I get where you’re coming from, but I disagree on a couple points:

Game design relies heavily on finding uses for the player character’s abilities. Imagine a metroidvania where you pick up a cool new grappling hook, only to realize there’s no terrain that can be grappled, and most enemies aren’t affected. What’s the point?

In terms of good/bad game design in TTRPGs, my philosophy is pretty simple; If everyone at the table is having a good time, it’s good game design. For my players, getting to use the abilities that they picked or earned throughout the game is super rewarding. For me as a GM, I can scale encounters a little higher knowing that they have a built-in edge.

In fact, my number one resource for game prep is my players’ character sheets. Did someone pick an obscure language as part of their backstory? You’d better believe it’s going to show up in the game! Dragonchess proficiency? Guess what the game of choice is at the local tavern?

Conversely, if an ability becomes the only thing a PC relies on, it can be interesting to add a foil to that ability. For example, one of my players built a Kensei Monk with a specialization in firearms. It was a fun character for him, but the sheer damage output he could do kind of overshadowed everyone else. My solution was to introduce a combat encounter where he could use the weapon, but doing so had a chance to attract more hostile creatures.

Anyway, all this to say that in my opinion, playing to your player characters’ strengths is not only rewarding for them, it can help a GM create some really cool moments.

Wingman is the term you’re looking for.

But in my date’s opinion, he was clam jamming her!

I had a girl bring a guy friend along on our first date without giving me a heads up for the same reason. I was like, ok that’s a little weird but whatever. I’m certainly not going to give someone shit for doing something that makes them feel comfortable. Ended up chatting it up with the guy friend who turned out to be super cool.

So me and the girl end up seriously dating after a while and she later tells me that she spent most of our first date trying to subtly get her friend to leave so that she could spend more time with me.

Also grid based combat! If you want to be D&D purists, have fun but I’m glad my group isn’t!

Keep eating kids until you find them all.

Dogs and cats can definitely perceive spiciness from capsaicin. Are you maybe thinking about birds? They cannot.

I’d love to hear what I’ve specifically said that’s bullshit.

This is clearly a sensitive topic for you, so believe me when I say that I’m only talking about myself here. Yes, humans have included meat in their diets for thousands of years, but the recent changes that I feel shift the paradigm are: the scope and scale of industrial farming, the brutal conditions animals now face, and the fact that we have a good enough concept of human dietary requirements that people can finally make the choice to remove animal products from their diets in a healthy way.

Or if it’s my one year old, 2.5 seconds and she’s getting into something she’s not supposed to.

I don’t think anyone would refer to Logan (Wolverine) as mild-mannered.

There’s an interesting and nuanced conversation to be had about fairness in sports. Many athletic associations have guidelines in place that allow trans athletes to compete in a way that is as fair as possible to them and other competitors. Are they all perfect? Probably not, but having this conversation in the first place is the best way to ensure these associations can make competition as fair as possible to trans and cis athletes alike.

But of course this conversation will never take place, because the goal was never to make women’s sports more fair. It’s always been about trans erasure.

You are correct.

“Remove the label”

A given person’s definition of “old” is usually about 15 years older than they are. My boss is 65 and calls 70 year olds “young”.

Words with friends with benefits

Hoss, we’re in a Wayfair 3 piece faux leather sectional.

It sold well, but Activision saw more value in VV working as a CoD support studio. They pitched a 3+4 remake and Activision passed on it.

Awesome. I can’t wait to hear you explain why Bernie syphoning away Dem votes and handing Trump a second term would have been great for our country.

Why wouldn’t you fight against animal cruelty?

Fig. A-1 Illustrates the ideal meat to bread ratio for the perfect sandwich.