Recent content by Umbran

Wow, how cynical that sounds. This isn't a full setting product to satisfy "big fans". It is an example, a taste so that folks who haven't done up a setting before can see the basics of how it is done. Greyhawk was pretty bare bones in its original incarnation, and it is a nice nod to the...

In Fate, this is pretty easy to do as well - if a system allows one to make a character that will be okay if a mook or two comes at them, but they aren't a major threat to draw attention in a fight, that supports high power disparities.

It is easer to support such a character in a game with fewer players. When there's only one other character, getting spotlight is pretty easy, no matter your stats. When there's five other characters that are more powerful, it is harder for a weaker one to shine.

And, you'd kind of expect it in Apocalypse World, as well. Folks in an apocalyptic setting are going to be moving around looking for safety and resources and all.

I don't think in terms of "which of these are the largest problems, in general". I don't have table concerns "in general". I only have them in specific. If I am at a table with one of these concerns, then it is a problem. I don't need to compare it to problems I don't have.

This is a question for @Morrus .

Agreed. Even reading the comics, you have to sometimes wonder why Bats doesn't pull out the big guns every time. In a game, when the player looks at a character sheet, and it says he can do a thing... why doesn't he just do it? If you have a big "I win!" button, why don't you press it every...

Mod Note: Folks, While racism in the game is a valid topic, in general, let us not stomp this thread into the ground with it. If you want to talk about issues of racism in older products, please take it to another thread, and let folks move on with discussion of the upcoming new material here...

I think that really depends on the game. For example, I think games that are trying to aim you at a particular setting and specific feel do well to have consistent art direction. Games that are actively encouraging you to go your own road can do that with a more varied art direction.

Let us not confuse classification in official documents with cultural norms.

It may be relevant to note that the awareness Thomas Shey demonstrates underlying this is not the most common thing. We run into many cases with posters who feel their own behavior is just fine, thank you, but when someone else does the same thing, it is intolerable. This sounds like it could...

That is on top of how you don't really have to "know" a person to form a clique with them anyway. You can band together with relative strangers.

I feel like you are arguing against some internal image of what we do, irrelevant of what I say. I already told you, more than once now, that we don't generally use number of a blocks as a metric in day-to-day operations. So, why are you trying to school me on how to not use it? My...

While true (I went to some of the Boston Gamedays way back when), that's not really the point. I have never been in the same physical space as Morrus and Danny. Never even been on a voice call with either of them. Is anyone going to be so presumptuous as to assert that I don't know these...

Yep. The other arm of the "Jimmy Olsen problem" is to note that raw superpower is not the only way to influence the narrative. Lois Lane doesn't have superpowers, but she moves stories forward by sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, learning what's going on, influencing people with...