sidneyicarus.bsky.social
Applied Game Designer - ARPIA Best Game Award Winner - Systems Design Consultant
269 posts
461 followers
512 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
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wahhhh we can't make our planet killing plagiarism machine cost effective if we don't steal the work of creatives to train it on (so we can replace those creatives, because who wants to deal with artists amirite)
cry me a fucking river tech bro piss babies.
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Thanks! I'll take a look!
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No I haven't!?
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HELL FUCKING YEEEEAH DINOTOPIA!
I got into this as an adult and it's real amazing.
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Cynicism *at* cynicism is the post-postmodernism of our times.
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And more fun!
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What a killer name. Best Coffee-based name is still "Magic" Johnson, though.
Known for his order of the little-known Melbourne speciality coffee
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You've heart-maxed me, either way. I'm a dice-simp-loder. I'm a total listencuck.
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Shit, you haven't growthmaxed yet?
Means we've got to start with a boxed mattress ad. Maybe a VPN.
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SPICE EXPLODER.
I did it, you're rich forever now.
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You gotta get a meal kit to sponsor Dice Exploder, mate. Faerun-themed protein packs.
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No, no, mate! I think it's incredibly clear how you feel. I'm just pleasantly laughing at our difference in scale and impact.
Again, so so glad that 24k people (w/ 40+% open!) get your stuff!
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Exactly the same vibe over here! On all counts.
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This is why I don't have 24k!
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(The honest truth is that while our things are simply at a different scale, I'm simply overjoyed for both of our success! Neither of our work is defined by subscriber numbers, and I think we're both doing cool shit!)
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I still own the Willow Bluff text. I think it's worthwhile for me to republish it after 7 years, with designer notes and include the subversion half!
Not that anyone is playing Dogs that much any more, but it'd be nice to know someone has Brothers Archibald and Jacob's backs this time around.
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Vincent let me down. I let the GMs down. The GMs let their Dogs down. Good intentions, but let our styles get in the way. Vincent was an atmospheric "cagey" writer, I was an inexperienced ambitious structuralist. GMs worked with what we gave them.
I should've been better. I owed the Players that.
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The GM during prep is meant to adhere strictly to the scriptures and how the Faith thinks things go. The GM in play, along with the players, is supposed to kick that shit in its teeth.
I was only writing the prep. I was told to trust GMs to discover the subversion in play. I think I was led astray.
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I'm disappointed that the town as I wrote it was so rarely seen for what it is: An invitation to rewrite the narrative I presented.
Is it DitV's fault that I couldn't write the town I should have written? Maybe. Vincent has said before that the game wanted to split the GM in half: Prep and play.
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(I really appreciate it! Thanks for the kindness. I'm in one of your Breakout Games btw)
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You enjoy the one in which I reference your game as a phenomenal approach to Mystery design that maintains tension without succumbing to traps of the genre in play?
How convenient for both of us 😂
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(Actually the direction we're seeing things go isn't a choice between expressive and progressive choices, we're seeing them merge [learn a language and +1 attribute, and another edge-case power]. Hard line to walk between madlibing enough options, and every feat feeling like a samey madlib)
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I don't mean to suggest this as anything new. Just feeling more pronounced.
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I have no issue with it being locked behind a choice (if they want to drive the scarcity of these languages), but it's creating a frustrating situation where players need to choose between expressive, world-building choices like languages, and functional game mechanics like ability scores, saves etc
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High-performing teams are more than just Scruming. It's pulling people together. It's great to have a Scrum Master, but you also need a leader.
If all you care about is studio profitability, care anyway: Better teams have better outcomes. Better teams = better games.
The future is co-designed.
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The new paradigm is a focused, aligned, mission-defined team. What we call "High performing team in a fault intolerant environment". That doesn't mean a stressed-out, maxed-out team. It means a team that kicks ass when ass needs kicking.
(Snips from Mellick and Adams, 2009)
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Then you're a good friend to have 😂
I look forward to following along.
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Thanks! I appreciate you revealing a bit of your essay boundaries there too. I'm fresh to your work and still understanding what you do.
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You did say it would be valuable to bridge the gap for players, but that's not the question I'm asking. Valuable to play for smooth transition vs valuable to community/culture/the indie games sphere. I dunno, after so much time with this game, do you think it's changed you or the way you think?
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Pretty happy to stumble onto this video. Thanks for the work you put into it!
You mentioned a few times that Okada is providing a deconstruction of sorts on D&D, but I didn't hear whether you think that deconstruction is valuable. I'd love to know what you think "straight" deconstruction offers us?