The Serious GM
@seriousgm.bsky.social
Game Master, liking PF2, D&D 4e and GURPS especially. I prefer games to be taken seriously.
If a forth war comes, extrapolating from the trend i assume the pope will be alone in the field, while Japan or the Aztecs join me.
November 28, 2025 at 10:29 AM
If a forth war comes, extrapolating from the trend i assume the pope will be alone in the field, while Japan or the Aztecs join me.
The fact that there are virtually no Hussites other than Czechs in the war doesn't bother anyone, everyone just wants to bully the pope. Only Bavaria stuck with him in all wars, i guess they like getting Munic sacked every five years or so.
November 28, 2025 at 10:27 AM
The fact that there are virtually no Hussites other than Czechs in the war doesn't bother anyone, everyone just wants to bully the pope. Only Bavaria stuck with him in all wars, i guess they like getting Munic sacked every five years or so.
...both Hungary and France plus a dozen Bishops decide to defend me. The pope gets besieged in Avignon, i kick Milano in the teeth, millions die from devastation.
Then, third war: pretty much everyone of note is on my side, including Milano (by now ekected HRE) . I sack Magdeburg just for the meme.
Then, third war: pretty much everyone of note is on my side, including Milano (by now ekected HRE) . I sack Magdeburg just for the meme.
November 28, 2025 at 10:26 AM
...both Hungary and France plus a dozen Bishops decide to defend me. The pope gets besieged in Avignon, i kick Milano in the teeth, millions die from devastation.
Then, third war: pretty much everyone of note is on my side, including Milano (by now ekected HRE) . I sack Magdeburg just for the meme.
Then, third war: pretty much everyone of note is on my side, including Milano (by now ekected HRE) . I sack Magdeburg just for the meme.
Second war: i get an alliance with Austria and Saxony, which is somewhat reasonable. Poland sits this one out. Steamroll southern Germany, because bith Bavarias fight me. Netherland comes, gets a bloody nose, leaves. Then Milano decides to enter and gets also crowned HRE. As a response...
November 28, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Second war: i get an alliance with Austria and Saxony, which is somewhat reasonable. Poland sits this one out. Steamroll southern Germany, because bith Bavarias fight me. Netherland comes, gets a bloody nose, leaves. Then Milano decides to enter and gets also crowned HRE. As a response...
The leagues were strange. I got into the Hussite wars as Bohemia (which, as everyone notes, is quite OP).
First war: pope, lots of Italians, upper Bavaria and a few German randos against me and, for some reason, poland. Fairly hairy war, but I get a win. Ok.
Then it gets weird.
First war: pope, lots of Italians, upper Bavaria and a few German randos against me and, for some reason, poland. Fairly hairy war, but I get a win. Ok.
Then it gets weird.
November 28, 2025 at 9:46 AM
The leagues were strange. I got into the Hussite wars as Bohemia (which, as everyone notes, is quite OP).
First war: pope, lots of Italians, upper Bavaria and a few German randos against me and, for some reason, poland. Fairly hairy war, but I get a win. Ok.
Then it gets weird.
First war: pope, lots of Italians, upper Bavaria and a few German randos against me and, for some reason, poland. Fairly hairy war, but I get a win. Ok.
Then it gets weird.
A question about getting more cash - my strategy (late Renaissance age) is, basically, to spam the currently most profitable Burgher buildings, gold RGOs and market buildings (and roads to every corner), plus tax everyone to roughly 50% happiness. Is there something that can enhance that?
November 26, 2025 at 11:03 AM
A question about getting more cash - my strategy (late Renaissance age) is, basically, to spam the currently most profitable Burgher buildings, gold RGOs and market buildings (and roads to every corner), plus tax everyone to roughly 50% happiness. Is there something that can enhance that?
It really didn't felt that long. Thorough, yes, but it really didn't feel like 600+ pages? It read faster than some fantasy novels of that length.
November 25, 2025 at 1:09 PM
It really didn't felt that long. Thorough, yes, but it really didn't feel like 600+ pages? It read faster than some fantasy novels of that length.
Stealing the fire from Hephaistos was a-ok. Stealing the fire from Apollo is whete I draw the line.
November 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Stealing the fire from Hephaistos was a-ok. Stealing the fire from Apollo is whete I draw the line.
...that last one is about my deceased friend. I miss him terribly, but holy moly was it infuriating to negotiate/argue/debate with him, often for longer than the *sum* of all other players turns. Exacerbated by the fact that he had a very *wacky* style to my serious one.
November 21, 2025 at 8:54 PM
...that last one is about my deceased friend. I miss him terribly, but holy moly was it infuriating to negotiate/argue/debate with him, often for longer than the *sum* of all other players turns. Exacerbated by the fact that he had a very *wacky* style to my serious one.
There's broadly four types of players:
* knows virtually every rule (Tom)
* knows most of the rules applicable to them (usually 1-2 per group)
* vaguely is aware that rules exist, and Tom knows them (the not-so-silent majority)
* feels the need to argue with the GM on rules "because common sense"
* knows virtually every rule (Tom)
* knows most of the rules applicable to them (usually 1-2 per group)
* vaguely is aware that rules exist, and Tom knows them (the not-so-silent majority)
* feels the need to argue with the GM on rules "because common sense"
November 21, 2025 at 8:41 PM
There's broadly four types of players:
* knows virtually every rule (Tom)
* knows most of the rules applicable to them (usually 1-2 per group)
* vaguely is aware that rules exist, and Tom knows them (the not-so-silent majority)
* feels the need to argue with the GM on rules "because common sense"
* knows virtually every rule (Tom)
* knows most of the rules applicable to them (usually 1-2 per group)
* vaguely is aware that rules exist, and Tom knows them (the not-so-silent majority)
* feels the need to argue with the GM on rules "because common sense"
Thank you for the recommendation!
November 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Thank you for the recommendation!
Of course, the above is a bit of a strawman. It usually has more components and by far not all even terminally online left-leaning-ish people arrive at the conclusion. However, there sre such examples, and they tend to be quite loud.
November 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Of course, the above is a bit of a strawman. It usually has more components and by far not all even terminally online left-leaning-ish people arrive at the conclusion. However, there sre such examples, and they tend to be quite loud.
However, it strikes me as naive as best to then draw the series of leaps "West did bad things" -> "Russia and the USA are equally bad" -> "A truly 'left' position is anti-american" -> "Truly, LGBTQ+ should argue for an Ukrainian surrender". I do not feel that this is sound logic.
November 21, 2025 at 2:44 PM
However, it strikes me as naive as best to then draw the series of leaps "West did bad things" -> "Russia and the USA are equally bad" -> "A truly 'left' position is anti-american" -> "Truly, LGBTQ+ should argue for an Ukrainian surrender". I do not feel that this is sound logic.
Notably, the last two of these (in the form of "anti-imperialism") are often broadly expressed as general anti-"west" positions. There are definitely reasons for disliking certain aspects of "the west", including such of capitalist, economic or military variety. However!
November 21, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Notably, the last two of these (in the form of "anti-imperialism") are often broadly expressed as general anti-"west" positions. There are definitely reasons for disliking certain aspects of "the west", including such of capitalist, economic or military variety. However!
It definitely is a problem in the left-leaning half of the political spectrum. Often enough, LGBTQ+, environmentalism, and pro-social politics are lumped together with anti-capitalism and anti-militarism. These are, however, five broadly separate things!
November 21, 2025 at 2:09 PM
It definitely is a problem in the left-leaning half of the political spectrum. Often enough, LGBTQ+, environmentalism, and pro-social politics are lumped together with anti-capitalism and anti-militarism. These are, however, five broadly separate things!
As a German, could we please not fight each other for once?
November 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
As a German, could we please not fight each other for once?
Designated loser?
November 17, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Designated loser?
I mean, the shire can be quite violent (as in: the creation of golf according to Tolkien)
November 15, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I mean, the shire can be quite violent (as in: the creation of golf according to Tolkien)
It feels like cozy games would be a nightmare to run... How do you keep them engaging with a minimum amount of conflict? Violence is simple, intrigue and stuff slightly less so... but coziness? Where is the narrative friction in there?
November 15, 2025 at 10:22 PM
It feels like cozy games would be a nightmare to run... How do you keep them engaging with a minimum amount of conflict? Violence is simple, intrigue and stuff slightly less so... but coziness? Where is the narrative friction in there?
Strangely, actual "everything" games (GURPS especially) tend to have an identity
November 15, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Strangely, actual "everything" games (GURPS especially) tend to have an identity
Fair enough, though to be fair it's also several kinds of messed up over there
November 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Fair enough, though to be fair it's also several kinds of messed up over there
I don't think that the "de-monster-ification" threadmill can be completely abandoned (previously generalized monsters become nuanced, nuanced monsters become not-monsters), but I'd have thought that the Beholders were safely in the Monsters category for a long while.
November 15, 2025 at 8:29 PM
I don't think that the "de-monster-ification" threadmill can be completely abandoned (previously generalized monsters become nuanced, nuanced monsters become not-monsters), but I'd have thought that the Beholders were safely in the Monsters category for a long while.
I'd exclude - with caveats - primarily vegetarian cultural/religious groups from it, but there aren't this many of them around, and they usually tend to exist alongside non-vegetarian cultures.
November 14, 2025 at 10:40 AM
I'd exclude - with caveats - primarily vegetarian cultural/religious groups from it, but there aren't this many of them around, and they usually tend to exist alongside non-vegetarian cultures.
You know what? I was currently inventing a strategy-and-operations game with a relatively simple d4-d12 stepped dice system. Now I have the strange urge to add nine non-standard dice sizes, color them in all colors of the rainbow, and replace the numbers with alchemy symbols and Egyptian hieroglyphs
November 13, 2025 at 8:02 AM
You know what? I was currently inventing a strategy-and-operations game with a relatively simple d4-d12 stepped dice system. Now I have the strange urge to add nine non-standard dice sizes, color them in all colors of the rainbow, and replace the numbers with alchemy symbols and Egyptian hieroglyphs
The prequels were, in my opinion, a good story told (somewhat) badly. I think when in a century or so the inevitable remake comes, the prequels will have the most "improvement potential" while still being recognizable as the same story.
November 9, 2025 at 9:42 AM
The prequels were, in my opinion, a good story told (somewhat) badly. I think when in a century or so the inevitable remake comes, the prequels will have the most "improvement potential" while still being recognizable as the same story.