ModCast Focus: "Civilization III"

[DanQ]

Catch the wave. The first ModCast (MC) special, entitled "Focus: "Civilization III"", is now available with a runtime of 01h38m29s. MC regular co-host Rob "Rob (R8XFT)" Riley, Jonathan "Plotinus" Hill, John "El Justo" O'Neill and Balthasar "Balthasar" Syennisis are lead by Bruce "Blue Monkey" Long as they explore what has happened, what is happen and what is to happen in the modding of Civilization III.

The summary of topics is as follows:

- 06m44s | Introduction to Modding
When each panelist was introduced to modding in the Civilization franchise, including how they got to playing Civ in the first place.
- 17m17s | Interest in History
The influence of having an interest in history on Civ playing, modding and at times how it translated from schooling and transferred into career choices.
- 23m38s | Challenges with History
Where history presents a challenge for modding in Civilization III and what can, and has, been done to respond to them.
- 35m18s | Methodology for History
Reflecting the immersion of history in gameplay through CivIII modding with the citation of key works and individuals within the game's community.
- 45m35s | Influences on Modding
How Civilization III modders can have their works' trajectory impacted by community participation and feedback.
- 56m46s | Lessons from Modding
Why design decisions in one work led future works from that modder, and perhaps others, to follow or move away particular approaches.
- 68m50s | Future of Modding
Taking the pulse of the Civilization III community and projecting its future based on precedents set in its past and present.

This is second production in ModCast's sixth season, following its season premiere fiftieth episode last month. The show is the first spin-off of the Civ strategy-centric PolyCast, and this is the first "Focus" special not under that heading. Fellow sibling RevCast focuses on Civilization: Revolution, SCivCast on Civ social gaming and TurnCast on Civ multiplay.

 

[Delta_Strife]

Appreciate the shout out guys!

 

[Blue Monkey]

It's important to give DanQ public recognition for how hard he worked on this. On the recording day we had quite a few problems with calls dropping & recording software getting flaky. After all that he turned 4 hours or so of random musings into a coherent podcast.

 

[Delta_Strife]

Yes DanQ did an excellent job especially after listening to the bloopers at the end.

 

[Gray Wolf]

Catch the wave. The first ModCast (MC) special, entitled "Focus: "Civilization III"", is now available

Thanks for doing this DanQ. I'm sure this took a lot of time to edit everything. And it was very nice to be able to hear voices behind some of the user names. And I loved the lighthearted discussions about Civ III and mod development. It made me realize that it is important to keep a good attitude while modding and to appreciate what others in the Civ III community have developed for us to use. There have been a lot of contributions.

Also, it was very interesting listening to people talk about how research and history help shape the creation of their mods.

So fantastic job.

 

[DanQ]

It's important to give DanQ public recognition for how hard he worked on this. On the recording day we had quite a few problems with calls dropping & recording software getting flaky. After all that he turned 4 hours or so of random musings into a coherent podcast.

Yes DanQ did an excellent job especially after listening to the bloopers at the end.

Thanks for doing this DanQ. I'm sure this took a lot of time to edit everything.

Thank you kindly, gentlemen. While it did take a considerable amount of time to edit, I was and am pleased with how the end product sounds -- and I'm glad I'm not the only one.

As for the bloopers specifically, I am able to appreciate them on... multiple levels.

And it was very nice to be able to hear voices behind some of the user names. [..] ... fantastic job.

I appreciate all the panelists for their contributions to the content of this production. My thanks to Blue Monkey for his organizational efforts in the months leading up to the recording upon which this is based.

 

[Gray Wolf]

And cheers to El Justo, I mean El Husto

 

[Ares de Borg]

Very interesting experience to hear you guys for the 1st time. Thanks to all of you!

 

[El Justo]

You guys know how J's are pronounced en Español, right ?

 

[Blue Monkey]

Coulda been worse. Your name could've had an X in it. Or a double-L.

 

[El Justo]

been listening to the podcast in bits and pieces over the last few days. it was fun

 

[DanQ]

Thanks to all of you!

Glad you enjoyed the listen.

been listening to the podcast in bits and pieces over the last few days. it was fun

After editing it, listening to its parts in pieces several times over in the process, I listened to it myself from beginning to end again shortly before publishing. There are certain... segments that I've listened to a couple more times than that too.

Pleased you're enjoying the end result, John!

 

[Vuldacon]

I listened to the podcast and I think you all were Very Good and I enjoyed it.
I am sure it wasn't an easy task to edit... Great Job DanQ

 

[Samez]

Nice podcast! Some interesting insights.

 

[DanQ]

I listened to the podcast and I think you all were Very Good and I enjoyed it.

Glad you were pleased with the listen!

I am sure it wasn't an easy task to edit... Great Job DanQ

Thank you kindly.

Nice podcast!

 

[Vuldacon]

DanQ... do it again sometime.
I am rather reclusive and El Justo = "Husto" tried to get me there but Life has recently not been exactly kind and I could not.

I appreciate the Banter and Insights with the Podcast as to individuals and what was said. Also your Editing made it all work Very Well. Cheers to you Man

 

[Blue Monkey]

In the social group (iirc) and for certain during the recorded discussion the possibility of doing another was brought up. We've found out the hard way how difficult it is to coordinate schedules. The mandate this time was to get 4-5 people. Which is about the limits of how many can participate in a single conversation.

IIRC about 8 people were formally contacted, and we went with those who had responded within the available timeline. We probably were close to stretching the limits of the timezone spectrum, but for a first & perhaps only podcast I felt it was important to get as close to a global perspective as possible. There are others I could happily have asked except that I was not confident about the strength of their spoken (as opposed to excellent written) English skills. It was also important to cover the broad range of types of contribution - those more focused on one element (such as units or pcx), scenario design, group/solo design, total mods, etc. Getting 4 people representative of all that who were also available at the same time on the same day was tricky to coordinate.

If DanQ & the Polycast team finds there is sufficient interest beyond our own subforum, I'm sure there are enough personalities for further podcasts. Which raises the possibility of more focused topics/panels such as the perspective of those outside the US (someone from Europe as the coordinator makes sense, although that need not be the geographical limits), a discussion about "behind the scenes" contributions with a panel including people such as Quintillus, Ozymandias & Ares de Borg ( to name but three). Or stretching the limits of the game engine: it would be interesting to hear a conversation between those who have done closely historical simulations such as RFRE or Rise & Fall of the Mughal Empire and those who have imagined and developed things such as the Playground mod or EFZI. A discussion on how people worked out ways to actually use things like the sub bug or the problems with the resource ghosting would be another possibility ...

 

[Ares de Borg]

Some good suggestions here

 

[DanQ]

DanQ... do it again sometime. [..] I appreciate the Banter and Insights with the Podcast as to individuals and what was said. Also your Editing made it all work Very Well. Cheers to you Man

In the social group (iirc) and for certain during the recorded discussion the possibility of doing another was brought up. We've found out the hard way how difficult it is to coordinate schedules. [..]

If DanQ & the Polycast team finds there is sufficient interest beyond our own subforum, I'm sure there are enough personalities for further podcasts.

If there is sufficient interest in another podcast such as this, and its participants are able to successfully coordinate their schedules to do so and at least two people record (I can provide direction on this front), I am more than willing to listen to suggestions for its content. Possibilities for this would include, but not be limited to, a more general CivIII focus (i.e. game strategy).

Yes, I would also edit it -- thanks to you, Vuldacon, for your kind words above on my effort for this first time around.

 

[Kyriakos]

So, which modders were in this showcast?

Not that it matters, cause I wasn't, despite my titanic contribution to this game, but anyway