#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Towards a new game (2)
In a “Code” game I roll for the baddies, you roll for your character. We find out who wins. We narrate what happens.
This doesn’t have to be a physical conflict. If you have (eg) “Social Standing” you can basically bully them into giving up.
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One of the things I love about my #TTRPGTHOUGHTS is when they prompt a thread like this.
A few more of these over the coming days should completely disabuse me of the notion to write a new game.
#CONPULSION
My blog report on the convention is done:
rpgs4all.blogspot.com/p/conpulsion...
(It was basically written on the 5 hour train journey home. The train internet just couldn’t handle the photos.)
I THINK I missed by #TTRPGTHOUGHTS yesterday typing this. Apologies if I did.
9
….address some of these brain worms going around in my head.
So my next few #TTRPGTHOUGHTS might be addressed toward groping towards this new thing. May go nowhere but may help exorcise these thoughts in my head.
9/fin
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Towards a new game (1)
My mind is swirling with thoughts. On one side, I LOVE my “Code” games - especially The Code of the Spacelanes and The Code of Steam and Steel. But I’ve played them so much at this point that I’m beginning to see flaws. Or getting bored with some bits.
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Pregens or character generation at the table. Why not both?
I started my serious convention going to demonstrate a game. Because of that I wanted to demo the character generation process - which is generally considered a silly thing to do.
But I found ways to do it.
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Lore as a defence against Gonzo.
I’ve been using the term “gonzo” to describe a style of play recently.
Apparently there’s a very specific definition of gonzo referring to an approach to journalism.
But beyond that, according to a dictionary, it’s come to mean:
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While you're visiting the website, be sure to also check out Rev's blog that's full of #TTRPGThoughts and free games and other such things.
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Booking a game. What’s the best system?
Let’s put signing a sheet on a noticeboard to one side for the moment.
I was going to discuss it from a player perspective of booking into a game in advance but….
…I don’t really HAVE much of that perspective.
So….
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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What are the problems with IPs?
Apologies if any of this overlaps with what people were contributing yesterday. As soon as this came up I wrote it down on my list and decided to discuss it today, rather than reply then.
First issue with TTRPGs based on extant IPs:
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While you're visiting the website, be sure to also check out Rev's blog that's full of #TTRPGThoughts and free games and other such things.
#TTRPGThoughts What's something that makes you hesitate to try a new RPG?
Superficial of me, but games requiring custom cards or dice are a friction point for me to try something out. Even worse if I have to consult a table (real or mental) to use another die as the equivalent, like fudge dice.
🌞 Good morning all my lovely #TTRPG friends! 🌞
The hashtags of the day are #TabletopTuesday to share promos and/or celebrate the hobby and #TTRPGThoughts to share your ideas about games from play advice to #RPGDesign. Let's have some fun and mix it up today!
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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How long is an hour, perceptually?
I got into 1hr scenarios after running some one hour Pathfinder scenarios at conventions.
I am proud of my ability to curate a full memorable story in an hour.
I think that’s a short TTRPG session. But the phrase “one hour” seems to….
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While you're visiting the website, be sure to also check out Rev's blog that's full of #TTRPGThoughts and free games and other such things.
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Do you need a Referee in a TTRPG?
Apparently not.
But I’d argue it is a concept that’s built into the very fabric of the hobby.
Despite the urge amongst many to deconstruct the games to make something different and better, someone has to get the rules, read the rules….
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Should the existence of Friendly Local Games Stores affect game design?
Do we even need shops in the modern age? Let’s shelve that and assume we’re better off as society in with some analogue stores where people can meet in the meat world and physically interact with product.
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Core to the Motif approach is dice labels (or "flavors" in Motif-speak). It's really one of my favorite things! (And I love seeing other designers use dice labels.) Each die is a unique factor. Explore these #TTRPGThoughts with me!
thoughtpunks.com/dic...
#TTRPG #IndieDev
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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How do you avoid spoilers?
I went to the cinema the other day to watch Project Hail Mary. There was a f*cking trailer for Spider-Man: Brand new day. I have had some wonderful surprises spoilt by trailers. I’ve been trying to actively avoid them.
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While you're visiting the website, be sure to also check out Rev's blog that's full of #TTRPGThoughts and free games and other such things.
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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How do you engage all 5 senses playing TTRPGs?
Sight - you can describe what PCs see. You can print & hold up images of what they see.
Sound - you can tell them what they hear. You can give NPCs distinctive voices. Apps exist to create/play ambient sounds & music for TTRPGs.
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Submitting games too far in advance for conventions - issues.
So I just found this note on my phone.
Tabletop Scotland?
- Sun am Discworld
- Sat night The Code of Cthulhu
- Sat pm Starfleet Academy
- Sat am Slipstream
- Fri night Undercurrents in Atlanteum
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#TTRPGThoughts What's your ideal game session length? In high school, when free time flowed like water, it was up to 6 or 7 hours for me, but as an adult, I feel like the sweet spot has settled around 3-4 hours.
Core to the Motif approach is dice labels (or "flavors" in Motif-speak). It's really one of my favorite things! (And I love seeing other designers use dice labels.) Each die is a unique factor. Explore these #TTRPGThoughts with me!
thoughtpunks.com/dic...
#TTRPG #IndieDev
🌞 Good morning all my lovely #TTRPG friends! 🌞
The hashtags of the day are #TabletopTuesday to share promos and/or celebrate the hobby and #TTRPGThoughts to share your ideas about games from play advice to #RPGDesign. Let's have some fun and mix it up today!
#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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How do you know what to bring to a convention?
I’m trying to go to a TTRPG convention every weekend in 2026. There was nothing on for Easter weekend ‘natch.
But there’s a Science Fiction convention on at the NEC & it says its got a games room & TTRPGs.
So I’m going to that.
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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I am responsible for the ephemeral nature of more characters than any other media.
It’s a threat given many times in SciFi. “You won’t die. It’ll be as if you never existed.”
Even if the threat is carried out, the character still exists in the 1st part of book movie.
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Designed to succeed? What are the benefits/drawbacks of Cost vs. Failure?
There was a period in my life where I went to a weekly pub quiz. It was bloody easy. Almost everyone in the pub got scores in the 80th percentile. I (the person I went with wasn’t that bright*)…..
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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Am I supposed to REMEMBER everything I’ve written?
You guys out there that play 100s of different games and can keep all those different systems square in your head, you have my admiration.
I can’t even remember the rules for the games I’ve written.
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#TTRPGTHOUGHTS
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What a difference an “i” makes.
When I’m typing up a game (I still do a few minutes some days) an easy typo I’ve noticed which can totally change the meaning of a passage is RUN and RUIN.
“I’m going to RUN a game tonight.”
“I’m going to RUIN a game tonight.”
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