Recent content by Thomas Shey

Its one of those things in the variation of human perception and imagination. Since I've got middlin' severe aphantasia its always an interesting topic to me.

Mechanical options within the field of operation the skill covers. For example, you could construct a subsystem for climbing that dealt with various factors and how you could do tradeoffs for speed or safety depending on the climbing surface. Yes, by the time you'd done this thoroughly, you'd...

I was able to read music many a year ago, but I suspect that's a skill that is long gone.

I've gone on record as suggesting this is the problem with most skills outside combat (and sometimes within) in general in most games. At best any decisions are a case of a guessing game of what the GM thinks are a good idea.

Since the above poster reminded me, I'm kind of a sucker for monster books.

My wife had one of those on her prior laptop as I recall.

Unfortunately, I've drifted away from CRPGs, so most of those I know only by reputation; I own and played Solasta for a while, but drifted out of it (not a particular critique of it, it was for the same reason I haven't finished a CRPG in years). I've seen a lot of really positive buzz about...

I'm old enough I don't want to supply my own elbow grease, and just because I've got a lot of systems doesn't mean someone hasn't done one that does something that seems to do something interesting and/or new, or simply better suited to something I'd like to do. The fact I don't lean into the...

There's also simply having a modest amount of skills and either having progressive costs (so a little goes a long way at first and then gets into diminishing returns). Its not super painful having the necessary skill for a pilot and a bunch of ground related skills in Eclipse Phase, and I...

I also have to note plenty of post-apocalypse settings have had partial recovery at least in part. Arguably two of the (at one time) most well-known post-apoc novels landed in this to different degrees (Hiero's Journey and Daybreak -- 2250 AD)

Though illegal, when done in an ethical and non-destructive way, urbex can be fascinating.

It was, though I wasn't really up to snuff until this morning after sleeping for ten hours in addition to the two hour nap.

The Rivers books are a fast read; I'm not sure with the last Earthsea book, though.

Not the only one for what its worth; had a friend at one time who thought MOO1 was the better game. Heh. (And to be fair, MOO2 had some serious balance issues, and my fondness doesn't make me oblivious to that).

I think any notes about a new edition always says "addressed known issues", even editions of games that made radical changes to basic mechanics.