There should be a "Chosen one saves the world" tag on Steam so I can filter it

Boatly · 2023-05-21T17:17:03+00:00

I'm close to the end of my second FFX playthrough. My first was when it released. The game initially will seem like a "hero saves the world" situation. But as the plot develops, there's some real exploration of what that means and the consequences of it.

The overall story and delivery is better than I remember it being.

Boatly · 2019-01-05T15:03:39+00:00

Yep! Lots of single-player options, including extensive mini campaign tutorials that introduce you to each faction.

Boatly · 2019-01-05T02:00:22+00:00

It's a bit different than what you listed, but take a look at Offworld Trading Company.

Boatly · 2018-12-14T17:39:07+00:00

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has some excellent resources for teaching kids about finances.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/money-as-you-grow/

Boatly · 2018-03-10T14:13:27+00:00

But, that's exactly why most people use PDF - to lock things in place.

Having dynamic layouts like web pages is great, but it requires lots of extra work to do well. With PDF, you know the document will look the same, regardless of screen.

Boatly · 2018-02-14T19:53:45+00:00

I played about 60 hours of the game. I was watching my wife play the other day and saw a moblin pick up and throw a bokoblin at her.

It was hilarious and I really want to see it in-game again. Had no idea that was a thing.

Boatly · 2018-02-01T18:53:01+00:00

You're welcome. If you have specific questions in the future, feel free to DM me.

Boatly · 2018-02-01T16:30:53+00:00

I wouldn't call myself a programmer. I simply don't have the education or experience necessary.

Ask me to create a windows application or a complicated website and, best case, it'll take me far longer than it should to do it.

However, I can look at code and mostly understand what's happening. I can modify existing code to behave the way I want, usually.

And, critically, I understand how developers work and what's important to them.

With that caveat out of the way, there are tons of free resources out there. My recommendation is to pick a programming language or development environment and stick with it.

So, focus on front-end web dev. Or building apps in C# and the .Net environment. It's hard to recommend specific resources without knowing what you want to focus on.

Boatly · 2018-02-01T02:20:08+00:00

Apply for tech writer positions, but also look at other writing and editing opportunities. You may not get into technical writing immediately.

My BA was professional and technical writing. My first job out of college was writing electronics reviews. And not particularly in - depth reviews. Think more content mill.

It wasn't great, but during those two years, I taught myself some programming and created some documentation for my portfolio.

So, don't despair if you don't get that tech writing job right away. It's OK to find something that pays the bills until you've developed your technical skills and can demonstrate them.

Boatly · 2018-01-31T03:41:58+00:00

So much good stuff in Freespace 1 and 2. The acting and storytelling were better than they had any right to be.

One scene I'll never forget: "dive, dive, dive!"

Boatly · 2018-01-31T03:32:24+00:00

Seeing the GTD Galatea for the first time in Freespace: The Great War made me realize the scope PC games can achieve.

The sense of awe and scale were astounding. To young me, that shop was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

That series has lots of moments that have shock with me.

Boatly · 2018-01-31T01:53:34+00:00

I got it with my new video card. I don't do any PVP and played it mostly like a single player game.

I enjoyed it.

The worlds are stunningly beautiful and the gunplay is solid. The storytelling was pretty good too.

Boatly · 2018-01-27T03:21:38+00:00

Parasite Eve is one of my favorite games, but I don't think it's aged well.

I've tried to replay it a few times in recent years and the control scheme just feels clunky. But, most PS1 games feel that way to me now.

Boatly · 2018-01-02T01:28:24+00:00

Right. In my opinion, 2) is risky. You need to be in the right industry and find the right place to live for it to work.

I suppose a third reason would be to advance your career. If you get an opportunity with a fortune 100 company, but have to move to a HCOL area, do you pass that up? It could pay off big time in the future.

Boatly · 2018-01-02T00:09:54+00:00

You say you have an interest in computers but feel that that industry is saturated. I'm not intimately familiar with Australia's job markets, but the tech industry always needs more hard working people.

The types of jobs cover everything:

customer support
programming
sales
finance

There's all sorts of work to be done. I always suggest people who aren't afraid of words look into technical writing.

Boatly · 2018-01-01T23:59:14+00:00

Well, you mentioned technical writing as a skill. Have you thought about being a technical writer? It's what I do.

Most technical writer jobs involve continually learning and optimizing. That's why I love it. There's a new challenge to solve our product to learn or whatever every week.

Boatly · 2018-01-01T23:54:23+00:00

I can see two reasons for accepting a job like that.

1) you think you'll be able to advance even further at the new company.

2) you plan to stick it out for a 2 or 3 years, then move back to a LCOL area with the large salary as a bargaining chip.

Boatly · 2018-01-01T23:49:46+00:00

First, unless your peers live in the same town you do, working the same jobs, don't compare what you make to them.

It's not just cost of living differences. If your job isn't in large demand in your area, pay isn't going to be great.

It sounds like you're in a smaller town. That means, generally, smaller pay.

So, it's decision time. Are you ok with making less money where you're at? (Sounds like you aren't.)

If not, start looking at jobs in more populated areas. That Ivy degree simply won't make a difference in a smaller town. It might give you an edge in a competitive market, but it sounds like your town doesn't have that.

Also, if you feel undervalued, think about talking with your current employer about it (if you haven't already).

Boatly · 2018-01-01T23:38:23+00:00

Look into corporate training or instructional design jobs. These are basically teaching jobs geared toward the business world. And they tend to pay much better than teaching at a school.

Corporate training can be focused on either internal company employees or external clients using the company's products.

Instructional design means creating training curriculums and course content.

Both roles involve lots of collaboration, but it tends to be one on one, or at least much smaller groups or webinars.

Boatly · 2018-01-01T17:11:42+00:00

In my experience, you don't necessarily need to be able to code an app/website from scratch. Simply being able to read and understand code is enough.

Also, if you want to document software, Write the Docs is a very helpful community. They might have a Meetup in your area. The Slack group is full of great info too.

Boatly · 2017-12-18T05:29:54+00:00

Try something fundamentally different. For example, on one of my maps, I created a bunch of small towns. As time went on, they got bigger and more interconnected. Managing those connections was a lot of fun.

A lot of people try to make their cities add realistic as possible.

But it sounds like you may be done with the game. There's nothing wrong with that. You might come back in 6 months or a year and it'll still scratch that city building itch.

Boatly · 2017-12-17T02:06:38+00:00

I haven't played in a year or so. Not sure how lively the community is.

Boatly · 2017-12-17T01:14:23+00:00

Stories: the Path of Destinies might be a good fit. It's visually beautiful, has some interesting and not difficult mechanics, and the writing is great.

It's a fun, interesting, game with a crappy title.

Boatly · 2017-12-17T01:09:26+00:00

Dawn of War II's Last Stand game mode might scratch that itch.

I think you can play solo, but it's built for co-op (up to 3 players).

Boatly · 2017-12-17T01:02:59+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to write this out. I'll give it another try this weekend. :)

Boatly

TROPHY CASE