Good so far. My wife and are currently in Miami waiting for our connecting flight to Jamaica. We have been looking forward to this for months. Getting everything ready was stressful but we are very excited. This will be my first time leaving the US.
MutatedBass
joined 1 year ago
There are a few things that have stood out to me so far.
Some smaller things:
- Food doesn't rot.
- There are no feasts, which were a good oppurtunity to improve relation with a lord/lady.
- There are less options when camping.
Some bigger things (to me anyway):
- The courtship system was significantly reduced, basically just a few speech checks where you know the exact % chance of failure/sucsess, then purchase them from their highest ranking clan member.
- The npc compainions don't feel as unique as in Warband, and I find myself almost always skipping through their dialogue. Maybe this is just my run but I have only had one instance of a companion taking issue with my actions.
- You can't really start as a nobody anymore. In Warband you could serve as a soldier in someone else's army and work your way up the ladder, it made for a harder path to becoming a vassal and an interesting early game. In Bannerlord you can start as someone who didn't have noble parents, I did, but this part of the game just felt less fleshed out.
I haven't quite started my own kingdom yet, I want to spend some more time as a vassal. But I have heard that kingdom managment and diplomacy feel unfinished to many. I guess I'll have to see this for myself.
I've been playing Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. About 35ish hours into this save and so far I enjoy the game a lot. It does some things better than Mount and Blade: Warband but unfortunately some aspects of the game are less developed than in it's predecessor. Overall I think unmodded Bannerlord is better than unmodded Warband but Warband has an absolutely massive catalog of incredible mods. Maybe Bannerlord will get there one day.
Hope you find someone. I played it with my wife, and didn't expect too much, but it was actually one of the better games I've played. Truly fantastic level and puzzle design.
Nice post. The ps3 is great fun if you like to tinker with this sort of thing, are on a budget, or even if you just want to relive some old games that never got ported to future gens.
I picked an original phat model for $20 a few years ago. It came with a 60 gb hdd which I replaced with a 320gb hdd I had laying around that would otherwise just collect dust due to it's miniscule size. The console made a ton of noise and would get really hot, the thermal compound was completely siezed due to it's age and heavy work load, so I replaced it with some fresh mx4 and gave the console a good cleaning. I installed Rebug and set the minimum fan speed to 60%, it's still loud but it doesn't get hot anymore. Once that was all done I loaded up a 2tb external drive with my favorite games from that generation.
To be honest, I had a lot of fun jailbreaking and tinkering with it, but I can count on one hand how many times I've gamed on it since. I should probably give it to someone who will get more use out of it lol.
I would try out the original before playing 2. DD2 is very similar to the original but DD2 is better in my opinion. If you enjoy the first, you will almost certainly enjoy the second. DD2 may go on sale for Steam's upcoming Fall sale, something to think about.
Oh, you again.
Yeah this would be possible. You would need to be diligent with backups if you planned on adding mods as the playthrough progresses, as adding mods to an existing save can cause unpredictable behavior.
An easier to manage idea would be to pick a suitable mod pack and play that. I've been hosting a Valhelsia 3 server for my friends and I for a couple weeks and it has been a lot of fun. Valhelsia 3 has all the mods you mentioned aside from Ad Astra. Valhelsia 5 has all of them. There are tons of other packs you could play too. I prefer to play packs that are based on 1.16.5 and before as the performance is significantly better than anything that came after.
Seems to be available on 1337. Other than that I found a dead torrent on a private tracker. I could make a reseed request for you if you find that the releases on 1337 aren't up to your standard. If someone reseeds it I could make a torrent for you or upload the episodes to some cloud drive.
Up and down I guess. My wife's aunt passed away and she took it pretty hard. I try to just be there for her because I know in this case there's nothing else I can do but I hate to see her so upset. It's been a few days and she seems to be processing it well.
I'm also in the middle of a terrible IBS flare up. I would like to see a doctor about this finally, but being a young, otherwise healthy guy, I don't have care established with a doctor's office and getting an appointment is proving to be a challenge.
On a more positive note we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. Had a nice lunch together, walked our dog through the local arboretum, and opened a left over bottle of rye whiskey from the wedding to make old fashioneds (one of the drinks we had at the wedding). We will wait till our five year to open the bottle again.
My wife, some friends and I wanted to play some modded Minecraft so I setup a Valhelsia 3 server for us. It's been a lot of fun so far, none of us have had fun with this game in years, so it has been nice to play again.
I'm using a Thrustmaster Eswap X Pro. The joystick and dpad modules are hot swappable and can be put in any orientation you prefer. They sell replacement joystick modules for $20, which is nice because you don't have to replace the whole controller if one gets stick drift.
[2019] Nothing Happens by Wallows
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Only Friend
- Treacherous Doctor
- Sidelines
- Are You Bored Yet (feat. Clairo.)
- Scrawny
- Ice Cold Pool
- Worlds Apart
- What You Like
- Remember When
- I'm Full
- Do Not Wait
Run Time - ≈ 38 Minutes 51 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Band member Dylan Minnette was in 13 Reasons Why and a number of other TV shows and a few films.
Personal Thoughts
Unfortunately I didn't really like Nothing Happens, I found the lyrics a bit boring and did not think the instrumental content stood on it's own. Don't get me wrong, it certainly wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard, there were a couple songs I did enjoy, and I'm not calling the rest bad, just not for me. My favorite track was Remember When, I also liked Are You Bored Yet.
[2023] Dungeon Of Doom by Figure
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Torture Chamber
- Pain Is God
- Be Afraid
- Death Toll
- Flesh Rot
- Be Afraid (Riddim Vip)
Run Time - ≈ 20 Minutes 58 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
PHANTASM and JEANIE feature on the album in Be Afraid, Be Afraid (Riddim Vip), and Death Toll respectively.
Personal Thoughts
I discovered Figure and Dungeon Of Doom while looking for some October themed electronic music today. It was released yesterday (October 13th 2023). It's a bit bassier than what I listen to at home these days but I liked it and think it would be killer to see live. My favorite track on the EP was Be Afraid, Death Toll was really good, too.
4
[Day 24] Westway (The Glitter And The Slums) - Sticky Fingers - 100 Days, 100 Albums
(open.spotify.com)
[2016] Westway (The Glitter & The Slums) by Sticky Fingers
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- One By One
- Outcast At Last
- Sad Songs
- Angel
- Our Town
- Westway
- Something Strange
- Flight 101
- Tongue & Cheek
- Amillionite
- No Divide
Run time - ≈ 40 Minutes 2 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Westway topped the weekly albums chart in Australia.
Sticky Fingers would go on a hiatus after the release of Westway to deal with "internal issues" that revolved around substance abuse and controversies involving band members.
Personal Thoughts
This one was a bit hit and miss for me. I really enjoyed the instrumentation on most songs but didn't find the lyrics as engaging in some. Overall I like the band and look forward to checking out some of their other work. My favorite track on the album was Something Strange.
[2023] Sofa Kings by Royel Otis
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Kool Aid
- Sofa King
- I Wanna Dance With You
- Letter From Roy
- Going Kokomo
- Razer Teeth
- Farewell Warning
Run time - ≈ 20 Minutes 44 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
While they have written several, Royel Otis tends to try to stay away from releasing romantic songs, but there are a few on Sofa Kings.
Personal Thoughts
Sofa Kings is my favorite in a while. A bit poppier and more upbeat than my usual listening but I loved it. I discovered Royel Otis when Sofa King came on while I was listening to Pandora, that song ended up being my favorite on the EP.
[2017] Gems EP by The Lagoons
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Play That Funky Music
- Gems
- Obsessed
- Rainbows
- California
Run time - ≈ 22 Minutes 48 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Gems EP is The Lagoons' first EP, it features their debut single, California.
The Lagoons, a musical duo, consist of brothers Ryan and Joey Selan.
Personal Thoughts
I found The Lagoons on Pandora when their song California played. I liked the song so I decided to check out Gems EP. When I saw the Play That Funky Music cover I kinda rolled my eyes but it wasn't bad honestly lol. Aside from the cover the EP is four chill, lovey tracks that I enjoyed listening to this morning. My favorite track was California, I also really liked Gems.
[1983] Kill 'Em All by Metallica
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Hit The Lights
- The Four Horsemen
- Motorbreath
- Jump In The Fire
- (Anesthisia) Pulling Teeth
- Whiplash
- Phantom Lord
- No Remorse
- Seek & Destroy
- Metal Militia
Runtime - ≈ 51 Minutes 20 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Kill 'Em All was originally intended to be titled Metal Up Your Ass, with cover art featuring a hand clutching a dagger emerging from a toilet bowl. The band was later steered away from this.
Personal Thoughts
Kill 'Em All was recommended to me by a buddy in our weekly exchange. My mom listened to Metallica a lot when I was growing up so I'm quite familiar with the band but had never done a proper listen of the album. It was alright, not what I would normally put on for myself but not bad either. My favorite track was Seek And Destroy.
[1972] Made In Japan by Deep Purple
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Highway Star
- Child In Time
- Smoke On The Water
- The Mule
- Strange Kind Of Woman
- Lazy
- Space Truckin
Runtime - ≈ 1 Hour 16 Minutes
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Deep Purple originally didn't want to release Made In Japan commercially as they believed it would be impossible to reproduce the quality and experience of their stage act on an LP. This created a strong demand for bootlegs which led to a court case and later the official release of the album.
Personal Thoughts
Made In Japan was recommended to me by a buddy in our weekly exchange. I thought this album was great, the long instrumental solos are fantastic, I love this era of rock for this. Live music has definitely been growing on me lately, especially when properly recorded. My favorite track on the album was Smoke On The Water.
[2019] Mirrorland by EARTHGANG
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- LaLa Challenge
- UP
- Top Down
- Bank
- Proud Of U
- This Side
- Swivel
- Avenue
- Tequila
- Blue Moon
- Trippin'
- Stuck
- Fields
- Wings
Runtime - ≈ 55 Minutes 33 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Mirrorland was recorded between 2015 and 2019. On LaLa Challenge, Olu says in his verse, "I been writing this album damn way too long." That song was recorded about halfway through completing the album.
Personal Thoughts
Mirrorland was pretty hit and miss for me. There were a number of tracks that just aren't for me personally, although I was still able to find a few I did like. My favorite on the album was Blue Moon, I also quite liked This Side.
4
[Day 18] We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves - John Maus - 100 Days, 100 Albums
(open.spotify.com)
[2011] We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves by John Maus
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Streetlight
- Quantum Leap
- ...And The Rain
- Hey Moon
- Keep Pushing On
- The Crucifix
- Head For The Country
- Cop Killer
- Matter Of Fact
- We Can Break Through
- Believer
Run Time - ≈ 31 Minutes 52 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Maus said that he wrote the album in a "search for the perfect pop song".
"Cop Killer" is an arrangement of Peter Hajba's1992 composition "Crystal Dragon" with newly-written lyrics by Maus.
Personal Thoughts
This was the second album recommended to me by the guy who recommended Hot Rats in our weekly exchange. I really liked this one, it would be a great listen on any relaxing day or solo drive. I found the dreary, mystical vibe created by the synthesizer and the reverberation of the lyrics to be quite enjoyable. My favorite track was Cop Killer.
[1969] Hot Rats by Frank Zappa
Artist Info:
Album Info:
Track List
- Peaches En Regalia
- Willie The Pimp
- Son of Mr. Green Genes
- Little Umbrellas
- The Gumbo Variations
- It Must Be A Camel
Run Time - ≈ 47 Minutes 13 Seconds
Cover Photo
Fun Facts
Shuggie Otis, a bassist on the album, was only 15 years old at the time of recording.
Hot Rats was the first Frank Zappa album recorded on 16-track equipment and one of the first albums to use this technology. It was recorded on what Zappa described as a "homemade sixteen track" recorder. The machine was custom built by engineers at TTG Studios.
Personal Thoughts
I had heard Peaches En Regalia before, an old co-worker recommened I listen to it years ago and I have loved it since. A friend and I have started giving each other an album to listen to each week, and this was the first one he gave me. I really enjoyed the rest of it, though Peaches En Regalia is definitely my favorite track. Willie The Pimp I really enjoyed, too. I have started going through the unedited master takes released on The Hot Rats Sessions in 2019 and they're very interesting, Willie The Pimp's is fantastic.
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Sorry I'm just seeing this. It was truly amazing and beautiful. We got to meet so many friendly people, eat things we had never tried before, and got to really relax. The locals were so accomodating. At the airport now ready to fly home in a few hours, it's bitter-sweet, I'm sad to leave but everything comes to an end and I miss my dog!