Don't forget that the finished product is also the result of Dan's editing, and his skill in picking out the material that is good and cutting the stuff that is less good goes a long way to creating the effect you describe.

Yes. Dans editing is godly.

I've tried other podcasts, but the only one I continue to regularly listen to is FtB.

Like I mentioned in the wall of text I left earlier in the thread - they compare well to the TWiT Network. That's so good, it's bizarre. TWiT is a commercial podcasting network with everybody on the shows getting a paycheck and a bunch of paid editors, state-of-the-art EXPENSIVE equipment, and its own custom-designed building. FtB is non-commercial and done in the hosts' free time. The mind boggles.

The editing is part of what I love most about it. There are no odd gaps, next to no futzing around with "like", "um", "uh", and similar phrases, and the sound quality is probably the best I have ever heard from any podcast. It is polished, and the work that goes into that probably deserves far more appreciation than it gets.

Chad, I apologize for assuming you were kidding over in the FTB Frustrations thread. I did not know you were getting so much grief.

I don't know who is giving Chad grief, or why, but I, for one, will declare myself pro-Chad. I hope, Chad, that you can hear the overwhelmingly positive appreciation I and many others have for you, and not be discouraged by the grousing of ... whomever is doing the grousing.

We're here because the show is great, and the community is great. I could go on for hours listing the things that are great about the show, from high signal ratio to casual presentation to the endless in-jokes that develop organically over time. My complaints are few, and meant with the best intentions as a fan who loves the show.

And Chad, it really can't be overstated a) how cool you are in person or over a VOIP channel and b) how much you've done to legitimize the off-the-cuff GM.

There's a reason everyone in the Bootercalls like Chad, and that Chad seems to be a favorite host for a disproportionate number of improvisational GMs. As someone in both categories, I am strongly pro-Chad.

Yeah, I really can't add a whole lot here. Time Spike has pretty much nailed everything on the head. From production values to topics, you guys are my go-to podcast every single week. I'll let other podcasts I listen to slip from week to week and then catch up later. I actually intentionally boot up Itunes just to get the latest FtB episode and wind up doing it a few more times just to get it when it comes out.

As far as praise goes, I don't think I can give any better than that.

Now, on the whole Chad thing - let's be honest, Chad is pretty strong in his opinions. He presents his ideas very well and, well... strongly. So, getting a lot of negative reaction comes with the territory (something I've recently experienced on this board as well *waves at Lord Foul* :p ) There's nothing wrong with having a strong opinion and defending that opinion, but, getting lots of flak for that comes with the territory.

[As I started in the other thread.]

I also think bringing Wayne into the cast was one of the best decisions. Being new to gaming, he brings a fresh perspective and reminds me (a little) of what it was like being 12 and looking at the rack of gaming books on the hobby store shelves. Secondly, but just as importantly, he has very little shame - which means he's a good sport about the "Wayne's Awkward Confessions" and being able to just admit that he didn't know how something worked or that he made a naive decision.

I thoroughly enjoy Wayne's contribution to the round-table discussion.

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I also LOVE the tet-e-tet between Chris and Chad. For every one of Chad's "Why do we need rules" there's Chris with, "This has been working for decades, that's why!" The episodes with a high Chris/Chad Interaction Quotient have been some of my (recent) favorites.

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I'll also throw out here that Pat does a DAMN FINE job of moderating a discussion when Dan's not big-man behind the mic. That shouldn't be overlooked, and being the guy who consistenly says, "I don't GM, it's not my strength" also means he's less beholden to a specific GM'ing style.

John Grana.