Still Alive!
I'm happy to report my long absence isn't due to some unfortunate circumstance, in fact, the
exact opposite, where I'm probably the most content and happiest I've been with where I currently am in life in, well...ever. It sounds cliche, but I enjoy and look forward to getting up in the morning to go to my job, my 20-minute morning drive commute is awesome and a slice of daily fun as I'm cruising past idyllic rustic farms and through forested road scenes that are straight out of a picturesque desktop wallpaper while listening to tunes to get me energized for the day.
It's funny you mention my last activity was Feb 2022, that was exactly when I came to one of life's forks in the road, and I put my nose to the grindstone to make the path I decided to take work out, which thankfully has worked out better than I could have ever hoped for a year ago, and I am currently living that simple but
very content American suburban life...one that I could have only dreamed of 10 years ago back when I was confused, struggling and trying to figure things out.
It was a long struggle....but the American dream became a reality for me....awesome beautiful wife, great kids, great house, great job, great neighborhood, excellent school district for my kids, great sex on demand, large back yard and proper grille on the back porch, kids spend their summer days playing with their cousins in a large backyard swimming pool, a bonafide man-cave with wooden bar and entertainment setup and walls lined with framed posters of my favorite movies and games (I'm enjoying it while I can, 'cause I know that in 10-12 years time there is a distinct possibility it will be taken over as a teenage make-out pad or get-baked-with-my-friends-while-dad-is-at-work lounge)....things that a lot of other people have (and more) and take for granted, but for me an enormously
massive improvement from 10 years ago when I was single, depressed, working a bunch of underpaid freelance jobs, taking long and unpleasant subway commutes to work, and sharing a bathroom with sketchy roommates in an overpriced loft without any privacy in one of NYC's outer boroughs.
The simple American dream I'm now living seemed like straight-up
fantasy to Rob circa late-2012, even today it's a big struggle for a majority of people to reach....but here I am and I couldn't be more grateful. Like I said, I'm not boasting, I'm just saying I consider myself one of the very lucky few and count my stars daily.
I still lurk on the boards and check what you guys are doing, but even lurking, I probably quickly glance maybe once every couple of weeks. The fact that I just now saw you month old post should indicate the rarity I visit
any game forum these days. (I'm able to do this reply cause I have the house all to myself this weekend). Still, the fact that I continue to visit a community over
20 years after I originally joined it in it's original form shows the respect and admiration I have that you guys are still trucking and keeping the GSF going. I can't think of
any other web related thing I used to frequent 20 years ago that I still occasionally check out. And the times I have popped over to see what's been discussed, there have been some comments that I thought were the spark of some interesting game discussion, and where I have
started to write a reply....only to be ripped away from the keyboard by a small human or some responsibility, which these days I'm happy with.
Games are of course still a passion and hobby of mine....but kids, family, career and home-ownership now take up a LOT more of my time - in a good way. If you don't see my around these parts again for a long while, if it's anything like the past year, just assume I'm working toward that next milestone and promotion, and actually succeeding in making the next big stride in growing and improving my life and that of my family, and that I wish you guys the best and still occasionally eyeball whatever crazy discussion is happening here.
Also, these days I kinda go at my own gaming pace, both in terms of the content I play and when I get to stuff, which is at a different frequency than that of the rest of the online gaming community, so I don't know how much of a contribution I'd be to today's contemporary gaming discussions.
If I was to use an analogy to where I am these days in comparison to the current online game community....I'm that
very behind-the-curve guy who just discovered something everyone else has known for a long time, like the movie-fan who pops into a contemporary online movie discussion wanting to talk about how
"I can't believe Bruce Willis was dead that whole time!"
I mean, I played a pretty decent amount of games last year. In terms of personal tastes, my two favorite "New to me games of all of 2022" was 2016's
Oxenfree and 2017's
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm. I wouldn't be able to contribute anything to a discussion of GOTY hit Elden Ring.....instead this past year, I could talk more about how Before the Storm is one of the best depictions of the highs and lows and confusion of awkward teenage romance of entertainment medium, how it's the first and only videogame I've played to actually nails a kiss in a great way and completely avoids the uncanny valley of so many other games, and how after playing it I'm solidly Bae > Bay all the way...not to mention it has an
awesome indie soundtrack.
Not to long ago, I saw someone, I believe in this forum, write that gaming content today is the best it's ever been, but the catch is that
mainstream industry and community
practices that tarnish the overall outlook and perception of contemporary gaming.....(Edit: found it
here)....an assessment I
fully agree with.
I could talk about one thing I wish developers would get better at is with dialogue choices and better understanding of the intention of the player with a dialogue choice versus what the character actually says and the tone they use. I can't tell you how many times I've chosen a dialogue choice that read like the civil or calm one, where I expect my character to
gently inquire about something...only for the action to result in my character raging like a maniac.
...but topics like that aren't exactly lighting up the gaming discussions these days.
That said, I will contribute to this thread, which I have actually had the itch to do since I first saw it a month ago. I've done away with the idea of a "backlogue", which has actually improved my enjoyment of games, despite this, there is a selection that I'd like to experience some form of completion with....which are:
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals - Granted, this game isn't out yet, but given the recent update, it looks it'll definitely release this year. I'm looking forward to my first of many runs with the sequel, but first I'm working my way toward the Perfect "Leave is possible" ending for the original Oxenfree, ie - the perfect ending where Alex has good relationships with everyone and breaks the loop. I've played and beaten Oxenfree multiple times over the past year (it's short enough I can easily beat it over a weekend), and I'm working my way toward that perfect New Game+ playthrough and ending, which I think I've cracked how to get it. Once I do that, I look forward to playing the sequel for the first time, and then many times after.
- Kentucky Route Zero - I held off playing this until all acts were released. It's been in my library for quite some time. I recently completed the first Act. I think I am going to replay the first Act, it's short, but there is a lot in there. I'm looking forward to completing all 5 acts this year, talking it slow and spacing them out over the course of the year.
- Before Your Eyes
- GRIS
- The Last of Us Part II - I'm preparing myself for this one. From what I've read it's both a divisive and intense gaming experience.
![[face_whistling]](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ignboards.com/styles/ign/ign/smilies/classic/whistling.gif "Whistling [face_whistling]")