I’m traveling and visiting friends. Enjoy yourselves.
I’m away, 2/22/24
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, after season 1
What’s my verdict after finishing season one of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters? No spoilers, I liked it. I even loved some of it. But I didn’t love all of it equally—for one, I didn’t care much about the big monsters most of the time.
My lack of interest in most of the monsters turned out just fine! That didn’t detract from the show, because Monarch is far more focused on people, and humanity, than on giant stompy monsters. And it was Monarch’s focus on people that I loved.
I think there are some interesting details in why I loved the parts I loved, and what didn’t work as well for me. Come check it out.
Continue readingDelicious in Dungeon (Netflix 2024)
Cooking anime meets dungeoneering adventure in Delicious in Dungeon. Based on a manga from Ryoko Kui, this show is focused on…
Continue readingGame system flavor & optional rules
This is pulled from a conversation I had recently about optional rules.
Rules combine to make systems, and systems create flavor by shaping the permissible and supported space of a game. Any skillful or willful group of players (the storyteller is a player too) can play outside the rules of the game system they’re using—that’s normal!—but that play isn’t supported by the system, and it isn’t part of the flavor the system creates.
Optional rules are opportunities…
Continue readingWorldbuilding: a swashbuckling campaign
I reviewed The Three Musketeers: D’artagnan recently, but I only realized I hadn’t yet reviewed it because I was deep in the process of creating a T3M inspired setting for an RPG. I knew I wanted the intrigue, the swordplay, the ambition, and the thrill of being small players discovering a much larger political game. So I hunted for and pulled out the themes that felt crucial to T3M’s fun, trying to find ways to create a setting that would evoke those while also incorporating the elements my players contributed.
I’ll lay some of it out for you.
Continue readingInternal critics & crediting all the work
I struggle to give credit to all the important work that is part of writing.
I think that work can be roughly sorted into three categories:
Continue readingThe Three Musketeers: D’artagnan (movie, 2023)
I saw this months ago, and only just realized I’d never mentioned it here.
I thought The Three Musketeers: D’artagnan was fabulous. Maybe I was brain-addled, or drugged without my knowledge, but by the end of the film I felt happy, and satisfied, and excited, and… just wow. I was floating. I really liked this movie. It’s one of the rare movies I’ve seen that made me immediately want to watch it again.
If you hate swashbuckling, swordplay, skullduggery, or the idea of watching a combination spy thriller and political drama full of swordfights set in 17th century France… clearly we have different tastes.
On the other hand, if any of that sounds fun to you… this might be the best version of The Three Musketeers I’ve seen.
Continue readingVast: The Crystal Caverns (boardgame, 2016)
What an incredible premise. What a fun game! If only it were playable without constantly referencing reams of paper on rules, errata, and commentary on the rules and errata.
Vast is admirably ambitious. It’s designed for up to five interlocking, competing, asymmetrical roles that all fit together beautifully to make this boardgame a nail-biting, neck-and-neck race toward victory. With a few important caveats, each player has their own rules reference sheet for their role, encompassing everything they could need to know in order to play the game. And with another few important caveats, everything can flow smoothly as each player chases their own victory conditions, pushing the game onward towards a thrilling conclusion.
Those caveats?
Continue readingFamily time, 2023
I’m spending time with family, here near the turning of the year. I hope that this finds you all well. I’ll be back with more in the new year. May you enjoy the returning of the light!
Monarch (Apple TV 2023), update
Turns out the third episode was perfectly placed to build up my impression that there wasn’t enough character development or emotional grounding going on in the modern day storyline. I’m not going to edit my review, but
Continue reading
Fistful of Wits 