Roguelike Radio
By Andrew Doull, Darren Grey, Scott Edgar etc.
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Podcast Description
Roguelike Radio is a podcast dedicated to roguelikes. We'll be discussing old favourites like NetHack, Angband, Dungeon Crawl and Adom as well as newer releases and less well known gems.
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Episode 24: Themes and Settings | Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 24, where we look at Themes and Settings in Roguelikes. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, John Harris, Legend and Nicolas Casalini (aka DarkGod). The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - The lack of real setting in Rogue (apart from the text in the Epyx manual for Rogue) - Generic fantasy settings and what can be good or bad about them - Unexplored settings and genre-mixing - How to emphasise setting with tiles, colour schemes, music, sound, intro text, etc - Original setting ideas, from sex roguelikes to orcs in 10-gallon hats - Various games discussed, including ADOM, ToME4, Broken Bottle, Vicious Orcs, Hellband, SewerJacks, DoomRL, The Slimy Lichmummy, Cardinal Quest, Anquestria (the My Little Pony themed *Band) Join us in just over a week for a discussion on Permadeath. | 17 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 23: Interview with David Ploog | Welcome to episode 23 of Roguelike Radio. Today we take a break from our usual schedule to interview David Ploog, former lead designer of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. Joining David are Ido Yehieli, Keith Burgun and Jeff Lait. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Discussion covered this week includes: - How David got into roguelikes and into Crawl development - Highs and lows of acting as a pure designer - Why David gave up on development of DCSS - Of minotaurs and mountain dwarves - Responding to playerbases - Differences in design between big and small roguelikes - Several interesting anecdotes and insights from David's five years of Crawl design This episode also features a couple of snippets of music - excerpts from Birdflesh's 'Dance on the Frozen Desert' and Threatener's 'Meth Crawl'. David was rather keen to have these in... Quoth he: "The second one was not just a gimmick -- there are some reasons why I chose it. Apart from the obvious (the 'Crawl' in the track title), there's more. To an outsider, roguelikes are (almost) as far away from 'computer game' as the noise (the genre is called grind core) is from 'music'. ... Originally, I had prepared a series of similar short pieces, which would range continuously from the bizarre/experimental (like the first tune) to the insane and mental (the second one). I love this kind of transition from normal/calm to twisted/insane. It's a reason why the Abyss is my favourite Crawl branch (together with Slime)." We'll be back in just a few days time to return to our usual schedule with a discussion of themes and settings in roguelikes. | 13 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 22: Infra Arcana | Welcome to episode 22 of Roguelike Radio. This week we discuss Infra Arcana, a horror-themed roguelike with significant Lovecraft inspiration. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, John Harris, Legend and Infra Arcana's developer Martin Tornqvist (aka NON). The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Discussion covered this week includes: - Lovecraft theme and other inspirations - How to pronounce "Cthulhu" - Insanity system as a food clock - ASCII vs tile mode - Dev fatigue - UI and keycommands, inc for laptops Join us next week for a general discussion of themes/settings in roguelikes. | 6 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 21: Procedural Generation | Welcome to episode 21 of Roguelike Radio. This week we discuss procedural generation and how it applies to roguelikes. Talking this episode are Darren Grey and Andrew Doull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Discussion covered this week includes: - Death of the Level Designer - The advantages of a room and corridor design - Sunk cost investment in procedural spaces - Whether tidying up is good game play - Procedural puzzles and quests - Can dynamic systems and AI make a game procedural? - Architecture vs. content If this interests you further, you should take a look at the PCG wiki, which has links to all things procedural. Join us next week for a look at Infra Arcana, a horror-themed roguelike. | 1 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 20: Cataclysm | Welcome to episode 20 of Roguelike Radio. This week we discuss Cataclysm, a post-apocalyptic roguelike with a large open world. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli, Eronarn, Joshua Day and Cataclysm's developer Zachary Jenkins (aka Whales). The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Discussion covered this week includes: - Inspirations for the game - Post-apocalyptic settings in roguelikes - Shared environment on the server and interaction between players in a single-player game (aka "massively single player") - Realism vs gameplay - Alternatives to killing monsters for xp - Companion AI that is intelligent - Mods for the game made by users - Future plans for the game If you want to play (and I do recommend it) you can find details on how to connect to the ssh server on the game's RogueBasin page. Join us next week for a general discussion of procedural content in roguelikes. | 24 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 19: Interview with DarkGod, creator of ToME4 | Welcome to episode 19 of Roguelike Radio. This week we interview Nicolas Casalini, aka DarkGod, creator of ToME4, also known as Tales of Maj'Eyal. Interviewing DarkGod are Darren Grey and Ido Yehieli. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered with DarkGod include: - His gaming and coding background - Setting and story in Pernband/ToME/ToME2/ToME4 - Inspirations for some of the game's mechanics - Community contributions and the benefits of open source - Death/Lives options - Plans for the future and other things DarkGod is working on Join us next week for a look at post-apocalyptic zombie-slaying fun in Cataclysm. | 18 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 18: ToME4 | Welcome to episode 18 of Roguelike Radio. This week we discuss ToME4, also known as Tales of Maj'Eyal. ToME4 is a major roguelike written by DarkGod, and has recently become the first game to win the ASCII Dreams Roguelike of the Year poll twice. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull and John Harris, with guest ToME players/contributors Eric Wykoff and Eric Welch. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - History of ToME4, including its predecessors - The advantages of release early, release often and community contributions to the game - ToME4's modern interface - How the game breaks from roguelike traditions, and some of its unique features and classes - IP violation, and DarkGod's change from Pern to Tolkien to an original setting - Transparency in game mechanics, and the problems with too many stats - Beta version stability, with some tips for folks on Vista or Win7 Join us next week for an interview with ToME4's creator, DarkGod. | 10 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 6: Dungeons of Dredmor | Welcome to episode 6 of Roguelike Radio. This week we have been playing Dungeons of Dredmor, a commercial roguelike by Gaslamp Games, available on Steam for US$5. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull and John Harris. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - Humour in games - Vendor trash and too many items - Crafting systems in roguelikes - The hard choice between avoiding traps and sucking the blood from your enemies' corpses Join us next week for discussion of 100 Rogues. Also watch out in the coming few days for a special interview with Ido Yehieli, developer of Cardinal Quest. | 10 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 17: Roguelike of the Year 2011 | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 17 celebrates the diversity and popularity of roguelikes with a discussion about the possibility of there being a roguelike of the year and what that even means. You can still vote for the 5th annual Ascii Dreams Roguelike of the Year as well, so take the opportunity to listen to the show then cast or change your vote. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli and Andrew Doull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - The origin of the Ascii Dreams Roguelike of the Year - This years controversial choices - The panellists pick their favourites and honourable mentions for the year - Top ten choices you may not have heard of Advocacy threads for Angband, Brogue, Dungeons of Dredmor and Tome 4 We'll be taking a short break over the festive season and will be returning mid January. | 21 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 16: History and Future of Roguelikes | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 16 looks back over the history of roguelikes, with a lot of extrapolating over what might happen in future and where we'd each like the genre to go. Talking this week are Andrew Doull, Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli and Keith Burgun. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - The hack/band schism - How the genres has evolved and what the influences were on its evolution and features - The rise of more diverse roguelikes - Roguelike influences in the indie community - The influences on Rogue itself (check out this article by Glen Wichman for more info!) - Predicting the future (likely badly) Join us next week for discussion of the Roguelike of the Year award. Go vote if you haven't already! | 14 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 15: Quickband | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 15 features 3 Angband variant developers taking a quick time out from their grinding schedules to discuss Quickband, and Angband variants in general. Talking this week are Andrew Doull, Tom Demuyt and Brian Bull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - 3 guys reminiscing about a great band from the early 90s - Some theories why Angband has ended up with so many variants - Why the numbers in Angband go up to 11 - Many many Angband variants which are listed on this page Join us next week for discussion of the history and future of roguelikes. | 8 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 14: Resource Management | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 14 focuses on resource management in roguelikes, including food clocks, items and variations on these. Talking this week are Andrew Doull, Darren Grey and Ido Yehieli. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Sincere apologies for some audio issues in this episode (which aren't helped much by my cold). Topics covered this week include: - Food clocks and their alternatives (including cold, light, corruption, and big scary ghosts) - Making resources important in play - How to do a roguelike without enemies - Traps and diseases in roguelikes - Many many games, including: Frozen Depths, ADOM, Cardinal Quest, Toby the Trapper, Dungeons of Dredmor, Angband, Unangband, Brogue, CryptRover, Spelunky, Run from the Shadow, Gruesome Join us next week for discussion of Quickband and some of its bandy cousins. | 29 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 12: Roguelikes Features in Other Genres | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 12 takes a look at how traditional rogue-like mechanics are put to use in games outside of the genre, with some reflection on how these mechanics work within roguelikes. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, John Harris, Ido Yehieli and Keith Burgun. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - Procedural content - Lovely lovely permadeath - Real-time vs Turn-based - Loot, glorious loot Games mentioned include: - Dwarf Fortress - Diablo - The Binding of Isaac - Desktop Dungeons - Spelunky - Legerdemain - Triangle Wizard - EarlSpork - Auro - The Archive - the space roguelike Andrew mentions around 1:04:40 in development by Surprised Man (not Suicidal Man!) Join us next week for discussion of the SNES classic Shiren the Wanderer. | 25 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 13: Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wander | This week's episode of Roguelike Radio covers a classic commercial game relatively unknown in the U.S., Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Furaai no Shiren, a.k.a. Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wanderer. Although part of a long-running Japanese series that's still fairly obscure (in its non-Pokemon forms) in the West, this did receive a recent U.S. release as Mystery Dungeon. The participants this time are John Harris and Keith Burgun. They had a blast covering this one -- although it's just two people this time they talked for an hour and a half, and could easily have gone on another hour. The two of panelists are devoted Shiren fanatics, and John argues particularly think it's one of the best games of the 16-bit era. Note -- this is not the recent Wii release, which is an inferior game in our opinion. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded at here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - Monsters and items in Shiren - Different ways of making a game complex - An alternative approach to plot in roguelikes - How great the game is Additional links: - Amazon page for the U.S. Nintendo DS re-release - aeon genesis' translation patch for the Japanese ROM John Harris has written extensively about this game in the past, for @Play, including most of a playthrough: - Part 1 - Part 2 | 23 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 11: The Binding of Isaac | [Edit: Mirrored at archive.org. (direct link)] Welcome Rock, Paper, Shotgun readers. We’re working on handling the unexpected improvement in traffic from your arrival, so that the download links below may be choppy. If they don't work please try the archive.org mirror link to download this episode. If you’re impatient, just subscribe (either iTunes or your favourite podcast software) using the links to the right, and you'll get the episode once things calm down a little.] Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 11 features the Binding of Isaac, a roguelike shooter inspired by in part by the Biblical story of the same name. Talking this week are Ido Yehieli, Oddmund Strømme and Andrew Doull and we are joined by the designer and artist of the Binding of Isaac, Edmund McMillen. This week's episode is a little longer than usual because we both discuss the game and interview Edmund within the single show - there's also some swearing, if you are concerned about that sort of thing. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Some of the topics covered: - The honour code of independent developers - The dark theme of the game and the inspiration behind it - Whether the Binding of Isaac is a roguelike-like For further reading about the Binding of Isaac: - Edmund McMillen on gameplay and progression in the Binding on Isaac - The blog post on Isaac's theme that Andrew mentions at the start of the episode Next week we'll be talking about roguelike influences in other games and what we'd like to see other games learn from roguelikes. | 17 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 10: Deity Systems | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 10 focuses on deity systems in roguelikes, with particular attention on Nethack, ADOM, DCSS and Powder. Talking this week are Darren Grey and Jeff Lait. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Some of the topics covered: - Active praying vs passive piety effects - Scumming the gods - Interacting deities - The player's relationship with the RNG - TrueGod, a 7DRL focusing on the RNG as a god Next week we'll be talking about The Binding of Isaac, a top-down shooter with some roguelike influences. | 1 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Interview: Brian Walker aka Pender | Welcome to a special edition of Roguelike Radio where we interview Brian Walker aka Pender. Brian is the developer of Brogue, a roguelike inspired by the original Rogue and which we covered in an earlier episode of Roguelike Radio. Asking questions are Erez Ben-Aharon and Andrew Doull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Apologies for some sound problems at points. Topics covered in the interview include: - How Brian got into the genre - Lighting engine and Dijkstra maps - The future of Brogue Also mentioned in the podcast: - The Usenet post where Brian outlines what he was planning before the game was released - The Brogue forums If there are others developers you'd like to hear us interview, or other subjects you're keen to have covered then drop a note in the comments and we'll be happy to respond. | 28 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Interview with Gaslamp Games (developers of Dungeons of Dredmor) | Welcome to a special edition of Roguelike Radio where we interview three members of Gaslamp Games, the developers of Dungeons of Dredmor. Dredmor is a graphical roguelike with a significant humour element, available on Steam or Desura, and was covered in episode 6 of Roguelike Radio. Asking questions are Darren Grey and John Harris, with Daniel Jacobsen, Nicholas Vining and David Baumgart doing the answering. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Additional reviews and ratings on iTunes are much appreciated! Topics covered in the interview include: - How Gaslamp got together and the reason for their name - How many years of human endeavour they have mercilessly destroyed - Upcoming features and expansion pack for Dungeons of Dredmor Relevant links: - The DIYGamer interview where they allude to some odd activities of their first artist - Dungeons of Dredmor blog - Dungeons of Dredmor forums If there are others developers you'd like to hear us interview, or other subjects you're keen to have covered then drop a note in the comments and we'll be happy to respond. | 28 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 9: Powder | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 9 features the popular and widely ported 'rouge'-like Powder. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, Santiago Zapata and we are joined by the developer of Powder, Jeff Lait. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - Disposable characters and fast play - BUC identify systems and POWDER's Hacklike heritage - Developing and pricing model on the iPhone - Darren's superior roguelike skills Join us next week for discussion of deity systems in roguelikes, prompted by Powder's greek chorus of gods. | 25 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 8: Progression Systems | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 8 takes a break from the usual focus on one roguelike to instead consider in general the role of character progression systems in the genre, with particular emphasis on the major roguelikes. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, John Harris and Ido Yehieli. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - Skill systems and class systems - The role of items in progression - Limiting resources and anti-scumming - Alternative xp sources Relevant links: - Article on game design and permadeath (mentioned by Andrew) - A Quest Too Far (the reverse-progression 7DRL Darren couldn't remember) - ToME4, ADOM, Crawl, Nethack, Angband, Dungeons of Dredmor, Gruesome, Cardinal Quest, DoomRL (all mentioned at some point) Join us next week for discussion of Jeff Lait's Powder. | 17 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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*Spoilers* Bonus Content: 100 Rogues | Welcome to a bonus content episode for Roguelike Radio. We often end up talking further after we've finished recording the weekly episode, and with Keith on, we felt there was enough additional discussion to be worth saving for you. Ido Yehieli, John Harris and Keith Burgun continue discussing 100 Rogues with plenty of spoilers; started by an off-air question about why the monsters get attacks of opportunity when your character moves. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered in this bonus content: - Monsters of 100 Rogues - Ido live playing 100 Rogues, featuring the second boss fight | 13 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 7: 100 Rogues | Welcome to episode 7 of Roguelike Radio. This week we have been playing 100 Rogues, a commercial roguelike by Dinofarm Games, available on iOS and OS/X for US$1.99. Talking this episode are Ido Yehieli, Andrew Doull and John Harris, and we are joined by the lead designer of 100 Rogues, Keith Burgun. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Topics covered this week include: - The evolution of 100 Rogues - Game design essentials - Cinema and roguelikes - Ido trapped by a stone kitten Next week we'll be breaking from our usual format to take in some general discussion on character progression systems in roguelikes. Also keep your ears open for some 100 Rogues themed bonus content mid-week! | 11 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Interview: Ido Yehieli | Welcome to a special edition of Roguelike Radio where we interview Ido Yehieli. Ido is the developer of Cardinal Quest, a commercial indie roguelike which we covered in our first episode of Roguelike Radio. Quizzing the dev are Darren Grey and Andrew Doull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. Apologies for some sound problems at points. Topics covered in the interview include: - Motivations and inspirations for Cardinal Quest - Viability of commercial roguelikes - How Ido got into the genre Those who missed out on the free offer for Cardinal Quest should go to Fastspring to buy a copy for US$4.45. Go, now! If there are others developers you'd like to hear us interview, or other subjects you're keen to have covered then drop a note in the comments and we'll be happy to respond. | 5 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 5: Frozen Depths | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 5 focuses discussion on Frozen Depths, a cold-themed roguelike by Glowie. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull and Ido Yehieli. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Topics covered this week include: - Food clock systems - Overarching themes to games - Terminal interface on modern systems Join us next week for discussion of Dungeons of Dredmor. | 26 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Episode 4: DoomRL | Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 4 focuses discussion on DoomRL, a coffeebreak roguelike by Kornel Kisielewicz. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, John Harris and Ido Yehieli. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Topics covered this week include: - What makes a coffeebreak - Feature creep in roguelikes - Annual Roguelike Release Party 2011 (briefly) Relevant links: - List of ARRP 2011 games - @Play review of DoomRL from 2007 Join us next week for discussion of Frozen Depths. | 19 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 25 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Great content, iffy production
I wasn't sure if I could handle a whole hour of roguelike discussion, let alone an hour a week, but it's actually very interesting. The guys have a good range of guests and interviews. I enjoy the discussion of the specific games branching into all sorts of aspects of game design; most (if not all) of them are developers themselves and very insightful. Definitely can't fault the content.
The only complaint (constructive criticism) is that the production is pretty ordinary. Differing sound levels & audio quality per person make it somewhat difficult to listen to, especially on noisy public transport. There's also not a lot in the way of "flair" like intros or outros. Obviously being a roguelike fan I'm not against content over form, but I think even a short "Welcome to Roguelike Radio" at the beginning would make it sound a lot more professional. Also, get everyone a decent mic!
It's only early days though so a lot can be forgiven. Personally I'm really pleased there's a podcast on the subject and it's already near the top of my weekly listening list. If you're interested in game design at all it's worth listening to just to hear an intelligent and informed critique of design choices. Good work guys.
One of the best gaming podcasts out there
Great discussion that has really opened up roguelikes to me beyond shiren and azure dreams. Covers lots of ground but I think most importantly they discuss in such a way that those not familiar with many of the games can still get alot out of this.
I've only briefly played net hack, never touched adom or a band, but I always follow and I think that is what makes this so great, a complete discussion.
Keep up the good work guys
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