Mind the crates; we’re still unpacking Season 4 of the podcast! On this episode, Ken talks about playing Monster of the Week mysteries, David flips through his Dreams and Machines rule books, and we delve into our respective reading lists.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:20 Ken’s New Lunchtime Game: Monster of the Week

1:41 David Discusses 'Dreams and Machines'

3:01 Book Discussions and Recommendations

6:43 Strategies for Managing Multiple GMs

8:10 What’s on Their Reading List?

13:06 Alien Novels and Cyberpunk Gaming Insights

19:17 Diving Deep into Cyberpunk 2077

22:29 Insights from Sci-fi Novel Writing Class

27:31 Closing Remarks and Goodbye

https://youtu.be/UK-oQul-uJ4

Show Notes

Game - Monster of the Week

Ken's lunchtime gaming group is racking down horrors in a small New England town

Monster of the Week website

Game: Dreams and Machines

David played several learning games

Got the full game and have been reading through it

Rules seem pretty solid, I’m not having the same issues with them that I did the Starter Set

Unfortunately, some issues with editing/misprints

Errata should be coming out soon (or now) according to the Modiphius Discord

Game - Dungeons & Dragons

Ken's Elemental Apocalypse continues with two apocalypses for the price of one!

Alternating game masters and characters as we switch between regions.

Makes it easier to tag in another game master when one of us is busy.

Dungeons & Dragons website

Books: Eric Carter series by Stephen Blackmoore

Eric Carter is a necromancer who comes back to his hometown of LA and things go sideways from there.

Similar to the Dresden Files in feeling, but has a higher body count

Burned through a ton of them, waiting on the next book.

Eric Carter series website

Book - Alien: The Cold Forge by Allen White

A secret corporate space station is experimenting on Xenomorphs in the darkest depths of space, nearby a star could incinerate them in a moment. What could go wrong? Ken's reading this one.

Alien: The Cold Forge website

Book: The Three Body Problem by Chixin Liu translated by Ken Liu

Feels a lot like 1960’s and 70’s sci-fi

Interesting concepts and a window into a culture most of us have never really seen

It's a heavy read. David's looking for a lighter fare in next next book to compensate.

Netflix trailer: The Three Body Problem

Video game: Spider-man 2 (PS5)

Ken returned to New York City with two Spider-men: Peter Parker and Miles Morales. 

Despite being the third time slinging around New York City, it doesn’t feel old.

Spider-man 2 website

Writing class

David’s second writing class in sci-fi novel writing.

Lots of techniques for brainstorming plot and world-building that David is going to see about adapting to tabletop gaming

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