Welcome to the Gossip Stone Podcast!

GLHF! S8 is on!

With the start of the OOTR Standard Main Tournament Season 8, the regular crew of Emo, Jimbo and Chuckles break down the first half of the qualifier season.
We discuss what we think of the settings and qualifier races so far, who's up and who's down, and what our expectations for the future are.
We also bring you the finale of the OOTR World Cup with the Semi-Finals and the Finals. Who will win out of France, USA, Canada and Germany? Tune in to find out!

It's S8 time baaaaby! (feat. Melqwii & TreZc0_)

For the Gossip Stone Podcast Hosts, the nights are drawing in, there’s a chill in the air, and one host in particular has already began eating the mince pies. This can only mean one thing: THE MAIN SEASON TOURNAMENT IS SOON UPON US!

In this episode our regular heroes (Emo/Jimbo/Chuckles) are joined by main season tournament organiser Melqwii and the OOTR Daddy himself, TreZc0! We have a right ol’ chinwag about S7 reflections and where S8 is taking us, including some naughty or nice predictions on who we think will succeed this season.

Of course, we also take a look back through some on-going tournaments and events, including the comeback of RSL with RSL-Lite!
OOTR World Cup will be back next time, I PROMISE!
LETSGO!

The Gossip Stone Podcast at SpeedGaming Live 2024!

The Gossip Stone Podcast is back and this time we’re coming to you from OOTR War Room in Herndon, VA, USA at the site of Speed Gaming Live 2024, where the in-person tournament for SGL2024 is being held.
At the time of recording the tournament had just finished Brackets Round 1. Jimbo and Chuckles look back over the tournament thus far with an array of guests to discuss their matches and their experiences of the tournament.

The World Cup of OOTR Part 2!

Welcome to The Gossip Stone Podcast, your ultimate hub for all things Ocarina of Time Randomizer (OOTR). To kick things off this time we review the continuous stream of OOTR tournaments, including SGL online, Co-Op and the Franco tournament.
We also move into bracket phase round 1 for the OOTR World Cup where 8 regions and nations around the world will (hypothetically) fight it out for OOTR World Cup crown!
Also, Emo played a really crazy seed and it sounds like a horrid time

The Ocarina of Time Randomizer World Cup (Part 1)

Welcome back to the Gossip Stone Podcast! In this episode, Emosoda, Jimbo and Chuckles501 discuss the newly formed Race Mod and Tournament Organisation teams and highlight the efforts and challenges these teams might have behind the OoTR scenes in future.
We're also kicking off this summer of sport with the Ocarina of Time Randomizer (hypothetical) World Cup! We form 8-teams of 5-runners each that will have the (hypothetical) honour of representing their nations in (again, hypothetical) races.
In the next episode, we put the teams to the test to see who our World Champions will be (of course we'll be totally unbiased...)!
We've also got all the regular banter, goofs, and tournament updates in this edition of the Gossip Stone Podcast!

Season 7 Showdown (feat. Xavi)

In this episode of The Gossip Stone Podcast, we sit down with the legendary Xavi1337, champion of the Season 7 Main Tournament. Join us as we delve into Xavi's journey through the intense competition, strategies that led to his victory. We also discuss and celebrate our S7 Challenge Cup champion, DareDevinX.
But that's not all! We'll also take you on a tour of the other exciting tournaments currently happening in the OoT Randomizer community, such as the Multiworld Tournament, League matches, Tournament of Truth and others.

An S7 natter (feat. Jimbo)

More Podcast!! This episode, we delve into the nitty-gritty details of the Season 7 tournament and Challenge Cup. We've also got our resident race-mod Jimbo to chat ruleset changes, new tricks, and the successes of S7.
There's also a game, it's fun.

Season 7 Groups revealed! Plus the Triforce of Logic (feat. Jaxstronomy)

In this episode, we dive deep into the excitement surrounding the group draws for the Top 64 Tournament and Challenge Cup in the Ocarina of Time Randomizer Season 7.
Join us as we analyze the matchups and discuss the strategies employed by participants in this highly anticipated event. Additionally, we explore the intriguing concept of the Triforce of Logic in the final instalment of our trilogy.

SGL In-Person & the Triforce of Execution (feat. drooness)

We’re back for part 2 of our 3-part series about the three triforces of rando: routing, logic, and execution. Guest drooness joins Emosoda and Chuckles to talk about why execution matters, and compile a tier list of the most common OoTR tricks. Plus, droo gives a recap of what it’s like to attend an in-person tournament after attending SGL 2023. Special thanks to WTHH and BearKofka.
Resources/Links:
The Spoiler Log podcast (OoTR starts @ 18:30)
Trick Tier List
Optimizations and Tricks list (from Eps. 7 & 9)

The Triforce of Routing (feat. WTHH)

Part 1 of a 3-part series talking about the three triforces of rando: routing, logic, and execution. Emosoda and Chuckles are joined by WTHH to discuss routing, both generally and how it's impacted by the draftable settings in S7.
Plus, a quiz on which routes are quicker!

Surprise! S7 Settings (feat. Jimbo & TreZ)

Surprise! S7 settings are here! Wait, didn’t these just get announced at the exact same time that this episode was released? Guests Jimbo and TreZ spill the beans to Emosoda and Chuckles in a special episode jointly released with the race mod’s official announcement of S7. P.S. Recording issues are fixed!

Vive la France! (feat. RyuuKane)

Emosoda and Chuckles sit down with the Season 6 winner, RyuuKane, to celebrate the end of another successful main tournament. They also cover the latest weekly settings, and all of the tournaments that have been going on this summer, including Francophone S3.

Note: There were some recording issues that we didn’t notice until we were editing this episode. We’re trying to figure out what went wrong so that we can fix it for next time. Really sorry about that :(

The Ocarina of Time Randomizer Main Season Final: A Preview of SeYsEy vs Ryuukane

The Gossip Stone Podcast went live before Game 1 of the S6 Grand Finals to preview the match between SeYsEy and Ryuukane! We take a closer look at how both runners got to this point, the challenges they faced along the way, and make some of predictions on what will happen in the big match.

New Weeklies Debate and Tournament News (feat. DubuDeccer)

After being a guest for three consecutive episodes, Chuckles501 has officially been promoted to co-host! Emosoda and Chuckles are joined by guest DubuDeccer to discuss the many tournaments that wrapping up, including Season 6, Challenge Cup, and Multiworld. They also chat about what’s currently going on with weeklies (dungeon entrance rando!) and look ahead to what tournaments are on the horizon.

Resources/Links:
Triforce Blitz S2 Rules

Tournament Talk and Meta Musings (feat. Chuckles501)

Season 6 is in full swing! Emosoda is joined by third-time guest Chuckles501 to recap quals and chat about how brackets have gone so far. But S6 isn’t the only tournament going on right now! They also cover Challenge Cup groups and RSL S5 Top 8.
Finally, they discuss some ideas for new tournament formats and the meta that has evolved with vanilla adult start.

Resources/Links:
Atz’s classic routing tutorial

Get Hyped For Season 6 (feat. Jimbo & Chuckles501)

It’s the eve of Season 6, and Gossip Stone Podcast is back to get you hyped for the start of qualifiers. Emosoda is joined by Jimbo and Chuckles501 (two episodes in a row!) to talk about version 6.9, Season 6 settings, and our predictions for how the season will go. Also, we celebrate late November by reflecting on what we’re all thankful for.

Summer Tournament Roundup (feat. Jimbo & Chuckles501)

1, 2, 3...9! Emosoda is joined by guests Jimbo and Chuckles501 as they chat about the plethora of tournaments that have happened since the start of the Summer (Mixed Pools, Triforce Blitz, Season Six, and more!).

S5, League, & What’s New? (feat. YoshiKyon & DocHeaps)

After a short hiatus, Gossip Stone Podcast is back to discuss everything that’s happened so far in 2022. Emosoda is joined by guests YoshiKyon and DocHeaps as they chat about Season 5 of the main tournament, Season 2 of League, Season 4 of Random Setting League, and all the new features that are in development for the randomizer.

Random Settings & Rushing Ice – RSL & S5 Quals Recap (feat. Xopar)

Emosoda and Chimpanreeve are back with guest Xopar to reflect on how the Random Settings League Season 3 tournament went, including the path of the two runners who made it to Grand Finals. We also discuss what’s changed for RSL Season 4 and how league races have been going so far. Finally, we celebrate the start of Season 5 of the main tournament and chat about how qualifiers have gone so far.

Resources/Links:
RSL Site and Leaderboard
Winnie´s Crazy S5 Predictor (as of Q12)

Dungeon Door Requirement (DDR) Ruleset & Tournament (feat. shiroaeli & DobbyDigital)

In this episode, Chimpanreeve and Emosoda are joined by shiroaeli and DobbyDigital to talk about glitches. Specifically, we’re discussing the Dungeon Door Requirement (DDR) glitched racing ruleset. Tune in to learn about what is (and isn’t) allowed in the ruleset, some ideas for where to start when learning glitches, a recap of the first big DDR tournament, and a look ahead to the possible settings for DDR Season 2.

Resources/Links:Pictionary at ZSRMarathon 2021
DDR Season 1 VODs
The 21 Page DDR Settings Document

Community Check-Up (feat. TreZc0_)

It’s been a year since the big community shake-up of 2020, so Emosoda and Chimpanreeve invited TreZc0_ back to discuss how things have changed over the past 12+ months. In this community-centric episode, we cover a wide range of topics, including development of the randomizer, leadership, side communities, and volunteers.
We also look ahead to the future, with our goals for the next year and the path to Season 5.

ScrubsCentral & Scrubs Season 3 (feat. felixoide4, DareDevinX, & Aughoti)

Everyone has to start somewhere! Chimpanreeve and Emosoda sit down with guests felixoide4, DareDevinX, and Aughoti for a chat about ScrubsCentral and the ongoing Scrubs Season 3. We talk about how the Scrub Tournament has evolved over the past few seasons, what considerations went into choosing the settings, and how well the qualifiers have gone this season. We also share our opinions on what skills we think are the most fundamental for new runners, some common pitfalls to avoid, and even reminisce on our own humble tournament origins.
Resources/Links:
ScrubsCentral Discord
RSL Current Weights

Blitz Tournaments (feat. Cubsrule21 & Spikevegeta)

Emosoda and Chimpanreeve are joined by guests Cubsrule21 and Spikevegeta for a long chat about short tournaments! We discuss what makes a tournament “blitz,” what sorts of settings have been used, our experiences with running blitz tournaments, and some ideas for the future. We also have a conversation about OoTR’s inclusion in speedrunning marathons (like GDQ and ESA) and debate: do randomizers count as speedruns?
Blitz Tournament Discord

Time Commitment to Rando

There’s a lot going on in the OoTR community these days! Hosts Chimpanreeve and Emosoda break down all of the different tournaments that are ongoing, just wrapped up, or are starting soon, and have a frank discussion about what happens when you try to commit yourself to too many of these tournaments at once.

Weekly Settings and the OoTR League (feat. YoshiKyon)

In this episode, Emosoda and Chimpanreeve sit down with YoshiKyon to discuss the League that kicked off last month. We go over the history of the League, how the League admins managed to sort over 150 participants into 26 divisions, and how things are going within each division. We also discussed the current state of weeklies - what the settings currently are, and what other settings might be considered in the future.

Timestamps

• 0:03:33 - Weekly Settings Discussion
• 0:52:13 - Community Tournament Updates
• 1:06:23 - OoTR League
• 1:57:02 - Division 8
• 2:11:36 - Division 7
• 2:16:56 - Division 6
• 2:25:58 - Division 5
• 2:41:36 - Division 4
• 2:44:20 - Division 3
• 3:09:33 - Division 2
• 3:12:12 - Division 1 and Wrap-Up

S4 Conclusion and RSL Routing (feat. MrMario7788)

After five months (and eight podcast episodes!), OoTR Season 4 has finally come to an end. Chimpanreeve and Emosoda are joined by guest MrMario7788 to discuss Grand Finals Game 2, the final match of S4. We also talk about what else is going on in the OoTR community, with a focus on Season 3 of the Random Settings League and a discussion on routing tips/strategies RSL seeds.

Resources/Links:
mracsys’s tracker: https://mracsys.github.io/tootr/
RSL leaderboard: https://rsl-leaderboard.web.app/

Season 4 Grand Finals: Live!

Chimpanreeve and Emosoda deliver the first EVER live episode for the podcast where they talked about the Season 4 tournament, the final matchup, and how we got to this point. This was recorded live before Grand Finals Game 2 in front of a twitch.tv audience.

Season 4 Tournament Recaps - Rounds 4 & 5 (feat. TheSaltySponge)

The field has been narrowed from 11 down to 6 in OoTR Season 4, and Emosoda and Chimpanreeve are joined by special guest (and S4 contender) TheSaltySponge to talk about how the latest matches have gone. We cover Winners’ bracket semi-finals, as well as Losers’ bracket rounds 4 and 5, with some in-depth discussions on many of the interesting decisions that the runners have faced, including: ambiguous items on high skull counts, whether it’s worth it to dip GTG on the way to Spirit, and the possibility of skipping Zora’s Domain when you’re one item from go mode.

Season 4 Bracket Catch-Up

Season 4 is moving forward at a great pace! In this episode, Emosoda and Chimpanreeve get caught up on Rounds 2 and 3, with a focus on the four runners going into Winners’ Round 4 and their journey through the bracket. We also discuss the upcoming match-ups and make some predictions about who might win.

Round 1 S4 Tournament Matches Roundup (feat. felixoide4)

This week on the podcast, Emo and Chimpanreeve are joined by current S4 top 32 contender felixoide4! We discuss all of the first round of top 32 bracket matches for the Season 4 tournament - join us as we discuss plays, make predictions, and have fun talking about the current state of OOTR.

Timestamps

• 0:00:46 - Intro
• 0:04:53 - SariasObject vs MrMartin
• 0:18:01 - DylanMeeble vs DareDevinX
• 0:31:41 - SeYsEy vs Namaha
• 0:40:16 - Kevin_818 vs KayzoBro
• 0:46:41 - Fmzgun129 vs Oneshot013
• 1:03:08 - Bonooru vs Felixoide4
• 1:30:53 - PhoenixFeather vs MrMario7788
• 1:43:50 - RyuuKane vs Zoopal
• 1:56:09 - Holysparkz vs gsk8
• 2:03:31 - Riley vs TomPouce
• 2:17:09 - PinkKittyRose vs Vodzilla
• 2:27:12 - WTHH vs Readrim
• 2:37:57 - FantaTanked vs sanzeau
• 2:44:34 - Marco vs Gavaroni
• 3:06:41 - Kariossa vs WoodenBarrel
• 3:17:21 - KCNecro vs TheSaltySponge
• 3:31:10 - Looking ahead to Round 2
• 3:33:19 - Challenge Cup
• 3:37:13 - Outro

Season 4 - Post Qualifier (feat. YoshiKyon)

This week on the podcast, Emo is joined by former co-host Yoshikyon as well as current S4 top 32 contender MrMario7788. We discuss the top 32 bracket for the Season 4 tournament, as well as touching upon Challenge Cup and the ongoing Random Settings League Season 2 bracket.

S4 and the RSL - WhatTheHell'sHappened? (feat. WTHH)

We discuss The first 2 quals, the qual that never was, new tricks discovered in the meta and the Random Settings League

Season 4: What's new? (feat. Chimpanreeve & Gavaroni)

We discussed the differences introduced with the new Season 4 settings compared to the old Season 3 settings - we also took a look at some of the first weekly races that used these new settings for the upcoming Season 4 tournament! Feel free to post your feedback on the #gossip-stone-podcast channel here in Discord - we are always looking to improve each and every episode. Thank you to everyone for listening - I hope you enjoy this week's episode.

Community Patchup - Next Steps & How to Get Involved (feat. TreZc0_)

An episode a long time in the making! YoshiKyon & Emosoda are joined by the one and only, TreZc0, to discuss the changes currently taking place within the OOTR community and how they'll impact on all of us. We go in-depth on what can be done from the back-end to get people more invested, how everyone else in the community can take steps to get more involved, and what changes need to happen to keep the community thriving.
Whether or not there's a next episode depends on the reaction to this one - we're looking for more people to help out, especially with audio editing - so if you like what you're hearing, let us know, and thanks for listening (hopefully not for the last time!)

Competitive Cooperation

The Ocarina of Time Randomizer community is always developing new ways to play! This week, Emosoda and Chimpanreeve are joined by DylanMeeble to discuss the newly-formed OOTR Co-op Tournament, in which two players have to work together to complete a seed. It adds a new level of planning to the gameplay, and some exciting new strategies as well!
For the first time in Gossip Stone history, we did not include our normal weekly race recaps. Please let us know your thoughts on this if you have them!

Terminus Tournamentus™: Multiworld Tournament Edition

This...is definitely a do-not-miss episode. Yoshi and Riley are joined by Alaszun, one of the organizers for the inaugural OOTR Multiworld 'Squads' Tournament.
In this episode, get a behind the scenes look at what went in to putting together and executing this exciting, new, and unique competition, hear about a variety of fun and memorable moments from the tournament, and listen to some thoughts on what a potential second tournament might look like.

Terminus Tournamentus: Season 3 Standard Wrap-up

Many entered, 32 selected, and one brand new reigning OOTR champion. After months of jet seeds, AD seeds, highs, lows, and memorable moments, the Season 3 OOTR Standard Tournament has come to a memorable end.
Join Yoshi, Riley, Emosoda, and our new (!) Gossip Stone host Chimpanreeve as they analyze the tournament from all angles: noteworthy races, the Grand Finals race between Bonooru and Marco, and some insights from two members of the inaugural Chamber of Sages.

Progression Report: Mid-game Routing

YoshiKyon and Riley are joined by Cola to discuss your options as a player once you move into the mid-game: what do you actively need to be doing to beat the seed, and what's the best way to get to that point? These are decisions that can often make or break a race setting, so choose wisely!

Season 3 Tournament: The Final(s) Countdown

After 3 months of intense brackets matches, we are left with the final remaining competitors in Season 3 of the OOTR Standard Tournament.
YoshiKyon, Riley, and Emosoda take a look back at the progression of the tournament that got us to where we stand today, and offer some insights and predictions into the remaining matchups.

Randomized Settings (feat. Xopar)

Yoshi, Riley, and Emo discuss the latest weeklies and Season 3 matches, and Xopar joins us to talk about the wonderful fun of playing seeds with randomized settings.

Metagaming

Yoshi and Emo talk about metagaming and how it should or shouldn't affect you in a rando race. This discussion is preceded by analysis of weekly community races, as well as recent Season 3 Standard Tournament matches.

Strats and Optimizations (Overworld Episode)

Yoshi, Emo and Doc go through various little overworld strats and optimizations for the Standard ruleset not used as often by the racing and casual player base! Here is the Google Document for all the strats discussed in this episode!

This discussion is preceded by analysis of weekly community races, as well as recent Season 3 Standard Tournament matches.

Multiworld Madness: The (almost) 200-player Extravaganza (feat. Cubsrule21)

YoshiKyon and Riley are joined by Zelda Speedruns staff and OOTR moderator Cubsrule21 to discuss the largest to-date multiworld seed that occurred in late February, 2020. Cubs shines light on the intense logistical challenges that came with organizing and executing such an ambitious event.
Yoshi and Riley share their experiences of the event from the player's perspective. This discussion is preceded by a recap of recent Season 3 Tournament matches, as well as our Rando Recap of the weekly OOTR community races.

Strats and Optimizations (Dungeons Episode)

Yoshi, Emo and Riley go through various little dungeon strats and optimizations for the Standard ruleset not used as often by the racing and casual player base! Here is the Google Document for all the strats discussed in this episode!

This discussion is preceded by analysis of weekly community races, as well as recent Season 3 Standard Tournament matches.

Console Wars: OoTR Edition (feat. TheSaltySponge)

Riley, Emosoda, and special guest TheSaltySponge discuss the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the two most popular ways to play OOTR:
Wii Virtual Console vs. emulators such as RetroArch and BizHawk.

As a veteran of all play methods, TheSaltySponge offers his thoughts and expertise, as well as some recommendations for various types of players. Riley and Emosoda are seasoned emulator users who flex their powerful PCs. This discussion is preceded by analysis of weekly community races, as well as recent Season 3 Standard Tournament matches.

Hints: The Way of the Hero

YoshiKyon, Emosoda, and Riley discuss the namesake of the Gossip Stone podcast - the Gossip Stone and the hints they provide! Following the recap and analysis of recent Season 3 Tournament matches, listen in for a deep dive into various hint settings, their effect on routing and gameplay, and thoughts on current and previous standard hint distributions.

Opening Routes: Variety Edition (feat. WTHH)

Yoshi, Soda & guest Whatthehellshappened call back to last week's episode, taking the opening routes and adapting them for a whole host of settings, from the fairly minor (Shuffle Gerudo Card) to the extreme (full Entrance Randomizer). Plus, our usual recap of the weeklies and Season 3 tournament races!

Opening Routes and When to Use Them

Soda, Riley & Yoshi discuss the main opening routes - 3-Song, Early Adult, and variations on them - and the strengths and weaknesses of each, detailing preferences and what it takes to move away from those preferences.

OoTR Commentary: Dos, Don'ts and Hows

Yoshi & Riley are joined by special guest LostThePirate to talk about how to get involved in OOTR commentary, as well as some thoughts and advice on improving (both general and specific to the Ocarina of Time Randomizer). Plus, our weekly recaps and a catch-up on Season 3 Tournament races!

Season 3 Tournament Recap & Analysis

The first episode of the Gossip Stone - an Ocarina of Time Randomizer podcast - is here! Riley, Emosoda & YoshiKyon bring you the latest on the Season 3 Tournament, all the way from the first qualifiers to the most recent matches. Plus, a recap of the NA and EU weekly races from this past weekend.