Witty Ranter

Witty Ranter #17

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:40:00 GMT

After a long disappearance, Witty Ranter is back, and under new

management! Riknas and Andras have appeared. Adam and Brent do them the

honor to crack the bottle before the next ship sets sail though. There

they have a discussion, that with the birth of something new, whats it

like to lose something old; and whats up with MMO Closure, the games that are

never supposed to end.

- - - - - - - -

Also, if you're interested more in MMOs, go check out Project: EndGrind, or MMO Voices!

If you want to join Project: EndGrind send an email to Riknassarn (at) gmail (dot) com, entitled PEG. If you have a topic idea for the Witty Ranter, send an email to the same address, only entitled WR.

Witty Ranter #16.1

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 03:58:00 GMT

... the ridiculous ramblings of the Monday night LotRO crew. Brace thyself.

Witty Ranter #16

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 21:53:00 GMT

In this episode, we bring Michael Zenke from Massively.com, Syncaine from Hardcore Casual, Darren from Common Sense Gamer and Remy, back from the podcasting dead, for one night only! (PS: Remy has a new blog at warsbox.wordpress.com so go check it out!)

On the docket this evening:
1) How is the current recession going to affect games and gamers? Are we going to cut back on our blessed addictions? Will we cut from 2 games down to 1? 1 to none? will F2P get a boost?
2) How will the current economic times affect game development? Will funding dry up? Will any games get delayed due to it? What about some of the smaller studios who will need that funding to keep going?

A lot of interesting discussion all around.
I'd love to hear your feedback, and thanks for listening!
PS: A huge thanks to Coldheat for supporting this podcast! You are da man!

Witty Ranter #15

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:15:00 GMT

In WiFi #1 (Wait, what?!) Adam begins a new mini-series that brings the basics of finance and investing to the gaming world. Using examples that any gamer will recognize, complex topics are made more understandable.

This episode focuses on: Stocks.

The following podcast is for informational purposes only. Any mention of any specific investment or security is for informational purposes; financial investments carry inherent risks which should always be discussed with a financial advisor before any investment should be made. In other wordsâ this isnât âMad Moneyâ!

Witty Ranter #14

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Adam apologizes up front for apparently eating his mic during recording. But past that, he brings Scott Hartsman, formerly of SOE and now working on a project at www.ohai.com, Philip & Steven from The Warpath podcast, and last but not least we have Riknas from the Free Play podcast. The discussion points today were about EULA's, TOS's and DRM. EULA's came back into the news when Mark Jacobs at EA/Mythic said we had to read through it or accept it every time we logged in. This is an important topic because EULA's are just as important to us players as they are to the companies. Topics covered include:

-When you pay $50.00 for that CD Key & Client, do you own it? (You might be surprised at the answer)
-What protections do players get from the EULA vs the protections game companies have? Is it a fair balance?
- We go into the history of EULA's, thanks to Scott and Stephen, who just happens to be getting into the field of contract law! We also learn the exact percentage that attorneys lose their soul (apologies to all those attorneys who somehow managed to escape this process)
- And finally we go into some discussion on DRM, brought up from the little issue that showed up with Spore.
- Oh yeah, ohai's hiring! Listen to the end of the show for details :)

Thanks for listening! We're always looking for more iTunes reviews :)

Thanks again to Coldheat for supporting the show! You sir, are most Witty :)

Witty Ranter #13

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 16:14:00 GMT

Sorry for the late release... but Adam's been a bit busy with the whole financial mess :/

Episode 13 is all about the Items... kinda. We're talking Itemization in this episode; specifically why there's so much junk in these games that ultimately is worthless, and yet we still need to lug it around, bring it back to town to sell it, just so we can have the gold to progress in the game. Joining me is Syncaine from Hardcore Casual, Jonathan from The Online Gamer's Anthology, and Beau Turkey from Voyages of Vanguard. We also try and come up with some viable alternatives to an eternity of soiled loincloths, bloody rabbit ears, and wolf toenails. Enjoy!

Witty Ranter #12

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 00:30:00 GMT

Put on the Asbestos suit and gloves, cuz here come the flames...

Adam brings Brent, Darren, John the Ancient Gaming Noob and Michael Zenke for a look at Warhammer in "WAR: What's All the Ruckus?".

We're taking a closer look at the game compared to the unprecedented hype that went into this game, both from the playerbase as well as EA/Mythic's very effective advertising/brand marketing group. Ultimately we looked at 3 areas:
1) Will the "zomg new improvements/features" such as the RVR and Public Quests leave a feeling of "whoa! this is new" or "meh... hasn't this been done before?"
2) PVP. There's just a little bit of discussion on this. People say PVP sucks during the discussion. You have been warned. (Tinfoil Hats are encouraged but not required during this segment)
3) How will this game ultimately affect both the MMO community as well as the individual game communities already out there?

This is gonna be a fun one. Feel free to comment... I'm sure there will be many!

PS: iTunes reviews please :)

Witty Ranter #11

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:20:00 GMT

Adam's back with another show! In this episode, Adam, Luper from Voyages of Vanguard, John from TAGN (who had a contribution to the show, but was unable to discuss it as he was silly and gave away his mic so someone could do work! Work over gaming?!?!?! WHERE are your priorities, John????) and Michal, aka Syncaine from the Hardcore/Casual blog tackle the 5 "N's" of MMO's for 2008:

New features in MMO for 2008 and the 5 N's: "NICE! Neat. Nuwhut? Nonimportant, or NASTY!" The concept was each contributor came up with at least one feature from a 2008 MMO release, and what they thought of it, within the context of one of those N's. MMO's involved in this discussion were Tabula Rasa, WAR, AoC and PotBS.... it ranges from there, but as always a good discussion. Looking forward to people's thoughts. Enjoy!

PS: iTunes reviews make for a happy Podcaster :)

Witty Ranter #10

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:21:00 GMT

Yes, Witty Ranter is back! Adam apologizes for being such a freaking slacker and letting real life take over from podcasting, (Since when does Real Life come before Podcasting????) and comes back with a new show.

Today's topic: "MMO's & Government Policy: How much is too much?" We will be looking at how changes in the current policy by governments may detract or possibly even radically alter the MMO landscape.

Joining the conversation is Jonathan from The Online Gamer's Anthology, Luper from the Voyages of Vanguard Podcast, and new to the show are Brian and Patrick, 2 of the lead developers of the upcoming MMO Force of Arms. Enjoy!

Witty Ranter #9

trollonfire@gmail.com — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:42:00 GMT

"The RP vs XP Discussion continues, with most of the same old faces (Brenden, you in trouble, ese!) and a new face, Luper from the Voyages of Vanguard podcast! We continue the discussion of last week, branching off to discuss getting players involved into creating RP situations via in-game tools like the devs have, along with much hilarity. Enjoy!"

PS: iTunes reviews are always appreciated! if you do send a review, please email me at trollonfire@gmail.com and let me know, as there will be a drawing in the near future!

Witty Ranter #8

trollonfire@gmail.com — Sun, 11 May 2008 06:26:00 GMT

In this Episode, Adam invites Craig from Voyages in Eternity, John the Ancient Gaming Noob, Brenden from AnotherHere, and BeauTurkey, host of the Voyages of Vanguard podcast to explore the topic of "RP versus XP". Can a MMO title have meaningful RP, or is everyone just so focused on the grind it just isn't feasible? (Hint: "Thee and Thou alone doth not a Roleplayer make!) What the hell is Roleplaying anyways? A discussion on that, as well as how MMO games can add these elements into the future so they can have an impact on the game. Oh, and Craig gets jumped into the podcast gang-style for being late. "Oh I'm sorry Mr. GM, those bruise marks were there already... he fell down the stairs... yeah!"

Oh, and Adam also offers free schwag for iTunes reviews!

Enjoy!

Witty Ranter #7

trollonfire@gmail.com — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:42:00 GMT

In this episode, Adam brings in John the Ancient Gaming Noob, Darren, Brendan, Peter from The Addicted Gamer, and Croven from The Drone Bay to build their idea of a new MMO... that isn't fantasy, and doesn't suck! The task - we have $50 million from angel investors, and our goal is to make that back in 5-10 years. With much snark, twisted humor and general silliness, we discuss the Theme and Game Mechanics of our MMO (Why it will kick ass), our target audience (Halo Xbox Live players need not apply!), and finally how we plan to make back that money! (Business Model). The show was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we had recording it. Enjoy!

Witty Ranter #6

trollonfire@gmail.com — Wed, 9 Apr 2008 05:56:00 GMT

In this episode, Adam pulls up some old and new voices to the table to discuss community issues with MMO's. Brenden from AnotherHere.com, Michael Zenke from MMOGNation and Massively.com, Ritchie Zapatero from E:ON Magazine, and Last but not least, "I'm Alan?" 'Brenlo' Crosby, head of Sony Community Relations, and one of the talented voices of the Station Podcast. On the docket this week: "MMO Forums; Useful, Useless, or Working as Intended?" and Brenlo tells us the sad sad tale of CSM's/GM's and why they hate us players. But, Adam gives a wonderful recipe for how to cook tender ribs! Enjoy!

Witty Ranter #5

trollonfire@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:04:00 GMT

In this episode, Adam gets Shawn from GuildCast, TabulaCast, and OhMyGodRealLife along with Jonathan from The Online Gamer's Anthology and Peter from The Addicted Gamer for a little Collective rumination on MMO's, as well as much silliness. A pre-show apology: due to Peter recording his segment in the middle of a tornado, there may be occasional cows flying by while he talks.... or a slight buzzing noise. Topics discussed this week include "Why does the MMO community need Podcasts?" "Corporate MMO's: Friend or Foe to the non-professional podcaster?", and finally, the bulk of this show is our "How to start/make a Podcast", with suitably snarky and smart-assed commentary from four hacks who probably should be put in the podcasting gulag instead of pushing our knowledge on the rest of the world. This is reinforced by the fact that our ramblings on how to make the show weren't even in order. Listening a couple of times is highly suggested. Enjoy!

Witty Ranter #4

trollonfire@gmail.com — Mon, 3 Mar 2008 18:52:00 GMT

In this episode, Adam reaches across the pond to pull some craaaazy UK folks who agreed to stay up super late to record. Kami from CoMutiny, Guy Rix, aka Dathmar on the VirginWorlds Forums, and Urban.Mongral from Warp Drive Active all help Brent and Brenden explain why the environment in the UK is as good for MMO's as it is in the US. Topics discussed include a very in-depth discussion on how our gaming cultures are similar and dissimilar, why High Speed Internet in the UK sucks, and Brent takes a trip in the way-back machine of his childhood to pull up a game whose title isn't meant to offend anyone. Seriously!! Urban also brought up a discussion of why more game companies can't seem to do cool things like EVE's Alliance Tournament being covered by EVETV. There's plenty of off-topic love for everyone, and Kami relates his best day ever at work in the outtakes. Thanks to Coldheat for sponsoring the show!

New shows pimped:
The Drone Bay
Warp Drive Active: Industry

Witty Ranter #3

trollonfire@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:16:00 GMT

In this episode of Witty Ranter, Adam shows a softer side, while his hosts show that women can kick ass just as well as the boys. Brenda from West Karana, Karen from Journeys With Jaye, and Leala Turkey from Epic Dolls all chime in with their viewpoints. Topics covered include "How do game companies market games as appealing to more women other than stooping to the traditional 'half naked chicks' that have worked for men for so long?" and Karen presents the topic: "Women & MMO Communities - Nicety or Necessity?" Oh yeah, and there are many references to Hello Kitty Online Adventure. You have been warned.

Witty Ranter #2

trollonfire@gmail.com — Sat, 2 Feb 2008 04:55:00 GMT

"In Episode #2, we find out that Adam apparently can't figure out how to record a show... or something. Regardless of the technical difficulties, Brenden from AnotherHere, John from The Ancient Gaming Noob, Darren from Shut Up We're Talking, and Syncaine from Hardcore Casual bravely put up with it all and turned in their views, thoughts, and rants on 2 topics. Brenden starts us all off by making sure we all understand why RMT is here to stay, with suitable ranty-ness. In the second mini-rant, Adam starts the group off on a discussion on why he's so fed up with the people who are always hating on the old school. The conversation ranges far and wide, ultimately ending up somewhere else; but as is always said, the fun of a trip is in getting to the destination. This should be an all-out fun fest, if that's the case. As always, comments are welcome!"

Witty Ranter #1

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:21:00 GMT

In his inaugural debut to the VirginWorlds Collective, Adam gets Brenden from AnotherHere, Michael Edwards, a MMO game developer, Michael Zenke from Massively.com and Jonathan from The Online Gamer's Anthology together for a discussion. Topics include "Crafting in MMO's: It really need to die. No, we mean it!", and "Is there anything in 2008 for us to look forward to?"... Oh yeah, and true to form, we get a Zenke Rant... Aww yeah. This show does contain explicit language. Viewer Discretion Advised.