All posts by Noob of All Trades

Shawn Lucas is the self identified "Noob of All Trades". He is married and the father of three boys, two of whom help with their own podcast every couple of months. Raised on Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, he enjoys all games and will play all of them to the best of his ability, which is often average at best. Currently, he is most interested in Magic, Heroclix, and other games that he can play with Chris and his sons.
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Marvel Comics December 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

Well, I made one deadline so far this month. Admittedly, I amended it because I missed it the first time. But, as promised a couple of days ago, I present Marvel Comics December 2023. Recently, I think Marvel Comics brings the strongest line up out of the publishers. I wrote in my DC article that they’re getting stronger.

This month, especially, I enjoyed the DC books that I ordered. Obviously, I hope these trends continue. Additionally, one trend I hope reverses (and quick) is the Amazing Spider-Man being terrible. True to my word, I put it in the pile to be shelved without even taking it out of the bag. Please, can someone save ol’ Web-Head?

Avengers #7 (Legacy 773)

Writer: Jed McKay, Artist: CF Villa. After reading this one, I texted Chris, “I enjoy the new Avengers book. He’s doing a good job.” To which he responded, “I’ve been liking it, too.” After the fun and interesting Planet Eaters story, this one starts with the defeat and death of the Avengers. Excellent start. My verdict: Very good.

Black Panther #6 (Legacy 218)

Writer: Eve L. Ewing, Artist: Matt Horak with Mack Chater. Tells the story of a former Black Panther and Wakandan king. Apparently, to save the nation in the present, they must look back to the past. I like this one more and more with each passing month. My verdict: Good.

Doctor Strange #9 (Legacy 435)

Writer: Jed McKay, Artist: Pasqual Ferry. Strange still battles in his personal war. He gets an upper hand and he and Clea are reunited. This has been a wild story with all kinds of twists and turns. I can’t wait to see where it goes next. My verdict: Good.

Fantastic Four 13 (Legacy 706)

Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Iban Coello. Two universes threaten to destroy one another; one human and the other dinosaur. If that sounds like a ton of fun, well you’re not wrong. The dinosaur four against the Avengers. Doom teams with Doomasaur. Thing and his dino self save the day. Just goofy fun. My verdict: Great.

Guardians of the Galaxy 8 (Legacy 188)

Writers: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, Artist: Kev Walker. They are Groot. The Guardians world to protect Grootspace and allow it to come to life. Then, they lived happily ever after. Just kidding. Some nutter is coming to burn Grootspace and the Guardians. My verdict: Great.

The Immortal Thor 4 (Legacy 765)

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Martin Coccolo. Thor summons Storm. He hands over the mantle of Thor to her so that she can help fight off a threat of epic proportions. Beta Ray Bill, Loki, and others join. Thor introduces the “Thor Corps”. The issue ends with a weird zombie cow thing talking about merchandising. My verdict: Good.

The Incredible Hulk 6 (Legacy 787)

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein. I like that they’re continuing with the horror theme from Al Ewing’s run. This one also gives us a taste of Banner on the road. At the end, we finally get the payoff of the cover with Ghost Rider confronting the Hulk. Next issue, Hulk gets his judgement. My verdict: Good.

Punisher 1

Writer: David Pepose, Artist: Dave Wachter. An adequate introduction to the new Punisher. I like the idea of the Punisher, but I generally don’t like the actual books. It looks like this one gives me just enough of what I want the Punisher to be without going overboard. I will give this one a chance. My verdict: Decent.

The Sensational She-Hulk 2 (Legacy 180)

Note: A few weeks ago, I saw an article. I texted Chris, after saying the same to Aiden, “I wish I knew how to market myself better. Someone wrote an article saying what I’ve been saying for the last year or so. She-Hulk is probably the best book on the market right now. If only someone saw this Marvel Comics December 2023 article and shared it to one of the aggregators.

Writer: Rainbow Rowell, Artist: Andres Genolet. You get a Hulk. And, you get a Hulk. Everyone gets a Hulk! Classic Hulk beat em up gets the She-Hulk treatment and I’m here for it. Fun and funny issue that sets up for more in the next issue. My verdict: Great.

Venom 27 (Legacy 227)

Writer: Torunn Gronbekk, Artist: Julius Ohta with Rafael Pimentel. I like the story in Venom right now. I think it is compelling and moving at a decent pace. The new symbiotes fill in nicely and I couldn’t help but think about the Scorched team during their scenes. But, something feels missing or off right now in the book. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the whole isn’t greater than the sum of its parts right now. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict

Marvel Comics December 2023 gives me more of the same. In most cases, that’s great. I must say, again, that right now I think I’m enjoying comics as much as I did when I first started reading them 30 years ago. They’re figuring things out and writing for us oldbies. I think I forgot to order the books for next month, so look for an in depth analysis of the latest run of X-Men instead.

Head on over to Marvel for all your comics needs.

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DC Comics December 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

As promised yesterday, I’m back today with DC Comics December 2023. I feel like the recent shake up of creative teams hasn’t worked as well this time as the previous few. I understand that I need to give the teams time to figure things out for themselves and their readers. But, I just enjoyed Rebirth and the ensuing stories better than Dawn of DC so far.

The thing is, the titles haven’t been outright bad. They’re just inconsistent so far. Therefore, I guess that makes my case for me that I just need to give them time to figure things out. Before I write the actual reviews, I will say that both Batman and Catwoman look good at a glance. One final note: I only ordered 7 books this month, so I will structure this article more like the independent one and review each book individually.

Batman #139 (Legacy: 904)

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Jorge Jimenez. Now, this is more like it. I’ve been saying about Marvel Comics for the last few months that going back to basics worked for them. Batman takes that advice with this story. Batman. Joker. A string of dead bodies and threats to those Batman still holds dear. Keep it up. My verdict: Good, almost great.

Catwoman #59

Writer: Tini Howard, Artist: Stefano Raffaele. Speaking of keeping it simple, I started reading Catwoman again when Joelle Jones rebooted it. I loved the style and attitude that she brought to the book. It suffered some when she left, but Ram V wrote a good cat, as he does everything. I think Howard has the ability to give Selina the same edge that Jones did. The one thing that distracts me is the art is a bit too male gaze for the female voice of the character. My verdict: Solidly good.

Detective Comics #1076 and 1077

Writer: Ram V, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander. Ram V takes another tactic. He turns the narrative on his head. It’s not a completely new story, but Batman: Outlaw puts Bruce in the crosshairs as the captured villain in Arkham. The story works well with V’s storytelling capability. I know some (most notably my co-conspirator Chris) didn’t like JSA on Spawn. It was different, but I liked it for what it brought to that story. I think it does the same here. My verdict: Great.

Superman #8 (Legacy 851)

Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Various. This one takes a bit of a step back from the previous issues. For a while there, DC Comics turned my world on my head. Superman was the best book and I wasn’t enjoyingBatman at all. I still like what Williamson is doing with the book. I just thought this one brought in too much from outside the story and it distracted from what’s been making the book fun. My verdict: Good.

Wonder Woman #3 (Legacy 803)

Writer: Tom King, Artist: Daniel Sempere. This one disappointed me most. The curse of high expectations and all that. I loved Tom King’s run on Batman. He understood the character and wrote it with great care. I feel like too much of that is seeping into Wonder Woman’s character. He righted the ship some with the previous issue, but this one has that same muddling. The story is good. I just can’t get used to King’s interpretation of Wonder Woman. I’ll give it time. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict

DC Comics December 2023 brings some consistency to the books. I look forward to Batman and Catwoman going forward. Ram V’s story in Detective is great. Williamson’s Superman took a step back with too much supporting story, but the main story is still great. I still have faith that Tom King will figure out Wonder Woman sooner rather than later.

Get your books at DCBS. Not a paid promotion. I just genuinely like their customer service.

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December 2023 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

The comics arrived in the mail as they always do. I wrote the plans in my book for this week. Independent on Monday. DC on Wednesday. Marvel on Friday. Then, this week came and went with no comic reviews posted to the page. Recognizing my oversight, I gave you a bonus article yesterday about the Marvel SNAP new season. Then, I reworked the plan to post all of the reviews this weekend starting with today and December 2023 Independent Comics.

In addition to the Spawniverse and TMNT that usually populate this article, DCBS sent me two copies of a new book entitled Unnatural Order. So, I tossed it into the pile and you get another bonus of an additional book reviewed in this article. With no further delay, let’s get into the books.

Unnatural Order #1

Writer: Christopher Yost, Artist: Val Rodrigues. From the back cover: After the fall of the Britons and the Roman invasion of Hibernia, the captive known only as the druid is released, sending a darkness across the world. An age of horrors, of fire and entrails, as the innocdnt burn in the wicker fields, those who would resist learn of the existence of a man who even the druid fears. for it is this prisoner, a soldier from a different time, who alone knows that druid’s secret. This is not how the world is supposed to be. They deliver on that and more in this first issue. I’ll give them that. Wild story that caught my attention. But, I’m not sure if I’ll read it or not. Might have to give it another shot to see if it’s my style of book. My verdict: Decent.

Gunslinger Spawn #26

Writer: Uncle Todd. Artist: Dexter Soy. The book got away from what makes it fun/interesting. Okay, that’s not entirely true. They just got sloppy. Rushed story and art. Repeated typos. The last two issues have been much cleaner. My verdict: Not as good a follow up to the great last issue, but still very good.

King Spawn #27

Writer: Uncle Todd. Artist: Javi Fernandez. Goes on a deep dive into Al’s past and explores how that past set him on his path to become Spawn. My verdict: It wants to be great. But, it feels either too cliche or hits too close to home for me. Almost great.

Scorched #23

Writer: John Layman. Artist: Stephen Segovia. Spawn faces off against Gaia for the soul of She-Spawn. He wins, but at what cost? Another one where I like the idea and execution, but minor flaws. My verdict: My favorite of the three and just a hair from being great.

Spawn #347

Writer: Rory McConville with additional plot from Uncle Todd. Artist: Carlo Barberi. Continues the story of the previous issues. Solid issue that advances the story and keeps things moving. Also starts to tie in the supporting issues. Solid book, but lags behind the supporting titles right now. My verdict: Good.

TMNT #147

Writer: Sophie Campbell. Artist: Vincenzo Federici. My favorite book not named She-Hulk right now. This issue is fun and funny and it fills some of the blanks at the end. Plus, a shout out to prehistoric Northampton, Massachusetts. My verdict: Great

The Verdict

Independent comics December 2023 brings some great stories. The Spawniverse is rounding into shape again. The Turtles are great as they always have been since I started reading the title during Armageddon Game. The jury remains out on Unnatural Order, but I have faith that it will be a good story if I keep reading it.

Spawn images taken from the mothership. TMNT book snapped from IDW. Unnatural Order courtesy of Vault.

Digital Playground

Marvel SNAP December 2023: Hellfire Gala

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Introduction

The first week of the month generally means time for comic reviews. I promise that they’re coming. The comics arrived in the mail. I sorted them. I need to read them and review them. Before the end of the week. Besides, when I logged in earlier, the game reminded me of the Marvel SNAP December 2023 update.

They went with the Hellfire Gala this time. Without a major TV or movie release, I suppose they decided to take a cue from the comics this time. Though, I think the Hellfire Gala was a couple of months ago because right now they’re doing the “Fall of X” story line in the books. I forgot to order my comics for December, so maybe next month I finally get caught up on X-Men then.

New Locations

Neither of these locations wows me a ton. I like the idea of extra energy but rarely feel like I get to use it regularly. Perhaps by exploiting that imbalance each turn, I can play cards a turn earlier. Feels like a “win more” strategy. The white palace gives you a copy of an expensive card. Big deal.

New Cards

Selene

Image 1 of 4

On Reveal: Afflict the lowest-Power card in each player’s hand with -3 Power.

None of these cards speaks to me like the ones from the previous month. I generally don’t play buff decks, so Shaw and Havok won’t see much play from me. I like the idea of Blob as a troll card at the end of the game. I see no utility in Selene at all. She just feels really underpowered. Maybe late game if you haven’t played either of your Gobbys and you hit one of their bigger cards with it. So, some utility, I suppose.

The Verdict

The previous month interested me more than Marvel SNAP December 2023. I will still spend cash on the rewards track because I always finish it and it feels like good value. But, I doubt that I’ll play any of the cards other that to complete the special quests that they give you monthly to entice you to play the cards. Hey, I don’t mind the treadmill.

Pictures SNAPed from Marvel SNAP Zone.

On the Tabletop

Turn of Fortune’s Wheel: Planescape

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Introduction

Monday, Wednesday, Friday for articles. Wednesday and Saturday for Noob’s Book Club. Seems like a reasonable schedule to get everything done for the page weekly, right? Ah, but best laid plans and all that, I suppose. And, so Noob’s Book Club went almost an entire month without and update. Yesterday, we took Quinn to his first swim meet. So, instead of Friday, you get Turn of Fortune’s wheel (the last Planescape book in my series) on Saturday.

I never know how to properly review adventures on the page. One time, when I thought I might be able to follow up the Noob’s Book Club series on Ready Player One with a series of the trials of Wade, I looked through the whole adventure. Also, as you know, I care nothing about spoilers. However, since 99% of the fun of these is the surprise for players, I want to keep that surprise for them. So, I’ll just talk about the introduction.

Beginning of the End

What a better way to start something. Juxtapose it with the end. And, so it is that the writers of this adventure took that advice. The further up the ante by giving lower level characters the chance to help correct a glitch affecting the whole multiverse. I must say. That’s quite the hook. Especially when you consider that Quinn and I collected dinosaurs for a prince and then I wrote a classic haunted pirate ship adventure for our second time playing when we get a chance to sit down again.

Third level characters traveling through portals to a city that allows them to then travel through a multiverse of other realms. I must say that’s pretty amazing Add to it that it says that they will brush shoulders with immortals. I might take a break from writing for a while and use this one as our third adventure. Perhaps I can even get the rest of the family hooked on the game finally.

The Verdict

Turn of Fortune’s Wheel sounds like so much fun. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to read more to prepare for a possible play session with the whole family on Christmas break. I need to have them create characters and level them to three. But, other than that, I don’t see much of an obstacle to making that happen. Look for the follow up next year.

Picture taken from the mothership.

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Morte’s Planar Parade: Planescape

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Introduction

I explained in the previous article why I defaulted to the reviews of the Planescape books instead of regaling you with mine and Quinn’s adventures aboard a haunted pirate ship. Relax. I promise that those adventures are coming. I promise. For now, let’s take a look at Morte’s Planar Parade.

The book, like the other three book collections in 5e, follows the tradition as a monster manual for the planes. In the introduction, it talks about magic and what happens when the some dies on one of the many planes. It then gives a description of how the planes affect the beings that live there. Finally, it shows some tables of different possibilities for encounters on the planes.

Your Humble Host

The conceit of this one is that the being that put together the bestiary is the handsome fella up there. Names “Morte”. He claims to be a Mimir, which is a magical construct that contains information about the planes that they tell to adventurers lucky enough to come across one.Morte, apparently, specializes in planar beasts. Or, so he says. I leave it up to you to judge for yourself if he is actually what he says he is.

The Bestiary

It lists 55 different beasts that can be found on the many planes. Since they gave the rule (you know how much I love this one) in the first book that basically, in the multiverse, “there are no rules” then 55 seems like a shockingly small number. Then again, I come from a time in the game where the monster manual introduced hundreds of new characters with each setting. But, I understand that publishing costs (like everything else) rose over the last 30 years and they give us what they can. For what’s included in the book, I like most of the monsters and can fill in the blanks.

The Verdict

Morte’s Planar Parade delivers on the promise of adding new monsters to the game. I also laughed more than once at the ridiculous commentary by Morte. He wasn’t as funny as Fizban. Then again, I have more history with Fizban. Perhaps old Morte will grow on me over the years.

On the Tabletop

Sigil and the Outlands: Planescape

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Introduction

I meant to sit down and play some Dungeons and Dragons with Quinn over the weekend. I forget sometimes how busy a relaxing Thanksgiving can be. Wednesday, we spent the day and night relaxing and trying to catch our breath. Thursday, we watched the parade and then I went to pick up Aiden’s girlfriend to hang out with the family. Friday, we went to Greenfield for dinner and then Bright Nights. Chris came over Saturday and Quinn felt sick yesterday. So, now, what do I write this week? Well, I got the bright idea to review each book from Planescape. I start with Sigil and the Outlands.

Of the settings I played when younger, Planescape offered the most interesting possibilities. Those possibilities never paid off because nobody else in the playgroup wanted to explore them. But, the release of the set in 5th edition opens up all new chances to travel the planes.

A Multiverse of (Possible) Madness

The book starts by telling you that the only rules in Planescape are that there are no rules. As someone who plays D&D by that very rule, this again tickles my funny bone and makes me want to try it even more now. Maybe after Quinn and I finish our pirate adventure, we can try some Planescape. Then again, I mistakenly grabbed my Spelljammer books instead of Planescape for this article. That gave me an idea for a way to take us into space. Maybe after that, we can plane walk.

In keeping with the tradition of these books, the first chapter then goes on to explain player character options. This one offers no new races but it gives players two “backgrounds” to play as their character. Neither of them speak to me necessarily, but I might take some aspects of one or both of them to work into a future character.

Especially when I look at the feats that they describe in the next part of the chapter. Some of them look like a lot of fun to play. They all require some sort of planar attunement. That’s just my fancy way of saying that you need to have the Scion of the Outer Planes feat, which is only available to the backgrounds they introduce in the book. So, watch this space for a new character. A warlock with the planar philosopher background. Only because I never played a Warlock.

The chapter closes with some discussion about a few magic spells and item. Again, none of them jump out to me as particularly interesting. But, with some imagination and work, maybe I can give them a fun twist.

Sigil, City of Doors

The second chapter gives information on the main hub city of the many planes, Sigil. It starts with basic information like currency and the like. This part mainly reads like the rule that “there aren’t any rules” and anything goes. It’s less interesting than it sounds. But, again, with some work and imagination, anything is possible.

Then, they write about the various portals that lead from the city. They define some of them explicitly in a table for those of us who are in a hurry or not feeling inspired. It also gives a template for other portals to other places when you start to feel more inspired or imaginative.

The final part of this chapter introduces the Lady of Pain, explains the various wards in the city and their make up and denizens, and discusses the factions in the city. I don’t care much about the politics of any given setting in Dungeons and Dragons. However, i like the idea of starting an adventure in the city. Therefore, with a description of some of the places to visit, I got ideas how to craft that part of the adventure.

The Outlands

The final chapter lists and describes the major planes of existence in the realm known as The Outlands. In keeping with the layout of many of the recent 5th edition books, it covers just the basics of each of the areas. Enough to set things up for you. The thing that I like best is that I can fill in the gaps as I write the adventure. I know that many players want more description and detail. But, I want the freedom to imagine.

The Verdict

Reading Sigil and the Outlands plus the book I picked up from Spelljammer gives me ideas for how to expand this adventure with me and Quinn. Now, I just need to sit down and write the new parts. We also need to find time to play the game. We get a week off for Christmas, so that seems like as good a time as any.

On the Tabletop

Thankful for Tabletop Gaming 2023

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Introduction

Black Friday. I tell stories of working retail during Black Friday and people gasp. The truth of the matter is that I worked it almost 30 years ago before it became a thing. Back then, retail workers spoke of the term in hushed tones. But, there was no small business Saturday or Cyber Monday. There were no sales where people murdered one another for a blender. Just long lines and endless Garth Brooks on the PA. This year, I just call it the day after Thanksgiving. And a day off from work so I can write why I’m thankful for tabletop gaming 2023.

After talking about PC (mostly) and mobile earlier in the week, I fear that this, too, may be a bit of an anticlimax. I usually save the best for last with these articles. But, looking back on it now, the only real reason I can think of to be thankful for tabletop gaming this year is that Chris, Jason, and I were able to get together to play Magic the Gathering a couple of times.

Commander! Live and in Person!

Granted, that’s not that bad of a reason. But, I feel bad because I kept meaning to sit down with Quinn and play more Dungeons and Dragons. We compromised a couple of weeks ago with a session of Roll Player Adventures. Heck, even this weekend, I wanted to play some D&D with him to set up articles for next week. Maybe I can convince him and Chris to sit down for a quick session tomorrow before we record the next episode of 2 Guys Gaming.

But I, as I often do, digress.

Thankfully some things never change

The first time we played, we brought our own decks that we either built or, in my case, used an upgrade guide to make it better. I played my Naya landfall deck to some success. I think Chris knocked out Jason and then I stalled the game like I do for a few turns before misplaying and scooping. Hey, like I say, some things never change.

Then, Chris and Jason went halves on Lord of the Rings Commander decks. We played them fresh out of the boxes. I played an elves deck. Again, I found some early success in the game. I set up my board, made dudes, planned out a winning strategy. This time, instead of misplaying, Chris simply drew a board clear that killed all my dudes and left me exposed. And, so, back to the drawing board. Playing the deck gave me some ideas to improve it, but I haven’t actually implemented any of them yet. Once we nail down a time for the next meeting I’ll take care of it.

The Verdict

Again, perhaps underwhelming. But, I can’t say how much having a regular playgroup has improved my attitude and enjoyment of Magic the Gathering again. If only I could find one for D&D. Maybe that’s one of my resolutions for next year. Also, it inspired Chris and I to resurrect the podcast again. So, MtG is truly why I’m thankful for tabletop gaming 2023.

Digital Playground

Thankful for Mobile Gaming 2023

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Introduction

Tomorrow is the big day. One of my favorite, if not my favorite, holidays. Family, food, and football. And, with it, I started my thankful for gaming series. Yesterday, I talked about my adventures in console and PC. Today, I write about being thankful for mobile gaming 2023.

I played a couple of new games this year on mobile. Most of my time, though, I spent playing the old standards. Magic the Gathering, Hearthstone and, after an extended break, Marvel SNAP. Nevertheless, I still consider myself luck to live in a time that allows me to play all of those games on my phone.

A Couple of New Games

More than once, I typed into my Google machine, “best mobile game”. Every single time, I came away disappointed. I think most of the pages just listed the most popular or sponsored content. I mean, ads are the only way that we monetize our shitty web pages these days. Sorry, that was dark. Let me lighten the mood.

I spent more money in the original Candy Crush than I’m comfortable admitting. Recently, I take longer and longer breaks because the levels became nearly unpassable. The most recent level feels like a gate keeper level that requires me to spend more money. So, naturally, when I saw the Soda game pop up on one of the lists, I downloaded it. The game obviously plays identically to the original with a few “sodafied” alterations. I added it to my daily routine along with the first one.

I don’t remember when I saw this game, downloaded, or started playing it. I know that it still isn’t part of my daily rotation. I pick it up every now and then, play for a few levels to clear the daily quest, and then put it aside again for some time. I like the game, but always struggle with these tactics type games. They just don’t hook me for extended periods of time.

The Verdict

Other than that, I already mentioned the other games I played on a regular basis. For them all, I’m thankful for mobile gaming 2023. Do you have any others that you like and want to suggest? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter or Instagram.

Digital Playground

Thankful for Console/PC in 2023

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Introduction

Last year, I came up with the idea to theme each month with a special banner and color scheme. In fact, I came up with the idea years ago, but only started to implement it last year with any regularity. I started with the holiday season. Being the busiest time of the year for us, I combined Thanksgiving and Halloween. Then, I combined Christmas and New Year’s. This year, I gave each month its own. Since this week is Thanksgiving, I plan to write articles in that spirit. The first talks about why I’m thankful for Console/PC in 2023.

I spent more time gaming with my old laptop this year than in year’s past. I don’t remember if I told the story, but I dug out an old Alienware laptop that fried the charging port. I ordered a new one from Amazon, jury rigged it into the case, and the thing worked. I wanted to play Train Sim World 3. Instead, I became addicted to driving trucks around Europe.

Train Sim World 3

I laugh when I see the Progressive commercial (not a plug) where they talk about someone who just returned from Europe. While not as annoying as the girl who reminds you that it’s pronounced “kwoisaunt”, I can’t stop mentioning to people that we took Liam to Germany for his graduation gift.

Ever since traveling to Greece with Christine for her graduation, I wanted to go back to Europe. Having family who emigrated from Germany, I loved the idea of Liam choosing that as his big trip. We worked tirelessly to make sure that we saw as much as he wanted.

One part of the trip that stayed with me is we traveled by the infamous Deutsche Bahn train line. Christine commented how ridiculously happy I looked while riding the train. Aside from an semi-autistic obsession with trains, I just advocate as much as possible for public transit. When we came home, I remembered a Humble Bundle that included Train Sim World and some DLC.

My current laptop is only for basic office tasks. Besides, the Windows partition got stuck in an infinite reboot loop. So, I can’t use it for gaming. That’s when I came up with the idea to resurrect the old Alienware. I’m glad that I did.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

While I only played the Train sim game for a couple of weeks, (I got frustrated at the realism of the game and took a break. I returned after doing some research to figure out the brakes of the train that baffled me. By that point, though, I found another passion. You wouldn’t think that staring at life through a windshield like the one in the screenshot above would be very much fun.

Well, I assure you that it keeps me entertained for at least a half an hour a day. I start up the game, log in, find a job, tune into my favorite radio station, and start driving. Sometimes I take in the scenery. Other times, I marvel at the realism of the game. Okay, once in a while, they take the realism a bit too far like when a helicopter lands on the highway and cars just drive through it. Most of the time, though, it astounds me the detail that they put into the game.

Recently, I got a bit impatient and I took out a loan to expand my operation. Several people advised against that in the Steam community. But, I generally don’t take financial advice from strangers. So far, the strategy worked out for me.

The Verdict

Other than the two simulation games, I’m thankful for console/PC in 2023 because Liam used the laptop a couple of times. He played Marvel Puzzle Quest. I played through a bit of Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 to celebrate the release of the third game. I always find time for Minecraft. You may notice that I never mentioned consoles. Well, our XBox broke and I want to buy a PS5 for Christmas because of the new Mortal Kombat and Spider-Man games. Look for them in the coming year.