May 22, 2025 - Here We Go

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[...]
Man. If this is how you play your characters, I would hate to be in an adventuring party with you.
[...]

My characters use to over think things, and I know I tend to lock up in situations like these. My character, in this room, would likely been sitting on the floor, looking at candles and walls and drawing diagrams in the dust. I have tried to challenge this behaviour recenty by running a quite reckless, but still very respectful "barbarian" (setting is not DnD, and he is just as civilized as everyone else, he is just very very good at killing people).

Mostly I am relegated to the gamemaster position though. Appearently I am quite good at it. They say I consider character motivation very well.

One thing they don't know that I do, is that I manage player frustration a lot! I have a MYRRIAD of stupid fucking puzzles that I presented and quietly allowed the wrong answer for. Ideas that I crumpled up and quietly left behind as I realized the group got locked up. Because I don't want to stiffle player experimentation and interaction with my world by over punishing them.

I run a weekly game, and players has been coming back for several years now, so I must do SOMETHING right.

But stumbling around blind in a puzzle room in a dungeon (a concept well known to be full of traps) is also a stupid idea - and so would be blindly slamming on buttons like that. Further, because the rest of the party is saying "don't do that" and you're doing it anyway, you're demonstrating that you're willing to ignore the opinions of others, despite the harm it causes them.
[...]

I don't know why you're pushing this angle.
This is the last time that I will say this: I think Bowst is a fucking idiot.

[...]
And Ruby is not an objective observer here. She went through the same (or similar) traumas as Kin, and is filtering her perception of Minmax through that. She is heavily biased and wrong - a fact which I thought was abundantly clear when she drew an equivalency between the "rape leash" and the necklace Minmax gave her.

Oh. Ok. I like this angle. I thought that the scene where MinMax INSTANTLY went for the leash, by malign design, chance or perhaps impulse, served to strengthen the theory that Ruby presented.

What kind of purpose do you think the "Rape Grab"™ scene served in this story? Character building, world building or plot advancing?

Also, what kind of thing does this current scene do? I think it's here to advance the conflict betwix Bowst and MinMax (because, Bowst has served his purpose as the MinMax standin now that MinMax is back and has nothing else to do). I am frustrated by this conflict, as I find both sides, even the supposed protagonist, to be blundering idiots. (Fuck, I called him an idiot again, did I not? When I promised not to... Gah!)

I understand why Elli adds this. Because, frankly, what else is going on? They are walking through an endless series of rooms while waiting to:
A) Get jumped by Kore again
B) Find the exit.
C) ???

Kin came into the dungeon to: Find out about the E-K-N letters in her aura.
Current status: She seems to have forgotten about this.

Forgaths motivation: Just happy to be alive after the scene where he obviously should have died. He might be hoping to pork Idle one day? I dunno.
Current status: Staying outside of panel as much as possible, as he is a bother to draw.

MinMax motivation: Find Vorpal??? Pork Kin?
Current status: He is not making much progress towards any of those.

Idle: She might as well tag along or something? Perhaps she want to pork Forgath? I... What?
Current status: ????

Bowst: He is also tagging along. He wants to prove himself as a leader.
Current status: He is actually struggling along with his arch. Applause for Bowst!

The klicks and parchment: Staying close to the others? Salt might have something to prove?
Current status: I guess they are doing fine? Does anyone care that Ward once said that Salt was "too young" anymore?

This story arch is aching for SOMETHING to happen. So, I am glad about this. I am just frustrated, because morally, I find it hard to see MInMax in the right here.