Steve Arnott

Yeah, I really like in tabletop RPGs playing a weak and rubbish character because I just think that's fun and you can play... Because you can find a lot of story in that and being the person that's not the most powerful in the room but still being part of an adventure is... You know, there's people out there that would be very, very angry with you for that.

Yeah, I really like in tabletop RPGs playing a weak and rubbish character because I just think that's fun and you can play... Because you can find a lot of story in that and being the person that's not the most powerful in the room but still being part of an adventure is... You know, there's people out there that would be very, very angry with you for that.

well you're not putting your weight in the party you must have a fully optimised character no but I usually contribute in different ways if you think about like the hobbits in the lord of the rings they are not the strongest fighters they are not magic users but actually they they end up they pull their weight they do things So I like being the merry or the pippin in the party.

well you're not putting your weight in the party you must have a fully optimised character no but I usually contribute in different ways if you think about like the hobbits in the lord of the rings they are not the strongest fighters they are not magic users but actually they they end up they pull their weight they do things So I like being the merry or the pippin in the party.

But anyway, but in a board game, if I had a character that had an unbalanced disadvantage, I would just find that frustrating and not enjoyable because I'd be like, well, I can't win. So yeah, I get that's the major difference with mechanical balance.

But anyway, but in a board game, if I had a character that had an unbalanced disadvantage, I would just find that frustrating and not enjoyable because I'd be like, well, I can't win. So yeah, I get that's the major difference with mechanical balance.

And I guess in Split the Horde, there is an element of luck because there's a horde cards and you flip them over and you get three cards and you get what you get. So there's an element of luck in there. So how do you try and balance against luck in a board game when there is an element of that?

And I guess in Split the Horde, there is an element of luck because there's a horde cards and you flip them over and you get three cards and you get what you get. So there's an element of luck in there. So how do you try and balance against luck in a board game when there is an element of that?

But how, Russ, you're saying you're led really by mechanics. How do you like balance and test mechanics in RPGs? Because like Mark said, you can, because like Split the Hall, for example, takes like 20, 30 minutes to play. So you could sit for a few hours and play a few games. That's easy to do.

But how, Russ, you're saying you're led really by mechanics. How do you like balance and test mechanics in RPGs? Because like Mark said, you can, because like Split the Hall, for example, takes like 20, 30 minutes to play. So you could sit for a few hours and play a few games. That's easy to do.

But to get people to commit to playing an RPG for a few hours, and there's obviously way more variables because they're not, parties rarely do the thing you want them to do. How do you do that?

But to get people to commit to playing an RPG for a few hours, and there's obviously way more variables because they're not, parties rarely do the thing you want them to do. How do you do that?

What about you, Mark? Which do you find easier, or is that an impossible question because it's so variable?

What about you, Mark? Which do you find easier, or is that an impossible question because it's so variable?

Yeah.

Yeah.

When I'm running a tabletop RPG, I run my games very much on vibes. And so the rules are kind of there if I need them and I'll lean on them. But, you know, I sometimes, you know, I've run a session where nobody's rolled a dice once because we got really into the narrative side of it.

When I'm running a tabletop RPG, I run my games very much on vibes. And so the rules are kind of there if I need them and I'll lean on them. But, you know, I sometimes, you know, I've run a session where nobody's rolled a dice once because we got really into the narrative side of it.

Board games, you can't really do that. The rules are the box you're in, and you can't ignore them and do whatever you want, because otherwise you're just not playing that game anymore.

Board games, you can't really do that. The rules are the box you're in, and you can't ignore them and do whatever you want, because otherwise you're just not playing that game anymore.