The Pros and Cons of DnD
In 2022 we got a spin off game based on a DLC from Borderlands 2, Tiny Tinas Wonderlands. In which much like the DLC Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon’s Keep you are playing a game of Bunkers and Badasses with Tina as your Bunker Master. Only this time instead of picking from an assortment of colorful characters you get to create one of your own.
You play as the newbie and along with your fellow shipmates are playing a campaign of B&B with Tina until you get unstuck from a mountain that you guys crashed into. This game takes place between the events of Borderlands 2 and 3 and right after the events of Assault on Dragons Keep. Its a fantasy spin-off of Borderlands but its the exact same gameplay even down to the guns. Yes, this game is full of fantasy guns so if you have played Borderlands before then you will feel right at home with this one. The only difference is a more indepth character skill tree and an overworld. The overworld is the B&B game board that you use to traverse from one level to another. This game board has random encounters and side quests of its own to check out along with little fun details like a cheese puff blocking your path or a soda spill being a waterfall.
Along with customizing your character you can choose between six different classes. The Brr-Zerker is the fighting class with frost damage, the spellshot is your wizard, clawbringer and the spore warden are like your ranger classes with a good mix in combat and a companion. If Necromancers are your thing there is a Graveborn class, and finally a Stabbomancer which is your rogue.
What this game does really well is show not just the positives but also the negatives of playing a DnD game with friends. Throughout the campaign you will have to deal with your teammates wanting to take different approaches to things causing a rift in the group that needs to get talked through in order to continue the game. Tina being the Bunker Master wields a lot of power in this world and misuses it in order to force the campaign to go in the direction she wants it to. She gets agitated when the group doesn’t like a character she worked really hard on, she fluffs out the campaign in order to force us to keep playing with her. But the thing that solves all these problems is group communication which is the most important part of DnD. Checking in with the group to see how they are all feeling about how this campaign is going. Checking in with people individually so they feel like they can be honest without group pressure. Telling your Bunker Master when you don’t like or feel weird about something. Usually this helps solve the majority of issues but if it doesn’t then don’t feel obligated to stay. As Mr.Bones would say “If it sucks…hit the bricks. Just walk out” Find another group. Personal anecdote aside, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a wonderful Borderlands spin-off game that I grew to like overtime. At first I wasn’t sure with the content quips from Tina getting real old real fast, but as the game progressed I learned to really enjoy the banter. It felt like I was at the table with friends playing Dnd but with more gunslingers.
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