Max @max@smeap.com
Professional software developer. Unsuccessful nonfailure writer and game designer.
Pronoun: Currently will accept anything but derogatory uses of 'it'
Saw an ad for a Pirate-themed ICO. They aren't even trying to hide the skeeve, huh? 🤣
Got some of my Sea of Thieves thoughts together in longer form: http://blog.worldmaker.net/2018/04/14/merchant-voyages/
In my mind, Merchant Voyages are the highest stakes in the game. (Fight me.) Some kindly old lady needs the right combo of chickens, pigs, snakes, and gunpowder for a feast in just a couple days time. I can't be responsible for spoiling some kind lady's party just because jerks like to sink first, ask questions later. That's far too much pressure to handle alone.
It's interesting how many people suggest Merchant Voyages for low stakes soloing in Sea of Thieves, but those are the only solo voyages that lead me to rage quit. You want to steal anything I've found, go right ahead, it's a sea of thieves. You want to murder my chickens for no reason, HOW DARE YOU?! It's not sea of sloop sinkers and cowardly chicken killers, you monsters! #ccfb
I love Unicode emoji. I wanted to add a warning indicator in an error text string without adding additional HTML since it's a dumb worst case fallback. I remembered I could just type one on the emoji keyboard. (⚠)
I've been using a lot of emoji in my test data lately too, because it's pretty and it makes it faster to navigate "Test 🐬" versus "Test 🐙"
A brainstorming question:
You find yourself in a conference center and a fan convention is filling the halls with opportunity. To the right you make out a 24-hour gaming room, busy with activity of all sorts, enchanting you with a siren call to adventures unknown. However, to your immediate left you notice a panel room with an upcoming panel topic listed (related to gaming) that suddenly piques your interest. What is the topic of this panel that see before you?
Was thinking about the proposed Sea of Thieves ferry toll / death tax, and if there is something in the economy to tax, it's cannon balls and bullets. Those things are too free. Don't even need to tax them everywhere, just the Outposts. That might help the Outposts feel friendlier using just economic incentives, even if they still wouldn't be true safe harbors.
Given Rare's ties to the Xbox Avatars, I'm hoping that there will be good ties between the upcoming Avatar refresh and Sea of Thieves. Do you think the lack of character editor is because new Avatar system will be the character editor? All the Achievements seem to have attachments too, maybe a lot of cool Avatar items?
I love this comment by "starflight2020": https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/sea-of-thieves-review-pc/#comment-2609313
Sea of Thieves quick take: At its best it reminds me of good times in Puzzle Pirates and at its worst has me desperately wishing it was the Monkey Island sequel its visuals trick me into thinking it could be.
Accidentally bought lavender scented toilet paper. As a smell allergic person I'm surprised that TP is now on the list of things to watch for unexpected smells from. In this case lavender is one of the smells I tolerate/like, and is the smell I use in the kitchen for trash bags and bachelor trash notification system. The TP is so strong smelling that now the whole condo smells like lavender and that's fine, but probably not what others would expect from my place.
Remembering that 20 years ago I kept expecting a visit from a time traveler from the future, say 20 years later, and oh the shit I could my younger self… and wish someone had. 😭
This year's vacation left me with a lot of feelings to process. Partly because there was an accidental existential crisis in the middle of it.
I really like that the redesign in Insider Preview of the Windows 10 Game Bar includes an easy to read clock. It's one of the simple things that the Xbox overlays have gotten right for a long time (at least since the 360), but have long been inconsistent in PC game overlays. Clock alone skyrockets the usefulness of the Game Bar.
That feeling when company executives announce a drop in paid holidays.
New twist of course is hanging up on "Is [so and so] there?" if the name is not mine. Thanks robots for ruining that bit of etiquette. At this point I don't care if it's still considered rude to hang up there, if you don't know who you are calling you are likely a robot now.