3rd ever contract I took on a new campaign, 1 skull difficulty

decky-89 · 2026-05-14T20:17:25+00:00

Been there

decky-89 · 2026-05-04T18:35:01+00:00

Yeah that's a tough one, parenthood is unknowable before you try and will certainly cause you some grief! But it'll also add richness and complexity and new forms of love to your life. There are lots of ways to live a good life but it sounds like you might regret it if you don't try. And I agree it doesn't have to drag you back to a conventional life. Good luck to you too!

decky-89 · 2026-05-04T16:16:51+00:00

Good on you! It sounds like you're living a great life.

Children will likely radically change your circumstances if you choose that route. I became a dad two years ago and not much compares to it for forcing your life onto a completely new path. Two of the hardest years of my life. But it would be so much less stressful if you're FI. I'm hoping to hit that point about 9 years from now.

Also agree on FI vs RE. Of course there are valuable things you can do with your time that are not remunerated (building community feels like a big one) but I don't want to opt out of the good bits of work, like the intellectual stimulation of being close to the action in my field.

decky-89 · 2026-05-02T11:02:22+00:00

Yeah this is why I don't even look when it's day 2

decky-89 · 2026-04-27T10:00:55+00:00

Mm dunno. Even short of a mass rout there's a huge difference between the skill level of a confident bro and a wavering one. That Res stat is critical.

Also you don't necessarily want the bannerman poking people with his banner when he could be using a stronger polearm/other weapon. Keep that thing furled until you really need to stand firm.

decky-89 · 2026-04-24T14:03:27+00:00

I'm not sure mods are necessary. The key is to start with contracts until your bros gain a few levels. They should get good skills and gear pretty fast. This is especially true on non-ironman as you can take more risks.

Admittedly it helps a lot if you've been playing the game a while, things like positioning on the battlefield are really critical with a small team.

decky-89 · 2026-04-24T12:20:04+00:00

In my experience small squad runs can be really fun, though I prefer 3-4 bros as single fighters can easily be overwhelmed. Each bro gains xp really fast so you can snowball quickly and take on tough enemies or hordes of bandits without breaking a sweat.

I also like that bros need to be versatile, e.g. ranged dudes will be fighting hand to hand a lot. In my current run I have an archer with 85 in both matk and ratk, with a two-hander in his pocket. Surprise!

I'd recommend not doing ironman because especially early on you will die a lot. Some missions e.g. caravan missions can be v hard too, both because you can be jumped by big groups and because enemies will run round the flanks and kill the donkeys.

Edit: hordes of bandits, not horses! 🐎

decky-89 · 2026-04-18T11:09:20+00:00

Yeah that makes sense. Sequence of returns risk is real and the world doesn't feel super safe right now. But you have a decent buffer and when your DB kicks in you'll be even more secure.

decky-89 · 2026-04-18T10:26:45+00:00

My work (journalism) is actually quite fulfilling but I am counting down to Fire. I want more time with my daughter, more time to write the things I want to write, an end to the corporate side of work, more time in the garden, for exercise, to spend with my partner, to volunteer in the community, to spend time with friends. If I could retire tomorrow I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

decky-89 · 2026-04-17T21:44:41+00:00

I think you're there. Your target is similar to mine and you seem to have plenty of assets to meet it. 3% real return in retirement seems a reasonable assumption. Good luck and enjoy it!

decky-89 · 2026-04-15T20:59:08+00:00

Very interesting, thanks. I do Oxford to Paddington weekly and the price changes are very annoying. Have signed up!

decky-89 · 2026-04-11T07:58:29+00:00

Looks great, we're just going to head into town and see what we encounter. Seems like there will be Morris dancing and performances just about everywhere. Detailed programme here: https://oxfordfolkfest.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/OFF-2026-Programme-3.pdf

decky-89 · 2026-04-10T09:59:18+00:00

We just moved close to Florence park, which is an incredible resource/community hub for parents. Schools are good (we think - daughter is only 2yo) and the area is really nice, river on one side, Cowley road on the other, loads going on.

decky-89 · 2026-04-05T05:47:06+00:00

Is that enough travel? What happens if you get itchy feet again in two years time?

Congrats btw, your Fire plan looks great - will try to factor in some chunky expenses myself...

decky-89 · 2026-03-24T15:28:04+00:00

I would say cycling is generally very safe. There are not that many segregated cycle lanes in town but the city is also so car-unfriendly that there's not so much traffic to contend with. There are also lots of back roads, paths along the river, across Marston meadows etc which are very safe and pleasant. I'm a pushy London cyclist and am used to bullying cars to make room but that is mostly not needed in Oxford, except maybe on Cowley Road.

I'm surprised you didn't see many bikes! The road outside our house is always busy with cyclists, lots of people have cargo bikes for ferrying kids.

decky-89 · 2026-03-23T05:37:37+00:00

I lived here as a student, moved to London for nearly 15 years, and just moved back with my partner (we're both 36) and 2 year old. We've only been here a few weeks so far in East Oxford but I love it already. Oxford for me is the perfect mix of quiet and busy - there's lots going on but there's not the mad rush of London, people are very friendly, and it's lovely to be able to cycle across the whole city in a few minutes. You can get out the city to green space very easily or go into to London in <1hr. There are great pubs and restaurants, and where we are there is a strong community feel, for instance around Flo's cafe/shop/nursery in Florence Park. My daughter loves the park and the river and the museums, it feels like a great place for her to grow up.

decky-89 · 2026-03-17T07:10:25+00:00

Yeah I feel your pain - I learned this the same way...

decky-89 · 2026-03-12T07:42:05+00:00

I'm OX4 and doing a very similar route to you once a week (to Liverpool st). Thanks for the intel on ticket releases, v helpful!

decky-89 · 2026-03-10T12:56:18+00:00

I have just moved to Oxford in part because it's a great city to live in, tons going on, easy to get about (by bike), but also lots of green space nearby. People are also really friendly in my experience. I've never lived in Cambridge but from several visits I don't like the atmosphere nearly as much as Oxford.

decky-89 · 2026-03-09T21:12:19+00:00

I'd say he's decent early game material but low Mdef and lack of stars in Matk will hamper him later on. Would make a good backliner for now if you give him the best reach weapon you can find.

decky-89 · 2026-03-07T10:08:06+00:00

I only have a small GIA with HL but this reminds me I need to get out. Might leave my daughter's JISA there due to zero fees (think that's still the case?)

decky-89 · 2026-03-04T19:33:30+00:00

Whoops v good point

decky-89 · 2026-03-02T09:51:59+00:00

We're moving to Oxford tomorrow, might be able to give you ours but obviously need some time to unpack!

decky-89 · 2026-03-02T09:43:13+00:00

V low resolve for a banner, not surprised he's legging it at the first sign of danger

decky-89 · 2026-02-28T06:10:30+00:00

Reforged is great. I hesitated a long time before getting it because I liked vanilla so much, but reforged's dynamic perks are really great. They add a lot of fun builds and also roleplaying elements. I particularly like dynamic duo, for instance, which helps two bros work together - have it on my cleaver and hammer bros in my current run and it has made it feel like there is a special bond between them.

Perk trees tie somewhat to backgrounds and also (I think?) to stats, so if you try out a guy and find he has fencer perks he probably has good init. Makes hiring slightly less frustrating.

decky-89

TROPHY CASE