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Idle Thumbs

Idle Thumbs is an independent podcast network whose podcasts span comedy, pop culture and entertainment, video games, and TV.

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All Episodes

01:19:33

Three Moves Ahead 469: Imperator

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/05/21

Rob, TJ, and Jon are not quite sure what to make of Imperator: Rome, the latest historical grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studio. Should a Hellenistic warlord have such fine control over demographics? Is there much to do beyond empire-building? On the other hand, when the eagles are marching, does there need to be?

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00:37:26

The Cutdown 002: Spoilers

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/05/15

Why do trailer editors "spoil the movies"? In this episode we talk about the difficult balance of teasing in trailers, when to hold back and when to show more - and the importance of storytelling.

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00:30:35

The Cutdown 001: Welcome to the Cutdown

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/05/15

The Cutdown is a podcast all about the art of trailer editing! The show is hosted by movie trailer editor Ric Thomas and indie game trailer editor Derek Lieu. We talk about why we started the show, our plans for future episodes, the history of our interest in trailers, how we became trailer editors, why we love doing it, and some of our favorites. Whether you want to learn about the industry, you're an amateur or professional editor, or you just like watching them, we hope you enjoy learning all

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01:40:04

Three Moves Ahead 468: Same Thing, Different Place

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/05/10

The gang has been playing the Steel Division 2 beta and wow, things are different on the Eastern Front. That leads to a discussion of how familiar series and systems take on new life, or fail to, when adapted to new settings.

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01:09:13

Three Moves Ahead 467: Hard Times or Easy Living

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/04/25

Rowan, TJ, and Rob and joined by Jon Bolding to talk about how the difficulty discussion and "designer intent" maps to strategy games... or doesn't. We discuss games that go out of their way to highlight a specific "way it's meant to be played" and whether that actually holds up in reality. We also talk about customization options and, when all else fails, the glorious tradition of house rules and outright cheating to find the way to play that "just right" for you.

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00:55:02

Three Moves Ahead 466: Dawn of Man

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/04/12

Troy, Jon Bolding, and Rob discuss Madruga Works' Dawn of Man, a prehistoric and ancient history city builder and survival game. The gang is charmed, but also feel like there are some big gaps in the evolution of your city and society.

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01:35:19

Three Moves Ahead 465: Mark Herman's Empire of the Sun

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/04/05

Rob and Bruce are here to sing the praises of Mark Herman's Empire of the Sun, a brilliant adaptation of the war in the Pacific. Enjoying the game through the magic of VASSAL, our wargaming duo describe how about Empire of the Sun does a commendable job of conveying the challenges of imperfect information, the plans of the Imperial Japanese fleet, and inter-service rivalry - all through the elegance of card-based play.

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01:09:16

Three Moves Ahead 464: Dota 2 Auto Chess

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/03/28

Here's the word cloud for this week's episode: Dota2, mod, sports management, moba, battle royale, open world survival game with roguelike elements (jk but we need that SEO), deckbuilding, tower defense. That's right, we're talking about the mod for the game that's a copy of a mod for another game that has nothing to do with either of the things in its title: Dota 2 Auto Chess. Auto Chess is Dota 2 mod that you can play right now, for free. It's taking the world by storm, and it contains a

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01:59:44

Three Moves Ahead 463: Classic Year in Review: 1994

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/03/19

Sound Blaster! 3DFX! Games that go unpatched because there's no way to fix them! That's right, we're going back 25 years to 1994. Yes, 25 years. We're all hella old, in case that had not occurred to anyone. But who am I kidding, if you're listening to this show you are probably part of the gamer geriatrics, pausing from your record run of Chip's Challenge or Kye to dust off your AARP card and get cheap coffee at McDonald's, nursing it from 9 AM to 11 AM before going to the smaller grocery store in

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00:58:30

Three Moves Ahead 462: Sid Meier's Civilization VI:...

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/03/05

The seas are rising. The air is getting worse. Rock bands are forming. Fraser, Sean Sands, and Troy "The Diplomatic Juggernaut" Goodfellow go for Just One More Turn (tm) with Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. In this, the "second Civ expansion that finally finishes the game", the player fights against other civilizations as well as an increasingly hostile Mother Earth. Gathering Storm is a worthy addition to the series, but where do we go from here? Certainly not beyond earth (cough), but with Civ

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01:25:53

Three Moves Ahead 461: Three Kingdoms as a Setting

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/02/12

It's rare, but sometimes companies that aren't Koei make a game about the Three Kingdoms. During the runup to the new Total War game, we thought it would be fun to talk about the Three Kingdoms as a setting and the games from that past that have portrayed it well. Are you ready for a deep dive into Three Kingdoms history? No, like, a really deep dive? This week T.J., Rowan, Austin Walker, and guest Brian "Lu Bu" Smawley talk about their favorite factions, historical tidbits, and video game

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01:08:44

Three Moves Ahead 460: Looking Ahead to 2019

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/02/02

2018 has come and gone, its crusty remains pushed to the side for new buffet plate (always get a new plate) of games coming out in 2019. Rob, T.J., and Ian Boudreau talk about the games they're excited for, the games they're cautiously optimistic for, and even some that they're dreading.

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00:57:27

Three Moves Ahead 459: Warhammer 40,000: Gladius -...

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/01/22

In the grim dark future there is only war. No, really. In Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War, there is no diplomacy system. All of that nonsense has been put aside in lieu of 40K chainsword murder. Gladius manages to be a chimera of strategy games. Is it a 4X? Part of an RTS? Grimdark Civ? Whatever it is, Rob and Fraser generally like it.

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01:00:04

Three Moves Ahead 458: Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Idle Thumbs ·

2019/01/12

This week Rob, Jon Bolding, Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro, and Troy "I can't find the bard class" Goodfellow take a look at Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden by The Bearded Ladies game studio. Mutant Year Zero combines XCOM-like tactical gameplay with a post-apocalyptic setting that's a joy to look at. Its boardgame roots are evident in its sharp gameplay and rich setting.

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02:16:13

Three Moves Ahead 457: A Look Back at 2018

Idle Thumbs ·

2018/12/31

We threw restraint to the wind with our 2018 wrapup this year, so you get TWO episodes for for the same great price. Session one has Rob, Troy "this is the year my musical theater career takes off" Goodfellow, and Jon Bolding talking about their favorite games. After that, T.J. Hafer, Sean Sands, and Rowan Kaiser go into their top picks including all the Paradox-y stuff that we don't let Troy talk about. It's a long episode for what felt like an incredibly long year. 2018 hit us with a lot of

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01:41:37

Designer Notes 44: Clint Hocking - Part 2

Idle Thumbs ·

2018/12/31

In this episode, Soren Johnson interviews veteran game designer Clint Hocking, who started his career working on the original Splinter Cell and was also the Creative Director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2. They discuss why games always need three months at the end, how he feels about his crunch on Chaos Theory, and how they choose Africa for Far Cry 2. Games discussed: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Far Cry 2

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01:00:26

Three Moves Ahead 456: Crusader Kings 2: Holy Fury

Idle Thumbs ·

2018/12/26

It's been a minute since we've talked about Crusader Kings 2, so why bring it up now? Holy Fury - the latest major DLC - is one of the most significant changes to date, moving CK2 even closer toward RPG than grand strategy game. Is this the expansion that restores Fraser's interest in the game? Is this really the last expansion? What is the future of CK2? Why does T.J. go on and on and on and on about succession laws? Can you really be a duck? T.J. and Fraser answer all these questions and more.

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01:51:40

Three Moves Ahead 455: Classic Year in Review: 2003

Idle Thumbs ·

2018/12/20

From the dizzying highs of the Frozen Throne to the baffling lows of Master of Orion III, 2003 was a darn good year for games. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time became a hallmark for many gamers, and Rise of Nations came onto the scene to become the "other" kind of RTS. Korsun Pocket (recipient of its own 3MA episode) showed us what amazing AI could look like, and Knights of the Old Republic grew T.J. into the person he is today. Rob, Rowan, and T.J. hop into the Wayback Machine to go to 2003, when

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00:59:20

Three Moves Ahead 454: Armored Brigade

Idle Thumbs ·

2018/12/14

If the notion of the modern RTS makes you break into a cold sweat as you think about APM and wrist pain, we have good news for you: Veitikka Studios has created a more elegant weapon for a more civilized age. Armored Brigade puts you in command of cold war-era equipment in an impressively generated battlefield. The excellent scenario generator and impressive AI turn this game into something special, much to the delight of our panel. Rob, Ian Boudreau, game designer Rod Humble, and Troy "You've given

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01:08:29

Three Moves Ahead 453: Black Hawk Down and Zulu

Idle Thumbs ·

2018/12/06

We're trying something different at Three Moves Ahead this week. Rob and Troy "am I Siskel or Ebert?" Goodfellow take a brief respite from gaming to to discuss two historical military films: Zulu (1964) and Black Hawk Down (2002). Let us know in the forums if you enjoy this discussion of movies, imperialism, and interventionism.

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