Diecast – Twenty Sided

We didn’t talk about it on the show, but yes, I’ve seen the new trailer and gameplay videos for Cyberpunk 2077 that surfaced while I was busy schlepping my worldly possessions to a new home. It’s all very impressive, but it doesn’t change much. I was already 100% sold on this game.

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Hosts: Paul, Shamus. Episode edited by Issac.
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Link (YouTube)

00:00 Just set up.

An hour before the recording session started, my office was a bare box. Hard floors. No curtains. No furniture. An hour later we had my furniture in here, my ridiculously complex PC + audio equipment + external drives + power setup was ready, we had curtains on the windows, and blankets on the walls to dampen the echo. It all came together just a couple of minutes before we started recording. I’m amazed it worked out.

No pictures. I cringe to look at it. Aesthetics come later, once the rest of the house is done.

02:32 Paul played LOTRO

Hopefully he’ll get a little further into the game. Also, like I said on the show: I’d like to hear anyone’s first impressions of this 13 year old game. If you give it a try, please tell me in the comments! Also, here is the writeup I did on the game back in 2010.

Here’s the examination of Classic WoW I mentioned on the show:

Link (YouTube)

12:24 Shamus’ Move

Short version: This new place has improved my life in many unexpected ways.

Long version: Listen to the show.

18:24 Paul’s Job search

Good luck at the interview!

22:29 Mailbag: Question for Paul

Dear Diecast,

Hi! It may be an odd time to ask this question (and an odd question at that), but I recently thought about it:

Paul, what was the main reason you were hired to work on the Shadow of the Conqueror film? Did it have anything to do with your scathing (yet interesting), long-form critique of the book? No offense, but I find it kind of weird that you were hired to work on a property you’ve been publicly critical of. What does the rest of the team think about it?

Keep being Awesome,

Lino

P.S. Once again, I’d like to wish you guys the best of luck: Paul with job hunting, and Shamus with lowering his blood pressure. It really sucks how the Internet doesn’t give us a lot of opportunities to help each other in situations like these. Hey, maybe that could be a question for the both of you: if we could use phones to teleport like in The Matrix, how would that work with the Internet? How would Twitter look like :D

Here’s the video on MuseScore I talked about on the show. Worth a watch:

Link (YouTube)

32:40 Mailbag: Low Spec Gaming

Dear Diecast,

I mainly game on PS4, but occasionally I put my underpowered laptop through hell to run some games right on the edge of playability. I think the worst I’ve ever tolerated was pushing through Scanner Sombre where the fps would often dip into the 15’s. So Diecast members, what’s the lowest you’ve sank to play something you otherwise probably shouldn’t have? Or have you never had the pleasure of being a low spec gamer?

Thank you,
Kaden

44:46 Mailbag: TTG Online

Dear Diecast,

Hi! Hope you’re doing well! I’ve got a question about Tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs) – which, unfortunately, is mostly aimed at Shamus. Sorry, Paul! I’ve tried playing RPGs myself, but it turns out that playing them just isn’t for me (it’s a long story).

However, I love talking about TTRPG design, as well as reading about TTRPG campaigns. But no matter how many I read, the one about Mar Tesaro is the best one I’ve ever come across (I still reread it from time to time). Now, Shamus, you’ve described the obstacles you have with running a TT game nowadays (health, schedules, players in different states, etc.). However, have you considered running an online TTRPG with your friends? Nowadays, there are a literal ton of resources geared towards it – from sites like Roll20 and Tabletop Finder, all the way to worldbuilding resources like World Anvil.

I realise this question is kind of personal, so I won’t mind it if you choose not to answer. I just thought it was a natural workaround to your burning hatred for all things small, cute and furry.

Keep Being Awesome,

Lino

Also, here’s the link to the old TTRPG campaign Paul mentioned.

48:53 Mailbag: Egypt: Old Kingdom

Dear Diecast,

Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Egypt: Old Kingdom, a strategy game set in ancient Egypt which prides itself on its historical accuracy and its educational qualities. The endgame is based on a period of history called the Bronze Age Collapse, during which a mysterious group known as the Sea People repeatedly attacked Egypt. The historical Sea People temporarily conquered northern Egypt. In the game, the Sea People are an endless series of increasingly large armies who will keep coming until every single Egyptian everywhere is dead. My question is this: did the game get history wrong by exaggerating the danger posed by the Sea People or did it get history right by giving me the same sort of visceral, deep-seated fear of the Sea People that at least some of the ancient Egyptians must have felt? What would you say it means for a game to get history right?

–John