Roadmap

The culmination of the work, so far, is still Spectrum.

There is a definitive, logical progression up to it. I think it starts with a re-examination of gameplay.

I want:

• Combat
• Stealth
• Speech
• Skill-checks
• Mercantile
• Exploration
• Puzzle
• Roleplaying
• Crafting

There's still some taxonomy to be worked out- mainly speech. Is it a skill check? What's the difference between it and Roleplaying? Bah, humbug.

I want to do Exploration, first. It appears to be the simplest (famous last words), and I'm very interested in it personally.

My first work will probably be a randomly-generated map, med-fan style. Gameplay to follow, I'd just like a shiny way to populate maps first.

Critical Decision

I believe the reader is more important than the story. One exists to enrich the life of the other.

It would have been twelve hours ago I came to this conclusion. I was having a conversation with another player, and came to realize this. The quote which I hope to always remember was, "I am the rush. I am the weekly thrill, the contrast to everything else." I am a beacon of hope in a very lonely, very desolate world. Not to get full of myself, but it's the nature of myself. Like a story, I exist to enrich those around me.

Unlike a story, I enrich myself, too. I am an artist, yes- but also an athlete. My work isn't done in a secluded studio somewhere, hunched over a piece of paper, making a work to hang on a wall. Rather, my artistry is performed live. Though not as high-energy as a sprinter, or as dexterously demanding as a bobsledder, I still perform my work in front of an audience. And, just like a discus thrower, a severe laxity in my preparation can ruin the entertainment.

And so it is. The EE is starving for content, and I imagine the players are, too. They've been hungry for a very long time- just like me. So, after the cliffhanger climax of the last post... let's enrich some lives.

Crossroads

It was only fate that would make this post 100. It was not planned, it was not expected before this Monday, it just... happened.

First, this post was going to be about the end of the EE. Having realized that I have no capacity to create actual, real content, I decided it would be best to retire the blog, except for storytelling purposes.

Then, this post was going to be about a new beginning of sorts. New content! Gameplay! Updates! It was going to be great. I would have ghosted it back up, and made a roadmap from here to Spectrum.

But now, taking a rational look at my situation, I'm not sure I can say I know what happens next. My fingers basically turn into goo every time I try to make something solid, and I'm stuck in a hell of a rut.

For the time being, I'm going to focus more on narrative and storytelling. Then, once I get my act together, I'll make some actual gameplay.

Not dead- just resting.

The Big Game

You know what really makes me feel good? Ignoring my readership. It's the best feeling in the whole world.

Sometime in the next 48 hours, I'm going to post something important. For some, it may be an utter shock. Others have probably seen this coming for a very long time.

For now, I need to extenuate this euphoria of not making content. It's just the best, EVER.