Idle Thumbs 105: XCOM Obama

[I_smell]

What the hell is the connection between XCOM and Barack Obama?

 

I just assumed there was a news story where Barack Obama is a big fan of XCOM, but a couple minutes later decided that that's ridiculous.

[Nappi]

Sean obsession to beat Obama at everything, I guess. It's a sickness really, but still pretty hilarious.

[I_smell]

Oh right I forgot about that.

[Badfinger]

And he loves him some Biden.

 

As one should.

 

 

PS. THIS EPISODE IS IN STEREO. IS THIS NEW OR HAVE I NOT NOTICED BEFORE?!

[Laxan]

The only real problem I have is in both your online version and iTunes Player they don't offer very precise control over where you want to listen from

 

 

If you're willing to wait a day, episodes are uploaded to youtube with really handy timestamps. (Whoever updates the channel doesn't get a whole load of mentions, but they're doing a great job.)

[TheLastBaron]

Uh I was listening to an episode a few days ago from the 70's (episode numbers) and there was a part where someone said something and it was repeated and bounced from ear to ear and someone commented about being in stereo.  After that I decided to jump to the current episodes (I'm like 6 months behind) and work my way back to I can comment on the episode threads while they're still active. 

[Corelli]

XCOM really is so much better on hardcore.

Edit: fuck, I meant ironman.

[Laxan]

PS. THIS EPISODE IS IN STEREO. IS THIS NEW OR HAVE I NOT NOTICED BEFORE?!

 

Jake seemed way further to the left than usual in this episode. But the stereo is great in general.

[Badfinger]

Uh I was listening to an episode a few days ago from the 70's (episode numbers) and there was a part where someone said something and it was repeated and bounced from ear to ear and someone commented about being in stereo.  After that I decided to jump to the current episodes (I'm like 6 months behind) and work my way back to I can comment on the episode threads while they're still active. 

Stereo has appeared before, sure. This is the first time I remember a full episode. I noticed it driving in the car, and I think it was emphasized because Jake was way left, and Nick didn't talk at all this episode so the right channel was silent.

[Jake]

PS. THIS EPISODE IS IN STEREO. IS THIS NEW OR HAVE I NOT NOTICED BEFORE?!

Jake seemed way further to the left than usual in this episode. But the stereo is great in general.

Every episode since we got the studio set up has been in stereo, but it is a subtle mix. I think this time I accidentally got thrown further to the left than the default settings because of the ridiculous panning Chris put in on me saying "noooOO! NOOOOO!" at the start of the episode. The pan slider probably ended on a key which was leaning more left than usual.

[Sean]

Sean, if you could post a list of the QBs you commanded in XCOM my heart would be warmed.

 

Also I feel dumb because I'm not sure if this "No Love for Dad" is from something.

 

Warren Moon

Colin Kaepernick

Ron Mexico (Mike Vick)

Boomer Esiason

Tom Brady

David Garrard

Donavan McNabb

Rodney Peete

Andrew Luck

[Johnny Driggs]

Rodney Peete, nice deep cut.

 

If you're willing to wait a day, episodes are uploaded to youtube with really handy timestamps. (Whoever updates the channel doesn't get a whole load of mentions, but they're doing a great job.)

 

You're right, I am doing a great job!

[Badfinger]

Oh man, you have now just tricked a bunch of non-football fans into thinking most of those guys are future Hall of Famers.

David Garrard feels so out of place on that list while somehow Rodney Peete does not.

E: just realized that at the beginning of the cast Jake was in the right channel, but ended in the left. WHAT DOES IT MEAN (besides the previous explanation of channel sliders being nudged)

[Sean]

Oh man, you have now just tricked a bunch of non-football fans into thinking most of those guys are future Hall of Famers.

David Garrard feels so out of place on that list while somehow Rodney Peete does not.

 

It was literally /random roll "hey that guy looks like David "Silky" Garrard"

[Badfinger]

Oh my god, if his callsign was Silky that would probably be the best thing ever involving David Garrard.

[feelthedarkness]

Haha, same, but mostly in servicing of seeing all the stuff. I don't "devour" games like some people. I don't mind using collectibles to service a large world. Though I wouldn't have hunted down all those pigeons, that felt like busy work.

 

I remember being shocked after finishing LA Noire, and at the end of the credits there was an announcement that I found 0/50 golden reels. "Wait, what golden reels?!" I thought. I had collected a significant amount of the unique cars too. 

[soggybagel]

Random thought popped in my mind from last weeks show. They were talking about Kerbal's and how they don't like to see them die. I'm sure you guys who are space nuts already know about this but I always thought that the speech that was prepared in event of an Apollo 11 disaster was utterly brilliant and beautiful...thankfully it didn't have to be used.

 

 

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice. These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one: in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

[thestalkinghead]

if i find collectibles naturally by playing i will pick them up but other than that I'm not too bothered about getting them all unless it actually has some in game effect 

[TheLastBaron]

If they add something to the story I'll get them (like the stuff mentioned in Arkham which gives you more story), but if they're just there to make a number go up I usually ignore them.  For example in Alan Wake I got the story pages but ignored the other stuff like the cans.

[Badfinger]

Didn't the bobbleheads in fallout give you a permanent stat boost? There are game reasons to collect all of those.

[TheLastBaron]

Yeah, but on the other hand if you wait you can get them after you get the perk that gives you 9 points in all your SPECIAL stats and picking them up after getting that is the only way to get max stats I think (I have a friend who wanted to get a 100% play through in FO3 and didn't know this and wasted over 50 hours)

[tegan]

Chris, I recognize at least some of what you read in French as a string of French-Canadian profanity.

[sclpls]

Great episode. I'm glad to hear Sean found another game he likes, and that it's XCOM. I totally get wanting to play it on iPad because one of the games great features is how it gets you quickly in and out of the action, and that seems really conducive to mobile play.

I also hope to hear more updates about Risk Legacy. It's a game I find fascinating and enjoy hearing other people talk about it, but I don't think I could play it because of ingrained board gamer preconceptions where I find the idea of destroying game components taboo.

My experience with collectibles in games is I usually begin the process, but usually give it up fairly quickly as I grow bored/annoyed. The one exception was Brutal Legend, where I became somewhat obsessed with trying to get all the soundtracks for the car so I could curate the perfect mixtape.

[TheLastBaron]

Oh wow I can't believe I didn't mention it.  I've never finished Wind Waker because I got to the end and decided I wanted to get all the figurines.  There were a couple that you needed to plan ahead to get and I missed them so was never able to complete the game.

 

I actually got 100% in Brutal Legend for basically the same reason, I started trying to get every song and ended up getting everything else.

[SecretAsianMan]

One of my favorite SNES games is Illusion of Gaia and it sort of has collectibles in it.  Scattered throughout the game were 50 red jewels.  If you collect them and bring them to a character in the game, he gives you rewards when you reach certain numbers, but if you get them all you can access a secret level and a hidden boss.  The problem with collecting the jewels was 1) they aren't visible in the world, the only way to find them is to have a guide, or just check EVERYWHERE and 2) the beginning areas of the game are inaccessible after a certain point so if you miss any, you're screwed.  I must have played the game 20 times trying to get them all.  Luckily I really like the game but man getting those things was tedious.