Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 36, where we talk about Coffeebreak Roguelikes. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli, John Harris and Keith Burgun. You can download the mp3 of the podcast, play it in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Source and evolution of the term "coffeebreak", and its obsoleteness in the modern scene
- Roguelikes as fantasy simulators
- Why players like big games and developers like small games
- Player time and design efficiency
- Depth and variety instead of length
- Encouraging replayability, with a debate on the use of unlocks, achievements and different game modes/challenges
- The need to focus on tight mechanics and cut out the chaff
- How coffeebreaks deserve more attention and the need to champion them more
- What coffeebreaks can't do
Join us next week for a live recording from the International Roguelike Development Conference being held in London on 2nd and 3rd of June.
Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 35, where we discuss the Diablo series. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, Ido Yehieli and Keith Burgun. You can download the mp3 of the podcast, play it in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Is Diablo: A single unit RTS? A roguelike? An opiate of the people? A slot machine? A pool table? Coke(tm)?
- What makes a game memorable?
- Diablo-likes, including Torchlight I and II, Sacred and Sacred 2, the Sacred auto-updater, and Borderlands
- Loot, hardcore mode, and the music
- Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click....
Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 34, where we discuss the platformer roguelike Red Rogue. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, Ido Yehieli, John Harris, Keith Burgun, and Aaron Steed, the creator of Red Rogue. You can download the mp3 of the podcast, play it in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics discussed this week include:
- Aaron's experience as a professional developer, and the motivation to do something different in his spare time
- Indie vs Hobbyist vs Professional development - are roguelikes indie games?
- Artistic style and feel to the game, and artistic messages in the gameplay
- Unsolvable content in procedural design
- Specific challenges in procedural platformer design, including mentions of Spelunky, Fuel, Terraria and Earl Spork
- Junk in games
- The minion in Red Rogue and good companion AI
- Real time vs turn based mechanics
Join us next time for a look at what some may say is the most successful roguelike of all time - Diablo (controversy ahoy!)
Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 33. This week we interview Thomas Biskup, creator of ADOM and ADOM II. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Tapani Kiiskinen and Thomas Biskup. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics discussed include:
- ADOM and ADOM II (formerly known as JADE)
- What got Thomas into roguelikes and development
- Rogue, D&D, Nethack and other influences
- Mixing random generation and predesigned content and structure
- Story and setting in ADOM
- Plans for ADOM II
- What's now happening with ADOM
- Community contributions, activities and challenges
- Mysteries left in the game and the closed source debate
- What sparked Thomas back into ADOM II development
- Upcoming IndieGoGo funding campaign
- The postcard quest (Thomas likes postcards sent to him at Zu den Tannen 5, D-58456, Witten, Germany)
Join us next time for a look at Red Rogue, a platformer roguelike by Aaron Steed (who shall also be joining us).
Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 32. This week's topic is combat mechanics in roguelikes. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli and Andrew Doull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics covered this week include:
- Original mechanics in Rogue and their D&D inspiration
- Realism in combat mechanics (and how it doesn't always work)
- The game of numbers, and how devs love bell curves
- Combat logs and other ways of relaying combat data
- Weapons flavours and damage types
- Movement and placement around the field of battle
- Area effects of weapons and special attacks
- Bump to attack and the unification of movement keys with other game functions
- Deterministic vs random systems
- Status and timed effects
Some games highlighted:
- IVAN
- Brogue
- ToME4
- DDRogue
- Zaga33
- Sword in Hand
Join us next time for more exciting and information roguelike discussion!
Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 31, where we discuss the game that inspired our whole genre - Rogue. Talking this episode are Ido Yehieli, John Harris, Jordan Starkweather, Keith Burgun, Michael Brough and our very special guest Glenn Wichman, one of the co-creators of the original Rogue. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics covered this week include:
- The story of the original creation of Rogue by Glenn Wichman and Michael Toy
- How the game evolved and the different versions for different platforms
- Defining features of the game that arose from platform limitations
- The influence of Dungeons and Dragons on the Dungeons of Doom
- Glenn's 7DRL, The Seven Day Quest
- Rogue's influence on modern roguelikes and other games
- The source of the original name "Rogue"
- Why we needed this episode before Glenn dies (according to John)
A few relevant links to find out more about Rogue:
- Many many versions of Rogue and relevant materials (old manual etc)
- Browser-based Rogue by Donnie Russell - go play now!
- Glenn's history of Rogue
- Gamasutra's history of Rogue
- The C64 box art for Rogue (somehow I think they missed the point...)
Join us next time for more exciting roguelike discussion!
Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 30, where we discuss identification systems. Talking this episode are John Harris, Keith Burgun, Ido Yehieli and Andrew Doull. The mp3 of the podcast can be downloaded here, played in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.
Topics covered this week include:
- The difficulties in developing identify systems
- Solvability vs. randomness
- Identification systems in Rogue and NetHack
- The importance of shorter games
- The Angband thread that Andrew mentions
Join us next week for more roguelike discussion. Feel free to post in the comments about more games you'd like us to feature or topics you'd like to hear discussed.
