2024: This Blog in Review
Posted on December 28, 2024 by Aywren
As this year winds down, I’ve had plenty of thoughts about what direction I hope to take this site in 2025. Some are things I want to start doing, but just as much as there are things I want to eliminate from my creative plate. While this post was supposed to be a review, I guess it’ll be more of a wishlist for 2025, instead. That good with you?
I know that I have some large plans for web coding projects for other sites – especially our webcomic, Wayrift – that are going to require a good chunk of time in the upcoming year. This is just the nature of running several hand-coded HTML sites, something which I accept given what the alternatives are (side-eyeing you, WordPress).
I do want to spend time looking at the systems I use to create content, and streamline it the best I can. This isn’t easy, again, given the nature of hand-coded HTML sites. But there’s always a possibility of improvement, right?
Quest Calendar’s End
I’ve been writing posts around the daily quest calendar for three years now. It hasn’t always been on my main blog – I have posts from 2022 scattered between Tumblr and Pillowfort, for example. This past year has really driven home one thing: I’m worn out by coding these pages nearly every day.
I’d already planned on taking a break from this in 2025. In fact, there were a few times in 2024 that I almost stopped doing this. While I enjoy the quest calendar and the feedback I get around the pages, it takes about half an hour of my day, every day, creating each page.
This takes away from time I could use to write and code normal blog. This has been very apparent to me.
Seems like I don’t have a choice in taking a break in 2025, however, as Sundial Games is not releasing a calendar next year. Looks like the next calendar will drop in 2026, instead.
That was an easy decision.
On another note, I do want to move and consolidate my 2022 quest calendar archive to my main blog, just like I did with last year’s calendar. I’ve already started on this project, mostly because I’m a little antsy about the future of Pillowfort (where most of these posts exist).
However, I have so many other projects that need to take priority, I have no idea when I’ll get around to working on this. Isn’t that how it goes?
Backlog Bloggery
Once more, I’m going to try to tackle my gaming backlog in 2025. I didn’t pay all that much attention to it this past year, which has been good… and bad.
If I could just set myself to play something new every week, I’d make a lot of ground in my backlog, I’m sure. But that’s easier said than done.
Regardless, I’ve thought up a new name for blogging about this progress – Backlog Bloggery. This allows some wiggle room for games outside of Steam, as the previous name for this was “Steam Challenge.” Now, however, my backlog extends far beyond steam to other platforms, even consoles, including my Switch. Speaking of Switch…
The Year of Nintendo Switch
Maybe?
I know I say this every year, but with the Switch 2 looming soon, I feel motivated to try to focus on more Switch gaming this year. I have many series of games that I’d like to progress through – almost every Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, and many tactics games.
Tons of really great experiences waiting for me. I just need to carve out the time to play them.
This, of course, means I need better time management and focus. When did gaming become about time management and focus? I guess that’s the problem with adult life and full-time jobs.
Anyhow, I want to enjoy my Switch more with a follow-up system on the horizon. I don’t have a desire to rush out and buy the Switch 2, but the fact that it’s backwards compatible is a very important feature considering my Switch library is probably the biggest console library I own.
We’ll see if other features and games on the Switch 2 will be enough to sway me towards a launch purchase like my Switch was. This little console has really lasted me seeing I got it day one and I have never upgraded to a new one.
Overall, I just want to blog more in 2025. I’ve fallen off the blogging wagon quite a bit over the years, and while I’ve maintained this site well enough to still exist, it’s not a posting frequency I’m happy about. I know the key is folding my blogging into the hobbies I already do and enjoy. So. I’m going to put my focus on doing just that.
Do you have any goals for your blog or creative projects in the upcoming year?