Tales & Tactics

In this Beyond the Book discussion, we explore the role of crunch in tabletop gaming. We discuss why some of the hobby's most beloved games are also its most complex, what makes players embrace or reject heavy rulesets, and how designers balance realism, depth, accessibility, and player engagement. Whether you love lightweight narrative games or thousand page rulebooks, we tackle one of tabletop gaming's oldest debates: when are the rules worth the complexity, and when are they simply too much?

In This week's Rules as Written episode, we dig into BattleTech: A Time of War's detailed character creation, sprawling skill system, tactical combat, and tendency toward troupe style play. We explore a functional and ambitious RPG whose greatest strength and greatest weakness may be the same thing: its determination to provide rules for nearly everything. A Time of War sets out to let you play almost anyone in the Inner Sphere, from MechWarriors and mercenaries to spies, nobles, technicians, and traders. But in trying to model an entire universe while remaining compatible with the BattleTech tabletop wargame, does it become too complicated for its own good?

In this episode of Tales & Tactics: Beyond the Book, we step back from any single title to take a broader look at the tabletop industry in our Wide World of Games discussion. We examine the growing influence of live play shows and roleplaying media on the hobby and how actual plays and streaming content have brought an enormous wave of new players to the table, while also instilling habits and expectations that don’t always serve the game well at home. We also consider the accelerating digitalization of what has always been an analogue hobby, from tools like D&D Beyond to digital character builders and virtual tabletops, and what is gained and lost when the physical experience moves to a screen. From there we explore the ongoing conversation around new editions of beloved games and what they mean for existing communities, whether they represent genuine evolution or commercial necessity, and the role players themselves play in shepherding a game’s identity and longevity through edition changes. We also dig into our design philosophy as hosts, making the case for rules and systems that generate meaningful, consequential outcomes at the table rather than leaning on GM fiat to paper over mechanical gaps.

In this special 100th episode of Tales & Tactics, our Rules as Written series turns to the world’s most played tabletop roleplaying game: Dungeons & Dragons 2024, the significant revision to fifth edition released by Wizards of the Coast as part of the game’s 50th anniversary. Our verdict is one of measured appreciation but honest critique that D&D 2024 is a polished, accessible, and a well organized game, but in striving to be everything to every player and every genre, it ultimately commits to nothing. Its mechanics are fundamentally heroic in nature, and that creates real friction when players attempt to bend the system toward darker, grittier, or more grounded settings. A game with stronger design convictions and one willing to plant its flag in a specific tone and theme would be a better game for it.

In this episode of Tales & Tactics Beyond the Book, We ask one of tabletop design’s oldest questions, how do you capture the chaos and decisiveness of close combat at the table? Inspired by the charge and shock mechanics of GMT’s Men of Iron: Norman Conquests, we explore how wargames and roleplaying games have approached this challenge from fundamentally different angles. From the momentum driven charge tables of hex and counter wargames to the action economy of d20 systems, the granular sword fight simulations of Rune Quest and WHRP, we examine what each design philosophy reveals about what close combat actually is in action; a physical contest, a psychological breaking point, or a dramatic moment. Along the way we ask why morale, arguably the decisive factor in real close combat, remains the thing most games handle least confidently.

In this episode of Rules as Written we ride into the age of Norman expansion with Men of Iron: Norman Conquests from GMT Games. Covering battles from Civitate in 1053 to Evesham in 1265, the game explores the rise of the Normans and the military legacy they left across Europe. We examine the Men of Iron system's approach to command, activation, shock combat, morale, and battlefield momentum, and discuss how these mechanics capture the realities of medieval warfare while remaining fast and approachable. Does Norman Conquests successfully model the tactics and leadership challenges of the Norman era? Join us as we take a close look at the rules and ask: How well do the rules model the history?

In this episode of Beyond the Book, we look at a growing trend in tabletop gaming: the rise of the "vibe game." From art punk RPGs and rules light indies to beautifully designed passion projects, vibe games prioritize mood, aesthetic identity, and emotional experience over complex mechanical systems. But where is the line between elegant minimalism and incomplete design? At what point does a game stop providing procedures and start relying on GM fiat, player assumptions, and cultural expectations to fill in the gaps? We examine what defines a vibe game, why they have become so popular, and how they compare to more procedurally robust systems like B/X Dungeons & Dragons, and other classic designs. Along the way, we explore the relationship between aesthetics and mechanics, whether strong vibes can compensate for weak structure, and why some games thrive as inspirational toolkits while others succeed as complete gameplay ecosystems. Are vibe games a new evolution in RPG design, or are they outsourcing game design to the people at the table?

In this episode of Rules as Written, we dive into MÖRK BORG, PIRATE BORG, Forbidden Psalm, and the rise of the modern “vibe game.” These visually striking indie RPGs helped define a new era of tabletop design built around mood, aesthetic identity, and fast improvisational play. But beneath the doom metal art, apocalyptic prophecy, and brutal minimalism lies a major design question: how much procedural game structure is actually there? We examine MÖRK BORG’s mechanics, themes, and OSR roots, discuss why PIRATE BORG may be the strongest and most complete version of the formula, and explore how Forbidden Psalm adds the kind of tactical and campaign scaffolding many Borg style games lack. Along the way, we ask whether these games are streamlined masterpieces of minimalist design, or whether they rely too heavily on GM fiat and inherited play culture to carry the experience.

In this episode of Beyond the Book, we dive into what happens when players must commit to plans before the action begins. From classic hex and counter simulations of naval warfare and air force games to the game Diplomacy of 1959 and more modern board games, pre planning systems force players to think like real commanders. Orders are written, actions are locked in, and once the turn begins, events unfold simultaneously. We explore how simultaneous activation changes the psychology of play compared to traditional I go You go systems, why hidden planning creates uncertainty and friction, and how different games handle the challenge of prediction, initiative, and command control.

In this episode of Tales & Tactics, our Rules as Written series covers Talon from GMT Games, a tactical sci-fi fleet combat game pitting the human Terran Confederation against the alien Talon Empire across a series of ship to ship engagements. We discuss how the game’s impulse based turn structure creates a tense and interleaved flow of action that will feel familiar to veterans of Starfleet Battles, while remaining accessible enough to bring new players into the fold. We also highlight one of Talon’s smartest design decisions in placing all essential game information directly on the counters themselves, keeping the action on the table and the rulebook on the shelf. Clean, tactical, and rewarding, Talon earns its place as one of the more elegant entries in the space combat wargame genre.