I discuss everything from my tabletop experiences: game reviews, tabletop replays, rules interpretations, and how I plan projects.... more
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Tabletop SportCast episodes:
September 29, 2024Episode 176: The Top 5 New Games In My Collection In this episode of the Tabletop Sportcast, host James Cast discusses the top five new games in his collection, providing insights into each game's mechanics and appeal. He also recaps the latest news in tabletop sports, including updates from Sport Sim Magazine and new game releases. The episode concludes with a look ahead to future episodes and themes....more September 24, 2024Episode 175: Prioritization and Goal Setting In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, host James Cast discusses the challenges of September, focusing on prioritization and goal setting within tabletop gaming. He reflects on his recent gaming experiences, including participation in a Breakaway Football tournament and various tabletop projects. As he navigates a busy schedule, James emphasizes the importance of evaluating project value versus effort, making tough decisions about which projects to prioritize, and establishing routines to achieve his goals. The episode concludes with key takeaways on effective prioritization and goal setting in the context of tabletop gaming....more September 08, 2024Episode 174: Sitting Down With ... Brien Aronov! Today we are sitting down with Brien Aronov to talk baseball. We discuss Brien's fascination with Japanese baseball and what we both look for in baseball sims.
...more September 03, 2024Episode 173: Top 5 Project Ideas for Football Season In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, James Cast discusses various projects that can be done during the football season. He draws inspiration from the Gridiron Games 2024 and his visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. James shares updates on his tabletop projects, including completing the Stratomatic Baseball showcase and the 1984 USFL season replay. He also mentions ongoing projects using Fury Hardball and Stone Cold Hockey....more August 27, 2024Episode 172: The 3rd Anniversary Show ... Live from Canton OH! SummaryIt's the third anniversary of the Tabletop SportCast and what better way to celebrate than to spend a weekend at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH with many friends old and new.
In today's episode I'll recap the past few years of the podcast, and then sit down with a number of guests from Gridiron Games 2024 to give you their impressions of the weekend first-hand.
...more August 18, 2024Episode 171: Sitting Down With ... S.T. Patrick! SummaryIn this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, James Cast interviews S.T. Patrick, the creator of The Squared Circle, Match-Up Football, and Sport Sim Magazine. They discuss recent gaming experiences, the latest releases from TSC and Match-Up, and delve into the concept of accuracy in sports simulation games. They explore the challenges of capturing the complexity of real-life performance in a tabletop game and the role of randomness in recreating sports outcomes. They also talk about the 2024 Gridiron Games event and the plans for Matchup Football at the event. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the availability of game design tools and the importance of finding balance and enjoyment in life.
...more August 13, 2024Episode 170: Catching Up SummaryIn this episode, the host provides an update on his tabletop gaming projects and the podcast. He discusses the challenges he has faced in maintaining a schedule and staying on track with his projects. He shares details about his ongoing projects, including History Maker Baseball, LaCrosse Blast Express, and various tournaments. The host also talks about his plans for future projects and the importance of establishing a routine. He concludes by mentioning upcoming interviews and the fourth anniversary show of the podcast.
Takeaways
- Maintaining a schedule and routine is crucial for staying on track with tabletop gaming projects
- The host is working on various projects, including History Maker Baseball and LaCrosse Blast Express
- Future projects will include boxing, soccer, basketball, and wrestling
- The podcast will continue to feature interviews and special episodes
- The host is planning to establish a new recording schedule and prioritize regular podcast episodes
- Looking Ahead: Future Projects and the Fourth Anniversary Show
- Challenges and Adjustments: Finding a Routine for Tabletop Gaming
- "Maintaining a schedule and routine is crucial for staying on track"
- "Future projects will include boxing, soccer, basketball, and wrestling"
- "The podcast will continue to feature interviews and special episodes"
...more July 28, 2024Episode 169: Sitting Down With ... Arthur Franz of Breakaway Football! Arthur Franz, creator of Breakaway Football, discusses his love for football and how it inspired him to create a tabletop football game. He shares his experience as a football coach and how it influenced his game design. The game aims to provide a realistic and enjoyable football experience in a shorter playtime. Each team in the game is based on a real football team, with their own unique playbooks and special abilities. The game allows players to simulate matchups between different teams from different eras, creating intriguing 'what if' scenarios. In this part of the conversation, Arthur Franz IV discusses the teams he has created for Breakaway Football, a tabletop football game. He mentions that he has created representative teams for most of the 32 franchises, with a few exceptions. He talks about the unique abilities and characteristics of some of the teams, such as the Dome Patrol defense of the Saints and the offensive struggles of the 2008 Cardinals. He also discusses the concept of breakaways in the game, where the relationship between the play type and the defense determines the outcome of a play. He explains how offensive and defensive breakaways work and how they add excitement to the game. Additionally, he mentions the development of a solo mode for the game, which allows players to play against an AI opponent. Breakaway Football is a tabletop game that captures the experience of being a head coach. It features a unique play-calling system and a solo mode with a spy mechanic. The spy mechanic allows the AI to cheat in plain sight, balancing the decision quality and preventing players from relying on their best plays. The game also includes a team creator that allows players to recreate their favorite teams. The creator reverse-engineered the decisions made to create the franchises and standardized the playbook valuations. The game has a small footprint and quick setup time. The creators are also working on a dynasty mode expansion that will allow for persistent change season over season.Links
Uplink Underground Games: https://uplinkunderground.com/board-games/
Uplink Underground on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@uplinkundergroundgames9259
...more July 19, 2024Classic Replay: Brewing Up Some Rules (Episode 20) We're climbing back into the time machine and winding back to October 2021 to Episode 20. In this one I discussed home brew ideas for the tabletop.
...more July 10, 2024Episode 168: Retrospective for 1986 PGA Mini-Season Summary
In this episode of the Tabletop SportCast, the host does a retrospective on his recently completed PGA mini season project. He discusses the highlights and challenges of the project, including the scheduling of events and the use of tournament mode in History Maker Golf. He also reflects on what went well and what could have been done differently, such as using actual courses for the majors and tracking results more effectively. The host concludes by sharing his plans for future projects and upcoming episodes of the podcast.
Keywords
retrospective, PGA mini season, project management, scheduling, tournament mode, History Maker Golf, challenges, highlights, actual courses, tracking results, future projects
Takeaways
- Retrospectives can provide valuable insights into completed projects and help improve future ones.
- Scheduling events and using tournament mode in History Maker Golf can be challenging but rewarding.
- Using actual courses for major events can enhance the authenticity of a historical replay.
- Tracking results effectively is important for keeping records and analyzing performance.
- Planning and reflecting on projects can lead to better project management and decision-making.
Titles
- The Importance of Tracking Results
- Reflecting on the PGA Mini Season Project
Sound Bites
"Deciding to do a mini season"
"Using tournament mode for History Maker Golf"
"Setting it up for a historical replay"
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview
17:26 Reflecting on the PGA Mini Season Project
24:59 Challenges and Highlights of the Retrospective
28:19 Improving Future Projects with Lessons Learned
37:52 Using Actual Courses for Historical Replays
41:45 The Importance of Tracking Results
...more
FAQs about Tabletop SportCast:
How many episodes does Tabletop SportCast have?
The podcast currently has 179 episodes available.