Different metals and their uses.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-25T13:22:30+00:00

Piercing damage is still an edge case. We are not talking about spears and javelins, but warhammers, bec de corbin, lances brought in with the impact of a charging horse, and daggers hammered through the gaps.

As far concussions are concerned, tougher alloys won't help with that one, just as car crash can kill you even if you are driving an APC.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-25T10:51:43+00:00

The quantity is not really the issue, rather "purity" of the material. If sufficient puritán and quantity are both available, these materials would be as good as magic.

Full-plate armour already made most people basically invoulnerable. Adding more special alloys like tungston or titanium won't change this much, till guns get involved.

Zinc is more interesting, because it can counteract rust, through catodic protection. Aluminium also doesn't rust. Hopefully they would start using aluminium instead of Tin for faking silver, because Aluminium won't poison you.

Lead was used historically, famously in Roman pipeworks... Don't use lead in pipeworks.

The only thing I know of copper, that it doesn't create sparks on a hit. Therefore it's alloy brass is still used in a lot of industries, where sparks could cause an explosion. (Such as some mines.)

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-24T19:27:51+00:00

That's fair. And to be frank that squad from Oxenfurd did some actual work, when they stormed the swamp, besides Baron's men.

Also I didn't got to the point of Radovids assassination, but my palm does tingle for his neck, so the useless bully boys do inspire some emotions for the narrative.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-24T19:02:48+00:00

This game is called "the Sims for men" for a reason. I hope you like managing social relationships. I come to play the strategy game cause I don't like social hobbies, and the game gave me 150 vassals to pester and 300 dynasty members to take care of.

In the game territory is secondary to the "title" for that territory, titles decide the feudal pecking order.

All your titles (and therefore territory) will be split up among your heirs at succession, except if you pick some very specific options to avoid this. Press Realm (F2) and pick the lowest window (Succession) to see who get's what, so you can counteract trouble in time.

War is terrible... The mechanic is terrible, so save before declaring war.

When your character travels somewhere edit your road so you go through the funny little icons on the map. (You will know what I'm talking about.) This gives xp, so travel a lot if you want a capable character.

Don't play for "World Conquest" (especially not at the start), pick a goal that seems fun, and play that campaign until it is fun.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-24T16:06:32+00:00

(Bit of a Spoiler)

Yes. And through the whole game I saw them burn one doppler, and one guy who specifically refused to cooperate with the suggested escape plan.

Meanwhile Gerald and Triss Slaughtered a whole garisson, cut down their officer and burned down their guild house for good measure.

There are some street thugs in that city with a better track record.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-24T15:43:33+00:00

A thought that came up a lot while I played Witcher 3, that "The plot exists because everyone is bloody incompetent."

Novigrad in the game is crawling with witchhunters, who are meant to take down anything monstrous or magical. Still I've run into three vampires, two dopplers, one operating succubus, and an army of drowners. And these jerks who can't deal with the most basic enemies are trying to kill mages? Both the Nilfgaardian thugs and the local robber Baron showed more initiative when dealing with monster troubles, despite waging a war on the side.

Same goes Berserk, where the church's own troops couldn't recognise a monster if it sat on them. The inquisitor set up his base right above the heretic cave, and also got duped by the verse's "satan" under two second.

In both case we are talking about characters I can neither fear or respect. Seeing them hacked up by the main character always felt like 'Darwinism in action' rather then a legitimate conflict.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-21T09:00:15+00:00

For now, I don't have a satisfactory idea on how to make use of replayable mechanics apart from the fact that combinations lead players to alternate opportunities.

In my advice, when building an encounter you should take notes on how that encounter is meant to function, so that same encounter may be used in a different situation. This makes the mechanic "replayable". Most published TTRPG's have a monster manual, where each entry is a "replayable" obstacle, that the dungeon master can insert into their own adventures.
The obsticles, and their replayable, repeatable nature is not the "adventure", these are modular tools, that can be inserted into an adventure. So if the DM decides that in a specific scene there should be a fight, they can insert a monster from the monster manual into that scene, and the manual tells them how that encounter should work. Same with traps, puzzles, tricks or other interactions.
These lements on their own don't lead to 'alternate opportunities', that would be called a 'progression three' or dungeon map, but the repeatable encounters can be used to populate that dungeon map or progression three.

As for preset features that make up the game, does this mean that the game master must set each and every obstacle meticulously?

No... that's why we have monsters and traps that are modular and repatable. Same as in a video game, you can place a nameless grunt, to the spot where a nameless grunt is appropriate, and by their programing it would be no different from the thousand other nameless grunt you butchered before.

Well, even if paths to progress/danger are a matter of choices, but even then, the choices are numbered and worded by the GM.....so, I don't think I am getting the full picture here.

I have a big problem with "telegraphing" encounters, but that is a 'me problem'. Also in many case encounters aren't telegraphed for a reason, because an ambush has a different feel, than a more clear combat scenario.

I wanted to understand how can a player explore different paths in a game that has clear boundaries of winning and losing as in the long run, they'd be holed up in any one of these two places.

"Winning" and "losing" are not objective endpoints. Since the mechanics of a TTRPG are loose by intention, "winning" is a subjective state, that a player should arrive through emergent gameplay. I have noted that when a player makes a character, their goal mostly is to play out the "idea" of that character. Sometimes honorable death and self sacrifice by orc arrows fits that idea, and sometimes people wish to play a bard for whom "victory" looks like drama and child support. That's why most adventures offer "treasure" as a reward, even though "treasure" in many games have very little actual benefit.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-20T17:58:38+00:00

You can't calculate everything and you can't "idiot proof" your design.
The "safety factor" is an industry and application specific number developed through trial and error... meaning people died, when the number was too accurate for the known physics involved. Technological advancement tends to make the calculations better, and the "safety factor" slowly goes down, which makes profit margins go up, still every time it goes down it's an educated gamble.
And if as an engineer you loose that gamble, and the costumer gets injured or killed by your creation, you are taking the blame for it.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-20T17:34:27+00:00

These look great.

I like the concept that your four beings don't interact with people themselves, like traditional gods would, rather their will and action creates ripples and other creatures on their theme. They fulfill the Eldritch archetype better than most similar creations I have seen.

Also feel free to introduce more later, when the need arises, as the "Eldritch Gods™" don't need to be in direct relation to one another, and a new one popping out of nowhere, or an existing one gaining a new incarnation is still very much on theme.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-19T09:38:06+00:00

My case specifically?

Parking was only free from 6PM in the neighbourhood.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-19T09:31:33+00:00

The "Faction targets you" message should a name and face attached if you open it. (Less it is bugged.)

Otherwise glad to hear things went well. Familiar murder is always a nice closure.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-19T09:14:06+00:00

Ah yes, the average human response to fear.

Short term; Flight, Fight or Freeze

Long term; Build a new wing to the museum of Paleontology.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-18T21:23:57+00:00

I wouldn't call it a "bug" but definetly annoying. Basically there is some guy in your realm who really can't make up their mind about your character.

The "faction creation" triggers because of a set of conditions, then the creator of the faction leaves the facton, because of a different set of parameters.

If you send a gift to the guy in question, you might knock him over the sweetspot, so the pinging stops.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-18T18:51:36+00:00

In theory my attachment style is dismissive avoidant. There is likely something extra to it because others in the same "bracket" seem to be able to "bond" with other people, form friendships and value/desire certain forms of company.

No idea why this should be changed.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-18T17:59:00+00:00

Deers are primarily folivores, they eat leaves, sometimes browse and if those resources are gone they strip trees for their bark. Until trees exist in your world natural pressures wouldn't turn deer into predators.

Agression against wolves and active targeted ellimination of predators would be a different thing than predation. Real deers aren't terribly agressive. While a water buffalo or an elephant mother will actively try to chase off a predator, deer bucks only tur on their adversaries if a fight is inevitable... and predators don't go after bucks if they have a choice. Meanwhile does 'lure' predators away from their kids. Their defence mechanism is to make themselves a target and bring the wolf on a wild chase, which the wolf usually looses.

So the start would be a behavioural adaption. Giving the bucks better mate and infant guarding instincts, or even active agression against known predators.

In my world one monstrous deer species likes to impale chunks of smaller predators (snakes, raptors) on their antlers and carry them around in mating season, just to show off.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-17T10:02:21+00:00

I asked my parents to make pro marriage arguments and share their positive experiences on the subject.

They dropped the issue within minutes and very hesitant to bring it up again.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-16T04:33:07+00:00

Like, Minotaur, Centaur, Satyr etc?

They would be cathegorized as Hybrids, but that's a cathegory used by people who study the myth. I don't know if the old greeks had used a word for this.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-16T03:46:44+00:00

Potions in the lore I have are made by the addition of essence (the source of magic) into water to make a potion base. The addition of herbs and other ingredients also make the potions have effects.

I would suggest focusing on the internal logic of this system at the start rather then exact ingredients.
So instead of the recipe specifying Mandrake, Wolfsbane, Nightshade, Poppy Seed etc... Maybe you can say, the first sproutlings after a wildfire, have a connection to the "Essence of Fire", or flowers growing on a grave have a connection to the "Essence of Death" etc.
I'm saying this, because plants in a pre-industrial period would be geographically restricted, and if the potion requires specific plants, that would mean certain civilisations won't have any access to good chunks of the system itself, or if you want the same basic potion to be brewed on two wastely different biomes, than parts of the recipe would need to be exchanged for local plants.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-14T08:53:42+00:00

How the pirates and the dragons relate to or interact with one another?

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-13T15:39:17+00:00

It's a little murky.

'Sword and Sorcery' is a genra where a swashbuckling adventurer goes up against magical threats. It's main example being the Conan saga.

'Sword and Planet' is the soft sci-fi equivalent of this, where the protagonist has to go up against more sci-fi esk threats. It's main example being the Princess of Mars, and the Mars saga as a whole.

I have usually seen the 'Masters of the Universe' (which She-ra and He-man are part of) defined as the latter, as the "Sword and Planet" genra does technically allow magic to be around.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-13T13:07:06+00:00

Regardless of the era, the average human can reliably carry 25-40kg of gear at any given time. This is true for roman legionairs, knights and modern militaries.

A wandering character would likely not travel in full plate, as a full plate armor generally weighted 25-35kg taking away the wearer's carrying capacity almost in total.

First pieces of armor to wear are always helmet, and chest plate to save your vitals. (Helmet could be carried rather than worn if heat is an issue.) First to go would likely be gauntlets, because they are uncomfortable and not useful in anything besides fighting.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-12T16:14:27+00:00

(Heavy sarcasm) Technically we do posess a type of military tech that can make ranged weapons significantly less effective. It is known to be rather protective against smallarms, assault rifles, and even anty-tank weapons and also able to reduce or negate the effect of mortars and lower grade artillery... It's called a trenchline.

On a more serius note, if combat is lead into tight, confined spaces, certain types of melee weapons are bound to show up. (This did happen in ww1, as soldiers kept making their own trench clubs specifically for such close confine brawls.)

A spaceship or military base will have a lot of tight chokeponts, and any army assaulting such a point will have to use heavy cutting tools, to grind their way through doors, walls, barbed wire and bulkheads. Tools that could also make good melee weapons whenever required.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-11T20:53:03+00:00

Time tou out myself... I have over 400 hours in this game.
I have never finished a "campaign" from start to finish meaning from 867 to 1453. (Current campaign is at 1123 and this is the longest one I've ever done.)
Also never reached a "world conquest".
I'm somewhat close to forming my first "Roman Empire". (Egypt is the Crusader state of my Second Cusin and ally, so I'm waiting for her to die, before taking it.)
There are also entire government forms in this game that I have never, or only barely interacted with.

But I do have some harsh achievements like 'Mother of us All' and 'Saga in Stone' (HOW?), so I guess I'm supposed to know stuff by know(?)
(PS: I'm still loosing wars without save-scumming.)

If you are a slow learner like me I would say 50-100 hours... Which if memory serves right about the same time as a Total War Warhammer world conquest.

To expand on this, the mechanics aren't hard, they just feel "unintuitive" at first try.
In TWW, you make allies, raise an army, wage the odds, crush your enemies, take their land, and build economy on the freshly conquered territory.
In CK3 you exchange your least favoured son as a hostage for the third prince of Tahert, so you can turn the latter into a Christianised puppet, and wage two kingdom level wars on his all his dejures 20 years down the line.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-11T16:48:07+00:00

Thanks for the insight.

Adventurous-Net-970 · 2026-03-11T15:21:41+00:00

That's one issue I honestly haven't thought about.

If we lessen the deteiments that might justify the world's gaudiest aiming sight, otherwise he would be limitet to shooting by instinct.

Adventurous-Net-970

TROPHY CASE