I enjoy looking into new RPG systems even though my play group only plays D&D. I like to see what else is out there because the burnout gets too real sometimes. Who knows? Maybe one day I can convince my playgroup to dip into something new for a campaign or two, and I’ll be ready with a backlog of options.
One of the systems I considered switching to was the Swedish RPG MÖRK BORG. MÖRK BORG is a ttrpg set in a post-apocalyptic world with a solid combat system and possibly the coolest rulebook you’ll ever own. If you haven’t seen the MÖRK BORG core rule book yet, look it up. It is beautiful. I almost bought into the system just so that I could flip through the pages and appreciate the art.
MÖRK BORG is getting a pirate-themed spin-off, and it looks just as good as the base game. PIRATE BORG introduces eight new playable classes, 80+ new monsters, an easy-to-learn naval combat system, and an adventure to get you started. This book has everything you’ll need to run a pirate campaign in a cool dark fantasy system worth exploring. I mean, who doesn’t want to play in a pirate campaign? Make sure you check out the official site if you’d like to try the game for free. The publishers have a rules reference sheet, character sheets, maps, and a character randomizer.
Preorders for PIRATE BORG are now live on the official site. The core book costs $36.84 plus shipping, which is a solid price for how good this book is going to look on your table. People who preorder also get immediate access to the book in PDF so you can start your Pirate adventure before the official release on September 19. Don’t forget to check out the rest of MÖRK BORG content while you’re at it!
Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-18
While the story for Digimon Seekers isn’t bad, the mechanical translation is. In an effort to save the story, I have taken it upon myself to try to fix the story’s awkwardness. The spirit of the story will remain the same, but it will hopefully read a lot better. Make sure you always read the original, but I do hope you enjoy my version as well. I’ll be releasing my version the Monday after the official release. If you enjoy this project, make sure you like, subscribe, and share it where you can. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1!
Are Digimon alive?
A question that has yet to be defined at least in legal terms. Most of the population is ignorant of its existence, so laws and legislation haven’t caught up to deal with its existence.
But how can the Digital World be regulated? Can we punish the people who own Digimon? Who has authority over a world that exists outside of all physical borders?
Many countries have begun answering these questions, but the responses differ between nations. Japan’s answer? The DigiPolice. A special unit created to combat growing cyber crimes. Although the Digipolice is a part of the Metropolitan Police Department, they must work in secret. The world just isn’t ready for the digital world.
The captain of the DigiPolice was a tall woman with short brown hair. She was always neatly dressed, and always scowling. She’d earned her reputation of Demon for her fierceness. Everyone in her department feared and respected her. They would die for her if she asked.
Yulin sits at her desk. The office is plain, except for a desk and a few filing cabinets against the wall. On her desk, only a few neat stacks of folders sit across it. She is busy reading Satsuki’s report. Satsuki sits across from her, visibly flustered.
“Loogamon huh?” Shuu Yulin’s voice trails off as she continues to read the report. She looks up at Satsuki “So it took out a couple of squads of Commandron on its own, digivolved, and beat your Numemon? Looks like we’ve got a dangerous code cracker on our hands..” Again, Shuu Yulin’s voice trails off as she continues to analyze the report.
“Those bastards really hurt my Numemon!” Satsuki stamps, “Next time I see them, they’re going to pay for what they did!”
“I’m impressed Satsuki. A level A code-cracker and you even managed to get his real name.” Shuu Yulin scans the report “Eiji Nagasumi…I don’t see him on the list of Sons of Chaos executives…”
“Well, he just gave it to me. He just gave me his name without me asking.”
Shuu Yulin closes the folder and places it neatly on the table in front of her. “What do you mean?”
Satsuki shrugs, “he just gave me his full name. You’d think a high-level code cracker like him would use an alias, but he gave me his actual name.”
“What a peculiar kid. I can’t tell if he is smart, or really stupid.”
“My guess? He’s just a very skilled moron. At least that’s my impression anyways.” Satsuki becomes embarrassed by her analysis. That moron sent her Numemon to the infirmary after all.
Shuu Yulin’s expression grows stern. “Morons are one thing…But you exceeded the K-line again. How many times has that been this year now?”
Satsuki’s face grows red as she looks down at her boots in an attempt to hide her shame. “…Sorry,” she answers, dejected.
“Mindlinking has a safety limit for a reason Sastuki. If you push yourself too hard, you can get stuck in the Digital world. You need to be careful.” Shuu Yulin’s voice is stern, with a hint of disappointment mixed with concern. “I don’t want to lose any men. You hear me? Not a single one”
Satsuki seems to struggle to find the right words. “I’m sorry” she finally manages in a shaky voice. “I’ll be more careful, I promise…”
Yulin doesn’t seem to react. Instead, she opens Eiji’s file. She thumbs through his family history and lands on a blurry image of Eiji. “Isn’t this the DDL?” It was a picture taken from surveillance footage they acquired from the University of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Sastuki shrugs, “Maybe he goes to school there?”
“Maybe, but it looks like he’s only registered as a freelancer at the moment. Zoom in here” Yulin instructs as she points to Eiji’s left wrist. The video pauses, and the camera focuses on his arm. The image becomes pixelated for a moment before AI starts reconstructing the image.
“That’s a Digimon Linker, and it looks like a newer model. Looks like the ones made by Abadin Electronics.” Yulin’s Digimon, Ryudamon, suddenly appears in the space next to her. Ryudamon is a small yellow dragon wearing samurai armor.
Yulin continues to analyze the image. “They do look similar don’t they. So this Loogamon and the latest Digimon Linker huh?…” She studies the file carefully, taking note of how Loogamon and Ryudamon have the same ruby crystal on their head.
In a tower apartment building overlooking the Denrin District, Leon steps out of the shower into the bedroom apartment he rents as an international student. He dries his hair as he walks to the fridge. There are on lights on in the room. Instead, the small apartment is lit by the warm yellow glow Pulsemon gives off. Leon opens an empty Fridge and pulls out a bottle of water.
“The Sons of Chaos are up to something,” Pulsemon says, looking up to his partner.
“Because of the code cracker?” Leon drinks from the bottle as he walks past a trash bin full of takeout containers.
“This isn’t just an ordinary code cracker. I hear he go into a scuffle with the police in the Wall Slums”
Leon stops drinking for a moment. “There’s nothing alarming about conflict between a code cracker and a police.”
“No but this code cracker is a mind linker. You should see the rumors about him going around the Sons of Chaos channel”
I’ve had the Vital Bracelet BE for a couple of months and still love it!
I’ve had the for a couple of months now and think it is time for an update. Make sure you check out my initial post and my first update because I won’t be repeating some of the valuable information included in those.
Since I started using the Vital Bracelet, I have lost 10 lbs. I have also started watching what I eat, kicked a few habits, and have become more active, but staying active has been easier because I want to train Digimon. I want to make it clear that the Vital Bracelet alone isn’t responsible for my weight loss, but collecting and training my Digimon has made it easier to stay motivated. Unless you like Digimon and enjoy collecting digital Vpets, this won’t work for you.
If you are going to embark on this hobby, the first thing you should do is bookmark this Evolution guide. It has every Dim and their evolution track neatly displayed in an easy-to-read format. This will ensure that you are always working towards the Digimon you want.
Two more things I’ve learned since the last time I posted:
- If you use the bracelet like a keychain, having it in your pocket for bike rides tracks your vitals best
- If you have a job where you aren’t very active, you can switch your Digimon out with the default watch adventurer (the green person) and bring them out when you are ready to train.
My first serious partner in this whole adventure has been Angoramon. I have done the squats, and crunches, and walked the miles to almost complete the track. While I am not happy with who I will end up with, it is a great feeling to almost be done. I’ve made a few mistakes that I will improve on next time around, but I can’t wait to finally throw him into the app and send him on adventures.
If you are getting the Vital Bracelet, know that you are only going to be collecting and training vpets. The battle minigame is effectively dead. On a very rare occasion, when all the planets align on a Tuesday, you might find someone to battle, but I wouldn’t buy the bracelet if you want to battle others. This may change in future updates, but there will need some valuable incentives to get players to queue up to battle.
Despite the lack of battles, I don’t regret buying the vital bracelet. I enjoy training my Digimon and appreciate that it gets me out of the house. The gameplay is simple a little simple, but I enjoy collecting enough where it doesn’t matter. I can’t wait for my trip to Japan when I can buy a bunch more Dims to train.
If you want to buy your own Vital Bracelet, make sure you get the BE version. You can get it in white or black without the Dim if you are just looking to upgrade, or one that includes the dims imported from Japan. The Vital Bracelet VV is also a great option if want a watch with a dim included, and don’t mind the loud color. Don’t forget to get a screen protector! As careful as you might be, its going to get scratched. Make sure to shop around before you commit. You might be able to get them imported from a different retailer for cheaper. I am only linking to Amazon because it is easy. Until next time, thanks for reading!
This week on the Digmon TCG: June 18th
We are getting closer to the Alternative Being (EX-04), which means we got a look at some sick alt-art cards that are going to be very hard to pull. The set comes out on June 23rd, so make sure you head over to your LGS and get your pre-orders in for a box or two because this set looks sick! I can’t speak about how powerful the set will be, but I can tell you that this set is going to look beautiful in a binder.
Alt-Art Spoilers for Alternative Being (EX-04)
I am going to start off with my favorite part of any Digimon set, the alt art secret rares that I never have any luck with. I have a few cool ones I will never complain about, but I also wish I could have all of them.
Omnimon Alter-S
Omnimon Alter-S is getting two alts for this set, and I think I prefer the dark one. It has a cool pose, but it really pops against the black background. Based on the videos though, I think the white one might have the better foiling.
Omnimon Alter-B
BlitzGreymon
This card looks so cool. I love how it looks like BlitzGreymon is landing and bringing with it destruction. The on Digivolve effect is also pretty good. Either Degivolving an opponent or getting a free Digivolution could swing the match easily.
CresGarurumon
VictoryGreymon
This one is my favorite of the reveals this week. I love the pose, the colors, and the foiling. VicrotyGraymon looks so cool here and the card would look beautiful in the binder. You also get some pretty solid removal which is always nice to have in this game.
More Alternative Being [EX-04] Spoilers
While they may not be cool and flashy full art cards, the art is still very good for this set. I love the colors and playfulness for this theme set.
This card is so cool. This is definitely one of my favorite Greymons. It reminds me of Zoids or a megazord. The rush ability is nice too.
I love the watercolor effect of this card. I think its its minimalism that makes it stand out against other cards in the set. Being unblockable is a nice effect, but I don’t see this card having much of a life outside of a sideboard.
Ultimate Cup
North America
The latest results for the NA Ultimate Cup are in. It looks like green and purple are pretty consistent across the regions, so it might be a good idea to pick up that Beelzemon starter deck from your LGS or TCG Player. Its a great deck to collect, but it also seems to have some important staples you might need to pick up. Don’t forget to check the official site so you don’t miss out on a chance to participate in an ultimate cup near you.
Upcoming Events
That’s it for this weeks reveals. I will be posting updates every Sunday so make sure you’re subscribed if you want to stay updated. Don’t forget to comment, like, and share this post because that really helps me out. See you next week!
Tanares Adventures – Ultimate Edition is coming to Kickstarter June 27th and it is going to be the biggest dungeon crawler ever!
Tanares Adventures returns to Kickstarter on June 27th with some much-needed improvements and more minis than you can handle. If you are looking for a dungeon crawler to get into or simply looking to upgrade the copy you already own, go follow the Kickstarter.
Tanares Adventures is a tabletop dungeon crawler that promises hundreds of hours of gameplay through its many quests, choices, and battles. The game is designed for up to eight players, with solo play in mind for those like me who don’t have eight friends. Players control two four-member teams as they go on an epic adventure and meet at the end. The choices you make matter, so make them wisely.
The combat is unique and interesting. Each hero has a unique stat block and access to certain abilities. Gear cards will give heroes access to additional abilities that will recharge after certain conditions are met. There is a level-up system to get you through your adventure. Combat is done by rolling dice and playing ability cards. Enemies have a seemingly well-designed AI, but I would to test it for myself to confirm. The game encourages teamwork and strategy through its many configurations, choices, and skills.
If you a more in-depth explanation of how to play the game and how combat works, check out The Meeple Marathon video on how to play. He does a fantastic job at breaking down the rules and explaining the game in a way that is easy to understand. Make sure you go follow him for some excellent board game content.
What drew me to this game were its minis, but after seeing some of the gameplay, I am interested either way. This game looks perfect for those who want to dive into another adventure, but don’t want to be bogged down by complicated rules. From what I saw Tanares Adventures seems easy to pick up, set up, and play.
If you want to buy the base game with the minis, you will have to back the game at $189. This gets you 100 minis, inserts to store them in, and all the maps and components you need to get started. The more money you throw into this game, the prettier your game will be. Higher tiers will have access to more minis and storage solutions. But if you only care about the gameplay, you can back the project at $129 to get the Standee Edition. The standee edition gets all the maps and core components, and access to stretch goals, but will receive cardboard standees instead of the minis. There are also some upgrade packages available for those of you who already bought the game.
Tanares Adventures looks might be worth looking into if you are in the market for a new dungeon crawler. The art is beautiful, the concept is interesting, and the minis are amazing. I can see myself using the maps and minis for my D&D campaign. Whatever your interest in this game may be, make sure you follow the Kickstarter so you know when it goes live. Backers who pledge at least $89 on the first day will receive a really cool dragon mini as a special gift.
My impressions of the Battle Shapers demo
I was sent the Battle Shapers demo to review, but it is unfair to review a game that is still this early in development. While the game looks fine, it isn’t finished. Instead, I will write about my impressions of the demo.
Battle Shapers is a fast-paced arcade shooter for PC where players fight off hordes of robots as they try to take their city back from the evil overlords that now run it.
This demo is not the best start for this game. If the goal was to spark interest for the game, it fails to do so. I wasn’t able to enjoy the demo because it stuttered so badly that it became unplayable. It isn’t a hardware issue because my computer can easily run this game on the highest settings. I tried playing the game on the lowest setting, but encountered the same issues. It might be an issue with Windows 11, but I am unable to test the theory. I forced myself to play this game as long as possible, but the constant stuttering ruined the experience.
If ignore the performance issues, the game play is okay. I enjoy the fast pace, there is an interesting melee mechanics, but I can see it become a bit repetitive. You make your way through areas, clearing room of mobs, and gathering loot. Unless the full release comes with different areas, mobs, and bosses that introduce different mechanics and require different strategies, this game is doomed to grow stale. It’s a game that sort of reminds me of Borderlands, but I would rather be playing Borderlands. At least based on my experience with the demo, this opinion could change at release.
It is a shame because the game looks cool. I love the art style, I enjoy fast pacing, and it has a fantastic sound track. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it because it isn’t a good demo. I can only hope that they patch the demo and start working closely with the community to make the game better, or at the very least playable. I’ll keep an eye out for future updates and try to get my hands on the full game, but as it stands, I am not impressed.
You can download the demo now on Steam.
Jury Duty: The wholesome mockumentary that will leave you smiling
If you are looking for a dumb and fun series to get into that doesn’t check out Jury Duty. This quirky and wholesome show is sure to put a smile on your face.
Ronald is summoned to jury duty where he will serve with a collection of quirky characters. What Ronald doesn’t know is that there is no trial, and everyone else there is an actor. Ronald will sit through one of the most ridiculous court experiences ever held, but he also makes some friends along the way.
Ronald thinks he is in a documentary, the series is cut like a very silly one. The actors all do a fantastic job of staying in character, although there are a few moments in the series that almost break them. The concept is interesting, and surprisingly, it works great. The characters are quirky and fun, the situations are awkward and hilarious, and Ronald is a wholesome guy that brings it all together. As good as the actors in this series are, this show wouldn’t have worked without Ronald. He is kind, easy going, and he rolled with whatever wacky scenario they threw at him. The show will throw some ridiculous curves at Ronald, but he rolls with them in the best possible way.
The unpredictability of Ronald gives this series its charm. In other shows, you can kind of guess the direction the jokes and plot will go. In Jury Duty, you never know what hook Ronald will take, how he is going to react to the situation, or if he will figure it out. I enjoyed this spontaneity because it created some hilariously dumb moments.
This series is dumb good fun in the best way. If you haven’t watched it yet, check it out on Prime Video if you have a membership.
Fubar: The worst Neflix action series I couldn’t finish
Neflix’s Fubar is so bad that I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I finish everything I watch, but this series took a toll on my soul that I don’t think I can ever recover from. I sat this wishing I was watching Citadel, and I hated Citadel. Who is this show even for? You have to sit through two insufferable people bickering about nothing the whole time, and sometimes comedy and action happen. Do yourself a favor and watch anything else.
The world’s greatest spy is about to retire after a lifetime of accolades. He has plans to live a quiet life and try to mend the relationships he’s severed over the years. But America has other plans for our hero. Before he even has a chance to retire, he is placed on one more assignment. A villain from his past returns to wreak havoc. Our hero must extract a compromised agent from the villain’s clutches and save the world once again. The problem is, the agent is his daughter. Now the two must work through their relationship and save the world. Can they do it before it is too late?
This series is worse than you think because nothing it tries to do works. The little action it has is boring, the humor it tries to pull off rarely lands, everyone in this series sucks, and the writing is terrible. Most of the time, the series deals with family drama no one is going to care about, and they fill the rest with forced romances. If you cut out all the pointless filler plot, you have no show. The series has a solid cast, but it wastes them.
Between the sudden tonal changes and the annoying bickering, I just couldn’t convince myself to finish. I tried my hardest to make it to the end to see what stupid plot twist they would throw in to sequel bait, but I don’t have it in me. This series broke me. I am glad people got paid to be in this terrible show, I would have taken the job too, but I just hope it doesn’t kill any careers. You can stream it on Netflix, but your time is too precious to waste on this terrible series. Thanks for reading. I need to reevaluate some of my life choices.
How to play Blue Protocol outside of Japan
Shrinking: One of the most wholesome series on Apple TV
I have to say that Apple TV has figured out the formula for wholesome television. I find that their programming is always hit or miss, but the stuff I love is done spectacularly. My latest obsession is with the series Shrinking. If you haven’t already watched this series, I urge you to go watch it now. It is amazing!
Shrinking is the story of a shrink who hits rock bottom after his wife dies. At the bottom, he finds he has become estranged from his daughter, isolated himself from his friends, and has been spiraling for the past year. He decides to do better and start participating in life again. As he learns to take care of himself, he teaches others to do the same. The series becomes this collection of stories of broken people trying to become whole again. It is a quirky and wholesome experience worth every minute of your time.
The concept is a bit over the top, but it works. Some of the psychoanalytical stuff is exaggerated, and some plot points are pandering, but the series is solid throughout. The acting is fantastic, the writing is mostly solid, and the concept is interesting. The actors do a fantastic job of giving this series its charm. While the writing is solid, the actors do a fantastic job of earning your love. Not all of the characters are well-rounded, but that doesn’t matter. You need to watch this series, at least to appreciate the performances.
The series does go into heavy issues like dealing with death or divorce. They touch on a lot of topics about mental health, but it never gets too sad or serious. The series has the perfect balance between sad and happy moments to keep the series feeling wholesome.
The series has a similar tone to Ted Lasso, and I would argue that it is just as enjoyable. You can stream it on Apple TV if you have a subscription, or start the trial if you don’t.