A Casual (Carebear) Gamer

Same'ol Same'ol since last time.

Eve Dailies on my main accounts(2), so 6 characters in all; Which isn't all that much extra to do on them as I'd be doing the P.I./Industry anyway. Faffing about with whatever character and activities seem to take my fancy at the time. From asset management, ship refits etc etc.

Still I've got the bigger picture to keep working on as well as I've so many characters spread out over large areas of space. With hefty sides of Skill queue management. The game/game launcher is still having 'issues'...

Star Trek Online is much the same as Eve in regard to doing dailies/events, ship fits and character management. Far less work on Xbox than on PC but all ongoing. It's 'nice' to revisit an alt after a period of time away; Look at ships/fits etc and rejig to be better given more knowledge/experience or taste.. All part of the fun in both games.

For Eve I've more ship spinning faff in Gal space and with STO it's on console with my sudo-mirror universe character in his Nova. A ship that exceeds my expectations. Great little ship.

The Red Alert in STO on console went on until I mentioned it here and then they took it away.... Then it came back for a day as I could claim a reward..... Then it went away again.... So strange does happen.

1st of Nov

All said the Red Alerts are back on all platforms from November 7th to November 14th.... I'm sure the Winter Wonderland will be on soon enough after that.........

Both PC and console have the ongoing Halloween event as of now. I'm still baffled by the lack of player 'understanding' with regard to 'tactics' etc... Pick Up Groups are Pick Up Groups..... But still fun to be had with the event.

Staying with STO on console, my new character is still getting a lot of random Fleet invites, nothing strange about that; But the fleets themselves.... Less casual co-operation and more forced labour/extortion etc.... Even fleets that offer 'help' to players seem high pressure....

But then again I'm a casual carebear so each to their own. The broader player-base will shift and move the social experience. Just seems to be 'getting worse'. No wonder I like the consistency of being solo. For now it's a case of join fleet, check terms and conditions, leave fleet....

Mandragora has a demo out worth playing. A great looking game which has given me a lot of interest to see more. Not as fast paced as the likes of Deadcells(in an Elden Ring kind of way) but still of interest after having played it.

Euro Truck Sim 2 has been of ongoing fun as well. Even with the event personal goals done. Seems the Community goals are near.

I've been using the event to continue my 'faffing' about with garages/trucks/trailers and drivers.

Moving two less efficient garages to what should be more 'lucrative' positions. Time will tell. Time like using the event to 'just' truck..... With new DLC 'due' I think I'm open to a new personal garage and truck line setup....

Gaming goes on....

In the last few weeks I've manly been playing the usual online MMO's but also single player Planet Crafter. A game which captured my interest for sure. Specifically due to it's new DLC. Planet 'Humble'. The new planet/scenario is indeed interesting in nuanced ways(more on more of my other gaming after I waffle about it).

The changes may be considered minor, but the mechanic changes do mix things up. Which I've liked. Starting off the new planet, the realization about the lack of basic Cobalt(converts to Oxygen) is a somewhat panic 'omg' moment or two; Till you figure out(very fast) the new material and it's reprocessing to get cobalt. Noting like impending dire need to motivate.

The DLC is one I took my time in but at the same time flew through. Exploration, discovery, looting, building. All good, like a streamlined version of the main game planet. At least for 'veteran' Planet Crafter me. Yet I did not take my time to 'really take my time'. Progress is unavoidable once you start, just not done at break neck speed. Rockets by the end were my multiplier to real progress. I was well setup by the time the patch to introduce the Pirate crash site was implemented. End game is full planet transformation after all so I knew what was coming and what needed to be done. Watching the stats screen as I went, plugging the gaps as it all went on... Heat falling behind would lead to 2 new devices outside and 2 more heat rockets etc etc etc.

Overall the planet and the 'story' starts off interesting but fades fast; So much so that late game I was questioning if I'd missed a few things. But it's ending falls off a cliff. Talk about a let down. But the game is all about the playing and this DLC is no different. I was glad that I'd not gone slow to build up for a long stay. This DLC for me was always one and done, the more I played it the more it confirmed that decision for me.

I played it on standard. I'm all about the enjoyment. Best of luck if a player needs it to be 'harder'.

I didn't make any mammals or work with DNA beyond bee and silk larva and even at that only a few as the rest came from my single habitat and beach combing. A single base that is only a minor scratch compared to even the 3rd base/setup I had on my original planet save. Humble is good to experience and play as it is 'different'. There is 'interesting' in just being there and seeing it; But once done it's done for me.

A minor super-food farm was setup, as was a minor cookie farm.... Extra refined ores went into creating bars and exported via the trade rocket. Used in turn to get the only real item I 'needed'. T2 Storage. Some other minor blue prints were gained, just because(cookies).

So, the story in the end left me with more questions than answers and I took to the games discussions; It seems many players also felt the same. So in reading up I wasn't surprised by the ending and "the message". I could see the end coming from a galaxy away.

I was well done with the DLC by about 80% Terraforming. I'd automated everything and done most of everything needed/else, way beyond 'survival'. So I ended up 'waiting' around for the 100% and end message 'mail' to pop. Like I was spinning in a chair passing time.

Glad to have gotten the DLC, supported the game devs etc.... But I've no need to return to the Planet, or my base there..... Interesting distraction; So back to faffing about with my main base on the original planet, when I feel the need to actually 'play' the game.

Having said that I'm helping my wife on her 'Humble' save as she was amenable to co-op'ing the end of her save....

Now for a lot of screenshots of my Humble save!

Hope springs eternal for No Mans Sky and me but the game is only getting bigger; And still I can't get into it and the thought of starting from scratch is so off-putting as ever. Another try and another 'not for me' moment with the game. Hope springs eternal...... Maybe next time?

The season that it is the events are all in games, Euro Truck Sim 2 is no exception; Giving me time to also micromanage my trucking empire. With a 5% inkling to do at least one or two trips in American Truck Sim....

SCS Software

The new main menu screen has added Ghosts this year; As well as on the Trailer sidings. I'm not going 'mad' in doing the event trips needed. Plenty of time to do it(Sunday, 17th of November at 23:59 UTC).

I've yet to fully get into the Driving Academy. Time will fix that I'm sure.

Powerwash Sim also has it's 'spooky' map. Nice to see and good to have done.

Star Trek Online has seen a lot of my interest ratcheted down(Planet Crafter was in the way as a time-sink); So no surprise that game-play has been basic with event/dailies as the core on both PC and console. One thing of note has been the Red Alert filler between events on console. It started and hasn't stopped. Due to stop on the 17th of Oct it's still going and I've gotten to both claim the extra Dil each day and 2 of the main 'Red Alert' rewards. Odd but I'll take all the freebies I can get. I've no need to run it for the rep rewards but it's 'nice'. It's also survived 3 downtime's. I'm sure that in the background dev's have been at work to 'correct' it.... Thankfully such things in the past have not been 'revoked' so the longer it goes on the more players will benefit..... The usual Halloween event is it's usual interesting self. Again another long-term event both as in it's nearly over and years being run, year after year, where the player-base are all 80% clueless(what to do, where to do it and how etc). Is there really that high a turnover of players in the game.... Maybe I'm that naive....

Eve Online has much the same gameplay as ever for me. The more things change the more they stay the same. Kind of the same as the launcher and it's 'issues', ever ongoing in a self fulfilling error loop. Launch and error, error due to failed launch, round and round we go again.

As for gameplay, it's P.I. Mining, Industry with the usual 'dailies'. PvE when I have more time to commit to it. That said I've been pushing an alt more down the AFK mining route for no other reason than on a side pc I can....

I've been avoiding all Star Citizen news especially anything from the recent CitizenCon. With luck the proof in the pudding will explain itself sooner rather than later with an actual game. Not holding my breath at all.

That said TheYamiks has done some interesting overview vids on it comparing other top space games etc.

- Star Citizen VS Elite Dangerous VS No Man's Sky VS X4 Foundations (2024/2025)

- BIGGEST Videogame Ever is coming 2026? - Squadron 42

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has had a Nuketown Launch Trailer. Great map from back in the day. Fun. Looking at the trailer brought back a lot of memories. As for the modern iteration of CoD , I've no interest.

Red Dead Redemption getting to PC is a good thing and it seems to be running well. Even if it costs more than I'd like. Sale for me.

https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/red-dead-redemption-may-still-look-like-a-14-year-old-game-but-its-absolutely-brilliant-on-handheld-gaming-pcs/

But to play it on Steam-deck is interesting:

ETA PRIME

Cities: Skylines, the first game, is getting new DLC! If nothing else that should tell you what to think of the second game!

https://www.eurogamer.net/cities-skylines-1-gets-new-paid-dlc-18-months-after-its-supposedly-final-update

I've waffled about both games on this lil'ol'blog. Why I liked the first and not so much the second.

Sociable Soccer is still plying itself. '25' is going to be 'decent'; But I think I've lost all interest in it.

https://www.sociablesoccer.com/blog/be-more-sociable-this-season

Subnautica 2 is official with trailer and Steam page etc. With luck it will be 'good' as I wasn't into SubZero. So will see how this goes.... Wish-listed.