Back over here I covered how my 108 initiative fared over the last quarter of 2013 and took a brief look at the year in total. Now that a new years here its time for a new list. There’s a lot of great new games coming out this year but I want to be a lot stricter with purchases than last year (and I’m sure unemployment will do its best to help me with that). I’m also going to make use of the lessons learned in 2013 (in short unless you are literally going to play it right away buying games Day 1 is for suckers – more or less everything goes on sale) Continue reading…
(Upcoming) Games of 2014 – A storm’s a’comin
While I didnt get as many completed as I’d hope overall I think it’s fair to say that 2013 was a pretty great year for gaming. 2014 is shaping up to be even better. We’ll be seeing the new next generation consoles getting into their stride and a number of long anticipated titles, a lot of them long time Kickstarter darlings, are supposed to be coming out on PC. Hell, there’s even some mobile games coming out that look really good (dont look at me like that). So how do you navigate through this confusing maelstrom of choice? Simple, just lock onto the glorious light of my opinion and let it guide you through the darkness. Continue reading…
The Woeful 108 – A year of (backlog) sin
We started here and wound our way through quarterly updates one, two and three. This is quarterly update four as well as a look back on the 108’s first year in operation. To sum it up in one sentence it was a partial success. The goal was to clear my backlog and to cut way down on the amount of money I spent on games. The first goal failed rather spectacularly. As it was almost inevitably bound to. The second goal was much more of a success and didnt waver much even in the face of thanksgiving and winter sales. The key factor in the success of the latter and failure of the former is the same, the changes quality free to play games (specifically TERA, Hearthstone, Path of Exile and Warframe) made to my gaming habits. (FFXIV: ARR didnt help either). Continue reading…
Best of 2013 – Barebones ashcan edition
Offered with no explanation and in no particular order. I’ll probably come back and flesh it out when I shrug off this endless ennui. Continue reading…
Warframe – Brief Initial Thoughts
Played two or three hours of Warframe, enjoyable enough, the game is pointlessly obtuse, theres basically no introduction to the games complex systems and interface, I mean none. It tells you what buttons move (WASD, shocker) and what buttons shoot. Thats it. Also I currently suck at it, though not to the point where it actively detracts from the experience. The matchmaking is fairly well-done and no-ones called me a cock hungry cum drinker which is always nice. The gameplay itself is enjoyable and the range of content is impressive, especially as its in the whole “Oh its a beta we swear” bullshit phase. Took me three hours (due to zero fucking instruction) to figure out how to add mods to my gear (you drag not click, only place in the interface it works like that). Well not continuous hours. This seems unduly negative, but thats probably because I’m so tried I can see through time (even without the required mustache). I mostly enjoyed my time with it and will play it again, its going to take a bit to make up my mind on it. One thing I will say is that Im glad I had the +50%xp boost from using a referral code (though if I had actually been progressing with mods like the game intends levelling wouldnt have been as bland). I suppose I’ll plug my own referral link – https://warframe.com/signup?referrerId=52a6b4c01a4d80f32000002e Its free to play and the monetisation doesnt seem particularly obnoxious. I’d like to try it out with a proper four man team as opposed to random fuckers, so if you’re giving it a go add me on Steam http://steamcommunity.com/id/aueberon/
(Very) Brief Thoughts on the Fall 2013 anime season
Even though a lot of these shows are starting or have started to air this is still an extremely advanced preview for me as I can’t shake my inability to watch anything other than completed shows (WEEK TO WEEK IS FOR PEONS!). Continue reading…
Android Customisation Guide – One Mick and his phone – Part 1
The first thing I do these days when I get a new phone is to jailbreak/root it. Back when I’d an iPhone (and with my iPad) I feel that it’s more or less essential as Apple tie down their OS far too firmly. Out of the box Android is a lot more “open” but by the time I bought my first Android phone it had become reflex so I’d the thing rooted (the Android equivalent to jailbreaking) five minutes after getting it out of the box. I’d a custom ROM on it shortly afterwards. Over the last week or so I basically rebuilt my phone from the ground up, tried a variety of kernels, then a variety of custom ROM’s, then finally a variety of applications for the various things I do with my phone. Then I went out and bought a different phone. Which I rooted last night so I could begin all over again. After chatting to a few people with android phones it seems they haven’t bothered rooting or installing a custom ROM. I’m not particularly evangelical about the whole thing, but I thought I’d lay out what I’ve done with my android phones and why I’ve done it. Continue reading…
The Woeful 108 – Quarterly Update 3
Now is the gaming quarter of my discontent! I outlined my plan to deal with my backlog here and then I updated it here and here. So how did quarter 3 go? Continue reading…
Android Customisation Guide – Basic Information – Part 0
What are the benefits of rooting your phone?
Despite being a fairly “open” mobile operating system, Android phones come with a few limitations. These are largely safety mechanisms used to provide more security and to help noivce users avoid messing up their devices. These safety mechanisms are limitations on how users get to use a device they own. Continue reading…
Michael’s Train Thoughts – Midnight Meat Train Edition
Jumped on the train at Dundalk. Relatively empty so plenty of room to stretch the legs. We were only shortly underway when I realised that according to the new timetable the train I’d earmarked for my return didnt run on a Saturday. But there was a later one so it seemed like it would be a minor inconvenience at best. So I put on my headphones, cranked up some Creedence and watched sunny fields fly by. I weep for that naive young man. I arrived in Dublin and got the Luas. I’d never actually seen a ticket inspector on one so I was going to ride for free. But momentary cowardice overcame me and I purchased a ticket. Which was just as well as there were four fucking ticket conductors on the carriage I stepped into. Ticket all in order I arrived at Jervis street and ran into Matt and Dave. An enjoyable evening of Shadowrun and shit talk followed. Though all along I could feel something nagging away at the back of my mind. The thought that while I was living a civilian pukes existence (socialising with friends) Charlie (Patrick and Sean) were in the jungle (playing FFXIV) growing stronger (levelling up). But I pushed that thought into the darker recesses of my mind (round about where the suspicion that I un-ironically like Chesney Hawkes I am the One and Only lies) and chatted away. Continue reading…