Oisin Duffy
@oisinduffy15.bsky.social
He/They. AroAce. Ecologist, Leftist and TTRPG fan.
Tbf, you'd be on the money if you'd posted this any time in the last 80 years
December 4, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Tbf, you'd be on the money if you'd posted this any time in the last 80 years
A random guy in his 50s, sure. But you'd think Tarantino would be more discerning (if you ignore how he's seemed to not have grown and developed as an artist in decades).
December 4, 2025 at 11:54 AM
A random guy in his 50s, sure. But you'd think Tarantino would be more discerning (if you ignore how he's seemed to not have grown and developed as an artist in decades).
from OSR and 5e spaces and like, glass houses much?
December 4, 2025 at 11:16 AM
from OSR and 5e spaces and like, glass houses much?
I think two things can be true at once. There are pbta games that don't put in the legwork and end up not being really shallow, but also there's a clear double standard here as that's true of pretty much every popular ttrpg system/school of design. Not to mention that I see that point coming mostly
December 4, 2025 at 11:16 AM
I think two things can be true at once. There are pbta games that don't put in the legwork and end up not being really shallow, but also there's a clear double standard here as that's true of pretty much every popular ttrpg system/school of design. Not to mention that I see that point coming mostly
You should, because learning all the game makes you better at it, but you don't need to know that when you first start playing.
December 4, 2025 at 11:06 AM
You should, because learning all the game makes you better at it, but you don't need to know that when you first start playing.
Not to mention that if I'm playing a fighter, I don't need to know anything about spells and scrolls or their resource management
December 4, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Not to mention that if I'm playing a fighter, I don't need to know anything about spells and scrolls or their resource management
but in order to make a skill check, you need to also know how that interacts with every other mechanic in the game.
December 4, 2025 at 10:58 AM
but in order to make a skill check, you need to also know how that interacts with every other mechanic in the game.
That's not knowing how to play the game. That's getting good at the game. A player doesn't need to know about scrolls to learn how to do prepared casting. I'm contrast, I've recently run some sessions of the game, HEAT. It's a lot of fun and each part of the game is simpler than pf2e's mechanics,
December 4, 2025 at 10:58 AM
That's not knowing how to play the game. That's getting good at the game. A player doesn't need to know about scrolls to learn how to do prepared casting. I'm contrast, I've recently run some sessions of the game, HEAT. It's a lot of fun and each part of the game is simpler than pf2e's mechanics,
People don't wanna acknowledge that D&D and other tactical combat rpgs tbf is closer to a videogame with a cutscene/combat divide rather than something truly immersive
December 2, 2025 at 9:04 PM
People don't wanna acknowledge that D&D and other tactical combat rpgs tbf is closer to a videogame with a cutscene/combat divide rather than something truly immersive
I've said it before, but like, there are so many ways to do cool stealth mechanics that aren't just "roll with modifier" or "sweet-talk the GM" and yet this game insists on that false dichotomy.
December 2, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I've said it before, but like, there are so many ways to do cool stealth mechanics that aren't just "roll with modifier" or "sweet-talk the GM" and yet this game insists on that false dichotomy.
any degree of system mastery.
December 2, 2025 at 3:43 PM
any degree of system mastery.
most if not all the rules to simply play, whereas PF2e D&D etc. is designed (and more importantly balanced) around only needing to know the immediately relevant mechanics. I think the balance thing is an important aspect as basic enemy tuning in these games tends to be quite easy when you develop
December 2, 2025 at 3:43 PM
most if not all the rules to simply play, whereas PF2e D&D etc. is designed (and more importantly balanced) around only needing to know the immediately relevant mechanics. I think the balance thing is an important aspect as basic enemy tuning in these games tends to be quite easy when you develop
Yeah. I talked about this recently and I think what people are trying to get at with rules light/heavy (when not a thought terminating cliche) is how much they need to know about the game in this moment to play the game. A lot of so called rules light games are really intricate and you need to know
December 2, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Yeah. I talked about this recently and I think what people are trying to get at with rules light/heavy (when not a thought terminating cliche) is how much they need to know about the game in this moment to play the game. A lot of so called rules light games are really intricate and you need to know
that. If that's not what they're looking for, then they're barking up the wrong tree.
December 1, 2025 at 11:40 PM
that. If that's not what they're looking for, then they're barking up the wrong tree.
These people just wanna play Exalted but either don't realise it exists or they're doing the 5e sunk cost omnigame thing for pf2e. Like ultimately, pf2e is about reasonably fair tactical combat where the PCs are placed front and centre and they're not supposed to be able to or want to weasel out of
December 1, 2025 at 11:40 PM
These people just wanna play Exalted but either don't realise it exists or they're doing the 5e sunk cost omnigame thing for pf2e. Like ultimately, pf2e is about reasonably fair tactical combat where the PCs are placed front and centre and they're not supposed to be able to or want to weasel out of
realistic, dangerous, scary etc., but I see people just write regular HP off as bad design because D&D, a game that is overall badly designed and also used badly for ill-suited genres and styles, and it feels like some people focus on the wrong points.
December 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
realistic, dangerous, scary etc., but I see people just write regular HP off as bad design because D&D, a game that is overall badly designed and also used badly for ill-suited genres and styles, and it feels like some people focus on the wrong points.
giving them a chance to finish me off? If you threw in injury penalties and the like, that changes the game significantly, and potentially shrinks the possibility space for tactical decision making. That of course makes plenty of sense in lots of types of games where you want things to be more
December 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
giving them a chance to finish me off? If you threw in injury penalties and the like, that changes the game significantly, and potentially shrinks the possibility space for tactical decision making. That of course makes plenty of sense in lots of types of games where you want things to be more
last point actually matters, but like that's not true of games with well-designed tactical combat. Sure your efficacy isn't diminished at low HP but it adds a layer of tension and space for decision making, e.g. can someone heal me, do I skirmish or play defensively, or can we beat the enemy before
December 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
last point actually matters, but like that's not true of games with well-designed tactical combat. Sure your efficacy isn't diminished at low HP but it adds a layer of tension and space for decision making, e.g. can someone heal me, do I skirmish or play defensively, or can we beat the enemy before
It'd be like saying the Normans civilised Ireland because Diarmaid Mac Murchadha invited the Normans in after he was deposed.
November 29, 2025 at 12:39 AM
It'd be like saying the Normans civilised Ireland because Diarmaid Mac Murchadha invited the Normans in after he was deposed.
Yeah. I think they went with him being god of Ruin, but I don't know if they did anything about the Nurgle overlap given that I'd say ruin fits under entropy which is already pretty nurgle. But yeah. Lotsa distinct weirdo gods are more interesting than tying everything back to the big chaos gods.
November 28, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Yeah. I think they went with him being god of Ruin, but I don't know if they did anything about the Nurgle overlap given that I'd say ruin fits under entropy which is already pretty nurgle. But yeah. Lotsa distinct weirdo gods are more interesting than tying everything back to the big chaos gods.