Four years. Almost a tenth of my life. So much about my life both in cyberspace and meatspace has changed in that time. This blog has grown from humble beginnings to slightly less humble middles. This fourth year been a banner one for I Have Touched the Sky:
I've posted 223 times since my last blogoversary, including this one. July was my most prolific month, where I managed to average just over one post per day. My most popular posts of the year:
In April, I was extended an invitation by Antida and Xander to join the cast of Beyond the Veil. Not only has it opened up a level of of access to a developer studio I never thought I would get, it's been a wonderful chance to meet and spend time with a bunch of great people who share my enthusiasm for The Secret World. I love you guys!
I often find myself like Neo in the Matrix. No, no, I don't think of myself as the promised one. What I mean is, despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoy playing MMOs, and I appreciate the efforts at world building by the developers, I can't help but see the numbers flying past in the background. That's why I truly find little difference between, say, a rogue and a mage. They serve the same purpose, to make the health bar of the bad guy get smaller. Everything else is special effects.
I have made great friendships through games (and blogging) that I never would have, if not for these activities. And I am grateful for those friendships and experiences. But when I say the activities are trivial, it's exactly what Arcadius said: "It’s all vanity and chasing the wind. Sound and fury . . ." In the end, we haven't fed the hungry or created world peace. We've played games and argued about it.
These worlds created for and by us are so ephemeral. Stop paying that subscription or walk away from the game, and what do you have to show for the hours and years you've spent? Memories, maybe some long-distance friends, if you're lucky. Not much else. But we continue because it is worth the stress relief and enjoyment we get from playing.
Thank you to all my commenters for providing your perspective and insights throughout the year.
And last, but of course not least, I want to thank my gaming partner, the light of my life, Scooter. If you guys think I am exasperating online, imagine what it must be like to live with this opinion monster. I love her—madly, desperately—and I am grateful for her unwavering support. It's been a great year! Here's hoping for many more.
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| 4 Balls of Cute |
3. Dead Horse Discussions: F2P Rears Its "Ugly" Head with 1113 hitsYou guys are sometimes a lively bunch. I was totally not expecting two of my biggest posts in this sense to be right before my anniversary. In terms of "audience response":
2. DAW4: ArenaNet with 1431 hits, I'm gratified it's not all controversial stuff
1. Barriers to Entry: More Revenue Model Discussions with 9481 hits, also making it the most popular post I've yet written.
1. What Is Pay to Win? with 19 comments not by meSomething else I tried to do this year was to become more community oriented on Twitter (I would on G+, as well, but there are logistical issues). And so I reTweet links to people's blog posts, giving my own little spin in an effort to generate interest. I do it because it's fun, and the 140 character forces a certain kind of creativity. I had no idea until fairly late in the year, how much attention that effort had garnered:
2. Wildstar: Class or Race? with 16 comments not by me
2. Social Mobility, or, No Class with 16 comments not by me
4. More Dead Horses: Money May Equal Time, But It Will Never Equal Commitment with 14 comments not by me (Honorable mention because it also got a lot of hits.)
-Best of Bio Break 2013: Blogging and podcasting community shout-outsI've played a lot of games this fourth year of the blog: Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, Defiance, Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, EverQuest II. I think that's it. Maybe not much compared to some other gamers, but I enjoyed my time in each game; some of them more than others. I'm sure you've followed the exploits of the Knights of Mercy on Secret Monday, a great chance to meet regularly with friends from SWTOR and elsewhere.
-Tales of the Aggronaut: Vacation Catch Up
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| Prepare to be Schooled |
I often find myself like Neo in the Matrix. No, no, I don't think of myself as the promised one. What I mean is, despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoy playing MMOs, and I appreciate the efforts at world building by the developers, I can't help but see the numbers flying past in the background. That's why I truly find little difference between, say, a rogue and a mage. They serve the same purpose, to make the health bar of the bad guy get smaller. Everything else is special effects.
I have made great friendships through games (and blogging) that I never would have, if not for these activities. And I am grateful for those friendships and experiences. But when I say the activities are trivial, it's exactly what Arcadius said: "It’s all vanity and chasing the wind. Sound and fury . . ." In the end, we haven't fed the hungry or created world peace. We've played games and argued about it.
These worlds created for and by us are so ephemeral. Stop paying that subscription or walk away from the game, and what do you have to show for the hours and years you've spent? Memories, maybe some long-distance friends, if you're lucky. Not much else. But we continue because it is worth the stress relief and enjoyment we get from playing.
Thank you to all my commenters for providing your perspective and insights throughout the year.
And last, but of course not least, I want to thank my gaming partner, the light of my life, Scooter. If you guys think I am exasperating online, imagine what it must be like to live with this opinion monster. I love her—madly, desperately—and I am grateful for her unwavering support. It's been a great year! Here's hoping for many more.
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Grats you're an awesome blogger and a community role model. Every hit and comment you get is well deserved. Keep up the great work I've enjoyed your blog for years and I hope many more years to come.
ReplyDeleteThank you, that really does mean a lot coming from you.
DeleteGrats! http://www.rozziland.com/eq/levelup.wav
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I already know that sound well.
DeleteYou are an amazing blogger and a really damned good friend. So much happy about your 4th bloggiversary :) I am sure we will be reconvening at this time next year to celebrate your 5th because you have proved to have amazing fortitude. You always provide a well thought out argument and I respect you for being able to do so without ever lowering your own personal standards. You are one of the few people I look forward to disagreeing with me on things.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remember if we ever have disagreed on things. Oh yeah! Tanks in EQN. Though I'm not sure how much we actually disagreed.
DeleteCongratulations on 4! And... holy crap! 223 posts in a year?! In comparison, I may as well be twiddling my thumbs. :P
ReplyDeleteBeen an awesome year becoming more entrenched in the community, and I definitely thank you for helping me in that journey. You have definitely left your mark on the community, and it can only grow.
Cheers!
If I keep up my the regimen I want to, it'll be around 365 this year, at the least. You're certainly a great addition to the community yourself.
DeleteAs is quasi-tradition by this point, I have to say: lol, n00b. ;)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work.
Hehe, I almost borrowed from Wilhelm, "4 years blogging, still a noob." I want to thank you especially. I know we're all busy, but I appreciate the time you, as developer, take to read my drivel and offer your own insight.
DeleteI read a lot of blogs, but I notice I tend to comment on specific ones for a while. Usually when there's a lot posted that interests me on a personal level.
DeleteAnyway, I just had a conversation with Raph Koster on Twitter about how nostalgic I was for some of the conversations had on the old MMO blog sites. Happy to do my part to try to keep those alive on new blogs. :)
Four years?! So old! :P
ReplyDeleteWe may not have created world peace, but maybe, just maybe, we've given ourselves and others a smile. And that's worth something too. :)
Thanks for all the inspiring writing, keep it up!
Rav
Thank you very much. I smile when reading of your exploits.
DeleteCongratulations on continuing to write words. I know I've often been tempted to become illiterate after seeing the intertubes.
ReplyDeleteFight illiteracy! Argue with strangers on the innerchoobs!
Delete