Blergh. Quasi-argument with my partner at dinner over loans for a condo.

The miscommunication is her thinking I don't care because I'm not "still researching."

My stance is we've made our decision. We're signing the papers on Sunday, so why would I still be looking at options? We like the condo. We like the realtors. We've basically been approved for everything. My partner has calculated NUMEROUS budgets, and we can do this.

But she thinks I'm not talking this seriously because I'm not "still researching."

My thought? THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO DO.

Blargh. Another few playtests of BLOOM — all using various resource & scoring mechanics, and no.

This is just not working.

There's no strategy, no planning, and no meaningful choices. In short, this is not a game.

I think I'm going to have to shelve this idea. Yup. I did one more playtest, and nope. This isn't anything.

As you can't predict what the weather will be, there is no meaningful choice about which resource you raise or lower.

You can't plan ahead, so one choice is as good as another.

This is not a game.

Another playtest of BLOOM — now with resources that persist from turn to turn — and I've hit a snag.

I want the levels of different resources to affect each other.

Too much light increases heat, too much heat reduces water, too little water and the plants can't grow. The snag I've hit is figuring out when Weather Cards add or remove resource cubes from the garden plots.

The current max level for resources is 3. Adding more of a resource currently at 3 "spills over", affecting other resources.

So adding 1 light here would instead add a heat.

Against my better judgement, I've started watching #lovedeathandrobots3.

I'll do some single-Tweet capsule reviews. S3.E1: Three Robots: Exit Strategies

A continuation of an episode from Volume 1. The CGI animation is nice, but the moralizing message is so strong it might as well be a constant punch in the face.

"Twist" ending cheapens it even more.

2 out of 5