Queuenanigans

It’s dark out when I get home after work now, so when we walk Marshmallow we’re sure to wear reflective vests, pay attention to cars that aren’t likely paying attention to us, and being sure to keep light around us at all times so that the Grue doesn’t get us. We’ve been lucky so far, but I’m starting to run low on torches and the Solstice is still more than a month away. Some might say I should walk Marshmallow at lunch instead of after work; others might point out there’s no such thing as a Grue.

Still, I’m not taking any chances.

So while I break off chair legs and douse them in gasoline for easy ignition, let’s answer some questions!

The newest weekly quest from High Speaker Brinthe to collect 100 titan disc fragments had a very interesting revelation that I’m not going to get into because it wouldn’t be fair as many people haven’t had a chance to complete it yet. But I recommend doing so as they’re dropping some ginormous hints about what the ultimate culmination plot of the Worldsoul Saga will be.

What I particularly like is that while the gears in my head were turning they were turning in Dagran’s head too. All too often we see major NPCs hold tight to the idiot stick when there’s a lore reveal that holds major implications, but it seems at least one major character won’t be dumbfounded when this new tidbit pays off in The Last Titan.

Of course, that’s two expansions and a few years from now, but there may be a quiz in a fortnight so pay attention! While we all sharpen our #2 pencils, let’s answer some questions about the here and now!

Tomorrow sees the release of Slay the Princess — Pristine Cut, an updated version of the game (included for free if you already own it!) that expands the original with both “new” princesses and more fleshed-out paths for other princesses. It will also be releasing on consoles for the first time, now available on Switch, PS4/5, and Xbox. This was my “Game of the Year” for 2023 and I’m super-excited to have a chance to Slay — or Save — the Princess again.

It’s kind of hard to really describe the game without getting into spoilers but if you’re a fan of spooky games that tend to be on the psychological side then Slay the Princess is most likely right up your alley. There are numerous choices you can make that can radically alter the game, and once you finish you’ll want to play it again (and again) to see what other fates there are to experience.

While we spend hours agonizing over whether we should bring the knife down with us to the basement, let’s answer some questions!

Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred is out and while the release was just a tad bumpy the game is playable now! Mostly!

I got a chance to preview the expansion before it released and of course I spent my time playing around with the new Spiritborn class and it’s pretty fun! For the record I went Gorilla since I tend to die to stupid things and the Gorilla spirit is the most tanky, but one of the key passives is based on swapping between the spirits by using different abilities in the rotation and I think I’m going to see if I can get that to work. I will say I enjoy Spiritborn more than Rogue — my previous main — so I’m thinking I stick with it. At least until we get Amazons in the next expansion.

While I try to find Neyrelle again, let’s answer some questions!

Hello friends! Cory was unable to write today’s queue so I’ve stepped in to answer all your questions! I’m also here to gripe about the weather, which has remained decidedly un-autumnlike in my area. The next few weeks may be a little cooler, but I’m still seeing way too many 80°F/27°C days in the near future.  I shouldn’t complain about the weather too much though as I was very fortunate that Hurricane Helene didn’t wreak damage near me — there are some areas in Western NC that are just gone (here’s a list of ways to help if you’re inclined to). Fortunately the death toll wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been but a lot of areas are still recovering. Here’s hoping it won’t be much longer for needed relief out there.

Sorry, didn’t mean to turn this intro into a downer. Let’s answer some weather-free questions on this October eve.

I love autumn, although I am admittedly more of an apple guy than a pumpkin guy. Still, there’s something about nature dying and imminent starvation during the winter months that just warms my soul like a mug of cider in front of a fire. Soon the leaves will be changing and the air will be crisp and cool and it’ll just be a grand old time for everyone! Well, except those for whom the next few months are technically spring, although I guess congrats to them on making it through the winter.

This week is the Tokyo Game Show and already one of my wishes came true with the new Professor Layton and the New World of Steam trailer. Sadly Nintendo remains mum on their plans for the Switch successor so it’s becoming quite unlikely we’ll hear anything about it this week.

While I patiently wait for my attempt at a reverse jinx to work, let’s answer some questions!

I am admittedly a sucker for many things, and the new Grizzly Hills Packmaster Mount includes several enticing aspects that’ll likely make me crack open my wallet to purchase. For one thing I love bears (don’t get me wrong — yaks are very cool — but I’m a bigger fan of bears of the non-Chicago variety). For another, the Grummles on the Grand Expedition Yak have a tendency to annoy me because they only have about a half dozen lines they repeat frequently; this is the same reason I don’t use Ban Lu on my monk. Finally, who doesn’t love a bear mount?

Trivia time: Transmogrification was not one of the original services provided by the Grand Expedition Yak. What did it replace? Answer in the outro!

All that said if the Packmaster only lets you repair and doesn’t give you the ability to sell items then forget it, I need to clean my bags way more often than I need to repair or fix my transmog.

While I wait for other players to determine this info for me, let’s answer some questions!

Yesterday’s Nintendo Indie and Partner Directs were full of a lot of cool announcements, but the one I’m most pumped for is Coffee Talk Tokyo. Coming out on Steam as well as on Switch, XBox and Playstation 5, the third entry in one of my favorite indie series is heading overseas to a café in Tokyo to make drinks, talk to the locals, and maybe change someone’s fate if you get an ingredient wrong. It’s a charming and wholesome series and it’ll be a day one purchase for me.

That said, I am concerned that this may be the second sequel in a row where Freya — my absolute favorite character — will be largely or completely absent. Hopefully she finds her way to Japan for this entry but I’m guessing we’ll need to cross our fingers that the new characters can match her presence.

While I try to remember the ingredients for the STMJ let’s answer some questions! I hear there may be exciting stuff happening in World of Warcraft this week? Let’s find out together!

There’s a lot happening next week:

The end of ReMists.

The release of the next Guild Wars 2 expansion Janthir Wilds.

Gamescom — Europe’s biggest gaming convention — starts on Tuesday with an opening night show featuring who else but Geoff Keighley.

Oh, and there’s a little thing called The War Within releasing in early access.

So even though I had earmarked this week for in-game cleanup, I knew I had to get out last weekend and take in the sunshine while I still could. So I drove on up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at many places on the Virginia portion south of Roanoke. Mabry Mill (pictured in the header) is one of the more iconic sites on the BRP so it was nice to see the water flowing and the wheel turning. Unfortunately the sun was high up in the sky when I arrived so the picture looks pretty washed out, but that’s ok — it’s a memory, not a piece of artwork. I saw a deer grazing on the side of the road, hawks riding the thermals, and lots of pretty butterflies. It was a nice trip, and hopefully I’ve stored up enough air and sunlight and mountain music to last me these next few weeks.

While I feverishly plan my next trip outdoors, let’s answer some questions!

Next Monday I complete my fiftieth trip around the sun. This now makes me eligible to use the local senior center or to join the AARP. I of course will do neither of these things (unless the senior center offers a mountain dulcimer course again); to quote the late great Jimmy Buffett a second time this intro: I’m growing older but not up.

I keep going back and forth as to whether I should consider it a big deal; heck knows society and party stores want me to, but I also know they do so out of glee that I’m “over the hill” — but I like to think I’m still climbing. Still, it’d be weird to let it pass by with no comment or introspection, so I’m just going to motivate myself with League of Legends songs and Dylan Thomas poems.

While I do everything I can to rage against the dying of the light, let’s answer some questions!