Holy shit, things really got away from me over the last 72 hours. Holy cow, since Wednesday lunch, I've been rushing from one thing to another, stopping only to try and make myself sleep for a few hours. This is the first moment I've had to take a breath. It's been fun, but it's been too busy.
I wish I had more time to watch PAX East. It's a huge bummer being so busy that I missed a lot of the cool stuff.
I've been watching as much World Baseball Classic as I can, and that's been riveting. I just wish it wasn't this time of year. It needs to be in the middle of the season. They need to pause for two weeks in July, kill the All-Star Game, and do the WBC instead.
Spring Training is great, though. I wish I was able to get more sleep, but it is what it is. I've already hit a couple games so far, got to check out the Natstros' new park, got to scout a lot of the Cardinals' hot prospects, and we've got the Kong flick on the docket for tonight, as well as US vs Dominicana, and then tomorrow, I'm hitting up Roger Dean again for another Spring Training game, then shooting down to Miami for US vs Canada. Then, it's several lazy days in Key West.
Anyway, it's been absolutely crazy, and I haven't even talked about the insanity of the travel to get here.
So, I'm gonna go chill out in the hotel for a bit, but I wanted to talk at you first. I'll be back by Tuesday. We'll see.
That GameCon Application ...
Yeah, so I kinda went crazy with the Game Con app I talked about yesterday. I wanted to just sketch out some SQL tables and basic design, and decided to just start rapidly prototyping, and ... well, I was amazed at how quickly I pulled together a working application.
I now have it so that it'll present one or more live streams on a page dynamically, based on the schedule you enter into it. Also, I built out a system that lets me just enter some basic info, and it builds the schedule out for me. I just give it a basic panel/demo name, the date/time for start and stop, and what instance of a convention with which it's associated, and the application handles the rest, so it'll cut between streams on a single page, or show them side-by-side if they overlap a bit (which I'm going to refine).
It also lets me input an upcoming instance of a con via a web interface. I seeded the repeating cons via a SQL script, and then built an interface that lets me then create instances of those cons at will.
Then, within those cons, I can enter some basic info for panels or demos that I want to see, and associate them with a stream provider, and I stored the iframe info for each of those streams in data, and blammo, we have what we need to just fire it up and kick back. It's pretty sweet.
I'm almost disappointed that I'll be so busy with travel and vacation during most of PAX East.
I'm also looking at creating Xbox One and iPhone versions of this for myself. I may even stand it up on Azure (where the DB already is), so that I can hit it from the web whenever I want.
I also built out some very rudimentary calendar and con-specific pages. The calendar is very simple right now, and will need a lot of refinement. The con-specific pages ... I'm still thinking over what to do, but they're intended as a 'stream firehose' (no pun intended), so that you can get a look at what's live from everywhere right now at the con. The PAX one has five streams on it, and I've been tinkering with the embed code that Twitch provides to really make it cool. We'll see.
Anyway, more on this to come. Still no plans to provide it to the public, but if there's interest ... eh, we'll see.
Also, if anyone cares, I built it entirely with the new Visual Studio 2017, which is slick as hell.
My Next Stream
I'm leaning toward KotOR 1 & 2. I really adore those games, and I know a hell of a lot about the Star Wars universe. Also, it's been a looong time since I really played through the games, so that'll be fun.
Any thoughts? Objections?
I'd also play them heavily modded, so that they're in 1920x1080, plus any other neat mods I can find. KotOR2 will also have a shitload of restored content mods.
I'm gonna target that to start toward the end of the month. That'll give me ample time to do some research and a little bit of scripting.
I think I'll do what I did for the latter part of my Mass Effect series, and live stream via Twitch, and then shoot it to YouTube. We'll see. I may live stream on YouTube Gaming, but I worry about limiting my audience. Of course, there's less competition over on YTG ... we'll see. It'll probably be Twitch, but I'm gonna research and think on it.
VACATION!!!
As I've been blabbing out, I'm heading to Spring Training soon, and then to Key West. I'm very excited, as it's always the most relaxing couple of weeks of my life. And I'll wrap it all up with a few days of Mass Effect Andromeda. AAAHHH ... cannot wait.
Sunshine, baseball, family, Torment, creative freedom, and Mass Effect ... awesome.
I'll still be posting almost daily while I'm there.
As I've mentioned, I'm on the verge of my annual Spring Training pilgrimage, and I like to fantasize about the things that are going to happen. I'm going to fake baseball games, which I love, I'm going to enjoy fresh fish and shrimp, I'm going to get away from the daily grind (though I do love my job), I'm going to get to spend time with family, I'm going to get to hang out in Key West after Spring Training, I'm going to get some gaming time, and on and on ...
... something else I like to do when I'm on vacation is ponder my next creative project. I'm eager to write something new, and I have a pretty solid idea for my next novel. That'll probably start to happen on the plane.
Otherwise, I'm considering finally building a web application that'll let me organize online attendance to conventions, and even handle the streams for me.
I used to go to a lot of cons, but I got tired of the hassle, and really like the online coverage, anyway. I've dabbled with a few ideas over the years, but I actually have a cool idea for an application that'll let me enter some basic info about dates, times, and streams, and it'll handle the rest. This won't be something that I'll make available to the public, but it'll save me a lotta hassle, especially with E3, where there's a bunch of disparate streams.
I also wanna add a feature that lets the user add games, and have it spit out news about those games during the con.
Side note - if you're never been to E3, and love video games, go at least once.
I started sketching out some SQL tables, and have a pretty good idea of what the code should look like. Maybe I could even have it up and running before I leave, and use it for PAX East. We'll see.
I'm also going to ponder my next stream series. I'm honestly really not sure what I want to do next. I think it'll be something smaller. Maybe something that will lead up to E3, and then depending on what's announced there, I'll launch a longer series, more like the Mass Effect series I just finished.
It needs to be something about which I'm very passionate, since I'll want to research it, and present a more professional experience. I'll probably script some sequences, too. We'll see. I'm also open to suggestions.
I've also been talking about another musical project with some old collaborators, but we'll see. I think that's a ways off, if it happens at all. To get all the right people, and give the right level of commitment, we'd need a few of us to become far less busy for an extended period. Ha.
I also think I'm not going to do much more with this blog than what I'm doing now. Just kinda thinking out loud. I occasionally consider doing more with it than what I'm doing, but I've got enough on my plate. This needs to be kept light and easy.
I need to pick one or two things, and then focus on that.
The 'Virtual Con Attendance' application should be straightforward, and fun. I make even make a mobile solution for myself, as well. Like I said, I have no interest in publishing it for public consumption ... probably. So, I think that one is definitely gonna happen.
The next novel ... I have a pretty solid start to it in my head that I want to start writing on the plane. I'd like to have that done this year. A page a day should get me to a complete first draft easily before the year's over.
I think this will be another part of what happens on my vacation. The 'creation meditation,' as well as some light execution on those projects.
01) design work on the virtual con app
02) a first chapter in the new novel (I don't write using outlines)
03) thinking about my next stream series
I'm a few days out from hitting the road (er, air) to travel for a couple weeks, as I do every March, and as I do every March, I'm contemplating my travel gaming setup.
All Spring Training pictures are mine, by the way.
Things To Consider
First, we're flying this year instead of driving, which is rare. We'll probably resume driving again next year, but we wanted a break from the Missouri-Florida drive for a year, and to be able to maximize time at Spring Training and Key West. I've seen way more of Georgia and Georgia drivers than I ever need to see again. It's a beautiful state with nice people, but FUCK, they cannot drive.
Less travel time means less setting up and breaking down of my laptop setup (which is my usual gaming setup anyway), which will be nice.
The laptop is too big to really use in the car, and is definitely too big to use on a plane.
I have a Vita and 3DS, but even when we drive, I don't play them in the car, as I like to do nearly all the driving myself. I have a hard time relaxing if someone else is driving. Yeah, I'm THAT fucking guy.
Vacation Time vs Gaming Time
I'm not one of those people that believes 'you're on vacation, therefore, you can only have vacation fun!' Yes, I'm in Florida, but I also have time away from responsibility and the daily churn, so you're fucking right that I'm carving time out in Key West to game. Besides, Torment just came out!
I also want to stop lugging extra shit around. The Vita is a nifty little machine, and the fact that I can remote to my PS4 with it (though my PC can do this, too) is super-rad. I hate the lack of R2 and L2, though, and the rear touchpad is totally unacceptable as a replacement.
The 3DS ... meh ... I just haven't ever fallen in love with it.
Though Bravely Default looks dope as hell.
And then there's my iOS devices. I've yet to ever really enjoy playing something on a phone, but that doesn't mean I'll quit trying occasionally. I've got a Phoenix Wright game on there (I LOVED those back on the DS), and a handful of Final Fantasy titles, which are also on the Vita, and which I also have on Steam. Man, if I could share saves across all those, that would be super-rad.
Honestly, ideally, I'll set up near the pool in the back of the house in Key West, and rock some more Torment.
Though, Mass Effect Andromeda is hitting early access via Origin Access during my last few days in Key West ...
The Plan
So, this trip is my annual pilgrimage to Cardinals Spring Training, which is the single-most relaxing thing I do every year. Some years, though, the trophy wife makes some noise about wanting to spend less time (or no time) traveling with the team, and instead wants to hang out down in the Keys, at one of my parents' houses.
While in Jupiter, most of my time is occupied by two things: baseball and dining. I love the food down there, and it's the only seafood I'll eat. Florida has utterly wrecked fish for me. I won't eat any in Missouri anymore.
Also, the kids and us are crammed into a hotel room together, and we have a bunch of family there, so I get very little mouse/keyboard time. Maybe this is an ideal time to convince myself that I should try a portable game again?
We're cutting my Spring Training trip a little short this year so that we can spend almost a week in Key West (*sob*), and that's where I plan to get a little more time gaming, though it will be outside. And yeah, I'll do shit with actual humans, too, but goddam, keep your judgment to yourself.
I would really like to finish Torment while I'm on vacation, if possible, but only if I can do it and have an immersive experience. We'll see. I absolutely love the game, but my understanding is that it's not nearly as along as what I've been playing lately, and that it's clocking in at around 30 hours. Like I said, we'll see.
We're back a few days before Mass Effect officially releases, but I've extended my vacation to the day after Mass Effect releases, so that I can have some time to spend with it.
And then, after a pretty crazy March (Torment, Horizon, MEA, Spring Training, Key West), we have a VERY quiet April, until Dawn of War 3 on 4/27, and then a super-fun weekend trip to South Beach in Miami, which also coincides with Prey's release. It's an awesome spring, after an absolute shit winter.
Wrapping Up
I just suck at portable gaming. I have both the 3DS and Vita, and just have a hard time bringing myself to play much on them. I played quite a bit on the GBA and DS, but at some point, I just stopped giving a shit. My gaming laptops have provided an amazing, if bulky, experience.
I'd like to enjoy the portable games a bit more. I've nearly given up on mobile gaming (cell phones). I'm glad that a lot of people find experiences that they don't feel are complete wastes of time, but I am not among them.
Alright, Cubs fans, let's get your mind right. I've been observing you people closely, and have a few pieces of advice to offer that will enhance your experience as a baseball fan.
01) quit acting like this is the only chance you're ever going to have; this is sports; no one cares what you did last year or 108 years ago; this team is built really well, and is going to be good for a long time, especially with Theo (and whatever puppet is technically GM) and Maddon; you have one of the best pseudo-GM and manager combos in baseball; this is a very talented team that has several years before all these guys hit free agency and head to the east coast; and if things continue like they have, they should be replenished in terms of youth when that happens; like I said, win or lose this year, the Cubs (and their national media darling status) are going to be back here at least a few times in the near future.
02) you're not owed anything; no one cares that it's been 71 years since your last appearance and 108 since your last win; you got here because your team is really good, not because you're owed something; no, I won't root for your team out of pity; have some damn pride.
03) Believe. Stop it with the typical Chicago pessimism. This team can win. Yes, they are emblematic of evil and should be stopped at all costs, but the Cubs are a legitimate contender, and you should act like they are. When they're down by 1, late in the game, and you got two men on and two outs, stop it with the 'oh, here we go again, typical Cubbies' bullshit; I hate your team, and still wanna smack you for not respecting them. Have fun. Scream. Cheer them on. Go crazy, folks, go crazy. If you're gonna be a Cubs fan, then be a damn Cubs fan. Own it. Enjoy this. Love your team. They need you now, more than ever.
04) Let me talk shit. Stop being so thin-skinned. Let me tell ya, the national bandwagon loves you right now, but in a few years, they're gonna hate you even more than they hate my beloved Cardinals. America is obsessed with killing what it loves, and the Cubs are so good that people are gonna get resentful like they do with the Yankees and Cardinals. Get used to it now. No one is threatening your happiness. No one can lessen your passion. Just have fun, and get used to people talking shit. It's part of the game.
So, have a good time. I hope your team never wins another game ever. That's not gonna happen, no matter what I say or how far it would go toward making the world a better place. You're in the World Series, you're going to be in it again soon, and no one can ever take that away from you! Live it! Love it! Go Tribe!
I got back last night from my weekend in exile. Good times were had.
They live in northern Illinois, about 90 miles outta Chicago. Close enough that driving into Chicago for a day isn't too bad, but far enough out that everything smiles like pig farm everywhere.
I got lucky with the in-laws I got. I don't have the horror stories that a lotta people have. That being said, while I like them just fine, I'm not one for rural living, or the lack of creature comforts. I've spent every moment of my adult life living in either the city or the suburbs, so the rural thing is, even after fifteen years of visiting them, still a drag.
Regardless ...
... we drove up Friday, got to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant, The Corner Grill, I got to meet my (hopefully) future brother-in-law, who's cool as shit, and then I wound down the evening with some Witcher 3: Blood and Wine.
Oh, and the my in-laws don't have AC or clean water (well water is not clean, sorry), but they do have broadband + wifi now, which was a HUGE game-changer. I also grabbed some brief time with Chrono Trigger on iOS, because I forgot my fucking Vita.
Saturday was party time. We went and saw some friends and their new baby, and then my in-laws hosted a big-ass blowout. My oldest son drove my youngest son around on a tractor, which was hilarious. Lotsa people smoked in front of me, and I didn't smoke, which was cool. I wound down that evening with a new character in Dragon Age Inquisition. A female Qunari rogue that grew up in Thedas, and resents the other species because of it. The imported saves feature strongly anti-Mage choices. Should be interesting.
Sunday, we drove into Chicago and saw The Book of Mormon, which was AMAZING. Go see it. Now. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Also, it helps that my family was among the founders of the Church of LDS, but my faction split off about the middle of last century. Grandpa fell in love with a Catholic girl. A man's gotta do what he's gotta do to win the woman, ya know?
Anyway, the musical is fantastic. Everything about it. The performances, the music, the humor, the social commentary, the choreography, and on and on. SO GOOD.
And then dinner at D'Agostino's, one of my favorites from when I did my undergrad in Chicago. We met up with some old friends, and good times were had by all.
I love visiting Chicago. I cannot say enough about how incredible my undergrad years were there, living downtown, meeting my wife, partying my ass off, using public transit, getting into the local scene, and ... it was a remarkable time in my life. I'm also glad I left when I did. I'm from St. Louis, and it was time to come home and start a family.
But, I really need to spend like a week in Chicago some time. It would be cool to head over to the Columbia campus while school is actually in session, soak some of that in, check out some of my old haunts. I'd have no intent of reliving the past, but I always find it fascinating to see the ravages of time in person.
And Chicago is just a fun place to visit. I'd never live there again, as it wore on me after a while. It's an incredibly negative town with an almost oppressive atmosphere, and Cubs fans are bandwagon-jumping jackasses, even if their team is the beloved darling of ESPN and Fox Sports.
And, for a dumpy little league park, Wrigley is a fun place to hang out and see how the Cubs are going to complete fuck it up yet again.
And then, yesterday, we came back. And today I had a REALLY intense day at work. And now I'm writing at you. And now I'm ready to sneak in a little gaming.
Remind me, I wanna talk about alternate playthroughs of BioWare games some time this week. Word.
So, yeah, I'm a big damn Cardinals fan. Huge Cardinals fan. StL is my adoptive home, and I've thus been cheering them on for 30 years.
Anyway, watching the ASG, I can't help but yearn for one of the first basemen or someone that could be moved to first as a potential trade. Even if Adams wasn't hurt, it's time to stop pretending he's the answer there. And Reynolds is bad.
I'm not one of those knee-jerk 'we must trade every prospect for a guy that's due $250m over the next five years' idiots. Actually, I'm opposed to nearly every trade the Cards make. I love our farm system.
Unless we're going to give Scruggs a long look at first, I'd love to see us kick the tires on Todd Frazier, and if we can, set him up at 1B here. We badly need some punch. And a lineup that features Heyward, Peralta, Holliday, Grichuk looks a lot scarier with Frazier in the middle there.
Of course, there's that sentimental part of me that has Albert coming home ... sniffle ...
