Archive: 2021

104 entries. 90,383 words.

January, 2021

  • 2021 Begins. 2021-01-01 12:00 AM.
    • Administration

    I have rebuilt Endgame Viable as a static site, which means massive changes for me, the developer, and some changes for you, the reader. First, it probably looks completely different. Second, there are some things that you won’t be able to do on the new site, at least not initially: Search for posts. Update: The workaround is to type “your search term site:endgameviable.com” into Google. Comment on posts. For comments, I wired up a somewhat janky private Remark42 server. Like posts. Unfortunately those were the major sacrifices I had to make in order to jump to a static site. I know there’s at least a couple of people out there who still like to comment on blog posts, and I hate to take away that feature, but Progress Demands Sacrifice, as they say. (I’m sure somebody, somewhere says that.) For the time being, you can ping me on Twitter at @endgameviable, or yell at me in the Blaugust Discord. 289 words.
  • Wasteland 2. 2021-01-04 8:00 AM.
    • RPG

    Over the winter holidays, I got into an isometric Baldur’s Gate-style RPG kick and played several games in that genre. The first was Wasteland 2, a post-apocalyptic RPG in the style of the original Fallout 1 and 2. 733 words.
  • Endgame Viable 2020 Awards. 2021-01-11 8:00 AM.
    • Consoles
    • Roundup
    • Steam

    I only bought one new game in 2020 so it will be very easy to pick my own personal Game of the Year for 2020. But I also talk about a few other noteworthy games I played during the year. 560 words.
  • Pillars of Eternity. 2021-01-18 9:00 AM.
    • RPG

    I tried out Pillars of Eternity next in The Great 2020 Holiday RPG Game Blitz, a game that I got for free on the Epic Game Store. 765 words.

February, 2021

  • Quest for the One Blog, Part 10. 2021-02-02 6:00 PM.
    • Development

    For completeness, I present this brainstorming session about merging two other kinds of content streams in with blog content, an unfinished draft from somewhere during a Lost Time Period of 2020. 779 words.
  • Golang Part 1. 2021-02-20 5:08 PM.
    • Development

    Recently I started learning Go, Google’s internally-developed language. It’s also known as “Golang,” because it turns out that “Go” is a terrible search term. 519 words.
  • Tyranny. 2021-02-20 5:39 PM.
    • Gaming
    • RPG

    Somehow March is almost upon us, and I still haven’t written about Tyranny, the other free game I got from the Epic Store oh so long ago now. It was the next in a burst of isometric CRPG games that I played around Christmas time, which started with Wasteland 2 and then Pillars of Eternity. 361 words.

March, 2021

  • Starting A New Job. 2021-03-04 7:35 AM.
    • Development

    I’m pleased to announce that on March 1st, I started a new software engineering job, working generally in the field of “IT infrastructure lifecycle management.” This is a pretty big, life-changing sort of job for me. 1,355 words.
  • Valheim and Outriders. 2021-03-06 10:47 AM.
    • Gaming

    I don’t get the Valheim craze and I wasn’t wowed by Outriders either. There, I said it. 556 words.
  • Halcyon 6, Sunless Sea, and Surviving Mars. 2021-03-13 7:58 PM.
    • Gaming

    This past week I found myself trying three free games I got from the Epic Game Store. 378 words.
  • Stadia Pro Free Trial. 2021-03-29 9:38 PM.
    • Gaming

    I got a two-month free trial of Stadia Pro and have been trying it out. 729 words.

April, 2021

  • Pillars of Eternity Video Adventures. 2021-04-04 12:12 PM.
    • Gaming

    Video adventures uploaded in the last week or so. 716 words.
  • The End of Pillars of Eternity. 2021-04-11 9:34 AM.
    • Gaming

    At last, the Pillars of Eternity series comes to an end. 320 words.
  • The Random Game Era Begins. 2021-04-18 12:22 PM.
    • Gaming

    Before and after I started a new job in March, my gaming time and interest plummeted to nothing, so I commenced a period of short gaming sessions of mainly free games and demos which continues to this very day. 319 words.
  • Those D&D Shows. 2021-04-18 8:20 PM.
    • Gaming
    • TTRPG

    Some Twitter activity prompted me to think about how and why I follow some D&D shows. 2,005 words.
  • Free Stadia Game Phase. 2021-04-25 3:28 PM.
    • Gaming

    And now we move into videos of games I’ve played during a Free Two-Month Stadia Pro Trial phase (which I got from someone at my new job). There are a whole lot of free games to click on and play with a Stadia subscription, but the down side is that 99% of them are games you’ve never heard of before. 618 words.
  • Hosting on Azure - Quest for the One Blog, Part 11. 2021-04-25 7:52 PM.
    • Development

    Setting up Hugo, the static site generator, to build my blog with Microsoft Azure. 1,170 words.

May, 2021

  • Finding a Headset. 2021-05-01 8:33 AM.
    • Gaming

    Finding a microphone that can also be used for content creation (aka. makin’ vidyas) in a noisy room is challenging. 2,142 words.
  • Another Week of Stadia Games. 2021-05-02 9:36 AM.
    • Gaming

    Another week of playing strange games for free with a free trial of Stadia Pro. It’s really a fantastic system for trying out new games quickly. The technology is very cool. The sticking point is who pays for it, and how much this luxurious convenience is worth to a consumer. 684 words.
  • Scripted Twitch Streaming. 2021-05-06 10:43 AM.
    • Gaming

    How to stream a local video file to Twitch with ffmpeg. 1,489 words.
  • Amazon Luna Also Streams Games. 2021-05-09 6:48 PM.
    • Gaming

    Since I was experimenting with Stadia, it seemed fitting to try out Amazon Luna for comparison. It was only a seven day free trial, though. Also, it was noticeably worse quality than Stadia. Also, you have to pay for an early access subscription. Also, it had far less good games available for free. In summary, not a lot of pros with Amazon Luna. 570 words.
  • Firewatch Week. 2021-05-16 9:24 AM.
    • Gaming

    Firewatch and other games I’m currently playing: ie. The Surge, Hellpoint, and Greedfall. 535 words.
  • FFXIV and Technical Debt. 2021-05-18 8:14 PM.
    • Gaming
    • MMORPG

    I blurted out some tweets yesterday morning about Final Fantasy XIV which I think need some further clarification. 830 words.
  • What Used To Be Controversial. 2021-05-23 1:03 PM.
    • Gaming

    The end of my streak of miscellaneous one-off videos. 321 words.
  • Building a New Gaming PC (2021 Edition). 2021-05-29 11:20 AM.
    • Gaming

    Or: “Battle for Your Oats.” 3,181 words.

June, 2021

  • The Surge Begins. 2021-06-01 8:37 AM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike

    The 42-part adventure in The Surge begins, a game that was fun except for the boss fights, and the last zone, which was an ordeal to finish. 476 words.
  • The Surge - Central Production B. 2021-06-09 7:42 AM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike

    The continuing adventures of Warren rending his way through his first day on the job at CREO. 698 words.
  • PC Build Surprises (2021 Edition). 2021-06-15 8:00 AM.
    • Gaming

    I put together my new PC build over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. There’re always some surprises when you build a PC: Things that don’t go according to plan. Here’s some of mine. 1,566 words.
  • The Surge - Resolve Biolabs. 2021-06-16 9:27 PM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike

    The continuing adventures of Warren hacking and slashing his way through the Resolve Biolabs to reach his ultimate goal of … who knows? Warren doesn’t really have any motivation. Just an unquenchable thirst for hacking up robots and zombies. (Though he might have a secret backstory.) 663 words.
  • The Surge - Research and Development. 2021-06-28 9:52 AM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike

    The continuing adventures of Warren on his first day on the job at CREO. We’ve now reached the point in the story where I no longer remember what happened, didn’t write anything down, and don’t have enough time to re-watch the videos to figure it out. Soooooo. Yeah. Vague, one-sentence summaries! 562 words.

July, 2021

  • The Sound of Your Own Voice. 2021-07-06 11:08 AM.
    I saw a tweet the other day that reminded me of a topic of interest to me for decades, and I’m almost positive I’ve never written a blog post about this, so it’s finally something new to write about: The sound of your own recorded voice. 1,393 words.
  • The Surge - The End. 2021-07-08 9:12 AM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike

    It’s the last stretch for The Surge, as Warren finishes out his first day on the job. I hated the last zone in The Surge (the Nucleus) so much I almost uninstalled the game with only a couple hours left to play, but I powered through it because I’d gone too far to throw away so many videos. :) 1,134 words.
  • Categorizing Boss Fights. 2021-07-11 8:54 PM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike

    I was thinking about why some boss fights are fun challenges and other boss fights drive me absolutely crazy with needless frustration. 1,000 words.
  • Another FFXIV Free Login. 2021-07-12 10:42 AM.
    • Gaming
    • MMORPG

    There’s a lot of buzz about Final Fantasy XIV’s Endwalker expansion, and now I see it’s that time again when Square Enix is letting lapsed Final Fantasy XIV accounts login free for a couple of weeks. 697 words.
  • What's Wrong With Nioh. 2021-07-14 8:30 AM.
    • Gaming
    • Soulslike
    • MMORPG

    I simply have no choice but to rant about Nioh for some number of paragraphs. 1,777 words.
  • FFXIV - The Unending Journey. 2021-07-15 9:09 AM.
    • Gaming
    • MMORPG

    I played Final Fantasy XIV last night. Sort of. 763 words.
  • FFXIV - Shadowbringers. 2021-07-18 8:47 PM.
    • Gaming
    • MMORPG

    I didn’t really intend to play Shadowbringers. I thought I was done with Final Fantasy XIV forever, actually. But a few things combined to get me back in this game. 602 words.
  • Blogging Pep Talk. 2021-07-21 9:09 AM.
    • Writing

    Blaugust 2021 is coming soon! It’s fun! Do it! If you want. I’m not your mom. 779 words.
  • Old Post Prompts. 2021-07-22 1:01 PM.
    • Writing

    Here’s a list of some old posts that I’m going to mine for topic ideas this Blaugust, which may or may not turn into a fruitful strategy. 223 words.
  • Final Fantasy XV. 2021-07-27 1:50 PM.
    • Gaming

    I did a weird thing: I bought Final Fantasy XV on Steam. It’s … not bad? Maybe? 1,101 words.
  • FFXIV - Shadowbringers Update. 2021-07-28 9:33 AM.
    • Gaming
    • MMORPG

    We now bring you a brief Shadowbringers update. 1,609 words.

August, 2021

  • The First Day of Blaugust. 2021-08-01 8:57 AM.
    • Blog

    It’s the first day of Blaugust, and it’s a dreary one. 654 words.
  • FFXIV - What's Still Holding It Back?. 2021-08-01 9:30 AM.
    • Gaming
    • MMORPG

    Final Fantasy XIV is enjoying a massive surge in popularity this summer, but there are still a few things preventing it from reigning supreme in the MMORPG space. 393 words.
  • FFXV - Leviathan. 2021-08-02 8:44 AM.
    • Gaming

    Final Fantasy XV is on my mind this morning. 463 words.
  • On Music Posts. 2021-08-03 8:47 AM.
    • Blog

    I have what I have to assume is an abnormal reaction to music posts. 416 words.
  • Final Fantasy XIII. 2021-08-04 8:31 AM.
    • Gaming

    I’m going to play Final Fantasy XIII next. That’s a 13. Those roman numerals are confusing. 529 words.
  • Final Fantasy XIII Screenshots. 2021-08-05 8:43 AM.
    • Gaming

    I have roughly 15 minutes to think of, write, edit, illustrate, and publish a blog post this morning. 509 words.
  • A Two-Fawn Morning. 2021-08-06 8:01 AM.
    • Blog

    We interrupt this blog post creation for an unscheduled visit from some deer. 265 words.
  • Todo List - Quest for the One Blog, Part 12. 2021-08-07 8:47 AM.
    • Development

    Mainly so that I can remember this, here’s a list of the outstanding problems with the blog that need to be resolved someday. 1,372 words.
  • Status - Quest for the One Blog, Part 13. 2021-08-08 9:44 AM.
    • Development

    A quick summary of the current status of the Quest for The One Blog. 1,164 words.
  • Final Fantasy Status Update. 2021-08-09 9:21 AM.
    • Gaming

    It’s time for a brief Final Fantasy update. 515 words.
  • Like Pulling Teeth. 2021-08-10 8:48 AM.
    • Blog

    I would say that getting me to talk or write about myself is like pulling teeth, but I’ve had five or six teeth pulled in my lifetime (or more, I honestly don’t remember), and a ton of root canals, and a ton of dental work in general, so pulling teeth is no big deal to me. 235 words.
  • Writing For Clarity. 2021-08-11 8:53 AM.
    • Writing

    Magi mentioned a topic in the Blaugust discord: “How do you personally get your opinions or thoughts across in a post?” 567 words.
  • Bless Unleashed. 2021-08-12 8:56 AM.
    • Gaming

    Bless Unleashed: I mean, it’s free. 599 words.
  • What's Up With That?. 2021-08-13 11:00 AM.
    • Blog

    I have the day off today, and I have to talk for a moment about the What Up With That SNL sketches. 191 words.
  • FFXIV's Gandalf Moment. 2021-08-14 9:38 AM.
    • Gaming

    The Stupid Face Boss in Final Fantasy XIII and The Gandalf Moment in Final Fantasy XIV. 1,013 words.
  • Pantheon Of Best Shadowbringers Moments So Far. 2021-08-15 9:33 AM.
    • Gaming

    Yesterday I flippantly remarked, “Not exactly a deep meditation on the human condition,” about the Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers story so far. But there was a conversation that my mind keeps returning to: A conversation between the Crystal Exarch and Lord Vauthry. 968 words.
  • FFXIV - How To Abandon A Main Scenario Quest, Kind Of. 2021-08-16 9:27 AM.
    • Gaming

    I ran into a problem with Final Fantasy XIV and I thought I’d share the solution I came up with, because you certainly won’t find it anywhere on Reddit. 1,162 words.
  • Level Curves And Story Pacing. 2021-08-17 9:39 AM.
    • Gaming

    I wish the arbitrary geometric leveling curve didn’t mess up story pacing. 832 words.
  • MMORPG Character Switcharoos. 2021-08-18 8:20 AM.
    • Gaming

    Sometimes MMORPGs make you play a different character for narrative purposes and I don’t like it very much. 701 words.
  • FFXIV - Oracle of Light. 2021-08-19 11:17 AM.
    • Gaming

    I spent last night in Final Fantasy XIV standing at the Neverending Storybook (not the actual name) refreshing my memory on story events from the very end of A Realm Reborn and the post-Heavensward stuff with The Word Of The Mother and the Warriors of Darkness. 972 words.
  • Friday Screenshots - FFXIV. 2021-08-20 6:45 PM.
    • Gaming

    I was going to pull out one of seemingly hundreds of half-written posts to finish them, but then I realized I hate all of them! And now it’s evening. So here’s some screenshots. It’s from that game I’ve been playing. You know the one I mean. 92 words.
  • Saturday Screenshots - FFXIV. 2021-08-21 4:21 PM.
    • Gaming

    Hey, writing blog posts every day isn’t that fun sometimes. Here’s some screenshots. From that same game again. Because they’re the only screenshots I took yesterday. 151 words.
  • Sunday Screenshots - FFXIV. 2021-08-22 6:10 PM.
    • Gaming

    I didn’t even rename the screenshot files this time. 95 words.
  • Blogging Motivation: What's That?. 2021-08-23 11:48 AM.
    • Writing

    I think we’re supposed to be writing about how we bloggers stay motivated when blogging, but I think a much more relatable topic for the masses is how we definitely, positively don’t stay motivated. 670 words.
  • FFXIV Needs A Limit Break. 2021-08-24 8:44 AM.
    • Gaming

    I’m waking up to this news that Final Fantasy XIV has closed off all the North American Aether servers to new players indefinitely because they can’t handle the strain anymore. 340 words.
  • Best MMO Technology. 2021-08-25 8:40 AM.
    • Gaming

    Yesterday I mentioned how much I worried that Final Fantasy XIV was staggering into their new expansion on duct tape and bailing wire, so I thought today I’d mention the MMORPGs that appear to have a much more solid technology base that I don’t have to worry about. 417 words.
  • Shadowbringers Done, Part 1. 2021-08-26 8:45 AM.
    • Gaming

    I finished the first ending of Shadowbringers. The one before the long series of post-expansion patches. 469 words.
  • YouTube Data API. 2021-08-27 8:33 AM.
    • Development

    YouTube’s API is a pain. 498 words.
  • Nuts To The Post-Shadowbringers Blues. 2021-08-28 10:52 AM.
    • Gaming

    I started into the post-Shadowbringers Main Scenario Quest last night and got a whole two quests in before the game slammed a massive brick wall down in front of me. 1,048 words.
  • The Endgame Grind Decision Point. 2021-08-29 11:53 AM.
    • Gaming

    Should I dive headlong into the vortex of Final Fantasy XIV endgame possibilities or should I detox and play something else? 534 words.
  • FFXIV - New Game Plus. 2021-08-30 8:16 AM.
    • Gaming

    I recently learned about New Game+ in Final Fantasy XIV, some time earlier in Blaugust, in the Blaugust Discord. I didn’t think it would work very well, but it actually does. 942 words.
  • Blaugust 2021 Lessons Learned. 2021-08-31 10:05 AM.
    • Writing

    Well kids, what did we learn this month? 509 words.

September, 2021

October, 2021

November, 2021

  • Solasta: Crown of the Magister. 2021-11-14 1:54 PM.
    • Gaming

    I stumbled upon a new (to me) tactical RPG based on the D&D rules. 1,071 words.
  • Wheel of Time - Season 1, Episodes 1 to 3. 2021-11-22 5:11 PM.
    • Television

    A Wheel of Time-length blog post to start a new series dissecting each episode of Wheel of Time. Until I lose interest, of course. It’s a lot of work to write these and it hurts my back. 3,679 words.
  • Comment Server - Quest For The One Blog, Part 14. 2021-11-25 10:30 AM.
    • Development

    I may have setup a working Remark42 comment server? 714 words.
  • Disco Elysium. 2021-11-26 8:30 AM.
    • Gaming

    Disco Elysium is one of those award-winning games I bought mainly because it was on sale and I heard it was award-winning. 731 words.
  • Wheel of Time - S1E4: The Dragon Reborn. 2021-11-28 11:33 AM.
    • Television

    Episode 4, The Dragon Reborn is the first great episode of the series. 2,504 words.

December, 2021