Acceptable Losses: A Grimdark Podcast

6d ago

Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: discord.gg/nhX9NJ3EW7 In this episode of Acceptable Losses, we step off the train into City 17 to analyze the Universal Union, better known as The Combine. Unlike most alien invasions that result in immediate annihilation, the Combine’s occupation of Earth is a slow, methodical erasure of what it means to be human. We explore how the "face" of our oppression isn't an alien warlord, but a fellow human—Dr. Wallace Breen—who negotiated our surrender to save us from extinction, only to enslave us in the process. ​We dive deep into the mechanisms of control used to keep the population compliant, from the memory-erasing drugs in the water supply to the Suppression Field that ensures we are the last generation on Earth. We also break down the terrifying path of transhumanism within the regime: how a starving citizen joins Civil Protection for a meal, only to eventually have their humanity surgically removed to become an Overwatch Soldier or, worse, a Stalker. ​Finally, we answer the big question: What does an interdimensional empire want with a dying planet?

Dec 6

Merch! https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: discord.gg/nhX9NJ3EW7 ​"Hey, you like sci-fi, right? I've got a film for you."​That was the recommendation that led me to Aniara. I went in expecting a fun sci-fi flick; what I received instead was a harrowing dose of existential despair that I am still thinking about months later. In this episode of The Acceptable Losses, we take a departure from our usual game-based topics to discuss a film that embodies the ultimate grimdark reality. It starts with a routine voyage: a luxury vessel carrying colonists from a ruined Earth to Mars. It was supposed to be a three-week trip, complete with shopping malls, gyms, and swimming pools.​But when a piece of space debris forces an emergency ejection of fuel, the Aniara is set adrift, and a three-week cruise turns into a voyage into the void that none of the passengers are prepared for.

Nov 30

Merch! https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: discord.gg/nhX9NJ3EW7 Did Vlad the Impaler really stake one million heretics in 1573? What is Baba Yaga's hut doing on the front lines of Novgorod? In this episode, we explore the myths and folklore of Trench Crusade, from the Vampire Hussars of the Order of the Dragon to the skinless werewolves of the Path of the Beast.

Nov 15

Merch! https://shop.orchideight.com/collections/acceptable-losses Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Join our Discord: discord.gg/nhX9NJ3EW7 ​In the Mass Effect games, the fate of the galaxy rests on the shoulders of Commander Shepard. But in a war that consumes countless billions, the story of a single hero can mask the darker implications and the true weight of the conflict. ​This week on Acceptable Losses, we're pushing the "big hero" to the side and treating Commander Shepard as a myth. Instead, we are diving into the horror of the Reaper War from the perspective of the civilians, soldiers, and governments who fought and died on the front lines. ​Join us as we recount the galaxy-defining conflict, starting from the first chilling silence as the Batarian Hegemony goes dark and the unstoppable horror that followed.

Nov 9

Support us and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Forget aliens—humanity is its own worst enemy in BattleTech. Join Acceptable Losses as we break down a universe defined by feudal space lords, 300 years of devastating war, and the giant 'Mechs they pilot. We dive into the powerful Great Houses, the fanatical warrior Clans, and the terrifying phone company (yes, really) that secretly pulls all the strings: ComStar.

Oct 19

https://www.patreon.com/c/AcceptableLosses Have you ever wondered how the world of Fallout truly ended? Before the Wasteland and before the Vaults opened, a series of events pushed humanity to the brink. On this episode of Acceptable Losses, we conduct a historical deep dive into the complete timeline that led to the Great War on October 23rd, 2077. Our journey begins in the post-WWII era, where the timeline first frays from our own, leading to a world with a prolonged 1950s aesthetic and an ever-escalating Cold War focused on China instead of the U.S.S.R. We'll uncover the truth behind powerful mega-corporations like West-Tek and Vault-Tec, whose innovations and secret projects had horrifying consequences. Follow the global decay as resource shortages sparked decades of conflict, and China's invasion of Alaska ignited the brutal Sino-American War. Discover the origins of the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV), the shadow government known as The Enclave turning civilian vaults into social experiments, and the final, desperate hours that sealed the world's fate.

Sep 25

Forget the simple images of angels with halos and demons with pitchforks. The wargame Trench Crusade draws its inspiration from a much deeper, more terrifying wellspring of history and literature. From the multi-faced, wheel-eyed cherubim of the Old Testament to the intricate hierarchies of Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost, the game crafts supernatural entities that are truly alien and beyond mortal comprehension. In this episode, join us as we explore how centuries of art and literature shaped the awe-inspiring and terrifying beings of Trench Crusade, creating a unique wargaming experience that will challenge your very perceptions of good and evil.