Staying in Touch

With G+ on the way out, I've been looking at alternative channels for communication. My findings thus far are... disappointing. I joined MeWe to see what it offered and discovered it's more closely attuned to Facebook than G+. The lack of circles and group organization tools, plus the friend-approval process make it a much less useful platform for passively following people you're interested in. I've thought about digging into some of the RPG-focused Discord servers, but I'm less interested in chat than I am in thoughtful posts. I guess I need to update my RSS feeds.

My ulterior motive for this post is to create a repository for methods people can use to get in touch with me or find out what's up with PBE Games product releases. So, here's my current contact information on many platforms and how I intend to use it:

• This blog is still a good place to keep up with my gaming thoughts (woefully lacking lately) and PBE Games releases. I try to post an update on new products every month or so.
• I'm on MeWe and I'll be posting new PBE Games releases there as they happen. I'll also be posting updates on my YouTube channel (more on that below).
• You can find me on Twitter, which I also use to announce product releases. I sometimes post random humor and IT security news from time to time, and I'll be posting YouTube updates here too.
• I'm still on G+ and will be until the end.
• You can also use the PBE Games contact form to hit me up via email.
• PBE Games on DriveThruRPG is right here.

Finally, I've just started a YouTube channel that's going to feature me playing a variety of video games. I soft-launched this a week or so back, and I'm still working out some of the tech details, but, if you're interested in video games, I hope you'll take a peek. The first series I'm doing is a let's play of Minecraft Stoneblock, but I'm starting a let's play Path of Exile series when the Betrayal league launches.

So, I think that covers the bases. I'll keep this post pinned to my G+ profile and update it when/if things change.

Edit: See my Where to Find Me profile here: https://wheretofind.me/@mthomas768

Minecraft - Rebuilt (ish)

It's taken a while, but my new base is (mostly) back up and running. Moving your entire network takes a bit of planning, because once you shut down your ME system, all your stuff is stored in memory modules that you can't access, and all your auto-crafting stuff is offline. You also have to deal with wiring and power (or the lack thereof) issues.

Minecraft - A Short Break

I guess I should have posted something before I took a week away from the computer to do some house-sitting! This is a quick update about the stuff I was doing before the break.

Minecraft - Tech Overload

Looking around my shop today, I don't see many changes, but they're there, honest! Last post I set up the core of an Applied Energistics system, but it wasn't completely functional. I spent most of my gaming time this past week expanding and improving the AE system. it's now fully operational, and it has access to all my stored raw materials. Here's what things look like now.

AE Improvements

Minecraft Machines and Technology

This week, I think I actually accomplished some stuff in my Direwolf20 mod pack world. Last update, I dealt with some niggling stuff, but I didn't feel like I had much to show for my efforts. There's more to show this week, so without further ado...

Applied Energistics: Beginnings

Minecraft - Housekeeping

Last week's post covered some of the changes/improvements I made to my base in my current game of Minecraft. Since then, I've been doing a bunch of random stuff, but I don't seem to have a lot to show for my efforts. Call it housekeeping. Much like my activity this past week, this post is probably going to be a bit disjoint.

Minecraft - Home Improvements

After my somewhat disastrous trip to the Nether last report, I spent last week working on base improvements. After upgrading base power to provide more efficient ore processing and a more energy for farming, I started working on a Botania setup. This proved interesting since there have been some changes to recipes since I last used this mod. Here's how things turned out.

Minecraft - A Trip to a Dark Place

I had limited time for Minecraft this week, but I did get a few things done. In the last post, I mentioned doing some basic automation to keep myself supplied, organizing storage, and building a quarry. One out of three ain't bad, right?

Minecraft - Relocation

I've been playing my modded Minecraft world a bit since my last post, making slow progress on my base, doing a bunch of mining, and creating a bunch of handy tools using my newly built Smeltery. As I mentioned last time, I wasn't quite sure if I was going to stay put or move my base. I've decided to move, but my new base is not too far away. Here's an update on everything that's happened since my last post.

Delving into Minecraft -- Again

In my recent recap of 2015, I mentioned my last Minecraft series, the City Builder Challenge, died a death of ennui. Rather than trying to do something in vanilla, which always seems to end with me getting bored, I'm going to play a modded game. How modded? Very.

Minecraft City Builder: Stage IV Report

Stage four of my Citybuilder Challenge city is now done. This was a fairly easy stage to complete because most of the groundwork was in place when I started. I also had a bunch of materials stockpiled so the building was fast. As I mentioned in my last report, I upgraded my existing town hall to the city hall, and I'd already started on some of the fortifications. So, without further ado, here are some progress shots:

Minecraft Citybuilder: Stage Three Fini!

No, I haven't given up yet. Stage three of my Minecraft Citybuilder Challenge is now done, with some extras in place that put me part way through stage four out of the way too. Of course, that might be cheating, but I'll have to see how I feel about pushing through to the final stages of this challenge.

Minecraft Citybuilder: Stage Two and Beyond

I'm still progressing on my Minecraft Citybuilder Challenge. Looking over what I've built and written about to date, I've realized I never posted about completing stage two. Guess what? Stage two is done!

City Hall at Night

Minecraft - Citybuilder Stage One: Complete!

First Settlement

The first stage of my Citybuilder Challenge is now complete. It took more time than I'd hoped, mostly because I was too lazy to upgrade my house while I messed around with the town wall design (you can see it in the background of the image above. Let's check the list.

Minecraft - City Builder Challenge

I haven't played Minecraft in a while, since patch 1.8.0 or so, and I feel like building something, so I've decided to take on a City Builder Challenge. The basic idea of this challenge is to build a complete city using guidelines and limits outlined on the linked page. There are five phases, plus a bonus phase. Hopefully using this as a structure for my play will get me past the usual "build a few buildings, get bored and start over" ennui I usually encounter in Minecraft.

GRAV - A First Look

GRAV, by BitMonster, is a science fiction shooter/sandbox with procedural planets, dungeons, building, crafting and more. It's currently available as an early access title on Steam. I was bored Sunday night, so I decided to check it out. Before we begin, you should take a look at the game's original trailer, right here.

Yes, dancing is a thing, we'll get to that.

Early Impression: Skyforge

Skyforge is a new action/RPG/MMO hybrid game from the same development team that created Allods, a traditional WoW-style MMO. I played a fair bit of Allods, so I was interested in the team's Skyforge effort. It went open beta this week, and I jumped in with a couple friends. First impressions follow.

Firefall - Firefail

This is a hard review for me to write. I really dislike being completely negative about a video game experience, because there's a ton of work behind what I'm experiencing. Sadly, my recent time with Firefall has provided me very little to work with in the plus column.

Grim Dawn - First Impressions

Grim Dawn is a PC action-RPG created by Crate Entertainment, an indie studio staffed by veterans of Iron Lore, creators of Titan Quest. It's available via the Steam early access program, and is still in active development. I picked it up during the Steam summer sale, and I've put about eighteen hours into the game, mostly on a Soldier character.

Grim Dawn, a bad place for horses

MechWarrior Online - A Newbie's First Impression

One of my gaming friends has been a long-time fan of the MechWarrior video games. He finally convinced me to give the latest incarnation MechWarrior Online (MWO), a spin a couple weeks ago. I've been resisting, because I was never a huge fan of giant stompy war robots (a.k.a. juicy targets), but I finally suspended my disbelief and joined up. Pacific Rim may or may not have had something to do with that.

Avoid laser to the face, if possible.