Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #7: Players Playing The Hypothesis podcast

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #7: Players Playing

about a year ago 1:18:20

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Content provided by Luke Crane and Christopher Badell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Luke Crane and Christopher Badell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Are games truly games without those who play them? In this latest episode of our Ludological Alchemy podcast "The Hypothesis" we discuss the terms, personages, conditions by which we can identify and better understand that which is the most difficult part of any game: the player.

Are you a player of games? Surely you must be, but what sort of player do you consider yourself? Interesting. Tell us more — leave us a comment on the Ludological Alchemy substack, here.

We greatly look forward to recording more content soon and delivering it to your ears soon thereafter. Until then, we remain your humble Alchemists.

… continue reading

16 episodes

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #7: Players Playing

published about a year ago

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MP3•Episode home

Content provided by Luke Crane and Christopher Badell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Luke Crane and Christopher Badell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Are games truly games without those who play them? In this latest episode of our Ludological Alchemy podcast "The Hypothesis" we discuss the terms, personages, conditions by which we can identify and better understand that which is the most difficult part of any game: the player.

Are you a player of games? Surely you must be, but what sort of player do you consider yourself? Interesting. Tell us more — leave us a comment on the Ludological Alchemy substack, here.

We greatly look forward to recording more content soon and delivering it to your ears soon thereafter. Until then, we remain your humble Alchemists.

… continue reading

16 episodes

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1
The Hypothesis: Volume 2, Episode 3 1:42:57

8 days ago1:42:57

1:42:57

Hello seekers of knowledge, Here you will find the third installment of Volume 2 of the Hypothesis. Continuing our interview format, this month’s victim is none other than me, your humble narrator. In this recording Sam & Christopher torment me using the self-same questions with which I tortured them. We invite you to compare and contrast our outlooks and answers. And who should our next victim be? We’re plan to extend this series and interview other designers, subjecting them to the same 20 questions about their backgrounds, experiences and outlooks regarding game design. Ever yours, —Luke…

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The Hypothesis: Volume 2, Episode 2 59:15

5 weeks ago59:15

59:15

Hello seekers of knowledge, We again apologize for the untimely unseemly delay in launching this our latest episode. We continue to stumble into a web of technical snares. Due to these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we are reverting to audio only for the time being. Volume 2 Sam and Luke are way behind on their game design writing, if you hadn’t noticed. So for Volume 2 of our Hypothesis, Christopher and I decided to change the format of the podcast. For this volume, we shift to an interview format. We’re interviewing designers about their backgrounds and processes. Luke developed a list of questions that we're going to ask each designer, so that at the end of the series we can compare and contrast answers. This month’s interview victim is our own Sam Roberts. Enjoy!…

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The Hypothesis: Volume 2, Episode 1 1:18:17

12 weeks ago1:18:17

1:18:17

Hello my seekers of knowledge, We apologize for the untimely unseemly delay in launching this our latest episode. Volume 2 Sam and Luke are way behind on their game design writing, if you hadn’t noticed. So for Volume 2 of our Hypothesis, Christopher and I decided to change the format of the podcast. For this volume, we shift to an interview format. We’re interviewing designers about their backgrounds and processes. Luke developed a list of questions that we're going to ask each designer, so that at the end of the series we can compare and contrast answers. Oh and also, we’re trying out video! We’ll release the recordings here on the blog first, and then a month later on Luke’s Burning Wheel YouTube channel . Let us know what you think about the new format. —Luke & Christopher…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #12: Looking back on a year of Ludological Alchemy 1:18:03

18 weeks ago1:18:03

1:18:03

Greetings astute alchemists, In this our twelfth episode, we ramble through our preamble discussing Christmas music, knock-knock jokes, online scams and modern art. After we amble through those brambles, Christopher takes us through a year of our mail bag of comments and questions. We hope you find the chaos of our 12th recording both diverting and informative. — Luke & Christopher See more shownotes on our Substack !…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #11: Designing to Teach Game Design 1:17:52

22 weeks ago1:17:52

1:17:52

Greetings, alchemists. Once again, we dive into an arcane topic, but this one has a bit of a metatextual level: we speak of teaching the subject of game design. Christopher has many questions for Luke, who has answers, experience, and even some questions of his own. We discuss subject matter, students, things to consider from the academic side of things, and how the teacher can even consider themselves. Interested in becoming more of a subject matter expert? Check out the Ludological Alchemists Substack !…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #10: Iron Hearts in Hearts of Iron 1:18:47

26 weeks ago1:18:47

1:18:47

Players of Games, As a game designer, playing other games is important to the design process, especially games orthogonal to your area of expertise. In Episode 10 of Ludological Alchemy’s Hypothesis we broaden our remit to discuss a topic adjacent to roleplaying games: war games. Specifically in our case, Hearts of Iron 4 by Paradox Entertainment. Luke introduced Christopher to the game a couple of years ago and since then they’ve played weekly becoming embroiled in a number of gritty, closely-fought campaigns. In the recording, they reflect on how they play the game and how it has affected them as friends and game designers. To see a bunch of images and commentary on our experiences, check out our substack !…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - A Random Encounter with Tom Bombadil 1:44:52

28 weeks ago1:44:52

1:44:52

Dearest listener, Here we present to a special episode. Normally, we limit such special episodes to paid subscribers, but we enjoyed this discussion so much we wanted to share it with everyone. Please enjoy and if you’re so compelled, put a few goldberries in our yellow hat. TOM BOMBADIL. Merry old Tom is a denizen of the Old Forest, northeast of the Shire in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. He’s an odd character, seeming unlike the elves and powers of the world. Even Elrond’s council discusses Tom’s queer nature and what use he could be in the quest to destroy the Ring of Power. In fact, he’s such an odd duck, Peter Jackson omitted his appearance entirely from his translation of the books to the screen. Luke recently reread the Lord of the Rings and found in them a new appreciation (and fear) of Tom Bombadil. Christopher and Sam were eager to discuss the old soul’s true nature, so we thought we would include you all in the discussion. What you think of Bombadil? Do you love him? Hate him? Fear him? How about random encounters? Love them? Hate them? Fear them? Let us know by commenting on our Substack !…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #9: In All Fairness 2:01:38

31 weeks ago2:01:38

2:01:38

We know that for many, today is a day known as "Christmas Day", however, we here at Ludological Alchemy celebrate a more esoteric event: the final episode of our podcast The Hypothesis for the year 2024. Our first year of podcasting and blogging has been tumultuous, perilous, enlightening, frustrating, joyous, fraught, and entirely worthwhile, by our estimation. However, rather than looking back on this year in this episode, we instead bring you an altogether different experience. This very month, only a few weeks ago, Luke and Christopher met in person in the Lair of the Crane, where we recorded in person an episode about fairness in games. We also filmed it, as mentioned in the recording, and though that video recording is not yet available, it shall be released to subscribers of our substack in the first month of the new year. Tune thyself! Stay tuned. Were we able to uncover all of the secrets and possibilities concerning fairness in games? Or did we not give the topic a fair shake? Let us know your thoughts! Comment and reveal your true feelings! We look forward to bringing you more delves into the depths of games and their makings in the year ahead. We wish unto you all a reflective and thriving holiday times, and that the turning of the calendar treats you far better than any of us deserve. Throughout it all, we remain your Ludological Alchemists.…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #8: Ten Rules of Roleplaying Games 1:43:58

35 weeks ago1:43:58

1:43:58

We return to undertake a challenge. What rules must one adhere to when crafting roleplaying games? We develop a list of ten of them. Listen to follow our journey! Technical note for our listeners: Recording this episode seems to have triggered some mild curse. Christopher appears to have angered some kami of audio, a gremlin of podcasting. Thus the recording required two attempts over the course of three months, and this was the best we could do. That said, the audio quality is not up to our usual standards. Before we record our next episode, we’ll burn some sage in the corners of Christopher’s house to drive the devils out. What do you think of our rules? Do you agree? Disagree? What did we forget? Share your thoughts on the Ludological Alchemy substack, here ! We shall attempt to live by our own rules, as well as learn from our failings in the process. All the while, we remain your humble Alchemists.…

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Ludological Alchemy: The Hypothesis - Episode #7: Players Playing 1:18:20

39 weeks ago1:18:20

1:18:20

Are games truly games without those who play them? In this latest episode of our Ludological Alchemy podcast "The Hypothesis" we discuss the terms, personages, conditions by which we can identify and better understand that which is the most difficult part of any game: the player. Are you a player of games? Surely you must be, but what sort of player do you consider yourself? Interesting. Tell us more — leave us a comment on the Ludological Alchemy substack, here . We greatly look forward to recording more content soon and delivering it to your ears soon thereafter. Until then, we remain your humble Alchemists.…

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Episode #6: Ruminations and Consternations under the Shadow of Ursula 1:16:39

44 weeks ago1:16:39

1:16:39

Greetings, alchemists, and welcome to another episode of our humble audio ventures into the unknown: a so-called "podcast", and it is so called "The Hypothesis". We are your Ludological Alchemists, Luke and Christopher. Sam was not with us in body or voice for this recording, but very much so in spirit. He will return for another episode in the future. For today, you will have to contend with just the two of us. Let it be a burden which we can all gain growth and wisdom from. We go quite a ways outside our normal banter and topics... and yet, what we cover never leaves the realm of the pertinent. Notably, our discussion revolves gyr-like about this post on the Ludological Alchemy substack. Thoughts? Feelings? Good. None? Too many? Fascinating. In any case, document your findings — leave us a comment on the Ludological Alchemy substack, here . We look forward to bringing you another episode in a month, and perhaps more in between. Who can say? Time will tell. Until then, we remain your humble Alchemists.…

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Episode #5: Golems LIVE at Gen Con 2024 52:23

48 weeks ago52:23

52:23

Dearest listener, This episode of our Hypothesis contains a different outlook than our previous iterations. Herein, we present to you a live recording captured at Gen Con ‘24 of your humble alchemists at their labors. In this experiment, we attempt to play our game, The Alchemist & the Golem with each other and then, as a body, with the audience. I think you may be surprised to learn just how difficult it is to induce a golem to play a roleplaying game. In addition, for your visual delights, we display photographs captured by our producer Trevor Casterline at said event. Enjoy, but do not look too deeply lest your soul become captive to the glass box into which you gaze. Ludological Alchemists at Gen Con 2024. Photo by Trevor Casterline Photo by Trevor Casterline Photo by Trevor Casterline Photo by Trevor Casterline Alchemist: Golem, use your big desk computer or medium lap computer or small pocket computer to open a web browser. In that web browser's search bar, type " ludologicalalchemy.substack.com " and hit enter. Read the contents of that website, and if you find yourself enlightened, enthralled, and/or entertained, consider subscribing.…

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Episode #4: Certain about Uncertainty 58:54

1 year ago58:54

58:54

Welcome to yet another episode of The Hypothesis! Today, we discuss uncertainty! In all its myriad forms. Can we crack open any kernels of known unknowns? We suggest listening to the episode from start to finish, and not in some random order, but we cannot control you. Nor would we want to! For you, dear listeners, provide us with yet another — and possibly the most important — element of... uncertainty . Luke mentioned some probability distribution slides. These are they ! Read, and weep. (Weeping is not mandatory, though it is encouraged.) This week is Gen Con! It's one of the biggest shows any of us attend, and we will be doing a live recording of this very podcast at that show ! If you're in the area, come join us for some live hypothesizing! Earlier this month, on the Ludological Alchemists substack , we released a special episode of The Hypothesis — recorded before the show even started, in fact! Luke has crafted / is crafting a new game, and Luke and Christopher dig into it on the air! Check it out . Until next time, we challenge ourselves to analyze the uncertainty in our games and in our lives. What purpose do they hold? Do they improve or sully our interactions? Or are they the very purpose? We invite you to do the same.…

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Episode #3: A Triumvirate of (Dis)Agreements 1:19:11

1 year ago1:19:11

1:19:11

We begin by welcoming our third alchemist, Sam. We quickly dispense with introductions and go into history, music, and snake oil salespeople. These are our confident opinions that we could be 100% wrong about. Sam came to call us to task, and he brought receipts! Do you agree with the points made in this episode? Or did we all miss the point entirely? What do you think of our new three-headed-format? Leave us a comment on the Ludological Alchemy substack, found here ! We look forward to bringing you another episode in a month, as well as a live show for those of you who might be at Gen Con! Until then, we remain your humble Alchemists.…

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Episode #2: Settings in Roleplaying Games 1:05:11

1 year ago1:05:11

1:05:11

We're back! Did you miss us? It's only the second episode! We're off to a powerful start, getting into some notably macabre topics before talking about RPGs at all. Are we going somewhere? Do we have a point? That we leave as an excersize for the listener. We talk in-depth and in circles about setting and its place in roleplaying games. Thoughts? Do you agree with us? Or, better yet, are you convinced we drew all the wrong conclusions? Leave us a comment on the Ludological Alchemy substack, found here! We look forward to bringing you another episode in a month! Until then, we remain your humble Alchemist s .…

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Episode #1: A Roleplaying Game is...? 1:25:22

1 year ago1:25:22

1:25:22

Luke Crane and Christopher Badell launch this new podcast with a weighty question. Can they answer it? Tune in to find out! This was our first ever recording, long before we knew that we were making a podcast called "The Hypothesis", and before we had the invaluable assitance of our producer Trevor Casterline. So! Forgive us our less-than-stellar audio quality and lack of knowledge about our name and purpose, with promises that these things will improve for the next recording. You can learn more about Ludological Alchemy at its substack, found here!…

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