Gaming! And then some waffle....

Another week starts, another week ends; And another week starts again....  This passage of time thing goes quick.... Another week away from home with the barely running graphical laptop and the trickle of internet. Homer goes something something. The work on my mothers house goes on with as much work internally now as has been done externally. Progress is progress.  My wife working from our own home is still technically 'mammy sitting'. My cat seems happy with his human granmother which is good. 

So for me workers come and go, drilling, hammering, push/pull/haul....... Works are work. At least with it all being internal it's going to be done regardless of the weather. Externally there are some finishing touches but noting to worry about. Another week ish of it all to go.... But a plumber starting at 10 and finishing at 3 is fairly handy hours; As good as the work he's doing is, light hours mean a longer job time. As he has hours to travel to get to the 'work', well, agreements are agreements and they employ him for his great work, which is not disappointing. Benefit and hassle of companies working for companies.... It's ll for free so how can there be any complaints!

 

So yea gaming on the laptop has been interesting. The cooling fans are at max 100% of the time despite my disassembly, cleaning, re-paste and reseat parts..... There is only so much more resuscitation that can be done to keep it going. The battery has long since given up taking a charge and buying a new new or even a new old stock or 'similar', isn't worth the shipping cost never mind 'request a quote' options. So it's a laptop desktop not just due to size but in function. Mobile is not in it's nature just relocation. A while back I replaced the keyboard from a Hong Kong company easy enough but parts since have been so rare, batteries even more so. The laptop isn't worth that.... I'm keeping it going as it's of sentimental value..... Till I retire it to 'storage'. That said, in looking up second hand models of it for parts it's still a pricey buy. No doubt the screen is the big ticket value of the purchase. So maybe users are like me keeping this model/series going and still get some value out of a 11+ year old laptop....... 

This is the last time I'll 'need' it to be a 'real' laptop. Fingers crossed for a new one later this year.....? 

Or a more easy loadout of accessories(external screen etc) for the Steam Deck. But the incompatibility of the Deck with my phones as a hotspot is no joke, wouldn't connect at all. On the laptop as is it's not quiet ye olde 56k days but may as well be if you know what I mean.....  Time will indeed tell as copper cables are being phased out so at some point I'll have to arrange fiber and then have access to broadband... Mmmmmmmmm broadband.....

For now it's all allowing gameplay. Older games are still running 'fine'. Star Trek Online is good to play and see visually. Eve Online is pure potato mode but functional. So as long as my internet mobile  phone hotspot holds up I can't complain much....... When it works it works....

 

Not the Whole story....

 

I've not been posting a lot of stuff about gaming since mid December and there's been a lot of news and updates to most games. Too much to mention and too much to waffle on a catch-up but I'll try to be 'brief'.... Before I waffle about other things.

 

As 'bad' as my Eve Online conditions are to play via laptop, at least I still can. My real life friend in Pacific Merica may have a lesser laptop (but better to see Eve than my own), but at the moment he has no internet so it's 'academic'. I've been keeping his account ticking over in a maintenance mode. The last two weeks have seen no less than 2 very lengthy mails from him explaining his process's and what he 'needs' me to do to 'keep things working'. Which has been interesting. He is so deep into the manufacturing dark arts and long-term market orders..... Items so deep in the making process it would make anyone's head spin; My heads just about over the water.

 

When I do get home I have been pottering in Eve; Alts and dailies take time. Home PC screenshots......

 

 

Mt friend explains but I don't need to understand his methods and process's; Just as long as he says what I need to do..... It's all a form of interpretation. I appreciate the info but until I'm 'really' into industry the interest to learn just isn't there. There's so much of it tho. I'm into the P.I. side of things but his web of planets/processes is a game of twister. That's all not to say we don't learn from each others methods, we do, we also are happy to keep doing our own things. I do like the end results of his T2 production and he still owes me 4 Cranes...... So there's some self interest in helping him. Just not sure I'll see the Cranes.... Sooooooo.....

 

Some PI mineral heat maps can be extreme..... Planets may not like this 'extraction' lark.

 

 

The onward process of upgrading Eve goes on and the next tests should be interesting once done..... I'm sure it will kill my laptop use of Eve, rather than help it.... But normal play on a 'good' pc should see the benefits....  https://www.eveonline.com/news/view/speed-evolved-more-fps-in-new-eden

  

In rooting around old files on the laptop I came across a pic I took of my Dust 514 characters. Which brings with it good memories of it's gamplay as well as it's issues which in retrospect were not so bad as it was still playable..... CCP kinda threw the baby out with the bath water on Dust 514. CCP has that kind of history. They're like google when it comes to abandoned software. Dust 514 may be close to the first but is not the last game to be 'cut loose' by a long shot. Valkyrie anyone? Mystery code anyone? Yea they also specialize in cutting game loose without actually cutting games loose. Just letting things drift away...... Echoes anyone? Anyone wanna walk in stations.....?

 

Mumble, mumble, Mystery Code, mumble, mumble....

 

Anyway that image shows the characters..... I miss them. I miss the matches, I miss the battle barges and the gear loadouts..... Not like I'll see any more than 'just' my mains name.... The Isk, Aur...... SP... All virtually declined......... Pity.

 

 

 

 

Astrox Imperium is in it's end of production release blitz. Both great to see and yet sad at the same time. Guess I've just been too used to seeing it get updates and progress over time, with the dev's video explainers..... Still it will be interesting.

 

UBoat is 'done' but has been getting some patches as well.... I'll really have to give it time and a decent playthough at some stage; The 'to play' list is long.

 

XO has been getting updates but I've not been able to really get into it. I think it's been uninstalled and reinstalled so many times I've just left it installed to see the updates....

 

PowerWash Simulator will be getting a Wallace & Gromit Special Pack, which should be good to see.

 

Oblivion is getting a remake. I'm not so sure about that. Getting back to see that game was not the best the last time I tried it. Too many memories from back in the day. Never mind Skyrim. I've no doubt I'd buy the remake.... If it allowed old saves I've say I'm in 100%, but would I 'really' play it.....?

The user rework of Oblivion Skyblivion still looks like it's amazing work is full force ahead.

Interesting on all fronts!

 

Sims 4 while not on my play lists, both my wife and a niece are into it so it's hard to not absorb some of the info. Even if her niece is more into it they do have fun with it. They are also keen on inzoi, Inzoi? InZoi? Anyway....

 

With some twitch rewards and an urge to play Hitman's newer/updated mechanics I purchased the basic World of Assassination edition. Claimed the freebies but lost out on the earlier freebies form Twitch which I guess 'timed out'. I've since played a few maps, just messing about and enjoyed it for what it is.... A bit of fun.

 

Starship Troopers has seen me get and play the Urban and Lava DLC's. Both are good in their own ways that make things interesting. The lava DLC ended pretty harshly but expected given the overall 'franchise' story expectations; Even if I thought it 's ending was a bit too sudden. With my Urban playthrough I'm about 50% done, it's also proving to be decent.

 

 

Planet Crafter has gotten ever increasingly better quality of life updates and the recent 'big' patch before the next full content addition is packed. That next content drop is one I'm looking forward to. Despite keeping up with the news I'm kind of letting the changes wash over me with no real need to dive into my save and rework things regarding all the new tweaks/changes. Granted a lot of the changes are automatic and need to alteration to in game items..... Guess I'm on autopilot till that next 'release'.

 

 

Xbox has it's own smaller to-play list but it's more secondary to PC so no real rush, or need to play outside of Star Trek Online.

I've fallen out of playing both Assassins Creed Mirage and Prince of Persia the Lost Crown. Of either I'm still more inclined to go back to Mirage. I'm sure with a bit of a big push I could clear most of the game in quick order. I've not played any other Assassins Creed games since Origins on PC. I did buy Odyssey on Steam but found it's game-play (mainly combat) off-putting so pushed it further back on the 'to-play' list. 

Darkest Dungeon is a great game I've played to bits on PC and blogged about here but a proper playthrough on Xbox is needed at some stage.......

I've played the two South Park games on PC(the good ones); The first on Xbox was a blast and while I'd only just started the second I left it for a while; It may be a while yet but I do want to go back to it.

Assassins Creed Mirage as I said is a 'want' to play so will take time..... Be in the mood for it for a week or so etc.....

The more I think about Prince of Persia the Lost Crown the less I want to play it.... So I may have had enough of it.....

Star Trek Resurgence is a great game. A game where your first playthough will always be the best no matter what. I've been back to it for a second run on PC. A sale on Xbox made me curious and I got it there as well. So I'd like to get some time on it. Probably better to leave it a while longer so that I'm not so sharp with the decisions it wants.....

Tetris Effect, Battlefield 1 Multiplayer and Minecraft round out my active(as can be) games on the platform.... 

Star Trek Online is still a daily driver for me on PC. So many events, events after events, that it's kind of too much when there's a crossover in event dates...

 

 

The implementation of the Picard Season 3 Earth Spacedock still to my eye look like a downgrade. Not the technical implementation but the comparison to the original Movie look. That original movie look is akin to a classic ballerina; While the new dock is a toddler in a tutu. Personal perspective but I can't not see and make the comparison. So very much a case of what is seen can not be unseen. I see the loss.

I get the need to upgrade the game and the franchise responsibilities..... The planet changes even if I still liked the old blue marble have been nice to see.. STO has a strength to it's old graphical style; But, maybe I'm too old school.

 

 

 

  

All other changes are good; the Deca change-over seems to be going well and should bring new life to a game that was already doing things well enough but needed that lil extra uummpphh to really make the playerbase excited; I think Deca has that potential. I've never complained about getting quality free items from the game but there is a danger of getting too much now these days. There seems to be a constant flow of stuff that is 80 to 90 % fear of missing out even if I don't 'need' it..... There used to be weeks, months, between 'events' but now there's always an event. So special is a less special than it could be. Filler events  between those events only add to the near burnout of constant daily 'stuff' that 'needs' to be done. Sometimes a daily can just be too much. Catering to the playerbase I guess. Gotta keep the content pumping. I'm glad they changed the current event TFO's to only need 1 rather than two counts, having to repeat it each day across multiple accounts and platforms was really a bit too much repetition. Dailies are not an addiction but they are a familiarity of enjoying the process of doing.

My time in Eve Online is a lot like that as well. two mmo's that do not require I interact with anyone for my enjoyment. Not to say that I'd not get more enjoyment from interactions but in Eve it's usually the reverse. I'm a risk averse player; Each to their own.

 

 

Euro Truck Sim 2 is another game that's received a lot of updates (as well as ATS). Great to see.

It's also just had the Valentines Event. Which I completed over two days on a weekend break from the builders madness. While the laptop can still play ETS 2 it was the connection to the world of trucks servers that was the problem. Progress save is essential for sanity. Better to do it under normal circumstances on my home PC. It also gave a chance to explore some more of the Greece DLC.

 

 

 

 

All that said, more real world delays and a blog post to waffle lets me do a bit more waffle for the rest of the post...... Games I've got on my 'to play' list. In roughly the order of my interest. Very roughly....

Remaining DLC for Starship Troopers

 

Stargate Timekeepers has my interest but is punishing on even medium difficulty. Not that it's not doable it's gamplay is frustrating in repetition rather than the likes of hitman....

 

Chorus is a game I played, fell for and bought then never played again... Too many games not enough time.

 

Star Trucker... Another victim to too many games not enough time. Even after a lot of patches and quality of life updates.... 

Maneater is a bit of a grind that I can see myself doing if I'd not a lot of other games.......

Suzerain is a game I need time and patience to play, not to mention be in the mood for given it's text based quality.....

 

The Great War Western Front is another like most that needs time....

 

Hitman III/ World of Assassination, time again is the killer here, I've done a lot of it's content from the previous iterations, never mind III when it was called III via gamepass; So needs a little readjustment itme to have fun with. That said I can see myself being frustrated with it's need to repurchase content I've already purchased etc.......

 

Detroit Become Human..... Again needs time to play. Not sure I'd be a completionist with it as I would have been way back in the day(KOTOR / KOTOR II style); But time will tell.....

The Witcher III(Incl. all DLC)...... May take a while..... If I can finally get into it. At the moment it's size is so colossal I'm looking at a mountain with a party on top but it's the thought of climbing that's killing interest. A game I need to start and be in the mood for a challenge.

 

Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I'd need to start form scratch to see if it's really for me. Going from Origins to Odyssey was a large ship that rubbed me up the wrong way I think...

Mad Max is a game I was a completionist on, on Xbox. The PC version should be no different, just need the time.

 

Mass Effect Legacy. Again more games I've played on Xbox to completion and then some. Getting them on PC seemed to back sense at the time. Now tho I'm not so sure..... 

Door Kickers 2 is stull getting updates and should be seeing better quality to being a 'game' to play sooner rather than later. I'll be waiting a while yet.

 

Fargone is good and harsh and is getting updates, slowly, but getting there. Fun with it is dependent on the version you are in at the time you play... So it's situational. I'm also finding it's gameplay for me is suited to short sprints. So quick little sessions here and there.... Long-term.

 

Thunder Helix is very patch dependent and is a wyas off being 'done done'; Going from Beta to Alpha etc etc..... Good updates to see but it's even more long-term.

 

Tiny Combat Area, speaking of long-term..... So very much more long-term, but it gets updates...

UBoat is technically released but is getting refinements. A game that feels like it's almost doen and ready to be played but I need to hold off a little longer.......

 

Asterox Imperium development is being rounded out and finalized rather than being an ongoing project(which was a good thing). A game in development that was good in that role and process. But we'll see what it ends up as by the middle of the year..... I've not played it in a while wince updates were halted.... Now that the final flood of updates is hitting I'm holding off till the 'end' and then I'll get back into it. 

My Steam wishlisted items are all further out / To be announced etc...... Those that are out are ones I'm looking for a on a sale. With the right price.....

 

Two Point Museum looks of interest but I'm very hesitant after the first game(hospital) and it's DLC. The University thing did noting for me; whereas my wife was into it. As she is into the new game. Very into the new game. I like the mechanics of what I see but still have a hesitance. I may be late to the party tho...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yea, the other stuff......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the non gaming stuff well the shit show that keeps giving is full on max velocity diarrhea and diuretics; With the usual case of projectile vomiting. Just turned up to 11 with 'his' 'speech' the other night. It's impressive to see it all get ramped up further and further, when you think it can't be increased.... Then there's some more.

All the acronyms and profanities are not enough so see this titanic go down taking everyone with it as well as the world.

 

 

They've flushed away so much and still he's supported so so strongly, it's beyond a cult.

New world order eh? Nobody can rely on the U.S. Kinda says a lot when it's all now at an ego whim instead of non partisan national interest.

Americans don't get to cluelessly ask "what did we do" to make ppl angry round the world, or why ppl hate them even more in the middle east(and now everywhere else that was a friend) or why won't countries help them via good will.... America pulls support worldwide and that vacuum gets filled... America not wanting be reliable and a leader after doing so for 60 years has consequences for America as well, brings them down a lot of dark roads. Greenland is part of nato via Denmark, they should inact article 4 to discuss it. A U.S. military take over by force and the US won't be the last country to have triggered Article 5. Wouldn't that "be something". Bully tactics never last, not long-term. Even talking about the U.S. 'owning' Greenland is bizarre and crazy..... Trump land is just that, crazy. Unreliable. Who knows what could happen. I mean look at how píssed off the Canadians have been made...... Canadians! I saw a meme that said Canadians have two modes, "Sorry and your going to be Sorry". Funny.

 

Freedom of speech..... eh?

 

 

 

"Americans are tired of the War in Ukraine"? Try being a Ukrainian getting shelled, shot, bombed, kidnapped, tortured and media'd to death. All the American B.S. about stats on costs and who has what capability, so much B.S. it's annoying. Everything Trump does is on every American; He is 'their' president. Ignorance is not a shield.

 

A lot of US citizens shouting about local issues to local reps. Not good enough. Local issues on this global scale, Americans are still so local blinkered. At least some Americans are trying, but not enough, not now, not on the right issues and not altogether, never mind global issues. This is only the start of month two....  This type of stuff is like Brexit on steroids. Enjoy your recession I guess, tip of the iceberg for the greatest, richest, free-ist of ist, bravest, bestist country on the planet going solo. Fine. America pulling back from the world is the worlds problem, Yet Trump is still America's problem. And if they think he's great, they can keep on embracing the 'greatness'.