Muslim Gamer

Memes

[st-just]

Warhammer 40,000 is of course, uh, not unproblematic. But patterning orks specifically and incredibly blatantly off English football hooligan culture was probably simultaneously the least bigoted and most creative thing literally anyone did with the concept of 'the orc' at any point in the 1980s

[changan-moon]

How to see whether a Chinese handmade teapot is well done or not - quality of the spout is an important standard. 

cr: 承启 建水紫陶

[amemait]

that last teapot is like witnessing an eternal and important truth

[ms-demeanor]

I just watched this with the sound on and i really recommend it because the utter silence of the last teapot is both perfectly predictable and totally remarkable.

[oakishly]

A video tour of my bellhome model. Figured I'd try something new-

Full written post of it is here

[yesterdaysprint]

The Waco Times-Herald, Texas, June 19, 1936

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

And if I said Megamind is one of the few movies that understands Superman.

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

And if I said Megamind through its three subversions of Superman shows a deeper understanding that the point of Superman is that he was loved and taught to love by good, present parents, and because of that he is able to return that love to a world even if it doesn't always accept it, and he is not corrupted by his power, than many other films either subverting or playing the superman story straight.

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Megamind has three Superman subversions. One is obviously Megamind himself. He was not raised loved by the world, but rather was loved by those hated by the world. Because he was still raised with love, he does care about other people, hence his character development. But because he didn't receive wider love growing up, his own is misplaced at first.

Metro Man was not loved growing up in a way that mattered. His adopted father was clearly very absent, and while we don't know much about his family, their relationship seems superficial. Because of this, his sense of duty to the world is also superficial, hence his boredom.

Hal wasn't raised with power. He gained it and was shown how to use it by a 'space dad' who only taught him power and not love. Hence, he sees it only as a grasping means to an end.

All three of these subversions, in their negative space, create the silhouette of the superhero that they are parodying. That silhouette is of a space child that came to earth and was cared for very deeply by the world, and taught love through his experience of love, and because of that holds fast to his duty to the world. Which is Superman.

[azulcrescent]

if i want to play a murder hobo, kenshi feels way more appropriate for it lol. I like my colonists to be happi, even if they try their hardest not to eat at a table lol

[utilitycaster]

the thing about Esoteric Ebb that really won me over is that like, little D&D inconsistencies and a bit of a rocky start aside, I think it really landed the concepts of several D&D tropes/themes that a lot of works inspired by or even created through D&D, plus no shortage of commentary, really struggle to get. A few spoilers:

I think it handles goblins beautifully; goblins discourse could be a whole other post but this game actually engages with what a subjugated, genocide-survivor population looks like as a sizeable minority in a city. Snell is incredibly well written (frankly, while the politics of Esoteric Ebb are much more simple and, well, fantastical than the much more explicitly political Disco Elysium, I would argue Snell engages with the specific concept of being a minority more so than Kim Kitsuragi does).

I think it does a lot of very fun stuff with D&D class and what leading with a particular stat would mean; pure intellect unmediated by other stats does tend towards egotism, whereas wisdom tends towards insight and caring but not necessarily brutal practicalities, and strength can be both protection and subjugation.

I think that while I was a little frustrated navigating the Questing Web as a video game player, it was a really accurate way to map out a complex TTRPG plot (to the point that I am going to be taking some cues for the next game I'm running) and watching the connections grow and build upon each other. The handful of loose threads also felt very comfortable and D&D-like, as did the ending bit about future sessions.

Hilariously, I think this game is a really good option for people who are weird about combat in D&D proper, because there were only a few encounters and your build was heavily skewed towards utility (and I went pretty standard cleric, ie, I was not good at physical things). You do better running or talking your way through most encounters, especially since you are trying to get information and it's harder and more limited to question a dead person.

I think it actually provided lore for a megadungeon which can be thin on the ground, and like, I think it's fine to just be like Here's A Cool Dungeon but having it be an archaeological experience with a rich history is much more satisfying.

I think it engaged well with the idea of character races as nation-states in past eras (something Araman also does well) since a lot of D&D lore is oddly essentialist in a way that makes no sense in a diverse melting pot but does in a world with very rigidly defined boundaries, especially when the deities are involved.

Moving into really spoilery territory below the cut:

The Lord Gorm and Urth encounters were absolutely flawless in terms of exploring paladins, divinity, and choice:

Paladins are often unpopular for the wrong reason. People think they are stuck up and sanctimonious and make everyone else look bad, which, skill issue. Lord Gorm, on the other hand, is someone whose combination of an incredibly realized purpose - serving the city and Urth unto death and beyond - and rigidity in approaching the problem led to him to a dark and desperate path. I happen to love paladins, but when they are a problem it is not because they're arrogant; it's because that arrogance is backed up and then some with their deeds. Arrogant sans conviction is just a bard, and people love those. Lord Gorm absolutely lands what a paladin villain should be.

Urth, meanwhile, is one of the best depictions of a deity in D&D I've seen. The gods of this world are simply mortals who have a little extra. They exist beyond death, but they are not all-knowing or all-seeing (indeed, they just know the odds). In Urth's case, trying to make the choices that are most in his favor leads him to do some terrible things - Snell confronting him on this is a highlight. Urth is not quite as rigid as Lord Gorm (who in turn is trying to carry out his unrealized will) but we see him do great harm in the service of the chance of a greater good. It's a great way to incorporate the randomness of D&D into the world and lore, as well as understand what an immensely powerful being actually looks like in their intersection with the world of mortals.

One of Urth's best moments is when he urges Ettir to make a choice and points out hesitation is a choice as well, and a bad one at that. Choice is the theme of the game, after all, and I do mean both Esoteric Ebb and D&D. The Cleric is constantly deciding who he wants to be. The entire game takes place in the leadup to Norvik's first election and much of its plot is driven by people trying to control the outcome of letting people choose. All you are, in an RPG, is a collection of choices, and playing it too safe will lock you out of it. You cannot beat this game in that way; normal people don't go into the pillar. Try something you might fail at - in a way that is genuinely a risk - or write a book instead of leaving it up to the dice.

[girlnephew]

[anmakguse]

[amygdalae]

mutuals if you were a video game character I would do every step of your questline and get your good ending

[reallycoolsoup]

What would you do with non mutuals? Cause speedrunners are always killing me for my crystal scythe before doing my quest

[amygdalae]

Well now that I know you have a crystal scythe I'm definitely killing you for your crystal scythe

[deputymeek]

If you fail a passive DC 12 dexterity check when attempting to loot the gems from Bondavol's shrine, you get to ask Snell about taxes........... and a little something extra.......... ;)

(and of course, you take 1d4 damage for your trouble)

[mathew]

[drtanner]

A+ weird little dude, but I'm equally fascinated by the choice of music.

[trickstertime]

*unmutes*

[peoplegettingkindamadatfood]

[sourcreammachine]

“england isn’t beautiful” wrong!!! look at our gorgeous country:

Dover:

Manchester:

London:

Newcastle:

Nottingham:

Portsmouth:

Leeds:

Liverpool:

Sheffield:

Bristol:

[sourcreammachine]

Southampton:

Hull:

Birmingham:

Old York:

Leicester:

Stoke:

Blackpool:

Norwich:

Middlesbrough:

Bournemouth:

[sourcreammachine]

The Lake District:

Cambridge:

Milton Keynes:

The Jurassic Coast:

The Peak District:

The Plague Village of Eyam:

Coventry:

Southend:

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne:

Doncaster:

[distortiondevil]

Visit Original Link

[peteneems]

[depsidase]

[suddenly-a-possum]

[skulduggery201]

[skulduggery201]

[wuwojiti]

[eggshellsareeat]

[fuckterfs-reactivated20252412]

[whereserpentswalk]

[unstickyhunter]

[unstickyhunter]

On it, chief.