So, I think it’s safe to say at this point I won’t be doing any more MMOG Nation Broadcast episodes. With Massively Speaking every week and regular appearances on other podcasts, the itch I was scratching with MNB is no longer really there.  That said, I think the ones I did do turned out really really well. Here are my absolute favorite episodes from the short-lived show:

• MNB #13 – The Shortiez! I hooked up with the other members of my awesome regular gaming group to talk all about EverQuest 2 and the fun times we’d had playing the game for something like two years.
• MNB #14 – Gravedigging with Van Hemlock! Tim’s very much a fan of a dash of RP, and it was great to talk about these old games that never get unearthed anymore.
• MNB #10 – Chatting things up with Paul Barnett. Always a highlight of any year for me, this was a unique discussion that I was really glad to get on tape.

I want to note that this doesn’t mean I won’t be doing any more ‘casts for the site, just that MNB is now ‘done’. Do you have any episodes you particularly liked? Let me know in the comments.

With my new FlipHD, I think it’s actually pretty likely I’ll try to do something very short (< 5 minutes) and video-related in the future. That’d be fun. Stay tuned.

MMOG Nation Broadcast #15 deals with hatred, angst, and other fun words for malcontent. Michael is joined by Darren Love (of Common Sense Gamer and Shut Up We’re Talking fame) to talk about stuff that is annoying in MMOs. That’s right, a show full of nothing but whining. I think we do a pretty good job of not making it just endless whinging, but your mileage may vary. Check out the ‘cast to find out what drives us a little bit batty.

Music:
Intro: I Hate My Generation, Cracker
Outro: Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears
Used without permission.

This week for MMOG Nation Broadcast episode 14, Michael gets to ’sit’ down with one of his blogging idols, Mr. Tim Dale of the Van Hemlock blog and podcast! Michael and Tim find themselves in most unusual circumstances: the depths of a fetid and swampy graveyard in the middle of the night! They’re there to go graverobbing, pulling out the bits they want and leaving the rest to rot. The subjects of their graverobbing attentions?

Asheron’s Call 2
Mythica
Auto Assault
Gods and Heroes

Join us for some retrospectives on gameworlds that have gone to a better place …

Music:
“Re: Your Brains”, Jonathan Coulton. Thing a Week, Week Four. Used without permission, but I’d like to think he wouldn’t mind.

This week the MMOG Nation Broadcast is pretty darned navel-gazing. Join Michael and the rest of the Shortiez guild for an in-depth examination of the game EverQuest 2. We discuss, at great length, everything from our classes to leveling areas, to design … it’s the longest MNB by far, clocking in at almost an hour. Promise this won’t become a regular thing. Michael, Katie, Warty, and Brian are the Shortiez, and they’ve got two years of experience playing the game and plenty to kvetch about.

What about your experiences playing EQ2? We’re total newbs, right? Let us know why!

Relevant Links:
http://www.mmognation.com/2007/11/07/sand-in-my-eyes/
http://www.mmognation.com/2007/11/29/up-against-the-grind/
http://www.mmognation.com/2008/01/14/klakkin-with-my-gnomies/
http://www.mmognation.com/2008/02/07/bashing-bixies-and-bees/
http://www.mmognation.com/2008/03/13/melting-menagerie/
http://www.mmognation.com/2008/03/28/the-fabulous-faydark/
http://www.mmognation.com/2008/06/17/big-xp-and-high-concept-conversation/

This week the MMOG Nation Broadcast tackles a subject near and dear to my heart: Shadowrun. While there are no public plans at the moment to develop an MMO based on the Shadowrun IP, I think it’s something that would enrich the spirit of gamers everywhere. The IP, the setting, even the rules all seem custom-fit to what I see as a modern imperative: online massive gaming. Join myself and Mr. Brent Lassi as we talk about what we’d want to see in an SR MMO. We talk design, content, and the likelihood of this game ever reaching market. Check you later, omae.

References:
Official Shadowrun Website
Shadowrun Wikipedia Entry
Why the Shadowrun FPS Sucked
Shadowrun Game Journal

Music:
- Rise, Origa Ft Shanti Snyder, Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig.
- Theme from Wide Angle, Hybrid, Wide Angle.
- Science Friction, Orbital, Snivilisation.
- Antique Toy, Future Sound of London, Dead Cities.
- To Tell the Truth, Yoko Kanno, Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig.
- Gonna Rice, Yoko Kanno, Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig.
- Mirrorshades, Information Society, Hack.
Used without permission.

Join us for the eleventh episode of the MMOG Nation Broadcast, where the ongoing duo format continues! This week Julian “Rabbit” Murdoch from the Gamers With Jobs site joins me to offer up a sort of point/counter-point on Age of Conan. Julian’s just loving the game, but I can’t get into it. Tune in to hear us debate the finer points of game feel, game looks, and (of course) that wacky combat. By Crom! You’ll be glad you did.

Related Posts:
Worst. MMO. Player. Ever.

Music:
Selections from the Age of Conan Soundtrack. Used without permission.

The first real landmark in the MMOG Nation Broadcast’s history accompanies a unique recording from my visit at EA Mythic. During my visit to Virginia I had a chance to chat with Paul Barnett about this and that, an experience I found most engaging and amusing. Carrie Gouskos, the designer on Warhammer’s Tome of Knowledge, joined us near the end of the discussion to add her unique insights to the conversation. Paul was nice enough to let me record it all to share with you. We talk about Warhammer, the process of making games, and the value of strong ideas. Check it out in Episode 10.

Unfortunately this podcast also requires a bit of explanation because of how it needed to be edited.

- At one point early in the podcast there’s an abrupt cut; Paul received a phone call.
- Near the middle I say something like “I want to know about the cards”, which seems very random. Earlier I’d been shown that the folks making Warhammer are playing some sort of meta-game involving a deck of cards. Employees can apparently accomplish goals / do things that can earn them cards. I wasn’t told what the rules or purpose of the game was – indeed, I’m only theorizing that there *is* a game, because no details at all were shared with me as an outsider.
- Paul randomly pulled Carrie into the room for that quick Q&A session, which is why she sort of appears spontaneously in the room.
- The loud noise at the end was Paul and I putting the piece of the Blokus game away; sorry about that.

To be honest I’m a bit nervous about this one because I’m not sure this is interesting to anyone that’s not me. Shawn did all the editing here, so my hope is the end product is interesting to a broader audience. I really need feedback on this one though: did you enjoy it? Let me know.

Related links:
Massively Goes to WAR
Paul Barnett Face the Nation Recap
Carrie’s View of my article about her Tome

Music:
God Save the Queen