Some Podcast Recommendations

Back in 2012, I wrote a couple of posts about SWTOR podcasts I was listening to at the time. Most of them died shortly after I reviewed them, which made me feel both sad and like a bit of a jinx. I didn't listen to many podcasts for the better part of a year after that, though mostly for unrelated reasons. Recently however I've been poking my head into that part of the community again and have made some pleasant discoveries.

OotiniCast

This is one of those SWTOR podcasts that have seemingly been around forever, but for some reason never really came to my attention until recently. I suspect it's because I only had so much time to dedicate to listening to podcasts, and in terms of publicity OotiniCast was always overshadowed by the shows attached to big websites, like Darth Hater or TORWars. Now the tables have turned, and while Darth Hater at least is no more, the folks from OotiniCast are still around.

I would describe OotiniCast as a pretty "traditional" MMO podcast, with a group of three hosts starting off by discussing what they did in the past week and then going through a number of prepared segments. It may not be the most original thing in the world, but they all have good podcast voices and are a pleasure to listen to. They also tend to discuss subjects that for some reason I don't see getting a lot of attention in fan circles otherwise, such as playing the GTN to make money or their Galctic Starfighter experiences. The main thing drawing me to this show right now however is its community involvement. Aside from discussing their play and general news, the hosts are always keen on getting into discussions with people over Twitter or via other means, presenting an interesting snapshot of the kinds of subjects that the SWTOR community cares about.

The Unnamed SWTOR Podcast

The Unnamed SWTOR Podcast is a relatively young podcast compared to many others, and isn't part of a big website or gaming network. I only found out about it via Twitter, where its producer Gaddock Teeg (@GTeeg) promoted it every now and then and people would retweet him.

Where most podcasts consist of a whole team of hosts bouncing ideas off each other, the Unnamed SWTOR Podcast is a one-man show. You might think that this would make it less interesting to listen to, but you would be wrong. You can tell that Gaddock/DJ puts a lot of thought into what he's going to talk about and it shows, as he doesn't ramble endlessly or go off on sidetracks all the time. The final product is edited down to a relatively short thirty to forty minutes as well, which I see as a plus as it means that I never get bored and am always looking forward to the next episode.

SWTOR Reforged

This is another podcast that I originally discovered back in 2012, however it managed to die before I even had a chance to review it. Again, I was sad. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out the other day that it's seen a revival, with all the old crew coming back and everything.

The thing that makes SWTOR Reforged stand out from other podcasts is its playful nature. While the hosts absolutely do have serious discussions about the game too, they like to get "in character" a lot, channelling their respective factions and acting out conversations with companions that are only represented by sound effects (e.g. someone will chide Bowdaar for something or other and he'll respond with a Wookiee roar). It sounds a bit weird when described like that, and I can imagine that it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it gives the show a truly unique flavour. The hosts never take themselves too seriously, and you can always tell that they are having fun and are genuine Star Wars fans in general, considering how much time they invest in having segments about lore for example.

At two hours per episode the show is pretty long, which can be a pro or a con, depending on your point of view. Personally I have to admit that I start to drift off after the first hour, even if the things they talk about are interesting, simply because I struggle to keep up focused listening for that long. However the hosts have said in the past that they've also received feedback from listeners who appreciate having such a "meaty" podcast.