TableGuardian Series

## Transcript

### 1

(JR) So, let's talk about the set of tables that led to you becoming a wrangler.

(TG chuckles a little and I finally understand his name)

(JR) What, heh, what went into creating all those alchemy combo trades?

(TG) So, um, I actually learned how to use Google Sheets in my physics class--

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) --which is the strangest place to learn how to use Google Sheets. Um, but how I kinda did that--went about doing that--was... well, first of all, that table is only combinations of (???). A combo trait can be, like, three or four traits so there's a lot more potential. I just went with one and one for, like, a combo trait of two--

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) --because that was the easiest to represent (???). Um, when making that, I had the most fun making the music traits because I just got to, like, think of genres of music that would go with the combo traits. So, like, music in explosive would be, like, blast beat 'cause it has the word blast in it.

(JR) Right.

(TG) Um--

(JR) Which is funny because--

(TG) --yeah, that was my favourite part.

(JR) --because the most recent Smiths have been complaining about the music traits.

(TG) Yeah. (Laughs)

### 2

(TG) Maybe they're not as evident as I thought they were.

(JR) Well, no, I think--I think that makes them iconic.

(TG) True.

(JR) So, do you have any--anything besides the music traits you're particularly, like, stand out to you as being good alchemy traits you're proud of?

(TG) Uhh, I haven't looked at the table in a very long time. I know I made a lot for the metal and the stone. Like, the first kind of basic traits--

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) --those I--I put a lot into that. Um, other than that, I don't really know. Cuz it's--it's been such a long time since I've looked at it. I should've--

(JR) Haha, mood.

(TG) I mean there's still a lot of empty spots in there 'cause I just didn't know what to put but I feel like--

(JR) I feel like Smiths are already hard enough to get as it is.

(TG) Yeah.

### 3

(TG) Exactly, like I don't want to make it any harder on the Smiths. Like, I haven't crunched the numbers to find out how many possible traits--

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) Like, if I filled out that entire table there would be no more Smiths.

(JR laughs, her sadistic puzzler tendencies showing) Yup. I think my favourite are probably, like, the three kinds of irony you added. I thought that was, uh, an interesting puzzle twist.

(TG) Hmm.

(JR) Is it gonna be shitty and cool--

(TG) (???, I thought it was you were behind that?)

(JR) Hmm.

### 4

(JR) Alright, so let's move on.

(TG) Alright.

(JR) Lately your work has been focusing on updating Sburbsim's classpecting system using the AI engine. You'd already worked with it once; you'd created the base carapace AI system with it. What can we look forward to with the new classpect system?

(TG) So, I've talked a little bit about how, I suppose, how, um, classes give sidequests.

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) Sidequests give pluck tokens, aspects give powers and to use a power you need a pluck token.

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) Um, but there's a little more depth to that in that certain powers, in order to use them, you don't just need a pluck token--you also need a certain stat to be high enough.

### 5

(TG) So I think with combat and, like, offensive powers that attack other people you need to have your, like--I think it's your free will--high enough.

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) And there are certain classes that, when you do their side quests, they increase your free will. So, like, Princes--being destroyers and all that--they have side quests that increase your free will.

(JR) Mmm.

(TG) So the result is that Princes will be more likely to use their aspect's, like, combat-offensive powers.

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) And the end result is that, since (???, none of the?) uh, aspects have offensive (???, powers?), you get certain class and aspect combinations that are better or more powerful than others. And so I'm really looking forward to, like, seeing how the Sburbsim meta is shaped. Like, "oh, be a Prince of Heart because, like, you can instantly kill someone with the Unsoul ability."

(JR giggles--but doesn't snort)

(TG) Things like that.

(JR) It'll be interesting to see how balance works.

### 6

(TG) Oh yeah

(JR) Absolute worse case if it's hard to balance we can--we can spin it off to be its own timeline.

(TG) True.

(JR) Ideally we'd find a way to keep that--that sort of thirty percent win rate, that eighty--eighty percent survival rate kinda deal going.

### 6b

(TG) Yeah, I've been looking at AB--

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) --'cause that was my first thing that I was interested in. Like, as soon as the update hit I was like, "alright, what's AB (???)," and it seems to be no different than it was before--

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) --maybe it's a little bit slower 'cause there's more (???) but one of the things that I did, not really related to the uhhh... I was really interested, this is why I did it,--

(JR) Okay.

(TG) --um, for sessions, to see if the side quests made them, like, harder.

(JR) Right.

(TG) It did a little bit but when I was looking into, like, Lords of Breath I found something super--

### 7

(JR) Alright, so let's--let's move on to the final question, you ready?

(TG) Alright, I'm ready.

(JR) Alright. I've got to say that the Obscure Game is just that--obscure. You've left a few hints here and there for the fandom but overall it's felt most strongly by the places it isn't showing up. Is there anything you'd like to say about it here?

(TG) So I'll say a big reason why I don't talk about the Obscure Game a lot is 'cause it's always undergoing changes.

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) It has changed so much, from like, from when I first came up with it to now.

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) And I don't wanna, like, say something one day and then the next day be like, "oh, I thought that was a bad idea so I'm changing it completely." Like, I've teased a few things. Like, I know a long time ago I posted an image of--uh, what was it?

(JR) The disc?

(TG) I think I called it at the time a Seraphim?

(JR) Hmm.

(TG) It was like an angel thing.

(JR) Yeah.

(TG) Umm, those are still in but they've changed a lot since I posted that image. So, like, I'm very careful with what I say. If I say something I want it to be something I'm set in stone is going to be in the Obscure Game.

(JR) Contr--

(TG) And then as for the game itself, um, I wo--I'm just saying this here--even though it's Sburb but with things changed a little bit--

(JR) Mmhmm.

(TG) --I don't think, whatever form it takes in the future, is just going to be Sburbsim with the names changed.

(JR) Hmmmmmmm.

(TG) It's most likely going to be something completely different.

(JR) Well, I'm looking forward to seeing whatever final form it takes.

(TG) Yeah.

(JR) I find it ironic, though--I'm the opposite. I'll just spout out whatever then change it and claim it was a different timeline.

(TG and JR laugh--unsure whether this laugh was in a different timeline)

(JR) Alright, thank you for joining me here today, TG.

(TG) Alright, you're welcome.