Pistol Shrimp Podcast

Fred and Dan chat with Mark Yohalem of Wormwood Studios, creators of Primordia, Strangeland, and Fallen Gods. Mark describes how story and gameplay work together, and dives into some of his favorite moments from The Ur-Quan Masters. 0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions1:23 - Starflight and the roots of UQM9:24 - Simulation vs. arcade gameplay16:00 - Exploring space21:22 - Beginni

Dan talks about game design with Peter McLaren and Garry Seto of Massive Damage, creators of Halycon 6 and Star Renegades. The duo share their insights on designing sci-fi concepts, building an indie studio, and the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters. 0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions2:26 - UQM and Super Melee12:48 - Alien dialog16:37 - Creating alien races26:42 - Building an in

Fred and Dan chat with Freehold Games about Caves of Qud and making an independent game that stands out. Jason and Brian share their love of classic space games, epic science fiction worlds, and the creative appeal of retro games. Hosted live, on Twitch.0:00 - Theme Music0:14 - Introductions3:42 - Classic space games7:30 - Making The Ur-Quan Masters11:30.- Writing and character des

Fred and Dan chat with Charlie Cleveland about Subnautica, Natural Selection, and his leadership at Unknown Worlds. They discuss the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters, and fun is more important than game balance. Charlie highlights the power of multi-linear storytelling, early access, and getting player feedback as soon as possible. Hosted live, on Twitch.0:00 - Theme music0:14 - In

Fred and Dan talk with Mac Walters about his experience on Mass Effect and Jade Empire, plus his transition from his leadership at BioWare to his new studio, Worlds Untold. Mac breaks down his sci-fi inspiration, and how he approaches game writing, building a vision, and working as a team. 0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions01:22 - Mac's path to BioWare06:20 - Inspiration and no

Dan and Fred talk to Richard Cobbett about writing for games, including The Long Journey Home, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, and Nighthawks. Richard shares his love for The Ur-Quan Masters, and explains how a good storyteller can draw the player into a game's story, setting, and characters.0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions1:56 - The Long Journey Home4:15 - The Ur-Quan Masters5:5

Fred and Dan talk to Chris Taylor about leading a game production, including Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, and more. Chris talks about running a game studio, engaging the audience, and why it's sometimes better to be an employee than a leader. 0:00 - Theme music0:00 - Introductions1:16 - The UQM Team11:48 - Chris's start in games16:42 - Industrial Light & Magic20:58 - Runn

Fred and Dan talk to Andrew Hume and Richard Clifford of MinMax Games, creators of Space Pirates and Zombies. The duo talk about building an indie game studio, the power of procedurally generated content, and the influence of The Ur-Quan Masters.0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions3:03 - Influence on Space Pirates and Zombies10:14 - Discovering a game's focus17:17 - Building an i

Fred and Dan chat with Christine Love about indie game development, including her work on Digital: A Love Story, Get In the Car, Loser!, and more. Christine shares her love of science fiction, and her insights on writing a memorable game story. 0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions1:24 - UQM and science fiction4:50 - Alien characters9:17 - Indie game development15:58 - Writing for

We talk to Henrik Fåhraeus about his leadership at Paradox Interactive, including the game design of Stellaris and the Crusader Kings series. Henrik explains how artificial intelligence can bring a game world to life, and how The Ur-Quan Masters influenced the story and universe of Stellaris.0:00 - Theme music0:14 - Introductions1:18 - Henrik and UQM3:07 - Influence of UQM6:40 - S