From 22296805a2e05997c4d35778dd0f497b547e8ddf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Scribe [bot]" Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2025 13:48:05 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] Automated Publish --- 2015/01/01/Ireland-Log.html | 4 +- 2015/04/28/Farewell-to-Windows-Tour.html | 2 +- 2015/05/04/Philosophy-of-Bill-1.html | 2 +- 2015/05/06/TLS-Part-1.html | 2 +- 2015/07/09/A-Friends-Father.html | 4 +- 2015/11/10/TLS-Part-2.html | 2 +- .../30/Revelations-Stoic-Understanding.html | 2 +- 2016/03/11/Random-Thoughts-1.html | 2 +- 2018/01/11/Character-Azulien.html | 2 +- 2018/01/15/Letters-To-Lucilius.html | 2 +- 2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-1.html | 2 +- 2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-2.html | 2 +- 2018/01/27/halvar.html | 2 +- 2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-11.html | 2 +- 2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-3.html | 2 +- 2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-4.html | 2 +- 2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-5.html | 2 +- 2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-6.html | 2 +- 2020/06/03/post.html | 4 +- 2020/06/14/setting-up-btrfs.html | 2 +- 2020/06/18/gabriella_s-fall.html | 2 +- 2020/06/19/jhoric_background.html | 2 +- 2020/07/10/crater-of-igrevor.html | 2 +- 2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1.html | 2 +- 2020/09/06/pathfinder-druid.html | 2 +- 2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html | 2 +- 2020/10/23/gnome-cleric-wizard.html | 2 +- 2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html | 2 +- 2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html | 2 +- 2022/07/04/steam_deck_syncthing.html | 2 +- 2022/09/27/linode_funkwhale.html | 2 +- 2023/05/07/rclone-backups.html | 2 +- 2024/08/19/life-in-progress-august.html | 238 ++++ 2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html | 263 +++++ 2025/01/03/life-update.html | 264 +++++ 404.html | 2 +- feed.xml | 1020 +++++------------ index.html | 72 +- now.html | 127 +- topics/all.html | 43 +- topics/gaming.html | 21 +- topics/{other.html => life.html} | 47 +- topics/philosophy.html | 10 +- topics/technology.html | 8 +- topics/writing.html | 10 +- 45 files changed, 1228 insertions(+), 967 deletions(-) create mode 100644 2024/08/19/life-in-progress-august.html create mode 100644 2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html create mode 100644 2025/01/03/life-update.html rename topics/{other.html => life.html} (78%) diff --git a/2015/01/01/Ireland-Log.html b/2015/01/01/Ireland-Log.html index dd25ec9..2cc5fe6 100644 --- a/2015/01/01/Ireland-Log.html +++ b/2015/01/01/Ireland-Log.html @@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ again sometime. Farewell, and as they say on the Emerald Isle: CHEERS!


[ - other + life ] @@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ again sometime. Farewell, and as they say on the Emerald Isle: CHEERS!

gaming
-
other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2015/04/28/Farewell-to-Windows-Tour.html b/2015/04/28/Farewell-to-Windows-Tour.html index acd6cda..6e8c1a4 100644 --- a/2015/04/28/Farewell-to-Windows-Tour.html +++ b/2015/04/28/Farewell-to-Windows-Tour.html @@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ new challenger will appear. Until then.

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2015/05/04/Philosophy-of-Bill-1.html b/2015/05/04/Philosophy-of-Bill-1.html index d14f3d9..cca779d 100644 --- a/2015/05/04/Philosophy-of-Bill-1.html +++ b/2015/05/04/Philosophy-of-Bill-1.html @@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ and confusion. And I love recursion.

gaming
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other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2015/05/06/TLS-Part-1.html b/2015/05/06/TLS-Part-1.html index 6e0b998..ca69960 100644 --- a/2015/05/06/TLS-Part-1.html +++ b/2015/05/06/TLS-Part-1.html @@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public keys.
gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2015/07/09/A-Friends-Father.html b/2015/07/09/A-Friends-Father.html index b2bff5b..d4cd4e4 100644 --- a/2015/07/09/A-Friends-Father.html +++ b/2015/07/09/A-Friends-Father.html @@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ Rest in peace, Chaz. You were a good man, a good father, and a friend. philosophy - other + life ] @@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Rest in peace, Chaz. You were a good man, a good father, and a friend.
gaming
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other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2015/11/10/TLS-Part-2.html b/2015/11/10/TLS-Part-2.html index 80f2731..3b5a129 100644 --- a/2015/11/10/TLS-Part-2.html +++ b/2015/11/10/TLS-Part-2.html @@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public keys.
gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2016/01/30/Revelations-Stoic-Understanding.html b/2016/01/30/Revelations-Stoic-Understanding.html index b3d9faa..d1db704 100644 --- a/2016/01/30/Revelations-Stoic-Understanding.html +++ b/2016/01/30/Revelations-Stoic-Understanding.html @@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ philosophy that works only if you do not think about it too carefully"
gaming
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Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2016/03/11/Random-Thoughts-1.html b/2016/03/11/Random-Thoughts-1.html index fea84b5..46476f5 100644 --- a/2016/03/11/Random-Thoughts-1.html +++ b/2016/03/11/Random-Thoughts-1.html @@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ Sources:
gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/11/Character-Azulien.html b/2018/01/11/Character-Azulien.html index 544d24c..5885d2c 100644 --- a/2018/01/11/Character-Azulien.html +++ b/2018/01/11/Character-Azulien.html @@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ tonight, I will feast.

gaming
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Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/15/Letters-To-Lucilius.html b/2018/01/15/Letters-To-Lucilius.html index 3e18683..b6f79e6 100644 --- a/2018/01/15/Letters-To-Lucilius.html +++ b/2018/01/15/Letters-To-Lucilius.html @@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ all of my responses.

gaming
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Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-1.html b/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-1.html index bd23c3f..3719888 100644 --- a/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-1.html +++ b/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-1.html @@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
gaming
-
other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-2.html b/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-2.html index 8b36669..60468b6 100644 --- a/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-2.html +++ b/2018/01/15/letter-to-lucilius-2.html @@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ enough. Farewell.

gaming
-
other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/27/halvar.html b/2018/01/27/halvar.html index c73f9d8..5ab35e8 100644 --- a/2018/01/27/halvar.html +++ b/2018/01/27/halvar.html @@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ knew his destiny would not let him stray far.

gaming
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Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-11.html b/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-11.html index 6831a4b..86c85c7 100644 --- a/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-11.html +++ b/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-11.html @@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ better the world around him.

gaming
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Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-3.html b/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-3.html index e9eae4d..1597609 100644 --- a/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-3.html +++ b/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-3.html @@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-4.html b/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-4.html index 1eb8518..f7a122e 100644 --- a/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-4.html +++ b/2018/01/28/letter-to-lucilius-4.html @@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
gaming
-
other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-5.html b/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-5.html index 33af7dd..f7ba7c4 100644 --- a/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-5.html +++ b/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-5.html @@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ them as an indifference, preferred but never at the expense of virtue.

gaming
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Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-6.html b/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-6.html index c75da03..1674303 100644 --- a/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-6.html +++ b/2018/02/11/letter-to-lucilius-6.html @@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ wherever you walk.

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/06/03/post.html b/2020/06/03/post.html index 28ada2c..8483556 100644 --- a/2020/06/03/post.html +++ b/2020/06/03/post.html @@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

writing - other + life ] @@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

gaming
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other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/06/14/setting-up-btrfs.html b/2020/06/14/setting-up-btrfs.html index 72c50e2..fb66f54 100644 --- a/2020/06/14/setting-up-btrfs.html +++ b/2020/06/14/setting-up-btrfs.html @@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ you could do the same.

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/06/18/gabriella_s-fall.html b/2020/06/18/gabriella_s-fall.html index 2260b36..c60bae4 100644 --- a/2020/06/18/gabriella_s-fall.html +++ b/2020/06/18/gabriella_s-fall.html @@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

gaming
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other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/06/19/jhoric_background.html b/2020/06/19/jhoric_background.html index a9c93ff..542e62e 100644 --- a/2020/06/19/jhoric_background.html +++ b/2020/06/19/jhoric_background.html @@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/07/10/crater-of-igrevor.html b/2020/07/10/crater-of-igrevor.html index fafe27e..456bfba 100644 --- a/2020/07/10/crater-of-igrevor.html +++ b/2020/07/10/crater-of-igrevor.html @@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

gaming
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other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1.html b/2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1.html index 7f7b12f..846ac2f 100644 --- a/2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1.html +++ b/2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1.html @@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2020/09/06/pathfinder-druid.html b/2020/09/06/pathfinder-druid.html index 6812c6c..77964fb 100644 --- a/2020/09/06/pathfinder-druid.html +++ b/2020/09/06/pathfinder-druid.html @@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ necessary.

gaming
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philosophy
diff --git a/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html b/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html index e16ccf6..293e914 100644 --- a/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html +++ b/2020/09/27/pathfinder-eldritch-knight.html @@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ definitely hold it’s own, though it does require a ramp-up time.

gaming
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philosophy
diff --git a/2020/10/23/gnome-cleric-wizard.html b/2020/10/23/gnome-cleric-wizard.html index 449e087..f005d97 100644 --- a/2020/10/23/gnome-cleric-wizard.html +++ b/2020/10/23/gnome-cleric-wizard.html @@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ uses the loo, and don’t let him hurt himself).

gaming
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philosophy
diff --git a/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html b/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html index 8f7ff77..c2a4ff4 100644 --- a/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html +++ b/2021/11/20/oblivion-linux.html @@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ complete walk-thru of my installation of my full mod list.

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html b/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html index 36a1466..3ac6f10 100644 --- a/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html +++ b/2021/12/09/oblivion-linux-2.html @@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ Oblivion from scratch.

gaming
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philosophy
diff --git a/2022/07/04/steam_deck_syncthing.html b/2022/07/04/steam_deck_syncthing.html index 8ce6023..868ba33 100644 --- a/2022/07/04/steam_deck_syncthing.html +++ b/2022/07/04/steam_deck_syncthing.html @@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ up-to-date. If you use it, let me know!

gaming
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+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/2022/09/27/linode_funkwhale.html b/2022/09/27/linode_funkwhale.html index 4d1f222..475fb64 100644 --- a/2022/09/27/linode_funkwhale.html +++ b/2022/09/27/linode_funkwhale.html @@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ maybe batch upload files, and be low impact on my desktop. So that’s next.

gaming
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+
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philosophy
diff --git a/2023/05/07/rclone-backups.html b/2023/05/07/rclone-backups.html index 4d75607..55444e0 100644 --- a/2023/05/07/rclone-backups.html +++ b/2023/05/07/rclone-backups.html @@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ backup. When I do, I’ll update this post.

gaming
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+
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philosophy
diff --git a/2024/08/19/life-in-progress-august.html b/2024/08/19/life-in-progress-august.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ff92bb8 --- /dev/null +++ b/2024/08/19/life-in-progress-august.html @@ -0,0 +1,238 @@ + + + + The Internet Vagabond :: Life in Progress: August, 2024 + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+
+ +
+ The + Internet + Vagabond +
+ +
+
+
+

Life In Progress, as of 2024-08-19

+ + + +

Music

+ +

Adam and I continue our semi-weekly jam sessions! We’ve settled on Stan Rogers’ +Bluenose for our first piece. I +normally pick up lyrics pretty quick, but this song eludes me. We worked on the +chord progression last week, and I’ve been actually practicing!

+ +

Game Dev

+ +

Still having a blast with TIC-80. I made a small farming +experiment game, to learn Fennel some more and also +nail-down some basic design principles. Some of the ideas in that experiment, +namely generating the map with a loop and mset instead of using the built-in +map designer, gave me some insight for solving my darkness troubles in +Nightgolf. I’m still wrapping my head around it, but I think this will be a +solution.

+ +

The farming experiment game lives on +Itch.io and the TIC-80 +Webzone.

+ +

Tech Dev

+ +

Forgejo continues to be rewarding, and I’m looking +forward to expanding my deployment of it by deploying my own “Pages” +server. This will allow me to +deploy my static sites on my own infrastructure. I’m also working on an “Action” +for leveraging butler to publish games I publish +the source code for from my Forge to Itch.io.

+ +

In preparation for both my own use, and my business use, I need to learn more +about Nextcloud. I’m also working on building a custom WordPress Docker +container that relies on SQLite instead of MySQL.

+ +

Hovering about all this is backups and monitoring, both of which I sprinkle into +my learning voyage. I’m looking forward to writing up some documentation about +my implementation.

+ +

Entrepreneurship

+ +

I’m happy to report I was accepted into New York’s Self-Employment Assistance +Program, SEAP. I will be starting a business offering +managed online services, such as website design and deployment, personal cloud, +and email. I would like to offer these services to local small businesses and +not-for-profits. I think of it as “Silicon Valley experience” at reasonable, +local prices. I’m excited to dive into the parts I’m not very familiar with, +namely the business side of things. I have extensive technical experience and +mastery, but I lack any significant business experience.

+ +

Gaming

+ +

I’ve started a new playthrough of Darkest +Dungeon. It’s mildly +frustrating, but mostly fun. I have fun yelling at the game; it’s like stress +relief. I’ve been generally successful, but the Crimson Court has been very +rough to me. It is a game about challenges and loss, though, so nothing +unexpected.

+ +

I’ve continued my play-through of +Sundered, though have put it down for +a bit. I’m playing it on my Steam Deck using Lutris, and +it works very well. Lutris continues to impress me, and I want to try writing an +installer for a game.

+ +
+ Bill Niblock + + + + + 2024-08-19 +
+ [ + + life + + ] +
+
+
+
+ + +
+ +
Life In Progress
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ Gaming + Technology + Philosophy + Open Source Software + Self-Hosting + Coffee + bill@theinternetvagabond.com +
+
+
+ +
+ + diff --git a/2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html b/2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..77b4d62 --- /dev/null +++ b/2024/09/24/life-in-progress-september.html @@ -0,0 +1,263 @@ + + + + The Internet Vagabond :: Life in Progress: September, 2024 + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+
+ +
+ The + Internet + Vagabond +
+ +
+
+
+

Life In Progress, as of 2024-09-24

+ +
    +
  • New hardware: laptop, phone, and NAS
    • +
  • TWO game jams!
    • +
  • Finishing up Morrowind
    • +
  • SEAP/Self-Employment Progress
    • +
+ +

New Hardware

+ +

Framework Laptop

+ +

This new Framework is great! I’ve only had it for a few +weeks, but it is wonderful. I’ve been slowly sync’ing and migrating workflows +from my various existing options to it. Being able to work for multiple hours +without worrying about battery life is nice.

+ +

Previously, the Chromebook I have was my go-to remote personal macine. +Considering its age, and the inherent limitations of a Chromebook, it served me +better than I ever could have hoped. However, I knew it’s time was drawing +near, and the Dell I got as part of my work severance was not going to cut it. +Considering I’m starting a business doing technology, I needed a reliable, +“all-day” machine with Linux. The ARM-based Macs are incredibly tempting, but +I am not a fan of Mac. I’ve been eyeing Framework for a bit now, and their +newest 13-inch model with AMD components checked enough of the boxen for me to +dive in.

+ +

Phone

+ +

For a while I’ve been eyeing Mint Mobile. In the US, they have a plan offering +unlimited text and talk, plus 5 GB of data, for $15 per month. I generally use +less than 1 GB of streaming data, so this seemed like a clearly better option +than the $30+ I was paying for Google Fi. When I decided to switch, they had an +incredible deal offering a Google Pixel 9 plus a year’s service for a great +price, so I not only switched carrier, I also snagged a new phone! I had a +Samsung S21, which was more than sufficient for my needs, so switching isn’t +quite as significant as with the laptop, but it’s still a nice new experience. +The OS and environment on the Pixel is much nicer than Samsung phones, so +that’s quite the plus!

+ +

NAS

+ +

I bought a 2-bay Synology NAS from a friend a few months ago, and with the +myriad other changes, decided to set it up proper. I setup +Navidrome for audio, and Jellyfin for video. I had previously used Navidrome, then +switched to Jellyfin for both audio and video, but with the new phone comes a +return to form. I like Ultrasonic, +and Navidrome plays nicely with it.

+ +

The other big additions with the NAS is more backup scripts, and also pulling +down some YouTube series I like for local copies. More details in a full post.

+ +

Game Making

+ +

Two game jams! One for the entire month of September, Clone +Jam, and a +Mini-Jam. For the Clone Jam, I was +working on building a ray-casting-based dungeon scavenger, similar to “Legend +of Grimrock”, but with less combat. However, while I have made great progress +understanding how ray-casting works, and how to implement it, I won’t have time +to finish such a game. That knowledge won’t go to waste, though! There’s a +game-jam at the end of October where I intend to make use of it. Instead, I’ll +be touching-up and submitting a clone of Minesweeper I made: +TICsweeper.

+ +

For the Mini-Jam, I decided to make a “runner” type game: you maneuver your +sprite to collect and/or avoid certain projectiles. I also made this game in +the TIC-80. While I didn’t pull any all-nighters, focusing +on a single project for 72-hours with as little down-time as possible is still +quite exhausting! My submission was called +RUNR. It ranked 48th out of 66 +submissions, which is honestly disappointing, but not enough to demotivate me +from continuing my game-making journey!

+ +

Game Playing

+ +

I finally finished my play-through of Morrowind, and one of its two expansions, +Tribunal. (Note: before “DLC”, new game content for existing games was +distributed like the game itself, on a piece of data-storing media, such as a +CD. These were called “expansion packs.”) I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in +The Elder Scrolls III, and I definitely understand why many claim it as their +favorite. I will talk more about my experience in a full post, just like I did +for my recent Fallout 3 replay (I mean, just like I will. I WILL!)

+ +

Business Time

+ +

Alas, while game making and playing are great uses of my time, they do not get +me the resources I need to pay my bills. I continue to work on starting my own +business. I’ve met with two mentors, one business and one technology, to help +get me started and provide guidance. In fact, this week marks what I would +consider the proper beginning of my business. With some dedication, I’ll have +more exciting news to share about this next time!

+ +

That’s All For Now!

+ +

I think the original intention of a “Now” page is to be less verbose, but I +find the monthly cadence of a somewhat comprehensive update to be more +appealing! Until next month!

+ +
+ Bill Niblock + + + + + 2024-09-24 +
+ [ + + life + + gaming + + ] +
+
+
+
+ + +
+ +
Life In Progress
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ Gaming + Technology + Philosophy + Open Source Software + Self-Hosting + Coffee + bill@theinternetvagabond.com +
+
+
+ +
+ + diff --git a/2025/01/03/life-update.html b/2025/01/03/life-update.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..03f8fac --- /dev/null +++ b/2025/01/03/life-update.html @@ -0,0 +1,264 @@ + + + + The Internet Vagabond :: Life in Progress: January, 2025 + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+
+ +
+ The + Internet + Vagabond +
+ +
+
+
+

Life in Progress: January, 2025

+ +

My now page is growing too verbose. Instead, I’ll leave that page as a +summary of what this/these page(s) will explore. I’ll start with a retrospective +of 2024, up to now, the beginning of 2025. Maybe a bit of ambitions too.

+ +

2024 Retrospective

+ +

2024 was a significant year. The most notable change being that I was laid off +in April. The remaining 8 months were quite nice. Before April, the year doesn’t +feel much different or significant. From what I remember, I was stressed, +unhappy, and overall dissatisfied with my situation. I was in the process of +saving money to leave, when I was laid off and paid a generous (enough) +severance. It’s nice when the universe solves problems.

+ +

Much of April and May was time spent decompressing. A bit too much drinking, +from what I recall. I began receiving unemployment payments, and looking for +jobs, though only half-heartedly. I was already decided I would start my own +business. I also started my playthrough of Fallout 3.

+ +

At the end of May, I entered into a game jam, and made my first video game, +L4-N-DER Training Simulator. One thing +I do remember from the beginning of the year was speaking with some friends +about trying to publish a video game on Itch. I made the game using +Fennel and the LÖVE 2D game +engine. It was incredibly rewarding, and a great +learning experience. This game would be the first of 5 that I published on my +Itch page this year.

+ +

Much of the summer was spent procrastinating starting my own business, and +golfing. At the beginning of summer, in June, my grandmother passed away. She +was about 2 weeks from her birthday, and so we round up and say she lived to 98. +I spent some time helping to clean and clear up her house too. In the beginning +of July I traveled to New York City to see Rezz. I also started properly +exploring WordPress, and working to understand better the business I was still +going to start. Around August, I began playing Morrowind for the first time.

+ +

In the fall is when I “got serious” about my business. I signed up for the New +York State Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), and through them signed up +with SCORE to speak with a mentor and begin some small business training. I made +my first WordPress site, for a relative (and for free). I also entered into 3 +more game jams during this period, publishing +TICSweeper (a Minesweeper clone +mde with the TIC-80); RUNR (another +TIC-80 game); and Escape The +Crash. Escape was based on +some work of mine over the summer to better understand and implement ray-casting +in the TIC-80, which I then translated for use in Fennel and LÖVE. At the end of +fall, my remaining grandmother severely injured herself, placing her in town +through the end of the year. For the second year in a row, much of the holidays +would be spent visiting a rehabilitation center (the same one as my first +grandmother’s). Since the pandemic, I don’t think I’ve had a “normal” holiday +season.

+ +

At the end of the year, I formally started my business, Niblock Technology +Solutions, and began working on websites for two +additional clients. Exploring this new world has been exciting, and there are a +lot of new challenges. I love working with others to solve problems, and I’m +looking forward to it. I’m also beginning work on a second business idea for a +game shop. I want to build a community space for people to play games, enjoy +company, and relax. Rounding the year out was my first playthrough of Deus +Ex.

+ +

Now: January, 2025

+ +

Now. Plenty of plans and ambitions.

+ +

Easiest: I started a playthrough of Oblivion. Similar to Fallout 3 and +Morrowind, my goal is to complete the main story and all DLC’s. This time +around, I explored a new modding setup, using Lutris to +install and manage the game (from GOG), and all the modding tools. For all three +of these games I want to write up a brief retrospective about my experiences and +any of the setup required for playing them on Linux. I already have two articles +for Oblivion (Part 1, Part +2) detailing using Steam and Proton. I think +the Lutris approach is a bit nicer.

+ +

Escape The Crash was fun to make, but it’s not done yet. I want to add in a +floor, sound effects, a skybox, and objectives. And an actual ending condition.

+ +

Game-making in general I want to continue. I’ve started looking into the +DragonRuby game engine. I also want to learn (more) +Godot. I have no shortage of ideas, only my regular struggles with motivation +and focus.

+ +

I’ve fallen into a few bad habits, and my health is worse for them. Its absurdly +easy for me to put on weight, and equally as difficult to lose it again. At my +heaviest I was over 320 pounds, and I’m now at a much better 240. I want to +bring that number down to 200, but I also want to remove as much significance +from that number as I can. It should be a metric, not a grade.

+ +

I’ve also set for myself several music goals. I want to get better at +sight-reading, and so I have a goal to read a new piece of music each week. I +also want to explore music production, and try making my own 45-60 minute mix.

+ +

There are the business goals. I need to have an income that supports my +lifestyle, which means more clients and (hopefully) more businesses!

+ +

Finally, I want to write more. I think about writing, but rarely follow-through. +As all my other ambitions develop, sharing them with the world will help me +formally catalog my successes. Plus, if I have something useful and helpful to +share, then I want to!

+ +
+ Bill Niblock + + + + + 2025-01-03 +
+ [ + + life + + ] +
+
+
+
+ + +
+ +
Life In Progress
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ Gaming + Technology + Philosophy + Open Source Software + Self-Hosting + Coffee + bill@theinternetvagabond.com +
+
+
+ +
+ + diff --git a/404.html b/404.html index b032262..729a76c 100644 --- a/404.html +++ b/404.html @@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ return to the homepage.

gaming
-
other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/feed.xml b/feed.xml index 6f260f5..32b2b7c 100644 --- a/feed.xml +++ b/feed.xml @@ -1,4 +1,278 @@ -Jekyll2024-10-03T12:50:49-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/feed.xmlThe Internet VagabondBill NiblockAutomatic Backups with RClone, systemd, and Backblaze2023-05-07T00:00:00-05:002023-05-07T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2023/05/07/rclone-backupsAutomatic Backups with RClone, systemd, and Backblaze +Jekyll2025-01-03T13:48:04-06:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/feed.xmlThe Internet VagabondBill NiblockLife in Progress: January, 20252025-01-03T00:00:00-06:002025-01-03T00:00:00-06:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2025/01/03/life-updateLife in Progress: January, 2025 + +

My now page is growing too verbose. Instead, I’ll leave that page as a +summary of what this/these page(s) will explore. I’ll start with a retrospective +of 2024, up to now, the beginning of 2025. Maybe a bit of ambitions too.

+ +

2024 Retrospective

+ +

2024 was a significant year. The most notable change being that I was laid off +in April. The remaining 8 months were quite nice. Before April, the year doesn’t +feel much different or significant. From what I remember, I was stressed, +unhappy, and overall dissatisfied with my situation. I was in the process of +saving money to leave, when I was laid off and paid a generous (enough) +severance. It’s nice when the universe solves problems.

+ +

Much of April and May was time spent decompressing. A bit too much drinking, +from what I recall. I began receiving unemployment payments, and looking for +jobs, though only half-heartedly. I was already decided I would start my own +business. I also started my playthrough of Fallout 3.

+ +

At the end of May, I entered into a game jam, and made my first video game, +L4-N-DER Training Simulator. One thing +I do remember from the beginning of the year was speaking with some friends +about trying to publish a video game on Itch. I made the game using +Fennel and the LÖVE 2D game +engine. It was incredibly rewarding, and a great +learning experience. This game would be the first of 5 that I published on my +Itch page this year.

+ +

Much of the summer was spent procrastinating starting my own business, and +golfing. At the beginning of summer, in June, my grandmother passed away. She +was about 2 weeks from her birthday, and so we round up and say she lived to 98. +I spent some time helping to clean and clear up her house too. In the beginning +of July I traveled to New York City to see Rezz. I also started properly +exploring WordPress, and working to understand better the business I was still +going to start. Around August, I began playing Morrowind for the first time.

+ +

In the fall is when I “got serious” about my business. I signed up for the New +York State Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), and through them signed up +with SCORE to speak with a mentor and begin some small business training. I made +my first WordPress site, for a relative (and for free). I also entered into 3 +more game jams during this period, publishing +TICSweeper (a Minesweeper clone +mde with the TIC-80); RUNR (another +TIC-80 game); and Escape The +Crash. Escape was based on +some work of mine over the summer to better understand and implement ray-casting +in the TIC-80, which I then translated for use in Fennel and LÖVE. At the end of +fall, my remaining grandmother severely injured herself, placing her in town +through the end of the year. For the second year in a row, much of the holidays +would be spent visiting a rehabilitation center (the same one as my first +grandmother’s). Since the pandemic, I don’t think I’ve had a “normal” holiday +season.

+ +

At the end of the year, I formally started my business, Niblock Technology +Solutions, and began working on websites for two +additional clients. Exploring this new world has been exciting, and there are a +lot of new challenges. I love working with others to solve problems, and I’m +looking forward to it. I’m also beginning work on a second business idea for a +game shop. I want to build a community space for people to play games, enjoy +company, and relax. Rounding the year out was my first playthrough of Deus +Ex.

+ +

Now: January, 2025

+ +

Now. Plenty of plans and ambitions.

+ +

Easiest: I started a playthrough of Oblivion. Similar to Fallout 3 and +Morrowind, my goal is to complete the main story and all DLC’s. This time +around, I explored a new modding setup, using Lutris to +install and manage the game (from GOG), and all the modding tools. For all three +of these games I want to write up a brief retrospective about my experiences and +any of the setup required for playing them on Linux. I already have two articles +for Oblivion (Part 1, Part +2) detailing using Steam and Proton. I think +the Lutris approach is a bit nicer.

+ +

Escape The Crash was fun to make, but it’s not done yet. I want to add in a +floor, sound effects, a skybox, and objectives. And an actual ending condition.

+ +

Game-making in general I want to continue. I’ve started looking into the +DragonRuby game engine. I also want to learn (more) +Godot. I have no shortage of ideas, only my regular struggles with motivation +and focus.

+ +

I’ve fallen into a few bad habits, and my health is worse for them. Its absurdly +easy for me to put on weight, and equally as difficult to lose it again. At my +heaviest I was over 320 pounds, and I’m now at a much better 240. I want to +bring that number down to 200, but I also want to remove as much significance +from that number as I can. It should be a metric, not a grade.

+ +

I’ve also set for myself several music goals. I want to get better at +sight-reading, and so I have a goal to read a new piece of music each week. I +also want to explore music production, and try making my own 45-60 minute mix.

+ +

There are the business goals. I need to have an income that supports my +lifestyle, which means more clients and (hopefully) more businesses!

+ +

Finally, I want to write more. I think about writing, but rarely follow-through. +As all my other ambitions develop, sharing them with the world will help me +formally catalog my successes. Plus, if I have something useful and helpful to +share, then I want to!

]]>Bill NiblockLife in Progress: September, 20242024-09-24T00:00:00-05:002024-09-24T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2024/09/24/life-in-progress-septemberLife In Progress, as of 2024-09-24 + +
    +
  • New hardware: laptop, phone, and NAS
    • +
  • TWO game jams!
    • +
  • Finishing up Morrowind
    • +
  • SEAP/Self-Employment Progress
    • +
+ +

New Hardware

+ +

Framework Laptop

+ +

This new Framework is great! I’ve only had it for a few +weeks, but it is wonderful. I’ve been slowly sync’ing and migrating workflows +from my various existing options to it. Being able to work for multiple hours +without worrying about battery life is nice.

+ +

Previously, the Chromebook I have was my go-to remote personal macine. +Considering its age, and the inherent limitations of a Chromebook, it served me +better than I ever could have hoped. However, I knew it’s time was drawing +near, and the Dell I got as part of my work severance was not going to cut it. +Considering I’m starting a business doing technology, I needed a reliable, +“all-day” machine with Linux. The ARM-based Macs are incredibly tempting, but +I am not a fan of Mac. I’ve been eyeing Framework for a bit now, and their +newest 13-inch model with AMD components checked enough of the boxen for me to +dive in.

+ +

Phone

+ +

For a while I’ve been eyeing Mint Mobile. In the US, they have a plan offering +unlimited text and talk, plus 5 GB of data, for $15 per month. I generally use +less than 1 GB of streaming data, so this seemed like a clearly better option +than the $30+ I was paying for Google Fi. When I decided to switch, they had an +incredible deal offering a Google Pixel 9 plus a year’s service for a great +price, so I not only switched carrier, I also snagged a new phone! I had a +Samsung S21, which was more than sufficient for my needs, so switching isn’t +quite as significant as with the laptop, but it’s still a nice new experience. +The OS and environment on the Pixel is much nicer than Samsung phones, so +that’s quite the plus!

+ +

NAS

+ +

I bought a 2-bay Synology NAS from a friend a few months ago, and with the +myriad other changes, decided to set it up proper. I setup +Navidrome for audio, and Jellyfin for video. I had previously used Navidrome, then +switched to Jellyfin for both audio and video, but with the new phone comes a +return to form. I like Ultrasonic, +and Navidrome plays nicely with it.

+ +

The other big additions with the NAS is more backup scripts, and also pulling +down some YouTube series I like for local copies. More details in a full post.

+ +

Game Making

+ +

Two game jams! One for the entire month of September, Clone +Jam, and a +Mini-Jam. For the Clone Jam, I was +working on building a ray-casting-based dungeon scavenger, similar to “Legend +of Grimrock”, but with less combat. However, while I have made great progress +understanding how ray-casting works, and how to implement it, I won’t have time +to finish such a game. That knowledge won’t go to waste, though! There’s a +game-jam at the end of October where I intend to make use of it. Instead, I’ll +be touching-up and submitting a clone of Minesweeper I made: +TICsweeper.

+ +

For the Mini-Jam, I decided to make a “runner” type game: you maneuver your +sprite to collect and/or avoid certain projectiles. I also made this game in +the TIC-80. While I didn’t pull any all-nighters, focusing +on a single project for 72-hours with as little down-time as possible is still +quite exhausting! My submission was called +RUNR. It ranked 48th out of 66 +submissions, which is honestly disappointing, but not enough to demotivate me +from continuing my game-making journey!

+ +

Game Playing

+ +

I finally finished my play-through of Morrowind, and one of its two expansions, +Tribunal. (Note: before “DLC”, new game content for existing games was +distributed like the game itself, on a piece of data-storing media, such as a +CD. These were called “expansion packs.”) I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in +The Elder Scrolls III, and I definitely understand why many claim it as their +favorite. I will talk more about my experience in a full post, just like I did +for my recent Fallout 3 replay (I mean, just like I will. I WILL!)

+ +

Business Time

+ +

Alas, while game making and playing are great uses of my time, they do not get +me the resources I need to pay my bills. I continue to work on starting my own +business. I’ve met with two mentors, one business and one technology, to help +get me started and provide guidance. In fact, this week marks what I would +consider the proper beginning of my business. With some dedication, I’ll have +more exciting news to share about this next time!

+ +

That’s All For Now!

+ +

I think the original intention of a “Now” page is to be less verbose, but I +find the monthly cadence of a somewhat comprehensive update to be more +appealing! Until next month!

]]>Bill NiblockLife in Progress: August, 20242024-08-19T00:00:00-05:002024-08-19T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2024/08/19/life-in-progress-augustLife In Progress, as of 2024-08-19 + + + +

Music

+ +

Adam and I continue our semi-weekly jam sessions! We’ve settled on Stan Rogers’ +Bluenose for our first piece. I +normally pick up lyrics pretty quick, but this song eludes me. We worked on the +chord progression last week, and I’ve been actually practicing!

+ +

Game Dev

+ +

Still having a blast with TIC-80. I made a small farming +experiment game, to learn Fennel some more and also +nail-down some basic design principles. Some of the ideas in that experiment, +namely generating the map with a loop and mset instead of using the built-in +map designer, gave me some insight for solving my darkness troubles in +Nightgolf. I’m still wrapping my head around it, but I think this will be a +solution.

+ +

The farming experiment game lives on +Itch.io and the TIC-80 +Webzone.

+ +

Tech Dev

+ +

Forgejo continues to be rewarding, and I’m looking +forward to expanding my deployment of it by deploying my own “Pages” +server. This will allow me to +deploy my static sites on my own infrastructure. I’m also working on an “Action” +for leveraging butler to publish games I publish +the source code for from my Forge to Itch.io.

+ +

In preparation for both my own use, and my business use, I need to learn more +about Nextcloud. I’m also working on building a custom WordPress Docker +container that relies on SQLite instead of MySQL.

+ +

Hovering about all this is backups and monitoring, both of which I sprinkle into +my learning voyage. I’m looking forward to writing up some documentation about +my implementation.

+ +

Entrepreneurship

+ +

I’m happy to report I was accepted into New York’s Self-Employment Assistance +Program, SEAP. I will be starting a business offering +managed online services, such as website design and deployment, personal cloud, +and email. I would like to offer these services to local small businesses and +not-for-profits. I think of it as “Silicon Valley experience” at reasonable, +local prices. I’m excited to dive into the parts I’m not very familiar with, +namely the business side of things. I have extensive technical experience and +mastery, but I lack any significant business experience.

+ +

Gaming

+ +

I’ve started a new playthrough of Darkest +Dungeon. It’s mildly +frustrating, but mostly fun. I have fun yelling at the game; it’s like stress +relief. I’ve been generally successful, but the Crimson Court has been very +rough to me. It is a game about challenges and loss, though, so nothing +unexpected.

+ +

I’ve continued my play-through of +Sundered, though have put it down for +a bit. I’m playing it on my Steam Deck using Lutris, and +it works very well. Lutris continues to impress me, and I want to try writing an +installer for a game.

]]>Bill NiblockAutomatic Backups with RClone, systemd, and Backblaze2023-05-07T00:00:00-05:002023-05-07T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2023/05/07/rclone-backupsAutomatic Backups with RClone, systemd, and Backblaze

Quick Note

@@ -1198,746 +1472,4 @@ definitely hold it’s own, though it does require a ramp-up time.

]]>Bill NiblockPathfinder Characters: Let’s Make a Druid2020-09-06T00:00:00-05:002020-09-06T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2020/09/06/pathfinder-druidLet’s Make a Druid - -

Pathfinder has been the tabletop game of choice for my longest-running group. -One of my favorite activities is creating characters. I love theory crafting, -pouring through source material, and setting limits. While I’ve made many, -many characters, once class I haven’t touched is druid. The first character I -ever made, back in a D&D Second Edition, was a druid. I don’t remember much from -that character, except that I had a double-scimitar (think Darth Maul -lightsabre, but scimitars). Since that, I haven’t done much with druids, which I -think is a shame, because it’s a fascinating class that ticks many of the boxes -I look for in a character. I love characters with options, that require a bit of -mastery to play. Many characters I like the most are multi-classed, mixing -spellcasting with melee combat. Some classes, though, provide all this -out-of-the-box. From the core book, both cleric and druid satisfy my demands. I -hold, still, that cleric is the most powerful class. I had this belief in D&D -Third Edition, and I carry it forward into Pathfinder and D&D Fifth Edition. -That’s a topic for another post, though.

- -

Concept

- -

All of my characters come from a concept. Sometimes the concept is really -straight forward: I want a “realistic” fighter. I want a “proper” Eldritch -Knight. Sometimes, the concept is more story based, as is the case with this -druid. I read a story about a moose in Alaska that ate some apples which had -fermented, and wandered into a town drunk. I thought, “that would make a fun -animal companion!”, and thus the idea for a druid. The full backstory for the -character will be around here somewhere. For now, I’ll spend the rest of this -post focusing on the build.

- -

Build

- -

Drunk moose. Drunk… spirit moose! OK, now we’re getting somewhere. As I -fleshed out the story, and spoke with a friend about druid, I liked the idea of -dipping one level in barbarian, then continuing with druid. That one level gets -me quite a bit: d12 hit dice (and max at first level!); +1 BAB; +10 movement -speed; and rage. The biggest downside is a delay in spellcasting, but I think -it’s a fair trade-off. Considering the build is equally focused on spellcasting -and melee combat, the rage will provide an additional resource where spells and -standard attacks may not be sufficient. Obviously, druid will be our favored -class.

- -
Barbarian 1, Druid X
-
- -

Skills

- -

Druid’s aren’t reknown for being particularly skillful, but they get some great -class skills. Of note, we get Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge(Nature), -Perception, and Survival. At 4+INT skill points, we can reliably grab most of -these. Throw a point of two into Fly, Climb, and Swim, and between having a -great strength, and wild shape, we can deal with whatever obstacles those skills -require.

- -
Handle Animal
-Heal
-Knowledge (Nature)
-Perception
-Survival
-
- -

Race

- -

Pathfinder has no shortage of races to choose from. For most of my builds, I try -to stick to the “basics” provided in the Core Rulebook, but I also allow myself -the Advanced Race Guide races. For this build, though, mostly due to the -backstory/concept, I went human. We’ll opt for a bonus HP each level in druid, -for our favored class bonus.

- -

Feats

- -

Human gets a bonus first level feat, then all characters get a first level feat. -I tend to make characters for whatever level our campaign is at, and for now -that’s 8th level. That gives me five feats total. At fifth level, I’m taking -Natural Spell. Since I’m a melee bruiser, I’m interested in Power Attack, Vital -Strike, Toughness, and Powerful Shape, but I can’t get the last one just yet. -Druids are fantastic summoners, and it’s very tempting to pick up Augmented -Summons. For this build, though, it’s a two feat investment for a strategy I -won’t be using much. For first level, I went with Toughness and Power Attack. As -a first level barbarian, those two feats give me a lot of staying power. As a -druid, my BAB won’t progress as strongly, but in wild shape it can give me a lot -of damage. Combined with vital strike, certain shapes will give me a single, -“two-handed” attack for a significant amount of damage at a good attack bonus.

- -

Thematically, I’ve opted for the feat Spirit’s Gift. It fits my drunken spirit -moose concept perfectly.

- -

That leaves level 7. The aforementioned vital strike could be a great option. -There’s also furious focus: for a single, two-handed power attack, remove the -power attack penalty. Since we’ll be taking advantage of our animal companion, -there’s also the option for teamwork feats. Animal companions get feats, too, -and there are a few in particular that would work very well: Shake It Off would -give us both +1 on all saves; Improved Spell Sharing would let me share buffs -better; and then there are the charges. These interested me. I need to step back -briefly to consider the animal companion, so we’ll leave our feats in an -undecided state for now.

- -
Bonus: Toughness
-Lvl 1: Power Attack
-Lvl 3: Spirit's Gift
-Lvl 5: Natural Spell
-Lvl 7: ???
-
- -

Animal Companion

- -

By now it should be clear this is not really a min-max guide. There are plenty -of guides that exist already for that sort of build; I’ll link a few I’ve -referenced below. In those guides, animal companion choses are pretty clear: -take a wolf/dire wolf if you want to be a trip artist; take a big cat for -superior damage; take one of any number of dinosaurs for superior options. No -where is a moose mentioned, because they’re not “optimal.” That’s fine. I don’t -want optimal, I want drunken spirit moose.

- -

Moosen start off pretty bland. They don’t get any special attacks, they’re -medium size, an average AC, an average attack, and relatively low damage. At -level 7, they get significantly better: large size; better AC; better damage, -and powerful charge. For this build, I’ll focus on charging. Both I and the -moose will charge hard into whatever enemy we want to focus first. With some of -the team work feats alluded to above, we can emphasize significant bonuses and -improvements to charging.

- -

If I wanted to change this to a more optimal build, I’d probably go for an axe -beak. It could be the in-universe thematic equivalent of a moose. Qwark.

- -

Feats, Completed This Time

- -

In addition to my feats, I get feats for my animal companion. At character level -8, I’m a 7th level druid, which means my animal companion gets 3 feats, with a -4th coming next level. The charge feats I’m considering would be 3 feats -minimum: 2 teamwork feats, and then Coordinated Charge. The requirements for -Coordinated Charge are 2 teamwork feats, and a BAB +10. My animal companion, of -any flavor, won’t have that until level 17! That’s a bit of a downer, but there -are some other interesting ones that lead up to it nicely. Distracting Charge -would give either my moose or me a +2 to hit against the target of a charge. -Intercept Charge could provide significant defensive benefits, though neither my -moose nor I are particularly defensive oriented. Shake It Off would give Moose -and Me +1 on all saves while we’re adjacent. And Improved Spell Sharing helps -with buffing. The one thing about ISS though is the requirements are a bit… -odd. It seems to be intended for use by a class that can share their teamwork -feats, but I think a discussion with a DM can resolve the issue.

- -
Druid:
-- Bonus: Toughness
-- Lvl 1: Power Attack
-- Lvl 3: Spirit's Gift
-- Lvl 5: Natural Spell
-- Lvl 7: Improved Spell Sharing
-
-Moose:
-- Lvl 1: Toughness
-- Lvl 2: Weapon Focus (Gore)
-- Lvl 5: Improved Spell Sharing
-
- -

Looking forward slightly, next level we each get another feat.

- -
Druid:
-- Lvl 9: Powerful Shape
-
-Moose:
-- Lvl 8: Improved Natural Attack (Gore)
-
- -

Gear

- -

Since we’re wild-shaping, we don’t need to worry too much about armor and -weapon. We can get the benefits of a shield, so we’ll want a decent one of -those. Ring of Protection (+1) is a standard, and I’ll also opt for a Cloak of -Resistance (+2). We’re a bit MAD (multi-attribute dependent), wanting high -strength and wisdom primarily, with good dexterity and constitution still. I’ll -take a Headband of Inspired Wisdom (+2), and a Belt of Physical Prowess -(Strength and Constitution +2). In exchange for a weapon, I’ll pick up an Amulet -of Mighty Fists (+1). Finally, because wild shape is so important, we’ll pick up -Druid Vestments, which give us an extra wild shape use per day.

- -
Headband of Inspired Wisdom, +2
-Amulet of Mighty Fists, +1
-Cloak of Resistance, +2
-Druid Vestments
-Belt of Physical Prowess (STR/CON), +2
-Ring of Protection, +1
-Heavy Wooden Shield, +1
-Scimitar
-
- -

I have a mundane item pack I generally pick up as well, which includes things -like a mirror, fishing hooks, and the like. Normally it’s all in a Handy -Haversack, but since I’m shapshifting so often, for the druid that’ll shift to a -Polymorphic Pouch.

- -

Also, a Ring of Eloquence is a solid buy, to allow for discussion which -shapeshifted.

- -

Spells

- -

Druids have a lot of spell options. We’re a melee fighter, so many of our -spells will focus on buffing, debuffing, and control. We can also include some -out-of-combat utility. There are too many options to list, and again, guides -already exist that go through every spell and analyze them. Here are the spells -that I’ll consider regularly:

- -
Level 1:
-- Entangle [Control]
-- Faerie Fire [Control][Debuff]
-- Frostbite [Buff][Damage][Debuff]
-- Goodberry [Utility]
-- Longstrider [Buff]
-- Magic Fang [Buff]
-- Mudball [Damage][Debuff]
-- Thorn Javelin [Damage][Debuff]
-- Thunderstomp [Control][Debuff]
-
-Level 2:
-- Barkskin [Buff]
-- Lockjaw [Buff][Control]
-- Natural Rhythm [Buff][Damage]
-- Resist Energy [Buff]
-- Sickening Entanglement [Control][Debuff]
-- Stone Call [Damage][Debuff]
-- Vine Strike [Control][Damage][Debuff]
-- Whip of Spiders [Damage][Debuff]
-- Wilderness Soldiers [Control][Damage]
-
-Level 3:
-- Call Lightning [Damage]
-- Earth Tremor [Damage][Control][Debuff]
-- Fey Form I [Utility]
-- Fungal Infestation [Debuff]
-- Greater Magic Fang [Buff][Damage]
-- Greater Thunderstomp [Control][Debuff]
-- Spike Growth [Control][Damage][Debuff]
-- Thorny Entanglement [Control][Damage]
-- Vermin Shape I [Utility]
-
-Level 4:
-- Aspect of the Stag [Buff][Damage]
-- Cape of Wasps [Buff][Damage][Debuff]
-- Echolocation [Buff]
-- Freedom of Movement [Buff]
-- Grove of Respite [Utility]
-- Slowing Mud [Control][Debuff]
-- Spike Stones [Control][Damage][Debuff]
-- Strong Jaw [Buff][Damage]
-
- -

Gameplay

- -

I’ve never played this build! I’m sure it could use some modifications. The -emphasis on choosing a moose over other animal companions could be a serious -hinderance. I think the general play would go like this: buff self, sharing the -buffs with my animal companion; enter melee combat, preferably by charging at a -target with my animal companion; throw around control and debuff spells as -necessary.

- -

This is very much a first draft, but I think it could be a fun one!

- -

Sources

- -]]>Bill NiblockBrief Exploration of Syncthing2020-07-19T00:00:00-05:002020-07-19T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1A Brief Exploration of Syncthing - -

Syncthing is an incredible tool. Many days past I stumbled upon it as an -alternative to Dropbox. It’s different from Dropbox, or similar services, -though, in a number of ways. For one, Syncthing is a peer-to-peer -synchronization program, whereas Dropbox is a centralized file storage and -synchronization service. When you setup and use Syncthing, the files only ever -live on whichever peers you setup. This is different from Dropbox, or similar -services, where files live on their servers. There’s more to it, and for all the -details, the Syncthing website provides plentiful -information.

- -

In this post, I want to discuss how to setup Syncthing, and some use-cases for -it. In future posts, I want to explore setting up custom relay servers, and -perhaps some more use-cases as well.

- -

Setup

- -

Install the appropriate package for your operating system. Syncthing is -available on just about every OS out there. Syncthing already has thorough -installation -documentation, so I -won’t re-write what’s already available. I will discuss how I setup my Syncthing -instead.

- -

On my desktop, running Arch Linux, I installed the necessary package:

- -
$ sudo pacman -S syncthing
-
- -

When I was running Gnome, I also installed syncthing-gtk to provide a tray -icon. After my switch to KDE Plasma, the Syncthing application displays a tray -icon by default, and so I removed the now unnecessary package. When I had a -Windows partition, I also installed SyncTrazor for a tray icon.

- -

The second device of choice is my Android phone, where I installed the Syncthing -app (helpfully available on F-Droid too!).

- -

With packages installed on both devices, I then followed the guide. All things -considered, it was a very easy process.

- -

Use-Case: Music

- -

One of the most immediate uses I had for Syncthing was music. I finally decided -to drop all streaming services, and start buying my music. As a result, I -suddenly had a growing music library available on my desktop. This was the -primary reason I decided to try Syncthing: to get music files from my desktop -onto my phone. After setup, syncing was a breeze. The new problem became space: -I have quite a bit of music now, and I don’t necessarily want all of it on my -phone. Conveniently, Syncthing allows for creating a .stignore file, which -tells Syncthing which files to exclude from synchronizing. The -documentation provides a great -breakdown of available options. One challenge is that the .stignore file is -not synchronized. To get around this, I setup my ignore file to include a -second file, which does get synchronized. That file lists every directory and -subdirectory in my music folder, and then ends with **/*. For any directory or -subdirectory (generally artist and album, respectively) that I want to sync, I -place a ! before it. The eventual plan is to automatically update the file -whenever new music is added to the directory. When I get around to that, I’ll -almost certainly post about it.

- -

Use-Case: Notes / To-Do

- -

Not long after music, I started looking around for a good to-do / note-taking -app for my phone. I wanted an application that was simple, without bells and -whistles. I tried a few before settling on -Markor. This app is wonderful. -Everything I want, with almost nothing I don’t. It’s open-source, actively -developed, available on F-Droid; it works on local files, and that’s it. I -started using it to track my gym workouts, make grocery lists, or track -suggestions for media. As long as I was on wi-fi, those files were waiting for -me on my desktop. Very convenient, simple, and effective.

- -

Use-Case: Pictures

- -

Another straight-forward use case: synchronizing pictures. As I continue to -“de-Google” my life, I needed a replacement for Google Photos. I have a Flickr, -but I’m not certain that I’ll hang onto it. For now, I just need a simple way to -synchronize pictures between my phone and my desktop, and Syncthing provides -that.

- -

100 Days

-

I’m writing this post as part of -#100DaysToOffload, an initiative to inspire -writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

- -

Sources

- -]]>Bill NiblockPathfinder One-Shot: The Crater of Igrevor2020-07-10T00:00:00-05:002020-07-10T00:00:00-05:00https://www.theinternetvagabond.com/2020/07/10/crater-of-igrevorPreamble to the Pathfinder - -

For many years now, I’ve been playing in several Pathfinder games. I very much -enjoy the system, if only because I love options in roleplaying games. During -the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, in addition to my weekly game, a second -group started a weekly game. This one, unlike the campaign I’ve been playing in -for the last 6 years (we’re level 9), sees the characters level up after -each adventure, and is meant more as a quick and fun string of one-shots. After -a few weeks of Lizzie starting and running the “campaign,” I volunteered to run. -This post covers my one-shot The crater of Igrevor.

- -

Background

- -

Before hopping in, a little background. The party at this point had gone on -several adventures and made a name for themselves in a relatively small town. -They decided to settle down, and because the details of this town weren’t known -at the time, all the players collaborated to establish the Town of Ulriksted. I -took some liberties with the what we established, and decided that a powerful -wizard has also moved to the town, seeing it as an opportunity for trade, but -also a good place for a fancy tower. Wizards love their towers. Thus, Igrevor -was born.

- -
Igrevor Thel'lessell
-
-Lawful Neutral Elf
-
-Cleric of Abadar: 3 // Wizard (Conjurer: Teleportation): 3 // Mystic Theurge: 10
-
- -

As a follower of Abadar, Igrevor is very interested in trade and travel, both on -the material and other planes. His arcane studies also focus on extraplanar -travel and research. And because I’ve always been interested in the Mystic -Theurge class, I decided this was a perfect opportunity to make use of it. As a -trader, I focused his build on several magical crafting feats: wonderous items, -magical arms and armor, and constructs.

- -

Igrevor’s tower sits to the north of town, along the river which flows through -Ulriksted. He offers his arcane services to the town, as well as crafting and -selling his magical wares to adventurers when they travel through. Unfortunately -for him, a powerful Night -Hag -has taken an interest in him, and has been haunting his dreams for a while now. -Being a powerful wizard, he’s been able to defend himself and his tower -accordingly, but the Hag has decided to get some assistance. You see, Igrevor -has established a powerful teleportation and planar travel system within his -tower, albeit a well protected one. The Hag, studying this herself, conspired to -exploit this with the help of a several extraplanar allies: Several -Xill -raiding parties, to which she provided -Nightmare -mounts; and two Umbral -Dragon -brothers.

- -

The Crater of Igrevor

- -
-

While enjoying a pint and a quiet night at Tuckleberry’s tavern, The Leaf and -Lyre, the party is rudely interrupted by the sound of a massive explosion, -north of town. As they race outside, they see a swirling vortex of colors -stretching high into the sky, roughly where Igrevor’s tower is. Screams shortly -follow, and as the party pulls their attention closer, they see looming shapes -approaching the town.

-
- -

Encounter: Xill Raiding Party

- -
-

Four-armed, flame-red insect-like humanoid creatures, riding upon steeds of -smoke and fire

-
- -

The first encounter is relatively easy for the party, considering at this point -they’re level 9. There are 4 Xill, each riding a Nightmare. Each has a special -elemental key, tied to each of the four elemental planes: earth, air, water, and -fire. The last Xill looted also has a note, written in Infernal: “These keys -will keep the portals open, and the tower inaccessible. Once you have your new -hosts, return to the Ethereal plane. DO NOT LOSE THEM!” Whoops.

- -
-

As you move further, the party can clearly see the vortex of colors that now -envelop Igrevor’s tower. A chaotic flow of earth, wind, water and fire create an -impenetrable globe around what remains of the upper half of the tower, which -hangs unsupported in the sky. Beneath it, a crater is all that remains of the -bottom of the tower. As the party draws closer, you can make out 4 shimmering -portals, at each of the cardinal directions. From each, a distinct color and -element can be seen: north, a verdant green and stony landscape identifies a -portal to the plane of earth; south, a clear portal surrounded by gusts of -strong winds indicate the portal to the plane of air; to the west, a fiery -hellscape indicates the portal to the plane of fire; and to the east, a flood of -water flowing from the portal to the plane of water. Where the 4 regions meet, -the elements clash and swirl about, surging upward, creating the sphere around -the tower. As the party takes in the scene, they suddenly receive a Sending from -Igrevor: In dire need of assistance. Tower under attack. Must close portals. -Please hurry! WILL REWARD! Use teleportation circle in foyer; top of tower

-
- -

At this point, I also introduce a small mechanic related to the portals: Each -elemental portal gives the PCs a boon:

- -
    -
  • Plane of Earth: DR 1/- for each elemental planar portal open
    • -
  • Plane of Fire: Aura, 5ft: 1 fire damage for each elemental planar portal open
    • -
  • Plane of Water: Fast Healing 1 for each elemental planar portal open
    • -
  • Plane of Air: Bonus 1ft. Movement speed for each elemental planar portal open
    • -
- -

Each of these boons is removed as soon an the associated portal is closed.

- -

Puzzle: The Elemental Portals

- -

To reach the tower, the party much figure out a way to close the portals. -Initially, each portal claims a quarter of the ground around the portal. Closing -a portal causes the adjacent portals to claim the ground, increasing their power -and decreasing the power of the opposite portal. If coordinated, it should be -possible for the party to close all portals simultaneously.

- -
-

Earth Portal

- -
    -
  • Trying to close the earth portal causes vines to sprout. If fire is still - open, the fire aura burns away the vines before they can entangle.
    • -
  • Closing the earth portal causes the fire and water portals to increase in - power, and the air portal to decrease in power (modified DC)
    • -
  • Entangle, DC 15: Thorny vines restrict movement and deal damage. Each round, - any creature trying to move through the area must make a reflex save or become - entangled, reducing movement speed to 10 feet and dealing 1d6 acid damage. -
      -
    • If the Fire or Water portal has been closed, the DC increases by 2, to a -maximum of 19 if both portals are closed.
      • -
    • If the Air portal has been closed, the DC decreases by 2
      • -
    • If a creature enters the area with the fire aura, the entangle checks -automatically succeed: The aura from the plane of wire withers the vines as -they try to wrap around you.
      • -
    -
    • -
-
- -
-

Fire Portal

-
    -
  • Trying to close the fire portal causes intense heat waves. If water is still - open, the aura cools the temperature
    • -
  • Closing the fire portal causes earth and air to increase in power, and the - water portal to decrease in power (modified DC)
    • -
  • Heat Waves, DC 15: Intense heat radiating from the portal causes damage and - fatigue. Each round, any creature trying to move through the area must make a - fortitude save or become fatigued and take 1d6 fire damage. -
      -
    • If the Earth or Wind portal has been closed, the DC increases by 2, to a -maximum of 19 if both portals are closed
      • -
    • If the water portal has been closed, the DC decreases by 2
      • -
    • If a creature enters the area with the water aura, the fatigue checks -automatically succeed: The aura for the plane of water cools the area, -keeping the heat at bay.
      • -
    -
    • -
-
- -
-

Water Portal

-
    -
  • Trying to close the water portal causes buffeting waves and sheets of rain to - disorient and hamper the player. If the air portal is still open, the aura - keeps visions clear.
    • -
  • Closing the water portal causes the earth and air portals to increase in - power, and the fire portal to decrease in power (modified DC)
    • -
  • Stormy Weather, DC 15: Torrential rain and slick ground causes difficult - terrain and disorientation. Each round, any creature trying to move through - the area must make a reflex save or fall prone, and a will save or become - disoriented, moving in a random direction (Roll 1d4: 1, move in intended - direction; 2, move to the left; 3, move to the right; 4, move backwards) -
      -
    • If the Earth or Wind portal has been closed, the DC increases by 2, to a -maximum of 19 if both portals are closed
      • -
    • If the earth portal has been closed, the DC decreases by 2
      • -
    • If a creature enters the area with the air aura, there is no risk of -disorientation. If a creature enters the area with the earth aura, there is -no risk of falling.
      • -
    -
    • -
-
- -
-

Air Portal

-
    -
  • Trying to close the air portal causes strong winds and electrical shocks. If - the earth portal is still open, it helps to resist the winds.
    • -
  • Closing the air portal causes the fire and water portals to increase in power, - and the earth portal to decrease in power (modified DC)
    • -
  • Tornado, DC 15: Strong winds buffet and shock. Each round, any creature trying - to move through the area must make a fortitude save or be blown 10 ft away - from the portal, and take 1d6 electricity damage. -
      -
    • If the water or fire portal has been closed, the DC increases by 2, to a -maximum of 19 if both portals are closed
      • -
    • If the earth portal has been closed, the DC decreases by 2
      • -
    • If a creature enters the area with the earth aura, the push checks -automatically succeed: The earth aura grounds you, giving you resistance to -the forceful winds
      • -
    -
    • -
-
- -
-

As the last portal closes, the last remnants of the elemental sphere around the -tower dissipate. The tower floats silently above the group, with ruins frozen in -the air hanging beneath it. The closest pieces, which could be used to climb -into the tower proper, are 20 feet in the air.

-
- -

With the four elemental portals closed, the tower is now accessible. The party -must somehow ascend 20 feet into the air to get to the lowest ruins, and then a -Climb (DC 10) check to get to the rest of the tower, 10 feet further up. This, -like a few other obstacles, was a way to force the party to use resources. The -sorcerer of the group knows fly, and so this was a way to get him to use a -spell. The way I tend to run many of my games is to try and force my players to -think about their resources, and manage them accordingly. To be fair, I try to -give alternatives. For example, the party could use rope to climb up. I think in -this case, they used either Mage Hand or a familiar to loop rope around some -rubble, then the fighter climbed up and attached a better rope, and they were -able to ascend without expending many resources at all.

- -
-

Once inside, there is a corkscrew stairwell along the walls of the tower, -ascending roughly another 20 feet. At the top, light and shadows play on the -wall near where the stairs enter a new floor.

-
- -

If the party is perceptive or stealthy enough, they can notice several figures -waiting on the next floor, as well as get the drop on them!

- -

Encounter: Xill and Night Hag

- -
-

A tall, gaunt figure with long limbs stands with two more Xill. Her skin -stretches tightly across her bones, and a grin stretches across her nightmarish -visage. Claws and fangs betray her intent.

-
- -

Here, again, I tried to force a change of tactics. The room the party fights in -is only 20 by 20. The usual Fireball approach would be dangerous. The party -was clever and perceptive, though, and the sorcerer was able to approach the -room invisibly, and place a Fireball in a way so as to kill the Xill. The Hag -is immune to fire, conveniently, and so the party had to deal with her some -other way. Also, she can cast Invisibility at will, which helper her get the -drop on the party. The sorcerer Fireball’s the room, ducking down the -stairwell to avoid the blast. While no one can see her, she goes invisible. The -party doesn’t see any threats, enters the room, and she pounces. Hag’s are great -opponents. They have a great kit for DMs to play with; great defenses, including -damage reduction, a solid set of immunities, and spell resistance 24! The lore -of hags, as extraplanar scavengers and traders, is also fascinating. I’d like to -use one in a future campaign, especially an evil campaign, and have this be a -companion NPC or something.

- -

With this encounter completed, the party stands in the aforementioned foyer, and -on the ground they see an arcane circle: the teleportation circle.

- -
-

The corpse of the night hag fades into shadow, as it disappears from the -material plane. With the room now secured, you see arcane symbols inscribed in -the center of the room. This must be the teleportation circle Igrevor mentioned -in his sending. As you step into the circle, you find yourself transported to a -large, cylindrical room. An inner wall breaks at four equidistant places, -revealing an outer wall, and a shimmering pool of light in a small alcove.

-
- -
-

Exploring the space, the inner room has the teleportation circle, and many -arcane symbols drawn into the stone and the walls. A Knowledge(Arcana) or -Spellcraft, DC 15, reveals the symbols to be protections related to -teleportation, plane shifting, and the like. Checking the outer ring, you find -the four aforementioned pools, as well as a wall of force blocking a hallway.

-
- -
-

Oh a whim, you glance up, and see two spheres circling the room. One is pure -white, and the other black. They maintain a perfect distance from each other. A -Knowledge(Planes), DC 15, identifies the spheres as being made of pure positive -and negative energy, respectively. You now notice, as the spheres pass by the -alcoves, the pools briefly shift towards the color of the sphere, and the wall -of force slightly…

-
- -

Or, at least, that was the original intention. As so often happens, I wasn’t -quite satisfied with this part of the original adventure, and modified this it -slightly. Originally, the party was going to fight a “Planar Scion.” Initially, -the party would find two humanoid energy beings, one made of positive energy and -one made of negative energy. The beings would be indestructible, and the party -would have to merge them to create a single being, which was now vulnerable. -But, I couldn’t figure out a good way to convey this information, while making -the combat engaging, in the time I had, so I scrapped it for a puzzle instead.

- -

Puzzle: Spheres and Pools

- -
-

As you navigate the room, you find the hallway leading from this room, and an -opaque barrier blocking the way forward.

-
- -
-

Oh a whim, you glance up, and see four spheres circling the room. Two are pure -white, and the others black. They maintain a perfect distance from each other. A -Knowledge(Planes), DC 15, identifies the spheres as being made of pure positive -and negative energy, respectively. You now notice, as the spheres pass by the -alcoves, the pools briefly shift towards the color of the sphere, and the -barrier slightly dissipates

-
- -

The only way through this barrier is to stop the rotating spheres. As alluded to -in the descriptive text, the pools and the spheres are related. As the spheres -pass over the pools, they shift the pools from clear towards the color of the -sphere, and I added that the spheres appear to slow down very slightly. The -party had to use positive and negative energy sources to shift the pools to the -appropriate attunement, which stopped the spheres, and opened the barrier.

- -

Final Encounter: Umbral Dragon

- -
-

As the spheres stop, above the pools, they descend into the pools, and -dissolve the barrier blocking the way out of the room. Moving through the -hallway, you come to a large meeting hall. An oak table, which could almost -seat the entire town of Ulriksted, sits in the middle of the hall, with chairs -and tables strewn about. Making your way into hall, you see Igrevor to your -right, as he finishes casting a spell and striking down one of two juvenile -dragons standing opposite him. He turns to you, and speaks, “The Lords of -Ulriksted! And just in time! I am sorry, friends, I cannot assist you further; -one of these beasts took most of my arsenal to defeat. I beg your assistance!” -As he finishes, you see a sphere arise around him, and him kneel to catch his -breath.

-
- -

The boss battle! The juvenile Umbral Dragon! I toned down the beast a bit, but I -definitely shouldn’t have. It was a good fight, and the barbarian did not hold -back. As the party defeated them, Igrevor thanked them, and their reward was any -single magical item that he can make. In addition, because I’m prone to giving -my PCs overpowered items, I allowed each of them to have an item made from the -scales of the dragon, which gives them the immunities of the dragon. This turned -out to be a very powerful option: immune to cold, death effects, negative -energy, paralysis, sleep.

- -

Aftermath

- -

I had a lot of fun with this one. The party made their way with through with -consistent progress, and the boss battle was challenging but not overwhelming. I -think, if run again, I wouldn’t tone down the boss. I ended up running a -follow-up adventure, which is currently untitled, but which became a two parter, -and the driving motivation for my upcoming third adventure. I look forward to -sharing those as well! Feel free to make use of this adventure in your own -games!

- -

MapTools

- -

But wait, there’s more! This adventure was my first foray into MapTools, a free -and open-source virtual table top system. It allows you to create detailed -maps, add tokens, set sight lines, and much more. You can host a server locally -that your players can connect to, and they can move things around themselves. -Or, if you’re a bit lazier like me, you can share your screen on your voice call -of choice, and just move the tokens for players instead. I had a lot of fun -crafting Igrevor’s Tower in MapTools, and then sharing that with my players -during the session. It really made the game more enjoyable, and more immersive -than just a standard voice-and-video call.

- -

The community for the MapTool suite has built a lot of tokens, tile sets, and -additional assets to really explore and build exactly what you want. I -certainly made good use of CSP’s Dungeon Geomorphs (available for free directly -within MapTools, and made by Kristian -Richards), Devin -Night’s tokens (some of which are -available for free, but are well worth the price) and Torstan’s Markers and -Objects (also available directly within MapTools). I’m not sure if the campaign -will load without those enabled, but for anyone interested, you can find a link -to the campaign maps for this adventure here (click to download).

- -

100 Days

-

I’m writing this post as part of -#100DaysToOffload, an initiative to inspire -writing habits. Perhaps you could do the same.

- -

Sources

- -]]>Bill Niblock \ No newline at end of file +]]>Bill Niblock \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/index.html b/index.html index c204ee9..437077c 100644 --- a/index.html +++ b/index.html @@ -36,6 +36,41 @@
+

Life in Progress: January, 2025

+
+
2025-01-03
+
+ + life + +
+
+
A retrospective of 2024, up to the beginning of 2025
+ +

Life in Progress: September, 2024

+
+
2024-09-24
+
+ + life + + gaming + +
+
+
Life In Progress update for September
+ +

Life in Progress: August, 2024

+
+
2024-08-19
+
+ + life + +
+
+
Life In Progress update for August
+

Automatic Backups with RClone, systemd, and Backblaze

2023-05-07
@@ -58,41 +93,6 @@
Funkwhale is a cool project, building a federated music platform. I wanted to explore Funkwhale's ability to store music and associated files in object storage, and since I already use Linode for my VPS, leveraging their object storage offering makes a lot of sense.
-

Setting up Syncthing on the Steam Deck (Updated!)

-
-
2022-07-12
-
- - gaming - - technology - -
-
-
Syncthing is an incredible tool that I use to keep pictures, music, notes, and games synchronized across multiple platforms. The form factor of the Steam Deck makes it a perfect emulation target, and Syncthing can help keep games and saves in-sync with other machines.
- -

Oblivion on Linux, with Mods! Part 2 - Mods

-
-
2021-12-09
-
- - gaming - -
-
-
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion still has one of the more active modding communities. In this, part 2 of my journey to get Oblivion modded and running on Linux, I'll cover some of my favorite mods.
- -

Oblivion on Linux, with Mods! Part 1 - Tools

-
-
2021-11-28
-
- - gaming - -
-
-
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of my favorite games of all time. The vanilla game holds up, but mods take the game to an entirely new level. Getting it working on Linux requires a bit of configuration, bit is surprisingly accessible! This is part 1 of my journey.
-
All Posts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
gaming
-
other
+
Life
philosophy
diff --git a/now.html b/now.html index 099c082..b67bd5d 100644 --- a/now.html +++ b/now.html @@ -34,106 +34,7 @@
-

Life In Progress, as of 2024-09-24

- -
    -
  • New hardware: laptop, phone, and NAS
    • -
  • TWO game jams!
    • -
  • Finishing up Morrowind
    • -
  • SEAP/Self-Employment Progress
    • -
- -

New Hardware

- -

Framework Laptop

- -

This new Framework is great! I’ve only had it for a few -weeks, but it is wonderful. I’ve been slowly sync’ing and migrating workflows -from my various existing options to it. Being able to work for multiple hours -without worrying about battery life is nice.

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Previously, the Chromebook I have was my go-to remote personal macine. -Considering its age, and the inherent limitations of a Chromebook, it served me -better than I ever could have hoped. However, I knew it’s time was drawing -near, and the Dell I got as part of my work severance was not going to cut it. -Considering I’m starting a business doing technology, I needed a reliable, -“all-day” machine with Linux. The ARM-based Macs are incredibly tempting, but -I am not a fan of Mac. I’ve been eyeing Framework for a bit now, and their -newest 13-inch model with AMD components checked enough of the boxen for me to -dive in.

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Phone

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For a while I’ve been eyeing Mint Mobile. In the US, they have a plan offering -unlimited text and talk, plus 5 GB of data, for $15 per month. I generally use -less than 1 GB of streaming data, so this seemed like a clearly better option -than the $30+ I was paying for Google Fi. When I decided to switch, they had an -incredible deal offering a Google Pixel 9 plus a year’s service for a great -price, so I not only switched carrier, I also snagged a new phone! I had a -Samsung S21, which was more than sufficient for my needs, so switching isn’t -quite as significant as with the laptop, but it’s still a nice new experience. -The OS and environment on the Pixel is much nicer than Samsung phones, so -that’s quite the plus!

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NAS

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I bought a 2-bay Synology NAS from a friend a few months ago, and with the -myriad other changes, decided to set it up proper. I setup -Navidrome for audio, and Jellyfin for video. I had previously used Navidrome, then -switched to Jellyfin for both audio and video, but with the new phone comes a -return to form. I like Ultrasonic, -and Navidrome plays nicely with it.

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The other big additions with the NAS is more backup scripts, and also pulling -down some YouTube series I like for local copies. More details in a full post.

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Game Making

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Two game jams! One for the entire month of September, Clone -Jam, and a -Mini-Jam. For the Clone Jam, I was -working on building a ray-casting-based dungeon scavenger, similar to “Legend -of Grimrock”, but with less combat. However, while I have made great progress -understanding how ray-casting works, and how to implement it, I won’t have time -to finish such a game. That knowledge won’t go to waste, though! There’s a -game-jam at the end of October where I intend to make use of it. Instead, I’ll -be touching-up and submitting a clone of Minesweeper I made: -TICsweeper.

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For the Mini-Jam, I decided to make a “runner” type game: you maneuver your -sprite to collect and/or avoid certain projectiles. I also made this game in -the TIC-80. While I didn’t pull any all-nighters, focusing -on a single project for 72-hours with as little down-time as possible is still -quite exhausting! My submission was called -RUNR. It ranked 48th out of 66 -submissions, which is honestly disappointing, but not enough to demotivate me -from continuing my game-making journey!

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Game Playing

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I finally finished my play-through of Morrowind, and one of its two expansions, -Tribunal. (Note: before “DLC”, new game content for existing games was -distributed like the game itself, on a piece of data-storing media, such as a -CD. These were called “expansion packs.”) I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in -The Elder Scrolls III, and I definitely understand why many claim it as their -favorite. I will talk more about my experience in a full post, just like I did -for my recent Fallout 3 replay (I mean, just like I will. I WILL!)

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Business Time

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Alas, while game making and playing are great uses of my time, they do not get -me the resources I need to pay my bills. I continue to work on starting my own -business. I’ve met with two mentors, one business and one technology, to help -get me started and provide guidance. In fact, this week marks what I would -consider the proper beginning of my business. With some dedication, I’ll have -more exciting news to share about this next time!

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That’s All For Now!

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I think the original intention of a “Now” page is to be less verbose, but I -find the monthly cadence of a somewhat comprehensive update to be more -appealing! Until next month!

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Life In Progress, as of 2025-01-03

Bill Niblock - Last Updated: 2024-09-24 + Last Updated: 2025-01-03
This is a Now Page inspired by Derek Sivers.
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    The Holiday Spirit made me a bit too jolly! After many cookies and cocktails, +it’s time to get active, and fix some bad food habits. Again.

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    My business, Niblock Technology Solutions, +continues to move forward. I have a second client! Next, I want to work on +expanding my offerings, and improve my coverage.

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    I’ve begun a playthrough of one of my favorite games, The Elder Scrolls IV: +Oblivion. I’m very happy with the modding setup I’ve got this time around, +and look forward to writing up the details!

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    I have a goal to improve my music sight-reading skill, and plan to do so by +reading a new piece of music each week. I’ve started off with some Bach, and +will likely continue with him for a bit.

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