iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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newtonianasspoundr.bsky.social @newtonianasspoundr.bsky.social · 12h

*sigh*… a TikTok was explaining the history behind the current the Drumcree crisis but started off claiming the Penal Laws, Plantations, and Potato Famine were methods used by the British to weaken the Irish population and replace them with British settlers.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 19h

Yesterday was kiddos birthday so I totally forgot to play, but I'm reasonably happy with today's score. I knew roughly the regions for each one, but not the exact spot www.maptap.gg September 29 92🏆 92👑 89🎉 87🎓 86🎓 Final score: 881

maptap.gg

🎯MapTap Daily Geography Game

Play MapTap - the daily geography game! Find 5 world locations on a 3D globe with historical stories. Free browser-based daily game for geography lovers.

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Dan Howlett @dhowlett1692.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Today Peter Eisenstadt joins us on @askhistorians.bsky.social to discuss his new boon Integration at Second Base: Jackie Robinson and the Quest for Black Citizenship, new from @uvapress.bsky.social. Come check it out! www.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...

reddit.com

From the AskHistorians community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the AskHistorians community

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Liz Davidson @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For the 250th episode of the podcast, @edbeach23.bsky.social came on to chat about historical board game design, designing for series, and his work on Civ. Also, if you want to know who the best Here I Stand player in the world is... this episode reveals all. youtu.be/9PyhJ7FGxEw?...

youtu.be

Beyond Solitaire Podcast 250: Ed Beach on Historical Series Design

YouTube video by Beyond Solitaire

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Dr. Erika Graham-Goering @jeanneologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It's frustrating how much time we spend searching for solutions to problems like student engagement, cheating, skill development, and so on, when really the best solution is (even beyond the specific scenario discussed above) is: throw more money at your faculty!

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Trying once again to commit to actually sending out a semi-regular newsletter (aiming for quarterly, which seems achievable). Currently available on Patreon, including free tier. Hoping to send it out to subscribers on my website if I can make it work... www.patreon.com/DrCrossbows/...

patreon.com

Autumn Update | DrCrossbows

Hello dear subscribers! I have been terrible when it comes to sending out newsletters - my website promised monthly updates but I think I h

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2026

Hey, ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson here. I’m taking over the account to tell you about my new story. For months, I posed as a problem gambler on DraftKings to test the company's "responsible gaming" safeguards. Spoiler alert: They made me a VIP — and I lost $10K. Here's how it all went down. 🧵

Selfie taken by ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson, a man wearing a backwards baseball cap and an orange T-shirt.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

patreon.com

Autumn Update | DrCrossbows

Hello dear subscribers! I have been terrible when it comes to sending out newsletters - my website promised monthly updates but I think I h

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Hawk and Dove Games @hawkanddovegames.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Two demos of Painkillers at OFJH so far. Both went well. This game is a difficult experience for players, but it delivers the argument I want very effectively. I’m very excited to show its full visual presentation soon.

Painkillers at the end of a play. We stopped before the end but are on a trajectory to lose collectively due to overdoses getting out of control.

Another demo of Painkillers after a full play. The players did not lose collectively. One player achieved his goal of keeping the overdoses below a certain level. Another achieved his goal of amassing the most personal wealth.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Making this made me feel like an incredibly out of touch old guy, but in most cases I picked the earlier game that inspired my interest in other entries in the series/genre.

3x3 grid, from top left: Baldur's Gate, Chrono Trigger, Civilization II, Dark Souls, Diablo, Warcraft II, Final Fantasy Tactics, Realmz, and Ogre Battle 64

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Now that I'm back in Ireland I'm job hunting again. The jobs that fit my skills and situation best are all those writing to train AI models positions, and I cannot express how bleak this feels. The offer of greater stability would require me to betray my fellow writers to enrich shitheads.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I'm bad at self promotion, but did you know that I'm also an editor and that you can hire me? I have edited history books (most recently for Osprey) and TTRPGs (for Modiphius and Exalted Funeral among others). Full list: www.stuartellisgorman.com/editor Can contact me via website or here!

stuartellisgorman.com

Editor — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

I am a historian, writer, and editor specialising in tabletop RPGs and board games. This page lists the projects I have worked on as both a writer and an editor.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Speaking of other firsts, I finally played a Jerry White game (this one co-designed with Ed Ostermeyer). I (mostly) managed to avoid losing any of my death traps underwater, but my Infernal Machines hardly impressed the navy. The game is interesting though. www.stuartellisgorman.com/blog/inferna...

stuartellisgorman.com

Infernal Machines by Ed Ostermeyer and Jeremy White — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

As part of my journey through the American Civil War in tabletop games , I have spent a non-zero amount of my life playing solitaire games set in America during the years 1861-1865. This has been one...

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Jeremy Salkeld @enclavedmicrostate.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Every once in a while I am reminded of the hill I absolutely will die on, possibly literally: The word 'dragoon' does not mean 'mounted infantry' in any kind of unambiguous way. Someone only familiar with 19th century history will not understand 'dragoon' as a synonym of 'mounted infantry'.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

stuartellisgorman.com

Infernal Machines by Ed Ostermeyer and Jeremy White — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Late to the party, but finally seeing what all the fuss is about with this Undaunted game. I hear that @djackthompson.bsky.social guy has designed a few of these, but we're starting with the first one.

The first scenario from Undaunted: Normandy, set up on my kitchen table.

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AskHistorians @askhistorians.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Don't miss this exciting #AMA #Skystorians!

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Dr Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"The British historians wrote almost as if Britain had introduced Negro slavery solely for the satisfaction of abolishing it." Eric Williams, still on point all these decades on. All is changed while everything has stayed the same.

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headfallsoff @headfallsoff.com · 19/09/2026

also. the thing people hate is not ‘the technology’ it is the tech industry. they hate move fast and break things. they hate having everything they say tracked and processed while companies do whatever they want. they hate every single ideological value that animates silicon valley

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Swords of the Serpentine* Black Sword Hack Mothership Forbidden Lands *technically just session 0, but I'm counting it

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I honestly don't know. In some ways I'm very much succeeding at my goals and being the kind of person I wanted to be, but in another my career has been a mess and I think 20yo me would be disappointed by that. But then, current me is also kind of disappointed by that, so there's that I guess.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Working my way through my review backlog, and this week it's Hispania from Draco Ideas. A fun historical twist on the Pandemic system, all in a nice little box. Not likely to blow your mind, but consistently a good time. www.stuartellisgorman.com/blog/hispani...

stuartellisgorman.com

Hispania by Miguel Marqués — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

I can’t really play Pandemic anymore after, well, you know, the whole pandemic thing. It all feels a little too real these days, and my regular cooperative gaming companion feels even more strongly ...

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Wyrd Science Magazine @wyrdscience.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

it is my solemn pledge to you that if 1000 of you buy or subscribe to Wyrd Science within the next 24 hours then me, my horse friend and his wife will spend a chunk of that money reenacting this classic booze ad start the clock! wyrd.science

in a dark wood panelled library, a man, woman and horse are sat behind a table covered with some kind of historical wargame.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Having one of those fundamentally reevaluating someone I thought was a friend moments. Turns out, in a difficult situation, they turn into a narcissistic asshole who lashes out at everyone around them, and the bad thing isn't even happening to them. It sucks.

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Liz Davidson @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

KART IS LIVE. It has been an absolute pleasure to see this game come together, and I am even more excited to share it with all of you. bit.ly/KartOnKS

An announcement that Kart is live on Kickstarter!

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The medical aid gofundme is one of the dark symbols of late capitalism, but a good friend in Korea nearly died last month and is still very sick, healthcare isn't free there, and university salaries ain't all that. Any help people can provide would be huge: www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-pro...

gofundme.com

Donate to Help a professor survive a critical illness ❤️, organized by S Kheng

We are reaching out to ask for support for an individual who means so much to… S Kheng needs your support for Help a professor survive a critical illness ❤️

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

gofundme.com

Donate to Help a professor survive a critical illness ❤️, organized by S Kheng

We are reaching out to ask for support for an individual who means so much to… S Kheng needs your support for Help a professor survive a critical illness ❤️

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Christian Cooijmans @ccooijmans.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Ending the week on a high by meeting what may be the oldest Scottish book still in Scotland. Late C10/early C11, it is a psalter in Irish minuscule, presumably created in Scotland, exact provenance unknown. Richly illum. initials throughout, with fine interlacing and lots of brilliant animal heads.

Celtic Psalter (late 10th/early 11th century), opened with illuminated initials visible.

A large, colourfully illuminated initial in a medieval manuscript, with animal head and claw terminals.

A large, colourfully illuminated initial in a medieval manuscript, with animal head and leaf terminals.

Colourfully illuminated 'E' initials in a medieval manuscript, with animal head and claw terminals.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

stuartellisgorman.com

Editor — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

I am a historian, writer, and editor specialising in tabletop RPGs and board games. This page lists the projects I have worked on as both a writer and an editor.

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Jenn Borgioli Binis @jennbinis.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I subbed in for another mod and this was first military-related conversation and it was so, so interesting!

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Seeing the new batch of Playte games becoming available in Korea when I'm no longer there to buy them on payday is so sad. I need to come up with some kind of scheme to persuade them that I'ma big deal and it would be a good idea to just send me a box every month.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I've been watching some really weird ones this week. Specter of the Rose is probably the weirdest noir we've watched yet. Was not prepared for the crazy ballet noir, tbh. (And apologies to anyone who loves Brighton Rock or Ladies in Retirement, I respect the craft but wasnt wild about either)

A screenshot of my four latest watched on Letterboxd: Brighton Rock, Ladies in Retirement, Big Town After Dark, and Specter of the Rose

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BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

All right, here's the first call out. Within hours of me publishing an incredibly in-depth piece on CMON's finances, which covers a multitude of stock exchange filings from across several weeks, this article appeared on @tabletopgamingnews.bsky.social: www.tabletopgamingnews.com/cmon-is-suff...

tabletopgamingnews.com

CMON Faces Make-or-Break Moment as It Warns of "Prolonged Structural Downturn" - TGN - Tabletop Gaming News

CMON has issued a stark warning about its future, telling investors its core business is stuck in a "prolonged structural downturn" and still burning through

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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

As both an academic and a writer, I am repelled by the "this looks like a long document. Would you like me to summarize it for you?" that seems to appear at the top of every pdf viewer now. NO. The *entire point* of good writing (either books or journal papers) is that every sentence has a purpose.

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BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

It's become hugely dispiriting how frequently I'm having to contact other tabletop news sites asking that they -please- cite BoardGameWire as the source of the story they've just directly lifted, slightly reworded or run through ChatGPT before slapping it on their site without attribution.

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The Ditch @wereontheditch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Jim O’Callaghan’s justice department granted residency to Israelis who served in the Israel Defense Forces during the Gaza genocide – while new statistics show Palestinian long-term visa refusals continuing to rise. www.ontheditch.com/government-g...

ontheditch.com

Government grants residency to IDF soldiers

Palestinian visa refusals continue to rise.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Fuck this guy. Citizenship is a right. When states block access to certain rights (like, y'know, voting) behind citizenship, it becomes the right of the people to have it. This is some Dred Scott ass shit, citizenship as a tool of oppression. www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

rte.ie

Citizenship a privilege, says minister ahead of overhaul

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said "citizenship is a privilege, not a right" ahead of new rules for people seeking Irish citizenship.

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Jonathan Dean @hergrim.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

So, the interesting thing about crossbows and longbows is the range advantage granted to longbows. The exact range difference varies, or isn't given, but it's generally stated as fact that that crossbows had the shorter range.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Sometimes reviews come easily, and sometimes I struggle - not because a game's bad but because it's so unique I'm not sure what to say. I could sit on this review forever, but given the Summit Award nomination I decided to finish my review of Molly House: www.stuartellisgorman.com/blog/molly-h...

stuartellisgorman.com

Molly House by Jo Kelly and Cole Wehrle — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

This one has been a bit of a struggle. Usually, when I’m planning to review a game I get a decent set of thoughts from the first couple of plays, and the subsequent plays are an exploration of what I ...

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BoardGameWire 🔜 Spiel Essen @boardgamewire.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

From 1968 Chicago protests to queer life in Georgian London: Summit Award continues to celebrate designs that broaden historical gaming: boardgamewire.com/index.php/20... @sdhistcon.bsky.social @colewehrle.bsky.social @fgradaille.bsky.social @miasmacorp.bsky.social @yoyoni.bsky.social

Red and blue cubes on a game board representing the city of Chicago, in green and beige and blue/grey. Board and components from the board game Chicago '68, designed by Yoni Goldstein.

Game board, yellow and white components and four cards from the board game Onoda. The game board is a map of a green island with blue water surrounding it. The yello components are triangles with a black exclamation mark, and the white components a Japanese soldier from WW2 and what looks to be a sword in a rock. Components from the Onoda board game, designed by Francisco Gradaille.

The words Molly HOuse in elaborate pink script, on a darker pink background which on inspection is a line drawn scene of polite society below, and a masked ball above. Box cover for the board game Molly House, designed by Jo Kelly and Cole Wehrle.

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Dónal Hassett @donalh.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

And now Ireland us about to be out-flanked by the *British government* in its policy on illegal Israeli settlements. This despite the government parties running on manifestos that included a ban on goods and services. They really are shameless. All bluster and moral cowardice.

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Fred Serval @fredserval.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Finally sharing a preview of my upcoming game, Napoleon 1870, designed with my friend Brian Asklev (Baltic Empires), and published by Shakos (Napoleon 1806). We had a ton of fun designing it and are excited for the campaign to start on @kickstarter.com the 22nd of September ! youtu.be/xmaLSbrNmqQ

youtu.be

Napoleon 1870 - Kickstarter Preview of the new Wargame by Shakos

YouTube video by Homo Ludens

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Dónal Hassett @donalh.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It is noticeable that whenever the Irish government says it wants to become more like our European neighbours it's never about things like rent controls, tenant rights, workers rights, public health care and always about thinks like the border regime and militarisation...

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Mark Johnson @wargamestogo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Podcast episode 30 is up, a smaller one about Charlemagne and the Carolingians. Played some history games, read some books, visited Aachen…but saw no movies! WargamesToGo.com

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Dónal Hassett @donalh.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I had zero interest in policing or limiting Irishness but it is fundamentally wrong that someone who has lived here and enriched our communities is going to find it harder to become part of our national community while someone overseas who unearths an Irish grandparent can immediately get a passport

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It's a disconnect I'm more aware of every year that while ordinary Irish people are delighted to have you as their neighbor, the Irish state and politicians *hate* the idea that anyone but the super rich would want to move here and make a life.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

But will they still sell citizenship to foreigners with no connection to the island because a single grandparent was born here? Or is this just to punish Irish people who don't align with the historic ethnic identity, and just, you know, lived here? www.rte.ie/news/2026/09...

rte.ie

Language test, longer residency in new citizenship rules

The Taoiseach has said new rules for people seeking Irish citizenship, including a language test, will help bring Ireland in line with other European countries.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

One year ago today, my partner and I (re)watched Double Indemnity. Since that fateful night, we have watched 322 film noirs, and will probably watch at least one more tonight. I dont have any earth shaking conclusions to draw from this experience, I just think it's neat.

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