I could get behind a grillotine

good on grandma to be sus of image gen, at least.

I'm still hoping for a new steam controller with inspiration from the steam deck. I loved the original controller and used it on the rare occasion that I needed controller input or for couch gaming. a newer version with all the upgraded components, hall effect joysticks, better trackpads, extra paddles, would be an instant buy for me.

let me tell you about daggerheart!

having combed through a good portion of ttrpgs that have come out over the last 20 years, and having played a version of d&d since the 90s, i've found a system that does a lot of what i've been after in a system and i'm hoping that it's popularity continues to grow.

things i like:

• new player friendly (either new to ttrpgs or new to this system particularly)
• heroic curve for player actions (2d12 > 1d20)
• narrative driven, but still tied to mechanics (in combat action doesn't grind to a halt, which allows for a flow that i more appreciate.)
• degrees of success and failure (allowing for more gradient resolution to checks, which then allows for more opportunity for tension)
• hope & fear as mechanics (hope being used by players to boost what they do and fear being used by the gm to facilitate opposition. i like that there's a tangible correlation between failure and the walls closing in.)
• the structure of monster and environment stat blocks (these work really well for me and it makes it easy to frame something with the mechanics with little effort).
• the emphasis on collaborative storytelling. (this is something i think either a lot of ttrpgs just don't do, do a bad job at getting across, or gms/dms don't take into account. i like being a fan of my players. i do not like the 'me vs them' mentality of running a game. this is the player's story, i'm just furnishing it with extra layers and adding complications when things don't go their way.)

if you like a heroic, narrative-driven fantasy system that makes combat less of a wargame, but doesn't pull it's punches, then i think this one is a good shout. i feel like it has enough rules to give players direction and enforce narrative choices, but removes some of the things i feel make other systems feel tedious or unrealistic.

other systems that i've eyed but haven't had a chance to play yet:

• delta green (high on my list. horror/conspiracy setting that put regular folks up against lovecraftian horrors. not to solve or understand it, but to end it. it's like call of cthulhu but you hate your job and you want to go home.)
• lancer (epic mecha building fantasy. make a big beautiful bot from a ridiculously large number of options over time and fight. super duper crunchy)
• the wildsea (post apocalyptic fantasy of sailing on the treetops of an overgrown world and dealing with what's left behind after nature takes back the planet)
• mothership (aliens the ttrpg. shit goes down on spaceships. you will probably die in a spectacular way. it will be fun.)

most of these recommendations have come from quinns quest on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@Quinns_Quest) and having followed quinns from board gaming to video gaming to ttrpgs, I feel like he does a great job of highlighting a lot of overlooked gems in this space. if not just to check out the possibilities that are afforded to you when you step outside the box of what has become popular, but to experience games that people put a lot of love into and it definitely shows in their work.

as a last point, i think it's okay to be critical of things, even things that we enjoy. often times the things we like the most are the things we're most critical of. i personally have watched d&d grow from ad&d to where it is now, and still play it. mostly because it's popular and the people i play games with know it well. they're the same people i've been making great strides with in terms of introducing new systems and showcasing all the neat stuff people have made. i'm not a fan of d&d anymore. mostly because i've grown tired of it, but also because of all the baggage that it has (wotc and hasbro being the biggest two). but i am a fan of tabletop gaming and getting together with friends to have fun. i think that's the primary goal, so whatever you use to facilitate that is fine. just don't close the door on criticism because you don't want to hear anything negative about what makes you happy. open the door to new things.

one of the hardest things is just trying and putting in effort to get better at something you're interested in. giving up before you even try is the real failure. telling yourself it's not worth the effort is just denying yourself the payoff. set aside any amount of time you want at whatever interval you can manage (30 minutes a day, an hour a week, whatever) and you will only get better over time.

don't sell yourself short. if you want to do this, you can and the best time to start is now.

I stopped caring about AAA games/studios when they stopped caring about making good games instead of profit. as others have said, indie devs are where to look.

I got pulled into that dudes rabbit hole and discovered that he's kind of bonkers crazy. like masonic temple conspiracy level crazy.

it's smart for business (if that business is manufacturing weapons of war).

just another grift to throw in the griftfire.

me when I feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger

this is a free game, but I don't think there are a lot of people who have played it (delivery & beyond).

otherwise it'd be these for tabletop simulator

i keep saying this. that man's voice does things.

gosh what a fantastic band. always evolving their sound while still retaining the essence that makes them sound uniquely gizz.

I'm partial to Fishing for Fishies myself, but they have so many high ranking albums in their catalog.

I think you're confusing 'excuse' for 'reason' here. no one is excusing his behavior, just pointing out that the reason he does it is because the system allows for this kind of behavior. we can see through the veil, but others are being hooked by it because it's designed to keep you hooked.

it's the same with other charismatic always online personalities. they're really good at spinning their bs and people keep eating it up because it sounds good.

at one point there were several listings on food delivery services that were all just hooters under different names. I'm not surprised that they're financially doomed.

I went through 3 of these within the span of maybe 4 years. the middle click failed on all three of them and I've basically written off logitech for any peripherals since.

I would love a well made mouse with the same shape/side button layout but the closest I've come is the glorious model I2.

in general, i agree. it's just a game and more often than not the system encourages you to tweak it to fit your group. however, i feel like there are times when people fight against the system by trying to hack it apart and rebuild it in their image. while i don't directly discourage this, sometimes this is done at a detriment and without consideration for balance or fun. if you like the changes you've made to your favorite system, and it works well at the table, then keep doing that. but if you're looking for ways to trim the fat, or like the ideas but not the mechanics, then there are so many more options to choose from than monolithic popular game.

i think it's okay to point out to people that there are systems that already exist that solves their specific problems. that's more than likely why they exist in the first place. and this goes especially for those who are new to ttrpgs in general, as there are lots of fantastic options for introducing people to the scene. i readily encourage people to try new things and experience how different systems make changes to the formula to fit their purpose.

speaking purely as a gm, and this is my personal preference, i don't want to fight a system to make it do what i want. if it doesn't, and that's a detriment to my personal playstyle, then it's likely not the system for me. i'm not married to any one set of rules, nor do i want more work to make any one system solve all my problems. if someone else wants to do that, finds enjoyment in that, and does it well, then more power to them.

I have very fond memories of lotro from when it first released. I could spend hours just running around the shire and enjoying the sights. I used to play with a group of friends, we had a guild called 'king of the underhills'. we all had hobbit characters with king of the hill inspired names (mine was cotton underhill) and we'd hang out in front of taverns playing instruments with the king of the hill midi and '/drink'ing.

I load it up every now and again just to run around the shire some more and remember the good times.

there's a great video by Hats Off Entertainment on the production of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLnIlP7kbdA

is that how we weigh merit? based on what impresses you the most?

I'd rather trust an asshole who knows what they're doing than a charismatic idiot who's just trying to be the most impressive.

that sounds like a blast. i've been wanting to try delta green for a while. I've had mixed success getting my current group to try ttrpgs other than d&d with mixed success (fate and monster of the week were fails, daggerheart has been a success).

good luck on the adventure!