#freetime checklist

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Freetime Checklist – 7 Jul 2026

I've been watching The Boys now that it's all wrapped up. I left off some years ago at the end of Season 3. Now I am part-way into the final season (Season 5).

(Minor spoilers follow.)

I've heard the ending is disappointing. It makes me wonder: will it do a Game of Thrones, and fall in a heap before the end? Or maybe it will do an Arcane, and just be quite different in its later incarnation, not really living up to how it started?

Neither of those has happened... so far. It does perhaps go a bit slow, with meandering sub-plots, but not disastrously so. It does feel a bit different, but that change feels more like a gradual shift than a radical reinvention. But I've not got to the end yet, so we'll see!

The Deep, at his most sycophantic, drives a Cybertruck. Because of course he does. Out of all the supes, he could the most easily escape all this by disappearing into the sea. The fact he doesn't, of course, is rather the point.

Bear in mind I've never read the comics. Judging entirely by the series here.

It's a show that's good enough that I want to watch the next episode right away. I think that's a good litmus test of quality. I am quite hooked by the story and by the characters.

I like the little touches. The characters are comic book characters, so it suits they're a little cartoony. MM and Frenchie here usually have very distinct fashions. But in this scene, they're making do with charity clothes. The sight of MM in a Britney top made me laugh.

I love the allusions to modern-day politics. Dim-witted conservatives may have missed that the show was satirising them. There's no way they're missing it now!

There's the silly references, like mention of Jewish space lasers. Then there's the darker references like the vilifying of victims for political gain: the protestor laser-eyed by Homelander is post-facto "found" to be a "pedophile", in our world it's "would-be assassin" and "domestic terrorist".

More of this satire, I say. Happy to see both kinds. Happy to see them mixed. Wish there were more shows like it. You can't have enough.

Speaking of mixed satire, the Vought camps mix the very grim idea of re-education camps with over-the-top faux-patriotism of corporate America. The grey-blue stripes are gone, replaced with red-white-and-blue superhero-themed sweats.

Looking forward to finishing the series, but a little nervous that the ending will disappoint!

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist -- 29 Jun 2026

It's been a while since I did one of these. The Easter holidays came and went, and off the back of that, I had a run-in with the "The Big C" (not the TV show). No need to share details here. Suffice it to say I was not really in the mood to post. But recent news is that things seem okay on that front, as much as that can ever be known, and so I might get back into these posts.

Not sure if I want to keep it being a checklist or not. But I still like the original aim: a motivation to read more, watch more, play more.

Semi-recently I have been playing a little of Guild Wars Reforged. Read on for my thoughts on that.

I've always liked GW1 beaches.

I played GW1 before it was remastered, before it had any expansions, and quite enjoyed it. I did start to get a little tired of it as expansions came out, but that was an era of very considerable competition when it came to video game interest!

Coming back to it now, it is a very chill game. Easy pace, simple story, relaxing music. Mechanics that are simple to understand but have real depth. And unlike so many modern MMOs it's not a brain-dead cake walk: even in a "tutorial" area there are moments where one has to be careful.

The hi-res graphic support is nice. The terrain is actually detailed enough that frame rate drops are noticeable (though minor) in some scenes. Back in the day, computers could not just "brute force" render everything in GW1 like they can now. There was a rather ingenious level-of-detail trick where distant landmarks would appear as 2D textures until you got closer, at which point they'd turn 3D. Implemented really well. I get why that's gone with Reforged, but part of me misses it...

Will I play it a lot? Don't know. But this is what's nice about Guild Wars -- both of them (and hopefully future ones): it respects me as a consumer. I didn't need to re-buy it, I got Reforged by virtue of owning the original.

Guild Wars being "Reforged" doesn't feel like a cash grab. I'm not saying it was utterly selfless -- I'm sure it is modestly profitable with some new and returning players. My point is that it doesn't feel like a greedy cash grab, but more like an effort to keep the game running. Dusting it off and making sure it still can be played.

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist – 27 Mar 2026

Leaving this report to very late in the week.

Last week’s plans:

✅ Read a book. I started Edge of Destiny. More on that below.

❌ Read a comic.

❌ Watch a movie.

✅ Start a new series. Started Season 2 of Mr Inbetween.

I'm going to let the checklist lapse over the Easter period. But I'll report back about freetime activities all the same, and carry on with the checklist afterward.

Not to be confused with Destiny's Edge, which is a whole other book, even though Edge of Destiny is about a group called Destiny's Edge. 😵‍💫

This series started with Ghosts of Ascalon. I've got all three of the "Guild Wars novels" and I plan to read them.

Now, if I remember correctly, Edge of Destiny is the generally agreed to be the worst of the three. Considering I wasn't exactly blown away by Ghosts of Ascalon I wasn't holding out much hope.

However I have been pleasantly surprised by the first two chapters.

Faolain had been all about questions, and Caithe had been all about answers. They were dear to each other and set out together to explore the world. But Caithe's spirit had grown straight and true like a young tree while Faolain's had grown twisted like a poison-ivy vine. When the pair encountered a great darkness, Caithe pulled back from it, while Faolain embraced it.

(I copied that from the Wiki. But I read something identical or close to it from the book, so I suspect it's originally from the book.)

That's a rich setup. Even a touch purple, perhaps. But it those are aren't hollow words of unrequited exposition. From there, the first chapter, short as it is, shows you the fucked-up relationship between Caithe and Faolain, between Dream and Nightmare.

The second chapter impressed as well.

So far I'm finding this book much better than Ghosts of Ascalon. Ghosts of Ascalon feels quite bland compared to this book's vividness.

Will the rest of the book hold up? Will it commit some horrible sin that wipes away this solid start? We'll see. I'll do a full review when done.

I also wonder if my tastes have been turned to mush by my off fascinations with franchise spin-offs. That is a real possibility. 😳

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist – 18 Mar 2026

Been doing a bit of work-on-the-side which has meant less time for gaming.

Last week's plans:

✅ VR gaming. Feeling a bit more confident my video card wouldn't blow up, I played a little more Boneworks.

✅ Any single-player game. I played more Dawnsbury Days.

❌ Start on a new book or comic, or watch a movie, or start on a new series. I downloaded stuff, but didn't watch yet.

This week's plans. Let's focus on what's been neglected:

⏹️ Read a book.

⏹️ Read a comic.

⏹️ Watch a movie.

⏹️ Start a new series.

Some thoughts on Boneworks after the jump.

I should've taken more screenshots, but when the headset is on one can't easily search for "how to take a screenshot with the VR controllers". I've looked it up since, so I'll know for next time.

I appreciate this little puzzle in Boneworks. One of its more easy ones. You could climb along the wall to the left using the lighter-grey "grab-able" tiles. Or you could do what I did and throw a flat loose piece over the gap like a bridge. It's quite eerie running across loose bridges in VR, I don't enjoy heights and VR really captures heights well. (Not that I'm complaining. I quite like how VR can make this sort of thing feel more real.)

I do enjoy how Boneworks save points are not too far apart. I really like to explore at a leisurely pace in VR, so I go slow. Bite-sized puzzles.

Since last time I played VR, I got a swivel office chair for my desk. This is nice in a sense, as I can swivel around myself rather than have to shunt my whole character using the controller. But on the downside I lose track of which way I'm facing and/or slowly wrap the cord around myself. It's an amusing issue rather than a serious one.

I do want to experiment with standing vs sitting. Sitting makes moving-without-moving less nauseating. I don't have a serious issue with VR nausea but it is less-weird zooming around in-game when seated in reality.

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist – 9 Mar 2026

Some computer-technical and work-related issues have kept me from my checklist for a bit, but I'm back.

Last week’s plans:

❌ VR gaming.

❌ More Foxhole.

✅✅ A single player game that’s not Songs of Syx. Double-check! I played Baldur's Gate 3, and I stated on Dawnsbury Days.

❌ Start on a new book or comic.

This week’s plans:

⏹️ VR gaming. I’ll keep this one on the list.

⏹️ More Songs of Syx, Dawnsbury Days, Baldur's Gate 3, or any other single-player game.

⏹️ Start on a new book or comic, or watch a movie, or start on a new series.

Some early thoughts on Dawnsbury Days after the jump.

Dawnsbury Days is an indie cRPG. But it is perhaps the first game to use the Pathfinder Second Edition rules. (Games like Kingmaker are First Edition.)

The story mode features four characters whose names, personalities, and voices are set. But you can customise them otherwise completely. Here's my all-elf team, based on various PF2e characters I have played in the more traditional game.

It's an indie game, and with its limited resources it has chosen to focus on combat. The "story mode" goes: cut-scene, combat, repeat; with occasional rests (short or full) at various points.

This game is really giving me Divinity Original Sin Tactician Mode vibes. Every fight feels like a puzzle and I don't mind losing and starting again. (I am playing on one of the harder difficulties.)

I am a PF2e GM and player of many years. But this game is teaching me new tricks because it's a fantastic sandbox to experiment in. It's the perfect tactics playground: try something, see how it goes, and then try something else.

Visualisation of the numbers makes understanding easier. As a PF2e player I know the rules, but seeing this kind of information brings better insight.

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist – 16 17 Feb 2026

Okay, I admit, I'm submitting this one day late. Got a bit distracted by other things in the weekend.

From last week:

✅ Foxhole. Played it. Sure, I played it on the "late day" but I played it!

❌ Play some game that is single-player and isn’t Songs of Syx.

❌ VR gaming. I figured better to play Foxhole while it's got the "new expansion buzz".

This week’s plans:

⏹️ VR gaming. I'll keep this one on the list.

⏹️ More Foxhole. It's fun! And it's very playable in short bursts.

⏹️ A single player game that's not Songs of Syx.

⏹️ Start on a new book or comic.

I'm starting to treat this checklist not so much as a "do it all" affair, but rather, a "try to get one, maybe two, items done". I don't see a problem with that: it's stopping that is a problem, not going slow.

Some quick thoughts on my Foxhole experience (not a euphemism) after the jump.

I played for about 2 hours and had a lot of fun. I have played before but not heaps.

Planes

The new planes were a constant presence in my game, but as mere rifleman they didn't really interact with me, friend or foe.

They fly now? Yep! That's the point of the recent expansion! An enemy Warden plane streaks by.

The one pictured above I think is an enemy plane, because that line is red. That line shows its altitude... in this case very low. That's useful because Foxhole is a top-down game, and elevation clues are important. As a rifleman mostly I just saw lines, saw shadows, and heard engines rather than seeing actual planes.

They fly slow. Slow enough that I'm fairly sure they'd stall if they were real. But not so slow that it looks farcical. I really do wonder what it's like to fly them, given Foxhole is a top-down game? Maybe one day I can be a rear gunner and get a sense for it.

Cog in the Machine

I've actually experienced very little of the "big boy" Foxhole game. I just potter around as a rifleman. I don't know if I'll ever have the time to get deeper into the game to get organised and do the "big boy" stuff.

This poor guy is the only chap I know for sure I killed. He had unlucky timing. I had just scavenged and reloaded a 9mm SMG as he came running across field and into my trench. Foxhole features chaotic battles and doesn't have kill notifications or such (as far as I know?) so more often than not an enemy's killer is ambiguous.

It's nice to know if ever I want to do more, there's a lot more to do. But for now I'm very happy playing for spectacle, and planes and boats and tanks and logistics support all add to that!

I did a few different things in my recent play session:

Rifleman. Stand in trenches, watch for enemies, push forward occasionally. Sometimes scavenge an SMG or grenades and get a bit more aggressive. I prefer go out with a minimalist kit and scavenge, rather than just load-up greedily at base. Reuse and recycle! ♻️

One-man mortar team. I could tell I was being useful when using flares at night to light up the enemy. I could see each flare working. But when the flares ran out I had to use explosive rounds, and I couldn't swap back to binocs fast enough to see my shells landing. I had no idea if I was being effective, so I didn't keep that up for long.

Manual labour. See further below.

That's me, next to the bleed-out counter. I bet you're wondering how a Colonial Legionary like me wound up spilling vital fluids on a muddy road somewhere in a made-up European WW2 facsimile? Well you shouldn't be, I said just above I was playing Foxhole. Pay attention! (This was my last death of the play-session.)

Multicultural

Foxhole has only one "instance" at the moment, and it's worldwide. Because of my time zone I saw a lot of East Asian players (I think mostly from China) and Russian players. It was quite busy, and that's likely because of the new-expansion buzz. I suspect the game is bigger in EU and America so I will have to try play when they're on to see how busy and wild it can get.

Yep. A big bump in players. Foxhole's doing well though... if SteamDB is to be believed this 9 Feb bump is the most concurrent players ever.

Now I'm a Foxhole novice, and I'm bad at high-reaction twitch-gaming generally. So take my opinion with a pinch of salt. But Foxhole doesn't suffer too badly from latency. Sure, you can see and notice it. But it didn't ruin my experience. As an Australian gamer, this is fantastic. We'll see if I change my mind on this with further play.

This Russian gent commandeered my services when I respawned in base. Calling me by name, he said, "grab a shovel and come with me". So I did, and I shovelled away for a bit. I had no idea what they were building. I wandered off when there they didn't supply more things for me to shovel at.

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist – 9 Feb 2026

From last week:

❌ VR gaming.

✅ Finish my current book. I reviewed it, too. (And pictured above: two more characters from both book and game.)

❌ Play some game that is single-player and isn’t Songs of Syx.

It's nice to knock at least one thing off the list. 😥 A little progress is better than none.

For this week:

⏹️ Foxhole. That expansion should be out, it should be a good time to play.

⏹️ Play some game that is single-player and isn’t Songs of Syx.

⏹️ VR gaming. I want to keep this on the list. I saw a video about Blades and Sorcery recently and it's come a long way since I last looked at it!

[deck16]

Freetime Checklist – 2 Feb 2026

From last week:

❌ VR gaming.

❌ Foxhole.

✅ Book reading.

Some progress is good progress!

This week's plans:

⏹️ VR gaming. I'll get to it eventually. I'm just a little nervous as my computer has been experiencing occasional overheats.

⏹️ Finish my current book. After the effort this week, I've only 75 pages to go.

🚫 Foxhole. The new Airborne patch is coming out Feb 9... surely that's a better time to play. It's off the list for now.

⏹️ Play some game that is single-player and isn't Songs of Syx.

Read on for my thoughts on the things I did do.

Ghosts of Ascalon

I'm reading Ghosts of Ascalon. I'll probably post a little review when done, so I won't get too deep into thoughts.

Why did I choose that book? It's not exactly regarded as peak literature or fiction. It is true I am a fan of the Guild Wars series; but that's just part of it.

I'm also have this occasional yet morbid fascination with:

Odd spin-off fiction.

Very mediocre and obscure fantasy.

Is it very mediocre? Yes, but it's mediocre in a decent way, not a dull way. It's "fine".

One fun thing about reading fiction from a broader setting is recognising the people, places, and things. The screenshot above is an example: I read about that very location in the novel and thought, "hang on, I remember a place like that". So I went there and took the screenshot above.

On reading the Wiki, I see that it's actually somewhere I must've been to more than just look at (I've looked at everything); I needed to go there as part of making my only decent weapon, the poor man's Ascended weapon Caladbolg.

It's also a stone's throw away from a Sentinel fortress I used in my Guild Wars Pathfinder campaign.

It's borderline member berries stuff but I do enjoy when things tie in like that.

I'm up to 1,400 citizens in my Songs of Syx game. Not exactly a diverse population, though...

Songs of Syx

Yeah, this game tickles my neurons. I've spent a good amount of time playing it.

It is a game that captures the duelling phenomena of economies of scale and diseconomies of scale.

In your quaint starting village of 20 people you really just need everyone to work on getting food and building homes. That's all you need.

When you get into the thousands of people, you need people being doctors, janitors, guards, soldiers, carpenters, diplomats, and so on. Fewer and fewer people -- proportionally -- can work on farms. But you do start to get productivity boosts like tools and nobility to offset this. I've not quite seen any other game like this capture that particular aspect so well.

In Dwarf Fortress nobility are a burden. In Songs of Syx they are peak civil servant overseers who provide massive multiplicative boosts to industry. I mean, look at them; some of them have gotten their faces (and presumably hands) dirty.

But judging by the city-size progression track, cities can get into the tens of thousands. So I'll see how I eventually handle that!