that it’s worded makes it sound like (0:29:56) Al: probably the same time as the steam version comes out (0:29:58) Kev: You’d hope so, but it’s vague enough, maybe not. (0:30:03) Al: yeah yeah don’t hold me to that don’t hold them to that (0:30:07) Al: but it’s coming out at the end of this year so I feel like at this point in time saying that (0:30:13) Al: makes the there’s the implicate (0:30:16) Al: the implication is there I think and hopefully they’ve thought that through (0:30:20) Al: and they’ve realized that that would be the implication so therefore that’s what (0:30:23) Al: they’re saying rather than not realizing that would be the implication (0:30:27) Al: I feel like if you’re if you’re if you’re at this point where you’re six (0:30:30) Al: months away from releasing and you don’t and you say oh we’re also coming to (0:30:34) Al: console and you don’t say after the switch steam release I feel like you’re (0:30:40) Al: just asking for people to be a no (0:30:42) Kev: That is correct (0:30:43) Kev: cuz gamers man, I’m looking through the pictures here because I can remember what the game is first like (0:30:49) Kev: First of all, there’s some very cute animals in here. Look at this bunny. It’s just like a dust cloud with ears (0:30:55) Kev: And bees and there’s like little rocks with eyes. It’s very cute. I just feel so bad about this name (0:30:59) Al: The bees are very fat. (0:31:01) Kev: garden which life like it’s (0:31:02) Al: I know. (0:31:04) Al: It’s so generic. (0:31:04) Kev: Madlibs (0:31:05) Kev: Madlibs of generic cottage (0:31:08) Al: That’s a good point. (0:31:09) Al: It’s totally like they’ve just taken genres and shoved them together to make the name. (0:31:12) Kev: - Yup, yup. (0:31:14) Al: Let’s see, it’s a life sim but it’s growing things in your garden and you’re a witch. (0:31:20) Kev: Uh… laughs You can build friendships with the townsfolk. laughs You know what I would like to imagine? I’d like to imagine myself playing south. (0:31:20) Al: There you go, name sorted. (0:31:31) Al: Imagine that. Southfield. This might be the game I’m most excited for. (0:31:43) Kev: It feels like the most unique thing in this space of gaming in a while (0:31:49) Al: I don’t play many early access games but I feel like I might need to play (0:31:54) Kev: They had a demo which felt like it could have been an early access game because it was so big you couldn’t save (0:32:01) Al: - Well, that’s the thing. (0:32:02) Al: Well, that’s the thing. (0:32:03) Al: ‘Cause I listened to you and Johnny (0:32:04) Al: talking about “Southfield”. (0:32:06) Al: Was it you that played it or was it Johnny that played it? (0:32:06) Kev: I played it. (0:32:08) Al: You played it. (0:32:09) Al: I heard you talking about it on that demos episode. (0:32:11) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. (0:32:12) Al: And based on that, yeah, (0:32:14) Al: I just feel like this early access feels like (0:32:18) Kev: I- I can easily see that I- I feel strongly that will be. (0:32:23) Kev: Um, well, o- (0:32:24) Al: which is, and I feel like this piece of news actually encourages me more about that, that (0:32:30) Al: they actually care about how it works, is they’ve said that the multiplayer is not coming to early (0:32:34) Al: access at launch. I’ll just read out their quote. “Southfield was originally conceived as a single (0:32:40) Al: player experience, but as soon as we started playtesting the game, people told us they would (0:32:44) Al: love to share this island with friends. We agree, and that’s why multiplayer has become part of our (0:32:48) Al: roadmap for a while. However, multiplayer engineering is one of the most complex things (0:32:53) Al: things to pull off at a relative rate. (0:32:54) Al: small development team meaning we’ve had to make some pretty tough decisions and one of those is to (0:32:58) Al: not include multiplayer early access launch so I feel like the fact that they realize that (0:33:04) Al: means that well one I suspect they’re probably pretty close to early access (0:33:08) Kev: Yup. Well I mean heck, I agree. I mean like for a game to release a pre-early access demo like that (0:33:10) Al: and two it means that they want they want the early access to be (0:33:19) Kev: and to be that solid like I think they care a lot. Not only that, they say they want to leave early (0:33:25) Kev: access in 2025 right? Which is pretty close. So yeah the early access should be dropping pretty (0:33:32) Kev: soon I imagine. You know what? Like I think it’s cool they want to do multiplayer, I get that. (0:33:38) Kev: I’d be uh… I’d be okay if they dropped the 1.0 without multiplayer because I just… (0:33:45) Al: - Yeah, I think I understand that. (0:33:47) Al: I think I also understand why they would want (0:33:49) Al: to get it in for 1.0, but yeah, honestly, (0:33:53) Al: I would say make that the last thing you add. (0:33:56) Al: If you want it to be in 1.0, make it the 1.0, (0:33:59) Al: like add it in right at the end, like make it, (0:34:01) Al: this is the, like, ‘cause that I think becomes (0:34:04) Al: a really big thing to bring people back. (0:34:06) Al: ‘Cause like we’ve talked about this before (0:34:07) Al: where the problem with early access (0:34:10) Al: is you’re splitting out your release into multiple releases. (0:34:14) Kev: Right. (0:34:14) Al: So there’s less like. (0:34:15) Al: The reason for people to come back, but I think I think if you if you have something (0:34:22) Al: like multiplayer, I think multiplayer is big enough that if you have that as the 1.0 feet, (0:34:27) Al: the big 1.0 feature that brings people back who have previously played it. (0:34:32) Kev: Yep, okay (0:34:34) Al: But we’ll see, but they’ve also said there’s going to be a few features that were coming (0:34:38) Al: later in early access that they’ve moved to the early access launch. (0:34:43) Al: They say to compensate, but I’m like, I don’t think. (0:34:45) Al: You need to compensate for that. (0:34:46) Kev: No, they really don’t (0:34:46) Al: I don’t think anybody care. (0:34:48) Al: Like some people, some people care, but like it’s early access. (0:34:50) Al: What are you going to do? (0:34:51) Kev: Yeah, and like I can’t stress how much of a game it feels like there is plenty in there (0:35:00) Al: every time they post something about this game I’m more excited for it like the different crops like (0:35:06) Kev: I mean, that’s the core concept of the game, absolutely ridiculous and it’s great. (0:35:06) Al: there’s one that you can eat that makes you go on fire and stuff like that it’s just absolutely. (0:35:20) Kev: I love being a gun drop guy. (0:35:24) Kev: Stay wibbly, flop in the Southfield team, that’s how they sign off, I like that. (0:35:26) Al: Yeah well that’s the thing they’re doing everything right right they’re doing things well they’re (0:35:32) Kev: They are doing it. (0:35:34) Al: doing some different things while still adding to like the stuff that we like so I am I’m (0:35:42) Al: all for in for this. Speaking of doing everything right Stardew Valley we have an article with (0:35:54) Al: an interview with… (0:35:56) Al: concerned ape about stardew valley and I just want to pick out (0:35:59) Kev: We learned where the CONCERNED comes from! (0:36:04) Al: I want to pick out just a couple things couple quotes from this article to talk about (0:36:09) Al: so the first one is they say barone that’s concerned ape it’s called eric barone barone (0:36:15) Al: now works with the team on stardew valley’s more technical aspects and he wanted 1.6 to focus on (0:36:20) Al: technical tweets and tweaks and nothing more side note I remember him saying about that when he (0:36:26) Al: was coming he was like it’s mostly going to be stuff for mods and that’s how that turned out (0:36:31) Kev: Uh-huh. Thank you! (0:36:33) Al: the quote continues but then he began to dread what fans might think if he didn’t go all out on (0:36:38) Al: yet another update i’m a little bit sad about this I have like mixed feelings on this I think (0:36:43) Al: the way that this is worded makes it sound like he felt he couldn’t do an update that (0:36:47) Al: didn’t include a bunch of new content and I think that’s sad (0:36:50) Kev: - Yeah. I mean, I just think like, (0:36:53) Kev: so I think that’s pretty much the case (0:36:56) Kev: and I’m starting to get the feeling concerned ape (0:36:58) Kev: is like very, well, I mean, not just starting, (0:37:01) Kev: like I think it’s been apparent. (0:37:02) Kev: He’s a very perfectionist-esque person, right? (0:37:07) Kev: Where he’s, or he puts a lot of pressure on himself, (0:37:10) Kev: let’s say, right? (0:37:11) Kev: He’s very demanding of himself and his work, right? (0:37:14) Kev: Like I think the other example I can point to (0:37:17) Kev: is Sakurai in Smash Bros, right? (0:37:21) Kev: You went to insane levels to make those games amazing. (0:37:24) Kev: And they’re incredible, don’t get me wrong. (0:37:25) Kev: But like, I don’t know if you heard, (0:37:27) Kev: at one point Sakurai went into the office (0:37:31) Kev: with an IV drip because he was feeling sick, (0:37:33) Al: yeah I yeah I suspect that concern date probably has a healthier work-life balance (0:37:33) Kev: but he still wanted to work. (0:37:39) Al: is is what I would say (0:37:39) Kev: Hopefully, hopefully, right? (0:37:42) Kev: That’s, I just don’t want to go to that, of course. (0:37:43) Kev: Right? Like that’s the extreme. (0:37:45) Kev: I hope he doesn’t get to that point. (0:37:45) Al: yeah yeah nobody should ever get to that point if you if you find yourself on an ivy drip in work (0:37:53) Al: that’s the point to say you’ve gone too far right you probably should have you’ve probably gone too (0:37:58) Al: far a couple years earlier right this isn’t the point where you’ve gone too far but this is the (0:38:03) Al: point to realize that you’ve gone too far because that’s ridiculous so I think then there’s another (0:38:08) Al: quote later on from concerned ape and he says once I open once I reopen the book on stardew (0:38:15) Al: I always have a hard time closing it again because I always want to add more things make it better (0:38:21) Al: make it cooler make people happy it’s exciting every single thing i’m adding i’m thinking about (0:38:26) Al: how people are going to play this and talk about it and love it it’s going to be part of their (0:38:31) Al: expedience. It could make a memory that they might… (0:38:34) Al: That’s a special thing. It’s hard for me to not want to do that. (0:38:38) Al: So when I read the first bit, I was like, “Oh, I really hope he’s not doing this because he feels he has to.” (0:38:43) Al: Then I read the second bit and went, “No, he does have to. His brain won’t let him stop.” (0:38:47) Kev: Yep (0:38:51) Kev: Yep, right and like again our Sakurai the thing that Sakurai example is an extreme example (0:38:57) Kev: But I think it’s the same sort of like mental route right where it has to be (0:39:03) Kev: Exactly how they want it to be or whatever (0:39:06) Kev: And that can be a dangerous road. So, you know, I just hope he’s taking care of himself. That’s the main thing, right? (0:39:12) Kev: Like clearly he’s finding success. He’s making money. So, you know, I’m not worried about that (0:39:20) Al: yeah there’s there’s another there’s other bits in the article which i’ll post um you know because (0:39:26) Al: people might find it interesting um but uh one other thing just quickly is that he there’s a (0:39:33) Al: hint that maybe there could be another update coming um that would have input from the team (0:39:40) Al: that he’s created around uh around stardew because it’s it’s now not just him working on it he’s got (0:39:46) Al: more people doing it, but he kind of debates, he (0:39:50) Al: basically debates whether he could actually do that or not because like could he actually (0:39:56) Al: let people do it without then getting involved himself and he’s you know trying to you know be (0:40:02) Kev: I’m going to say, “No, he can’t.” (0:40:03) Al: like oh yeah there is there is there was one point i’d remember this at the time nearly two years ago (0:40:12) Al: now there was a tweet from him replying to someone so much of his news is just like posting random (0:40:18) Kev: three word tweets (0:40:18) Al: replies to people on Twitter. (0:40:20) Al: So someone asked him two years ago, June 2022, “Will Stars You Get Future Updates?” (0:40:28) Al: And he replies and says “1.6, yes, but it’s mostly a modding focused update, (0:40:33) Al: makes modders lives easier. There will be some new content but it won’t be huge.” (0:40:36) Kev: Things that aged poorly (0:40:39) Al: And then he says “1.6, who knows? 1.7, who knows?” (0:40:46) Al: So yeah, I think that I really hope. (0:40:50) Al: he does it because he likes it and because he wants to not because he feels like he needs to and (0:40:54) Kev: Like, I’m sure he likes it, like, these aren’t mutually exclusive, right? (0:41:00) Al: you’re you’re you’re right I just I don’t I want him I yeah I know I that’s just my point (0:41:06) Kev: Yeah, I know I get it, right? (0:41:06) Al: I i don’t want him to feel like he has to because he has given us enough I don’t care what other (0:41:11) Al: people say he has given us enough in this game right like if he wants to do more do it absolutely (0:41:14) Kev: Absolutely, like, well, here’s the thing, I don’t think anyone will ever say that he hasn’t given us enough in Stardew. (0:41:20) Al: because people require it oh no there will be some people because some people (0:41:24) Kev: Well, okay, well, yeah, you’re right. Okay, well, okay, the vast majority of people, right, the general, like, of course, there’s always exceptions and outliers, but I think the general discourse, I’ve never heard anyone say otherwise about Stardew. (0:41:27) Al: there’s always some stupid people (0:41:40) Kev: But, I think the bigger problem is going to be his own inner voice. (0:41:44) Al: Let’s see if Haunted Chocolates of the Year ever actually releases. (0:41:44) Kev: That’s my concern. (0:41:46) Kev: But, we’ll see. (0:41:46) Kev: Just don’t… (0:41:48) Kev: Stay tuned for our “Concerned About Concern Day” segments. (0:41:58) Al: So our last piece of news before, we’ve got a couple of new games, but the last piece (0:42:01) Al: of news before that is some news about Phoenix Labs, which is the developer of Faefarm and (0:42:08) Al: Dauntless. (0:42:09) Al: They’ve announced that they’ve cancelled all of their projects, except… (0:42:14) Al: I don’t think we have… over a hundred people is the kind of number I’ve seen from sources (0:42:19) Kev: How many are we talking? (0:42:22) Kev: Ooooh, that’s a lot. (0:42:29) Al: but I don’t think we have any concrete numbers. (0:42:34) Al: But yeah this is interesting on multiple levels. (0:42:36) Al: So one, interesting that they’re like “oh the only two things that we’re going to continue (0:42:41) Al: doing our Dauntless and Fae Farm. (0:42:44) Al: Right, okay, I didn’t realize Fae Farm was successful. (0:42:49) Al: Two, their statement talks about them being live service games. (0:42:54) Al: I don’t think Fae Farm’s a live service game. (0:42:58) Al: Like they have updates that they’re doing but that’s not what live service is, right? (0:43:09) Al: And obviously it’s really sad that a bunch of people have been laid off. (0:43:12) Al: Obviously it goes with. (0:43:14) Al: I don’t know what to say but I need to say it anyway. (0:43:15) Kev: yeah so uh clearly right like should I say my piece okay this yeah I mean like obviously i (0:43:21) Al: Yeah, go for it. (0:43:25) Kev: feel bad for them right and like yeah yeah like I i of course I get it get into all that like it’s (0:43:26) Al: Anti-Capitalism rant. (0:43:28) Al: Anti-Capitalism rant. (0:43:33) Kev: I just want to share the like I forgot to mention earlier so when I got laid off this earlier this (0:43:39) Kev: week um first of all it came out of left field I didn’t get a two weeks notice just then in there (0:43:45) Kev: you an extra two weeks of pay but working out right now and obviously like that sucked in like (0:43:51) Kev: even just trying to process that that moment right um but the really sucky part came uh (0:43:58) Kev: came just a bit later so it was around lunch time when they called me in and they they let me know (0:44:03) Kev: or whatever and gave me paperwork yada yada and so I went the first thing I did was just go out (0:44:07) Kev: because I hadn’t had lunch yet I went to go out grab a sandwich and kind of process my own thoughts (0:44:12) Kev: at that moment, right? So then I went back in… (0:44:15) Kev: to the office and started going around talking to some of the people I was (0:44:20) Kev: friends with and such and just letting people know and getting phone contact (0:44:24) Kev: numbers and things like that, right? But then this is what killed me, like as I (0:44:31) Kev: was sitting at my desk after sitting down getting ready to pack up my stuff (0:44:35) Kev: the guy who fired me who was in charge that he comes up to me and he says okay (0:44:41) Kev: I need you to leave the building like right now like my god (0:44:45) Kev: Goodness like I didn’t respond at that moment. I was just I was still such in shock, but I think I just like okay (0:44:50) Kev: Wow the the (0:44:53) Kev: insensitivity of that right and just (0:44:56) Kev: Well, it feels so bad and this this again (0:44:59) Kev: This is a very big company so clearly Phoenix Games or whatever this thing is called (0:45:04) Kev: fairly large for having being able a Phoenix Labs being able to fire hundreds of people right like I’m sure they weren’t very (0:45:13) Kev: sensitive about those layoffs either. (0:45:15) Kev: I’m guessing they aren’t, but… (0:45:15) Al: No, you can’t you can’t be when there’s that many people you’re laying off like not not (0:45:19) Kev: Exactly, right? (0:45:21) Al: if you’re going to do it like that right like it’s just not possible. And apparently some (0:45:22) Kev: Right, exactly, right. (0:45:24) Kev: And so that’s just… (0:45:26) Al: some people were laid off like apparently according to one of insider they were planning (0:45:32) Al: on announcing one of their games in three weeks and so there’s a bunch of people who (0:45:37) Al: have been for the last couple of months

Welcome to MTAC Dueling Dragon Interviews Week! Every day this week, we'll be uploading a new interview that we did during MTAC Dueling Dragons from earlier this year. Today, we've got our interview we did alongside The Side Quest Podcast for Bryce Papenbrook! Here's what MTAC had on their webpage about him:Bryce Papenbrook has been a professional voice over artist since the age of eight. He was introduced to the voice acting scene by his father, Bob Papenbrook, and has continued the trade in his footsteps.Bryce has performed in numerous video games, cartoons, and television shows. Some recent roles include Eren in Attack on Titan and Attack on Titan: Junior High, Kirito in Sword Art Online & Sword Art Online II, Shirou Emiya in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Wataru Asahina in Brothers Conflict, Meliodas in The Seven Deadly Sins, Rin Okumura in Blue Exorcist, Chooki & Lydendor in Tenkai Knights, Red in Pokémon Origins, Machina Kunagiri in Final Fantasy Type-0, Masaomi Kida in Durarara!! & Durarara!! X2, Theodore in Persona Q, Makoto Naegi in DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc & DanganRonpa: The Animation, Nagito Komaeda in Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Caesar Zeppeli in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Staz Charlie Blood in Blood Lad, Adrien aka Cat Noir in Miraculous Ladybug, Clay Sizemore in Soul Eater Not!, Calm Craftman in Aldnoah.Zero, Kaname Isaki in A Lull in the Sea, Numerous roles in Call of Duty: Ghosts, Tiz Arrior in Bravely Default, Adol Christin in Ys: Memories of Celceta, Inky in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures Game, Black Ranger in the Power Rangers Megaforce Game, Sultan in Disney Princess Palace Pets, Lest in Rune Factory 4, Henry in Fire Emblem Awakening, Issachar in Shin Megami Tensei IV, Asbel Lhant in Tales of Graces F, Zidane Tribal in Final Fantasy Dissidia 012, and Guan Ping in Dynasty Warriors. Past leading roles include Shugo in .hack//Sign Legend of the Twilight, Jack in MAR, Jack Russell in Radiata Stories, Hanabusa Aido in Vampire Knight, and Isami Fujiwara in Noein.HTTPS://MTAC.NET/GUESTS/BRYCE-PAPENBROOK/OSMnotesWe want to thank Bryce and once again for taking the time to chat with us! And you can find all the places where Bryce is by checking out him online at:On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActorBrycePapenbrookOn Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrycePapenbrookOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brycepapenbrook/On IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745310/Plus, a big thank you to MTAC for both letting us have the chance to chat, but also credit for the photos and convention logo used.We also have YouTube Channels now! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.

Al and Jonnie talk about Turnip Boy Robs a Bank Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:30: What Have We Been Up To 00:06:52: News 00:29:43: Turnip Boy Robs A Bank 01:01:06: Outro Links Botany Manor Release Date Moonstone Island Valentine’s Update Ikonei Island Festival Update Slime Rancher 2 Gadgets My Way Update Potion Permit on iOS and Android Wylde Flowers Beans Plushie Wylde Flowers on Apple Vision Pro Disney Dreamlight Valley Update 9 Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator Story Trailer 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. My name is Al, (0:00:36) Jonnie: And my name is Johnny. (0:00:37) Al: and we’re here today to talk about Gottagecore Games. (0:00:43) Al: Before we get going, just a reminder that transcripts for this podcast are available in the show notes and on the website. Today, we, me and Johnny, are going to talk about Turnip Boy robs a bank, because apparently I didn’t write it in the show notes. (0:01:00) Al: We’re going to talk about Turnip Boy robs a bank, the sequel to Turnip Boy commits tax evasion, (0:01:09) Al: and we’re not going to talk about it now, we’re going to talk about it later. (0:01:15) Al: Before that, just because we could easily fall into a discussion about it right now if we’re not careful. (0:01:20) Jonnie: Yeah, I was already head like in the line of things. (0:01:22) Jonnie: I was like, oh, I should not say this right now. (0:01:26) Al: But before that, we’ve got a bunch of news. (0:01:30) Al: But first of all, Johnny, what have you been up to? (0:01:34) Jonnie: What have I been up to? There is a game called Skull and Bones and apparently it has been in development since 2013 and it is apparently about to come out, but this weekend it is doing a public demo I guess is what it is where anyone can try the game for free, it will be over by the time you’re listening to this, although the game will be like a day or two from coming out. (0:02:02) Jonnie: And look I’m a bit of a slut for pirates like I love pirate games even though they’re just like (0:02:09) Jonnie: Piracy is so hard to do well in games (0:02:14) Jonnie: And I think in many respects Skull and Bones is kind of a (0:02:17) Jonnie: Testament to that like there are things that I really like about the game (0:02:21) Jonnie: But it’s gonna be a pretty hard game to recommend like people (0:02:26) Jonnie: Spend I think it’s assume is gonna be like a $70 game and I’d be very hard to recommend that anyone spend (0:02:33) Jonnie: dollars on a game. (0:02:34) Jonnie: Like this, unless you are super super into pirates. (0:02:37) Al: I’m not, so. I mean, pirates are fine, but I’ve never been like, “Oh yeah, I love pirates.” (0:02:43) Al: I’ve enjoyed some pirate-based media, but there’s a difference between, “Oh yeah, I like that,” (0:02:49) Al: and like, “Oh no, I must consume the pirate-based media.” You know, there’s a big difference there. (0:02:56) Jonnie: Honestly, I think the biggest problem with pirate-based stuff is ship-to-ship combat is really hard to do and to make fun and engaging. (0:03:06) Al: Yeah. (0:03:06) Jonnie: And everyone probably has a slightly different view on what it should be. (0:03:12) Al: Hmm. (0:03:12) Jonnie: And, you know, do they want it to be really fun? (0:03:12) Al: The fun bit, I think, there is key. (0:03:16) Al: It’s probably, you can probably make up a pretty accurate one, but it’s not going to be fun. (0:03:20) Jonnie: Correct, yeah. In many respects I think Skull & Bones has gone down how do we try and make it fun? (0:03:28) Jonnie: And I’m sure a lot of people will find the version fun. For me it’s a little bit too like, (0:03:32) Jonnie: you and your pirate ship mow down hundreds of other pirate ships which feels like… (0:03:39) Jonnie: That’s not what I guess I want from a pirate ship experience. I want to engage in one ship in a sort of long drawn out battle rather than mow down a hundred ships. (0:03:48) Al: Yeah, and I guess the difficulty is like, what are you focusing on? Because when you’ve got a ship, do you focus on the traversal? Do you focus on the combat? Do you try and do both and do both of them badly? There’s a lot to think of there. (0:04:10) Jonnie: Yeah, and I guess for me, the Skull and Bones, you have a character, but realistically in this one, (0:04:16) Jonnie: your character is the ship, right? You are controlling the ship, and that is the majority of the gameplay. And I think that’s one of the things that I’m learning about what I like in games over the sort of past few months is a strong narrative element, and in many respects, (0:04:32) Jonnie: I think that means I need a character that I feel tied to. Because I think my take on Skull and and bones is like I will have fun with it. (0:04:40) Jonnie: But I after this demo will likely have got what I needed to get out of it, which I had the same experience with (0:04:46) Jonnie: PowerWorld It’s like I experienced the thing and it was cool, but without that strong (0:04:53) Jonnie: narrative driven element or hook that I could find I bounce off it pretty quickly (0:04:58) Al: Yeah, yeah, that’s fair. (0:05:01) Jonnie: Yeah, but that’s what I’ve been playing. Al, what have you been up to? (0:05:04) Al: I was racking my brain because I’m like, (0:05:05) Al: have I played anything other than Turnip Boy? (0:05:07) Al: And I don’t think I have. (0:05:10) Al: This week has been quite, (0:05:11) Al: ‘cause I’m going to America next week. (0:05:13) Al: Like, as you listen to this, (0:05:14) Al: I will probably be on my way to America unless you’re listening to it straight away as it comes out. (0:05:20) Al: So yeah, I’ve not really been playing that much. (0:05:24) Jonnie: Are you feeling ready for your America trip? (0:05:26) Al: Are we ever, are we ever truly ready? (0:05:28) Jonnie: Well, if anyone is gonna like be a person that is ready for a trip, it’s probably gonna be (0:05:28) Al: Well, ‘cause the problem is that somebody who like, (0:05:36) Al: am I ready? Probably. (0:05:37) Al: But does that mean I feel ready? (0:05:39) Al: Like, those are two different things. (0:05:40) Al: And like, have I done enough to mean that logically, (0:05:43) Al: I know I will be fine? Yes. (0:05:45) Al: Does that mean that I, in my heart, (0:05:49) Al: feel that I’m going to be fine? (0:05:50) Al: No, of course not. (0:05:52) Al: I am convinced that I’m going to die in a fiery plane crash, right? (0:05:55) Al: So it’s just (0:05:58) Al: I think that the people who feel ready for the trip aren’t ready. (0:06:04) Jonnie: That’s fair, that’s fair. (0:06:05) Jonnie: And you’re going to America to play Pokemon Go, right? (0:06:08) Al: I am going to America to meet with friends, and I will also be playing Pokemon Go when I’m there. (0:06:15) Al: Yeah, my next recording I will be back having been to America, and that will be interesting. (0:06:22) Al: My first transatlantic flight, my first flight longer than two and a half hours, so we’ll see. (0:06:29) Al: Yeah, I honestly don’t think I’ve played anything else. (0:06:30) Al: I played some Just Dance, I guess. (0:06:32) Al: I’ve been doing that. (0:06:32) Jonnie: At home, or are you going to arcades and playing like just dance in an arcade? What are you? (0:06:35) Al: Thank you. (0:06:38) Al: Do they do have Just Dance in arcades? (0:06:41) Jonnie: I’m sure they do right? It’s gotta be. Oh, maybe I think of DDR (0:06:46) Al: Yeah, they had, obviously they had dance mats, but like I don’t think they have just dance in an arcade. (0:06:52) Al: Uh, cool. (0:06:53) Al: Should we talk about some news? (0:06:54) Jonnie: Let’s do it. (0:06:57) Al: Before I fall asleep. (0:06:58) Al: So our first piece of news is Botany Manor. (0:07:01) Al: They have announced that their release date is the 9th of April. (0:07:06) Al: So I don’t think this was out in early access at all. (0:07:08) Al: So this will be its like proper first release date, but it is a, a non-early access release. (0:07:15) Al: Rare. (0:07:16) Al: Rare these days. (0:07:19) Jonnie: It’s kind of novel, which I like. (0:07:22) Al: Ironically, you stick out now by not doing early access, (0:07:26) Al: whereas previously you would stick out by doing early access. (0:07:30) Al: No interest in this game, Johnny? (0:07:32) Jonnie: Not really. It’s hard, right? Because I want to be excited about all Cottagecore games. Because, (0:07:40) Jonnie: you know, you and I remember the time when it was Stardew, and Harvest Moon, and Rune Factory, (0:07:47) Jonnie: and that was it. And so we would be excited about anything new. And now we are in the opposite time, (0:07:54) Jonnie: where there is such an abundance of games that there has to be, I guess there’s specific things (0:08:02) Jonnie: and often I don’t know that I’m looking for it until I see it. And, you know, for me, Botany Manor, (0:08:10) Jonnie: yeah, this is not it. Botany Manor, kind of, just the visual style is not there for me. And it just, (0:08:20) Jonnie: I don’t know, it kind of falls into the natural. I’m trying to not be overly negative about a game I have not played. It’s just not kind of rising through everything else to be like, (0:08:32) Jonnie: that I feel like I’m putting on my list of games I need to do. (0:08:36) Al: I think it’s interesting because you mentioned the the art style. It’s very simple graphics except the plants which I get what they’re doing there because like the focus is the plants but it also feels a little bit weird that the plants are so detailed when everything else is quite simple textures. (0:08:54) Jonnie: Yeah, I think what you just said kind of triggered the thought for me that it feels almost like a game that a student would submit for an assignment sort of thing. (0:09:06) Jonnie: I’m sure there’s way more work that’s gone into this, and building games is very hard, but it’s kind of missing some of that polish that makes it look and feel like a finished product, which in theory it is. (0:09:23) Al: Yeah, I can see how somebody would like this, but yeah, I’m not, I don’t care about the detail of plants quite, I think, so that’s where it falls down for me. It’s like, it’s really focused on the plants, which would be good if you really care about the plants, (0:09:37) Al: but I don’t. Next, we have Moonstone Island, have a content update and a DLC. Let’s talk about the DLC first, because the DLC is very small. All of Moonstone Island’s DLCs are basically cosmetics, so it’s the Valentine’s DLC. (0:09:53) Al: You can get a heart rug, a heart house skin for your, a heart house skin for your house, (0:09:58) Al: that’s a very bad sentence, a heart box of chocolates, a heart archway brackets or heart way, and a heart lamp as well as a love seat. And that is three dollars ninety nine with a twenty percent launch discount. I will not be buying that DLC because I don’t care (0:10:23) Al: about those cosmetics. Yeah, they fit on really nicely with the game in general, and they are hearts, and they are detailed hearts. The heart house is not just a heart shaped house, it’s a heart shaped house with a heart shaped windows and a heart shaped hole on the, not the heart shaped door, that would be silly, and a bow on it as well with a little yellow heart as well. (0:10:25) Jonnie: But if you do care about that style of cosmetic, they are good-looking versions of those. (0:10:53) Al: It’s very heart-shaped, it is what it says on the tin. (0:10:59) Al: But it’s also coming along with the content update, the Valentine’s update, which is, (0:11:05) Al: you may well have guessed, it’s bringing marriage to the game. (0:11:13) Al: So it’s not bringing relationships, relationships already exist in the game, but they were quite limited in what you could do with them. (0:11:20) Al: There was no marriage in that. (0:11:23) Al: Even marriage, the marriage in this game, seems interesting. (0:11:33) Al: There was a thing, I need to double check in the trailer, because there was a thing that seemed like, so they move into your house, and then there was something about somebody sleeping on a couch, but I can’t remember what it was. (0:11:48) Jonnie: seeing this. (0:11:48) Al: Yeah, we’re missing a bunch of the details until it comes. (0:11:53) Al: I don’t think I can see myself spending much time (0:12:05) Jonnie: Yeah, that seems fair that it like it’s so one of my things is this game already has so much going on (0:12:12) Jonnie: Being that you know cosy creature collection, you know (0:12:18) Jonnie: just it feels like (0:12:20) Jonnie: marriage is just another another thing in a game that already has a lot of things (0:12:27) Al: The good the good thing is also comes with other things. So there’s five new spirits, (0:12:31) Al: including one that looks like a toaster with some bread in it and one that’s a robot dog (0:12:37) Al: and one that is a weird fish snake and I have a toxic thing. I don’t know what that is and a kiwi. (0:12:46) Jonnie: Yeah, we all love Kiwis (0:12:49) Al: There’s also a new taming system, but I have not seen any details about that. (0:12:56) Al: So… (0:12:57) Al: I don’t know what to think about that. (0:13:00) Al: And some more stuff, which is probably too detailed. (0:13:02) Jonnie: The Kiwi looks very stressed. (0:13:04) Al: This Kiwi does look very stressed, which is fair enough. Kiwi watch so it’s electric and… (0:13:16) Al: I feel like that’s an extra syllable than it should have been “key what”. (0:13:21) Jonnie: But yeah, that sounds much better. (0:13:21) Al: Hi, I’m Eamon Store Island, I have opinions on your names. (0:13:28) Jonnie: The toaster one’s very cute as well. (0:13:32) Al: Iconii Island have a new update as well, which is out now, the Lunar Union Festival update. (0:13:38) Al: It’s adding a new festival to the game. (0:13:42) Al: We probably don’t need to go into too much details, we’ve not even covered the game on the podcast yet. (0:13:45) Al: So. (0:13:46) Al: Yet that makes it sound like I’m going to. I don’t know whether we will or not. (0:13:49) Al: “Come celebrate the Lunar Union Festival, whether it’s and collect exclusive items. (0:13:53) Al: A lunar spirit will appear in the Hamlet. During the Lunar Union event, it will give a quest that will reward you with ribbits and beautiful rewards.” Reading these things when you’ve not played a game (0:14:04) Jonnie: Yeah. And I don’t really recall much about a Coney Island, like from covering previous stuff on the podcast, but it looks like a cool game. (0:14:14) Jonnie: And I guess more generally, like I’m pretty anti a lot of festivals in games because I think they’re kind of just boring and played out. (0:14:21) Jonnie: But one thing that I really like from like the last sort of, I don’t know, five to ten years is I feel like games have done a good job of amplifying festivals from other cultures. (0:14:30) Jonnie: and that’s been really cool to see and I think that like so these are the (0:14:34) Jonnie: sorts of festivals that I like because they often have much wider interpretations of what they are as opposed to like a Christmas Winter Festival which is kind of just like we’re gonna do something with snow and and presents and that’s that’s it so this looks cool and I’m excited and and happy year of the dragon (0:14:57) Al: Yes, slime Rancher 2 also have a new update out now and this is the gadgets my way update it includes a new gadget system (0:15:07) Al: So if you if you’ve played the game and you know how the gadgets used to work, it’s changed (0:15:13) Jonnie: So, I feel like every time you and I are on a show, there’s some sort of Slime Rancher update, and neither of us care about Slime Rancher, and I really, like, I thought this time, like, I’m really gonna try and care, and I was just like, mmm, like, Slime Rancher people, god bless, you do you, I’m sure you love it, or hate it, or whatever, it’s coming. (0:15:13) Al: There you go I I I I just… (0:15:34) Al: I feel like I need to play the game sometime but not yet maybe when maybe when Slime Rancher 2 is out of early access (0:15:44) Jonnie: Yeah. (0:15:48) Al: potion pyramid is coming to iOS and Android oh no it’s out now it is now on it’s not coming to it has come to it came (0:15:52) Jonnie: This… (0:15:56) Jonnie: Yes. (0:15:58) Jonnie: It did. (0:16:00) Jonnie: And I… (0:16:02) Jonnie: I’m curious. (0:16:04) Jonnie: No, I’m curious, right? (0:16:04) Al: still don’t care oh interesting (0:16:06) Jonnie: I like the idea of what Potion Permit was trying to do. (0:16:10) Jonnie: I was going back through, trying to find the… (0:16:12) Jonnie: I need to go back and find the episode that was done on Potion Permit. (0:16:16) Jonnie: I have the same reservation, you know, (0:16:18) Jonnie: like I think I did. (0:16:20) Jonnie: I have the same reservation, you know, like I– (0:16:22) Jonnie: I had full-star true Valley going on mobile, like how easy is it to play? (0:16:26) Jonnie: But this game has the right visual style for a mobile game, so I am curious. (0:16:35) Jonnie: I’m kind of in a phase where I don’t really mobile game much outside of Marvel Snap, so I don’t know that I’ll stick with it, but I’m at least curious. (0:16:40) Al: It is five dollars translate into five US dollars translate into your local currency. (0:16:51) Jonnie: I feel like that’s a good price point for a, you know, a sizable mobile game. (0:16:54) Al: It’s surprisingly yeah it’s pretty cheap. I’m surprised it’s that cheap because if it’s the full game ported to mobile that’s that seems suspiciously good. (0:17:10) Al: Too many tabs. Wildflowers. Two exciting things. One of which you can actually do anything with. (0:17:21) Al: The other one you probably can’t. So there’s a… they’ve even released what the plushie is. (0:17:28) Al: So it’s a beans plushie. That’s the flying pig. Both Kevin and Cody predicted that. They were both correct. (0:17:35) Al: It is up on make ship just now and it is almost finished. (0:17:40) Al: 50% funded with 16 days to go. So go do that if you want it. (0:17:54) Jonnie: Nah, I feel like if I’m buying a plush, I’m getting a Junimo plush. (0:17:59) Jonnie: Yeah. (0:18:02) Jonnie: And also everything about wildflowers just creeps me out. (0:18:05) Jonnie: I talked about this last week, but I don’t like their visual style at all. It’s so creepy. (0:18:06) Al: Well, I tell you what, we’ll definitely not make you like it more, which is the Apple Vision Pro version of the game. (0:18:19) Al: So this isn’t just the game in a screen. (0:18:24) Al: It is, but it isn’t. (0:18:26) Al: In so much as when you first look at it, it looks like it’s just the game with a weird border around it. (0:18:32) Al: menus and farming and other things like that pop. (0:18:36) Al: So when you’re in a menu, it will pop out to like one of the sides of the screen as a separate window. (0:18:46) Al: So it doesn’t like cover up your gameplay, which is an interesting way of doing things. (0:18:51) Al: And the farming pops up like in front of it, like down below, like an actual 3D farming plot that you can just like go on and grab things and move them and like. (0:19:04) Al: It’s really in, I think… (0:19:06) Al: I really like what they’re doing here. (0:19:09) Al: I think this is an interesting way of… (0:19:12) Al: They’re not just going, “Oh, let’s just put the game on,” right? (0:19:16) Al: They’re actually going, “What can we actually do with the new features of this that makes this different?” (0:19:21) Al: And I really like that. (0:19:23) Al: But… (0:19:25) Al: I suspect Apple gave them a lot of money to do this because there’s… (0:19:31) Al: Is anybody going to buy this and play this? (0:19:33) Al: because you have to have the headset (0:19:36) Al: which you can only buy in the U.S. just now and costs three and a half grand and you have to like the game and be willing to put in the time and effort. (0:19:47) Jonnie: Yeah, I agree. But I think it’s super cool that it’s happening, right? And for me, it’s one of those like, wow, prodigical games are really sort of like in the mainstream, given that this is, (0:20:00) Jonnie: you know, one of the first games realistically to sort of cross into that boundary. And I think some of the things that it looks like they’re doing in the that Apple Vision Pro space, they they make sense and they show the potential for what could be once a day. (0:20:17) Jonnie: We get out of the weird expensive prototype phase of this tech. (0:20:22) Al: Yeah, yeah, I mean this is this is I if I had an Apple Vision Pro I would be I would be playing this game on that right like I would absolutely be doing it to see (0:20:32) Al: At least to see what it’s like and if if not more than that like if I enjoy it doing more than that (0:20:38) Al: But yeah, like I can’t for two reasons (0:20:45) Al: Because of where I live and because of how expensive it is (0:20:50) Al: So yeah, it’s (0:20:53) Al: Yeah, I like what they’re doing. I like that they’re pushing different ideas. I think this is a good example of how (0:21:02) Al: VR gaming doesn’t have to be first person right first of all like I don’t I (0:21:09) Al: Don’t I don’t like most VR gaming because I don’t want to be (0:21:15) Al: First person I don’t want to do that. I don’t like that. I always feel claustrophobic going (0:21:20) Jonnie: Yeah, I get motion sick, so I just can’t do VR at all, and so this sort of gaming is like, (0:21:29) Jonnie: ah, so this is how I could game in an AR-style environment that would work, and it makes sense. (0:21:37) Jonnie: And I think the other important thing is this is a less of a step for game development to take than (0:21:45) Jonnie: into fully realized VR. I think it’s… well, I think… (0:21:51) Jonnie: In general, people underestimate how difficult game development is, and I imagine VR game development is another step on top of that, whereas this feels like a more reasonable step to take. (0:22:02) Al: for sure. For sure. Yeah. I think it’s very clever of Apple to have done this, right? (0:22:10) Al: Because wildflowers have their agreement with Apple, like, “Oh, we pay you money. You’re now on Apple Arcade, and they’ve obviously then gone on top of that. We’ll pay you more money. You will do this.” And I’m guessing they worked together because, like, I think got to have these ideas and… (0:22:32) Al: And then do them. (0:22:34) Al: And I think these ideas are really interesting. (0:22:38) Al: And I’d like that both Apple and Wildflowers were willing to do this and put in the effort and the time, even though this is not going to make its money back at all. (0:22:49) Jonnie: Yeah. One of the things I started thinking about, like looking at how this implementation went, (0:22:54) Jonnie: was games like Palia, and you know, where time continues moving in Palia, even when you are menuing, because it’s a MMO game, right? And the ability in this sort of environment to menu while still being able to fully see the world that, you know, or the screen or however you want it, you you know, that your character is in. (0:23:19) Jonnie: To me it makes a ton of sense, like you can, you’ve got that more seamless transition rather than looking at something different so (0:23:27) Jonnie: I don’t know, like just some cool, like it’s just cool to see this level of innovation and for it to be happening in the cottage core space (0:23:37) Al: I also think the farming is a really interesting thing because in my opinion, most of the things I don’t like in farming games is the farming. And that’s not because the farming isn’t fun, (0:23:48) Al: it’s because of the way that you interact with it. It’s like, oh, you walk a step, you press a button, you walk a step, you press a button. And that’s why I like to automate it as quickly as possible because I don’t enjoy that part of the gameplay. But being able to go like, oh, I am in this environment, here is my plots, and I can just go with my water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water (0:24:07) Al: or what like it’s that feels much more enjoyable to me because you’re like actively doing the thing rather than like push that button push that button push that you know it feels much more fun to me. (0:24:23) Al: Uh an equally big update is Disney Dreamlight Valley. Update number nine is coming soon (0:24:33) Al: And in that, you’ll be able to change your name. (0:24:37) Al: So, let me explain why I am personally excited about this. And this is because of a bug in the game. (0:24:38) Jonnie: It has shocked me how excited people have been for changing your name. (0:24:43) Jonnie: Like… (0:24:50) Al: So, if you start Disney Dreamlight Valley in Game Pass. Game Pass streaming, I think, (0:24:58) Al: specifically, you think you have to be doing the X-play or whatever it is, right? They’re streaming (0:25:04) Al: the game so you’re not downloading it and playing it which is how I play the game initially because I had game pass and I was doing it on my steam deck and the only way you can do that is with X cloud that’s what it’s called X cloud. If you if that’s how you start Disney Dreamlight Valley you cannot set your name it’s a bug in the game I presume it’s fixed by this point but when I started it wasn’t so your your player is called player. So the entire time that I’ve been playing Disney Dreamlight Valley across multiple different platforms now for What is it, a year and a half? (0:25:35) Al: Is it a year and a half? (0:25:37) Al: I don’t care about changing names, once I’ve set my name, I’m fine. (0:25:52) Jonnie: I feel like I didn’t know about that bug, and I don’t think it impacted me, so now this makes way more sense. (0:26:02) Al: But I never set my name, that’s the problem. (0:26:04) Al: I was called player. (0:26:07) Al: Anyway, I’m excited to have my name in the game. (0:26:16) Al: And our final piece of news is for the fantastically named Garden Life, a Cozy Simulator, which we have talked about before. (0:26:24) Al: I don’t really want to get into it too much, but they’ve released a trailer for their story. (0:26:29) Al: Johnny, do you want to complain about the name? (0:26:32) Al: You can complain about the name if you want. (0:26:33) Jonnie: No, I complained about the name on a previous episode, yeah. (0:26:37) Al: Right, fair enough. (0:26:37) Jonnie: Yeah, I did watch the trailer, and there’s some cool stuff. (0:26:46) Jonnie: Or like, so the trailer talks about the fact that it’s a community garden, (0:26:50) Jonnie: and the person that used to look after it passed away early. (0:26:54) Jonnie: Idea of community garden looked after by one person, you know, kind of doesn’t make sense. (0:26:58) Al: Well, you say it doesn’t make sense, I think that’s very likely what happens most of the time. (0:26:59) Jonnie: But you are the… yeah. (0:27:01) Jonnie: Yeah. (0:27:06) Jonnie: I mean, you’re probably right. (0:27:08) Jonnie: And you’re the new person to look after it. (0:27:11) Jonnie: I just, again, coming back to sort of the visual style, (0:27:14) Jonnie: I don’t like it. (0:27:16) Jonnie: This feels like a– (0:27:18) Jonnie: We talked before about VR games. (0:27:19) Jonnie: This game looks like a VR game to me, and… (0:27:22) Jonnie: Yeah. (0:27:22) Al: It does, doesn’t it? It does. It’s the first person. I don’t want to play first-person games. Like, I just, I don’t find it fun. (0:27:30) Jonnie: It makes sense in certain genres and certain gameplay styles, and I do not think this is one. (0:27:38) Al: But this is this is why I don’t play those games because I just don’t I just feel claustrophobic when I’m when I’m it’s a weird feeling but I want to be and normally most games I want to be my camera to be further away than it actually is I will always put the camera out to the furthest point because I want to be able to see as much as possible. (0:28:00) Al: So I was very happy when Pokemon Scarlet and Violet added the third camera zoom option that was great I loved that. (0:28:08) Al: I agree I don’t think I mean the the name aside which is just stupid on multiple levels I yeah it doesn’t look like a game I would want to play it feels like it feels a lot like Botany Manor talking about them so close together they feel like the same game it’s almost like two people had the same idea and instead of working together they both did their own take on it. (0:28:23) Jonnie: It does, yes. (0:28:34) Jonnie: Yeah, I think that’s uh, I think that’s very fair. (0:28:38) Al: And both coming out within two months of each other no I don’t think so not this close (0:28:44) Jonnie: Yeah, that’s like, that’s ages apart now, in, in… (0:28:48) Jonnie: Well, there’s still a chance one of them gets delayed, right? (0:28:52) Jonnie: No? (0:28:56) Jonnie: Right, well, I don’t think we’ll be covering either of these games, so we’ll see. (0:29:02) Al: Unless somebody suddenly gets really excited about them, we’ll see. (0:29:06) Jonnie: Well, if it does happen, I bet that my money’s on Kev, that it hits. (0:29:13) Al: I was gonna say Cody. (0:29:14) Jonnie: » Oh, yeah, that’s fair. (0:29:16) Jonnie: So Kevin Cody covering “Garden Life,” “Acoustic Simulator,” (0:29:19) Jonnie: and– [LAUGHS] (0:29:20) Al: They need to play both of them and compare them on the same podcast. So that’s the news. (0:29:25) Jonnie: Oh, yes, yes, there we go. (0:29:30) Jonnie: » Whoo. (0:29:32) Al: I can’t even remember when the wooing started. Why do we woo so much? I’m not a woo person. (0:29:37) Jonnie: » Because it gets over the awkwardness of not knowing how to do good transitions. (0:29:43) Al: Thank you. We’re going to talk about Turnip Boy Rob’s a bank. So just before. (0:29:50) Al: Before we get into it, I want to start out with a couple of things. So first of all, (0:29:55) Al: this is a sequel to Turnip Boy commits tax evasion officially. The first game was not cottage core. We covered it because you grow a plant at the beginning and then there’s no more farming and it is definitely not cottage core. But that’s why we covered it. Whatever. (0:30:17) Al: We can get past that. (0:30:18) Al: This game is even less. (0:30:20) Al: Less Cottagecore, and so I’m just going to put that out there. (0:30:24) Al: If you don’t want to listen to a game that is not Cottagecore at all, then feel free. (0:30:30) Al: We’re covering this because it’s a sequel to a game that both me and Johnny liked, and we were both going to play it anyway because we wanted to, and we’re covering it. (0:30:45) Al: So it turns out this game’s a rogue light. (0:30:50) Al: Johnny, I’m not crazy, right? (0:30:54) Al: That seemed to come out of left field, right? (0:30:56) Jonnie: it definitely did. So here’s the thing. You and I both really like Turnip Boy Commits Tax evasion. (0:31:06) Jonnie: Very clearly the weakest part of that game was the combat. (0:31:06) Al: Loved it. Fantastic game. (0:31:14) Jonnie: And in many respects they took the worst part of their game and said “Let’s make that the game.” (0:31:23) Al: Yes. Yeah, I think… Yes, you are correct. That is what they did. So listeners wonder why I do not generally like roguelites. (0:31:24) Jonnie: Which was a choice. (0:31:44) Al: Um, Johnny, I liked this game. So I was… (0:31:48) Jonnie: Ow! (0:31:53) Al: fully, fully expecting, right? I didn’t play this game until like two days ago, and I was fully expecting not to like it, right? I was like, I’m going to just play this for like two hours, and I’m going to hate it, and I’m going to be really disappointed, and I’m going to put it away. And I was mostly like that until I defeated the first boss. And then I realized that this game does things to solve the problems that I have with roguelites. (0:32:23) Al: And the reason why roguelites is that even though you like build up resources and you build up more skills and blah, blah, blah, every time you run through, it’s a clean slate, (0:32:33) Al: and you have to start from the beginning. In this game, once you defeat one of the bosses, (0:32:40) Al: they’re defeated. You don’t have to defeat them again, technically until the end. I’ll get to that. (0:32:48) Al: And that one thing for me made me like this game. (0:32:53) Al: If you had to defeat every boss in every run, I would have absolutely hated it, (0:32:59) Al: and I never would have got close to finishing it. I have been very close to finishing this game. (0:33:06) Al: I’ve been like one mistake away from finishing it six times now. The same mistake. It’s really frustrating. The last bit really frustrating. Basically, when you get to a point where you’ve you’ve defeated all the bosses and then you have to do one run where you defeat (0:33:23) Al: four bosses in one go. That wasn’t too hard. What was hard then is there’s like a special fifth thing at the end where like you’re having to run around doing certain things while being chased by another boss and that boss is so powerful that he can like kill you in like two hits. So that’s the frustrating thing. But I agree that the combat is not great in this game, but there’s still something about it that I’m finding very (0:33:53) Al: fun and I finding it difficult to explain. (0:33:58) Jonnie: you’re probably finding it difficult because I feel like you’re just on some crazy tools. (0:34:05) Jonnie: To be fair, I think your point about not having to beat the bosses again is a good one. I was kind of surprised, but it makes sense given the boss fights are significantly bigger than (0:34:23) Jonnie: the other aspects of the game, and ambiguous kind of the wrong word, but on a run in this game. (0:34:28) Jonnie: You’ve got a timer, and that time is only a couple of minutes. When you’re in a boss fight, (0:34:33) Jonnie: that timer pauses, but that boss fight itself takes like a couple of minutes to get through. (0:34:39) Jonnie: They are not fast fights relative to the length of your run, and not having to do those every single run I think was a really good choice, because that became one of the blockers for me with Hades. I really like Hades. I’m not very good at roguelite combat. (0:34:58) Jonnie: That being said, the combat in this game is so bad. The movement is terrible, (0:35:24) Jonnie: The range of the weapons is confusing. (0:35:28) Jonnie: Particularly the melee ones, where the range is significantly bigger than they look on the screen. (0:35:34) Jonnie: And so you’re consistently getting hit by these melee weapons when the enemy is not even close to you. (0:35:41) Jonnie: I just struggle to understand how anyone can like the combat in this game. (0:35:45) Jonnie: And that’s all this game is, is just the combat. (0:35:50) Al: So at some point you unlock a chainsaw and that makes every. (0:35:55) Jonnie: Right, I did not get to the chainsaw, so for reference, I beat the first boss, and I fought the second boss once, and I was like, “That cannot be bolted with this game anymore.” (0:36:06) Jonnie: That was as far as I got. (0:36:09) Al: That’s fair. I totally get it. And I totally get why you’re not a huge fan of it. But there’s something about it that just kept me going. I’m so frustrated that I didn’t manage to finish the game because literally like I’ve played, I’ve done that last level three times today and I’ve gotten so close to finishing it each time. And it’s so frustrating. But I know it’s going to be great when I do finish it. I think… (0:36:40) Jonnie: So, how do you feel about the humour in this game? Because obviously the humour was a huge part of Turnip Boy commits tax evasion. (0:36:49) Al: Yeah, I think in some ways, in some places, I think it has made me feel the same way as the first game did, but some of it has felt a little bit flat and I’m not quite sure why. (0:37:07) Al: Like it’s just it’s simple things like I there’s a point where where you come across a specific thing from a previous game, right? And it’s like, it’s one of these things that you tore up. (0:37:20) Al: Which is like, one of the main things in the last game is you’re tearing up random things. (0:37:24) Al: And some things it’s like, oh yeah, because you’re tearing up this tax letter and you’re tearing up this, you’re tearing up that. And there’s some random pointless thing that’s like, why did you tear that up? You know, it’s just stupid, it’s pointless, but it’s funny. And you come across one of the things that you tore up in the previous game, but the funny, it just, it then says, oh, (0:37:42) Al: but it’s laminated. And then the next thing is, they’re learning. It’s just that one comment. (0:37:49) Al: Like is funnier than most games, right? But then a lot of, especially the early game humor feels a little bit weird to me. And I’m not sure why it didn’t hit in the same way. (0:38:02) Jonnie: I have the same feeling, right? Like the game definitely still has those moments where it is (0:38:08) Jonnie: very funny. I think a big part of the reason it doesn’t hit is because it’s now (0:38:14) Jonnie: expected, right? And the construct of Rob’s a bank, right? Like if you’ve played (0:38:22) Jonnie: commits tax evasion, you have a good sense of the developers’ feelings on capitalism in general, (0:38:29) Jonnie: and a lot of it’s expected so so you now you come across (0:38:32) Jonnie: things and you kind of get where a lot of it is is going where I think and part of it is that the first one had that sort of joy of discovery of what’s the next documents that I’m going to find and rip up and some of them are very funny because not that they’re fully unexpected but they go in different directions right which I think is is one of the the bits of charm of that game that’s kind of lost it and I think early on they try and do a job. (0:39:02) Jonnie: They do a lot of callbacks to some of the humor from the first game or to significant bits from the first game but it doesn’t land on it. I think one of the downsides is one of the first characters you come across is the the streamer and they kind of just run back the exposure bucks joke and it’s it’s you know it’s just like yeah it’s fine and like they delve into new things like there’s some jokes about NFTs and all of the fun stuff that’s that’s developed in the (0:39:32) Jonnie: you know con people out of money and they have jokes about it it just is like yeah those are the jokes that I now expect from them and I think this game would have benefited by potentially pushing into a different commentary on society because that’s definitely an element of the game and I just don’t think a lot of them work. (0:39:57) Jonnie: Oh yeah. (0:39:58) Al: That’s fair. I think the humor that… kind of. Right, let me… I’m having lots of thoughts. (0:40:06) Al: So I think that actually there’s two things of the funniest bits in this game. One of them is (0:40:14) Al: some of the callbacks are very funny. Some of them are not, but some of them are very funny. (0:40:19) Al: So I don’t think it’s just like, if you don’t do the callbacks, I think you’re missing something. (0:40:25) Al: I think that’s fun. I think they might- (0:40:28) Al: I don’t lean into it a bit too much. I think there are too many characters in the game that were in the previous one. Almost every single character is in the game again, except the one you kill. That’s not to say there aren’t new characters, there are new characters, (0:40:46) Al: but it seems weird to have- it feels contrived why everybody else is in the game. But I also think that some of the funniest bits. (0:40:50) Jonnie: Mmm. Yes. (0:40:58) Al: So they start out quite simple, right? We’re going to spoil basically everything in this game listeners, right? So jump out now. If you’ve not if you played the first game and you think you might like this, you can get over the roguelite stuff. Stop now, go play it. You can get it done in a day or two. It’s not a very long game. (0:41:07) Jonnie: Uh, only a little bit. (0:41:26) Al: and (0:41:28) Al: depending on how good you are at the combat. So the lifts start out quite simple. It’s like, oh, here’s a part of the bank and you have to go through and you like jump over the lasers and you destroy the laser box and then you go back and you blah, blah, blah. (0:41:43) Al: Right. But as you as you defeat bosses and you progress in the game, they become more and more ridiculous. There’s, have you come across the cult? There’s a cult in the bank. (0:41:58) Al: And you come to the bank and once you’ve once you’ve figured out how to enter the cult, (0:42:03) Al: you can then enter the cult and then the cult members give you different things for defeating a certain number of enemies. And the stuff in the cult is really funny. And just the concept of having this random room in the bank that happens to have a cult in it is very funny. And there’s another one which is like a portal. There’s a portal to hell in this bank. (0:42:27) Jonnie: No! See, that’s the thing, I feel like I’ve played a decent chunk of the game and I haven’t come across anything that absurdist, which is one of the misses, right? (0:42:28) Al: Did you know that? (0:42:30) Al: Did you know there’s a portal to hell? (0:42:31) Al: I… (0:42:38) Al: Yeah. So I think part of the problem is those are the lent into the rogue light stuff of that. (0:42:45) Al: Those are randomized. So as you unlock, the lift can do more and more things, (0:42:52) Al: and you’re not guaranteed to see any of them in any run. And I think that’s where it (0:42:58) Al: falls down for me. I think if these rooms all existed in fixed places in the bank that you could go to. I think that would be better. (0:43:08) Al: Because then, you know, this is… (0:43:09) Jonnie: yeah or if there was a small a small pool and you kind of like you can still have some element of randomness but not as not as (0:43:20) Al: Yeah, maybe, maybe. I mean, yeah, I think, I think making it, the advantage of having a fixed place is when you look on the map, you see there’s a bunch of rooms and you’re like, “Oh, I need to unlock that room at some point then, and there’s going to be something in that room.” The problem is that all of these, you don’t know when you’ve seen all these areas, because they’re randomized with the lifts. There’s like some random underwater one as well, I think. (0:43:41) Jonnie: Yeah, that’s fair. (0:43:50) Al: And like, yeah, whatever. That absurdist stuff, I think, is very funny still. And yeah, some of the callbacks have been very funny. Some of the callbacks have felt very contrived, and yeah, (0:44:06) Al: it’s an interesting mix of those things. I think the problem is that if it wasn’t funny at all, (0:44:13) Al: I would be like, “Oh, it’s one and done. We’re done with this.” But the problem is, I think, (0:44:18) Al: they can do more of that. (0:44:20) Al: the same humour and still surprise me. And that’s where I’m like, don’t lean too hard onto the same jokes. Do the more stuff because I know you can do it. And if it needs to be a smaller game, then make it a smaller game. I’m okay with that. If there are going to be fewer characters in each room, that’s fine. Like, because the second, the room you unlock after the first boss is where, like, most of the previous game’s characters are. (0:44:50) Al: They’re just there. Why? Because their previous place doesn’t work and it’s like, “OK, you destroyed their previous place by killing Turnip God. OK, fine, sure. That’s mildly amusing.” (0:45:02) Al: Why are they in the bank? That seems contrived to me. That’s not even absurdist humour. That’s just contrived just so you can get these characters there. (0:45:14) Jonnie: Yeah, I think that’s fair in life because they do explain the reason for it and even the reason is like that feels like contrite reasoning. (0:45:26) Al: So, yeah, I think I don’t think any of that would have saved it for you. (0:45:34) Jonnie: No, I don’t think so (0:45:35) Al: I think it would have made me have more fun with it. (0:45:41) Al: But overall, I still enjoyed it. (0:45:42) Al: Would I have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t a roguelite and it was more like the previous game? (0:45:47) Al: Probably. (0:45:50) Al: But they did manage to make a roguelite that I like, (0:45:53) Al: which is a very rare thing. (0:45:56) Jonnie: Yeah, I mean, that’s a… (0:46:00) Jonnie: Honestly, I’m shocked that you like it, because when I started it, it was a rogue life. (0:46:04) Jonnie: And I was like, “Oh, I was expecting just the same as the previous game, but with guns as weapons now.” (0:46:12) Jonnie: I was like, “Well, Al’s gonna hate this, so we’re just gonna come out here and rage about this game for 40 minutes.” (0:46:12) Al: I mean, I do have more complaints. I can bring up more complaints if you want. So there are more weapons in this game than you can actually get in your base, right? So the way it works is like you’ve got your base and you go out to the bank, you do a run, you come back and you’ve got upgrades and, you know, your usual roguelite loop. The problem is… (0:46:21) Jonnie: Oh. (0:46:42) Al: that when you go out into the bank, there are quite a wide variety of different weapons that the guys that are making new weapons back at your base, say, are rudimentary, which a lot of them are. But some of them are better in ways that I find frustrating. The chainsaw is an incredible weapon that you unlock later on. But there’s other ones… there’s very, very few… (0:47:12) Al: I think there’s only… there is only one melee weapon that you can actually get from your base, (0:47:17) Al: which is very frustrating to me because I much prefer melee to guns because I’m not very good at aiming. Yes, yes, it’s very difficult. So I would have liked to have had more melee weapons that you can unlock. Melee, melee, melee! (0:47:26) Jonnie: And aiming in this game is bloody annoying. (0:47:40) Jonnie: Well, hey. (0:47:42) Jonnie: Yeah. (0:47:42) Al: Melee, melee… anyway, whatever you know what I mean. I don’t want to hear about my pronunciation, (0:47:44) Jonnie: Uh… (0:47:46) Jonnie: Ah. (0:47:46) Jonnie: Bye. (0:47:47) Al: please don’t tell me about my pronunciation, thank you listeners. I would have liked more of that because I don’t know whether it’s just something I’ve missed, but there’s almost no (0:47:56) Al: melee weapons that you can unlock, which I found a bit frustrating. (0:48:02) Al: So that’s my big thing. There’s no way to like… when you find something in the bank, there’s no No way to get it, except just picking it up. (0:48:10) Al: And if you die with it, that’s it. (0:48:12) Al: You’ve lost it. (0:48:13) Al: It’d be nice if you could recreate those things, (0:48:16) Al: because some of them are really nice weapons. (0:48:18) Al: I really like them. (0:48:19) Al: And this probably leans into the like, (0:48:21) Al: oh, well, that’s how roguelites work. (0:48:22) Al: OK, sure, fine. (0:48:23) Al: But the bits I like about this game are the non-roguelite bits. (0:48:27) Al: I’ve literally just spent 20 minutes telling you why this game is good, because it doesn’t do roguelite things in the same way that other roguelites do. (0:48:37) Jonnie: Yeah, I just, yeah, I find this game immensely kind of frustrating, and I think that weapon piece is a good example, where it just kind of feels needlessly difficult, why not just let us unlock all of the weapons at some point, you know, that’s kind of one of those things that’s like, there’s nothing wrong with being able to use all of the weapons, so let us use all the weapons. (0:48:56) Al: Yeah, maybe not all. There is one you get at the last boss, which is just a ridiculous weapon. (0:49:11) Al: It’s like four times the size of you. It’s very fun to use. It’s very slow. It actually slows your character down a lot, which is quite interesting. But as lovely video game logic, (0:49:24) Al: it only slows you down when you’re holding it. (0:49:26) Al: If you switch the weapons and it’s in your bag, you can run as fast as you normally do, which I just love, but whatever. (0:49:31) Jonnie: Amazing. (0:49:32) Jonnie: But see, even that would stand out more if it was the only instance of that, right? (0:49:37) Al: Yes, yeah, I agree. I think I would keep that one, especially because you can’t– (0:49:42) Al: although you don’t need to defeat any boss after you’ve defeated them, you can if you want. (0:49:47) Al: So it would give you a reason to go and do that. (0:49:50) Al: I would say maybe the four boss weapons, the weapons that the bosses have, those four specifically, (0:49:56) Al: has a specific weapon, the last one being the most ridiculous. (0:49:59) Al: But I would understand why those four, if you want that weapon, you have to go defeat the boss in this run. (0:50:07) Al: It adds an interesting element to that. (0:50:10) Al: But the problem is that all the other weapons are very random, and it’s hard to know. (0:50:16) Al: One of them, for example, you get by going through one of the weird lifts into the portal from hell, (0:50:24) Al: hell and you get up. (0:50:26) Al: a scythe that you can if you kill somebody with the scythe you can harvest their soul and then those souls are the second currency with which you can use to buy things. (0:50:38) Al: And. (0:50:39) Jonnie: Okay, that sounds amazing. (0:50:41) Al: It is very fun. It is very fun. There’s actually second weapon in this way there as well. (0:50:47) Al: But it’s it’s a gun. It’s a it’s a record like a vinyl record gun. (0:50:54) Al: Mmm. (0:50:58) Al: Which is very funny, but also the way that it works is very different because it’s records and not bullets. (0:51:05) Al: They bounce off walls, which means you can, if it goes through somebody and then hits a wall and then comes back and hits them, (0:51:13) Al: so if they don’t die in the first one, they die in the second one. (0:51:17) Al: I think this is the thing, there’s lots of really fun and creative ideas in the weapons, even if they’re not the best combat system. (0:51:27) Al: But you were never going to see those because you don’t have the enthusiasm for the type of game and so you miss out on that fun, which is disappointing. (0:51:36) Jonnie: Yeah and some of it I think speaks to the onboarding right because like even like fundamentally the premise of the game being that you’re robbing a bank and there’s like a huge cutscene that follows on from you know turn a boy commits tax evasion and where that game ended but ultimately it’s kind of like the but why yeah like there isn’t really a compelling reason for why you are even robbing the bank which I find like it’s just one of the things frustrating I did have a question how do you feel about the timer? (0:52:07) Al: So I don’t hate the timer and that’s because it is not a hard timer. So the way the timer works is once the timer hits the police come, but you it makes it makes everything harder because there’s more enemies, but you can still do everything. So you can infinitely do a run as long as you’re not dying. And I actually really like that way of doing it. (0:52:37) Al: Where they’re trying to force you to be quick about things, but if you’re like ‘oh I can just grab that one last thing’ and it means that the timer is going to run out, you don’t die, you just have to fight your way out. I quite like that. For what they’re doing, (0:52:54) Al: for everything that they’re doing, I think it works thematically and mechanically well with what they wanted to do. Is that fair? (0:53:02) Jonnie: Yeah, I think that’s fair. And for me, it’s another aspect of like, I just don’t like feeling time pressure in games, something that I fundamentally do not enjoy. (0:53:12) Jonnie: And when the combat is bad, and I would prefer a slower approach to it, like, I get why they did it because they’re wanting to put that sort of heist style pressure on. (0:53:26) Jonnie: And it’s kind of one of those ways that they can do to force you to do multiple runs, right, without the timer. (0:53:32) Jonnie: I think the game would be significantly different, and not necessarily better. I just don’t want a timer. (0:53:42) Al: Yeah, that’s fair. That’s fair. Yeah. Yeah. And I agree with you generally. I don’t like timers in games, but I can’t explain why, but I really like this game. I’m going to finish the game. I’m going to do that. I don’t normally, I don’t often do that with games that we talk about. If I’ve not finished it by the time we podcast and it’s not like (0:5

Finalmente Laura ritorna con il suo podcast!!

Al, Kevin, and Micah go through the games of the year and crown their winner for 2023. Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:42: What Have We Been Up To 00:27:56: 2023 Releases 00:34:54: Previous Winners 00:36:30: Our Nominations 01:53:00: GOTY Debate 02:08:06: Decision 02:15:50: Outro Games Mentioned Games released this year Above Snakes Before the green moon Everdream valley Fae Farm Farming Simulator 23 Flutter Away Garden Buddies Garden In Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos Hello Kitty: Island Adventure Homestead Arcana Innchanted Lego Fortnite Loddlenaut Mineko's Night Market Moonstone Island My Time at SAndrock Paleo Pines Roots of Pacha Rune Factory 3 Special Season: A Letter to the Future Silent Hope Smushi Come Home Spells and Secrets Spirittea Sprout Valley Steamworld Build Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Sun Down Tchia Terra Nil Wildmender EA released in a previous year, 1.0 this year Ikonei Island Moondrop Sun Haven Coral island DDV EA released this year Cornucopia Fabledom Moonlight in Garland One Lonely Outpost Research Factory Song of the Prairie Snacko Previous Winners 2019: Doraemon SoS 2020: Summer in Mara 2021: Spiritfarer 2022: Ooblets 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. My name is Al. (0:00:39) Micah: I’m waiting, I’m waiting for you. (0:00:41) Kevin: Oh, I was waiting for you, too. I’m Micah. (0:00:44) Al: And we are here today to confuse you a lot. (0:00:46) Micah: And I’m Kev. (0:00:48) Kevin: There we go. (0:00:52) Al: It says, “We’re to talk about cottage core games.” (0:00:52) Kevin: Well, I mean, that goes without saying. (0:00:56) Al: Whoo! (0:00:57) Kevin: Whoo-hoo! (0:00:57) Al: Just, just in case people don’t know who they are, the names were the wrong way around there. (0:01:03) Al: So you know, they’re good luck. (0:01:06) Al: This is the fun episode of the year where I get two people on and we argue about which (0:01:14) Al: is the best game. (0:01:16) Al: And most of the time we come to a conclusion where we’re all accepting that that is our combined game of the year. (0:01:22) Kevin: Not this year. I refuse already. (0:01:26) Al: We will see where this year goes. (0:01:29) Al: But oh boy, oh boy, do I have some opinions. (0:01:34) Al: We’ll get to that when we get to that. (0:01:37) Al: Obviously transcripts are available for the episode and the show in general in the show notes and on the website. (0:01:44) Al: The game of the year stuff, Micah, what have you been up to? (0:01:46) Micah: I have been playing Dragon Quest Monsters 3 and I have also been playing Starfield quite a bit. (0:01:48) Al: Shock, shock harder. (0:01:52) Kevin: Good stuff. How many slimes are on your teeth? (0:01:59) Al: Interesting. What do you think? (0:02:01) Micah: I… (0:02:03) Micah: Okay. (0:02:04) Kevin: This, this is the response I hear every time I ask about it. (0:02:08) Micah: I very much understand two things. (0:02:14) Micah: I am a fan. (0:02:17) Micah: I am a fan of Bethesda game design and have been for many years. (0:02:22) Micah: So there is a level of comfort that comes with it. (0:02:27) Micah: I also understand that it is kind of dated game design. (0:02:33) Micah: And it all sort of feels the same as far as Bethesda goes. (0:02:40) Micah: But because I like that, I appreciate it. (0:02:44) Kevin: Yeah, no, that makes sense. I’m a Tetris fan, and Tetris hasn’t changed once in the 40 years it’s been out. (0:02:52) Al: That’s not true! That’s not true, Kevin. (0:02:54) Kevin: Yeah, I know that’s not true. (0:02:56) Al: We know, you know, you know that Tetris has changed. (0:02:58) Al: It has improved. It has moved with the times. (0:02:59) Kevin: Yeah, it is. (0:03:01) Micah: Tetris Effect is one of the greatest Tetris games of all time. Tetris 99. I would say, (0:03:04) Al: Exactly. Exactly. (0:03:06) Micah: I would actually argue that Tetris has done more changing than most franchises do. It’s kind of impressive. I don’t know, it’s kids. It can be cozy, right? Tetris can be a cozy (0:03:14) Kevin: You’re right, especially one we’re a fan of in particular. (0:03:19) Al: You don’t come, we don’t come for Tetris here, Kevin. (0:03:22) Kevin: I mean, we could. (0:03:28) Kevin: We could argue which one’s the best shaped piece. (0:03:31) Al: They also have their scam game that Cody’s playing. (0:03:31) Micah: Their scam game? No. (0:03:34) Kevin: Ah, well. (0:03:35) Al: Oh, have you not heard this, Micah? She’s playing a game that, like, you get points and then apparently once you hit a million or two million points you can win a free cruise, (0:03:45) Al: and I’m convinced it’s a scam. I’m waiting for the day that she gets to the right number of points and then, like, we never hear from her again because she’s, like, shipped off to have our organs harvested or something. (0:03:45) Micah: What? That does sound kinda scary. (0:03:49) Kevin: It does. (0:03:57) Micah: Dear God, all because of Tetris. (0:04:03) Kevin: Well, at least she had fun getting there. (0:04:05) Al: Anyway, so Starfield. (0:04:06) Kevin: That sounds like the game of the year to me. (0:04:10) Al: So what you’re saying is, if you like Starfield, you’ll like Starfield. (0:04:13) Al: That’s what you’re saying. (0:04:14) Micah: Yeah, if you like Bethesda games, Bethesda RPGs, (0:04:20) Micah: then you’ll probably like Starfield. (0:04:22) Micah: I think that there’s a lot of really neat things that they do with the. (0:04:27) Micah: Like space travel portions of it, there’s there’s a lot of really cool the like ship combat, space combat and stuff like that is very, very interesting. (0:04:37) Micah: It’s fun and the more that you kind of get comfortable with the how things function in the world, the you know, the more comfy of a game it is to. (0:04:49) Kevin: Okay, serious question. Have you played No Man’s Sky? (0:04:52) Micah: I have. (0:04:53) Kevin: to that (0:04:55) Micah: It is like if no man’s sky. (0:04:57) Micah: I had way more polished and was much more fleshed out and had much more like story elements to it. (0:05:09) Micah: I think that like primarily my enjoyment of Bethesda games comes from their writing. (0:05:17) Micah: And because there are just as an example, there’s a quest that I stumbled on by… (0:05:27) Micah: killing a space pirate and when I looked in his inventory there was a note and when I read the note that it unlocked this huge side quest that was like hours long. (0:05:40) Micah: Which is like I could have very easily missed that. (0:05:44) Micah: And I love that there’s such depth to like how stories play, like side stories even play out in Bethesda games like that. (0:05:57) Micah: So many times in Elder Scrolls games and things, you know, I’ll just stumble onto a cave and there’s a really deep story that’s written into this group that moved into this cave or whatever and it’s something that you could very easily miss. (0:06:16) Micah: It really makes me appreciate how much effort they put into writing things that people could never play in their, you know… (0:06:27) Micah: They’ll play through the game but there’s plenty of that in Starfield. (0:06:36) Al: Yeah, I think that’s fair. I’ve have enjoyed seeing a lot of the stuff online about all the kind of like side stuff, which has been for me, probably more fun than actually playing the game would be. So like, I totally get if you enjoy the game, then it makes it so much more fun, right? Because you’re finding all these things and just kind of stumble across this. But yeah, for me, it’s like, yeah, I enjoy watching someone post about it online or post a video or something like that. I think I know the side story you’re talking about, because that’s that’s the one that most people tend to go to. (0:06:42) Micah: Mm hmm. Yeah. (0:06:48) Kevin: Yeah. (0:07:12) Micah: Yeah, it’s a pretty important one because it, especially early on it, it gives you access to things that you would not have otherwise, that are pretty important. (0:07:22) Al: Yeah, you just confirmed it’s the one I’m thinking of. (0:07:28) Al: OK, well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. That’s the important thing. That’s what we play games for. (0:07:30) Kevin: Yeah, well, we, we actually could do greenhouse. (0:07:32) Micah: And you know, I could talk about Dragon Quest monsters endlessly, but I’ll save everybody’s. (0:07:37) Micah: I’ll save everyone’s ears for… (0:07:40) Kevin: I didn’t all gladly listen to Dragon Quest talk for. (0:07:42) Al: Let’s discuss that later. (0:07:44) Micah: Yeah, I think that’s probably what I’m gonna be hanging on to that for is the the later (0:07:52) Al: Awesome. Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:07:55) Kevin: So it’s been a hot mince I’ve been on I think and the biggest life update for people who haven’t heard I have kittens now (0:08:05) Micah: kittens? No. When you okay, when you say kittens, obviously plural, how many are we talking here? (0:08:06) Kevin: Have I not showing you the mic oh I will text you a picture right now (0:08:11) Kevin: Yes (0:08:15) Kevin: We’re talking too so We started off with one (0:08:20) Kevin: So we’re looking for a new place to move into and at one of the places we’ve kittens they were giving (0:08:25) Kevin: away and so we took one home and then after some discussions we said you know what I bet this kitten could use a companion so we went back and got one got one of her brothers and so we now went from no kittens to two kittens pretty much out of the blue their names are teddy and daisy (0:08:52) Kevin: They are about seven, eight weeks. (0:08:55) Kevin: They are about eight weeks old. (0:08:57) Kevin: This is my first time owning cats. I’ve had a dog before, but never cats. (0:09:02) Kevin: It’s been enjoyable there. (0:09:04) Kevin: Fun, energetic, Daisy in particular is a little gremlin who loves to run around. (0:09:08) Kevin: Teddy, the brother, he’s a lot more chill. (0:09:11) Kevin: He is, yeah, I’m loving them so far. I love animals, right? (0:09:15) Kevin: And they were so little when we got them. (0:09:17) Kevin: They were only like four weeks old when we got them. (0:09:20) Kevin: So they were really little. They were like tripled in size. (0:09:23) Kevin: I took them to the vet for the first time. (0:09:25) Kevin: Yesterday, and aren’t they precious I I will have to find of us an alpix so he can post it with the show (0:09:26) Micah: Oh my god. (0:09:33) Micah: Who who’s the which one is the white and gray one? (0:09:37) Kevin: That’s Daisy (0:09:38) Micah: That’s Daisy. (0:09:39) Kevin: Mm-hmm and then (0:09:40) Micah: Daisy looks very much like my brother’s cat, zero, who is 18 years old. (0:09:43) Kevin: Oh really, huh Wow Wow, that’s strong (0:09:48) Micah: But the like identical like pattern and facial structure and. (0:09:51) Kevin: Yeah, yeah, Teddy’s really cute. He’s got a tuxedo (0:09:55) Kevin: pattern. He’s got gray fur, but like little white paws and, um, and Daisy’s black or black gray spots. Yeah, they’re adorable. Um, so yeah, they can be a handful at times as I’m sure cat owners know they can get all over the place. (0:10:10) Kevin: But, um, but I’ve been enjoying. Um, so, uh, yeah, that’s the big thing really. But, uh, (0:10:16) Kevin: other than that, probably the biggest things I’ve been playing lately. Um, I’ve really been getting through Tears of the Kingdom finally. I’ve pretty much (0:10:25) Kevin: at the finish line I’ve done all the big quests I’m just kind of going around hitting up all the shrines and filling out the map and so on and so forth but I could go take on Ganon anytime. That game is phenomenal it’s great I mean I don’t have to go in-depth about it I’m sure everyone knows how good it is right right but yeah very good game I yeah not much I probably could add and then the The other one is a… (0:10:42) Al: Speaking of games that have secrets. (0:10:55) Kevin: Street Fighter 6 (0:10:58) Kevin: So I am a fighting game fan. I am bad at them, but I love them (0:11:03) Micah: Hey, me too. (0:11:04) Kevin: I picked it up. Yeah, yeah, you got right. I’ve only played two weeks (0:11:07) Micah: On both fronts. (0:11:10) Kevin: Have you picked up Street Fighter 6? (0:11:11) Micah: I have not. (0:11:12) Kevin: Micah, okay (0:11:12) Micah: I have some friends that I have watched play. (0:11:14) Kevin: Okay (0:11:18) Micah: And I have some friends that are extremely good at Street Fighter. (0:11:23) Kevin: Yeah, yeah good. Oh man, hats off to them. (0:11:24) Micah: So I’ve seen some, you know, stuff that I’ve seen gameplay that I don’t fully understand because it’s too… (0:11:33) Micah: high level for my small brain to comprehend, but… (0:11:40) Kevin: That’s fine, I’m playing it and it happens to me. (0:11:45) Kevin: So yeah, the two big things, I mean Street Fighter, right? (0:11:47) Kevin: It’s the iconic series, (0:11:48) Kevin: so I’m sure people know what it’s all about, it’s fighting. (0:11:51) Kevin: But the two big things that it brings, (0:11:54) Kevin: the first is called modern controls. (0:11:57) Kevin: They have a new control scheme (0:12:02) Kevin: that simplifies basically playing the game. (0:12:05) Kevin: So traditionally you’d have to do a motion on your control stick and a button and all sorts of crazy combinations to get moves out. (0:12:15) Kevin: But they simplified it, (0:12:16) Kevin: where you can get moves out with just the press of a button. (0:12:20) Kevin: It’s very beginner friendly. (0:12:23) Kevin: Because of the convenience of that, (0:12:25) Kevin: they balanced it by reducing the strength of the moves and things like that. (0:12:32) Kevin: I think it’s great. (0:12:33) Kevin: I don’t play it much myself, I like the classic stuff, (0:12:36) Kevin: but it’s fun to see people use it and be able to play, (0:12:41) Kevin: get in without having to worry about not being able to do the moves. (0:12:44) Kevin: I say that as someone who is not always able to do the moves. (0:12:50) Kevin: And the second big thing that they have is called world tour mode. (0:12:53) Kevin: Have you guys heard of this at all? (0:12:56) Kevin: Yeah, oh man. (0:12:58) Kevin: So World Tour Mode is their single player campaign. (0:13:02) Kevin: The real kicker is that it’s a create a character mode. (0:13:08) Kevin: So you create your own fighter, but they’re sliders to your physical attributes. (0:13:16) Kevin: So you can be as tall, skinny, short, whatever you want. (0:13:19) Kevin: You can make monstrosity looking characters and it will affect your gameplay. (0:13:24) Kevin: If you have long arms, you will be able to punch farther or whatever. (0:13:29) Kevin: It’s pretty fun making your own character. (0:13:32) Kevin: I love it. You can hang out with the cast, which are filled with fun dumb moments. (0:13:46) Kevin: You can text all the street fighters. It’s really funny. (0:13:48) Micah: I am a big fan of a really ridiculous character. (0:13:48) Kevin: It’s so good. It’s probably the most ridiculous one. Just today I saw somebody look like a spaghetti with arms. (0:14:02) Kevin: It’s so good. There’s an online mode where you can bring your creative characters. You can have your freak matches. It’s great. (0:14:10) Kevin: Everything about that game is fantastic. The presentation, the music, the online play works great. I rarely have any bad connections for matches. (0:14:22) Kevin: I’m the character I picked up. Her name is Manon. She is a French supermodel. (0:14:32) Kevin: She is also a judo wrestler. She throws all of that in her move. She does struts, she does pirouettes, and she’ll grow you around. (0:14:40) Kevin: She’s very fun to play. That’s what I’ve been up to. (0:14:44) Kevin: Alright, Senor Al, what about you? (0:14:48) Al: Not a huge amount. It’s been a weird week, but I’ve been playing a bit of a Highland song. So for Micah, probably, who isn’t aware, it’s a platforming game based in the Scottish Highlands, and part of it is rhythm based. And it’s absolutely gorgeous. It has great music. The story is really good, and I don’t play games with the sound on, but I… (0:15:18) Al: can’t play this game with the sound off. Like, it’s just even outside of the rhythm, but it’s just so good. Yeah. Like, a Highland song. And it’s fantastic. So, okay, yeah, (0:15:30) Kevin: Okay, what are the rhythm portions like, because I know it was the Scottish game, but I don’t know what it’s like. (0:15:36) Al: okay. That’s a fair question. That’s a fair question. So, to preamble to that, the idea is that you’ve got all these mountains, and you’re climbing over them, and you’re trying (0:15:48) Al: to get to specific points. And there are places in the game where, as you are walking, (0:15:54) Al: it will tell you to press B to run. And then as you’re running across a terrain, there are things in the way, and the rhythm bit is you have to press it in time to the music to keep going and jump over the rhythm. (0:16:08) Kevin: Okay, that’s fascinating. Huh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rhythm platformer in the (0:16:19) Micah: This is beautiful. (0:16:20) Al: Right. Right. And the best thing is, so when you’re standing on, when you’re standing on a hill in the game and you can see all of the hills around you, all of those hills are hills you can go to in the game. (0:16:32) Kevin: Oh wow, that’s nice. (0:16:34) Micah: Wow. Yeah, this is a really pretty game. I’ve never heard of this. (0:16:38) Al: Yeah, it’s really I’m loving it. It’s great. Yeah, yeah, I came out a couple weeks ago. (0:16:39) Micah: Is it new? (0:16:44) Al: But it’s fantastic. And all the Scottish accents are legitimate. So no terrible Shrek voices. (0:16:50) Kevin: But, I mean, come on, don’t you want at least one Shrek in there? (0:16:52) Al: No, no, no. Definitely not. Never, never, never. Shrek is fine in Shrek. Not outside. (0:16:56) Micah: No, that was a very immediate no. (0:17:00) Micah: No, no, no, no, no, no. (0:17:00) Kevin: Ah, fair enough. (0:17:06) Al: We have enough fake Scottish. (0:17:08) Al: Voices in the world, there are very few things where we actually get proper Scottish voices. (0:17:13) Al: So it’s nice to actually hear some. (0:17:14) Kevin: Fair enough. (0:17:15) Kevin: Is David Tennant in it? (0:17:17) Al: I don’t think so, no. (0:17:18) Kevin: the- I’m sorry. That’s a missed (0:17:21) Al: His voice, there was something, I can’t remember what it was I was watching the other day and I was like, “Oh, that’s David Tennant.” Like I always, anytime I hear him doing his normal voice, (0:17:29) Al: it’s like such a distinctive voice for me that I’m like, “Oh.” It’s like, (0:17:33) Al: Every so often, somebody learns that David Tennant is Scrooge McDuck. (0:17:38) Al: And they’re like, “What? How’s David Tennant?” I’m like, “How could you not tell? His voice is just so distinctly his voice.” (0:17:39) Kevin: Yeah, yeah. (0:17:40) Kevin: - That’s… (0:17:47) Kevin: I, I didn’t know, I mean, I, I watched, I’m a big fan of the reboot of DuckTales, but I didn’t know it was David Tennant till a little bit in. (0:17:48) Al: Maybe that’s a Scottish thing, I don’t know. (0:17:57) Kevin: Um, and I didn’t realize he was Scottish. (0:17:59) Kevin: That’s, it’s really funny. (0:18:00) Al: Yeah, he’s not putting on a voice. He’s slightly emphasizing it, but that’s basically just his voice. (0:18:04) Kevin: Yeah, sure. (0:18:06) Al: Yeah, don’t do that again, Kevin. (0:18:06) Kevin: I like how he says “Gad-age” in the first episode. (0:18:09) Kevin: I always remember that one. (0:18:13) Kevin: That’s how he says it. (0:18:17) Al: So yeah, I’ve mostly been playing that and also been playing Pokemon because of the Flubbebe outbreaks, as I said, in the show notes. (0:18:27) Micah: Oh, that’s right (0:18:30) Al: baby baby. (0:18:31) Micah: Forgot that was going on. I forget it’s uh, well baby now and then (0:18:39) Kevin: Milsory in the (0:18:42) Al: So it’s current Flababy in Poldea. It is… no, it is not. It is Litwick in Kitakami. (0:18:48) Kevin: 3 in Kitikami. (0:18:52) Micah: Mmm. Yeah, because milsry is not in the game. (0:18:53) Al: Milcery isn’t in the game yet. Milcery will be in the Blueberry Academy when it comes out. So that’s why it’s not Milcery yet. It’s because it’s in the new region in the DLC. I think it’s just called the Blueberry Academy. Yeah. (0:19:01) Kevin: I haven’t gotten the DLC yet. (0:19:05) Micah: So just the new region, do we know what the new region is called? (0:19:07) Micah: Other than just, it’s the Blueberry Academy, is it just Blueberry Academy? (0:19:10) Kevin: That’s it. (0:19:11) Kevin: Yeah, it’s like an- it’s a- yeah, it’s part of- it’s Unovan territory, I guess, I know, (0:19:16) Kevin: but it’s like an artificial island sort of thing. (0:19:20) Al: Yeah, they call it like the. (0:19:21) Kevin: Terrarium. (0:19:24) Kevin: Yeah. (0:19:26) Micah: means I almost fear honest I mean it’s the like vibe that I got from it when I yeah we’ll see it’s always we’ll see (0:19:26) Kevin: Yeah. (0:19:28) Al: Yeah, it is pretty much, hopefully less evil, but we’ll see. (0:19:29) Kevin: now. (0:19:31) Kevin: Yeah, [LAUGH] I might get the DLC finally, the trit look. (0:19:40) Al: Oh, they are calling it the ceranium. (0:19:42) Al: They are calling it. (0:19:44) Micah: I was just recently finishing up my Pokedex, my like living decks in Violet in preparation for the DLC, but (0:19:57) Micah: there’s a lot of just figuring out how to who I knew who had the other Sinnoh starters, because you only get the like one egg. (0:20:11) Micah: And it’s dependent on, I guess, dependent on what starter you picked for. (0:20:15) Micah: For scarlet or violet. (0:20:16) Al: I think it was, or maybe it was random, I can’t- (0:20:20) Micah: I feel like it was, yeah, it seemed like from trying to track down where I would find a Piplup, it was, it was through like deduction power, the power of deduction (0:20:34) Micah: through who had what starter from the, from Paldea. (0:20:38) Micah: So I don’t know if that’s actually the case or not, but that’s, that’s how I managed to figure out who had. (0:20:44) Al: Yeah, I could probably find out if I cared enough. (0:20:52) Al: I mean, I still like, I don’t, I’m still enjoying it and I’m really looking forward to the new DLC, but Kevin, you don’t need to play it. (0:21:00) Al: You can just not. (0:21:02) Micah: It’s true. It’s true. I will say that I felt. (0:21:02) Kevin: Look, I’m– (0:21:09) Micah: I think we talked about this the last time I was on, actually. (0:21:10) Al: We did. (0:21:12) Al: We had a whole greenhouse episode about it. (0:21:14) Micah: I finally finished the DLC, the first DLC, because that was the right. (0:21:18) Al: Oh, yes. (0:21:19) Al: Yes. (0:21:19) Al: Cause you hadn’t finished it when we did the greenhouse. (0:21:21) Micah: And that is like rare for me, because I I go (0:21:25) Micah: pretty hard into Pokemon stuff when it launches for the first time. (0:21:28) Micah: So to not do that is kind of a new. (0:21:32) Micah: New and weird thing for me, but I finally finished it and I did enjoy it, but I did feel that it was a very, I don’t know, I just, I’ve, I’m still feeling like I’ve kind of become disillusioned with modern Pokemon to some degree, but. (0:21:49) Kevin: I mean and okay like to not I’m you know, I (0:21:54) Kevin: Notoriously nag on the game, but to pull the veil down a little to be you the more genuine here. I (0:22:00) Kevin: Do think the trailer for the upcoming one part looks good. I’m a bit excited for what I see (0:22:07) Kevin: the only part that (0:22:08) Al: Careful. (0:22:10) Kevin: Yeah, I know the only part that really irritates me is the flying thing how it’s locked behind the DLC because (0:22:18) Al: Yeah, I agree (0:22:19) Kevin: It’s just with knowing how the development cycle works and the timing of everything. It feels very intentional. They put bad flying (0:22:28) Al: Well, here’s the thing, I don’t care if it’s like, “Oh, we couldn’t get it done in time for release,” right? (0:22:34) Al: You still don’t have to lock it behind the DLC. (0:22:34) Kevin: Right. Exactly. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yeah. Okay. But. (0:22:36) Al: They have updates. (0:22:37) Al: Every game has updates when there’s DLCs. (0:22:40) Al: So you absolutely don’t need to. (0:22:41) Al: It’s absolutely a very specific choice to lock that quality of life feature behind a purchase and that is bad and we should absolutely call that out. (0:22:49) Al: It’s not going to stop me buying the game though. (0:22:52) Micah: Yeah, I’m kind of in the same position. (0:22:56) Micah: I think there’s a lot of stuff that could just generally as far as the development cycle goes could have been changed for the better. (0:23:10) Micah: I had mentioned a little bit the like one time I’ve been on Twitter in the last like month after they talked about the they released. (0:23:22) Micah: It’s the new trailer this last week, I think. (0:23:24) Al: Yeah. (0:23:25) Micah: And they showed off the the like Pokemon control mode. (0:23:30) Micah: I forgot what they call it, but you can control the sync mode where you can control the Pokemon and run around as the Pokemon. (0:23:32) Al: Oh, yes, yeah, synchronize. Yeah. (0:23:32) Kevin: The sync mode thing. (0:23:40) Micah: And it seemingly has not much of a like use case other than you can battle Pokemon, but you just run around as a Pokemon. (0:23:50) Micah: And that to me, it. (0:23:52) Micah: Immediately, like I’d think back to when the games first came out and how much like disgruntledness there was with certain elements of the design that the games design, like how you couldn’t go into any of the houses. (0:24:09) Micah: But then they, you know, when they clipped out of bounds, then they found that there were like half designed internal locations like you could have gone into. (0:24:20) Micah: but it was very clear that they ran. (0:24:22) Micah: Out of time in the development cycle, just couldn’t, uh, so there are things like that where like I, it makes me feel like sync mode. (0:24:29) Micah: It was something that they just ran out of time on. (0:24:32) Al: So that’s possible, but I also think it could be along the lines of, like, let’s go Pikachu and Eevee to Legends, where we saw a clear direction they were moving. (0:24:43) Al: And it’s not necessarily, like, I don’t think anyone would say that the catching in Let’s Go was the way it was because they didn’t have enough time to do what they ended up doing in Legends, but it was more like a kind of moving in that kind of direction. (0:24:57) Al: And we see this with a lot of things in Pokémon where they do that, where it’s like, it’s It’s just a, it’s a. (0:25:02) Al: You’re prerequisite and the kind of like the game, it’s not like here’s a game, let’s build a game. Here’s another game. Let’s build another game, right? Like they’re constantly doing all these different things in these different games and having these different ideas. And that’s true. (0:25:04) Kevin: Yeah, baby steps. (0:25:16) Kevin: These I don’t think these are mutually exclusive either like (0:25:16) Micah: I think that I think that that I agree with that that makes sense. (0:25:22) Micah: But I do feel like there is a level of like (0:25:26) Micah: half baked development process for some of these things. (0:25:30) Micah: And I I am willing to, you know, give (0:25:30) Kevin: Oh, oh, they’re deaf at least. (0:25:34) Micah: well, for like like you said, for let’s go. (0:25:37) Micah: I think the the catch feature for let’s go was meant to more mimic Pokemon. (0:25:41) Micah: Go like it was very clearly there, like (0:25:46) Micah: the motion point between the main games and Pokemon go so that. (0:25:51) Micah: You know, catching style was intended to feel like I mean, it does feel like especially the motion control portion feels like Pokemon go. (0:25:52) Al: I mean, kind of, kind of, but I also like, with then we got only a few years later, legends, (0:26:05) Al: like it feels like it was what they kind of wanted to move towards and they were trying different things and this is what they ended up with. I don’t think it was just like, oh, (0:26:15) Al: let’s just make Pokemon go in a main series game. Like, I think it was, you know, they (0:26:22) Al: had a game which was legends where you were actually running around and literally just throwing Pokeballs at Pokemon, right? But, look, it’s not, yeah, I mean, it does show a flaw in how they developed their games and that these were almost certainly developed in parallel and therefore you can’t know what’s going to be popular and what’s going to end up working really well before you do it the next one. Yeah, I don’t disagree with you. (0:26:30) Kevin: And then they said, “Let’s go backwards at the next game.” (0:26:52) Al: I want that again. But anyway, we don’t need to keep talking about Pokemon. Let’s move on, shall we? This happens every couple of months we end up on another Scarlet and Violet delve. It did, it did. It did, but, you know, I need to save some of my Pokemon talk for a different podcast. Anyway, it’s, wow. Wow. (0:27:03) Kevin: But the trailer just came out. It was… it was gonna- (0:27:16) Kevin: We’re doing a worst games of the year pocket. (0:27:22) Al: Anyway, that’s what we’ve been up to. And I’m glad that we got a good half an hour out of that because there is no news because this is recorded out of time. Because I don’t know about you guys, but I did not want to record this on, you know, Hogman A. So we’re recording it a few weeks early. (0:27:46) Kevin: Where’s your dedication out? (0:27:49) Micah: What do you have things to do geez [laughs] (0:27:52) Al: So yes, yes, I do. So we are here to discuss our favourite games of the year and hopefully come to a conclusion on what the podcast’s game of the year is. So begins the part of the podcast where I read a bunch of words. So I am going to go down all of the games that were released this year. And at what point does this become ridiculous? I don’t know is this the most (0:28:22) Al: games we’ve had released in a year since we started the podcast? (0:28:24) Al: Yes, it absolutely is. (0:28:24) Kevin: Probably. (0:28:26) Al: Absolutely insane. (0:28:27) Al: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, nine. (0:28:29) Kevin: More than three, I’ll tell you that. (0:28:31) Kevin: I didn’t know Homestead Arcana- (0:28:32) Al: So 30, 30, 30 games, (0:28:36) Al: 31, 30, 35 games, and then one, two, three, four, five, six, seven released (0:28:42) Al: into Early Access. So was that 42, 42 games in this list? (0:28:47) Al: So this is the first list is the list of (0:28:50) Al: that were released. (0:28:52) Al: Not into early access and they previously weren’t in early access. (0:28:56) Al: This is brand new games this year. (0:28:58) Al: Brand new games not early access. (0:29:00) Al: I don’t know why I overcomplicated this, but here this is what we’re doing. (0:29:04) Al: So this is Above Snakes, Before the Green Moon, Everdream Valley, Fae Farm, Farming Simulator 23, Flutter Away, Garden Buddies, Garden Inn, Harvest Moon, The Winds of Anthos, Homestead Arcana, Enchanted, Loddle Knot, (0:29:20) Al: Maneko’s Night Market. (0:29:22) Al: And this is me just double-taking. (0:29:48) Micah: Now if you thought that was it. (0:29:52) Kevin: I’m gonna feel bad when one of the real games of the year is in here and the ones that I didn’t play. (0:29:52) Al: Well, this is part of the problem. (0:30:00) Al: So next we have five games that were released in 1.0 this year and early access a previous year. (0:30:07) Al: OK, so they were already out, but they came to their 1.0. (0:30:11) Al: They left early access this year. (0:30:13) Al: That’s a better way of describing it. (0:30:14) Al: These games left early access this year. (0:30:16) Al: And we have Icone Island, Mindrop, Sunhaven, Coral– (0:30:22) Al: Island, and Disney Dreamlight Valley. (0:30:24) Al: And then we have the list of seven games that came into early access this year. (0:30:28) Al: And that is Cornucopia, Fabledom, Moonlight in Garland, One Lonely Outpost, (0:30:35) Al: Research Story, Song of the Prairie, and Snacko. (0:30:39) Al: Hey, Micah, is this the first time you’re learning that Snacko’s in early access? (0:30:42) Al: Or did you know that already? (0:30:43) Micah: Uh, no, yesterday when I opened Notion was the first time I learned this neck wasn’t really (0:30:50) Al: Well, surprise! (0:30:52) Al: in early access now. (0:30:55) Micah: I have I’ve played the betas or the alphas, sorry. (0:31:01) Micah: And I have decided that I don’t want to do much more with the game until it (0:31:10) Micah: they get a full release because I love it. (0:31:13) Micah: love it so far and I don’t want to overdo it. (0:31:16) Kevin: Yep, don’t burn yourself out on it. I know somebody who was a big fan of Hades, but they only played in the Early Access and they burned themselves out. (0:31:23) Micah: I don’t think I could burn myself out on it really as much as it’s just that like, I don’t want to miss out like because I backed it. And I want to, I don’t know, experience the full experience I’ve experienced so much of it at this point. (0:31:38) Al: I think that’s fair. I got to the same point with Coral Island last year where I was like, (0:31:43) Al: “And now I’m going to put it down into 1.0.” But I mean, that was like 40 hours or 50 hours or something like that. It was more than I play a lot of games, you know? And I didn’t feel like playing that much ruined the experience for me when I came to the final version, because I’ve put in more than… I’m up to 100 hours now in that game. So I think it depends on the game. (0:31:55) Micah: Mm-hmm. (0:32:07) Al: Uhh. (0:32:07) Al: Ah. (0:32:08) Al: But that is a fair point. (0:32:11) Al: I have not decided what I’m going to do with Snacko. (0:32:14) Al: I’ve not decided yet. (0:32:16) Kevin: Why did nobody tell me homestead arcana came out? I would have played it, I missed that. (0:32:21) Al: Kevin! (0:32:23) Kevin: I’ve been here. (0:32:24) Micah: Have I got news for you. (0:32:29) Al: Kevin, you literally, we literally have a shared list of all of these games and when they coming out, you can look at it all the time and I’m constantly updating it just to let you know that is a thing. (0:32:31) Kevin: Well, hey. (0:32:42) Kevin: You assume I read these even when we’re recording. (0:32:43) Al: Nope, I don’t assume that at all, but I will complain about it. (0:32:49) Al: So any thoughts before we get into listing our favorite games, any thoughts on the list as a whole? (0:32:56) Al: Here we go. (0:32:56) Kevin: Umm… (0:32:57) Kevin: Ugh… (0:32:58) Micah: It’s a good list (0:32:59) Kevin: It’s a very good list. It’s too good. (0:33:01) Micah: It’s a strong list that I (0:33:06) Micah: when I opened this this document and looked at it I was a (0:33:11) Micah: Surprised that so many games had come out this year and be a little bit (0:33:17) Micah: Concerned about how few of these games I actually played (0:33:20) Kevin: Exactly! (0:33:22) Kevin: Alright, time to strike out all the ones none of us have played. (0:33:26) Al: Yeah, no, that’s fair. And I think it is interesting, right? Because like, I’ve now been tracking these games. I think I have all of the farming games that have released ever now in my list. (0:33:36) Al: And so that’s 47 this year. Last year, there were 24. In 2021, there were 15. In 2020, (0:33:46) Al: there were nine. In 2019, there were 13. And then we’ve got like, between 2016 and 2018, (0:33:54) Al: were 16. (0:33:56) Al: So that’s like a three-year span, and they were the same number as they were in 2021. (0:34:03) Al: And then 2010 to 2015, there were 12 of them, half of which were just farming simulator, (0:34:10) Kevin: Yeah. (0:34:10) Al: and the other half were just harvest moon. (0:34:13) Al: That’s not true. (0:34:16) Al: There were three harvest moons, two rune factories in one story of seasons, and an animal crossing. (0:34:21) Al: So the rest were farming simulator. (0:34:23) Al: And then the five years before that, there were 17. (0:34:26) Al: It is wild that Stardew Valley is eight years old in February, just saying. (0:34:36) Kevin: Yup, thanks Stardew Valley. (0:34:43) Kevin: You changed the whole landscape of the genre of gaming, thanks. (0:34:50) Kevin: I thought it was older, to be honest. (0:34:53) Al: No, 2016. (0:34:56) Al: Right. (0:34:56) Al: Well, I mean, shall we get right into it then? (0:34:59) Al: Let’s go for one each around, what should we do around the table? (0:35:04) Al: One each. (0:35:04) Kevin: All right. (0:35:05) Al: And we can tell, say what the game is and tell me why you’ve got it in the list. (0:35:12) Al: And we’re not doing, no, it’s a terrible game. (0:35:15) Al: So Micah, would you like to go with your first one? (0:35:18) Micah: Uhhh… Can I go with my wildcard first? (0:35:20) Al: You can, you can go in whatever order you want. (0:35:22) Al: If you want to leave your strongest for last, go for it. (0:35:25) Al: if you want to start with your strong. (0:35:26) Al: Go for it if you want to do your crazy one first, do what you want. (0:35:29) Micah: I’m going to get my wild card out of the way because I know that it’s not going to go very far so. (0:35:31) Al: Let’s go for it. (0:35:34) Al: Never assume these things, you have no idea what’s going to happen. (0:35:37) Micah: OK, that’s true. You’re right. My my. (0:35:37) Kevin: I, I, yep, I. (0:35:39) Al: Oh wait, before we get into that, let me just quickly. (0:35:45) Al: I want to go through what we have had as our games of the year in the past. (0:35:51) Al: Last year, Ooblets won. (0:35:54) Al: 2022, Ooblets won. (0:35:57) Al: But it did. (0:35:58) Al: 2021 was Spiritfarer. (0:36:01) Al: 2020 was Summer in Mara. (0:36:04) Al: And 2019 was the Raymon Story of Seasons. (0:36:07) Kevin: Wildflower was robbed. (0:36:09) Micah: What year was Wildflowers? (0:36:11) Kevin: I don’t I (0:36:11) Micah: Oh. I mean. (0:36:11) Al: Yeah, Wildflowers last year. (0:36:13) Micah: Ooblitz though. (0:36:16) Al: None of the three of us had played it. (0:36:18) Al: And Kevin, you hadn’t played it by that point either. (0:36:20) Al: So… (0:36:21) Micah: Also- Also Ooblitz is- (0:36:21) Kevin: That is correct. (0:36:26) Al: Ooblets was the only… (0:36:27) Al: Well, you hadn’t played Ooblets, but me and Bev had. (0:36:30) Micah: Yes. (0:36:31) Al: And you had a wild card last year as well. (0:36:33) Al: So what’s your wild card this year? (0:36:35) Micah: What was my wildcard last year? (0:36:37) Al: Shinshan Summer Vacation. (0:36:38) Micah: Oh, I mean, that is actually I still stand by that. (0:36:44) Al: Look, I’m not saying it’s a bat, I’m just saying. (0:36:46) Al: Like it was a little bit out of life field, (0:36:47) Al: neither of us had heard of that game before you brought it up. (0:36:50) Micah: Well, let me tell you about my wildcard for this year, which I guarantee you have heard of. (0:36:55) Micah: There is absolutely no scenario where you have not heard of this game. (0:37:00) Micah: Are you ready? (0:37:02) Kevin: Is it the princess game? (0:37:03) Micah: It is Fortnite. (0:37:07) Al: OK, why? (0:37:08) Al: OK, so you– wait, no, no, right. (0:37:10) Al: OK, so, Micah, you’re telling me that over the past three days, (0:37:12) Micah: Uh-huh. Yeah. (0:37:16) Micah: Yes. (0:37:17) Al: you have played this game enough to consider it one of your favourite games of the year? (0:37:20) Micah: I would say that there’s a reason that it’s a wild card. (0:37:27) Micah: And I would say that it is probably the reason that it’s in my list is not because I would (0:37:33) Micah: personally consider it one of my favorite games of the year. (0:37:36) Micah: But I think that it is a very important bridge (0:37:42) Micah: for the wider Fortnite audience, which is massive, into the world of farming sims. (0:37:50) Al: Well, we will have talked about it in a previous episode, so. (0:37:50) Kevin: And hey, if we let them win… (0:37:52) Micah: For anybody that is confused by this and doesn’t understand why Fortnite is part of this conversation, (0:37:59) Micah: they just released… (0:38:02) Micah: Yes, the Fortnite, the LEGO Fortnite mode has been released as of three days ago. So… (0:38:10) Al: And for some reason, it’s basically Minecraft, but with more farming. It’s wild! (0:38:10) Kevin: Minecraft for tonight. (0:38:12) Micah: Yes, and also as Legos, and it’s in Fortnite. (0:38:15) Kevin: Yeah. (0:38:18) Micah: I don’t really know if there’s aside from skins and characters, there’s not. (0:38:21) Kevin: Wait, is it actually Lego brand? Lego? What? Holy moly. (0:38:24) Al: It is, it is. (0:38:25) Micah: Yes, it’s actually Lego brand. (0:38:28) Micah: And it’s you are just building Lego, (0:38:30) Micah: like a Lego like homestead basically of a village in the wild. (0:38:36) Kevin: That’s… (0:38:37) Micah: It’s essentially a survival, it’s more of a survival game than it is like (0:38:42) Kevin: Mm-hmm. (0:38:42) Micah: a farming sim. (0:38:43) Micah: So it’s more like you gotta eat and you gotta, there is, (0:38:44) Kevin: It’s all Minecraft. (0:38:44) Al: Yeah, but there does seem to be a decent amount of farming in it. (0:38:49) Micah: there is a decent amount of farming in it. (0:38:51) Micah: And I’ll say that I have played quite a bit of it because the team that I work with has been very into it. (0:38:59) Micah: So, and prior to that coming out, we had all been playing Ark, (0:39:06) Al: » Okay. Yeah. (0:39:06) Micah: the dinosaur survival game. (0:39:09) Micah: So we had a server that we were playing that on. (0:39:11) Micah: So when a new survive. (0:39:12) Micah: Survival type game released and it’s Fortnite and it’s free and it’s Lego then we were like, okay, well, let’s play this instead so we have been playing quite a bit of it and it’s I was a little bit shocked at how good of an experience it is because it’s it it’s just odd because it’s got other than the skins and the characters there’s and I guess the the game that it that you access it from there’s nothing related to Fortnite really it’s super obvious. (0:39:19) Al: suck (0:39:44) Al: No. Well, I think your character is in the beginning based on the main, the base Fortnite playable character, right? Yeah. It’s not Fortnite. It’s not Fortnite at all. So a couple of things I found interesting about this. So first of all, it made me realize that Fortnite is not just Fortnite anymore, right? Like Fortnite was just a battle royale, but that is just one of eight different game modes, right? Absolutely wild to me. (0:39:52) Micah: Yes. Yeah. So aside from the characters, I mean, it’s it’s really there’s not a lot of no, it’s not a (0:40:06) Kevin: Oh, it hasn’t been for a while. (0:40:08) Micah: Yeah. Right. (0:40:14) Al: That’s the point now. And second of all, not only is this, it’s like, it’s not just Fortnite, but Lego. It’s Fortnite, but Lego, if they made it Minecraft, but with more farming. (0:40:30) Al: And I am just, it’s just so fascinating. So I haven’t played a huge amount of it. I’ve downloaded it and I’ve started playing it and I’ve kind of done the first couple of things. And it’s not really grabbing me. I don’t think I’m going to spend a huge amount of time on it, but I think (0:40:44) Al: so. Minecraft, when we covered Minecraft on the podcast, it was, it was a bit of a stretch, (0:40:48) Al: right? There is farming, but it’s very limited. It’s like, it was four crops or something. There might be more now. Minecraft has done a lot since then, but it felt like a bit of a stretch. (0:40:58) Micah: Yeah, there is a significant differences between, you know, yeah, there’s quite a bit to do in Fortnite now, or in Minecraft, I mean. (0:41:05) Al: Yeah, but this feels like a legit farming game, but it’s not cottagecore. It’s survival farming game. (0:41:06) Kevin: Minecraft has not stopped growing, they do annual updates. (0:41:16) Micah: Mm hmm. (0:41:19) Micah: Yeah, so I guess it kind of it also is a little bit of like how you play it. (0:41:24) Micah: So like, granted, there is a survival aspect that needs to be taken care of. (0:41:29) Micah: But depending on who you’re playing with or the the you know, (0:41:32) Micah: there is a like peaceful mode that you can do similar to what Minecraft had, (0:41:36) Al: That’s a good point. (0:41:36) Micah: where it’s not really you don’t have to play the survival mode. (0:41:40) Micah: You can play it just for the sake of like, you know, (0:41:43) Micah: the kind of like sandbox aspect of it. (0:41:46) Micah: Where you’re building stuff and doing whatever you want. (0:41:46) Kevin: farming and whatnot. (0:41:48) Micah: Yeah. (0:41:49) Micah: But, you know, like with my group, I’m not as big into the survival aspects of it. (0:41:54) Micah: Like I don’t particularly care about, you know, min maxing food and water and so on and so forth. (0:42:01) Micah: I’m more into the like building and designing and, you know, farming and that stuff. (0:42:07) Micah: So I kind of take on that role while everybody else takes on the survival portion of it. (0:42:14) Micah: So there are different ways. (0:42:16) Micah: Is to be able to play it that make it a little bit more of like a comfortable experience. (0:42:22) Micah: I mean, I literally built a cottage, so I don’t know, you know. (0:42:25) Al: Yeah, that’s, I think that’s totally fair. I guess my point of what I was saying was, (0:42:26) Kevin: Nice. Well, there you go. (0:42:31) Al: was like, I think this is much more legitimate as a farming game than Minecraft was when, (0:42:38) Al: when we covered it. So I think it’s, it’s totally fair to count this as a farming game. (0:42:39) Micah: Right. (0:42:40) Kevin: Yeah. (0:42:42) Al: So maybe I should add it into the list as Lego Fortnite. Um, but here’s a question for you. Does this make Fortnite the most downloaded farming game ever? (0:42:44) Kevin: Oh, there you go. (0:42:54) Micah: That’s why I I’ve included it because I think it is important touchstone in the history of farming games where it (0:42:54) Kevin: Absolutely. (0:43:05) Micah: There’s a possibility I can see a world in which people who play this (0:43:10) Micah: Enjoy it enjoy the like farming aspects of it want more of that and branch out into other farming type games (0:43:17) Micah: because there is such a broad audience for fortnight that (0:43:21) Micah: You know and it’s there’s such a broad (0:43:24) Micah: Audience for Lego - that there is a good (0:43:30) Micah: Possibility that it creates more farming game fans, which I’m all for (0:43:35) Al: I’ve added it into the list and also I need to add one more that I forgot, which was Hello Kitty Island Adventure. (0:43:42) Kevin: Oh, yeah, well (0:43:42) Micah: I did see that that was missing from the list and I didn’t know if that was intentional or not so it just… (0:43:46) Al: Oh, you should have brought it up. Come on. (0:43:46) Kevin: Glaring a bit omission this entire show is a sham (0:43:51) Al: Look, look, we’re now up to 49 games, right? I’m sorry, I can’t keep track of the ball. (0:43:56) Kevin: It’s quick Somebody find one more quick Um one well, you know though what we have to do is we have to let fortnite win (0:44:03) Kevin: So we can get that sponsorship money. Welcome to the harvest season of fortnite podcast (0:44:06) Micah: - It’s true. (0:44:09) Micah: Of Fortnite, but I never, I just did not ever foresee (0:44:15) Micah: there being a scenario where in the farming game of the year discussion or just in general on a harvest season episode that I would be bringing up Fortnite in a like semi-serious way. (0:44:26) Kevin: Yeah, one thing I will I haven’t played Fortnite ever, but from what I understand, every time they bring in these new distinct modes or gameplay elements, it’s always very polished and good quality. (0:44:44) Kevin: Like they brought in Spider-Man swinging and Attack on Titan, so I’m not surprised that this is high quality and that’s a lot of money being thrown at this Lego money, Fortnite money. (0:44:57) Al: Alright, well, you’re probably right, it’s probably not going to win, but it’s there, (0:45:02) Al: it’s in the list, not many games get into the list. So, there we go. No, into the list of the two, there’s only nine. It’s only nine. Alright, Kevin, what’s your first? (0:45:06) Kevin: Nope just 48 others. Oh (0:45:10) Kevin: Our list, okay (0:45:15) Kevin: My first one I’m going to go with (0:45:19) Kevin: Manekos night market a shocker to everyone the game I’ve been pining for for how many years now. Oh (0:45:27) Kevin: gosh (0:45:28) Al: Like five, like maybe six. (0:45:31) Kevin: Yeah, I don’t know something like (0:45:32) Al: I think it was six years ago it was first. (0:45:33) Kevin: well (0:45:36) Kevin: Yeah, I think it’s I’ve the fact that I waited that long and still was happy with what came out I think is a testament to how good the game is (0:45:48) Kevin: Obviously, I haven’t played all these other games and it probably not even the ones on your guys list but I (0:45:54) Kevin: Out of the ones I see here. I probably I would argue it has the most personality and charm (0:46:02) Kevin: the art, the sort of craft book art. (0:46:06) Kevin: It has gone very, very enjoyable. (0:46:10) Kevin: I haven’t beaten it myself, right? (0:46:12) Kevin: It loses some points because it came out with a handful of bugs and rough edges. (0:46:18) Kevin: But it’s still a game that makes me smile every time. (0:46:24) Kevin: So yeah, I gotta give a shout out to Maneko because I think it actually did deliver. (0:46:30) Kevin: Um, obviously, you know, it’s not the scale of tears that– (0:46:36) Kevin: Kingdom waiting six years for that or whatever, but for the get what it set out to be from all the trailers and whatnot, I think it delivered. It’s very cute, which I appreciate now. I have cats myself. Yeah. (0:46:48) Al: Yeah, totally fair, and it is still the wallpaper on my phone and has been for like seven months, (0:46:57) Kevin: Yeah, there you go. Also actually one thing I (0:47:01) Kevin: Yeah, that’s the good stuff (0:47:04) Kevin: one thing I do want to add (0:47:06) Kevin: Go on as we talked about in the episode. We talked about it. Um, the (0:47:11) Kevin: titular night market part of it is very fun (0:47:15) Kevin: Auctioning going into little bid war with customers to sell who and make profits and whatnot (0:47:20) Kevin: I don’t think a lot of these other games are focused on that like making money (0:47:26) Kevin: So that was (0:47:27) Kevin: a refreshing angle approaching the whole cottagecore thing. (0:47:32) Kevin: And again, just very fun points for that. (0:47:36) Al: Awesome. (0:47:36) Micah: Uh, I, are, are we just for the sake of the structure? (0:47:43) Micah: Are we just going through our picks and then discussing them or are we? (0:47:48) Al: If you have more to talk about that game just now, then feel free. (0:47:53) Al: We don’t need to discuss whether it’s the winner yet or not. (0:47:55) Micah: Sure, uh, oh (0:47:55) Al: And don’t say whether it’s on your list yet or not. (0:47:56) Kevin: Yeah. (0:47:58) Al: We’ll get to that. (0:47:59) Micah: Okay, I (0:48:00) Kevin: Alright. (0:48:03) Kevin: Michael, what’s next on your list? (0:48:03) Al: Right, we don’t want to look, Micah, we have a collapsed list for the suspense. (0:48:05) Micah: Didn’t didn’t say one way or another (0:48:05) Kevin: I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Ow, ow. (0:48:11) Al: We’re keeping the suspense, even if it might really be obvious now. (0:48:12) Micah: Okay, you’re right you’re right you’re right (0:48:14) Kevin: Alright. (0:48:16) Micah: It’s not though cuz I’m changing it at the moment I’m typing no, I’m just kidding [laughing] (0:48:18) Al: All right. I’ll go with my wild card. No, no, come on. I’m going with my wild card, (0:48:24) Kevin: Alright, ow. (0:48:26) Kevin

If we can't agree, we might as well just use the worst thing we can come up with.Discussed: Rune Factory 3 Special, Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey, Mortal Kombat 1, Resident Evil 4 Remake: Separate Ways---Find us everywhere: https://intothecast.onlineJoin the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast---Follow on Threads: https://threads.net/@intothecastFollow on Tumblr: https://intothecast.tumblr.com---Follow Stephen Hilger: https://stephenhilgerart.com/Follow Brendon Bigley: https://threads.net/@brendonbigleyProduced by AJ Fillari: https://bsky.app/profile/ajfillari.bsky.social---Season 6 Cover Art by Scout Wilkinson: https://scoutwilkinson.myportfolio.com/Theme song by Will LaPorte: https://instagram.com/ghostdownphoto---Timecodes: (00:00) - Intro (02:20) - I choose to abstain from this discussion (02:42) - Fool's Autumn (03:51) - Let's talk about the harvest! // Rune Factory 3: Special (34:43) - Keepin' it Rural // Crayon Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation (01:03:48) - I LOVE NY (01:04:20) - IT'S SPOOKY SEASON BABY!!!!!!!!!!!! (01:10:55) - Guts and bones and spooky squelching sounds // Mortal Kombat 1 (01:33:43) - DEBUT OF THE SPOOKY SZN BREAK MUSIC (01:34:10) - AAAAGGGHHH!!!!!!! // Resident Evil 4 Remake: Separate Ways (01:59:00) - Wrapping up ---Thanks to all of our amazing patrons including our Eternal Gratitude members: | Jim W | Susan H | Olivia K | Dan S | Zach D | Dominick N | Brett S | Evan B  | Robert L | min2 | Aaron G | Matthew S | Erik M | Brady H  | Joshua J | Tony L | Danny K | Shanna P | Seth MC | Adam B | Andy H | Demo | Maxwell L | Spiritofthunder | Jason W | Jason T | Corey T | Minnow Eats Whale | Caleb W | Jesse W | Mike T | Codes | Wesley | Erik B | Butterfly B | Gabe O | Lasse B | Jeff N | Sergio L | ninjadeathdog | Rory B | A42PoundMoose | Mr Andrew S | Peter | Stellar.Bees | Brendan K | Scott R | wreckx | Noah OR | Michael G | Arcturus  | Chris R | hepahe | Chase A | Anna | Nick Q | Chris M | RB | Karen H | Michaela W | Adam F | Scott H | Lauren H | Ben G | Therese K | jgprinters  | Matt H | Murray | Trevor B | David P | Jason K | Bede R | Kamrin H | Andrew D | Kyle S | Philip N ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

On this week's Random Encounter, we're delving into two recent farm-sim RPGs, exploring if they bring anything new to the genre.First, Niki takes us through the remaster/remake of the classic DS farm-sim Rune Factory 3 Special. Is there anything genuinely special about it, or should you stick with more recent entries of the series? Following that, Sam visits the enchanting universe of Fae Farm. Does it set itself apart in the saturated market of farming simulations, or do the numerous bugs salt the fields for the future of this title? Finally, our panel takes a moment to consider the influence of the original SNES Harvest Moon. How has this classic shaped the farm-sim genre, and what traces of its legacy can be found in modern titles?Featuring: Jono Logan, Niki Fakhoori, and Sam-James Gordon; Edited by Jono LoganGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: podcast@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomThis Episode's Related Links:Rune Factory 3 Special ReviewRune Factory 5 ReviewFae Farm ReviewHarvest Moon Review

Al and Kev talk about all the new Harvest Moon: Winds of Anthos news and try out the original Harvest Moon. Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:53: What Have We Been Up To 00:17:35: News 00:45:31: Harvest Moon The Winds Of Anthos Medium Dive 01:09:27: Harvest Moon (SNES) 01:35:23: Outro Links Sprout Valley Release Date Moonstone Island Release Date A Tiny Sticker Tale Release Date Disney Dreamlight Valley Cozy Edition Spirittea Release Date The Wandering Village Birtdahy Update Stardew Valley Cookbook Fogu Winds of Anthos Info Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript [00:00.000 –> 00:01.860] There you go! [00:30.760 –> 00:35.880] Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. [00:35.880 –> 00:37.440] My name is Al. [00:37.440 –> 00:38.920] I’m Kevin. [00:38.920 –> 00:42.000] And we’re here today to talk about Harvest Moon. [00:42.000 –> 00:44.660] Yeah, yeah, living up to the name. [00:44.660 –> 00:45.660] All the Harvest Moon. [00:45.660 –> 00:46.660] Our name, the harvest. [00:46.660 –> 00:47.660] Yeah. [00:47.660 –> 00:50.440] This is our Harvest Moon Bonanza episode. [00:50.440 –> 00:55.920] Yeah, we’re going to the old, the new, the good, the bad, all of it. [00:55.920 –> 00:56.920] Yeah. [00:56.920 –> 00:58.920] And we’ll not tell you which is which yet. [00:58.920 –> 01:05.980] So before we get into that, obviously, transcripts are, as always, available in the show notes [01:05.980 –> 01:07.360] and on the website. [01:07.360 –> 01:09.320] So they’re there if you need them. [01:09.320 –> 01:14.200] Yeah, we’ve got a bunch of news to talk about. [01:14.200 –> 01:21.240] And then we’re going to do a dive into a bunch of information that’s come up on Harvest Moon [01:21.240 –> 01:24.280] Winds of Anthos over the last week. [01:24.280 –> 01:30.620] Coincidentally, this was coincidental, on the week that we decided that we were going [01:30.620 –> 01:37.060] to play the original Harvest Moon, now that it’s out on Nintendo Switch Online. [01:37.060 –> 01:39.680] So we’re going to talk about that at the end as well. [01:39.680 –> 01:46.540] Yeah, that’s gonna, that’s really an interesting timing there, how it all lined up. [01:46.540 –> 01:47.540] It’s amazing. [01:47.540 –> 01:48.540] I love it. [01:48.540 –> 01:52.440] I wish more episodes worked like this. [01:52.440 –> 01:56.080] But before all of that, Kevin, what have you been up to? [01:56.080 –> 01:58.220] Oh, good question. [01:58.220 –> 02:00.160] So I’m doing early plug. [02:00.160 –> 02:04.440] I didn’t talk about last week, but the episodes already out. [02:04.440 –> 02:05.720] Things have been busy over at the other show. [02:05.720 –> 02:11.200] I’m now working with our dear friend Alex on Rainbow Road Radio. [02:11.200 –> 02:15.640] I’ve been play well, not this as much this week, but I’ve been playing a little bit of [02:15.640 –> 02:19.880] Super Mario Sunshine, because we covered that. [02:19.880 –> 02:25.560] There’s a big media episode for you guys to listen if you want to hear my in-depth thoughts, [02:25.560 –> 02:28.080] but my general consensus, I still like the game. [02:28.080 –> 02:29.320] I’m giving it a thumbs up. [02:29.320 –> 02:30.320] Yeah. [02:30.320 –> 02:32.200] Do I get to have feedback on your episode here? [02:32.200 –> 02:33.200] That sounds fun. [02:33.200 –> 02:34.200] Sure. [02:34.200 –> 02:35.200] Yes. [02:35.200 –> 02:36.200] I think it was great. [02:36.200 –> 02:40.320] I will say, I didn’t like the fact that there was a question over whether it was better [02:40.320 –> 02:42.760] or worse than Mario 64. [02:42.760 –> 02:45.000] Mario 64 is terrible. [02:45.000 –> 02:50.040] Mario Sunshine definitely has its issues. [02:50.040 –> 02:53.760] You can tell it’s a 20-year-old game. [02:53.760 –> 02:57.360] You can tell it’s a 20-year-old game, which by the way, it’s insane that something that [02:57.360 –> 03:00.220] looks like that is 20 years old, but that’s just time. [03:00.220 –> 03:04.560] It just keeps moving. [03:04.560 –> 03:06.040] It works both ways here. [03:06.040 –> 03:13.960] GameCube is a weird era because not only does the stuff hold up fairly well 20 years later, [03:13.960 –> 03:22.960] but if you look at what was out five years before, it’s insane, because 64 is not that [03:22.960 –> 03:24.040] far before Sunshine. [03:24.040 –> 03:25.260] It’s crazy. [03:25.260 –> 03:26.260] This is the thing. [03:26.260 –> 03:34.680] If you look at screenshots of Mario 64 next to Mario Sunshine, they look a decade apart. [03:34.680 –> 03:42.680] You can literally see the polygons on him in Mario 64, and in Mario Sunshine, it’s smooth. [03:42.680 –> 03:45.760] If it’s the sort of thing that was released just now, people would be like, oh, it’s a [03:45.760 –> 03:50.160] little bit outdated graphics, but they wouldn’t be like, oh, it’s horrific. [03:50.160 –> 03:52.160] It’s pretty good, still. [03:52.160 –> 03:55.720] You get an indie developer in this day and age who would release it and nobody would [03:55.720 –> 03:59.600] bat an eye, right? [03:59.600 –> 04:00.760] It’s not that far behind. [04:00.760 –> 04:01.760] It’s insane. [04:01.760 –> 04:04.200] Yeah, yeah, definitely. [04:04.200 –> 04:07.760] The biggest thing, I think, as you discussed on the episode, is the camera. [04:07.760 –> 04:08.760] Yeah. [04:08.760 –> 04:09.760] Real issues. [04:09.760 –> 04:10.760] It’s the camera. [04:10.840 –> 04:14.960] The Mario team have figured that out, and the newer games have much better cameras. [04:14.960 –> 04:17.760] Yeah, yeah, they are. [04:17.760 –> 04:23.920] It’d be nice to see that game get a proper remake, not just this weird half port that [04:23.920 –> 04:26.960] they do for the collection or whatever. [04:26.960 –> 04:31.580] I think I’d be fine with, I mean, I get why you would want that, but I think it would [04:31.580 –> 04:37.780] also be fun if they just had the flood in a newer game, because that was what makes [04:37.780 –> 04:39.200] it different, right? [04:39.200 –> 04:40.200] Absolutely. [04:40.640 –> 04:45.960] I know the whole, oh yeah, well, Bowser’s Fury is like the spiritual successor to Sunshine, [04:45.960 –> 04:49.040] and I get why people are saying that, but it’s not the same. [04:49.040 –> 04:51.120] No, absolutely not. [04:51.120 –> 04:58.440] I think it was, getting more in-depth, there was stuff in the code that implied it was [04:58.440 –> 05:03.000] very much more, not just going to be spiritual, it was going to be, they were working on a [05:03.000 –> 05:05.920] Sunshine sequel to some degree, but there’s no flood. [05:05.920 –> 05:08.720] And that’s the thing that makes Sunshine, Sunshine. [05:09.240 –> 05:14.120] It’s built on the same code base, similar in lots of ways, but without the flood, it’s [05:14.120 –> 05:15.120] not the same. [05:15.120 –> 05:17.320] Yeah, you’re super right. [05:17.320 –> 05:22.040] I said like a remake, because I don’t think I will ever see flood come back in a game [05:22.040 –> 05:28.760] in my lifetime, or a new game, let’s say, so that’s why I’m thinking of the remake, [05:28.760 –> 05:30.760] but of course that would be my preference. [05:30.760 –> 05:32.760] I would give for a new flood. [05:32.760 –> 05:34.760] That’d be good fun. [05:34.800 –> 05:42.800] Yeah, and again, a little tidbit from that episode, but there were like, seven? [05:42.800 –> 05:45.800] They originally had like ten different nozzles for flood? [05:45.800 –> 05:46.800] Yeah. [05:46.800 –> 05:51.800] I want to know, oh god, okay, yeah, I’d love to see a sequel with more stuff. [05:51.800 –> 05:52.800] That would be fun. [05:52.800 –> 05:57.240] Yeah, but regardless, Sunshine, that was a good media episode, go listen to it, thank [05:57.240 –> 05:59.720] you for listening, Al. [05:59.720 –> 06:03.720] And actually, I highly recommend the episode that we’ll be releasing, well actually it’ll [06:03.760 –> 06:08.840] probably be out by the time listeners are listening to this, because Mario Wonder, we [06:08.840 –> 06:16.200] got our direct, and so we got the content for you guys, we go in-depth into our thoughts [06:16.200 –> 06:17.200] on Wonder. [06:17.200 –> 06:19.960] This was a good time to start a Mario. [06:19.960 –> 06:28.920] I know, it’s so good, yeah, it was great timing, much like this episode. [06:28.920 –> 06:37.160] But anyways, aside from the Mario life, nothing too crazy, I’ve been Tears of the Kingdoming, [06:37.160 –> 06:39.160] guess what, still good. [06:39.160 –> 06:40.160] Shock. [06:40.160 –> 06:45.920] Yeah, Don-Don’s are cool, I met them, I saved the pirates, no, I killed the pirates and [06:45.920 –> 06:50.320] saved literally another way around. [06:50.320 –> 06:56.960] Other than that, nothing too exciting, Unite, Snap, oh, the Mewtwo raids, I guess we can [06:57.000 –> 07:01.360] talk about that, or Scarlet Violet. [07:01.360 –> 07:10.720] It’s fine, I guess, it happened, I did it, I mean, there’s a whole spiel here I could [07:10.720 –> 07:19.240] go into, but there’s just something about optimizing an event like this, a strategy [07:19.240 –> 07:24.120] so well that it kills the fun for me a little bit. [07:24.600 –> 07:31.840] I get that, I guess the problem is that I think is people’s problem, unless you just [07:31.840 –> 07:40.640] go like, well, the raid can do these 10 different things, and therefore you can’t plan for it. [07:40.640 –> 07:44.680] Unless you do that, I don’t think there’s really a way to not have that happen, because [07:44.680 –> 07:49.960] you have thousands of players who are like, I need to min-max this, I need to figure out [07:49.960 –> 07:52.080] how to solve this. [07:52.080 –> 07:58.840] I find it quite fun to see the crazy strategies, like, oh, why on earth is everybody setting [07:58.840 –> 07:59.840] up electric terrain? [07:59.840 –> 08:03.120] Oh, it’s because apparently electric terrain means you can’t sleep. [08:03.120 –> 08:04.120] Oh, that’s fun. [08:04.120 –> 08:09.560] That’s an interesting one, I did not realize that was a thing, that’s the kind of parts [08:09.560 –> 08:14.320] of the game that I’ve never really been bothered to be interested in because I’m not a competitive [08:14.320 –> 08:15.320] player. [08:15.960 –> 08:23.800] Yeah, and to get, I guess for people who don’t play Pokemon or don’t know, there’s an event [08:23.800 –> 08:28.720] where you team up with three other players and you can fight a big Mewtwo, well not actually [08:28.720 –> 08:31.080] big, but it’s a very strong Mewtwo, right? [08:31.080 –> 08:37.760] And if you happen to have a Mew on you, which they gave out in distribution, or you happen [08:37.760 –> 08:42.200] to have one transferred in for whatever, you get a boost to your Mew, because there’s that [08:42.200 –> 08:47.200] rivalry in Pokemon Mew vs Mewtwo or whatever, and that’s fun and all, right? [08:47.200 –> 08:56.080] And so yeah, so there’s these obviously very efficient strategies to be in the event, but [08:56.080 –> 09:02.880] the real kicker is Mew has the ultimate, or like the poster child for adaptability, can [09:02.880 –> 09:06.160] learn every move, do everything, whatever it wants to, right? [09:06.160 –> 09:13.440] So I would have preferred a weaker Mewtwo where you didn’t have to maximize your strategy [09:13.440 –> 09:20.120] to, because it is a difficult challenge if you don’t know what you’re doing, right? [09:20.120 –> 09:26.560] But if it were so weak that, if it were doable without having to do that, right, where everyone [09:26.560 –> 09:30.840] could just run different things, or you could plan maybe something with your teammates, [09:30.840 –> 09:33.440] where everyone didn’t have to be the same, I think I’d enjoy that more. [09:33.440 –> 09:40.680] But that is, you know, that’s just wishful thinking, Cela V, it’s min-maxing video games, [09:40.680 –> 09:42.880] it’s what you’re going to do. [09:42.880 –> 09:43.880] But that’s what I’ve been up to. [09:43.880 –> 09:44.880] What about you, Al? [09:44.880 –> 09:45.880] What’s going on? [09:45.880 –> 09:50.080] Yeah, well, obviously I was doing the Pokemon raids as well, I quite enjoyed the getting, [09:50.080 –> 09:54.040] I think it took me about four turns, and we finally got a team together that was actually [09:54.040 –> 09:58.200] knew what they were doing, and we still had to do, I think the fun thing about this one [09:58.200 –> 10:01.760] is like, yeah, you have a strategy, but you still have to do it, and you have to do it [10:01.760 –> 10:02.760] well. [10:02.760 –> 10:06.040] So it’s like, you know, it takes the whole, was it five minutes? [10:06.040 –> 10:07.040] Is that how long one is? [10:07.040 –> 10:12.920] It takes almost the entire five minutes to do that, even if you’re doing everything perfectly. [10:12.920 –> 10:18.600] And just seeing like four random people connecting online, not knowing each other, and noticing [10:18.600 –> 10:22.480] what the others are doing, and just adapting to that, and just going, that was really fun, [10:22.480 –> 10:23.480] right? [10:23.480 –> 10:27.800] Because especially in the one that I won, like all four of us set up light screen turn [10:27.800 –> 10:32.640] one, and I was like, Oh, no, it’s just a group full of support Pokemon, we’re gonna lose. [10:32.640 –> 10:37.440] But then it turns out that the other two of the people had leech life, which is the [10:37.440 –> 10:41.640] big, big hair that you have to take it down. [10:41.640 –> 10:46.360] And they just they just started getting to the strategy that would lead them to do the [10:46.360 –> 10:48.680] swords dancing and leech life, blah, blah, blah. [10:48.680 –> 10:58.240] And I had the right moves for both to be support or be technical and the other and so we kind [10:58.240 –> 11:02.480] of me and the other one kind of just tag teamed and it worked really well, which was good [11:03.120 –> 11:08.640] Yeah, see, I’ll say that to like, that sounds pretty fun. [11:08.640 –> 11:12.920] I did mine with a team off the bat of people I was talking to, like I didn’t do with random. [11:12.920 –> 11:17.840] So we got it one and done pretty much we had it on the bat. [11:17.840 –> 11:24.160] But I will say that it is fun, at least even we because with four people, like you said, [11:24.160 –> 11:26.680] there’s there’s different roles and different movesets you can carry. [11:26.680 –> 11:28.480] So there’s a little variability. [11:28.480 –> 11:33.440] And yes, as you could probably pack one of different move to kind of pivot if you need [11:33.440 –> 11:36.880] to in the middle of a battle, which I did as well at some point. [11:36.880 –> 11:39.160] So that that is a little then it’s kind of fun. [11:39.160 –> 11:40.880] And so yeah, I did that. [11:40.880 –> 11:46.600] I’ve obviously been playing some Harvest Moon, original Harvest Moon for the SNES on the [11:46.600 –> 11:47.600] Nintendo Switch. [11:47.600 –> 11:48.600] Of course. [11:48.600 –> 11:52.600] This is my first time playing with these, these virtual console, whatever you don’t [11:52.600 –> 11:53.600] play any of them before. [11:53.600 –> 11:58.060] No, I’ve never, you’ve broken the dam, you’re going to be all in on all of them. [11:58.060 –> 12:01.660] You kind of Yeah, now that I saw. [12:01.660 –> 12:02.660] It’s not too bad. [12:02.660 –> 12:05.780] I’ll probably pick up some of the other ones finally try that Pokemon trading card game [12:05.780 –> 12:06.780] for the game. [12:06.780 –> 12:07.780] Well, that’s so good. [12:07.780 –> 12:10.620] I think I think that has aged really well as well. [12:10.620 –> 12:13.500] Like obviously, the graphics are very clearly Gameboy. [12:13.500 –> 12:19.980] But that’s, that’s like, that’s a style people still do because they like it so much. [12:19.980 –> 12:23.620] And it’s just obviously quite a limited selection of Pokemon and cards. [12:23.620 –> 12:26.500] But the actual the gameplay is solid. [12:26.500 –> 12:28.360] Like the game works really well. [12:28.360 –> 12:32.860] Like I’ve gone back to that game multiple times over the years, which is wild to think [12:32.860 –> 12:34.820] about. [12:34.820 –> 12:39.340] Because card games can be kind of hard to do on like, or easy to mess up. [12:39.340 –> 12:41.300] Let’s say on on a video game. [12:41.300 –> 12:42.300] Yeah. [12:42.300 –> 12:47.540] And so yeah, I am very curious just to see that because yeah, I don’t I hear nothing [12:47.540 –> 12:48.660] but good things about it. [12:48.660 –> 12:54.300] So that’s why I really hope I really want them to bring the sequel, translate the sequel [12:54.300 –> 12:56.100] out because that was Japan only originally. [12:56.100 –> 12:57.100] Yeah. [12:57.100 –> 13:00.460] So I’ve never never played that because I know this fan translations and stuff, but [13:00.460 –> 13:01.460] it’s not. [13:01.460 –> 13:02.460] Yeah. [13:02.460 –> 13:03.460] Yeah, of course. [13:03.460 –> 13:09.260] So, um, and I fell back into Marvel snap, oops. [13:09.260 –> 13:13.100] I think last last week, last week when we were talking, you were talking about Marvel [13:13.100 –> 13:15.480] snap and I was like, oh, I played it for ages. [13:15.480 –> 13:19.900] And then I think you’d mentioned the daily, the daily bonuses we’re getting at that point. [13:19.900 –> 13:20.900] Yeah. [13:20.900 –> 13:23.140] So I went in and got them. [13:23.140 –> 13:30.380] And oops, within the last week, I did the entire season. [13:30.380 –> 13:31.700] So yeah, that was crazy. [13:31.700 –> 13:34.260] Although this is where my complaint about this game comes in. [13:34.260 –> 13:38.940] Yeah, apparently, they don’t give you enough experience in the season pass missions to [13:38.940 –> 13:42.340] get to level 50 in the season pass, which is very annoying. [13:42.340 –> 13:45.940] If that is wild, if you’ve been playing the whole month and doing daily missions most [13:45.940 –> 13:50.460] days and, uh, and that sort of stuff, then you can, you can easily get enough for free, [13:50.460 –> 13:54.660] but not if you just, if you do it all at the end, which is really annoying. [13:54.660 –> 13:58.620] It’s like, I feel like they should, I feel like they should be able if you do every single [13:58.620 –> 14:02.300] season pass mission, I feel like you should be able to get to 50 right. [14:02.300 –> 14:03.440] That’s that. [14:03.440 –> 14:07.660] It’s not like because they clearly, they’ve clearly built it up around that, right? [14:07.660 –> 14:10.880] Because it’s enough to get you to 45, right? [14:10.880 –> 14:14.660] It’s not like it only gets you to 20 and you have to do so much more work to get it. [14:14.660 –> 14:15.660] I didn’t know that. [14:15.660 –> 14:16.660] 45. [14:16.660 –> 14:19.260] Oh, that’s, that’s cold. [14:19.260 –> 14:20.260] Thanks. [14:20.260 –> 14:21.260] Oh, just right. [14:21.260 –> 14:23.880] Oh, that’s, that’s rough. [14:23.880 –> 14:28.340] So I’m trying to decide in the next day, cause I think we’ve got one day left of it. [14:28.340 –> 14:32.900] It’s literally a day and a couple of hours or something to decide if I’m buying the season [14:32.900 –> 14:36.340] pass because I can’t just buy the 10 quid season pass. [14:36.340 –> 14:38.280] You can’t, I can’t do that. [14:38.280 –> 14:42.060] So I’d need to buy the 15 quid one, which gives you the extra 10 levels and would take [14:42.060 –> 14:43.060] me up to 50. [14:43.060 –> 14:44.060] It’s just so annoying. [14:44.460 –> 14:48.420] Well, it sounds like it worked exactly as they planned on you. [14:48.420 –> 14:49.420] They got you. [14:49.420 –> 14:50.420] Yeah. [14:50.420 –> 14:54.060] They got me in with those dailies and then I had was just enough time to get through [14:54.060 –> 14:59.460] all the missions and then be annoyed and have to pay more money is genius. [14:59.460 –> 15:02.420] At the very least, this season passes. [15:02.420 –> 15:03.420] Okay. [15:03.420 –> 15:07.580] It’s at least for me personally, like I’m not, I wouldn’t be weeping if I didn’t get [15:07.580 –> 15:08.580] it. [15:08.580 –> 15:11.700] Next one seems much cooler, but regardless, that’s just a preference thing. [15:11.700 –> 15:12.700] Yeah. [15:12.700 –> 15:13.700] Maybe, maybe I’ll just, I mean, there’s, there’s, there’s. [15:14.340 –> 15:15.860] I mean, the thing is, right. [15:15.860 –> 15:16.980] It’s a good value. [15:16.980 –> 15:17.980] The season pass anyway. [15:17.980 –> 15:18.980] It is a great value. [15:18.980 –> 15:24.100] You get so much gold and you get loads of good stuff. [15:24.100 –> 15:28.580] And so it’s like, it is the best value thing to buy in the game. [15:28.580 –> 15:32.980] And it’s like, I’ve now, I’ve spent a week unlocking basically everything and it’s like, [15:32.980 –> 15:39.180] I can pay 15 quid and get all the, all these 55 levels. [15:39.180 –> 15:42.900] But anyway, whatever I’ll decide tomorrow, how long I’ve got one day? [15:42.900 –> 15:44.420] Time’s good right now. [15:44.420 –> 15:45.420] One day and eight hours. [15:45.420 –> 15:49.700] So I need to, I did basically need to decide by the end of tomorrow cause it flips over [15:49.700 –> 15:50.700] while I’m… [15:50.700 –> 15:53.940] Did you, did you play on PC or just on your phone? [15:53.940 –> 15:55.580] I’ve done about, I’ve done about both. [15:55.580 –> 15:59.780] And so I’ve not played it on PC cause I use, I use a Mac most of the time, but I, on the [15:59.780 –> 16:02.700] Mac you can use the iPad app. [16:02.700 –> 16:06.900] So I’ve been doing it on my phone and, and using the iPad app on, on my, on my computer. [16:06.900 –> 16:08.980] And it’s good fun. [16:08.980 –> 16:13.500] I do kind of want to, I mean, I’m currently on a windows machine, like talking to you, [16:13.500 –> 16:17.740] but this is, recording the podcast is the only thing I use it for. [16:17.740 –> 16:20.060] So I might install it after this and see how it looks. [16:20.060 –> 16:26.420] Cause I know it’s, it’s like widescreen, isn’t it? [16:26.420 –> 16:31.380] It’s weird because like, obviously Marvel Snap is a very mobily mobile game designed [16:31.380 –> 16:33.140] for mobile to fit that phone. [16:33.140 –> 16:34.140] Right. [16:34.140 –> 16:38.760] And so it is wide screen, but like the field of play isn’t that much wider. [16:38.760 –> 16:47.520] It’s still feels very much like they just uncropped the background, but the animations [16:47.520 –> 16:50.720] and all that stuff, it is buttery smooth. [16:50.720 –> 16:52.200] It is pleasing to look at. [16:52.200 –> 16:53.560] So it’s still worth checking out. [16:53.560 –> 16:55.080] Oh, here’s an important question. [16:55.080 –> 16:56.080] It’s on Steam. [16:56.080 –> 16:57.080] That’s how you get it, right? [16:57.080 –> 16:58.080] Yeah. [16:58.080 –> 16:59.760] Does that mean you can play on Steam Deck? [16:59.760 –> 17:01.660] I want to say yes. [17:01.660 –> 17:06.560] So the only, the only thing, the only thing on the compatibility is that it doesn’t use [17:06.560 –> 17:12.400] the, it uses the onscreen keyboard for some things, which is, means it’s not technically [17:12.400 –> 17:15.840] fully compatible, but it does mean it’s completely usable. [17:15.840 –> 17:16.840] Yeah, probably. [17:16.840 –> 17:20.520] Like how often, I mean the only text I think you input is names of decks, right? [17:20.520 –> 17:23.600] When else would you entering text? [17:23.600 –> 17:24.600] I guess so. [17:24.600 –> 17:25.600] Yeah. [17:25.600 –> 17:26.600] That’s pretty much it. [17:26.600 –> 17:27.600] Yeah. [17:27.600 –> 17:28.600] Interesting. [17:28.600 –> 17:29.600] I wonder how it would play on the Steam Deck. [17:29.600 –> 17:32.360] Well, maybe you should let us know next week. [17:32.360 –> 17:33.880] Maybe I should. [17:33.880 –> 17:34.880] Maybe I should. [17:34.880 –> 17:35.880] Okay. [17:35.880 –> 17:36.880] Yeah. [17:36.880 –> 17:38.520] So that’s what we’ve been playing. [17:38.520 –> 17:40.760] Let’s talk about some news. [17:40.760 –> 17:47.720] So first of all, we have three games announcing their release dates over the next month. [17:47.720 –> 17:48.720] Three games! [17:48.720 –> 17:49.720] That’s… [17:49.720 –> 17:50.720] Why? [17:50.720 –> 17:55.680] It’s not like there’s anything else in September you need to worry about. [17:55.680 –> 18:00.300] First up, we have Sprout Valley, which is coming out on the 8th of September. [18:00.300 –> 18:01.680] So that’s just in a few days. [18:01.680 –> 18:04.720] And two days after this episode comes out, that’s Sprout Valley. [18:04.720 –> 18:05.720] Okay. [18:05.720 –> 18:10.360] Before you even describe the game, naming that, that’s a dangerous game and they know [18:10.360 –> 18:11.360] what they’re doing. [18:11.360 –> 18:14.360] Oh, they absolutely know what they’re doing. [18:14.360 –> 18:15.360] That’s bold. [18:15.360 –> 18:20.880] That takes some chutzpah to do an SV with a valley. [18:20.880 –> 18:21.880] It’s not just that. [18:21.880 –> 18:24.280] Stardew Valley was originally called Sprout Valley before. [18:24.280 –> 18:25.280] Was it? [18:25.280 –> 18:26.280] Yeah. [18:26.280 –> 18:27.280] Oh. [18:27.280 –> 18:31.280] So, I don’t know whether they knew that or not, but that is a thing. [18:31.280 –> 18:32.280] Yeah. [18:32.280 –> 18:33.280] So that’s 8th of September. [18:33.280 –> 18:34.960] That one’s coming out. [18:34.960 –> 18:40.520] And then Moonstone Island are coming out on the 20th of September. [18:40.520 –> 18:44.400] Actually, can I back up to Sprout Valley because we’re just listening there, but I just want [18:44.400 –> 18:51.480] to comment like, for people who look at the video, it looks like a Tamagotchi farming [18:51.480 –> 18:52.480] game. [18:52.480 –> 18:53.480] Yeah. [18:53.480 –> 18:54.480] I guess the sprites are kind of Tamagotchi. [18:54.480 –> 18:55.480] Yeah. [18:55.480 –> 18:56.480] I can see it. [18:56.480 –> 18:57.480] It is cute, right? [18:57.480 –> 18:58.480] It is. [18:58.480 –> 18:59.480] Yeah. [18:59.480 –> 19:00.480] I will say that it looks very cute. [19:00.680 –> 19:01.680] Yeah. [19:01.680 –> 19:02.680] Moonstone Island. [19:02.680 –> 19:03.680] That’s a thing. [19:03.680 –> 19:04.680] Yeah. [19:04.680 –> 19:05.680] Moonstone Island, 20th of September. [19:05.680 –> 19:08.560] Do I want to complain about the summer thing? [19:08.560 –> 19:09.560] I don’t know. [19:09.560 –> 19:10.560] Yes. [19:10.560 –> 19:11.560] September’s not summer. [19:11.560 –> 19:12.560] Yeah. [19:12.560 –> 19:16.960] So they’re like, oh, we said we’re going to release in the summer, and it’s technically [19:16.960 –> 19:22.080] still summer on the 20th of September, and I’m like, if you’re going to go into technically, [19:22.080 –> 19:28.440] if you’re going to go, oh, okay, then I’m going to technically right back at you. [19:28.440 –> 19:32.000] Summer doesn’t have a universally defined, and no, I’m not talking about Northern Hemisphere [19:32.000 –> 19:33.080] and Summer of the Hemisphere. [19:33.080 –> 19:38.680] If we just talk about this Northern Hemisphere, there is no universally defined definition [19:38.680 –> 19:41.440] of summer. [19:41.440 –> 19:42.440] There are, there is like- [19:42.440 –> 19:49.040] Actually, the Equinox is on September 21st, whatever date it is, I don’t remember. [19:49.040 –> 19:50.040] This is the thing, right? [19:50.040 –> 19:52.240] Like, it’s people are like, oh, well, it’s still technically summer. [19:52.240 –> 19:55.000] It’s like, depends on your definition of summer, right? [19:55.000 –> 20:01.000] There’s the astronomical definition of summer, which, yes, does end on the 23rd of September [20:01.000 –> 20:02.120] this year, right? [20:02.120 –> 20:06.940] So yet, sure, it would be under that definition of summer. [20:06.940 –> 20:11.980] But there’s also the meteorological season, which has already ended. [20:11.980 –> 20:15.140] The 31st of August was the last day of summer in that season. [20:15.140 –> 20:19.660] And then that’s not to mention there’s the lesser used Celtic season, also sometimes [20:19.660 –> 20:24.460] named the solar season, which we, you know, defining the seasons by the sun is a crazy [20:24.460 –> 20:26.540] idea, right? [20:26.540 –> 20:28.700] Which does May through July. [20:28.700 –> 20:35.100] So if you’re going to start saying, oh, it’s technically summer, I’m gonna say, well, technically, [20:35.100 –> 20:38.540] it depends on your definition, so. [20:38.540 –> 20:46.540] So regardless of when it’s, it’s not releasing in summer, I don’t care what they say. [20:46.540 –> 20:51.820] People don’t remember, it’s, this is monster collecting card is farming, there’s a lot [20:51.820 –> 20:52.820] of things going on. [20:52.860 –> 21:02.700] It’s a monster collection farming game on like floating islands in the sky. [21:02.700 –> 21:05.420] There’s a lot going on. [21:05.420 –> 21:06.420] There’s a lot. [21:06.420 –> 21:12.420] I mean, to me, it does look like it could be a lot of fun, but I need to play it to [21:12.420 –> 21:13.420] see. [21:13.420 –> 21:14.420] Yeah. [21:14.420 –> 21:17.020] I can’t remember whether this one is one of the ones I kickstarted or not. [21:17.020 –> 21:21.540] I don’t. [21:21.580 –> 21:26.860] When you do so many things like this, sometimes it’s hard to stand out because it has all [21:26.860 –> 21:30.580] the buzzwords or whatever. [21:30.580 –> 21:35.940] But that said, looking at the trailer, there is, oh my gosh, they even have romancing, [21:35.940 –> 21:36.940] don’t they? [21:36.940 –> 21:37.940] Oh, yup. [21:37.940 –> 21:38.940] Yup. [21:38.940 –> 21:39.940] You’re going to go on a date there. [21:39.940 –> 21:40.940] Oh, goodness. [21:40.940 –> 21:41.940] On the sky islands. [21:41.940 –> 21:46.060] You got to go on dates in the sky islands. [21:46.060 –> 21:50.180] See what they should have done was just focused on their little monster designs are quite [21:50.180 –> 21:51.180] fun. [21:51.340 –> 21:53.700] There’s a very tall like tree log guy. [21:53.700 –> 21:57.260] There’s a cool robot golem you fight. [21:57.260 –> 21:59.780] There is, they put a lot of care into the game. [21:59.780 –> 22:00.780] I’ll say that. [22:00.780 –> 22:01.780] Right. [22:01.780 –> 22:02.780] Yeah. [22:02.780 –> 22:11.020] Whether I don’t know if other directions they wanted to go to and was the best call. [22:11.020 –> 22:12.980] They are putting effort into it. [22:12.980 –> 22:13.980] Yeah. [22:13.980 –> 22:21.780] Also I do like, I am, I like the card battle menu where you pick a card to do it and tag [22:21.780 –> 22:23.300] it even if it’s just flavor. [22:23.300 –> 22:24.340] I like it. [22:24.340 –> 22:29.900] It’s a nice looking thing, but, but yeah, you can look at your, look at the trailer [22:29.900 –> 22:32.900] yourself and decide if you want to pick it up on September 20th. [22:32.900 –> 22:38.140] But yeah, it does, it does feel a lot like it’s the, oh, we’re wanting this game to be [22:38.140 –> 22:42.660] five different games in one and that can work and sometimes it doesn’t work. [22:42.660 –> 22:46.980] So we’ll, we’ll see whether this one works or not. [22:46.980 –> 22:48.420] This one, I didn’t kickstart it. [22:48.420 –> 22:50.940] I don’t know whether it was a kickstarter or not, but I didn’t. [22:50.940 –> 22:52.700] I didn’t kickstart it. [22:52.700 –> 22:54.140] I did kickstart Sprout Valley. [22:54.140 –> 22:56.140] So I’ve got that coming. [22:56.140 –> 22:57.140] Yes. [22:57.140 –> 22:58.140] Free game. [22:58.140 –> 23:05.680] And the third game that’s announced its release date is A Tiny Sticker Tale. [23:05.680 –> 23:10.220] This is the one, I mean, it’s not really a Cottagecore game, but it is by the developers [23:10.220 –> 23:11.220] of Lonesome Village. [23:11.220 –> 23:12.220] So that’s why I’m mentioning it. [23:12.220 –> 23:15.220] I mean, it has the vibes. [23:15.220 –> 23:16.220] Yeah. [23:16.220 –> 23:17.220] Yeah. [23:17.220 –> 23:18.220] Yeah. [23:18.220 –> 23:19.220] Yeah. [23:19.220 –> 23:22.440] I think that would be what some people would call a cozy game, not necessarily a cottage [23:22.440 –> 23:23.860] core game. [23:23.860 –> 23:30.620] If we want to get into these definitions, we don’t want to get into these definitions. [23:30.620 –> 23:32.940] If we wanted to, that’s what I would say. [23:32.940 –> 23:33.940] Okay. [23:33.940 –> 23:37.260] So, um, but yeah, this is from Lonesome Village. [23:37.260 –> 23:41.460] We covered that game a while back, Johnny and I, they’re the Mexican developers. [23:41.460 –> 23:45.680] So of course I’m going to probably get this game regardless and support them. [23:45.680 –> 23:50.860] I will say, I don’t know what the Lonesome Numbers Village were, but this looks like [23:50.860 –> 23:55.440] they got a little more, uh, a little more love when maybe they had a little bit more [23:55.440 –> 23:57.140] money for some production value. [23:57.140 –> 23:58.140] Yeah. [23:58.140 –> 23:59.140] Yeah. [23:59.140 –> 24:00.140] Yeah. [24:00.140 –> 24:03.020] So for people who may not remember, Lonesome Village was essentially a puzzle collection [24:03.020 –> 24:04.020] of games. [24:04.020 –> 24:05.020] They’re very good. [24:05.020 –> 24:06.020] Good one. [24:06.020 –> 24:09.020] Um, like, uh, all sorts of different types of puzzles and whatnot. [24:09.020 –> 24:13.660] This one, you’re going through an adventure sort of thing. [24:13.660 –> 24:16.620] And as the name implies, tiny sticker tale. [24:16.620 –> 24:20.380] You’re using stickers to actually put stuff, like you put a sticker of a bridge to make [24:20.380 –> 24:21.380] a bridge. [24:21.380 –> 24:23.380] Um, it’s actually a clever, cute idea. [24:23.380 –> 24:24.380] Yeah. [24:24.380 –> 24:25.380] Yeah. [24:25.380 –> 24:30.620] And it’s on this, it’s really small levels, um, where you’re basically getting from one [24:30.620 –> 24:34.020] side to the other using stickers as a kind of, it’s again, puzzle-y, right? [24:34.020 –> 24:36.740] They clearly love their puzzle games, which is totally fun. [24:36.740 –> 24:41.220] Um, and what I really like about what they’ve done is it’s, it’s, it’s the same art style. [24:41.220 –> 24:45.380] And I don’t know if any of the characters are exactly the same, but like it’s clearly [24:45.380 –> 24:49.100] leaning into its strongest thing, which is the art style. [24:49.100 –> 24:50.100] It’s super cute. [24:50.100 –> 24:56.220] And I like when they can do that and it works well because then you’ve got a love of consistency [24:56.220 –> 24:59.420] across multiple games, which is good fun. [24:59.420 –> 25:07.220] And also their art style works really well for stickers actually, so, um, yeah, it goes [25:07.220 –> 25:08.220] great. [25:08.220 –> 25:11.360] Cause it’s like all, they’re all kind of like 2D sprites on the world. [25:11.360 –> 25:16.100] They’re big, bold shapes, round cartoons. [25:16.100 –> 25:17.820] So it works great. [25:17.820 –> 25:23.900] Um, and it looks like you can just spit ball, I haven’t read anything, I’m just off this [25:23.900 –> 25:24.900] one trailer. [25:24.900 –> 25:28.740] It looks like you can even decorate a little house or something with your stickers and [25:28.740 –> 25:29.740] that’s nice. [25:29.740 –> 25:30.740] Yeah. [25:30.740 –> 25:31.740] Um, which is good. [25:31.740 –> 25:36.740] I don’t think we see enough stickers in video games like gameplay wise, like actually doing [25:36.740 –> 25:37.740] something with them. [25:37.740 –> 25:38.740] Yeah. [25:38.740 –> 25:42.460] Last one I can think of was that Paper Mario game and that one did not work well with stickers. [25:42.460 –> 25:45.220] Um, yeah, it’s quite clever what they’ve done here, right? [25:45.220 –> 25:47.180] Cause they’ve made the whole game play about stickers. [25:47.180 –> 25:48.180] Yeah. [25:48.180 –> 25:50.460] Of course you can then use that as a collection and base thing as well. [25:50.460 –> 25:55.020] And it’s still, uh, it’s not one of these things where your collectible is, as I’ve [25:55.020 –> 25:59.420] said multiple times before, where your collectible is just the same identical thing a hundred [25:59.420 –> 26:00.420] times. [26:00.420 –> 26:01.420] You’re getting different ones. [26:01.420 –> 26:06.380] So the collection becomes its own fun thing rather than just a thing to complete. [26:06.380 –> 26:07.380] You know? [26:07.380 –> 26:08.380] Yep. [26:08.380 –> 26:14.060] Actually I should, uh, I should, that reminds me of a very, uh, personal experience. [26:14.060 –> 26:17.340] So I buy card games and whatnot, right? [26:17.340 –> 26:18.340] Um, yeah. [26:18.340 –> 26:23.260] I buy like, I mostly do it for playing the games, but every now and then I’ll buy something [26:23.260 –> 26:27.580] like, I enjoy collecting, I don’t go after sets, but people do that. [26:27.580 –> 26:28.580] Right. [26:28.580 –> 26:30.980] But you know, the only kicker is, well, the best thing you can do is like put it in a [26:30.980 –> 26:31.980] binder or whatever. [26:31.980 –> 26:32.980] Right. [26:32.980 –> 26:35.740] Like it’s a, it’s a little hard to display or whatever. [26:35.740 –> 26:39.740] But anyways, the point I’m trying to say is back when I was younger though, in, in Mexico, [26:39.740 –> 26:44.900] I lived in Mexico for a little while, um, appropriate for this discussion, um, they [26:44.900 –> 26:50.580] would, one of the things that was hot for the kids or whatever, you could buy similar [26:50.580 –> 26:52.420] to cards, but they were stickers. [26:52.460 –> 26:55.300] Um, and there were like different things and you could buy sticker books and you could [26:55.300 –> 26:57.900] like place your stickers on in the books and stuff like that. [26:57.900 –> 27:01.500] Like I had a Dragon Ball sticker book that I fondly remember. [27:01.500 –> 27:03.580] Um, so yeah, good, good stuff. [27:03.580 –> 27:05.420] This uh, it leans into that. [27:05.420 –> 27:06.420] Stickers are fun. [27:06.420 –> 27:07.420] Yeah. [27:07.420 –> 27:08.420] Good fun. [27:08.420 –> 27:10.500] October 4th, that’s the fourth. [27:10.500 –> 27:11.500] Is that the right date? [27:11.500 –> 27:12.500] Yes. [27:12.500 –> 27:13.500] Tiny little sticker, tiny sticker tale. [27:13.500 –> 27:14.500] That’s the one. [27:14.500 –> 27:17.940] October 4th on Steam and Switch again, doing that, uh, dual release like they did for Lonesome [27:17.940 –> 27:18.940] Village. [27:18.940 –> 27:19.940] Very good for them. [27:19.940 –> 27:20.940] Cool. [27:20.940 –> 27:21.940] Yep. [27:22.460 –> 27:23.460] Cool. [27:23.460 –> 27:27.460] So that’s the three new releases over the next month and just a very, very fast rundown [27:27.460 –> 27:29.140] of September. [27:29.140 –> 27:34.780] We have Rune Factory 3 Special is out now, it came out yesterday when this episode comes [27:34.780 –> 27:35.780] out. [27:35.780 –> 27:38.860] Fae Farm and Sprout Valley, both on the 8th of September. [27:38.860 –> 27:41.420] Moonstone Island on the 20th of September. [27:41.420 –> 27:45.660] Monechos Night Market, Harvest Moon, The Winds of Anthos and Paleo Pines, all on the 26th [27:45.660 –> 27:49.860] of September and Wildmender on the 28th of September. [27:50.780 –> 27:51.780] Boy. [27:51.780 –> 27:59.780] I don’t, obviously the cottagecore space isn’t, uh, how should I put this, right? [27:59.780 –> 28:04.300] It’s maybe not as well defined or cutthroat as other spaces, right? [28:04.300 –> 28:05.300] Because like… [28:05.300 –> 28:10.540] Sure, but I mean, none of those, I have not taken any, like I know that sometimes I’m [28:10.540 –> 28:14.940] like, oh, it’s not really like, you know, sticker tale, whatever, but like that list, [28:14.940 –> 28:16.700] they’re all farming games. [28:17.660 –> 28:23.340] Like there’s, there’s no, no end, artistic license taken with them. [28:23.340 –> 28:34.300] The three big games on the one day on the 26th, whatever you said, that’s ooh, somebody’s [28:34.300 –> 28:35.900] gloves were thrown down. [28:35.900 –> 28:39.620] They like, they, the gauntlet was thrown. [28:39.620 –> 28:47.100] They, Paleo Pines looked at Monecho and then called them out. [28:47.100 –> 28:50.500] But you know, at the end of the day, Monechos Night Market is all that matters, so, you [28:50.500 –> 28:51.500] know. [28:51.500 –> 28:52.500] Yeah. [28:52.500 –> 28:57.260] It’s funny because I noticed today that apparently Winds of Anthos, I hadn’t noticed, doesn’t [28:57.260 –> 29:02.100] come out on the same day in Europe, it’s coming out like a week and a half later. [29:02.100 –> 29:04.860] And I was like, oh no, that’s really annoying. [29:04.860 –> 29:09.100] But then I realized, I’ll just, I’ll just be playing Monechos Night Market for that [29:09.100 –> 29:10.100] week anyway. [29:10.100 –> 29:11.100] Exactly. [29:11.100 –> 29:17.100] And we’re doing the Monechos Night Market episode first, because Micah’s busy. [29:17.100 –> 29:21.140] So it all works out anyway. [29:21.140 –> 29:22.140] All good. [29:22.140 –> 29:26.540] I am totally fine with that, but we’ll talk about Winds of Anthos later. [29:26.540 –> 29:27.540] Right. [29:27.540 –> 29:28.540] More news. [29:28.540 –> 29:31.660] We’ve got Disney Dreamlight Valley have announced their Cozy edition. [29:31.660 –> 29:38.780] I like the, I like the implication that the other versions of this game are not cozy. [29:38.780 –> 29:43.960] I will say something, some of those, that game gets, if you think about it, it gets [29:43.960 –> 29:44.960] dark. [29:44.960 –> 29:45.960] It’s like, it does. [29:45.960 –> 29:46.960] It’s raw. [29:46.960 –> 29:47.960] It does. [29:47.960 –> 29:50.180] So the Cozy edition doesn’t come with any of the dark stuff. [29:50.180 –> 29:51.180] It’s just cozy. [29:51.180 –> 29:52.180] No. [29:52.180 –> 29:53.180] No. [29:53.180 –> 29:54.180] Everyone’s not dead from the evil vines. [29:54.180 –> 29:56.380] This is a little bit funny, right? [29:56.380 –> 30:01.900] Because it’s a, it’s a physical case you’re getting, but with a download code. [30:01.900 –> 30:05.740] Oh, don’t you love it when they do that? [30:05.740 –> 30:09.060] But you also get a sticker set, a sticker sheet. [30:09.060 –> 30:11.460] Do you know about Fallout 76? [30:11.460 –> 30:17.620] I mean, about the game or like the physical, the physical, the physical edition of Fallout [30:17.620 –> 30:18.620] 76. [30:18.620 –> 30:19.900] No. [30:19.900 –> 30:20.900] Was that the same thing? [30:20.900 –> 30:28.260] It was a similar thing, but the download code, they actually put a paper disc in the CD slot [30:28.260 –> 30:34.100] to say download it. [30:34.100 –> 30:36.280] It’s just salt in the wound. [30:36.280 –> 30:38.860] That’s that was uncalled for. [30:38.860 –> 30:43.320] By the way, Nintendo, make your Switch 2 cases, make them smaller, please. [30:43.320 –> 30:44.320] They’re still too big. [30:44.320 –> 30:45.320] Right? [30:45.320 –> 30:46.320] Why did they get tall? [30:46.320 –> 30:47.320] Right? [30:47.320 –> 30:51.460] The case, the cartridge is smaller than the 3DS one, but the case got really tall. [30:51.460 –> 30:52.460] That is real. [30:52.460 –> 30:53.460] What’s that about? [30:53.460 –> 30:55.600] It got thinner, but taller. [30:55.600 –> 30:58.900] It’s like, they’re like, we need to use the same amount of plastic. [30:58.900 –> 31:00.700] It’s I don’t, I don’t get it. [31:00.700 –> 31:03.220] Like I, you know what? [31:03.500 –> 31:07.460] That is, I want to know the thought process to get there. [31:07.460 –> 31:12.860] I suspect it was to make it the same height as the Xbox and PS5 ones because it is now [31:12.860 –> 31:13.860] the same height as them. [31:13.860 –> 31:14.860] I think. [31:14.860 –> 31:15.860] Is it? [31:15.860 –> 31:16.860] I think so. [31:16.860 –> 31:17.860] I need to double check. [31:17.860 –> 31:18.860] Have I got one? [31:18.860 –> 31:19.860] I’ve got PS3. [31:19.860 –> 31:20.860] It’s PS4 and 5. [31:20.860 –> 31:23.420] Are they the same size as PS3 or are they taller? [31

Al and Kev summarise the year so far Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:07: What Have We Been Up To 00:02:08: Marvel Chat 00:08:58: Feedback 00:11:40: Upcoming Releases 00:15:35: News 00:29:51: Mid Year Checkin 00:55:35: Outro Links Palia Switch Release Date: https://twitter.com/playPalia/status/1671529751419256834 Sun Haven Romance and Barns Update: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1432860/view/3646274937573768716 Silent Hope: https://twitter.com/RuneFactory/status/1671661784225259521 Wildmender: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599330/Wildmender/ Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript [00:00.740 –> 00:06.120] Of course Mr. [00:06.120 –> 00:23.140] C [00:23.140 –> 00:35.260] Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season. [00:35.260 –> 00:42.060] My name is Al, I’m Kevin, and we’re here today to talk about farming games, all the farming [00:42.060 –> 00:43.060] games. [00:43.060 –> 00:44.060] Yeah! [00:44.060 –> 00:50.660] Before we get into it, your regular reminder that transcripts are available in the show [00:50.660 –> 00:53.540] notes and on the website for the podcast, so go get them if you need them. [00:53.540 –> 00:56.820] Kevin, how are you doing? [00:56.820 –> 01:01.420] I’m tired. [01:01.420 –> 01:11.260] It’s been a busy, busy month for me for a number of many things, but outside of that [01:11.260 –> 01:20.380] and the brief snippets of gaming, I got, let’s see, I’ve been playing a lot of Marvel Snap, [01:20.420 –> 01:24.660] it’s good, I’ve been playing Octopath Traveler, it’s good. [01:24.660 –> 01:26.460] There was a Minecraft update recently. [01:26.460 –> 01:27.460] Oh, another? [01:27.460 –> 01:30.020] They just keep going, they never stop with that game. [01:30.020 –> 01:34.100] Yeah, they really don’t, and I’m talking about like, you know, not Patch Note, like, not [01:34.100 –> 01:38.920] Bug Fix or whatever, I’m talking about like a big content update. [01:38.920 –> 01:43.620] They introduced like, archaeology, quote unquote, into Minecraft, where you can dig into little [01:43.620 –> 01:48.620] ruins and discover little trinkets and shards and things like that and make pottery. [01:49.260 –> 01:55.140] They added sakura, like cherry blossoms, cherry blossom forests, and they added camels, that’s [01:55.140 –> 01:57.500] the real highlight of this update. [01:57.500 –> 01:58.820] They’re cute. [01:58.820 –> 02:00.500] I like camels. [02:00.500 –> 02:05.140] Yeah, so for people who enjoy Minecraft, go check it out. [02:05.140 –> 02:09.620] Always fun to fire it up again when a new thing is out. [02:09.620 –> 02:16.100] Other than that, I watched the first episode, yeah, there’s only one so far, at least at [02:16.100 –> 02:17.860] the time of this recording. [02:17.860 –> 02:26.140] Sword Invasion, the latest MCU series to hit Disney Plus, I know MCU turns people off [02:26.140 –> 02:31.660] right away, but this is a good one, it was a banger of an opening. [02:31.660 –> 02:38.700] That show hit the ground running, wasted no time, I won’t get too much into detail, but [02:38.700 –> 02:44.700] I enjoyed the ending, I enjoyed the action, I enjoyed the setup, everything was good, [02:44.700 –> 02:46.140] no complaints. [02:46.180 –> 02:48.900] I have one complaint, but it’s a spoilery complaint, so I’m not going to- [02:48.900 –> 02:54.700] Oh, well okay, yes, I can complain about that too, but I wasn’t bringing it up. [02:54.700 –> 02:58.700] We’re not going to bring it up, we’re not going to bring it up, we’re annoyed, annoyed, [02:58.700 –> 03:01.020] how dare you do that. [03:01.020 –> 03:05.100] I find it funny because like you say, this series is a good one, right, we’ve only got [03:05.100 –> 03:11.180] one episode, but assuming it continues in this way, I feel like the series have generally [03:11.180 –> 03:13.340] been good. [03:13.340 –> 03:15.500] What was the last bad series? [03:15.500 –> 03:19.380] Some people didn’t like Ms. Marvel because it’s just not their kind of thing, fair enough, [03:19.380 –> 03:23.420] some people wished that She-Hulk maybe had some more lawyer stuff, some people were very [03:23.420 –> 03:28.220] sexist about She-Hulk, but other than that, I think most of it has been like, if you didn’t [03:28.220 –> 03:32.940] like it, it’s just not your style of thing, I feel like the shows have been really good. [03:32.940 –> 03:40.780] I agree with that, I can’t think of anything super offensive, I mean there’s like- [03:40.780 –> 03:47.100] There’s individual issues that people had with like specific things that happen or like [03:47.100 –> 03:53.100] some episodes and stuff like that, but like I don’t, outside of like, oh I wish that She-Hulk [03:53.100 –> 04:00.740] had more lawyer stuff and I didn’t really like how kiddy Ms. Marvel was and some sexist [04:00.740 –> 04:04.300] stuff, outside of those three things, I’ve not really heard anyone go, I just did not [04:04.300 –> 04:09.260] like this series or this series is bad. [04:09.260 –> 04:16.540] I’m looking at a list here, my least favorite was probably Falcon and the Winter Soldier, [04:16.540 –> 04:24.220] I don’t think it’s bad per se, just I enjoyed the other ones, maybe Ms. Marvel, but anyways, [04:24.220 –> 04:29.100] I mean yeah, looking at it, I’ve enjoyed them all, there’s definitely been weaker series [04:29.100 –> 04:35.180] or weak points of the series, WandaVision, that ending, oof. [04:35.180 –> 04:44.220] No you’re right, it’s clear they’ve put the money in, I didn’t know what to expect [04:44.220 –> 04:51.420] from these series, like I didn’t know if- right, Marvel slash MCU has tried TV stuff [04:51.420 –> 04:57.220] before and it’s all been, you know, kind of erased, or they’re trying to erase it [04:57.220 –> 04:58.220] from history. [04:58.220 –> 05:03.340] Oh I mean some of it has been great, I can understand why some of it’s not amazing right, [05:03.340 –> 05:08.420] and obviously there were many parts of Agents of the Field that maybe they could have just [05:08.420 –> 05:12.940] missed some episodes and it still would have been good, but the Netflix series were almost [05:12.940 –> 05:22.700] all great, let’s ignore Luke Cage, not Luke Cage, sorry, let’s ignore Iron Fist, I know [05:22.700 –> 05:28.180] some people didn’t really like The Defenders, but other than that, I generally really liked- [05:28.180 –> 05:30.980] I mean I could be wrong, I don’t know how to watch them myself, I’m only speaking [05:30.980 –> 05:31.980] about what I’ve heard. [05:31.980 –> 05:40.760] But to your point, looking at the Disney Plus series, it’s been- they don’t feel [05:40.760 –> 05:50.680] like side projects per se, right, whereas quality, whatever it may have been, the other [05:50.680 –> 05:56.180] series definitely felt like side projects, whether it was Agents of Shields or the Netflix [05:56.180 –> 06:02.540] stuff, but here, no, it’s clear, they’re basically broken up movies, that’s what [06:02.540 –> 06:08.180] these series are, and so yeah, if you know how you feel about the MCU, that’s probably [06:08.180 –> 06:09.820] how you’ll feel about these series. [06:09.820 –> 06:16.580] Yeah, that’s fair, I feel like the overall quality has been better, and yeah, they could [06:16.580 –> 06:22.060] probably have trimmed a few of them down and stuff like that, but I certainly have enjoyed [06:22.060 –> 06:23.060] every single one of them. [06:23.060 –> 06:24.300] I obviously have my favorites. [06:24.300 –> 06:25.300] Of course. [06:25.420 –> 06:32.980] By default, you have to have your least favorites, aw, Midnight was good, but I actually find [06:32.980 –> 06:38.380] it really hard to decide what my favorite would be, like, I loved WandaVision, I would [06:38.380 –> 06:41.780] probably say Falcon and the Winter Soldier isn’t my favorite, but I still really like [06:41.780 –> 06:42.780] it. [06:42.780 –> 06:47.660] Loved Loki, loved What If, loved Hawkeye, loved Midnight, loved Ms. Marvel, loved She-Hulk, [06:47.660 –> 06:52.100] and I’ve been very much enjoying Secret Invasion so far, like, I have enjoyed every single [06:52.100 –> 06:53.100] one of them. [06:53.100 –> 07:04.300] Yeah, I agree with that, it’ll be interesting to see how Secret Invasion holds up, like, [07:04.300 –> 07:11.500] the one big advantage this series has is Samuel L. Jackson, right? [07:11.500 –> 07:16.660] That man can act, I don’t know if you knew that, but he’s an actor. [07:16.660 –> 07:20.860] Yeah, I feel like he’s thrown himself into this one as well, it’s not just a paycheck [07:20.860 –> 07:26.300] for him, he’s actually, he’s doing it, he’s acting it. [07:26.300 –> 07:34.820] Yeah, and it’s a fun premise for people who don’t know, Secret Invasion is, I know, in [07:34.820 –> 07:40.500] the comics, storyline, where there are alien shapeshifters invading Earth, posing as people, [07:40.500 –> 07:43.900] and they’re basically running with that same basic premise. [07:43.900 –> 07:50.800] So now it’s an interesting question of who do you trust, who’s an alien, yada yada yada. [07:50.840 –> 07:54.480] So yeah, I’m looking forward to the next episode, which airs tomorrow, no, not tomorrow, I’m [07:54.480 –> 08:00.400] losing track of the days, next Thursday, they release on Thursdays, Wednesdays, oh my gosh, [08:00.400 –> 08:06.600] time has no meaning for me anymore, what have you been up to? [08:06.600 –> 08:12.520] So I too have been watching Secret Invasion, I have not really been playing any games other [08:12.520 –> 08:20.560] than a couple of games for the podcast that listeners will hear in about a month and a [08:20.560 –> 08:27.960] half, yeah, because my Switch is still getting fixed, so. [08:27.960 –> 08:33.640] Better, hopefully it’ll come in soon, because boy, there’s some good things coming to the [08:33.640 –> 08:34.640] Switch. [08:34.640 –> 08:35.640] Yeah, I know. [08:35.640 –> 08:40.360] I just, I want it to come back, I just, as long as it gets to me, by just before I go [08:40.360 –> 08:42.840] on holiday, then I’m happy, right? [08:42.840 –> 08:45.720] There’s nothing in the next couple of weeks that I’m like, oh, I must play this. [08:45.720 –> 08:50.520] I’m obviously missing it, there are some things I’d like to be playing just now, but yeah, [08:50.520 –> 08:55.600] as long as it gets to me before I go on holiday, and as long as it has my Pokemon saves, that’s [08:55.600 –> 08:57.480] all I care about. [08:57.480 –> 08:59.480] Sounds good to me. [08:59.480 –> 09:03.480] So before we get into the news, we have some feedback. [09:03.480 –> 09:07.880] Okay, is this the first time this has happened? [09:07.880 –> 09:11.640] I think it’s the first time it’s happened so much as I felt the need to cover it on [09:11.640 –> 09:12.640] the podcast. [09:12.640 –> 09:19.440] We’ve had a few game devs reply and kind of, not clarify things, but just thank us and [09:20.360 –> 09:21.360] Well, sure, sure, sure. [09:21.360 –> 09:22.360] There’s like, yeah. [09:22.360 –> 09:26.480] I think this is the first time we’ve had like a clarification to something said on the podcast. [09:26.480 –> 09:30.920] From the developers or team, whoever, the official people. [09:30.920 –> 09:36.840] So last episode, Bev and Cody were talking about Mossfield Origins. [09:36.840 –> 09:39.040] And I think there were a couple of things mentioned. [09:39.040 –> 09:43.760] First of all, it was mentioned that it looks a bit like, like it has, it doesn’t really [09:43.760 –> 09:48.440] have goals and stuff like that. [09:48.480 –> 09:54.560] And the developer has replied to us and said that it in fact does have goals that are research [09:54.560 –> 09:59.360] levels and each research level has stuff to progress and various things change over time. [09:59.360 –> 10:02.560] And it doesn’t matter if you take a while to do these goals, it’s less sandbox and more [10:02.560 –> 10:03.640] narrative driven. [10:03.640 –> 10:06.480] So that’s good to know. [10:06.480 –> 10:12.520] And also a follow up for that was there was mentioned that it was very sepia and I can’t [10:12.520 –> 10:13.520] remember who it was. [10:13.520 –> 10:16.800] One of the two said they weren’t a huge fan of the sepia tones. [10:16.800 –> 10:21.960] And the developer said it’s less sepia and more vibrant now than it used to be. [10:21.960 –> 10:23.920] There was a steam post about that. [10:23.920 –> 10:27.960] So if you’re interested in looking up that there, you can look on the steam page and [10:27.960 –> 10:29.800] see the post for that. [10:29.800 –> 10:30.800] Yeah. [10:30.800 –> 10:32.800] Thank you for the clarification. [10:32.800 –> 10:33.800] Yeah. [10:33.800 –> 10:37.160] So, and this means they’re listening. [10:37.160 –> 10:38.160] Yeah. [10:38.160 –> 10:39.160] They’re listening. [10:39.160 –> 10:44.540] Well, let me tell you, let me tell you, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the only [10:44.540 –> 10:50.100] developer actually listening when they respond to my tweets because so many times like I’ll [10:50.100 –> 10:54.420] say something negative or something and they just like, like it and retweet it and that’s [10:54.420 –> 10:55.420] it. [10:55.420 –> 10:56.420] And it’s, they’ve clearly not listened to it. [10:56.420 –> 11:00.700] Whereas this developer is very definitely listening because you wouldn’t know that without [11:00.700 –> 11:01.700] having listened to the podcast. [11:01.700 –> 11:02.700] So that’s cool. [11:02.700 –> 11:03.700] Thank you very much. [11:03.700 –> 11:04.700] If you’re listening this time. [11:04.700 –> 11:10.700] See, now the play, the play is the title of this episode, something cryptic in regards [11:10.700 –> 11:12.120] to Mossfield. [11:12.120 –> 11:18.480] And then they’re going to be sweating as they listen for this very moment in the podcast. [11:18.480 –> 11:24.840] Something uh, something clickbaity like, uh, developer slams podcast hosts. [11:24.840 –> 11:27.080] You wouldn’t believe what this developer said. [11:27.080 –> 11:29.440] Our response to Mossfield ends. [11:29.440 –> 11:34.280] Ah, we wouldn’t do that. [11:34.280 –> 11:35.520] That’s that’s, that’s mean. [11:35.520 –> 11:40.600] We wouldn’t do that, we wouldn’t do that. [11:40.600 –> 11:41.600] All right, cool. [11:42.080 –> 11:43.800] So let’s talk about some news. [11:43.800 –> 11:47.000] So I thought there’s quite a few releases, um, just now. [11:47.000 –> 11:50.800] So I thought I would just do a quick rundown of what’s happened. [11:50.800 –> 11:56.120] So we’ve just had ever dream valley release on switch. [11:56.120 –> 12:03.080] And then Kevin is crying because we also then have, uh, two releases that will be out by [12:03.080 –> 12:05.200] the time this episode comes out. [12:05.200 –> 12:08.400] One lonely outpost and story of seasons, a wonderful life. [12:08.400 –> 12:10.320] Wait, lonely outpost? [12:10.320 –> 12:11.320] It’s coming out. [12:12.040 –> 12:13.040] It’s early access. [12:13.040 –> 12:14.040] Oh, early. [12:14.040 –> 12:15.040] Okay. [12:15.040 –> 12:16.040] So not coming. [12:16.040 –> 12:17.040] Okay. [12:17.040 –> 12:18.040] Okay. [12:18.040 –> 12:19.040] Well, people will be able to play it and buy it. [12:19.040 –> 12:20.040] Right. [12:20.040 –> 12:25.600] It’s just, uh, we don’t, we don’t, yeah, we don’t need to go into that debate again. [12:25.600 –> 12:33.680] I’m I’m just, uh, I’m just saying that, uh, I’m just going to say that I feel like there’s [12:33.680 –> 12:40.960] a game that’s filled that, that niche that a real legend had. [12:40.960 –> 12:43.800] But anyways, uh, what I am crying over is story of seasons. [12:43.800 –> 12:44.800] Oh no. [12:44.800 –> 12:45.800] Oh no. [12:45.800 –> 12:47.960] That’s, that’s three days from the day of this recording. [12:47.960 –> 12:48.960] I don’t like it. [12:48.960 –> 12:51.960] No, no, I don’t need it now. [12:51.960 –> 12:55.400] I want a wonderful life. [12:55.400 –> 12:56.800] You’re excited about this Kevin. [12:56.800 –> 12:57.800] I am. [12:57.800 –> 12:59.200] I am so excited. [12:59.200 –> 13:01.760] Maybe the game I’m well, that’s not true. [13:01.760 –> 13:05.280] There’s a lot of good games coming out now, but at least in terms of the cottage core [13:05.280 –> 13:10.400] sphere on this podcasting field, it’s probably the game I’m most excited for. [13:10.400 –> 13:11.400] No, that’s not true. [13:11.400 –> 13:15.280] Minneko comes out this year. [13:15.280 –> 13:20.840] I don’t know how I’m going to, I’m not ready for this game, but I need it a wonderful life. [13:20.840 –> 13:22.200] It’s it’s a good game. [13:22.200 –> 13:24.920] Um, I’m wondering, I’m doing okay there, Kevin. [13:24.920 –> 13:30.200] No, no, I’m falling apart before the podcast and just falling apart more. [13:30.200 –> 13:31.200] I’m kidding. [13:31.200 –> 13:39.880] I wonder this feels like probably one of the biggest quote unquote releases in the cottage [13:39.880 –> 13:41.480] core field in a while. [13:41.480 –> 13:49.460] I’m curious to see how much traction or tension it gets because, uh, yes, you know, this, [13:49.460 –> 13:51.520] this is the nostalgia, right? [13:51.520 –> 13:53.400] Like that’s, that’s always a big one. [13:53.400 –> 13:58.880] Um, it’s not just nostalgia, but it’s specific nostalgia for this one because like this one, [13:58.880 –> 14:03.120] as I’ve mentioned this a couple of times, but this seems to be like most people who [14:03.120 –> 14:07.800] are kind of like our sort of age, this was their first farming game. [14:07.800 –> 14:08.800] Absolutely. [14:08.800 –> 14:14.520] Um, the time planets just kind of aligned at the timeline there. [14:14.520 –> 14:16.400] There wasn’t a lot of competition back then. [14:16.400 –> 14:17.400] Right. [14:17.400 –> 14:18.400] Like, yeah. [14:18.400 –> 14:22.440] Um, so sure, but it’s not, it’s not, it wasn’t one of the earlier harvest means it was this [14:22.440 –> 14:23.440] one specifically. [14:23.440 –> 14:25.480] Yeah, no, you’re right. [14:25.480 –> 14:31.000] I think it, I think it might just be like the age we were when it came out, we could, [14:31.000 –> 14:35.280] we’re old enough to appreciate it versus, you know, little kids probably don’t fully [14:35.280 –> 14:39.040] get the intricacies of farming game or whatever. [14:39.040 –> 14:43.040] Anyways, point is, there’s probably, there’s a lot more people who care about this than [14:43.040 –> 14:50.320] say, Everdream Valley, no offense to Everdream Valley or any of the other games, just the [14:50.320 –> 14:54.000] name I saw, it’s just, this is a big one. [14:54.000 –> 14:59.680] So I’m really curious to see if this gets some traction and, and, and if it does, we [14:59.680 –> 15:07.360] will absolutely abuse the SEO and hashtag AWL or whatever we need to do to get people [15:07.360 –> 15:08.360] listening to this show. [15:08.360 –> 15:15.240] And it will be interesting to see how it, how it, how it works out compared to the original [15:15.240 –> 15:17.560] and your nostalgia and stuff like that. [15:17.560 –> 15:18.560] Oh gosh, oh gosh. [15:18.560 –> 15:24.520] I’m, I’m, I’m trying not to think about that because I’m not a big fan of some of the changes [15:24.520 –> 15:31.160] they’ve done, but we’ll see, hopefully, I mean Story of Seasons will probably be good, [15:31.160 –> 15:32.160] at least mechanically. [15:32.160 –> 15:33.160] Yeah, yeah. [15:33.160 –> 15:40.160] All right, well, let’s get into the, the actual new news. [15:40.160 –> 15:43.160] So first of all, Palia. [15:43.160 –> 15:50.880] So this was on the Nintendo Direct, that Palia is coming to Switch by the end of the year! [15:50.880 –> 15:51.880] Wow. [15:52.240 –> 15:57.040] So, I mean, if you, I guess, if you’ve not paid attention to what Palia is, we’ve talked [15:57.040 –> 16:07.040] about it a couple of times, but it’s a free-to-play, cottagecore MMO set in the, in a high fantasy [16:07.040 –> 16:08.040] world. [16:08.040 –> 16:16.880] Yeah, I, I’ve been, I’ve missed, oh, I haven’t been paying too close attention to Palia until [16:16.880 –> 16:21.720] the Direct one is forced in my face, basically, yeah. [16:21.720 –> 16:28.200] I don’t know what to think, I mean, have people been enjoying this already? [16:28.200 –> 16:36.200] I don’t know, it’s, it’s a tough spot to be in, MMO and cottagecore, like, it’s, those [16:36.200 –> 16:43.520] are both big, big playing fields with big, big players, so it takes a lot to stand out. [16:43.520 –> 16:45.840] It’s an interesting combination of things. [16:45.840 –> 16:46.840] It is. [16:47.800 –> 16:59.960] I mean, I think, on paper, those, those two Venn diagram circles overlap a lot, because [16:59.960 –> 17:05.560] a lot of cottagecore slash farming is, like, task-based, right? [17:05.560 –> 17:09.080] You gotta do your farming tasks, your fishing, yada yada. [17:09.080 –> 17:14.400] And a lot of MMO stuff is like that, too, so it probably lines up well. [17:15.280 –> 17:19.600] Yeah, yeah, I guess it’ll be interesting, because, like, there are some things that [17:19.600 –> 17:25.640] can be in MMOs that are very definitely not calming, you know, and very much stressful, [17:25.640 –> 17:27.840] so it’ll be interesting to see how it works with those sorts of things. [17:27.840 –> 17:34.040] I will admit, I haven’t really looked into the game, but yeah, that’s, it’ll be interesting [17:34.040 –> 17:35.040] to see how that goes. [17:35.040 –> 17:40.600] Are you saying you don’t want 10-person farming raids, whatever that would look like? [17:40.600 –> 17:44.240] I didn’t, I didn’t say that, no. [17:44.240 –> 17:50.680] My, okay, okay, so, all that, like, the general stuff aside, more specifically, I’m curious, [17:50.680 –> 17:52.800] is this gonna be cross-play? [17:52.800 –> 17:55.080] You would hope so, right? [17:55.080 –> 17:56.860] I think so, yeah. [17:56.860 –> 18:00.400] The interesting thing is, when they posted about this, they still haven’t technically [18:00.400 –> 18:06.840] said, they still hadn’t technically said that the PC version would be fully released by [18:06.840 –> 18:10.720] this year, and so they had some people complaining about that, so they were like, oh no, it will [18:10.720 –> 18:15.000] be fully releasing on PC before Switch, don’t worry. [18:15.000 –> 18:20.160] The fully released version, exclusive to Switch. [18:20.160 –> 18:24.720] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [18:24.720 –> 18:29.080] I’m not seeing anything about cross-play, but I’m not seeing anything about not cross-play, [18:29.080 –> 18:31.920] like, surely it would be, right? [18:31.920 –> 18:40.200] Yeah, I, it, it would be bananas if it didn’t, cause they, um, yeah, I, I can’t. [18:40.200 –> 18:46.360] Yeah, it was like the bread and butter for this sort of genre, to have everyone connect [18:46.360 –> 18:47.360] online, right? [18:47.360 –> 18:49.480] So, it’d be weird to split up your audience like that. [18:49.480 –> 18:55.680] Oh yes, here we are, I checked on our blog, um, we intend to support cross, cross-progression [18:55.680 –> 19:00.160] and cross-play, so you can bring your Palio character from PC to Nintendo Switch or vice [19:00.160 –> 19:01.160] versa. [19:01.160 –> 19:05.360] We’re still working out the final details, so be sure to stay tuned to our Discord, Twitter, [19:05.360 –> 19:08.000] Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates. [19:08.000 –> 19:09.000] Okay, yeah. [19:09.040 –> 19:11.800] Yeah, alright, well, good for them. [19:11.800 –> 19:14.440] Um, what else we got going on? [19:14.440 –> 19:22.320] Uh, yes, so, Sunhaven, a new update for Sunhaven, 1.2, uh, cool, get me on Switch, please, hurry [19:22.320 –> 19:23.320] up. [19:23.320 –> 19:27.360] Um, so this is the Romance and Barns update. [19:27.360 –> 19:29.080] You can romance barns? [19:29.080 –> 19:32.080] Uh, yeah, everybody loves to romance barns. [19:32.080 –> 19:38.480] Um, so it’s got new, romanceable characters, three of them, I believe, some new and upgradeable [19:39.480 –> 19:47.400] farm building with customization, some new player house customizability, there’s quite [19:47.400 –> 19:54.440] a lot of customizability here, lots of colors, lots of things. [19:54.440 –> 20:01.040] You can customize your farm building to look like a tub of noodles. [20:01.040 –> 20:04.440] That’s not bad, you’ve caught my attention. [20:04.440 –> 20:10.080] I thought I would, I thought I would, I know you, Kevin, I knew you. [20:10.080 –> 20:14.760] Now, I was about to say this game looks busy, just looking down the pictures and adding [20:14.760 –> 20:15.840] more to that is chaotic. [20:15.840 –> 20:21.800] But when you told me and I see it now, like the Oh, yeah, the Chinese takeout ramen box, [20:21.800 –> 20:25.320] like, okay, okay, no, they’re, they’re onto something. [20:25.320 –> 20:29.760] Now, now they have my attention, as soon as they hit the switch, you can make the player [20:29.760 –> 20:36.360] house look like a gingerbread house, a cup of coffee, you can have cat ears, I love the [20:36.360 –> 20:37.360] cat ears. [20:37.360 –> 20:38.360] Yeah. [20:38.360 –> 20:47.760] And for new DLC packs, so the their DLC packs are all like additional cosplayer cosmetics. [20:47.760 –> 20:52.040] There’s a snacks snackoon costume. [20:52.040 –> 20:54.640] So this this snackoon one is free as well. [20:54.640 –> 20:58.160] So you can go get the snackoon outfit and I suspect they’ve done this to just get you [20:58.160 –> 21:02.480] used to the idea of getting a DLC. [21:02.480 –> 21:07.080] There’s the set sale DLC, which contains over 40 items. [21:07.080 –> 21:13.960] The pirate themed pack, next you have the mush mushy DLC, which is a mushroom themed [21:13.960 –> 21:15.880] pack with over 40 items as well. [21:15.880 –> 21:21.240] I don’t like mushrooms and eating at least well, no, but I mean, you like things are [21:21.240 –> 21:22.240] themed like mushrooms. [21:22.240 –> 21:25.480] I do love the mushroom themed things though. [21:25.480 –> 21:29.820] And the ocean shores DLC, which contains over 30 items. [21:29.820 –> 21:32.080] And it’s a beach themed pack. [21:32.080 –> 21:33.560] This is pretty cool. [21:33.560 –> 21:38.840] Um, like, now, like just thinking about this, I’m a paid or I mean, I have paid attention [21:38.840 –> 21:44.040] to Sunhaven, but it’s falling out of my brain, and so I’m repaying attention right now. [21:44.040 –> 21:49.360] I going all out and turning your farm into nonsense. [21:49.360 –> 21:51.340] That’s not something you see that frequently. [21:51.340 –> 21:52.840] So I appreciate that. [21:52.840 –> 21:53.840] Yeah. [21:53.840 –> 21:56.200] I’m looking forward to playing this game. [21:56.200 –> 21:57.860] I just want it on the switch. [21:57.860 –> 22:00.960] Can we get on the switch, please? [22:00.960 –> 22:01.960] Coming soon. [22:01.960 –> 22:04.720] Bunch of stuff. [22:04.720 –> 22:06.920] Give me on switch. [22:06.920 –> 22:10.280] That’s I mean, that’s a common sentiment for most things in my life. [22:10.280 –> 22:13.040] I’m not even seeing any mention of the switch anymore. [22:13.040 –> 22:17.400] They’re they’re listening to this right now, just like the mosque people. [22:17.400 –> 22:19.440] They’re they’re avoiding it intentionally. [22:19.440 –> 22:20.440] Yeah. [22:20.440 –> 22:21.440] Anyway. [22:21.440 –> 22:22.440] Cool. [22:22.440 –> 22:23.440] What’s next? [22:24.040 –> 22:25.840] So we’ve got silent hope. [22:25.840 –> 22:30.460] So this is a new game announced by the ring factory team because they hadn’t announced [22:30.460 –> 22:33.760] enough games recently. [22:33.760 –> 22:36.360] This is a battle and farming RPG. [22:36.360 –> 22:42.560] So I mean, can the same concept as ring factory, but a different way of thinking about it. [22:42.560 –> 22:47.340] They’ve said it is in the same world as ring factory. [22:47.340 –> 22:51.280] It also, you know, contains the chicken and cow. [22:51.280 –> 22:52.280] Yeah. [22:53.120 –> 22:54.720] I didn’t pay attention. [22:54.720 –> 22:55.720] It’s the cow. [22:55.720 –> 22:56.720] I didn’t. [22:56.720 –> 23:00.000] Oh, I love that cow. [23:00.000 –> 23:06.320] It’s coming out on the third of October on steam and switch. [23:06.320 –> 23:07.920] I’m intrigued by this. [23:07.920 –> 23:10.960] It looks a lot more like something I would enjoy. [23:10.960 –> 23:17.280] It looks like if I if, if somebody had designed room factory for me to like, sure. [23:17.280 –> 23:20.380] Like it just looks a lot more fun. [23:20.380 –> 23:25.140] And they’re going, they’re keeping on the kind of like 2.5 D style. [23:25.140 –> 23:29.960] Like you’re kind of like, it’s, you’re moving around in three dimensions, but you’re not [23:29.960 –> 23:36.340] like your camera isn’t like down low and you’re, I just don’t, I’m not a huge fan of how ring [23:36.340 –> 23:37.340] factory has gone. [23:37.340 –> 23:38.900] I’m not saying they shouldn’t do that. [23:38.900 –> 23:40.060] I know a lot of people would enjoy. [23:40.060 –> 23:43.500] I’m just personally not a huge fan of that. [23:43.500 –> 23:49.540] But I much prefer the graphics to this and the combat looks more fun to me. [23:49.540 –> 23:52.860] So I will almost certainly be picking this up. [23:52.860 –> 23:56.320] I on it was on the direct. [23:56.320 –> 23:59.500] I watched it wasn’t paying too much attention, probably because I was still reeling from [23:59.500 –> 24:02.100] other news. [24:02.100 –> 24:06.980] But now, like, I totally missed that it was in the room factory world. [24:06.980 –> 24:07.980] That’s cool. [24:07.980 –> 24:10.980] I say is someone who’s never factory game. [24:10.980 –> 24:12.460] Yeah, but it’s still it’s still cool. [24:12.460 –> 24:16.620] You can it’s cool in concept, even if they’ve never actually been part of that. [24:16.620 –> 24:17.620] Yeah. [24:17.620 –> 24:18.620] I’m looking at it. [24:18.700 –> 24:19.700] With your points. [24:19.700 –> 24:20.700] It looks dynamic. [24:20.700 –> 24:23.800] It looks the visuals are nice enough. [24:23.800 –> 24:25.300] And it has the cow. [24:25.300 –> 24:26.300] That’s all that. [24:26.300 –> 24:27.300] That’s the selling point. [24:27.300 –> 24:32.000] It is one of the best designed cows in in the genre. [24:32.000 –> 24:33.260] You know, it really is. [24:33.260 –> 24:35.940] You’d be hard pressed to find a better cow. [24:35.940 –> 24:36.940] Yeah. [24:36.940 –> 24:37.940] Oh, so yeah. [24:37.940 –> 24:38.940] Do we have it? [24:38.940 –> 24:39.940] I forget. [24:39.940 –> 24:40.940] Did you say date? [24:40.940 –> 24:41.940] Do we have a date? [24:41.940 –> 24:42.940] Yeah. [24:42.940 –> 24:43.940] Third of October. [24:43.940 –> 24:45.780] So although I say I will be buying this, let’s be honest, I’m not going to buy on and play [24:45.780 –> 24:49.780] on release day because that’s only a week after Maneko’s Night Market, Harvest Moon, [24:49.780 –> 24:54.980] The Winds of Anthos, Paleo Pines and My Time at Sandrock all release. [24:54.980 –> 24:56.780] How are you going to survive that week? [24:56.780 –> 24:57.780] Good heavens. [24:57.780 –> 25:00.820] I’m going to survive it by not playing My Time at Sandrock. [25:00.820 –> 25:04.140] Yeah, I don’t. [25:04.140 –> 25:07.700] We’ve got I’m trying to figure out the right order to do these things. [25:07.700 –> 25:09.960] And that’s only the cottagecore obligations. [25:09.960 –> 25:12.100] There’s some other good junk coming. [25:12.100 –> 25:16.740] Well, yeah, there’s a few weeks at least before other things come out. [25:16.740 –> 25:17.740] Mm hmm. [25:17.740 –> 25:22.860] Oh, man, yeah, it’s definitely gonna be a busy autumn. [25:22.860 –> 25:23.860] Surprise! [25:23.860 –> 25:27.220] Pokemon DLC launches that week. [25:27.220 –> 25:28.940] I don’t think it would come out in October. [25:28.940 –> 25:30.580] No, I don’t think so either. [25:30.580 –> 25:32.460] And I think it will come out in November. [25:32.460 –> 25:33.460] Probably. [25:33.460 –> 25:34.460] I think it will be in November and February. [25:34.460 –> 25:37.180] I think it will be what it is, but we’ll see. [25:37.180 –> 25:39.420] We’ll talk about that on a different thing. [25:39.420 –> 25:47.220] And the final news entry is another new game, Wild Mender. [25:47.220 –> 25:49.620] So I think this one was mentioned on the… [25:49.620 –> 25:50.820] Was this one mentioned on the… [25:50.820 –> 25:53.220] No, it wasn’t mentioned on the direct. [25:53.220 –> 25:57.180] This was just another random thing. [25:57.180 –> 25:58.180] What was this? [25:58.180 –> 26:02.980] So this is a desert gardening survival game. [26:02.980 –> 26:07.020] Start from a tiny spring and cultivate a blooming garden. [26:07.020 –> 26:11.900] Explore a vast world amid the sands and uncover its mysteries. [26:11.900 –> 26:17.540] Can you defend against the relentless forces of nature and mysterious wraith corruption [26:17.540 –> 26:19.900] to bring life to a dying world? [26:19.900 –> 26:20.900] That’s… [26:20.900 –> 26:21.900] That was a lot of words. [26:21.900 –> 26:22.900] It was. [26:22.900 –> 26:26.380] I’m not really sure how to get all in. [26:26.380 –> 26:27.380] I like the graphics. [26:27.380 –> 26:29.520] Yeah, no, I’m looking at the trailer. [26:29.520 –> 26:32.180] This has very pleasing visuals. [26:32.180 –> 26:33.820] It’s a really nice kind of combination. [26:33.820 –> 26:36.700] It’s kind of like a nice balance between… [26:36.700 –> 26:41.380] It’s not ridiculously cartoony, but it’s also not trying to be realistic. [26:41.380 –> 26:46.420] It’s more on the kind of like, I guess, kind of like, you know, Breath of the Wild kind [26:46.420 –> 26:47.420] of idea. [26:47.420 –> 26:48.420] Yeah, in that general direction. [26:48.420 –> 26:51.100] Realistic cartoony, if that makes sense. [26:51.100 –> 26:55.740] Like it’s not trying to look wind waker-y, like really ridiculously cartoony, but it’s [26:55.740 –> 26:57.380] not trying to be realistic. [26:57.380 –> 27:00.900] Yeah, no, I totally see what you mean. [27:00.900 –> 27:04.120] And something it does very well is lighting. [27:04.120 –> 27:10.960] Like there’s some sunset scenes and you have like a little cape that’s glowing and oh, [27:10.960 –> 27:11.960] that’s really pretty. [27:11.960 –> 27:12.960] Yeah. [27:12.960 –> 27:14.540] There’s glowing plants and things. [27:14.540 –> 27:16.780] Northern Lights, or I guess it’s just the Aurora. [27:16.780 –> 27:17.780] I don’t know where this is. [27:17.780 –> 27:19.780] This is some Aurora. [27:19.780 –> 27:20.780] Yeah. [27:20.780 –> 27:26.500] So I don’t know, there’s a lot going on. [27:26.500 –> 27:30.060] I’ll be keeping an eye on this because it does look very pretty. [27:30.060 –> 27:35.420] If nothing else, like these visuals are worth checking out. [27:35.420 –> 27:39.260] It looks like it might, I’ve not seen a mention of it, but it looks like it might be open [27:39.260 –> 27:40.260] world. [27:40.260 –> 27:46.700] It’s definitely kind of like the way that you’re traveling is very much like kind of [27:46.700 –> 27:51.100] Breath of the Wild type thing where you’re running around and climbing, you can, it looks [27:51.100 –> 27:56.900] like you can climb anything and kind of go anywhere sort of thing. [27:56.900 –> 28:01.900] So a minor complaint, and this is probably just a personal thing. [28:01.900 –> 28:05.020] For a, they’re selling themselves as a desert game. [28:05.020 –> 28:07.180] There’s a lot of not desert in this game. [28:07.180 –> 28:08.860] There’s a lot of lush forests and- [28:08.860 –> 28:11.980] Yeah, well, I think the point is you’re turning the desert into a forest. [28:11.980 –> 28:17.940] I think that’s the point because it says, turn the desert green with the tools you crafted [28:17.940 –> 28:23.620] set out to grow the little oasis in the middle of a vast desert into your own thriving garden. [28:23.620 –> 28:29.340] Dig canals, nurture your plants, craft useful and beautiful structures, harness magical [28:29.340 –> 28:32.740] essence, protect against the forces of nature and more. [28:32.740 –> 28:36.220] You’ll have plenty of space and choices to create the garden of your imagination. [28:36.220 –> 28:41.180] Acre by acre, you will reclaim the desert and reforest the world. [28:41.180 –> 28:46.700] I get that, but I also would like to see a game that’s just purely desert farming. [28:46.700 –> 28:49.340] I want to see what that would look like. [28:49.340 –> 28:57.980] But yeah, so I’m guessing your loop here is you go out into the desert to explore and [28:57.980 –> 28:58.980] find things. [28:58.980 –> 29:03.300] You come back to your oasis and you nurture it and grow things and that slowly expands [29:03.300 –> 29:08.100] and then as that expands, you’re then able to explore further out. [29:08.100 –> 29:11.180] Yeah, yeah. [29:11.180 –> 29:12.180] It’s a good looking game. [29:12.180 –> 29:15.900] I will keep my eye on this, what is it? [29:15.900 –> 29:16.900] Wild Mender. [29:16.900 –> 29:17.900] Yeah. [29:17.900 –> 29:18.900] Wild Mender. [29:19.460 –> 29:25.260] I’ve not seen anything about Switch, it looks like it’s just Windows on Steam as far as [29:25.260 –> 29:26.260] I can see. [29:26.260 –> 29:30.980] Well, hopefully it does well enough that they feel a Switch port would be justified. [29:30.980 –> 29:35.020] Yes, and presumably it’ll work on the Steam Deck. [29:35.020 –> 29:40.100] The good thing, as I’ve mentioned before, about Steam Deck is that it gets people thinking [29:40.100 –> 29:46.980] of controllers from the start so that then porting to Switch can be a little bit easier [29:46.980 –> 29:48.540] in that aspect of things. [29:48.580 –> 29:51.100] Yeah, yeah, that’s very true. [29:51.100 –> 29:52.340] Alright, cool. [29:52.340 –> 29:54.780] That’s all the news. [29:54.780 –> 29:56.780] So I realized I didn’t mention at the top what we’re doing. [29:56.780 –> 30:01.940] Well, you said we’re going to talk about farming games and we’re going to talk about farming [30:01.940 –> 30:02.940] games. [30:02.940 –> 30:05.100] So we’re going to do a mid-year catch up. [30:05.100 –> 30:12.860] So this is the middle of the year, this is the 26th episode of the year, my word, that’s [30:12.860 –> 30:13.860] ridiculous. [30:13.860 –> 30:14.860] I don’t like that. [30:14.860 –> 30:17.180] I don’t like that at all. [30:17.180 –> 30:22.020] We have now done more episodes this year, or as many episodes this year as we did last [30:22.020 –> 30:23.020] year. [30:23.020 –> 30:27.620] Oh, that’s cool, but I don’t like the halfway point thing. [30:27.620 –> 30:30.500] Oh, oh no. [30:30.500 –> 30:33.060] So we’re going to talk about what’s happened so far. [30:33.060 –> 30:36.020] Out of what’s happened so far, what’s our favorite? [30:36.020 –> 30:39.180] Is anything in contention for Game of the Year so far? [30:39.180 –> 30:45.300] And we’ll maybe go over what’s still to come out, which I’m just going to reorganize things, [30:45.300 –> 30:46.740] so I’ll pull that down. [30:46.740 –> 30:50.900] So I guess I’ll just go through this list of things that have released so far, because [30:50.900 –> 30:54.840] I’ve got much better on keeping track of what games are coming out. [30:54.840 –> 30:57.680] And so hopefully this will be much easier at the end of the year as well. [30:57.680 –> 30:59.340] So here’s my long list. [30:59.340 –> 31:00.740] We love lists. [31:00.740 –> 31:02.100] Games released so far this year. [31:02.100 –> 31:08.420] Above Snakes, Before the Green Moon, Everdream Valley, Fableton, Early Access, Farming Simulator [31:08.420 –> 31:16.980] 23, Garden Inn, Homestead Arcana, Enchanted, Research Story Early Access, Roots of Pacha, [31:16.980 –> 31:24.100] Season A Letter to the Future, Smooshy Come Home, Song of the Prairie, Sundown, Sunhaven [31:24.100 –> 31:30.740] 1.0, T’Chia, Terra Nil, and of course not technically out yet, but by the time this [31:30.740 –> 31:36.520] podcast comes out are One Lonely Outpost Early Access, no I’m going to redo that one, One [31:36.520 –> 31:43.520] Lonely Outpost Early Access, and Story of Seasons, A Wonderful Life. [31:43.520 –> 31:47.000] I think that’s more games than came out in 2021. [31:47.000 –> 31:48.000] It feels like it. [31:48.000 –> 31:52.280] Yep, looking at the list, so one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, yeah there’s like [31:52.280 –> 31:56.880] 12 games that came out in 2021, and that is more than 12 games. [31:56.880 –> 32:05.800] I mean, well okay, I probably, not just Cottagecore, it feels like gaming in general a lot is coming [32:05.800 –> 32:08.480] out this year. [32:08.480 –> 32:17.720] I think that might be thanks to getting over the COVID pandemic stuff, or a lot of that. [32:17.720 –> 32:25.440] By this point people have adjusted or whatever, that’s just a thought maybe, I have no actual [32:25.440 –> 32:27.520] evidence of that. [32:27.520 –> 32:32.680] But that is a lot of games though, I’m on the show every now and then, I don’t know [32:32.680 –> 32:33.720] some of these games. [32:33.720 –> 32:36.960] What is Smooshy? [32:36.960 –> 32:37.960] What is Smooshy? [32:37.960 –> 32:39.720] What is before the green moon? [32:39.720 –> 32:40.720] What are these? [32:40.720 –> 32:45.480] Smooshy Come Home is the one where you’re a wee toadstool or mushroom type thing, and [32:45.480 –> 32:50.080] you’re running around delivering mail and doing tasks and stuff like that. [32:50.080 –> 32:51.080] What? [32:51.080 –> 32:53.560] I don’t remember this, this is an adorable mushroom guy! [32:53.560 –> 32:55.600] Yeah, it came out like two weeks ago. [32:55.600 –> 32:57.200] It’s on Switch, what? [32:57.200 –> 33:00.640] It was a shadow drop for the Wholesome Direct. [33:00.640 –> 33:01.640] What? [33:01.640 –> 33:07.280] I’m going to look at this, that’s an adorable mushroom man guy thing. [33:07.280 –> 33:13.600] Okay, that’s new, oh wow, that’s new to me. [33:13.600 –> 33:18.280] So there are, so I just counted, so in 2019 there were 14 games that I’ve tracked that [33:18.280 –> 33:19.280] came out. [33:19.280 –> 33:23.000] In 2020 there were 10 games that came out, makes sense, in 2020. [33:23.000 –> 33:26.560] In 2021 there were 16 games that came out. [33:26.560 –> 33:31.400] So far this year, that was 19 games. [33:31.400 –> 33:38.240] Wow, that’s a lot. [33:38.240 –> 33:49.080] So Kevin, maybe I should go first, so I don’t think I’ve played any of these games at all. [33:49.080 –> 33:54.760] I legitimately don’t think I’ve played any of these games, which is really kind of a [33:54.760 –> 34:00.040] little bit embarrassing to say, and also quite a little bit shocking that I’ve not played [34:00.040 –> 34:02.520] a single game that’s come out this year so far. [34:02.520 –> 34:06.720] We’re halfway through the year and I’ve not played a single 2023 game! [34:06.720 –> 34:12.720] Well I think it’s two things, one, well a few things, one, there’s a lot of games in [34:12.720 –> 34:21.040] general, slash life in general, you can’t blame anyone for that, but two, it’s not like [34:21.040 –> 34:24.680] this show’s not covering anything, we’re still trying to catch up from older stuff [34:24.680 –> 34:25.680] right? [34:25.680 –> 34:27.080] There’s a lot! [34:27.080 –> 34:31.640] I was looking through the list of episodes that I’ve been on, and the game ones are all [34:31.640 –> 34:36.320] games that came out at the end of last year basically. [34:36.320 –> 34:45.340] And three, I don’t know the statistics, but we’ve got a lot of people on the team now [34:45.340 –> 34:49.240] for this show, so it’s been splitting up more. [34:49.240 –> 34:52.920] Some of the games that have been played that come out this year were played by other people [34:52.920 –> 34:53.920] that weren’t you. [34:53.960 –> 34:56.280] Yes that is true, the podcast has covered them. [34:56.280 –> 35:01.360] But also, also, all of the games I was most looking forward to aren’t out yet, right? [35:01.360 –> 35:06.600] So we’ve got Vanecco’s Night Market, which isn’t out yet, we’ve got Snacko, which isn’t [35:06.600 –> 35:10.120] out yet, we’ve got, what else was there? [35:10.120 –> 35:12.120] Winds of Anthos, Palaeopines. [35:12.120 –> 35:16.560] I wouldn’t say the Winds of Anthos is what I’m most excited about, but yeah, of course [35:16.560 –> 35:20.280] A Wonderful Life was the third one that I put in that episode of the ones I’m most [35:20.280 –> 35:21.280] excit

In this episode the Wii Suck team reviews the Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny game. Did the team surf the tides into bliss or crash on the rocks in dispair? Tune in to find out!

In this episode the RPG Site crew discusses opening spoiler-free impressions of Final Fantasy XVI, plus everything announced in the Nintendo Direct, including Star Ocean The Second Story R, and more.

Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank the sixth game in the fantasy Harvest Moon spinoff series. This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be CASTLE OF ILLUSION STARRING MICKEY MOUSE! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Twitter to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2023 © Hardcore Gaming 101

On this week's episode we discussed the recent reveal of Everybody 1-2 Switch, Vanpool shutting down, and the Nintendo of Russia drama. We also talked about Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 and the new Rune Factory announcements. There's that and more on the latest episode of Nintendo Everything Refresh.

There are some great games coming to the PlayStation (and they'd like you to think they aren't coming to the Xbox or PC, but they are). Cliff: Dragon Age: Inquisition Colby: Shadow Warrior 3, Ravenlok, Eastern Exorcist, Fall Guys, AC Valhalla, Planet of Lana Everything From the PlayStation Showcase Nintendo is Not a Fan of the Dolphin Emulator XBOX Appeals the CMA Decision Sony Is Making Money with Playstation Plus Folks Are Buying PSVR2 Regardless of What You Hear At Least Activision Blizard is Winning One Lawsuit Apparently It's Not That Hard to Get Your Game Banned on the Switch Cade 6 is Back from the Dead…Maybe? Primefan: Favorite barbecue dish? Aslan the Incompetent: What year do you consider to be the greatest for video game releases? Squid: You're stuck on an island, you can have three artists' entire discographies. What three artists do you choose! Tr1pletrouble88: What are your opinions on retro setups? Like having an actual NES and CRT with game cartridges. Brooke: What is your favorite video game music from when you were a kid? Epic Games Mystery Game Xbox Game Pass Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Cloud, Console, and PC) Farworld Pioneers (Console and PC) Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 1 Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 1 The Big Con (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 1 Amnesia: The Bunker (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 6 Hypnospace Outlaw (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 6 Rune Factory 4 Special (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 8 Stacking (Cloud and Console) – June 8 Dordogne (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 13 Xbox Gold Adios ($17.99 ERP): Available June 1 to 30 The Vale: Shadow of the Crown ($19.99 ERP): Available June 16 to July 15 Prime Gaming June 1 Sengoku 2 Mutation Nation June 8 Soccer Brawl Over Top June 15 The Super Spy Top Hunter SteamWorld Dig 2 June 22 Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Autonauts Revita June 29 Roguebook Once Upon a Jester Gems of Destiny: Homeless Dwarf Alan Schulte Joe Cole Jr. Anonymous Rich Deacon https://bytemepodcast.com/extralife/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/byte-me-podcast/message

Al and Micah talk about Little Dragon's Cafe Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:36: What Have We Been Playing 00:34:09: News 00:58:31: Little Dragons Cafe 01:38:47: Outro Links Coral Island Roadmap Traveller’s Rest 0.6 Update Disney Dreamlight Valley Update Disney Dreamlight Valley Roadmap Roots of Pacha Roadmap Solarpunk Kickstarter Circle of Kerzoven Kickstarter Iridium Scythe Tweet Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript [00:00.000 –> 00:01.600] See you next time. [00:31.000 –> 00:37.000] Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season. My name is Al. [00:37.000 –> 00:39.000] And I’m Micah. [00:39.000 –> 00:45.000] And we’re here today to talk about cottagecore games. Have you been on a podcast since we changed that introduction? [00:45.000 –> 00:47.000] I have not. [00:47.000 –> 00:50.000] There you go then. It’s now Cottagecore Games, not Farming Games. [00:50.000 –> 00:53.000] Okay. Alright. I mean that makes sense. [00:53.000 –> 00:56.000] It does. It does. Once people actually know what the term means. [00:56.000 –> 00:58.000] Yeah. [00:58.000 –> 01:05.000] But yeah it felt like I was too often just saying like it’s not a farming game but we’re going to cover it anyway because it feels like a farming game. [01:05.000 –> 01:07.000] That’s true. You’re right. [01:07.000 –> 01:09.000] And so we’re like why don’t we just say what it actually is. [01:09.000 –> 01:11.000] Yep. That makes sense. [01:11.000 –> 01:15.000] So yeah. Welcome Micah. How you doing? It’s been a while since we’ve had you on the podcast. [01:15.000 –> 01:28.000] I’m doing good. Just busy. Lots of work. So I’m tired a lot but you know it’s plenty of time to wind down. [01:28.000 –> 01:36.000] All my time winding down from work is spent playing games. Can’t complain too much. [01:36.000 –> 01:43.000] That’s good. That’s good. Awesome. Well I’ve got Micah on because I finally bought Little Dragon’s Cafe on the eShop sale. [01:43.000 –> 01:51.000] And I was like let’s schedule an episode to actually talk about it because I think it was like four years ago or something you first mentioned it. [01:51.000 –> 01:54.000] And I was like oh yeah we’ll get to that eventually. [01:54.000 –> 02:00.000] Yeah it was quite a while ago. I think maybe 2019. Maybe even before then. [02:00.000 –> 02:02.000] That’s a whole different world. [02:02.000 –> 02:26.000] It is. It’s a different time. But when you said that you messaged me and said that you bought it and wanted to do an episode about it I was very excited because I was singing that game’s praises for the whole year that I was obsessed with it and I felt like nobody cared. [02:26.000 –> 02:32.000] Yeah. Yeah. It’s just there’s so many games you know. It’s true. Get to them all eventually. Yeah. [02:32.000 –> 02:39.000] Anyway so we’re going to talk about that. Obviously beforehand we’ve got a bunch of news. But first of all Micah what have you been up to? [02:39.000 –> 02:48.000] Zelda. Just Zelda. That’s pretty much it. There is in fact they have released a new Zelda game. [02:48.000 –> 02:57.000] Wow. That’s pretty much. I’ve been playing a little bit of Pokemon Infinite Fusion. I don’t know if you know what that is. What on earth is that? [02:57.000 –> 03:21.000] It is a Pokemon fan game that is essentially Kanto and Johto. But they have DNA splicer items where you can fuse any two Pokemon and there are well beyond Gen 2 Pokemon in the game. [03:21.000 –> 03:39.000] So I think there’s somewhere around like 175,000 combinations you can make. And it’s all like custom sprite work. They have a huge community that’s done like a huge community of like sprite artists and stuff that have done custom sprites. [03:39.000 –> 03:55.000] So that every fusion is like and it’s not just like you know AI generated like combination of two pixel illustration. It’s actual like handmade pixel art for each combo which is pretty incredible. [03:55.000 –> 04:07.000] And it plays really well. It’s like surprisingly well made. But you know it’s just kind of fun to goof around in. I’ve been playing a little bit of that. [04:07.000 –> 04:12.000] Is it a ROM hack or is it like a completely fresh thing? [04:13.000 –> 04:40.000] It’s made in I think it’s Pixel Game Maker Studio. So it’s not like a ROM hack of like Emerald or something like that. It’s very interesting. It’s incredible what like a community of Pokemon fans can do when they’re not like really upset about something. [04:40.000 –> 04:44.000] And instead just like banding together to make something cool. [04:44.000 –> 04:53.000] Yeah. I love this. This is great. This is the sort of thing that like I mean obviously this is I’m surprised it hasn’t been like taken down at any point. [04:53.000 –> 05:02.000] But yeah this is the sort of thing. This is why copyright is stupid. Let people go crazy with this stuff. This is ridiculous fun. I love it. [05:02.000 –> 05:15.000] Yes. 100 percent. Yeah I am a little surprised too. I don’t know though I feel like typically they leave like ROM hacks alone at this point. [05:15.000 –> 05:23.000] Or like quote unquote ROM hacks you know. This isn’t really a ROM hack but who knows. Who knows what goes through the mind of… [05:23.000 –> 05:29.000] Well that’s the thing. You don’t know what they’re actually thinking because like sometimes they don’t touch things and then sometimes they’ll touch the weirdest of things. [05:29.000 –> 05:35.000] You’re like why on earth would you do that. Maybe it’s just not got enough publicity. It looks like it’s been going around since 2015. [05:35.000 –> 05:46.000] Yeah and it just recently has started to like pick up steam a little bit and get a lot more coverage on like YouTube TikTok stuff like that. [05:47.000 –> 05:56.000] Oh my word there’s a poly wag and kanga scan fusion which like it’s not just this is what you mean about like the custom stuff. [05:56.000 –> 06:06.000] Like it’s not just like a blue kanga scan or something but it’s like a poly wag as a kanga scan with a poly wag inside like a bubble stomach. [06:06.000 –> 06:10.000] Like it is amazing. I love it. It’s great. [06:10.000 –> 06:16.000] Yeah it’s really creative and interesting and like the all the sprite work is really well done. [06:16.000 –> 06:33.000] They added even though it’s you know like Kanto and Johto and you know pixel sprites and stuff it’s it’s they added Mimikyu and all of the Mimikyu fusions are just kind of unhinged and I love it. [06:33.000 –> 06:37.000] Oh my word I feel like this is dangerous to know. [06:38.000 –> 06:45.000] It’s pretty fun. It’s a big I will say it’s a big download because the you well there’s two options. [06:45.000 –> 06:50.000] You can either download the game and then have the game download the sprites as it needs them. [06:50.000 –> 06:53.000] Two gigabytes for the the preloaded one. [06:53.000 –> 07:03.000] Yes and then there is there is the preloaded one which has all of the sprites and it installs they like puts it all in the game immediately so that you don’t have to download anything. [07:04.000 –> 07:07.000] I’m definitely not googling how to put this on my Steam Deck. [07:09.000 –> 07:12.000] That’s funny you say that. That’s what I am playing it on so. [07:12.000 –> 07:17.000] Nice. I presume it’s just a Windows build that you just run through the Steam Deck stuff. [07:17.000 –> 07:28.000] It works. This is the thing like I know I don’t know about you I really love the Steam Deck and I think that Valve have done a really good job of integrating the Windows stuff with it as well. [07:28.000 –> 07:34.000] Like the fact that so many games just work out the box just a Windows build just running on Linux is just incredible. [07:34.000 –> 07:50.000] Because like I was I was for a long time a Linux user like that was just it was just a thing that I did right like I didn’t run Windows or Mac for like 15 years like that was just my until I decided you know what life is life is too short. [07:50.000 –> 08:01.000] And yeah games on Linux was just horrific even using something like Wine or whatever to actually run these things because they just never worked well. [08:01.000 –> 08:09.000] Whereas like I’ve run like 10 different completely different Windows games on the Steam Deck with no issues at all which is incredible. [08:09.000 –> 08:21.000] Yeah it’s great. It’s such a night. My brother was just texting me last night asking me what I thought about the Steam Deck and I was sending him paragraphs about how much I like. [08:21.000 –> 08:41.000] Yeah it’s it’s really great that they’ve made it so I mean I’ve never touched Linux before this either so I’ve always been afraid of Linux but it’s it’s so easy to just like it’s literally a power down option like it’s an it’s an option to just switch into the desktop mode. [08:41.000 –> 08:50.000] Yeah. And then just it’s it’s such an easy and accessible thing it’s like really hard to add non-Steam stuff to it. [08:50.000 –> 08:59.000] Yeah I think I think it’s one of these things where like using a switch is still easier right like the way to get it is just 100% easy. [08:59.000 –> 09:11.000] But the customizability like if you are able to do that sort of thing it is it is still so much easier than doing things in any other way. [09:11.000 –> 09:20.000] And if you have any patience for doing custom stuff it’s it’s great and the amount of different stuff you can do is fantastic. [09:20.000 –> 09:31.000] So like I think for the casual person like something like a switch is still going to be better for you but if you have like any customizable bone in your body the Steam Deck is just amazing. [09:31.000 –> 09:43.000] Yeah yeah it’s uh it’s really great. I definitely still you’re right like I primarily am using the Switch but if there’s something that I can’t play on the Switch I move to the Steam Deck for it. [09:43.000 –> 09:52.000] I think I’m at the point where if it’s if it’s on Steam unless it’s cheaper on the Switch I will generally buy on Steam now and play on my Steam Deck. [09:52.000 –> 10:01.000] Not least because it’s actually more it’s more ergonomic to hold like it’s kind of destroyed the Joy-Cons for me. [10:01.000 –> 10:08.000] And especially if I’m getting like Kickstarters and stuff they all come on Steam first so I’m obviously getting the Steam code. [10:08.000 –> 10:13.000] But yeah if it’s if it’s a Switch only game or if it’s cheaper on the Switch then of course I’m getting on the Switch. [10:13.000 –> 10:21.000] I’m not going to say I’m not going to play that right because the Switch is still really fun to play on and you know I wouldn’t not play Zelda just because it’s on the Switch. [10:21.000 –> 10:25.000] Like that’s a really stupid way to do things but you know. [10:25.000 –> 10:36.000] Yeah I yeah it’s I even in the situation that I’m that I’m in where if I if it’s not on the Switch I’m playing it on the Steam Deck and if it’s on the Switch I’m playing it on the Switch. [10:36.000 –> 10:49.000] The amount of things that are on Steam that like like if it’s a you know it’s it’s only on like my console options are Switch PS or PS5 or like Xbox or whatever. [10:49.000 –> 10:57.000] Typically it’s also on Steam so yeah it’s you know it’s nice to be able to move over have everything handheld. [10:57.000 –> 11:01.000] I am not going to lie my PS5 is a Spider-Man console. [11:01.000 –> 11:07.000] That is what that is what I bought it for and that is what is going to remain till the day it dies. [11:07.000 –> 11:10.000] But we’re about to get the Wii U gamepad for it so. [11:10.000 –> 11:15.000] I know well yeah and that’s actually really interesting like it’s obviously going to be stupidly expensive. [11:15.000 –> 11:16.000] Of course. [11:16.000 –> 11:27.000] And it only like streams from your PS5 but personally that’s what I’m looking for right because like getting the power of a PS5 in the palm of my hands to use a Spider-Man quote. [11:27.000 –> 11:35.000] Sorry I watched Spider-Man the other day what can I say. [11:35.000 –> 11:40.000] The new Spider-Man film fantastic very good go watch it. [11:40.000 –> 11:42.000] What was I saying? [11:42.000 –> 11:47.000] Yes being able to play PS5 games without having the TV on that’s that’s what I want. [11:47.000 –> 11:51.000] I don’t actually play games out the house like it’s just not I work from home. [11:51.000 –> 11:56.000] I obviously live from home like if I’m going out it’s because I’m going out to do something. [11:56.000 –> 12:00.000] I’m not going out to do something and then playing games there right come on that’s not what I’m right. [12:00.000 –> 12:05.000] So if I’m playing it’s in my house either in my office when I’m definitely working I’m not playing games. [12:05.000 –> 12:11.000] Or you know in the living room in the evening when the kids are in bed and we want to watch something on the TV. [12:11.000 –> 12:14.000] I don’t want to make my wife watch what I’m playing on the TV. [12:14.000 –> 12:21.000] So the idea of being able to use my PS5 for games that are really good like I’m considering for example getting Sonic Frontiers. [12:21.000 –> 12:28.000] Which is on the Switch but is it really on the Switch like it’s there but it’s not going to run really well. [12:28.000 –> 12:33.000] Like so being able to get the power of the PS5 for that game but still have a handheld. [12:33.000 –> 12:43.000] As someone who bought and played Sonic Frontiers on the Switch I can tell you first hand to hit it on something else. [12:43.000 –> 12:54.000] It’s not great. It’s got that we did whatever we could to get this to run on the Switch kind of feel to it. [12:54.000 –> 13:03.000] Where it’s like everything is really blurry. Everything feels like you know it’s moving in a dream. [13:03.000 –> 13:09.000] The thing is I think that the new Zelda shows you can get games running well on the Switch. [13:09.000 –> 13:13.000] Although it’s not perfect there are obviously still some issues right. There’s still some slowdowns. [13:13.000 –> 13:20.000] But I think it shows that you can given enough time and enough effort and enough money. [13:20.000 –> 13:22.000] You need all those three things. [13:22.000 –> 13:26.000] You can get a game that big running really well on the Switch. [13:26.000 –> 13:32.000] But I mean one thing about Tears of the Kingdom is there’s not actually a lot happening in most of the time. [13:32.000 –> 13:39.000] Like if you look at something like Sonic or you look at something like Pokemon there are lots of things around you all the time. [13:39.000 –> 13:44.000] But actually in Zelda there’s not a huge amount around you all the time. [13:44.000 –> 13:51.000] And like I know that the way that it works technically with like things far away is they’re not modeling things at that point. [13:51.000 –> 13:55.000] They just throw up a few pixels to make it look like there’s something there. [13:55.000 –> 14:04.000] And then you can look through the camera thing. The zoomie magnifying for far away. [14:04.000 –> 14:06.000] The binoculars. [14:06.000 –> 14:09.000] There you go that’s a word. I don’t know what they call it in game but anyway. [14:09.000 –> 14:11.000] Yeah I don’t know what they call it in game. [14:11.000 –> 14:12.000] You know what I mean now that’s fine. [14:12.000 –> 14:14.000] The zoom. The camera zoom feature. [14:14.000 –> 14:17.000] Yeah and then it actually starts modeling things for that small area. [14:17.000 –> 14:24.000] But that doesn’t work for most games because you have more detailed things that you need to be seeing off in the distance. [14:24.000 –> 14:28.000] And they just don’t have a lot of complicated stuff in the distance. [14:28.000 –> 14:32.000] Right there’s like the dragons is probably the most complicated thing you have in the distance. [14:32.000 –> 14:33.000] That’s about it. [14:33.000 –> 14:34.000] Yeah. [14:34.000 –> 14:40.000] You don’t need to model like a bokoblin three miles away. You’re not going to see it. You don’t care about it. [14:40.000 –> 14:41.000] Right. [14:41.000 –> 14:51.000] And I think that like even I really do think that a lot of it comes down to like optimization and how much time is put into optimization and stuff like that. [14:51.000 –> 15:06.000] Like there are even so there are like at the distance that things come into the like field of view or like depth of field for Zelda. [15:06.000 –> 15:17.000] I mean I’ll be honest it’s been very hard for me to and I’m sure that this conversation will be had with other people. [15:17.000 –> 15:24.000] But what I’m saying is I feel like this is probably going to come up during greenhouse so you can cut this out if you want. [15:24.000 –> 15:29.000] But it’s all good. I think we don’t really talk about this sort of stuff in the greenhouse episode. [15:29.000 –> 15:39.000] Okay. It’s been hard to not compare it to Pokemon as a Pokemon fan who has played a lot of Scarlet and Violet and enjoyed it. [15:39.000 –> 15:49.000] It’s been hard to not compare an open world game on the same platform to to that game. [15:49.000 –> 15:58.000] And I do think that a big part of that is just the optimization and maybe how much time there they were given to optimize the game. [15:58.000 –> 16:10.000] Maybe it’s that they brought in Monolith Soft to help with development and Monolith Soft has been with the Xenoblade games and stuff like that. [16:10.000 –> 16:14.000] They’ve done a lot of kind of open world stuff so they’ve got the optimization down. [16:14.000 –> 16:35.000] I don’t know but seeing the way that things like even ten feet away from an NPC and they’re moving at slideshow speed in Pokemon versus you’ve got a whole village of people that are wandering around in Zelda. [16:35.000 –> 16:38.000] It’s a little frustrating. [16:38.000 –> 16:43.000] The only place I’ve really noticed kind of like re-rendering of things is in the depths. [16:43.000 –> 16:51.000] If you’re flying through the depths quite often like the trees will change model when you get closer to them. [16:51.000 –> 17:00.000] That’s the only place I’ve really noticed that and there’s a few places where there’s like high particle physics in the air and that causes a slowdown. [17:00.000 –> 17:03.000] Other than that I’ve not really noticed many issues. [17:03.000 –> 17:12.000] Which is also like for the depths at least pretty impressive because there’s so many particle effects and stuff happening in the depths. [17:12.000 –> 17:16.000] I guess it makes sense that they need to re-render a lot of stuff. [17:16.000 –> 17:25.000] I would always rather graphics pulled down a little bit and it keeps playing well. That’s always my preference. [17:26.000 –> 17:28.000] I agree. [17:28.000 –> 17:47.000] It’s hard to not compare the two I guess and I am sure that a big part of that is how much time they were given to develop this game versus how much time the Pokemon company gave Game Freak to develop Pokemon. [17:47.000 –> 17:53.000] It’s complicated because as a software developer time doesn’t necessarily make things better. [17:53.000 –> 17:59.000] In my experience when you’ve got a team that’s being run by people that make bad decisions. [17:59.000 –> 18:04.000] Developers can’t just do things. Developers can’t just go I’m going to make this better. [18:04.000 –> 18:10.000] You have to do what you’re told and ultimately people make decisions and go this is the priority you’re doing this. [18:10.000 –> 18:19.000] And if they keep making those stupid decisions even if they get an extra five years they’re still going to make the same stupid decisions over and over and over again. [18:19.000 –> 18:26.000] That’s the thing and one of the real problems is when you get more time suddenly they decide oh well we can add more features. [18:26.000 –> 18:31.000] And then you never actually get to the point of improving the things that need improved. [18:31.000 –> 18:34.000] You just end up adding more things that then need to be improved. [18:34.000 –> 18:48.000] I think it just shows that this game from top to bottom is being created by people who actually care and actually know what they’re doing. [18:48.000 –> 18:55.000] There’s not that person at the top telling somebody to do something which then is a bad decision. [18:55.000 –> 19:00.000] Or people at the bottom going I don’t know what I’m doing I’m just going to do things. [19:00.000 –> 19:03.000] Everybody knows what they’re doing and they know how to do it and blah blah blah blah blah. [19:03.000 –> 19:07.000] And where exactly the issues are in different games you’ll never really know. [19:07.000 –> 19:15.000] But yeah it definitely is a problem and how to solve that problem is complicated. [19:15.000 –> 19:21.000] And the problem is that you either end up with fewer games or with games with less stuff. [19:21.000 –> 19:25.000] And I mean I still really liked Scarlet and Violet. [19:25.000 –> 19:27.000] I did too. I absolutely did. [19:27.000 –> 19:32.000] Would you say no to whatever the next game is just to get Scarlet and Violet running slightly better? I don’t know. [19:32.000 –> 19:35.000] Like that’s a really… I don’t want to have to make that decision right? [19:35.000 –> 19:42.000] Yeah. Yeah I guess you know I’m okay with… I don’t know. [19:42.000 –> 19:48.000] I’m okay with whatever like I’m not like super picky about how… [19:48.000 –> 20:01.000] I don’t know what this says about me but I’m not super picky about how a Pokemon game performs as long as the experience of the game is good. [20:01.000 –> 20:03.000] And I felt that with Scarlet and Violet. [20:03.000 –> 20:12.000] But I wouldn’t be opposed to them taking like you know maybe an extra year or two between games instead of one every year. [20:13.000 –> 20:21.000] It just depends really. Obviously I want the game to be better. I want it to look better. I want it to play better. I want it to have better features. [20:21.000 –> 20:25.000] But it’s just not that simple. You can’t just say well that’s fine make it better. [20:25.000 –> 20:28.000] Like that’s not how life works sadly. [20:28.000 –> 20:40.000] And I am also very aware that you know because of the very strict capitalist strategies of the Pokemon company that that’s never going to happen. [20:40.000 –> 20:52.000] And we will always get them on a schedule because there’s you know merch and plushes and all kinds of stuff involved in that decision so. [20:52.000 –> 20:54.000] Anyway so you’re enjoying Zelda? [20:54.000 –> 20:55.000] Yes. [20:57.000 –> 21:03.000] Despite all my inner monologues when I’m seeing something perform really well in Zelda. [21:04.000 –> 21:11.000] Yeah it’s it’s really great. I am fully aware that I’m still in like the honeymoon phase with it. [21:11.000 –> 21:13.000] But it’s been like three weeks. [21:13.000 –> 21:19.000] Yeah and I still like I haven’t beaten the game yet. I am nowhere near that I don’t think. [21:19.000 –> 21:21.000] Well yeah what’s your what’s your current status of things? [21:21.000 –> 21:27.000] I am at the I think I can say this. [21:27.000 –> 21:29.000] I don’t care about spoilers go for it. [21:29.000 –> 21:33.000] I’m at the fourth temple. I am about to start the fourth temple. [21:33.000 –> 21:35.000] That’s fine that’s not a spoiler. [21:35.000 –> 21:40.000] Okay I just I feel like even saying the word temple is. [21:40.000 –> 21:44.000] If someone wants to play Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and they haven’t played it yet. [21:44.000 –> 21:46.000] I mean I guess they couldn’t they might not be able to afford it. [21:46.000 –> 21:54.000] But let’s be honest they know that there are temples right like nobody doesn’t know that at this point if you even slightly care. [21:54.000 –> 22:02.000] Yeah I guess I because there weren’t really temples and in Breath of the Wild they’re sort of where it was like the Divine Beasts but. [22:02.000 –> 22:09.000] Interestingly I’m not really I don’t really see the difference between like this game’s ones and Breath of the Wild ones. [22:09.000 –> 22:12.000] I’ve only done one so far but it didn’t feel significantly bigger. [22:12.000 –> 22:21.000] No I think it’s just the like the way that it like the puzzles and the way that it it operates more. [22:21.000 –> 22:28.000] It feels like a like a sort of a quote unquote classic Zelda dungeon. [22:29.000 –> 22:43.000] Or like Zelda temple then the Divine Beasts felt where like the there’s something that’s like poisoning or like cursing the like the temple. [22:43.000 –> 22:54.000] And it’s it’s I mean if you played Breath of the Wild you know at this point that like all the boss fights for the Divine Beasts were just like slightly different like iterations. [22:55.000 –> 23:03.000] Interestingly like I do yeah the bosses are definitely more interesting looking but I actually think that the battles are less fun. [23:03.000 –> 23:09.000] Interesting I actually feel like they I don’t know I feel like they feel more like a Zelda boss battles than. [23:09.000 –> 23:10.000] They do. [23:10.000 –> 23:13.000] The Calamity Ganon boss fights felt. [23:13.000 –> 23:17.000] I’ll agree with that they definitely do but they feel less like the game this game. [23:17.000 –> 23:22.000] They feel like less than how Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom work in general. [23:22.000 –> 23:28.000] As boss fights than the Calamity the the the other Ganon one wherever they were. [23:28.000 –> 23:31.000] They were Calamity Ganons I can’t remember what the names of them were. [23:31.000 –> 23:33.000] I don’t know what the I think they were just called. [23:33.000 –> 23:39.000] Those ones felt more in keeping with this the way the game works in general. [23:39.000 –> 23:43.000] I will agree these ones feel more like older Zelda bosses. [23:44.000 –> 23:47.000] But the game doesn’t feel like an older Zelda game. [23:47.000 –> 23:54.000] It feels kind of like shoving an old Zelda style thing into a new Zelda style thing and it doesn’t really fit as well. [23:54.000 –> 24:02.000] I don’t know I disagree because I feel like that is that’s what I was gonna say is that like I know that I’m in the honeymoon period for it still. [24:02.000 –> 24:11.000] But I do feel like this is very quickly becoming one of my favorite Zelda games of all time. [24:11.000 –> 24:15.000] And I feel like it already has far and away beat Breath of the Wild for me. [24:15.000 –> 24:17.000] Oh I’d agree with that 100%. [24:17.000 –> 24:22.000] Because of how much more the game feels like a Zelda game than Breath of the Wild felt. [24:22.000 –> 24:26.000] I don’t think I could go back to Breath of the Wild ever again. [24:26.000 –> 24:28.000] No I don’t think so either. [24:28.000 –> 24:33.000] I think Breath of the Wild was a great setup for this game. [24:33.000 –> 24:38.000] But I think that this is the this is the optimal game. [24:38.000 –> 24:45.000] And I really do feel like there are just the general atmosphere of the game. [24:45.000 –> 24:50.000] A lot of the interactions with NPCs, the way things are designed. [24:50.000 –> 25:00.000] The way that like I don’t know the amount of puzzles and stuff that are like and like side quests that are… [25:00.000 –> 25:07.000] I guess I don’t know I don’t know what it is specifically that makes it feel more like a Zelda game to me than Breath of the Wild felt. [25:07.000 –> 25:11.000] But it’s definitely there. It definitely feels more. [25:11.000 –> 25:16.000] I think some of it too is like music and like sound design and stuff like that. [25:16.000 –> 25:19.000] That gives it more of that that feeling. [25:19.000 –> 25:27.000] Take all of my opinions by the way with the knowledge that Breath of the Wild was my first Zelda game. [25:27.000 –> 25:32.000] And then when I went back and played them all I hated all the 3D Zelda games. [25:32.000 –> 25:36.000] Having said that I only really played two of them. [25:36.000 –> 25:37.000] Which two did you play though? [25:37.000 –> 25:40.000] So I played Ocarina. Did not like Ocarina. [25:40.000 –> 25:43.000] And Skyward Sword. Did not like Skyward Sword. [25:43.000 –> 25:46.000] Skyward Sword is my favorite Zelda game of all time. [25:46.000 –> 25:49.000] Oh really? Interesting. I hate it. I hate everything about it. [25:49.000 –> 25:50.000] I wonder whether I would have liked it. [25:50.000 –> 25:52.000] You played it on the Wii or did you play it on the Switch? [25:52.000 –> 25:56.000] I played it on the Switch. I wonder whether I would have liked it had I played it when it came out. [25:56.000 –> 26:01.000] Part of the problem is that obviously the gaming industry is not what it was. [26:02.000 –> 26:10.000] You can’t go back and imagine how this would have played if it was the best thing when it came out. [26:10.000 –> 26:16.000] But it’s not the best thing. We have better things. Therefore how can I put myself in that? [26:16.000 –> 26:20.000] I struggle with that. It’s why I hated Mario 64. [26:20.000 –> 26:24.000] Would I have enjoyed Mario 64 if I played it when it came out? Probably. [26:24.000 –> 26:29.000] But I did not like it when I played it first time six years ago. [26:29.000 –> 26:33.000] Because it’s just not fun now because there’s so much more fun games. [26:33.000 –> 26:37.000] Was it amazing for when it came out? Maybe. [26:37.000 –> 26:40.000] But that doesn’t make it amazing now. [26:40.000 –> 26:51.000] I definitely think that a lot of my ability to go back and play those games and appreciate them now is heavily tied to my nostalgia for them. [26:51.000 –> 26:57.000] Like how relevant their design is and stuff like that. [26:57.000 –> 27:03.000] They are very dated games. Especially the N64 era stuff. [27:03.000 –> 27:09.000] Great games but very dated and a lot has changed for the better since then. [27:09.000 –> 27:16.000] But I have loved every 2D Zelda game I’ve played. I’ve not finished them but I’ve enjoyed every 2D Zelda game I’ve played. [27:16.000 –> 27:23.000] So I don’t know how much of it is like, oh maybe this is more like the dungeons in the 3D Zelda games. [27:23.000 –> 27:27.000] But it doesn’t feel like a 2D Zelda dungeon either. [27:27.000 –> 27:35.000] With the 2D dungeons you were going through this maze essentially with a bunch of different rooms and trying to get to the end. [27:35.000 –> 27:40.000] I don’t know how the 3D ones were because I didn’t really get through that much of either of those two games. [27:40.000 –> 27:45.000] I just really struggled. I didn’t even get to the first dungeon of each of them. That’s how I struggled with them. [27:45.000 –> 27:53.000] I would say that is absolutely the case. The 3D dungeons are a lot different than the 2D Zelda game dungeons are. [27:53.000 –> 27:58.000] And these feel much more like 3D Zelda dungeons than they do. [27:58.000 –> 28:05.000] That makes much more sense because looking at the dungeons in this game and looking at the Divine Beast in the last one. [28:05.000 –> 28:14.000] They feel much more similar than different. But maybe there’s something I’m missing that I would have seen had I properly played any of the 3D Zeldas. [28:14.000 –> 28:20.000] And the boss fights too feel much more like the boss fights from 3D Zelda dungeon games. [28:20.000 –> 28:24.000] I do think the boss fights feel very similar to 2D Zelda games as well. [28:24.000 –> 28:32.000] It’s about figuring out a pattern for this large creature that obviously you can get damaged by it. [28:32.000 –> 28:36.000] But it’s not necessarily going in and attacking you with a sword. [28:36.000 –> 28:39.000] Hit the eyeball. Always hit the eyeball. [28:39.000 –> 28:47.000] It feels like that but my point about that was personally I don’t enjoy that as much. [28:47.000 –> 28:54.000] I much more enjoyed the Ganon battles because it felt more like the other battles in the game. [28:54.000 –> 29:05.000] I guess I didn’t dislike the Ganon battles. In retrospect now it didn’t feel the same way to me. [29:05.000 –> 29:14.000] It felt like a very good game but it didn’t feel like a Zelda game to me I guess in a lot of those instances. [29:14.000 –> 29:25.000] Which is where this feeling more like a Zelda game and having a lot more things that I’m familiar with for Zelda games feels more exciting to me. [29:25.000 –> 29:31.000] That that’s happening and that they’ve made those designed decisions and stuff. [29:31.000 –> 29:36.000] As someone who is a long time Zelda fan and has played every Zelda game. [29:36.000 –> 29:41.000] I think a lot of it is down to that. I didn’t play any Zelda games before this one. [29:41.000 –> 29:56.000] I bought Breath of the Wild on Switch release day because I pre-ordered a Switch but the games that I pre-ordered were Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart and 1-2 Switch. [29:56.000 –> 30:04.000] None of them came out for at least a month after the Switch came out so I was like I don’t have any games for this console that I just bought. [30:04.000 –> 30:09.000] So I wandered into a game shop and went have you got any copies of that Zelda game? I hear it’s good. [30:09.000 –> 30:14.000] They were like we’ve got one copy so I bought that one copy of Breath of the Wild. [30:14.000 –> 30:17.000] Are you saying 1-2 Switch didn’t hold you over until… [30:17.000 –> 30:23.000] Well it wasn’t out initially. It didn’t come out till April and the Switch came out in March. [30:23.000 –> 30:30.000] So yeah I had to buy this game that I’d never played any of the series called Zelda. [30:30.000 –> 30:34.000] And it turned out to be very good and one of my favourite games of all time. [30:34.000 –> 30:38.000] It’s such a funny… I’m obviously not the only person. [30:38.000 –> 30:43.000] More people bought Breath of the Wild than bought all of the other Zelda games combined. [30:43.000 –> 30:47.000] So this would have been a lot of people’s first Zelda game. [30:47.000 –> 30:53.000] It’s probably a reason why we’ll never get a Zelda game not like Breath of the Wild or at least not building on top of that idea ever again. [30:53.000 –> 30:56.000] We’ll probably get some 2D ones but they’ll never sell as well. [30:56.000 –> 31:02.000] Because there’s just a whole different group of people who this is Zelda to them. [31:02.000 –> 31:05.000] Nothing else is Zelda to them. [31:05.000 –> 31:09.000] Anyway this is a game about cottagecore games. This is a podcast about cottagecore games. [31:09.000 –> 31:12.000] Well I mean you can build a house and… [31:12.000 –> 31:17.000] My god the house building is so good! I can’t even… [31:17.000 –> 31:21.000] See when I first came onto that someone was like oh you can build a house and I was like oh that’s funny. [31:21.000 –> 31:24.000] It’s going to be like the last one. Whatever. [31:24.000 –> 31:26.000] And I went and I was like oh my word this is amazing. [31:26.000 –> 31:33.000] I have spent a good 10 hours building my house over the last 3 weeks. [31:33.000 –> 31:35.000] I’m not even kidding. [31:35.000 –> 31:40.000] My only gripe is that it maxes at like 15 blocks. [31:40.000 –> 31:47.000] Which I hope that maybe in the inevitable DLC or whatever they add new rooms. [31:47.000 –> 31:53.000] Or the ability to add more rooms. Something like that. [31:53.000 –> 31:55.000] I love it so much. [31:55.000 –> 31:57.000] I know it’s great. I love it too. [31:57.000 –> 32:06.000] I built everything inside the house that I really loved and I wanted to add the garden and the moat or whatever. [32:07.000 –> 32:15.000] The pond outside but I ran out of space. I ran out of space. I hit all 15 of my house blocks. [32:15.000 –> 32:20.000] There’s one other thing that annoys me about the house and this is literally it. [32:20.000 –> 32:27.000] The pond, it spawns fish. The garden, you cannot farm in. You can’t farm in the garden. [32:27.000 –> 32:28.000] Oh really? [32:28.000 –> 32:31.000] It’s just there. It just looks like a garden. [32:31.000 –> 32:40.000] I don’t understand why you gave me this pond that I can grow fish in and you gave me this garden that I can’t grow anything in. [32:40.000 –> 32:43.000] Why would you do that to me? Why would you make this so good? [32:43.000 –> 32:52.000] You would make this house building amazing and addictive and great and you’d give me a fish pond but you can’t let me grow something in the garden. [32:52.000 –> 32:55.000] It doesn’t even need to be massively complex. [32:55.000 –> 32:58.000] You don’t need to go oh well you can grow carrots and blah blah blah. [32:58.000 –> 33:06.000] Just let me grow the trees. The fire tree and the zappy tree. Just let me grow those. Let me plant one and it grows. [33:06.000 –> 33:11.000] I’m not asking for everything in the world to be possible to grow. [33:11.000 –> 33:15.000] Just those little trees that you can grow with the fruit. Let me do those. [33:15.000 –> 33:21.000] Just make it simple. Just three plots. You can just grow three things and that’s it. [33:21.000 –> 33:28.000] And I can grow my little fire fruit plant. Let me grow my fire fruit plant. That’s all I want. [33:28.000 –> 33:35.000] I actually didn’t know that because I ran out of blocks. I wasn’t able to put my garden in but that’s interesting. [33:35.000 –> 33:37.000] Well it’s a good thing you didn’t waste it. [33:37.000 –> 33:47.000] I don’t necessarily understand that. Maybe they were just like adding a farming element is something that we’ll do in DLC. [33:47.000 –> 33:53.000] That’s fine. If you make me pay for it I will pay for it but tell me it’s coming. Tell me it’s coming. I want to know it’s coming. [33:53.000 –> 34:01.000] I will wait for it and I will pay for it. I will pay like 30 quid for a farming addition to this game. 100% I will do that. [34:01.000 –> 34:09.000] And Zelda can wait. I’ve got farming to do. I’ve got a house to build. I’ve got farming to do. [34:09.000 –> 34:11.000] Shall we talk about some news? [34:11.000 –> 34:13.000] Let’s do it. [34:13.000 –> 34:19.000] So before we get into the new news I wanted to ask Mike if you have any thoughts on the marvellous games that were announced last week. [34:19.000 –> 34:23.000] Because we talked about them on the podcast last week, me and Johnny. [34:23.000 –> 34:29.000] But obviously you quite often have a lot of opinions on Story of Seasons and Rune Factory. [34:29.000 –> 34:41.000] The fact that they were mostly just announced without a lot to go off of. I’m very excited. [34:41.000 –> 34:49.000] But I don’t know what I’m looking forward to because there’s not a lot to go off of. [34:49.000 –> 34:57.000] Obviously I’m going to probably buy and play whatever they put out for Story of Seasons and Rune Factory. [34:57.000 –> 35:05.000] I am really excited at the prospect of a multiplayer Story of Seasons game. I am curious to see what that’s going to look like. [35:05.000 –> 35:07.000] Me too. [35:07.000 –> 35:11.000] But I am excited at that idea. [35:11.000 –> 35:15.000] What I said in the podcast last week was I have no idea what to expect from it. [35:15.000 –> 35:23.000] But the fact that they’re making it as a separate game means they obviously have an idea that is radical enough that it’s different from a standard Story of Seasons game. [35:23.000 –> 35:29.000] That they feel it needs to be another game and that I’m excited by in and of itself. [35:29.000 –> 35:35.000] And maybe that they don’t trust it enough to make it the mainline game. [35:35.000 –> 35:37.000] That’s possible but maybe… [35:37.000 –> 35:49.000] I feel like maybe it’s just they know their audience and they know that there’s a possibility that people who want to play their single player, you know, the standard Story of Seasons experience. [35:49.000 –> 35:55.000] I don’t necessarily want a multiplayer experience as well and it kind of gives the option between different games. [35:55.000 –> 35:57.000] And I think that’s fine. [35:57.000 –> 35:59.000] Yeah. Give me both. I want both. [35:59.000 –> 36:05.000] Yeah. I’m perfectly fine with that too. [36:05.000 –> 36:12.000] Otherwise, standard Story of Seasons experience. I’ve always been on board for that so I’m of course excited about that. [36:12.000 –> 36:17.000] I did see… what is that? Project Magia? [36:17.000 –> 36:19.000] Project Magia? [36:19.000 –> 36:21.000] The Rune Factory one? [36:21.000 –> 36:29.000] No, not the Rune Factory one. It’s the other… it’s like some RPG that they’re working on but it’s designed by the… [36:29.000 –> 36:33.000] I didn’t pay attention to anything that wasn’t specifically Story of Seasons or Rune Factory. Come on. [36:33.000 –> 36:41.000] But they had that and then they had the Project Life is RPG which… whatever those words mean together. [36:41.000 –> 36:45.000] Just I hate everything about that. [36:45.000 –> 36:55.000] But it kind of… it makes me wonder what of that is going to feel like Fantasy Life which was a fantastic game. [36:55.000 –> 37:09.000] Incredible game. Life Simulator. Again, if you haven’t played… every opportunity for that game to come up on this podcast, I will tell you to play it. [37:09.000 –> 37:13.000] Because it’s great. And there’s a new one coming out. [37:13.000 –> 37:22.000] But I’m curious to see how much that interacts with that style of game. If this is Marvelous’ take on Fantasy Life. [37:22.000 –> 37:24.000] Yeah. Maybe. [37:24.000 –> 37:30.000] But, you know, Rune Factory is Rune Factory. It’s going to probably be like Rune Factory. [37:30.000 –> 37:41.000] I think 5 made some really great moves and it still felt very… still felt kind of in its infancy for what they were trying to do. [37:42.000 –> 37:46.000] Shifting from previous Rune Factory games to 5. So hopefully… [37:46.000 –> 37:48.000] Well it was such a big step. [37:48.000 –> 37:49.000] It really was. [37:49.000 –> 37:58.000] It was so drastic. It felt like going from Pokemon Black and White to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It was such a huge difference. There was no in-between steps. [37:58.000 –> 38:09.000] Yeah. Yep. It’s really hard not to look at Rune Factory Project Dragon and not see Tears of the Kingdom. [38:09.000 –> 38:14.000] But I know that that’s not how games work and that this was in development for a long time. [38:14.000 –> 38:16.000] Yeah. [38:16.000 –> 38:19.000] This is the one we got most information about out of those 4 games. [38:19.000 –> 38:26.000] Yes. Probably because they were like, we need to show this now so that people don’t think that we were just… [38:26.000 –> 38:33.000] And I need to ride my dragons. Right? Like, I love this. I want to ride a dragon. Give me it. [38:33.000 –> 38:37.000] It looks great. The dragons kind of look like a never-ending story. [38:37.000 –> 38:39.000] Oh yeah. Oh yeah. That’s funny. [38:39.000 –> 38:41.000] It’s kind of neat. [38:41.000 –> 38:43.000] Let’s go. [38:43.000 –> 38:45.000] Yeah, let’s go. [38:45.000 –> 39:02.000] But it looks like they’re… That’s kind of what I was getting at. It looks like they’re making those steps to bridge from 5 to 6 in Project Dragon to make it more what they wanted 5 to be and more what it felt like 5 should have been. [39:02.000 –> 39:10.000] Interesting. The other thing is, I’ve not written this in the show notes, but have we talked about the new Harvest Moon game? What are your thoughts about that? [39:11.000 –> 39:14.000] You know, I’m going to be honest with you, I forgot that there was a new Harvest Moon game. [39:14.000 –> 39:16.000] You’ve not seen the screenshots? [39:16.000 –> 39:19.000] Is it the Winds of Anthos? [39:19.000 –> 39:21.000] It is the Winds of Anthos. [39:21.000 –> 39:23.000] I have not seen the new screenshots. [39:23.000 –> 39:26.000] Oh my word. Let me get some screenshots for you. [39:26.000 –> 39:29.000] I think after the One World experience… [39:29.000 –> 39:31.000] Oh, let me tell you. Right? [39:31.000 –> 39:35.000] Okay, first of all, do not pretend like you didn’t enjoy that game. [39:35.000 –> 39:37.000] I played a lot of it. [39:37.000 –> 39:44.000] It was a bad game, but I remember both of us saying that it was an enjoyable bad game. [39:44.000 –> 39:52.000] Yeah, it was. And I played far more of it than I would play another game that I actually really didn’t like. [39:52.000 –> 39:58.000] Yeah, played more of it than you really should. But I sent you a tweet with some screenshots in it. [39:58.000 –> 39:59.000] Okay. [39:59.000 –> 40:01.000] Yeah, exactly. [40:01.000 –> 40:11.000] You know, screenshots are tricky, right? Because those same things could be in motion and be shocking to look at. [40:11.000 –> 40:17.000] But so far, so good. I’m a little more impressed than I guess I would have expected myself to be. [40:17.000 –> 40:23.000] Yeah. I mean, let’s not forget that the most exciting thing we got about One World was the initial concept art. [40:23.000 –> 40:27.000] The first time we got a screenshot, it was not good. [40:27.000 –> 40:31.000] So even getting good looking screenshots is an improvement. [40:31.000 –> 40:38.000] I do see that there are the romance music notes in the dialogue box. [40:38.000 –> 40:41.000] Well, come on, they can’t go too far away from things, right? [40:41.000 –> 40:48.000] There still are romanceable… Were there romanceable characters in One World? [40:48.000 –> 40:51.000] Yeah, it’s just neither of us bothered because we didn’t enjoy the characters. [40:51.000 –> 40:55.000] Okay. That feels more accurate. [40:55.000 –> 41:01.000] Yeah, it looks interesting. Do we have any info on release date or anything? [41:01.000 –> 41:05.000] Yes, so it’s coming out at the end of September. I think it was 26th of September or something. [41:05.000 –> 41:07.000] Oh, that’s soon. [41:07.000 –> 41:11.000] It is soon. They did say summer though, which that is not summer. [41:11.000 –> 41:19.000] But anyway, the interesting thing about this one is it’s continuing with the concept of the movable farm, the expando farm from One World. [41:20.000 –> 41:28.000] So you can still move your farm around the world and it sounds like it’s a bigger world than One World, which is a very confusing sentence to say. [41:28.000 –> 41:33.000] And I don’t know about you, but the expando farm was the best thing about that game? [41:33.000 –> 41:36.000] Yeah, yes. I think that it was too. [41:36.000 –> 41:39.000] I can tweet with an incredible screenshot as well. Go look at that. [41:39.000 –> 41:44.000] Tell me this doesn’t look good. Tell me this doesn’t. [41:44.000 –> 41:46.000] It does look good. It does look really good. [41:46.000 –> 41:51.000] So as you say, it could still be terrible. The actual gameplay could be horrific. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But… [41:51.000 –> 41:53.000] Oh, we got a mini map. [41:53.000 –> 41:56.000] I am encouraged by this. I am very encouraged. [41:56.000 –> 42:06.000] Yeah, I am too. I’m a little stressed about the idea that it’s coming out in September and we’ve only got like five screenshots total so far. [42:06.000 –> 42:12.000] But I’m not going to hold that against them. We’ll see how it goes. [42:13.000 –> 42:19.000] I do see that there is a Sleeping Cow plush as part of the collector’s box. [42:19.000 –> 42:21.000] Possibly the best plush they’ve done. [42:21.000 –> 42:31.000] Yes. And definitely much cuter, I think, personally than the recent Story of Seasons plushes as well. [42:31.000 –> 42:35.000] Oh, there are some more screenshots than just those few. [42:35.000 –> 42:38.000] Here’s one of them interacting with a polar bear. [42:38.000 –> 42:43.000] Yeah, there’s a few more. We don’t have any video or actual gameplay. There’s a few more scree

This week on NintenDomain, we are still stuck on Tears of the Kingdom, but we are getting a lot of updates for AEW Fight Forever plus neverending E3 has started with the Marvelous Games Showcase!!! Support NntenDomain and get a 7 day trial at: www.patreon.com/nintendomainpodcast Music: Intro: AEW Fight Forever: Young Bucks Entrance Music Break 1: Star Wars Jedi Survivor: Undercity Break 2: Tears of the kingdom: Lightning Temple Ending: Navy Remix Topic Times: 00:01:49 Host Introductions and the found game 00:10:02 Got Item: Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun From Russia with Love AEW Fight Forever Capcom vs SNK 2 00:41:01 Star Wars Jedi Survivor 00:49:43 Tears of the Kingdom 01:35:08 Weekly Nintendo News!  

It's been a while since we've visited the farm. So grab your watering can, because Anna, Ryan M, and Wheels join us this week to talk about Rune Factory 4. The post RPG Backtrack 285 – There’s a Dragon in the Throne Room appeared first on RPGamer.

Al and Jonnie go through all the news and newly announced games Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:07: What Have We Been Up To 00:20:06: News 01:16:56: Outro Links Roots of Pacha Back on Steam Wholesome Direct Date Above Snakes Steamdeck Coral Island Summer Update Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos Plushie Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos New Screenshot Everdream Valley Release Marvelous Showcase Starstruck Vagabond Just Life Natsu-Mon 20th Century Summer Vacation Grandma Green Grimoire Groves Revenant Hill Circle of Kerzoven Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript [00:00.000 –> 00:30.000] . [00:30.000 –> 00:35.000] Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. [00:35.000 –> 00:44.000] My name is Al and I’m Johnny and we are here today to talk about farming games. [00:44.000 –> 00:51.000] Important note at the top as always transcripts are available for this episode in the show notes and on the Web site. [00:51.000 –> 00:55.000] So if you need that go and get that. How you doing Johnny? [00:55.000 –> 01:01.000] I’m good, I’m good. It’s early morning on a Sunday so we’ll see how coherent I am by the end of the episode. [01:01.000 –> 01:06.000] But other than that I’m excited to talk farming games like legitimately. [01:06.000 –> 01:10.000] That’s what we’re talking about today right? It’s just infinite farming games. [01:10.000 –> 01:18.000] So many games. So I have found like as always there’s always games that appear and I’m like oh that’s a game I didn’t know about it add it to the list. [01:18.000 –> 01:25.000] And I don’t always talk about those new games as I come across them because like sometimes you can get a bit overwhelmed. [01:25.000 –> 01:33.000] And we’ve gotten to the point where I had like a couple of games and I was like maybe it’s time to go through these games let’s do an episode on it. [01:33.000 –> 01:42.000] And then boom a bunch came out this week. A bunch were announced this week so it was the perfect week to do it apparently. [01:43.000 –> 01:44.000] I just didn’t know it. [01:44.000 –> 01:48.000] It was well planned because usually these things happen like immediately after you record the episode. [01:48.000 –> 01:53.000] So you’ve clearly nailed the timing after four years of doing the show. [01:53.000 –> 01:57.000] We’ll see. Let’s see what happens after this recording. [01:59.000 –> 02:02.000] Alright cool so we’re going to talk all about those new games. [02:02.000 –> 02:07.000] We’ve got some other news that isn’t new game related which we’ll go over. [02:07.000 –> 02:09.000] But first of all Johnny what have you been up to? [02:09.000 –> 02:12.000] Well Al there’s this new game I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. [02:12.000 –> 02:17.000] It’s called The Legend of Zelda and it’s very good. [02:17.000 –> 02:20.000] I know you’ve been playing it a whole ton. [02:20.000 –> 02:30.000] I’m pretty sure you’re well ahead of where I am but kind of anytime I have time I am playing the new Zelda and I love it. [02:30.000 –> 02:35.000] It’s like I know people are going crazy and saying it’s maybe the best game ever made. [02:35.000 –> 02:38.000] Those people are probably accurate it’s probably the best game ever made. [02:38.000 –> 02:45.000] I always like I’m not saying it’s not the best game ever made right because I’m saying I’m not willing to say that. [02:45.000 –> 02:51.000] I’m not I’m not willing to say it is the best game purely because like I don’t even know what that means. [02:51.000 –> 02:54.000] Right like how do you define the best game? [02:54.000 –> 02:56.000] So I can I can answer this question. [02:56.000 –> 03:02.000] So you think of a game and that game is better than all of the other games. [03:02.000 –> 03:04.000] That game is the best game. [03:04.000 –> 03:11.000] What does it mean to be better like this is it is very subjective right like I think there are plenty of people. [03:11.000 –> 03:16.000] None of them are apparently on my friends list because almost everyone on my friends list on the switch is playing it. [03:16.000 –> 03:24.000] But there are people who don’t like this type of game right and so that that would be a subjective thing to them. [03:24.000 –> 03:26.000] They would not enjoy that kind of game. [03:26.000 –> 03:32.000] Yeah I think what I personally really like about Zelda is just how open it is right. [03:32.000 –> 03:40.000] It took the concept from Breath of the Wild of kind of go anywhere and do anything into actually do anything. [03:40.000 –> 03:53.000] The ultra hand mechanic that’s kind of the huge innovation that makes this game not just Breath of the Wild 1.5. [03:53.000 –> 03:55.000] Yeah I would agree. [03:55.000 –> 04:00.000] I think it’s funny there’s two things I find really funny about people playing this game. [04:00.000 –> 04:04.000] And they do something crazy and they’re like oh they’d never know we do this. [04:04.000 –> 04:10.000] And I’m like no maybe not specifically that but like do you think they didn’t have this sort of thing in mind when they designed this feature. [04:10.000 –> 04:16.000] Do you really think that they were designing this feature for you to make a boat to go across a river. [04:16.000 –> 04:17.000] Of course they not. [04:17.000 –> 04:20.000] They knew that this would be incredible on social media. [04:20.000 –> 04:24.000] People would make these insane things and it would get them so much positive. [04:24.000 –> 04:28.000] They knew that come on like we know that these people know how to make games right. [04:28.000 –> 04:33.000] They’ve made two games in a row that people are saying are the best game ever made. [04:33.000 –> 04:39.000] Right like they know what they’re doing they absolutely knew what people would do with this. [04:39.000 –> 04:45.000] And the other thing is when people do like a shrine and they’re like oh this is not the proper way to do this shrine. [04:45.000 –> 04:48.000] And I’m like there is no proper way that’s the point. [04:48.000 –> 04:52.000] Right like there is an intended solution to make sure you can get through the shrine. [04:53.000 –> 04:58.000] But they’re totally open to you cheesing the hell out of the shrine if that is the way that you get through it. [04:58.000 –> 05:06.000] Like I’m at the point where I’ve got over a hundred shrines now and anytime I go into a shrine that has one of those like pressure sensitive things that you’re meant to do something with a ball. [05:06.000 –> 05:08.000] I’m like no no and I just shoot it with a bomb arrow. [05:08.000 –> 05:15.000] I’m done with those I’m fine with just just getting through like absolutely like that there’s no specific way to do these things. [05:15.000 –> 05:20.000] And it’s like even with some shrines there isn’t actually like a clear intended thing. [05:20.000 –> 05:22.000] Like there’s multiple different ways to do it. [05:22.000 –> 05:29.000] I think with a lot of them there is like here’s the way that this is like the as you say suggested way to do it. [05:29.000 –> 05:32.000] But I think there are even shrines that that’s not the case. [05:32.000 –> 05:37.000] Yeah that wouldn’t surprise me I’ve only done about 30 so um yeah you know. [05:37.000 –> 05:43.000] Relatively speaking I’m not that far in and it would not surprise me if there’s there’s shrines like that. [05:43.000 –> 05:48.000] And you know I was talking to some friends about Zelda last night and they haven’t played it yet. [05:48.000 –> 05:52.000] And they were asking you know because I’m off doing all of the side stuff and haven’t done any of the main story. [05:52.000 –> 05:54.000] They’re like but won’t you be overpowered when you come back to the story? [05:54.000 –> 06:01.000] It’s like no that’s not really a thing like yes you know I might have some powerful weapons by the time I come back. [06:01.000 –> 06:06.000] But it’s not like the combat is the gating in this game really I don’t find. [06:06.000 –> 06:12.000] No if you’ve played Breath of the Wild and you got good at the combat in Breath of the Wild you’re already overpowered for this game. [06:13.000 –> 06:27.000] Right like and sure you can get new weapon and stuff but you can get like the best weapon and the best bow and the best shield almost immediately in the game if you cared about it. [06:27.000 –> 06:30.000] Right they’re like they’re right there you can go and get them. [06:30.000 –> 06:31.000] Yep. [06:31.000 –> 06:40.000] Like nothing’s stopping you and so much if you are good at dodge this is the thing about Breath of the Wild this is actually why I love the combat in these games. [06:40.000 –> 06:46.000] Is if you are good at dodging you can beat any enemy with almost any weapon. [06:46.000 –> 06:50.000] It’ll take longer if you have lower powered weapons obviously you might get a bit bored. [06:50.000 –> 06:54.000] But you can if you’re good at it you can do anything with any of these enemies. [06:54.000 –> 07:00.000] Yeah and the thing I like right because I am not particularly good at the dodging mechanics I don’t have great timing. [07:00.000 –> 07:12.000] But even I can like there’s ways to cheese around the combat right and so I can go like I’ve gone and taken on some stuff that’s you know technically a lot more difficult than the quality of the weapons should let me beat. [07:12.000 –> 07:23.000] But with all of the ability to build stuff and bomb arrows and like all of the weapon fusing stuff you can get through some pretty difficult battles you know pretty easily if you want. [07:23.000 –> 07:37.000] Yeah just bomb everything and especially if you if you get to the point where you’ve got you know a significant number of batteries for the Zonai stuff you can make some pretty dangerous weapons with the with like the charge beams and stuff like that. [07:37.000 –> 07:49.000] Like you can I saw someone and someone defeated one of the glioks with literally 30 seconds with with a Zonai weapon. [07:49.000 –> 07:53.000] Like they’re just some of them you can make insanely overpowered things. [07:53.000 –> 08:07.000] Yeah and for me this is the most ridiculous thing about this game is so last night I finally kind of went into the underground so you know explored and done a lot of the towers and done some of the sky islands. [08:07.000 –> 08:14.000] And I’d done like just that very intro quest where you get the camera in the underground and that was all I had done. [08:15.000 –> 08:25.000] And I was like oh maybe I should go into the underground and do like the the second quest that’s that’s down there or the second quest that you get given to go down there and spend the entire night down there. [08:25.000 –> 08:38.000] And why is the underground so fun and like because to me it’s this thing that didn’t even need to be in the game right if they were just like here’s Breath of the Wild plus Sky Islands everyone would have been like great this game is amazing. [08:38.000 –> 08:54.000] Yeah and then they put this entire third map into the game and it wasn’t even the big promotion part and it’s so good it has no right to be that much fun to explore and just I don’t know it’s it’s amazing. [08:55.000 –> 09:03.000] And there’s also there’s there’s there’s are obviously like there’s loads of enemies down there that are just like the normal version but with gloom on them which is fine. [09:03.000 –> 09:12.000] Like people get annoyed about these I don’t think that’s a problem like I actually quite like that because it’s like it’s playing around with the usual enemies and making you have to think about them differently. [09:12.000 –> 09:20.000] But there are also completely exclusive enemies down there as well that you only get in the depths that you wouldn’t find anywhere else, which is fun as well. [09:20.000 –> 09:31.000] Yeah and I’m not really impacted by the like I’m like gloom enemies I’m running minimum hearts so they’re not that different to the regular enemies from my perspective. [09:32.000 –> 09:35.000] Run away. Run away and bomb them. [09:37.000 –> 09:41.000] Yeah yeah definitely avoid the the gloom Lionel. [09:41.000 –> 09:54.000] Yeah this is not a podcast about Zelda so we’re going to stop talking about this just now and we will be doing I guarantee you we will be doing a greenhouse episode about Zelda because I think we have a lot more to talk about it. [09:54.000 –> 10:02.000] So look out for that probably a couple of weeks but it will come out but yeah okay cool anything else other than Zelda? [10:03.000 –> 10:20.000] As usual just being you know Marvel snapping up a storm it’s still a really good game I have no idea what they’re trying to do in order to monetize this game because other than season passes like I just look at the bundles that they release and I just am so fascinated by who would be picking up these things. [10:20.000 –> 10:40.000] I think it’s I think it’s I think the season pass is for most people who will if you’re going to put any money and you’re going to do the season pass right like that is that is the thing to do I think the bundles are for for the whales right the whales will spend a ridiculous amount of money and they’ll do whatever it’s like oh yeah I’ll drop 50 quid for that of course like some people. [10:40.000 –> 10:44.000] I would say in most games I am a whale and it’s too much for me. [10:45.000 –> 11:04.000] I feel like probably we just don’t fully understand what whales are like whales are not like oh yeah I’ve put in 200 quid this year right like that’s not a whale that’s that’s a decent chunk of money but it’s not a whale a whale is like yeah all my free money is going in this you know. [11:04.000 –> 11:33.000] I guess by that definition I’m definitely not but I mean I yeah it’s their pricing is insane but High Evolutionary just came out which is a very fun card has you know really taken over the meta game for the last few days and I may have been a horrible person and gone back to playing Galactus just really effectively dunks on all of these High Evolutionary decks but High Evolutionary is a really fun card and like just the design that I’ve been doing with Marvel Snap has been really really good. [11:33.000 –> 11:46.000] They’ve been making a bunch of sort of small tweaks on a weekly basis which has been awesome for the meta game and yeah I just I really like it as a little fun game that kind of just keeps ticking over. [11:46.000 –> 11:53.000] I thought I would have bounced off by now but I’m really still feeling it so I love Snap. Are you still snapping Al? [11:54.000 –> 12:14.000] Not regularly. I pop in every so often and do stuff but I’ve not really done for the last couple of weeks. I still it’s I think I mentioned this last time we were we were chatting about it is like I try so hard to be the type of person that will just play a game for 10 minutes a day but it just is not me and I have never managed to do that. [12:14.000 –> 12:30.000] So like I’m either playing a game or I’m not playing a game so no like well this is the thing like even with Zelda right like I can do something in 10 minutes so why wouldn’t I do something in 10 minutes like it’s not like a game where once you start you’re in it for an hour. [12:30.000 –> 12:41.000] No it absolutely is because it’s the sort of game where you start with a thing in mind and then doing the thing that you had in mind takes so long because you get distracted doing a million other things. [12:41.000 –> 12:53.000] Yeah, so anytime I’m so I think my point is like anytime I would possibly pay Snap I’m just playing Zelda instead right and if I was playing Snap I’d be like why am I not playing Zelda because I’m enjoying that game. [12:53.000 –> 13:08.000] So I’ve been playing a lot of Zelda I was just double checking my switch says I’ve been played for over 70 hours on Zelda now, which is kind of stupid considering it’s been two weeks and that’s nearly a full time job. [13:09.000 –> 13:12.000] Over two weeks. [13:12.000 –> 13:23.000] So, yeah, I suspect I’m probably pretty close to the ADHD burnout part of the first play of Tears of the Kingdom. [13:23.000 –> 13:28.000] So I suspect at some point in the next week I will end up putting it down for a few months. [13:28.000 –> 13:37.000] But we’ll see. That is how I play my games. I have to do it as much as possible because I know the end is coming where my brain tells me I’m done for now. [13:37.000 –> 13:51.000] Yeah, see I think I’ll be playing this game for like the rest of the year and it’s a shame because I’m looking at other games that are coming up and coming out and I’m just like, I don’t know how I’m going to find time for these games around Zelda because that’s just me for the rest of the year I think. [13:51.000 –> 13:58.000] I’ll keep coming back to it but I don’t think I’ll be playing as much as I have done just now over the next month. [13:58.000 –> 14:03.000] I would hope not. That feels like an unsustainable pace for the rest of the year. [14:03.000 –> 14:06.000] 35 hours a week for every week. [14:06.000 –> 14:10.000] And we need new episodes of this show to come out. [14:11.000 –> 14:22.000] I’ve got a game I need to play this week for next week’s episode so I definitely won’t be playing 35 hours this week because that is literally all, you know, any second of free time I have that 35 hours. [14:22.000 –> 14:25.000] Oh man, that’s a lot of time. [14:25.000 –> 14:34.000] Or the other thing is obviously I’ve not been playing it but I watched the PlayStation Showcase on Wednesday and I’m very excited for Spider-Man coming out. [14:34.000 –> 14:36.000] I believe you mean Spider-Man 2. [14:36.000 –> 14:38.000] Do we need to get into this? [14:38.000 –> 14:43.000] We don’t need to. I just, you know, I know how much you love that name so I just wanted to make sure we were… [14:43.000 –> 14:52.000] So what I said to you before the Showcase, Johnny, was if they announce a release date and they haven’t given us a new name I’m accepting that that’s the name. [14:52.000 –> 14:56.000] They haven’t given us a release date. They didn’t give us a release date on Wednesday. [14:56.000 –> 14:58.000] I don’t know why they’ve not given us a release date, right? [14:58.000 –> 15:03.000] Like, this game is probably like four months away and they’ve not given us a release date. [15:04.000 –> 15:06.000] So I’m still not accepting it, right? [15:06.000 –> 15:09.000] It’s the third game. Well, what sixth game actually? [15:09.000 –> 15:11.000] Do you live in denial? [15:11.000 –> 15:13.000] I do. I do live in denial. [15:13.000 –> 15:21.000] But it looks like a good game. I’m excited. It looks like there’s a bigger area. It looks like there’s a ridiculous number of enemies as usual. [15:21.000 –> 15:23.000] I don’t know how they managed to stick so many enemies in. [15:23.000 –> 15:30.000] I’m really interested to see whether the Green Goblin is actually in it because they teased that in a previous game but they didn’t show anything about that. [15:30.000 –> 15:34.000] So maybe he’ll be like a surprise endgame boss or something like that. [15:34.000 –> 15:41.000] But then if he is in it, you’ve got Lizard, you’ve got Kraven, you’ve got Green Goblin. [15:41.000 –> 15:45.000] Like, that’s quite a lot of enemies to start with and there’s no way it will just be the three of them, right? [15:45.000 –> 15:48.000] Because of Venom, of course, as well. What’s going to happen with the Venom stuff? [15:48.000 –> 15:58.000] I’m really interested in that because at the beginning of the trailer it looks like Peter is just kind of like, you know, bonded with Venom and just quite happy and just going on with his life. [15:58.000 –> 16:03.000] But then there’s a weird bit at the end where you’re like, oh yeah, things are clearly not okay there. [16:03.000 –> 16:08.000] And so how are things going with that? I thought it was weird halfway through. I was like, why is Peter so okay with this? [16:08.000 –> 16:15.000] Like, he’s not acting weird. He’s just kind of doing things but he’s got new abilities. [16:15.000 –> 16:21.000] And I’m intrigued to see how that happens because they cannot do the thing where he overcomes Venom and gets rid of Venom. [16:21.000 –> 16:26.000] Because then Peter becomes less useful a Spider-Man than Miles, right? [16:26.000 –> 16:37.000] They can’t do that. They have to have a point where you can be playing both of them and they both have different abilities but both on top of what the base Spider-Man abilities were in the first game. [16:37.000 –> 16:48.000] And so what are they going to do with that story? Are they just going to get to the point where he’s just okay with Venom and Venom’s not causing Peter any issues? I don’t know. I’m intrigued to see. [16:48.000 –> 16:58.000] And it’s going to be interesting to see, right? Because in theory having the two Spider-Men to play as means that they could go in a direction where it’s like… [16:58.000 –> 17:11.000] I don’t want to say less fun but maybe have a little bit more of a loss of control feeling with the Venom thing which is okay because you can always go back to Miles if you want the more classic Spider-Man experience, I guess. [17:11.000 –> 17:13.000] So it’ll be interesting to see how they do that. [17:13.000 –> 17:24.000] Yeah, I mean Miles has different abilities. This is where I get really annoyed. The abilities they gave Miles in the second game was called Venom ability. [17:24.000 –> 17:33.000] So you’ve got Miles who has Venom and Peter who has Venom but they’re different Venoms. I don’t know why they’re different. [17:33.000 –> 17:41.000] Just don’t think about it too hard. Maybe that’s why this is Spider-Man 2. It’s technically a sequel but don’t think too hard about the first one. [17:41.000 –> 17:47.000] So the other thing I’m intrigued about is how they’re going to do that you can play as either Spider-Man. [17:47.000 –> 17:55.000] Is it going to be you can choose whichever one you want for a specific situation or is it going to be you switch between them as your story goes but they decide when you switch? [17:55.000 –> 18:03.000] It’s not quite clear from the thing that we had. There was a point where they switched and it kind of showed it kind of like it could be. [18:03.000 –> 18:13.000] Oh this is now the time that we switch or it could be like oh it was just kind of hinting that you could switch now by the way if you wanted but they could actually do it at any point. [18:13.000 –> 18:32.000] I’m intrigued with that. I’m kind of like and this goes back to the Zelda conversation right like I’m not a huge fan of puzzle games in general or puzzles in games because I quite often feel like they are expecting me to have a very specific thing to do and I don’t find that fun like oh I need to figure out what they want me to do. [18:33.000 –> 18:51.000] That’s not fun puzzle to me and I suspect we might end up in a situation where you’re like oh you can only do this with Peter or you can only do this with Miles and you have to figure out which one they want you to do because only Venom’s ability can do this bit or only the Venom ability can do this bit. [18:51.000 –> 19:10.000] Right like it doesn’t I don’t find that sort of fun and that’s why I love Zelda so much is because like it doesn’t matter what they wanted you to do you can do whatever that’s fun puzzle to me it’s like figure out a way to solve this not figure out our jigsaw right like it’s not a one size fits all thing. [19:10.000 –> 19:20.000] Yeah my assumption was going to be that you could kind of free switch if you were just doing the open world stuff but there might be certain missions that are Miles or Peter. [19:21.000 –> 19:38.000] That would be likely I think yeah but that still leads me towards the assumption that there’s going to be puzzles that only work with one or the other and that stuff just annoys me that’s not a puzzle right that’s just like oh you just need to remember to switch like that’s not fun. [19:38.000 –> 19:39.000] But no anyway. [19:39.000 –> 20:03.000] No like I’m with you on puzzles right like and it’s one of the hard things about puzzles and games is when they have specific solutions and then you look it up and so many times it’s like you get stuck on something and it’s often because you’ve worked out how to solve the puzzle but you didn’t do step 2a that you have to do to technically get all of the right pieces in place and it’s just like just recognize that I understand how to solve the puzzle and let me move on. [20:03.000 –> 20:11.000] Yeah yeah anyway I think that might be our longest what have you been up to section so should we get on to some news? [20:11.000 –> 20:12.000] Let’s do it. [20:12.000 –> 20:28.000] So first of all we have an update on the route to patch situation in that the game is back on steam now and the the two companies the dev team so did them then and the publishers is it critical critical? [20:28.000 –> 20:29.000] Cretivo? [20:30.000 –> 20:33.000] Thank you for suggesting a third pronunciation. [20:33.000 –> 20:47.000] Well anyway doesn’t doesn’t matter the two of them have amicably parted ways under terms that are mutually beneficial and I hope you heard the air quotes in that. [20:48.000 –> 21:03.000] I mean the statement that they put out on twitter is very clearly a statement that was written by lawyers and I don’t think we’ll hear anything more about went on behind the scenes and to be honest we don’t need to hear more. [21:03.000 –> 21:09.000] It’s good that it’s available back on steam and it sounds like there’s a way forward which is awesome. [21:09.000 –> 21:23.000] Probably for me the other piece of news that was interesting coming out of this just in some of the twitter replies from the routes of parcher twitter is that the team’s actively working on a roadmap that they’re hoping to put out next week. [21:23.000 –> 21:31.000] So that should cover things like when routes of parcher is likely to come to consoles as well as new content. [21:31.000 –> 21:33.000] Yeah yeah I agree fun. [21:33.000 –> 21:36.000] But if you want to know more about routes of parcher listen to last week’s episode. [21:36.000 –> 21:46.000] Yes yeah great episode by Cody and Kev on the game and I said before that I was going to listen to it to decide whether I wanted to buy the game. [21:46.000 –> 21:54.000] The answer is yes but probably not yet purely because I have so much going on in terms of games. [21:54.000 –> 21:57.000] As the rest of the news section will show. [21:57.000 –> 21:59.000] That is exactly where I landed. [21:59.000 –> 22:05.000] I was like I’m excited for this to come out on consoles in like three months when hopefully I have some time to play it. [22:05.000 –> 22:13.000] Yeah yeah yeah maybe this could become my like summer game where I play it when I’m on holiday and I don’t really have any other things. [22:13.000 –> 22:19.000] Because like for those who haven’t listened to the podcast before there’s like a month in the summer where I’m away. [22:19.000 –> 22:28.000] I’m not on holiday I’m doing some things for some of the weeks and I’m working for the other weeks but I’m not at home and I don’t want to have to deal with the podcast so we pre-record a bunch of episodes. [22:28.000 –> 22:38.000] I’ll have like a month and a little bit of just like not needing to think about other games for the podcast so it might be nice to do that then but we’ll see. [22:38.000 –> 22:42.000] Next we have the date for the Wholesome Direct. [22:42.000 –> 22:52.000] So we knew this was coming but we we now have the date it is going to be on Saturday the 10th of June or Sunday for some people. [22:53.000 –> 23:02.000] Saturday the 10th of June in America and Europe and Sunday in well probably I don’t know where the line will be based on the time. [23:02.000 –> 23:04.000] It will definitely be Sunday in New Zealand. [23:04.000 –> 23:12.000] It’s the great thing about living here is anytime you see a date announced for something you can say okay I’ll just make that one day later on the calendar because that’s when it actually will be happening for us. [23:12.000 –> 23:16.000] Yeah I hadn’t actually noticed the time before 9 a.m. Pacific. [23:16.000 –> 23:22.000] That is 5 p.m. for me. Ah the worst time. The worst time. [23:22.000 –> 23:28.000] Literally that is the worst time for me because if it’s earlier than that I can do it while I’m working. [23:28.000 –> 23:37.000] If it’s in that two hour period between five and seven that is the period that I’m dealing with my kids. [23:37.000 –> 23:46.000] I’m getting them tea I’m getting them ready for bed I’m getting them into bed 7 p.m. and later that’s that works before 5 p.m. that works five and seven that doesn’t really annoying. [23:46.000 –> 23:47.000] Whatever. [23:47.000 –> 23:55.000] I think what’s most concerning about this Wholesome Games thing is that they’re going to have footage from over 70 games. [23:55.000 –> 23:57.000] Yeah I mean most of those you won’t care about. [23:57.000 –> 23:59.000] Too many games. [23:59.000 –> 24:05.000] Most of those you will not care about because I guarantee you because I think that’s roughly the same number they had last year. [24:05.000 –> 24:12.000] And I think we ended up having like six to talk about on the podcast and out of those you’d probably not care about three of them so. [24:12.000 –> 24:17.000] 70 games that’s just too many games coming out we need we need less games. [24:17.000 –> 24:24.000] This isn’t even all the games right this is just they would they will have turned down about half of them again. [24:24.000 –> 24:30.000] Well hopefully there’s something for everybody in the Wholesome. [24:31.000 –> 24:36.000] Yes and we will do an episode talking about everything that was in it. [24:36.000 –> 24:38.000] Hopefully. [24:38.000 –> 24:40.000] That is a busy day for me. [24:40.000 –> 24:43.000] Oh wait it’s a Saturday it doesn’t matter about when work is. [24:43.000 –> 24:45.000] I’m an idiot. [24:45.000 –> 24:49.000] Well now that we’ve come full circle on that one. [24:49.000 –> 24:51.000] Shall we talk about Snakes? [24:51.000 –> 24:53.000] Yeah why not. [24:53.000 –> 24:55.000] Which is now verified for the Steam Deck. [24:55.000 –> 24:57.000] Which is awesome. [24:57.000 –> 24:59.000] And it’s out now right? [24:59.000 –> 25:01.000] It is. It is. [25:01.000 –> 25:03.000] As you’re listening to this it came out a week ago. [25:03.000 –> 25:05.000] It came out on Wednesday. [25:05.000 –> 25:08.000] And it looks great on the screenshot that they’ve got. [25:08.000 –> 25:12.000] Oh it’s not a screenshot it’s a photo of a Bob Snakes running on the Steam Deck. [25:12.000 –> 25:14.000] Same thing right? [25:14.000 –> 25:17.000] Just a poor man’s screenshot. [25:19.000 –> 25:21.000] Yeah that’s exciting. [25:21.000 –> 25:33.000] Yes I will play this at some point but I can’t play it just now because I kickstarted for the Switch version which isn’t out yet and they have not replied to me about switching my key to Steam. [25:33.000 –> 25:40.000] So if anyone from Above Snakes is listening and I’ve sent you a message please give me a Steam key. [25:40.000 –> 25:43.000] Also please give us a release date for the Switch. [25:43.000 –> 25:47.000] Even if it’s like ages I would just like some detail on when. [25:47.000 –> 25:52.000] Because I really want to play Above Snakes and there has not been any detail on when it’s actually going to come out on the Switch. [25:52.000 –> 25:54.000] 100% it won’t be this year. [25:56.000 –> 25:59.000] But it was on my 2023 like most anticipated list Al. [25:59.000 –> 26:04.000] Yeah. Don’t blame me. I am not a developer. [26:04.000 –> 26:07.000] You are the closest thing I know to the developer though so. [26:07.000 –> 26:13.000] That is a very very low bar. [26:15.000 –> 26:17.000] I have talked about it. [26:17.000 –> 26:19.000] Exactly. Exactly. [26:19.000 –> 26:24.000] Next we have Coral Island. The Summer update is out now. [26:24.000 –> 26:28.000] And I am not going to play it yet. I’ve got too many things to do. [26:29.000 –> 26:35.000] But I am very excited for this because it unlocks the final bit of the mines. [26:35.000 –> 26:41.000] I was waiting for it to update because I need to get into that fire gate and get that last giant out of there. [26:41.000 –> 26:44.000] Get some Osmium ore. [26:44.000 –> 26:49.000] You’ve got to be most excited for the chicken steer off in the cow racing right? [26:49.000 –> 26:53.000] Yes. So it adds three animal festivals. [26:54.000 –> 26:57.000] Rodeo challenge. Test your skills on a mechanical bull. [26:57.000 –> 27:01.000] Chicken steer off. See who’s chicken has the strongest steer. [27:01.000 –> 27:05.000] Okay. And cow race. Find out which cow is the fastest in town. [27:05.000 –> 27:08.000] Because of course as we all know the best animal to race is cows. [27:08.000 –> 27:12.000] Yeah. Absolutely. I love the idea of a chicken steer off. [27:12.000 –> 27:14.000] Because I don’t know if you are aware of this. [27:14.000 –> 27:17.000] It’s kind of like an old wives tale but I’ve seen it happen a few times. [27:17.000 –> 27:19.000] But you can actually hypnotize chickens. [27:19.000 –> 27:21.000] Yes. You can. [27:21.000 –> 27:26.000] Oh okay. Amazing. Because usually when I say this to people they look at me like I’m just growing an extra head. [27:26.000 –> 27:29.000] No it’s 100% real. It’s 100% real. [27:29.000 –> 27:32.000] I have not done it because it’s very mean. [27:32.000 –> 27:36.000] But I did used to have some chickens that I took care of. [27:36.000 –> 27:40.000] And I am aware that the hypnotizing is real. [27:40.000 –> 27:43.000] It’s weird and mean but real. [27:43.000 –> 27:48.000] But if you want your chicken to win the chicken steer off I would suggest hypnotizing it. [27:48.000 –> 27:50.000] That might be a good place to start. [27:50.000 –> 27:53.000] They also chickens have very stable heads. [27:53.000 –> 27:55.000] They work very much like a gimbal. [27:55.000 –> 27:58.000] So you can strap a camera to a chickens head and it’s going to be a very stable video. [27:58.000 –> 27:59.000] Interesting. [27:59.000 –> 28:01.000] Obviously it has to be quite a small camera. [28:01.000 –> 28:04.000] You’re not sticking a red camera on it. [28:04.000 –> 28:07.000] Like one of the GoPro Minis would probably work. [28:07.000 –> 28:13.000] Yeah. Wow. Who was expecting actual animal facts on this here? [28:13.000 –> 28:16.000] It makes me sound like I was an actual farmer. No. [28:16.000 –> 28:19.000] I just had 12 chickens. That’s not unusual is it? [28:19.000 –> 28:22.000] Well look I’m from New Zealand so no that’s not unusual. [28:22.000 –> 28:26.000] But I’m not sure how much that translates to the rest of Ella’s in the bays. [28:26.000 –> 28:28.000] Chickens are such fun. [28:28.000 –> 28:35.000] You know what I find most funny is people get really confused en masse when you talk about the fact that chickens can fly. [28:35.000 –> 28:38.000] What do you mean chickens can fly? Chickens can fly. [28:38.000 –> 28:43.000] The reason you don’t see them flying in farms is because they clip their wings. [28:43.000 –> 28:47.000] They’re birds. They’re not ostriches. They can fly. [28:47.000 –> 28:49.000] Maybe not the most efficient flies. [28:49.000 –> 28:53.000] No they are not. They look a lot like pigeons when they fly. [28:53.000 –> 28:56.000] And you’re like how on earth are you staying in the air? [28:56.000 –> 29:05.000] Although it’s really funny even when you clip their wings they can still use the wings to jump like six or seven feet high. [29:05.000 –> 29:10.000] So still can escape most things without a roof. [29:10.000 –> 29:16.000] Or you can occasionally see when they get onto the roof of their chicken poop which is really fun to confuse townies. [29:16.000 –> 29:20.000] Ah fun times. Moving on from the chicken conversation. [29:20.000 –> 29:26.000] Yeah there’s lots of stuff. One thing that I am very interested in that I wasn’t aware that was coming was sprinkler attachments. [29:26.000 –> 29:31.000] So you can upgrade your sprinklers to have auto seed and auto fertilize on them as well. [29:31.000 –> 29:33.000] And yes yes yes yes. [29:33.000 –> 29:37.000] And that’s something I’m surprised we haven’t seen in more farming games. [29:37.000 –> 29:43.000] Because it feels like one of those automation things that should be in a number of games. [29:43.000 –> 29:48.000] I know it was in Ooblets with the Oobcoops. Still the best feature of that game. [29:48.000 –> 29:53.000] And so it’s good to see it here because it’s just one of those things that I’m surprised doesn’t make its way into more games. [29:53.000 –> 29:57.000] Yeah I think Ooblets had the most. So they had you can basically do everything. [29:57.000 –> 30:03.000] As long as you put seeds in the Oobcoop, the little storage, they will do everything you need. [30:03.000 –> 30:09.000] And Stardew had you could get the the juvenile hut and they would go and harvest. [30:09.000 –> 30:12.000] But I don’t think they would ever plant or fertilize. [30:12.000 –> 30:14.000] No they would not. [30:14.000 –> 30:19.000] So I don’t know of any other game where you can plant automatically and there’s possibly a fertilizing one. [30:19.000 –> 30:24.000] But I can’t think that I’ve just got in the niggling in the back of my brain that says there’s one that has an automatic fertilizing. [30:24.000 –> 30:26.000] But I can’t think of what it is. [30:26.000 –> 30:29.000] No neither. But exciting that this is coming to Coral Island. [30:29.000 –> 30:36.000] Yes yes go go play the summer update Bev. Bev it’s time go play go play more Coral Island. [30:36.000 –> 30:39.000] Next we have Harvest Moon the Winds of Anthos. [30:39.000 –> 30:44.000] We are this game I’m I still I don’t know what to think of this game. [30:44.000 –> 30:46.000] Let’s let’s go through. [30:46.000 –> 30:50.000] We have to accept we’re excited for this game that is that is where we are at now Al. [30:50.000 –> 30:52.000] Some level of excitement certainly. [30:52.000 –> 30:55.000] Look let’s go through the easy the easy and clearly exciting stuff. [30:55.000 –> 30:57.000] The plush is out. They’ve decided what the plush is for this game. [30:57.000 –> 31:00.000] It is a sleeping cow. It’s amazing. [31:00.000 –> 31:02.000] It’s the best. [31:02.000 –> 31:04.000] It’s good. It’s good. [31:04.000 –> 31:08.000] Their cows are still not as good as the story of Seasons cows but it’s still a very good cow. [31:08.000 –> 31:12.000] You can pre-order the game now and get that plush. [31:12.000 –> 31:20.000] I believe if you pre-order on the Natsume website there’s a second pre-order bonus that they haven’t announced yet. [31:20.000 –> 31:23.000] Can’t pre-order outside the US as far as I can see. [31:23.000 –> 31:27.000] Certainly can’t here and almost certainly you won’t be able to Johnny. [31:27.000 –> 31:29.000] No I definitely cannot. [31:29.000 –> 31:33.000] Not that you’re going to because you are strongly against pre-ordering games. [31:33.000 –> 31:38.000] Well when there’s a pre-order bonus it can become flexible for that cow plush. [31:38.000 –> 31:41.000] To be honest if I could I probably would. [31:41.000 –> 31:43.000] That is a good cow plush. [31:43.000 –> 31:45.000] What else have we got this long list. [31:45.000 –> 31:49.000] So we’ve got the consoles now because I think previously it just said PC and console. [31:49.000 –> 32:00.000] So now it’s officially coming to Switch, PS5, PS4 and the Xbox series and of course on Steam. [32:00.000 –> 32:09.000] We’ve got a new screenshot of the player character meeting a tiny harvest goddess. [32:09.000 –> 32:17.000] Yeah this looks like a screenshot from a Harvest Moon game. That’s what I have to say about that. [32:17.000 –> 32:22.000] I will say it’s continuing to look in my opinion as good as the previous screenshots. [32:22.000 –> 32:25.000] I really like this art style. I think it’s done really well. [32:25.000 –> 32:31.000] We’re gonna not know until we actually see some footage and then get our hands on the game. [32:31.000 –> 32:37.000] Whether it actually is like that or whether they’ve just really given us very specific screenshots. [32:37.000 –> 32:40.000] And we got release date 26th of September. [32:40.000 –> 32:44.000] So really stretching the definition of summer there. [32:44.000 –> 32:47.000] Yeah I mean they’re pushing it right till the end right? [32:47.000 –> 32:51.000] It depends how you like I will die on this hill. [32:51.000 –> 32:56.000] People talk about summer and spring like they are clearly defined seasons. [32:56.000 –> 33:01.000] There are at least four definitions of the seasons if you ignore the southern hemisphere. [33:01.000 –> 33:04.000] These things are really not clear. [33:04.000 –> 33:13.000] In fact I just double checked this doesn’t even fit in the summer definition that people have. [33:13.000 –> 33:20.000] The summer definition that is most commonly used actually finishes summer at the 23rd of September. [33:20.000 –> 33:23.000] No one actually thinks that way Al. [33:23.000 –> 33:26.000] But people just go by months. It’s easier to go by months. [33:26.000 –> 33:29.000] But this is the thing. Oh my word. [33:29.000 –> 33:35.000] No definition includes the 26th of September in summer right? [33:35.000 –> 33:37.000] Which one? [33:37.000 –> 33:40.000] The definition of summer is July, August, September. [33:40.000 –> 33:42.000] What definition is that? [33:42.000 –> 33:44.000] It’s not a definition of summer. [33:44.000 –> 33:46.000] Literally just made up to prove my point. [33:46.000 –> 33:50.000] So the astronomical season which to me is just wild. [33:50.000 –> 33:58.000] Which goes from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox is wild to me. [33:58.000 –> 34:04.000] Because the idea that like the longest day of the year is the start of summer is bizarre. [34:04.000 –> 34:07.000] To me that’s the middle of summer not the start of it right? [34:07.000 –> 34:09.000] And I don’t understand why you would ever use that. [34:09.000 –> 34:14.000] But if we leave that one aside there’s the meteorological season which is also commonly used. [34:14.000 –> 34:19.000] Goes from the 1st of June to the 31st of August. Doesn’t include the 26th of September. [34:19.000 –> 34:21.000] And then there’s the one that I prefer. [34:21.000 –> 34:24.000] Well of the generally used ones this is the one I prefer. [34:24.000 –> 34:28.000] I actually have a much more radical definition of the seasons. [34:28.000 –> 34:30.000] But this one is May, June, July. [34:30.000 –> 34:33.000] I think that makes much more sense to me as a summer. [34:33.000 –> 34:36.000] That’s the Celtic seasons. [34:36.000 –> 34:40.000] But none of these definitions include the 26th of September. [34:40.000 –> 34:41.000] It’s not summer. [34:41.000 –> 34:43.000] I agree it’s not summer. [34:44.000 –> 34:45.000] It’s the… [34:48.000 –> 34:49.000] Anyway. [34:50.000 –> 34:51.000] My word. Sorry. [34:51.000 –> 34:53.000] Did not mean to get into a rant about seasons. [34:53.000 –> 34:54.000] These things just happen. [34:54.000 –> 34:57.000] Seasons are stupid. Stop pretending like they’re clearly defined. [34:57.000 –> 35:01.000] Anyway, Harvest Moon, Winds of Anthos, release date 26th of September. [35:01.000 –> 35:02.000] Not summer. [35:02.000 –> 35:03.000] Yes, not summer. [35:03.000 –> 35:04.000] Stop saying it’s summer. [35:06.000 –> 35:07.000] Cool. [35:07.000 –> 35:09.000] Let’s see what comes out of that game. [35:10.000 –> 35:16.000] The last non-new game news is Everdream Valley is releasing on the 30th of September. [35:16.000 –> 35:20.000] This is where everyone goes, oh, I forgot about that game. [35:20.000 –> 35:21.000] So there you go. [35:21.000 –> 35:23.000] That was literally my responses. [35:23.000 –> 35:25.000] Oh, I forgot about this game. [35:25.000 –> 35:26.000] Fun fact, right? [35:26.000 –> 35:29.000] You can buy this game just now. [35:29.000 –> 35:30.000] They’re calling it pre-purchase. [35:30.000 –> 35:34.000] But if you buy the game now, you get access to it now before the release date. [35:36.000 –> 35:37.000] Okay. [35:37.000 –> 35:39.000] We’ve officially gone too far. [35:41.000 –> 35:42.000] Just buy the game. [35:42.000 –> 35:43.000] Isn’t that just… [35:43.000 –> 35:45.000] Yeah, that’s just buying the game and playing it. [35:45.000 –> 35:47.000] Because this is the thing, right? [35:47.000 –> 35:50.000] Who can access the game without buying it? [35:50.000 –> 35:53.000] So if you buy the game before the release date, you get access to the game. [35:53.000 –> 35:56.000] Surely that’s just the release date. [35:57.000 –> 36:00.000] This is some silly 1.0 argument, right? [36:00.000 –> 36:02.000] That’s what this is? [36:02.000 –> 36:04.000] They’re like, oh, but we’re on version 9.8. [36:04.000 –> 36:06.000] No, they’re not in early access. [36:06.000 –> 36:08.000] They’ve not done an early access. [36:08.000 –> 36:09.000] What? [36:09.000 –> 36:11.000] This is not early access. [36:11.000 –> 36:13.000] The game is not officially released. [36:13.000 –> 36:16.000] If you go onto Steam, it says coming the 30th of May. [36:16.000 –> 36:20.000] But they said on their most recent, or one of the… [36:20.000 –> 36:25.000] Yeah, so their second most recent news event is [36:25.000 –> 36:28.000] prior access starts today. [36:28.000 –> 36:30.000] You can start playing today. [36:32.000 –> 36:34.000] If you don’t want to count the last days to the full launch, [36:34.000 –> 36:35.000] don’t worry, we got you covered. [36:35.000 –> 36:38.000] You can pre-order Everdream Valley any time [36:38.000 –> 36:42.000] and unlock access to the game before the official release on the 30th of May. [36:42.000 –> 36:44.000] The game is released! [36:44.000 –> 36:46.000] Yes, it is! [36:46.000 –> 36:49.000] If you’re not buying the game, you’re not getting the game. [36:51.000 –> 36:53.000] That’s just releasing the game. [36:54.000 –> 36:57.000] I don’t understand how this isn’t just released. [36:57.000 –> 36:59.000] How is this game not out? [36:59.000 –> 37:01.000] It’s out! You can buy it and play it. [37:02.000 –> 37:04.000] So, the news. Everdream Valley is out. [37:04.000 –> 37:06.000] You can buy it and go and play it. [37:06.000 –> 37:09.000] Well, of course, the funny thing is the 30th of May [37:09.000 –> 37:12.000] is the day before this podcast episode comes out anyway. [37:12.000 –> 37:14.000] So, yes, the game is out. [37:20.000 –> 37:21.000] Oh, my word. [37:21.000 –> 37:23.000] That is some silly news. [37:23.000 –> 37:25.000] Shall we talk about some new games? [37:26.000 –> 37:28.000] Yes, let’s do that. [37:31.000 –> 37:33.000] Marvelous did a… [37:33.000 –> 37:35.000] I don’t know what it was. [37:35.000 –> 37:38.000] Like a Nintendo Direct, basically. [37:38.000 –> 37:41

On this week's Random Encounter, we're seeing the beginnings of the Not-E3 season!If you're a video game fan, it's getting close to the most wonderful time of the year! There are slightly under two weeks until Summer Game Fest, but we still have a ton of news to discuss from Wednesday's PlayStation Showcase and Thursday's Marvelous Game Showcase, including Final Fantasy XVI, Dragon's Dogma 2, and Rune Factory 6. Join our panel to learn all about the RPGs and adventure games we will be playing in 2023 and 2024 (and heck, we might also talk about some games that aren't RPGs)!Featuring: Jono Logan, Alvin Lim, Des Miller, Izzy Parsons; Edited by Jono LoganGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: podcast@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomThis Episode's Related Links:Phantom Blade Zero Announced for PlayStation 5Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean Drops Anchor in 2024New “Salvation” Trailer for Final Fantasy XVIFinal Fantasy XVI Preview: The First 5 HoursGranblue Fantasy: Relink Adventures Onto PS5, PS4 This WinterDragon's Dogma 2 Showcases Mythical Monsters, Magic, and Danger in Debut Trailer

Enquanto o mundo ainda está na ressaca pós-PlayStation Showcase, a Marvelous realizou evento próprio no Japão e revelou nada mais, nada menos que QUATRO jogos de fazendinha, incluindo novos Harvest Moon e Story of Seasons. Neste Ping, PH fala sobre os anúncios, mas também sobre os problemas de desenvolvimento do remake de Prince of Persia e o flop crítico do jogo do Gollum. Confira!  

Codey and Bev talk about Research Story Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:23: What Have We Been Up To 00:14:40: News 00:26:11: Research Story 01:18:02: Outro Links Disney Dreamlight Valley Pride of the Valley Update Mika and the Witch’s Mountain Trailer Coral Island Summer Update Rune Factory 3S US Special Edition Research Story on Steam Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript [00:00.000 –> 00:30.000] music [00:30.000 –> 00:35.000] Hello farmers and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. [00:35.000 –> 00:40.000] My name is Cody and my name is Bev and we’re here today to talk about cottage core [00:40.000 –> 00:44.000] games. [00:44.000 –> 00:49.000] What so so we we say hello farmers because it used to be only a [00:49.000 –> 00:54.000] farming podcast but now we’re like rebranding. So what do we say like hello cottage core [00:54.000 –> 00:59.000] workers. This is a question. That’s a great question. [00:59.000 –> 01:04.000] Listeners right in. Join the slack and tell us what we should call you. [01:04.000 –> 01:09.000] Listeners maybe. Hello listeners. Hello. [01:09.000 –> 01:14.000] We’ll workshop it. Yeah sure. Definitely [01:14.000 –> 01:19.000] tweet at us please. So there is a quote here. [01:19.000 –> 01:24.000] I don’t know how you wanted me to say this. But for [01:24.000 –> 01:29.000] folks that would like transcripts transcripts are available in the show notes and [01:29.000 –> 01:34.000] on the website. So any transcripts for I’m assuming any [01:34.000 –> 01:39.000] episode at least this episode will be available there. [01:39.000 –> 01:44.000] So if you mention anything or if I say something weird and you’re like what was that word. [01:45.000 –> 01:50.000] You can look it up. So today we are here to talk [01:50.000 –> 01:55.000] about our main topic which is a research story. So this is part two technically. [01:56.000 –> 02:01.000] The first episode which you can find in our on our feed was Bev and I talking about our [02:01.000 –> 02:06.000] experiences in research. And they said that you had a they had a very cool [02:06.000 –> 02:11.000] monkey poop thing. Yes. So if you’re [02:11.000 –> 02:16.000] yeah if you’re like not not sure what what monkey poop what go back [02:16.000 –> 02:21.000] and listen to that right. Please. And we do have some news. [02:21.000 –> 02:26.000] But before we get to that Bev what have you been up to. [02:26.000 –> 02:31.000] I have been struggling just in general. [02:31.000 –> 02:36.000] But I at least like what I’ve been playing. I’ve been on a weird [02:36.000 –> 02:41.000] solitaire kick lately. Like I was at a conference last week and that’s what got [02:41.000 –> 02:46.000] me through the conference was just playing solitaire while I was listening. Do you have [02:46.000 –> 02:51.000] like a specific like with with cards or do you have a specific. There’s like an app. [02:51.000 –> 02:56.000] I think it’s like a game pass app or whatever. I don’t know. [02:56.000 –> 03:01.000] I have it for Xbox and I download it on the phone because I was like I wanted something that I could play [03:01.000 –> 03:06.000] Spider solitaire on and also bring my solitaire and free [03:06.000 –> 03:11.000] sell and everything but not have to download like five different apps for it. So yeah. [03:11.000 –> 03:16.000] I know exactly what you’re talking about actually. The second thing you said Xbox I was [03:16.000 –> 03:21.000] like oh I used to do that all the time. So I used to have a Microsoft service [03:21.000 –> 03:26.000] and which is a laptop for those for those that didn’t know [03:26.000 –> 03:31.000] that was like the Microsoft laptop. And it came with the [03:31.000 –> 03:36.000] the games and quote unquote one of the quote unquote games was solid was that solitaire pack. And [03:36.000 –> 03:41.000] they have dailies like you can do them every day. Yes I’ve been doing the dailies. [03:41.000 –> 03:46.000] I loved it. Oh OK. [03:46.000 –> 03:51.000] So you’ve been solid. Which one’s your favorite. I feel like freestyle is my favorite. OK [03:51.000 –> 03:56.000] I didn’t really like freestyle. What’s the one with the polar bear the Klondike one. There’s like there’s the polar [03:56.000 –> 04:01.000] that’s like that’s like regular solitaire. They call it Klondike and I don’t know why Klondike [04:01.000 –> 04:06.000] right right right. No there was another one the pyramid one maybe. Oh the pyramid one. [04:06.000 –> 04:11.000] Is that like the one we have to do like the math and like add it up to like 13. [04:11.000 –> 04:16.000] Yeah. I also like that one. Like I never heard of that one before until I played [04:16.000 –> 04:21.000] this game. Like this is so fun. Yeah. Yeah. [04:21.000 –> 04:26.000] Well what else other than solid. [04:26.000 –> 04:31.000] I feel like that’s that’s been mostly like other than the research story I’ve been on like [04:31.000 –> 04:36.000] right. Like I was doing stardew and then I went on the conference and then I couldn’t really [04:36.000 –> 04:41.000] play it and then got obsessed with solitaire. So like I moved from my stardew like obsession [04:41.000 –> 04:46.000] to solitaire and I’ll probably go back to start. I feel like we’ll see. It’s that time of year. [04:46.000 –> 04:51.000] Like I feel like this time of year when things start changing and like you get that springy feel to the to the [04:51.000 –> 04:56.000] air. Everyone’s playing stardew right now. Like all of my friends are like I’ve just been really enjoying [04:56.000 –> 05:01.000] stardew. I need to replay it because I have never made it past. I’ve never [05:01.000 –> 05:06.000] made it through the second year. Yeah. Yeah. That was why I picked it up again because [05:06.000 –> 05:11.000] I was like I need to do this. And then I made it past second year and now I’m like finally 1.5 [05:11.000 –> 05:16.000] content. So do it and maybe we can talk about it because we haven’t really talked about [05:16.000 –> 05:21.000] the 1.5 update. So do it. That’s true. Is the 1.5 update free? [05:21.000 –> 05:26.000] Yes. It’s free. I think it’s on all platforms by this point. Like even on mobile. I [05:26.000 –> 05:31.000] have it on steam or not steam switch. So do it. [05:31.000 –> 05:36.000] I have been playing research life. [05:36.000 –> 05:41.000] IRL research story. [05:41.000 –> 05:46.000] IRL research. I’ve been planning a new field season and this one is going to be different [05:46.000 –> 05:51.000] than what I’ve done before. And so I need to actually construct some traps. So I’ve purchased a [05:51.000 –> 05:56.000] bunch of acrylic and then I have to go like buy. I have to go like buy [05:56.000 –> 06:01.000] these buckets. I basically played go get my [06:01.000 –> 06:06.000] PI’s credit card and go spend money. [06:06.000 –> 06:11.000] But it’s my research money. But like it’s through someone else’s [06:11.000 –> 06:16.000] card. But it was really fun to like quote unquote fun to go to like Home Depot. Just drop down [06:16.000 –> 06:21.000] for shopping. Home Depot is a lot of fun. It can be a lot of fun. [06:21.000 –> 06:26.000] It was also really fun because I brought Stella because you can bring dogs. [06:27.000 –> 06:32.000] And she did so good. Oh that’s that’s even more fun. Like I [06:32.000 –> 06:37.000] feel like Home Depot’s like should have more dogs because it’s like no one cares. So [06:37.000 –> 06:42.000] we want more dogs at Home Depot or like Lowe’s. That day I took her to let’s see we went to [06:42.000 –> 06:47.000] Petco obviously can bring pets in their Michaels. You can bring pet dogs [06:47.000 –> 06:52.000] into Michaels and Joanne’s. That sounds like a disaster. [06:52.000 –> 06:57.000] Well and it was so funny because she loves to pick trash up off the floor. So every time she [06:57.000 –> 07:02.000] picked something up like and like people I mean things fall off of things [07:02.000 –> 07:07.000] at craft stores all the time. Oh yeah. If you buy like a floral like a fake floral display [07:07.000 –> 07:12.000] like these fake flowers fell off and they were just on the ground and she just kept picking trash up [07:12.000 –> 07:17.000] and I kept taking it from her. So by the time I got up to the register I was just like here’s all this trash. [07:19.000 –> 07:24.000] But she also picked up this this DMC claw DMC floss [07:24.000 –> 07:29.000] like floss that you’d use for like cross stitching or whatever. And I do that. And so I was [07:29.000 –> 07:34.000] like I’ll just buy this. And they were like are you sure you don’t have to. And I was like she picked it up. I was I’ll just [07:34.000 –> 07:39.000] buy it’s fine. She slobbered all over this like this poor floss. Yeah like her saliva [07:39.000 –> 07:44.000] is on this. I’ll just buy it. And then I took it home and I actually looked at it. [07:44.000 –> 07:49.000] It’s actually a color of used a lot. So I was like OK good good. I’m glad like you can never [07:49.000 –> 07:54.000] have too much floss. I feel like she was just looking at. Yeah. Yeah. And like you know sometimes you have to [07:54.000 –> 07:59.000] use a little bit of saliva to like make it work anyway. She just is helping you [07:59.000 –> 08:04.000] preemptively. That’s true. That’s true. You have to like kind of get it get it together because you pull [08:04.000 –> 08:09.000] strands together. Mm hmm. Other than that my partner [08:09.000 –> 08:14.000] came here for the weekend and he brought overcooked to [08:14.000 –> 08:19.000] this game on steam. And I’m obsessed. [08:19.000 –> 08:24.000] We played it for like I say two hours. He says three hours straight. I [08:24.000 –> 08:29.000] wanted to play more. He was like I need a break. And I was like we need to keep playing. [08:30.000 –> 08:35.000] Basically did you ever play like Diner Dash. No I don’t think so. [08:35.000 –> 08:40.000] OK. It’s like that. It’s basically OK. It’s like you’re like building [08:41.000 –> 08:46.000] there’s recipes that come across the screen and then you’re supposed to build them. So like if a [08:46.000 –> 08:51.000] salad comes across the screen then you have to grab a lettuce and a tomato and chop them up [08:51.000 –> 08:56.000] and then serve them on a plate and then put them on the like outgoing thing. [08:56.000 –> 09:01.000] So it’s like an assembly game essentially. Yeah it is an assembly game. But the fun part of it [09:01.000 –> 09:06.000] quote unquote fun part about it is that you. So it’s if you’re playing by yourself [09:06.000 –> 09:11.000] you control two people like you [09:11.000 –> 09:16.000] just switch to switch between the two people. But if you have two people it puts one of you on one [09:16.000 –> 09:21.000] one side of the of the kitchen or whatever and then one on the other side. And like [09:21.000 –> 09:26.000] so I might have all of the food and then he has the cutting [09:26.000 –> 09:31.000] boards and then maybe I have the fryers and then he has the plates. And [09:31.000 –> 09:36.000] so I literally have to like throw stuff to him so he [09:36.000 –> 09:41.000] can cut it up and then he throws it back to me and like there’s a barrier in between. So like you can’t [09:41.000 –> 09:46.000] go on the barrier. You’re throwing stuff around both both directions and then [09:46.000 –> 09:51.000] like trying to serve it up. And then also at one point there’s like dirty dishes. So someone has to clean them and you’re [09:51.000 –> 09:56.000] basically trying to like do this cooperation. And if you don’t do the order [09:56.000 –> 10:01.000] fast enough you like lose your tips and you like [10:01.000 –> 10:06.000] lose points for that and stuff. And the whole point I guess is that it’s [10:06.000 –> 10:11.000] it’s got a loose story where there’s the king [10:11.000 –> 10:16.000] onion guy of the world accidentally made undead zombies [10:16.000 –> 10:21.000] and they’re called the unbred. OK I’m totally fine with zombies. [10:21.000 –> 10:26.000] I mean you never see the zombies. The thing is like that you’re trying [10:26.000 –> 10:31.000] to learn how to cook to feed them to start to [10:31.000 –> 10:36.000] stave them off so that they don’t eat the people I guess is the whole point. [10:36.000 –> 10:41.000] Makes sense. I see that. OK. So you’re just having like pet zombies essentially. [10:41.000 –> 10:46.000] You never I like you never see them. OK that’s [10:46.000 –> 10:51.000] I need I need an overcooked version where there’s more zombie interaction. Yeah. [10:51.000 –> 10:56.000] Yeah. So we played that and then we also [10:56.000 –> 11:01.000] started playing board games. So last night Jeff [11:01.000 –> 11:06.000] and I introduced my roommate to Catan. She’d never played. [11:06.000 –> 11:11.000] And we played we played one game and in the beginning of the game she was [11:11.000 –> 11:16.000] like I don’t like this. I don’t know if this is for me. And then by the end she lost by the end of the game. [11:16.000 –> 11:21.000] And she like like I won. I just like and I did the [11:21.000 –> 11:26.000] classic like build two roads take longest road and I have this like secret [11:26.000 –> 11:31.000] development card that gives me a bonus point and I won like bam. Like like I went from like three points away [11:31.000 –> 11:36.000] to winning to like bam I won. Beautiful. And she was just like she was like no [11:36.000 –> 11:41.000] and she like stood up and walked away. She’s like I hate this game and then she turns back [11:41.000 –> 11:46.000] around. She’s like we’re playing again. [11:46.000 –> 11:51.000] I love that. But I mean Jeff and I really want to play more board games. So we went to a card shop [11:51.000 –> 11:56.000] today. A couple card shops today. One game. I don’t know if you’ve seen it’s called arch ravels. [11:56.000 –> 12:01.000] Arch ravels? Why ravels or ravels? Ravels because you knit. [12:03.000 –> 12:08.000] It’s a knitting board game. Oh my goodness. [12:08.000 –> 12:13.000] I’m going to find it for you and then put it in the chat or something. I feel like I need this because it [12:13.000 –> 12:18.000] and it looked like I was like oh it’s probably really expensive. It’s only like 20 bucks. [12:18.000 –> 12:23.000] That’s amazing. Or at least like so some places have like 31. It’s [12:23.000 –> 12:28.000] somewhere between like it’s under 40 for sure. And I was I don’t know board games are expensive. So [12:28.000 –> 12:33.000] so I was like I didn’t bring my wallet and like I wasn’t going to make Jeff pay for it [12:33.000 –> 12:38.000] because he’s not a knitter. Yeah. You compete with fellow knitters to collect [12:38.000 –> 12:43.000] wool finish patterns and make a masterwork. So it looked really amazing. But we [12:43.000 –> 12:48.000] ended up getting a game called love letters which is a card game where you are trying [12:48.000 –> 12:53.000] to like woo a princess. OK. And you’re trying [12:53.000 –> 12:58.000] to like win favors to woo the princess and you just like go back and forth and you try and [12:58.000 –> 13:03.000] make sure that you have the best card. I don’t know. We haven’t played it yet. OK. We also looked [13:03.000 –> 13:08.000] at there were other like really pretty games. There was wingspan [13:08.000 –> 13:13.000] there which I really enjoyed. It’s a fun game. It’s they didn’t have parks. [13:14.000 –> 13:19.000] And I know since we’re talking about parks I just for the fiftieth time have to [13:19.000 –> 13:24.000] apologize for spilling coffee. It’s fine. It’s 100 percent fine. [13:24.000 –> 13:29.000] This is why I sleeve meticulously every single thing that can possibly [13:29.000 –> 13:34.000] sleep. Like my partner spilled water on the table and [13:34.000 –> 13:39.000] like got onto like some of our card like our open boxes that we have and I’m like it’s it’s fine. Yeah. [13:39.000 –> 13:44.000] Like everything’s either in plastic or cardboard. Like I don’t care about the box. It was like it was fine. [13:44.000 –> 13:49.000] We played. Gosh we went down. We you and I both went down to D.C. [13:49.000 –> 13:54.000] to go play like a community day like two or three years ago. I don’t remember. [13:54.000 –> 13:59.000] It’s been a hot minute. And they brought all their all their games and we play parks [13:59.000 –> 14:04.000] with some other friends and it was really fun. And then at one point I spilled coffee and I was just like [14:04.000 –> 14:09.000] I immediately was like I will buy you a new one. [14:09.000 –> 14:14.000] It feels so bad. And I’m like it’s fine. [14:14.000 –> 14:19.000] It haunts me to this day. You’re completely fine. Yeah. Oh you are just going to have to [14:19.000 –> 14:24.000] come over and accidentally spill something on one of your games. [14:24.000 –> 14:29.000] Please do. Please do. Oh yeah. I mean so that’s I don’t [14:29.000 –> 14:34.000] I mean I’ve still been playing Pokemon Go and Pikmin Bloom and stuff like that but [14:34.000 –> 14:39.000] I’ve not really been playing a ton of games but it’s cool. It’s a weird time. [14:39.000 –> 14:44.000] It is a weird time. So jumping into the news. [14:44.000 –> 14:49.000] First bit of news is that Disney Dreamlight Valley has an update launching [14:49.000 –> 14:54.000] April 5th. So very soon and update is called [14:54.000 –> 14:59.000] the Pride of the Valley update. And so it’s it adds adult Simba [14:59.000 –> 15:04.000] and adult Nala and it’s about you know like Lion King. [15:04.000 –> 15:09.000] So there’s not a ton of information about it. It just says like a new realm [15:09.000 –> 15:14.000] opens there’s new characters more surprises. They said that there’s a path to [15:14.000 –> 15:19.000] celebrate the Disney parks. Interesting. So I think it’s just going to be [15:19.000 –> 15:24.000] like a theme park thing. I don’t know. I haven’t played Disney so. I haven’t either. I love [15:24.000 –> 15:29.000] Simba and if Simba is voice acted in here by the original like [15:29.000 –> 15:34.000] Simba I think. Oh I doubt it. I doubt it. I know I highly doubt it. But just the voice actor [15:34.000 –> 15:39.000] for Simba is just like I definitely had a crush on Simba. [15:40.000 –> 15:45.000] Oh my gosh. I don’t even know if Matthew Broderick is still around. What is he doing [15:45.000 –> 15:50.000] nowadays. I don’t know. But I need to hear more of him. He’s 61. He is married to Sarah Jessica [15:50.000 –> 15:55.000] Parker. Oh that’s OK. Wow. [15:55.000 –> 16:00.000] I did not know that. He’s a good egg. He’s done a lot. So yeah [16:00.000 –> 16:05.000] that is Disney Dreamlight Valley. Pride of the Valley [16:05.000 –> 16:10.000] is like interesting because I understand why it’s called Pride of the Valley. But it made me think it was like [16:10.000 –> 16:15.000] like Pride Month something. I was like I got excited. That’s fair. [16:15.000 –> 16:20.000] That is very fair. Some people. So apparently like Pride of the Valley is [16:20.000 –> 16:25.000] something at the parks. Interesting. So they’re trying to like market. That’s smart [16:25.000 –> 16:30.000] for Disney to market their physical location I guess. [16:30.000 –> 16:35.000] I don’t know because someone said something about like one of the comments on Twitter or something was like this is my [16:35.000 –> 16:40.000] favorite part of the parks. So I don’t know. OK. I haven’t been to Disney [16:40.000 –> 16:45.000] years. I’m going to have to change that. And then now my partner hasn’t either. I’m like we [16:45.000 –> 16:50.000] need to go. We need to go. I’ve never been. But like now I’m just like it’s [16:50.000 –> 16:55.000] so freaking expensive. And I mean it probably was always expensive [16:55.000 –> 17:00.000] but like it just seems like hell to me honestly. [17:00.000 –> 17:05.000] Especially in the heat depending on where you’re [17:05.000 –> 17:10.000] going. I just came back from California so I should have like the last time I went to California I went to [17:10.000 –> 17:15.000] Disneyland for the first time. But it’s like a beautiful weather over there. I definitely would not go to the Florida one. [17:15.000 –> 17:20.000] I actually someone a previous partner invited me [17:20.000 –> 17:25.000] to go to the Florida one and he was like I’ll pay for everything. And I was [17:25.000 –> 17:30.000] like hmm but Florida. But Florida. [17:30.000 –> 17:35.000] Understand. Well as a Floridian I 100% understand. [17:35.000 –> 17:40.000] Maybe go to the California one. He does it every year though. So I don’t know. OK. [17:40.000 –> 17:45.000] Next piece of news Mika and the Witch’s Mountain. There is a new trailer. [17:46.000 –> 17:51.000] It is very cute. [17:51.000 –> 17:56.000] The trailer is very cute. There’s like music behind it. It’s a minute and a half long and you kind of [17:56.000 –> 18:01.000] just like see there’s part gameplay and part like animation [18:01.000 –> 18:06.000] of the game. And it just looks really cute. It’s just Mika [18:06.000 –> 18:11.000] like doing her business delivering stuff and you get to see a bunch of the [18:11.000 –> 18:16.000] other characters. And yeah. Did you get a chance to watch the [18:16.000 –> 18:21.000] trailer at all. No but I know I [18:21.000 –> 18:26.000] will watch it after this. But I am very excited for this game [18:26.000 –> 18:31.000] just because I love the other games in this world. I guess this universe. [18:32.000 –> 18:37.000] So looking forward to this and I’m a little behind on the Kickstarter updates [18:37.000 –> 18:42.000] but I’ll get in there. Yeah. It’s still just had the planned release date [18:42.000 –> 18:46.000] of 2023 so question mark. Yeah. [18:46.000 –> 18:51.000] Mary Little Witch and you develop to deliver packages. The flight looks really cute like the flight [18:51.000 –> 18:56.000] of this game. Oh my goodness. It seems like it’s. The Studio Ghibli. Yeah. Yeah. [18:56.000 –> 19:01.000] I’m really excited for just being a little witch doing a little delivery service. [19:01.000 –> 19:06.000] You just did a little cute witch. Yeah. It’s very cute. [19:06.000 –> 19:11.000] I know Kevin is also very excited. Likely something that would be covered on this podcast. [19:11.000 –> 19:16.000] Very likely. Yeah. I think several of us are backers [19:16.000 –> 19:21.000] at this point. So we’ll definitely at least play it at some point. Have a couple triple [19:21.000 –> 19:26.000] million harvests. Next is Coral [19:26.000 –> 19:31.000] Island. So there is a summer update for Coral Island coming out on May [19:31.000 –> 19:36.000] 3rd. No just as May 2023. So somewhere sometime in May there will be an update [19:36.000 –> 19:41.000] for the summer. And there’s a lot of things in this [19:41.000 –> 19:46.000] update. The first thing is that a lot of the characters are going to be getting summer outfits. [19:46.000 –> 19:51.000] So I am here for you. Yes. I know. I love the idea of [19:51.000 –> 19:56.000] characters like changing with the seasons. I know Animal Crossing does this where like every now and [19:56.000 –> 20:01.000] then someone has one of your characters has like a new outfit or [20:01.000 –> 20:06.000] is it only if you give them something like give them the shirt. I think they just change [20:06.000 –> 20:11.000] that. Like there there were some times where I just was like where did you get that. And then I talked to them because like [20:11.000 –> 20:16.000] they can give each other stuff as well. So you can talk to them and they might be like oh someone [20:16.000 –> 20:21.000] gave me this and so sweet. I don’t need this other shirt anymore. Go ahead and have it. [20:21.000 –> 20:26.000] You know something like that. So I also love that these like [20:26.000 –> 20:31.000] NPCs like have their own original style. So like I’m sure you can dress people essentially in Animal Crossing [20:31.000 –> 20:36.000] but these these these are like holistic characters who like what they like. And I [20:36.000 –> 20:41.000] am here for these outfits and want some of these shirts too. Yeah [20:41.000 –> 20:46.000] like give me this give me this wah banana shirt. And I want [20:46.000 –> 20:51.000] real life. It’s a banana that looks like a dolphin. [20:51.000 –> 20:56.000] Banana dolphin shirt. [20:56.000 –> 21:01.000] They can make so much money by selling these shirts. [21:01.000 –> 21:06.000] There’s also a new festival called Pet Day. The Pet Day Festival. In it there’s a couple [21:06.000 –> 21:11.000] different things. There’s a rodeo called the Wild Ride. So you ride this like bowl [21:11.000 –> 21:16.000] which is super cute. You just like push a button super super fast to try and make sure [21:16.000 –> 21:21.000] that you stay on the bowl. They have a cow competition where you [21:21.000 –> 21:26.000] try and like race your cows against other people [21:26.000 –> 21:31.000] and your cow might get distracted. You have to like pull them back to reality. There’s a chicken [21:31.000 –> 21:36.000] competition. I don’t know what this is about. When I first saw it I was like oh I don’t [21:36.000 –> 21:41.000] like chicken fighting like that doesn’t look good. But then when you’re doing like [21:41.000 –> 21:46.000] when when it shows that you’re like hitting buttons they don’t do anything. [21:46.000 –> 21:51.000] They just kind of like stare at each other which I’m here [21:51.000 –> 21:56.000] for. Yeah just chickens being chickens. [21:56.000 –> 22:01.000] There are 20. They’re talking about an animal shelter that will have 20 [22:01.000 –> 22:06.000] adoptable pets. And then they have the outline of all of the pets. They’re very cute. And there’s a little lizard [22:06.000 –> 22:11.000] and so cute. And there’s some bunnies and then many dogs and cats [22:11.000 –> 22:16.000] and one of the dogs looks like it could possibly be an Australian Shepherd. And I am [22:16.000 –> 22:21.000] here for it. Very cool. I [22:21.000 –> 22:26.000] have officially gotten it because I think I will be playing it for the podcast. Spoiler alert. [22:26.000 –> 22:31.000] So I am here for one the bathing suits [22:31.000 –> 22:36.000] and also here for the outfits and now this pet festival thing. Yeah. [22:36.000 –> 22:41.000] Oh wait maybe this is like a staring competition. Maybe. [22:41.000 –> 22:46.000] That’s what I’m wondering. That’s what it looks like. They’re glaring at each other. [22:46.000 –> 22:51.000] The little squinties. Yeah. I don’t think chickens really [22:51.000 –> 22:56.000] blink. Anyway there’s also a new customization and it shows [22:56.000 –> 23:01.000] a beard customization where you can put it put flowers in your beard. I love that. [23:01.000 –> 23:06.000] Oh my goodness. OK. And then I’m trying to scroll down to the thing that is the most important thing to me. [23:06.000 –> 23:11.000] OK. There’s also fruit plants and you can find critters. Here it is. Insect [23:11.000 –> 23:16.000] and critter traps quote as part of the catching mystery [23:16.000 –> 23:21.000] you will unlock now unlock traps used to catch insects and critters. You can place these on the [23:21.000 –> 23:26.000] ground and in the ocean. There are four traps two for insects and two for critters. Here’s a look at the tracks in [23:26.000 –> 23:31.000] action and it shows you catch an insect and then it’s a cute [23:31.000 –> 23:36.000] little caterpillar. Oh. So [23:36.000 –> 23:41.000] I’m here for that. Yeah. This is like everything about this game is [23:41.000 –> 23:46.000] beautiful. OK. I’m really excited about this. [23:46.000 –> 23:51.000] It’s like I believe it’s still in early access. Is out now. Early access is out now. Yeah. [23:51.000 –> 23:56.000] Oh wow. It’s from Indonesia. I did not know. Yeah. I bought it with the intention of [23:56.000 –> 24:01.000] playing it but I had to put more time into our main topic for today. [24:01.000 –> 24:06.000] So I haven’t touched it yet. Yeah. Yeah. So that is that. [24:06.000 –> 24:11.000] And then the last bit of news is about Rune Factory 3 Special [24:11.000 –> 24:16.000] Golden Memories Edition. So this is an edition [24:16.000 –> 24:21.000] of Rune Factory 3 Special that has a custom box [24:21.000 –> 24:26.000] on the outside custom outer box. I don’t really know what that means and a copy of the game. [24:26.000 –> 24:31.000] But you also get an acrylic standee of a bunch of the characters. [24:31.000 –> 24:36.000] The original soundtrack CD. A custom planner. [24:36.000 –> 24:41.000] Excuse me. I know. That sounds awesome. I kind of want this [24:41.000 –> 24:46.000] just so I could have all the goodies. Really. They look so cute. Yeah. Like the CD is [24:46.000 –> 24:51.000] as true. Beautiful. It really is. Yeah. Maybe this will be [24:51.000 –> 24:56.000] what makes me want to play Rune Factory 3 Special. [24:57.000 –> 25:02.000] It’s all you, Min. Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. [25:02.000 –> 25:07.000] There’s also an exclusive swimsuit mode DLC. Sure. [25:07.000 –> 25:12.000] Okay. Sure. Interesting. Yeah. So that [25:12.000 –> 25:17.000] they have announced it and preorders for that will open soon. [25:17.000 –> 25:22.000] TM. And there’s apparently if you [25:22.000 –> 25:27.000] preorder on the XSEED store you can add a golden wooly keychain for [25:27.000 –> 25:32.000] $5 more. And I wouldn’t say it looks cute but it looks [25:32.000 –> 25:37.000] it still looks like something I would want. Maybe. [25:37.000 –> 25:42.000] I don’t know. Yeah. Looks a little like. Oh the wooly is ridiculous. [25:42.000 –> 25:47.000] Right? Yeah. Like it’s not cute but it’s like ridiculous and I love it just for it being ridiculous. [25:47.000 –> 25:52.000] Yeah. Very cute. I mean it’s weird. [25:52.000 –> 25:57.000] Uh huh. Uh huh. Exactly. There’s like a blank stare to its face. [25:57.000 –> 26:02.000] Yeah. Okay. I don’t play Rune Factory. [26:02.000 –> 26:07.000] So yeah. That is the news. [26:07.000 –> 26:12.000] So. [26:13.000 –> 26:18.000] Moving on to our main topic. Uh huh. [26:18.000 –> 26:23.000] I’m laughing because I am I am shame. [26:23.000 –> 26:28.000] I have played three minutes [26:28.000 –> 26:33.000] of this game. And I feel so bad but I just have [26:33.000 –> 26:38.000] it’s been a it’s been a heck of a time. It’s been a month. Mentally, [26:38.000 –> 26:43.000] emotionally, physically. It’s been a year. Literally. I don’t know. [26:43.000 –> 26:48.000] So I mean I have thoughts about the game. Like I’ve looked at it. [26:48.000 –> 26:53.000] I’ve I’ve played three. So but I figured [26:53.000 –> 26:58.000] I would just kind of like go over like kind of read what has been said about the game. [26:58.000 –> 27:03.000] Like what they have said on their steam. [27:03.000 –> 27:08.000] And then also just kind of like interview you because you play more than three minutes. [27:08.000 –> 27:13.000] I just how my playtime and it’s a very cursed number. [27:13.000 –> 27:18.000] Sixty six hours. Nice. [27:18.000 –> 27:23.000] You can’t play anymore. I can’t. I have to put it down right here. [27:23.000 –> 27:28.000] Yeah. Right here. Okay. So just to remind people this [27:28.000 –> 27:33.000] is what the bio of research story on steam quote set out to [27:33.000 –> 27:38.000] discover and record plants and creatures for the Violet archive. Grow crops, [27:38.000 –> 27:43.000] tame animals and build the perfect farm. Forge friendships along the way as you begin your life as a [27:43.000 –> 27:48.000] researcher. Unquote. So yeah you’re kind of like you’re like a [27:48.000 –> 27:53.000] scientist in this area which is why both of us were like blessed. [27:54.000 –> 27:59.000] Yes. And it is important to note that this game still [27:59.000 –> 28:04.000] is in early access. They would they said that they would like it to be in early access [28:04.000 –> 28:09.000] for somewhere between six to six months to a year max. [28:09.000 –> 28:14.000] So it’s I mean it just came out [28:14.000 –> 28:19.000] of early acts like to like to buy and to play like a couple weeks ago. [28:19.000 –> 28:24.000] Maybe a month ago. Yeah. So and they said that when it [28:24.000 –> 28:29.000] goes from early access to a full game like the price will go up. So if you are [28:29.000 –> 28:34.000] interested in this or you know. Yeah. Get it now because you will get it for less [28:34.000 –> 28:39.000] expensive. Yes. So I will read a little bit more of [28:39.000 –> 28:44.000] the additional content and features that they plan to include in the full version. They [28:44.000 –> 28:49.000] said that they want to have more creatures fish and crops and to expand on the [28:49.000 –> 28:54.000] researching mechanics. They’re going to have more NPCs more romance [28:54.000 –> 28:59.000] bowls which I’m assuming means romance like options more heart [28:59.000 –> 29:04.000] events and they want to have like a marriage system. So think of like Stardew Valley. Yeah. [29:04.000 –> 29:09.000] Additional features such as festivals more content for [29:09.000 –> 29:14.000] decoration and building and then very importantly controller support. [29:14.000 –> 29:19.000] So currently does not have controller support which has been interesting since I’ve been playing it on [29:19.000 –> 29:24.000] Steam Deck. So it’s it’s been a good way to actually [29:24.000 –> 29:29.000] test run I think non controller games on the Steam Deck and it’s [29:29.000 –> 29:34.000] actually not that bad. Like I can right click or left click with the right trigger [29:34.000 –> 29:39.000] and like right click with the left trigger. So it’s been actually pretty nice and I almost kind [29:39.000 –> 29:44.000] of even still prefer it even though it doesn’t really have this controller support on the [29:44.000 –> 29:49.000] Steam Deck itself. So that’s that’s my review for the Steam Deck. It’s it’s still playable. [29:49.000 –> 29:54.000] That’s good. Yeah. I was going to say I had it just on Steam because it is [29:54.000 –> 29:59.000] only on Steam. I think that’s my big downfall is that [30:00.000 –> 30:05.000] the computer in this room. So my other computers and Mac and most games are only available on [30:05.000 –> 30:10.000] Windows. And so and if I come and play a game in this room I have to like put both my [30:10.000 –> 30:15.000] dogs away and like just kind of not just like a sit down and play a [30:15.000 –> 30:20.000] game and have fun like it’s kind of its own thing. So [30:20.000 –> 30:25.000] but I digress like if it was on Switch like if [30:25.000 –> 30:30.000] they had it on Switch I probably would have played it because I can play that on my couch. [30:30.000 –> 30:35.000] Yeah. So before we jump into like what the early access version has [30:35.000 –> 30:40.000] specifically and then I kind of like ask you about these different aspects. [30:40.000 –> 30:45.000] What are your first impressions? Like what do you think of the graphics and the sound and the [30:45.000 –> 30:50.000] like the overall gameplay? I will say first impressions are overall good. [30:50.000 –> 30:55.000] I feel like it’s it’s a very cute game. Like it has like it has more of a [30:55.000 –> 31:00.000] little wood I think like feel to it than than like pixel [31:00.000 –> 31:05.000] pixels like Stardew. So it’s more like chibi I think kind of. [31:05.000 –> 31:10.000] But the art for like there’s like a research book and the art for that is like really good. I really [31:10.000 –> 31:15.000] like the drawings of like all the things that you’re like interacting with. [31:15.000 –> 31:20.000] Some of the character like pixels aren’t like since they’re so small [31:20.000 –> 31:25.000] it can be a little hard to like differentiate but at the same time they’re like it’s like a fantasy [31:25.000 –> 31:30.000] setting so there’s like different species like there’s like elves and like druids and stuff. So just [31:30.000 –> 31:35.000] having that different coloration of like skin types helps a little bit with that. Like [31:35.000 –> 31:40.000] who am I talking to? Oh yeah it’s Theo. [31:40.000 –> 31:45.000] But yeah I it’s it’s very I will say it’s very Stardew-esque. [31:45.000 –> 31:50.000] It feels a lot like Stardew and maybe that’s why it was like so easy like to jump into this since I’ve [31:50.000 –> 31:55.000] been on such a like Stardew like kick. Like you have like the four [31:55.000 –> 32:00.000] seasons like they’re looking to do the marriage system adding festivals. So I think it’s essentially going [32:00.000 –> 32:05.000] to be a research version of Stardew which I don’t [32:05.000 –> 32:10.000] mind. I am here for it. Exactly. There’s definitely [32:10.000 –> 32:15.000] just as much to manage I think as there is in Stardew. So there’s a whole bunch of [32:15.000 –> 32:20.000] things. There’s so many more different animals than in Stardew. [32:20.000 –> 32:25.000] And we’ll get into that I think later but it’s it’s good. I would [32:25.000 –> 32:30.000] I would recommend it. Mm hmm. Cool. I was also just trying to see if they have it planned that [32:30.000 –> 32:35.000] they want to go to Switch. I hope so. I would I would [32:35.000 –> 32:40.000] think if I don’t know anywhere in there if they had enough like buy in I think if [32:40.000 –> 32:45.000] they like. Yeah this game does well enough. I’m sure they can afford to port it. [32:45.000 –> 32:50.000] So it might just be time or if they want to spend their time elsewhere [32:50.000 –> 32:55.000] in another game or something. I don’t know. OK. So the first topic this is [32:55.000 –> 33:00.000] like so this is what they have said like quote the early access version of research story [33:00.000 –> 33:05.000] features core systems and gameplay. And then so I’m just going to like mention it and then ask you [33:05.000 –> 33:10.000] like what your thoughts are on it. So the first core gameplay system is [33:10.000 –> 33:15.000] to research farm tame and fish. And it says quote players can complete [33:15.000 –> 33:20.000] research scrolls by observing different species growing crops [33:20.000 –> 33:25.000] taming animals and fishing. There are currently 60 plus. Why not just say [33:25.000 –> 33:30.000] the number researchable so crops creatures and fish. Maybe [33:30.000 –> 33:35.000] because they like planning to like add like more as they go on. [33:35.000 –> 33:40.000] There are currently providing like a specific number [33:40.000 –> 33:45.000] then they would need to keep updating it with new updates. That’s true. So [33:46.000 –> 33:51.000] yeah. So what what are you. So let’s start with the research [33:51.000 –> 33:56.000] scrolls by observing the different species. What is how does that work. So there’s three different [33:56.000 –> 34:01.000] sorry there’s four different types of research things researchable [34:01.000 –> 34:06.000] as I guess is what they’re calling it. And they usually like there’s a lot of foraging [34:06.000 –> 34:11.000] involved in this game and that’s honestly I think the easiest way to make money early game is [34:11.000 –> 34:16.000] it’s not a huge map. So just literally during like a route like every day. [34:16.000 –> 34:21.000] So the first thing you do with like anything that you collect is find it first [34:21.000 –> 34:26.000] and then like if it’s specifically like a plant if it’s like an herb or [34:26.000 –> 34:31.000] really calling flowers and herbs or vegetables and fruits. The first thing you [34:31.000 –> 34:36.000] do is like harvest the thing. Then you have to like put it into your little mic like there’s a little [34:36.000 –> 34:41.000] microscopic. What’s the [34:41.000 –> 34:46.000] thing that lets you like zoom in closer. Microscoping glass. No it’s like [34:46.000 –> 34:51.000] the hand held glass. There we go. [34:51.000 –> 34:56.000] The microscope in your hand. Yes. The portable [34:56.000 –> 35:01.000] microscope. So so there’s like a different tab for that [35:01.000 –> 35:06.000] and there’s like different goals to I guess fully research [35:06.000 –> 35:11.000] quote unquote research a thing and that’s how you earn you earn the resource scroll. It’s very [35:11.000 –> 35:16.000] very much similar to the legends of archaea system kind of. [35:16.000 –> 35:21.000] Yeah. So you have like four four like three to four maybe three to five different tasks [35:21.000 –> 35:26.000] for each item. And then once you complete all their tasks you officially have locked to [35:26.000 –> 35:31.000] your scroll you can put in the library and you’ve officially researched this thing to its [35:31.000 –> 35:36.000] extent. And most of it is observing it [35:36.000 –> 35:41.000] like the first the first one the first task is usually observing it out [35:41.000 –> 35:46.000] like in the wild or whatever. So before you can collect seeds for plants you have [35:46.000 –> 35:51.000] to observe it like two to three times and then you can collect the seeds and then you have to actually grow the thing on your farm. [35:52.000 –> 35:57.000] And that’s how you do the you do the thing. [35:58.000 –> 36:03.000] And like the little research page that like pops up in like your research journal it’s [36:03.000 –> 36:08.000] like pretty detailed like it has like a description. So like I’m looking at camel meal it’s like a small [36:08.000 –> 36:13.000] flower with a sweet herbal scent. It shows you like what it drops. So obviously like the flower and the [36:13.000 –> 36:18.000] seeds and then the information that takes three days to grow edible blooms said to be good for brewing tea. [36:18.000 –> 36:23.000] And then it has growing conditions and foraging locations. So each. [36:23.000 –> 36:28.000] Wow. So yeah it’s very in-depth. So like you could just look at this thing and see exactly [36:28.000 –> 36:33.000] when like what season it grows in. Does it have to be close or far away from water. [36:33.000 –> 36:38.000] Does require a different type of like fertilizer. Does require a different type of soil. [36:40.000 –> 36:45.000] So it’s pretty in-depth. I really like that aspect and got a little frustrated sometimes [36:45.000 –> 36:50.000] kept planting like tomatoes and I was like why why isn’t this thing growing. And it’s because [36:50.000 –> 36:56.000] it needs to be next to a light source. So like they have like little lanterns and they even have like a shade cloth [36:56.000 –> 37:01.000] for things that need to be partial shade which is really cool. Wow. So it’s a it’s [37:01.000 –> 37:06.000] pretty in-depth. I don’t know like I can’t like I’m not super familiar with some of these plants I can’t tell [37:06.000 –> 37:12.000] like if that’s exactly the conditions you need to grow them. But I would assume they did that research [37:13.000 –> 37:18.000] research going into this game. I would hope that the [37:18.000 –> 37:23.000] game that has research in the name was researched. Right. Right. Exactly. [37:23.000 –> 37:28.000] So a couple of them I think might be like a little made up like the creatures [37:29.000 –> 37:34.000] like they have chicken but then they also have a sprout kitten which is just a cat like and [37:34.000 –> 37:39.000] has like a little plant on its head. You don’t have a sprout kitten. [37:39.000 –> 37:44.000] I don’t but I need one now. Like that is like the two [37:44.000 –> 37:49.000] like vibes that I want is like plants and cats. So it makes sense that you would [37:49.000 –> 37:54.000] put them together. Uh-huh. [37:54.000 –> 37:59.000] And like they have a grass bun which is essentially a bunny. They have a fox. [37:59.000 –> 38:04.000] The one that you are excited about is literally just called the mountain pup. [38:05.000 –> 38:10.000] Uh-huh. Yeah it’s probably supposed to be a Burmese mountain dog. Uh-huh. But the colors. [38:10.000 –> 38:15.000] So Stella my Australian Shepherd puppy she has the color like everyone says like oh [38:15.000 –> 38:20.000] Burmese. And I’m like no she’s an Australian Shepherd actually. [38:20.000 –> 38:25.000] And like I think that the tri color is actually like I’m going to look this up because [38:25.000 –> 38:30.000] I keep saying this and I don’t know if this is right. But the [38:30.000 –> 38:35.000] tri color is the original color of Australian [38:35.000 –> 38:40.000] Shepherds. Oh it just says black and white. Well [38:40.000 –> 38:45.000] dogs are so weird. Like their breeds are don’t make any sense. They’re all one species. So [38:45.000 –> 38:50.000] I don’t know. I don’t quite understand it. But yeah so she’s a so she’s a black [38:50.000 –> 38:55.000] tri. So she gets she has some she looks like a little Burmese. [38:55.000 –> 39:00.000] And but so I mean that means that the the quote [39:00.000 –> 39:05.000] unquote mountain dog and research story looks like my dog. [39:05.000 –> 39:10.000] So I saw it in the trailer and I was like I need it. I know. She is a little mountain [39:10.000 –> 39:15.000] pup. Oh my gosh I haven’t. She’s in my little mountain. Uh-huh. She is. [39:17.000 –> 39:22.000] OK. What about the fishing. Well actually there’s a lot more to the creatures too. So [39:22.000 –> 39:27.000] like let me keep going. Sorry. Keep going. Creatures. Oh you’re fine. I’m just like going in order of like this [39:27.000 –> 39:32.000] research journal. It’s like that’s the next tab. I’m like I want to go in this next order. OK. [39:32.000 –> 39:37.000] So like looking at the creatures like the same thing like you see them out in the wild to you [39:37.000 –> 39:42.000] like you pet them which we don’t recommend petting wild animals because [39:42.000 –> 39:47.000] you don’t have wild animals. Yeah please don’t. You’re going to get hurt and it’s not good for [39:47.000 –> 39:52.000] them. But anyway in this game you pet them you collect one of their like little like dropped [39:52.000 –> 39:57.000] animals like for the mountain pup. It’s a tricolor for and [39:57.000 –> 40:02.000] then you observe them out in the wild and then build a creature pen on your farm [40:02.000 –> 40:07.000] and you can house them in these creature pens which is very cute. [40:07.000 –> 40:12.000] And you just like build up like your friendship level by like feeding them and and [40:12.000 –> 40:17.000] petting them every day and then eventually they’ll like provide like some sort of produce. So the mountain pup [40:17.000 –> 40:22.000] produces bones for example and the wood ram produces milk for whatever reason. [40:22.000 –> 40:27.000] I guess it’s supposed to be a goat. I don’t know. And like the fox drops meat. [40:27.000 –> 40:32.000] My personal. I understand. My personal mountain [40:32.000 –> 40:37.000] pup finds trash. [40:38.000 –> 40:43.000] Any walk that we go on she finds every piece of trash and she [40:43.000 –> 40:48.000] wants to just chew it. But I’m going to try and teach her to like trade it so that she can [40:48.000 –> 40:53.000] so that like I’ll just start bringing trash bags or like garbage bags. And you can just clean up everything. That’s [40:53.000 –> 40:58.000] exactly. And then she finds trash and then she can bring it to me and then she puts it in the bag I’ll give her a treat [40:58.000 –> 41:03.000] and then she can find another one. And so like I need to figure out how to make it a trick. [41:03.000 &ndash

This week! Dalton had to say goodbye to his best furry friend, So apologies for no episode last week. Final Fantasy XVI has gone GOLD! More Phantom X info, Rune Factory 3 Special sees Western Special edition release, and much more! Support the podcast here https://www.patreon.com/JRPGReport Patreon support gives you access to the JRPG Report discord channel, and my new Let's Play series :) Patreon Thank You List: Jake W Jordan K Kularian MasterLoot Support the show Directly via Paypal: Savagegalkagaming@gmail.com Leave us a review on Apple or your favorite listening place. Check out Revival and Extinction! Check out The Steam Machine Podcast! Check out TeamRetrogue! Check out YABSPOD! (Parental Advisory) Check out TeamRetrogue! Like our Facebook Page Follow us on Twitter @Jrpgreport Email me at jrpgreport@gmail.com Check out these fine sources for more information on the stories I cover: https://www.gematsu.com/, https://www.rpgsite.net/, and  https://www.siliconera.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jrpgreport/message

Al and Kev talk through all the recent news Including some release dates, some game updates, and some screenshots for Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:15: What Have We Been Up To 00:19:04: Releases 00:26:35: Updates 00:43:06: Announcements 00:56:21: News Games 01:01:13: Harvest Moon: The Winds Of Anthos 01:11:23: Outro Links Rune Factory 3 Special Release date Rune Factory 3 Special Limited Edition Sun Haven 1.0 Coral Island Update Potion Permit Update Garden Galaxy Update Orange Season Update Song of the Prairie Release Date Lightyear Frontier Delay Terra Nil Trailer Solarpunk Kickstarter Traveller’s Rest Roadmap Moonstone Island Switch Loddlenauts Demo Mudborne Outlanders Harvest Moon: Winds of Anthos Screenshots Harvest Moon: Winds of Anthos Screenshots Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript [00:00.000 –> 00:29.960]

✩ Audio Version ✩ ► https://superderekrpgs.com/hitpoint/ SOCIAL LINKS --------------------------------------------------- ✩ Derek ✩ ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuperDerekRPGs ►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SuperDerekRPGs ►Discord: https://discord.me/superderek✩ Baku ✩ ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BakusanJRPG ►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/BakusanJRPG►Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/weebsauce ►Discord: https://discord.me/ABC✩ Audio Version ✩ ► https://superderekrpgs.com/hitpoint/ SOCIAL LINKS --------------------------------------------------- ✩ Derek ✩ ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuperDerekRPGs ►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SuperDerekRPGs ►Discord: https://discord.me/superderek✩ Baku ✩ ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BakusanJRPG ►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/BakusanJRPG►Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/weebsauce ►Discord: https://discord.me/ABCTIMESTAMPS---------------------------------------------------Welcome Back to Hit Point!0:00:00 Welcome Back to Hit Point!0:01:10 Intro0:01:59 Why didn't we Steam last week?0:04:22 What where you up last week? Last Week's Comments:0:07:10 Comment 1: That PS logo hittin' Derek with the jump scare right before the Fatal Frame railer was grade A podcasting 0:08:18 Comment 2: I've been able to fairly accurately predict upcoming Square Enix projects...0:17:41 Comment 3: YS V almost made the company go bankrupt, it flopped massively... Updates & DLC Round-Up0:19:59 Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Upcoming Releases This Week 0:22:22 Meg's Monster0:27:30 Trails to Azure0:34:08 Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon0:38:23 Resident Evil 4 (Remake)0:44:07 Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key New Game Announced:0:48:56 Hunt the Night0:53:20 Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective0:54:21 The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails0:58:31 Process of Elimination1:04:00 The Legend of Contraria1:10:04 Dokapon Kingdom: Connect1:13:12 Rune Factory 3 Special1:16:05 Wargroove 21:18:41 FRONT MISSION 2: Remake1:22:57 SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection1:29:00 Persona 5 Mobile Game Industry News:1:43:07 Ryugukoku Metaverse Project1:46:29 MegaMan NT Warrior1:53:59 Nier: Automata Ver1.1a Anime delayed again1:55:09 Ryza Anime Responding to Super Chats & Outro 1:57:55 Super Chat 1: What Video game music where you hooked lately?2:03:01 Super Chat 2: I will only except Xenogears when ....2:04:31 Super Chat 3: When will Cold Steel 1 and 2 come to the Switch?2:07:18 Super Chat 4: Capcom please stop ignoring Breath of Fire. 2:08:15 Super Chat 5: With the mistep of Forspoken...2:17:36 Super Chat 6: Can we get all Falcom games on the Switch pls.2:18:20 Super Chat 7: Are there any 3DS or WII E-Sgop exclusiv RPG games?2:21:14 Super Chat 8: I'm from the future.2:26:36 Outro

Hosts Plattym3 & Yangus fly solo (duo?) this episode and look to rile up the masses with their personal top 5 best, worst, and most meh games they've ever played. Somehow just these two combine to discuss more games (30++) in 1 podcast than we've ever done before. 8:10 - Platty Bad #1 - Legend of Dragoon 12:00 - Yangus Bad #1 - Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth 19:15 - Platty Bad #2 - Puzzles and Dragon: Super Mario Edition 25:45 - Yangus Bad #2 - Dragon Quest IX 26:20 - Platty Bad #3 - Legend of Legacy & SaGa games 32:00 - Yangus Bad #3 - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story 36:25 - Platty Bad #4 - Undertale 41:35 - Yangus Bad #4 - Bravely Default II 49:50 - Platty Bad #5 - Final Fantasy XII 53:40 - Yangus Bad #5 - Plague Road 58:43 - Platty Meh #1 - Megadimension Neptunia V-II 1:01:10 - Yangus Meh #1 - Dragon Quest I 1:03:00 - Platty Meh #2 - Earthbound 1:04:55 - Yangus Meh #2 - YsVIII 1:08:25 - Platty Meh #3 - Chrono Trigger 1:11:25 - Yangus Meh #3 - Persona 4 & 5 1:14:30 - Platty Meh #4 - FFIX 1:16:45 - Yangus Meh #4 - Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne 1:20:45 - Platty Meh #5 - Suikoden 1:23:30 - Yangus Meh #5 - The Lost Child 1:33:55 - Yangus YAY #1 - Live-A-Live 1:38:40 - Platty YAY #1 - Dragon Quest XI 1:40:30 - Yangus YAY #2 - Earthbound 1:47:00 - Platty YAY #2 - Trails from Zero 1:51:50 - Yangus YAY #3 - Dragon Quest VII 1:57:30 - Platty YAY #3 - Octopath Travel 2 2:09:45 - Yangus YAY #4 - SMT: Strange Journey 2:21:20 - Platty YAY #4 - Rune Factory 4 2:28:30 - Yangus YAY #5 - Final Fantasy IV 2:36:55 - Platty YAY #5 - Fantasy Life Join Bururian's official/unofficial Dragon's Den Discord: https://discord.gg/AC8cS7w3dA Slime Time t-shirt : https://dq-dragons-den-woodus.creator-spring.com/listing/dragon-quest-slime-time-podcas Check out Platty's website https://sites.google.com/view/plattym3 for Perler Bead creations, Platty's play log, and links to TONS of translated DQ games. For more Slime Time, hit us up @DQSlimeTime on Twitter or slimetimepodcast@gmail.com or join in all the discussions taking place at https://www.woodus.com/forums/

E-I-E-I-oh boy I almost went to bed without watering the corn. Oh, hello. On today's Retro Encounter, we're breaking out the farm equipment and digging into the ever-growing farm simulation genre. Many of them overlap with RPGs, especially as modern games have expanded their systems beyond crops, animals, and relationships, offering combat systems and more. Of course we talked about Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley, but we covered much more ground in discussing how we all got our start, what we are playing now, and some farming games we're looking forward to. Saddle up!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Greg Delmage, Dom Kim; Edited by Jono LoganOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Kev and Jonnie talk about the 3DS and Wii U farming games we are about to lose Timings [00:00:00] Theme Tune [00:00:30] Intro [00:02:15] What Have We Been Up To [00:13:39] News [00:45:54] 3DS Games [01:11:28] Outro Links Mika and the Witch’s Mountain Kickstarter Island of Mine coming to mobile Sean Young Creature Capture Game Wylde Flowers update Princess Farmer mobile release Fae Farm delay Len’s Island roadmap Disney Dreamlight Valley Update Flutter Away Koru Travellers Rest Fabledom Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns Harvest Moon: A New Beginning Story of Seasons Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley Harvest Moon: Skytree Village Rune Factory 4 Farming Simulator 18 Funky Barn Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/

Hosts Plattym3 & Yangus welcome back Mattcraft & Pendy to talk about their most anticipated games of 2023. 0:05:45 - Rune Factory 3 Special - Platty - Coming Spring 2023 0:15:40 - Suikoden I & II - Mattcraft - Coming 2023 0:17:05 - Kirby Dreamland - Mattcraft - Coming February 2023 0:19:00 - DQIII HD-2D - Pendy - Hopefully Coming 2023 0:35:15 - Pizza Tower - Yangus - Coming January 2023 0:40:40 - Wrestle Quest - Platty - Coming May 2023 0:49:50 - Street Fighter 6 - Pendy - Coming June 2023 1:00:00 - Octopath Traveler 2 - Yangus - Coming February 2023 1:14:00 - The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie - Platty - Coming July 2023 1:28:40 - Infinity Strash - Pendy - Hopefully Coming 2023 1:37:45 - Suikoden I & II HD Remasters - Yangus - Coming 2023 Join Bururian's official/unofficial Dragon's Den Discord: https://discord.gg/AC8cS7w3dA Slime Time t-shirt : https://dq-dragons-den-woodus.creator-spring.com/listing/dragon-quest-slime-time-podcas Check out Platty's website https://sites.google.com/view/plattym3 for Perler Bead creations, Platty's play log, and links to TONS of translated DQ games. For more Slime Time, hit us up @DQSlimeTime on Twitter or slimetimepodcast@gmail.com or join in all the discussions taking place at https://www.woodus.com/forums/

Al, Codey, and Jonnie talk about the games coming in 2023 Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:04:39: What Have We Been Playing 00:14:31: News 00:20:18: 2023 Games 00:21:29: List Of Games 00:30:14: What We Are Excited About 00:56:28: Outro Links Bear and Breakfast Update Turnip Boy on PS Research Story EA Date Aka Update 2023 Games List: One Lonely Outpost Roots of Pacha SoS: A Wonderful Life HM: The Winds of Anthos Rune Factory 3 Special Mineko’s Night Market Snacko Mika and the Witch’s Mountain Terra Nil Above Snakes Cornucopia Lightyear Frontier Fae Farm Cloudscape Sprout Valley Dragon Acres Kloa: Child of the Forest Petadachi Wanderlost Everafter Falls Sun Haven Arclands Critter Crops Little Witch in the Woods Ova Magica Elusive People Moonhaven Wholesome - Out and About Super Zoo Story Pixelshire Moonstone Island A Last Song Distant Bloom Spirittea Loddlenaut Codey on Twitter Contact Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/

Thank you Factor for sponsoring this week's episode of What's Good Games! Go to http://go.factor75.com/whatsgood60 and use code whatsgood60 to get 60% off your first box. OH BOY, 2023 is absolutely *stacked* when it comes to video game releases. (Barring any delays, of course!) So hang out with Britt, Andrea and Ri as we go month by month for 2023's whopper of a year and choose our most anticipated games of next year. 05:50 - Dead Space Remake 07:05 - Fire Emblem Engage 07:57 - Monster Hunter Rise 08:13 - Forspoken 10:24 - Like A Dragon: Ishin! 11:50 - Play Station VR2 11:58 - Horizon Call Of The Mountain 13:44 - Destiny 16:05 - Hogwarts Legacy 17:23 - Blanc 18:17 - Skull & Bones 20:12 - Crime Boss: Rockay City 22:53 - Resident Evil 4 Remake 25:59 - A Message From Factor 28:23 - Patreon Shout-Outs! 30:18 - Horizon Forbidden West - Burning Shores DLC 33:11 - Dead Island 2 35:16 - Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League 37:32 - The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of the Kingdom 40:32 - Diablo 42:43 - Final Fantasy 16 44:20 - Street Fighter 6 45:17 - Baldur's Gate 3 47:10 - Assassin's Creed Mirage 48:50 - Ghost Of A New Eden 51:35 - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora 52:08 - Call Of Duty Mobil 53:29 - Fae Farm 54:38 - Final Fantasy Rebirth 57:40 - Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn 59:43 - Hades 2 1:03:43 - Judas 1:05:19 - Layers Of Fears 1:06:45 - Like A Dragon Gaiden 1:08:13 - Marvel Spiderman 2 1:09:19 - My Time At Sand Rock 1:10:54 - Red Fall 1:13:58 - Rune Factory 3 Special 1:14:15 - Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life 1:14:58 - Star Wars: Jedi Survivor 1:16:32 - Star Field 1:20:07 - The Wolf Among Us 2 1:22:00 - Transformers Reactivate

Thank you to MeUndies and Hello Fresh for sponsoring this episode of What's Good Games! Go to http://meundies.com/WGG to get 15% off your first order and 25% off your first Membership item. Go to http://hellofresh.com/whatsgood16 and use code whatsgood16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts! Our annual Game of the Year So Far episode returns! Andrea, Britt and Riana chat about who has the goods to take on Elden Ring in a showdown of the best video games of 2022...so far. Thank you to this month's Patreon Producers: Chewy's Godson, Alex Rigopulos, Faris Attieh, Justin Foshee, Matthew Goderre, and Punkdefied Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/2rAcJvF Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/whatsgoodgames Want audio only? http://whatsgoodgames.com/podcast/ Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/whatsgoodgames Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/whatsgood_games Follow on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/whatsgoodgames Follow on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/whatsgoodgames Our discord channel: http://discord.gg/whatsgoodgames Follow on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/whatsgoodgamesofficial Our website: http://www.whatsgoodgames.com Timestamps: 09:39 - Pokémon Legends: Arceus 13:17 - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction 13:39 - Dying Light 2 Stay Human 15:26 - Sifu 19:26 - Horizon Forbidden West 36:18 - MeUndies 38:34 - Hello Fresh 40:51 - Elden Ring 1:01:27 - Tunic 1:03:03 - Ghostwire: Tokyo 1:05:06 - Triangle Strategy 1:05:26 - Kirby and the Forgotten Land 1:09:17 - Rune Factory 5 1:11:30 - Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 1:13:46 - LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga 1:22:19 - Nintendo Switch Sports 1:28:28 - Sniper Elite 5 1:29:19 - Ni No Kuni Cross Worlds 1:31:43 - The Quarry 1:38:54 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles  1:45:29 - Weird West 1:56:51 - Conclusion/Outro

Ben, Brad, and Blood celebrate an odd assortment of games including Rune Factory 5, Gundam Evolution, Moss: Book II, and more. TIMESTAMPS Opening - 00:00 Rune Factory 5 - 05:42 Batman: Arkham Knight - 23:04 One Piece: World Seeker - 41:16 THE SIZZLE: If there could be a TV show about any video game character, who would you want it to be? - 55:14 Gundam Evolution - 01:00:54 Moss: Book II - 01:12:44 Ghostwire Tokyo - 01:25:53 HOTTAKE: Kingdom Hearts IV has been officially announced, what do we expect and what does this mean for the series? - 01:35:21 Email 1 - 01:49:40 Email 2 - 01:53:11 Email 3 - 01:58:50 Thank you to these wonderful "Shout-Out!" tier patrons: Elthanas Greg “TheDarkKnight” Kettering Caleb "Togi" Crawford Nik Raymond Wheeler III ZatVunDoot Anacrothe Special mention to our Everything Producer: Jabbawabs --- Graphics - Joe Ellis (@Joe_David_Ellis): Concept & Design Chris Leroux (@ChrisLeroux): Animation & Motion Graphics Music: "Illuminate" by Ethan Rank - https://artlist.io/song/4423/illuminate

This week Andrea and Britt chat about the new Witcher game in development, PlayStation's new studio acquisition, Ghostbusters: Spirit Unleashed's reveal, and why it's complicated to be excited about Harry Potter Legacy. In hands-on Britt when full horny casino, *ahem*, horny farm simulator with Rune Factory 5 and Andrea dipped her toes into the multiplayer waters of Elden Ring.  Thank you to our Patreon Producers: ·        Chewy's Godson ·        Alex Rigopulos ·        David Iacolucci ·        Faris Attieh ·        Justin Foshee ·        Matthew Goderre ·        Punkdefied Support What's Good Games on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/whatsgoodgames Discuss the podcast on our social channels! http://www.facebook.com/whatsgoodgames http://www.twitter.com/whatsgood_games http://www.youtube.com/whatsgoodgames Join the community page! https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatsgoodgames/ Timestamps: 6:05 New Witcher game announced 16:10 Sony acquires Haven 21:55 Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed 26:06 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy 49:35 Rune Factory 5 58:45 Elden Ring