What does it take to push back against the devastating decisions made by your own people—decisions that you took a part in, that your intellect helped to develop? Is it possible to atone for these past horrors? Mordin Solus, Mass Effect's very model of a scientist Salarian, grapples with these questions in regards to the genophage, a plague unleashed by the Salarians on the Krogan to reduce their birthrate to nearly zero. 

In this episode, my guest Sam (aka N7 Legend of the Mass Effect Lorecast) and I tackle these same questions, looking closely at Mordin's choices, his complicated story arc, and his ultimate redemption... because it had to be Mordin. Someone else might have gotten it wrong. Does Fyre cry during this episode? Spoiler alert - she sure does. 

Mordin's wiki:

https://masseffect.fandom.com/wiki/Mordin_Solus

Connect with Sam!

https://twitter.com/N7TheLegend

https://twitter.com/masseffectcast

https://www.twitch.tv/kungfu_kangaroo

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

**Note: Since the recording of this episode, my guest prefers to be known as TrashKingNyx, and uses they/them/he pronouns.

Charon, the prickly ghoul companion you first encounter in the 9th Circle bar in Underworld, Fallout 3's city of ghouls, claims that he is honor-bound to serve you once you purchase his "contract of employment" from his previous employer. But this raises a whole host of troubling questions—what are the limits of the contract? Can you truly have honor if your actions are not a choice? If there is no consent, what does this imply as to the nature of your relationship, even if you are playing as a "good" character? 

In this episode, my guest, Nyx, and I dig into these tough questions while also taking a close look at the possible characteristics of people who identify with Fallout's ghouls.

Charon's wiki:

https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Charon_(Fallout_3)

Connect with Nyx!

https://twitter.com/TrashKingNyx

https://www.twitch.tv/trashkingnyx

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

What role does the art style and environment of a game play in our understanding of the game's story, our immersion into the world, and the way we relate to the characters we love so much? 

In this episode, I chat with Matt Young, an environment artist working in the gaming industry, about these important questions to gain a deeper appreciation for all the little details that make up the worlds in which we play, that are so often only noticed when they are wrong. 

Connect with Matt: 

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattyoung3d/

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

**Note: Since the recording of this episode, my guest prefers the name Riley, and now uses she/they pronouns.

Stereotypes abound when it comes to autistic representation in media. Autistic people are often portrayed as cold people, geniuses without empathy. In Watch Dogs 2, Josh Sauchak ("Hawt Sauce") is an autistic hacker... who is portrayed as someone who, while perhaps sometimes socially awkward, genuinely loves and cares for his friends.

Join me and my guest, Riley, who is herself also autistic, as we look at the character of Josh and discuss both how he's portrayed and what it's like to live with autism. 

Josh's wiki:

https://watchdogs.fandom.com/wiki/Josh_Sauchak

Connect with Riley on the Discord! 

https://discord.gg/wba2x7j

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

What can you do when you're caught in a lose-lose situation? Or when you're given orders that feel are wrong? How do we handle guilt that eats away at us? What will it take to earn self-forgiveness? 

Craig Boone, Fallout: New Vegas's stoic sniper, has made some terrible choices in his young life, caught in brutal circumstances beyond his control. He grapples with the... well... fallout of these decisions as he travels with the Courier, trying to work through his guilt and regret to get to a place where he can live with himself. My guest, gamer and dad NVCourier, and I explore Boone's tragic story to see if he has even a chance of self-redemption. 

Boone's wiki:

https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Craig_Boone

Connect with NVCourier:

https://twitter.com/nvcourier03

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

Although Almalexia and Vivec (from Episode 3) are part of the same Tribunal, acted in similar ways, and committed similar atrocities, they are often viewed by Elder Scrolls fans in very different ways. Why is this? 

In this episode, Aramithius of the Written in Uncertainty podcast and I unpack the ways in which powerful women are portrayed in various forms of media, storytelling tropes around women without children, and how these and other ideas intersect to color the perceptions of these characters and their actions. 

Almalexia's wiki:

https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Almalexia

Connect with Aramithius:

https://writteninuncertainty.com/

https://twitter.com/aramithius

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

Self-reliance is an excellent quality... until it's not. What is that line and where does it fall? What are the consequences of being overly self-reliant? How do you find a balance between an empathetic worldview and a utilitarian worldview?

In this episode, Chris Haden, pastor at Kindred UMC, a Methodist church for people who are seeking a meaningful relationship with existence, and I discuss these questions through the lens of Morrigan, the fiercely independent shapeshifting Witch of the Wilds from Dragon Age: Origins and Inquisition.

Morrigan's wiki:

https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Morrigan

Connect with Chris and Kindred UMC:

https://www.kindredumc.com/

Check out the Kindred Spirits podcast:

https://www.kindredumc.com/podcast

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Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

What role does AI play in our lives currently... and what role is it likely to play in the future? Can humans use AI as it's depicted in video games, or is it more likely to be turned against us? 

Daniel Jackson, a photographer and filmmaker from Las Vegas, and I tackle these tricky questions as we take a closer look at The Outer Worlds' Autonomous Digital Astrogater... also known as ADA, the artificial intelligence that runs the Unreliable and plays a bigger role in the story than you might expect.

ADA's wiki:

https://theouterworlds.fandom.com/wiki/ADA

Chat with Daniel about ADA:

https://twitter.com/kaijudotexe

https://www.instagram.com/kaijucultist/

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Artwork by C_Captain shanepoisson.com

Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a somewhat overlooked game, with well-developed characters and incredibly complex storylines. In this episode, Mothman's Ranger, who describes himself as video-game obsessed and always interested in a story, lore, and mechanics deep dive into the games and universes he enjoys, joins me to discuss the complicated concepts and plot of the game, how it portrays classism and adversity, and the value of unconditional support. 

Edelgard's wiki:

https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Edelgard

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Artwork by C_Captain shanepoisson.com

Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes

What makes a person? Can a collection of artificial intelligences ever truly connect with or understand a single human mind... or vice versa? What happens when we put ourselves in the shoes of someone with a different way of thinking or set of experiences as us? 

In this episode, my guest Taylor, a streamer, husband, dad, and host of the Element Zero podcast, and I take a close look at the being known as Legion in Mass Effect 2 & 3, and tackle these tricky questions, which are raised over the course of Legion's story arc. 

Legion's wiki:

https://masseffect.fandom.com/wiki/Legion

Chat with Taylor about Legion or Mass Effect:

https://www.twitch.tv/n7_lionheart

https://twitter.com/N7_Lionheart

https://twitter.com/EezoPod

Check out the Element Zero podcast! 

https://anchor.fm/eezopod

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Connect with the show!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixelPeoplePod

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Chat with FyreWriter directly and check out her streams!

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Artwork by C_Captain shanepoisson.com

Music by Elias Ali & Adam Brookes