Lightning Strikes Thrice

The story of Werdna comes to an end, or several ends, as we discuss the metaphysics and metapuzzles of Wizardry IV's final floors. Above, below, and more - we're all here and we're going to look at how we got there. Plus: an interjection from future Sibyl! The document I mention in the cut-in is behind this link (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CzhUPh4ZjIkL8t5d0o4CHip8WkgALPqv0XnPNEu7l_I/), and I highly recommend clicking and reading through. It's a delight. We'll be back next month with the debut of our Final Fantasy Origin: Stranger of Paradise season. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Folks: it's here, the final boss of Wizardry IV: a three-floor megachallenge known as the Cosmic Cube. We also include some host backtracking for items which are needed to find your way out of this three-dimensional disaster, and movie reviews with a side of musical critique! Get ready for an extravaganza. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded during November 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. This week gives us what your humble editrix describes as "the worst dungeon crawler map in the history of the genre". You wanna hear what that's like, right? 'Course you do. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded during November 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. This week is... actually probably the nicest episode we're going to have for a while. Learn about pleasant nerds from yesteryear and have a laugh at some of the funniest "why did I do that" item tricks the game throws at you. Don't worry, soon it'll get vicious again. I promise. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded before November 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. KNIVES OUT KNIVES OUT KNIVES OUT Alright, here we go, it's what the sickos have been waiting for, the second nastiest floor in the game. See how different ports make this a different challenge for everyone, and watch procrastination bite people in the whole ass. Also, Sibyl does a terrible Brenda Romero. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded in November 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. The first stage that gets some "okay, this concept rocks" out of everyone, and also inspires more rants than any other so far. You know you're in for a good time when the hosts begin to turn on each other, and we haven't even made it halfway through the game. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded in November 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. You have hired a contractor to create ten different mad traps for the immortal wizard in your basement. A few suggested mazes. Some went to real Halaster Blackcloak territory with their suggestions for "paths through Hell" and "time upon space" and the ilk. In the end, one of the pitches you heard sounded incredibly plausible and pretty final: "What about land mines? Just all the land mines in the world. A big, unmarked field of 99% land mines." The contractor was awarded a duchy and many, many soon-to-be-gibbed servants got to work... Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded in November 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. Did you know that they buried Werdna about half a mile under a portal to Hell? And somehow this is also where they bury a lot of the honored dead of the castle town? You can't think about this dungeon too long, it'll drive you mad in a "how does any of this come together" sense. Roe Adams III was a king for this, though. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded in August 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. This time out, the game explicitly begins, with one of the most infamous puzzles in the genre, and then... okay, next time. This one's not too bad. Also, dungeon ecologies, and what to do with a Dink! Next time we'll have the full cast as the chaos begins. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded in August 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. So it's come to this. We're going to look at one of the granddaddies of the RPG genre worldwide... through the lens of the most controversial and dismissed title in the entire franchise. Welcome to Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna, a game that eschews party creation and stat rolling for brutal puzzles and series mechanical mastery. Sibyl is back at the helm for a strange season start to finish. See who makes it all the way through one of the hardest games in the entire genre! Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded in July 2024. Don't @ us about how weird some of it reads in hindsight. Here, at last, we come to the end of all things underground, and then we decide "what if we actually turned away from the sun and went deeper for a week?" to explore the bonus dungeon. Welcome to the climax of Dragon Quarter. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

We've made it to the final dungeon! Hope you like running it four times. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

We fight tiny skeletons and discuss the ethics of collecting sneakers as we push our way closer to the Center. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

We explore the steamy, hot, throbbing Lifeline, and confront our old frenemy Bosch who has upgraded his hater game. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

Our team finally reach the resistance group Trinity's headquarters. Surely, they are going to be happy to help us, right?...Right? Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast, the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast, and Radio Manga! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

We all playing with our worm men at the mall. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

We run into some Certified Freaks(TM) in the Industrial Area and talk a lot about worm men (not covered in this episode) Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

This week, have another bonus episode of our patreon series Radio Manga (in which Matt and Sibyl alternate deep-dives on single works with shotgun spreads of what each has been reading), but this time with a guest! Grant (https://cohost.org/My-Name-is-Grant) (of various podcasts across the years) joins the crew to take a look at Masamune Shirow's The Ghost in the Shell manga, a brief look at his career's English reflection, and a slightly horrified trip down the rabbit-hole of his modern output. Grant showed up because he's part of a new project (https://www.lydiadisappears.com/) their team is trying to launch, and a fresh Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/foxbot/the-disappearances-of-lydia-fountayne) launching alongside this special episode. Give it a listen and a look if you want to hear a shady uncle go after what they deserve in a cyberpunk landscape... or other actors. There are other actors too. Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast!

We decide to smash Zeno and her paradox with a dragon boy Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)

We learn the horrific tradegy that is Nina's backstory--not that she's a sentient air filter, but that she is not AHAM Verified© Support Us On Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/pitchdrop) to hear Chris and Ryan's FF14 podcast and the Boku No Stop Premium anime podcast! Check out Garrett, Matt, and Chris discussing anime on Boku No Stop! (https://www.bokunostop.com/) Listen to Ryan's band at Cannon & DeVaron (https://cannondevaron.bandcamp.com/releases) and their solo work as Catastrophizer (https://soundcloud.com/catastrophizer) Read Matt's yuri reviews on Okazu (https://okazu.yuricon.com/category/staff-writer/matt-marcus/)