Jake

Idle Thumbs 154: Super Good

Recommended Posts

Just look for the sale on the gold or GOTY or w/e version on Steam or elsewhere, it just has everything in it. They made super much DLC, some super civs, super map packs. Some civ packs had super scenarios maybe. Some of the civs are super good, like the Koreans.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am really intrigued by the last 30 or so seconds describing a run in with Robert Khoo. Is the alternate universe where he wasn't with PA and thus not polite, or did you not actually run into him?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That is an alternate universe where he discovers Idle Thumbs instead of Penny Arcade and dismisses it out of hand for being full of us idiots.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That sounds super whack, man. 

Super Whack Man was actually the development title of Super Smash Bros, but when they added in all of the Nintendo branded characters they renamed it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Somebody needs to mock up some Super Nick Breckon 64 cover art.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Somebody needs to mock up some Super Nick Breckon 64 cover art.

 

There was a lot of effort involved with this.

 

4aUf1oI.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Man, I wish that at least one thumb had just watched the Firaxis panel where they revealed Beyond Earth. Instead it was a bunch of "Uhhh... I think you pick a race?" "They wouldn't make an overtly racist game." "Do you fight against aliens?" All of which was talked about in the panel.

 

Importing a Civ V game into Beyond Earth isn't really going to work because the game is set about 250 years in the future after there has been some giant worldwide catastrophy and humanity has had to reorganize and rebuild. It isn't like Crusader Kings where the one historical period just leads into the next.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Importing a Civ V game into Beyond Earth isn't really going to work because the game is set about 250 years in the future after there has been some giant worldwide catastrophy and humanity has had to reorganize and rebuild. It isn't like Crusader Kings where the one historical period just leads into the next.

I was thinking that any of the Civ 5 win-conditions could be the impetus for a cataclysm, given an additional 250 years.

So are there going to be racists in the game or not?

Actually, I've been think about authenticity for the last couple of days and it makes me wonder if the "purity" ideology is going to express the idea that multiple versions of the authentic humanity exist. I'd love to see the purity-path necessitate schisms.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We aim to frustrate.

Probably that needs to be translated to latin, added to a seal, and put on a t-shirt.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We aim to frustrate.

Probably that needs to be translated to latin, added to a seal, and put on a t-shirt.

 

Preferably with at least one grammatical error.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Probably that needs to be translated to latin, added to a seal, and put on a t-shirt.

 

 

Preferably with at least one grammatical error.

 

Vigi Vigi Vigi.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was thinking that any of the Civ 5 win-conditions could be the impetus for a cataclysm, given an additional 250 years.

 

But if everything is different after the cataclysm and 250 years, what is the point of importing a save besides basic things like the name of your civ? In CK2 the game just ends at 1453 and EU picks up right were that leaves off. Even if your dynasty has conquered all of Europe there can still be internal sturggles and meaningful conflct. Whereas if you've won a game of Civ 5 by conquering everyone else there's no way for those civs to come back and continuing that world into another game is meaningless.

 

We aim to frustrate.

You do a good job : ) Trying to talk about a game where not much is known is already hard but compounding that with everyone's thrid-hand half-rembered knowedge of different articles and interviews created a strange segment.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

"ergo frustra affectant" according to google, though translated back it means "Therefore, they strive in vain" which is pretty good. 

I get "Nos intendo quaerentis frustrationem." Which I think is pretty close to "We intend to seek frustration."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

"ergo frustra affectant" according to google, though translated back it means "Therefore, they strive in vain" which is pretty good. 

I get "Nos intendo quaerentis frustrationem." Which I think is pretty close to "We intend to seek frustration."

 

Both those are marvelously frustrating to read, the latter especially. "I strain us of searching things, disappointment."

 

"Frustrare petunt," please. I'm begging you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

One of the many things I love the most about Idle Thumbs is that the hosts handle their own ignorance far, far better than any other gaming podcast I've ever listened to. Typically the Thumbs are (like most people) knowledgeable about some things and ignorant about others, and also slightly up in the air about what they know or what they don't. The two main differences are that they're usually never ignorant of stuff I know (for what I presume are various and complicated reasons), which means it's never frustrating for me to listen, and also when they are ignorant (either of stuff I know or stuff I don't know) they're always clear about their lack of knowledge. Rather than just straight up saying wrong stuff, they're always talking about how they are unsure or can't remember and so on. I don't find that frustrating at all - in fact, what I find more frustrating are conversations where people are either just straight up wrong or where they refuse to talk about anything they could ever be wrong about.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just to chime in about how hilarious Assassins Creed 4 was...

 

They were talking about how funny it is that you get to meet the CEO of the game company on the first day of being a QA tester.

 

During my time at Ubisoft Montreal years back, Yannis Mallat (CEO of ubisoft montreal) had an open door policy and would take the time to meet with any employee that wanted to talk, even just to pop in and say "Hi". Also, he came and addressed each and every employee to wish them a happy holidays during Christmas, which I haven't seen any CEO ever do.

 

Black Flags conceptual set up is hilarious, but I'm pretty sure it's in the spirit of Ubisofts culture more than anything, so it's not that far from being totally unrealistic.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

But if everything is different after the cataclysm and 250 years, what is the point of importing a save besides basic things like the name of your civ? In CK2 the game just ends at 1453 and EU picks up right were that leaves off. Even if your dynasty has conquered all of Europe there can still be internal sturggles and meaningful conflct. Whereas if you've won a game of Civ 5 by conquering everyone else there's no way for those civs to come back and continuing that world into another game is meaningless.

Just the act of importing and having even a surface level acknowledgment of that would satisfy a good number of people.

 

Beyond that, it wouldn't be out of the question to procedurally develop some catastrophe based on the winning civilization's history. As I understand it, right now that catastrophe is pretty vague, but let's say the civ in question won through war and harsh leadership. That one's easy. Once they've conquered everything, civil war breaks out. What if they rely too heavily on industrialization and forget about helping the environment? Another easy one...

 

I mean these are just super basic examples. But the point is you can take the starting point, build off of that, and then build off of that, and then build off of that until you get to Beyond Earth, where X in Civ 5 means Y in Beyond Earth, and A means B and etc.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

One of the many things I love the most about Idle Thumbs is that the hosts handle their own ignorance far, far better than any other gaming podcast I've ever listened to. Typically the Thumbs are (like most people) knowledgeable about some things and ignorant about others, and also slightly up in the air about what they know or what they don't. The two main differences are that they're usually never ignorant of stuff I know (for what I presume are various and complicated reasons), which means it's never frustrating for me to listen, and also when they are ignorant (either of stuff I know or stuff I don't know) they're always clear about their lack of knowledge. Rather than just straight up saying wrong stuff, they're always talking about how they are unsure or can't remember and so on. I don't find that frustrating at all - in fact, what I find more frustrating are conversations where people are either just straight up wrong or where they refuse to talk about anything they could ever be wrong about.

Oh, man, I agree completely. I'm not sure I've ever put it into words before, but that's precisely what frustrates me with a lot of other podcasts I've listened to in the past or even still listen to. The hosts' unwillingness to acknowledge their own ignorance can be almost anger-inducing, before I realize what I'm getting angry at and chill out.

 

The other thing that is sort of related but also completely different is that the Idle Thumbs hosts never shove their opinions down your throat. They almost always make it a point of saying, "But it's fine if other people are into that", which I really appreciate because I disagree enough that it would bother me otherwise. Other podcasts would just expound on the suckiness or greatness of this or that without even pretending that they might just have a differing opinion.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just the act of importing and having even a surface level acknowledgment of that would satisfy a good number of people.

 

Beyond that, it wouldn't be out of the question to procedurally develop some catastrophe based on the winning civilization's history. As I understand it, right now that catastrophe is pretty vague, but let's say the civ in question won through war and harsh leadership. That one's easy. Once they've conquered everything, civil war breaks out. What if they rely too heavily on industrialization and forget about helping the environment? Another easy one...

 

I mean these are just super basic examples. But the point is you can take the starting point, build off of that, and then build off of that, and then build off of that until you get to Beyond Earth, where X in Civ 5 means Y in Beyond Earth, and A means B and etc.

 

I honestly think they could get away with just having some diplomacy and quest texts refer to i) the three most powerful nations on Old Earth, ii) the dominant religion, and iii) the type of victory won by the player. I think the ability to import a save from a previous game and have it acknowledged in any way is more important to nine out of ten players than the way it's acknowledged. I mean, frankly, every Crusader Kings II save I've imported into Europa Universalis IV has not been remotely as interesting as the default scenario, usually because I'm "winning" the former game by a ludicrous margin, but it's the pleasure of seeing that empire rendered with a different engine and systems that actually matters to me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now