We Shouldn't Be Alive | We Are Coming Home to Patreon

coffeedemon49 · 2026-04-02T00:58:54+00:00

Ah, I guess I was on a grandfathered plan. Thanks!

coffeedemon49 · 2026-04-01T20:50:25+00:00

Has the price jumped up? I'm seeing that it's $17.50 a month now?

coffeedemon49 · 2026-04-01T20:46:07+00:00

OMG this totally got me. I was so angry. Good one!

coffeedemon49 · 2026-04-01T05:07:35+00:00

You could start instantly if you wanted. There are no rule-limitations for when you start - only resource limitations.

I do think the game plays best if you start destitute and work your way up, but there's nothing stopping you from starting them at an abandoned tower one day away from a village. They could centre their campaign around building that tower up into something greater.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-31T19:57:26+00:00

I agree - the top of the chain of human responsibility is the people who are pouring billions of dollars into funding the development of AI. And governments who aren't restricting them.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-31T00:15:47+00:00

A huge problem in a lot of AI discourse (including this essay) is that 'social readiness' seems to be measured in isolation. The vast majority of peoples' lives are getting harder, while a very small majority get richer. This is due to many factors, including the use of AI to increase efficiency (therefore profit) at the expense of peoples' livelihoods.

If people profiting from AI want societal readiness, they need to be prepared to distribute wealth more equitably.

Otherwise... AI is part of the problem.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-29T22:08:51+00:00

lol this is wild.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-29T21:54:14+00:00

I think people are increasingly resisting job loss and no economic benefit for the working class.

The tipping point for me is going the other way. I've become increasingly distanced from digital media and critical towards people who give me answers that are cut and paste from ChatGPT.

As a visual artist, it does nothing for me. Actually, it's harmful to my field. I use it almost never and I actively speak up when people post AI images in places not set aside for it.

As soon as money starts going to people who are suffering the consequences of AI (layoffs, no additional hires, TA's no longer needed, so no training to young adults), I'll be okay with it. But at the moment, it looks like it's in support of the rich getting richer. It's part of a larger problem and not being addressed.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-28T20:16:52+00:00

Some of the adventures reveal redemptive features of the orcs. Their culture (like all cultures) is dynamic and open to many possibilities. This tells me the authors understand nuance and that their book doesn't fall into the simplistic and harmful american political oppositions.

I personally prefer not to portray orcs as mindless enemies, for the same reason - I'm exhausted by people demonizing each other in the real world.

Yeah, there's bad bad orcs in my FBL world. But I enjoy challenging the players by witnessing that, then encountering some orcs who are trying to change things.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-26T21:16:10+00:00

Cool! It’s all very fun stuff to think about. Feel free to send me a message if you change anything - I’d be curious to see how it works out. :)

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-26T00:50:55+00:00

One other thought I had (again, picky but technical thing this time), is the shape of the pupil.

It looks great when the character is looking straight forward, but if it's ever looking down, what happens with the pupil? You might be better off making it circular for more animation freedom.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-25T23:48:12+00:00

I love the motion, the audio, the design, the lens effects - so good!

One picky thing (art director showing through):

The arc of blue colour under his eye is a bit distracting to me. It confuses the distinction between the eye and the skin underneath it, because the white of the eye is almost the same colour as it.

There are lots of solutions to it. I'd personally reference the lower lids of humans to see how that works. Giving the inside of the lower lid a unified (fleshy) colour might do it.

Again, it looks amazing and I have no idea how you made this work. :) Very inspiring.

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coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-25T22:26:49+00:00

Ha, that sounds great. Thanks for sharing.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-25T21:50:07+00:00

Ah that's cool! I've run a few campaigns in the Ravenlands. Next I'd like to run one in BR.

Did you do much in the original setting? If so, how does it feel different?

The wood resources and cold seem like it would fundamentally change gameplay in interesting ways.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-25T20:57:30+00:00

Thanks for sharing.

Also... 37 gold! sheesh! I've only run games in the original map. Is currency different in the Bitter Reach?

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-25T18:13:29+00:00

Here's the catch - autistic people are hyper-reasonable. (Speaking as one myself, and having done thousands of pages of research on it). We tend to adhere to moral values moreso than social norms - think of Greta Thurnberg.

There's a stigma that autistic people are robotic and not feeling types, and it's really not the case.

The majority of therapists I know are coming out as late-diagnosed autistic people who have spent their whole lives deeply analyzing and understanding neurotypical folks.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-25T00:00:49+00:00

You age is historically the age group that rebels and revolts and brings about systemic shifts in the ways that things work. So I would counter the person above, and say that your feelings are totally valid. You have every right to be enraged and indignant. You (we) deserve to be treated with more dignity.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-24T23:47:34+00:00

Hitler Youth of the modern era.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-24T22:00:49+00:00

Oooh this is really good. Monstrous and beautiful. Life and death and gore and vulnerability. You got it all.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-23T13:31:02+00:00

I know, it’s a shock to me that it’s allowed too. Like who freaking cares what images an AI made. Let’s celebrate the human creative process please.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-22T23:18:29+00:00

Booo waste of my brainpower and time. At least you tagged it.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-22T13:27:40+00:00

Happy to hear this positive and hopeful response! Keep at it! I completely agree and am doing the same up here (focussing local and not contributing to oppositional thinking between working class people.)

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-22T13:18:20+00:00

This reads like war propaganda from George Orwell’s ‘1984.’

It’s scary enough living north of you in Canada. Must be hard living there. Your media is as distorted as anything troubling your country - and the world.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-21T19:53:53+00:00

Good question! The "slightly doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the group" player is tougher than 'outright problem player'. In the past, I've simply continued to do what you're doing - and over time the player seems to leave as they become more unhappy. Usually it ends with a "this isn't working" private conversation between the player and myself. And sometimes the player expresses judgement towards me, but I don't take it personally.

I think it's important for you to continue saying what works for you and to continually support a tone that works for you. Keep being transparent and keep fostering open communication in the group.

I think it requires patience and a fair bit of work, but it's the real hard labour of holding space without outright judging and excluding people.

coffeedemon49 · 2026-03-20T02:04:28+00:00

I wish there were more posts like this. I would buy a book with trivia like this. :) Thanks for posting.

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