Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast: your source of geekly entertainment! Tune in every Thursday as we talk about everything from LEGOs to Brit Lit and beyond!
Episodes
Thursday Jul 11, 2019
Thursday Jul 11, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Well, here we are, the last episode of Season 2... it's been a blast, filled with memorable moments, exciting trivia games, and more dumb jokes than an amateur stand-up club. Thank you to all you listeners out there who've come along with us for all this crazy stuff.
Okay, enough sad things! In honor of this being the season finale, David and Seth decided to test their friendship with a trivia game to see just how well they know each other. Let's just say... it doesn't end well. (Spoilers: both of them were really tired and anyway something just seems off.)
David's Fun Fact:
This episode has actually been in the works since Improvapalooza, but since it was so funny when we recorded it we decided to save it for the last episode of Season 2. I do a majority of the post-production for these episodes, and this is the hardest episode I've had to edit yet because I was laughing so hard. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Here we are... the penultimate episode of Season 2 already, and boy is it neat. We've joked about it here and there throughout the season, but this week we're finally tackling one of the most popular tabletop games of the last five years--Dungeons & Dragons! (Yes, we know it's been around longer, but now it's actually COOL to say you like/play D&D.)
Featuring returning guest Lucas, founder of Scintilla Studio, join Seth and David for a lively conversation on this fortysomething pen-and-paper game. We'll talk mechanics, history, and many, many embarrassing stories about things our characters have done over the years...
Seth's Fun Fact:
As of the time of this episode, I have redeemed my character's... inadvisable usage of "Meld into Stone." For the second time in our campaign, I used the spell, but this time it was to remove myself from a barfight with a dwarf whom our party's wizard had magically grown to nine feet tall. It makes sense in context.
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
As we start to get towards the end of Season 2, here's another thing we haven't done since Season 1--an "explains" episode!
Join us this week as David turns the clock back and talks about some of the old LEGO games from before they really got going (and in some cases, before he was alive!). We'll journey to an island of LEGOs, race around a crazy racetrack doing time trials, and find out how bad LEGO used to be at naming characters! #VeronicaVoltage
Fun Facts & Extra Stuff! - David
I've done not one but TWO speedruns for LEGO Racers 2 since we recorded this episode. I'm actually ranked 3rd in the world for Any% and 2nd in the world for 100%.
As it turns out, Galidor was LEGO's worst theme, nearly causing them to go bankrupt in 2002. The TV show didn't get good ratings, the sets didn't sell very well, and this particular game wasn't even finished. The GBA version was finished in 2002, but the versions for PC and PlayStation were abandoned when the game studio (Asylum Entertainment) had to cancel its release due to financial instability. The PC version of the game was later published (unfinished) in LEGO game bundles, which is how I came across it in the first place. From my research, the PC version is generally regarded as an absolutely terrible game, with horrible graphics, repetitive music loops, weird controls, and various glitches and bugs. Even so, I don't care--in fact, it's still one of my favorite games. (Isn't nostalgia great?) I even the current Any% world record, beating the previous world record by nearly 8 minutes!
If you'd like to see me playing some of these games, check out my YouTube channel, MyTMorty Gaming!
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
Thursday Apr 25, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Welcome to a very philosophical, literary-heavy episode of the GNAPcast! Pull out your bubble pipes and settle down in that armchair in front of the fire, because today we're talking about one of the most prevalent story devices in pop culture--time travel.
It's an idea that's been around for a few hundred years by now, meaning that time travel has infiltrated almost every single storytelling medium that exists--and we're gonna tackle most of them. Along the way, we'll also talk about some amusing (and confusing) paradoxes, learn why filial relationships can get really complicated when time travel is involved, and that Seth seems to be missing something... quite a few somethings, actually.
Seth's Fun Fact:
I had several other paradoxes to talk about that we didn't quite have time for in the episode, but if you want a fun mental exercise, google the "bootstrap paradox" and try to puzzle that one out. It's quite fascinating! *blows bubbles from bubble pipe*
Thursday Feb 14, 2019
Thursday Feb 14, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Where we last left off (cue ripple dissolve), Seth and David were meandering through the alphabet naming off their favourite Star Wars Legends characters...until they both completely forgot how the alphabet works.
So, in an effort to correct that mistake (and find out who Seth's letter "L" character is), we present the second almost-half of the Star Wars alphabet in our longest episode ever! (There are still spoilers, but at least we fixed the counting problem this time. ;))
Fun Facts & Extra Stuff! - David
Weekly GEM (David) - Basso profundo is a specific range of extremely low bass voice, which is coincidentally also shared by Sir Christopher Lee (Count Dooku)!
L (Seth) - Among others, Mark Hamill has portrayed The Joker (Batman), Judah (Joseph, King of Dreams), Fire Lord Ozai (Avatar The Last Airbender), and Master Eraqus (Kingdom Hearts series).
N (David) - I was correct! The Lost Tribe of the Sith are directly connected to the ancient Sith Naga Sadow, through a series of novellas that manage to cross five thousand years of Legends canon.
W (David) - Rather than the Blue Angels, the X-Wing novels are more along the lines of Top Gun, but if Top Gun were a series.
Y (Seth) - Knights of the Old Republic was released to consoles in 2003, while the Darth Bane trilogy were released from 2006-2009. I still remember reading the third book of the trilogy when it was brand new...ten years ago.
Thursday Feb 07, 2019
Thursday Feb 07, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
(Editor's Note: For your reference, this episode was originally recorded in January of 2018, just after the release of The Last Jedi. That's how far in advance we record these.)
Featuring a brand-new opening segment, join Seth and David this week as they dive deep into all 35 years' worth of Legends lore and name off their favourite characters, all the way through the alphabet! (As such, there will be spoilers in this episode too.)
Don't worry if you've never heard of most of these characters, either--we love talking about these stories and will explain just enough to pique your interest. ...Yeah, who are we kidding? We'll explain way more than you ever wanted to know!
Either way, come along with us for another trip through hyperspace into that galaxy far, far away! (And also discover that neither David nor Seth can count letters. Oops.)
Fun Facts & Extra Stuff! - Seth
A (David) - Admiral Ackbar's homeworld is known by two names--it's referred to in-universe either as "Dac" or as "Mon Calamari."
C (David) - The only other name by which Darth Cognus is ever referred to in Dynasty of Evil is simply "The Huntress."
E (Seth) - Etain's son, named Venku, reappears in the first several volumes of the "Legacy of the Force" series as a prominent figure in Mandalorian politics.
I (Seth) - By "controversial topic," I mean that the Jedi Order has been extremely inconsistent about their stance on marriage throughout the stories. During the time of the Tales of the Jedi comics, for example (set in 4000 BBY), marriage wasn't forbidden amongst Jedi as it was during the Rise of the Empire era. Luke Skywalker's restored New Jedi Order also did not disallow marriage (for obvious reasons, as you'll see later)
K - Interestingly enough, Kyp Durron has been a controversial character both in- and out of universe, due to his impressive Force abilities, headstrong nature, and overall character arc throughout numerous books.
L (David) - Timothy Zahn, author of the Heir to the Empire trilogy, wrote a short story called "An Apology" several years back that prominently featured Luuke Skywalker.
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast--your source of geekly entertainment!
Here we go again with another Google Autofill game, this time centered on the much-beloved puzzle series Portal! (As such, this episode contains heavy spoilers for both Portal and Portal 2. You have been warned.)
Join Seth and David as they ask Google (and each other) insightful questions about gaming's dumbest robot, gaming's most cake-loving robot, and possibly the worst company CEO of all time--looking at you, Cave Johnson.
Fact Checks & Extra Stuff! - David
"Does Wheatley Love Chell?" -- Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics
"Is GLaDOS Evil?" -- All we had to do was pull that lever
"Is Cave Johnson a Real Person?" -- More of J.K. Simmons' memorable voice roles
"Is Cave Johnson a Real Person?" -- The famous lemons rant
David's Fun Fact: In the Portal games, abusing the camera is one of my favorite pasttimes! I used detached cameras to speedrun two different test chambers in Portal 1--Chamber 17 (using only two portals and a camera stacked on the Companion Cube), and Chamber 18 (cleared in 47 seconds using a detached camera to prop open the door).
Thursday Aug 16, 2018
Thursday Aug 16, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! Last time, we listened as Seth attempted the monumental task of summarizing the entirety of the Mass Effect Trilogy in a 30-minute podcast. All was well (and more or less successful), but then David delved into the internet--only to discover a multitude of questions that were left unanswered.
Join Seth and David again this week for a follow-up to our Mass Effect episode, where we try another dumb internet game and play "Google Autofill" based around the Mass Effect universe! From Andromeda to zombies, Interrupts to the Systems Alliance, you'll learn more about the world of Mass Effect than you ever wanted to know! (And just for fun, drink a shot of ginger ale every time Seth says the word "interesting.")
Fact Checks and Extra Stuff! -Seth
H - I was unable to find anything solid on Shepard's in-game height. Ironically, however, David's pronouncement of 6'2" is exactly the height of Shepard's body model, Mark Vanderloo!
I - Is Commander Shepard Indoctrinated? (Game Theory)
L - The Commander Shepard Song (by Miracle of Sound)
O - In actual fact, Shepard's birth year is 2154--five years earlier than my stated year in the episode. Oops. His birthdate, April 11th, also coincides with the Apollo 13 launch in 1970.
T - The training simulator in Mass Effect 3 is called the "Armax Arsenal Arena," and is available in the Citadel DLC pack. I highly recommend it both for its story and its unique rewards!
U - "und dast ist mein" is actually the middle of a line from the German version of Mass Effect 2! The full line in German is, "Ich bin Commander Shepard und das ist mein Lieblingsgeschäft auf der Citadel!" In English, this line is, "I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel!" The line has become quite a meme, as might be expected.
V - Just to clarify (because I never did in the episode), I actually really like Mark Meer's portrayal of Commander Shepard! He does a fantastic job, as does Jennifer Hale. My own personal preference is to play a female Shepard, simply because I think it makes the game more interesting.
Y.5 - The Andromeda galaxy is approximately 2.5 million light years away, meaning David is actually closer in his estimate than I am. Oops again.
Z - Is Commander Shepard a Zombie? (The Game Theorists)
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! In this special, experimental episode, Seth cracks his metaphorical knuckles and tries to explain a particular topic to David (and all of you guys)! Today, that topic is: the Mass Effect trilogy! (That being said, BEWARE TRILOGY-SPANNING SPOILERS during this entire episode. You have been warned.)
As Seth and David journey into the distant future, they are met with strange and nagging questions--did ancient space machines really decide to exterminate all life in the galaxy? Are role-playing games only a fun way to do math problems? And most important, what the heck does a German Shepherd have to do with any of it?!?
Join us for an epic adventure through space and time, complete with fiddly vehicles, dumb jokes, and more sidetracks than Grand Central Station!
Thursday Jul 19, 2018
Thursday Jul 19, 2018
Heyyy, welcome to the GNAPcast! Here we go again--it's time once again to debate our way through the Internet throug the predictably wacky Would You Rather!
Join David, Seth, and our new friend Anna as we answer those questions absolutely no one is asking, discovering new things about each other in the process! After freeing our inner carpenter, we find out that Anna enjoys drinking shots of maple syrup, that in addition to being a monkey, Seth apparently also really, really wants superpowers; and that David thinks responsibility is the worst superpower anyone can have. Hey, wait a minute...
This episode features Anna, a theater afficionado from Iowa who doesn't want to be experimented on by the government and likes walking...even at the expense of an arm.
You can play along at home, too! Ask yourself only the most important question: Would You Rather?