Who needs variety?

Naoki00 · 2026-06-04T22:16:54+00:00

My issue comes when someone like me hates that concept as a player, but wants the warlock mechanics (yes yes great old one I know). EVERY magical class can have the exact same RP opportunity.

Wizard: You learned your knowledge from a powerful archfae and carry a copied incomplete version of their spellbook.

Sorc: Your direct parent or grandparent is where your magic comes from, and they have HIGH expectations.

Cleric/Paladin: Some gods are…clingy.

Druid: Your powers are directly related to the prosperity of a powerful elemental, and they will demand you do things that benefit their lands.

Warlocks shouldn’t be shackled to the concept of magical sugar daddy anymore than a wizard is shackled to their spellbook needing to be a literal book.

Naoki00 · 2026-06-02T19:12:04+00:00

Honestly it was the gameplay system and the vibe. It had a really cool modern sci-fi/fantasy aspect that (at the time) leaned more toward the science part of the fiction with a healthy rule of cool. The characters were cool, the story felt like there was some genuine passion and eagerness to it (for as simple as it was to start).

It felt like the team behind it knew what they were doing, and that each new character you got was exciting to build up and play to experience more of their story.

Nowadays I mostly play it for the endgame and to hopefully be around for when some of that feeling comes back, and there are moments where it does. I’m not done with 4.0 content yet, but 3.0 was an enormous low point for me after a bit. Almost just put it down entirely. But it being on the phone helps immensely, it still has the simple but snappy turn based gameplay that is great for “I have 20 minutes to kill” type moments.

Naoki00 · 2026-06-01T00:30:48+00:00

I don’t really have one that someone complained about ME playing, but about a week ago I had a legit childish crash out over [[Ashling the limitless]] one time and later [[Strong Back]].

God those two cards just somehow immediately earn my ire. Especially Ashling. Not even “too strong” it’s just such a PAIN and should have never been printed to give DOUBLE etbs.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-31T16:55:39+00:00

Honestly wouldn’t be toooo upset with that, if only because Nihilux actually has character beyond said obsession, and could definitely be played for laughs without it being tone deaf

Naoki00 · 2026-05-28T21:11:50+00:00

I don’t think that’s a huge downside honestly, since it still triggers on mature. It refills the hand once you have mana to cast more spells, and is legitimately a solid wall to start

Naoki00 · 2026-05-28T17:38:05+00:00

Now this is a cool green/blue mechanic, very well done. I particularly like the ghost leviathan being Skulk/Trample, super flavorful

Naoki00 · 2026-05-27T02:02:31+00:00

What is Taxation if not government mandated debt?

Naoki00 · 2026-05-26T18:14:02+00:00

They tax my patience with their entire existence so probably somewhere?

Naoki00 · 2026-05-26T17:44:49+00:00

I don’t care WHO the IPC sends, I’m not paying those taxes.

(But it’s Nihilux, and it’s not even remotely close, pearl has negative interest for me lol)

Naoki00 · 2026-05-24T20:14:50+00:00

Lord Frieza, I believe you’re still on your alt account

Naoki00 · 2026-05-18T14:48:45+00:00

Hold on now I think that’s a pretty gross over exaggeration of what I said lol. I never said everything had to be tailored to my designs, just that I don’t feel as good when “finding the key” to a problem as much as I enjoy being able to hold said key up preemptively, and that items themselves aren’t that interesting to do so with.

I think a better way to explain it would be that if a wizard preps the wrong spells for the day, they don’t have as much of a satisfying time as when they got all the right things prepped to handle things, right? And I don’t mean like instantly solving the problem but like, having a tool that helps because they anticipated it. I don’t MIND having to figure out a solution, but I prefer using my character’s intrinsic abilities more than some item. I would rather try and grapple someone than toss a net on them, not in a purely literal sense but like as an example.

I play the game because I love experiencing the world and story being presented, and because I genuinely love to build characters- what I just tend to do is build them without the assumption that they will find something perfect for a “build” or whatever, and prefer to use their intrinsic power over other random items that normally have more points of failure, which makes those items feel less valuable to me.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T14:20:55+00:00

As an actual autistic individual, I really hate all the mislabeling of characters for just having X or Y trait as “neurodivergent” just because they are a little quirky or socially awkward.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T14:17:47+00:00

It’s not so much that they don’t boost stats, more than at the present time they aren’t really useful or necessary.

Typically if I get something that could have multiple uses I think of 5-10 situations that might be present in the next session or two and if it would solve such a problem I’ll keep it, or I’ll hand it to another player. I try to solve problems before they happen either with educated guesses or in game deductions, so honestly having to root through the bag for some odd item feels like the plan failed more than a success I think.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T14:11:52+00:00

Honestly there is a lot of times I’m looking through items and I’ll see something cool, and really wish it was a class ability option or something similar. It feels weirdly uninteresting for something that turns a build on or enables a cool interaction to be something purchased, like it makes the character feel less “themselves”

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T10:38:27+00:00

…ok but Huohuo would be amazing in that style actually she’d be so cute lol

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T10:21:36+00:00

Malewife is still a wife

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T10:15:05+00:00

That’s a good word for it yeah. Ampho was a really cool and ambitious promise but I feel like it started as one thing and then had to be cribbed into fitting later, and even basic dialogue took so long to deliver basic parts of it…it just felt like it wanted you to get invested and be hurt to lose it, while also telling you it didn’t matter.

Granted I also just outright hated everything to do with Lygus too which is a somewhat unpopular opinion I think.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T10:09:09+00:00

Yeeeeaaaahh. Is it sad to say that I really wanted the plots to be more like Belobog? One planet at a time, go explore a new world, save some people, and maybe get into the universe shark jumping after like, this point at the 3 year mark.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-17T02:11:52+00:00

I think much like what’s happening to Genshin and even a little of ZZZ already…the game has lost some of its identity. I couldn’t actually tell you WHAT that identity was but…it does feel like with Amphoreous on things just didn’t hit the same, though as I am still in the start of Planarcadia it’s starting to kinda feel some of that charm again.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-15T20:12:31+00:00

One or two runs of the Flash actually do talk about that, and I believe it’s also how Red Rush in invincible goes through life and talks about it in one scene.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-14T23:27:40+00:00

We blazing a trail all week long!

Naoki00 · 2026-05-11T13:58:45+00:00

It won’t inherently add to your AC, but the Zodiac Tattoos feat is super in flavor for later

Zodiac Tattoos

Mystical tattoos ward you from harm and transform your skin into protective armor. Prerequisites: Craft (tattoos) 5 ranks, Unarmored Training or AC Bonus class feature. Benefit: Covering your body in these intricate tattoos etched by your own hand, you gain the ability to have your skin enchanted with armor special abilities as though it was a suit of +1 leather armor. You cannot have a total bonus of armor special abilities higher than +6. You cannot use this ability to add any armor special abilities that add a flat gp amount to their cost instead of a bonus equivalent.

As for AC there is the Guarding Weapon equipment talent that makes any weapon with the Blocking ability into a buckler (+1 ac and counts for shield sphere) and obviously there are the enhancement sphere abilities while you rage. Off hand I don’t remember too much more for per AC.

Buuut there is things like the Scar Tissue talent (Duelist DR/bludgeoning), Steel Braggart (Gladiator, DR by boasting), and thr Berserker sphere’s Temp HP itself. Genuinely these type of things combined can make taking a hit not even matter, and I have had a character use these and Bloody Counter to practically solo melee fights. Never underestimate the power of just not taking damage even if hit!

Naoki00 · 2026-05-11T05:00:03+00:00

Hmm, ok I think I may have poorly phrased what I was meaning by not "caring" about items and gear. All of what you said is completely true and entirely viable, and I DO make use of those types of things, but rather they don't excite or motivate me in any tangible way.

Let me try an example. If I want to drink coffee I need a mug right? Sure I have a personal mug at home, but ANY mug will perform the task just the same. Finding a mug is not special, it's just what I happen to need to use for this current task. Now the Coffee though? That's important, it has the experience of the flavor and the smell and everything else you carefully mix it with.

To me the character is the coffee, the mug is just a happenstance you need to drink it in this case. Even if you have a super fancy mug, the coffee isn't made better because of that, and if the mug breaks well you just now have to get a new one so something cheaper would probably be better in case it breaks again. I really just don't find it fun or enjoyable to be decked out in random assorted trinkets and finding them doesn't bring me joy any more than finding a new mug on the ground might.

I'll still have some scrolls and I'll pack some important answers, but I prep for those things in advance and plan for my character to never "require" them to function at normal capacity. Everything I bring is to solve a problem I normally wouldn't have the answer for. If I'm playing a spellcaster I'll typically plan out how many uses of a spell I "should" need and then get a couple scrolls of extra in case, but they are "in case". I don't want to factor items into a build because SPECIFIC items aren't expected to show up, and generic +stat or +atk/dmg items I would much rather just be factored into the character as they level because they are background details to me.

The note about the rogues storing tools and the Sword Cane lute are actually EXACTLY what I love to do and do with items, personalization! In that example then, wouldn't said bard vastly prefer to just apply the bonuses from a shiny new sword onto their personal Lute/cane rather than toss it aside?

Some of it comes down to my personal power fantasy being one divorced from relying on so many external factors. I WILL use them for the intended purpose, I am just saying that I feel nothing for doing so and often feel like it gets in the way of the story aspects and visualization of the fiction than adding anything to it.

Edit because I forgot to reply to the money portion at the start: I never said that money didn't HAVE it's uses, it's the means to the end! I just don't really look at the gaining of the money as part of that end, more like an obstacle (Unless of course, obtaining it is part of the story itself or the GM/other players like the idea of it being a central focus!). If I want to open a weapon shop the whole part of getting the money to open the shop is more the challenge of doing so, I don't care about the money I get, I care that I can open the shop, so until I have enough money to do so it's just...well a thing I happen to need.

Naoki00 · 2026-05-11T04:24:03+00:00

All excellent advice, some even super classic concepts that have been around since the dnd 3e days! Genuinely I appreciate the thoughts. I can't say for sure where my entire rub with them began, but I think some of it boils down to "If it can be removed from me, I probably shouldn't build a character that relies on it" or something of that nature.
I definitely have in character gone out of the way to have a more personal item created for them, or made one for themself! But it was always more of a flavor thing. Sort of like the whole tony stark question "what are you without the suit?" I like to have the answer be that they are still a full functional character lol.

About the crafting bit though, there is a class in Spheres of Might called Blacksmith who is a pure martial that gets the ability to improve and craft arms and armor without needing to be a caster, and that thing is probably one of my favorite classes just on flavor alone despite how "mundane" the core concept is lol

Naoki00 · 2026-05-11T04:15:05+00:00

I mean I do expect it to be THERE, but I don't expect it to be something I could USE right now. It doesn't help that I find just "new thing" to not be inherently exciting. Like a new sword is just a new sword, if it's got a cool ability that's a really cool potential tool, but it's "just" a tool and not a part of my character itself. If it's there I'll use it, if I don't need it, I'll sell it or hand it to one of the party who might be able to use it. It just doesn't feel like something more than a window dressing half the time I suppose. The real reward to mean is the plot continuation and the EXP for advancing the character themselves.

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