@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp
@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

MikeFerdinando

@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp

I'm an IT manager in higher ed, and an avid player and GM of narrative-focused table-top RPGs. Leftist. Anti-fascist. I mostly post about RPGs and politics. Black lives matter. Trans rights. Stop Asian hate. He/him.

BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/mikeferdinando.bsky.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAny-hM3VUAoW25O1jVxxuA

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

peteramthor, to random
@peteramthor@dice.camp avatar

One of the best things about
is finding local places that you never even knew existed. Thankfully the worst part, players from the other team harassing you via messages, doesn't seem to be a problem around here anymore.

MikeFerdinando,
@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

@rivetgeek @Da_Gut @peteramthor Yup. I quit playing Ingress because casual play got tedious and impossible to advance after a point, and I had no desire to go all-in.

rivetgeek, to random
@rivetgeek@dice.camp avatar

I gotta admit that I'm disappointed to hear that Dire Wolf Digital will be supporting their board games at and not the or . It seems like a wasted opportunity.

MikeFerdinando,
@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

@rivetgeek This really burns me. Cortex is such an AMAZING game that deserves a significantly higher profile. Fandom squandered a huge opportunity with its overly-restrictive commercial development license that completely killed what enthusiasm there was for any designers who wanted to make a few bucks from their work. And after they sold to Dire Wolf, it feels like the new owners dropped it behind the couch and then forgot about it.

MikeFerdinando,
@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

@rivetgeek I know the commercial license terms made me balk at Cortex game design and take a "wait and see" approach. I took my Cortex game idea and have been working on it using Paragon instead. Its license seemed far more friendly to work with, and much more in the ethos of the indie RPG circles I kick in.

Other that Tales of Xadia, the only other commercial Cortex project I'm aware of is the supers game Lifted by Mad Jay Zero. (I backed that KS.)

cstross, to random
@cstross@wandering.shop avatar

Points worth noting about this graph:

It's not recent. And jet engines improve in efficiency by about 10% per decade. They're probably neck and neck with salmon by now in efficiency, and killing it in mass. Bicycle still leads, but machines do better than almost all animals.
https://merveilles.town/@mikael/110922366866003165

MikeFerdinando,
@MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

@cstross I just looked up the original paper where this graph was from... It was published in 1970, so it's 54 years old.

LeviKornelsen, to random
@LeviKornelsen@dice.camp avatar

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    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @LeviKornelsen That's millennia-old technology, but does not work well at all if the ambient air has more than 40% relative humidity.

    zozo, to random
    @zozo@dice.camp avatar

    FATE has been a really easy system for me to slip into as a GM because the idea of treating everything like a "character" through Aspects has finally codified the endless DM notes I would make trying to spice up locations a bit

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @Da_Gut @zozo I definitely like Fate, though I think Cortex Prime does everything Fate can do, but better.

    But saints alive, I've played Cypher System several times, but always bounce off of it very hard. I really wanted to like it but it is Not For Me™.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @zozo @Da_Gut And after Fandom sold Cortex Prime to Dire Wolf, the new owners have basically hidden it behind the couch. You can barely even find it on their website.

    masukomi, to random
    @masukomi@dice.camp avatar

    I’m putting something together to talk about Downtime and games that provide good tools to help players tell stories during it.

    Please lemme know what games you think do this well, and what you like about their approach.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @masukomi Trophy Gold has a downtime phase called "Hearthfire" that occurs between scenarios when you go back to town. All of the downtime actions also include story-prompts where you narrate parts of your backstory in flashback or show aspects of your life that aren't related to adventuring. I think it works really well.

    LeviKornelsen, to random
    @LeviKornelsen@dice.camp avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @LeviKornelsen I think you can take the "very likely" out of your statement.

    MikeFerdinando, to PbtA
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    This past week in 's

    Sun- Cortex Prime: Star Trek Adventures
    While our ship was in drydock for a refit, the officers tracked down and captured a pair of Romulan saboteurs!

    Tue- White Mountain Rescue
    In the "Out of the Woods" phase, we wove our downtime activities with a flashback to an unsolved case from 1979.

    Wed- Trophy Gold
    Our treasure-hunters sought the abandoned village of Hester's Mill.

    Thu- For the Queen
    A tragic tale of the Queen's downfall.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    I had a one-shot of Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands scheduled for tonight, but three players cancelled last-minute.

    rivetgeek, to random
    @rivetgeek@dice.camp avatar

    Silent All These Years -
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohiRxoakhog&ab_channel=Mercury

    Enjoy the Silence -
    https://youtu.be/aGSKrC7dGcY?si=1UlaFUk9q6CzoUZH

    Silence -
    https://youtu.be/ZkL3s_uCCxs?si=nyyTyQebmVSmND4Y

    Silence -
    https://youtu.be/Ywfs07VFdpM?si=zbo3iUM3tRi6iN0e

    Quiet Days on Earth -
    https://youtu.be/NNO_oaJdKfw?si=QGWTOa7nQ55HAu50

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @rivetgeek I still picture Tori Amos as she was in that 30-year-old video: She was 29 when "Little Earthquakes" came out in 1992. She's 60 now, so when I see a contemporary photo it always makes me do a double-take.

    LeviKornelsen, to random
    @LeviKornelsen@dice.camp avatar

    OSR folks:

    Judge's Guild decided the right way to post about the death of Jennell Jaquays was by deadnaming her throughout in their Facebook post.

    This got them a bunch of yelling-at, during which they doubled down that this was somehow neutral practice, and then it vanished, possibly deleted, possibly reported into oblivion.

    So, like, if they weren't already on your asshole list, mark 'em on down.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @LeviKornelsen The current iteration of Judge's Guild is a steaming pile of racist, sexist, homophobic, alt-right assholes. It's shameful that the legacy (and publishing rights) of that storied publishing house from the early days of the hobby landed with such reprehensible people.

    DeadUnicorn, to bladesinthedark
    @DeadUnicorn@mstdn.party avatar

    My New Year's Resolution is not to play D&D anymore until Hasbro can show they can be trusted... so never. Playing anything else this year.
    Any other
    Any suggestions of must play games for me in 2024? @ttrpg

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @DeadUnicorn @ttrpg If you're looking for low-fantasy adventuring, or dark fantasy-horror gaming, I have to recommend Trophy. And there's an AMAZING deal on the the PDFs of the game at Bundle of Holding.

    https://trophyrpg.com

    https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Trophy

    LeviKornelsen, to random
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    deleted_by_author

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    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @LeviKornelsen The two that come immediately to mind are Trophy Dark and Cthulhu Dark.

    rivetgeek, to random
    @rivetgeek@dice.camp avatar

    I did not know this was still a thing.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @rivetgeek The original Montgomery Ward company went into bankruptcy litigation in 2001, and ceased operation. In 2004 an unrelated corporation purchased the legacy name and trademarks, and began a new online retail business under the old name. It's been a second-rate Amazon knockoff ever since, mostly coasting on name recognition.

    cstross, to random
    @cstross@wandering.shop avatar

    Seen some distinctly odd toots appearing from accounts in the western US (since roughly start of waking hours in California) saying "battery-electric vehicles are a dead end, the future is [OH LOOK A WOOKIE]". Not people I've ever engaged with previously.

    I suspect the petrochemical industry astroturf bot farms have finally reached Mastodon ...

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @RojCowles @scott @cstross EVs aren't selling partially due to an infrastructure gap. There's a general lack of public fast charging stations in huge swaths of the country. Standardize fast charging stations, possibly co-locate them with gas stations, and make neighborhood charging stations a reality, and far more people will buy EVs.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @cstross @RojCowles @scott Sorry. I'm in another discussion about EV sales in the US and the frustrating infrastructure barriers to adoption, and didn't realize this was a different thread.

    BrailleScreen, (edited ) to random

    If the stack was just a little bit better I'd have switched. Probably yesterday. But honestly from my limited experience, I've had many random screen reader crashes for absolutely no reason among other random things.

    If I could, I would love to fund some people who are a lot better at programming than I to make this thing happen. Perhaps someday...

    All I want (really) is the ability to protect my and do all the other super cool things I could do on Linux. The problem right now is (because I'm not an expert who has spent, say, years trying to use Linux desktop, I get stuck. I don't know what to do when, say, my screen reader crashes. Or why. Or what random terminal command I could run to (possibly? Maybe? fix a random problem because a friend said this is what they did to fix it (they think))...

    I'm simply excited for the day when I can walk up to a Linux-based computer, and comfortably be able to use it to do anything without risk of not knowing an obscure command or because something 3 levels deep crashed and now I can't get speech and...

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @BrailleScreen This sort of issue is precisely why I'm still on Windows. I'm a moderately-competent advanced user, but not a programmer and not a Linux guru. When I tried to set up a Ubuntu laptop back in 2014, it gave me nothing but weird esoteric errors, and when I attempted to seek help from forums, the "help" that the self-righteous assholes gave me boiled down to "Git gud n00b!!" like I was trying to play Call of Duty or something. Fuck that. I went back to Windows.

    SJohnRoss, (edited ) to random
    @SJohnRoss@dice.camp avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    MikeFerdinando,
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    @SJohnRoss Is this your advice for adventure design for publication, or do you recommend prepping 12 approaches even for a home game?

    futurebird, to random
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    What is the point even anymore? If it's not ad free why pay? (I guess they will have ad free if you pay more??)

    Well I waste too much time watching stuff anyways. I got rid of youTube for this and others will follow. Not paying OR watching unless I can avoid ads.

    Ads are a huge and harmful force on my quality of life. I will go to great ends to avoid them. I also use blockers, naturally, but blockers aren't perfect. (YouTube still has "mid roll" ads even with the best.)

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @futurebird I will 100% be cancelling Prime altogether if this goes through. I've been trying to wean myself away from ordering shit from Amazon anyway.

    vwestlife, to random
    @vwestlife@mastodon.social avatar

    20 years of pickup truck design progress in one photo.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @vwestlife You will also note that the smaller, 20-year-old truck has a larger hauling bed.

    9to5Mac, to random
    @9to5Mac@mastodon.online avatar

    Disney+ warns subscribers it will ‘analyze the use of your account’ to block password sharing https://9to5mac.com/2023/09/28/disney-plus-password-sharing-block/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @9to5Mac I've been on the fence about keeping my Disney+ subscription, and this may push me to the "don't renew" direction.

    kyonshi, to random
    @kyonshi@dice.camp avatar

    I am always amazed that there are people that make money with new agey energy-crystal meditation circles, and that huge international companies shell out the big bucks to have their employees take part in them.

    I'm sorry, did I say new agey energy-crystal meditation circles?

    I meant to say Agile trainings.

    Easy mistake to make.

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @kyonshi I thought you were going to say MBTI training.

    Which is basically "astrology for middle managers."

    Edent, to SmartHome
    @Edent@mastodon.social avatar

    People who live in smart-houses, shouldn't throw parties

    I have friends. More than one! I also have a home full of smart-gadgets which are controlled by apps. The two don't mix. This is yet another complaint about solipsistic app design. Let's take my Lifx bulbs. I have a friend staying for a few days, and he needs to be able to turn lights [...]

    https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=30547

    MikeFerdinando,
    @MikeFerdinando@dice.camp avatar

    @Edent My solution is not to use any smart devices in my home, at all. Well, I do have one (a Nest thermostat, purchased in 2011) which I have deliberately disconnected from the Internet. (When it dies, I'll replace with a "dumb" thermostat.)

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