Episode 346: RPGs Without Obvious Combat Mechanics

What this episode covers

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Moe Poplar, Michael Low, J Gurantz. Now kids, stop fighting! RPGs are intensely emotionally engaging, deeply moving experiences - and they're fun! Much attention has been paid, recently, to their application in therapy, helping people navigate complex emotional change. This creates a question - how does the violence often built into the system - and setting - of an RPG affect players, and how can we create games where tension, drama, and struggle don't have to be wedded to destruction?

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Introducing: Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles

Apr 21, 2026 ·26m

What Happens When AI Steals Your Life's Work? Inside r/ArtistHate

Sep 17, 2025 ·19m

Creative Careers in the AI Era — Who Adapts, Who Struggles, and What Comes Next

Jun 11, 2025 ·25m

Create Stunning AI Visuals - No Design Degree Required

Jun 4, 2025 ·29m

Why Does AI Writing Sound... Like That Intern Nobody Wants to Mentor?

May 28, 2025 ·36m

Are You Still Prompting Like It's 2023? Advanced AI Communication for Creatives - Part 2

May 21, 2025 ·22m

Similar Podcasts

Take the Leap Colleen Biggs When was the last time you took a leap of faith trusting that everything is going to work out? Do you crave growth, or are you merely content with the status quo? If you want more out of your life, out of your career, and out of your relationships, you are in the right place. It's time for you to step into the Spotlight to expand your influence and attract the right clients. Your Host, Colleen Biggs, will expose the actions you need to take, through the experiences and interviews of our guests, so you no longer are sitting on the sidelines, but that you are finally taking an active role in defining the design of your life rather than living it by default. We will be interviewing elite leaders that will share their greatest regrets, successes, and how they did it! Week after week you will learn all about how you too can take the leap of faith, trust in yourself and stop living a life only by default. Talent Stacker Jonathan Mendonsa Data suggests that the average cost of college in 2019 was $122,000 while the entry-level salary for a college graduate at the same time period was 50,000. ROI is a distant memory.hopefully for that that $122,000 the student graduates with a degree and possibly some skills. The reality is, as most individuals approach graduation, they realize that ultimately what they have to prove to their employers that they actually have the skills and since you don't need a degree or permission to start building skills, let’s document the stories and best practices of individuals that crushed the game by focusing on building their skills and their talent stack. Maybe you feel like you don’t have a talent stack. What are the skills you need to be able to generate an above-median income and when paired with interest-led learning this talent stack will allow you to work towards financial independence and design your future?If you're up for this challenge to go from no Talent Stack to designing you API Intersection Stoplight Building a successful API requires more than just coding. It starts with collaborative design, focuses on creating a great developer experience, and ends with getting your company on board, maintaining consistency, and maximizing your API’s profitability.In the API Intersection, you’ll learn from experienced API practitioners who transformed their organizations, and get tangible advice to build quality APIs with collaborative API-first design.Jason Harmon brings over a decade of industry-recognized REST API experience to discuss topics around API design, governance, identity/auth versioning, and more.They’ll answer listener questions, and discuss best practices on API design (definition, modeling, grammar), Governance (multi-team design, reviewing new API’s), Platform Transformation (culture, internal education, versioning) and more.They’ll also chat with experienced API practitioners from a wide array of industries to draw out practical takeaways and insights you can use.H Epic: Silver Wing Realm EPIC is your new HQ for Realm’s exhilarating action and adventure stories, with new episodes dropping every Monday introduced by host Faith McQuinn.Embark on your greatest adventures yet, whether it’s crash landing on a desolate planet with only a cerebrally-embedded AI to guide you, or realizing that your latest game design is the only thing staving off total global annihilation. So unsheath those earbuds, clench that steering wheel, and buckle up because EPIC is about to take off.This month, we are featuring Silver Wing: On a desert planet in the far future, an old dragon hunter embarks on a desperate journey to save her estranged son. For centuries, the dragons have been sleeping. But in their rest, they provide a crucial energy source necessary to keep the planet Toon Flats habitable. Amphet Dahl is a diviner, gifted with the ability to sense the dragons’ dreams and memories and to the disappointment of her son, Afton, she uses this ability to

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of RPG Design Panelcast?

This episode is 59 minutes long.

When was this RPG Design Panelcast episode published?

This episode was published on April 1, 2023.

What is this episode about?

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2021 Presented by Moe Poplar, Michael Low, J Gurantz. Now kids, stop fighting! RPGs are intensely emotionally engaging, deeply moving experiences - and they're fun! Much attention has been paid, recently, to their...

Can I download this RPG Design Panelcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.