Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
@mkfshard.bsky.social
Joseph Hartman (he/they) - Writer of upcoming fantasy novel Dragon Descent, and developer of soulslike RPG Deadbeat!
https://linktr.ee/jahartman
https://linktr.ee/jahartman
Pinned
Welcome to the sea of noise.
Welcome to the Hereafter.
DEADBEAT, the AFTERLIFE SOULSLIKE, is OUT, RIGHT NOW!!!
GET IT ON STEAM: store.steampowered.com/app/2067430/...
#gamedev
#indiegames
#indiegamedev
Welcome to the Hereafter.
DEADBEAT, the AFTERLIFE SOULSLIKE, is OUT, RIGHT NOW!!!
GET IT ON STEAM: store.steampowered.com/app/2067430/...
#gamedev
#indiegames
#indiegamedev
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
December 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
The attacks on trans rights, which are basic human rights, are a terrible injustice and an attack on truth and fact as well. Everyone should be deeply alarmed and it should be disqualifying for a politician to support such discrimination.
December 4, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The attacks on trans rights, which are basic human rights, are a terrible injustice and an attack on truth and fact as well. Everyone should be deeply alarmed and it should be disqualifying for a politician to support such discrimination.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
For anyone interested, I'm considering taking on 3d modeling, rigging, and animation commissions soon, after I finish some work I owe. I can do game implementation/coding too (Unreal expert). Here's some examples of my work!
December 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
For anyone interested, I'm considering taking on 3d modeling, rigging, and animation commissions soon, after I finish some work I owe. I can do game implementation/coding too (Unreal expert). Here's some examples of my work!
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
I promise you that if you ever say "I enjoyed that thing you wrote", it will occupy my attention for a solid week
I’ve sometimes fallen into the trap of thinking that complementing a creative person for their work is less sophisticated or desired than discussion or debate about it but very often the best thing you can say to them is hell yeah and that doesn’t make you dumb it just makes you nice
December 4, 2025 at 5:17 AM
I promise you that if you ever say "I enjoyed that thing you wrote", it will occupy my attention for a solid week
Recently finished Dead Hand Rule by @maxgladstone.bsky.social, and I gotta say, the Craft Sequence/Wars series is a treasure :D
Without spoilers, the final villains are such a genius apotheosis of the themes of the entire series, and as quite a narrative feat, feel absolutely unstoppable.
Without spoilers, the final villains are such a genius apotheosis of the themes of the entire series, and as quite a narrative feat, feel absolutely unstoppable.
December 4, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Recently finished Dead Hand Rule by @maxgladstone.bsky.social, and I gotta say, the Craft Sequence/Wars series is a treasure :D
Without spoilers, the final villains are such a genius apotheosis of the themes of the entire series, and as quite a narrative feat, feel absolutely unstoppable.
Without spoilers, the final villains are such a genius apotheosis of the themes of the entire series, and as quite a narrative feat, feel absolutely unstoppable.
Just a little!
(Commissioned art by Pocketss, Sharpibees, Altermentality, Potoobrigham!)
(Commissioned art by Pocketss, Sharpibees, Altermentality, Potoobrigham!)
December 4, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Just a little!
(Commissioned art by Pocketss, Sharpibees, Altermentality, Potoobrigham!)
(Commissioned art by Pocketss, Sharpibees, Altermentality, Potoobrigham!)
#AwesomeCharacters
Shortly after Pathi transforms into a drake, he Blair, another drake, and hates her *so much*. The feeling is mutual, at first.
Then Blair realizes he's piloting a body he has no idea how to use and is going to get himself killed. She resolves to save him out of pure spite.
Shortly after Pathi transforms into a drake, he Blair, another drake, and hates her *so much*. The feeling is mutual, at first.
Then Blair realizes he's piloting a body he has no idea how to use and is going to get himself killed. She resolves to save him out of pure spite.
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters
Tell me a bit about the first time your character met someone important to them.
This could be a close friend, love interest, mentor, etc.
Did they like each other right away? Did they warm over time?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Tell me a bit about the first time your character met someone important to them.
This could be a close friend, love interest, mentor, etc.
Did they like each other right away? Did they warm over time?
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
December 4, 2025 at 3:36 AM
#AwesomeCharacters
Shortly after Pathi transforms into a drake, he Blair, another drake, and hates her *so much*. The feeling is mutual, at first.
Then Blair realizes he's piloting a body he has no idea how to use and is going to get himself killed. She resolves to save him out of pure spite.
Shortly after Pathi transforms into a drake, he Blair, another drake, and hates her *so much*. The feeling is mutual, at first.
Then Blair realizes he's piloting a body he has no idea how to use and is going to get himself killed. She resolves to save him out of pure spite.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
When writing this piece, I kept thinking back to this Instagram post I saw from a trans woman the other day. This is what I'm talking about. Watch this:
December 3, 2025 at 12:35 AM
When writing this piece, I kept thinking back to this Instagram post I saw from a trans woman the other day. This is what I'm talking about. Watch this:
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
DHS’s post suggesting “if you help kick people out of the country you’ll be able to afford housing” is OG Nazism.
December 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
DHS’s post suggesting “if you help kick people out of the country you’ll be able to afford housing” is OG Nazism.
Decided to make my WIP's protag into a #TADCFriend, for fun :D Based wholly on a Cuphead-style commission I got ages back from the wonderful @altermentality.bsky.social!
December 3, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Decided to make my WIP's protag into a #TADCFriend, for fun :D Based wholly on a Cuphead-style commission I got ages back from the wonderful @altermentality.bsky.social!
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
maybe erroneous observation but the 'there is not enough coverage of small indie games' stuff might just be a symptom of people making games having a deep yearning for people actually engaging with their work in a more thoughtful way, beyond any suspected material benefits of 'coverage'
December 2, 2025 at 1:15 AM
maybe erroneous observation but the 'there is not enough coverage of small indie games' stuff might just be a symptom of people making games having a deep yearning for people actually engaging with their work in a more thoughtful way, beyond any suspected material benefits of 'coverage'
LRT, yeah, agreed. The video described something real and important, but not at all as universal as implied.
I wish this top of pop psychologist would stop equating “human nature” with Caucasian/Western nature.
This distinction is very important.
This distinction is very important.
December 1, 2025 at 6:34 PM
LRT, yeah, agreed. The video described something real and important, but not at all as universal as implied.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
December 1, 2025 at 11:09 AM
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
So much of woke backlash is “I miss when I didn’t have any social consequences for being a huge piece of shit”
November 30, 2025 at 3:53 PM
So much of woke backlash is “I miss when I didn’t have any social consequences for being a huge piece of shit”
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
Yes, they want to make the world into their conspiracy theories, just for the "right" people
conservatives basically want to implement the caricature of affirmative action for conservative students. acceptance without meeting qualifications, good grades and degrees without having to do the work.
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
December 1, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Yes, they want to make the world into their conspiracy theories, just for the "right" people
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
the big thing about over-genrefication is that it eliminates any possibility of surprise. if you can fit an art form into 15-20 pre-existing labels or tags, that work of art will contain almost no experimentation. it will have nothing new in it. you can't fit something new into a tag.
this is wildly true. I have always hated the hairsplitting taxonomy process for my own stuff. “there’s not enough drama in this queer romance!! why is there so much murder mystery in this fantasy?” it’s an endless process of unhappy qualification that achieves nothing
The subcategorization/tropefication of popular fiction has been very bad in general, both for authors and readers.
November 30, 2025 at 6:18 PM
the big thing about over-genrefication is that it eliminates any possibility of surprise. if you can fit an art form into 15-20 pre-existing labels or tags, that work of art will contain almost no experimentation. it will have nothing new in it. you can't fit something new into a tag.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
November 28, 2025 at 3:28 AM
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
if you see this, post an anime you love
November 26, 2025 at 7:19 PM
if you see this, post an anime you love
Sometimes I see a sentiment in passing from people who complain about 'wokeness', and that people who are ignorant but genuinely trying should be given some leeway rather than being yelled at.
And to an extent, I agree, lucky 10,000 every day and all that.
But as with everything, there's nuance.
And to an extent, I agree, lucky 10,000 every day and all that.
But as with everything, there's nuance.
Ten Thousand
xkcd.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Sometimes I see a sentiment in passing from people who complain about 'wokeness', and that people who are ignorant but genuinely trying should be given some leeway rather than being yelled at.
And to an extent, I agree, lucky 10,000 every day and all that.
But as with everything, there's nuance.
And to an extent, I agree, lucky 10,000 every day and all that.
But as with everything, there's nuance.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
#NovemberWorldbuilders
The Extermination War was waged between humans and dragons, named so for each side's stated desire to rid the world of the other. It was a conflict that left the world empty of dragons, and left humanity scarred in too many ways to name.
The Extermination War was waged between humans and dragons, named so for each side's stated desire to rid the world of the other. It was a conflict that left the world empty of dragons, and left humanity scarred in too many ways to name.
#NovemberWorldbuilders Does your fictional world have any wars in its history that are now over? What was the conflict about? What were the repercussions of it?
November 25, 2025 at 7:06 AM
#NovemberWorldbuilders
The Extermination War was waged between humans and dragons, named so for each side's stated desire to rid the world of the other. It was a conflict that left the world empty of dragons, and left humanity scarred in too many ways to name.
The Extermination War was waged between humans and dragons, named so for each side's stated desire to rid the world of the other. It was a conflict that left the world empty of dragons, and left humanity scarred in too many ways to name.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
I don’t want us relying more on AI for human connection because empathy and socialization is already at a cry for help. So many ppl don’t know how to talk to others in grief, depression, hardship, crisis as it is. Society as a whole is getting more awkward and afraid of human interaction
November 25, 2025 at 3:45 AM
I don’t want us relying more on AI for human connection because empathy and socialization is already at a cry for help. So many ppl don’t know how to talk to others in grief, depression, hardship, crisis as it is. Society as a whole is getting more awkward and afraid of human interaction
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
They make games and movies like they used to. So many of them. Same with books.
But the mechanisms you learned about them were totally gutted and changed to only amplify shit that's already popular.
It's still there! You're just mostly on your own to find it.
But the mechanisms you learned about them were totally gutted and changed to only amplify shit that's already popular.
It's still there! You're just mostly on your own to find it.
November 19, 2025 at 12:16 PM
They make games and movies like they used to. So many of them. Same with books.
But the mechanisms you learned about them were totally gutted and changed to only amplify shit that's already popular.
It's still there! You're just mostly on your own to find it.
But the mechanisms you learned about them were totally gutted and changed to only amplify shit that's already popular.
It's still there! You're just mostly on your own to find it.
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
"is it an ai bubble? no, it can't be, because it's still growing"- every news outlet
November 20, 2025 at 5:11 AM
"is it an ai bubble? no, it can't be, because it's still growing"- every news outlet
Reposted by Shard (DEADBEAT out on Steam!)
We live in a world where there are teddy bears ready to explain to toddlers how to engage in consensual sadomasochistic cutting, but we're banning corrupting books about heavy topics like how Cindy has two dads and that's okay.
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives | CNN Business
Sales of an artificial intelligence-enabled plush toy have been suspended after it was found that it engaged in conversation around sexually explicit topics and offered potentially dangerous advice.
www.cnn.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:43 AM
We live in a world where there are teddy bears ready to explain to toddlers how to engage in consensual sadomasochistic cutting, but we're banning corrupting books about heavy topics like how Cindy has two dads and that's okay.