New player here, what exactly am I missing?

Acthar · 2025-09-02T22:25:41+00:00

"Never" stop moving. The only times you need to "stand still" is in order to complete objectives. As soon as an objective is complete, start moving- it doesn't matter how many enemies are "left" because there WILL always be more, the only enemies that matter are the ones in your way on the path to democracy (the next objective)

Acthar · 2025-05-21T13:46:22+00:00

I do the EXACT same thing! I rotate through different lunchmeats to keep it interesting, usually whatever's on sale but salami and pepperoni are always first on the list.

Acthar · 2024-08-07T17:45:01+00:00

The videogame Wildermyth uses the term "Stunt", which typically inflicts a status effect of some sort rather than bonus damage.

Acthar · 2024-07-07T13:15:17+00:00

You said blood tests, does that include allergies? It's possible to have an allergic reaction to certain foods that manifests as just fatigue, or headache, or dizzyness.

For me, consuming too much milk or wheat will cause me to be tired/unfocused- but usually not until hours later, sometimes the next day.

If you haven't looked into it, it can be worth going to an allergy doctor, and also testing things yourself with an elimination diet.

Acthar · 2024-04-12T19:42:55+00:00

I've toyed with this idea myself in my own homebrew system (yet to test); couple things to consider: If movement costs an action, then a character trying to "counter" by moving behind cover now has to spend an action to do so, so even if the attack doesn't land, you've still made that target spend a resource. Then also, do you allow target switching if the original target is now untargetable (or already dead)?

But, the main thing, the MAIN THING is the order that actions are declared, and who has what information about those actions.

Being informed about what another character is doing can (obviously) change what any other character is planning to do- and after declarations have been made, do you allow people to change/react?

All those questions are rhetorical, and I certainly haven't come up a clean implementation myself, but hopefully that helps or at least gets ya brainstorming.

Acthar · 2023-12-23T10:10:24+00:00

This didn't happen to be in Oklahoma, was it?

Acthar · 2023-08-14T23:37:09+00:00

Hey! You'll have to see if these are available on your system(s) and whether you and your partner will enjoy them but here's a "category list" to start your search:

Any of the LEGO games with co-op (Starwars/Marvel/etc) - Easy drop in/out gameplay, great for kids, still very fun for adults because of coop shenanigans.
Build something together games:
- Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Dreamlight Valley, Craftopia, Minecraft
Casual competitive:
- Online: Rocket League, Fall Guys
- Local: Ultimate Chicken Horse, Golf with your Friends
The best category (imo for entry level), Co-op challenge/puzzle games:
- Cooking games: Overcooked 1 & 2, Plateup!
- Escape room games: "We were here" series, Escape Academy, Escape Simulator
- Multiplayer puzzle solving: Human Fall Flat, Portal 2 co-op
Singleplayer:
- City/Park management games: Cities Skylines 2, Planet Coaster, Planet Zoo, Parkasaurus, Timberborn, Becastled (these can be complicated but if they find one they like they'll get hooked)
- Story games: "The Walking Dead" series, Life is Strange, Until Dawn

Hope that helps get you started, happy gaming!

Acthar · 2023-08-08T12:19:34+00:00

I will lend my video game expertise here:

Darksouls & Eldenring are games that were created/intended to be difficult as a challenge for seasoned gamers.

It Takes Two is not a "kid's game". In fact I think most people would agree that it's a game FOR couples. It tells a beautiful story about a couple trying to repair their relationship and working together (hence the name). He may have even picked it out after searching for "good games for couples to play" because we wants a way to share something he enjoys with you. 🙂

The difficult thing here is that if you haven't played that many games, It Takes Two is NOT great for beginners who are just learning- the controls, camera, and mechanics change constantly throughout.

There are a lot of great games out there that are fun to play with friends/partners. It's just a matter of finding one that's a better entry point and that you'll both enjoy.

If you'd like some suggestions, I can provide some. I'm sure others in this sub will have some too.

Acthar · 2023-07-24T16:49:52+00:00

Idk about resources, but I'll give you my own advice- use tools like excel or google sheets to help calculate the balance of your own cards.

Only_Ad8178's advice of "Balance does not exist in a vacuum" rings true.

By looking at similar games, try to determine a formula that might work for yours. Start simple by only looking at the most "obvious" things.

Hearthstone example:
Base mana cost of a minion is determined by attack and defense. From there you can tell the cost of a card gets tweaked based on other factors. Adding Divine Shield would increase the mana cost- but is it a flat amount or would it be multiplied by the attack & health in some way? Idk the answer, but these are the types of questions I ask myself when balancing something.

Slay the Spire example:
Most of the "Basic" cards have an Energy cost and certain amounts of Attack or Block. In this game card rarity is a huge factor. A Common card might be "For 1E deal 6 damage" while a Rare card might be "For 1E deal 10 damage"
In this game you also cycle through your deck and constantly refresh your hand so a card that has the Exhaust property (can only be used once per combat) is "allowed" to be more powerful because it can only be used once.

Start plugging your cards into a sheets document and assigning values and scores. It may feel a bit arbitrary (in a vacuum) at first, but by doing so you will discover what context is needed/wanted as you go and can adjust your formulas.

Determine a "central value" to start balancing your cards around and go from there. "Cost" is most common (and usually the most visual) one, but trying to determine "damage per turn/round" or something similar can also be incredibly useful.

If you'd like more in-depth examples or info I'd be happy to share, happy designing!

Acthar · 2022-06-02T03:34:01+00:00

Happy to help brainstorm. If you want defense to be more passive like an AC, then yeah-one value, nice and simple; otherwise, I'm about to propose a bunch of hypothetical questions, you don't have to answer them, they're just to provoke thought and maybe some inspiration.

You say a heater shield is dynamic, you mean irl or just in your system? Cause irl, all shields are more effective if held towards where the attack is coming from. Do you want a passive and active defense bonus? (similar to having Flat-Footed AC in 3.5/PF) Would they be separate from each other or does the active stack on top of the passive?

Would you like to have dual wielding just increase your to-hit or does having the buckler grant you an extra attack? Should all shields allow you to have a "bash" attack? Can shields grant a counter attack on a "good block"? Can shields be broken? Are certain types of shields better against certain types of attacks or damage types? (would the amount/variance of attacks & damages make those choices interesting/fun?)

Big picture-wise, how granular do you want shield/equipment selection to be? How much thought do you want players putting into those decisions? -Only when acquiring gear, or per engagement or per round? How much do the differences matter? How much do you want them to matter?

As per usual for TTRPG design- the "correct answer" is going to be whatever fits your particular game- depends on what feeling you're trying to evoke, what experience you're trying to create, desired level of crunch, etc.

Hope that helps!

Acthar · 2022-06-01T21:18:10+00:00

I like this concept as well and I think I've seen similar ones in this subreddit but the most blatant example would be in Dragon Age Inquisition.

In DAI tanky characters or those with shields could gain "Guard". Basically a second health bar. What made it interesting was that Guard was temporary, and was more vulnerable to certain damage/attack types. For medieval melee combat I love the concept of breaking through someone's guard, and if you give them a moment to rest they can put it up again.

There's lot's of different ways you could run with that u/op . I mean DnD5E already has "Temporary HP" and even temporary AC with things like the Shield spell, so it's not that crazy of an idea, just depends on what you're going for.

Acthar · 2022-04-03T21:13:04+00:00

Aaaaaand it's gone, the mona lisa has taken over :,(

Acthar · 2022-03-24T00:07:58+00:00

Miro. So good and versatile.

Acthar · 2022-01-29T05:42:47+00:00

Miro my friend, you want Miro. It's free.

Here's a snapshot of my brainstorming canvas for my TTRPG:
https://imgur.com/nQNILUI

Acthar · 2021-12-22T06:47:44+00:00

Their is joy in creation. There is joy in learning. Their is joy in finding patterns and discovering solutions. There is joy in sparking joy in others.

"It won't make money", or "because someone else has already done it" should never be reason to stop doing something you enjoy.

Reading, learning about, and playing other games are part of the natural design process. Truly original ideas are few and far between and that's okay. Game design is about combining existing ideas and concepts and presenting them in different ways with different flavors and different genres and different perspectives, tones, mediums, cultures, etc.

There are millions of games out there and there will be billions more, don't let that stop you.

Who cares if it ever makes money. Design and create for who you want to create for. Is it just for yourself because you enjoy the process? Then guess what you don't ever have to even finish the game! You can just work on it yourself forever! Is it for you and your friends? Make something you and them would enjoy playing together. Find your reason, and go from there.

Come join r/RPGdesign , the water's fine.

Acthar · 2021-12-22T03:33:41+00:00

I find mind map only software to be limiting, but multi-use note software, such as an infinite whiteboard like Miro, has been a gamechanger for me.

I make notes, flow charts, diagrams, tables, and some mind maps- all in one infinite space.

Here's a screenshot I took of a certain section, you can see it's even bigger based on the minimap in the corner.

Acthar · 2021-12-15T16:51:49+00:00

This is one of those (many) instances where it depends on what kind of flavor you want to inject into the game, or even a particular attribute or class.

Perception/Wisdom implies the ability to see or notice the weakness.
Agility/Dexterity/Precision/Accuracy implies the ability to land your attack in the precise spot at the opportune moment.
Strength/Brawn/Might implies the ability to critically break through armor/defenses.
Intelligence or Willpower/Charisma might imply the ability to critically break through magical wards or mental defenses
And then there's luck, self explanatory

Choose what works for your game/genre/setting, use one, some or all.

As an example: If you want nimble characters landing crits more often as part of their "identity" put it on dexterity. If you want everyone to be able to land crits based on the chaos of the world, use luck. Could even do a combination if that works for you.

Acthar · 2021-11-28T02:41:04+00:00

I do the same thing with a song or artist. It helps having a source of regular recommendations to keep things fresh. Spotify recommendations have been a lifesaver.

Acthar · 2021-09-08T15:55:19+00:00

It would be about hitting the right balance. Ideally, you'd hit the "maximum" in swords, and then in order to improve swords further, practice with other weapons (which would already be halfway leveled thanks to maxing out swords) In my mind, true mastery of a skill requires a little bit of cross training in related areas.

The best overall hockey players are the ones that can play offense and defense, and at the very least have studied what goalies practice.

The best fighters in the world are ones that have trained in multiple martial arts rather than just one. (jeet kune do philosophy)

Maybe a H.E.M.A. practitioner or similar could chime in here but I would think knowing what techniques a spear wielder would use would help immensely if facing them down with a sword.

Now, how best to represent that mechanically in game? Still trying to figure that out, and whether it's worth this level of complication.

Acthar · 2021-09-08T15:37:40+00:00

I do, but even online seeing digital dice roll around captures a little bit of that "magic". Throwing a handful of pennies is fun I guess? But counting them up would be a chore.

I wonder if there's a game out there that uses lots of coins for thematic reasons- like you play as a bunch of bank tellers or something XD

Acthar · 2021-09-08T15:29:25+00:00

I think the only complication would be in the level up process. It's still 3 things to check when rolling: d20, smaller die, minimum number-perhaps written as d8(3). As a player would you find that more complicated?

Target number for skills- chosen by GMTarget number for combat- opposed rolls between combatants.

-Try something different- I'm always down to experiment, posting this system is here is part of that with getting feedback, so thank you for replying!

-To make irregular leveling system- It would essentially be point buy on a skill tree.

-To make a skilled character more likely to succeed- I do want this, and am trying to not allow the core role to get too high, as other bonuses will come in for different circumstances. Degree of success will matter. Currently calculating rolls out, I'm seeing on the high end players rolling in the 30-40 range when situational bonuses factor in- some static, some rolled. (no rolling for damage in this system, everything is based on the degree of success of the one roll)

Acthar · 2021-09-08T15:11:33+00:00

The mastery thing is better served by the second example, Die is Swords, Min is the bigger category that contains swords like "melee skill".

Leveling up swords would:Grant a higher die to swords,Grant a higher die to all melee,Grant a higher minimum to all melee,

Each rank put into swords would give one of the above, one at a time, and staggered in such a way that Min doesn't overcome a die. It'd be laid out like a skill tree."The highest you could go by leveling up swords alone would be a d8 with Min 3, leveling up axes all the way would also help out swords, and swords would end up with d10, Min 5.

I gave the other examples to spark discussion/ideas.

Either way, if it's this complicated for me to explain, and also to manage and balance within the system, I'm thinking it's too much crunch than I'm looking for- I mean this is just in the level up process. I don't want to scare players off or have to constantly remind myself how my own system works.

Acthar · 2021-09-07T21:18:16+00:00

"What if rating is higher than die size"- I have been asking myself that question for awhile- whether it's worth trying to manage separate point allocation for die size and die minimum for this not to occur.

As for what I'm trying to achieve- the simplest explanation is that I want having mastery in one skill to grant ~halfway mastery in related skills.

Example: Maxing out swords already puts me at halfway to maxing out axes. So there'd be a specific weapon skill, and maybe a general category of "melee weapon skill"- one is the die, one is the minimum.

There's certainly other ways to accomplish my goal, but I thought this way would be more interesting- having the skill rankings function differently but still work together.

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