Loot Mechanics
376 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingThis podcast discusses gaming in all its many forms: video games, roleplaying games, board games, live-action, retro-gaming, and so on. Your hosts Scormus and Beoulus bring you weekly gaming commentary, with a dash of humor and a heaping load of sarcasm and snark.
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Episodes
Beoulus is going to hate this – Loot Mechanics #376
May 13, 2024 07:00 - 45 minutes - 32.9 MBJust in time for Scormey to receive his print edition of “The Secret World” TTRPG, using the 5E rules, to arrive, a new Kickstarter is up for the “Savage Worlds” edition of the same game! Beoulus now gets to laugh at Scormey for buying both editions. Intro (0:34) – The usual wankery Main (3:23) – […]
Oops – Loot Mechanics #375
May 06, 2024 07:00 - 45 minutes - 37.1 MBSpoilers ahead! Intro (0:34) – The usual wankery Media (11:12) – Critical Role continues to disappoint in Campaign 3 Wrap (28:38) – “Starfield” is looking to get their biggest update so far! “Burn The World Waltz” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Subscribe to the podcast here!
In defense of D&D – Loot Mechanics #374
April 29, 2024 16:00 - 44 minutes - 35.7 MBOn today’s show, the guys discuss why every TTRPG should be using some version or variant of the D&D rules. Intro (0:34) – Cheap achievements and other bullshit Tabletop Gaming (7:19) – Why every TTRPG should be using some variant or edition of the D&D rules. Wrap (28:21) – We chat about the thousands of […]
For a Lifetime – Loot Mechanics #373
April 22, 2024 16:00 - 45 minutes - 37.8 MBTrapped alone on a remote island, with only one video game they can play for the rest of their lives, what game would Scormey and Beoulus choose? Intro (0:34) – Scormey puts most of Constellation in a time-out, and whatever Beoulus has been playing “Sunhaven”. Video Games (5:10) – What one video game could you […]
Doomed – Loot Mechanics #372
April 15, 2024 16:00 - 45 minutes - 37.1 MBDoom and gloom, and Scormey being a little bitch, on today’s show! Intro (0:34) – Scormey bows to his Microsoft overlords, and Beoulus has been running a guild? Tabletop Games (9:37) – With the Pandemic “over“, are TTRPGs doomed to fade back into the shadows? Wrap (34:05) – More “Knave 2e” drama, which really puts […]
The New Normal – Loot Mechanics #371
April 08, 2024 16:00 - 44 minutes - 36.9 MBPutting the Knave in “Knave 2e”, and other bullshittery, or today’s show. Intro (0:34) – Scormey has given up on BG3, while Beoulus has been playing “No Man’s Sky” Tabletop Gaming (10:34) – How not to run a Kickstarter project, Lesson #1265 Wrap (33:23) – Scormey has received his copy of “Cthulhu Awakens!“, and has […]
BEGONE, THOT! – Loot Mechanics #370
April 01, 2024 16:00 - 10 minutes - 9.91 MBThe boys lay the smackdown on fake “Gamer Girls”, and discuss the true rot infecting TTRPGs: Wokeness! Intro (0:34) – Scormey and Beoulus have been dominating their opponents, as usual Gaming (1:20) – Thots will not take over OUR games! Wrap (7:29) – WotC is finally facing the hard truth: “Go Woke, Go Broke!” “Burn […]
NOICE! – Loot Mechanics #369
March 25, 2024 16:00 - 45 minutes - 38 MBToday, for this extra-noice episode, we discuss the “Giggity” in Gaming. Intro (0:34) – More general gaming talk, as usual. WTF? (6:28) – Which games best deliver the Giggity? Scormey and Beoulus embrace their inner “preteen boy”-selves Wrap (37:27) – Beoulus discusses finding a game for his whole family to enjoy “Burn The World Waltz” […]
A dagger in the heart – Loot Mechanics #368
March 18, 2024 16:00 - 1 hour - 46.7 MBIs “Daggerheart” living up to the early hype for the game, or will it simply be another pretender to the throne? Intro (0:34) – Scormey romances Andreja (finally), and Beoulus tries to kick his Altaholism Tabletop Roleplaying (6:26) – Scormey and Beoulus talk about the “Daggerheart” open beta. Wrap (47:14) – Blizzard and their full-court […]
SQUEEEEEEEEEE! – Loot Mechanics #367
March 11, 2024 16:00 - 45 minutes - 35.6 MBNew. Discworld. TTRPG. Listen to Scormey squeal in delight about this, on today’s show! Intro (0:34) – Our week, in brief. TTRPG (11:05) – There’s a new TTRPG based on Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld“, from one of Scormey’s favorite publishing houses (Modiphius)! YAY! Wrap (32:53) – Final thoughts. “Burn The World Waltz” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed […]
Hype is the Mind-Killer – Loot Mechanics #366
March 04, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MB“Dune: Part 2” is in theaters, and Funcom is finally dropping some hype for their upcoming “Dune” MMORPG! How much will Beoulus trash this game? Find out on today’s show! Intro (0:34) – Our week, in brief. MMORPG (6:01) – Finally! We have some meaty hype coming for the Dune MMO… whatever! Wrap (37:32) – […]
Xbox Wins – Loot Mechanics #365
February 26, 2024 17:00 - 59 minutes - 46.7 MBSony is inexplicably giving up on the PS5, only halfway through this console generation. We discuss why that might be. Intro (0:34) – Our week, in brief. Video Games (7:01) – Sony gives up on the Playstation 5. Wrap (37:36) – Let’s talk about our favorite monsters in TTRPGs “Burn The World Waltz” Kevin MacLeod […]
Hubris and the Knife – Loot Mechanics #364
February 19, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 48 MBI guess Evil Genius really was the loser in that lawsuit against Netflix, after all… Intro (0:34) – Our week, in brief. Tabletop Roleplaying (3:17) – Evil Genius Games is in a death spiral, but… why? Wrap (38:40) – Daybreak sold off “Planetside” from their stable of IPs, and outlook for Hasbro looks not so […]
Backwards Compatibility – Loot Mechanics #363
February 12, 2024 17:00 - 44 minutes - 37.5 MBIs a successor to the Nintendo Switch coming later this year? We discuss it on today’s show. Intro (0:34) – What have we been up to? Video Games (6:37) – Is Nintendo making a Switch 2? No, they’re making 10 million of them. Wrap (26:38) – Scormey got a few new TTRPGs recently. “Burn The […]
Gaming news sites roll a 1 – Loot Mechanics #362
February 05, 2024 17:00 - 59 minutes - 52 MBIs Hasbro selling the D&D IP off? Okay, no… but should they? We discuss on today’s show! Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing? Tabletop Gaming (7:30) – Hasbro reportedly is negotiating with Tencent to buy the D&D IP!… Except it was nothing but bulls**t. That said, should Hasbro sell it off? Wrap (44:41) […]
Old-School Mindset – Loot Mechanics #361
January 29, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBBeoulus and Scormus discuss how video games used to be released, as opposed to the new models, and which is superior. Intro (0:49) – Our week, in brief. Video Games (10:36) – BG3’s director thinks the game shouldn’t be on subscription services. Is this old-school mindset hurting the game, in the long term? Wrap (34:06) […]
The Golden Age – Loot Mechanics #360
January 22, 2024 17:00 - 45 minutes - 42.3 MBToday, Scormey and Beoulus break out our nearly 100 years of combined tabletop roleplaying experience to lay down some knowledge regarding the Golden Age of Roleplaying. Intro (0:49) – Our week, in brief. Tabletop Roleplaying (3:28) – No, the Golden Age of Roleplaying is NOT over. Wrap (38:22) – Final thoughts. “Burn The World Waltz” […]
AI Art is Theft – Loot Mechanics #359
January 15, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBMidJourney manages to shoot themselves in the foot, during an ongoing lawsuit, and “City of Heroes” is back! Intro (0:49) – What Scormey and Beoulus have been playing lately. Other (10:38) – AI art is plagiarism. Just ask the CEO of MidJourney… Wrap (44:19) – “City of Heroes” is no longer a zombie MMORPG, and […]
Catching up, again – Loot Mechanics #358
January 08, 2024 17:00 - 45 minutes - 34.4 MBThe holidays are over, so let’s catch up on gaming news! There’s only one story worth discussing in depth, though, and that is Hasbro eating itself alive through gross mismanagement! Intro (0:49) – How were our holidays? Tabletop Gaming (5:57) – Let’s talk about Hasbro’s huge layoffs, including 1,100 WotC employees, just two weeks before […]
Holiday Throwaway Content – Loot Mechanics #357
January 01, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 98.3 MBHey, look… We don’t want to record during the holidays, like we did last year (shudder!), so instead you get… this. It’s a retrospective of the ‘best’ segments of our show over the last year, which is totally subjective so just shut up, okay? Intro (0:49) – Our thoughts on the year just past Tabletop […]
The Best (and Worst) Games of 2023 – Loot Mechanics #356
December 25, 2023 17:00 - 59 minutes - 53.7 MBTake a few minutes away from your Christmas Cheer™, and listen to Beoulus and Scormey discuss their choices for the Best and Worst Games of 2023! Intro (0:49) – Holiday Wishes from Lunatics. Other (4:23) – The Best Games of 2023 Other (24:09) – The Worst Games of 2023 Wrap (52:23) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists […]
The Not Quite, Almost, Sort Of Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide – Loot Mechanics #355
December 18, 2023 17:00 - 30 minutes - 26.3 MBYes, we’re doing this tired old joke again. Sue me, it’s the Holidays, and we needed quick content so Beoulus and I can go enjoy them, rather than sitting at our computers recording shows! Intro (0:49) – Have we been playing any Holiday-themed games? No? Then what have we been up to? Other (4:33) – […]
But is it really topical? – Loot Mechanics #354
December 11, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 50.7 MBThe last kinda-topical show of 2023! Intro (0:49) – Scormey is Doing The Thing™, while Beoulus plays what he can. Main (2:54) – The Return of “GM/DM Advice”… or something like that. Wrap (48:07) – Thoughts on “Palia”, and whether it is ‘Too little, Too late’. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: […]
… and they blame it on Fan Feedback? – Loot Mechanics #353
December 04, 2023 17:00 - 45 minutes - 35.3 MBAn innovative TTRPG system set aside in favor of being 5e-Compatible, and other crimes against Humanity, on this week’s show. Intro (0:49) – Scormey unconsciously embraces a questline in “Starfield”, and other gaming stuff. TTRPG (9:39) – Adventure Time, or Adventure Crime? Wrap (27:55) – Matt Colville’s upcoming TTRPG hits Backerkit this week! “Alchemists Tower” […]
A Token Purchase – Loot Mechanics #352
November 27, 2023 17:00 - 45 minutes - 37.9 MBAnother money grab from Activision/Blizzard, and what happened to gaming forums? Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing? Main (4:27) – Blizzard moves the goalposts on using the WoW Token purchased with gold. Wrap (30:38) – What happened to gaming forums? “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License […]
Black November – Loot Mechanics #351
November 20, 2023 17:00 - 45 minutes - 35.2 MBWhy bother with “Black Friday” when there are better sales going on at random all through the year now? Intro (0:49) – Scormey can’t escape the “Starfield”, and Beoulus is doing… work, and more BG3. Other (8:39) – Is there a point to doing “Black Friday” any longer, especially as a gamer? Wrap (29:34) – […]
Blizzconned – Loot Mechanics #350
November 13, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 56 MBToday we catch up on the recent Blizzcon announcements, and discuss Scott Hartsman’s recent advice that could save WotC from itself! Intro (0:49) – Scormey is moving on from “Animal Crossing”, and Beoulus is avoiding the Horny. Other (11:13) – Catching up on Blizzcon 2023, with “Diablo” finally getting a TTRPG, and word on the […]
A little Beach time – Loot Mechanics #349
November 06, 2023 17:00 - 59 minutes - 40.2 MBDiscussing hype (in more ways than one), and Scormey steps away from “Starfield”, on today’s show! Intro (0:49) – Scormey took a break from gaming (sort of). Tabletop Gaming (14:19) – What happened to the hype for “Tales of the Valiant“? Wrap (40:23) – Nintendo keeps earning the name “Ninten-NO“… “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) […]
Corporate Scares – Loot Mechanics #348
October 30, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 32.6 MBHere’s a fright-fest for you: Scormey doing the show by himself again! Today he asks a simple question: Have corporations ruined Halloween? Intro (0:49) – Our plans for Halloween Video Games (9:59) – Is Halloween now just a Corporate holiday, especially in gaming? Wrap (32:17) – A couple of new* games for Halloween fun. “Alchemists […]
Too Much Ain’t Enough – Loot Mechanics #347
October 23, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBWe debate the age-old question: How many TTRPG systems do you really need? Also, is Microsoft about to strip-mine Activision/Blizzard’s library of games to fill up Game Pass with content? Intro (0:49) – Scormey upgraded his Xbox, and Beoulus has been playing stuff. Tabletop Gaming (7:34) – How many TTRPG systems do you realistically need? […]
Too Little, Too Late – Loot Mechanics #346
October 16, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 36.1 MB“New World” has finally added mounts, but has this come too late to save the game? Also, Scormey talks about his mental state… or maybe just a new tabletop roleplaying game? Intro (0:49) – Scormey has been amusing himself with the bugs in “Starfield”, and Beoulus has been doing something… probably working… Video Games (6:26) […]
50GB of Yawn – Loot Mechanics #345
October 09, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 33.9 MBIs the CP2077 update and DLC too little, too late? Can Scormey stop playing “Starfield” long enough to find out? This, and much more, on today’s show! Intro (0:49) – Contractor woes, and other nonsense. Video Game News (6:31) – Apparently the new DLC and Update 2.0 for “Cyberpunk 2077” are out… Yawn… Wrap (33:27) […]
No one expects incontinence – Loot Mechanics #344
October 02, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 47.5 MBDid Netflix steal the ‘World Bible’ for “Rebel Moon” from a TTRPG developer? We discuss this, and other weird things, on today’s show! Intro (0:49) – Scormey can’t stop playing “Starfield”, and Beoulus has been playing more “Pathfinder: Kingmaker” Tabletop Roleplaying (10:00) – Wait… there was going to be a “Rebel Moon” TTRPG? Wrap (42:08) […]
Death of a King – Loot Mechanics #343
September 25, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 41.1 MBFor years, the norm for AAA video games has been to release microtransaction-laden “Live Services”, even for single-player games. With the success of “Baldur’s Gate 3” and “Starfield”, does that signal the deal of these “Live Services” single-player games? Intro (0:49) – Scormey is annoyed with his Contractors. But all this work has allowed him […]
YARR! – Loot Mechanics #342
September 18, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 47.9 MBThis week we discuss Pirates throughout gaming, in honor of “International Talk Like a Pirate Day” Intro (0:49) – Unity sucks. Full stop. Tabletop Roleplaying (25:01) – Time to talk like a pirate again this week, so let’s discuss whether or not Pirate action is a viable subgenre in TTRPGs Wrap (43:27) – Corrections regarding […]
Overhyped and Woke – Loot Mechanics #341
September 11, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBWe’re all about the Hype-Train, on today’s show! Intro (0:49) – Did the “Starfield” hype drive us to buy the game and play at launch? Video Games (11:07) – Speaking of hype, the Alt-Right Douchebags accuse “Baldur’s Gate 3” of being ‘Overhyped’ and ‘Woke’. Is this just whinging, or do they have a point? Wrap […]
The Great ‘Starfield’ Caper – Loot Mechanics #340
September 04, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBChatting about “The Great ‘Starfield’ Caper” and its Reddit aftermath, as well big news for Retro gamers! Intro (0:49) – What’s been going on with Scormey and Beoulus recently. Video Games (4:38) – The saga of the stolen copies of “Starfield”, and the Redditor that turned the thief in. Wrap (27:06) – Atari is releasing […]
Hope you didn’t buy “Starfinder” 1st Edition – Loot Mechanics #339
August 28, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutes - 42 MBWhat’s with the new version of “Starfinder”? Also, we discuss games to take on road trips, and Ten’s frustrations with “The Sims 4” on today’s show. Intro (0:49) – What have we been doing lately? Scormey has gotten a couple of new TTRPGs, which both fit the same niche (“Maze World” and “Fantasy World“). Meanwhile, […]
Storming the Gates – Loot Mechanics #338
August 21, 2023 16:00 - 46 minutes - 40.2 MBAnother week, more talk about “Palia”, “Baldur’s Gate 3”, and “Dungeons & Dragons” to be had. Intro (0:49) – Scormey spent some time in the closed and open betas for “Palia” and has a few thoughts. Plus guest co-host Ten talks about her week. Video Games (14:20) – Game developers say it’s not fair to […]
A Whole New World – Loot Mechanics #337
August 14, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 41.5 MBThe time draws near, for casual gamers to finally get the MMORPG of their dreams (Palia)… or will it be their nightmare? Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing lately? Video Games (7:17) – Palia is getting really close to launch, which means it is time to talk about some new MMORPG hype! Wrap […]
Asimov’s 4th Law – Loot Mechanics #336
August 07, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 38.8 MBAI-derived content on DTRPG and Roll20 are now banned. This is great on the surface, but has some creators a bit upset. We discuss this and some Kickstarter drama with “Urban Shadows 2nd Edition”, on today’s show! Intro (0:49) – Beoulus talks “Baldur’s Gate III”, and Scormey had another health scare. Tabletop Gaming (5:31) – […]
Different Worlds – Loot Mechanics #335
July 31, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 38.4 MBWe’re going to different worlds this week, as we discuss some of our favorite secondary settings in various TTRPGs! Intro (0:49) – Anything new going on? Tabletop Games (5:47) – Let’s talk about some of our favorite secondary settings for different TTRPGs. Wrap (35:20) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative […]
ORC Raid! – Loot Mechanics #334
July 24, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MBThe ORC is finally here! Will it kill the OGL once and for all, or is it just another license like the Creative Commons? Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing lately? Tabletop Games (6:25) – Paizo (in concert with other TTRPG companies) have released the final version of ORC – The Open RPG […]
Money Back Guarantee – Loot Mechanics #333
July 17, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 36.7 MBSomeone got a partial refund for the money they spent on “Star Citizen”. There’s a lot going on here that we need to discuss. Intro (0:49) – Catching up, what have we been up to lately. Video Games (7:13) – CIG begrudgingly gave someone a partial refund for “Star Citizen”. Let’s discuss why this happened. […]
Expensive Hubris – Loot Mechanics #332
July 10, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 41.7 MBWhy do companies who make online video games keep shooting themselves in the foot? Intro (0:49) – Our week, in brief. Video Games (5:35) – Do VG developers hate money, or just their players? Wrap (40:51) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
To Infinity and Beyond! – Loot Mechanics #331
July 03, 2023 16:00 - 59 minutes - 54 MBLet’s talk about “Starfield”, Fireworks (and the avoiding thereof), and making old MMOs great again… Intro (0:49) – The annual “Avoiding of the Fireworks” has begun!. Video Games (5:49) – Let’s talk about that Starfield Direct Showcase… Wrap (37:26) – Revisiting old MMORPGs, through the lens of tabletop RPGs “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: […]
Game Awards Don’t Matter – Loot Mechanics #330
June 26, 2023 19:00 - 46 minutes - 43.5 MBLet’s talk about the winners and losers from the Origins Awards!… and how none of it matters. Intro (0:49) – Catching up with Beoulus and Scormey. Other Stuff (4:11) – Let’s talk about the Origins Awards, and why they (and all other game awards) don’t matter. Wrap (28:30) – NuTSR is dead, or so it […]
That Which Is Not Dead… – Loot Mechanics #329
June 19, 2023 16:00 - 46 minutes - 38.8 MBToday I discuss the legacy of HP Lovecraft in tabletop roleplaying, and ruminate over whether or not “Call of Cthulhu” is at risk of being toppled by Critical Role’s “Candela Obscura”. Intro (0:49) – Found something awesome on Amazon last month worth talking about. Briefly. Tabletop Roleplaying (8:54) – So, let’s discuss the Great Old […]
Old & Busted – Loot Mechanics #328
June 12, 2023 16:00 - 44 minutes - 37.3 MBLast week I talked about some of my favorite retro video games. This week, I expose some of my most despised retro games… for “Educational Purposes Only”, of course. Intro (0:49) – Okay, I bit the bullet and backed something on Kickstarter, just this once… Video Games (15:38) – Many retro video games are awesome… […]
Old & Weird – Loot Mechanics #327
June 05, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 37.9 MBJune is a weird month for us, as Scormey is busy most of the month, and scheduling forced a bit of a change to the show for the next few weeks. But Scormey is talking about retro games this time, so… Intro (0:49) – “LotR: Gollum” fails horribly. No one is surprised. Video Games (12:08) […]