thanks, i hate it

Over fifty years of data show a peak in PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals") content in seabird eggs in the 90s, followed by a decrease as regulations went into effect. The most recent findings show a 70% decrease of most common PFAS.

We are making genuine progress! Producers are dramatically altering how much they use PFAS and how much gets released in effluent, but also there's a lot better understanding of how to remove PFAS from the environment!

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.

The only reason to actually play this game beyond novelty is if you have a supreme case of writer's block and are running behind to turn in a manuscript of an azumanga-esque 4koma chapter

Not true.

Would you say the game is fun?

In reblogging this from you, I'm kicking this post into dedicated Jenna Moran fan space, so I wouldn't be surprised to see you get additional, better answers, but I'll at least start:

Prokopetz is, I'm pretty sure, largely framing this description of CMWGE (as it's commonly abbreviated) to make a point challenging how people think about game mechanics in the first place. In practice, though, playing Chuubo's feels tremendously organic, with the greatest difference between itself and other ttrpgs I've played being that, despite not being GM-less, players have way more agency to simply declare that a thing happens because it fits with their character's story.

Indeed, all these described mechanics are a way of keeping story logic front and center with CMWGE: your character does not learn and grow through defeating enemies, and even XP from just attending a session is downplayed. Instead, narrative beats are what concern you—both big milestones and smaller ones. A strange dream or "imagine spot"; a moment where a character tries and fails to voice their feelings; the time wielding a forbidden power—all of these can have narrative heft to them. You're encouraged to linger in quiet moments, but also to be unafraid in declaring that now is the time for your character to step up and do something incredible.

This is, likewise, why the game measures "intention" strength for actions. (And, to be clear, just like in other games you're used to, you don't need to set intentions for narratively insignificant actions any more than you'd be expected to make a dice check for them. It's just that a much broader span of actions could be narratively significant, in a game like CMWGE.) Intention, as a system, ends up highlighting two things: first, the way that characters who seem mythically powerful in one area may genuinely struggle to do things like "navigate a customer service conversation like an ordinary human"; and second, to show how hope, passion, and the wishing power of the heart can allow even "ordinary humans" to accomplish wonders.

It takes some getting used to, to be sure. But having felt what it's like to have my character's losses and (to be blunt) crashouts be truly leaned into as advancing the story productively? Having my "moss Galatea" character finish her storyline by having her two partners cut out her heart that they might collectively plant it in a forest grotto, allowing her to transcend to a kind of godhood? And it's not just allowed but actively encouraged by the narrative beats of her arc "quest"? Holy shit.

I get a lot of versions of this question, and I answer it seriously every time, because it’s both important and not important at all. Anyone who asks respectfully gets my whole ass answer.

It’s just not really about that. My job isn’t about defending the idea of hurting someone else. It’s about stopping the state from inflicting further hurt, torture, pain. It’s about pushing back for some fairness against a monumentally stacked system. And it’s about stuff that’s normal human stuff that counts as crime for some reason.

Yeah, it’s hard to do a sex abuse case. Sometimes the images stick around and it bothers me. But honestly? Mostly those cases have real plausible theories of innocence or they’re cases that I will lose because the evidence is there, and the question is not whether the perpetrator will go to jail but how long.

Those cases are so rare, though. I get so much pointless bullshit. Felony of a teen taking mom’s car without permission. Two kids that try to break into a car and get so scared by the alarm that they run away. Trespassing on dad’s house because his new girlfriend wants you to stop coming around. It’s just human stuff, and the violence of the state is not necessary or helpful.

I also reject the idea of punishment completely. The state has a responsibility to stop people from hurting other people again. But inflicting pain doesn’t do it, we know this by now. So I argue for mercy and for real solutions to real problems. I’m here to build a future, not get caught up with doing violence to someone because of the past.

So yeah, sometimes it’s hard, but mostly my conscience is dead clear: I’m not responsible for the crime. The damage has been done. I want to start the healing process, and I want it for everyone involved. When that’s not possible, I just want to tell the authorities they don’t get to just Do What They Want.

The more I do this job, the more I am a genuine pacifist who is against violence in all forms, and actually I don’t see a contradiction between that and what I do for a living. State violence is a pervasive evil that tears apart families, communities, and countries, and it’s far more damaging and awful than any individual crime. The average prosecutor has more blood on their hands than a serial killer, but it’s invisible: people who died in jail, who froze to death on the street, who were shot in a drug deal. Their violence begets violence.

When I get blood on my hands, it’s because I put my hands over the wounds and try to stop the flow. I’m okay with it.

do you live in or near Oklahoma? would you be willing to make a side quest to adopt a new baby? do you want to do me a huge favor? then you may be eligible to adopt the Little Prince! (his foster name)

the prince is a stray I recently picked up because he ran directly towards my car, displaying his incredible lack of intelligence and survival instincts! he seemed in good health at first, but he was absolutely riddled with fleas and parasites, one of the worst I've ever seen. he's been with me for a bit, he's been medicated and is now very healthy, gaining some weight, and he's very very VERY sweet!! if you get your face close to him, he loves to headbutt. if you have other pets who are friendly, he's also able to adapt to New Friends, given a little time! he's a petite little boy with small paws, and he weighs about 6 pounds. there's a reason we call him The Little Prince, he's destined to sit on top of a silk cushion.

Your ideal environment is:

Hot/Cold

Wet/Dry

Bright/Dark

HWBQ - tropical fish

HWDL - dingy club bathroom hookup

HWDQ - the swamp woman

HDBL - CoachellaBurningmanSouthbysouthwestACL attendee

HDBQ - Lizard

HDDL - Vegas babeyyyy

HDDQ - Trapped in a slot canyon

CWBL - Rowdy Lobsterman Crew

CWBQ - penguin living

CWDL - port angeles basement show

CWDQ - bruminating amphibian/hypothermic mammal

CDBL - ski resort

CDBQ - Christmas in Nebraska

CDDL - mcmurdo station rave

Dripmaxxing Amiya Arknights