The State of the Gamer: 6/17/21

June 17, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / Leave a comment

<–The State of the Gamer: 6/3/21 The State of the Gamer: 7/1/21–>

A weekly post updated every other Thursday detailing my current gaming projects. I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Purchased

Pic-a-Pix Pieces – $7.99 @ Nintendo eShop
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade – $74.19 @ Square Enix Store

What I DNF

Title: The Innsmouth Case
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: May 21, 2021
Date DNF: 6/17/21

I was just going to put this on hold after I saw it had a high rating on Grouvee (5/5 stars), even though I felt the same way about it as I did The Lion’s Song. While I’m obviously into the Lovecraft thing, it’s not engaging enough. According to the description, your choices do matter for the ending (or maybe I’m still thinking of The Lion’s Song idk), but it’s just not enough. The definitive DNF came about when I loaded it up, and it started me at the beginning because apparently the save symbol I saw did nothing, and I didn’t feel like going through the first chapter again. Maybe I’ll find and watch a Let’s Play if I feel so inclined, but I’m done with it myself.

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The State of the Reader: 6/16/21

June 16, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 1 Comment

<–The State of the Reader: 6/2/21 The State of the Reader: 6/30/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list. Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me! I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Purchased: 1

On Safiri in R’lyeh and Carcosa with Gun and Camera by Elizabeth Bear – $0.99 @ Amazon Kindle

Books Finished: 0

Title: Black Helicopters
Series Title: Tinfoil Dossier
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan
Date Added: April 19, 2021
Date Started: May 31, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 50%

I’m not as into this one as I was the first one. It jumps around a bit more than Agents of Dreamland, which only had two viewpoints. While I get the stakes are upped and we’re seeing the expansion of what happened in the first novel, it can be a bit hard to keep up with…or maybe it’s just me.

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The State of the Writer: 6/13/21

June 13, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 5 Comments

<–The State of the Writer: 5/30/21 The State of the Writer: 6/27/21–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

Finished Projects: 1

Book Reviews: Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent – 6/3/21

Project: Story
Working Title: The High Archon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Original
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 613
Status: Drafting
Progress: Chapter 1

Ughhhhhhhh *but forever* So first off, I was wrong about the word count. What I thought was word count was actually character count, so damn my myopic eyes. I haven’t broken the thousand word threshold yet with this, and I’m not sure how many more words I’ve written in the past few weeks. Not that many because I’ve really been struggling…like really. I’ve never had this much trouble starting a story once I have an idea of where I’m going. Direction isn’t the issue, nor is vision. I can 100% visualize the scene, but translating that into words humans can understand is where the pipe is clogged. I know it’s a “I don’t have enough energy to concentrate” type of thing. I also have this thing where if I don’t feel like I’m doing well, it’ll really put a damper on my ability to work. I’m not giving up on this project though. I…can’t really do that. I’ll just start obsessing over it if I don’t work on it. If you think this update is all over the place THIS IS EXACTLY MY FUCKING PROBLEM. I’ve started what I call “micro” outlining where I break down my outline even more so it’s sort of between an outline and a draft. I just sort of stream-of-consciousness what I want to happen in my notes and then later will go back and smooth it out. I did that last night with a scene, and I’m hoping to work on it today. I’ve also been talking to another author friend about it and I’m about to message my other about it. Sometimes I don’t even need a response; I just need to hear it aloud.

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The State of the Gamer: 6/3/21

June 3, 2021June 17, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 11 Comments

<–The State of the Gamer: 5/20/21 The State of the Gamer: 6/17/21–>

A weekly post updated every other Thursday detailing my current gaming projects. I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Purchased

Detective Grimoire: The Secret of the Swamp – $2.99 @ iTunes Store

What I Finished

Title: Tangle Tower
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: May 17, 2021
Date Finished: May 21, 2021

I did the same thing with this that I did with GRIS: stopped playing less than a half hour before I’d be done. With TT I wound up having to sit through some of the ending exposition again because it didn’t save it, but it’s okay. The game manages to have both a definitive and cliffhanger ending, and there is a sequel in the works. It’s weird there’s no name for the franchise yet (or at least there isn’t one on Grouvee). I’m assuming it’s “Detective Grimoire” or something like that, since he’s featured in both. I just followed the indie devs on Twitter since I want to know as soon as the next game comes out.

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Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

June 2, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 3 Comments

Title: Unraveling Oliver
Author: Liz Nugent
Date Added: August 26, 2017
Date Started: January 21, 2021
Date Finished: February 26, 2021
Reading Duration: 16 days
Genre: Fiction, Adult Contemporary, Drama, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

Pages: 260
Publication Date: March 6, 2014
Publisher: Scout Press
Media: Hardback (Library)

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbours, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.

A child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.

-African Proverb

If ever there was a story that exemplified the false dichotomy of “martyrs and monsters,” it would be Liz Nugent’s Unraveling Oliver. Though I find it far easier to slide Oliver to the “monster” end of the spectrum, I would be disingenuous to deny him the same courtesy I so readily extend to (arguably) more malevolent actors, because another false dichotomy of “nature vs. nurture” still tells us monsters are not really born; they are made.

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The State of the Reader: 6/2/21

June 2, 2021June 16, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 4 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 5/19/21 The State of the Reader: 6/16/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list. Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me! I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Purchased: 7

Total: $29.49

Books Finished: 2

Title: They don’t make plus size space suits
Author: Ali Thompson
Date Added: May 16, 2019
Date Started: May 19, 2021
Date Finished: May 21, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle

I think I wanted a little bit more from this as in more stories. It was very short, but a very exemplary first effort. I follow the author on Twitter. She’s not shy with her opinions, and I hope she writes more.

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The State of the Writer: 5/30/21

May 30, 2021June 13, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 8 Comments

<–The State of the Writer: 5/16/21 The State of the Writer: 6/13/21–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

Finished Projects: 0

Project: Story
Working Title: The High Archon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Original
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 1673
Status: Drafting
Progress: Chapter 1

I actually started drafting the first chapter last week. Well…it’s more of a reworking of the draft of the first chapter, but I still consider it progress. I’m doing something new and using Scrivener as my writing platform, going back and forth from the Word doc I already have. I’m a bit paranoid about it though and will probably make a Word backup. Scrivener hasn’t given me any problems and it saves automatically, but you know there’s always that one time.

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The State of the Gamer: 5/20/21

May 20, 2021June 3, 2021 / The Shameful Narcissist / 6 Comments

<–The State of the Gamer: 5/6/21 The State of the Gamer: 6/3/21–>

A weekly post updated every other Thursday detailing my current gaming projects. I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Purchased

Knowledge Trainer: Trivia – $2.99 @ Nintendo eShop

What I Finished

Title: Bravely Default II
Series: Bravely Default
System: Nintendo Switch

Date Started: February 28, 2021
Date Finished: May 13, 2021

This was worth the $60 I spent on it and then some. I have over 200 hours put into the game (similar to WOFF), and while I could do a dollars to hours ratio (it’s $0.30 per hour), that obviously doesn’t encompass my enjoyment, though the fact I spent that long playing should say something. All of the main characters are so likable, and I love how the side quests help expand their stories and relationships. The voice acting is also stellar with lots of British VAs getting more play. Like any Squeenix game, it has its regular motifs and archetypes, and it’s pretty much a rehashing of the very first Final Fantasy. There are some weird pacing issues with some of the aspects like you can’t open up the A or S levels of the card game until much later in the game, and some of the easier side quests don’t open up until later either. There are also things you know are going to be plot points way before they become plot points. It doesn’t take away any enjoyment I don’t think.

I’m now curious about the original Bravely Default and Bravely Second. I’m hoping there will be a fourth game at some point.

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