DGC Ep 397: The Sims (part three)

DGC Ep 397: The Sims (part three)

Author: Brett Douville and Tim Longo July 17, 2024 Duration: 1:24:23

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on The Sims. We talk about a dark spiral, read some poetry, the problem of having enough time, and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary.

Sections played:
A few more hours

Issues covered: alien life, Windows snippet tool vs print screen, not saving, random seeds, introducing a chaos event, theorizing about end games for careers, Tim's persistent chip bag, forums and forever games, games you can play daily, free-to-play mobile games, appointment-based gaming, min/maxing psychology, selling the kids' doll house for food, Dianne being negative, "I'm too depressed to even look at myself," lack of weekends, two Sims having a day off, a podcast first, multiple burners, having to closely manage Bob's fun, the Sims for therapy, externalizing developer feelings of 21st century life, using the room meter to understand what needs to be done, the ultimate plate-spinning game, "did you know that love could be lucrative?," falling in love to increase your net worth, 3D characters and a 2D environment, modding goals and having 3D characters, dimetric vs isometric, revisiting gender normativity, liking problematic things, listening to their audience, how you might approach things the second time around, remastering Final Fantasy VI, a party of side characters, two automated characters healing each other.

Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: SimCity, Dianne Feinstein, Apple ][, Farmville, Diner Dash, Bejeweled, Animal Crossing, Sims Online, Maxis, Firaxis, Ensemble Studios, Terry Pratchett, Mia Goth, Halo, Kenneth Koch, David Sedaris, Diablo, Quake, Tomb Raider, Super Mario 64, Michael, EA, Wing Commander, Anita Sarkeesian, Northern Exposure, Starfighter, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia, Final Fantasy VI, BioStats, Kaeon, Unity, Final Fantasy Tactics, Cloud Strife, Apocalypse Now. 

Next time:
A few more hours and maybe finish with The Sims

Links:
Here's an audio recording of the poet Kenneth Koch reading his poem

Twitch: timlongojr, Twitter/Threads/Insta: @devgameclub
Discord
DevGameClub@gmail.com


Dev Game Club is a conversation between two working game developers who have been there. Each week, hosts Brett Douville and Tim Longo pick a classic video game from the past-often a title that shaped design thinking or introduced a new technical standard-and break it down from their professional perspective. Their discussions go beyond nostalgia, examining how these older titles functioned, why certain creative decisions were made, and what lasting impact they left on the industry. You’ll hear specific analysis of game mechanics, narrative structure, and technical achievements, all filtered through decades of hands-on development experience. The goal isn’t just to reminisce but to extract tangible lessons that are still relevant for creators and deeply interesting for passionate players today. They invite you to play the game in question alongside them, then settle in for a detailed, insider’s post-mortem. This podcast offers a unique blend of critical appreciation and practical insight, treating video game history as a living textbook. It’s for anyone who loves games and wants to understand the craft behind them on a deeper level. New episodes release regularly, diving into a different influential game from the archives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Dev Game Club
Podcast Episodes
DGC Ep 445: Portal Bonus Interview with Erik Wolpaw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:57
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we add to our series on Portal by interviewing Erik Wolpaw. We talk about his pre-Portal career, burnout, and success on small teams and large. Dev Game Club looks at classic vid…
DGC Ep 444: Portal (part two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:57
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on Portal. We talk about the ending part of the game, the increasing difficulty, the cake, and the boss and declare ourselves Still Alive. Dev Game Club lo…
DGC Ep 443: Portal (part one) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:54
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we kick off a short series on 2007's Portal. We talk about the year it came out, a bit about Valve and the Orange Box, before talking about the game's development history and the…
Discord Game Club Ep. 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Tim is traveling this week, so we are reaching into the Discord Game Club interview archive. This time around, BioStats and Calamity Nolan interview one... Brett Douville, who happens to also co-host Dev Game Club and is…
DGC Ep 442: Papers, Please/Cart Life (part three) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:05
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on a pair of empathy games, Papers, Please and Cart Life. We spend some more time with Melanie and her coffee hut before turning to our takeaways, shared b…
Discord Game Club Ep. 10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:00:47
It's again the doldrums of summer this week, so we are reaching into the Discord Game Club interview archive. This time around, BioStats and Calamity Nolan interview one Timothy Longo, who happens to also co-host Dev Gam…
DGC Ep 441: Papers, Please/Cart Life (part two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:34
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on empathy games, returning to discuss a little more about Papers, Please before digging into Cart Life a bit. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games a…
Discord Game Club Ep 9 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:34:45
It's the doldrums of summer this week, so we are reaching into the Discord Game Club interview archive. This time around, BioStats and Kaeon interview Calamity Nolan, a member of the Discord and usual interviewer who is…
DGC Ep 440: Papers, Please (part one) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:11
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on indie games, by looking at Papers, Please. We talk a bit about Lucas Pope, its creator, and then turn to the game's mechanics and themes. Dev Game Club…
DGC Ep 439: The Stanley Parable Bonus Interview with William Pugh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:52
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on indie games with an interview with William Pugh of Crows Crows Crows, one of the principal developers of The Stanley Parable. Dev Game Club looks at cla…