Ogre ft. David Rock | S7 E6

It's our last episode of season 7, and what an episode to finish on! We welcome guest David Rock, AKA granitepenguin, to a conversation between Matt, Tomas and Jess about his journey with Steve Jackson Games' Ogre. David details how he started as a dear fan of the TTRPG and our digital adaptation for PC, and tells us of his experience as being a Line Editor at Steve Jackson Games. Tomas and David talk deep-strategy, and Jess and Matt remark on how incredible a journey it is to be a community member who ends up working on the very game you love.

Show Notes

Did Ogre pique your interest? You can purchase it on Steam now

Be sure to look through Steve Jackson Games' expansive games catalogue too, for anything else you may be interested in playing!

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

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🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

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Ogre ft. Steve Jackson | S7 E5

For this episode we bring to you a fascinating 1-1 session between our Studio Director, Tomas Rawlings, and Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games. They talk about the origins of Ogre, the wargame centred on immensely powerful giant cybernetic tanks, and Steve Jackson remarks on the journey of bringing Ogre to the LastGameboard, a digital platform that transcends the realm between digital and physical boardgames. 

Show Notes

Did Ogre pique your interest? You can purchase it on Steam now

Check out the Last Gameboard too, where we have brought Ogre and our other title, Mars Horizon: Blast Off! to a hybrid digital space.

Be sure to look through Steve Jackson Games' expansive games catalogue too, for anything else you may be interested in playing!

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

Games Development and Climate Change | S7 E4

Join hosts Tomas, Matt and Jess in this episode that focuses on Climate Change in Games Development. With guests Dr Benjamin Abraham and Steven Webb, we explore why it is the Games Industry is a key component in the movement against climate change. We ask what a sustainable future for the industry looks like with Ben, discuss games like our own Dark Future: Blood Red States and how they’re used as a storytelling tool to host the conversation around climate change, and talk to Steven about Sumo Group’s Carbon Neutral by 2025 pledge.

Our colours may be orange, but our heart is very much green here at Auroch Digital. 

Show Notes
Find out more about each of the people, programmes, and resources mentioned in the show:

• The British Peatland Restoration Programme 
• Playing for the Planet
• Ark2030 
• Dr Benjamin Abraham and a link to his upcoming book 'Digital Games After Climate Change' 
• Sumo group Environmental, Social and Governance ESG | Sumo (sumogroupplc.com) 
• UKIE Green Games Guide 
• Joshua Aslan (2020) Climate change implications of gaming products and services, DOI: 10.15126/thesis.00853729 

For the games discussed in the episode, why not check out Coconut Sunshine and Dark Future: Blood Red States?

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Warhammer 40,000: Back to The Beginning | S7 E3

Let us take you back to the dawn of Games Workshop's infamous Warhammer 40,000. In this episode we are joined by Studio Director Dr Tomas Rawlings, who takes us through in immeasurable detail the 1st edition of 40K and his continuing journey as a passionate player of a franchise that has spanned over 30 years going from strength to strength. We ask what is it about 40K's design that makes it both so effective as a product, and enjoyable as player. Recommended (but not essential): your own miniatures to paint as you listen in.

Show Notes

Please do check out Games Workshop's official site to check out the latest products, including starter kits if you're looking to get into 40K!

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The Music of Auroch Digital | S7 E2

Grab your best headphones and settle in, because we'd like you to join us in taking a look back at Auroch Digital's musical catalogue. We break down three of the tracks from the Mars Horizon soundtrack, really unpacking what music can make us think and feel, and how that plays such a vital part in video game design. We also discuss what the audio development pipeline is like in the studio, and Matt offers some excellent tips on how to get into video game audio and sound design - this episode really is music to our ears!

Show Notes

For the soundtracks discussed in today's episode:

• Mars Horizon Soundtrack
• Dark Future: Blood Red States Soundtrack 
• Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics Soundtrack

 For the other excellent videos and features to check out on today's content:

• When Matt met Tom, Red Wasp appear on VGM Awesome
• Dark Future Audio Design Explainer 
• Dark Future OST featured in ‘Warhammer for Your Ears’ 

🎼 If you'd like, you can follow more of Matt's compositional work on Spotify
Read the rest of this entry »

A Day in the Life: Working Through COVID -19 | S7 E1

Today we’re (virtually) opening the doors of the studio and inviting you in to see what working at Auroch is like now we've adapted to COVID-19. Ever wondered what a Studio Director’s Day looks like? Or how to manage your own community as a Games Studio? We discuss this and more with our colleagues at Auroch Digital, and explain why we are now a largely remote-working studio.

Show Notes

Did Brewmaster pique your interest? You can Wishlist it on Steam now

Check out our porting work on Megaquarium and The Colonists too, and the mentorship scheme Hannah and Ladell both took part in prior to joining Auroch: Limit Break

Curious to see more of our guests? You can check out their personal socials here:

Peter Willington
Oliwia Janczewska
Hannah Corcoran
Ladell Smith
 

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💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

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🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

Season 7 Teaser | S7 E0

Season 7 of How To Make A Video Game with Auroch Digital is back! This teaser trailer runs through the epic line-up we have in store for you this season, so tune in and get ready for all that 2022 has to offer.

Show Notes

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

Non-violent games and how games can make you happy | S6 E7

Happiness comes in many forms, especially when it comes to video games. So what is it that video games do that can help you feel happy, and is there anything that connects the games that make us feel this way? We also take a look at non-violent video games, the rise of these through indie games and the sheer variety of gameplay mechanics you can have that are non-violent.

James Batchelor, compiler of Non-Violent Game Of The Day and UK Editor of GamesIndustry.biz, joins Jem, Matt, and Peter for a joy-filled discussion about all of this and more.

Show notes

• NVGOTD on tumblr
• NVGOTD on Twitter
• James Batchelor at GamesIndustry.biz
• James Batchelor on Twitter
• Check out our own non-violent games 🐠 Megaquarium and 🚀 Mars Horizon

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🐠 Megaquarium and 🚀 Mars Horizon

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find all of the Season here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

What aspects of sword fighting are most important to get right in a game? | S6 E6

Hosts Jemima and Matt are joined by another incredible guest in this weeks episode. Sword fighting expert Fran talks to us about weapons in video games.

Which games do it well? Which games do it badly? What is most important to get right when showing the complexities and brutality of using weapons? We look at The Witcher, Mount & Blade, Nidhogg, Skyrim, For Honor, and more.

Games discussed in this episode

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord - Medieval Combat Simulator & RPG

• • • Intro to the game - 0.00 - 0.30
    • Tournament fight - 3.00 - 4.21
    • Siege fight using spear, throwing weapons, and sword - 13.19 - 14.30

For Honor - Medieval Action Melee game

• • •  Intro to the game - 0.00 - 0.30
    • Two handed sword fight vs AI 1.53 - 2.12
    • Fight vs other player 0.50 - 1.25

Skyrim - Action RPG, wizards, dragons, classic

• • • Sword and shield combat
    • 2 handed sword and then 2 handed axe combat  10.35 - 11.00

Nidhogg - side-scrolling two-player fighting video game, with fencing

• • • Fencing vs AI 0.42 -  1.08
    • Fencing player vs player  21.24 - 21.40

The Witcher 3 - Action RPG - The best one ever

• • • Sword fight vs NPCs - gorey watch out! 

Mordhau - multiplayer medieval fighting PVP game

• • • Game intro -  0.00 - 0.30
    • Rapier fighting
    • Fighting with hammer

Show notes

• Want to know more? Fran's new podcast By the Sword looks at the modern study of the ancient art of swordplay
• Want to try your hand at sword play in real life? Find a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) club near you
• For our UK listeners By the Sword.net is for HEMA events for women and NBs in the UK run by Fran
• The School of the Sword is Fran's HEMA school so you can learn along with our guest

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🐠 Megaquarium and 🚀 Mars Horizon

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find all of the Season here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

Colonies on Mars and Robots on the moon | S6 E5

It's the final episode of our 3 part Mars Horizon special with amazing guests from the UK Space Agency!

Jem, Matt, and Tom are joined by Paul Smith, Robotic Exploration Programme Manager🤖 at the UK Space Agency.

Hear about the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover, featured in Mars Horizon, from someone who works on the mission and has even seen the rover up close! We also find out all about colonising Mars, and robots in space, and talk about how we explore this in our game.

Show notes

• Watch our Mars Horizon livestream with Paul 
• Watch our 'Games about Mars' panel discussing Space Exploration and gaming
• Follow the UK Space Agency on Twitter
• Buy Mars Horizon

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🐠 Megaquarium and 🚀 Mars Horizon

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find all of the Season here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!