How to make a video game, with Auroch Digital

Hosts Jemima and Matt are joined by another incredible guest in this weeks episode. Sword fighting expert Fran talks to us about weapons in video games.

Which games do it well? Which games do it badly? What is most important to get right when showing the complexities and brutality of using weapons? We look at The Witcher, Mount & Blade, Nidhogg, Skyrim, For Honor, and more.

Games discussed in this episode

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord - Medieval Combat Simulator & RPG

• • • Intro to the game - 0.00 - 0.30
    • Tournament fight - 3.00 - 4.21
    • Siege fight using spear, throwing weapons, and sword - 13.19 - 14.30

For Honor - Medieval Action Melee game

• • • Intro to the game - 0.00 - 0.30
    • Two handed sword fight vs AI 1.53 - 2.12
    • Fight vs other player 0.50 - 1.25

Skyrim - Action RPG, wizards, dragons, classic

• • • Sword and shield combat
    • 2 handed sword and then 2 handed axe combat 10.35 - 11.00

Nidhogg - side-scrolling two-player fighting video game, with fencing

• • • Fencing vs AI 0.42 - 1.08
    • Fencing player vs player 21.24 - 21.40

The Witcher 3 - Action RPG - The best one ever

• • • Sword fight vs NPCs - gorey watch out!

Mordhau - multiplayer medieval fighting PVP game

• • • Game intro - 0.00 - 0.30
    • Rapier fighting
    • Fighting with hammer

Show notes

• Want to know more? Fran's new podcast By the Sword looks at the modern study of the ancient art of swordplay
• Want to try your hand at sword play in real life? Find a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) club near you
• For our UK listeners By the Sword.net is for HEMA events for women and NBs in the UK run by Fran
• The School of the Sword is Fran's HEMA school so you can learn along with our guest

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Today we’re (virtually) opening the doors of the studio and inviting you in to see what working at Auroch is like now we've adapted to COVID-19. Ever wondered what a Studio Director’s Day looks like? Or how to manage your own community as a Games Studio? We discuss this and more with our colleagues at Auroch Digital, and explain why we are now a largely remote-working studio.

Show Notes
Did Brewmaster pique your interest? You can Wishlist it on Steam now
Check out our porting work on Megaquarium and The Colonists too, and the mentorship scheme Hannah and Ladell both took part in prior to joining Auroch: Limit Break
Curious to see more of our guests? You can check out their personal socials here:
Peter Willington
Oliwia Janczewska
Hannah Corcoran
Ladell Smith

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🚀 Mars Horizon and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

We’re back with fresh insights into the dos and don’ts of interviews within the games industry, led by our Studio Director Tomas Rawlings. Having conducted over 100 interviews, Tom is on hand to answer burning questions such as ‘do I need a portfolio?’ and ‘what should I wear?’, as well as suggest what you in turn can ask your prospective employers.

Show Notes
We’re currently hiring for various roles at Auroch Digital, so head on over to our website and check out what we have available.

If you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to work with us, you can check out our previous podcast episodes.

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🚀 Mars Horizon and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

For our last episode of the season, we highlight something Auroch has done for a few years now but never really spoken about much on the podcast – Steam Events! Since 2020, we have been running them yearly and it’s a pleasure to share that work with you all.

Auroch colleague and esteemed guest, Simon Marshall, joins Matt and Jess in the studio to talk about what Steam events are and how to run one if you are a developer looking to do your own. We cover the lows and highs (mostly highs!) and chat about why they’re worthwhile for devs and players alike.

Show Notes

If you want to check out our most recent event, you can head to the archived Steam page to check out the fantastic artwork by LadyRed, plus see the games we featured and maybe give them a wishlist!

And if you’re a developer or publisher and want to be involved in our future Steam events, you can sign up to our Steam Events mailing list where you’ll be the first to be notified of anything we run in the future!

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🍻 Brewmaster and 🔫 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

🚀 Wishlist Mars Horizon 2: The Search For Life on Steam

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

October 1958; a month of incredible human accomplishments like the creation of NASA, Viggo Mortensen’s birth, and most importantly, the first videogame ‘Tennis for Two’ launched on an oscilloscope.

Fast-forward 65 years later, we reach present day, with mobile games in our pockets, 4k 120fps HDR Baldur’s Gate 3, and a vast array of consoles and controllers collecting dust in our attics (or proudly displayed on our shelves, unplugged).

In this episode, we talk with our eldest and youngest colleagues at the studio (an age gap of over 35 years!) and discuss the games that we grew up with and shaped us into the gamers we are today. How are we similar across generations of gaming, and how are we different? What is it like to have grandparents that love videogames? And what do we aspire to achieve for the next generation of gamers?

Show Notes

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles: 🍻 Brewmaster and 🔫 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

🚀 Wishlist Mars Horizon 2: The Search For Life on Steam

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!