T w e n t y S i d e d
Next Monday will mark the 100th episode of Spoiler Warning. We’re going to do a mailbag episode. So post your question below, and we may or may not choose to answer it during the show. These questions can be aimed at specific cast members, or at the group as a whole. They can be about other videogames we haven’t covered, about making the show, (although I think we’ve beat that dead horse into a paste) or about us personally. Have us write poems, or talk about comic books, or do impressions, or whatever. We’ll pick our favorites and make a show out of them.
Examples of good questions:
1) How did you guys get to be so awseome?
2) Given that all of you are brilliant, witty, and strikingly attractive, what was the best part of System Shock 2?
3) I would like to send you money. What is the largest denomination of U.S. currency in circulation?
4) I would like Rutskarn to compose a poem about HEPA air filters. Is there any hope for me, or should I have myself committed?
5) What’s the deal with the typo in #1?
Examples of bad questions:
A) What is your credit card number, expiration date, and name, just as it appears on the card?
B) Do you feel consent is overrated when it comes to sex? Also, where do you live?
C) How loud can Rutskarn sing?
D) I understand Mumbes is an expert on Batman. Can she explain why he sucks so bad?
E) No, seriously, what IS up with that typo in #1?
Please try to keep the comments focused on questions. We’re going to be reading through this when we make the list, and that will be easier if we don’t have a 100 comment thread on the metric system or the Timex Sinclair.
Quakecon 2012 Annotated
An interesting but technically dense talk about gaming technology. I translate it for the non-coders.
id Software Coding Style
When the source code for Doom 3 was released, we got a look at some of the style conventions used by the developers. Here I analyze this style and explain what it all means.
The Best of 2016
My picks for what was important, awesome, or worth talking about in 2016.
Stolen Pixels
A screencap comic that poked fun at videogames and the industry. The comic has ended, but there's plenty of archives for you to binge on.
Hardware Review
So what happens when a SOFTWARE engineer tries to review hardware? This. This happens.
Will you guys meet someday and do a “lagless” Spoiler Warning ? Maybe a multiplayer co-op game ?
Would games be better if everything was destructible (Red Faction way) and everyone killable (Morrowind way) ?
Is the missing ‘i’ in the title a bait for grammar obsessed people ?
The i is there, the o is missing.
Damnit I need to re-read myself…
It really was a typo?Huh,I thought Shamus was going for a spoiler/spiller pun.
What about the typo in the title “Spiler Warning” or in bad question D, “Mumbes”???
These are the things I need an answer to.
: )
What do you guys think about NPC’s calling the PC out on the weird acts of player induced randomness he embarks on?
How did all you guys meet (I mean, virtually)? How did you pick the newer comers to the cast (Rutskarn, Mumbles)?
What is your all-time favorite moment in gaming? The moment that just left you speechless (beautiful graphics, big story reveal, or something to that effect)
Have you considered doing a different game genre, like strategy?
I mean, it’s not like the conversation you are having are actually relevant to the gameplay involved. So what’s to stop you from doing Dawn of War 2, for example? Or Overlord?
Do you have a list of possible games to play or do you all try to think of something when the end is looming on the current game?
Do you have any particular age for games to play or is that more based on availability and whether any in the group have played it before?
How did each of you meet? And I mean all of you. So Shamus/Josh, Shamus/Ruts, Shamus/Mumbles, Josh/Ruts, Josh/Mumbles, Ruts/Mumbles.
We’re all dorks here, how far does it extend? I see Shamus’ other hobbies out there (btw, don’t be ashamed, Yu Yu Hakusho DOES rock, even if it’s fighting anime), but what about the rest of yah?
Mumbles, ever read Unwritten? Thoughts, comments, concerns?
Where did the ‘o’ go in “Spoiler Warning”?
How far apart are you all? You clearly don’t do these shows in the same room…
Ever give any thoughts to having guest stars? The Game Overthinker, or the Unskipable guys seem like they would fit. Maybe on a short, one sitting kind of game.
what about josh and mumbles!? (H)
Ew. Keep it to these four guys. All the time! Guest stars need to be shot and have bonnets made out of them.
What’s the deal with the typo in the post title?
Damn,its hard to think of a serious(and good)question,because you usually answer those while doing the episodes themselves.Therefore,here is a silly question:
Has Rutskarn ever made a pun so bad that people have died,and what was it?Related to this,when will the funerals for the rest of you be held?
Oh hey,a real question came to mind:
Have you considered pitching your show to someone other than the escapist?Like channel awesome,for example.(No,Im not asking this just so I could simplify my home page,why do you ask?)
1) How did you guys get to be so awseome?
2) Given that all of you are brilliant, witty, and strikingly attractive, what was the best part of System Shock 2?
3) I would like to send you money. What is the largest denomination of U.S. currency in circulation?
4) I would like Rutskarn to compose a poem about HEPA air filters. Is there any hope for me, or should I have myself committed?
5) What's the deal with the typo in #1?
Seriousness:
Do you already have plans for future SW seasons?
Who of you really hates Mass Effect 2?
Can we have Mumbles and Rutskarn Beat box for every fast forward that occurs when Josh dies in future episodes?
if yes, you guys are the greatest!
if no, i only have two words, “Com’on!”
Imagine it’d lose the novelty / spontaneity factor.
If you could give Bioware one suggestion. One and only one suggestion, that you think will make Mass Effect 3 better than 2, what would it be?
If you could give Bethesda one suggestion. One and only one suggestion, that you think will make TES 5 better th… oh, wait, that’s impossible. Never mind.
Josh has made allusions to his “release schedule” – but who in the cast is the one that keeps everyone “on task”? Given as much fun as you all seem to have with this, I have to figure someone has to give the gentle nudge now and again to get everybody back to focus.
Have you ever had a moment in a game where you sat back and went, “That is just effn COOL!” Which game and where?
While I realize we are mid-ME2, have you debated/decided what you are going to do next? Have you given consideration to someone OTHER than Josh “driving?”
On the pile: how did this group of misfits come together (and please include Randy)
On the pile: where does the name Mumbles come from?
When you sit down to game or record Spoiler Warning, do you have a favorite gaming beverage and/or snack? If so, what?
When you are playing games, do you notice most of the flaws on the first playthrough, or is it the repeated plays where the eyesores really pop?
We all know of the love Shamus has for System Shock. What are the favorite games of the rest of the cast?
On the pile, sort of: Assuming the entire cast has played D&D (big assumption), would you ever consider doing another campaign and writing it up – or posting audio of the gaming sessions? (I understand the huge time drain that is, but it has to be asked.)
Has any one in the group planned to return fire to Rutskarn’s punwarfar?
Or are you afraid of Escalating the Pun War?
Also, Rutskarn, have you planned on ever rapid firing puns? Or are you in some sort of Rut. :) I’ll be disappointed if I am the only one that enjoys a hurricane of puns.
Josh, do you ever regret never reverse pickpocketing plasma explosives in fallout 3?
For all, What sort of emotions do Elevators invoke in real life?
Does it rise hope, or does it lower your joy?
Rutskarn, what sort of art program have I seen you use on your blog? Because if it’s photoshop, I will shake my fist full of nothing at you.
Mumbles, Now that you have had your break out hit with Rutskarn, are you going to dump him and join a more popular band?
Shamus, How come I never see you on TF2! I have killed everyone else that does spoiler warning except you! I even got mumbles repeatably as spy as she played pyro! (At times with face stabs, sorry about that.)
I need to flesh out my “Minor internet celebrities killed in Online multiplayer games” list! D:<
OOOHHH you just had to bring the facestabs up. now i mad.
Something current: If the current decline and incline between Mass Effect sequels remains constant, what are your expectations for the inevitable Mass Effect 3 Season of Spoiler Warning?
A little pandering: System Shock breather episode between this season and the next?
Finally: Are there any CoOp-Games in your future? I hear those ruin friendships.
Josh, how come your gaming is so twitch-based, are you permanently on a caffeine high?
Shamus, if Spoiler Warning would go through a game you actually liked, for example, Jade Empire, would it be able to alter your opinion of the game?
Rutskarn, what was it that happened in your youth and make you hate us all so much to bombard us with all those puns?
Mumbles, why are you called Mumbles, while yuou never actually, you know, mumble?
And something that’s been nagging me since the start of season 2, are you currently able to give the reasons why Randy left the show?
Rutskarn, you’ve clearly been building your arsenal of puns for quite a while. Coming from a budding punsmith, are there any in particular that you’re exceptionally proud of, or a fantastic reaction you’ve gotten from a pun from somewhere not Spoiler Warning?
Shamus: Would you like to see a System Shock 3 if it could live up to all your hopes and dreams? What would those hopes for it be?
And follow up question: would you like to see System Shock 3 if it were made by everyone who made Deus Ex: The Invisible War?
Well, there’s the obligatory “Expound on the origin of the series” question, but beyond that:
– Why did you add Mumbles? (and thanks – she’s funny)
– Is it true you all wear bonnets while playing? What is it with bonnets that turns the wearer into an extreme coding and/or killing machine? Same question, only regarding Mt. Dew consumption.
– What are your greatest regrets involving Spolier Warning (not including not wearing bonnets during every episode)?
– How the heck do you guys find time for this?
– What is your opinion of the state of the video game industry, specifically as it relates to game plots and the usage of graphics?
– How likely is Bethesda to be eaten by a grue? Is there any way I can help?
Okay, now for a serious question.
Shamus, Josh, Ruts and Mumbles; considering the predominant tone of Spoiler Warning(which is mainly built upon picking apart the bad things of the game and doing jokes out of it) have you ever considered planning doing a tone-shift on an episode or two and evaluating the game on a much more focused and organized way, much like a literature review? From time to time this kind of surfaces across the episodes, but ends up dying down. Do you feel like such an endeavour is far too out of your comfort zone for a Let’s Play or has there been another reason not to do such a thing?
——————-
Extra Question:
Shamus, how about cooking up an hub-page for all the Spoiler Warning Seasons? That might help congregate the extra viewers you guys are looking for.
Whatever did happen to Randy?
Rutskarn, how long do you spend preparing puns? And does there exist a pun that even you can not bring yourself to speak?
You guys talk about the terrible plots in these games, ever give thought to working on a game yourselves with a non-suck plot? Regardless, Reginald Cuftbert needs his own game.
Who ended up taking Garrus to the dance, Rutskarn or Mumbles?
Are there any other games you guys would wanna do as one-shot episodes like TF2 and Amnesia?
Are you gonna try pitching this to the escapist again?
When’s the Minecraft LP coming?
Have you ever given thought to doing console games ala Zelda Wind Waker?
How about passing the controller over to somebody else so they can play for a bit, Josh?
Do you guys watch other LP’s?
Finally, top 3 games of 2010 for each of you, go!
<redacted as the post is redundant>
1. Joel or Mike?
2. Who is the best Doctor?
3. Kirk or Picard?
4. Pirates or Ninjas?
5. Star Wars or Star Trek?
6. Geek or Nerd?
7. DC or Marvel?
8. Does the term “Gamer” mean a person that plays video games or a person that plays pen and paper RPGs?
9. Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?
10. What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?*
*If anyone does not answer this correctly within 5 seconds, they should immediately be whipped mercilessly.
Upon the unlikely case of whipping: why did you have a whip so conveniently at hand?
There is insufficient data for a meaningful answer.
(as an alternative to the obvious.)
I thought it was pirates, ninjas, or zombies and ninjas were only included so they’d feel special too.
Ahhhhhh my plan is working.
The Spoiler Warning crew get along far too well and these carefully framed questions will seed chaos and disharmony among them, bringing swift destruction to the series.
Step 1. Destroy Spoiler Warning.
Step 3. Profit!!!!
Never in the history of civilization has there existed more divisive issues than my questions ten.
#3. But you don’t have a Donate button…still.
Here’s one (edit: many) for you:
Assuming all of you have played D&D, if you could pick one character class to describe *each other* (like Josh picking for Rutskarn, Mumbles for Josh, Shamus for Josh, or whatever), which ones would you choose and why?
What do all of you do outside of Spoiler Warning? I know that Shamus is looking for a job, but I don’t remember if Josh, Mumbles, or Rutskarn have mentioned what they do for their ordinary lives (outside of video games, conventions, and blogs that is).
To Shamus: Have there been any considerations for starting up another D&D game for the website? I believe you made mention of wanting to at some point, but I can’t remember what was prohibiting you (aside from the millions of things you already do for us on this website).
To Josh: Do you like being the “driver” of the game? Is that your preferred role in the group, or did you just assume the mantle for some other reason? Would you prefer to have one of the others play, while you sit back and comment?
To Rutskarn: How did you come by the name of “Rutskarn”? Also, if you could only play video games from one developer for the rest of your life, who would it be and why? (All of you can jump in on that question if you’d like)
To Mumbles: What are your thoughts on the new characters for the next Batman movie directed by Christopher Nolan? How do you feel about those movies in general?
Well, that’s all I got. Thank you all so much for the ridiculous amount of time and effort you spend on maintaining this website and all the fun things associated with it.
Whu-oh…. To summarize Mumbles opinion: “disappointed” I think we should leave it at that. Mostly because I think they still have a hardline of 15 minutes.
If I recall correctly:
Rutskarn is currently studying Punology and Punography at UCI, while working part-time as a joke defuser for the LAPD.
Mumbles is a millionaire playgirl by day, but spends her nights fighting crime.
Josh is renegade cop who follows noones rules but his own. A “loose cannon”, you might say.
Also Josh is getting way too old for that shit and is only 2 days away from retirement.
Mumbles is clearly a rogue and Ruts is definitely a troll. Doesn’t matter that the class doesn’t exist. Shamus and Josh are trickier, though I suppose Josh doesn’t matter as much since his character is dead most of the time.
When are you going to do Psychonaughts?
You HAVE to do Psychonaughts!
psychonauts?
Yes, you should do this.
I also pose the question when is Psychonauts; and, in elaboration, request each of your least favorite forms of torture in the unfortunate event that you will not be doing Psychonauts.
I am so terrible at coming up with questions. I make so many assumptions that I never come up with good ones D: But here it goes >_>
1. What is the prep process like for each episode? I mean, do you try and refresh the coming part of the game in each others memories, or anything of that nature?
2.What type of games or genres do you wish were produced more often by the Games Industry?
3. What happened to Mech Games? Seriously, every giant robot game is robotic samurai suits wielding anachronistic weaponry! Why did that suit in Avatar wield a giant knife? Why don’t more sci-fi games let you pilot giant robots!? It’s why sci-fi exists! WAAAAAAAAAH~!
4.Interrobang!?
That’s all I guess. I guess I have a a question if any of you get any creeper emails as a result of the internet fame you have garnered, since stories of that are always funny, but I figure that all those stories tend to involve stuff that’s not work safe. >_>
Sincerely True and Faithful,
Simon Marcus Archibald Richard Maximilian Young Wizard the Fifth
@3 Harmony Gold is currently making it tricky for Mechwarrior V – since apparently any robot which fires missiles is their property.
1. Do you have a game or games you would really want to do a season of or alternatively a game you like too much to do a season of?
2. Why arent you playing any co-op games? It would be hilarious to see you play Magicka.
3. How loud can Rutskarn sing? And how big a pun to word ratio would his singing have?
Josh, were you traumatized as a child?
Is Randy dead now? If not, will he ever return to the show?
Do you have ambitions of becoming a popular internet show in the vein of “The Angry Video Game Nerd” or “Zero Punctuation”?
Have you ever phrased some of your commentary with the intention of drawing as much non-pun-related ire as possible from your viewers?
How about the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games? They seem like ideal SW bait.
Do you enjoy commenting on story or gameplay more?
How’s that beard coming along, Shamus?
I want to start my own Let’s Play series, possibly with a group, possibly alone. What programs would be most useful to me, what do they cost (if anything), and what games are good for LPing that haven’t been done to death already? Will I require any specific hardware? How big of a commitment is this?
1st) Who drew your title card?
2nd) You gonna put your previous seasons up on youtube?
3rd) You gonna make a playlist for your current/future seasons regardless of question #2’s answer?
1) Rutskarn did. EDIT: Though the one I linked is an earlier version.
What was the worst part of System Shock 2?
(Edit: Besides getting the game to run properly in the first place.)
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because someone has to ask:
1) What, in your opinion, contributed to the failure of the Timex Sinclair?
2) Related to (1), how do you think the modern world would differ had the Timex Sinclair been successful?
3) Why, in your opinion, has the conversion to the metric standard been unsuccessful or only partially successful in the United States?
4) Related to (3), when do you think British pubs will stop selling beer in pints?
@3: It’s the lack of standardized bolt thread gauges.
Every country has their own set of thread gauges that they use, and we would never be able to choose between the British, German or Japanese standard, leaving us with dozens of nearly identical bolts, most of which don’t actually fit the hole you have.
4) Mate, never alright? /cockney /jk
Can you do a spoiler warning about real life where everyone just follows Shamus around and makes snide comments about his actions, problem solving skills and dialogue choices? But every once in a while you will all have to stutter and stand in place to simulate lag.
What game have you played though it was simple (Not the latest flashy graphics and even short on text)had the best plot/story out there?
What are mumbles feelings for Rutskarn?
( You don’t have to answer, the reaction will probebly give it away )
What is each of your favourite games? Shamus doesn’t really need to answer, but I’m curious what Josh, Rutskarn and Mumbles are really looking for in their games.
Also, Shamus, I lent my dead-tree version of Free Radical to a book-worm friend, and she loved it up to the end (she wanted to know what happened next!) Have you given any thought to a sequel? (That’s not a Spoiler Warning joke, but since we’re asking questions anyway… )
If you could ask for a game and have it assured that it would live to your expectations and you would enjoy playing it, what would you ask for? (Story, genre, ect.)
Who decides on the music at the beginning and end of the episodes?
Got another question, this one’s for Shamus.
Can you do your Dr. Claw impression again?
First an observation: good questions (in the sense of questions likely to get interesting answers) are hard. But here goes nothing:
1) At what point do a game’s flaws surface? It seems like as a group you tend to play games until they break under scrutiny.
2) Are we in a golden age of long-play narrative games, such as the ones featured on the show? What do you see in your crystal ball?
3) Isn’t it cheating to call this the 100th episode after chopping them up into little bits lately?
4) If you were in charge of the Mass Effect 3 development team, what decision would trigger your inevitable dismissal? (I apologize in advance and withdraw the question if it is too painful for Shamus to answer.)
5) What’s the “best” game you’ve started but never finished?
Rutskarn, can you do a slowly drawn, over explained pun using “My Immortal” as source material?
If so, please share I’m sure we would all just LOVE to hear it.
Can any of you cite a specific moment in your life that made you act like the person you do on Spoiler Warning? So for Shamus, your cynicism; Rutskarn, your… ungodly humor; Mumbles, your dieing optimism; and Josh, your inner Cufbert.
“Rutskarn, can you do a slowly drawn, over explained pun using “My Immortal”Âť as source material?” – and the universe shuddered for the mental image was more dreadful than eldritch horrors come alive o.O
Are the Spoiler Warning team planning on playing anything co-opish for an episode. Or a season. One of the Left 4 Deads or Magicka or something (aka something with friendly fire in abundance).
In a similar vein, when are you going to play a game Shamus likes so we can hear his heart break under the criticism like what happened to Mumbles with Bioshock?
When will Mumbles and Ruts meet so that there love can blossom into the beautiful flower that it is?
Ok, now the serious question: Josh, where did your playstyle start and how did it evolve into its current form?
1) What is each cast members favorite game (compare and contrast optional)?
2) (As others have mentioned) I would like to hear a complete and/or brief origin story of how you guys met.
3) What are some individual projects the Spoiler Warning crew are working on (Aside from Shamus(he documents his asides very well))?
4) (If you can think of one) What is each cast members favorite individual episode of Spoiler Warning?
5) How much do you guys really know about one another?
6) Favorite Color?
Nice, Talkie Toaster reference you got there.
Did it ever happen that a game any of you ever played started really good, so much you thought it was very promising if not the best ever, but then along the away something made it completely horrible in the end?
What game(s) and in what situation did it all go wrong?
Relating to this, did you ever have to drop/rerecord an episode? For what reasons?
To my mind, Mass Effect 2 almost fits into this category.
Can we get Randy back too? :D
Love your show!
Are you ever going to do a spoiler warning of Star control 2 a.k.a. the Ur-Quan masters? Please? Pretty please?
That would be the best thing ever, but star control has no autosave function.
How sick are you guys of dwarf fortress fans popping into the comments of episodes to plug dwarf fortress.
I’m sure you get it by now, that we love dwarf fortress.
Bioshock, Fallout 3 and New Vegas, Mirror’s Edge, and Borderlands are all games that, to me at least, are guilty of promising one thing in their introductory hours and delivering something very different later on.
As four intelligent gamers, what are your thoughts on ‘front-loading’ in games?
How come Josh is so much more awesome than the rest of you put together? I mean, he plays the game AND comments AND is coherent enough to know what you’re talking about when you’re talking while he’s trying to not die!
Seriously though, when i’m playing a game and someone starts talking to me i either have to stop or just ignore what they’re saying because i can only concentrate on one thing at a time.
Actual question: How hard is it for Josh to be able to play the game AND listen to you guys rave on in his ear. :)
To each of you:
1) If you could, which game character would you put into what game he/she/it isn’t in and why?
2) What’s your favourite glitch in a game ever?
What do you have against the metric system and the Timex Sinclair?
What is Rutskarn’s favorite song, and does he know all the lyrics?
1) Where’s the Minecraft SW?
2) Given that Mumbles is the epitome of awesome geek femininity, what Batman story arc would she suggest for novices (ie my children) to introduce them to Batman comics?
3) Could you guys play something, I dunno, that I’m like interested in? Like maybe some Minecrack? Or basically any game that doesn’t involve space amnesia/space marines/saving the galaxy/etc? Amnesia was good but one episode out of 100 isn’t really enough, y’know?
4) Given how awesome you all are I’m seriously considering donating. What’s the largest coin denomination currently in circulation?
On the very, very off chance that this particular question is deemed worthy of attention, if you were casting an adaptation of Les Mis using only Mass Effect 2 squad members and Normandy crew, who would you cast in the major roles, Valjean, Javert, Marius, etc.?
Also, that Timex Sinclair is a pretty fly computer, isn’t it?
What is the worst game any of you have suggested or thought over to put into SW?
(Not how good or bad the game was, but how it would work with the show.)
Hey, you guys seem pretty knowledgeable of RPGs, or at the very least western RPGs, or at the very VERY lest System Shock 2. Hopefully not the the last one.
Anyways, my question is: How do you guys feel about the Ultima series (assuming you’ve played at least IV and V, which you should try if you haven’t) in contrast to modern RPGs?
One for Rutskarn: Do you write out these puns in advance, or just come up with them on the fly?
I gots some!
-Shamus, why can you do such a good Dr.Claw impersonation?
-Rutskarn, how did you pick that name?
-Josh, are your boots coated in the blood of the innocent soggy or just damp after a day?
-Mumbles, why is your name so misleading?
I can answer number one. Shamus was in a death metal band during the early-mid 1990s. As the vocalist of Automaton Genocide, a steampunk-themed group who combined clockwork with New York style death metal, he honed his delivery nightly in order to pay for his gaming habits. Eventually his encounters with System Shock led to his downfall and expulsion from the band, but his enormous vocal talents live on!
In all seriousness, it’s not that hard.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10680698/Music/dr_claw.mp3
Much of the origins on the fabled Rutskarn are located in his blog, the Chocolate Hammer. I’m not HTML savvy enough to link it, so click on the hyperlink Shamus has provided on the right side of Twenty Sided and look around in some of the earlier posts.
Edit: Should have replied to the original comment, not the reply. Oh well.
To Rutskarn and Mumbles, why do you guys like Garrus/Tali so much? Is it because of ME1, 2, or both? I like them a lot myself, but I can’t really pinpoint why. Also, how come fictional characters never respond when I send them emails?
Why does(n’t) Mumbles want us to ask her about boys?
I don’t think advice on Rutskarn will be of any use to you there, krellen.
We know mumbles’ preferred comic book, what comic book heros are Josh, Shamus, and Rutskarn interested in?
Do you think they, in the most generic sense, could make a game as representative, at least of an entire era, of a property as Arkham Asylum?
I know Randy's hotel vandalism and drug abuse was getting in the way of our greed and womanizing, but can he get back on board? I miss him.
Does josh have a website? I think he should have a blog.
Who would win in a fight between HK-47 and Boba Fett? I can’t call it.
Boba Fett would win because Lucas likes him more.
Would you ever consider doing episodes of games with modded core experiences and/or total conversions? Playing something like the Oblivion mod Nehrim (with some gameplay tweaks, maybe) would be more interesting than Oblivion itself. Since there would be have less Bethesda to deal with, it wouldn’t be a repeat of the Fallout 3 season (no crit-stacking, Josh). It’s also just interesting to see you all run through a narrative that wouldn’t entirely gel with the AAA crowd.
Can I send you original tunes to use for the openings?
Since you’re all so nitpicky, what WAS the game that, in each of your opinions, had the best plot, writing and/or narrative?
To the group as a whole,
How does it feel to go from being an everyday nerds who like playing games to being everyday nerds who like playing games while being constantly critiqued by a rabid fan base who adore you as being video game gods (with the exception of Josh who evidently doesn’t know what cover is)?
On a more serious note, over the course of spoiler warning did you ever have any more in depth conversations that had to be cut?
If each of you were to make a game what kind of a game would it be?
On the off chance any one of you ever needs a week off, have you considered ways of bringing in guests nerds?
+1 to this :D
1) Do you guys prefer quantity or quality when it comes to games? That is, do prefer a game is longer but possibly not as polished, or do you prefer an experience that’s short but sweet? Does genre factor into this (i.e. true for RPGs but not for shooters)?
2) Do you feel that narrative in games is ever going to reach beyond its current point of Hollywood hackery and truly embrace the unique interactive and social qualities of the medium? Has it already? What barriers are there?
3) If there was one game genre you could see brought back to life, either through new mechanics and ideas or simply through a new franchise or sequel, what would it be?
4) What do you think about world design? Do you prefer settings which are rife with detail, lore and history, or do you enjoy a more subtle approach, with the locations hinting at things but never telling (i.e. Dragon Age vs. Shadow of the Colossus)?
5) Given the prominence of MMOs, do you think that anyone will manage to do a proper co-op RPG that’s still heavy on story, as well as choice and consequence, or are we damned to suffer World of Warcraft and its successors for all time?
1) Do you think Let’s Plays with multiple commentators are a better idea than single-voiced ones, or not?
2) Do you have a lineup of titles set in stone, or do you just wing it?
3) Why are so many of the NPC’s in the games you comment on so blame stereotypical?
4) How does BioWare get away with such one-note villains?
5) Mr. Rutskarn, what is you view on ‘shipping?
6) Mz. Mumbles, as a Batman fan, can you tell those of us who don’t why so many Batman fans despise Superman?
7) Mr. Josh, what is your view on the amoral world of Mass Effect?
8) Mr. Young, what do you think of the shocking character assassination of the Overseer of Vault 13?
9) Would you consider doing a Let’s Play of Final Fantasy X?
Given your superior intellect, why did you bait us to discuss a superior measurement system that fails only because of the difficulty of implementation, or a computer company that failed, like so many, because Microsoft standardized the industry to their specifications?
In reference to your awe-inspiring omnipotence and generally high-quality personages, did you see what I did there?
We all know that Shamus idolises System Shock 2, but are there any other games either he or anyone on the cast put up on a pedestal in the same way? Do you think any of these games would stand up to the cold, hard light of criticism should that game appear on Spoiler Warning?
What would you people recommend for someone trying to start their own internet mogul-ness?
How did you (I believe it was Josh, originally) come up with the idea for Spoiler Warning?
Are you going to do New Vegas next?
I’m sure someone has asked this, but I don’t have time to read nearly a hundred comments.
Why did Randy leave? Will he ever come back? (if it’s a personal reason, such as incurable disease, lose of loved one, or losing his job and he doesn’t want the specifics stated, that’s fine, too, I guess)
Why, exactly, did you add Rutskarn? I have my own theories, but I won’t type them out because its getting late and I need my beauty sleep.
Have you ever considered using some sort of emulator or whatever to do a series/ miniseries on either a handheld or console game?
More details on why KOTOR did not work out, because I LOVE that game. Were you using the original CD? From what I know its very picky in graphics cards. I couldn’t get my old copy to work, but I bought it off of Steam and it runs great except for cutscenes. Audio gets cut, I get vertical red lines, all sorts of crazy voodoo crap. But I can skip cutscenes, and like I said, the game itself works like a charm.
Ever thought about making a season of something a little older, such as Baldur’s Gate 2 or the Icewind Dale games? Shamus, you could play instead of Josh, and then we could make up all new jokes about your own quirks and mannerisms! (Argh, stop stabbing me!)
Upon going back, it appears that you never explicitly stated that you didn’t do KOTOR because of technical difficulties, which is weird because I was very certain that that was what I had read. I guess that’s because of my own difficulties with trying to get it to work.
Shamus:
Since you’ve said that you missed out on early console gaming, will you, or have you, played at least the ultra-popular-can’t-miss kind of games (Bionic Commando, the Mario’s, Starfox, etc.). Also, did you ever get to the final tier of DDR?
Mumbles:
Which are better: fuzzy bees or non-fuzzy bees?
Rutskarn:
What was “that one” mod that you didn’t install for your Oblivion Let’s Play?
Josh:
Why won’t they stop shooting you?
Edit: Ack, this was asked!
What do you feel like you, collectively or individually, have improved the most about over the last year of Spoiler Alert?
Will you read my Rutskarn/Josh slashfic? :P
Why haven’t you done an official review of New Vegas?
MAKE THAT YOUR NEXT LET’S PLAY!!!!
1) Will you ever go for a Bioware collection and do a Dragon Age?
2) (To Anyone but Mumbles) What did you think of Azrael’s tenue in the cape.
3) Have you noticed the TNT I hid in your Minecraft castle?
4) If 42 is the question, what is the answer?
5) Shamus, did you ever play a game on the Master System by the name of ‘Wonder Boy in Monster Land.’
6) Is it possible for Rutskarn to go an entire episode without making a pun or exploding
7) Why is 6 afraid of 7
8) Have you considered a couple more advertising windows at the bottom of the screen for extra coffee and mountain dew money
9) Caffeine, is there anything better?
Oh forgot to add number 10
10) Will you guys ever do a lets play of the Twentymine Maze 1
I have to second the twentymine maze request. That would be hilarious. It would probably give away the maze for future visitors, but an Spoiler Warning of it would be too much fun.
When will you doing the musical episode? How much work are you going to put into it? How many people on average per minute will the puns contained in said episode kill?
Do you think my expectations are too high? Is that because I have any expectations at all?
What is your favorite kind of die? Was that a trick question? Or just a very stupid joke?
Josh, all the cool kids have blogs. Why don’t you write one?
Mumbles, if you married batman, would you let him fight Catwoman and Poison Ivy? Would you fight them yourself, with the power of bees?
Rustskarn, by what mechanism does the natural human response to puns grant you unholy power? Will you use this power for evil or for neutral?
Shamus, there are kids on my lawn. Which tactic do you find to be the most effective in repelling them?
If Rutskarn and Garrus go to the prom, which one wears the corsage?
How can we trust you to answer our questions truthfully, after you’ve chosen to work with Cerberus?
Seriously, though: what does each of you feel was the single worst offense committed by any of the games you’ve done for the show so far.
Hypothetical situation, a notable/ infamous developer (Bioware/ Obsidian) were to develop a time travelling RPG (ala Chrono Trigger, which seem to be devoid in the western market but abundant in the japanese RPG market for some reason.. hmm).
1. What time periods would you want to see in the game move through?
2. What real life person (Gandalf) or fictional character from literature (Ben Franklin) would you choose to be NPCs in the game?
3. Would you have it be developed by Bioware or Obsidian? and why
4. If you chose Bioware what character from history or future would you lead through a conversations tree ending with you doing the inevitable horizontal tango?
If you chose Obsidian, in what manner would you torture the QA team if locked in a room with them?
Oh also :
Has anyone ever recognized your face/voice (for those who wish to keep a secret identity) in real life ? If so what did they say ? Awkward fan things or friendly as if they knew you already ?
Is there another “brand” of let’s play you use as an example of how to (or how not to) do these ?
For the crew in general:
What are your thoughts on the tendency of player characters — and player character parties — to just be roving bands of murderers? This applies to both videogames and tabletop games.
And do you think there’s any sane way of creating a videogame RPG experience without forcing the players to simply cut a bloody swath through whatever they come across?
Do you think games are too easy nowadays?
What was the easiest game you ever played?
What do you want and what don’t you want to see in ME3?
Is Rutskarn and Mumbles’s constant flirtation while recording episodes a problem for Shamus and Josh? If so, are Ruts and Mumbles doing it solely to make their teammates uncomfortable? :P
Can you turn off your critical thinking and just sit back and enjoy games without noticing the flaws? I’ve been finding it harder and harder to do so of late (I blame you lot). If so, how? If not, doesn’t that make games a bit like work?
Let’s see what I can come up with.
1.How did you get the idea of doing a video LP in the first place, Shamus? Also, what impressions can you do other than the impressive impression of Dr. Claw? (ugh, that second question sounds better in my head lol)
2. Is all the punditry a natural talent, or did you actually work on it, Rutskarn?
3. Who’s your second favorite superhero, Mumbles? (I guess the first is Batman)
4. Do you sport a magnificent ‘stache IRL like Cuftbert, Josh?
Cheers :D
Since I can’t edit this anymore: the first half of the first question is actually to Josh since the LP was his idea. Apologies. The second half of the second question remains asked to Shamus. Good luck fitting answering even half the worthy questions in a mere 15 mins, folks..
Rutskarn, what is your absolute favouritest best pun you’ve ever made (or recall making)?
For bonus points, sing it.
I’ll bite.
How do you type with boxing gloves on?
Did Rutskarn get dropped as a child? Because puns that bad don’t come normally. I’d accept radioactive spider bites as an answer, but its probably not the case.
Because given his social wit, He’s too fly for that.
What’s the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? I’ll accept African or European.
Congratulations for the 100th episode!
and now, for the question:
At the start of an episode, when everyone is introducing him\herself, do you have a predetermined order or is it improvised?
Have you considered Alpha Protocol for a future game? It would be well suited, since it’s a good game but has plenty of flaws to nitpick :P
Cough boss battles cough.
I’m actually so genuinely fed up with the boss battles that Inever got past Russia.
1) Do you plan on doing some indie and/or old games for LP (like, for example Pathologic) or does it have to be a game all of you have played already (I know Rutskarn didn’t play ME2 but that’s a special case)
2) Do you have a determined order in which you introduce yourselves at the start of each episode or do you improvise every time? (I’m always expecting for one of you to cut in while someone else is talking )
3) If Batman and Aquaman engaged in a drinking contest on a bottom of a pool in the middle of Gotham, with Batman being prohibited from using shark-repellent spray but allowed to choose the glassware type, who would win?
4) Do you plan on giving anyone else the reigns sometime in the future, so Josh could concentrate solely on spurting acid at the unfortunate game (and giving us the opportunity to mock someone else’s play-style for a change)?
5) And yeah why not, like everyone else is asking – give us your Origin Story!
Why don’t you guys use the class-specific stat-booster skills ever? I know they aren’t too impressive for teammates, but Shepard’s boosts his/her Paragon and Renegade stats by a percentage (I think 10, then 30, 50 or 70, can’t remember, and lastly either 100 or, if it was 50 last time, then either 70 or 100 depending on what skill you take), and it’s cumulative; have 30 Renegade “points” when you take the skill the first time, then you’ll have 33. Take the next level, it takes thirty percent of 33, not 30; if you got more points between the levels, you’d get even more. Maxing out your Paragon and Renegade points would be easy, in fact, since you’ve been a little wishy-washy. Not that I mind; you’ve mainly been nice to my favorite characters (Tali, Mordin, etc.) anyway.
So, I suppose that the question can be summarized as: Why do you guys keep complaining about not having enough Renegade points when you deliberately avoid the main method of getting them?
Wait, you might have to scratch that; didn’t see it prior, but in the latest video (today’s), you have one rank in that skill. So, progress there, I guess. Hopefully (I can’t really remember some of them) you guys haven’t missed the best Renegade options yet.
Also apparently I can’t edit my comment, hence me replying to myself. Oh well.
Edit: Wait, no, I can edit this comment now. I don’t even know anymore.
Edit again: Dang my avatar is ugly. I am going to fix that sometime.
Some of the games played in Spoiler Warning did cause some controversity around time of their releases, Mass Effect sex scene and Bioshock harvesting of children to name some. Where would you draw the line on content that should not be shown on videogames?
How do you see games possibilities to work as commentary on society/political/economical etc issues the way movies and litrature can be used?
A question for Shamus – now, I don’t want to appear rude, but I want to ask how you see the evolution of videogames, as you are the one who saw it with his own eyes. I am 18 and I am fascinated with the slow changes of this medium (playing System Shock 1, and it really is awesome, by the way.) over time. Which parts of videogames have got better? And worse?
And then questions to all of you – where do you think videogames will go in the future? Graphics are getting better, but not all that much – will companies finally focus on good writing and atmosphere building? Will gaming be as accepted and common as TV, or stay like it is now? Will its evolution follow the same steps as films did?
Oh, and last but not least: Will you ever see in real life? (I know it has been asked before, but still.)
Post Scriptum: How loud can Rutskarn sing?
Have you ever played resident evil four? If so what’s your opinion on it? Yes it has quick time events and a freaking annoying sidekick but what about the parts you’re actually supposed to enjoy by game designer intent?
Can you guys please do a spoiler warning of my favourite game? [Zeno Clash]
1) Have you ever considered doing a series on an MMO? If so, which one(s)? Would it be feasible?
2) What games are you looking forward to this year?
3) Would it be possible for you to make somesort of Let’s Play-podcast with D&D? More importantly, would all of you be interested in playing or DMing one? Do you think you could make it work over the internet?
4) Could you please stop playing games I haven’t played yet so I can actually watch the show every now and then?
Rutskarn, when did you attain you’re unholy pun power, how long have you been perfecting it, and why?
Mr. Josh, which crit stacking bastard is your favorite?
How do you stand on System Shock vs. System Shock 2.
And how do you rate the drop in quality at the end of Bioshock vs. the drop at the end of SS2.
Edit: okay, it appears now. Seems like my browser just somehow loaded an old version. Ignore this post. ^^
OH, also, do you put in your own orders for your next credit title? Or does some make up a list and just hand it in?
OH! I have the best question ever: If Batman died and didn’t come back for a few years, then got brought back by The Riddler to fight a greater threat, would the Justice League (or whatever the confederacy of superheroes is in Batman land) refuse to work with him because he’s working for The Riddler?