Blog

Posted on

On & Piqued – The Raeth: Paralives/Enshrouded

ON: Paralives

  • ~”55 hours” played (via Steam, with caveat below)

First I need to qualify the (perhaps embarrassing) playtime for a game that’s only been out a week: there have been several times where I’ve left the game running during the day, so that number is inflated and I have no idea what a more accurate figure would be. With that out of the way, yes, this game is early access so there are bugs and content to be filled out, but I think this game is off to a stellar start, and am so excited to see where it goes. I will readily admit to being an obsessive builder and customizer as a general rule in games (evidenced here by that fact that I didn’t get to actually “playing the game” in live mode until the end of day 3 of my time playing), so take that bias into consideration, but I was frankly a little stunned at the levels of freedom and capability afforded in both the Paramaker (character creation) and build mode. You want that shirt tucked or untucked? You want a different shirt under that jacket? You want a pattern or print on that couch? You (for whatever reason) want that countertop to be wicker rattan instead of marble? You want that coffee table to be longer? Wider? Taller? YOU WANT THE COLORS (or wood tones) ON THOSE TWO SEPARATE THINGS TO ACTUALLY MATCH??? Done. All of it. hughjackmanthefountain.gif. Past that, the core systems of live mode do an excellent job of balancing the staples of the genre with some fresh ideas that give Paralives its own unique voice, like the (in my opinion) wonderful “together cards” system (though it will definitely benefit from some forthcoming card variety), or even the inclusion of some almost rpg(lite)-like character mechanics. The art style is really lovely and manages to actually make the Paras (characters) not look like horrors from the depths of the uncanny valley (who knew it was possible!). On top of all of that, the devs have firmly stated that even post full-launch there will be no paid dlc. All future updates will be free. I will mostly likely revisit this a handful of time through the (planned 2-year) early access period, but with such a solid foundation to build on I think these devs have something really special on their hands. I’m very much looking forward to the full release and watching this game continue to grow.

Antler Appraisal: I’ll admit to being disappointed that for all the creative customization, giving your Para antlers is currently not an option, though I’m SURE that’ll be added before early access ends (I can’t be the ONLY person who wants that, right??). For the moment I’ll have to make due with a few be-antlered decor items I found, including a delightfully festive mounted moose head with a scarf and some ornaments hung from its tines. Obviously one of these sits above the door in my Para’s master bedroom. – 2/5

PIQUED: Enshrouded

  • Currently out in early access (since 2024), 1.0 release slated for this fall (2026)

Ok so this is kind of cheating since I’ve already played a bit of this (*checks logs*: wait, almost 30 HOURS played already?! I guess a fairly generous “bit” then…), but speaking of early access games, this is one I’ve decided I’m fully on board for, and am going to wait for the full release to really dive all the way in. Putting this next to Paralives made me pause and ponder why I wanted to wait on this one, while I was willing to pop in and out of the other, and I think it just comes down to the more cyclical or “episodic” nature of a life sim versus my tendency to think of a game like Enshrouded as more of a “one save file” deal (for the most part at least). The nature of progression and discovery in Enshrouded, at least for me, I think will be most effective when experienced all together in more of a single continuity. In any case, being such an (over)enthusiastic builder, I am practically giddy at the promise of what seems to be one of the most robust and feature-filled base-building toolsets in any survival/crafting game. Not to mention the depth and richness of the character progression, combat, movement, exploration, environments, the sheer heft of early access content drops/overhauls, and on and on. From the taste I’ve gotten so far (ok, maybe more like a chain restaurant appetizer “sampler” than just a taste) I am fully expecting this game to end up alongside (or perhaps even above??) the likes of Valheim at the top of my favorites in the genre, if not games in general, and I cannot wait for the full release.

Posted on

GTOCP – Kindle bricks, NAS drive wear, and Travel site security

Amazon keeps effectively bricking Kindles. The latest round just happened, and I know I’m never buying a Kindle again. There are a lot of tools and packages out there for better ecosystems, and the nice walled garden of Amazonia just isn’t worth it in the long term.

Some interesting thoughts on NAS drives and constant spin up and spin down wear. Enterprise drives will easily last 20 years in my experience, and some of this could be contributed to this, along with the fact that they’re not cost cut into oblivion. I’ve successfully used second hand enterprise drives in my setup for years. I’ve found I comfortably get to a point where I need to upgrade storage before these drives quit.

I’ve long known that a lot of hotel and airline companies have terrible login policies as it relates to passwords and methods to log in. I’m honestly shocked I haven’t see more security issues because of it. This article highlights some actual incidents, and highly recommends using a password manager to secure your logins if the companies won’t. This is always good advice. I can’t recommend LastPass though, as their past policies have been anti-consumer. I personally use Bitwarden, but there are many good options out there.

Posted on

GTOCP – GTA6 price, Frame gen, PC recycling, DNS

Apparently we’re now in a world where an accidental price posting on a Dutch game retailer website is an “official” price confirmation. But here we are with GTA6 going up on a store for $115. Bananaland all around.

I frequently see articles from Make Use Of, and I swear the site is a sponsored website by the big tech companies. I think every single article I’ve seen reads like a sponsored ad/article, and glosses over a lot of opposing viewpoints. This article though on frame gen does actually discuss issues, even if partially dismissed because the author has a 5090. Happy for them. But it’s still an interesting read on the commentary around frame gen and what it’s supposed to do – namely, more frames for heavy hitting games when card brute performance uplift generation to generation has largely stagnated it seems.

One thing I’ve been looking at for LXOG is PC recycling. I’d love to provide this locally. This benefits people who don’t otherwise have a place to easily drop off old electronics, and I might be able to profit a bit by either refurbishing and selling, parting out, or small profits from teardowns and selling for scrap recycling. This article talks about some common places to recycle electronics, which works well for a lot of people.

Another MUO article. This is more in line with what I addressed above about sponsored articles. They never have any disclaimers about being a sponsored post, but you read it and tell me. Maybe it’s just a lot of articles from passionate people. But an article that’s about ditching Cloudflare and moving to a paid service…yeah kinda screams sponsored. But I do have some skepticism around Cloudflare’s actual privacy, so it piqued my interest.

Posted on

GTOCP – Google Pixel updates, More Tolkien content, Starfield/TES6 speculation, Backups

How To Geek takes a look at Google’s promise of first 5, then updating to 7 years of updates for Pixel phones, and sees if it played out. Spoiler: nope. Support has been lackluster and the bare minimum, only getting about 1 in 3 security updates, and no OS updates.

Could more J.R.R. Tolkien content be coming? Could it be true? Peter Jackson wants it to be, and the Tolkien Estate may actually be amenable to the idea. “It would be nice to get away from some of the appendices and get something meatier,” Jackson says.

GameRant speculates about how Bethesda quietly changing its update “policy” on games and supporting them for longer may actually be a good sign for the next Elder Scrolls game. I mean, I’d call Starfield “updates” a long shot from the ideal support state of a game, but it’s something I guess?

Ok this one is a bit hefty, and I’d love some discussion going on in #🐙︱general about it. Again with How To Geek, but a commentary on backups and how to best do them. The 3-2-1 strategy has long been a mantra (3 copies, 2 different storage media, 1 copy offsite), but this delves into a little more how-to (coincidence?) and some options. I’ve long been tossing this over in my head of how to make this more accessible to people in general without over reliance on the cloud, and…there aren’t great solutions. It does touch on the problems with cloud and it being a two way sync, which has definitely caused me some issues before with files straight up disappearing. The article talks about Windows Backup (which last I knew was a poorly carried over Win 7 feature and kept yelling at you not to use it anymore), Veeam Agent, Hasleo Backup Suite, and Macrium Reflect. I’ve looked at a few, but they’re either too expensive imo or open source and not user friendly. There needs to be a lower barrier to entry here, and I haven’t found it yet.

Posted on

GTOCP – Windows Update drivers, New Xbox controller, and Gmail storage

MS is trying to make Windows Update less of a pain by not auto rolling back bad driver releases, but updating them to an older version from the cloud. Too bad I can’t think of any better way to do this. Or any issues with needing the cloud to roll back say, a bad network driver. Or one that keeps blue screening as soon as you get to Windows.

A new Xbox Series 3 Elite controller leaked with…scroll wheels? Prolly not fixed rubber grips and joysticks tho. Bc why would they fix a money stream.

Looks like Google may be starting to decrease some mailboxes from 15GB to 5GB. Observations are mixed on which accounts, but a start is a start nonetheless. Gemini needs all that storage now.

Posted on

Gaming, Tech, and Oatmeal Creme Pies

Thanks, Exodus, for the wonderful name suggestion. To everyone else, you’re welcome. This started as a joke. It may still be, who really knows.

This is a new segment where we talk about Gaming, Tech, and anything not in between (Oatmeal Creme Pies – the lifeblood of LXOG). So I present, GTO. Or GTOCP. Idk. “Comment below with your best suggestion” in a very youtubery voice.

Yesterday’s post included an article announcing that the GTX 1080 Ti is now too old for gaming, the Wilhelm scream easter egg in the Valve Controller, and the Googlebook announcement. Mostly presented without comment. But I will say for the Googlebook, it’s an odd name, and it ties back to the story the day before about Google’s AI assistant running a cafe into the ground. No thanks.

So what articles do I have up my sleeve for today? More OCP than anything else. I don’t think anyone has a problem with that.

Lego announced a LOTR tie in. Their biggest set is Minas Tirith. It’s massive at over 8000 pieces.

A zero day exploit was published that bypasses Bitlocker. That’s good news for anyone trying to recover a laptop drive (or any drive now that MS Bitlockers everything), bad news for anyone with sensitive data and a stolen computer. The security researcher had notified MS about the exploit, but was brushed off, so he published it. The article alleges that this reeks of a backdoor, which is…not a good look. GG MS, yet again. I’m sure this isn’t the last time we’ll see MS getting some bad news, cuz it seems like they like it.

iss074e0521637 (April 13, 2026) — This celestial image captured from a window on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station highlights the Milky Way rising above Earth’s atmospheric glow. Credit: NASA/Chris Williams

NASA gets a spot here whenever they want.

Last up, Fast & Furious is now coming out with a TV show on Peacock. Not much has been said besides Vin Diesel producing it and starring in it. Announcing it a few days ago, he said “For the last decade, we have realized that the fans have wanted more. They wanted us to expand the legacy characters, their stories. And for the last decade, the desire has been for us to enter the TV space . . . And I had to wait ’til it was right.”

Posted on

In Dawsonian Gunner’s Sights: Under the Waves

a review of a game you may not know

As you’re lowered further and further into the deep, your thoughts swirl chaotically with the school of fish outside your diving bell. You’re a trained commercial diver, but not for this. Never in the open abyss of the ocean. Your thoughts circle around – your wife, your child, your old man, your future. As you take that first step into the frigid yet serene water, your mind focuses on the tasks at hand and you begin to wonder, will this chosen isolation heal or damage?

This is the first look you, as the player, receive of Stan – a commercial diver who has been contracted by a big corporation to live on the ocean floor and provide much needed maintenance. Will this extended stay under the waves of the North Sea be worth it?

The Basics

First things first, let’s look at some of the straight facts:

  • Developer: Parallel Studios
  • Release Date: August 2023
  • Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox X, Xbox S, Xbox One
  • Engine: Unreal Engine 4
  • Tags: adventure, story-rich, exploration
  • Average main story play time: 7.5 hours
  • Steam Rating: 77% positive

The Gameplay

The storyline is the driver of this game. The game progression is marked by the number of days that Stan has been working his contract. Each day is a new chapter in the storyline and each day has specific tasks to complete with a linear progression in which to complete said tasks. Stan wakes up, grabs his coffee, obtains his tasks, and heads out into the ocean. After completing the tasks, you can opt to explore the area and find the plethora of collectibles scattered around. Each new day will give you new skills and will guide you how to explore the world around you. You are given a one-man submersible to make traversal relatively easy, but you can also opt to raw dog it and swim around in your diving gear (just make sure you craft or scavenge enough oxygen sticks to do so). As the days continue, Stan battles his own reasons for taking the contract, struggles with past trauma, and wrestles with the morality of working for a big corp. that is ruining the ocean. There’s a lot going on, thematically with this game, if you couldn’t tell by that last sentence. There’s nothing inherently difficult about this game and if I had to sum it up in one sentence I’d say something along the lines of:

Under the Waves is a commercial diver simulator where you help Stan battle his inner demons, but also, you get to hunt for collectibles and swim with a Humpback whale.

If you are someone who values your free will and exploration of an open world, this may not be a game at the top of your list. But if you are someone who loves narrative driven games with real heart behind it, this should definitely go at the top of your ‘to play’ list.

My Thoughts

As someone who is an absolute sucker for narrative games that gut punch the ever living emotions out of you, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Just a simple browse through the Steam reviews will show that a majority of people enjoyed the game simply because the Unreal Engine allowed such a beautiful and immersive world. I have been open water diving before and the sound design crew really hit the nail on the head with how it sounds and ultimately feels when diving under water. So if you’ve never been diving but have always wanted to, this is a far cheaper way to simulate that experience. While the daily tasks did get a bit dull at times, each gave you a new piece of the narrative puzzle, which in turn, moved the storyline along. The voice acting isn’t the most stellar of performances, but it gets the job done. This narrative does bonk you on the head with the “big corp = bad” a bit too much at times, but I ultimately chalked that up to the devs being passionate on this topic. I ended up pouring about 15 hours into this game with a 100% completion.

While it may not have re-playability, it certainly does have heart and soul. And to me, that makes my plunge Under the Waves worth it.

Posted on

A Very LXOG Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Discord,
Every member was gaming, so as not to get bored.
The memes were all posted in #memetown with care,
In hopes that emoji reactions soon would be there.

Some LXOGers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While promos from #gamingdeals danced in their heads.
And gamers with controllers, and I in my VR gear,
Had just settled in our chairs to play the best games of the year.

When notifications from #general caused such a clatter,
I sprang to the channel to see what was the matter.
Everyone was sharing the latest game news,
Something to read, while waiting in PvP queues.

The RGB glow from my decked out PC,
Gave the luster of mid-day on Funko Pops near me.
When what to my strained eyes did appear,
An email promoting the newest game gear!

While updating my drivers, so lively and quick,
I browsed Netflix to watch an overhyped flick.
Then I searched my library for a time wasting game,
Crippled by indecision, I just launched Warframe.

A few minutes later, I felt the game was a bore,
I closed the window and browsed the Steam store.
There was Cyberpunk, Helldivers, and Black Myth: Wukong,
And twelve editions of Skyrim, who knows which version they’re on?

I took off my headphones and set them aside,
Wondering when I last went outside.
My tummy rumbled so to the fridge I flew,
To chug a can of sugar fueled Mountain Dew.

And then from my speakers I heard a loud ping,
A Discord party had started, what a wonderful thing.
I joined the party to see what was going on,
It was one of our members, streaming Horizon: Zero Dawn.

We made jokes, laughed, and were having a great time,
While another LXOGer was posting in #saltmine.
They were sharing a tale of disappointment and woe,
I felt bad for them, but glad it wasn’t me though.

My eyes—how they twinkled, when I saw an update,
For a game, the third in the series, it was for Baldur’s Gate!
My droll little mouth was drawn up like some bows,
But before I play my game, a quick detour to #tvshows.

Someone shared a meme about Arcane, and I giggled with glee,
Maybe I’ll go to #movies, and watch a trailer or three.
Having not exercised lately, I looked at my belly,
That shook when I laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

Covering my muffin top was my favorite shirt,
On it was Potato the octopus, the adorable flirt.
Made from soft cotton and with room to grow,
Head to https://thelxog.com and get a shirt of your own!

It was time to wind down, my hands were starting to cramp,
My gaming chair was sticky, it had gotten quite damp.
My monitor needed a break from hours of emitting glows,
My bed was calling to me, so up from my chair I rose.

I began shutting down all my apps and my games,
Time to give my PC a rest, before it burst into flames.
With one last chance to exclaim, before I logged out of sight, I shouted:
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Posted on

What I Wish I Knew Before Playing Starfield

I went into Starfield basically blind. I barely watched any of the pre-release content on it, so I knew very little about the game. I knew it was a space RPG, had around 1000 planets, some curated and some not, and that I would play it for basically eternity.

That said, there are a few things that I wish I knew beforehand, and I would have saved a little (or a lot of time) by knowing some of these things right as I started. So here’s my hat in the ring for this topic, spoiler free and mechanic-heavy.

Continue reading “What I Wish I Knew Before Playing Starfield”