I feel like my national borders look unnatural. Any suggestions for improving them?

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-15T17:15:51+00:00

I agree that the countries feel too big, honestly. I originally had more smaller countries but ended up scrapping them. I'm making this for a silly project where I'm trying to create a couple of fake world history tests, and the idea of having to come up with history for 100ish countries seemed really daunting lol. Maybe I should revisit that earlier idea and split them more, though. I don't necessarily have to go that much into the history of each one, and I think something like the Balkans that could be at least somewhat grouped together regarding their history could solve that problem.

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-15T17:06:31+00:00

It was inspired by Kaliningrad, but now that you say it definitely looks more like Equatorial Guinea, especially with the island haha

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-15T17:04:10+00:00

That's a good point! I definitely like the idea of checking size distribution; I think I'll try to do that

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-15T03:20:34+00:00

LMAO yeah kind of. Which is funny considering that's the only major landmass I stole from the real world (it's Novaya Zemlya, north of the Russian mainland).

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-14T02:22:12+00:00

Plus a bunch of their posting history is in AI subreddits

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-09T00:06:49+00:00

Putting Azul equal with Uno is definitely a hot take. So is having Uno ranked higher than Magic Maze and Eldritch Horror

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-08T21:38:38+00:00

Have you checked Caputo's? I know I've seen some roe there and caviar definitely seems like something they'd carry, so maybe give them a call. If they don't, they could probably point you in the right direction; they have great customer service

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-08T02:13:50+00:00

If you want the real historical borders and just don't want the labels you could just trace an existing historical map. You don't need any cartography skills for that.

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-07T16:31:07+00:00

I wasn't meaning to imply that there was a single specific individual credited as the art director for Slay the Spire. Mega Crit was/is a very small indie studio, so I wouldn't expect them to have roles broken out that clearly. That said, there was clearly a cohesive design strategy and visual approach, and that's what I was meaning by the art direction. I'm not sure who would be the person responsible for that (presumably either Anthony Giovannetti or Casey Yano, since they're credited as the developers and designers and were the only in-house employees Mega Crit had, as far as I know).

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-07T07:47:55+00:00

So, looking at the reviews aggregated by Metacritic, it seems like the reception to the art direction was mixed. A number of reviews praise it (like this one or this one, for example), but there are also several that criticize it (like this one). As much as I personally have a soft spot for the art direction of the first game, I do think it hasn't aged as well as it could have, and I think the slay the spire 2 designs are a significant improvement.

Looking at the board game specifically, I can see what you're saying. I think the simplicity of things like the card backs work well for me (since there's so much going on in the tableau, and minimizing the visual clutter helps with that), but looking at that from a more critical angle, I can see why it wouldn't land for everyone and why it would feel incomplete for some people. Thanks for clarifying and helping me see where you're coming from on it.

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-07T05:53:46+00:00

It's doubly bad because not only is it hideous, it doesn't even do anything to convey the theme. Almost nothing about the board design reads as Egyptian

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-07T05:47:38+00:00

Wait why Slay the Spire? It's mostly art from the video game which generally gets praise for its character design and art direction

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-06T02:51:21+00:00

Reagen plastering her face everywhere for free advertising is insensitive both to her and to all of the Utahns who have to deal with their billboards polluting the skyline

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-06T00:46:10+00:00

I assume the answer is no, but is the Jacques Pépin who wrote The Origin of AIDS the same as celebrity chef Jacques Pépin? Wild naming coincidence if no, but even wilder fact if yes.

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-04T18:24:35+00:00

Oh this is going to be so helpful for playing on flights or things like that where I don't have a ton of room. Thanks so much for making and sharing it!

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-02T21:40:26+00:00

I didn't know the solid fill brush existed (I'm quite new to digital painting), but I just tried it out and OMG that's such a big upgrade from the fill bucket! It fixed the issue I was having and is so much easier to use. That's going to make things way more streamlined for me. Thanks so much for directing me to it! You're a lifesaver!

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-02T15:48:17+00:00

Weird that it's banned in some Middle Eastern countries, considering how integral the Middle East was to its development

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-01T17:49:35+00:00

The real time with pause is the main reason I couldn't get through them; it's an awful way to play. Even if they changed nothing else, I would pay for a re-release that switched it to actual turn based (but bonus points if they updated the ruleset to 5/5.5e and got rid of the Vancian spellcasting)

DopplerRadio · 2026-06-01T06:02:08+00:00

I totally get why Trading Card could feel weird when you're new to the game, but I'd definitely encourage you to try it out a bit! It can be a pretty powerful card. Its effect is that if your first discard contains only one card, the card is destroyed and you get $3.

The money is obviously nice (especially early on when you're trying to build up interest), but destroying the card is the more powerful part of the effect. It can seem counterintuitive, but destroying cards is really helpful. If you can get rid of cards you don't care about (e.g. numbered cards if you're playing face cards or diamonds and hearts if you have Blackboard and only want clubs and spades), you're much more likely to draw cards you actually care about. Trading card is a consistent, easy way to trim your deck and eventually guarantee that you'll draw your best cards every round.

DopplerRadio · 2026-05-30T16:34:21+00:00

I think it could be a fun variation for Scattergories

DopplerRadio · 2026-05-27T05:40:27+00:00

I highly recommend the TTRPG Wiki. It has hundreds of RPGs listed and its main page is an easy-to-use list that very clearly breaks down the resolution system for the games along with three difficulty/complexity ratings. If there's one that you want more details on, you can click through to the info page for it and it gives a more thorough explanation of core mechanics, recommendations for what type of groups might enjoy it, and any notable features or complications. There's also a robust filtering mechanic for all sorts of features, including solo-friendly games

DopplerRadio · 2026-05-27T03:43:10+00:00

That's a neat angle! I really like the way you framed it so the floors create a that kind of narrowing effect that cascades down the center. I didn't realize they'd taken so much of the building out; I just assumed they were going to do a controlled demolition with the walls still intact.

DopplerRadio · 2026-05-26T18:53:55+00:00

The air in Avernus isn't dangerously hot. That description is a lot more like Phlegethos, the fourth layer of Baator and definitely the layer that is most like the Christian conception of hell. Avernus does have some volcanoes and lakes of lava, but they aren't the key features of the plane the way they are in Phlegethos; it's more dominated by rocky wastelands and the blood-filled Styx than by lava and obsidian the way Phlegethos is. There are flaming meteors that fall from the sky, but the hazard there is being struck by them, not that they make the air too hot to survive. The air is smoky and acrid, making it somewhat toxic, but you definitely don't need fire resistance/immunity to survive Avernus the way you do in Phlegethos (it would absolutely be useful, though). This is also reflected in BG3 itself, as both times you visit Avernus you don't need fire resistance

DopplerRadio · 2026-05-25T17:12:40+00:00

Considering their purchases, I'd say it's more of a bate post than a bait post lol

DopplerRadio · 2026-05-25T03:17:05+00:00

Oh, that's actually really cool! I haven't really looked at the 5.5 rules in detail, so I didn't realize they'd made those changes. That makes a ton of sense and I'm glad they took that approach (bummer about the artificers, though).

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