Episode 13: Video Games and RPGs

In which the Terrible Trio talk about video games, how they’ve influenced RPGs, the overlap between both, and some of our history with both.

* Our first video game consoles

* Puzzle design in text adventures close to tabletop RPGs

* British game censorship

* Connecting to the characters on the screen

* A little history on the tensions between tabletop gamers and video gamers

* Where to send your hate mail (Eddy gets it wrong)

* Using video game language to attract people to tabletop RPGs

* What have we taken from video games and incorporated into our tabletop RPG experiences?

* Narrative choice into Chronicles of Darkness design

* Illusion of choice

* We all get fake Twitter names

* Eddy takes a controversial stance on Planescape Torment

* Dixie shifts the discussion to Bloodlines as a good example of blurring tabletop and video games

* Turning something from a video game into a tabletop RPG

* Matthew gets a cease-and-desist and realizes he’s obsessed with water

* Which of the Onyx Path games would make the best video games?

* Dixie talks about MMOs, because the other two forgot

* Matthew snuck into an exclusive DC comics party

* Saints Row 4 as Demon the Descent

* Wrestling reference! The WWE RPG and the make-a-wrestling mode in WWE video games

* At the last minute Matthew mentions the Street Fighter RPG

LINKS:
We mention a LOT of games, so we’re just listing the ones we talk about in detail.

* Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy game: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-game-30th-anniversary-edition

* Metal Gear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_%28video_game%29

* D&D 4th Edition: http://drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/44/Wizards-of-the-Coast/subcategory/9730_9739/Dungeons–Dragons-4e

* Mass Effect franchise: https://www.masseffect.com/

* Fable franchise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fable_(video_game_series)

* Elder Scrolls franchise: https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en

* Bioshock: http://www.bioshockgame.com/site/us/

* Planescape Torment: https://www.gog.com/game/planescape_torment_enhanced_edition

* Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines: https://www.gog.com/game/vampire_the_masquerade_bloodlines

* Saints Row 4: https://www.saintsrow.com/about

10 thoughts on “Episode 13: Video Games and RPGs”

  1. So…this was the first podcast from you guys that I listened to. Mostly because I saw that you were going to talk about my first love(video games) and how they have mixed with my second love(TT RPGs and the World of Darkness, in general).

    It was highly entertaining! Enjoyed the format, and you guys have a good rapport with each other.

    Oh, and I’ve already sent angry hate mail to “Click Clack Bang” on Twitter. Damn that guy(whoever he is).

    Reply
  2. I must confess that I’ve been listenig to you since ep.1, but stoped because of convention prep. But from what I saw in the topic list, looks like a “must listen to”, so I promise to do so.
    Keelah Se’lai

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  3. You could totally do BioShock with the Trinity Continuum. Aeon would probably work best, actually, with psi as plasmids.

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  4. It’s always good to hear people defending the good name of D&D 4E, especially in the RPG industry. Thanks Eddy.

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    • Yeah, as a DM, it was a dream to run. I always thought it was weird people said it felt like a video game and would specifically name video games inspired, at least in part, by D&D. So,it’s a D&D game that feels like games based on D&D? I never saw the problem there.

      Reply
  5. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode!
    I must say that whenever I think of Onyx Path properties or licences that lend themselves to console or PC games, the first one comes to mind is Exalted!
    Imagine an adventure RPG styled game, in a similair vein to either the recent Zelda games, or my own personal favourite, the Darksider franchise. Exploration, wonder, epic combat, & stunning visuals!

    Reply
  6. Amazing eppy guys!

    Games that could be TTRPGS?

    Well, I have to be 100% with Eddy on that one and say that Castlevznia would be truly amazing. That setting demands to be expanded and explored. There is so much to be done with it! In a similar vein, ever since I saw what Squaresoft was able to do with something simple like Mario when they released the original Super Mario RPG on the SNES, I never understood why we never got a Castlevania with the same treatment.

    Unsurprisingly, another title I’d love to see explored more is Metroid. Sure, it doesn’t have character types to adapt into mechanics like Castlevenia does when you think of the Hunters(Belmonts), the Mages (Belnades, etc.) but when conceived as more of an atmospheric creepy exploration-based tabletop RPG it could work really well.

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  7. Another fun episode. 🙂 Any chance to see an actual play podcast from you guys anytime soon? I’m a sucker for those, and with the chemistry between you it would surely be a blast to listen to you play.

    Reply

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