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Message: <blockquote data-quote="niklinna" data-source="post: 8940888" data-attributes="member: 71235">I can relate to this. Particularly in Torchbearer 2, where I oftened wondered if I was ever gonna get a break! But that grindy feeling is a pointed and explicit part of the game (and a central mechanic of the game is even called The Grind). However, after a few sessions, I started to figure out that I did have tools—not to solve individual things as such, but to influence things in directions I wanted to explore, and ultimately to solve the scenario in a satisfactory manner. I got good at the mechanics pretty fast, all things considered, and was able to solve that part of the game to my satisfaction. But when advancement requires "failing" by design, it can make the game tough to swallow. I really enjoyed the intellectual puzzle of mastering the rules, but I didn't particularly like the feel of our characters always struggling—although there were moments of absolute glory amidst all the misery.Blades in the Dark is much less harsh, but also a bit mushier mechanically, in my opinion. There are tools to steer things, but many of them involve more freeform negotation than with Torchbearer 2: trading position for effect, devil's bargains, pushing by paying stress, assisting teammates, flashbacks, setup moves, recruiting NPC help, and more. In Blades in the Dark, you advance by risking greater consequences should things go bad rather than having to actually get a bad dice result. The game starts out with the characters in a pinch, but they can advance out of that pinch surprisingly quickly (a bit too fast for my tastes). I've played Blades in the Dark rather more than Torchbearer 2, but I feel I'm nowhere near the same level of system mastery in it. That said, I generally enjoy the feel of the game quite a lot, way more than Torchbearer 2.An aside: Both game texts have...issues with their organization and clarity. This has a big impact on actual and felt system mastery.</blockquote>

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