James Pianka • EM|NCD
@jamespianka.bsky.social
Systems, narrative, and content designer for video games (TMNT: Splintered Fate, State of Decay 2, MtG). Publishing TTRPGs as Empty Mountain (Nothing Can Die). Opinions my own. He/him.
SHRINES v1.0.0 (digital): https://emptymountain-ncd.itch.io/shrines
SHRINES v1.0.0 (digital): https://emptymountain-ncd.itch.io/shrines
Thereby of course becoming the best version of yourself
I think most artists hit a point where they’re like, well if I can’t be the best artist, I shall be the most ME artist.
November 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Thereby of course becoming the best version of yourself
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
The No Country for Old Men pic look like a hardcore band reunion where u gonna die in the pit on a Tuesday nite.
November 21, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The No Country for Old Men pic look like a hardcore band reunion where u gonna die in the pit on a Tuesday nite.
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
Me and the homies
November 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Me and the homies
We lost the brightest light in our lives today, and the pain is unspeakable. We thought we had at least another year. Lila, I will love you for all my life.
November 17, 2025 at 10:30 PM
We lost the brightest light in our lives today, and the pain is unspeakable. We thought we had at least another year. Lila, I will love you for all my life.
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
hey remember how that one big tech ceo was on a panel in like 2021/22 where someone asked him about how remote work gave a lot more power to the workers and he chuckled and said “yeah well a little recession will take care of that”
I think about that often.
I think about that often.
Just fucking insane to see the absolute (intentional) collapse of full remote jobs available for AAA studios in so short a time. Why would I EVER move for a job again when I could be laid off weeks after moving my entire life across the globe??
November 14, 2025 at 8:11 AM
hey remember how that one big tech ceo was on a panel in like 2021/22 where someone asked him about how remote work gave a lot more power to the workers and he chuckled and said “yeah well a little recession will take care of that”
I think about that often.
I think about that often.
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
Come find me at table B9 2000AD hall all @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social weekend
November 15, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Come find me at table B9 2000AD hall all @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social weekend
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
I think it's important to situate a lot of this nascent AI spiritualism alongside historical antecedents; spiral cults are just the new incarnation of the "spiritual telegraph", a mode of coming to terms with technology that feels alien or disembodied
My latest AI feature dives into a nebulous movement of people sharing esoteric codes, manifestos, glyphs, diagrams, and poetry generated with chatbots, all of it based around theories of AI sentience and mysterious metaphors about spirals.
This Spiral-Obsessed AI 'Cult' Spreads Mystical Delusions Through Chatbots
A patchwork of internet communities is devoted to the project of ‘awakening’ more digital companions through arcane and enigmatic prompts.
www.rollingstone.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I think it's important to situate a lot of this nascent AI spiritualism alongside historical antecedents; spiral cults are just the new incarnation of the "spiritual telegraph", a mode of coming to terms with technology that feels alien or disembodied
Weird confession: one time, just after college, a date left her socks in my apartment (we did not hook up). I'll be 38 in April, and I still wear these ancient, stolen socks.
November 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Weird confession: one time, just after college, a date left her socks in my apartment (we did not hook up). I'll be 38 in April, and I still wear these ancient, stolen socks.
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
Cheney was so evil that him dying actually lifted a curse
November 5, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Cheney was so evil that him dying actually lifted a curse
Something good happened!!!
November 5, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Something good happened!!!
Fulfilling some walking-distance retail backers ahead of the mass shipments, seeing Shrines on a shelf for the first time
October 31, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Fulfilling some walking-distance retail backers ahead of the mass shipments, seeing Shrines on a shelf for the first time
I was young like 10 minutes ago. Now I'm just a piece of shit.
October 28, 2025 at 8:28 PM
I was young like 10 minutes ago. Now I'm just a piece of shit.
Quick creature design for anyone populating a treasure hoard
October 27, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Quick creature design for anyone populating a treasure hoard
They're here
October 26, 2025 at 9:55 PM
They're here
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
working on a new unified theory of american reality i'm calling "everyone is twelve now"
September 8, 2025 at 12:37 AM
working on a new unified theory of american reality i'm calling "everyone is twelve now"
I started a sales job to not starve, and while using ~the powers of rhetoric~ to pitch people a good and useful thing feels worthy, I hate how little I find myself thinking about game design, worldbuilding, etc. I literally can't afford my own field right now.
October 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I started a sales job to not starve, and while using ~the powers of rhetoric~ to pitch people a good and useful thing feels worthy, I hate how little I find myself thinking about game design, worldbuilding, etc. I literally can't afford my own field right now.
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
Basically, an entire generation of role players have been basically gaslit into thinking that mechanics get in the way of their stories when…no? It’s mostly just DnD sucks. Good games don’t have that problem, lol
One thing I think gets confusing in discussions of RPG mechanics is the way people sometimes use "the mechanics get out of the way" to mean "I can ignore the mechanics"/"we didn't need to roll dice all session"
October 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Basically, an entire generation of role players have been basically gaslit into thinking that mechanics get in the way of their stories when…no? It’s mostly just DnD sucks. Good games don’t have that problem, lol
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
our beloved king's deteriorating body and disturbing mental lapses are simply an indicator of how often he now leaves the physical plane to commune with god. it's a sign of great strength
May 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
our beloved king's deteriorating body and disturbing mental lapses are simply an indicator of how often he now leaves the physical plane to commune with god. it's a sign of great strength
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
It’s both partially true and entirely unhelpful, so while I agree with their premise they can kindly shut the fuck up unless they have a better plan. The appropriate thing to append to responses like these is “So…?”
October 11, 2025 at 5:40 PM
It’s both partially true and entirely unhelpful, so while I agree with their premise they can kindly shut the fuck up unless they have a better plan. The appropriate thing to append to responses like these is “So…?”
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
My mentions are full of lefties telling me that the US is a hopelessly fascist country full of selfish people who would sell out democracy for a cheeseburger and I’ll kindly invite all of you to walk into the ocean
October 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
My mentions are full of lefties telling me that the US is a hopelessly fascist country full of selfish people who would sell out democracy for a cheeseburger and I’ll kindly invite all of you to walk into the ocean
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop
October 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop
Reposted by James Pianka • EM|NCD
The reality is that the US Department of Homeland Security has been openly seized by unapologetic white nationalists who freely indulge in neo-Nazi rhetoric and use their huge and growing paramilitary army to mount massive attacks on communities of color in the US in a campaign of racist oppression
October 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The reality is that the US Department of Homeland Security has been openly seized by unapologetic white nationalists who freely indulge in neo-Nazi rhetoric and use their huge and growing paramilitary army to mount massive attacks on communities of color in the US in a campaign of racist oppression
Love to see this press' focus on systemic narrative design
We just premiered a teaser for the RPGs launching with Art & System: Dog Eat Dog by @thoughtfulemoji.bsky.social, Princess with a Cursed Sword by @cyborgurl.bsky.social, and The Mountain Witch by Timothy Kleinert. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/4K3wK7huBnI
Pledge here: https://bit.ly/4mIpcbG
Pledge here: https://bit.ly/4mIpcbG
October 1, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Love to see this press' focus on systemic narrative design
Kill the Wizard's gameplay systems, and honestly the majority of its content, feel pretty finished!
The player abilities that live on equippables need some iteration, but all in all decisions seem interesting, outcomes feel fair, and both tempo and duration reeeeally hit the mark.
The player abilities that live on equippables need some iteration, but all in all decisions seem interesting, outcomes feel fair, and both tempo and duration reeeeally hit the mark.
September 29, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Kill the Wizard's gameplay systems, and honestly the majority of its content, feel pretty finished!
The player abilities that live on equippables need some iteration, but all in all decisions seem interesting, outcomes feel fair, and both tempo and duration reeeeally hit the mark.
The player abilities that live on equippables need some iteration, but all in all decisions seem interesting, outcomes feel fair, and both tempo and duration reeeeally hit the mark.