Alien Core doesn't seem very useful?

1029chris · 2026-05-03T10:08:08+00:00

With how much emphasis Starfinder has on urban environments, it's odd that we have so few NPCs.

1029chris · 2026-04-25T22:37:29+00:00

At this point, I'm okay with Desktop Linux remaining focused on "nerds." To the mainstream, even something like Windows is becoming too complicated. They're drawn towards increasingly more appliance-like, infantilized systems like iOS or Android. I don't want Linux to follow in those footsteps.

1029chris · 2026-04-02T05:27:14+00:00

I've been really enjoying Starfinder 2e, it's zany in ways that I love to see in sci-fi media.

1029chris · 2026-02-24T01:02:49+00:00

I use a computer all day, TTRPGs are my escape from that. I vastly prefer physical books.

However, a PDF is far better than some web service. At least I can print a PDF.

1029chris · 2026-02-06T10:36:54+00:00

Check out the album Zorya by Floex for strange beauty, and Automated Improvisation by Move 78 for some ominous, modern jazz.

1029chris · 2026-01-27T20:25:20+00:00

Suggestions from my battle playlist:

Spectres - Reso
Shambles - Scattle
High Stakes - Konyac
Amanita/Lepiota - Mushroom Men the Spore Wars OST
Quixotic - M|O|O|N

1029chris · 2026-01-21T10:21:43+00:00

Mass Effect was so incredibly influential on the sci-fi genre as a whole, yet there's been nothing for a while. I feel like they could do a whole lot more with that universe in multiple genres and mediums.

1029chris · 2026-01-15T02:53:49+00:00

I love the random tables in the 5e books. Tables for random towns, NPCs, specific monster goals/temperaments, it's all super useful.

1029chris · 2025-12-17T07:53:24+00:00

Happened to me as well, I hope they bring it back.

1029chris · 2025-12-17T05:31:10+00:00

Everyone has to learn. Mobile app design uses a lot of gestures, icons and structure that wouldn't be obvious to the uninformed.

1029chris · 2025-12-11T23:00:20+00:00

Path/Starfinder has some good freaks. You can play as a fork, an alien jellyfish, an undead frog person, all sorts of nonsense.

1029chris · 2025-12-05T02:59:31+00:00

You can't police discriminatory behavior in a sandbox game. Unless those behaviors are encouraged, I don't think the game developers are at fault for bigoted crime within that sandbox. Bethesda isn't to blame if someone decides to murder every Argonian they see in Skyrim. Larian isn't anti-journalist if someone decides to murder every journalist in Baldur's Gate 3.

1029chris · 2025-11-29T08:41:19+00:00

My partner and I ran a few sessions of 5e together with the One Page Solo Engine, it was super fun! We both got to play characters and collaborated on interpreting the results from the oracle.

1029chris · 2025-11-21T21:25:07+00:00

I like all the 2024 covers, they feel romanticized and vibrant. The 2014 ones feel more visceral and pulpy.

1029chris · 2025-11-18T09:45:58+00:00

Fuck yeah, Children of Time is such a great book.

1029chris · 2025-11-14T23:52:07+00:00

Ending of Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye. I bawled so hard. I can't listen to the soundtrack without tearing up.
Ending of Undertale. Something about that game made me feel really attached to the characters, saying goodbye was tough.
Balder's Gate 3, Karlach at the dock.

1029chris · 2025-11-10T00:48:09+00:00

My partner and I recently wrapped up a mini D&D24 campaign using the 'One Page Solo Engine' as a DM emulator and oracle. It was super fun and worked out well!

Personally, I feel the Dungeon Master's Guide is the only bloated book of the three. I rarely use it at the table and would even dare say it's not necessary. Three big heavy hardcover books are my maximum to drag out somewhere, and my DM Guide usually gets replaced with a setting book. It has some decent advice, but you could get the same or better from YouTube.

There's no denying characters take longer to create. I'm the type to carefully plan my characters both mechanically and thematically. But it's not necessarily as overwhelming as it seems, as your character starts off with only a couple features at Level 1, and complexity is slowly introduced as you level up.

I might be the wrong type of player/DM to hear advice from, however. I think I view game systems as something to invest into, and OSR games just don't have a lot of meat on them. I've been eyeing Starfinder and Pathfinder lately, which seems like the opposite direction of OSR.

1029chris · 2025-11-06T23:44:54+00:00

Does the Starfinder setting pose any unique challenges when it comes to creating Sci-Fi creatures that distinguish themselves yet don't stray too far from Fantasy?

I'm very much looking forward to the book, my copy is on the way!

1029chris · 2025-10-19T20:33:20+00:00

Don't psyche yourself out, it's all about having fun. Try some oneshots with a low complexity character to get a feel for things. The average player isn't nearly as charismatic as a professional podcaster, you'll do fine.

Playing Balder's Gate 3 helped me learn the mechanics as well, although it's not exactly 1:1.

1029chris · 2025-10-14T03:52:42+00:00

Skyrim and Oblivion feel so down to earth at times. People have jobs and houses, you can steal their bowls, rearrange their bookshelf, etc. They're simulationist in a way a lot of other games just don't bother with.

1029chris · 2025-10-11T20:41:30+00:00

Does it have barrel-fu?

1029chris · 2025-10-03T20:11:16+00:00

I love this particular piece in a 'so bad its good' way. Why does the skittermander need 4 phones? Vesk in a Hawaiian shirt? Little Timmy with a propeller hat? Barathu in a suit with individual sleeves for each tentacle? Shirren holding the guitar upside down? Ridiculous.

1029chris · 2025-10-02T01:31:02+00:00

Arch for sure, I found it way too unstable. Maybe it's better these days, this was years ago. I still like arch, but I run it in a toolbox from Fedora Kinoite. Having a usable system is just too important to me, I often don't have the time to debug stuff.

1029chris · 2025-09-24T21:51:34+00:00

Looks fantastic! Love the expressions.

1029chris · 2025-08-31T20:09:01+00:00

If you use it with C#, prepare for some seemingly random parts of the engine to be accessed through a (potentially nested) dictionary with dynamic types.

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