The Literary Mercenary's (And Improved Initiative's) Recent Newsletter Change

The chaos of the year keeps on shifting, and over here on Improved Initiative I'm doing my best to roll with the punches. Which is why, first off, I want to give my monthly shout out to my patrons Phillip Litherland and Tracy for being my VIPs over on The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. I'm still reeling from the changeover (I lost more than half of my Patreon earnings switching from a per-item account to a single, monthly fee account), so if you want to help me keep my bills paid while working on stuff like this blog, please consider becoming a paid member this month!

However, as if that wasn't enough to deal with, it seems that a certain Digital Ape wanted more bananas from myself, and a bunch of other creators who were just trying to get the word out about our work. Which is why I recently had to switch my bi-weekly newsletter to a new service. So, keep an eye out for Email Octopus, if you haven't seen it yet!

Come, friends. Let me tell you the latest happenings!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

So... What Happened (And What This Will Change)

For folks who haven't been with me for a while, a few years back I took the advice from various folks, and put together a newsletter to keep all my interested readers updated on all my recent releases. The idea was that people who like my work could get personal, up-to-date content round ups coming straight from me, rather than depending on social media algorithms to see my posts (since these sites have been blocking, strangling, and silencing creators across the board). I never had a big following (10,000 is generally the number you need for a newsletter to be a money maker), but there were 300-500 folks subscribed to my newsletter at any given time.

And for all the time since I started this newsletter, I was a Mail Chimp user. You could send out up to 1,000 emails or so a month on your free account, and since I never really grew large enough to worry about going over that (as long as I did bi-weekly newsletters), it was a business arrangement that worked for me.

Until last week, when I settled in to send out the latest, and found the monkey with his hand out, demanding that I pay to play.

Your subscribers are waiting... what's it gonna be?

It seems that when I wasn't looking that Mail Chimp changed their policy so that anyone with over 250 subscribers on their list (I believe that was the number, at least) now had to pay to use their service. Well, given that only about 20% of my list actually reads their messages, and I don't really make any money from sending out these two newsletters a month, I wasn't going to just start tossing cash into a hole.

So I decided to use a different service... and that was why I've migrated my service over to Email Octopus (and you can sign up for the new location right here)!

I was fortunate in that all my previous users were downloaded and slotted right into the new service (so if you were already on the newsletter, you don't have to sign up again), but I'm going to be changing over links and trying to make sure that new folks don't end up on the old service as best I can. Sadly, that's a LOT of posts, so it's possible a few will slip through the cracks. My apologies in advance, but having to go through and change everything individually is going to take me a bit of time.

On A Final Note...

Speaking of going back through and swapping out links, I'm going to be replacing a lot of video links in both this blog, and over on The Literary Mercenary. For folks who haven't seen any of the updates, I recently launched a new YouTube channel with Alice Liddell called The A.L.I.C.E. Files, which is going to have a lot of my older RPG audio dramas on it, in addition to all the fresh content we're going to be making for it!

You'll see videos like this latest Deadlands-inspired tale Dead Man's Bluff, which appeared in my collection The Rejects. So stop on in, give us an extra view, subscribe if you like what we're doing, and consider sharing it around so I can keep making more stuff just like this!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Changes Are Coming To My Patreon In August!

Improved Initiative has been running for something like 12 years now, but what a lot of folks may not know is that I started this blog at basically around the same time that I got on Patreon. The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page has been a literal lifesaver for me, and it is one of the major reasons I'm able to stay afloat as a professional writer. There's no ads on this blog, or on my sister blog The Literary Mercenary; all the money I earn from these platforms is either from patrons who help pay my bills, or people who buy things through my affiliate links in my articles.

That's it.

However, there's going to be a change in my Patreon starting this August. So if you're one of my patrons, you'll definitely see this post shortly. And if you're not, but you've been considering it, well, this might be good news for you!

Especially if you only have a little bit of cash to spare.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Finally Swapping To A Per-Month Structure

So, when Patreon first started, creators on the platform had the option to charge patrons either a flat fee per month (basically a subscription), or a fee per item they created. I opted for a per-item cost, so I charged my patrons for 2 blog entries a week, and I made my Monday posts free of charge. I chose this structure because it generally kept me on-task, and I feel like it kept me accountable to my patrons because if I didn't write a blog entry in a given week, then I didn't get paid for that week... pure and simple.

However, all good things have to come to an end. It seems like this Fall Patreon is giving creators a choice. You can stick with a per-item payment structure if you want to, but if you do that then you won't be able to get new patrons until you shift to a monthly payment structure.

And while I love every single one of my patrons... I don't have enough of them to make that kind of decision. So to get ahead of the curve, this August I'm going to shift my Patreon over to the monthly subscription model.

Needs be when the devil drives, sadly.

At time of writing, this is the only thing that should be changing. I fully intend to keep my regular posting schedule, and to include extra content for my paying patrons when I have it (particularly free copies of my latest TTRPG supplements when they drop). However, I want to ask a favor from anyone who is currently a patron, or who is considering becoming a patron.

I'd appreciate any and all help you can give.

I know times are tough, and budgets are tight. But a big reason I didn't make this change sooner is that I only have 30 or so paying patrons, and I only bring in about $200 a month or so. I didn't want that to drop to under 100 because folks didn't notice the change, and I suddenly had an even harder time making ends meet for bills.

So if you enjoy my work, and you want to help support me, then please consider dropping in and becoming a Patreon patron. My plan is to make this change in August 2025 as soon as the July patronage clears, and my balance returns to zero.

And, of course, if there are other things you would like to see me add to my Patreon, feel free to let me know that down in the comments below!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"Gods of Sundara" Takes Aim at Monolithic Religions and Gods in Fantasy RPGs

When I first set out to make my setting for Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, I wanted to take the opportunity to really scour away aspects of the game that bothered me, or which I felt were leftovers from previous editions. For example, I wanted to entirely eliminate alignment from this setting, which is something I've done. I also wanted to try to break down the idea of mono-cultures that led players to always associate dwarves with the highlands of Scotland, elves with the deep forests, and so on, and so forth.

One of my big beefs, though, was how in many games the gods were always the same within the world. It didn't matter if you had characters from radically different nations, cultures, or even species, the god was always the same across the board. Not only that, but the churches, doctrine, and dogma were pretty universal. Whether you were from the frozen mountains of the north, or the deep jungles of the south, if two characters worshiped the same god then the two of you got the same book, and had the same trust that everything your branch of the church told you was true.

And that was the issue I took aim at in Gods of Sundara, which is now available in both a Pathfinder Classic version, as well as a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition version.

And if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you really should!

Before I get into the nitty gritty details, wanted to take a moment to remind folks to sign up for my weekly newsletter so you don't miss any of my updates. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning and the lights on, consider becoming one of my Patreon patrons today!

Why Are All The Gods The Same?

Most fantasy RPGs (not all, but most) tend to have a lot of different gods. They'll usually provide a core pantheon of the most common/powerful deities, and then it spirals out from there. Most often there will be gods dedicated to certain species (like how you'll usually find elven gods, dwarven gods, giant gods, dragon gods, etc.), and then you'll find a few minor or obscure gods. If you have a good/evil dynamic in your cosmos, you'll also have archfiends, major demon lords, and so on who can act as evil gods to empower cults and wicked clerics to do their bidding.

However, as many options as there are, they always seemed to run into the same issue. No matter how big or small a god was, their worship was always the same across the board. All their followers agreed on what their doctrines were, their holy texts were always correct, and even the images of the gods almost never changed. For beings of cosmic importance and limitless power, it always nagged at me that they felt so archetypal, and stagnant.

There could be anything under there...

So when I designed Sundara, I wanted to start with a fresh slate. I didn't just want to follow the templates that had come before with a different color palate... I wanted to give players and GMs alike the opportunity to have flexible divinities, as well as the ability to create their own inclusions into the world if what I provided didn't cover all their needs. Not only that, but I wanted the gods to be more mysterious than they typically are in a fantasy RPG setting. I wanted them to be, at least partially, beyond the ken of mortals who simply cannot fathom the fullness of these cosmic beings, their wants, needs, and desires, but who can only comprehend them through a mirror darkly.

The Thousand Faces of a Thousand Gods

The first thing I did in this book was to wipe away the usual plethora of planes that have only grown bigger and bigger over so many editions. Because if there's no alignment you can't have places like heaven and hell, the abyss or the celestial realms... these places are created entirely out of the idea of good and evil. The same is true of the beings that reside within them, so angels and devils, tieflings and aasimar, they all got the boot as well. The rest of the planes, those that weren't meant to entirely represent an aspect of alignment, got smushed together into a single plane known as the Prim.

Also, for those who are upset at the removal of tieflings and aasimar, don't worry... Gods of Sundara introduced the Prim-Touched species, which combines both of them, and removes all of the good/evil hints to leave you with something that's just all-around Other instead.

But what is the Prim? It is the realm of magic that exists apart from the material world. It is where gods of all shapes and sizes dwell, where souls go after death, and where the raw, swirling powers of thought, imagination, and belief can coalesce into beings and constructs. It is apart from the material realm, but it can be accessed by those who know the correct rites, who have a bloodline connection, or who believe strongly enough in the gods to form a bridge between themselves and that great consciousness beyond.

I had the strangest dream... and when I woke, I felt power within me.

This is where the concept of Faces, and the 5 Pillars of The Gods comes into the picture.

In Sundara, the gods are usually so vast that they are best expressed as formations of an idea. Concepts like War, Knowledge, Secrets, Love, and so forth. However, a god's will and appearance must still be interpreted by those who witness it, and the images and understandings are colored by the witness. So while the highland warriors of the Thendren clans may hold One-Eyed Grimnir with his great sword in high esteem, and the lizardfolk of the Artovan swamp may pray to the godly black dragon Thess'drak, whose glare is fear and whose maw is death, both of these are merely Faces of Charne, the god of Battle.

A god may create Faces in two different ways; purposefully, or incidentally. A purposeful Face is created when a god specifically puts on a guise, or attempts to create a certain impression among a group of people to create this new legend. Incidental Faces are created when a new Face is created purely by mortal interpretation, such as when a species perceives a god in a certain way, assigns them a different name due to linguistic differences, etc.

In addition to all the Faces, there are an unknown/unquantifiable number of minor faiths and gods. From regional protector spirits, to genius loci, to tribal gods, anything you want to add into your corner of the world is encouraged in Sundara. And if you want your divine force to be genuinely separate and apart from the starting "pantheon" I provided, I encourage players and GMs alike to do so!

And how the hell do you keep that straight?

With so many different interpretations of the gods, and an unknown number of divine beings exerting their influence on the world from the Prim, a lot of folks wondered how a GM is supposed to keep track of anything... especially when there's no alignment in this world, so you can't just tell your players, "Remember, stay within one step on the axis!"

That's where the 5 Pillars comes in.

The idea behind this is that whatever interpretation a culture has of a god, and whatever Face they pray to, there are notable similarities in that god's wants, desires, and messages. The god of nature always abhors the creation of undead as something that breaks the natural cycle of death and rebirth, for example, and this happens whether they're worshiped as the Green Mother, Father Storm, or any other Face. The god of knowledge refuses to allow knowledge to be destroyed, no matter how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands. And so on, and so forth.

The idea is that the 5 Pillars provide players and game masters alike with a general idea of what a god wants, and expects. Some of the pillars are thou-shalt-nots, but others are things followers are encouraged to do. And while this can apply to any follower of any god (or the Face of any god), they're only truly consequential for those who are granted power by a divine force... though it is suggested that those who please a god, regardless of what classes they have levels in, should receive some sort of sign from the divine to show their actions have been noticed.

Something that can be supplemented by 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements, for those who are bad at coming up with signs from the divine on the spur-of-the-moment!

The gods should be mysterious, but also present in a way that isn't showing up in burning bushes, or sending shining heralds to deliver their news directly to those they wish to influence. The idea behind this book is to give the gods back some of the subtlety that we often take away from them; to make them less blatant, but also more present since they now have a much lighter touch upon the world and those who adventure within it.

What's Coming Next?

Starting with the next installment, I'm moving into Species of Sundara, where I offer some looks at the unique variations and cultures among classic fantasy species in the Sundara setting. The idea is to give players and GMs unique options, and to show that just because two characters might both be elves, or dwarves, or orcs, that is only a single facet of who and what they are.

And if you've already gotten your copy of Gods of Sundara (Pathfinder, DND 5E, or both if you're bold!), consider checking out some of the Cities of Sundara splats that started this world off!

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!

- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.

- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.

- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.

- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Starfinder is My Biggest Gaming Disappointment of 2017

Ever since the book flew off the shelves, everyone and their mother has been asking me what I think of Starfinder, Paizo's stab at sci-fi after becoming one of the top names in fantasy RPGs. The core book sold out at Gen Con this year at a rapid pace, and it seems like the only thing people can talk about in most of the gaming groups I follow and post in.

Well, I finally got my hands on a copy of the core book. I settled into my chair, opened it up, and went cover to cover. I am, by no means, an expert on the system. However, after giving it a read, I can describe my opinion thusly.

Pretty much this. For days.

Before I cracked the cover, I was hopeful, and excited. I was eager to see how wide the possibilities before me spread. After my read I was bored, frustrated, and genuinely angered as a gamer in a way I have not been in a very long time.

What I Was Told, Versus What I Got

When I first heard the spiel for Starfinder, I was stoked for everything I was hearing. Paizo was going to stride boldly into the sci-fi genre (or maybe just finish the sidestep it had been taking, given that we already had androids, crashed starships, and Old Ones), and it was going to do so with the same flair we'd come to expect.

Furthermore, we were going to get a continuation of the core world! Golarion, and its solar system were still the setting, and there would be a timeline from where we were, to where we are now. So anything your group did in adventure paths like Curse of The Crimson Throne, Rise of The Runelords, Mummy's Mask, etc. would all still be universe canon at your table. It would even be possible to play descendants of those old PCs, especially if they came from long-lived races that kept careful track of their bloodlines. This filled my head with images of deep space sorcerers, alien druids, phase rifle wielding void troopers, and tech-head ghosts that infiltrated the worst places in the cosmos, and vanished without a trace.

That is, of course, not what I got.

Now, if you have not read the core book for Starfinder, let me tell you that what I saw is not what I had hoped for.

Before we go forward, I will say that I felt many of the rule alterations and additions were quite sensible. For example, of course a sci-fi setting uses credits as currency. I like that classes get more skill points, because if there's more knowledge and education, folks are going to have more skills. And there needed to be some new skills added, like Computers to account for the setting's futuristic nature. Reducing armor to only light and heavy makes sense, since we're dealing with futuristic and tactical armors, not the more traditional fantasy armor. I like that it was made clear that you don't need a partner to strap you into a suit of heavy armor anymore. The gravity and environmental rules were, of course, going to come up for things like zero g combat, and going to alien planets.

Here's what I don't agree with, though. I don't agree with making two dozen subtle changes to the core mechanics of the game so that it reduces player options for customization. I don't agree with going from a rich world of options where we had dozens of races, and hundreds of classes, archetypes, and prestige classes (not to mention feats, spells, and unique traits), to only a half dozen races and classes, as well as a few pages of feats and spells, to play with. I disagree that in a world with space-age alloys and super-advanced technology that there aren't shields, whether they be adamantine or entirely energy-based. I also disagree on decisions that made the game feel more like an attempt to ape Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition style and flow. Lastly, and most strongly, I disagree with the dismissive tone, and token attitude, that infuses the "legacy conversion" section in the rear of the book. A section that I feel was one of the game's major selling points, but was littered with comments like, "at DM discretion," and, "isn't really meant to work in Starfinder," or, "is going to be difficult."

Why Angry, Though?

I mentioned that I was not just disappointed by this game, but that I was genuinely angered by it. Allow me to explain that statement.

If Paizo had set out to just make a sci-fi RPG, then I would say that Starfinder is definitely a success in terms of that goal. It's perfectly functional, do not misunderstand me on that score, and if I was in the mood for a sci-fi game I wouldn't kick it out of bed. In fact, I'd play Starfinder over most other sci-fi games (particularly the Star Wars RPG) hands-down if we're just talking about the mechanics.

So why you mad, bro?

What makes me mad about the game is that it's claiming continuity with one hand, and slamming the door in Pathfinder's face with the other. It's going to continue the story of the same world, but it doesn't want you to use any of the other books you already bought to open up the horizons, and populate the world. It wants you to ignore archetypes like the Tech Slinger, or the Cyber Solder, who would have been perfectly at home in a setting where their power sets matched the tone of the game. It wants to slap your knuckles, and chastise you for trying to use your old bestiaries, even though they're jam-packed with monsters from outer space and other planes who would be right at home in ghost ships, or on hellish, alien worlds.

Aside from making world continuity a selling point, there's another reason this setup displeases me so much. Because there was no reason for most of these changes to be made in the first place.

If you dig through the Pathfinder books, there are already rules for running a futuristic game peppered through the material. The game's rules for modern firearms are to simply take the guns we're used to, and make them simple weapons instead of exotic ones. Cost adjustments were also listed for worlds where firearms were common, rather than rare. There were already feats for technological weapon proficiencies, so everything from monofilament whips to chainswords could already be wielded by any class who took the right feats, or had the right proficiencies. There were already rules for creating, and using, high-tech items in the Technology Guide, and we already had rules for piloting and building ships both normal and magical.

With all the rules that had already been established, there was no need to re-invent the wheel. The Starfinder core book could have collected all these rules, put them in one place, and then added a few, simple tweaks to embrace the futuristic setting fully. Things like giving armor or shields the ballistic quality, meaning they count against firearm attacks, though not against rays, lasers, or other force effects, for instance.

The only reason to make all of the re-designs that I can see was to make it so players would have to either sweat bullets to put square pegs into round holes trying to convert the dozens of Pathfinder books they already have, or just buy the new material for Starfinder as it comes out. And honestly, with so many technological rules already in the books, and available online, you could just take the minor changes from Starfinder, and play the game with all your favorite classes from the barbarian to the kineticist fully intact.

Because sure, I think the Vesk are cool. I like some of the fun stuff the Soldier and the Operative offer. But when a game purports to be set in the same world, but limits my options for play from thousands of unique combinations to a paltry handful of puzzle pieces, that is not a game I'm down with. I expected better, and was severely disappointed both by the content itself, and by the tone of a game which boasted a rich history, but then locked it behind glass where we're not allowed to touch it.

Edit: Also, I'm Bored

After some time to think about it, and answering comments on this piece, I realized something else about Starfinder that I have a complaint about; it's boring.

I don't mean it's boring in that the writing is bad, the setting is uninteresting, or that you can't play fun games in it. I mean that it's sci-fi by the numbers. When you heard there was a class-based sci-fi RPG, this is exactly what you'd expect. There's the tech guy, the stealth operative, the soldier, the techno wizard, the weird spiritualist, etc. Even the races are just paint-by-numbers.

I didn't get my version of the game, but just as Pathfinder blended sci-fi into fantasy to create a unique combination you couldn't get in other games, so too I was hoping Starfinder would blend some fantasy into sci-fi to make something equally unique. So you could have a cyborg druid, or a wizard with a ray gun, or a medium that would channel the alien spirits of long-lost battlefields. Stuff that would upend genre expectations, and be unexpected.

Instead of giving us exactly what the genre ordered.

That's all for this Moon Pope Monday update. I'm sorry it wasn't more positive, but it's something I really needed to get off my chest. If you're looking for more content than I have on here, check out my Gamers archive. It's still growing, and I'm not stopping anytime soon. If you want to stay on top of all my releases, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you'd like to support my work here, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today. All I ask is $1 a month, and in exchange I'll keep doing what I do in addition to giving you some sweet swag as a thank you!