Redwolf's Journal (continued)

I had mentally filed the latest Spider-Man game as one of those games that is probably good, but not something on my must-play list. While reviewing the half-dozen or so games that I did want to play that didn't exist on PC, however, I saw an upcoming Black Friday bundle that would be available: a 1TB PS4 Slim with Spider-Man for $200. As I don't have a 4k TV, the PS4 Pro benefits would largely be lost on my, and that price point seemed like a more reasonable buy-in than the usual 50% more for the console alone. So, I started keeping an eye out for when the sale went live. I never got a notification from Amazon. The Sunday prior to Thanksgiving, Walmart showed it online, but the local one didn't have any PS4s at all on the floor and the staff wasn't particularly helpful. Swinging by Gamestop, though, they hooked me right up (admittedly, with offers of additional controllers, or club membership, but I can't blame the staff too much for pushing upsells). But about t

I don't always know why Amazon recommends the things it does, but I guess such is the mystery of modern algorithms. I picked up Into the Dark alongside the last book while looking for cheaper options of "well, maaaaybe this will be decent." I think I'm glad I did. Now, there is a very, very large hurdle to overcome with the book. I really had to take a very deep breath and just suspend disbelief over some fundamental setting elements. You see, the setting involves a many-systemed human space society, but it borrows heavily on the Age of Sail for detail - from the provincial feel of frontier worlds to societal culture and more distinctly in space travel itself. Interstellar travel is conducted by transition to "darkspace" where ships use special sails to travel. The altered physics of that realm itself are there basically to justify starships that are largely sailing ships in form, and it's put forth that this is the most efficient way for things to be

While my WoW sub is a few days lapsed, I'm still keeping tabs on the game. I'm not sure if 8.1 will bring enough to draw me back in, I may sit out 'til 8.2. That remains to be seen. Overall, the Battle for Azeroth story hasn't been hugely compelling to me. There are some characters I like, but other than getting Jaina back (which was awful complicated, really), I don't feel like I've done much save housecleaning for the Kul Tiras isles. That, however, may just be due to the Alliance perspective. One of the talking points to come out of the recent news is enabling and involving players by giving choices to make with repercussions. First off, I'm skeptical of that in an MMO. Next, the only example given seems to be whether to support Sylvanas or Saurfang - and that is a Horde-only decision. And other than some lines of dialog, I don't know what the different outcome could actually be. Things are plotted out expansions in advance, so there's virtual

I don't know... The elements of a book I'd really enjoy are there, but it feels like Blade and Rose was, perhaps, trying too hard. We have a fantasy world where magic is real, but monsters mostly aren't (at present). Rielle makes a fine lead character - a battle-hardened elemental sorceress with a ton of background baggage. Jon, a mysteriously-discharged paladin (who seem well versed in anti-magical tactics and equipment) offers a fair enough counterpoint and romantic interest. Brennan, an often petty/abusive nobleman secretly cursed with werewolfism sets up the main "love triangle" by being Rielle's betrothed, even if there's a lot of animosity between them. There are a few more major characters, but that's the big core trio. So that's pretty standard, but the book lays it on really thick. The teasing/tension between Rielle and Jon infuses just about every scene for the first half or two thirds of the book. Of course, they're bad about ke

So, over the weekend I queued up a few audiobook versions of some H.P. Lovecraft stories to listen to. It was rather happenstance that one ended up catching my eye and me reflecting on how all my Mythos knowledge is from secondary sources. The most striking things about the experience were perhaps the most mundane. I found myself thinking about the flowery, archaic language used and how that represents the very different time in which the stories were written. The stories themselves make a strong case for there being things that man is better off not knowing, but many of the elements lack punch in my view. That may be because I've lived on a diet of the fantastical and science fiction, or it may be because the rise of information technologies has made the world feel smaller. I mean, The Doom That Came to Sarnath sort of sets itself up as a tale of how the people of Sarnath messed with ancient non-humans and got punished for it. A vast majority of the story, however, is about how

What to say? Delta Rune (chapter 1) was entertaining. I wonder if it would be as much so without having played Undertale before it? As it stands, it was an interesting revisiting of alternate-world-ish old characters and new. I still dislike bullet hell gameplay, but it didn't bother me too much and I wasn't roadblocked anywhere. After a few hours, the story ended having been fun enough. I would call the game "charming" overall. Otherwise, I'm still poking about a bit for entertainments. AC Odyssey has had a few minor additions recently that I may look into soon, though a level cap raise on the horizon almost makes me want to wait for that before doing anything that earns XP. Fortuna should be released for Warframe any day now, though I haven't played much in months and I'm not sure another big open area is going to be what pulls me back in. Plains of Eidolon looks interesting at a glance, but actually doing anything there felt like a grind. Timed wi

The only thing on my maybe-to-do list that didn't get finished for the Mandalorian outfit was knee-caps. I feel fine without, though they could be added. And having a blaster drives home the need for a sling, or at least a strap to hang it with. Otherwise, my thoughts from wearing the suit all day include: - Well, this is doable. A bit restrictive and not totally comfortable, but doable. - Putting on a helmet really makes me wish I didn't wear glasses these days. - The helmet still has some issue with fogging up with even a little bit of exertion. - While not hot, per se, it's definitely more comfortable to wear in October. If I'd worn it at that Denver ComiCon in the summer, I might have passed out from heat stroke before getting into the convention center and wearing it in there certainly would have been inconvenient as well. That's a little disheartening. - The boots threaten to give blisters, though that might be partly because they get worn so rarely. So