New Toy for the Kid in Me

I have a new obsession.  It all started when i was looking through a box of stuff from when I was a kind.  I found these diecast military planes I used to play with.  They are pretty small, a few inches long.  But I used to love them, and it turns out I still do.  I brought them to my work desk so I can play with them during meetings and use them for inspiration (imagination).

Well, my collection is now growing.  They still make these things, who knew?  My newest addition is an F-35.  It may be a bit of a boondoggle, but it is an awesome looking fighter.





I've got more on the way too!  It's not just limited to planes, I love a good warship too.

I also got another new toy over the weekend:  http://mobilecouchpotato.com/2016/06/13/new-gaming-gear/

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Contentment

This post is a bit different from what I usually post here.  It really has nothing to do with games.  I was thinking about yesterday when I am most content.  I'm not sure if this is strange or not, maybe you can confirm or deny.

For me, it is at night when my wife and kids are asleep.    I lay in bed, just happy knowing they are all safe and sound.  The kids are also quiet, which certainly helps with the peacefulness aspect of contentment.  This might be a common feeling among parents :)

Just a thought that came to mind.  When are you most content?


New post on Mobile Couch Potato:  http://mobilecouchpotato.com/2016/06/09/shields-and-peace-treaties/

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So far behind

I was away for work all week, and I come back with just a mess of gaming related things to do.  I have really been slacking on that front it seems.  By the way, the new computer is awesome!  I got it all setup with a few games, and it is everything I hoped for.  Now I just need a game to really push it.  Ashes of Singularity might be the only one out there.

SWTOR.  I need to play the latest chapter, and the Eternal Championship.  That may happen this weekend.

Quantum Break.  It arrived while I was away, so I want to start playing that.

Forge.  Forge now allows you to stream to Twitch and Youtube.  Have to play around with that.

The Division.  Need to keep on making progress there.  I'd like to actually finish that gabe before a DLC comes out.

Fallout 4.  I downloaded their first DLC before I left, now I find out the 2nd DLC is due out in 4 days.  I really want to finish that game too!

Black Desert Online.  They just released one of the expansions, but I am still stuck in Veila!  I need to progress there too.  

Star Wars.  The new Star Wars movie is out on DVD, I still have not seen it.  I probably should.  

So much to do.  

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Today is a big day!

It's been a few years, but today my new computer arrives!  I decided to go high end, because I want this system to last me at least 5 years.  So lets get to the main specs...

Intel i7 6 core 3.3ghz
32gb of RAM
Nvidia 980ti
1TB Samsung SSD
27" 2560x1440 monitor (up from 23" 1920x1080)

So I am pretty excited about it getting here.  I have been holding off on PC games for the past few days in anticipation.  I'm sure it will arrive very late in the day.  Not sure what I'll boot up first, Black Desert Online maybe?

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Still Kicking

I haven't posted in a while, but I am still around.  Gaming has taken a backseat lately to work.  I'm really making a push to advance on that front, so most of my energy has been going there.  I'm having fun though, so that is nice.

When I do play games, it's mostly SWTOR, ESO, and Fallout 4.  I'm especially enjoying ESO at the moment.  Their Guild concepts (like th store) make things pretty interesting on the economic front.  Plus the setting is just awesome.  I even did some PvP.

Hope everyone is doing well and Happy New Year!

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Back to the Future

While at the beach, we were up on the boardwalk and went into a toy store.  Just to look around mind you, I had no idea how many action figures were still being made.  Behind the counter, there they were.  Back to the Future action figures (Funko Reaction).  It's also the 30th anniversary of the series, so I guess it was just meant to be.  Not one to overpay, I quickly ordered them from Amazon.

It's hard to quantify how much of an affect Back to the Future has had on my life.  That can be said about a lot of 80's movies for me, like My Science Project, Explorers, and so many more.  They sparked my imagination,  which I firmly believed helped me succeed in life.

My favorite?  It might have to be Biff.  That reminds me, I once sent the actor who played Biff (Thomas Wilson) a note on Youtube and he responded!  We chatted a bit as we are from the same area.  It was awesome.

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MMO Costs

The recent Blizzard fiasco where they are only saying Wardlords gets one real content patch got me thinking.  It really does seem like we got more for less in the old days.  WoD was more expensive, higher sub cost in many countries, and arguably delivered less.  The SWTOR expansion were really not that impressive from a size point of view.

I would have thought as the industry matured, and tech improved, it would be cheaper to create content.  That seems not to be the case.  Instead expectations, overhead, and bureaucracy has just increased.  I'm not sure there is any going back to the 'good old days.'  Even indie games have to meet expecatations which just is not easy to do.  This is all compounded by the fact MMO's are obviously not the major bread winners anymore.

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Power Problems

It's been a rough week here at the Werit household.  Rough is relative, of course.  It was actually pretty good all things considered.  But lets not let that get in the way of this post.  We had some thunderstorms on Tuesday and lost power.  We did get it back until last night.  It's hard to say how elated I was to have electricity again.

Modern technology is interesting.  I was still able to get some work done without power.  We used a cell phone as a mobile hotspot, and our new van as a charging station.  It wasn't ideal, but workable.  Nights were rough though, as it was hot and we had little airflow.  Plus, I had a Northern Mockingbird outside my window keeping me up.  I eventually scared it away for a little while and got some sleep.

We sadly lost all of our cold/frozen food.  It was quite a bit too since we recently stocked up.  Not happy about that.  It brings up the question of a generator.  I have long wanted a whole house generator with automatic switch over.  What holds me back is the noise those things make.  I don't really want to subject my neighbors to that 24/7.  It's pretty annoying especially when people need to sleep with their windows open.

Things are back to normal though. Just in time for the Marvel Heroes Big Ten event! Plus, I've been missing SWTOR with all this hype going around.

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7th Birthday

A reader pointed out that today is the 8th birthday of this blog.  A big thank you to him, as it completely slipped my mind.  I can't believe it has been that long.  So much has changed in my life during that time, but the blog has pretty much remained the same.  I didn't have kids when I started this, now I have two.  I'm at a new job, and the game that led me down this path has been closed.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without people like you actually reading and interacting.  I would have likely given up long ago without some sort of feedback.  I'm not the greatest writer (shocking!)  out there.  I consider myself more of a programmer, and we all know programmers don't write (comments).  But, overall, the experience has been good to me.

So where do we go from here?  I'm not really sure.  I've kinda lost focus in recent months with the blog.  I'd love to throw myself back into it and do 5 posts a week again, I just need to get that motivation.  We'll see what happens I guess.

Thanks again for reading throughout the years!

EDIT:  I guess it really is the 7th bday, that makes more sense.  Math was never my strong suit ;)

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Struggle

It's been quiet here on the ol' blog.  It happens from time to time over the 7 year life of this site (yikes!).  There are basically two reasons.  One:  I have felt pretty awful the past couple of weeks.  I'm not going to go into details, but I've just not been right.  It really kills all gaming/writing motivation.  Hopefully it resolves itself soon.

The second reason has been work.  Things have really picked up (in a good way) so all of my available energy has been directed into those projects.  I'm just spent when the day is over.  How long will it keep up?  Who knows.

What I have been playing:  STO, Skylines, and starting tomorrow:  Pillars of Eternity.

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Shame

Yesterday, it occurred to me that I don't have any characters at the level cap in any MMO.  Usually, I have at least one.  My SWTOR Trooper is the closest, just half a level from the cap.  I finished up all the new story content and there's nothing I really want to do at level 60 so there I sit.  When the PvP bug bites, I'll be getting him to 60.

I'm making great progress in STO, where most of the leveling is quite easy.  However, I hear 50 - 60 can be quite a task and the story content doesn't fill it all up.  So who knows if I'll actually reach the cap there.  Once I have to start doing repetitive things, it's usually time for me to take a break from the game.

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The Man in the High Castle - TV Series

I recently found out that the pilot episode for The Man in the High Castle was available through Amazon Prime.  I happen to have Prime, score!  I had never read the original, but I like history and alternative history, so I gave it a watch.  This was the first Amazon original series I've watched, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Overall, it was actually really well done.  Good acting, good quality all around.  It's no surprise that Amazon already ordered a full season.  Will I watch it when it comes out?  Probably not.

It was really good, but that actually worked against it.  The basic premise of the show is that Germany and Japan won World War 2 and took over the US.  The show did such a good job of portraying it that is was just revolting.  I can't stomach watching week after week of that version of the USA.  I might be able to if the story was about fighting back against the invaders, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  It's more about politics and some weird mysticism.

I do recommend it, if you have a strong stomach :)

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I am a blogger

Surprise!  Syp posted an article about the need for both bloggers and game journalists.  I thought it was pretty good.  I agree that there is a need for both.  Although, I can't really speak to the journalist side of things.  It's pretty clear that a journalist I am not.  For one,  I don't write nearly well enough.  That's ok though, I have other strengths (I use that term loosely) that hopefully make up for my lack of writing prowess.

I am also pretty biased, which should be obvious.  I only write about things I like.  You won't find much in the way of posts about games I don't play here.  90% of what I write about is positive too,  I don't find negative writing to be very fun so I don't do it.  Doing in my own way is part of what being a blogger is all about.

I tend to hold journalists to a higher standard, both with quality and perceived bias.  They are usually getting paid for their work, so I expect more.  That being said, I am sometimes compensated too, but never with direct cash.  For example, Mythic brought be down to their HQ a couple of times, put me up in a hotel, fed me, and showed me cool stuff.  I consider that compensation.  As a blogger,  getting involved with the things I already like is a dream come true.

I tend to prefer bloggers to major game sites.  Usually, I go to a blog to read about a game I am playing, or a game I am thinking about playing.  I want to read experiences, so I know what they game is like.  Or if I am already playing a game, to learn something new.  That's the good thing about Massively, they do news, but they also talk about they games they are actively playing.  So I was happy to support their kickstarter.

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Farewell Massively?

By all indications, Joystiq will be shutting down.  And by association, Massively.  While I never really visited Joystiq, I'm sad to see Massively go.  I know a bunch of good people who have worked for it over the years. I've had my issues with the site, mainly due to covering bad news while eschewing good, but it was still a decent resource at times.

I don't visit many mainstream game sites anymore.  Between blogs and Twitter, I get my fill of news.  Plus, I don't really have to worry about paid advertisements that way.  Are the days of major game sites over?  I don't know, they certainly seem to be in decline.  Add in the wave of journalistic ethics that is going around, I prefer my news directly from the source or bloggers.

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Random Friday Thoughts

It's been a rough week.  Seems like the Werit household is still infected by the plague.  Might have to go all Velveteen Rabbit to wipe it out.  I'm still suffering from medicine withdraw, which isn't pleasant either.  Sadly, it could lasts for weeks longer.  It'll be worth it though.

Then of course there is whats happening in France.  I won't go into it, as this is not a political blog.  It's just depressing to see the reaction of my own country though, which is supposed to be a bastion of freedom and the home of the brave.  I really just need to pay less attention to the news and more attention to games.  That's what they are there for right?

Still playing The Repopulation, when I can.  Despite my bad experience, it is overall enjoyable.  I still see the guy in global chat and its all I can do not to confront him. Especially when I see him acting poorly to other new players.  I know that won't help anything though.  Being a dick is not against the ToS.  They have a pretty big patch in the works too.

Well, at least it is Friday.

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2014

Well, another year is behind us.  It went pretty quick too.  Overall, for me, it was a decent year.  I don't think there are any major achievements for me to speak of, on the blog or in life away from the keyboard.  That's ok, not every year can be crazy.  Sometimes, no bad news is pretty good.

Ever since Google Reader and Warhammer Online shutdown, the blog has been suffering a bit.  It is 6+ years old, so the audience has dissipated.  How much?  I'm not sure.  I don't really keep track of numbers anymore.  I make content because I enjoy it, and hopefully those of you that still visit do too.

As for games,  I mostly played SWTOR and ESO this year.  SWTOR being the majority of my time.  It was a good year for the game with Galactic Starfighter, Galactic Strongholds, and Shadow of Revan being released.  Honestly, I'm not sure how they can top that with this coming year.  They really don't get enough credit for how much they actually did.

ESO has been on the back burner, but I am still subscribed.  My policy is to subscribe to 2 games at a time.  I've been letting the game mature a bit.  I still really like the solo experience, so I am looking forward to returning to it soon.  I am a little sad that they have not really added any solo content since launch.  I don't need it, but I would feel better knowing Bethesda had plans for it.

As far as non-gaming projects went, most of my time was spent developing Social Questing (Sites with Benefits).  It's a fun distraction which still gets used from time to time.  I'm pretty surprised how hard it is to get people to take advantage of it, but oh well.  I did it for me mainly.  My new project is with the Forge.gg guys.  I am really excited to help out with this because I think it is pretty awesome.

I think that about sums up 2014 for me.  Hope you all had a good year and see you in 2015!

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you!  It was pretty successful around the Werit household.  The kids got a lot of gifts, including a Nintendo DS.  I got some neat stuff to, especially a Logitech G930 wireless headset.  I'm really looking forward to setting that up.  Sadly, one of my daughters is sick today so that pretty much sucks.  I think she is still having fun though.  Hope all is well with you all!

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Impending Holiday

Wow,  how is it almost Christmas already?  So my company has a new policy this year, which effectively forces me to take a week and a half off from work.  This is pretty much a first for me, so I have no idea what I am going to do with all of that time off.  I suppose I could play games, but that is a lot of gaming.  I don't quite have the stamina anymore.  Maybe I'll go see a movie, American Sniper looks good.  That's assuming we're allowed to show it.

Coming up with a Christmas list this year was especially tough.  I did ask for a few gaming related items though.  The big ticket item would be a set of wireless headphones/microphone.  The pair I have works fine... but who wants a wire?  I also asked for Amazon gift cards, which I plan to use to purchase Cartel Coins for SWTOR.  The only game that I asked for was Far Cry 4 for the XBox One.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish my US readers a Happy Thanksgiving.  We have a lot to be thankful for as we get to play/talk/write about games!  A lot of people don't have that opportunity.  I consider myself quite lucky to be able to participate in this hobby.

So before we left to go visit family, I was trying to get a separate development environment up for Social Questing.  I was stuck on a problem and we had to leave.  This kind of thing eats at me.  It wasn't critical, but I obsess about such things until fixed.  So much so, that we took a trip to Target where I bought a laptop just so I could fix the issue.  It was as cheap as they come, but it is good enough for Putty and Chrome.  I was able to solve the problem which let me relax in time for Thanksgiving dinner :)

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Who Needs Numbers?

When it comes to stats for my blog, I used to keep a pretty close eye on them.  My tool of choice was Clicky, which provides some great real-time stats.  I even paid for it so I could monitor across a bunch of my different sites.  It was fun to watch people visit and read content.  The same went for my Youtube content.  Stats are pretty fun :)

Ever since I started my new job, over a year ago, I have not really paid any attention to stats.  And I don't really miss them at all.  While it is fun to see content become popular, it can be a downer to see something not get read much.  Honestly, it has been the latter for me ever since WAR shutdown with the occasional exception.

My blogging continues though.  Now I pretty much write for myself and the smallish community I have gained over the years.  The same goes for videos,  doing one a week is a goal I set for myself.  If people watch them, great.  If they don't get a lot of views that is ok too.  In any case, it'll improve my ability to speak in front of people, so that is a win.

Now in my sixth year of blogging, I've stopped looking at pretty much any metrics.  The data I really value now is interaction.  I love getting comments much more than a lot of views.   I try to reply to every comment, so leave one and we'll talk :)

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