Side Story

26: The Juice Is in the Ambiguity

With spring turning into summer, Art, Jack, and Austin have found that it's time to once again drink the Potion of Liking Baseball. Well, no, it's not that broad: It's the Potion of Liking the Weird Ludic Corners of Ambiguity at the Heart of Officiating, Especially With Regard to the Use of Automated and Mechanical Tools, As in the MLB's Newly Arrived Automated Ball-Strike System. But that's unfortunately a little too long for an episode title. Show Notes The First Instant Replay [https://youtu.be/TuFkY-ZjR5s] Jerar Encarnacion challenge mentioned at 38:00 Minutes [https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=83f00b4b-9d15-3394-b204-546438a059be] Cam Smith Challenge mentioned at 38:30 [https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=50661037-1927-3a66-946a-8ad51adb7e99] Watch Jack, Austin, and Sylvi Play Thomas Colthurst's 2025 Game Pt.1 [https://youtu.be/WSOBV81TSKo] Media Club Plus Soprano's Screenshot Stream [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3CTFQciACE] Late Pledges Still Available for Realis [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crum/realis] Chapters 00:00 Introduction 05:07 How Is the Baseball Going 12:59 Wait, What Is Baseball? 22:57 The Instant Replay World 31:41 ABS: The Automated Ball-Strike System 42:10 The Referee Is Part of the Pitch 54:58 Why Is Baseball Like This? 59:53 The Spectator Experience of ABS 01:04:20 Instant Replay and Referee Bias in Video Games Featuring Austin Walker [https://bsky.app/profile/austinwalker.bsky.social], Art Martinez-Tebbel [https://bsky.app/profile/amtebbel.bsky.social], and Jack de Quidt [https://bsky.app/profile/notquitereal.bsky.social], Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan [http://formyths.com/] Music by Jack de Quidt [https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/]

25: Submerged in Fish Medication

Have you heard the news? There's a new Postman in town, and a new Fairie Queen in the court. I hear the Postman keeps bringing her big palettes of wood, and she's using it to build some sort of cat tower. I hear she's sending her entourage to business school, and he's got to carry her letters of recommendation. I hear war is coming, but don't worry, we're safe here on our island court in the fog. I hear we'll always be safe here. Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash [https://friendsatthetable.cash/] to support us! Show Notes Realis Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crum/realis] Blood Machine's Bluesky Post which first clued us into Island Off Outer Darkness [https://bsky.app/profile/bloodmachine.bsky.social/post/3mjroeeo2fs2v] Austin's Realis Interview Roundup | Clockwork Worlds [https://www.clockworkworlds.com/three-days-left-to-back-realis/] Chapters 00:00 Introduction 10:23 Island Off Outer Darkness [https://store.steampowered.com/app/3661790/Island_Off_Outer_Darkness/] 01:19:34 Titanium Court [https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/Titanium_Court/] Featuring Austin Walker [https://bsky.app/profile/austinwalker.bsky.social], Keith Carberry [https://bsky.app/profile/keithjcarberry.contentburger.biz], and Jack de Quidt [https://bsky.app/profile/notquitereal.bsky.social], Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan [http://formyths.com/] Music by Jack de Quidt [https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/]

24: A Key Part of the Gloop

Somewhere between Goo and Glue and Goop, is Gloop. And that's the stuff that makes up the middling (and middle-ing) parts of many vast, open world RPGs. Flat but enjoyable-enough random encounters. Rhythmically repetitive dungeons. The Good Old Fetch Quest. The mortar holding the bricks of the castle wall together. Gloop. Support us on Patreon! [https://friendsatthetable.cash/] The Kickstarter campaign for Austin's new TTRPG, Realis, is now live! [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crum/realis] Show Notes Crunch returns to Naughty Dog for Xmas as Intergalactic devs work overtime on a demo for Sony, claims report [https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/crunch-returns-to-naughty-dog-for-xmas-as-intergalactic-devs-work-overtime-on-a-demo-for-sony-claims-report] No Games for Genocide [https://nogamesforgenocide.com/] The Indiana Pacers Fan Couple Clip [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LhQVvJ9s7Uo?feature=share] Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:55 ToeJam & Earl Aside 07:30 Ardenfall 52:12 Road to Vostok Featuring Austin Walker and Jack de Quidt Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan [http://formyths.com/] Music by Jack de Quidt [https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/]

23: Everybody Remembers the Big Boulder

Happy Side Story anniversary! To celebrate our first year of the show, Austin, Janine, and Jack get together to talk about the year they've spent playing Nine Dots' RPG-meets-sim Outward (which you can watch them play by supporting us at https://friendsatthetable.cash/!) [https://friendsatthetable.cash/!)] Speaking of supporting our work, the Kickstarter campaign for Austin's new TTRPG, Realis, is now live! [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crum/realis] Support us on Patreon! [https://friendsatthetable.cash/] Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan [http://formyths.com/] Music by Jack de Quidt [https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/]

22: I've Got an Open Friend Mouth

With too many games coming out recently, Austin, Sylvi, and Dre had to determine a metric to decide which ones to cover on this week's episode. What makes the most sense? Maybe 'games relevant to ongoing Friends at the Table campaigns'? Or perhaps 'games that we've teased wanting to talk about in the past'? No, absolutely not. There is only one metric: Games that look sick as shit. Show Notes Marathon Thief Grapple [https://x.com/gmeinersyt/status/2029630125118005345] "If you're hoping to make friends in Marathon like you can in Arc Raiders, expect a knife in the back" | PC Gamer [https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/if-youre-hoping-to-make-friends-in-marathon-like-you-can-in-arc-raiders-expect-a-knife-in-the-back/] Marathon, Reprise | Aurahack [https://blog.aurahack.ca/marathon-reprise/] Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Icebreaker Marathon Upate 07:34 The Cool Games We Don't Have Time to Talk About Yet 10:32 Romeo Is A Dead Man 47:43 Marathon (2026) Featuring Austin Walker [https://bsky.app/profile/austinwalker.bsky.social], Andrew Lee Swan [https://bsky.app/profile/swandre3000.bsky.social], and Sylvi Bullet [https://bsky.app/profile/sylvibullet.bsky.social] Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan [http://formyths.com/] Music by Jack de Quidt [https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/]