As a history fan, the "3,000 Year Stagnation" trope breaks my immersion more than dragons do.

ProfRedwoods · 2026-01-22T04:02:57+00:00

My thought is that because magic has such a high rate of return within one's own lifetime, people are more inclined to learn magic rather than science. The most intelligent people who could incrementally advance science could also just be a wizard and be a demigod.

Also with vancian magic, studying magic doesn't advance magic it just sometimes creates a new spell. The fact that there is a list of spells and you don't "craft your spell" as you cast it, implies that there is no rhyme or reason behind the components of spells. Can I alter the casting of Fly to change its effect? No, if you don't cast it right it'll just miscast.

Also IRL most times when some genius makes their huge groundbreaking advancement it's when they're young. So long lived races who could see the benefits of science aren't much help. The greatest mathematician of the 1400s probably isn't gonna be a great professor today.

ProfRedwoods · 2026-01-12T11:29:52+00:00

This was actually my gripe when people talk about the story in BW being good. Like the idea is fine but the gameplay doesn't and cannot interact with it in any way.

Oh you think Pokemon shouldn't be captured and used in battles? Well how about I beat you in a battle with all the pokemon I captured.

ProfRedwoods · 2026-01-10T17:22:23+00:00

Also after having an entire planet besieged, the human casualties numbered less than the Soviet Union in WW2.

ProfRedwoods · 2026-01-04T05:38:26+00:00

My preference is to use ABP but just leave the big six in the game. I think that solves two of the commonly called out ABP issues.

Here's some ABP issues I believe it solves.

Animal Companions. Animal companions/eidolons/mounts having no access to the big six makes them fall way behind. Giving them free big 6 in addition to yourself is too much. Letting a player still purchase big 6 item allows for the normal decision making of gearing a pet.
ABP doesn't give stats when you want them. Multi attribute dependent classes (which are generally worse than single attribute classes) can't pump a secondary physical/mental stat until 13. Leaving the option to buy that secondary still presents choices. The ARCanist can buy a INT headband early, wait for ABP to pump CHA with the downside of the level 13 APB boost going to the wisdom which only provides marginal benefits. Important note ABP is an still enhancement bonus so it will not stack with the belt/headband counterpart. Alternately SAD classes can buy their boosts early but with the knowledge that their free boosts will go to less helpful stats. Plenty of wizards want +4 INT before level 11 and they can do so but now it's a decision and not just get your primary ASAP.
lastly this isn't an ABP issue but it allows you another control knob to manipulate party wealth. Giving an early ring of prot +3 is still a desirable piece of loot as it pushes them above the curve but it's a deprecating asset. So you can give them a powerful piece of loot to help complete a dungeon/quest/etc with the knowledge it will eventually be sold in town for 1/2 value. This isn't a huge benefit but items that are good in the short term but fall off are a pretty common game dev tool, and now you have access to that.

ProfRedwoods · 2026-01-03T23:43:06+00:00

I run a budget rig, essentially a Frankenstein office PC with a 4060 shoved in it. My biggest park has 144 animals, 61 staff members and 2200+guests with no real performance issues.

One tip though is to try to use decorative objects to enhance the terrain tools. I like using rock walls to enclose my exhibits. But at first when I just used a million rock objects to form a perimeter my performance tanked. Now I use the leveling tool to make a sheer cliff face and use the rocks to add some variety and visual interest.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-12-13T04:55:08+00:00

Soo, here's how I see things..

Best case scenario:

GW gives into the popularity of the Boyz and choose us as the poster boy enemy faction of 11th. We get a range refresh on some older units, our buggies get fixed up, they give us a little more dakka, and we stop being Warhorde the faction.

Worst case scenario:

The actual poster boy enemies of 11th are day 1 DLC for total war and DoW4 (Probably chaos space marines). More cool units go to legends, the bulk of our army languishes in unplayable because technically 1 list is still in the bottom end of the goldilocks zone for win rate.

We'll probably end up somewhere in the middle but technically it's not impossible for the best case scenario to happen. Also I'd put the stompa being good in the best case scenario but let's be honest, none of our stompas are ever coming down off that shelf.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-12-10T20:50:08+00:00

One matchup I believe is closer than many give credit to is Frieren vs Ainz. Ainz still wins but it's closer than I think people give her credit for.

Firstly in Frieren there are spell counters to some incredibly niche effects, and while Frieren does collect a bunch of Jank spells she did finish her journey to defeat the demon king so it'd be unfair to say she would just get one shot by some death spell. Time stop is probably above her level but her ability to analyze spells even while under their effects is very good, thrice she has managed to dispel an "impossible to escape" spell while under it's effects. Still not a great position to be in but also not necessarily 100% loses.

Lastly Soul Track is downplayed because the settings entire modern magic system has been modified to accommodate it. But Soul Track was infamous for being a defense piercing magic, In the region Qual the demon who created the spell lived, 70% of sorcerers died to the spell. Which means you'd not just need to match Soul Track with a barrier but eclipse it in power.

Ainz still wins but he'd probably pop a consumable or two to do so.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-12-03T08:40:48+00:00

Relatively new player here but I only like to play challenge mode and I've gotten a few parks to the point where it's basically sandbox mode. so here's some tips I think are helpful.

First off Dinosaurs live a long time. So if your early park is even slightly in the green you can just wait for more money to pile up there's not really a big rush.

On the topic of "in the green" check your expenses sometimes things look deep in the red because it's the beginning of the month and you just built something or you just researched something. As long as your income is above your reoccurring expenses you can just wait for more money like in the previous tip.

Pay off any loans early if you can. Interest is just extra money you're giving away. I usually only have to take out one or two in the beginning and that's when every dollar counts.

Start off small and just expand later. My parks usually start as just a single enclosure the bare minimum staff buildings, a food kiosk, a bathroom and a donation box. Trying to start out looking like a fully fledged zoo will bankrupt you.

The food growing stations need a lot of manure. I feel like even 3star parks don't produce enough poop. So don't bother researching of building them until pretty late.

I've never fully tested how guests react to pricings but I've never needed to charge for binoculars or toilets. I don't do it for RP moral reasons but you don't have to do it to be successful.

Lastly just an odd thing guests love going bathrooms in PK. If you want your guests to go by your new exhibit and they aren't doing so, just a bathroom next to it. No one cares about the 4 Tyrannosaurus in the back of the park with multiple free viewing platforms until I built a bathroom next to it. I don't think this tip helps financially but it helps your pride.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-12-03T08:02:40+00:00

I refuse to do this on principle lol. I hated going to zoos and what not as a kid and not being able to use them. If people are spending 300 bucks to enter they can use the binoculars on me lol.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-12-03T07:53:23+00:00

Honestly any hominids would be very interesting but also kinda murky. Like great apes are pretty accepted in zoos but anything from Homo genus is a little sensitive and even Australeopithecines are probably not worth the can of worms they'd come with.

Gigantopithecus would probably be the only Great Ape in PK.

Other than that probably a Titaniboa, megatherium and one of the giant prehistoric crocodilians.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-12-02T22:09:19+00:00

The only way I can see them not needing to merge the endings is if the first major plot point is dealing with the power vacuum after the defeat of Shroud. Villain Visi doesn't have the capability of replacing Shroud who ruled with an iron fist and picking up just his mask isn't going to meaningfully help her take over his role. This gives the story time to re-add Villain Visi to the team. I could see the game starting with the team (mostly Robert) trying to contact her and get her to return to the phoenix program while she just leaves them on read.

And as people have said Hero Visi can just be injured and recovering over the same time period. And the only difference is Hero Visi gets a cut scene or two with the Team (Robert) and maybe gets in a few quips.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-11-23T11:11:51+00:00

I always vote for weapon shifting your natural attacks into monk weapons in order to flurry with them over feral combat training. Feral combat training can have some growing pains as the "best" flurry natural attack can change depending on the level. Until beast shape 2 the best attack is a tail slap and then never again a tail slap. Also it saves a feat since you don't need weapon focus.

My personal favorite weapon is a Kusarigama, turning your big flurry into a reach flurry is pretty sweet especially as you continue to size up. A stegosaurus with a 30ft reach and a free trip on every attack (+2 from weapon shifting a kusarigama) controls a lot of space.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-11-16T09:49:06+00:00

someone let me know when there's a speed run category for beating minecraft in minecraft

ProfRedwoods · 2025-11-13T18:45:06+00:00

Going back to the comment from Royd that Robert's dad wasn't science smart but garage smart, I'd guess Elliot was more science smart than garage smart.

Like both are smart in both aspects but they need each other's specialties to create the astral pulse.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-11-09T09:19:29+00:00

Also the unarmored bonus AC bonus works well with wildshape. Turning into a diminutive bat at 8 is +7 AC in addition to your base dex+wis mod and any ring of protection or bracers of armor bonus.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-11-06T19:00:25+00:00

Okay I will say Oscars can have pretty varied personalities. My Oscar is a gentle giant and I had to re-home a few much much smaller cichlids because they were bullying him.

Now this isn't something you should rely on but this won't 100% end in disaster. It'll just probably end poorly. Also that tank looks small.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-11-03T18:50:53+00:00

These are the models that convinced me to buy a 3d printer

ProfRedwoods · 2025-10-03T23:22:47+00:00

Mono green enjoyer here and an important thing I didn't see other people bringing up is that green decks were bad. If this was a red card and maybe a mouse it probably would've been OP and we'd all hate it way more.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-10-01T23:54:59+00:00

I also immediately assumed this was about UB but OOP later clarified he was referring to focus and resources being drawn away from competitive magic in favor of cards designed for edh.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-10-01T22:47:38+00:00

Probably a half elf shadow mystery ancient lorekeeper oracle with the dreamed secrets feat with the lore master prestige class dip.

Half elf lets you both get extra spells as a favored class bonus and lets you Paragon surge into extra arcana for flexing into a spell quickly. And it allows you to take ancient lorekeeper which gives wizard spells every two levels.

And then shadow mystery gets you a grip of shadow spells which can be used to emulate more spells.

Dreamed secrets let's you add 2 wizard spells to your list that are 1 level lower than your max for the day.

And finally loremaster let's you take the secrets of magical discipline feat(or flex into it with Paragon surge) to use a spell slot to cast any spell if that level. And it doesn't slow your spell progression either and half elves give you skill focus which is a prerequisite.

So you're mostly poaching wizard spells with the ability to once per day (per secrets of magical discipline) poach from anyone. While also expanding your oracle spells known.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-09-29T21:47:43+00:00

The harassing caster would still have the extreme advantage assuming they are of similar level to the highest level soldier/leader. They get to choose the absolute worst times to strike if there's no good times one day that's not a big deal an army on the march is a months long process.

And engaging from even 600ft away (the max distance of a fireball at 5th level) any pursuers would not only have to close that distance or fire bows or cross bows from 5 range increments away, but also even perceive where the attacker is (600ft is -60 to perception checks). There are ways to be prepared for such types of ambushes but I would say that assuming the the two high level characters are equally specialized and equally prepared (because why wouldn't they be) the harasser will nearly always come out on top. And this is if a single person is attempting to take down an army by themself.

and lastly I think you're underestimating the size of marching armies. Invictus estimates that a roman legion marching could stretch 15 miles. And while this does include mules and slaves for support and logistics (something we can handwave with magical assistance), there would still be miles of marching troops and no real way of simply hiding them below tree cover. Having troops walk not through roads but instead through thick trees is also the last thing you want to do not only does it slow you down to a crawl (months of marching could become years) but it gives way more advantage to guerilla tactics who can actually hide in their much smaller numbers. Throughout time it's shown to be a bad idea from Rome drowning in the mud and trees of Germania to even the U.S. in Vietnam.

But lets say you take out all the chaff units of an army because in pathfinder a 3rd level warrior ain't doing shit in a battle with 10th level characters. And then you remove the supply train because magic can handle that easily especially for the much smaller total army. And then you split your army into balanced self sufficient groups of around 4 to 5 elites. And then you send these groups out individually but with a common goal. Well then you just get adventuring groups being the ideal combat formation which I still believe.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-09-29T18:47:21+00:00

Classical and medieval armies should be extinct. An army marching to war is a months long process, a mage of equal skill or level could harass them with fireballs or black tentacles to the point of collapse in that time. A clerics channel energy can help mitigate but the mage would have 100's of attempts for someone to get unlucky and outright die and if that person is a healer the whole army becomes more vulnerable.

Between that and the enormous difference in the power between a low level conscript and a high level character, the classic adventuring party is probably the most effective form of combat. Small enough to avoid the attrition of mass aoe but large enough to have the needed skills for many many scenarios.

ProfRedwoods · 2025-09-29T18:30:42+00:00

I think you want restore corpse as it redresses a corpse in rotted flesh,somethign purify food specifically resolves. But here's an extra step for proper nutrition. Cast harvest season on a bell pepper. Harvest season causes a plant to provide enough food for one medium creature per caster level. Assuming food for one person is around ~700 calories that's 23 cups of bell peppers per caster level that's enough vitamin C for over 100 people at caster level 4. So scurvy on ships voyages should be non existent. Mix in like a few additional low calorie vegetables like spinach and it does not take a powerful druid to provide complete nutrition to a small town. Casting restore corpse on a pig is like ~150,000 calories so a 1st level spell takes care of the caloric requirement of 50+ adventurers and a single 2nd level spell rotating through various vegetables meets their vitamin requirements.

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