The Web site
Shall I complain about WordPress.com a bit? Certain, let’s do this!
It isn’t as if they made any enormous errors this month… except you depend their continued adherence to the concept their block editor is in any respect a good suggestion… it’s simply that they preserve altering issues, small issues, for the more serious. I’m truthfully fairly satisfied they don’t use their very own product.
First, they appeared eager to make it tougher to seek out issues within the cell app. I exploit that on my iPad when sitting in mattress within the mornings or evenings and so they have executed issues like transfer the alerts icon to a degree the place it’s a must to navigate to a particular place to see in case you have any alerts. It was once seen all through the app… which looks as if a fairly affordable factor, as alerts are imagined to warn you and never be hidden in some darkish nook.
The entire thing smacks of a Google-esque “we’ll make this extra organized!” the place they clearly do not know how individuals truly use their app.
In addition they appear completely set on hiding their built-in reader and, if you’ll find it, making it increasingly more troublesome to make use of. It’s a kind of issues the place it was about good for me two iterations in the past. This is applicable to each the app and net model of the reader the place I like to take a look at current posts from my subscription listing then posts for a set of tags, like “eve-online” to see if something new has popped up there.
Lastly, within the net model they simply love to alter the navigation. That is a kind of “what do most individuals wish to do?” types of questions. Do they wish to go to their admin panel the place they’ll see stats, feedback, and posts? Or do they wish to be despatched on to the web page about their internet hosting plan? I wish to go to the admin panel, the place I do issues many occasions a day. WP.com needs me to see the internet hosting panel, one thing I take into consideration perhaps yearly when the invoice is due and alter one thing on the order of as soon as a decade.
Now, I’m not an entire rube. I can bookmark my admin panel so I can navigate on to it. However I’ve a few lively blogs (for particular definitions of “lively” perhaps) so I do like to have the ability to transfer between the 2, which was once a one-click operation. Then turned a two-click transfer the place I needed to return to an inventory of web sites first then click on on the location. Now I’ve to click on on the icon that brings me to the location listing, click on on the location which brings me to the internet hosting web page, after which I’ve to discover a menu for the location and choose the admin panel from that.
It isn’t even the primary choice
Or, I can discover the “My Residence” hyperlink in the midst of the internet hosting plan advert, click on on that, then click on on the admin panel to get to the place I wish to go. (Edit: They usually modified that once more since I wrote this, so now it doesn’t go to the stats web page, it goes to the overall admin panel that was once the beginning level for the whole lot means again within the day.)
And sure, within the grand scheme of the universe, in a world the place being a sexual predator appears to be a requirement to get a cupboard submit nomination for the following administration, the truth that I’ve to click on a half dozen extra occasions day-after-day isn’t the tip of the world.
However it irks me, as any individual who’s now a product supervisor, who goes to nice pains to observe clients use his apps to verify we’re not actively making issues worse for finish customers, that WP.com is simply so oblivious how their app will get used.
I suppose some MBA determined that if individuals should undergo the internet hosting web page day-after-day, perhaps they’ll spend extra money. That’s the solely factor approaching logic I can discern right here.
As soon as once more, I’d contemplate altering hosts, however there are not any higher choices and after 18 years on the identical handle shifting would in all probability imply dropping most of my informal viewers.
In any other case November was an okay month. Visitors was down by 20% in comparison with October, however advert income was nonetheless up due to the upper high quality adverts that present up with the vacations. The internet hosting charges for my two websites will proceed to be coated. (I purchase a budget “no adverts” internet hosting plan for EVE On-line photos, so the dozen individuals who view it are spared such issues.)
One 12 months In the past
I set out guessing what we’d hear about at BlizzCon 2023. That was adopted by a intestine reactions submit to the keynote bulletins. There was the entire Season of Discovery factor to discover… although it was NOT Traditional Plus. The Cataclysm Traditional announcement was fairly apparent. After which on the retail entrance there was The Struggle Inside to consider. It appeared like we is perhaps getting annual retail expansions.
I used to be summing up Hallow’s Finish and Day of the Useless in WoW Traditional after which it was time for one other Pilgrim’s Bounty there as nicely. I received one closing character out of vanilla and up into Wrath Traditional. In the meantime, the group was trying the Halls of Reflection.
Lord of the Rings On-line launched the Corsairs of Umbar growth.
I wrote submit on the nineteenth anniversary of EverQuest II and the sport itself launched the Ballads of Zimara growth.
In EVE On-line the B2 Coalition within the north collapsed after 18 months of battle, which resulted in Courageous and a pair different teams becoming a member of the Imperium. As a part of the pull again from the north we ended up in a brawl over a Fortizar in Cloud Ring the place errors have been made. Then we needed to get our personal stuff out of the north.
Within the run as much as the Havoc growth, Guristas, having issued a warning, began attacking constructions anchored too near the traditional Jovian stargates. We have been additionally out in bombers blowing issues up in Omist and Perrigen Falls.
Then got here the Havoc growth, with new options and odd UI modifications. That received the sport over 40K customers on-line… after which it fell over. In the meantime, CCP gave up on the EVE Portal App.
A day later, Jay Amazingness betrayed the Imperium. That and the Jovian stargates made it into an version of The Scope.
I additionally had an EVE On-line bullet factors submit in regards to the new launcher, the twentieth anniversary collector’s version, blockchain nonsense, Empires of EVE II on audio guide, and the six hour lengthy Down the Rabbit Gap documentary about EVE On-line. The brand new launcher was required for EVE Vanguard.
Then I went and watched the 6 hour documentary, which received a submit by itself.
I additionally looked at October 2023 destruction within the MER.
On my phone tales collection, I wrote about World Village attempting to get out of the modem enterprise, some anecdotes from my time there, after which I began off on a tangent about some Usenet CD-ROMs I discovered stashed away.
There was a Friday bullet factors submit in regards to the dying of the Overwatch League, the dying of The Escapist, the founding of Second Wind, Pearl Abyss and NCsoft financials, and the way the Epic Sport Retailer had remained unprofitable for 5 years to date.
Lastly, I wrote briefly in regards to the Kennedy assassination on the sixtieth anniversary of the occasion.
5 Years In the past
Brad McQuaid handed away.
Nintendo launched Pokemon Sword & Protect, the primary actual core RPG Pokemon video games for the Change.
BlizzCon was coming. There was the apology and the large 4 bulletins (Diablo IV, Shadowlands, Overwatch 2, and one thing about Hearthstone). Even with the pall of Hong Kong hanging over it, it nonetheless went higher that BlizzCon 2018. And Hong Kong? Effectively, the brand new safety legislation makes it illegal for anyone inside or exterior of China to criticize the federal government. No extra protest, no extra motion, simply arrests.
World of Warcraft hit its fifteenth anniversary, which made WoW Traditional all of the extra well timed. I charted out my very own historical past with Blizzard and Azeroth.
WoW Traditional was doing nicely, driving the largest quarterly enhance in subscriptions within the historical past of the franchise. It additionally moved into Part 2 of its development. The PvP fiasco that adopted led to Blizz launching battlegrounds, slated for Part 3, early.
Really in WoW Traditional the occasion group took on Shadowfang Preserve and the Stormwind Stockades, then began in on Gnomereagn. We received in a second Gnomeregan run and likewise went after class quests.
I in contrast the 4 pending expansions from WoW, EQ, EQII, and LOTRO.
Standing Stone Video games launched the delayed Minas Morgul growth.
EverQuest II celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. Particular servers have been on the menu and I recalled my very own journey with the sport by myself fifteenth anniversary a pair days later. I additionally joined in on the dragon occasion occurring within the recreation. That led to me taking part in extra and leveling up… and getting facet tracked, as tends to occur in Norrath. However I made it to the extent cap and discovered to talk dragon alongside the way in which.
EVE On-line received a collection of updates, beginning with a tiny one concerning login campaigns. Then there was Workforce Talos and the Beat Across the Boosh replace. Then we received the Fast Fireplace replace that got here with extra Triglavian invasion modifications. And, lastly, we received the HyperNet Relay replace, which reintroduced playing… or enhanced scamming… or perhaps each… in New Eden.
The October MER confirmed NPC bounties rebounding after the chaos period blackout.
CCP had plans for extra EVE Aether Wars checks whereas CCP Falcon left the corporate.
And, truly in within the recreation, we flew from Delve to Pure Blind to defend some sovereignty and I hit 210 million ability factors.
Lastly, Google Stadia launched and Bobby Kotick was speaking up perpetual franchises.
Ten Years In the past
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Launched.
There was BlizzCon, about which I made the traditional predictions. I discovered the occasion itself vaguely dissatisfying. However those that have been bitching about lack of give attention to WoW at BlizzCon 2015, return and have a look at how little consideration it received in 2014! In any other case we have been in Azeroth amassing achievements and ready for the growth to hit.
Oh, yeah, the growth hit… Warlords of Draenor and server queues and all that. Blizz was attempting to repair that whereas I had to determine who to play. Blizz ultimately gave everyone 5 days free for the issues. However hey, they’d 10 million subscribers on the hook once more, up from the 7.4 million low level throughout the summer time. Keep in mind when subscriber numbers have been a factor?
In EVE On-line the Phoebe growth arrived, bringing with it Soar Fatigue and the ten yr/50 ability lengthy coaching queue. Then they have been on about eradicating different annoyances with the upcoming Rhea growth.
In recreation the Reavers had completed up in Feythabolis with a bang and have been off into Omist subsequent, looking the unwary earlier than returning residence once more.
Rixx Javix was drawing spaceships. He’s nonetheless at it.
And there was the That is EVE video that turned wildly widespread.
I mirrored on EverQuest II at its 10 yr anniversary. Veterans of the sport even received their very own island. Over on the EverQuest facet of the home, The Darkened Sea, the twenty first growth for the sport, went reside.
And, lastly, the energy provide on my pc blew out, taking the motherboard and drives with it. I needed to rebuild, however was up and working once more in a few days.
Fifteen Years In the past
I used to be writing about how I had not modified the weblog format since I began. I’ve since modified it, although principally attributable to the truth that WordPress.com broke the outdated theme.
Our Thanksgiving leisure was Rock Band 2. Whereas I used to be actually unhealthy at it, it was quite a lot of enjoyable. The subsequent yr we performed Tremendous Mario Bros. Wii, which I used to be additionally actually unhealthy at, however which isn’t practically as a lot enjoyable. Nevertheless, the children favored it. I rode alongside in a bubble more often than not.
And whereas Tech Crunch was exposing the odious practices favored by Mark Pinkus to get FarmVille and Mafia Wars worthwhile, the New York Occasions was gushing over this excellent new digital items market, which I summarized and offered hyperlinks to right here.
I managed to get some playtime in with the unique Torchlight, although there have been some issues. It seems that if you happen to purchased the sport from the improper vendor, you possibly can be some time ready for patches.
The primary LEGO Harry Potter recreation was introduced, which I had anticipated would come to move virtually two years earlier than it was introduced.
Warhammer On-line introduced that ranges 1-10 have been going to be free, making me surprise in the event that they have been simply going to breed a mass of degree 1 twinks. I believe that’s what the tip consequence was. Effectively, there have been twinks, however I don’t suppose the amounted to a lot of a “mass” in any means.
In EVE On-line, PLEX was off to a booming begin. The worth of a PLEX has risen some since then (~300 million then, nicely over a billion ISK now in new PLEX). In the meantime, the primary Hulkageddon was on and even I seen one thing was amiss. Ultimately any individual pointed me in the correct route within the feedback.
I puzzled if fishing was actually the key ingredient for MMO success.
I received all nostalgic for Star Trek due to Star Trek On-line’s impending launch.
World of Warcraft and EverQuest II each hit their 5 yr anniversaries. Then I had the temerity to say that there have been issues that EQII didn’t do very nicely for my part. Odd how a few of these issues from a decade again have modified… or how I’ve modified… or each.
On the WoW finish of issues, any individual was suing as a result of they felt the sport wasn’t straightforward sufficient.
Then there have been Mr. T Mohawk grenades and a 24 slot Moveable Gap, outrages each together with the $10 vainness pets. And I used to be complaining about not getting the Headless Horseman’s mount throughout Hallow’s Finish. Once more, sound acquainted?
I wrote a really quick submit about Pilgrim’s Bounty which went on to grow to be essentially the most seen submit on the location November of 5 years in the past.
And the occasion group began in with Ragefire Chasm, Wailing Caverns and Deadmines on the RP-PVP server. Precise PVP occurred since we needed to stroll to the Deadmines. We get referred to as griefers for daring to interact in PVP on a PVP server.
Twenty Years In the past
Was it actually gaming’s biggest month for launches? WCCF Tech thinks so. I imply, Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike Supply have been each launched.
As I’ll have been talked about, World of Warcraft additionally launched.
Additionally celebrating a birthday this month was EverQuest II. It launched a couple of weeks sooner than WoW and has ever remained within the shadow of each WoW and its older sibling EQ.
EVE On-line received its second free growth, Exodus, which launched participant owned starbases… the POS of yore… one of many makes use of of which was to assert territory in untamed null sec house. And thus the race to for empires started.
Twenty-5 Years In the past
Asheron’s Name, the third of the large three escape MMORPGs of the late 90s, launched. By no means as huge as its rivals (it peaked at 120K gamers to Ultima On-line’s 250K and EverQuest’s 550K, all very respectable numbers within the pre-WoW period) it blazed its personal path in attempting to outline what an MMORPG must be. Neglect, a mis-handled sequel, and a studio that made some doubtful and expensive strikes, left the sport and not using a residence when Standing Stone Video games was break up off to assist Dungeons & Dragons On-line and Lord of the Rings On-line. Asheron’s Name was formally shut down in January 2017.
Thirty Years In the past
And on the foundations entrance, Warcraft: Orcs & People, the primary installment in what would grow to be the core Blizzard franchise, launched. It was not the primary RTS or first networked multiplayer recreation, but it surely helped make these each part of the gaming panorama.
Most Considered Posts in November
- The Individuals have Spoken
- Stars Attain and Some Weekday Night Checks
- The Legacy of Morgoth Growth for Lord of the Rings On-line Lands Right now
- Reflections on a Modest Crimson Harvest
- Alamo teechs u 2 play DURID!
- Stage 45 at Final in Pokemon Go
- A Temporary Report from WoW Traditional twentieth Anniversary Version
- Timing these Fortunate Eggs for Friendship Milestones in Pokemon Go
- Stars Attain Takes its Play Check into House
- 4 Weeks into the Nice Tenerifis Migration – We Dwell in Tenerifis Now
- Enshrouded and Issues to Do
- The Initiative to Reset All Standings on January 1st
Search Phrases of the Month
“wagering-agreement-meaning-in-nepali”
[This again?]
“civ5-research-agreement-worth-it”
[This again again? Also, yes.]
“ttc-collective-agreement-2020”
[That has long since gone]
jovian stargates
[There are four of them]
eve on-line sucks
[Hard to argue with that]
doxbin wallpaper
[Wait, what?]
elrond attain the time of morgoth
[He made it this far I guess]
“trade-agreement-stellaris”
[Something to add to the list]
Sport Time by ManicTime
One thing of a drop off for WoW Traditional, which represented half my tracked time in September and 1 / 4 in October. The Cataclysm blues have hit for certain. In the meantime, Enshrouded has stormed on to the scene to take up the slack.
- Enshrouded – 44.27%
- EVE On-line – 37.40%
- Stars Attain – 7.67%
- WoW Traditional – 6.22%
- EverQuest 2.18 2.35%
- CM:BB – 1.01%
- World of Warcraft – 0.65%
- EverQuest II – 0.44%
Enshrouded
Taste of the month recreation in a yr that has seen a variety of considerably comparable flavors going by. Nonetheless, we have been engaged with it to the purpose of, as Potshot put it, “Staying up till midnight on a piece night time.” Normally an indication that we’re into one thing. In any other case it’s form of same-y sufficient to be comfy for us to get into and totally different sufficient to really feel considerably recent. This might need to maneuver from being a “tag” recreation to a “class” worthy title if we preserve going.
EVE On-line
The transfer ops stick with it however I’ve gotten all my stuff in place. As traditional, as soon as I ramp myself up for one thing like shifting all of my house baggage, as soon as it’s executed… and it by no means takes so long as I concern it should… I’m left at free ends, not fairly certain what to do with myself. The alliance is getting all of the infrastructure setup however I’m ready on what to do subsequent. Because the month closed out Reavers received as much as one thing, so we’ll see how that performs out.
Pokemon Go
Closing in on degree 47, at the very least on the xp entrance. There may be nonetheless a process to deal with, however I’ll get to that in one other submit.
- Stage: 46 (degree, 97% of the way in which to 47, 3 of 4 duties full)
- Pokedex standing: 853 (+1) caught, 864 (+1) seen
- Vivillon Evolutions obtained: 18 of 18!
- Pokemon I would like: Some lacking ones from the older Pokedexes
- Present buddy: Gyarados as a result of I want candies
Stars Attain
Extra play checks. We received house and two extra worlds to play on. All enjoyable, although nonetheless a great distance from the sport offered by the corporate as their imaginative and prescient. I do get a little bit of a watch roll going once I hear individuals who ought to know higher suggesting that it’s virtually executed. Once more, have you ever learn the design pillars? There may be nonetheless a protracted street forward earlier than a recreation that folks will purchase… and fortunately pay a month-to-month subscription for… will manifest.
WoW Traditional
We have been taking part in quite a lot of Cataclysm Traditional proper up till we weren’t. Isn’t that at all times the way in which? However I used to be already warning that Cata was beginning to put on skinny. I’m considering, disturbed by, and questioning in regards to the parallel paths our group has taken with the traditional development tour versus again within the day. I suppose we are going to see if that continues when pandas arrive on the scene.
Coming Up
It’s the final month of the yr arising, which suggests a number of the same old finish of yr posts. Brace yourselves… or no matter you do in anticipation of my annual navel gazing.
There may even be a large number of vacation occasions… CCP was already tooting per week again in regards to the Winter Nexus occasion touchdown on December fifth in case you wished to know… and the Steam Winter Sale and plenty of a like factor.
We additionally appear poised for some Early Entry motion as, if I learn issues appropriately, each Path of Exile II and Pantheon: One thing of the Whatsit are planning to hit that state. Do I care? Do you care?
The group has been off in Enshrouded, which can doubtless stick with it. There would be the traditional stuff in EVE On-line I wager. And we are going to see if our group finds anything to do in Cataclysm Traditional.
