HunterJE

For the last few months I feel like I've seen at least one commenter on just about every episode thread saying "honestly, I wouldn't mind if they just wiped and started over." I understand the sentiment, and it's fine to have opinions about the direction the campaign is going (I for one am still enjoying it, and am excited by the apparent plot injection from Dan's new character), but I'd like to make an argument that the TPK call is just about the worst way to express those feelings. It is important to remember that while the Nerd Poker players (some of whom frequent these forums) are indeed entertainers making a funny podcast for us all, they are also gamers playing an RPG campaign. One of the most central parts of RPGs as a hobby is putting oneself into the character's shoes. Even in the deadliest horror campaign, and much more so in an adventure campaign like the NP folks are playing, the thing that keeps RPGs fun is bringing yourself to identify with your character at least to the extent where you somewhat care what happens to that character. Sure, once in a while when things go way off the rails or get incredibly boring, or when a player has to leave a campaign and wants to go out with a bang, the kamikaze route can be fun. But up until that point, we as RPG players tend to care pretty strongly about our characters. Put yourself in the gang's shoes and imagine if someone walked into the campaign you're playing with your friends and says "hey, I hope all your characters die." I think for most players (and for that matter most GMs) that would be pretty hurtful. So while I think it's fine to discuss our opinions about where the show campaign is going, I think we can do so civilly, and the TPK talk should never be a part of that imho.

Those who see a post like this and decide to be a dick to be contrary are probably dicks already, and just maybe some folks will read it who aren't dicks but just didn't fully think through the impact of saying that offhand. Call me a utopian, but I feel like we shouldn't just settle for "it's the internet, so we shouldn't expect more than everyone being total dicks all the time..."

Whatever helps you get it up...

Loving the hot plot injection from Naz!* Always love it when storytelling isn't a one-way street from DM to characters (part of why I really want to try out 13th Age next time I can manage to get a RPG group together). *PS--if Dan reads this, what's the canonical spelling on her full name?

Re: Speakeasy, I generally forget it exists for a couple of months, remember, binge, repeat.

Also, PFT always gets all the credit for his camera-flirting, and deservedly so, but can we just have a moment for this Daly face?

Always afraid when shows have buy-in guests, but Mr. Ableson was able, son! Also, really a shame that Name French Actors was nothing as a game and pretty pretty weak as a joke (as far as lasting power goes, it was hilarious in its non-jokeness in the moment), because that theme song was great. Haven't seen such a great-theme-nothing-bit since Hollywood Facts!

Just ordered one of these, will report back with details for my fellow weird-dice-lovers when I get it. Looks like something you wouldn't ever want to roll on any furniture you cared about unless you had a sturdy corral or other rolling surface, and from what you see in the pictures not sure they'll roll true, but still pretty cool (I'm not too worried about rolling characteristics, picking it up because I need a large and distinctive die to use as the escalation die for 13th Age, which is actually just a counter and is never rolled). :EDIT: Just got it, definitely a quality piece. Faces seem pretty much exactly true to cube, edges are pretty uniform but show a little variation, not in a way that seems sloppy but rather one that just makes it evident it's a handmade piece. Pips are super uniform and well aligned. Hefty and substantial, would make a real "thunk" if you actually rolled the thing (I love my table too much and don't have a rolling tray handy). Would definitely recommend.

It's happened a few times, "this is unprecedented" is a bit of a running joke...

This ep had copious examples of just about my favorite CBB thing, which is where PFT is on in character, and Scott says something ridiculous, and you can tell there's a whole process going on that starts with the Paul thinking "I, Paul F. Tompkins, find that absolutely ridiculous" and ends with a perfectly in-character channeling of that response. Also, was amused to note that I could still sing every word of the, erhm, "Would You Rather theme" without missing a beat.

Or Apocalypse World, I think that's the one that had special character effects/powers that came into play only when characters hooked up?

I would add (and this is sort of an elaboration of bullet point three above): A match between DM and player mentalities about conflict/problem solving, and by my preference a match on the right end of the spectrum. The players are always looking for clever solutions, often the kind that avoid direct conflict, and Griffin isn't hesitant to give them the benefit of their clever solutions. I've so many times seen games where the DM finds a way to still get the fight he or she had planned, and thus robs the parties the benefit of their problem-solving (with maybe a few bonus XP or a one-round surprise attack bonus thrown their way as a consolation prize), and about as many where a DM is trying really hard to give opportunities for clever play and the party just wants to run in headlong.

Headcanon: Winter lives with an undiagnosed mood disorder, and episodes where Rick sits in are manic episodes... In seriousness, I feel like everyone was reasonably OK with it, for the most part the party response felt more akin to the "goddammit stop calling back Chuck Mangione" kind of anger and not "goddammit you're ruining our game" -- even Brian's sulkiness felt like part of the fun. Honestly it's nice to have some character infusions for Winter, even if they're ridiculous. Steve's been kind of stuck with the store socks, so to speak--I'm sure if Gerry had been around to flesh him out Winter would have had a fascinating story, but as it is he's sort of just "cookie-cutter wizard" and was handed around to too many different players who kind of auto-piloted him out of respect for Gerry because there was a possibility of his returning and wanting to make his own character choices. If this were a lovingly crafted character with deep associations for its normal player I fully agree that behavior like this from a sit-in would be absolutely unacceptable, but c'mon, it's just Winter.

Cross-network, but Kumail and Emily have some sweet remembrances at the end of Indoor Kids this week, too, if you're looking...

It's a bit from Eardrop iirc.

Not to derail things by talking about the actual contents of the episode , but I can totally empathize with the weirdness of dealing with dead former lovers, I spent several years trying to figure out what to do with some, shall we say, "personal" photographs of a late partner; it felt wrong to just unceremoniously delete them, but they were also painful to have around (and, ahem, using them in any way was out of the question, I guess I'm no Harris). The problem really only solved itself, in the form of a hard drive giving out. This was back before the high-definition-cellphone-camera era, so they were just a small handful of grainy photos taken with an early digital camera, but I imagine this is a much more common problem today...

Yes. I really liked what PFT had to say about this last week:

I'm really glad they kept in the St. Vincent reaction sounds from 156, possibly the most perfect foam reactions...

Couldn't tell for sure how much of the pain in this morning's laughter was grief-related, and how much was just the pained laughter that always goes with a F+P. I think that's probably how Harris would have wanted it. Also, it will be nice to have another reminder of Harris's joyful strangeness around Christmas this year. Because this is a shoe-in for best-of-2015.

Also, just looked at the ep pics, and just want to say the Scott-Harris side-hug in the couch photo is precious.

Wow. Scott's words at the top were amazing. Thank you so much Scott for sharing your thoughts, and for sharing this episode, as painful as it surely is.

If anyone else also wants to make this their ringtone this week... Also oh crap, just hit the ep where they play "celebrity alive or dead" and Scott insisted in Harris's presence that he was was dead (that being the joke of that bit), yikes... foamtheme.mp3

Had to.

I'm making my way through all of his CBB/CDR eps (list), on 84 now.

This. A really helpful article that I think should be mandatory reading for being a human: http://articles.lati...theory-20130407 The article talks about it in terms of dealing with terminal illness but it applies equally well to grieving. tl;dr: Emotional energy, while dealing with tragedy, is a one-way street. You provide emotional support to people closer to the nucleus of tragedy, and if you need to seek support for yourself you turn to people equally or further removed. NEVER the other way around. stl;sdr: "Comfort IN, dump OUT."