Editor's Note from Shane: This episode was recorded back in early January. I swear, we'll get caught up and back on a roll this year.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), NUTI Cooking Show Tangent (5:34), The Nerdiest of Topics - Tom Bombadil (12:07), A Serious Chat About Work Culture & Employment Practices (32:07), Grumpy Old Gamers - Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (47:34), Grumpy Old Gamers - Assassin's Creed Mirage (1:32:49), Tabletalk - Telson's Campaign Update (1:46:58), Tabletalk - Shane's Holiday One-Shot (1:49:12), Parting Gifts - Lindsay Nikole (2:03:18)

Editor's Note from Shane: This episode was recorded back in mid-November. I don't really know why it's taken almost 3 months for me to get this one edited and out, aside from . My bad. We've got a few more in the hopper that I'll try to get out in a more timely fashion. For those of you that listen, we're not going anywhere. We're not letting you off the hook that easily.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), That Time Telson Almost Got Arrested (3:48), Shane's Wife Starts a Podcast at 2:00 AM (11:38), Podcast About Podcasts (17:08), Grumpy Old Gamers - Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (40:36), Book Report - The Expanse Series (1:09:04), Parting Gifts - Workshop Companion, Mr. Wizard, and New Yankee Workshop (1:33:09)

Shane has a concept of an idea about why we like retro, and what it might say about us and the times we live in. Telson finished Horizon: Forbidden West, and has started into the first book of The Expanse series. Also, Shane might be a filthy commie. Shocker.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Why Do We Like Retro? What Does it Mean? (6:59), Grumpy Old Gamers - The Last Time We Talk About Horizon: Forbidden West (58:11), Grumpy Old Gamers - Reply: An Everquest Tale (1:19:07), Grumpy Old Gamers - Bots!: A World of Warcraft Story (1:19:07), Book Report - Leviathan Wakes (1:34:30), Parting Gift - Second Thought (1:39:22)

Telson and Shane talk about admitting when you're wrong before moving into Horizon: Forbidden West for probably the last time, where they discuss whether or not Aloy is a Mary Sue. Also, Shane wants to make destination D&D a thing.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Why Can't Nerds Accept Fault When They're Wrong? (10:08), Grumpy Old Gamers - Is Aloy a Mary Sue? (23:27), Grumpy Old Gamers - Satisfactory 1.0 is Weird and Great (1:04:20), Tabletalk - Destination D&D (1:10:17), Tabletalk - Campaign Updates (1:24:54), Parting Gift - Zac Builds (2:01:54)

Sometimes it's just better not to ask. Telson & Shane discuss small town fairs and competitive pot-luck before jumping into conversation about Horizon: Forbidden West and their recent Left 4 Dead 2 game night. Some quick first impressions after session 1 of the new campaign, plus some thoughts on min-maxing and random encounters.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Grumpy Old Gamers - Horizon: Forbidden West (12:16), Grumpy Old Gamers - Co-Op Gone Wrong (39:08), Tabletalk - Campaign Session 1 (56:19), Tabletalk - Min-Maxing (1:14:58), Tabletalk - Random Encounters (1:29:46), Parting Gifts - Deerstalker Pictures (1:40:30)

Telson considers drinking the world's worst beer. Shane & Telson have both started playing Horizon: Forbidden West and have preliminary thoughts. Shane has the WoW Itch (sureley there's a cream for that). Telson's restarting his D&D campaign.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Grumpy Old Gamers - Horizon: Forbidden West (5:24), Grumpy Old Gamers - The World of Warcraft Itch (49:47), Grumpy Old Gamers - Satisfactory Hits 1.0 (58:38), Tabletalk - Campaign Restart (1:01:20), Tabletalk - D&D Capitalism and Shopping Sessions (1:07:37), Tabletalk - Our Session Zero (1:23:37), Parting Gifts - Jacques Ze Whipper (1:34:05), Parting Gifts - Blacktail Studio (1:35:29)

Shane's recovering from another plague, but the show, unhinged as it may be, must go on.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Listener Shoutout - Robbie (2:49), Yesterday's Internet Today (3:56), Old Men Yelling at Pumpkin Spice (26:40), Tabletalk - Writer's Block (32:04), Tabletalk - Ginny Di and Character Motivations (38:51), Tabletalk - Saying Yes and No to Players (47:44), Tabletalk - House Rules (1:08:43), Tabletalk - D&D Beyond / WotC Drama (1:25:30), Podbag - Quitting Social Media (1:39:07), Parting Gifts - dragonsfoot.org (1:46:24)

Shane and Telson discuss whether or not alcohol or other substances make you more creative. Telson hates "Um, Actually", and has stronger opinions about Monopoly. Shane's giving Assassin's Creed Origins a second chance and is enjoying it. We ran our long-delayed in-person D&D one-shot, and Meepo died again.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Does Alcohol Make Art Better? (3:33), Um, Actually… (14:44), Fuck Monopoly (28:45), Grumpy Old Gamers - Telson Hates Baldur's Gate 3 Now (32:51), Grumpy Old Gamers - Shane Doesn't Hate Assassin's Creed Origins Now (42:17), Book Report - 1630-Something-For-The-Last-Time (53:04), Tabletalk - We Ran Our In Person One-Shot (1:02:50), Parting Gifts - Reading Wikipedia, and Scott Galloway's TED Talk (1:11:30)

Shane and Telson trade thoughts about AI art and quitting coffee. Shane mourns the loss of a player, and Telson tries something different in his game. Xena, Hercules, and the challenge of divorcing trash human beings from their art.

Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Is AI Art Actually Art? (1:03), Quitting Coffee (28:18), Book Report - 1630-Something-Else (39:56), Tabletalk - Shane Lost a Player (47:57), Tangent - Xena, Hercules, and Divorcing and Artist From Their Art (38:05), Tabletalk - Telson's Side Quest (1:11:26), Parting Gifts - EXU Calamity (1:46:32)

Shane & Telson talk about how the way we use computers has changed over the years. Telson tries to explain Hawk Tuah before conversation shifts to video games and tabletop gaming. Topics & Timestamps: Intro (0:00), Closing autoexec.bat and config.sys For The Last Time (3:32), Hawk Tuah On That Thang (17:30), Grumpy Old Gamers - Telson Replayed Portal (22:02), Grumpy Old Gamers - Satisfactory (32:15), Grumpy Old Gamers - Psychological Warfare in Baldur's Gate 3 (38:05), Book Report - 1630-Something (49:50), Tabletalk (57:13), Parting Gifts (1:46:32)