Category Archives: Miscellany
Blaugust 2024 – Day 1
I have chosen to participate in Blaugust 2024 this year, despite the fact that I am currently on vacation.
Hello. My name* is Azuriel and I have been blogging for almost 14 years now. In the early days, my blogging was focused on World of Warcraft. In fact, “Azuriel” is the name of my main in WoW. I started Player Vs Auction House for the release of the Cataclysm expansion, and despite that ultra-niche topic, the blog did well enough for itself. Over time though, I started to realize that chasing gold trends was less interesting than the design philosophy behind the game, so I pivoted to that. Once I started drifting away from WoW itself, it was time for another pivot towards “let’s talk about whatever else I want.”
That is probably enough as far as introductions go. If this is your first time here, I recommend clicking on the drop-down over on the right labeled The Goods, and selecting Philosophy. Everything that I post is top-quality, but those trend towards a higher level. Or you can check out this list of posts, back when I participated in Blaugust 2015. Nevermind that my best work seems to be from years ago.
Otherwise, well, welcome.
*Not my real name, of course.
Space Saving
When I bought my new computer a while back, I splurged on a 2TB SSD to ensure I had enough space to install a large(r) number of games. I get in certain gaming “moods” and thus need to ensure that I have certain flavors available, lest I do something dumb like watch YouTube Shorts for hours instead. Unfortunately, not even 2TB can save me forever.
After installing Folder Size Explorer, I found the top offenders:
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – 120GB
- Diablo 4 – 45GB
- Starfield – 127GB
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – 51GB
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – 130GB
- Control – 50GB
- Death Stranding – 63GB
- Alan Wake Remastered – 38GB
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – 142GB
- Day’s Gone – 60GB
- Elden Ring – 48GB
- Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey – 78GB
- Assassin’s Creed: Origins – 49GB
That’s definitely a Who’s Who of backlog shame.
Now, of course, none of this is a problem-problem. I don’t actually need to have SW Jedi Survivor installed when I haven’t completed the first one. Starfield can probably go too, since I already played it for 65 hours and am unlikely to go back prior to the expansion coming out (or at all). And not sure why I have any of the Assassin’s Creed games installed. But… You Never Know™.
Of the list, I am making the most current progress on Control and Diablo 4. Which is tragic, in a way, given the installed alternatives. But what I really want to be playing right now is some dumb survival crafting game. I am not playing one due to the fact that I have basically played them all aside from the ones not currently on sale. Mercifully, the Steam Summer sale starts on 6/27, so I can get back to vigorously scratching the eczema that is a predilection towards punching trees and hoarding resources.
…although, I’m just now realizing that I will actually need, you know, space to install these games.
Oh my. Better get back to it.
#JustPalworldThings
Courtesy of our friend Bhagpuss:
My hope was that I’d be able to get Pal fluid more peaceably, perhaps by extracting it painlessly from one of the creatures in my care, although now I say it out loud, I’m not sure that sounds any less disturbing. Sadly, it appears you can’t milk Pengullets or Teafants for their juices, so I had to jog down the path and club one to death for the final fluid I needed.
It’s not Rimworld, but it feels in the same galaxy.
P.S. Some interesting unlocks coming on my next level-up:
P.P.S. Did I mention Pal Spheres work on human opponents too?
P.P.P.S. Yes. The answer is yes.
They Know Me Too Well
Steam put together a summary of games you’ve played over the year, and this was my result:
My favorite part is the random “Warhammer 40k” among the other genres.
Nevertheless, they ain’t wrong. If you had to gift me a game knowing nothing else, you’d have a good chance of getting something I’d like somewhere on those axes. Of course, I already have most games on those axes, so you’re better off just getting me a gift card.
COVID Also Sucks
My family made it nearly 3.5 years dodging COVID, but alas.
A family “friend” decided her “sniffles” didn’t warrant a warning, and ended up getting my wife infected. Which then spread to the rest of us. Five solid days of continuous fevers and muscle pain thus far, let’s see how much longer it can go! Plus, the bonus roll on long COVID.
I’m not going to write more on this subject though, because it makes me (ir)rationally angry. Well, other than to say this: if you know you’re sick and possibly contagious, fucking say something.
Dog Days
I have a tag called “ennui” and that’s what is currently going on over here:
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
Usually the ennui I experience comes as a sort of post-game depression after-effect of spending 6+ hours a day on some particular videogame and then beating it. That is not the case currently – in fact, I have found myself incapable of completing anything lately. The motivation just isn’t there. The proximate cause in these situations is typically that I really want to play X game but cannot, for whatever reason. You know, because the game isn’t on sale or some equally asinine thing.
This time around, it’s possible there are two things going on. First, I have a number of games in my “Early Early Access” Steam category, which I am deliberately not playing. Well, deliberately stopped playing in some cases. The second is that we have the imminent release of Baldur’s Gate 3 and some other titles, to which I want to play quite a bit. Hard to enjoy an independent experience when you know you’re under a time crunch to finish before heading to something you are anticipating more.
We’ll see where things go. By many accounts, BG3 is supposed to be 75-100 hours of playtime just for the main story, which is a bit absurd. On the other hand, I’ve been “throwing away” about a dozen hours on 7 Days to Die (and some other random titles) these past few days. I feel guilty doing so when I have Elden Ring and other meaty games waiting for completion, but that’s just the mood right now.
The Waiting Space
I have been playing a number of games since completing Dark Souls, but none of them are the games I really want to play. Because those games aren’t done yet. And it’s driving me mad.
Coral Island
This is a farming/life-sim game set in a more tropical area. It is currently in Early Access and available via Game Pass. According to the Roadmap it looks like there are updates planned all the way out until Winter of 2023 and then some additional big updates prior to the 1.0 release. One of those updates? The traditional marriage and/or kids additions. I don’t require life-sims to have these features, but if it’s already planned to be available, I also don’t want to miss out and/or have to replay for that content.
My Time at Sandrock
Quasi-sequel to My Time at Portia, which I played for 108 hours and enjoyed quite a bit. A lot of content already out there, but according to the Roadmap, it will be late March/early April before they add the marriage system in. Then late May/early June before they add three additional NPCs into the romance pool. I don’t know any of these NPCs or if I would care about them at all, but… what if I did?
Valheim
The Mistlands biome has finally came out, but apparently there are more on the way. I have waited almost exactly two years already, so I may as well continue to wait until this one gets done.
Sun Haven
Farming/Life-sim game that is a more fantasy-based Stardew Valley. And it even got a v1.0 release! After checking the patch notes though, I noticed the “Coming Soon!” section which includes, among other things:
- – More Pets
- – More Race Specific Dialogue
- – Having children with your spouse
- – Farm Buildings (Sheds / Greenhouses)
- – Proximity Animations
- – Minor DLCs
- – Main Story Epilogue
Sigh.
The Planet Crafter | Craftopia | Len’s Island | Sons of the Forest | Traveler’s Rest
All Early Access and none of them discounted. Pass for now.
[Edit] Just kidding, Steam Spring Sale is going on.
Green Hell
Technically on sale and… technically released? Doesn’t have the Early Access tag any more, but most info points to this being in a more Beta state. Green Hell is one that has been on my radar for a while from a survival standpoint. What I have heard is that it is a bit more grindy insofar as you have to take care of your macronutrients rather than just regular Hunger, and you are much more likely to die of random snake or spider bites than other games. Those sort of things are whatever. The biggest damnation though has been talk about how base-building is not really encouraged based on the narrative of the game, which requires you to venture out all across the map. That sort of thing really hampers things, if true.
V Rising | Kynseed
Released but no sale, so… no sale.
[Edit] Just kidding, Steam Spring Sale is going on.
Voidtrain | One Lonely Outpost | Palworld | I Am Future | Under A Rock | Lightyear Frontier | Rooted
None of these are available, even in Early Access. :(
All of this is mostly pointless belly-aching because of course I have a million and a half other games bought and paid for to play. But I want to play these games at the moment. #1stWorldProblems.
Momentum
Momentum is more keenly felt in its absence. The more aware of it you are, the less of it you have.
It has been difficult to play much of anything these past two weeks, as I contracted acute bronchitis with a dash of viral pneumonia. Only today, day 12, would I say that things have downgraded to tropical depression bad seasonal cold. My physical condition has made it difficult, as you may imagine, to make any meaningful progression in Dark Souls. And it is this progression that I fear may grind to a halt if I coast too much further or take an off-ramp to other titles.
The dilemma is not always present – I have juggled several games before. But it is arguable as to whether any said jugglees had momentum behind them. Or perhaps needed any. Some games just slip in and curl into your lap. Others require you to lean forward in your chair a bit. It is easier to keep leaning than to start again, though. Posture and all that.
Maybe some Youtube and going to bed early, again.
Enjoy your health, when you have it.
Inflationproof
No matter what’s going on in the world today, I just gotta say: we picked a great hobby.
Inflation approaching (or hitting) double-digits? Gas prices through the roof? Games got your back. EVE raised subscription prices to $20 and a few developers are testing $70 price-points, but budget options abound in nearly every gaming genre. Supply chain slow-downs hit graphics cards and PS5 pretty hard, of course – I waited 1-2 more years than I had originally planned to upgrade my PC. It wasn’t like I was starving for options in the meantime though.
Just think about it. Prices in gaming go down over time. Outside of a few edge cases in live-service games, there is effectively an infinite supply of whatever you want to play. Between insane marketing giveaways and F2P options, there are scenarios in which your average monthly cost to engage with the hobby is between fifteen and zero dollars. You can’t even paint for that cheap. I have some friends that love to go to conventions and they are not having a fun time in this environment, let alone when COVID shut things down. Meanwhile: “Oh, I should be staying indoors? Way ahead of you, buddy.”
I was going to title this post “Futureproof” instead, as there’s nothing stopping gamers from using renewably energy to power our PC/consoles… but perhaps that’s whistling a bit too loudly past the graveyard. Some kind of collapse in the internet infrastructure would end the past-time for anyone not stockpiling emulators and ROMs. On the other hand, if there’s no internet, things have truly gone to shit and most everyone’s hobbies are probably over too. Unless you’re a gardener or psychopath, I suppose.
Hmm. Perhaps all these survival games will come in handy after all…
The Wishlist
With a monitor and the PC acquired, it is time for Phase 2: reasons to have upgraded my PC at all.
- Final Fantasy 7: Remake Intergrade
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- God of War
- Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Elden Ring
- Dying Light 2
- Satisfactory
- NeiR: Replicant
- Wildermyth
- Risk of Rain 2
The ones near the bottom did not need an RTX 3080, of course. Arguably, none of these do. But I have it now, so… Capitalism, Ho!
The plan here is to wait for the next Epic Store sale where they offer 50% off + $10 coupon, which could push many of these into the $15-$20 territory. Indeed, Cyberpunk and RDR2 were both $20 this past Winter, so I’m expecting the same thing this Summer. The big question mark will be FF7R with its MSRP of $70. I doubt it hits 50% off, but maybe something like 25%? With the coupon that would bring it “down” to $42ish which… ehh, maybe. There’s a part of me that wants to wait even more out of principle. At the same time, I have already waited so long for something I’ve wanted so much that it becomes a bit ridiculous. I could just, you know, not buy NeiR Replicant or whatever and use that cash.
Or just have bought a RTX 3070 prebuilt and all the games Nope, nah, I make GREAT decisions.
In other news, I’m looking forward to max settings on games where that matters.
In An Age 