ModCast Episode 45: "Agility +1"

[img=right]http://civcomm.weplayciv.com/polycast/images/modcast_logo.jpg[/img] That extra edge. The forty-fifth episode of ModCast is now netcasting. Entitled "Agility +1" with a runtime of 60m52s, it features core panelists Peter "Maniac" Steenbeke, Jacob "xeinwolf" Turner and "Thalassicus" with first-time guest co-hosts "MadDjinn" and Daniel "Spatzimaus" Hanish.

The summary of topics is as follows:

- 01m48s | Topic #1
On Civilization V and its assorted Downloadable Content (DLC).
- 27m30s | Topic #2
Continuing the modding "Curriculum" series with the spiral cycle of agile mod development.

ModCast is a recurring audio production in an ongoing effort to give the Civ community an interactive voice on game modding; sibling show PolyCast focuses on Civ strategy, RevCast focuses on Civilization: Revolution and TurnCast on Civ multiplay.

I realy wish this was done a little more professional. I appreciate your work, but I dont like the result. Cant speak about the whole episode as I stoped listening after a few minutes, but I can say that I stoped because I was heavily disappointed.

The sound quality and the speakers' articulation is better then the last civ-related 'cast' I listened to. I was able to understand the most of it.

But then, what did I hear? First I have to endure some not funny nor intresting introduction praising some guy I dont know for something he seems to value as low as I do (he wasnt realy proud or happy as it seemed). Maybe I would care if the people had real names instead of some infantile nicknames. Im just waiting for 'Lord NightShaddow' to appear in a cast, or how about 'SuperElite uLow'?

Then the 'content' part begins. But its way to shallow. Most gamecovers offer more information. And there you lost me. You bored me to no end in the beginning and then you offered nothing to raise my attention afterwards.

I know this sounds unfriendly and harsh, but thats not my point. Its the same as with my hard critic towards some mods in the forum: Im telling you clearly what I think because I realy hope you can create a better product if people tell you what they think. Not just 'hurray's and praising.

To me, it seemed as if you tried to copy some talkshow or something. It realy didnt seem like a professional product aimed to provide information. Please, work at that. This could be realy intresting if you just cut away all the unneeded stuff and concentrated on the key aspects. Less smalltalk, more content.

Sorry to be this negative about it, but thats how i think.

Please keep getting better!

BSPollux said:

But then, what did I hear? First I have to endure some not funny nor intresting introduction praising some guy I dont know for something he seems to value as low as I do (he wasnt realy proud or happy as it seemed).

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That you don't know one of the most important Civ5 players on this site, and his well build youtube channel, is certainly not anyone else error than your own.

BSPollux said:

Maybe I would care if the people had real names instead of some infantile nicknames.

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Dear Mr. Pollux,

there are certainly good reasons for staying synonymous.
If names invalidate the content for you, then we have to be sorry for you.

BSPollux said:

Then the 'content' part begins. But its way to shallow. Most gamecovers offer more information. And there you lost me. You bored me to no end in the beginning and then you offered nothing to raise my attention afterwards.

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You should have maybe listened a bit longer than just a few minutes.

BSPollux said:

Please keep getting better!

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Please keep posting better.



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ontopic:
Listened 20 minutes, the sound quality is imho okay til good.
Sadly i can't judge about the content, but the scenario analysis sounds quite good.

subtlety and self-deprecation and sometimes lost on people. There's only two of us that didn't give 'real names', but we have our reasons for that.

The guys did a decent job with the editing, given there was a lot of content boiled down to just 60 minutes.

if you listen a little longer, we get deeper into the DLC discussion, then shift over to a discussion on good practises for creating a mod. (or development in general)

Given that this is only their 3rd cast (as the new group), it was well done. Only with some more time and experience will they get better.

Regarding smalltalk vs content, to offer a perspective, the previous ModCast team had lots more smalltalk in the show. Personally I do not want to take a 'side' on that matter; just mentioning it to note that different people have different tastes and preferences, and you can't make an editing cut that gets everyone 100% what they prefer in a podcast.

J I wont defend against your attacks individualy because I think they are quite childish. Instead I'll post some lines about your reaction in general.

Maybe you shouldnt be upset if someone doesnt like your work.

Feedback isnt somethink you should defend against, you should learn from it. You dont have to fullfill everyones wish, but you shouldnt make fun of people who tell you what they like or dont like.

I didnt like it, but I took the time to comment and say what could be done to make it better. Better for me, because I am part of your possible audience. For me, because I can only speak for myself. Not for you, if you want to make a product just for yourself then theres no need to make an announcement here. Just copy it to your mp3player and listen to the sound of your own voice all day.

Companys pay millions for feedback. They are intrested in negative feedback mostly, because they want to make theire product reach those people that they couldnt reach so far. Positive feedback is fine, but it doesnt help you to become better.

The_J is not a member of the ModCast or general PolyCast team. His opinion is not reflective of the team, just his personal opinion. I am a ModCast host, however neither will I claim to speak for all of us.

I thank for your feedback and I welcome feedback, but on this particular feedback my response would more or less be: "You can't make a product which pleases everyone. *shrug*" The two points you raised were content vs smalltalk, and the nicknames of the hosts. The smalltalk issue I already addressed, and on the nickname issue, well this is a podcast grown from the civforums. No one would know who I was if people always called me with my real name. We all use nicknames on this forum, including you BSPollux.

Sorry for the outbreak. Lost the nerves after reading the post.
Maniac, what you wrote is way better than anything what i could have written, but reflects very well what i think.

Maniac said:

The_J is not a member of the ModCast or general PolyCast team. His opinion is not reflective of the team, just his personal opinion. I am a ModCast host, however neither will I claim to speak for all of us.

I thank for your feedback and I welcome feedback, but on this particular feedback my response would more or less be: "You can't make a product which pleases everyone. *shrug*" The two points you raised were content vs smalltalk, and the nicknames of the hosts. The smalltalk issue I already addressed, and on the nickname issue, well this is a podcast grown from the civforums. No one would know who I was if people always called me with my real name. We all use nicknames on this forum, including you BSPollux.

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Yeah I know it sounds stupid when coming from someone using a nickname as well. But the point is I dont want to be recognized or talked about, but you and your mates are hosting a show. It was the lesser part anyway. I just ment 'possibly it would help if...'.

And yes, you are right, its hardly possible to be loved by everyone with what one does. I, personaly, would like a shorter, more on-topic way of handling things. Thats all I said. Maybe, as a last thing about that, I'd like to remind you that some of your potential listeners might not have english as theire first language. In that case it needs some concentration to listen to a show done in english, that deals with somewhat complicated topic, uses lots of historical terms, abreviations and is held by several people with diffrent voices and accents. These might have a lower tolerance towards things that are, well, off-topic. But then, that shouldnt stop you from doing the show the way you like it. Thanks for replying kindly.

J, I wasnt realy calm myself. Your post wasnt that bad. Its just that, while im a mod on another forum myself, I still tend to react harsher if something comes from a moderator. Passt schon ;-)

BSPollux said:

Yeah I know it sounds stupid when coming from someone using a nickname as well. But the point is I dont want to be recognized or talked about, but you and your mates are hosting a show.

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One doesn't necessitate the other. I create a mod; people talk about it, using my forum nickname, because that's the name they associate with the mod. Or in this case, we talk about modding in general, but the listeners will generally be folks who read the modding forums here and know the participants through that avenue. While I've never cared about people finding out my identity, I'm pretty sure that this ModCast is the first place my real name has appeared on this site. (By the way: one N in the last name. Not a big deal, just saying.)

Now, when discussing my work, which is more useful to use: my given name, which no one here knew before now, or my screen nickname, which a lot more people know? You use the name that the people in the community know you by, because that's the one that matters in that particular context. If people use names like Maniac, Thalassicus, and MadDjinn, then savvy forumgoers will immediately know "the guy who made Planetfall for Civ4", "the guy who makes VEM for Civ5", and "that guy who posts all those Deity games". Use real names, and the general response would be "who?", which just sets the conversation back an extra level. Real names are useful if you want to be able to find out more about the person, to evaluate their biases and such from outside sources, but there are really nothing of the sort that'd apply to this situation.

Context is always important to keep in mind. Back in college, when my parents would call the pay phone near my room, they'd have to ask for me by nickname because many of the people I'd lived with for three years still didn't know my actual name. (Look at my name. Realize that the nickname in question was "Danish". And people STILL had problems connecting the two.) It's just not the name that those other students had connected with the guy down the hall, so it was easier to just ask for me by the nickname.
Similarly, while I have a PhD, I don't ask people to address me as "Dr." unless we're actually having a discussion about astrophysics (although my neurologist does it anyway, just for fun), or if I'm filling out some sort of official paperwork. Context matters. (Besides, "Doctor Spatzimaus" just sounds silly.)

Spatzimaus said:

... I'm pretty sure that this ModCast is the first place my real name has appeared on this site. (By the way: one N in the last name. Not a big deal, just saying.)

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Oops -- corrected.