Episode 29 - Vez Arponen Interview

I just finished this episode and I wanted to provide some personal thoughts. The first part of the interview was interesting... regarding the Finnish Civil War, although the focus seemed to me to be more on the history of the event and somewhat less the actual game. However I did not enjoy the second half. It was a quite politically focussed discussion, understandable given the topic of the game, but it was very long and I found myself "clock watching" for the end of it. At times I was being taken out of the gaming realm and entering into something like CNN's Fareed Zakaria's GPS show. I game to escape this kind of thing and to be honest I fast forwarded to the end. I've enjoyed your previous interviews as they tended to be strongly rooted in a game and/or design and development of it, even for games that I am likely not to purchase and/or play ...but this interview just did not appeal to me.

I sort of feel the same way, I was in the gym working out while listening to this episode and I sort of just zoned out on it, and defiantly was put off by the political bantering and gibs.

I think it's one of the drawbacks of letting an interviewee ramble on about whatever they want to discuss, if not guided by questions of the game for example it can veer off into any sort of weird angled discussion.

I don't mind if a designer has an opinion on something but this particular one was pretty anti US and opinionated about it.

At least that is what I got out if it.

I do agree out of the designers interview so far this was the most caustic one.

Sorry you didn't like the episode. Given the designer's new game is about politics, it was ineveitable the subject would come up.

zovs66 wrote:

I sort of feel the same way, I was in the gym working out while listening to this episode and I sort of just zoned out on it, and defiantly was put off by the political bantering and gibs.

I think it's one of the drawbacks of letting an interviewee ramble on about whatever they want to discuss, if not guided by questions of the game for example it can veer off into any sort of weird angled discussion.

I don't mind if a designer has an opinion on something but this particular one was pretty anti US and opinionated about it.

At least that is what I got out if it.

I do agree out of the designers interview so far this was the most caustic one.

It's interesting that you felt the tone was anti-US. Why is it that any criticism of the US is construed as blanket criticism? I can love my brother but still find plenty of faults with him.
 

It just seems to me that the world in general has a lot of anti-US bias, I get it most of its pointed at our political leaders over the last three decades or so and in the wars that the US has been involved in. But it seems to me that there is a bent against all of the US from the rest of the world. Maybe I am being paranoid, lol. For example if the US sends military aid to Ukraine then Russia, China and North Korea are upset and make threats. If the US sends aid to our ally Israel then most of the Middle East is unhappy. Seems there is no happy campers, but if you don't stand for something you don't stand for anything.