2025 comes to a close. It’s been a big year, with lots of challenges, successes and failures. I published, read, watched and gamed. I’ve written, drawn and programmed. I’ve met some goals, and missed others.
Overall, I’m glad with how 2025 turned out. Maybe I could have done a lot more, but I also could have done a lot less. So, I am a happy author-man.
As for 2026, I’m hitting the ground running with my suggestion to-do list already keeping me productive on a daily basis. I’m excited to see how much I can get done next year.
Projects
The big project news of 2025 was publishing Champion Bold, my first science fiction novel. I’ve heard some good reviews, and I’m working on two sequel books (one direct sequel, and one following a popular secondary character).
There isn’t a single project on my list that I didn’t work on this year. I world built or wrote important scenes. I developed characters and outlined plots. I’m looking forward to bringing more to print, and I’m hoping to get more of them to my readers soon.
2026 Goals
Major Project: Get the Colonel Lieutenant to print, or at least final draft
Major Project: Get Orcfyre to print, or at least final draft.
Major Project: Get 1st Minnesota story book 1 to rough draft
Minor Projects: Get each project to detailed outline, some scenes written.
Books
I fell short of my reading goal by a good number: I finished 14 books out of a goal of 36. But that’s largely because I’m still adjusting to not bussing anymore. In the summer I can read on the porch, but in the winter I have to make time.
Most of what I did read was fiction, either from my Tom Clancy re-read or from the Shanarra series I’m slowly working through. I most disappointed I haven’t finished more of my research books, particularly Seven Plots. But, we move on.
2026 Goals
Finish 24 books total
Finish audiobook of War and Peace
Finish 3 Research books
Finish 6 Non-Fiction books
Movies and Shows
I finished 18 movies and 11 seasons of TV shows in 2025. I’m happy with the number of movies I finished, but a bit disappointed I only for through 11 seasons. That’s less than one a month. My lists of both are long and getting longer, so this is definitely something I want to get better on.
2026 Goals
Finish 24 movies (2 a month)
Finish 18 seasons of shows (1.5 a month)
Games
I only finished 3 story games in 2023. Now, this isn’t a lot, but it doesn’t take into account open games (games without stories). those game I could replay multiple times without really finishing them.
For 2026, when I start an open game, I’m going to set myself a challenge. Something like ‘get these achievements’ or ‘win as this faction’. That way, I have a set goal that I can reach, and when I reach it I can move on, and always comeback to replay for a different challenge later.
The way I incorporated the games into my suggestion list (one day is story game, next day is open game, then back) helps immensely.
2026 Goals
Finish six story games
Finish ten open challenges.
Events
I managed to get to two conventions, two brewery events, and my launch party this year. That’s not bad. I’ve got one event for sure lined up in 2026, and several others I’ve got my eye on or I’m on waiting lists for. I’m considering bringing back Book and Beer, if only to keep myself going to events. We’ll see how that goes.
November went well. I continue to benefit from the use of the daily recommendation schedule. It’s nice to know that if I have time to work and I’m not inspired by any particular project, I can look at this schedule and work on what it suggests. And if I am inspired to focus on one thing or the other, I will do so.
Projects
I got at least something done for each of my projects. Either I completed one of the world building tasks, or I write a scene to start fleshing out the story. Very nice to start knocking those goals off.
With the Colonel Lieutenant I got at least rough drafts up to Chapter 20. Every time it’s on my list I’m picking at it, getting it closer to being done. I am a little worried it might get too big; maybe I need to cut it into two? I hope not, but we’ll see.
Most of my Orcfyre work was world building. In particular, I focused on fleshing out the pantheon of deities, especially as the main characters would know and interact with them. I started the first scene and I’ve outlined much of the rest.
As for the 1st Minnesota project, I did come to a decision to write this story in the First Person. I think, ultimately, this is the better way to get the experience of the soldier across to the reader. And there are mechanisms I could use for a third person perspective if I needed. But, we’ll see.
December Goals
The Colonel Lieutenant: Finish 5 Acts
Orcfyre: Finish First Act
1st Minnesota: Finish First Act
Other projects: Write at Least One Scene Each
Other projects: Cross off at least one World Building goal Each
Blog Post: Still a Pantser
Blog Post: Writing Process – Research
Books
Seven Plots (Research)
Bearer of the Black Staff (Fiction)
Cardinal of the Kremlin (Fiction; Re-Read)
Didn’t get too much reading done last month. It’s something I want to change in December. Dedicated reading time every day.
December Goals
Finish one of the Fiction Novels
Finish Seven Plots
Start New Research Book
Start New Non-Fiction Book
Movies / Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
John Wick
John Wick, Chapter 2
John Wick 3 – Parabellum
John Wick, Chapter 4
Ballerina
Foundation
Stranger Things Season 5
I watched through the John Wick movies last month. I thoroughly enjoyed them. The entire series was a master class in world building. We learn so much about the world by watching the story play out. When they can’t show us, they only tell us enough to keep the story going, without revealing more information than they needed to. The fight scenes were fantastic and well choreographed (though I think they started to draw a little long by the fourth movie).
I then watched the spinoff Ballerina, which is set between Wick 3 and 4. This movie was just as exciting and fun as the original series of movies. And I appreciate that the main character (Ana de armas) fights differently than John Wick (Keanu Reeves), as she’s a small woman and not a moderately sized man. I can see why everyone likes this series.
I also got too start the fifth season of Stranger Things. This show has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and the first four episodes have shown the magic continues to grow. I’m excited to see what they have in store for the last episodes.
December Goals
Finish Foundation Season 2
Finish Bad Batch Season 2
Finish Stranger Things Season 5
Watch two new movies
Games
Madden 2026
Last of Us 2 Replay
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
Surviving Mars Relaunch
I didn’t spend much time on the couch in November, so my console games remain unfinished. Nothing wrong with that, except for the normal crossing things off my list part.
I did start a PC game called Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, which is a sniper first person shooter set in Siberia. It was okay, but it didn’t really draw me in. I kind of stopped playing it. I may come back in the future and finish it off, but if I don’t, I’m okay with it.
Then I started to play the Surviving Mars Relaunch. It’s a remaster of the game Surviving Mars, which I spent a lot of time playing. I haven’t noticed too many differences yet, but I just got into it Thanksgiving weekend. I’m eager to start playing the new stuff soon.
December Goals
Finish Last of Us 2 Replay
Start new PC Story Game
Get back into Horizon: Forbidden West
Get back into Red Dead Redemption 2
What’s Next
I’ve got a event lined up for December 20th, 2 to 5 PM, at Utepil’s Brewery. Only a few hours to sell some books, but it’s something.
Still on some waiting lists for other events. We’ll see what come sup.
In the year since I last told myself the cake calories didn’t count, I have managed a number of steps forward. I published my third book, Champion Bold, and its three supplements. I did two conventions and one book event, all of which were successful. And I made progress on several other projects. It was a good year. One I’m hoping to continue into the next.
As I hit my birthday, I wanted to take a moment to consider my project list. What am I working on? How important is it? And what do I need to do to advance it before the next birthday?
Primary Projects
Primary projects are the major projects that I’m actively trying to get published. I have at least one completed draft and I’m rewriting or editing for publication.
The Colonel Lieutenant
Renaissance Army Book 3 * Dystopic Speculative Fiction * Renaissance Army Setting
Book Three of my main series, this book sees Sasha Small, now a commissioned lieutenant of the Renaissance Army, return to the Third Field Regiment in a moment of crisis. She is faced with a test of leadership and of her skills as a military officer.
I completed one draft of this book and I’ve been working on the next. I’ve got the first quarter or so done, and I know how I want it to end. But getting from A to Z and making sure the letters in between build it effectively is the real challenge. I’m making good progress. Now if I can make fast progress.
Orcfyre
Horus Book 1* Fantasy * Vi-World Setting
This first book of a planned trilogy. This book sees Horus, a human/orc warrior, and his adopted sister Ashlynn, on a quest. A quest that could save Horus’ life. Their adventure is interrupted by a civil war that forces both of them to face the truth about their relationship with the world.
I’ve gone through several drafts of this story, slowly working out my problems with each iteration. Do I have it this time? I think so, but if not, then I think I’ll be closer to the last draft.
Secondary Projects
Secondary Projects are projects that I want to publish. These ones I’m writing to get a rough draft ready, looking to get feedback on.
1st Minnesota (Untitled)
Historical Fiction
This project is the story of a soldier who enlists in the 1st Minnesota Regiment at the start of the American Civil War and fights through its three-year service. The character experiences Bull Run, the Peninsula and Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and so much more.
I’ve got lots of research notes and books on the subject. I know it’s going to be more than one book, though I haven’t worked out the exact divisions. I’ve got everything ready to start writing. What I need to figure out is first person or third. Or some hybrid of the two.
Tertiary Projects
Tertiary Projects are projects where I have the idea developed and I’m focused on running through the PBRG process and writing key scenes.
Champion Impact
Champion Book 2 * Science Fiction * Light Star Universe
The sequel to Champion Bold, this story follows Augustine de Zama in his adventures. Since the first book was funded through Kickstarter, I need to get info from some backers on aliens and characters, then I can slip them into my outline and start hammering out the story.
Dress Reds, Inc.
Champion Series Spin Off * Science Fiction * Light Star Universe
A spin off from Champion Bold, this book follows Genevieve Wright, a fan favorite. Genevieve is hired to go to a region under an emerging threat. But in addition to warfare, she finds herself dealing with the politics and cultures — and alien species — of the region.
Light Star Short Story Anthology (Untitled)
Science Fiction * Light Star Universe
This anthology is a collection of short stories from the Light Star Universe. If this works the way I want it to, it’ll include three stories from myself, and two stories from the LSU co-creator. But we’ll see how it goes.
Retirement (Untitled)
Fantasy * Unique Setting
Retirement is a fantasy story set in a world where the gods must choose mortal replacements every century. The hero has been chosen to be a god, a distinction he does not want. But since he’s been chosen, he now has to deal with the consequences or face the annihilation of his soul.
Quaternary Projects
Quaternary Projects are projects that I developing. I’ve got more than a basic idea, but short of an actual story. I’m doing some light PBRG work to help flesh out the details.
Commonwealth War
Speculative Fiction * Renaissance Army Setting
A book or books about the Commonwealth conquest of Atlantic America, set well before the story of Sasha Small. In the same style as Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising, with multiple characters showing different aspects of the war. I know the history, but I need to work on the characters and plot lines.
Conarth Story
Science Fiction * Light Star Universe
A story of the Light Star Universe, this book involved the Conarth, one of my major alien races in the universe. I don’t want to go into too many details right now, but this will be an interesting project because it’ll be largely a political story with a military backdrop. Looks like I’ll be watching a lot of West Wing.
Contrition (Untitled)
Dystopic Science Fiction * Contrition Setting
This is a setting where I’m looking for a story. The setting is thousands of hears in the future, after an alien race has devastated humanity and left it in ruins. The aliens declared that humanity had ‘reached Contrition’, but never told humans what they had done. I have some ideas, but trying to come up with a story that isn’t repetitive of what I’ve done before has proven difficult. Plus, I want a story that explored the setting.
First Knights (Untitled Project)
Fantasy * Vi-World Setting
This is a story of how the knightly or paladin orders of the Vi-world started. I’ve had to build and really flesh out the mythology of the world to set this one up. Now, I’m outlining and plotting.
General of the Pen
Fantasy (I think)
This is the project I’m building as part of the PBRG blog series. It’s a fun project and maybe I’ll turn it into an actual book. Or maybe not. At this point, it’s just for fun. As for the genre, it is 19th Century tech level, but no magical elements, so I’m unsure if it is fantasy or not. Something more to research.
Resurrection (Untitled)
Science Fantasy * Apex Setting
This project is set in a world where some humans have developed special powers. The main character has been resurrection after his execution because it turns out he was innocent, and the powers that be need his help finding the real culprit. But being executed while innocent doesn’t do much for one’s dedication, and he begins to plot his escape. I’ve got the beginning written, and I know where this ends. Currently, I’m plotting out the middle.
Tales of the Templars
Speculative Fiction * Short Story Anthology * Renaissance Army Setting
This is a project I come back to every now and then; a collection of short stories about the other Templars from the Renaissance Army series. About how they came to be part of the project, and their experiences as apprentices. I’ve got one story done, several others started, and the rest plotted out or at least outlined.
Quintenary Projects
There are projects that I have as ideas. I sometimes work on them, but largely they’re waiting for time, or for more inspiration.
RPG Lit: Stories of role-playing games stuck in their characters.
Battle Stories: Narratives of famous battles (such as Jutland and Operation Pedestal).
Good Generals: Narrative biographies of good generals many people don’t know about (such as George Thomas and Winfield Scott).
Bad Generals: Narrative biographies of bad generals (such as Charles Townsend and Rafael Cardones).
Campaigns: Narratives of famous or not famous campaigns throughout history (Burma campaign, or the Winter War).
War Stories: Narrative of not so famous wars (such as the English Civil War or the Seven Years War).
Ship Stories: Stories of the history of famous warships (USS Enterprise, HMS Warspite).
Wars of the Renaissance History: Various histories of the Iron Republic, or the Imperial Commonwealth
Special Action Force Vanguard: A World War Two story I ran as an RPG a long time ago; I’d like to bring it back as a story, but I’m working out how. Cthulhu-horror? Straight military history?
Other Vi-world fantasy stories: various stories set in the same fantasy world as Orcfyre and the Firt Knights project.
I said in the October update that I laid out a schedule for the month. And until I got distracted by a Fiverr project, it went really well. I watched shows, knocked chapters and world building goals off my list, and drew. Then someone bought a Fiverr goal and that took up a lot of my time; I only really kept at the Inktober drawing schedule. But it was useful enough that I’ve decided to make one for November as well. This is not a draconic ‘you must do everything every day’, but more of a ‘if you have time to wonder what to do, here is what you’re going to do.’
Project Work
I added another chapter to the Colonel Lieutenant, but more importantly, I planned out several important plotlines for the middle section of the book. This is good because while I know the broad strokes of the ending, the details have alwyas been mush because I haven’t had them set up in the middle. Hopefully in November I can knock some chapters out and get it closer to publishing.
After a log of plotting and planning, I started the next and hopefully last re-write of Orcfyre. This outline addresses my issues with the last one, and has extensive world building thanks to the PBRG system to support the story. Now it’s just knocking out word.
I’ve added support documents to other projects, from geography work to pantheons. In November, I want to add at least one chapter for each project, so I can get a sense of the characters on the page.
November Goals
Get The Colonel Lieutenant to 20 Chapters
Get Orcfyre to 10 Chapters
Get one chapter for each other project
Publish two blog posts
Books
Seven Basic Plots (Research)
Bearers of the Black Staff (Fiction)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Fiction; Re-read)
War and Peace (Audiobook)
I didn’t reach much this month. I meant to, but it didn’t work out that way. Instead, I only managed to knock out a few chapters of each book without finishing any of them. No excuses not to do better in November.
November Goals
Finish One Fiction
Finish One Non-Fiction
Finish One Research
Movies / Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Foundation Season 1
Star Wars Bad Batch Season 1
The Thing from Another World
The Thing
I finished the first season of the Bad Batch, the Star Wars animated show. This is doing a good job of showing the transition from Clone War to Imperial Army, There’s enough of a mystery to keep me interested, enough action to keep it exciting, and enough world building to keep me attached.
This Halloween I ended up doing a horror movie double feature. I’m not much of a horror movie guy, but enough of my friends love the 1982 The Thing movie that I said I would watch it this month. And my dad, being a movie connoisseur, said I should watch the 1951 The Thing from Another World, so I made a movie night of it.
The Thing from Another World is a fun movie. It’s about a US science expedition to the north pole that finds an alien life form in the ice that comes alive and tries to kill them. The movie is more than 70 years old, so there are several dated aspects, but they in no way detracted from the movie. The dialogue was fun to listen to (very fast paced and overlapping). And most of the characters were less stereotypical than I expected. I was a good movie to start the double feature.
The Thing is a different movie. The expedition (to Antarctica this time) doesn’t find the creature but encounters it. The creature is a chameleon instead of a straight up monster, and the tension of the movie is less about beating the creature than it is about the trust or mistrust of the characters amongst themselves. The effects are great. It was a fun watch, and I see why people like it so much. The only distraction was trying to figure out where I’d see so many of the actors before.
November Goals
Watch three movies
Finish Foundation Season 1
Finish Two other Season of TV
Games
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Dune: Spice Wars
World of Warships
Last of Us 2 (Replay)
Madden 26
I started a new game; Dune: Spice Wars, which is a RTS game set on Arrakis in the Dune universe. It’s a good mix of resource management, strategy, politics and covert actions. It’s scratching that strategy itch of mine, but it doesn’t have much of a storyline.
Other than that, I played through more of the other ones. Not much to add, really.
November Goals
Start a PC Storyline Time
Finish Last of Us 2 Replay
Get back into Horizon Forbidden West
What’s Next
I’m on the wait list for several events coming up or in 2026. As things become official I will have them posted.
Magic, science and mythology are three broad categories to cover. Each one represents a deep part of the lore. This is getting into the metaphysics of the story, building gears that grind layers beyond what the characters do and the reader sees. They represent aspects that can influence the characters’ understanding of the world around them.
I mean, that’s a lot to put on the categories.
Not every story will need magic, science or mythology. Some might not need any of them. But if the story does require anything, I’ve found it helpful to build a framework beforehand so I can remain consistent.
After all, we don’t want to break the story, do we?
Break the Story?
Yes, break the story.
Using magic and science to solve plot problems is a time-honored tradition. But use it too much, and it becomes a joke (see Batman’s utility belt or Star Trek technobabble) and the story breaks. There needs to be a balance, otherwise the reader will be left thinking that it was too easy.
And mythology may not be about solving problems directly, but it is about how characters interact with their world. And if I build an entire mythology, only for the characters to never reference it or react to it, then the world breaks, and then the story.
I want to be careful that the rules I’m building remain important but constant. Part of that means considering what I need the system to do, and what I need it not to do.
‘So…think Michael will learn to draw hands sometime? I’d really like thumbs.’
Magic and Magic Systems
A magic system is a set of rules for extra-normal powers and abilities that can be accessed through natural talent or learned ritual. It can run from the wizards and artifacts of a fantasy story to the psionic and telekinetic powers of science fiction.
I have several projects that need magic systems. Champion Bold needed some rules for psionic powers for consistency. Orcfyre needed magic rules for not only spells, but the influence of divine power on the world. Several of my minor projects (fantasy and science fantasy)require their own systems.
The important thing I need to keep in mind while working on these systems is that I’m building guidelines. I don’t need to work out every single variation of spell that exists within the world. I just need enough that the story is consistent. With that in mind, I want to build the rules specific to the project I’m working on, while leaving enough room to build on for future projects.
Building a Magic System
When I’m devising magic systems, there are a couple of important questions I want to consider first.
What can it do and what can it not do? It’s important to set boundaries. Is magic common: have practical utility or tactical use? Or is rarer, used by the elite for grand purposes?
Who can access this system?: Not everyone can cast spells or conduct rituals. Who can do it and how they access it? How rare are magic users? What sets them apart?
How is the system received? A magic user could be accepted and protected, or they could be feared and persecuted. How are magic users incorporated into different cultures within the world?
What are its consequences? Magic should have a consequence, even if its as simple as exhausting its user. Something needs to keep magic users from using their magic on a whim.
Example System – Vi World Magic Spirits
I’m going to bring up my Vi world magic system, as its the system I’ve developed the furthest.
Vi world is a fantasy world I’ve been building for some time; it’s the setting for Orcfyre, my ‘someday this’ll be ready to publish’ fantasy novel. It has a long mythology that I’ve worked out over the years, built around the idea that the spirit world exists alongside our world. And the spirit world is where magic comes from.
Magic is what happens when spirits are pulled across the divide and used to influence the real world. This can be hurt or heal people, change an item, or seek the truth about secrets.
Asking my questions
So, let’s consider my questions.
What can it do and what can it not do?: The magic of Vi world can do almost anything, from levitating small objects to divining the future. But because of how difficult the magic is to use and control, it’s not a common. If you see someone on the street corner offering spells, it’s more likely slight of hand.
Who can access this system?: Anyone who can pull a spirit across the divide can use magic. This isn’t easy. Unless you’re at one of a few spots where the divide is weak (commonly where temples and oracles set up shot), you have to use force. That means either a natural talent due to heritage, using an item or ritual, or sheer willpower. Even then, it’s not easy.
How is the system received?: Every culture in Vi world accepts magic in one form or another; none reject or persecute magic users. But every culture also has their own set of norms and expectations, and magic users who reject such expectations can find themselves in danger rather quickly.
What are its consequences?: Using magic is exhausting, even with training. Unless an individual’s heritage (racial and familial) is inclined towards magic, even a single spell can drain a person, perhaps even unto death. In many cases, multiple spellcasters will be used to reduce the impact on any one user.
Impact in the Story
Within the Vi world, magic is a known quantity. It exists, and everyone knows it. When it happens, it has an impact. But getting it to work usually requires significant effort, so it is not commonplace. it allows me to write a story where the characters know such magic exists, but do not feel the worry that it will erupt at any time.
Magic’s rarity is in contrast to our next topic, which requires as much effort to construct, but with the expectation that it will be used far more often. Now, we will discuss science systems.
Science
A science system is a set of rules for branches of knowledge and avenues of advancement that are accessed through technology. It can run from steampunk airships and mechanical suits of a fantasy story to the energy weapons and space travel of science fiction.
Science is rooted in the real world, which makes building a science system a different challenge from a magic system. Anything I need to build will have something similar or related I need to research and incorporated. Even FTL travel — with no working real-world examples — needs to take into account the speed of light, distance between systems, and the strength of gravity.
Building a Science System
As with magic, it’s important to remember I’m building guidelines to remain consistent. I don’t need to build everything. I need to build what I need for the story, and enough extra to give it some depth. But that’s it.
And there are the questions I need to consider.
How reliable is the science or technology? An established empire will have reliable technology, while frontier societies will need more maintenance. Also, this is an important question to ask in the context of the story; if I need it to be reliable, or to fail, I need to account for that.
What does the science/technology do or not do? Just like magic, I want to consider what the technology of each system can or cannot do. There should be limits.
What is the math? Yes, there’s that math. I need to have numbers in mind for firing ranges of weapons, speed and acceleration of space ships, communications time, etc. A lot of little things that I want to make sure are consistent one chapter to the next.
How knowledgeable are most people about the science and/or the technology? Not everyone can know everything, but there’s a difference between a ship’s crew knowing the basic principals of how their engine’s work, and believing it to be esoteric witchcraft.
Example System – Light Star Universe
The Light Star Universe is home to Champion Bold, my recent science fiction novel. It’s always been a pretty standard science fiction universe; what made it special was not the technology, but the aliens and the stories we told.
How reliable is the science or technology? Most of the technology encountered in Champion Bold is reliable and known. That isn’t to say experiment tech doesn’t exist, but it’s not put into mass production if it’s not ready for use.
What does the science/technology do or not do? The technology of the LSU is generally pretty standard sci-fi fare. It allows faster-than-light travel, artificial gravity and space combat. It does not bring back the dead or teleport people across vast distances.
What is the math? I won’t bore you with equations. I will say that after I worked out the math, much of the story had to change. A couple of combat chapters were re-written to be consistent, and the length of the story doubled once I accounted for FTL travel speeds. But, overall, it strengthened the story.
How knowledgeable are most people about the science and/or the technology? It’s roughly equivalent to modern industrialized society and the technology we use on a daily basis. Most people understand the basics and the principals, but they wouldn’t be able to repair or rebuild it without some training or education.
Impact in the Story
The technology of the Light Star Universe exists to allow the stories to take place. It is not there to dramatically change things, but is a stable and reliable base which the characters can expect to do what it’s designed to do. But most importantly, it’s consistent, which means the story can advance without the reader pausing and asking ‘wait, I thought ….’
If magic is rare, and science common, our next topic is so common as to be subtly invisible. This is our last section of the post, mythology.
Mythology
A mythology system is a set of stories and beliefs that guide and influence a society’s morals, decisions and responses to the events they are experiencing. It’s a broad heading, that covers small sects of Christianity to fantasy world mythologies to alien philosophies.
(I debated using philosophy or belief system for this part of the post, but I’m going to stick with mythology.)
At first glance, you might think it looks out of place here. Mythology, after all, doesn’t give people special powers or abilities. But mythology in one way or another does shape how the characters in a story interpret the world around them and the events they experience.
Mythology was fairly minor for the works I’ve published so far. I’ve only had to build a sect of Christianity and some the cultural mythologies of some alien cultures. But having these worked out , even in their minor forms, was still important for the characters’ arc. But for future titles (Orcfyre being a prime example).
Building a Mythology
As with anything, I start with ‘what do I need to build for the story.’ Then, I move on to my mythology specific questions.
What are the important tenants of this mythology? Every mythology has something it emphasizes that makes it different from others. I want to consider a bullet list of what the mythology teaches, preaches and demands of their followers.
Who is the mythology for? Not every mythology will be followed by everyone. It could be a very elect group of people, or perhaps followed by citizens of a certain city or members of a certain species. But I’ve found defining how someone becomes a follower really helps, even if its as simple as ‘an alien mythology followed by a race of aliens.’
How do followers of this mythology act differently? I want to have some basic idea of how a follower of a mythology acts in accordance with their beliefs. More specifically, how does a follower act differently from me and what I consider normal. I also consider questions of devoutness; some people will take the beliefs as iron rules, while others will pay lip service and go about their day.
How real is this mythology? Every mythology will include myths, but there’s usually a grain of truth in the middle. Depending on the story, the grain could be pretty close to the mark, or could be pretty far off. How close it is could be a matter of contention with the world, and could be a source of conflict within the story.
Example Mythology – General of the Pen
For the example of this portion, I’m going to return to the General of the Pen, the story we’ve been developing as part of this blog series. In particular, I want to build the mythology of the Campilesian Church. I know the organization of the church from a previous post; now, I’m building the beliefs.
What are the important tenants of this mythology? The Campilesian belief system is very close to Christianity in a lot of ways. This system has a firm belief that everyone has a passion in their life, which leads to their high number of saints and grand patrons. They also are less strict on gender norms (usually) and abhor slavery.
Who is the mythology for? The Campilesian system is for everyone, from the common farmer to the ruling lord. They accept converts fairly regularly and easily. Most Campilesians live within the Campilesia region, or in a neighboring region.
How do followers of this mythology act differently? The belief that everyone can be great at something means that most followers have some passion they pursue. Some may make it the main part of their life, or it’s something they engage in outside of their profession. But they are generally supportive of everyone around them.
How real is this mythology? The basis for this belief system is an ancient philosopher who works for the survival of the Campilesian people when conquered by the Ferrans. His system allows them to survive as a people under centuries of rule by other people. The religious aspect — spirituality and afterlife — are believes, but not perfectly known.
Impact in the Story
The Campilesian religion gives the people who make up most of the characters in my story a shared belief system. A system that encourages people to find their one passion, which could be Campilesian independence. It also means that the people view the sacrifice of military service in a very high light.
Conclusion
Magic, Science and Mythology are all broad topics that I’ve bumped into during this post. In each case, I’ve provided a brief overview of what each one means and how I start their creation. The actual work would include pages of notes and histories, spreadsheets of math and lists of entries. Unique questions for each system that don’t apply to the others. A lot of work and information that the reader will never see.
With the end of this post, I’ve finished my four posts on the World Building aspect of the PBRG system. Next up, I’ll go over the Research aspect. I don’t imagine that’ll be more than one blog post, but we’ll see how that goes.
September was weird. I did a lot of work, but didn’t get a lot done. I’m not sure how that happened, but after several months of not getting a lot done, I’m pretty frustrated with myself.
So, I’m trying something new for October: I’ve made a schedule. Every day, I’ve laid out five goals: one for my Inktober challenge, one writing goal, one world building goal, one video goal, and one book/blog goal. Maybe I won’t hit every day, but at least I won’t sit down and think ‘what should I work on’. I’ve already done that.
Projects
My work on the Colonel Lieutenant in September was not for nothing. I’ve worked out some spots that were a mess, and I’m developing my plan for the middle and later sections of the book. I’ve got some thoughts about maps and cover art I need to start considering. But I do need to focus more on writing chapters. Even if they’re not perfect, I need to write.
Same with other projects. I did some good world building for several projects, but there’s something about getting words down that I do miss. If I manage to keep to my schedule for October and get two blog posts, the second one will be about the importance of writing while building the story.
October Goals
Complete Inktober Challenge
Advance the Colonel Lieutenant to Chapter 20
Write one Chapter in Each Project
Outline for Each Project
One World Building Item Complete for Each Project
Two Blog Posts
Books
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Seven Basic Plots (Research)
The Gypsy Morph (Fiction)
Bearers of the Black Staff (Fiction)
The Hunt for Red October (Fiction; Re-read)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Fiction; Re-read)
War and Peace (Audiobook)
I focused on finishing two books and moving onto the next ones in their series. Red October finished about as I remembered. The Gypsy Morph was an odd book. It went through periods of being really exciting and then periods of being really dull. I mean, real highs and real lows. But I’m done, and onto book 7 of the Shanarra series. I think there are three more until I get to one I’ve read before.
October Goals
Finish One Fiction Book
Finish One Non-Fiction Book
Finish On Research Book
Movies / Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Alien Earth (Season 1)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 3)
Alien: Romulus
Alien: Earth was a fun show, one that added greatly to the universe of the Alien franchise without changing the xenomorph (which is nigh-on perfect). Overall I liked it, and it surprised me with where it went on a number of levels. There were a few things I’m a bit undecided on, but I’d recommend the show.
I’d rate it a few steps higher than Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3. Now, I didn’t hate SNW; the lowest I’d rate any episode is a mid to low C. But so many episodes could have been better, except they were hampered by some stupid story-telling decision. And they were all so stupid I just couldn’t understand how it made it past editing. So frustrating. I liked the season, but it seemed like it chose not to be great.
And in the theme of Alien, I watched Alien: Romulus, which I had heard not great things about. I would say: it’s a movie. I didn’t think it was as bad as I’d heard, but it wasn’t great. I’d watch it again, but I’m not in a hurry to.
October Goals
Finish ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 1
Finish ‘Foundation’ Season 1
Watch Two Movies
Games
Anno 1800
World of Warships
This War of Mine
Last of Us 2 (Replay)
Madden 26
I continued to play through Last of Us 2 and Madden 26. Didn’t spend too much time playing either, but Madden’s superstar mode allows me to play quickly. And I’m still having fun with both. I didn’t add anything to Forbidden West this month, but that happens.
I decided to step back from Anno 1800; I was getting too focused, and it was not so much about having fun anymore. I’ll come back to it sometime, maybe after my new computer comes in and I can play at a higher capacity. In the meantime, I’ll figure out what I’m doing wrong.
I did start a new PC story game: This War of Mine, which is a simple game with several campaigns I could play through. It’s an intense game about surviving in a war-torn city, and if I only play it for a little bit, it’s because the setting and story might get too much.
What’s Next
I’m on the waitlist for several events this year, and I’m signing up for events next year. When I get confirmations and dates, I’ll start posting them.
Work took up a huge chunk of my energy in August; my company changed ownership, and that required me to spend a lot of extra time each week getting caught up and processing my switch from one company to another. I was, simply put, exhausted for much of the month, without the energy to work on projects. I spent most of my time recovering or relaxing.
Projects
When I got to work on my projects, I got stuff done. I worked out some stellar cartography for one project, and continued to refine the outlines for several others. I processed some chapters for The Colonel Lieutenant, wrote out character backgrounds, and organized a number of institutions. It wasn’t the list I hoped to get done, but it was work.
I’m hoping, now that the sale is done and my job has returned to a normal routine, that I can refocus my creative efforts. I still have almost a hundred ISBNs, which means I can publish dozens of more titles. But I cannot keep allowing myself to have lulls like I’ve suffered twice this summer. If I want to publish more, I need to write more consistently.
September Goals
Get The Colonel Lieutenant completed up to the big campaign
Finish Re-Writing Orcfyre Act 1
Publish two blog posts
Complete 10 other Project Items
Books
Image Courtesy of Goodreads
Red Rabbit (Fiction, Re-Read)
Hunt for Red October (Fiction, Re-Read)
The Seven Basic Plots (Research)
The Gypsy Morph (Fiction)
War and Peace (Fiction, Audiobook)
I finished Red Rabbit and moved into Hunt for Red October. I’m making good progress through it, and I’m having the same, improved enjoyment of the story that I had with the previous novels. But what I hadn’t realized from my previous readings was how little of the middle book takes place on the submarine or with Jack Ryan. Probably influenced by my memories of the movie, I had forgotten how many scenes revolve around naval, aviation or political action in support of the story.
I’ve continued through the other books, slowly chipping away at them chapter by chapter. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a good reading chair in my basement; I think I want to do something about that.
September Goals
Finish Red October
Get past Chapter 20 in Seven Basic Plots
Finish Gypsy Morph
Finish One other Book
Movies and Shows
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 3)
Foundation (Season 1)
Alien: Earth (Season 1)
My roommate and I started watching Alien: Earth this month. This show is fantastic. The characters are enjoyable (even the ones I don’t like). The action is limited, but when it happens it matters. The world we see makes sense and has rules it follows. We’re four episodes in, and I’m very excited to see what else we’ve got coming before the end of the series.
Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 3 is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I haven’t hated any of the episodes, and they’ve all had at least a basic story that I could get behind. But most of them don’t reach the A-level I’ve been hoping for. There’s either some misstep in the pacing, or some payoff that wasn’t built up properly, or just something that made the whole story stall out. I still have a few episodes to watch before I can give a rating to the whole season.
September Goals
Finish Three Seasons of TV (Any Kind)
Watch Three Movies (Any Kind)
Games
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
Madden 26
Horizon Forbidden West
Anno 1800
World of Warships
Last of Us (Replay)
Last of Us Part 2 (Replay)
Since August was a big stress month, I found myself destressing with a lot of video games.
I finished my replay of Last of Us at a higher difficulty, only to discover there wasn’t any achievement for doing so. Alas. At least now I can go back and play pick up what I missed in easier modes, and play around with some of the options the game offers.
With that, I moved on to Last of Us Part 2. This replay is different because I’m playing in an entirely different structure. If you weren’t aware, Last of Us Part 2 is a non-linear story. You play as one character for three days, then another for three days, and each experiences flashbacks going back years. This game has the option to play in chronological mode, where you play all those events in sequence. It’s a lot of fun. I’m experiencing the game in a new way. It’s the same story, but much more direct.
I’ve been playing a lot of World of Warships, an online game where you play early 20th century warships against each other. I’ve been having fun, trying to play daily and monthly challenges within the game to advance for certain rewards. It’s a nice way to burn off some steam and let my inner historian out.
I’m still playing through the sandbox of Anno 1800, the city-building and resource management game. I’m enjoying the challenges, but this game does strain my computer’s system. It takes almost fifteen minutes to load, and it slows down sometimes as it tries to process. I’m not sure my computer can handle it; I’m looking into building/buying a new computer, and this is one of the games I want to experience on the newer machine.
And finally, Madden 26. My roommate and I are playing each other, which is fun, but I’m also playing the Superstar mode. In this mode, I play a single player, and I play only when that player is on the field. It’s a good way to play a story game within Madden without needing a ridiculous amount of time and effort.
September Goals
Finish Anno game
Finish Last of Us Part 2
Advance Horizon Forbidden West Storyline
Start PC Storyline Game
What’s Next
I don’t have anything planned at the moment, but I have my eyes on a few things. I very much want to get another event on the books for the autumn or winter. If and when that happens, I will post about it.
I recently finished Last of Us Season 2, the second season of the series based off the games. This season follows roughly the first half of the second game.
I liked this season, but I have to acknowledge that it was not as tight as the first season. This season made more changes to the story and characters than the first season did. As a result, the story is significantly different from the game. I’ll try to explain without giving away too many spoilers. Then I’ll go through five things that stood out to me about this show.
A quick synopsis
Okay, I’m going to try to do this spoiler free.
Four years after the first season, Joel and Ellie are now accepted citizens of Jackson Hole, but are estranged from each other. The town celebrates New Years and then suffers an attack from an outside party that leaves great devastation. Seeking justice (or possibly revenge), Ellie heads to Seattle to find those responsible, without regard of the consequences.
Simple enough? Good. Now, five things.
Fewer Game Experiences / Faster Storytelling
The game takes roughly 25 hours to complete, so halfway is 12 hours. The show tells the same amount of story in less than seven hours, missing five hours of game play. In addition, the show is adding its own plot lines, further constraining how much of the game’s story line the show can use.
As with the first season, a large portion of the game is automatically missing: the world exploration. This takes up a good amount of game time and involves a lot of little fights and Easter eggs. All this is missing from the show (with good reason; it’s not good screen time). It also means the show can feel a bit rushed, as a single day in Seattle takes one episode instead of four hours of game play.
Also, there is one aspect of this that I noticed, and we won’t know the true impact until Season 3 comes out. In the game, while you’re experiencing those broad sequences of world exploration, you hear all these little sound bits and side notes about what’s happening elsewhere in Seattle. These bits and notes help ground the experience of second half of the game .
Spoiler below if you want a better explanation of what I mean.
Spoiler
Spoiler explanation: The first half of the game follows Ellie in Seattle; the second half follows a new character, Abby. While playing as Ellie, you hear a lot of things that make sense once you’re playing as Abby. Now, there were a lot of little bits I saw that might fill the same purpose when Season 3 comes out and we see Abby’s story, but we won’t know that for a good while.
Different Routes for the Same Story
The show changes the story significantly while managing to retain the same overall arcs and high points. In other words, the same characters reach the same important plot points but get there taking different routes.
For example, the outside party’s attack on Jackson Hole that sets the story in motion.
In the game, it’s a small, selected strike that does what it needs to do and then they head home. the city as a whole isn’t impacted beyond that one attack. But in the show, the party sets a chain of events up that results in Jackson Hole suffering a cataclysm, defending against a major attack of the infected (this is in the trailers, so it shouldn’t be much of a spoiler).
With the town having suffered a major attack and recovery, Ellie’s request to go to Seattle and get justice brings different responses. The characters have to look at the situation differently, but the story requires them to arrive at the same decisions they did in the game. The different sequences of decisions and minor changes to characters lets this happen without any of it seeming to be too far of a reach.
That’s just one example of what I’m talking about, but hopefully you get the gist.
Different Character Roster
Changing the characters from the game is one thing, but the show takes it a step further by changing the roster.
The show has deleted several characters, mostly superfluous, third-tier characters who don’t do much but participate in certain scenes and events. In every case so far, I haven’t missed their deletion. I get why they’ve been cut, or why their influence was handed off to another characters.
Image courtesy of hbomax.com
The show makes up for it by adding new or expanding upon minor characters. As I said above, they’re telling a different story than they were in the game, with the main characters going through different processes to reach the same events, and the added/expanded characters facilitate those processes. In no case have I regretted or been frustrated at a characters’ addition or expansion.
Ellie – A very different character
Every character is different from their game version, but I thought Ellie was the most changed.
I found her to be more self-centered than the game version. Both show and game Ellies are capable and confident, but the show version takes it to a level of arrogance that I found annoying. She was stupid, even reckless, at times. And for a community as security conscious as Jackson Hole is, there’s no way she would be allowed to do the crap she does. But they keep letting her do it. I found it a bit unbelievable.
That being said, show Ellie needs to be arrogant. The obstacles in front of her are greater than what game Ellie had to deal with, and she needs that arrogance to roll over them. Game Ellie said she would do the same things, but Show Ellie had to do them.
She still works as a character, but she crossed into my annoyance with arrogance characters.
Game Psych Outs
Finally, I want to bring up the game psych outs. These are instances where the show did something that messed with the viewers who have played the game. These psych outs took two forms.
The first was when the show did something that, in the game, heralded a certain event or cutscene. The gamers would be ready to experience the show’s version of what happened next. Sometimes the show did what was expected, but sometimes it did not. Anyone who was new was none the wiser, while those who played the games were left surprised and maybe a little disappointed.
The second was when the show did something completely new, so far out of the expected story that the gamers had to wonder if the show was going to completely divorce from the original story. In these cases, the show manages to bring it back around, but for a moment, there’s that ‘holy crap they’re changing so much’ thought.
It was fun, as someone who’d played the games, to see the writers dangle the ‘will we/won’t we’ bits in front of us. Because as much as I expect them to follow the same path, they’ve already made changes, and there’s always that question of ‘how far from the path will they go’?
Conclusion
There are many other things I could say about this show, but that would require spoilers. So, I’ll leave it at those five things that stood out to me and save my spoiler thoughts for direct conversations.
This season is a fun watch. It’s not as good as the first season, but it’s got its highlights. If you have played the game, you’ll get to see a variation of the story you know that will keep you guessing and wondering up until the end. And if you haven’t played the game, I think you’ll still understand what’s going on.
It’s a shame we have to wait several years for the next season.
July was very productive…but unfocused. Most of what I accomplished was on my tertiary and quaternary projects: world building or writing test scenes. It felt good to stretch my mind and get words on the page, but I didn’t get a lot of things off my primary or secondary projects done, or my blog posts. So overall, I’m kind of disappointed with myself. Not in a ‘beat myself up’ about it way, more of a ‘if you want to be serious about this, do better’ sort of way.
Projects
The good news about Book 3 is that the printed copy works wonders for revising and development. It’s great to have that copy available, and to have the space to spread out pages of tracking notes, character bios, and whatnot. The first half-dozen chapters are well streamlined, and I’ve got a good view on several fixes for future errors and plot points. Now to sit down an do it.
As for all those other projects, I’m not kidding when I said I got a lot of work done. I puzzled out the pantheon for the human cultures of Orcfyre and the geography and politics of Genevieve’s spin-off from Champion Bold. I started structuring another Light Star novel and I’m ready to start putting words on the page for a historical fiction story. All good work. Just…not my primary goals.
August Goals
Advance The Colonel Lieutenant
Figure out The Colonel Lieutenant maps
Complete Orcfyre Act 1
Finish ten items off to-do list
Finish Last of Us Pt2 and Writing Process 8 Blog Posts
Come up with a better ‘Weekly Work’ process
Books
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
War and Peace (Fiction, Audiobook)
Patriot Games (Fiction, Re-Read)
Red Rabbit (Fiction, Re-Read)
The Seven Basic Plots (Research)
The Elves of Cintra (Fiction)
The Gypsy Morph (Fiction)
Ashen Light (Fiction)
Continuing through the books. War and Peace is a glorious monstrosity of a piece. The audio book file is a public domain free project which clocks in at 365 files; I expect it’ll take well into 2026 before I’m done with it, but who knows. Maybe I’ll make finishing it by new year’s a goal.
In my Tom Clancy re-read, I finished Patriot Games and moved onto Red Rabbit. If you don’t know, Red Rabbit is a book Tom Clancy wrote well into his series, but set back earlier in the narrative. I read it once in college, and I remember not being too impressed. This time around, though, I’m enjoying it a lot more. Not sure why yet; I’ll have to reflect.
I also moved from Elves of Cintra onto Gypsy Morph, and I’m not really enjoying the story. I’m hoping it picks up soon. Once I’m done, I’ve got two more books before I hit the series I first read in Middle School. So…slog on. Not what you necessarily want to hear from a book series, but here we are.
August Goals
Finish Gypsy Morph
Finish One Research Book
Finish One Other Fiction Book
Movies and Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Bad Batch
Foundation
Thunderbolts
Fantastic Four
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3
Got to see two moves last month, including my first movie theater outing in a good amount of time.
First, Thunderbolts*. This is an ensemble MCU movie that I wasn’t too excited for, as it’s cast is a bunch of secondary characters from other movies that are assembled for whatever reason (probably covert or illicit). Which was right. But the movie turned out to be a lot more exciting and enjoyable than I expected. I really liked it.
Then, Fantastic Four. I made a point to go see this in the theater, and man it was worth it. It avoided the problems of the other two Fantastic Four attempts. And it told a great story. I’m excited to see where these characters go, and after two successful MCU movies in a row, I’m kind of excited for the MCU again.
And finally I started Foundation, a TV series based off the Isaac Asimov book series. Now this isn’t a direct translation from page to screen; it’s adding a lot of characters and storylines that don’t exist in the book. I’m not far enough along to know if its better or worse, yet. It is a beautiful series, though.
August Goals
Finish One TV Show
Finish One Started TV Show
Watch One Best Picture Winner
Watch One Other Movie
Start One Longer TV Show
Games
Horizon Forbidden West
Last of Us (Replay)
Anno 1800
Continuing through Forbidden West and Last of Us Replay. I don’t really sit down to just play for hours on end. With Forbidden West I try to finish one or two quests; with Last of Us I set myself a narrative point and play until I get there. It keeps me from spending too much time as a couch potato.
Anno 1800 has made a reappearance; a RTS resource game. I beat the campaign some time ago, but now I want to try to build to the end of the tech tree and see if I can really get the city going.
On a similar note, a friend and I wrapped up a game of War in the Pacific: Admiral’s Edition that we started in 2019. This iteration of the Pacific War of World War 2 ended in May of 1946 with a draw. Alas, what a fun game. We’re already looking for our next one.
August Goals
Finish Anno 1800
Start new narrative PC Game
What’s Next
Nothing right now. I’m looking for some fall and winter events to partake in. Some things on my radar, but nothing on the books.
June of this year included my launch party, but it was dominated by my 9 to 5. My office job took up a significant amount of my energy this month, enough that I fell behind on most of my goals. It happens. We adjust and we move on.
Projects
There are still a number of minor bits for Champion Impact I need to finish, such as getting the PDFs up for sale on my website and finishing the ebooks for the supplements. Things that I should be done with but I keep getting distracted from.
I’m making good progress on The Colonel Lieutenant. Over the last month I started a printed copy of the project so I can re-read what I’ve got and see it from a reader’s perspective. I’ve also worked through several of the plot points. Which is good, though it will require some revisions and re-writes (but what doesn’t?). I also took a stab at some of the maps for the book, though this is a very initial stab. It’ll take several iterations to come up with something I like.
I nipped at a few other projects. There was a pass at Orcfyre, my ever-illusive fantasy novel, which wasn’t ‘this is it!’ but was informative. I want to get some scenes from other projects written soon, if only to get a feel for the story and their characters: and to stretch my creative legs a bit.
July Goals
Finish at least a good scene guide to The Colonel Lieutenant, if not have a rough draft ready to go.
Finish a scene guide to Orcfyre
Knock half of the bullet points of my Champion Bold Remember to finish this list!
Complete one to-do item for each other project
Books
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
War and Peace (, Fiction, Audiobook)
Without Remorse (Fiction, Re-Read)
Patriot Games (Fiction, Re-Read)
Hell to Pay (Non-Fiction)
The Seven Basic Plots (Research)
Idiot’s Guide to Game Theory (Research)
The Elves of Cintra (Fiction)
Ashen Light (Fiction)
Man, I got into or worked through a lot of books last month.
Re-reading the Ryan-verse (Tom Clancy’s series, Without Remorse and Patriot Games) is fun. It’s the first adult series I read growing up, and I used to read through the books every year. I haven’t touched them in a decade. That means that in this re-read, I’m picking up on things I hadn’t noticed before, because my mind is no longer used to the books. Plus, I’m older and mature enough to notice new things. It’s fantastic.
The Elves of Cintra is okay, but not particularly exciting. I don’t know why, it seems to have all the elements but they’re just not synching as much as I’d like. I’m worried that when I get back to the Shanarra books of my childhood I’ll find them just as out of synch as these books.
I’m enjoying reading through The Seven Basic Plots, one of my research books. It’s a large book I picked up a long time ago and never got around to reading, but it’s helping me think about my stories and how they could be better, or at least more unique. I’m hoping they’ll help me get some of my stalled projects up and running.
Movies and Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Last Kingdom
Bad Batch
Clearly, I did not make as much of an effort at watching shows as I did at reading. Which is fine.
I’m continuing to re-watch The Last Kingdom in preparation of watching the final movie. I’m still surprised how much of this show I don’t remember. I know I watched through it multiple times years ago, but I guess it just didn’t stick. I’m guessing because the books are still better.
I did start a new show last month: Bad Batch, a Star Wars animated show. I’m only a few episodes in, but I like it. It’s got some interesting characters, and it’s a different sort of Star Wars story than I’ve experienced before. I’m eager to see how it goes.
July Goals
Finish One Show
Watch One Best Picture Winner
Watch One Fix-It Title
Start New Show
Games
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Space Marine 2
Horizon Forbidden West
Last of Us (Replay)
Stellaris
I got to finish a video game and start a new one last month! Huzzah!
I finished Space Marine 2, a 40K first person shooter. This game was fun, and it really immersed you in the universe. I particularly enjoyed how the between mission sections allowed you to walk around and listen to side conversations and hear about other events. But it wasn’t a great game, on the level of Gears of War or Halo. I haven’t quite put my finger on why; the closest I can say is that it comes off as far too cartoony, and not quite as serious, as the other titles I mentioned.
With a game done, I could start a new one: Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, which is generally on my list of favorite games of all time. I’m excited to get into the game; the first bit is already just as amazing as I’d expected.
I want to get a PC story game going; I’ll have to consider some options. Probably something strategic or national.
On the RPG front, one of my games is starting to wrap up, which means we’re building characters for the next chapter. That’s always fun. The game I’m running is going well, with the characters getting into the spirit of troll fighting. As I expected, this chapter is a lot easier to plan and execute than the last one.
July Goals
Advance Horizon Forbidden West
Start PC Game
Continue enjoying Stellaris
Coming Up
I don’t have anything planned for now; no conventions or appearanced.
July Goals
Get a convention or appearance planned.
That’s all for this month. I’ll see you all soon for more blog updates and — hopefully — news of new appearances.
