Meaning
Once upon a time, you’d update a game maybe once or twice in its lifetime. In the new, always-connected world, games are seemingly patched weekly.
It’s annoying, but given the social nature of modern gaming, may be necessary? Or is it?
Getting into a game during our Friday night LAN parties can be a crapshoot. Sometimes we just fire up a game and play. More often, though, we either need to wait for a big update to install, or start playing only do discover some of us can’t connect to the server because we’re running different versions of the game. The only solution: exit and update.
David Bryant and I talk about the endless patching cycle of modern games, and how this state of affairs came to be.
Tools
I’ve got my D500, and the learning curve has begun. On the other hand, it’s also so familiar, even though it’s been years since I shot with a D300.
I also picked up an Aputure LED lighting kit, as I think about shooting more video. The Aputure kit is definitely low-budget, but should be a good start.
Other tools for the week: my CycleIQ Fly12 combo 400 lumen bicycle headlight and action cam has arrived, after a 14 month gestation period on Kickstarter. I’m looking forward to using it. And I love Clinometer, the nifty little leveling tool for iOS and Android, which turns you phone into a bubble or torpedo level.
Meanwhile, David picks up a small Bluetooth speaker by JBL. More remarkable is his shiny new Magicforce mechanical mini-keyboard, which features all normal keys without the numeric keypad.
Fun
I restarted a new XCOM2 Ironman mode after my floating enemy encounter. We’ll see. I also downloaded the final version of Soren Johnson’s Offworld Trading Company, the spiritual successor to EA’s legendary Martian economic game M.U.L.E.
I also watch the Netflix-funded sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which is called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Heed my words: don’t watch this. It besmirches the memory of the original. The actors are great, but the writing is wretched.
We’ve also been watching Crossing Lines on Netflix, a European police procedural that’s so much better than most American procedurals. It features great acting and some excellent writing… well, except for whoever writes Donald Sutherlands lines 😉
David’s getting caught up on Daredevil S1 (now that season 2 is out). He also wrapped up his read of Jim Butcher’s latest fantasy novel, The Aeronaut’s Windlass. And he has a new game, same as the old game on his PS4. Let him tell you about it.
