Systematic Game Design — articles on TTRPGs, hexcrawls, and game systems.https://automatacodex.com/https://automatacodex.com/posts/jump-limits-in-protocol-era/https://automatacodex.com/posts/jump-limits-in-protocol-era/A space combat game has to invent terrain to keep combat interesting. In Protocol Era, I fabricate terrain by imposing limits on how close an FTL jump can get to an astronomical body.Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://automatacodex.com/posts/ooda-loop-modeling/https://automatacodex.com/posts/ooda-loop-modeling/Recently, I've been thinking about how to give suppressive fire a greater mechanical and narrative role in TTRPGs. The answer may lie in the OODA loop.Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://automatacodex.com/posts/what-is-a-hexcrawl/https://automatacodex.com/posts/what-is-a-hexcrawl/The hexcrawl format is as old as the TTRPG hobby itself. But what exactly is it? Why might you want to play in a hexcrawl? And why might you want to avoid it?Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://automatacodex.com/posts/how-to-prep-600-hexes/https://automatacodex.com/posts/how-to-prep-600-hexes/How do you prep a hexcrawl with over 600 hexes? The same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time.Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT