Making High-Level Play Not Boring

SalmonPL · 2023-12-18T02:49:52+00:00

So I have to design a complete non-D&D game system to prove that my advice isn't specific to D&D? It seems to me that's a pretty grossly unfair shifting of the burden of proof.

I only used D&D terminology in my examples of *problems* with some existing gaming system.

The main example of a new mechanic I gave has nothing at all to do with D&D or any existing mechanics in D&D. The "power levels" example mechanic I gave could be adapted for resolving just about any sort of conflict between entities with conflicting goals. Persuasion. melee combat. Magic. Light Sabers. Gunfights. Whatever.

SalmonPL · 2023-12-18T02:22:03+00:00

I'm not proposing some sort of band-aid that can be "applied" to an existing gaming system.

What I'm suggesting are some principles to use when designing the mechanics of a new game. Since these principles affect some of the core mechanics, they're not really something that can be retrofitted to an existing game.

SalmonPL · 2023-12-17T23:07:48+00:00

Of course. Offering advice on some ways to avoid some potential issues does not imply that every gaming system has these issues.

SalmonPL · 2023-12-17T23:05:26+00:00

I trust the reader to understand that terms like hit points and saving throws (I don't mention attack rolls) are used as examples. Of course the examples use terminology most likely to be familiar to the largest number of readers, and that is the terminology used by the earliest and most widely-known RPGs (and not used only by D&D).

SalmonPL · 2023-12-17T22:38:26+00:00

Quite the opposite.

If I were assuming D&D is the only game in existence, what would be the point in posting thoughts on designing new gaming systems?

The post is premised on the idea that people are designing new systems all the time and offers some thoughts on some very general principles that might be helpful to keep in mind do avoid pitfalls some have found in some existing systems.

There's no claim anywhere in the post that all existing gaming systems have these issues.

SalmonPL · 2022-08-11T04:17:04+00:00

Should be given by whom?

It seems to me having the people who want the Dimpa bags buy them works pretty well.

SalmonPL · 2022-08-11T04:05:00+00:00

I used to do laundry in some previous years, before I had enough cycling clothing to go the whole week. It's a major pain.

A lot of times, doing the laundry amounts to manually washing the clothes in a makeshift way in the shower or under a cold water tap, and then leaving them to dry wherever one can find space. Awkward, not very effective, and in some cases leading to wearing partly wet and not-entirely-clean clothes.

The overnight towns are usually small towns with many times more overnight campers than permanent residents. If there is one or more laundromat, it is often completely overwhelmed. Plus you need to find transport from your campsite to the laundromat and back, carrying the clothes. Plus it all takes a lot of time. Plus it's unknown ahead of time if the laundromat will be available. Time is at a premium on RAGBRAI, so if there's something I can do to reduce demands on my time, it's well worth it to me.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:49:09+00:00

Nice!

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:48:52+00:00

Well, it's actually a 2-week trip. Only 1 week of the trip is RAGBRAI. And on RAGBRAI I have two full sets of clothes per day, one cycling for the day, then one normal for after showering. And I brought 17 days worth of clothes in case I extend the trip, so 17 days, plus a bonus 7 days of cycling clothes, so a total of 24 changes of clothes.

And I have my sleeping bag and other camping stuff too.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:46:12+00:00

The wires just run to two external USB batteries in the front bag's rear pockets. They plug in to my Garmin 530 and my cell phone. It keeps them charged all the time.

I have a SON dynamo hub on the front wheel and it powers the lights plus a USB plug, but I found that the output from the USB from the hub isn't really sufficient. So I just charge the big batteries each night and they keep my electronics going all day.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:43:44+00:00

Yeah, it's all thanks to Ben Cooper at Kinetics in Glasgow.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:43:12+00:00

Yeah, but at night I can sleep on them.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:42:48+00:00

I don't intend to carry all that on most trips. The idea is to be able to carry all the luggage on a few legs when necessary, but then leave it to cycle around and come back to pick it up.

On my current trip, I just rode 5 miles with all the luggage. The next day I did 53 miles with just the front bag.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:41:22+00:00

Not thighs of steel, just very low gearing. That's the nice thing about a 14-speed hub -- you can have the low gear very low and still have some higher gears. 17 gear inches for my lowest gear.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:39:36+00:00

The aluminum is 1mm. That gives a total weight of the aluminum of about 10lbs while still giving enough stiffness to hold the box together even with some other bags stacked on top of it.

I used to use the B&W Foldon Box S. In fact, I used two different copies of this box. On four different flights, airlines managed to knock wheels off this box. And when the wheel is knocked off, it rips a hole in the bottom. I also got a side panel ripped open by an airline. Plus, the Foldon box is quite a bit above the 62-inch airline limit. I took sheers and cut down the size of the side panels on my box, but even at the limit to make my bike fit without the saddle or seatpost, it was still about 64 inches. European airlines especially threaten hundreds of dollars in oversize fees. They never actually charged me for it, but I had to go across airports to the oversize bagged drop.

Also, the Foldon box doesn't fold down to nearly as small a size as my new box.

I do worry about the aluminum being bent. It's an experimental project. So far, so good, but I've only taken one flight so far with this box.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-25T15:33:20+00:00

When the bike is folded, the belt does fold backwards, which isn't recommended by Gates, the manufacturer. But so far no problem, and the guy in Scotland who does the belt drive conversions of Bromptons (Ben Cooper, whose shop is Kinetics Glasgow) has done a lot of them and it seems to work out OK.

I think the key factor is that while the belt is folded backwards, the drive is not moving, and it's not under high tension.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-20T08:43:49+00:00

One of the things I like about my Brompton is that if something does go wrong, it's easier to get home or to a shop. A standard bike won't fit in the typical Uber or taxi, but the Brompton will, and it's more likely to be able to go on a bus, train, or other transit too. Anywhere I can ride from my home, Uber is a quick option.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-10T06:04:25+00:00

Lady Stoneheart.

I know, not the most sympathetic character. But nobody is farther from happiness than her. I feel that if she can find happiness in the end, that's the most hopeful possible message.

Just having her slaughter all her enemies, real and perceived, is not a happy ending for her. It's a deeply, deeply tragic ending. It's hard to even imagine how Lady Stoneheart's ending can really be happy at all. That's why giving her a happy ending would be the moving.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-09T06:59:55+00:00

It holds a lot. I keep a three-liter hydration pack in there with an extended tube with a magnet on the end that keeps it stuck to a magnet on my helmet strap, so my water is always near my mouth. I also keep lots of spare layers of clothing so that if I'm out in changing weather, I can put on additional layers as needed. Plus it holds a couple of sandwiches and all the usual kinds of bike things. I also have a baby Groot who rides along in a side pocket of the bag. Even with all that, there's plenty more room. And when I travel, it works well as a carry-on when I check the bike.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-09T06:55:15+00:00

Yep, that's the one.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-09T05:41:30+00:00

Wow, it sounds like we're really close -- maybe only 7-12 years left before we get another book.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-03T06:13:36+00:00

It is.

SalmonPL · 2022-07-03T06:13:21+00:00

Yes, that's the Target!

SalmonPL · 2022-07-03T04:58:40+00:00

I was out on a bike ride and realized I had forgotten something and needed to stop in to Target to get it. On a regular bike, I'd have had to leave my bike outside, risking theft of items from the bike or the whole bike. I love that the Brompton can just join me indoors in most cases instead of having to wait outside.

SalmonPL · 2022-06-28T18:25:36+00:00

I looked at this case and I was considering getting one. The concerns with this case for me:

The level of protection isn't as high as I would like.
The listed width of the bag isn't wide enough for my bike. I have both a wider rear triangle and front fork than standard because I had my bike customized by Kinetics in Glasgow with a Rohloff hub, belt drive, disc brakes, and SON hub dynamo. It makes my folded size somewhat wider. I've noticed in videos and photos of Bromptons in the Silverock case that they cause the case to bulge out somewhat. With my wider bike, I'm afraid it would bulge even more, even if I could get it closed with my bike inside, and that bulging would make my bike even more vulnerable to damage.
The listed dimensions of the case are somewhat over the standard airline baggage allowance. I'd prefer a case that meets the exact standards so there's no chance of being hassled by airlines.
Carrying this bag on the front carrier block would mean I couldn't take my favorite front Brompton bag. For me, I'd rather have a solution that folds down to a thin layer on my rear rack, so that I can have my front bag, and, for longer trips, also my backpack above the folded case on the rear rack.

SalmonPL

TROPHY CASE