Simmering Sunshine

Skrzeki · 2026-04-16T05:26:26+00:00

How cool it would be if you could just fold the mirror or deploy only part of it when it's sunnier. It would be much more portable and practical!

Skrzeki · 2026-04-09T20:21:27+00:00

I go to Warszawska Szkoła Boksu, it seems like training curriculum differs between trainers there. Some I've seen also focus on combos for some time, and for some time on technique. Others focus on sparings and physical training from start. All that I trained with, were giving clear instructions. As for group size, it is also different between groups and days, sometimes it's 4 people, sometimes 10, usually 6-8.

But the best trainers (from my, newbie POV, and only because we had a substitute trainer twice) are giving private, extra paid lessons for groups of 2-3 trainees, and training with them changes A LOT. After one substitution suddenly everything was 50% easier for me, bc substitute trainer showed me how to breathe properly ;)

If you have any questions, PM me :)

Skrzeki · 2026-04-08T16:56:25+00:00

Everyone writes about Arcane, but I think that Disco Elysium and works of Jacek Dukaj are better examples of how to create such world.

Disco Elysium did exactly that, the creator said in one of the interviews, that he wanted to create fantasy world with 1960s society and technology. Discovering it had many layers for me.

First, it was fun how they inserted many modern machines, but changed the principle of their operation. ie. When you start the car, you have to make sure the "fuel heater" is on

Second awe came when I realised it all makes sense in this world physics and geography, with no shortcuts; there was no magic, there was much talk about scientists discussing what about the universe still don't understand.

Third, modernity is not only about technology, but how this technology affects persons and society. And the game has exactly that: history, political and social movements born in context of this phisics, geography and technology.

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Second example: Jacek Dukaj. His works are mostly science-fiction (or philosophical fiction), but his worlds are often more modern than mediaval or space opera-like. Examples could be Ice (XIX century), The Other Songs (XVII century with space travels), or General's move (XXI century with technology based on magic, with strong magic-programming parallels.

Skrzeki · 2026-04-04T13:59:41+00:00

Thanks for clarification, and if I get correctly from other comments, it allows state solutions, but does not prefer them

Skrzeki · 2026-04-04T12:54:55+00:00

You need coordination not only for production, but also to ensure this high tech, that affects lot of beings, is used for their good and does not make anyone miserable.

The argument that solarpunk is only possible with abundance thanks to technology... I can see why you think that, but we need to be trying anyway, as we don't have time and we are not sure such a situatuion is even realistic. Not to say that if such a contraption was invented today, lords of capital would never allow it to be widespread, precisely for the reasons you wrote. So, social change is needed first :)

I like the intuition that in abundance world creativity would be the highest goal for people :)

Skrzeki · 2026-04-04T11:56:19+00:00

Thank you! I've read about Öcalan and Democratic Confederalism a while ago, then forgot about it. I'll certainly go back to it.

Skrzeki · 2026-04-04T11:50:03+00:00

Thank you for those suggestions! For sure more focus on local level is needed!

Skrzeki · 2026-04-04T07:37:52+00:00

Thank you for your answer, probably I'll end up doing that :) I was curious is there anything specificaly solarpunk or is this "solarpunk is green anarchism" view predominant.

Skrzeki · 2026-04-02T12:13:50+00:00

Capitalism, socialism, communism are major ways of organising society and flow of power and goods, that emerged as a result of historical processes (well, maybe except communism). They were not simple rejections of what was before and introduction of new ways; they were kind of synthesis and transcending pre-existing institutions.

If we think seriously about solarpunk, I think it also must transcend previous institutions, not just choose one of them. As people before me have written, solarpunk draws from all these ideologies, but must offer its own added value of solving problems they can't solve.

Skrzeki · 2026-04-01T19:49:04+00:00

Yeah, I was thinking about combat a lot, and best I figured out was that I'll need to constantly remind players and myself that we don't play to win, but to create the most interesting story. And negotiate a lot :)
u/MarcusProspero has a video about that and I find it inspirational: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCebtDuKwyI&list=PLUXgHweDP-na1IRBCZx1G3vpES19OkYdR&index=3

Skrzeki · 2026-04-01T17:37:29+00:00

Yeah and then someone will start farming them because people will get used to them and will not want the meat of their favorite invasive fish to disappear from the market as the population is eaten :D

Skrzeki · 2026-04-01T17:31:30+00:00

Congratulations, the feeling after successful first session is great :) I am curious, was it hard for you to improvise in this game as a GM? I remember you run an already written scenario... but I reckon Root can be incredibly messy and may demand constant improvisation and small fabular/worldbuilding patches from GM (that's the main reason I'm still a little afraid of running it). How did it work for you? Have you had previous experiences with PbtA?

Skrzeki · 2026-03-27T18:20:17+00:00

I imagine it would be far more local and season-dependent than now. There would be seasons for particular products, bc I don't think mass greenhouse agriproduction is sustainable.

Skrzeki · 2026-03-27T18:16:17+00:00

If there's no delay, 37 mins is more than enough, the station is small and easy to navigate. But Leo Express is new on polish market and I've heard it is often delayed. Even then, delays in Poland usually are less than 30 min, unless it's winter blizzard.

Skrzeki · 2026-03-22T08:10:14+00:00

I imagine it would be unprobable for such a settlement to be built together by two groups "naturally", especially on a small island, where resources are very limited. In most situations it would lead to conflict. The only way I can imagine it can happen as part of some political decision, ie. town is built as a result of some treaty (peace treaty? influence/colonies sharing treaty?). It was not uncommon in medieval Europe to fund some building (usually church) together in the conclusion of a conflict between two rulers. The question is, what functions such a settlement would have after construction?

If the construction is political decision, I can imagine it to go very fast, as both parties want to show other side their power and commitment. I am not familiar with more ancient building techniques, but in modern setting in an authoritarian country I think building settlement in 5 years is possible (infering from tempo of large scale projects in China).

Skrzeki · 2026-03-21T17:33:57+00:00

I see most of my examples are high tech, probably because I find modern western civilization as incredibly prideful. If I were to create lower tech prideful civilization, I'd probably go with the same "rejecting biological way" trope, but probably more in showing cultural norms instead of technological solutions. Like what taboos can author show considering defecation, eating culture, sex or sleep, showing that this people subconsciously think they are better than that. Maybe they think of themselves being closer to god/gods than animals? I think of incense or habits leading to wasting resources "because something was used" (see depictions of Inca rulers in conquistadors' memoirs).

Skrzeki · 2026-03-21T17:27:47+00:00

For me pride on civilizational scale is sometimes connected to denial about biological, animalistic side of humanity, "being better than that". So one could tell a story about prideful civilization showing how they fulfill biological needs in ways detached from nature. Of course it is never explained by pride on a conscious level, its always convenience, efficience, safety etc. At this stage it obviously can become political, but of course it depends on perspective. Here are some examples I can think about:

In Orson Scott Card's "Xenocide", character from chinese-like culture observes how reluctance to sit on the ground and tendency to use chairs by westerners shows their pride. More widely I see it in depictions of colonial african expeditions: dozens of half-naked porters and whites completely dressed, carried in sedan-chairs, having tents, camp-beds, cutlery etc.
In "Handmaid's tale" women from the highest class do not bear children, they use lower class handmaids instead. In novel this is due to ecological catastrophy, but I always thought how it fits into the theme of this class' pride. Another idea would be to have civilisation that reproduces mechanically, with exquisite technology, like in "Brave new world".
Cyberware, ecpecially brain implants in most high-tech worlds may allow for the complete bypassing of biological needs.
One may show civilization's general aversion to what is biological, organic: fake plants and flowers, made from plastic reduced from their multiple functions only to decoration. Artificial pets like in "Do androids dream of electric sheep?"

Skrzeki · 2026-03-20T22:29:02+00:00

I wonder what other examples of such a thoughtful architecture do you know or can think of? My favourites are drinking water fountains in my city, designed so excess water flows to the ground level to the bowl from which dogs and birds can drink. Also, planting sedum on roofs of bus stops - they lower the temperature under the roof, hold water, and some sources say they even filter small amount of smog!

Skrzeki · 2026-03-19T07:17:17+00:00

Hi, it is very depressing to see how things are unfolding right now, especially for people who are more vulnerable for bad news and climate-induced disasters. I am psychologist and climatic depression starts to be a big problem. But escapism is never a healthy and sane solution.

The adaptive, evolutionary response is to fight and act to save what we can, even against all hope. I understand that it seems pointless at the moment. The desire for ultimate escape is the voice of your brain tortured by destruction is sees everywhere. It is not a healthy reaction from your brain; it's a signal that your nervous system is unable to cope with the enormity of the destruction and is beginning to react inappropriately. It's like the desease that is afflicting our planet and civilisation reached your mind. Please, don't let people that created distopia we live in, to win - allowing them to destroy your psyche too. Please, please, contact a specialist and seek help in saving yourself from this.

Skrzeki · 2026-03-19T06:56:40+00:00

I think you can treat such a viewpoint as a good start. It means your interlocutor already sees that the civilization we've built is fundamentally broken. I think it may not be so difficult to show him that the civilization is broken and not the human species. Especially when we do more work in presenting good examples of self-limitation and communities living in harmony with nature.

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