Aywren's Nook - Gaming and Geek Blog

FFXIV: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Fear Frontlines PVP!

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:31:46 +0000

Tomorrow launches the new series rewards for PVP in FFXIV. The day after, the new Mogtomes event begins, which usually gives rewards for those who run Frontlines PVP in particular (I don’t see it listed, but that’s usually a given).

A Farewell to Blaugust 2026

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:37:20 +0000

It’s the final day of August, a day I’ve traditionally used as a time to look back and quickly tally the number of posts I’ve created over this month. I do this self-report so that it hopefully helps those who are counting posts check me off real quick-like!

FFXIV: Facing Tankiety and Healing Fears

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 15:03:06 +0000

In a previous video, I talked about the things that cause MMO players social anxiety. Turns out that playing tank and healer roles is a big fear trigger for a lot of folks playing FFXIV.

Palworld 1.0 Release – Excellent Monster Catching Open World Survival Game

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:49:57 +0000

Palworld has turned out to be one of my most-played games of 2026. I don’t regret that in any capacity. I know some folks joked about it being “Pokemon with guns” but it’s been a very satisfying survival monster catching game.

On Engagement: Blogging vs. Video

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:23:46 +0000

I love my blog. I’ve spent the past 12 years typing words onto the screen in hopes that something I had to say would reach folks beyond me for a bigger purpose. Sometimes that purpose is to strike up conversation or share thoughts on a topic. Often, though, I want to provide information that can help or inspire someone else.

Windrose – A Pirate’s Life for Me!

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:31:31 +0000

I do love a good pirate sailing game, preferably one with decent naval combat and some trading routes thrown in there. Windrose is a bit of a different type of pirate game in that it holds fast to the survival crafting adventure genre and puts a high seas spin on it.

FFXIV: How to Group with Less Stress

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:31:31 +0000

In a previous video, I asked the community for tips on how they deal with social anxiety in FFXIV grouping situations. I got quite a few responses, and some of them were very helpful! While I tried to think up all the tips I could in my first video, folks brought up a few things I didn’t think of!

FFXIV: Bard Music Player Replacements

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:21:19 +0000

As of August 17, 2026, the original Bard Music Player (BMP) program has been retired. I first wrote a guide about the original BMP back in 2018. I do believe that has been one of the most popular posts on my blog, especially back in the day. So, I feel like I need to follow up on the retirement of this program and provide some alternatives to it.

Grandpa’s Bee Haven Opens Public Playtesting!

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:44:49 +0000

Earlier this year, I did an early demo review of the cozy, idle bee keeping game that sits at the bottom of the PC screen – Grandpa’s Bee Haven! Since then, the game has had a lot of excellent updates and additions, including some of the very things I sent in as my own feedback.

IRL Update: The Job Hunt Has Its Ups and Downs

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:30:49 +0000

I’ve been holding off in writing about what’s happening with me IRL because there are a lot of things up in the air. I’m currently writing this part of the post the day before a deciding factor of my possible future employment is made. I plan to pick up writing the second part of this post once I find out how things go.

FFXIV: An Introvert's Hopes for Evercold Changes

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:19:19 +0000

While we got some more information about Evercold at the EU Fanfest, we barely scratched the surface in understanding more about the changes that I want to see. What kind of hopes do I have for the next expansion, and why do they belong to an introvert?

Enshrouded: Fell Dragon Youngling - 1.0 Update

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:06:09 +0000

One of the biggest boss fights in Enshrouded is the Fell Dragon Youngling. I wrote about this battle almost a year ago when we first beat it, and what it took to actually finish the fight so that we could move on in the story.

FFXIV: Roleplay Tips from Sojourner Circle

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:09:07 +0000

In a previous video, I talked about role play in FFXIV and what you can do to get started. I also touched on what causes people anxiety when considering RP, especially from a shy or new player perspective. In the comments of that video, I asked other folks for their RP tips, and boy did I get them!

I Finally Played: Balatro

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:01:06 +0000

Back when Balatro was still new, I heard a whole lot about this deck-building Poker roguelike. I mean, a lot a lot about it. It was, and still is, rated overwhelmingly positive on Steam.

I Finally Played: Vampire Survivors

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:09:05 +0000

In this short series, I finally pick up some games that I’ve heard about, and are highly rated, but I just have never given a shot. The first of these is Vampire Survivors.

Steam Gaming: The Year of Early Access Releases

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:33:51 +0000

While I do take care what games I pick up during Early Access, I have a weak spot for crafting survival games in particular. This year, for whatever reason, we’re seeing a bunch of the big hitter survival games coming out of early access and releasing into the 1.0 state. This is a good thing!

FFXIV: 9 Chill and Cozy Solo Activities

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:50:04 +0000

I got feedback from folks in previous YouTube videos listing their top activities they use to unwind in FFXIV. I then gathered these activities in a video, which you can see here.

Blaugust 2026 – The Halfway Point

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:09:19 +0000

I know that August has 31 days and that day 15 is not technically halfway, but I still tend to view it that way, anyhow. So here we are, halfway through another Blaugust – how’s it going for you?

It’s Harder to Blog About Gaming (For Me)

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:40:29 +0000

The past few years, I’ve been blogging less and less, specifically about gaming – and I’d like to talk about why. Or, at least, why I think this is for me.

YouTube Increases Requirements to Unlock Monetization

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:44:30 +0000

Just after I talked a little bit about my adventures with YouTube this year, and my quiet hopes to maybe one day earn a little bit from my work, YouTube drops the bomb on all small channels by increasing the requirements to unlock monetization in the future.

Flames of Bedlam – Making a Fantasy Audiobook for YouTube

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:20:57 +0000

While I’ve only been making YouTube videos for a little over two months, my ambitions always seem to get the best of me. I noticed that my videos seem to get more traction and comments (I’ll write a post about this later) than a lot of my written content does, sadly. So, that got me to thinking about how I might be able to repurpose some of my fantasy stories in an audio format.

Neocities is Improving – And I Noticed!

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:52:50 +0000

As a daily user of the Neocities hosting platform, I’ve observed some quiet updates the site has begun to roll out over this past year. These things are sometimes hard to spot unless you use the site as much as I do, and there are no release notes out there that I can find.

The No Console Generation

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:12:37 +0000

As a gamer, specifically a console gamer, things are getting tough out there. Sure, it’s tough for PC players, too, in terms of the cost of maintaining and upgrading hardware, but we’re seeing in real-time the effects of the AI datacenter glut on the cost of current gen consoles.

FFXIV: How to Deal with Grouping Anxiety

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:22:26 +0000

In a previous video, I talked about the top things that cause players anxiety in FFXIV. Of course, group content is at the top of this list.

FFXIV: When Your Main Breaks Your Immersion

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 12:50:29 +0000

Immersion is extremely important to me as a story-focused player in FFXIV. And while I generally enjoy the story beats of the game (ignoring some of the lesser engaging stuff in Dawntrail), I do have one small issue with how FFXIV handles the main character of the MSQ… because if you aren’t playing a Warrior of Light (WoL), then things just don’t mesh well.

FFXIV: Phantom Relic Weapons for Patch 7.55

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:27:20 +0000

It’s that time again in FFXIV – Relic Weapon grinds! The newest patch 7.55 brings the final step of the Relic weapon to the game while encouraging a full-on run of everything in Dawntrail all over again.

FFXIV Mobile - Canceled – Switch 2 Release a Go

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:52:11 +0000

I’d heard rumors that the FFXIV Mobile version would be canceled about a week or two before the official website posted an announcement. Because I’m honestly not sure how long the site will remain up, I’ve screenshotted the info and placed it in this post.

Celebrate HTML Day 2026 on August 8!

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:40:58 +0000

Last year I first discovered HTML day, though this event has now run for the past 4 years! In a day and age when vibe coding is becoming a new reality, the celebration of hand-coded and intentionally built apps and sites is more important than ever.

What I’ve Learned About Making Better YouTube Videos

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:21:50 +0000

Making videos was one of those things I said I’d never do. Until I suddenly created a YouTube channel.

FFXIV: Are You Too Shy to Roleplay? Here’s Some Tips!

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:30:51 +0000

In a previous video I where talked about social anxiety in FFXIV, one of the top responses I heard was that folks wanted to roleplay, but either didn’t know how to start or were too afraid to try it. I pulled together a number of tips based on my own experience, and suggestions of others in the RP community, to make this follow-up video.

FFXIV: A Recap of the EU Evercold Fanfest

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 12:39:46 +0000

The weekend of June 25-26 featured the EU FFXIV Fanfest in Berlin. Here, we got the newest info drop on the Evercold expansion, including the reveal of the new Tank job! I’m going to quickly go over all the important highlights of the Fanfest in this post!

Welcome to Blaugust 2026

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:27:52 +0000

Last month, we lost Belghast in his fight against cancer. The mentors of the Blaugust Discord, of which I am one, were determined to see Blaugust continue on in his honor. Just as he would have wanted.

Blaugust 2026 is On the Way!

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:19:14 +0000

This year, it’s been a bit of a challenge to start this announcement post. I rolled different opening points through my head, and decided I was just going to be honest and up front about it.

In Memory of Belghast, the One True Aggronaut

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 17:31:04 +0000

Last night, I learned that we lost Belghast, a truly special individual and a pillar of the gaming/MMO community. His blog, Tales of the Aggronaut, has stood tall since April 2009 (based on blog archives), and his tenacity at blogging and podcasting in the gaming realm is legendary.

FFXIV: Top Five Things That Cause Anxiety

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:21:57 +0000

Social anxiety is a fear response to a specific situation you're anticipating, often triggered by past experiences or trauma. Basically, your brain is trying to protect you by emoting danger bongos, which fire up your body’s fight or flight response system.

Steam Personal Challenge: I’m Done. The Backlog Wins!

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:13:28 +0000

Okay, so maybe the backlog doesn’t completely win. But after 12 years of trying to work through growing Steam backlog, I’ve finally come to the point where I feel like I’m done with this project.

FFXIV: Introverted Eorzea – My New YouTube Channel

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:51:15 +0000

I’ve never been much of a video creator. I’ve always said that I’d stick to blogging, mostly because that’s where my strengths lie and what I’m most comfortable doing. Despite all that, I launched my first real YouTube channel yesterday with a focus on reaching out to help introverted, shy, and socially anxious people who play MMOs (specifically FFXIV).

Nintendo Switch – Wren’s Tomodatchi Life Review

Wed, 20 May 2026 01:25:05 +0000

Tomodatchi Life: Living the Dream was a rather impulsive purchase for me. I didn’t own the original Tomodatchi Life game, but I did have a ton of fun with MiiTopia (which I know isn’t the same, but is slightly related). So, I told myself, if Tomodatchi Life was similar to MiiTopia, I’d probably have a great time with it.

I’m Glad I Stood by FFXIV Through the Down-Trail

Fri, 15 May 2026 20:33:19 +0000

While I’m cautiously optimistic about the future of FFXIV, it’s been a tough time to be a dedicated FFXIV player during the Dawntrail era. I didn’t write a whole lot about my feelings during this past expansion because I don’t like to pile negativity on top of what was already out there. But given the recent change of tone, I feel like now is the right time to come clean.

FFXIV: Patch 7.5 Biggest Quality of Life Features – Opening Up Inventory Space!

Thu, 14 May 2026 23:54:49 +0000

I’ve been playing through FFXIV Patch 7.5 on all my up-to-date characters, as I do. While the newest story is a big move in the right direction, and the latest Fan Fest has ramped up general hype for the game, I wanted to talk about one of the most important perks of this patch, IMHO.

FFXIV: Evercold Announcements, My Thoughts on the Future

Sat, 09 May 2026 18:45:00 +0000

I was present at the 2026 FFXIV NA Fanfestival, so I got to be a part of the crowd that welcomed the announcement of the upcoming changes coming in the next expansion. Overall, I felt like welcomed is a good word for it – there was much folks were excited about and there is much going to change.

FFXIV: Return from FFXIV Fanfest 2026

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:19:06 +0000

I just returned from the 2026 FFXIV NA Fanfest that was held in Anaheim last week, and boy was there a LOT revealed there! I won’t get too much into the content of the announcements – I’d rather talk about that in a different post. But I did want to talk a little about the event itself.

FFXIV: Getting Ready for Fanfest 2026!

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:19:28 +0000

This time next week, I plan to be out in California and soon heading into the events at the FFXIV Fanfest 2026! Weirdly enough, the last time I went to a FFXIV Fanfest was back in 2016 – I still have the swag bag from it, so that’s how I know. That was almost a decade ago!

Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:26:33 +0000

As of this month, Netflix prices are going up again. The lowest price plan – the one that subjects you to ads – will now be $8.99 plus taxes/fees a month. This probably works out to be 10-ish dollars. Don’t know because I don’t plan on sticking around to find out.

FFXIV: Project Temu Green

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:41:06 +0000

Last week, I talked about my new Kip bun character and how I chose not to make my second-best character slot on my account another NPC. That doesn’t mean I’ve completely given up on the idea of having a Dancing Green character, however!

FFXIV: Space Bun Adventures

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:21:37 +0000

While I’ve been busy ocean fishing on Amon, I’ve finally come to a conclusion on what to do with his alt character slot that I moved back to Mateus last month. I’ve been very indecisive about it because I’ve been trying to find a personality that fits the feel of the character slot and all that it owns – this is my second-most developed character on my FFXIV account, after all.

FFXIV: Master of the Sea

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:05:38 +0000

The Mog Tome event started in FFXIV yesterday and I have been in deep with Ocean Fishing. My goal was to not only earn the tomes I needed for the emerald gwiber mount, but to also reel in some fish in my ocean fishing log and hopefully finish the 1 million point achievement for the minion.

FFXIV: Final Alt of Dawntrail

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:57:23 +0000

Today, I made the final push that brought my last Dawntrail-ready alt all the way through FFXIV patch 7.4. This makes the 6th character I’ve completed this run on, and thankfully, I have no other alts that are anywhere near starting Dawntrail. I’m fairly much mentally done re-running this content.

Wayrift – 24 Years of Webcomics

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:16:36 +0000

Today is the celebration of the 24th anniversary of Wayrift, our ongoing webcomic. Ten years ago, I wrote a post very much like this on this blog, which you can find here. On that post, I created an image that compared the older art to the art of 14. So, today, I’ve taken that image and created an updated image that adds 2026 next to that.

Update on Quest Calendar 2026: The Souls of Saraku

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:33:58 +0000

Back in January, I wrote about playing the solo, DM-less RPG quest calendar for 2026. The theme for this year was an iffy one for me, but after taking a break from the quest calendar in 2025, I decided to back the Kickstarter for this one anyhow. What do I think about it so far?