The Business: SOBS Keeps Telling People What Game They're Making. BELIEVE THEM!

I get emails from Roll20 from time to time promoting new additions to the platform. Yesterday I got this one, which included the following:

Roll20 is supporting Bastions by adding a new sheet type to their 2024 Character Sheet that will allow players to create and manage their Bastions. The sheet will let you track key details about your Bastion, including the characters it belongs to, any Hirelings or defenders, the Bastion level, and a description.

You'll also be able to select and add facilities from the Dungeon Master's Guide Compendium to your Bastion.

This email, like with SOBS' own press releases, sets up a double-think. It is claimed to be optional; it is framed to be required, to be mandatory, to be presumed to be part of the game. Moreso than in any other edition, Next Edition is going to be a Meta-driven Get Along Gang party game of competitive PVE.

"But I don't have to-"

You will be dropped like a wet sack of cement in favor of those that do. That's how this style of business model works. Why? Because it grants a material benefit to the player and his mans, and--contra what many believe--there is no player that refuses an advantage in anything like a competitive environment.

The Conventional Play environment competes on terms of performance, which is why "slave to the meta" is a common insult (taken from CCGs, MMOs, and MOBAs), and because Conventional Play is a Get Along Gang that acts as a unit--as a team--you had better believe The Meta matters.

"But my-"

That's nice. SOBS' game is set in Forgotten Fantasy Seattle, not Your Special Snowflake Neverland. Taking more and more cues from videogames generally, and MMOs in particular, no one should be surprised that SOBS adopted all of the FOMO/Meta-driven business practices that are now typical of playing those videogames. World First Race To Tiamat's Lair when?

"But I don't want to-"

You want to play Next Edition? You're using Bastions and you're going to like it, or you're going to get yeeted in favor of those that do because they provide significant advantages so not doing so is just handicapping yourself and being the team boat anchor. You can, and you will, get cut loose.

"But my friends-"

They want to win, they want to dominate, and every little +1 and reroll and special power they can get their hands on makes that happens faster and easier. Take it from a vet of such scenes: the Meta IS THE BASELINE, and if you don't conform you will not be looked at. This isn't something you can make up by putting in time at the range working the manual of arms and burning through ammo. This isn't something you can work around with extensive simulator time. This is not a skill issue. This is a math-driven, data-driven, spreadsheet-driven game; you get on the Meta juice or you get left behind.

For the sort of Get Along Gang party game you say you want, Uncle Kevin's got you with Palladium Fantasy and you can use ACKS for that. If you want the real game, square up and seek admittance to the Clubhouse.