Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 1d

They have their use but I hate how comments about them (and pitching in general) become part of "game design" pontification when they have nothing to do with game design.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 8d

Testing a @mistergross.bsky.social game at our local design meetup...

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 12d

There's just nothing like fresh eyes on a 🎲✂️ prototype. For ourselves (and the people playing with us regularly), we all have too much of what the game wants to be or has been in our heads. There just is no way to think your way out of it, you have to see what a new player sees.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 13d

I'm already on my way, and also starting with something kinda defeats the purpose cuz this game's gonna be normal as hell.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 13d

My newest 🎲✂️ experiment: trying to design a regular-ass worker placement game. My games tend to have weird innovations in them, which involve a ridiculous amount of work and a lot of games that are dead ends. What will happen if I try something more contained?

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 22d

Purchased! Thanks for spreading the news, didn't know this was coming back

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · 29d

No clue what the person's intentions were, but reads to me like an accidental compliment.

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Sep 3

Journalists/editors, please, I am begging you to stop making articles out of bs quotes by AI company CEOs, unless it's to make fun of them. They will literally say anything to make their valuation go up by .1%.

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 30

good news.

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 29

Oof, Dice Tower misunderstood the basic rules of Propolis, which is a lovely game, AND said several times that the rule they're playing wrong is the biggest problem with the game. Publisher and fans in the comments clarifying. Embarrassing, they should really take it down.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 28

Commentating on a live SW game right now!
www.twitch.tv/cherezsw

cherezsw - Twitch

cherezsw streams live on Twitch! Check out their videos, sign up to chat, and join their community.

www.twitch.tv

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 28

why is it so fun to brainstorm with others about iterating on a game design? 🎲✂️ it's one of the most energy-rich interactions you can have and i don't know why exactly.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 28

often either:
* too confusing, one too many layers.
or
* too mild. "flowers cost -1 pollen this turn??? oh em gee!"
or
* too random and discriminitory.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 27

Quick self-brag... Managed to finish couch to 5k (for the 3rd time in my life) this morning. Running 3mi (5k) 3 days per week in 30 minutes. Hoping to pick up the pace slightly then ramp up toward 5 miles. Haven't lost weight but I truly don't give an eff about that. Good to be somewhat in shape.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 27

yeah i clicked immediately. much more biblical scholarship content in there than i expected haha. won't spoil what the topic ULTIMATELY is but suffice to say it's worth watching by anyone who can take the time.

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 22

Starting a new 🎲✂️ meetup in Ashland, Ohio this Tuesday! Hoping to build more of a design community around here to engage with.

Game Design Meetup. Tuesdays 6pm-8pm. The Eldritch Bastion. Ashland Ohio. Bring your game prototype to play, or just come play ours! Plaid Hat Games.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

yes, definitely have seen reviews of games I worked on where I can tell for a fact, they only played 1 time.

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

Found a reddit thread from a few days ago with gamers saying "I love the art and theming!" So gamers have no taste, on top of everything else.

Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

I can't stop thinking about how many content creators just didn't say anything about the Ace of Spades art. That art was so over the top it belonged in a Key and Peele sketch about a racist card game. I am dumbfounded. Did people just think, "Trump's back, we don't have to worry about that anymore"?

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

Apologies aside, a direct homage to a movie character is a lazy ass way to do art direction and world building in your game. Use some imagination.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

"They needed to hire a sensitivity consultant" dude my racist West Virginia ancestors coulda told you that card art was racist.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

At gen con all week, heard the game talked about several times, never heard a peep. Bizarre. Didn't take a look since it's a solo game.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Aug 8

For sure the lack of mentions by reviewers is the most bizarre part of this.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Jul 31

Took a picture with a giant golem character at #gencon. Yes there is a person with not enough points of articulation inside there.

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Joseph Arthur Ellis @jarthurellis.bsky.social · Jul 29

Email also has a way to it wrong or right, I suppose!