The two forces arrayed against one another. But, are they truly enemies?

Thinking Out Loud

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I'm just thinking out loud today. There's so much going on in the world of tabletop games and the news breaks seemingly by the minute, but that doesn't mean we can't take a beat and recalibrate ourselves and figure out how this all matters (or doesn't!).

Daggerheart vs. Draw Steel

I've seen some fireworks out of both camps here. There is a ton of love/hate going on with both of these newly released, alleged DnD "threats" by Darrington Press (and the team behind Critical Role) and MCDM (and Matt Colville of "Running the Game" fame), respectively. I get that groups form around games and hobbies and interests and those groups can become echo chambers and strongholds over time. But, I don't know that I find the competition between fan crowds all that interesting. People sound like fools when they take anonymous, unfounded potshots at creators who've poured their souls into their works. A professional critique is in order on all counts, but let's keep it detached and objective. Most people just want to break stuff, and that's sad.

It reminds me of how important is it that I focus on building and making things that encourage people to create, build, and prosper.

That's why we're called World Builders, not World Wreckers.

My designer take on the two games is that they both serve different audiences. One is not "right" or "better" because there can be no such thing to every market. You simply pick the game that works best with your table and enjoy it as long as it holds your collective interest.

Daggerheart is less crunchy. Draw Steel is super crunchy. Daggerheart allows players to shape the story mechanically which is more like a Fate or Forged in the Dark style of play while Draw Steel gives equal measure of agency but through deep tuning player character builds. It's been called the streamnlined rebirth of DnD 4e. I never played that version, but I have read the books and I would say that's a somewhat accurate assessment.

Both are nicely done products by talented people.

No need for fireworks. Play the one you like best.

Video Stuff

I've been reading a lot about how Youtube is a major draw for game designers and audiences so I started figuring out how to record and edit video content. Lots of Legacy of the Cage fans asked me for a simple intro and how-to series to get into the game and watch some real fights play out. The rules can be tricky if you don't see them all come together in practice. This is a consequence of the niche in which LotC sits, but I'm confident once you get into some of these videos, you'll be ready to pull in a bunch of your friends and start swinging away. I will, as always, inform you by newsletter when that stuff gets published.

I hope your pursuits at and away from the table are fruitful as ever.

To future worlds, Matt Ventre