Fred and Dan chat with Mark Yohalem of Wormwood Studios, creators of Primordia, Strangeland, and Fallen Gods. Mark describes how story and gameplay work together, and dives into some of his favorite moments from The Ur-Quan Masters.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

1:23 - Starflight and the roots of UQM

9:24 - Simulation vs. arcade gameplay

16:00 - Exploring space

21:22 - Beginning a game story

33:40 - Expanding on gameplay

39:13 - Importance of controls

41:24 - Space opera

47:30 - Item systems and RPGs

1:00:35 - Sourcing ideas from fans

1:11:15 - Mark's start in games

1:26:45 - How kids experience games

1:34:00 - Writing and gameplay

1:40:53 - Games with time limits

1:58:02 - Finishing a game project

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Dan talks about game design with Peter McLaren and Garry Seto of Massive Damage, creators of Halycon 6 and Star Renegades. The duo share their insights on designing sci-fi concepts, building an indie studio, and the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

2:26 - UQM and Super Melee

12:48 - Alien dialog

16:37 - Creating alien races

26:42 - Building an indie studio

35:16 - Revitalizing retro game concepts

44:27 - Contrived vs. authentic remakes

55:50 - Games growing with their audience

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Fred and Dan chat with Freehold Games about Caves of Qud and making an independent game that stands out. Jason and Brian share their love of classic space games, epic science fiction worlds, and the creative appeal of retro games. Hosted live, on Twitch.

0:00 - Theme Music

0:14 - Introductions

3:42 - Classic space games

7:30 - Making The Ur-Quan Masters

11:30.- Writing and character design

15:10 - Making a sequel

22:00 - Super Melee and combat

39:30 - Caves of Qud and tile-based gameplay

48:35 - Game controls

55:53 - Accessibility in a niche

1:08:25 - Multiplayer design

1:17:17 - Modding and player feedback

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

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Fred and Dan chat with Charlie Cleveland about Subnautica, Natural Selection, and his leadership at Unknown Worlds. They discuss the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters, and fun is more important than game balance. Charlie highlights the power of multi-linear storytelling, early access, and getting player feedback as soon as possible. Hosted live, on Twitch.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

2:15 - Charlie's first game

6:25 - Designing Super Melee

9:38 - Competitive multiplayer

17:31 - Game balance versus fun

21:57 - Multi-linear storytelling

27:13 - Open worlds and procedural generation

32:53.- Simulation and systems

36:45 - Games with multiple systems

40:45 - Cult classics

43:00 - Making a sequel

51:08 - Co-operative multiplayer

53:50 - The foundation for Subnautica

56:30 - Natural Selection to Moonbreakers

59:30 - Making of Subnautica

1:05:57 - Time and money

1:12:18 - Player feedback and perspective

1:19:14 - Creative success

1:24:08 - Open development

1:29:28 - Indie vs. AAA

1:40:14 - Designing game systems

1:51:28 - Multiplayer technology

1:59:30 - Game engines

2:05:05 - Game fans

2:07:06 - Subnautica vs. Below Zero

2:10:30 - Early access and story spoilers

2:22:35 - Zen of Soduku and casual games

2:27:22 - Live service games

2:40:10 - Crowdfunding

2:44:11 - Creative community

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

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Fred and Dan talk with Mac Walters about his experience on Mass Effect and Jade Empire, plus his transition from his leadership at BioWare to his new studio, Worlds Untold. Mac breaks down his sci-fi inspiration, and how he approaches game writing, building a vision, and working as a team.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

01:22 - Mac's path to BioWare

06:20 - Inspiration and nostalgia

09:20 - How to begin a game story

12:00 - Playing your own games

13:52 - Creative possibilities and wisdom

23:55 - Delivering on an idea

28:38 - Prototyping versus finishing

41:45 - Building a shared vision

47:23 - Distributed teams and remote work

59:14 - Individual styles and personalities

1:07:10 - Star Wars, Dune, and styles of sci-fi

1:15:28 - Sequels versus new stories

1:19:45 - Staying inspired

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

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Dan and Fred talk to Richard Cobbett about writing for games, including The Long Journey Home, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, and Nighthawks. Richard shares his love for The Ur-Quan Masters, and explains how a good storyteller can draw the player into a game's story, setting, and characters.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

1:56 - The Long Journey Home

4:15 - The Ur-Quan Masters

5:52 - Layers of sci-fi writing

10:28 - Likeable villains

12:33 - Where to start writing

21:14 - Narrative design in Sunless Skies

31:35 - Writing with a team

45:46 - Star Trek and self-referencing

50:42 - Changing from the first idea

55:33 - Ownership and project size

1:00:27 - Sci-fi and procedural generation

1:04:19 - Making of Nighthawks

1:09:00 - Starting a career in games

1:27:10 - Sketches and iteration

1:36:30 - Fusing story and gameplay

1:49:43 - The unique appeal of UQM

2:02:01 - The adventure game genre

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

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Learn more about Pistol Shrimp - https://pistolshrimpgames.com/

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Fred and Dan talk to Chris Taylor about leading a game production, including Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, and more. Chris talks about running a game studio, engaging the audience, and why it's sometimes better to be an employee than a leader.

0:00 - Theme music

0:00 - Introductions

1:16 - The UQM Team

11:48 - Chris's start in games

16:42 - Industrial Light & Magic

20:58 - Running a game studio

31:37 - Finding the fun

34:40 - The "Rock War" RTS

43:24 - Writing sci-fi factions

47:19 - Creating for an audience

56:54 - Fan feedback

1:05:35 - Making Dungeon Siege

1:21:24 - Development tools and multiplayer

1:42:20 - Nostalgia and classic games

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

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Fred and Dan talk to Andrew Hume and Richard Clifford of MinMax Games, creators of Space Pirates and Zombies. The duo talk about building an indie game studio, the power of procedurally generated content, and the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

3:03 - Influence on Space Pirates and Zombies

10:14 - Discovering a game's focus

17:17 - Building an indie game studio

24:05 - Finding an audience

33:37 - Space combat

40:17 - Procedurally generated content

48:04 - Retro gaming

51:05 - The feeling of UQM

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

Discuss with us on Discord - https://discord.gg/rasVCDmYKp

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Fred and Dan chat with Christine Love about indie game development, including her work on Digital: A Love Story, Get In the Car, Loser!, and more. Christine shares her love of science fiction, and her insights on writing a memorable game story.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

1:24 - UQM and science fiction

4:50 - Alien characters

9:17 - Indie game development

15:58 - Writing for games

24:07 - Immersing the player

30:56 - Early game and tutorials

41:17 - Challenge and accessibility

49:28 - Stories with comic relief

53:04 - Game balance

54:56 - Mysteries in UQM

59:48 - The UQM sequel

1:10:26 - Making a great sequel

1:13:48 - Fiction that sticks with you

1:18:47 - Cynical vs. authentic remakes

1:33:00 - Satisfying the superfans

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

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We talk to Henrik Fåhraeus about his leadership at Paradox Interactive, including the game design of Stellaris and the Crusader Kings series. Henrik explains how artificial intelligence can bring a game world to life, and how The Ur-Quan Masters influenced the story and universe of Stellaris.

0:00 - Theme music

0:14 - Introductions

1:18 - Henrik and UQM

3:07 - Influence of UQM

6:40 - Science fiction and Stellaris

12:54 - What is creativity

16:05 - Games with living worlds

21:23 - Storytelling in games

27:17 - Artificial intelligence

29:19 - UQM as a living world

33:33 - Producing meaning with AI

45:58 - Future of games

50:28 - Replayability at Paradox

55:14 - Crusader Kings

58:04 - Emergent storytelling

1:01:58 - Playing games you made

1:06:35 - UQM alien races

1:11:05 - Sandbox vs. story

1:17:50 - RPGs with systemic worlds

1:24:02 - UQM2

Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/theurquanmaster

Discuss with us on Discord - https://discord.gg/rasVCDmYKp

Please support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/pistolshrimp

Learn more about Pistol Shrimp - https://pistolshrimpgames.com/

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