A Casual (Carebear) Gamer: Gaming 2023 Update 33....

Time it seems is passing faster than warp speed travel. Time and space. Only six more sleeps till a magical night of home invasion. This year seems like there was no lead up to Christmas at all. It's not just me or my wife that think so but a lot of friends/acquaintances. Shared delusion? It's said that the more routine in life the less you think about more novel things and so time 'seems' to fly.... Guess a lot of people are on autopilot with little novelty to break the monotony.

Given circumstances and happenings I did get an Xbox One X; And indeed did shuffle my tech.... Xbox One X now sits in my Comm Cen. It's made a difference both in speed and quality of gaming. Maybe it's the newness but even older games seem to be 'better'.... While I'm sure there's a perception thing going on with games looking better when they're not really. That said the reason to get the X was due to it's increased render resolutions, even on older titles.... So yea subjective. Loading times are noticeable and appreciated. Engage smug mode.

Speaking of times passage, it's been 20 years since the Battlestar Galactica 're-imagined' series was released. So I've been watching some of it's better story arcs. While it's ending has not aged like dine wine I've become a lot more accepting of some of the unanswered story elements and in the end best to accept and not ask why.

Star Trucker is getting ever nearer to it's release. With luck sooner rather than later.

Raw Fury

News that E3 is canceled while not a surprise, kind of was. It's slow death finally getting an end. Companies had pulled out and had starting holding their own events around the same time after all. But I can't help but feeling it's loss. No longer having it as an 'institution' from back in it's heyday is a blow to more than just the nostalgia. Other expos for tech/software have felt like the one stop shop; Just don't feel like they covered so much in one place. Time will tell but overall aggregators will see more views/reads etc.

With the end of the Vanguard test I claimed the free pod skin from the store on two characters on Eve Online. It's a nice skin.

Most gameplay in Eve has been via my mains industry shenanigans with a friend. Mixed with some solo Abyssal's on an Alpha alt. I've only lost one ship due to incorrectly clicking on a filament; Which was apparent when I landed in a pocket with more ship or a larger class than I was expecting. A very penny drop moment with maybe more than one expletive.

I'd made enough isk to replace the ship and some consumables before I'd started the ill fated session; So I'd broken even and then almost immediately sank it all. Thankfully I'm back in the black and am reconsidering buying another replacement. Talk about tempting fate....

While doing this kind of content would be better on my main, better ship with a higher filament etc; But it's quick and easy and I'm getting more out of it(than isk per hour), in an underdog kind of way.

The winter event is still ongoing but I've no interest in it's in game content.

PowerWash Simulator has had a Christmas update, a new map. Santa's workshop has had an accident and needs to be cleaned up! A map with a lot of little details, enjoyable to do but with one niggle of a graphic problem. Looking out a window shows there is no ground, just a non textured space of a void; Spoils the moment for me. It's not a go to view so I'd say many players will not see it. In which case apologies for pointing it out. What is seen can't be unseen.

Euro Truck Sim 2 has had one of it's biggest event updates, dare I say, ever. It's mechanics are a surprise and not been seem before(that I can recall). I was always hoping that the Christmas event would return the old trailers with lights, cheer and candy canes.... But this event is way beyond that. Like the Halloween trailers the art of this event is playful and less 'arty'; And fully embrace the Santa magic.

ETS 2 get's it's own Winter Wonderland. Seeing such unmodded content in game is really good.

SCS Software

The event brings with it new jobs to bring to the new Winterland via portals; Transporting you to and from it's location. Not a simulation thing but with this kind of content you just gotta 'roll' with it's magic. It's an event where I was tripping over myself to get it done. Really enjoyable. Love it!

Around each pickup location are a choice of portals but after you've done it once, you'll be good.

Of course I've crashed.... Once..... There's no speed limit, of course I pushed the sliding....

Star Trek Online's Winter Wonderland has been it's usual self. While it's mechanics haven't changed I've still been doing the daily run on both platforms; With some random happenings if I come across the right moment. With both platforms I've been doing as much as I can using my Breen themed characters while there. On the Xbox version I've been doing more casually farming for the winter trinket currency on as many characters as I can put on the duty officer missions.

Again it may be me but there have been some things I've noticed as being 'new'... Maybe they are? Like the purple circle when 'stunned' at the start of a race.

Lots of seasonal attire seen at the bank as well, even at the off peak hours.

Dave the Diver is another game to receive a surprise DLC. Dave the Diver meets Dredge. Free is free and this crossover is thematically apt so it's all good!

After a few attempts I managed to actually get 3 star Crystal Lobsters so in turn I got more achievements recognized by the game; Which is nice. Including the 'end boss'.

That said I had to wait for the foggy day and even at that it's only the evening time slot that lets you dive for aberrant fish; So a lot more time in the 'normal' game was done and finalized(even more).