Kyle and Blake look back and see how their and Adam's predictions turned out, they dish out the individual awards, and they break down a remarkable and unexpected championship run in a tale that nobody would have predicted. We also look ahead to Season 5 - the final season of Stinger Bee League!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Whether it's Killer Queen Black, World of Warcraft, Overwatch or any other number of online games, there is an often unspoken but fundamentally inseparable relationship between the people who make the game and the people who play it. And at the heart of that relationship lies two ongoing events that - usually at least - propagate the mutual best interests of players and studios alike: the popularity of the game and the growth of its player base. But getting there together, and more importantly getting there in a way that is welcoming, engaging and respectful for all players, is a unique challenge that few games - perhaps none - have overcome cleanly. Dr. Kimberly Voll - professor, developer and researcher of all things video game - joins Kyle and Blake to dive deep into a topic that goes beyond Killer Queen Black, beyond eSports - perhaps beyond gaming itself.
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Where is the Killer Queen Black theme song's (by the band Powerglove) proper place in the annals of video game music history? Musician, percussionist, video game music historian Anthony Salvato joins Kyle and Blake to discuss the game's theme music with particular attention to the drumming. Is the drum track real or sequences synthetically? And if it's synthesized, then how can the Powerglove drummer possibly play it live when they tour? And just where does the theme come from exactly? The answer will likely surprise all but the longest-serving and most ardent KQB fans. Ready to move to the beat of a different drummer? Time for the BuzzCast, where staying on the beat is always only a suggestion.
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
She is the SBL Queen of Snail, and now she's the SBL Queen of Folk as she debuts her Killer Queen Black-inspired song, "Both Hives Now."* And with this amazing live podcast performance, Victoria might just be the SBL Queen of our Hearts now, too. Pull up your listening chair, grab a cup of your favourite warm beverage, and settle in for the folk song edition of the BuzzCast!
Correction: We mistakenly indicated that Joni Mitchell was "late;" in fact, we have been reminded that she is alive and well and is in fact quite punctual.
View the referenced Bee Game League matchup on QP Minibosses here.
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
* Parody of Joni Mitchell "Both Sides Now"
There are three paths to victory... or are there? Blake and Kyle put this oft-spoken but rarely scrutinized expression under the microscope. Blake argues that the magic number is seven, while Kyle claims that there are only two. What are Kyle's Two? What are Blake's 7? Ready to take the road less traveled by? Then come off the beaten path and head over to The BuzzCast!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Blake and Kyle answer the questions you never thought you wanted answered: How does grass impact Killer Queen Black games? What does it mean for the lowly snail? How can teams strategically use grass to their advantage? And if that wasn't enough, a new "Best Map For Snail Victories" will be crowned. So hop on over the proverbial fence, because it's always greener on the BuzzCast!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Blake and Kyle welcome back Adam to the BuzzCast... And grill him on the teams from season 3. How did his algorithms lead to such disparate results in season 3 - or were they actually all that disparate in the first place? What changes were made to season 4 teams? And for that matter, who are the season 4 teams? Blake introduces those, and then Kyle, Blake and Adam make predictions. Who will win the season? Who will be MVB? Who will be the most fun to play against? All those questions and more will be answered on a very special edition of the BuzzCast!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Blake and Kyle welcome Jackie Lerash Gartner, marketing manager for LiquidBit, to the BuzzCast to talk about the latest update. What were the design objectives behind the Throne Room? What's the story with Abs? How does LiquidBit navigate the delicate space where Killer Queen Black the game and Killer Queen Black the community intersect? These questions and more have answers, and you can hear them on this very special episode of the BuzzCast!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
What shiny new feature would you like to see in Killer Queen Black? Really? Great idea, thanks for sharing! Now it's our turn: Blake and Kyle share their top 10 wishes for Killer Queen Black. From the simple to the sublime, from the creative to the cringe-worthy*, we share all our ideas: DLCs, APIs, WTFs - if there's a three-letter acronym for it, we're going to list it.** Time to tune in to another off-season episode of the BuzzCast!
*Note: Should only make developers, publishers, marketers and CEOs cringe.
**Note: Except for all the ones we don't list, and then some.
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Blake and Kyle deconstruct the sneak preview of the Throne Room, the upcoming new Killer Queen Black level! What secrets will it hold? Will its design favour military, economic or snail approaches? What paths can we expect the queen to take? What will workers do? Had enough questions yet? No? Then stop reading and start listening to the BuzzCast!
See the sneak preview video of the Throne Room here!
See the screenshots and some of the terminology we use in this episode here.
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Bee Game League discord moderator Joe Sklover joins Blake and Kyle to discuss the Bee Game League and other topics, including some of the early roots of not just Killer Queen Black, but of its precursor Killer Queen Arcade; Blake and Kyle recap the nail-biting Stinger Bee League playoffs; and we discuss the upcoming offseason and what's in store for the future of the Stinger Bee League and for the future of the BuzzCast. Excitement! Suspense! Drama! Exclamatives! The BuzzCast! You! Listen!
P.S. We were remiss during this episode in forgetting to thank everyone from Bee Game League and abroad who watched the Stinger Bee League playoffs, but we saw you and we were humbled and indeed we are very grateful - thank you for taking the time to tune in and watch us!
Watch the Stinger Bee League season 3 playoffs stream courtesy of the QP Minibosses!
Check out the excellent Bee Game League website, including the BGL API!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Kyle and Blake dig a bit deeper to find the underlying numbers that tell the stories of season three; we look back at the final games of the regular season and find out which streak ended and which one found its way into the record books; and we sneak preview the upcoming playoffs. It's time to look back, so join us for the BuzzCast and don't look back!
Link to the QP Minibosses coverage of the SBL Playoffs (and their excellent Bee Game League coverage) here.
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Our queen panelists share their experiences as full-time queens in Stinger Bee League, as well as all their secrets for the benefit of new and aspiring queens; Tim reports on last week's games (one of them at least) from the BuzzDesk; and Kyle gets to relax and just ask the questions. Don't just sit there on your throne - c'monarch over to the BuzzCast! (Seriously, that was the best I could do??)
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Kyle and Blake answer your mail-in questions (well, Blake answers them, Kyle just reads them); we also ask the question: does the Podcast Effect exist? We look back at the fierce matchups from week 7 and find out how guest player Joe from Bee Game League fared in his Stinger Bee League debut; we look ahead to week 8; and Blake makes a very special announcement that all SBL players should be excited for! It's time to get pumped for the BuzzCast, because this sort of thing is Blake's Bag, baby! And it's going to be huge.
P.S. We'll link to 23 second Helix Temple solo berry record video once we can actually get our hands on a link to it!
P.P.S. It's been a week and we still don't have it!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Blake and Kyle deep dive into tactics and strategies around powerups - what they are, when to use them, and when not to use them; we review week 6 matchups - is this the week that Shaka, When The Drones Fell finally fell? - and we look ahead to week 7, including a sneak peek of our newest segment. So don't get stuck at the gates - it's time to power through the BuzzCast!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Special guest Adam gives us the statistical skinny while filling us in on his personal Killer Queen Black origin story, and also gives us a sneak preview of what next season's teams could look like; we review Week 5's riveting games, including exclusive on-the-scene reporting by our very own Tim; and we look ahead to Week 6 matchups through the lens of Blakes Keys to Success. Don't be mean - it's time to get into BuzzCast mode, where you're guaranteed a median performance from Kyle and plenty of regression from our audio editor!
(Update 6/21: General volume issues have been addressed.)
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Special guest Victoria lets us in on some of her snail know-how, including the surprising story of her natural affinity with the Killer Queen Black gastropod; we review week 4 games, including the edge-of-your-seat excitement between Cash Honey Beelionaires and Sting and the Police; we look ahead to week 5; and Blake does a deep-dive into where the snail really fits into a team's strategy. Is riding a snail to victory the best way to go, or is really just a shell game? Come join us for the whole slimy story!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Kyle and Blake tell you what to expect from the BuzzCast going forward, review week 3's matchups, preview week 4, and get into the nitty-gritty of berries! Are they worth the fruits of your labour, or are you just sowing the seeds of your own despair? Listen to our first episode and get the "hole" story! Swish!
Opening and closing theme music are excerpts of "Bee Sting" by Low Doses, used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
