BlogXerogs

[Sirhc]

It seems as if the years just flew by since I've taken an interest in Entropia Universe.

My time away was one part disillusionment with MA and one part working full time while going to school part time. There were only so many hours in the day to keep things afloat (marriage, school, work, etc. etc.) and I had to let some things go for a while to make way for others. Video games in general were just put on hold for an extended period of time. Even though things are rolling along at a pretty good clip these days with my career and art studio time plus making content for my Patreon and other Dark Art Society (DAS) endeavors I've managed to bring MMOs back into the fold to some extent with balance in mind.



I was going to add to my Diary but noticed it was decommissioned many years ago so adding to the Blog section on the forum seems like a fun and interesting thing to do. I am curious if Entropia Universe still has enough pull on my imagination to influence and inspire my personal work to some extent. I will try to keep things EU-centric but there are no guarantees.

and so it begins....

 

[Sirhc]

Its been a while since I've been off planet in Entropia Universe.

Planet Calypso will always be where I started this journey so it's always been "home" in a sense. A short time ago I decided to check out Monria and spent some time exploring the moon and creatures that inhabit the place. Needless to say aesthetic-wise Monria is right up my alley, I definitely liked the creatures, story, and tight knit community. I am planning on returning in the near future when I can get some decent armor to tackle the much larger creatures and finish some of the missions I picked up. It's a nice little get away not to far from home.

My favorite creature out of those that inhabit the moon is the Shub. It's a nice little bit of inspiration as I varnish paintings and plan on my next real life work.

So with my short trip to Monria over I now attend to matters on Calypso. Next on my list is armor and some additional plates and if there is PED left over a stronger BLP amp. I've been thinking quite a bit about the nature of Entropia and how it relates to entropy and what that means towards this game and life in general. There is a lot of perception about what Entropia Universe is and isn't, heck my own views have changed quite a bit as well. There has always been a risk VS reward structure in this game some of it is manageable and a lot of it is dependent on your style of play. As I've grown older I've noticed those risk VS reward elements in my own life from the past to the present. This game and life is what I make of it and my choices are my own.

 

[Sirhc]

Xerogs and a Daikiba named Gort...

I looked in my storage today and notice my long neglected pet Daikiba that I tamed a long time ago when taming was new. So I decided to take him out and about while I mined and hunted parts of Treasure Island and see if I can still solo a Hogglo. It's definitely different having a shadow following you around while you hunt but I can see the appeal of having a pet that helps with auto-loot and other buffs, for now Gort is just good luck Gort an ancient pet who always seems to be interested in what I am doing.

As paltry as the loot was today at least I got a small global with Gort in tow.

He's a weird little guy who grunts along the way and this Gort is here to stay.

 

[Sirhc]

Back together again...

I had to step back from Entropia Universe a number of years ago due to school and I ended up selling my Adjusted Ravenger Mini-Sweeper V1 since I didn't think I would return. Since my return I've missed that "angry hummingbird" as I call it and I was lucky enough get my hands on one and it just works for me. Needless to say this won't be leaving my avatar's arsenal.

Next year I will concentrate on armor upgrades (unless some windfall loot event happens ) once my Toyota Tacoma is paid off and suspension upgrade installed so I can hit harder trails next spring. In no particular order my interests are my art and upgrading my art studio, Tacoma mods, and video games.

Now I've got to get back to work to pay for all these interests.

 

[Sirhc]

Mayhem...

So I was looking through old storage boxes recently and discovered some Merry Mayhem diplomas and other items I had held onto for quite a number of years and realized how much fun I had during those events.

This item was always sort of dark and interesting to me and its probably why l've kept it for so long. Maybe I will once again get some kind of residence to hang it.

So I half heartedly decided to participate in this Halloween Mayhem and really had a good time so much so I decided to start another round I hope to finish soon. I don't think I will rank top 10 without a little point luck but its fun just the same.

That lead me down another rabbit hole in regards to Entropia Universe...the "fun" aspect. Sure no one likes to lose PED (me included) but sometimes I set aside funds without the stress of having to make X amount back and just consider it paying for entertainment. There are a lot of fun aspects to EU that can be balanced with a good understanding of the social, economic, and game mechanics. Always take the time to appreciate those notable loots or events in EU, they can shape your game play and affect your real life as well in ways that might not always be evident at the time they happen and don't forget to have fun from time to time whether it's in some virtual online world or in real life.

In follow-up to my last blog post, I bit the bullet and paid off my truck and upgraded my armor. I can get rather impatient in regards to somethings in life but this time it just felt right to accelerate those goals before the holidays set in. No regrets so far.

Next up I need to do the grand tour of planets and see what my old storage containers hold.

 

[Mega]

Next up I need to do the grand tour of planets and see what my old storage containers hold.

Just in case you weren't aware, My Items section of https://www.entropiauniverse.com/ will tell you exactly what they all contain without the need to travel.

 

[Laurent]

it will always be a pleasure to read u.

 

[Sirhc]

Just in case you weren't aware, My Items section of https://www.entropiauniverse.com/ will tell you exactly what they all contain without the need to travel.

Thank you

I had forgotten about that section.

I've sort of given it some thought that not knowing is good motivation to planet hop. Otherwise I will get in a rut and remain Calypso bound.

 

[Sirhc]

The Grind...

As another weekend approaches for me I look at my EU prospects VS all the other activities in my life find a need to strike a balance in some respects. It's really easy to get caught up in the FOMO of it all and it wasn't so long ago that I used to play a lot by my standards running into burn out when I tried to maintain that level of play, work full time, and go to school part time. There is still a lot to explore in EU and places I want to go back to on a regular basis but there is only so much time in a day.

EU will absorb as much PED and time a person can throw at it, so setting up limits is one piece of advice I can offer players. If the grind is killing your perceived entertainment value of EU then take a step back re-evaluate and return with a clear head. It's much the same way with oil painting you sometimes can't through force of will make something right on your panel so taking some time to clear your mind gives you new perspective or new ideas to try. It always amazes me how the frustration and struggle on the easel one day is wiped away the next because you now see things much more clear. Meditation also helps but that is food for another blog post.

I understand EU can be fun and frustrating all within a few hours but finding some distance and balance at times has given me new perspective. Working on some concept design has also made me appreciate the game/film development process a great deal so I am much more forgiving at this point in my life when it comes to system management and development including EU as a whole.

I have to remind myself at times to not forget to breathe and that this is just a game even if the stakes are RCE.

 

[Sirhc]

A few of my favorite new things...

It's been quite a while since I've returned to active play and while I watch Entropia Universe develop over the years I wasn't able to appreciate all the new things that have been implemented.

I won't bore you with a comprehensive list but the access to a wide variety of gear and buffs has really changed the way I play the game. It seems like there is opportunity to loot gear I can use more so than in the past. Pills have also enhanced my gameplay and given me more control during hunts and events to quickly adapt my style. So many different combinations of hunting and mining gear to be had have really boosted the fun factor for me in EU.

Second up is the Codex. I stopped active play right after iron missions were introduced so I wasn't heavily invested in that system so the Codex is a welcome addition for me and helped boost some skills I sold off years ago. The the attributes meta boost is something I am really digging as well and its interesting to see how it affects my avatar.

Once long ago I tamed a Daikiba "Gort" and while I've not really delved into taming I do enjoy having a pet tag along and maybe that system will be improved down the road. There is still a novelty to having a pet with some added skills and buffs as a benefit.

Lastly I've taken on resource gathering. It's something new and I'm not quite sure how it fits into my gameplay yet but finding a spawn of trees is always a welcome sight. I never thought being a virtual lumberjack would be compelling but it is for me.

Well enough for this post.

These were just a few of my favorite new EU things...

 

[Sirhc]

20 years, how the time flies...

It's been a while since I've updated this blog and I've been meaning to get back to it. I've been playing PE/EU for 20 years. Over the years I've gone from very active to just signing in to keep my account active and sell items to back to very active again. Even when I was burnt out on EU and toiling away working full-time and attending University, I kept an eye on Mindark and how things were progressing in this game. I recently took a "grand tour" and visited places I've never been and others I haven't been in a very long time. It gave me a better understanding on just how much this game has grown and how fun some quests can be. It's interesting to look back at the days of Project Entropia and see all the changes implemented in Entropia Universe to this day. Sure there have been ups and downs over the decades but some how this RCE MMO keeps on chugging along.

Some of my personal highlights over the years were finally getting my first mining tower, a very short stint on the hunting ATH list way back in the day, and looting a few high level items that I could actually use. Being part of some very awesome societies over the years and meeting people from all over the world is what makes this game great, in my opinion. Creating some creatures for the "Create a Critter" competition inspired me to finish my degree to improve my artistic skills. That lead to a new career path and more confidence in my own art studio processes. I create "critters" to this day for my own enjoyment and I still use digital and traditional tools that were purchased via withdraws from EU when I took a break from active play. There are far to many highlights to mention so I am keeping it at a high level so I don't bore you to death.

My avatar "Xerogs" has surpassed where I was before I went back to school. While I find the grind a bit much at times, I do enjoy some of the nuance and multidiscipline aspects of Entropia Universe. There is something unique and somewhat familiar in regards to this game I've played. When I was in high school I used to draw these anime like guys in sci fi armor exploring planets with giant crystal landscapes and killing monsters and robots so it's no wonder PE/EU has had such a long lasting appeal to me. It is a place where a smidge of my early imagination became an interactive game.

Happy TWEN everyone.

20 years, how the time flies...