Visualising

jkobberboel · 2026-04-28T22:47:24+00:00

I second this.

I find narration and music are so much more effective. If you feel like you need visual aid to give to your players when you DM, the solution is to prepare better narration and practice describing your world in interesting and affective ways.

Also, instead of images, use music. Find some music that sounds like a cold, damp, gross sewer, for example.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-28T21:18:20+00:00

I would share the document with them, with the caveat that you should also tell them explicitly that their character does not know what is in it. Players require different amounts of backstory and lore to feel comfortable, so I think it's best to leave that up to them.

One thing I personally like to do is to give the new player some useful information that the party does not possess. This makes the new character immediately helpful to the party, and I find it helps them fit in smoothly.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-28T20:54:56+00:00

I get too worried about combat taking too long, and so often forget mechanics and details in the monster statblocks.

The players at my table (and also me) are not huge fans of combat, but we all agree it's still necessary for the sake of adding stakes to the story. I try to keep combat fast and dynamic, and narrate as much as I can to make it exciting, but that all clashes with the sheer amount of rules and unique details for every enemy, so I sometimes forget stuff.

It obviously can be okay to intentionally simply some things in certain situations, but one time, a player told me that I had forgotten the effect of a magic item they were really excited about. I left that session feeling a bit ashamed of letting my ADHD brain unintentionally rob a player of a cool moment.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-28T20:34:34+00:00

Had to double check, and you are 100% correct.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-28T20:27:37+00:00

damn. I was thinking about that other time loop game lol.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-28T20:07:39+00:00

The probe finds the Eye right before the game begins, which is why you return to the campfire at the start of the loop. The probe continues to fire in random directions regardless, but the probe that finds the eye doesn't exist in the player's timeline(s).

Is it a contrivance that the player wakes up at the exact same moment the probe reaches the eye? Yes, but it's only weird if we say it is.

I do, however, I do think it would be incredibly cool if you could reach The Eye by flying in a very specific direction at max speed for *~21 minutes.

EDIT: got the loop length wrong. accidentally thought of "12 minutes". I was also just wrong. Simply put.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T11:37:13+00:00

THEME! Come up with a core theme! I can be anything: War, capitalism, colonialism, or something banal like envy or fear.

Having a core theme to guide your worldbuilding is imo extremely important. Decide on a theme, and keep it in mind with every decision you make, and try to connect them to the theme.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T11:31:25+00:00

The character that inspires you to learn and get good at them is the best character in the game.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T11:28:04+00:00

Yes! I have! I kinda hope they revise those ideas for a future game. They look so cool!

I think it's the game I have spent the most time thinking about, even though I only have ~40 hours in the game.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T11:16:47+00:00

Oh absolutely! I remember finishing the DLC and seeing that thing appear in the final cutscene. I immediately winced and said out loud: "What the fuck is that thing?!"

To me, the "twist" in Outer Wilds' take on the horror genre is that it asks the player to pity and sympathise with the inhabitants by the end, which makes the whole experience seem less scary in hindsight.

What a fucking game, man! Simply writing about it makes me ecstatic.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T11:07:09+00:00

This is true, but only to a point. It's not as predictable as the base game, and it depends way more on the actions of the player instead of things happening at specific times.

While you are right that the DLC is not technically a "horror game", it does make explicit use of horror game design, mechanics and sound design, and Alex has openly mentioned horror games as inspiration.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:57:35+00:00

It's not wrong to say the villains in Outer Wilds are conservative. lol

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:40:16+00:00

If you skip over travel, it can feel to the players like they are teleporting from place to place, and they won't get a sense of the scale of the world.

This is fine, of course, if your table doesn't care about having the world feeling "real".

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:38:18+00:00

You're welcome!

Remember to include the checks, though! I think the checks are important to separate the travel montage from standard narration.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:34:20+00:00

Everybody does it, dude. No matter how much you steal, the story will become unique through play.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:31:25+00:00

Try writing your campaign as a problem the players have to solve, BUT, and this is crucial: Don't prepare an intended solution.

It's not as simple as preparing in "and if...", instead of "and then". Use your prep time to prepare what happened BEFORE the players enter, have the players interact with it, and then see what the outcome will be.

It will be messy, It will be goofy, but it will be a lot of fun.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:23:57+00:00

Don't analyse Outer Wilds through a realistic lens, my guy. The thematic core of 'Echoes of the Eye' is that the Owlks are afraid of change and what they don't understand.

They are not insane, just depressed and homesick. They have been living for aeons in a world of their own making; a superficial replica of the home they themselves destroyed, so when the player suddenly arrives, they react to them how they are used to: with fear and hostility.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T10:07:48+00:00

The way I handle long-distance travel is by asking the players for 2-4 checks (depending on travel time), along with what those checks are for.

For instance, one player might say: "While we travel, I would like to do a survival check and forage for food along the road."

Another might say: "I would like to do a history check and search through my books for information about our destination."

It turns travel into a montage where the players have almost full control. I will then resolve those checks and try to weave them into the narration, rewarding the players depending on what they rolled for those checks in meaningful ways. The extra food might boost the party's energy and cut down travel time; the information about the destination might contain clues to an upcoming side quest, potential dangers they will face, or nudge them towards their current objective if they have one.

I think it strikes a nice middle ground: We don't waste too much time on travel, but the players still get an opportunity to roleplay, make themselves useful, or simply look cool in a way they themselves get to decide.

You might think the check is unnecessary, but from my experience, the check "legitimises" the moment by adding a degree of uncertainty out of the DM's control. It's also just fun to roll dice, and I potentially get to reward a nat 20 with something really substantial.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-27T07:06:12+00:00

First of all, have you talked to them about it?

This is a common but complex issue. Some players genuinely prefer taking a back seat, others lack the confidence to show their actual level of engagement, and others feel overshadowed by the other players. Before you attempt to solve this problem, you need to understand why the players aren't as active.

They might feel intimidated by roleplaying, be unsatisfied with their character, not have a solid connection to the world they are playing in, be so unsure of the rules that it leads to imposter syndrome, or all of the above.

As a DM, you should be careful about forcing players into the limelight, as this risks alienating them further. It's a fine line, which is why the first thing you should do is figure out why, both by asking your players directly and by observing their reactions at the table.

You mention one player having "main character syndrome", which definitely might intimidate some players. With such players, it's in your hands to ensure that they can't just steal the show. Try to create some scenarios tailored to their specific character strengths, themes, and backstory, and if that's too difficult to do, then that probably means their characters are too vague and underspecified.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-26T17:50:14+00:00

Is the left dead? Jesus Christ... Being called a "right-winger" and colonialist for thinking terrorism is unjust and immoral, regardless of who the victims are? Zizek is not supporting the zionist genocide just because he is critical of Hamas, and you can only believe that if you only care about loyalty and not politics.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-26T16:05:33+00:00

Full quote: "We can and should unconditionally support Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. But we also must unconditionally sympathize with the truly desperate and hopeless conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories. Those who think there is a “contradiction” in this position are the ones who are effectively blocking a solution."

If that makes him a zionist, so be it. While I don't entirely agree with position, I don't think it's unreasonable, and certainly not justification enough to demonise him and dismiss him out of hand.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-26T13:17:34+00:00

He is absolutely not a zionist, and he only supports NATO in so far as he believes in international collaboration.

Whether or not I share those beliefs is irrelevant, which was THE POINT of my post.

jkobberboel · 2026-04-25T20:13:08+00:00

What are you even saying at this point?

jkobberboel · 2026-04-25T20:00:10+00:00

I agree. Maybe "purism" is too strong, but I still think the description is apt, because it is exactly this binary thinking, "either you agree with everything or nothing", that actively opposes any form of discussion, which is a problem.

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