A Year in Technology
Getting older does have a few benefits. One of them, if you are fortunate enough to embrace the concept, is a degree of self awareness and the ability to be honest with yourself. Over the years I have tried to adjust my technological habits but ultimately I am a creature of habit. My use of technology and consumption of content has been determined by the decades I grew up in. Therefore, I am a PC user and prefer to sit in my office where I write, play games and peruse the internet. I have my desk set up in a way that suits my needs and I can go about my business in comfort. When away from my office, I rely heavily on my phone as an alternative platform. In some instances phone based apps offer a superior experience to the desktop or browser based PC alternatives. Banking being one example. For better or for worse this is how I do things and I am comfortable with these choices.
Getting older does have a few benefits. One of them, if you are fortunate enough to embrace the concept, is a degree of self awareness and the ability to be honest with yourself. Over the years I have tried to adjust my technological habits but ultimately I am a creature of habit. My use of technology and consumption of content has been determined by the decades I grew up in. Therefore, I am a PC user and prefer to sit in my office where I write, play games and peruse the internet. I have my desk set up in a way that suits my needs and I can go about my business in comfort. When away from my office, I rely heavily on my phone as an alternative platform. In some instances phone based apps offer a superior experience to the desktop or browser based PC alternatives. Banking being one example. For better or for worse this is how I do things and I am comfortable with these choices.
At present, possibly the most redundant piece of tech hardware I own is my Amazon Fire HD 10. It’s a nice size tablet and the specs were fairly robust back in Autumn 2018 when I bought it. But on a day to day basis I simply don’t use it. The Kindle book function was its main selling point but Audible has lured me into the world of audiobooks which I prefer. I would hazard a guess that I’ve probably only turned on this device 3 times during the course of 2021. I suspect I may sell this device in 2022, not because I’m averse to mobile “culture” per se but because my phone already meets all my needs in this respect. My Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which I had since December 2019, is the most robust handset I’ve owned. It has a large screen and a powerful processor and outperforms the tablet in every respect.
Looking back over the last twelve months most of my technology based purchases have been either replacements or upgrades to existing items. I’ve written previously about how I seem to kill PC peripherals and 2021 was no exception. I had to replace an Xbox controller and a USB microphone this year. Sadly the latter still hasn’t been used in conjunction with the Bluetooth Earbuds. However, I am very pleased with the Soundbar I bought in the Summer and am impressed by the quality of the audio. It has certainly improved the cable management of my office desk. My recent acquisition of a laptop has also proven beneficial as I have had to spend an increasing amount of time at my parent house this year. I must reiterate my surprise at how much laptops have improved in recent years with regard to specifications, performance and weight.
As I write this post, the elephant in the room actually resides on the left hand side of my desk. The jury is still out as to whether the Nintendo Switch was a good purchase or not. It gets used for social gameplay, when we have guests (usually my granddaughters). I relocate the device to the lounge and connect it to the TV. However, I seldom use it for handheld gaming and I’m not even sure if this is down to not finding the right game. Fundamentally, I think that playing video games in this way just isn’t for me. Furthermore, if I were to obtain any other form of console, I suspect that I wouldn’t really get on with them either. For me gaming is done on the PC, predominantly with a keyboard and mouse. Anything else just doesn’t feel “right”. However, I shall keep the Switch and possibly buy a few more social games in 2022. Although I don’t use it that often it is very well received by my grandchildren.
At present, I have no immediate plans to buy any more tech in the New Year. A new television may well be required at some point in the next twelve months as the current one is reaching the end of its lifespan. There is also the possibility of our existing Internet Service Provider offering Fibre to the Premises in April. My dreams of a 100Mbps connection could become a reality. Apparently, I’m eligible for a mobile phone handset upgrade in February. A decade ago this would have thrilled me and I would have spent hours pawing over reviews and comparisons websites. At present the prospect elicits no more than a roll of the eyes. All of which is indicative of a shift in my relationship with technology. A relationship which I am now truly comfortable with. After all “the tail doesn’t wag the dog”.
A Year in Social Media
I can’t speak for others but my relationship with social media has certainly changed over the last two years. Whenever new internet technologies emerge, there is a brief period when it feels like some sort of new frontier. Often such innovations become a means of empowering the marginalised and the voiceless. For a while new platforms can even be a force for good. But eventually commercial interests creep in along with rules and regulations. Hence, it all inevitably takes a turn for the worst. The frontier is finally tamed and ends up being just another corporate space. Social media is certainly not a forum for discussing social issues or politics, instead being a medium for tribalism and rancour. Because of these factors and others, I have moderated my use of social media and it has proven extremely beneficial to my state of mind.
I can’t speak for others but my relationship with social media has certainly changed over the last two years. Whenever new internet technologies emerge, there is a brief period when it feels like some sort of new frontier. Often such innovations become a means of empowering the marginalised and the voiceless. For a while new platforms can even be a force for good. But eventually commercial interests creep in along with rules and regulations. Hence, it all inevitably takes a turn for the worst. The frontier is finally tamed and ends up being just another corporate space. Social media is certainly not a forum for discussing social issues or politics, instead being a medium for tribalism and rancour. Because of these factors and others, I have moderated my use of social media and it has proven extremely beneficial to my state of mind.
A decade ago, I thought that using social media to promote my writing would be an invaluable tool and have positive results. Reflecting upon that now, I can't help but raise a wry smile at such naivety. Over the last twelve months, the amount of traffic to Contains Moderate Peril which is directly attributable to social media is just over 1%. Thus as a promotional tool, for me at least, it isn’t really worth the bother. Occasionally a Tweet about a game specific story may get a degree of traction with its player community but even then, it will only result in 100 or so additional visits to the post. Google is the primary source of people finding my writing and social media promotion has proven ineffective. Plus writing a blog doesn’t really lend itself to a presence on TikTok or Instagram. Platforms geared towards brevity and the concise delivery of targeted content, don’t really suit long from written material.
So after dabbling with instagram, I’ve ceased to actively participate on the platform. I mainly use it now to keep up to date with what my immediate family are doing, especially my granddaughters. Facebook is another medium I no longer use or check. I think the main reason I stopped using it was because rather than being a means to cross promote material, it simply became its own ecosystem which wasn’t especially helpful. As for older forms of social media such as forums and subreddits, they seem to be rapidly falling by the wayside. Many of the ones that I’ve used over the years, associated with specific games or types of fandom, have either closed down or dwindled into insignificance. Or they just become monopolised by a small cadre of dedicated posters who treat it as their own personal fiefdom. It often leads to an extremely partisan environment and hardly a suitable medium for debate and discussion.
Discord continues to be somewhat of a paradox, from my perspective. It’s a great way to chat and answer immediate enquiries. It’s also a solid foundation for a social group. However it is not exactly useful for archiving discussions and information. I feel it is a medium that deals in the here and now and although very useful it ultimately is very ephemeral. Yet many traditional gaming communities are moving to this platform, which I find somewhat confusing. Because it doesn’t offer the range of services that a traditional forum does. You can organise and manage events perfectly on Discord. But you cannot curate information and easily search for older content. I also feel that a Discord community over a certain size of active contributors is too hard to keep up with. You either follow it 24/7 or it eludes you.
As the year nears its end, I find myself using Twitter as my primary social media platform. I stopped following numerous twitter accounts earlier in spring, especially those associated with political and social commentary. I find that not having vast amounts of controversy and daily brouhahas flooding my timeline is extremely good for my psychological equilibrium. I mainly use Twitter now as a means of staying in touch with my online friends whose company I enjoy immensely. Overall, I’m finding the novelty of social media to be ebbing away and its practical benefits are overrated. Reaching large groups of potential customers is fine for business. Being exposed to excessive amounts of random members of the public is neither edifying, desirable or fun. I suspect that I shall continue to refine my social media experience in 2022.
A Month in Gaming
September has been and gone and the nights are now drawing in. Usually this time of year is ideal for gaming but sadly I’ve had a lot on over the last 30 days and as a result there’s been precious little time for gaming or indeed writing. Such is life. When I did have some leisure time, MMOs were the easiest way to get a quick gaming fix, as per usual. Standing Stone Games announced that the next expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online would be released in November and that a revision of the Legendary Item system would be coming prior to that. Hence I took a look at the beta builds on the Bullroarer test server and then started prepping my various alts on the live servers, to get ready for this major change. I also managed to complete the latest event in Star Trek Online. However, beyond these straightforward tasks I didn’t really get to do much more.
September has been and gone and the nights are now drawing in. Usually this time of year is ideal for gaming but sadly I’ve had a lot on over the last 30 days and as a result there’s been precious little time for gaming or indeed writing. Such is life. When I did have some leisure time, MMOs were the easiest way to get a quick gaming fix, as per usual. Standing Stone Games announced that the next expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online would be released in November and that a revision of the Legendary Item system would be coming prior to that. Hence I took a look at the beta builds on the Bullroarer test server and then started prepping my various alts on the live servers, to get ready for this major change. I also managed to complete the latest event in Star Trek Online. However, beyond these straightforward tasks I didn’t really get to do much more.
I toyed with the idea of playing New World. I had taken part in an earlier beta test and found elements of the game to be quite appealing. I especially enjoyed the combat which I felt was both fluid and had a sense of physicality. Yet the minimal plot, voice acting and general “old school” approach made the overall game feel somewhat archaic to me. And so I decide not to purchase it and get swept up in the excitement of a new MMO launch. However, it can be very interesting to observe such a phenomenon. Many of my blogging colleagues have been documenting their experiences and it can be very interesting reading multiple perspectives upon different aspects of the game. Plus the perennial question of what is a “good MMO launch” has been raised once again. Personally I am too old and impatient to have to deal with logon queues and for daily, rolling patches to fix content.
I did manage to log into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Rather than play Warzone, I opted for Team Deathmatch with AI bots. I cranked up the difficulty and it proved quite taxing but on the plus side, it was nice to be able to play a game without any angry commentary in chat and more importantly people cheating with aimbots, or rage quitting the game and closing it for everyone as they were hosting. I am a big advocate of multiplayer games having AI bots as an alternative to live play. Playing against bots means you can practice and work upon your skills as well as just enjoy gameplay at a level that you can cope with. For many players it is potentially the only time that they’ll be able to access certain weapons, kill streaks and such like. Although playing with others is an integral part of such games as CoD:MW, it is always good to have options that don’t make your enjoyment totally dependent on others
Sadly, I am not using my Nintendo Switch much as I expected. I assumed that the handheld device would easily lend itself to short bursts of intermittent gameplay, which reflects my current schedule. But this doesn’t seem to be the case, although I do think this comes down to the sort of games one has. I may need to buy some new titles that lend themselves to casual gameplay, or 30 minute sessions over a long period of time. Perhaps the RPG Disco Elysium will fit that bill. I think the most I did in September with my Switch was update the software. At least now it supports bluetooth earbuds.
As for October, I’m not sure If it is wise to make any major gaming plans. I am toying with the idea of using an old hard drive to upgrade to Windows 11, to see how it performs. If there are any major issues I can easily return the original drive without any inconvenience. I guess that LOTRO and STO will fill the gaming gap, as per usual. As and when I get more time, I may look around for something new to play. It may be time to step outside of my comfort zone and try something different. The last few times I’ve done this the results have been positive.
A Month in Gaming
Again this is more a case of two months in gaming. Furthermore although I was quite active in July, I was less so in August as the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging event consumed the lion share of my leisure time. The majority of my gaming time is usually mid to late evening. Although Mrs P and I do many activities together, there are times when she will want to watch something I don’t, be engrossed in a book or out with friends. These occasions present sizable windows of time to focus upon a video game, which is especially useful for the MMORPG and RPG genres. However, I often have to choose whether to use this time exclusively for gaming or some other recreational activities such as writing. Another foible of my video game time management is trying to arrange things so I can undertake recurring, daily quests in a game early in the morning. I will often tackle such content in Star Trek Online, as soon as I get up.
Again this is more a case of two months in gaming. Furthermore although I was quite active in July, I was less so in August as the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging event consumed the lion share of my leisure time. The majority of my gaming time is usually mid to late evening. Although Mrs P and I do many activities together, there are times when she will want to watch something I don’t, be engrossed in a book or out with friends. These occasions present sizable windows of time to focus upon a video game, which is especially useful for the MMORPG and RPG genres. However, I often have to choose whether to use this time exclusively for gaming or some other recreational activities such as writing. Another foible of my video game time management is trying to arrange things so I can undertake recurring, daily quests in a game early in the morning. I will often tackle such content in Star Trek Online, as soon as I get up.
Role-playing Games. I regret to say that my flirtation with GreedFall ran out of steam in July. This is no reflection upon the game itself which is interesting and enjoyable. It simply got usurped by Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. I was so frustrated trying to play this game on the Nintendo Switch that I purchased it again on the PC and was able to play through the content far more easily with a keyboard and mouse. I completed the main story in the game and passed on the subsequent busy work side content. Enthused by the joys of playing a quality RPG, I moved straight on to the PC version of Days Gone. I really like this game as its setting in post-apocalyptic Oregon is quite unusual and it has a very similar zombie vibe to that of Left For Dead 2. This is another example of a game that I play with keyboard and mouse for PVE content and then a game controller when using a vehicle. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time of late to focus on this game due to the blogging event.
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games. I returned to The Lord of the Rings Online and started working through the last two content updates, Wildwood and Blood of Azog. As the former was level 45 content it was an absolute breeze to clear and it did wonders for my Virtue Traits. The story was inventive and this new area certainly compliments Bree-land as a region. Although I have a liking for any Dwarven driven stories in LOTRO, questing in Azanulbizar is a slog and too much of the content is of a grinding nature. Hence Star Trek Online has received more of my attention these last two months. Developer’s Cryptic continue to ensure that there are regular new events to undertake and goals to work towards. I’ve also raised another two alts to level cap, although I did use a boost for one with interesting results. I even felt bold enough to experiment with a “cannon build” on one of my KDF vessels, although it requires competent flying to use effectively.
Odds and Sods. Having bought a new game controller I have started playing Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout once again. It is fun in short doses but I still worry about the fact I’ve not yet in over a year, won a Crown. I also find it curious that I find it more entertaining collecting the various outfits and emotes than playing the game itself. I also returned briefly to Call of Duty: Warzone to see what the state of the game is. The patch for the latest season was once again ridiculously large and took hours to download. Upon playing a solo Battle Royale game, I found things were pretty much exactly as I left them. I still don’t like the changes made to the map and some weapons continue to be overpowered and therefore ubiquitous. However, having been away from the game for so long, I found myself playing against new players and it proved to be a far more equitable experience. As for the next few months I have nothing major planned. The next announcement I’m awaiting is the release date and cost of the next LOTRO expansion. Hopefully I can return to Days Gone in September.
A Month in Gaming
The last installment of A Month in Gaming was at the end of April. I have decided to update this recurring post less often to ensure that I have more to write about than just cataloguing my generic activities in The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. The only downside of such an approach is that it invalidates the title but that can’t be helped. Fortunately, I have done more than usual over the last two months. My daily schedule has changed temporarily and I now have a little more leisure time available. Hence I’ve dabbled with several new games as well as using my Nintendo Switch more often. I also took part in a “tag team” playthrough of XCOM 2, which was a very interesting experience. And I finally took the time to go through all my games libraries on the various different platforms to catalogue exactly what I have. I found a few hidden gems but the majority is just “filler” that you find in most video game bundles.
The last installment of A Month in Gaming was at the end of April. I have decided to update this recurring post less often to ensure that I have more to write about than just cataloguing my generic activities in The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. The only downside of such an approach is that it invalidates the title but that can’t be helped. Fortunately, I have done more than usual over the last two months. My daily schedule has changed temporarily and I now have a little more leisure time available. Hence I’ve dabbled with several new games as well as using my Nintendo Switch more often. I also took part in a “tag team” playthrough of XCOM 2, which was a very interesting experience. And I finally took the time to go through all my games libraries on the various different platforms to catalogue exactly what I have. I found a few hidden gems but the majority is just “filler” that you find in most video game bundles.
Let’s start with MMOs. The new Blackwood expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online has provided me with a reason to return to the game. I have written at length about the companion system in another post but I would like to reiterate how it does provide a major shot in the arm for the solo player. I have ventured into several dungeons with Mirri providing ranged DPS in support of my melee combat and it has proven a most effective combination. Especially if you configure your companion with at least one healing skill. Alternatively you could equip either of them with a Restoration Staff and make them a dedicated healer. The companion system seems very flexible and I do hope that developer’s ZeniMax continues to improve it further.
In STO, I have levelled one of my new Delta Recruits and have now optimised their build and gear. The toughest aspect of fine tuning an alt in STO is reaching Tier 6 with all reputation factions. If you have completed this on one character, there is a 50% reduction in the time it takes on all subsequent alts. However, even with this benefit, it still takes 50 days and requires you to grind out a prodigious amount of reputation marks. The Summer Festival started today on the resort planet of Risa, so I currently have an alt permanently stationed there to undertake the repeatable daily quest and hence earn the new free Tier 6 ship. I have deferred returning to LOTRO for the present, preferring to keep Update 30 for the Autumn. At present I’m more interested to see what developer’s Standing Stone Games are up to and whether EG7 has any announcements pending for both DDO and LOTRO.
I have continued with the RPG GreedFall and try to have one major play session a week. The game supports mods, so I have one currently installed that removes the brown filter that blights the visuals. I appreciate that game designers like to use the colour palette to create an aesthetic that reflects the narrative themes. But this grimy veneer that has been applied does become tiresome after a while. Once removed the colours of the environment become far more vibrant. I prefer it when games make such visual affectations optional and allow players to toggle such features off if they so please. Adding faux film grain to cinematic cutscenes is another common technique and one that can be quite distracting. GreedFall is a very satisfying RPG, combining many of the elements found in BioWare games. It is the sort of game that provides “comfort entertainment”, as it feels very familiar and traditional.
Perhaps the most challenging game I’ve played of late is Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. This is mainly down to the fact that I’m playing the Switch version and using a pro controller. I’ve tackled other instalments in the franchise on the PC. The combination of the unfamiliarity with using a controller plus the absolute plethora of buttons, menus and actions has meant that my progress has been very slow. Plus when playing on a PC, I am sitting directly in front of the monitor. Using a large screen TV and sitting further away also takes some getting used to. Although I can see quite well, the incongruity of this manner of gaming seems to add to my sense of discombobulation. However, I shall persevere as I like this game and the naval combat is proving especially enjoyable.
In early May, I took part in an XCOM 2 succession game, in which each player undertook a mission and then saved the game and shared the file with the next participant. It was a very interesting experience as playing a turn based strategy game is somewhat out of my comfort zone. Broadly I enjoyed this experience but as ever there were a few caveats. Some of the missions in XCOM 2 have time sensitive objectives. Mercifully, I did not have to endure one of these. I don’t care for time based game mechanics and find them annoying rather than tense or motivating. And then there was the issue of incurring a fatality among your squad when undertaking a mission. Usually, I wouldn’t worry so much about such a thing but as this was a team undertaking, I felt a greater sense of responsibility to prevent this. Ironically, I failed but it is interesting how participating in a team activity changes your outlook and how you play a game due to a perceived sense of obligation to others. Perhaps I’m just not a good team player.
As I mentioned initially, I finally catalogued all games that I currently own and have been trying to draft a short list of the titles I would like to try this year. Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone and Elite Dangerous are the current favourites. Possibly 70% of what I own will more than likely never be played. In many ways this highlights the ephemeral nature of video games. Like popular music from time to time someone will create a timeless classic but there is also a lot of disposable content produced on a seemingly endless conveyor belt. And much of that seems to end up in my video game collection. I must admit, when I finally move over to Windows 11 as an operating system, I’m curious to see how well support for Android apps goes. I tend not to play mobile games on my phone or tablet and the biggest stumbling block of running them on my PC is the use of an emulator. Finally being able to try some titles from the comfort of my PC could prove convenient. Or it may validate my existing prejudice towards mobile games.
A Month in Gaming
I usually write this recurring post at the beginning of each month, reflecting upon my gaming activities over the previous thirty odd days. I refrained from writing an instalment at the beginning of April as I really didn’t feel I had much to say. However, now that a further month has elapsed, I believe sufficient has happened for me to continue. I do worry that these posts get repetitive and simply writing “ I played MMO A or B” is not sufficiently engaging. Luckily, I do feel that I have more to say this time round as I’ve broadened my gaming horizons recently and feel that I’ve done more, compared to other months. So let me begin with my return to console gaming. Something I haven’t done since 1999 when I purchased a Sega Dreamcast. After some procrastination, I’ve finally bought a Nintendo Switch and it has proven quite a hit not only with me but my grandchildren.
I usually write this recurring post at the beginning of each month, reflecting upon my gaming activities over the previous thirty odd days. I refrained from writing an instalment at the beginning of April as I really didn’t feel I had much to say. However, now that a further month has elapsed, I believe sufficient has happened for me to continue. I do worry that these posts get repetitive and simply writing “ I played MMO A or B” is not sufficiently engaging. Luckily, I do feel that I have more to say this time round as I’ve broadened my gaming horizons recently and feel that I’ve done more, compared to other months. So let me begin with my return to console gaming. Something I haven’t done since 1999 when I purchased a Sega Dreamcast. After some procrastination, I’ve finally bought a Nintendo Switch and it has proven quite a hit not only with me but my grandchildren.
At present, I have three games for the Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Yono And The Celestial Elephants and Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection. Essentially, any Mario based game is a joy to play and Mario Kart is an exemplar for the Nintendo brand’s virtues. It offers both fun and a challenge but it’s warm friendly graphics and inherent charm mollify the competitive elements that come with such a driving game. Yono is a A Legend of Zelda-esque adventure/puzzle game starring an elephant. Despite its child friendly aesthetic and design, there is a degree of depth to the gameplay. Due to it’s linear world design and narrative, it lends itself to short bursts of gameplay. Assassin’s Creed offers a different type of challenge, mainly because it requires mastering an action RPG using a controller, rather than keyboard and mouse. This is a very good port and I must admit I am impressed that the Switch can handle an open world environment so well.
I returned briefly to Call of Duty: Warzone recently, mainly to see the new map of Verdansk. When the game launched in early 2020 the story associated with Warzone was linked to events tied to the 2019 soft reboot of Modern Warfare. But because CoD is a yearly franchise, a new iteration was released in September and story elements began being integrated into Warzone. The only problem being that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set in 1984 thus requiring the most tortuous and convoluted plot devices to square the ongoing narrative circle. From my perspective, bringing weapons from an older period into a game set in the present was problematic to say the least, causing balance issues. Furthermore the inclusion of Black Ops content brought zombies into the game. Hence Warzone is now a sprawling mess of differing types of gameplay. A recent nuclear blast has “conveniently” destroyed the contemporary iteration of Verdansk and replaced it with a version of the zone from 1984. Simply put I just don’t like the cumulative changes that have come to the game, so once again I’m taking a break from it.
Sadly, I have spent precious little time playing The Lord of the Rings Online, returning briefly to check out the latest content update which proved to be very disappointing. I do worry that this game is just treading water with regard to its growth and that developer’s Standing Stone Games are limited in the scope of their vision. The anniversary festival is currently live in the game but it really isn’t doing anything new. Yes, the various events can be fun if you are playing them for the first time but the various trinkets and baubles that you can obtain are purely cosmetic. If you are not enamoured with collectibles there is a substantial amount of content currently available that is of no interest or use to you. Furthermore, at present I own all the content available in LOTRO. Hence if there’s very little reason for me to subscribe to the game. I find it odd that SSG don’t seem to be offering any broader incentives to become a VIP.
Star Trek Online, which has some similarities to LOTRO with regard to its age and the fact that it’s based on a popular intellectual property, seems to perpetually have events and goals for players to pursue. I created a new Klingon alt in late January due to the then recruitment event. By the end of March I had brought the character to level cap and had gotten as far as level 5 with all reputation factions. I also bought a Legendary D7 ship and have spent time trying to equip it with the best gear that I can. One of the best aspects of STO is that there’s always something to do. Since January the game has had the Klingon Recruitment event with the storyline revamped, it’s celebrated First Contact Day and there have been two Red Alert events which are great for earning reputation marks. The game is currently running a revised version of the Delta Recruitment event, so if you’re thinking of playing STO, I’d urge you to roll a new character before May 13th. I now have three new alts making a total of nine altogether. Most unusual for me.
There are a few other games I’ve been intermittently playing over the last two months. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is something I regularly return to and is fun in small doses. As I’ve mentioned before, I keep The Elder Scrolls Online up to date as I will more than likely return to the game once the next expansion launches. As for immediate gaming goals I have none of any significance at present. Naturally I’ll continue with STO and keep a weather eye on LOTRO. I want to come to grips with Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection and finally complete a game from this franchise (I’ve started Black Flag). The convenience of the Switch is a big selling point and I seem to evenly spend my time (at least for the meantime) using it as a handheld device as well as docked to the TV. It certainly has reinvigorated my attitude towards gaming which had become increasingly indifferent of late. I hope that this positive outlook continues over May and beyond.