Nate O.
LightNews LightNews
banner
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O.
@sanildefanso.bsky.social
190 followers 220 following 1.1K posts
Co-host of Cult of the Old with @giantbrain.co.uk and @mattthr.bsky.social. Christian pacifist, tabletop gaming enthusiast, TV snob, coffee addict.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 7h
Maybe 10-12 years ago, I actually got into playing it on ACTS. But I burned out pretty bad. I think it might be one of those games I respect (a lot) more than I enjoy (not much).
1 2
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 1d
I gripe a lot about how games seem to be moving from a face-to-face medium, but the experience with my Ark Nova League has been really positive, and it wouldn't have been possible in person.
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 1d
It's been a fun way to engage with a game that I'm not very good at, because there's lots of playful banter, trash-talking, and little storylines developing. Glad someone else has done the work of updating our Google Sheet with all the info, because it has made it all really fun.
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 1d
I play as part of an "Ark Nova league" with some friends, consisting of numerous head-to-head games against each other, with standings and even ongoing awards. (Who has snapped the most cards, gained the most predator icons, etc.)
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 1d
I have played about 20 games of Ark Nova this year, mostly through BGA. If you had told me a year ago that it would become one of my favorite games I would have thought you were kidding.
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 1d
Not only that, but I've heard at least one policy wonk say that it's in the interest of conservative politicians to keep taxes as irritating and stressful as possible, because it makes it much easier for people to be anti-tax.
4
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 1d
Taxes in the US are deeply stressful even if you have no real ideological opposition to them. It feels like you are being tested, like the government knows how much you owe, but you need to figure it out on your own, and they'll check your work. And being wrong is a big problem.
1 4
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 2d
Yeah, it's really nice. I've thumbed through it a little but I'm honestly a little nervous about exploring it too much.
3
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 2d
Someone gifted me a very old, illustrated copy of The Pilgrim's Progress. How old? 1897!

I really love classic novels, and I really like old media of any kind, so it's an incredibly thoughtful gift. Just very touched that someone would give me something like that.
1 7
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 3d
Tom Lehmann said that was his logic with Res Arcana Duo. Each successive expansion sells less and less, so it was conceived of as an on-ramp for people who have never played before. That's why it's so fundamentally similar to big RA, it's meant to dovetail right in.
2
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 3d
It's probably a better move for publishers than just releasing constant expansions that sell less and less each time. But it also kind of makes you wish they would just finish a product line and maybe start a new one.
1 1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 3d
I dig the "two-player version as introductory game, but also expansion" model. A lot of stuff like this struggles to on-board new players after a while. I believe this was also the intent with Res Arcana Duo, and that succeeds quite well.

Neuroshima Hex itself is a game I respect more than enjoy.
1 1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 4d
This joke is a shameless rip-off of one from @daveexmachina.bsky.social. Just credit where it's due.
sanildefanso.bsky.social Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 4d
I'm stealing a joke from a friend when Klaus Teuber died, but here goes:

People assume they'll be able to watch episodes 6 and 8, but for some reason 4 and 9 keep playing.
1 2
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 4d
I'm stealing a joke from a friend when Klaus Teuber died, but here goes:

People assume they'll be able to watch episodes 6 and 8, but for some reason 4 and 9 keep playing.
3
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 5d
This is my favorite gif for games that vex and perplex me, but I can't stop playing them.
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 5d
I read a lot of classic lit, which when you are young, is something you believe will make you sound erudite and intelligent. But middle age is realizing that it just makes you sound like the kind of person who regularly uses words like "erudite."
1 3
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 5d
I'm gonna need a cup of coffee before I can read this...
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 5d
Ok, now can you manifest something for the Guardians? Like a new hitting coach? I'll take not blowing a 3-1 lead in literally any postseason series.
1 1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 5d
Yeah, the account of the rich young ruler in the Gospels is one of those stories that is so utterly damning to how many people choose to practice Christianity, that there have been many efforts to bend over backwards and interpret it in a more favorable way.
3
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 5d
I need to watch this, I have heard nothing but good things about it.

And King of Comedy might be my favorite Scorcese movie, so any decade with that one is a humdinger.
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 7d
If any Catan product can be underrated, this is it. It feels like it should be regarded as a classic, but instead it's a footnote. Don't make that mistake. This is an outstanding, German-style two-player game. If Catan ever meant anything to you, try it out. You just might be surprised.
4
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 7d
But the trade-off is well worth it. Rivals for Catan is one of the great two-player implementations of a big-box game, maybe the best one ever. If the luck of Catan is your biggest turn-off, Rivals smooths some of that out and makes the card-draw more strategic. The whole thing feels more strategic.
1 2
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 7d
It's a somewhat denser game, because it's got more detail. Your cities have individual buildings and people in them. And it's not a game of placement like big Catan is, so it's a little harder to parse the game state. Also, there's no trading, so that above-the-table interaction is gone.
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 7d
That's understandable, but I'm here to tell you: Rivals for Catan is a great game. If what you like about Catan is the arc of building a kingdom of cities from a couple small settlements, Rivals does this better than its big brother, and combines it with fun card-play that feels kinda Magic-ish.
1
sanildefanso.bsky.social
Nate O. @sanildefanso.bsky.social · 7d
The thing is, Catan Card Game came out in 1996, and was the first Catan spin-off. In 2010, when Rivals came out, we were drowning in Catan spin-offs. It's done well enough but not many people were ready to be surprised by a Catan game at that point.
1