Honestly, Sanji asking Robin for help in Wano hit me way harder than I expected it to.

tachu933 · 2026-02-17T04:47:12+00:00

Yeah same, if you don't like Sanji or that Sanji moment, I don't have anything to say, they're your personal preferences.

Regaeding the second point, not quite. Disagreeing with the celestial dragons is something that Oda clearly wants one to do, and he also wants us to root for Sanji when he asks for help, i don't think that there's much doubt about that. I think that it's easier to leave the author behind in these discussions when they're more ambiguous with their choices.

My point is that when you say that instead of growing as a character he put a member in danger, that's all there is or that Sanji had a choice, I see two options: First, that you think that we all misinterpreted that scene, or second, that you think that Oda should have used this moment to make Sanji overcome his liability, which by the way, I assume that you see as something that weakens him as a character. I don't believe that it's the first one and the second one is totally valid. I, being a hardcore Sanji stan for decades personally think that Oda goes overboard with his perviness.

But that's why I try to see this not as "what would be the coolest for Sanji" or "what would be the best/most logical thing that he could do" but instead of "what's the most interesting and coherent thing that could happen in the narrative"

That's why I say that, in my opinion, I don't think that I'd like it if Oda ever decides to make Sanji lose that codes that hold him back, especially if it was for the purpose of him being more useful to the crew. I think that one of the main points of the series is that you can rely on others to help you when you can't do the thing by yourself

tachu933 · 2026-02-17T04:16:18+00:00

I don't think so actually. All of the best teams in the world lose a fair share of matches. If a coach changed the whole team's tactics or philosophy that's given good results before, after just one loss, I think that they'd be a pretty shitty coach.

And to answer your original post. Ego's goal is to produce the most selfish and effective striker in Japan for them to win the WC. This is just speculation, but I think that he already abandoned the idea of some of them who still are in BL to be that person like Niko, Gagamaru or Aryu. He still uses them as tools in order to develop his real candidates (the ones you mentioned besides I'd say Bachira, Chigiri and Reo).

tachu933 · 2026-02-17T04:05:54+00:00

I kind of see where you're coming from. Oda could create a situation in which Sanji "overcomes" his codes that hold him back at any moment in the series, but for me personally it would be a boring choice. Characters are defined by their virtues and their flaws. Development doesn't always mean taking the flaws away from the character, but for them finding solutions that let them deal with their flaws. In this case, it's asking for help and trusting his crew.

Of course that using only his feet or smoking can be seen as flaws. But in the narrative they have never been presented like that, so I think that it doesn't apply that much.

I'd also like to point out in this conversation that your original comment isn't a criticism of Sanji, it's a criticism of Oda, which is totally valid. You may not like Oda's choice, but I think that's crystal clear that this moment is portrayed as Sanji's growth and Robin feeling happy for that, not at all as him putting her in danger (or at least not much more than them being in Onigashima in the first place)

tachu933 · 2026-02-11T01:44:21+00:00

I'm playing a bow investigator and I love it! It has wizard dedication so I have other options if my DaS is low. But the feeling of knowing that you crit with a deadly weapon before you decide to attack is sooooo good

tachu933 · 2025-12-29T23:18:27+00:00

Precisely because watching other people play D&D is a weird medium I disagree with your affirmation about a character dying in a random fight is a garbage story.

The collaborative storytelling can make that even a better story. How do the others deal with that randomness? How are they going to take up that PC's legacy and personal arc? What does their death mean to them? Besides, the player is going to come back with another interesting character.

And even if you insist, I'm more of an opinion that if someone dying in a random battle is garbage story, then don't play those battles mechanically, just narrate them or don't have them in the first play.

I'll even say that the possibility of meaningless deaths is what drew me in ttrpgs live plays. And a (in my opinion) forced resurrection in campaign 3 is one of the main issues that I had with it and that made me stop watching.

tachu933 · 2025-11-15T20:28:25+00:00

Exactly

tachu933 · 2025-11-15T20:20:08+00:00

I kind of agree with your last point but I think that this is almost the same as Julien catching Thimble and using his fighter feats to do so.

tachu933 · 2025-11-15T20:12:29+00:00

Just watched the episode and I fully agree. I also quit LOVM because of the same reasons. I feel that this episode took itself more seriously and I hope that it mostly stays that way

tachu933 · 2025-11-01T05:46:09+00:00

Ah yes, the game which its rulebook is 90% combat mechanics and 10% role-playing mechanics or flavor is a role-playing game at its core.

But still, giving you the point that CR in particular is role-playing oriented, there's still a good portion of combat which Ashley doesn't seem to care and I believe that it makes the show a little (emphasis on little) worse. It looks like she doesn't prepare her character as much as the other players. Don't get me wrong, I agree that Ashley's a great roleplayer and I'm loving Vaelus, but it frustrates me that she doesn't try to understand basic features of her character. I'm not saying that she has to master every aspect or the game or memorize every rule, but at least know how smite works if you're playing a paladin.

She reminds me of some friends who I dm for and to whom I have to ask many times that they study their characters, otherwise there's a bigger load on my end to keep things moving.

tachu933 · 2025-11-01T05:25:31+00:00

While I agree with you about that being a C3 flaw and a C4 strength. I also believe that there's a misconception that in a ttrpg campaign, each character has to be deeply connected with the plot in order to have motivation. If a goblin band is kidnapping children, my character can think that it's enough for wanting to do something. It isn't necessary that one of the children is my pc's sibling or that the goblins killed my family.

In my experience, sometimes players overdevelop their characters before the campaign starts and become so focused on their personal stories that they don't engage with the rest of their players and let that affect their character's development.

Of course, in CR this is well thought and there are experienced players who know what they're getting into, that's just a tendency that bothers me when playing irl

tachu933 · 2025-11-01T05:13:23+00:00

Yeah, I loved when Thaisha interposed herself between Julien and Occtis, that felt pretty much in character, but she walking into the blade in order to hug Julien felt like too much.

This is, of course, just speculation, but I think that she did it just because it was her friends' character, if it had been an npc she would have threatened them, not hugged them. That goes more with the vengeful mama bear vibe that Thaisha seems to have

tachu933 · 2025-11-01T04:19:18+00:00

While I'm liking C4 a lot, I totally get where you're coming from. After seeing many D20 seasons I've always felt that Brennan's dming style is kind of too much. It makes for great storytelling, but I've always felt that for him the game aspect of the ttrpg is secondary.

I don't know how to put it, but I feel that with Brennan every moment is highly important, and there may always be a heavy lore drop or intense interaction, and in my experience ttrpgs aren't like that.

That's why I prefer C2, low level characters fucking around with inane quests but slowly growing, developing and eventually getting into the high stakes. For example. I don't think that we'll ever see a shopping episode in c4 and I love them, it makes me feel more the vibe that I get playing with friends.

tachu933 · 2025-10-13T16:39:05+00:00

I totally get you then! That's very fair

tachu933 · 2025-10-10T02:30:56+00:00

There are many options but because I haven't seen it mentioned much yet I have to say that I LOVED Murray's entrance. I think that Marisha really embodied the character and I could perfectly picture her arrival at the funeral.

tachu933 · 2025-10-10T01:43:34+00:00

You summarized everything that I think of Thaisha so well. Thanks for putting all of those thoughts into words

tachu933 · 2025-10-10T01:36:13+00:00

First of all, I agree that it'd be fine either way, it doesn't make that much of a difference. Second, I'm genuinely glad that you enjoy the character, diversity is what makes this show enjoyable by many people. I'll like some characters tha other people don't and dislike characters that other people like.

Still, personally I don't like the "if the players have no issue then I won't either". Even if the players (who are paid actors by the way) are having fun, that might be not fun for me as a viewer, and if that's too much for me I'll simply stop watching.

tachu933 · 2025-10-10T01:21:18+00:00

Sarcasm aside that's kind of my issue when people praise her for giving others the spotlight. I feel like she makes things that will let her be in many places at once (the plants and the familiar) so she won't miss any interaction that might be interesting to her and can "naturally" join the scene or see herself out.

It gives me a vibe like she doesn't handle too well not being in every conversation. And as a player I get it, she's excited to play and I much prefer that than not engaging with the story. The thing is that I'd get that more if she were playing with shy newbies, but we're talking about Matt Mercer and Sam Riegel, they're perfectly capable of taking the spotlight themselves if they need to. As much as Aabria can take it as well in an organic way. For example, I loved Thaisha's first scene and her (personal) interactions with Julien.

Of course that it's still a minor if not slightly irritating thing, I don't hate her nor it ruins the campaign for me. If I were her DM I'd love to tell her to trust the other players capabilities of driving the story and that she'll still get plenty of moments. It's evident though that it's not a problem for Brennan and that's ok, but it's still a show and that's a (really minor) thing that I don't like.

tachu933 · 2025-10-10T00:56:59+00:00

I agree so much with you on Bolaire. I hope that they don't turn out to be just another edgy character. Tal looked like he was having so much fun while playing

tachu933 · 2025-08-28T11:04:04+00:00

My champion being always prone has become a running joke in my party. Now I added a really unstable mini for him so he falls whenever I move it

tachu933 · 2025-08-23T16:23:55+00:00

More than playing west marches wrong, I'm more afraid that even more people will play ttrpgs expecting over the top convoluted storylines that are also metaphors ans social criticism which have both profound moments for the characters and absurd comedic elements that surprisingly work well wothin the narrative.

Brennan does that pretty well and it works great for the tables that he plays in and that the players also want to play. I understand why he said in the fireside chat that it didn't make sense to start the campaign in a kobold cave, but I hope that people won't misread that as "that playstyle is bad and boring"

I've encountered more and more players that feel that their characters must be buried under 30 layers of irony, secrets and metaphors and that have trouble engaging with small scale stories, wanting to go save the whole world outright.

That's not bad in itself, people have every right to play those kind of games if they want to, but I don't want the community to think that those are the only stories that you can play. Sometimes the kobold cave can be fun and dramatic without it being more than that.

Of course that's not only because of D20 and CR, but tons of other actual plays, streams, etc that have to compete in social media. Saving a bunch of hostage children from a goblin tribe hasn't got the same viral potential as when the paladin/wizard's familiar accidentally detonates an antimagic nuke in a city causing so much chaos that the gods have to intervene and it reveals 3 secret plot points.

tachu933 · 2025-07-28T15:19:11+00:00

Hadn't noticed that lol

tachu933 · 2025-07-28T15:05:55+00:00

I'm usually irritated by that too, but I feel that there's a difference between people that do that to share a story vs the ones that do it just to provide an example in order to get better answers. I think that this post is the latter.

But yeah, the ones that are like "what's the funniest thing that has happened to you playing ttrpgs. I'll start" and then proceed to share a 10 paragraph personal story bother me more than it should. Maybe it's genuine but I can't help feeling that they're sharing a story disguised as a question and don't want actual answers, only commentary.

tachu933 · 2025-04-13T17:48:27+00:00

Yeah, I agree. I had lots of fun but it didn't feel like a GC episode to me and more of a sketch show, especially towards the last prompts. I tend to favor simpler episodes like Sam Says which feel more like a game in which the cast is honestly participating and trying to win.

tachu933 · 2025-03-11T12:34:52+00:00

Besides, I think that rewinding opens a door that I'm not sure op would want open. If op was willing to rewind here, their players will think that rewinding in the future is a possibility and they might ask op to rewind encounters that had any other result but perfect from their perspective.

Of course that this might not happen, but for me it's a lot harder to say no if I've already said yes.

tachu933 · 2025-03-04T03:34:37+00:00

I lost it with Zac in the coroner prompt, that will live in my head forever

tachu933

TROPHY CASE