Valheim

I’ve been having a lot of fun soloing Valheim lately. I started a couple of weeks ago and play occasionally.

I started a new server from scratch so it’ll have the new Mistlands update released last December.

I began in the Meadows and then found a Black Forest not too far away. However, I had to sail quite a bit to find a good Swamp biome. I soon found one and built a small home there which I’ve expanded. Also while sailing around there right next to the Swamp biome was Haldor. I got my Meginjord which helps me carry more items.

However, the small Swamp biome did not have any sunken crypts, so I sailed on further and found a slip of land which is a Black Forest biome with a large Swamp behind it. I landed my boat and build a small home there. I could now mine for iron, which is great.

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Heart-filled Life by cosmiQ Qaos

A song written by cosmiQ Qaos based on a poem by Hilda Oakley called “Set Free“.

Lyrics:

Walking sadly on a stretch of sand
My broken heart, a barren land
Peace and serenity healed my soul
Tranquillity has made me whole

Chorus
A heart-filled life forever hoped
Love and grace, together roped.
A heart-filled life forever hoped
Love and grace, together roped.

In the heavens, a moonlit sky
Star-like diamonds, glittering on high
Waves lapping the ocean shore
I found what I was searching for

Chorus
A heart-filled life forever hoped
Love and grace, together roped.
A heart-filled life forever hoped
Love and grace, together roped.

Walking sadly on a stretch of sand
My broken heart, a barren land
Peace and serenity healed my soul
Tranquillity has made me whole

Chorus
A heart-filled life forever hoped
Love and grace, together roped.
A heart-filled life forever hoped
Love and grace, together roped.

In the heavens, a moonlit sky
Star-like diamonds, glittering on high
Waves lapping the ocean shore
I found what I was searching for

Credits
Released July 21, 2023
Poem: Set Free (C) Hilda Oakley
Song: Heart-filled Life (C) 2023 Jason Oakley – cosmiQ Qaos

I expect you to die!

I had some fun over the past weekend starting and completing the fun VR game “I expect you to die!“.

The premise from the website:

You are part of a special secret agency that aims to topple Dr. Zor and the Zoraxis organization.

You have been given telekinetic powers — a special treat for our Agents in the Enhanced Operative Division. Report to your office where your Agency Handler will provide you the information and training you need to successfully complete your missions. Welcome aboard.

There are a lot of fun puzzles and many scenarios (missions) to complete. I completed them all and had great fun doing so. There’s great satisfaction to be had in beating the puzzles and thwarting Dr Zor and his henchmen. Nothing is too frustrating. I think it has just the right amount of difficultly.

I had Wishlisted the sequel and saw on Steam I can purchase it for a discount of 20% since I have the first game. But yesterday I noticed they now have a THIRD installment coming real soon now! I can’t wait to play both of these! 🙂

Half Life: Alyx & A Fisherman’s Tale

I’ve been getting back into VR with my Oculus Quest Pro after not using it for a while.

I had started doing some exercise with Beat Saber and Dance Central and Eleven Pingpong, but decided to branch out.

I originally started playing “I expect you to die!” but after half an hour or so had to run and get the groceries delivered to the front door. When I got back I spent about an hour trying to get it to launch but it kept crashing out. I’ve reinstalled it since, but that afternoon I wanted to test it on another game to make sure everything was still good with the headset.

I clicked on A Fisherman’s Tale. You play a puppet inside a model of a lighthouse. Above you is a puppet copy of you in a bigger copy of the same lighthouse with the same objects in it. Below you is another smaller puppet copy of you in a smaller model of the same lighthouse with the same objects in it. In fact, you can interact with the other puppet versions of yourself. You will need to in order to complete the puzzles in this game. Maybe you need a larger version of an object which is stored in the upper-level bigger model. Maybe you need the same object shrunk down in size which you can reach into the small model of the lighthouse on the table in the room you’re in. Tons of fun! I completed the game and really enjoyed it. It probably would have taken a lot longer if I had turned off hints (which only occur if you’re really, really stuck anyway) but I’d have been too frustrated if I didn’t figure out the puzzle!

Once I finished that I decided to see what all the fuss is about with Half Life: Alyx. This is a part of the original Half Life game story. I’m playing it in Story Mode as I haven’t really played the other games and didn’t know what I’d be in for. There’s still enough difficult puzzles to figure out and scary action, but it’s not too frustrating as higher levels would be. The controls are great and the graphics are amazingly high-quality and life-like. You get to talk to other ‘people’ in the game to move the story along. I’m not really into alien or zombie games, but this kinda combines them into a fun adventure. I play about 3-3.5 hours at a time untethered. My Oculus Quest Pro still has about 29% charge at the end of 3.5 hours and the controllers still retain 82% each — which is AMAZING! People were sure it’d last maybe 2-2.5 hours from what I read. The first time I played this I had already been playing The Fisherman’s Tale above so I did need to plug in my long USB cable, but it’s powerful enough to charge the headset while playing. I really recommend this if you like some fun action games.

I have completed about 21% of achievements so far and so still have quite a ways to go, but that’s no issue.

The Crypt radio show 29-03-2023

This week’s playlist:
Solar Fake – Sick of you
GRENDEL – Dirty
ALUCVRD – Nail fetish hate god
Boy Harsher – Give me a reason
Tycho Brahe – Dislocation (Travesty Dub edit)
Amelia Arsenic – Homewrecker
Angelspit – All hail the hustle (Pill brigade mix)
I:Scintilla – Taken
Night Club – Gossip
DK-Zero – F U $
Junksista – Problems
Studio-X – Butene Machines
Lederman De Meyer – Atoms in fury
Mach FoX – A sickness
Combichrist – Hate like me
MATT HART – I am overlord
Aesthetic Perfection – American Psycho
Covenant – 20 Hz
Pure Obsessions & Red Nights – A lovely day
Psy’Aviah – On my mind
Sobriquet – Skyline
ExoKult – Ready to blow
Zheani Sparkes – Tarantulas
Brioni Faith – Cyborg mix
Dirt Factory – Violence
Mesh – Kill your darlings
Puscifer – The Mission
Empathy Test – Monsters