Games Are Parakones!
Games are the ultimate test of your character. that’s why they should be hard!
You know what grinds my gears?
Sloppy game design!
It’s bad out there, and while most of the discourse in gaming is whether characters look like DEI rejects, and yes that is a litmus test for me, there are so many examples of bad game design than the women characters looking almost the same as men.
The worst: giving players so many options to make them happy. We give you every possible thing - here’s 180+ choices for Aloy, even when Tales of Glory can clone her character in 8 choices - technician background and powers - Discerning Judgement, Eagle Perception, Force Fields, and Gadgets. Skills - Espionage and Investigation, Marksmanship: Bow, Athletics.
Robert E. Kuntz complimented me on my solution!
Games are too easy!
But game developers are making games easier and easier. Too many options, too many tutorials, too much navigation help!
It’s like they don’t want people to be challenged by their game at all!
They want to be as “inclusive” as possible, by making their games so easy to go through. They hate the phrase - git gud!
Who can hate - git gud!
Elves only like gamers who git gud!
Gamers who love to be challenged while in combat, while they’re exploring, while they building their characters up the way they want.
Difficult games are fun!
Difficulty is what makes games fun - solving a puzzle that was so difficult, it has you on the seat of your pants with every step of the puzzle.
I didn’t stop playing Mass Effect 1 on insanity level when a simple sniper could take out my Shepard in 1 hit, until I had colossus armour. I just git gud!
I didn’t stop playing Dragon Age: Origins because the High Dragon protecting the Temple of the Urn of Sacred Ashes was tough. I just git gud!
I didn’t stop playing Pools of Darkness when they took all my magic from me when I fought the final boss? I just git gud!
And when I went through the final level of the Dark Queen of Krynn, you guessed it, I just git gud!
I figured out each of these difficult games, that challenged me to figure out everything one step at a time. And I’ll always remember them.
Difficult games are so important.
We have these expressions - sore losers and sore winners. They are an expression of people who want to be coddled, they never want to lose and they always want to win. And that shows how little they have grown as people.
Now, let me get deep and mention my title Games Are Parakones!
Parakones is Greek for whetstones, and the root for Paragons.
Not hard to imagine where that would come from. Some Greek General would hold up some soldier’s sword and say, “Parakone!” It was that well sharpened. And the soldiers who were that excellent in sharpening their swords would soon be called “Parakone!”
And that eventually morphs into paragon - these people are the best examples of skill, determination, and strength!
No sword is sharpened without effort, the last time I checked.
Same with people, and the best way to introduce effort to people is games.
Games that make you think, games that make you work with others, games that make you work to make your character their absolute best.
So, games are the whetstones that refine our characters. They are the fires that purge the dross and leave only the fine silver. They are character defining, because you can only be gracious in victory and defeat, or sore losers and winners!
Your choice!
Tales of Glory is not from wimps
Tales of Glory may simplify making your character - I don’t think it should take so long to create a character in my game, so you can go out and adventure.
That’s what makes Tales of Glory fun!
But at the same time, it doesn’t coddle characters.
My first session almost resulted in a total party wipe, when my two players faced two Serpentine Scouts. One was defeated twice (healing packs activated prior to defeat can raise you), and the other was one hit away from defeat…
Second session, the same character that was defeated was almost defeated again.
Third session, the main damage dealer was almost defeated when she took two arrows.
Tales of Glory can be absolutely brutal!
While I have reeled in the difficulty somewhat, like critical hit damage being somewhat reduced, it is still quite difficult still. Be ready for anything when it comes to Tales of Glory. Some things can easily take care of a character within a single round of combat!
In other words, git gud!
I’m barrelling down Phase 2 with Tales of Glory!
First, we’re play testing the Trinity City setting.
Second, I’m already finished writing Act 1 for Elandrial’s story - the introduction to the Mystamyra setting - should have her full story done by the end of the month.
Third, Maps are finished, stories are being written, rules for Mystamyra are coming next!
If you want to read Elandrial’s full story, and it’s amazing. It’s the best thing I have ever written!
Honestly, it is.
So, you’ll get that, what I’m going to say is a $30 value already, for just $5CAD/m.
Not only that, you’ll get:
The Inn of Infinite Worlds ($15 value)
The Rise of the Shadow Walker ($10 value)
And How to Avoid Burnout mini course (A $25 value)
All you have to do is upgrade to paid!
Games are the Parakones that sharpen us. They are the difference between gracious gamers and sore winners and losers. They force us to git gud - a true testament to who we are.
And that’s why most people try to avoid them, and usually end up arguing online!
So, I invite you to git gud, start gaming!
Thanks for rolling with Amazing Gaming Productions!
