For a couple of months now, I have been working with my good buddy Mark Andrew Pope on a podcast.  On the show we discuss "music, worship, and points in between."  It's irreverent, rowdy, and sometimes there's wrestling.

We've been keeping the fun to ourselves for awhile now, but on December 1st we release our first episodes.

It's gonna be a hoot.

More details to follow!

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
Twitter + AronHead
 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:48 PM CST

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink

Yesterday, the eighteenth episode of the Podge Cast hit the interwebs. 

It's hard to believe that the guys are only 18 episodes into their run.  Just a little more than a week ago the Podge Cast ran its first live, streaming audio feed and shortly thereafter released a video version as well.  These guys are all about doing more, doing it right - and above all - doing it in badass style.

From the first episode, the show was firing on all cyllinders immediately moving to the head of the RPG podcast class.  Cool beyond reproach, laugh out loud funny, and often right on the money in their commentary, the team of Matt, Joe, Luke, and Adam bring a commitment, professionalism, and passion rarely seen in the medium.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit with half of the Podge Cast, Dr Luke Meyer and Adam "David" Pinilla...

EvilBastard:

Adam:

Luke:

Adam:

EvilBastard:

Adam:

EvilBastard:

Who will be writing for it?

Adam:

Lots of people. In relation to me, it's principally friends, family and co-hosts. But, rest assured that the people who are writing are the quality type people I like to associate with and would love to work on projects long term with.

I may solicit some more people from around the RPG-o-sphere for the next issue, but right now we're just getting started and I wanted to keep it as 'in the family' as I could for the first issue.

EvilBastard:

So this will be a regular publication?  How often will you print?

Adam:

I'm shooting for doing this quarterly. The December 08 issue is probably going to be a trial run to see what we need to change for the first full year of 2009.

EvilBastard:

Wasn't Egon right when he said that "print is dead?"

Luke:

He also said never to cross the streams. He's obviously untrustworthy.

Adam:

Yes and no. Print isn't dead per se. Neither is radio, though podcasting can be argued as the next-gen radio show.

While podcasting is a homebrew evolution, forgetting the lessons that radio teaches is a mistake (where they apply, of course). I feel the same way about print. And, there's something viscerally satisfying about having a printed packet distributed all around the country that was something you produced.

And no, I've never seen Ghostbusters. Yes, I know that's awful. Yes, I know I'm a terrible person because I do a movie review podcast and I've never seen Ghostbusters. :)

EvilBastard:

Adam, you're kind of a prolific guy, lots of irons in the fire. You host the ManCast, co-host the extremely popular Podge Cast as well as co-host Back Seat Producers with Pimp-of-the-Internet Tony Mast. Where'd all this passion come from and when in the world do you sleep?

Adam:

And, you left off the anthology that Tony Mast and I are organizing, which should come out sometime in December. 

Heh. I don't actually like to sleep. I get up around 6:45 - 7:00 on my days off and stay up all hours of the night.

I like having things to do. It makes me feel accomplished at the end of the day.

But I have to be honest - a lot of the stuff that's attributed to me wouldn't happen without the support and hard work of a few people behind the scenes. Joe from The Podge Cast does a lot behind the scenes to make the how happen, and even though we rib him mercilessly, it probably wouldn't have happened or continue to happen with out him. Tony Mast is always a whip at my back. Luke keeps me grounded and sane because he's hilarious.

EvilBastard:

Tell me about Spooky Outhouse Productions. What made you set that up? What's your vision for SoP?

Luke:

Adam set it up because he's a glutton for punishment. Actually, it's something I know Adam had been thinking about doing for a long time. Adam and I had both made a ton of friends in the podcasting community and we made the observation that the available podcasting networks were great for linking, but lacked a cohesive community.

What SOP offers is community. Our forums have seen steady growth since launch and have become a great place where listeners can easily interact with their favorite podcasters. It's also great for introducing folks to new shows. They might come to the forums to talk about something like The Podge Cast, but they are immediately introduced to other cool shows like Return to Northmoor and Save Against Frostbite. They can then immediately see what pepole are talking about regarding the shows and judge if it is something they'd listen to. Or something.

We also wanted to help out some of the newer podcasts who don't have a lot of the resources a lot of the big names do. We offer forums, hosting, setup, and tech help. Well, Adam offers those things. I tend to just fetch him beers when he needs them and nod furiously when he talks. I still can't believe he actually thinks I'm listening after all this time.

We want to give members of SOP the tools to succeed because their success helps out all of the other shows on the feed. It's win-win.

The future is looking bright. We've grown to the point now that we have a strong group of like-minded people who can share ideas and help each other out. That's what's turning V3 from a local game day into an international event.

I don't want to hype anything too much, but we've got a lot of cool things in the hopper like charity events and publishing. We've only just begun to spread our wings!

Adam:

Luke hit it square on the head for the vision and all that jazz. I'll answer a little more on the personal side.

I'm not in it for any money, and we make none off of anything that we do (or at least everyone else is cleverly hiding it from me). I get intangible benefits: a sense of accomplishment, being someone in that community, the relationships I have with other people in the feed.

Rob from Bear Swarm and I hardly knew who each other were 6 months ago. He was up for a party last weekend and we talk almost every day now. In December, I'm going down for his birthday to run him a one-shot of Burning Wheel.

So, I'm extremely pleased with the stuff that we've got going on over at SoP. And stuff that we're continuing to work on still amazes me.

EvilBastard:

If you were in a burning house with your Podge Cast co-hosts Matt, Luke, and Joe, and could only save two of them, which two would you save?

Adam:

I wouldn't save Joe, because that jerk said he'd leave me in the burning car.

Thanks for the interview, guys.  I can't wait to see what you do next.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 6:10 AM CST

Updated: Tuesday, 18 November 2008 9:08 PM CST

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (3) | Permalink

Wow... this site is really becoming a Fear The Boot fan site, ain't it?  I mean, we've been covering the gossip, the speculation, and look here... breaking news straight from he-of-the-long-hair, Mr. Dan Repperger.

In a conversation this evening, FtB host and founder Dan revealed several blogworthy items to yours truly.  It's a long list of items he and the boys have in the hopper:

• "I made the reservation for Fear the Con II (as reported earlier this evening here on the blog) It will be in the same location, but this time we have two days and both floors of the building. The dates are March 6th and 7th. As before, the price of admission will include all events, all games, and free beer/soda as long as supplies last. I don't have a final ticket price yet, but I'm estimating $20. And that's the maximum I will charge."

• "Since moving the site, several major features never got rebuilt. As of today, I've repaired the contact form. I've also re-opened the email accounts for every host on the show. Listeners now have a direct line to people other than me."

• "If my budget works out, I'm going to be in Seattle the week after W3N5. While I'm there, I'm going to do a one-shot episode with Tex and a few area listeners. It'll be a great opportunity to get some fans involved."

• "John has made a commitment to be in town as much as law school will allow, so hopefully he won't be AWOL from the show anymore. His energy and humor are sorely missed, and I look forward to having him back."

• "One of the common criticisms leveled against FtB is that our knowledge of RPGs is either too limited or out of date. The former simply isn't true. The latter is. To some extent, that never bothered me, because much (though not all) of gaming advice is system agnostic. Getting out of a character rut is just as applicable to 1st edition D&D as it is Dogs in the Vineyard. But having said that, being out of touch with the current market is hardly a badge of honor. So I went by my FLGS today and picked up a copy of World of Darkness and Hunter: The Vigil. I'm going to read through them and comment on them during a later show. And once those are under my belt, I'll keep making trips back to pick up other new products from various companies."

• "The GM profile submissions are rolling in. I'm going to announce the cut-off date next episode. After that, we'll be putting out a bonus episode comprised entirely of listener insight into the art of GMing. The only time you'll hear my voice is when I introduce the next clip."

• "While at Gencon, we were approached by an amazing artist who expressed interest in doing a web comic with us. Chris Hussey is now getting in contact with the guy to see if he's still interested. If he is, expect an on-going, dramatic Skies of Glass comic to start appearing on our homepage. Chris is already working on the script, and I'll only be involved to offerinsight on the setting."

• "I just finished configuring WordPress and PodPress. They're 100% ready to go. As soon as my fellow hosts sign off on my work, I'm going to move our audio content from Libsyn to our own server. No more split servers.

• "Related to the above item, I intend to start using that page to give daily blogs on new games I'm reading, current games I'm playing, and random thoughts of the day. I want the entusiasm I have for geekdom to be visible outside of our audio content. We may also have some guest authors of varying fame, but that's not really been fleshed out yet."

• "To make sure we're continuing to pay attention to the most important folks -- our listeners -- I've given the critique thread from our forum to Chris. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't deleted. He's currently condensing that into a list of action items we can use to improve the show."

• "I'm part way into writing a novel, and Keith Curtis has agreed to illustrate the appendix. This project may take a long time to complete. It's no small task to write a book, and there are a lot of other things (like FtC2) in line ahead of it. But work is underway."

"I know that's a long list," Dan said, "And some of it sounds really ambitious. However, we've left this show in neutral for too long, and our progress and enthusiasm ground to a halt."

John's return will no doubt restore balance to The Force.  With the four guys - Dan, Chad, Chris, and John - a mix is provided that will be rather friendly to the ear.  But wait!  There's a fifth host! 

That's right, what about Pat?

Pat's still a bit shy on the show.  With luck, and maybe a bit of love, he can be coaxed out of his shell.

As evidenced by many comments on this blog, a number of Booters have feared that the glory days were over for the show.  It's great to see that the fellas have a plan to put the mother frakkin' FEAR back in THE BOOT.

Start grabbing gears, guys, and rocket that podcast back to the top where we know it belongs.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:17 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (7) | Permalink

Lots of Fear The Boot activity both here on the blog as well as out there on the interweb today.  Really, a lot.  We've gone from nobody talking about this subject to LOTS of people talking about it. 

Here's you're daily summary of the ongoing story...

I didn't mention it in yesterday's entry on the subject, but FtB's Dan called out the two most notable former hosts of the show, Adam and Luke.  In reference to the Brilliant Gameologist podcast in which the Boot was skewered, Dan said:

"...As other people have noted, they've thrown their lot in with ex-hosts of this show, some of which have behaved in very adversarial ways toward us, albeit mostly behind the scenes. I'm sure that plays no small part in this. It's not just one show offering an honest, scathing critique of another. If that was the case, I could laugh it off as nothing more than the same sort of needling we give to other corners of the RPG industry. But make no such mistake. On some level, whether big or small, this is personal."

Former host Adam in grand Popeye fashion had all he could stand and couldn't stands no more!  He posted on his LiveJournal blog:

"At no point did I conspire with the Brilliant Gameologists for them to do their critique of Fear the Boot. I didn't even know they were going to do it, frankly...Contrary to popular (and personal) belief, I do not want FtB to fail. Having built a good portion of the community (at least at the time I had left), done the MAJORITY of content for the show, and built my name there, why would I possibly want such a big portion of my podcasting resume to disappear?"

Adam has turned a page in the manner in which he regards FtB front man Dan Repperger.  Of Dan (The Other Party), he writes:

"Luke has told me on many occasions that I've gone too far out of my way, done to much to make the situation right, and that the other party would never respond. He's absolutely right. Feigning an interest to make the situation right, the other party has used me, much like he did for the tenure of our relationship.

Meanwhile, that other former FtB host Luke had some choice words for Dan over on his own LJ blog:

Since what I'm responding to is public, the reply will be public. It will also be short. First, stop lying. Second, stop blaming me and Adam for criticisms leveled at Fear the Boot. We had nothing to do with it. It's not a conspiracy and trying to make it one to convince people the points are invalid is, honestly, ridiculous.

Dan later amended his original comments with the following:

"I got a PM from someone regarding point #4, so I want to clarify what I mean. I have no reason to believe any ex-hosts of this show encouraged BG's attack on us. In fact, what I hear through the grapevine is that they're as surprised as we were by the episode. What I was trying to say is that I believe BG's friendship with people who are already at odds with us likely played some role in their choice to attack us, thus making it personal. I didn't mean to imply ex-hosts were pulling the strings on this. My apologies if that wasn't clear before."

To which Adam responded:

"...What a bunch of horse shit."

There are lots of comments on both Adam and Luke's blogs as well as on the Fear The Boot forum.  Dan has closed off the topic on the FtB boards, a topic that I opened when I posted my They Hate Fear The Boot article.  When closing the thread, Dan stated:

I realize this is going to spark the usual cries of "free speech" and "moderators are Nazis," but I'm going to lock this thread.

While most posts -- even those criticizing us -- have been perfectly fine, there are a few that violate forum rule #3 (FORUM RULE #3 - Please be polite and respectful to everyone). Plus, given where some of the posts are heading, I don't think this will end well.

If you love us, we appreciate the support. If you have mixed feelings, we have a whole forum area for suggestions that we really do pay attention to. And if you think we're just worthless bastards with a horrible show, the "Logout" link is not hard to locate.

As for BG, I thought we had a cordial, working relationship with them. I was wrong. It's a free country, so they can say what they want. But I won't grant them the boon of a controversy on my own forums.

Also, none of this was really a Shameless Plug for anything, anyway.

That last sentence irritates me.  I originally opened that thread over in the Fear The Boot forum, not Shameless Plugs.  The forum labeled Fear The Boot is designated as "Anything related to our regular or bonus episodes."  The Brilliant Gameologist's review has EVERYTHING to do with the FtB episodes, yet host and forum moderator Chad moved the thread to Shameless Plugs stating:

"Moved to plugs section. I wasn't sure that Plugs is the right place for this but the Fear the Boot section is more for the individual episode reviews."

So Dan's last comment rubs me the wrong way.  Talk to Chad about it if you don't like where the article was posted.  Of course, I can't post that to the thread since it's been locked.  Annoying.

Grumble.

I don't blame him at all for closing the thread.  Just gripes me.

Meg from the Brilliant Gameologists responded today to last night's entry concerning Dan's comments.

MEG:  So if I offer up rebuttals to those points, will you post about them too?

ME: You know it, sister!

Here's what Meg had to say:

"...Dan responded to your summaries of the episode - not the episode itself... Your summaries were mostly accurate, but with his responses, it's getting a bit like a game of telephone.

"For example, our first point about 'not a lot happening' at the time they came out stands. There weren't nearly as many podcasts then as there are now. And furthermore, we specifically mention Paul Tevis and Don Dehm as other longstanding, quality podcasters, so his point is mostly negated by that.

"The second point was expanded on as well in the episode, but his point is valid from his point of view. The only clarification I would make is that he makes it sound like we are jealous of the popularity and that isn't the case. We said it in the same regard as I would say that I don't appreciate the popularity that Twilight (the book)* has gotten. It didn't really do anything original and I liked the story better when it was a TV show called Roswell and was about Aliens. Sometimes there are better choices out there, but the middle of the road options are what gets the attention. Fact of life. Doesn't mean I shouldn't speak up about good, non-mainstream Young Adult books.

"The third I mostly just object to the statement "no hint at good-natured humor" and that this is something so heinous that it can't be undone.

"I call Drama Queen.

"Anyone who has listened to the episode will have heard what immediately followed FtB as our #7 and most hated subject and I think that speaks for itself in this regard.

"Our short segment about FtB in a much longer episode (which I question if you, Bastard, listened to because you make it sound like we had a whole episode trashing FtB) strongly critiqued FtB's product. Not them as people and not even them alone. This isn't 'vitriiolic hate.' It's commentary on a publicly accessible media.

*You got me. I'm actually a die-hard Twilight fan. Edward makes me swoon. Still don't think it's very good though.

I listened to the whole episod, Meg.  I mentioned the FtB portion of it as that was that part that interested me. 

I did not choose to review your podcast as I have only listened to the one show.  When I review, I like to consume several shows so that I can get a sense of what the hosts are about.  For instance, I listened to nineteen episodes of Bear Swarm prior to posting that review.  I try to extend that same courtesy (to some extent) to all the shows I review.

Oh, and since the criticism of Fear The boot was both scathing and caustic, I believe vitriolic to be an appropriate word to describe your hate of the show.

Three readers commented on some things Meg posted a few days ago:

• These are still things that they have ALMOST done, and an unconfirmed/able donation. This doesn't give them any right to be jerks.
• They may have "almost" done all these things, but it doesn't give them the right to act like big fish in a small pond.
• Has Meg from BG told you what project she was involved inwhen stuff was being sent overseas? If it is what I am thinking of, she is being kinda intellectually dishonest in comparing it to the stuff the FtB guys organized.
  

No, Meg hasn't shared any details with me.  I have simply accepted her at her word. 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:30 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (8) | Permalink

Last week I posted about the Brilliant Gameologists vitriolic hate for tabletop roleplaying game podcast Fear The Boot.  Early this morning FtB host and generally long-haired guy Dan Repperger responded on his forum to a few points made by the 'Gameologists in their podcast:

BRILLIANT GAMEOLOGISTS: Fear the Boot is the most popular of the gaming podcasts, mostly because it came out at the right time. There wasn't that much within the podosphere. 

DAN: FtB came out around the same time as -- or in the shadow of -- material like All Games Considered, Dragons Landing Inn, Pulp Gamer...and the various shows of Sam Chupp, Paul Tevis, Mick Bradley, etc, etc, etc. There was no small amount of quality content, and I will always look back to that time as a real golden age of gaming podcasts. To say we only became popular because of a lack of alternate content only demonstrates an ignorance of the history of this medium. And, quite frankly, it's an insult to the shows that came before us, some of which are still alive and kicking.

BRILLIANT GAMEOLOGISTS: Other than that, it had some fatal flaws and we do not appreciate the popularity it has received.

DAN: If you think our show has fatal flaws, that's fine. I respect that. But you don't appreciate our popularity? How does our popularity hurt you? Why does it bother you at all? Because you don't like our style? Because you think there's a better way to do it? Because you think other podcasts pay too much attention to us?

Then focus on doing your show right, and if we're wrong, you'll loom tall over us in good time. When we started this show, I was offered some great advice by a fellow podcaster. "Just focus on making a good show, and in time, good content will float to the top." I'll offer that same advice to you.

BRILLIANT GAMEOLOGISTS: It's pretty clear as a listener, that they are basing a lot of their advice on ignorance, that they have not done their homework...

DAN: The least experienced gamer at our table has gamed for no less than two decades. We don't keep up with the industry, and as a result, we say almost nothing about the industry or specific titles (unless we've played them). The bulk of our show is kicking around concepts that apply to any game at any time. And when we're wading into an area we don't know much about, we're the first to offer that as a preface to the segment.

As a self-described listener, you should know that.

...What I object to is the fact that we're being attacked by a show we've supported, working in a medium that has traditionally been very cooperative, without any hint of good-natured humor, in a manner that is both petty and personal. That's not critique or irreverent lambasting; it's just plain low. And that's something this show has never done to anyone in its 2.5 years of history.

My only lasting regret is that they've changed the tenor of the way podcasts have been getting along up until this point. That's the sort of thing that can't really be undone.

Lastly, to you, our listeners and forum lurkers, I want you to know that all I wish upon you is excellent games and enjoyable podcast consumption. If you get that from here, great. If you get that over there, that's fine too. If you get it in both places, as far as the FtB hosts are concerned, so much the better.

Nice response, Mr. Repperger, and good points all.  

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:14 PM CDT

Updated: Monday, 6 October 2008 9:13 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink

Yesterday, I posted about the Brilliant Gameologists' 7 hated things about the gameosphere in which they had some sharp comments for the boys at Fear the Boot and - oh yes - referring to Booter fans as sycophants.  I pointedly stated:

I'm curious, how many cons have the Brilliant Gameologists hosted?  Where's their Robin D. Laws Award?  How many RPGs have they sent to soldiers overseas? 

What's that?

I can't hear you.

Could you speak up?

I went to bed last night with the warm assurance that I had made my point in such strong terms that when I awoke I would find I had commanded assent not simply from you, my dear reader, but also from the  the Brilliant Gameologists.

Yeah, that didn't happen.  Strange, it almost always does.

From BG Host Meg, I found the following comment waiting for me:

We are hosting a con in November- JiffyCon with some amazing indie game wrinters (www.jiffycon.com).

We led 3 standing-room only panels at GenCon this year.

I have been involved in a project sending games to soldiers in the military with a much larger internet constingent.

We were nominated for a Parsec Award this year- huge deal in the podcasting world.

Can you hear me now? Good.

Well...

Crap.

This is what happens when you give your crack team of researchers the week off.  I extend my apologies to Meg and the other haters at Brilliant Gameologists.  I made an assumption, making an ass of... well... umption.

Frakkin' umption.

I still think they were a bit harsh with the Boot, but they also appear to be developing a community and giving back to it.  I applaud that.

They still don't have an iTunes feed, tho.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:43 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (4) | Permalink

I listened to my very first episode of Brilliant Gameologists today.  You may be saying, wait!  BG has been around for twenty-some episodes and you're just now getting around to it?!?  But, Aron, you're a podcast whore.  WTF, yo?

I'd have listened to them a lot sooner except that they don't have an iTunes feed.  I use a Nano.  All my other podcasts are captured by iTunes and auto populate to the Nano.  Listening to BG is just more... work.  And I am fundamentally lazy.

Anyway, I've heard good things about Brilliant Gameologists for awhile now.  I swing by the site from time-to-time. 

Today, I find that their show notes for episode 23 list The 7 Things We Hate About the Gameosphere.  Number 6 on the list?  Fear the Boot.

You all know my feelings about FtB.  It's in my top three!  Love that show!

Anyhoozle, I had to take a listen.

"Fear the Boot is the most popular of the gaming podcasts," Hate Monger and Host Meg leads the discussion, "Mostly because it came out at the right time.  There wasn't that much within the podosphere.  It was regular and it was well produced.  Other than that, it had some fatal flaws and we do not appreciate the popularity it has received."

Meg continues, "The reason why we dislike Fear the Boot is that first of all it hands out a lot of advice.  It sort of claims to be an advice gaming podcast 'and a little bit more' and a lot of the advice is just terrible!"

Fear the Boot, the hosts maintain, is full of "douchebagarrific advice." 

They do not hate the people at FtB.  One of the hosts states that he met Dan (Repperger) for three-and-a-half minutes and that, "He seemed like a decent guy, like basically any other forty-something nerd I know."

Ouch.  That's gotta hurt.  Right, Dan?  Mr. Thirty-something?

It is quite evident from additional comments that the hosts are fans and friends of former FtB hosts Adam, Luke and Matt and tossed a bit of praise to their new effort, The Podge Cast.

"It's pretty clear as a listener," Meg points out, "That they are basing a lot of their advice on ignorance, that they have not done their homework..."

I disagree with Meg on this point simply for her use of the phrase 'a lot.'  I recall one episode in which the Booters discussed play-by-e-mail RPGs and none of them had ever played in one for any length of time.  Yet they had the temerity to comment on it as if experts.  They did have the host of Groovy Gamers, Mark "Thayan" Reed, on as an 'expert' for that show.  MTR may be knowledgeable on the subject, but does a poor job communicating PBEM's merits.   

As someone who has run and played in PBEM games for nearly twenty years, both on BBS and interwebs, I was a bit offended at the presumption.  In my listening of FtB - and I have listened to every single episode with the exception of the shark jumping episode 100 and the recent episode 115 - I have not found them to speak from ignorance... much.  I mean, it's the internet for crying out loud!  

The hosts clarify, their position was formed prior to the recent changes experienced at FtB that have been so well documented on this blog.  It is also stated in the show that they have called FtB out simply because they are the big fish, but people shouldn't take from it that their hate is exclusive to 'The Boot.  Oh no.

They also rather dislike that other gaming podcasts have used FtB as their measuring stick.

"It's what they say and what they represent that I hate," The host declared. 

Further, FtB fans are labeled sycophants.

Well, now you're irritating me.

"Hate is something to be nurtured," A wise man once said.

"And spread around," One might add.

I'm curious, how many cons have the Brilliant Gameologists hosted?  Where's their Robin D. Laws Award?  How many RPGs have they sent to soldiers overseas? 

What's that?

I can't hear you.

Could you speak up?

True, Fear the Boot is a bit pretentious.  But they own that.  How many episodes have the hosts stated with tongue-in-cheek that because they have said something it is therefore true? 

The great thing about FtB is not the show's production quality, nor the hosts' commitment to a regular schedule, or even their irreverent take on the hobby. No, the great thing about FtB is that they have nurtured and built a community.  It would have been EASY to rest on those laurels, but they didn't.  They went out and did all those wonderful things mentioned above.

Hate Fear the Boot as much as you want, Brilliant Gameologists.  It's easy to snark.   It's a lot harder to go out and - literally - put your money where your mouth is.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:18 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (9) | Permalink

Dang... I've really been on a podcast kick lately, eh?

I always enjoy when I find a little unintentional synergy between the shows.  I got that this week in two podcasts to which I frequently listen.

The Podge Cast's Episode 8, otherwise known as the Post Apocalyptic Pronounciation Guide, discusses the appeal of post apocalyptic RPG settings.  Adam and Luke have some unique perspective here having co-written the post-apocalyptic Skies of Glass RPG.  The guys maintain that fantasy settings are not ideal for post apocalyptic stories...

Meanwhile over on The Games the Thing's Episode 038, Ron and Veronica interview the guys from Greymalkin Designs about their new post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG called Desolation.  Ron and Veronica always have terrific guests and this episode is no exception.  The boys from Greymalkin paint a great picture of a game I'd like to play.  The burn rules for magic sound like an MFT of fun!

These two shows go GREAT together.  And if you want to duplicate my experience, listen to them while you rake the pool for the third time in four hours.  Freakin' Gustav.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:58 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink

I was listening to this week's Bear Swarm podcast, which is their 20 episode retrospective.  The Swarmers talk about their experience podcasting; what surprised them; what motivates them; where they want to go.  In grand Bob Hope style, Ross Payton from Role Playing Public Radio walked on.

I expected him to say, "I was recording my Christmas show over in Studio B.  Thought I'd drop by..."

He joined the guys and said something so unforgiveably erroneous that I had to make comment here.  On the subject of podcast audio quality, Payton said:

"People care about the content.  They don't care about quality.  You're compressing it into an MP3 anyways...  As long as it is audible and you can understand what the person's saying, the listeners - 99% of them - won't care."

Please understand that I have no tolerance for poor audio.  For instance...

Half the GenCon reports this year are recorded in crowded restaurants or moving cars.  The background noise is so terrible, it distracts from the content.  I won't listen.  I stop just a few minutes into the program.

Shows where everyone is Skyped in - Amorphous Blobcast for instance - hurt the ear.  I won't listen.  I deleted my subscription.

Those of us who have invested money in high dollar electronics and speaker systems aren't interested in hearing them sound like an AM radio station. 

Fear the Boot has enjoyed tremendous success.  While the content and character of the show are key to that success, every fan I spoke to at Fear The Con mentioned what high production standards FtB has and how much they value that commitment to quality.

You're wrong, Ross Payton.  Horribly, terribly wrong and I fear that your sheer wrongness may lead innocent podcasts to their inaudible doom.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:36 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (15) | Permalink

UPDATED 

Last week, I reviewed Fear The Boot "a podcast about table top role playing games and a little bit more."  In that review, I presented my interview with Adam Pinilla.  Adam is a former co-host at FtB and left the podcast last year under less than friendly circumstances.  Adam answered some of my questions concerning his exit.  FtB's Dan Repperger was approached for comment, but did not respond to the inquiry.

Since last week's blog, Chad (a current FtB co-host) have had the following exchange on the Fear the Boot forums...

CHAD: "You didn't exactly get all sides of the story there did ya?"  

ARON:  "You're right, but not for lack of trying. I sent Dan the same email that I sent the other involved parties that were quoted and at the same time. I never received a response, which I mention at the top of the blog. I am very interested in writing a follow up. If you or any other of the hosts would like to comment, please PM me."

CHAD:  "A review is one thing but your digging into private matters. Things that are not your or anyone else's business. I'm not telling you to stop posting, it's your blog and a free internet so you gotta do what you got to do. Just don't expect us to talk about private matters publicly."

ARON: "Absolutely a fair comment, Chad, but I find it amusing that your original complaint was 'You didn't exactly get all sides of the story there did ya?'

"How can I get the other side, if that side chooses to remain silent on the subject?

"It's a person's right not to share, true. But I think complaining about the manner in which the story is presented when choosing not to respond is a little ridiculous."

One might read the earlier review and the above and walk away with the opinion that I don't like or appreciate Dan, Chad, and Chris' efforts over at Fear The Boot.  Such could not be further from the truth.  I deeply value their committment to delivering a quality show on a weekly basis.  FtB has done what so many in similar situations have failed to do.  They have built community.  I have never in my life attended an event that drew so many people of high character as Fear The Con did.  It is a testament to FtB that quality people are drawn to their show.

CHAD:  "So let me get this straight, you do agree that you are trying to pry into private matters that are none of your business? "

ARON: "I agree that I am asking questions about something that you'd like to keep private and that you feel is none of my business. It seems that if your intent is not to share "your side of the story," then your position is best argued by simply saying nothing."

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Tuesday, 2 September 2008 8:12 PM CDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink