eXplorminate
By eXplorminate
eXplorminateFeb 26, 2021
Songs of Silence Interview with Alex
Rob and Drexy interviewed Alex, the creative director of Songs of Silence by Chimera Entertainment. You should check out if you haven't heard of this one! In fact, here's a link to its website: Songs of Silence (songs-of-silence.com)
Shadow Empire Interview with Vic Reijkersz in 2024
Once again, the eXplorminate crew speaks with Vic Reijkersz about his fantastic 4X game, Shadow Empire. What's next? Tune in to find out!
Dominions 6 Discussion
Join Ben, DasTactic, and LucidTactics as they discuss what's new, improved, and otherwise worth discussing with Dominions 6, the newest Illwinter Designs grand strategy game. Music by Whitebat Audio. All rights reserved.
Episode #52: 2024 - A Banner Year for 4X?
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss the year that will be 2024X. They also digress a little, but that's not unexpected, is it? Music by WhiteBat Audio. All rights reserved.
2023 in Review and 2024X
Rob, Ben, Drexy, Shaun, and Jesse discuss the year that was 2023 and then hype up 2024, which we've dubbed 2024X. Read our recent article here all about the year 2024X: 2024X: A Golden Age of 4X - eXplorminate Music by Whitebat Audio. Used with permission.
Richard Yorke and the Gang
Ben and Drexy sit down with Richard Yorke, a strategy gamer grognard, and discuss strategy and wargames.
Commonwealth Episode #4
The Commonwealth gang, aka Ben, Drexy, and Shaun, discuss 4X, tactics, strategy, and even...RPGs?
Tune in to see what they're up to this month!
eXplorminate After Dark
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss the games industry as a whole and dive into the latest news, releases, and drama. This is the first and only "After Dark" episode that will be released to the public. More episodes in this format are already available, and more are to come if you subscribe to eXplorminate | creating a 4X, Strategy, and Tactics Game Podcast | Patreon
*Some explicit language is in this episode, please be warned!*
Interview With Triumph Studios on Age of Wonders 4
Rob, Ben, and Jesse interview Lennart Sas, the Game Director of Age of Wonders 4, and Tom Bird, the Creative Lead. Learn about what went into the design, what got cut out, and what's in store for Age of Wonders 4!
Outro music by Whitebat Audio. All rights reserved.
Consider becoming a patron of our podcast so we can continue doing this indefinitely! Click this link!
Episode #51: The News and GalCiv 4: Supernova
Rob, Drex, and Ben discuss some of the latest 4X news and dive deep into Galactic Civilizations 4: Supernova.
Outro music by WhiteBat Audio.
Consider becoming a patron on our Patreon, please! Click this link to support what we do!
2nd Interview With VR Designs on Shadow Empire
Ben and DasTactic interview Victor Reijkersz of VR Designs, the developer behind the cult-hit Shadow Empire! Learn about what Victor expects for the future of Shadow Empire and much more! Please consider becoming a patron of the eXplorminate podcast! We really appreciate your support.
Outro music by WhiteBat Audio. All rights reserved.
Interview with Ail, an eXpert in AI Programming
Ben and Dastactic interview Ail, the AI programmer behind some great games, including the lauded Warhammer: 40K - Gladius!
Age of Wonders 4 Deep Dive
Join Rob, DasTactic, Jesse, and Ben for a deep dive into the newest 4X on the block, Age of Wonders 4. It's a good game, but is it great? What can be improved? Tune in to find out!
— This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet and get every episode WITHOUT ADS (and we know that's an incentive!) - https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast — Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support Music by Karl Casey of Whitebat Audio
Interview With Edmon, Strategy Game Extraordinaire
Ben and Shaun sit down with Edmon, the Slitherine Games Community Manager, and an ultra-fan of strategy games, who's well known for playing games on their hardest settings. He has a lot of interesting opinions and this interview is a really fun listen! — This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet and get every episode WITHOUT ADS (and we know that's an incentive!) - https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast — Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support Music by Karl Casey of Whitebat Audio
Episode #50: Oceania, Supernova, and Why We Play
This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet and get every episode WITHOUT ADS (and we know that's an incentive!)
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod — Send in a voice message: anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support
Music by Karl Casey of Whitebat Audio
The Commonwealth on Master of Magic and Distant Worlds 2
Rob's out. DasTactic is in! Joining your host Ben and the illustrious Drexy, Das and the rest of the Commonwealth Crew discuss the improvements made to "NuMoM" and Distant Worlds 2 since their releases, in this WHOPPER of an episode!
This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet.
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support
Galactic Civilizations 4 Interview with Brad Wardell (Plus AI Discussion)
Rob and Ben sat down with Brad Wardell, the CEO of Stardock, and discussed with him the future of Galactic Civilizations 4, what may have gone wrong in its development, but where it's headed now, and how AI has started to shape game development.
Music by White Bat Audio/Karl Casey. Used with permission.
This show wouldn’t be possible without our amazing Patrons. Please consider supporting what we do through our eXplorminate Podcast Patreon. For $3 USD, you can help us create the best 4X, strategy, and tactics podcast on the internet.
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/explorminate/support
Spellforce: Conquest of Eo Interview with Jan Wagner
Rob and Jesse sit down with Jan Wagner, the Creative Director at Owned by Gravity, and talk to him about the development process, what got left out, and what might be in store for Conquest of Eo's future!
Music by White Bat Audio/Karl Casey. Used with permission.
Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
Spellforce: Conquest of Eo Review
Rob and Jesse sit down to objectively discuss the latest title that every strategy gamer is talking about, Spellforce: Conquest of Eo. Why is it good? What can it do better? Tune in to find out and get caught up on some of the latest news while you're at it!
Outro music is the title theme for Spellforce: Conquest of Eo.
Support the eXplorminate podcast: Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code eXplorminate at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod
Episode #49: Age of Wonders 4 with DasTactic
Rob, Ben, and Drexy are joined by special guest, DasTactic, as they dive in deep into the Age of Wonders 4 reveal! At the end, Rob convinces Das to help him love Distant Worlds 2 like Das does.
Outro music by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Commonwealth 'Cast #3: 2022 Retrospective and Looking to 2023
Rob's out. Ben, Drexy, and Shaun are in. The blokes discuss the games that drew their attention most in 2022 and the games they're looking forward to most in 2023.
Outro music by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Galactic Civilizations 4 Audible Review
Rob narrates his review from the site: Galactic Civilizations 4 Review - eXplorminate - Is GalCiv 4 worth your time, nearly a year after its release?
Episode #48: GotY and SpellForce: Conquest of Eo
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Jesse sit down and discuss the release of Master of Magic, then Rob and Jesse provide their impressions of SpellForce: Conquest of Eo. Somewhere along the way, Rob and Drexy have it out over Stellaris, then they make nice, and they all talk about their personal games of the year.
Fun show.
As it's the final show of 2022, we just wanted to take another moment to thank you all for your unwavering support. It means the world to us. We hope that 2023 will be an even better year for you, your families, and eXplorminate.
Thank you all!
(Outro song by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Used with permission.)
Interview with Mila of Muha Games (Master of Magic)
Rob and Ben sit down with Mila of Muha Games, formerly of Thea 1 and 2 fame, now preparing for the launch of the Master of Magic remake by the time you're listening to this! Get Master of Magic (2022) here: Master of Magic on Steam (steampowered.com)
The Pegasus Expedition Early Access Review: Audible
Friends, we're trying something new with this episode. This is the audible form of our written Early Access review for The Pegasus Expedition, which you can find here: The Pegasus Expedition Early Access eXamination - eXplorminate
Is this a format you'd listen to and enjoy? We could start doing this for our reviews and previews if you are interested. Be sure to answer the poll, so we know how to proceed!
Episode #47: Is Stellaris Really Good Now?
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun all bring to the table one element of relevant strategy news and then talk about the games they're playing, including Rob's new obsession? with Stellaris.
Music by Whitebat Audio. Used with permission.
Interview with Hooded Horse's CEO, Tim Bender
Rob, Drexy, and Ben sit down with the CEO of the upstart publisher signing all the indie strategy games lately, Hooded Horse.
Outro music by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Times are not exact:
00:43 Intro
02:35 Publishing Philosophy
05:14 Tim's interest in strategy games
09:34 Terra Invicta
13:18 Disrupting the publishing industry
24:04 Pushing the strategy game genre
35:23 In search of developers
38:05 Release roadmap
42:14 Why Hooded Horse?
46:12 The Silmarillion and other scenarios
51:20 Wrap up
Episode #46: Site Success and Terra InVictoria 3
Rob, Drexy, and Ben talk about Terra Invicta, Victoria 3, the success of our reboot, and that of publishing newcomer, Hooded Horse, and much more!
Outro by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Terra Invicta Deep Dive with PerunGamingAU, TortugaPower, and Havoc
Join Rob as he hosts Havoc, TortugaPower, and PerunGamingAU for a deep dive into the strategy game that everyone is talking about, Terra Invicta.
PerunGaming is well known for his extensive knowledge of this gem in his Terra Invicta series, here: Terra Invicta (Humanity First) - YouTube
TortugaPower is also showcasing his deep understanding of strategy in his series, here: Terra Invicta (Release) - The Academy - YouTube
And while Havoc also has his own series, he brings his experience as Hooded Horse's Influencer Relations guru into the show and provides a bit of inside knowledge about Terra Invicta.
Music provided by WhiteBat Audio. Used with permission.
Episode #45: BIG News and Our Games of 2022-23
Rob, Drexy, Ben, and Shaun talk about the HUGE news in the 4X and strategy world, including the Sins of a Solar Empire 2 announcement and a Vicky 3 release date, then get into the games they're most excited for in late 2022 into 2023!
Outro by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Bonus Episode #1: Special Guests and Games
Join Ben, Drexy, DasTactic, and Richard Yorke as they discuss strategy games and basically hang out and have fun.
More episodes like this will become available as we begin to really promote our podcast's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast
This episode would not have been recorded without our patrons. Thank you very much to: Steve Rudolph, Riley Gyorf, Joshua Dikun, Tom, André Conde Morais, Ray, JA Robert, Leyla Johnson, Odhrean, Rich Giles, Michael Hoffman, Bob Ruppert, Juan Raigada, Luke Hughes, K Green, Gordon Lipford, SunSoar, FermionAce, and Mark Carroll. We are eternally grateful.
Episode #44: Back on the Air!
Link from episode reference: Ara: History Untold - It's Your World Now (arahistoryuntold.com)
Outro music by White Bat Audio
Episode #43: Catching Up, News, and a Hooded Horse
Outro music by Whitebat Audio. Used with permission.
Episode #42: The "Pressure" of a Good Strategy Game
Ben, Drexy, and LucidTactics speak about the element of "pressure" and how it can make a strategy game more interesting and then dive deeper into what makes 4X and strategy games fun to play.
Outro song by White Bat Audio
Episode #41: Praxis Games Interview on IS:G Evolving Empires
Rob and Drexy sit down with Adam and Keith of Praxis Games and get some exclusive information on their newest expansion for Interstellar Space: Genesis, "Evolving Empires".
Listen in and find out what's coming to this highly underrated space 4X!
Outro music by White Bat Audio
Episode #40: The Iron Oath Dev Interview
Rob, Drexy, and Jesse sit down with Chris and Nik of Curious Panda Games about their upcoming mercenary management tactics game, The Iron Oath. If you haven't checked The Iron Oath out yet, you might want to start!
Outro music by White Bat Audio
Episode #39: Distant Worlds 2 Release Discussion
Join Ben and Drexy as they're joined by special guests (again), DasTactic and TortugaPower, while they discuss the release version of the highly anticipated Distant Worlds 2.
Outro music by White Bat Audio.
Episode #38: Stardock Interview - Galactic Civilizations 4: Part 2
Join Rob and Drexy as they speak with Derek Paxton, the Vice President of Stardock Operations and the Lead Designer of Galactic Civilizations 4, and Henry Pailing, the Community Lead for Stardock. Together they discuss the design philosophy of Galactic Civilizations 4, the lessons learned so far in Early Access, and the content yet to come!
Episode #37: Galactic Civilizations 4 - Part 1
Join Rob, Drexy, Ben, and Shaun for the latest news and then their first in-depth discussion on Galactic Civilizations 4. What works? What doesn't? Does the panel agree on anything? Tune in to find out!
Outro song by White Bat Audio.
Episode #36: Alliance of the Sacred Suns Interview
Rob and Drexy sit down with Steve Hawkins, the lead developer of Alliance of the Sacred Suns, and get a fantastic update on this promising newly branded "RPG 4X".
23:50 - A synopsis of gameplay, for the uninitiated!
Find Alliance of the Sacred Suns on Steam here!
Outro music is the theme music for Alliance of the Sacred Suns
Episode #35: Distant Worlds 2 Preview and the Rest of 2022
Join Ben, Drexy, and special guests DasTactic and TortugaPower, for their in-depth discussion about Distant Worlds 2 and the games they're most looking forward to in 2022, and the games they enjoyed most in 2021. A great discussion with some of the biggest fans of strategy games on YouTube!
Outro music by Kasey of White Bat Audio
Episode #34: The Commonwealth 'Cast No. 2
It's Drexy, Ben, and Shaun again, this time with updates on the recent 4X news and then they have a great conversation on a variety of 4X and strategy topics, including first impressions on the Distant Worlds 2 preview build, Regiments, and more!
Outro music: Evan King, Album: Enchiridion, Track 11: Guardians
Episode #33: Interview on Hero's Hour
Rob and Shaun sat down with Benjamin Hauer, the solo developer behind the Heroes of Might and Magic-like Hero's Hour, and discuss his excellent "adventure strategy", the development process, and his future plans for it.
Outro by Whitebat Audio.
Episode #33: 2021 Recap and Looking Ahead
Rob, Drexy, Ben, Shaun, and special guest, Jesse, take a look at the games they loved most in 2021 and the games that excited them the most in 2022.
News notes:
Episode #32: News Roundup and Star Ruler 2
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun deliver the latest in 4X and strategy news, including breaking news hot off the presses, and then dive deep on Star Ruler 2, a 4X game that could have been a huge hit...if it weren't for a few missteps.
Outro music by Whitebat Audio
- Distant Worlds 2 Release Date: https://explorminate.co/distant-worlds-2-release-date-announced/
- Revival: Recolonization delayed: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1306770/view/3115924807149905795
- Alliance of the Sacred Suns delayed, playtest early 2022: https://allianceofthesacredsuns.com/alliance-of-the-sacred-suns-playtest/
- Othercide Update and DLC: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/798490/view/3149702438617600254
- Dune: Spice Wars Announced: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1605220/Dune_Spice_Wars/
- Homeworld 3 gameplay reveal: https://store.steampowered.com/ap p/1840080/Homeworld_3/
- Stellaris End of Year Dev Diary: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/281990/view/3102414642529640500
- Old World Update and Upcoming Strategy Guide: https://gist.github.com/MohawkGames/8bd275fdad077b187523d6c955a06930
- Total War: Warhammer 3 release date set Feb 17th, 2022: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1142710/Total_War_WARHAMMER_III/
- Shadow Empire Naval update hint: https://www.vrdesigns.net/?p=2111
Episode #31: Neutrals and a Donkey Didgeridoo
Episode #30: News Brief and Against the Storm Discussion
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss the latest in 4X and strategy news, then dive in on a unique city builder, Against the Storm, now available on Epic Games Store in Early Access: https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/against-the-storm
**This episode was released early to our patrons at https://www.patreon.com/eXplorminatepodcast - consider supporting us there, please!**
Distant Worlds 2 Dev Diary: https://www.matrixgames.com/news/distant-worlds-2-dev-diary-6
Episode #29: The Combat 'Cast
Rob, Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss the latest news and then dive into the various different combat systems in the 4X genre. And of course, we find a way to complain about Stellaris, even if some of us are enjoying it quite a bit now.
Outro music by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.
Episode #28: The Commonwealth Cast No. 1
Ben, Drexy, and Shaun discuss all the latest news and then dive deep into a variety of different topics.
Galactic Civilizations 4, Sword of the Stars, Conquest of Elysium 5, and more!
Fragile Existence Interview with Lee Harris
The gang sits down with Lee Harris, the lead/solo developer of Fragile Existence (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1672320/Fragile_Existence/), a 4X, RTS, and survival hybrid that has us all VERY intrigued.
Music outro by White Bat Audio. Used with permission.