Eclectic Gamers Podcast - Pinball & Video Games

Pinball: Tony and Dennis cover the latest Skit-B legal news, provide an update on Dutch Pinball's most current update, talk about the Total Nuclear Annihilation translite, cover Stern Pinball's encore edition of AC/DC, and have an interview with Gerry Stellenberg (the founder of Multimorphic, Inc.) who explains the P3 Pinball Platform. Video Games: Tony talks NieR: Automata. Dennis covers XCOM 2, a game he recently started (and one Tony played quite a while ago!). Then, Tony supplies an update on the Battletech Backer Beta. Links: KantCon 2017 sponsors: http://www.kantcon.com/sponsors Project Pinball Charity sponsors: http://projectpinball.org/sponsors Skit-B Hearing - Kathy Kulek (5/4/2017): https://soundcloud.com/user-800669943/1ap2017-02000-20170504-142930 Skit-B Research Folder: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByH8OkGICVbWNDFZQXJYUUhhSm8 Multimorphric, Inc.: http://www.multimorphic.com/ Teen Titans GO! - Night Begins to Shine: https://youtu.be/gCY-Npnh0FY Battletech Multiplayer Demo Gameplay Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt6FatHHnzI

With special guest host Bowen Kerins, this episode is heavy on the pinball (and math!). In pinball news, we cover two more Skit-B related hearings, the latest on Dutch Pinball, the IFPA's announced Challenge Matches coming in 2018, and Total Annihilation being renamed Total Nuclear Annihilation. From there, we get into the more theoretical pinball topics. We discuss what people can do to increase local competitive pinball's popularity. We talk about what makes a good/bad pin for competition. We also talk about location pinball and what makes for a good, unique location. We also do a bit of a round-up with Bowen on recently released/now releasing pins and how good they are. As a final pinball topic, we explore some ideas for Bowen and upcoming tutorials. In our special one-off math segment, we've got a number of exciting numbers topics! We cover the use of math in game shows. We discuss geometry and what it means for widebody pinball machines. In a nod to video games, we discuss the TrueAchievements website's use of geometric mean to predict DLC rarity. And, we talk about the core statistical summaries of mode, median, and mean, and whether mode even belongs in that list. Links: Bowen Kerins' Patreon for Pinball Tutorials: https://www.patreon.com/pinball PAPA YouTube Page (has tutorial videos): https://www.youtube.com/user/PAPApinball TILT THRU (a pinball podcast): http://www.podcastgarden.com/podcast/tiltthru Nic's North American Pinball Tour Thread: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/nics-american-pinball-tour-aka-im-coming-to-fix-your-games Skit-B Legal Hearing (4/17/2017) - Wife and House: https://soundcloud.com/user-7602410/audio-file-1ap2016-02073-20170427-133738 Skit-B Legal Hearing (5/4/2017) - VirtuaPin and CNC Machine: https://soundcloud.com/user-800669943/1ap2017-02002-20170504-133936

Pinball: Tony and Dennis issue a correction about the P3 game Heads Up, talk about Spooky Pinball making Total Annihilation, and dive into more Skit-B legal happenings. From there they go over two Pinside specific topics: revisions to the Top 100 ranking system and the initiation of "The Purge" to clean up trolling and bad behavior on the forum. Video Games: The guys talk about Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, ReCore, Hard West, and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. Tabletop: Tony talks a bit about an upcoming tabletop game based on the popular video game franchise Fallout. Links: International Tabletop Day (4-29-17): https://www.tabletopday.com Skit-B Related Court Hearing (4/13/2017): https://soundcloud.com/user-800669943/1ap2016-02073-20170413-154917 Pinball Prison Blues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bfPwtUTP4k Fallout Tabletop Game: http://www.modiphius.com/fallout.html

Pinball: Tony and Dennis didn't talk about P3 in their 2017 TPF recap, and so hit upon the cutting-edge in pinball technology this go-around. Dennis then gives some thoughts on Batman 66 now that he's been able to play it. After that, an update regarding Dutch Pinball and ARA provides some additional information on the status of The Big Lebowski. From there, Dennis provides an interview with Keri Wing, second place finisher of the IFPA's 2017 World Women's Pinball Championship. Dennis has a small update on the Skit-B (Predator Pinball) happenings, and to wrap up the segment the guys talk about the IFPA's plan to introduce tournament fees in 2018. Video Games: Dennis talks about Battle Group 2 and Far Cry Primal. Tony talks about Renowned Explorers: International Society. Tabletop: Tony and Dennis announce they will be at KantCon in 2017 and that the podcast is also one of the event's sponsors. Links: Skit-B Research Folder: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByH8OkGICVbWNDFZQXJYUUhhSm8

A most straightfoward episode. Besides announcing the final results of the 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament, Tony and Dennis give a massive trip report of the National Videogame Museum and the 2017 Texas Pinball Festival. Fun times!

Pinball: We set up the final round of the 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament. We talk about Alien Pinball gameplay. And finally Dennis sets off to bore everyone with a regression analysis of Pinside's solid-state game ratings. Video Games: We of course cover Overwatch, both ongoing PTR tests and the new character (Orisa). Dennis hits on some 2017 GDC (Game Developers Conference) highlights. Tony tries to resist diving too deep into Aurora 4X (aka Spreadsheets in Space... ace... ce... e...). Tabletop: Tony talks a bit about International Tabletop Day. Links: 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament-Final Round Voting: https://goo.gl/forms/laVwA51PnaGbu8L03 The Link Cable Podcast (Episode 15 - TLOZBOTWOMG): https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ggqss-6864ee Space Gambler (Playmatic 1978) Gameplay (no commentary): https://youtu.be/Q8Xe2nJMTT8 Pinside Thread on Regression Analysis of Pinside SS Ratings: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/regression-analysis-pinside-rating-and-game-details#post-3642419 Aurora 4X: http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php/topic,5663.0.html Quill18 plays Aurora 4X: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcWln8Ne1RA&list=PLs3acGYgI1-sRFRB4BPB-FbmVuvwIKH92

A metric ton of pinball happenings dominates our discussion, with a small video game segment thrown in (no tabletop this time). Pinball: We set up Round 4 of the 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament. We talk about Aerosmith gameplay. We talk about Alien Pinball shipping. We talk about the death of Super League. We discuss the latest involving Skit-B legally. We cover the problems facing The Big Lebowski's production. And finally, we talk about Magic Girls shipping. As you can see, we talk a lot. Video Games: We cover the future of Call of Duty, the upcoming Destiny 2, and the upcoming Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Links: 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament-Round 4 Voting: https://goo.gl/forms/F221K0Zuro5LsglT2 Superman (Atari 1979) Pinball Gameplay (with commentary): https://youtu.be/nzrj5_ajSN0 Dead Flip's Aerosmith Gameplay Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oej9gql5OTU Kevin Kulek (Skit-B) Hearing #3 on 2-17-2017: https://soundcloud.com/user-800669943/1bk2016-21030-20170217-090555 Skit-B Research (Legal Documents): https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByH8OkGICVbWNDFZQXJYUUhhSm8 Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire: https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire

Hey look, Episode 28 actually has a solid balance across pinball, video games, and tabletop gaming for once! Pinball: Discussion revolves around the Kansas State Pinball Championship, move into Round 3 of the 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament, and name some games we think have a solid layout but are stinkers because the rules are poor. Tony and Dennis also spend a lot of time discussing what they are looking forward to at the 2017 Texas Pinball Festival. Video Games: The topics here include ZeniMax's legal "victory" over Facebook involving the Oculus, the opening of E3 to the public, and the latest Overwatch PTR update (involving Mercy and Bastion). Tony also spends a lot of time on the BATTLETECH beta and his live-stream intentions. Tabletop: Thanks to an in-depth Game Night, Tony and Dennis get to provide hands-on discussions of Potion Explosion, Noisy Person Cards, and Codenames. Links: 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament-Round 3 Voting: https://goo.gl/forms/fGd0BcDT5SZ0CfbR2 Texas Pinball Festival: http://texaspinball.com/tpf/ BATTLETECH Kickstarter (Late Reinforcements): https://battletech.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Pinball: Another large pinball section this episode. We cover the just-announced Jetsons Pinball. We wrap up round 1 of the 2017 Modern Era Widebody Tournament and discuss the match-ups in round 2. We discuss the legal happenings around Skit-B and the failed Predator pinball project. We talk about the P3 system going into production. And (finally!) we cover the Attack from Mars Remake that was announced. Video Games: Discussion revolves mostly around the Evo Championship Series game line-up that was just announced. Tabletop: The focus is on a new tabletop convention, PAX Unplugged. Links: 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament-Round 2 Voting: https://goo.gl/forms/UOjCljoy416jpANt2 Kevin Kulek (Skit-B) legal recording when presented to the court by U.S. Marshals (1-20-2017): https://soundcloud.com/user-800669943/1bk2016-21030-20170120-111818 Kevin Kulek (Skit-B) legal recording of hearing where bankruptcy case dismissed (1-27-2017): https://soundcloud.com/user-800669943/1bk2016-21030-20170127-091530 PAX Unplugged http://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Whoa, there is a lot of news to cover in this episode! Pinball: The 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament is explained and the first round's match-ups announced. From there, the guys talk about the Aerosmith reveal and their initial thoughts. Dennis then transitions to Zidware and the legal happenings on the JPOP front. Tony and Dennis then give their impressions of the Batman 66 gameplay shown on the DeadFlip Twitch channel. They spend some time talking about Keith Elwin joining Stern Pinball as a pinball designer, and finally the pinball segment concludes with yet another discussion around American Pinball (this time focusing on their recent social media activity). Video Games: Most of the discussion centers on the Nintendo Switch, the revealed specifics on what the console is, and thoughts about it as a next step by Nintendo. The guys also spend a bit of time on Scalebound's cancellation (which sort of spirals into a discussion on exclusives and the state of developing such games). Tabletop: There is some discussion about Diane Sauer's Pinball Showdown, a recent Kickstarter of a tabletop game with pinball as a theme. Tony also talks about an app he has started using for tabletop analytics and some of his future plans relating to the hobby. Links: 2017 Modern Widebody Tournament-Round 1 Voting: https://goo.gl/forms/Y87yxEbIuMD8riDA3 Zidware Research Folder: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByH8OkGICVbWd0FyTWJSS3JJSWM Jpop Discussion Thread on Pinside (link to starting discussion around the complaint and answer): https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jpop-update-thread%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6mg-raza-and-aiw%e2%80%a6/page/410#post-3525672 Diane Sauer's Pinball Showdown's Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1919693711/pinball-showdown?ref=project_share

It's a new year and time for a new podcast! In pinball, Dennis and Tony wrap up the 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament. They talk about American Pinball and their advertising flyer Dennis received in a Pinball Life order, and then talk about their 2017 pinball hopes. In video games, Dennis and Tony give some opinions about games they are currently playing (not Overwatch!). And, in an emerging pattern, talk about their hopes for 2017. Tabletop is all about hope and dreams, and not about currently played games. But rebellions and tabletops are built on hope, so that's okay. Links: Critical Role, Episode 1: https://youtu.be/i-p9lWIhcLQ

Besides prepping the final round of the 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament, this episode is dedicated to talking about the most interesting of things in the pinball, video game, and tabletop realms for 2016! Links: 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament-Final Round: https://goo.gl/forms/05Yg8iM68KS5mGiC2 Episode 41 of the Skill Shot Pincast ("IFPA Statstravaganza!"): https://soundcloud.com/skillshotseattle/41-ifpa-statstravaganza Episode 11 of the Little Kings Pinball Podcast ("BIAS AFM"): https://soundcloud.com/user-859738069/ep-11-bias-afm

Pinball: The guys walk through the results of Round 2 of the 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament. From there, they talk about the voting controvery surrounding the Ultimate Stern Fan contest. Video Games: A brief discussion of the Playstation Experience leads off, followed by more Overwatch talk. The segment concludes with a discussion of Master of Orion 3 and Dangerous Golf. Tabletop: None this time! Links: 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament-Round 3: https://goo.gl/forms/YIjZwmTgeXoBc2Vv1

Pinball: Tony and Dennis cover the results 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament's first round, announce the second round, and talk about the second round match-ups. Video Games: It's all Overwatch. Dennis and Tony discuss the latest update, the new modes, the new map, and the buffs/nerfs to the various heroes. Tabletop: Tony leads a discussion about digital versions of popular tabletop games. Links: 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament-Round 2: https://goo.gl/forms/vwgEi68rUYYf4nfE3 For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast: http://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/ Dennis' Jurassic Park (Incandescent vs LED): https://youtu.be/TqYOYfoG0xU Star Realms Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/438140/ Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.starrealms.starrealmsapp&hl=en Ascension Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playdekgames.android.Ascension Sentinels of the Multiverse Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handelabra.Sentinels Ticket to Ride Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.daysofwonder.tt.android Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/108200/ Tabletop simulator Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/286160/ Digital board game list from Boardgaming.com: http://boardgaming.com/category/games/digital-board-games Dized: https://dized.com/

With added dishwasher sounds for your listening pleasure! Pinball: Tony and Dennis launch their 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament (see the show notes below for the link to Round 1's voting!), and talk a bit about the 10 designers in the competition. From there, they each rank their top five pinball designers of all time. Finally, they provide their current list of pinball podcasts they subscribe to. Video Games: Sombra has been announced for Overwatch, so Tony and Dennis spend time talking about her moveset and what this may mean for the game. Dennis also launches into detailed impressions of the time he's spent playing Battlefield 1. Tabletop: Tony leads a discussion about Fantasy/RPG tropes, and the guys give examples they have committed in their role-playing days. Links: 2016 Modern Era Pinball Designer Tournament-Round 1: https://goo.gl/forms/UTedDuuDobvMJJIL2 Brokentoken Classic Arcade and Pinball Podcast: https://www.brokentoken.com/ Coast 2 Coast Pinball/Wide World of Pinball: http://www.coast2coastpinball.com/ Gameroom Junkies Arcade and Pinball Podcast: http://gameroomjunkies.com/ Kaneda's Pinball Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/kanedapinball Little Kings Pinball Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-859738069 Pinheadz Pinball Podcast: http://www.pinheadz.com.au/ The Pinball Podcast: http://www.thepinballpodcast.com/ The CoinBox Pinball Podcast: http://coinbox.libsyn.com/ The Slam Tilt Podcast: http://www.podcastgarden.com/podcast/slamtilt TILT THRU: http://www.podcastgarden.com/podcast/tiltthru