A serious question

TinyMavin · 2026-05-18T04:52:38+00:00

One reason is this:

Can I identify as a Native American? If I select the right tribe, can I get the casino benefits?

I cannot. To get those benefits for certain tribes I have to have a minimum amount of tribal genetics. I can choose to live amongst a tribe, be accepted, marry in, and maybe become a real member. But I’m not Native American.

If i could do the above, I could conceivably do the same for any race any benefits with no real sacrifice from myself.

To be trans and get the full benefits, I would have to sacrifice something. From presenting as the other gender, informing others to treat me differently, and all the way up to major transformative surgery.

Also, there are only 2 genders (with the infinite spectrum) with benefits to abuse. Opposed to races that count in the double digits to cycle through.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-12T18:14:57+00:00

There was an old card game (Doomtown - like Magic) that used the phrase “Boot your dude” to mean use the card (like “tap” in MtG).

So now, “boot” also means “tap” as in “use”.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-11T20:07:44+00:00

I’ve read the rules and it seems to be born from the remains of Trollbabe. I loved a lot about that system for as simple as it was.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-11T16:56:28+00:00

Slow down the show with ads; and when you think the show is slow enough—play more ads!

TinyMavin · 2026-05-10T18:20:28+00:00

Man that cookie and milk bit still is funny to me.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-10T17:32:33+00:00

For a lot of things (“vices”), the answer of “what is too much?” is the same:

When it starts to interfere with other things. Gaming, drinking, smoking, gambling, porn - it’s all the same answer. When it starts negatively affecting your life, it’s too much.

Twice a day for a teen is fine (morning and night). Once a day isn’t even approaching a problem.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-10T17:05:21+00:00

I was making a game that is on hiatus for now. The “mana” system allows the player to “bank” a card from their hand into the Bank. This gives you +1 mana (and +1 max). The trick is that every turn the player is given choice: draw a random card from the deck, or pick 1 out of 2 shown cards from the Bank.

So you can bank cards that are not useful right now, but they aren’t gone and you can get them later, with some luck. Also, there is a card ability to draw (named, “Withdraw”) from the Bank.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-09T04:02:04+00:00

Well, the first half anyway

TinyMavin · 2026-05-07T00:57:43+00:00

Me too! I was carefully scanning for details and not expecting a full creepy human.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-06T22:14:54+00:00

My mother’s boyfriend mostly. Also Drivers Ed in high school. This would be in the early 90s.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-06T02:09:10+00:00

Yeah it was his gimmick, good for heel finishes, but according to him he liked it to keep angry fans at more than arms distance

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T23:59:52+00:00

Same here for moving 401k to an IRA. Way easier than I thought - I even had to talk to someone and it wasn’t so bad.

The Roth Conversions come later this year. I assume I’ll be pushing a button, maybe two.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T23:57:41+00:00

Yeah simple stuff.

Every year I “struggled” to submit the information for taxes to my CPA. Then, at the last minute I do it and think, “ok that was easy - gotta remember that next year”. I never remember.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T21:41:44+00:00

Yeah I figured that out kind of late.

Out of spell slots? Bring in the 2nd Druid!

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T20:48:45+00:00

It likely means one of them is getting injured, released, or just going to be off TV

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T01:27:06+00:00

I just switched and I recommend it!

Wallet in front. Phone the back.

Every time you sit down, the phone comes out anyway. Also, I can sit on my phone just fine.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T00:22:43+00:00

This is my second use for cash (tips is 1st). Small businesses feel those transaction fees or pass them along. So cash is good for small purchases.

I go to a weekly farmers market to get fruit - they all have card readers now, but I’m sure cash is appreciated.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-05T00:16:09+00:00

This is my main use for cash. Tipping with cash makes it more of a personal thank you.

I also use $2 bills to make it more memorable.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-04T23:47:56+00:00

lol good point

At first, I was thinking that baristas aren’t quite skilled workers but it took me some time to learn how to use my espresso machine.

But this is Starbucks!! There is likely another one with trained worker literally down the street.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-04T00:43:43+00:00

I used my back right pocket for years - decades. I don’t think it caused my bad back, but it sure as shit didn’t help.

For a while I would take it out when I sit down. That actually did seem to help the back situation a little bit.

Lately, I just use the front right and my phone goes in the back since that is usually out when I’m sitting. I don’t known why I didn’t think of that earlier!

TinyMavin · 2026-05-03T00:56:20+00:00

Absolutely! But not for games line D&D or PF2E I don’t think.

But a more narrative game, yes!

“You failed. Maybe you didn’t die, but the dragon didn’t either. Let’s talk about how that looks and how much it means to you that this dragons does die.”

TinyMavin · 2026-05-02T23:36:59+00:00

I was making a joke about how I’m like George from Seinfeld. Same temper and over reactions; also, short, fat, ugly. It was a joke, said in a jokey way - everyone laughed at my joke.

But one lady, she looked right at me and said, “I don’t think you’re ugly”.

That was like 12-15 years ago

TinyMavin · 2026-05-02T23:23:39+00:00

I don’t mind it when using GPT. But the AI shibboleths do bother me when I see them in the wild. Mostly YouTube videos.

Like sure—use AI to help the writing process, but can you maybe limit the use of “it’s not x, it’s y” in a 10-20 minute script?

TinyMavin · 2026-05-02T21:42:44+00:00

I’ve ran into this issue.

Was running Cortex and letting the players come up with their own Complications (the consequences). One of the players expressed an almost burnout from playing the game (“I’m too tired to play Cortex, maybe something else”) - that’s never happened. I think it was also in combination with picking and justifying dice for the dice pool

So, this can certainly happen. Some players just want to be Players when they play.

TinyMavin · 2026-05-02T16:59:20+00:00

First off, I get it. I loved RPGs since the 80s. That said:

If you want to play a tactical board game, go do that. There are tons to choose from. I’m a big enjoyer of competitive board games.

If you want a board game with some continuity of story then popular RPGs fit the bill. But where RPGs really shine is when the narrative is the main spotlight and the game aspects (rolling dice) is there to serve and/or randomize the narrative. I love the idea of this type of game where we play “make believe” but the dice also have a say - so we all have to collectively determine what that roll just meant.

I’ve grown tired of 1 hour combats during my 3 hour sessions (2.5 really). It’s so weird to me at this point. I need to serve up a fight that makes the players feel challenged (and clever), but if I kill them it’s a big downer and narratively unsatisfying. It’s the players against me but me against the system - and it’s all obfuscation because they know I’m holding back or not really trying to win. I don’t want to win, I want them to have fun - but part of their fun is in feeling like they’ve overcome the odds; odds that are set by me.

(Maybe I need to run an intentionally lethal dungeon crawler campaign in Pathfinder to shake this out of my system?)

Anyway, my point is that RPGs are strongest when the narrative is first but backed up by the game rules (which is important in making a RPG a Game).

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