4 Video Games I Want to Play Next

Rogue Legacy: completed, with longings every now and then to do another run through. Don't Starve: back in it, with goals to kill a Koalaphant, find the Pig King, and descend into the caves. The Caves: fun, but I'm having trouble with the controls. The characters seem to just keep running. I haven't played it in a while because of that. Grand Theft Auto III: started, but I need to fix my controller. I can't target anybody if I need to shoot them because two of the buttons on the top are broken. Of course, there are still four Grand Theft Auto games that I haven't even tried yet. A bit unwilling to considering that I don't have a fully-functional controller.

With the status of my current games out of the way, I want to start thinking about some of the games I want to purchase and to play next. I have the points accumulated in my inferno of productivity, and although I have more than enough games to play right now, there's always new games to look at and to add to the collection. It's like books. There are always new books to read, even though there are plenty of old books to read already. So, I'm going to suffer from the "new and shiny" syndrome and think about these four video games that I want to play next (besides the four Grand Theft Auto games. It's already a given I want to play them next):

Hearthstone

I have seen so many videos of others playing the beta version of this game, and it looks so much fun! It's a card game like Magic: The Gathering, but the characters and creatures are based off the World of Warcraft universe. I've never played World of Warcraft before, and I've only played Magic once, but this game just looks it would be great. I really want to build my own decks and to play against other people online.

Folk Tale

I saw Sips play 30 minutes of this game several weeks ago, and it looked like a really great game. It's a strategy game where you're a village of elves, or dwarfs, or something and you have to build up the town and rescue a few villagers who were kidnapped. Although I only got to see a small glimpse of it, Folk Tale looked like it had a lot of story and game play to it, and wasn't a game that was just an adventure or just building up a town. Plus, it's a little cartoon-y, and I'm all about the cartoon-y, animated games.

Knights of Pen and Paper

This game moves with the format of Dungeons and Dragons, where you create a team of characters and move through the map doing quests, all the while a Dungeon Master (an NPC in the game) reads aloud the dialogue of the bad guys and other narration. However, there aren't any dice to roll, but you do get to pick how many bad guys you want to face at a time. For example, if your quest is to kill 10 rats, then you can choose to fight all 10 at once, or you can do them two or three at time. I think there's a lot of creativity and originality to this game.

Ittle Dew

This game is very reminiscent of the Legend of Zelda series, but it's another strategy/adventure game that just looks like a ton of fun. I've seen several videos of other people playing it, and I like how the puzzles work. I also like that there's a story to it, but it's also kind of an RPG where you don't necessarily have to do things in a particular order. It helps if you do it in the right order, because you get items that help with the next world, but you don't have to do it that way.

I Have Better Things to Do Than This Blog Post

I know I put a picture there of a fuzzy bear being smart and getting things done, but I could have come a lot closer to that bear today. I certainly didn't spend the entire day goofing off (and I have several hours of my day still, so I may be a bit quick to judge), I definitely got my game time and my reading time in. At the very least, I am as cute as that bear.

I Don't Know if I'll Finish My Summer Reading List!

I only have one book left on my summer reading list: Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play, and summer ends in a few weeks. However, I really don't know if I'll get to it before the beginning of September. I'm currently reading Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield as part of my Amnesty International's chapter book club reading, and this book is about 600 pages long. I certainly won't finish it by the time I have to return it to the library since there's a waiting list and I won't be able to renew. I also need to read Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, which I've already missed once since I didn't realize that I only had a week to pick up a book that's on hold from the library. Lean In should be an easy read, something that I can finish in a couple of days. Harrington on Hold 'Em should be the same way. Perhaps I just need to commit and to do some power reading! Once September hits, I can work on my fall reading list, which will probably be twice as long as the summer reading list because there are so many awesome, informative books to read in the world.

Video Games are Amazing

Been playing lots and lots of Rogue Legacy. I've beaten the game once and I have two more achievements left: finding all of the blueprints and beating the game a second time (the second go-around is much harder). My original plan was to beat Rogue Legacy a second time before moving on to any other games, but I couldn't wait. I started playing Grand Theft Auto III again, and it's just as amazing as I remembered. Although I've only done two missions, I want to get all the other side quests out of the way, like collecting the cars and doing the obstacle course. Those things only get tougher as you progress through the game because the rival gangs are after you and will shoot at you as you walk or drive by.

I probably won't be buying any video games anytime soon. Don't Starve just went through an update and has an update every three weeks, so the next time I play that there will be a whole bunch of new things to try and to explore. By the time I do play it again, I have a feeling there will be about six or seven updates and all sorts of new creatures, characters, items etc. Perhaps I need to remind myself (and show all of you) the awesomeness:

Tomorrow's Friday, although I don't really deserve any Friday. I need to be doing my work and getting more things done. I have a coffee review site that I need to make happen. I need to think about the next question I'm going to answer, and what that answer is going to be. I need to do better at eating healthier. I need to come up with a new goal and action steps so that I keep everything moving in the right direction. There's a hell of a lot I need to do.

In Need of Practical Brain Stimulation

New research published today suggests that brain-stimulating activities such as writing and reading books slows down our cognitive decline as we age. The sooner you start, the better, as cognitive decline can begin as early as 27. Also, some reading and writing is better than none at all. It looks like I am in an excellent line of work, where I am easily writing 1500 words a day. I am currently working on my summer reading list, and am forcing myself to read one chapter per day so I can get through the book I am reading now (and can move on to other interesting books that I've been wanting to read for some time). Once I finish this book, I'll only have one more book left to read. Once I finish that book, I'll create my fall reading list.

About Those Findings

I would be interested in seeing if there would be difference in cognitive decline among reading paperback/hardcover books, reading eBooks, and reading articles and blog posts online, with all else being equal and accounted for. I would think there would be difference, as I would presume that someone using an electronic device to read something will be much more prone to distractions than someone with an actual book. I mean, email notifications don't pop up in those hardcovers. I also think that because of the versatility, those reading on the electronic devices might also be much more likely to multitask, which has to affect our brains somehow. Then again, I am just taking a few wild guesses here. I am not an expert in neurology.

Speaking of Brain-Stimulating Activities

I need a lot of good ideas for a lot of things coming up, primarily good content and article ideas for my clients, my blog, Stirring Media, and Gateway Grounds. The end of the month is coming up, which is when I put together my editorial calendar for the next month, or several months, depending on how often the blog publishes. You need to do these things ahead of time, so that you aren't stuck the day of or the day before trying to come up with something good to write about.

One of the most pressing ideas is content for Insight2Incite Magazine, a St. Louis up-and-coming publication. They need a lot of help, and one of my ideas for creating content on a regular basis is start a column of my own (I know that the last thing I need in my life is more commitments and more stuff to write, but this is a good opportunity to build my personal brand.) I have no idea what this column would be about, which is where I need to spend my time first. I have other options and ideas on how to fill in what's missing, but the column takes precedence since I have the most control over the column.

Rogue Legacy is So Awesome!

In the meantime of all this important thinking stuff, I think I will play some Rogue Legacy. It's a really awesome game that you should get if you haven't already. It's available on Steam, or you can get it directly from them for the PC. It's a pretty straightforward game, but what makes it fun is that every time you play is different. You have a choice of characters, but your choices are always different because different classes and abilities are offered to you. The castle changes every single time you die, so it's not about memorizing the level but on memorizing how the enemies attack and on how rooms are set up. I seems easy, but it's not. Fortunately, you get stronger each time you die.

Anyone Know Anything About this Wiki Stuff?

Last night, I was looking at the Rogue Legacy Wiki and the Plants Vs. Zombies 2 Wiki when I wondered if there were some awesome wikis on things other than video games. Are there wikis on politics and/or current events, so that it's a lot easier to keep up with what's happening, to sort fact from fiction, and to learn the back story behind what's happening? Are there some good wikis on business and/or marketing topics, so there's something neutral and definitive on how marketing is changing and how to use those marketing tactics effectively? I did a little bit of research, and I didn't find much at all. Most of the wikis are about video games, TV shows, movie franchises, and other pop culture things. Although, the coffee wiki only has over 284 pages. It could use a lot more.

I Want to Create Wikis Now

I want to fill in all those gaps, but I have no idea how! It's one of those things where the idea is lofty and complicated, so it needs to be boiled down. It needs to be taken one page at a time. What you probably have to do is come up with your Wiki topic, and then come up with the first 20 pages that you are going to create. As my former business coach suggested, what you have to do is make it incredibly simple. Boil the idea down into 10 action steps, and then it's not so difficult and overwhelming.

I also want to become one of those editors/contributors to Wikipedia. There's the Wikiproject Globalization that needs lots of help. If anyone needs a resume boost and wants to position themselves as having expertise as well as great communication skills, then I think becoming a Wikipedia contributor and/or part of Wikipedia project is a good idea.

Has anyone tried to do the wiki about wikis? It would be a wikiwiki :)

Full of Ideas

My fiance told me today that I am full of ideas and that I am difficult to pin down because I am very creative person who just shoot from one idea to the next. My former business coach would agree with this statement, except that she would push me to choose just one idea and to stick with that. This is very practical advice, and its advice I'm struggling to follow as I commit to the coffee review site and turning that into something special. My fiance says that because I am a lateral thinker, choosing one idea and sticking with it is nearly impossible. It's almost always going to be five ideas going at once. I wish there was a way I could just do everything in the whole wide world and help the world and all that good stuff. I wish I could do all the things that I wanted so I wouldn't have to choose; I could do it all while doing what suits my fancy.

I Looked Up Lateral Thinking

And this is what I found on the Wikipedia page:

Random Entry Idea Generating Tool: The thinker chooses an object at random, or a noun from a dictionary, and associates it with the area they are thinking about. For example, if they are thinking about how to improve a website, an object chosen at random from the environment around them might be a fax machine. A fax machine transmits images over the phone to paper. Fax machines are becoming rare. People send faxes directly to phone numbers. Perhaps this could suggest a new way to embed the website's content in emails and other sites.

Does anyone if this random entry idea generating tool exists somewhere (I Googled the search term "random entry idea generating tool and just go more about the idea and about the Edward de Bono guy)? Is there a website where I can type in my problem, and then it gives me a random item, and then I can come up with a solution based on that item? That would be so cool and if this website exists, then it would be the coolest tool ever. Is there a way I can make it if it doesn't already exist?

I also like the idea of solving global problems with fax machines. Is there a way to send faxes to a mobile number? You know, kind of like a text except you can fax a document, photo, or something larger? This might be very helpful in developing nations, where many people might have mobile phone access, but those mobile phones aren't necessarily smart phones. This method could also circumvent the need to connect to the Internet, where sending something via email or posting it online could still be difficult to access in developing nations, whether it's accessed with a smart phone or a computer (because Internet connection isn't as consistent and/or prevalent).

I'm Back into Playing Poker

And Other Things that Are Happening This Week

I feel like I don't have one big thing to talk about today, but several little things. As I write this and prepare to do this blog post as a weekly roundup, I also feel like this post will also end up as one big post about how a lot has happened this week and there's no way I can talk about just one single thing. I think all those previous words are just a long-winded way of saying I am very crazy.

About the Poker

I have played four nine-top sit-n-gos over the past week. I have made the money in three of them, and in all four of them, I got my money in with the best hand only be to be outdrawn by my opponent. It happens. It's only a matter of time before my hand holds up and that I win a sit-n-go. I've won them before, don't get me wrong. It's just that the trend for me lately has been to do real well, only to lose it all (or most of it) in one key hand where my opponent gets there by the river. It's really the reason why I haven't taken a first place yet. I haven't made any huge mistakes. I will play three more sit-n-gos tomorrow and see if this changes.

I Need a Dining Table

My next quest for SuperBetter is to commit to eating at a table for the next two days. No eating in front of the television. No eating in front of the computer. No eating in the car (although I don't have a car so I can't ever do this). I'm supposed to help myself by making this table more inviting. The only problem is that I don't own such a table, unless I want to eat outside in the summer heat, quite possibly with Oden.

There is some decent patio furniture on our porch that was here when we moved in, which I could theoretically clean up, move into the apartment, and use as a dining table. The only problem with that is that I don't have anywhere to put it. There's no room for it. I might have room for it in my office if I didn't have half an l-shaped desk (kind of a long story on that one). There's also no place to make more inviting as each room has a computer and/or television. I could eat in the bedroom, but that's kind of awkward. I don't know what I'm going to do for this quest.

Two More Days Until I Can Redeem Points for Video Games!

I am so excited! I really want to get Rogue Legacy, and I saw on Steam that there is a Grand Theft Auto pack that has four or five of the Grand Theft Auto games! I have a $30 budget for the video games, and those two things might take up the whole budget. That's okay though, because that will be five or six new games that I can play, and that's plenty to keep me occupied. I've been really productive this week too, earning about 12 points each day. This will put me in a good position to continue for my file cabinet after I redeem the points. I think I'll break even once the week is over, the points are tallied, and I redeem the 60 points needed to purchase video games. I might even be about 10 points ahead of last week. I'll take it for the sake of a few new games, especially since Rogue Legacy and Grand Theft Auto are awesome!