Well damn, here we are again. Another month down, another year gone (almost). Apologies for the late post this month, it's been busy.
There's 20 hours of Monomyth footage recorded, and I'm ready to record the voice-over then jump into post-production. And it's been that way for a week and a half now. Stalker 2 put a hard stop to further progress. You've no doubt heard about the bugs and performance issues Stalker 2 had at launch - they do exist - but this is the real deal, everything that longtime fans like me wanted in a sequel is here. The playtime isn't wasted time as far as the channel is concerned; the next video will be on Stalker 2, whether it lived up to the hype, and what needs to be fixed before it can live up to its fullest potential. It's gonna be an interesting ride.
Back to Monomyth. I have returned to work on the video and it'll be up soon. Not to diminish Monomyth, it's a great game and worth your time.
The Stalker 2 video won't be a deep dive like the Shadow of Chernobyl videos, it'll be shorter (40-50mins) and focus on the pre-release and release debacles, the patches, and how the game is balanced at the time of writing the script, as well as speculating on its future. It's been fascinating to watch everything unfold and to be playing a game day 1 when the criticism is usually harshest. I've seen and experienced everything before it was patched, and because I know the Stalker gameplay well, I can identify exactly what's broken, what's missing, and what's imbalanced.
Looking forward to getting the Stalker 2 video into your hands but I love exploring, and the game is huuuuuge. I doubt there will much change left from 120 hours. Not kidding. Look to January, possibly February for the video's release.
What's Blondie Playing?
Stalker 2
Stalker 2
All Stalker 2 and no vodka makes a Stalker sober.
Seriously though. I loved Pacific Drive but had to shelve it because of it's extraction-style gameplay. I don't always have 90 minutes of uninterrupted time to dedicate to it, and not being able to save mid-mission was a bust for me. I have an eye on a Steam Deck this Christmas, that'd solve many of these save issues.
I also started Drova - Forsaken Kin just before hurricane Stalker 2 hit. Really loving Drova, and it was a shame to drop it, but Stalker 2. If you enjoy the Gothic series then I highly recommend giving Drova a look. Probably worth a video in its own right.
Indiana Jones just dropped and the reviews look promising. It also has the style of gameplay I enjoy, so this may end up being a video next year.
The final update for 2024 will be just before Christmas. Stay cool, my friends, and keep an eye out for the Monomyth video which drops soon. Don't sleep on this one, it's a hell of an effort from a solo indie developer.
Compared to the rollercoaster of last month, September was productive and far more chill. I went on a holiday and damn did I need it. I didn't realise how far down the hole I was until being away from home forced me to step back, slow down, and relax. I still did some research and writing for the next video, but when I got home I decided that - while the topic was good - I wasn't feeling it right now. I shelved that project and started a new one.
This next video - unlike previous videos - zooms out for an industry-level look. The target: AAA games, and how the AAA moniker means something different to me now. Unlike other videos which body-slam AAA using player data and sales as weapons, this video will be a personal review of what AAA means to ME. It's a deliberately deeper look into my mindset when I consider AAA games, development studios, and publishers, through the lens of a gamer and paying customer who has become disillusioned with the AAA industry and who explains, in detail, why.
The script for this ...
Hey Folks, the video is finally done. Apologies for the late release, a few things came up near the end of the month which delayed release. I hope you enjoy it!
G'day, chaps and chapettes. July down, progress made.
The Doom/Quake horror video is now at 1hr 36mins. I had hoped to be closer to the 2hr mark by now but stumbled across more supporting material, and viewing/cutting it has taken longer than expected. I'm also making an effort to use footage which supports talking points, and because the script is loaded with talking points (and because the Doom 3 playthrough spans 18 long video files), finding footage to support even a single paragraph of the script has sometimes taken 30mins or longer. There was also another body of work I needed to complete for the Blondefire channel which was delayed by last month's IRL work, so July was very much a catch-up month all around.
The good news is that July was free of IRL distractions so I've made big progress on the video. I normally add the backing track after the footage and voice over is laid, but this time I've added it as I go. This means that the next (and final) pass only requires QA checks and audio ...
