Milo Lofranco

@ritehunter.bsky.social

Lover of economics, art history, and tabletop games. Open to freelance work: https://fmlofranco.carrd.co "I realize then that you have been reduced to poetry: I shall never know." — The Myth of Sisyphus

My partner has been telling me to rest up since the past few days have been so eventful. However, the morning song of a new project lures me ever so gently into that good night. I don't yet know where I'm going with all of this, but I want to explore this itchy part of my brain.

BildBild

Life was a bit rough recently but I finished part 2 of the pbp design series. It's about how we synchronize stories, bend time, branch replies & parallel timelines. Tons of practical insights for anyone who loves tinkering with systems or designing for async play. www.laciesbox.com/articles/unp...

Lacie's Box | Unpacking Play-by-Post Design, Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of play-by-post design as we explore how we weave stories through synchronicity, liquid time, anticipation, and parallel timelines.

laciesbox.com

I've finally put together an article on my thoughts on play-by-post game design. I wanted to lay the groundwork for discussing play-by-post games and their limitations and nuances. I'd love to hear more thoughts on this or if I missed anything. www.laciesbox.com/articles/unp...

Lacie's Box | Unpacking Play-by-Post Design, Part 1

Welcome to part 1 where I aim to analyze and articulate the unspoken mechanisms and foundation for play-by-post design.

laciesbox.com

Finally managed to write about one of our recent play-by-post campaigns. This one is a retrospective article about our letter-writing roleplay, 21 Telford Lane, with added insight from my interview with ones who organized and ran it. www.laciesbox.com/articles/cur...

Lacie's Box | Curtain Call: A Final Letter For 21 Telford Lane

We'll be doing a retrospective on 21 Telford Lane, a roleplay that transformed letter-writing into an exploration of communication and connection.

laciesbox.com

Play-by-Post Design Is Like Street Art Heyo! My name is Milo and I've been hosting and designing play-by-post (PbP) games for over 4 years now. PbP is a format rarely discussed and I'll be sharing perspectives from my own community. Hopefully these insights can enrich other PbP communities too.

Play-by-Post Design Is Like Street Art

It’s everywhere if you care to look for it.

There is something foundationally innocent in the idea that no matter where you go, people will find a way to play games with each other. If someone could leave some mark somewhere, another one can respond and connect beyond the confines of synchronicity or physicality — a mural that screams to the world that I was here and you found me.

Virtual spaces are also community spaces. They are places where people can congregate, talk, explore, and play together. Except, we can only communicate with each other by altering the very space we navigate. Messages hang in the air for everyone to see; forum posts don’t leave once their contents are understood; every single bit of communication is an artefact of play — much like chalk marks of a hopscotch game yet to be washed by the rain.

Yet we can only express through what we are allowed to alter, confined by the architecture of the digital space, its layout, and the tools it provides. One must first learn to navigate the space before learning the rules of the game.

It is here that play-by-post designers see beyond the confines of what was intended. While they can’t construct new elements, they can design over the virtual space itself, augmenting and reframing its features. Any website can suddenly become a rich tapestry of collective storytelling — displacing corporate intention with mediums of expression.

Every site has a dedicated play-by-post community. It is perhaps one of the most enduring formats there is. Even if we could never be together in time or space, we can still play together. Our writing will be there for anyone to find.