PolyCast Episode 286: "Extra Balanced"

[DanQ]

[img=right]http://civcomm.civfanatics.com/polycast/images/polycast_logo.jpg[/img] Attention worthy. The two-hundred-and-eighty-sixth episode of PolyCast, "Extra Balanced", features regular co-hosts Daniel "DanQ" Quick, Stephanie "Makahlua", Philip "TheMeInTeam" Bellew and "MadDjinn" with first-time guest co-host David "Browd" Brown. It carries a runtime of 59m59s.

The summary of topics is as follows:

- 02m24s | Senate
Speeding through Civilization series newcomer with Sumeria in its sixth iteration, picking fights as Australia (11m52s) and always warring as Macedon (20m18s).
- 24m45s | Miscellaneous
Reactions to the then-announcement that Australia was to be the next civilization added to CivVI's line-up, and a first for the series (recorded for Episode 276).
- 38m19s | Forum Talk
If, then when, to stop taking cities in Civilization VI followed by the need, then composition, of an occupation force in conquered cities (41m59s; recorded for Episode 284), if then when to settle "large swaths" of tundra terrain (47m47s) and replacing surplus farms or not (50m20s).

- Intro/Outro | Miscellaneous
Predictable anticipation, questionable victory pursuit then coffee, cookies and watermelon in context.

PolyCast is a bi-weekly audio production recording live every other Saturday throughout the year, in an ongoing effort to give the Civilization community an interactive voice; sibling show ModCast focuses on Civ modding, TurnCast on Civ multiplay.

 

[Timothy001]

Another great episode. Loved the editing of previous relevant snippets into the current episode. However, I missed the musical cue that you had returned to the current episode as I was driving and had the episode on the car speakers. In future maybe you could add a line like "Return to episode 285"?
It was also nice to see Browd as a guest host. I see his mark on the CFC site all the time, so its nice to have a voice to go with the name.

 

[Shorlin]

You clearly put effort into these, so don't want be a douche, but can I be honest? This podcast is like listening to something from web 1.0 in the late nineties.. terrible audio quality, so heavily edited to the point it is just jarring and hard to follow the flow of thought..
Have you thought of a more standard format podcast where it is a live (unedited), round table discussion?

 

[Timothy001]

They run the livestream the opposite Saturday. So Next Saturday, from 12-2 they live air episode 287. Then the following Saturday they upload the edited version, cut to 1 hour.

 

[Shorlin]

ahh, ok. Is the unedited version available anywhere?

 

[DanQ]

Another great episode. Loved the editing of previous relevant snippets into the current episode.

Thank you kindly.

However, I missed the musical cue that you had returned to the current episode as I was driving and had the episode on the car speakers. In future maybe you could add a line like "Return to episode 285"?

When segments recorded from previous episodes are included in a future episode, I regard them as ultimately being apart of that future episode. Knowing you have been listening to PolyCast for some time now, was this the first time that you had missed such a musical transition (in your car and/or otherwise)?

It was also nice to see Browd as a guest host. I see his mark on the CFC site all the time, so its nice to have a voice to go with the name.

; Browd had been on the guest co-host rotational for some time before his and the show's recording schedule were able to align. On his next appearance, of course, he will be a returning guest!

You clearly put effort into these, so don't want be a douche, but can I be honest? This podcast is like listening to something from web 1.0 in the late nineties.. terrible audio quality, so heavily edited to the point it is just jarring and hard to follow the flow of thought..
Have you thought of a more standard format podcast where it is a live (unedited), round table discussion?

You are entitled to your opinion, Shorlin, but recognize that your first sentence aside, my takeaway from how you expressed it is one not intending to be constructive.

I disagree most notably with the notion that a "more standard format" for podcasting is one that is recorded both live and unedited (though, as it happens, PolyCast is recorded live then edited for publishing: my usual concluding paragraph in my show notes that reflects was peculiarly omitted above initially so have added it). Without any specifics for context, I can only try to presume to ascertain how you found the content "jarring" throughout the episode; as for your assessment of the audio quality, I feel as though we'll just have to agree to disagree on that front.

If you come to the decision to no longer listen to the show, I do appreciate the time you took to listen. I know that we are not going to be able to please all of our potential listener base but, on behalf of myself and the regular co-hosts, continually look for ways to gain and retain our audience members.

They run the livestream the opposite Saturday. [..] Then the following Saturday they upload the edited version, cut to 1 hour.

ahh, ok. Is the unedited version available anywhere?

No, I do not make the unedited live recordings available for listening afterwards.

 

[Timothy001]

It was the first time I had missed the transition. I usually listen while in the comfort of home. It would have been Tuesday or Wednesday before I will have the time to listen at home, while I was driving for work ( a 1 1/2 hr there and another 1 1/2 hr back) seemed to be the perfect time

 

[Magma_Dragoon]

Re: Australia, Brazil, Canada etc... using the term civilization as a synonym for the games' factions has always been poetic license. I don't think whether a particular group of people was geopolitically important should be the dividing line of who gets in, though maybe it should determine what tier they are in. Did they build cities? Not grass huts with a fence around them, actual cities. If they did, they can be in the game. I wouldn't mind if they changed the name of the series to Sid Meier's Places where People Wore Shoes When They Went Outside and continued to added more obscure societies for the sake of having new and interesting things.

 

[DanQ]

Re: Australia, Brazil, Canada etc... using the term civilization as a synonym for the games' factions has always been poetic license.

This has become more and more evident as the series as progressed, with increasingly greater numbers of civilizations ultimately included in subsequent iterations. Good for critical thinking as well as education!

 

[shaglio]

Since Dan begged us to comment in the thread: for the record, I discussed DLC05 in the anticipation thread all day long at work, then I played Civ6 at night when I got home. so I both commented about DLC05 as well as played DLC04.

 

[DanQ]

Since Dan begged us to comment in the thread

I... pondered about the possibility.

[F]or the record, I discussed DLC05 in the anticipation thread all day long at work, then I played Civ6 at night when I got home. so I both commented about DLC05 as well as played DLC04.

So think about all the time you could have been playing the game at home and also at work then.

 

[Uberfrog]

Another great episode! I particularly appreciated going back to that previously unheard discussion with TPangolin about Australia, Colonial Legacies etc. It was interesting to hear that the Australia DLC was all just part of his master plan . Hopefully we will see some new and interesting choices when Firaxis finally get round to representing the Native Americans in Civ VI. Although as discussed, there are obviously heavyweight staples (Mongolia, the Ottomans, the Inca...) still waiting to be added.

As for the city conquest discussions, the situation is improved now the latest patch has fixed the automatic ceding bug. I'm not entirely sure constant conquering is balanced - it still seems fairly easy to steal productive cities with very little penalty after the war is over, but I'm midway through a Domination Victory post-patch, so I may yet reassess.

Looking forward to the panel's views on the new patch and Nubia next episode!

 

[shaglio]

So think about all the time you could have been playing the game at home and also at work then.

Oh, I don't think my boss and the company president would be too pleased with me installing Civ 6 on my work computer and playing all day.

But I am able to sneakily open a half-window of Civfanatics that I can click back and forth to while doing my job

 

[DanQ]

Oh, I don't think my boss and the company president would be too pleased with me installing Civ 6 on my work computer and playing all day.

So, just pleased then?

Another great episode!

Thanks, Uber.

I particularly appreciated going back to that previously unheard discussion with TPangolin about Australia, Colonial Legacies etc.

Yes, I felt that that archived segment worked most well for inclusion in this episode given that I had cut it from the episode it was recorded for due to runtime then. Even then I knew we would be discussing strategies for each individual civ in Civilization VI this year and that particular relevancy would rise again.

As for the city conquest discussions, the situation is improved now the latest patch has fixed the automatic ceding bug.

Once again, 2K and Firaxis release a Civ patch during a week where there is no new PolyCast episode being recorded. Long had I speculated it was to foil us but now I believe it was to give us more time to play with the changes first!

Looking forward to the panel's views on the new patch and Nubia next episode!

Yes, we might mention both of those items here and there.

 

[Timothy001]

I too am anticipating the discussion on the new patch. Its good points, its bad points, and the undocumented changes. For the first time in awhile, I actually will be able to listen to the live podcast.

 

[legalizefreedom]

I don't think a lack of contribution to the world should exclude potential civs. If they are interesting and can be made so in game, who cares how big they are/were or if they are in the top contributors.
In fact, I might suggest many of those who ended up being the top contributors of todays world did (and continue to do) it the wrong way. Many of the lessor contributors lived in harmony with the earth for example. Things like that can be noteworthy and unique as well.