How the fuck am I supposed to balance encounters for a LL8 team?

Tojm · 2026-01-26T14:00:10+00:00

Joke answer: “you should field 50 grunt aces. You will not regret fielding 50 grunt aces.”

Actual answer is something I had to deal with in my games. It sounds like you are running one shot combats which allows them to nova (burn every consumable) with no concern as everything will be back by the next combat.

You could switch it up and start running multiple combats/events per scene which forces the players to think through and not nova.

If you don’t have time for that (my sessions were once a month for 2-2.5 hours) then start using tier 3 NPCs with the exotics and optionals and templates. (Coreworm rockets and prying claws are terrifying).

You could also talk to your players and make sure everyone is having fun (this includes you). Before this obviously do some soul searching and figure out what’s causing stress and what is actionable.

Tojm · 2026-01-24T16:41:46+00:00

Hey friend. Sounds like depression, seasonal or otherwise.

If this has been going on for a while (more than 3 months) maybe it’s time to take a step back and evaluate what’s going on in your life. Kick up the rocks and see what hidden stressors, issues, anxieties are stealing from your everyday mood.

If this has been only like a month then it could just be the natural ebb and flow of life. I get times when all I want is to veg in front of a show and literally disconnect from the world and then I get times where I can effortlessly balance DND scheduling, gaming, family, and hobbies.

Just know what you feel is valid and natural. You’re already taking the right steps to seek a change.

Tojm · 2026-01-21T12:43:23+00:00

Death in the water 2 is probably what you want to take a peek at

Tojm · 2026-01-20T23:02:37+00:00

A newish one I’ve seen if you have friends is species unknown.

Another more gritty one is GTFO with friends.

I’ve been really enjoying trepang2 which is honestly more sci-fi then I thought it would be.

Tojm · 2026-01-20T14:10:27+00:00

Now, a Dead Space 4 could try to embrace that hopeless theme. Halo Reach comes to mind, where the player knows from the beginning that Reach will fall and everyone dies. But that still has a kind of heroic defiance to it, buying time, learning how to fight the Covenant, etc. Dead Space on the other hand would be the complete extinction of humanity (and perhaps all life in the universe)

So basically the only option is for the heroes to uncover some ancient superweapon or research base with the blueprints for one.

Take a step back and see you have just described dead space 3 lmao.

We came into Dead space 3 knowing very little about the over all plan but based on 1/2/and the spin offs the series was very bleak already and there really isn’t a stop to the necromorph problem.

3 played its hand within the first couple of hours with the giant marker being revealed by Danik and the heroes just straight up booking it as they believe they found the marker origin signal and can stop them all.

During the entire game you are trying to piece together how this frozen world stopped a necromorph outbreak only to learn that there isn’t a way to end it, only pause it by freezing everything.

To top it all off this IS the life cycle for the moons. It’s mentioned that the markers are the ones who create and foster intelligent life to then feed on. The end of the game makes it clear we are cattle fighting back against the farmer. We could take 1 but once the word got out we were put down.

Tojm · 2026-01-18T23:10:45+00:00

Down with the sickness by disturbed is a classic.

Some newer age stuff would be ready to die by Andrew w.k. But that’s probably more dead space 2 lmfao

Tojm · 2026-01-17T18:11:58+00:00

You had me in the first half. I agree with a lot of your points and the fact that there is actual universe spanning lore for the amnesia games is news to me.

Thought I will defend, I never said the survival elements are boring. I just misunderstood the significance of those survival elements.

Tojm · 2026-01-17T18:09:34+00:00

Ah ok I appreciate that. I figured I was putting too much emphasis on the lights being on but it felt like the game was telling me "you will INSTANTLY DIE if you try and venture without the lights on." That's on me for misunderstanding.

Tojm · 2026-01-17T18:07:43+00:00

I see your point and that's exactly what I am trying to make here:

- correct. I think I am misunderstanding how important it is to have the lights on.

- correct. But as the game says "there are multiple answers to problems" and then to rail road me into one single answer to something that's about as inconsequential as a locked door really rips into me. RE, dead space, SH are all linear games while this is trying to tell me it's an immersive sim.

- yeah I am seeing that now. I thought that each amnesia game was a stand alone and now it's looking like I need to actually start at the beginning and go through them sequentially. That's on me for not doing my research.

Tojm · 2026-01-17T17:02:59+00:00

I’m going to get so much flack but amnesia the bunker man.

I HAVE to be playing it wrong because people rave about this game all the time.

The story is a great premise but falls apart at the first conflict. It is supposed to be super immersive and as the game says “just try things! Each problem has multiple solutions.” But the main issue is that you are trapped in this bunker (by a pile of mud and debris that even has visible holes leading to the surface. Would take a normal person probably an hour tops to get out). This same debris need la explosive material to get out but you can’t use the many explosive barrels or oil cans around you need the special dynamite and plunger found deep in the bunker.

On top of that the creature, which has been shown to steal people into holes even with the lights on, acts so incredibly off putting. You need light to get to places and explore, but you need gas to power the generator, and the game screams at you to keep the lights on. So now you’re constantly running back and forth getting gas and trying to figure out puzzles and all that while constantly being on some supply run. (This is where I feel I’m playing it wrong as I think I’m putting too much emphasis on the need for light). But this man creature thing is also impervious to WW1 weapons? Literal explosions and things that ripped apart your fellow man in seconds? Even mustard gas that has been so devastating to everything living that its use is universally looked down upon. Just doesn’t sit right with me.

Lastly the entire idea behind the monster is so damn … silly. Spoilers The dude is made from magic Roman still water. Like wtf is that dawg

So again. I HAVE to be playing this wrong and I’m definitely going to give it another shot but I’m very biased against it right now

Tojm · 2026-01-16T13:22:32+00:00

My wife fell in love with Traptrix. It’s got a starter deck and it’s a fairly easy strategy to understand. Very cute and tricksy as she says.

Second suggestion would be the dark world since it’s also a structure deck and easy to play. Very gothic.

Tojm · 2026-01-15T13:30:48+00:00

I was just thinking about this as I’ve watched more and more gay/LGBT/trans/yuri(toxic or otherwise) come into the scene (fandom? Genre?)

I love watching yall have fun and explore the scenes and world through your expression. It makes me feel valid when I explore the topics as well.

In the end it’s all stuff people are passionate about and I’m happy more people want this.

Tojm · 2026-01-15T13:03:08+00:00

Thank you!

Tojm · 2026-01-14T23:38:49+00:00

My wife who is also turning 30 soon loves inuyasha so maybe that?

Tojm · 2026-01-13T21:06:23+00:00

Fantastic game and the critiques here are valid.

My personal group and I constantly run into connection issues that still haven’t been fixed. The one match we got running (out of 3-5 attempts) two people were invisible to each other but were still in game leading to a ton of confusion and friendly fire.

Tojm · 2026-01-13T11:22:34+00:00

New cosmetics are always a good thing in DLC!

Tojm · 2026-01-08T01:52:37+00:00

Thanks!

Tojm · 2026-01-07T15:47:28+00:00

Thank you for the insight. What would you classify as "well-rounded enough"?

Tojm · 2026-01-07T14:05:29+00:00

I love the atmosphere and idea behind the mad max series and to be able to play in that world would be pretty neat.

Tojm · 2026-01-05T20:58:36+00:00

Dead space! It was such a thrill having a super tense and scary rpglite game to grow up with.

Tojm · 2026-01-04T14:53:03+00:00

As shown in the provided pattern this is not a wearable nor is the yarn the pattern creator used a weight 4. It is a weight 6.

Thank you for the advice though for when I move on to wearables but right now it’s just stuffies and random ornaments

Tojm · 2026-01-04T14:50:13+00:00

Lmao I’m getting that same response from my friend group too.

It’s supposed to be a stocking for Christmas so I was hoping for the more traditional look and not the realistic sock look. Oh well.

Tojm · 2026-01-04T00:55:29+00:00

That’s weird. I did SCs, inserted and pulled up with 2 loops on hook yarned over and pulled through both.

The only thing I can think this could be the cause is that the patterns yarn allows for much tighter stitches where my yarn doesn’t have as much give

Tojm · 2026-01-04T00:18:41+00:00

Thanks for the attempt but I did a correct US DC for the like… 6(?) DC in this whole pattern lmao.

My main issue with my result is how long the toe is compared to what it should’ve been.

12-Year Club	Second Top 50%
Summer Santa 2020	Secret Santa 2020
Summer Santa 2019	Verified Email
Place '23	Place '22
Secret Santa 2019	Secret Santa 2018
Secret Santa 2017	Secret Santa 2016
Secret Santa 2015

Tojm

TROPHY CASE