]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/22/thornsday-snowsend-22 Thu, 22 Feb 2024 22:33:09 +0000
Time to explore more tunnels today.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/21/windsday-snowsend-21 Wed, 21 Feb 2024 23:14:29 +0000
Cora investigates a storage chamber and finds a map of the castle. There are odd markings on the map that she tries to decipher.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/20/truceday-snowsend-20 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 21:27:07 +0000
Instead of taking the information back to the castle, Cora decides to explore the tunnels.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/19/moonsday-snowsend-19 Mon, 19 Feb 2024 22:44:45 +0000
Down in the tunnel, Cora attempts to eavesdrop on the bug conversation.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/17/starsday-17-sunsday-18-snowsend Sun, 18 Feb 2024 01:08:40 +0000
So, the adventure begins!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/16/fruitsday-snowsend-16 Fri, 16 Feb 2024 22:43:54 +0000
Today Cora gets to choose a bug friend to join her party.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/15/thornsday-snowsend-15 Thu, 15 Feb 2024 23:28:54 +0000
The Captain offers Cora an artifact to take with her. Now we’re talking!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/14/windsday-snowsend-14 Wed, 14 Feb 2024 23:01:09 +0000
Yay! It’s level up day!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/13/truceday-snowsend-13 Tue, 13 Feb 2024 21:38:01 +0000
While Next Fest is packing it up for this month, I wanted to share some of the demos I tried, since a number of them still seem to be active! I didn’t download too many of them, and most of what I did were on the cozy gaming side of things.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/02/13/steam-next-fest-february-2024 Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:25:41 +0000
Captain Clawthorn arrives in the throne room with reinforcements. Apparently, the gang is all here, and it’s now finally time to choose the hero I’m going to play for the rest of the year.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/12/moonsday-snowsend-12 Mon, 12 Feb 2024 23:59:16 +0000
Today, Sil takes on a swarm of insect invaders by herself.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/10/starsday-10-sunsday-11-snowsend Sat, 10 Feb 2024 23:05:58 +0000
February has been a somewhat quiet month for this blog, especially after having posted so much last month. This was not something I meant to do, but rather something that happened due to me accidentally stumbling into another format of writing – journaling by hand.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/02/10/accidental-analogue Sat, 10 Feb 2024 17:13:58 +0000
Though the insects break out of the throne room and rush into the castle halls, Sil takes a moment to help Merrik finish up the invaders in the throne room.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/09/fruitsday-snowsend-9 Fri, 09 Feb 2024 23:28:59 +0000
Sil enters the throne room to find a fiasco in the making.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/08/thornsday-snowsend-8 Thu, 08 Feb 2024 22:47:28 +0000
Now that Sil is done with her duties for the day, she gets a chance to try to familiarize herself with the castle.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/07/windsday-snowsend-7 Wed, 07 Feb 2024 23:25:34 +0000
Sil is given a list of duties to perform in wake of the festival.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/06/truceday-snowsend-6 Tue, 06 Feb 2024 20:46:47 +0000
This week’s new hero is Sil.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/05/moonsday-snowsend-5 Mon, 05 Feb 2024 23:12:06 +0000
Merrik found some unexpected intruders (aside from him) – insects burrowing up from underground into the throne room. Turns out, he’s gone from thief to defender.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/03/starsday-3-sunsday-4-snowsend Sun, 04 Feb 2024 01:32:29 +0000
Once inside the castle, Merrik realizes it’s full of servants running about taking care of the festivities. He quickly disguises himself as one and is able to bamboozle his way past the patrolling guards with ease.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/02/fruitsday-snowsend-2 Fri, 02 Feb 2024 22:29:31 +0000
I really like the picture for today’s calendar – quite dynamic!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/02/01/thornsday-snowsend-1 Thu, 01 Feb 2024 22:04:58 +0000
It’s been a while since I’ve written a progress report. While I haven’t been fiddling the whole month of January (I started back on my fiddle anniversary, which was the 15th), I wanted to get into the habit of looking back on the month and talking about how it went.

]]> https://aywren.com/fiddle/blog/2024/fiddle-progress-report-january-2024 Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:47:16 +0000
Merrik is having a bit of a rocky start to the Leaf Riding competition.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/31/windsday-deepwinter-31 Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:56:17 +0000
While I didn’t announce the fact that I was back to practicing my uke again, I did start back up at the beginning of the new year. I’d be practicing fairly often through the summer months (which I didn’t keep up with in this blog), but fell off the practice wagon back in September.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/31/uke-monthly-progress-january-2024 Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:33:31 +0000
Merrik gets sniffed out by the guards before he can set sail into the competition.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/30/truceday-deepwinter-30 Tue, 30 Jan 2024 20:31:45 +0000
Two weeks back, FFXIV dropped the final story for Endwalker in the form of patch 6.55. This introduced the story leads that will carry players into the plot of the next expansion, Dawntrail. Overall, I felt like it did this fairly well.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/30/ffxiv-a%20look-at-6-55 Tue, 30 Jan 2024 15:02:50 +0000
So in comes the newest “hero,” Merrik.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/29/moonsday-deepwinter-29 Mon, 29 Jan 2024 22:29:30 +0000
The age of digital gaming has pushed physical media further and further into the background. However, while I will buy some indie games and some digital-only games for my Switch console, I’ve seen all too often how Nintendo shuts down the E-Shops for their systems over time. That’s why I often purchase bigger and more important games in physical format.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/29/nintendo-switch-game-cartridge-accessibility Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:30:49 +0000
Cora wants to register for the Leaf Riding tournament, and had several different options to do so.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/27/starsday-27-sunsday-28-deepwinter Sun, 28 Jan 2024 01:47:47 +0000
Now that Cora is out of the castle, it’s time to party!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/26/fruitsday-deepwinter-26 Fri, 26 Jan 2024 23:34:25 +0000
The short Steam game of the week was true to its namesake – both short and a hike. This was a cute little pixel adventure with some undertones of the main character’s (Claire) self-growth and discovering you’re capable of more than you realize.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/26/steam-gaming-a-short-hike Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:52:44 +0000
Cora now has to make her way through the castle to her secret exit. She catches sight of Thatch, who does not see her, and is noticed by just about everyone on her way out. They all scold her a bit for her antics, telling her to either not get hurt again or that she’s going to get in trouble with her mother.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/25/thornsday-deepwinter-25 Thu, 25 Jan 2024 23:27:14 +0000
One idea I’d like to hold to more this year in terms of gaming and purchases – going forward, I’d like to only invest in the games I want to play. I know this sounds like a very simple and silly thing to say. But in a time when Steam sales and bundles entice players to invest in games just because they “look good,” “have good ratings,” and are a “great deal”… I’ve found myself caught up in that more and more lately.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/25/the-games-i-want-to-play Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:34:11 +0000
I mentioned that my good rolls through all the obstacles yesterday probably used up my luck, and that seems to be the way of things.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/24/windsday-deepwinter-24 Wed, 24 Jan 2024 22:11:48 +0000
Good bowing technique makes or breaks a violin player. Without it, there’s no way to fake your way to good tone or pleasant playing. That’s why there’s a lot of different exercises out there that focuses on strengthening your bow hand and fingers.

]]> https://aywren.com/fiddle/blog/2024/video-bow-warm-ups-2-0 Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:49:19 +0000
Cora decides it’s time to make a break for it – out the window, in style!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/23/truceday-deepwinter-23 Tue, 23 Jan 2024 20:09:45 +0000
One common practice I’ve seen amongst violin folks is to name their instruments. I suppose it’s something akin to naming a boat or such - giving something a name is meant to invoke a connection, and the closer you feel to something, the more time you’re likely to spend with it.

]]> https://aywren.com/fiddle/blog/2024/ive-named-my-fiddle Tue, 23 Jan 2024 17:16:17 +0000
Finally, here’s the character that I’ve wanted to play! Being a mouse/rat enthusiast, she is the only one that I’ve had my eye on, and I doubt I can be persuaded otherwise.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/22/moonsday-deepwinter-22 Mon, 22 Jan 2024 23:12:18 +0000
One of my goals for 2024 was to work towards simplifying and cutting back on service subscriptions. I already started that by cutting PC Game Pass (and of course, right after I do that, they add games I want to try).

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/22/2024-simplicity-further-cutting-service-subscriptions Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:54:03 +0000
Quill catches sight of a thief pickpocketing among the line to get into the city of Crownspire.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/20/starsday-20-sunsday-21-deepwinter Sat, 20 Jan 2024 18:18:36 +0000
First of all, the merchant turns out to be a bird – it just feels odd that a bird can’t defend against insects. I get that they’re large insects, and it seems like all animals are on the same level in this environment, but it’s just weird.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/19/fruitsday-deepwinter-19 Fri, 19 Jan 2024 22:12:59 +0000
I’ve long had this internal debate about where to keep my fiddle. I’ve read some folks who say an instrument should be one of two places – in your hand when you’re practicing or in its case when you’re not. However, I’ve always found it so much easier and more convenient to keep my fiddle in a holder outside of the case.

]]> https://aywren.com/fiddle/blog/2024/fiddle-to-case-or-not-to-case Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:08:58 +0000
The insects attack! Turns out, Quill didn’t really need the defense bonus in the end, however.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/18/thornsday-deepwinter-18 Thu, 18 Jan 2024 23:11:42 +0000
Quill stumbles upon a merchant cart being attacked by insects.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/17/windsday-deepwinter-17 Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:21:34 +0000
It seems like I misjudged how many meal rations they’d require us to buy for the very first trip. Ah, well.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/16/truceday-deepwinter-16 Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:36:57 +0000
As of today, this blog is a decade old! I’ve been blogging far longer than 10 years – I developed a number of blogs before this. This is just the one that has stood the test of time. But even then, it’s gone through a number of developments.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/16/10th-year-blogiversary Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:05:38 +0000
It’s on to the next hero – Quill Mudsong.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/15/moonsday-deepwinter-15 Mon, 15 Jan 2024 22:03:43 +0000
Not that I need another backlog in my life, but I’ve done some math looking at my audio book library. One of my goals for this year was to “read” more books – which also encompasses listening to audio books (usually while I’m doing something mindless on the side).

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/14/the-audible-backlog Sun, 14 Jan 2024 21:51:17 +0000
Time to brew up some salve.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/13/starsday-13-sunsday-14-deepwinter Sat, 13 Jan 2024 23:37:15 +0000
When worms attack!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/12/fruitsday-deepwinter-12 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:54:02 +0000
I originally played Tiny Life as a demo during a Steam NextFest in 2023. While I didn’t think the game was awful, I wasn’t all that inclined to go out and pick it up from what I experienced. The only reason I have it now is because it was part of the Jingle Jam bundle. I decided to give it another try, and have spent a little over an hour with it so far.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/12/steam-gaming-tiny-life Fri, 12 Jan 2024 16:56:04 +0000
Today, Thatch goes ingredient hunting for the salve that Master Laurel needs to make for the Tree of Seasons.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/11/thornsday-deepwinter-11 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:02:10 +0000
One of my major goals in FFXIV was to complete the Endwalker post patch content with Ben before the expansion drops. I managed to do this before patch 6.55 dropped instead, finishing up the MSQ last night.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/11/ffxiv-the-end-of-endwalker-again Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:23:37 +0000
Today was another day of decent rolls that got Thatch where he needed to be despite the bustle of people in the castle for the festival.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/10/windsday-deepwinter-10 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 21:48:29 +0000
Finally, I made some rolls worthy of Thatch today. In fact, both of my rolls were really good.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/09/truceday-deepwinter-9 Tue, 09 Jan 2024 21:37:05 +0000
Wow, my rolls were so bad today… poor Thatch. His first day in the game and I’m already ruining his reputation.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/08/moonsday-deepwinter-8 Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:06:34 +0000
The Posse picked up Medieval Dynasty during the Steam winter sale, and after over 50 hours of playtime, I can say we are enjoying this game so much. It’s a unique blend of medieval style survival exploration with a settlement building sim. And it does all of these things very well!

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/08/steam-gaming-checking-out-the-medieval-dynasty-survival-sim Mon, 08 Jan 2024 16:16:41 +0000
The third and last fanfest keynote finally dropped last night, and here are a few of my thoughts on all that was announced. I’m far more content (though just as curious) about what I saw this time around than I was with the past couple fanfests. They do know how to save the best for last.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/07/ffxiv-japanese-dawntrail-fanfest-keynote-reveals Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:21:26 +0000
Tak had a little trouble climbing out of the tunnel system, and took 1 damage from the exhaustion of it all. He was able to quickly determine, however, that the exit is uncomfortably close to Crownspire City.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/06/starsday-6-sunsday-7-deepwinter Sat, 06 Jan 2024 21:10:55 +0000
Ouch, this was a painful page for a first fight.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/05/fruitsday-deepwinter-5 Fri, 05 Jan 2024 21:00:22 +0000
I feel like this page left out some details. It talks about the sounds you hear under the floor and that there shouldn’t be anything under it. But the picture shows Tak falling, and the roll you make is to stop your fall or grab on to a ledge – even though there was no indication in the story that he was falling.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/04/thornsday-deepwinter-4 Thu, 04 Jan 2024 20:51:33 +0000
Paradise Marsh was one of the short games that I got with the Jingle Jam bundle. While I only put a couple of hours into it, that was enough to complete the main bit of the game.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/04/steam-gaming-paradise-marsh Thu, 04 Jan 2024 19:45:45 +0000
Today was the day Tak chooses to redeem himself (I just had really good rolls for once). He was able to take a group of soldiers and lead them successfully as they worked to clear out the invasive roots.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/03/windsday-deepwinter-3 Wed, 03 Jan 2024 20:25:42 +0000
Today was a day of menial tasks so that Tak can “prove himself.” Sadly, my rolls were so poor on the first two that the only thing he proved himself to be was underwhelming.

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/02/truceday-deepwinter-2 Tue, 02 Jan 2024 19:09:13 +0000
I can already see this game is going to play differently than the calendars from years before. It seems like we are going to play each of the hero characters for a week, then we will finally be able to choose one of them, or create one of our own. I’m interested in how this is going to work!

]]> https://aywren.com/microblog/2024/01/01/moonsday-deepwinter-1 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 23:27:13 +0000
This year, I’m going to keep my goals short and sweet. I’m going to try to stay away from numbers and focus on actions. You might note that I didn’t call this post “gaming goals” this year, because I want to include more than just gaming stuff here.

]]> https://aywren.com/2024/01/01/my-goals-for-2024 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 16:29:38 +0000
It’s that time of year again… where I look at the goals I set at the beginning of the year and see how well I worked toward meeting them. This year… well… I’ll let the results speak for themselves.

]]> https://aywren.com/2023/12/31/2023-game-goals-in-review Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:21:29 +0000