Capricious Musings

The structure of the game manages to hit a remarkable number of features that folks who think "RP forward" actually means something and isn't just a marketing phrase would typically regard as categorically excluding a system from being "RP forward", while looking nothing like the kind of game you'd tend to picture based on those features.

You don't want the mechanics sticking their nose into every little thing? Chuubo's is so intensely preoccupied with mechanising the mundane that forming intentions to do things is a rules-mediated action. There are specific target numbers for stuff like "do it correctly", "look like you actually know what you're doing", and "be happy with the result", and without a relevant skill or resource expenditure, the best outcome you can ordinarily achieve is "make everything worse".

You want to do stuff because it "makes sense for your character", and not because it gives the most points? As far as Chuubo's is concerned, those are the same thing. Just living your everyday life is framed as a kind of quest, with milestones and XP triggers and whatnot; this is a game where you might actively look for excuses to "have a conversation in a poorly lit place" or "gaze contemplatively over a large body of water" because your personal quest line awards XP for doing that.

You want a game that will let you make up whatever character you want and doesn't expect you to faff about with "classes" and "levels" and such? Not only does Chuubo's effectively have both of those things, it's so strongly opinionated about what sorts of characters are appropriate that it recommends you use pregenerated characters until you get a good feel for the milieu. One of those pregens has a character sheet that's twenty pages long – and you might assume that means most of it is just a big tedious lore dump, but it's not.

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JD Vance Isn’t Handling Republicans’ Defeat in Los Angeles Very Well

Hey, stupid, just wanted to remind you that – hey, look at me when I’m talking to you, Jeffrey Dahmer Vance – I just want to remind you that Los Angeles has nearly 3 times more registered Democrats than Republicans, we have not elected a Republican this century, and votes are counted from different precincts, as well as mail-in ballots, starting when the polls close. A lot of stupid people voted for Pratt, sure, but vastly more people who aren’t complete idiot mouth breathers did not, because he is an idiot, just like you. 

You know that, you dumb fuck – I swear to god, Jorts Dingus Vance, take your hand out of your pants, stop staring at that couch, and listen to me – you know that this is how elections have been decided for two centuries in America.

And, yes, the loser in this mayoral contest is the incompetent, unqualified, Republican scumbag who everyone in Los Angeles hates as much as we hate you and that rapist piece of shit you work for. Because he is a loser, and no amount of billionaire money or whining about his loss changes that.

You and your toadies don’t lose elections because they are rigged, Jackhole Dipshit Vance; they lose because voters hate you and your party, and everything you represent.

So instead of directing this at the Vice Couch-fucker, look straight into the camera and tell anyone and everyone reading this…

THEY ARE LYING. YOU KNOW THEY’RE LYING. REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE LYING.

Also, we all know the age-old truth that “he who smelt it, dealt it.” The Republican Party is accusing the Democratic Party of cheating because the Republican Party is actively trying to cheat. They are trying to stop people from being able to vote, trying to disqualify as many votes as they can, because it’s their only chance at winning.

His assigned partner is a trans woman named Esther Gentablets. He doesn’t understand but once the concept of transness is explained to him he says “you’re telling me they’re making more birds every day 🤩 YEAH babey!!!.” Dr. Evil calls him Austin Pronouns and that he’s “too woke” and Austin says that what he thought he knew about being a man was a social construct, that the roles designed for men and women are too narrow, that really, we’re all groovy

Dr. Evil’s plan is designing an evil worm to be transplanted into the brain of the US Secretary of Health. They tell him this already happened and he suggests they replace the internet with a lying machine. Already happened. “Well throw me a freakin bone here, what’s the most evil thing we can think of? What do I pay you people for? I know! We remove endangered species protections for baby wolves 🤙🤨” and his crew is 😬

The opening is Austin dancing through a pride parade. He disappears into a crowd for a moment and emerges in a leather harness and cat ears and keeps dancing

He has to stay hidden in one scene by entering a drag king Austin Powers lookalike contest. He loses

Rest in peace to the incredible Anthony Stewart Head (20th February 1954 - 1st June 2026)

qing dynasty guy: “bro the warring states period had states like chess pieces or stars in the sky ffs”

In 2021, Swarovski (the company that makes the very sparkly crystals you see in certain jewelry, on figure-skaters' twinkliest outfits, on red carpet dresses), decided they didn't want the grubby fingers of small-time jewelers, clothing designers and costumers and crafters on their shiny beads and rhinestones anymore. They decided to limit their sales to "luxury" and couture creators, not girls who sell stuff on Etsy. The tenor of their press release on the subject was snide and insulting. Resellers (like your favorite bead shop) would no longer be allowed to carry their product; the average Jane on the street would not be able to purchase them. You could only get them if you had an authorized business agreement that bound you to very strict brand behavior. And those of us who still had good stock of the crystals would no longer be "permitted" to use the brand's name in our listings for sale.

Every bead shop and craft supply place and many, many small clothing makers--wedding shops, prom and dancing dress suppliers, the sort of salt of the Earth mom and pop time machines of shops that are the backbone of the field--scrambled to find something that could replace them. The last of the stock dwindled quickly, all of us grabbing what we could get while there was any chance of it, and then it was gone and we no longer had any access.

I was Big Pissed about it at the time. It was just so goddamn stuck-up, when wholesalers and indie jewelers had made them so much money, when some people I knew--when *I!*--had been brand-loyal for decades. But with no recourse, everyone pivoted fairly quickly, most of us to Preciosa Crystals. Those are Czech, quite sparkly, and considerably less expensive than Swarovski. The faceting method they use is different, but not worse; any differences are hardly noticeable when you're seeing them as a hundred pinpoints of light.

Well, out of nowhere, Swarovski just dropped this: https://www.harmanbeads.com/swarovski-brand-policy-update

"Effective June 1, 2026, Swarovski updated the distribution and brand usage policies introduced in 2021. Businesses may now purchase Swarovski Crystals without signing a Brand Control Agreement, and Authorized Distribution Partners may once again sell Swarovski Crystals to resellers, including bead stores and online retailers. Businesses may also use the Swarovski brand name when following Swarovski’s Proper Use Guidelines. Designers, manufacturers, artists, brands, retailers, and resellers are now eligible to purchase Swarovski Crystals through authorized distribution channels."

They want us back. A lot of the companies who could have kept a brand relationship with them also have swapped to Preciosa, over the last half-decade, in solidarity with indie creators and out of a sour awareness that it could be them, next. And it doesn't hurt that Preciosa was able to expand their line quite a bit now that everyone who wanted sparkle had no choice but to go to them.

And I'm not seeing nearly anyone who intends to return. The feeling is, "Y'all told us to fuck off! Off we fucked! And now, that's what you can do, too!" I'm seeing a lot of "How many of us did you stab in the back?" comments from the people whose money they're hoping to attract.

-_-

but then I realised that Ivan - charming, flirtatious, unwittingly insensitive, invader of personal space, extremely reluctant heir to the throne and horrified at the thought of being Emperor - is essentially Jinshi.

reluctant not because he's transphobic but because a) he had been really looking forward to hooking up with the person in question and b) he is afraid (on pain of assassination) of getting involved in politics and drawing attention to himself

Games Workshop and Warhammer would be nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, without him.

He was the beating heart of GW's worlds, made theses little toy games feel like they had a whole universe behind them.

His body of work is STAGGERING, and the amount detail he packed into each piece truly dwarfed the game itself.

One of the Lords.

Farewell.

Employees and developers working on Magic: The Gathering Arena say they were hired with promises of remote flexibility, so they bought homes and built lives around those assurances. But they say they are now being told they may need to relocate to Washington state — or effectively lose their jobs.

If you want to help out the United Wizards you can sign this petition

cwa.org/uwotcletter