I’ve just (mere minutes ago at the time of writing) finished my very first playthrough of chapters one and two of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. I’d like to share some insights and my two cents. Not only that, but I’ll do my darnedest to keep it spoiler-free; for those who don’t want to know anything, come back later. #SecretsOfCaledon

Shut Up and Take My Money?!

Let’s write “some words” until we get into the territory that some may consider the slightest bit spoilery and talk about money. The mere existence of this post proves it: I paid top dollar for the right to play the game early, get some outfits, and a cat. In case you didn’t know, there are three versions:

1. The basic edition - Includes a basic set of outfits and the full game.
2. The deluxe edition - Includes more outfits, but other than that, it’s just the basic edition.
3. The ultimate edition - Includes all the stuff from the previous editions, even more outfits, some “Cat Content” (Max owns a cat), and most significantly, the privilege to play two weeks early.
4. The collectors' edition - Includes trinkets, the soundtrack on vinyl, and the cute owl pin Max wears.

You may ask yourself, didn’t you say three editions? You are correct. The collectors’ edition doesn’t include the game, but let’s get back on track. Which edition should you buy? Assuming you aren’t an enormous fan and want to play right now before anyone can write up a guide (guilty as charged — but damn, are those guide writers fast) or you just can’t wait: buy the basic edition. Everything else is stupid (again, guilty as charged). The additional outfits surely aren’t worth about €30 (should be the same in USD), and the cat can only take you so far. It’s a shame; it’s almost normal to give advanced access to a game and charge extra for it. Day one bugs and all.

Going to the Tech Repair Shop

Nope, I won’t talk about Chloe yet. We just bought the game; now we still need to get it running and talk about the technical aspects. In general, I can report that the game is running smoothly. Even my ancient hardware (GTX 1070ti and a CPU of about 7 or 8 years old) is able to drive the game at a rock-solid 30 fps on medium settings. Medium settings actually look quite good in my eyes, so no fear of potato gaming — all around a pleasant experience. I did stumble into one bug, and oh boy, it was a big one. In the beginning of chapter two, in the scene where you visit the bathroom (you’ll know what I mean once you play), the game crashed, crashed, and crashed again, no matter what I tried. Different graphics settings? Crashed. Different rendering API? Crashed. Thankfully, after one astonishingly quick exchange with Square Enix Support, they provided me with a workaround, and I was finally able to game on. In case you hit the same problem: toggle “Simple Power Effects” to “On” in the Accessibility settings and try again. It solved it for me.

But What About Chloe?

I promised not to spoil anything, didn’t I? No Chloe talk for now. I may not be so kind once I write a full review. What I can discuss is everything else within bounds. The main location, Caledon University, is incredibly beautiful and incredibly detailed. It actually feels like a campus where art and science meet. Even the art on display — I’m curious who created it — is nice to look at. (I hesitate to say “great,” but that’s just because I’m no artist, after all.) All characters you interact with are filled with life and have actual personalities. Everyone else, on the other hand, is awfully silent. The NPCs are doing things, small things, but it’s a far cry from Hogwarts in Hogwarts Legacy. Double Exposure has its strengths elsewhere: it’s the storytelling. I was actually hooked on what comes next and who may be the culprit. I was close to crying myself; the hurt Chloe, Moses, and the other characters in the main cast experienced over the loss of Safiya Llewellyn-Fayyad (what a name!) was so palpable. And then there’s the cliffhanger at the end of chapter two. Chef’s kiss! (Don’t look it up. Trust me, you don’t want to. It’s a reveal on the level of “Luke, I’m your father.”)

Conclusion Time

If you’re still on the fence about which edition to grab, stick to the basic version unless you’re an absolute die-hard fan. As for Max and the rest of the gang, they’ve certainly set the stage for a hella exciting continuation. I can’t wait to dive deeper into their world and uncover more secrets. #SecretsOfCaledon

Winter is a time of tea, hot chocolate, candles, snugly blankets and for some the exchange of gifts. So, why not do a Christmas gift exchange? Simple. Not everyone celebrates Christmas and even those who do, do not all like it. The result is this, a wintery gift exchange just for the cause of being nice to people and having the honor to share a bit of light and joy with another human in times of stress and potentially darkness.

How to take part:

1. Respond to this post on Mastodon, by sharing your interests.
2. Submit your address through the linked form. (At the end of the thread mentioned above) Rest assured, I’ll use it solely for this exchange and delete it after.
3. Following the registration deadline, I’ll pair participants and share the matches via Mastodon.
4. Now it’s time for you to create or purchase something wonderful for your match and send it out before the specified deadline.
5. Please provide a quick update or evidence that you’re actively preparing your gift to me.
6. Once completed, share the shipping tracking code (or a photo of the delivered package) with me to ensure no one is left empty-handed.
7. Anticipate receiving your gift soon via mail.

Additional points to note:

1. Keep the value of the gift around or below €20. Be considerate, exceeding this limit by a small amount is acceptable, but items worth more should be avoided.
2. If you’re short on ideas, aim for something heartwarming, cozy, or with a compelling story.
3. Ensure the gift is appropriate; avoid items like handcuffs or explicit material. ;)
4. Non-perishable food items are acceptable, but please declare ingredients for those food gifts.
5. Signing the gift is optional, maintaining the “secret” aspect of the exchange.
6. Refrain from discussing your gift until after December 31st, especially if you’re the creator or purchaser. We want to preserve the element of surprise for everyone, don’t we?. Post all you want after the deadline passes, or you received your package.
7. This exchange operates on trust. I reserve the right to exclude participants who breach this trust.
8. Contact me exclusively via PM on this Mastodon account or email (with “Wintery Secret Gift Exchange” in the subject line) regarding this exchange for smoother communication.

Deadlines:

1. Registration closes on November 19th.
2. Share proof of progress by December 3rd (such as an invoice snapshot or a photo of your project).
3. Submit your shipping receipt/tracking code/photo by December 10th.
4. Aim to deliver the package before the year-end or early January.

Remember, unexpected issues might arise. If you foresee difficulties meeting the deadlines, communicate with me. I’m willing to assist in relaying messages in case of delays, ensuring the recipient is informed about any hold-ups.

Photo Credit: Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

On the 6th of May 2023 a Twitter user who calls himself bigolas dickolas tweeted the following, encouraging his followers to stop what they’re doing and pick up a copy of “This Is How You Lose The Timewar”. As so often with social media trends, I can’t say if and how much I contributed to the (at the time of writing) 17.7 million impressions the tweet got, but what is certain, is the fact, that the stunning cover of the book appeared a lot more often in my social peripheral vision and reminded me about the already dusty copy of the book, which just sat on my shelf.

read this. DO NOT look up anything about it. just read it. it's only like 200 pages u can download it on audible it's only like four hours. do it right now i'm very extremely serious. pic.twitter.com/Pzb2FWvFlg

— bigolas dickolas woIfwood (@maskofbun) May 7, 2023

Now, a couple of days later, I have given my copy a good dusting and have already finished reading. So, what do I think about it? It’s not that simple.

First things first. What is it actually about? The setting is the year 1950, 1601, 1409312 and maybe even -100231204. The main protagonists are agents of opposing organizations from a future so advanced, they can travel through time and have the habit of using this capability to subtly influence the past and future to suite their needs in the time war. Each chapter of the book can roughly be split in two: One half contains a bouquet of situational depictions from the point of view of Red or Blue (the aforementioned agents), the other half contains letters written from one to the other.

Can we now talk about what I think? Still: No. I first have to tell you, what the story isn’t.

The story about Red or Blue isn’t a very hard Science Fiction story, which explains the rules of the fictional universe or even how they travel through time, besides the fact, that they use the “each decision leads to multiple parallel strands of future” model. It is also not an easy read if you’re not used to complex prose. Let me give you an example out of context:

I have been birds and branches. I have been bees and wolves. I have been ether flooding the void between stars, tangling their breath into networks of song. I have been fish and plankton and humus, and all these have been me. But while I’ve been enmeshed in this ­wholeness—they are not the whole of me.

Now the time has come for me to write about what I think about the words that lay so beautifully displayed before me. In the grand scope of things, the story wasn’t anything totally new or overly complex. How complex could it have been, after all it’s only slightly above 200 pages, but those pages overflow with the most beautiful writing. It honestly feels like the author, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, were totally free to express their story without limits and - in opposition to my small attempt at the beginning of this paragraph - they totally succeeded. They used the prose to elegantly characterize the two protagonists of the story. It’s clearly distinguishable which one of them comes from a “clean” or “sciency” background and who is closer to nature. I have to be honest: In the beginning I was very confused about what’s happening, but in the end, the emotions totally hit.

Conclusion: I have to give it 8 out of 10 stars in general and 9.5 out of 10 stars as a book of its genre. The two general stars were deducted, as it certainly isn’t a book for everyone. Otherwise: Try it. It’s short and if it’s for you, you will be greatly rewarded. Oh. And to use the words of bigolas dickolas: Don’t let yourself be spoiled more than I already did to you. I’m very, extremely serious. ;)

Working on my first eventually public facing writing project with a close friend where we don’t have any control over who might stumble upon it. It’s freaking scary! As someone who works in boring software by day, it is unknown to me: How do you NOT talk about the project for months with anyone??

On one side, I recognize the need for discussion and solutions to around proper credit and consent to the authors, whose material was fed into it. On the other site: #ChatGPT just provided me with an awesome character concept for my next, private game of #VampireTheMasquerade #vamily

Aria - a young woman born to a noble family of vampire hunters in the 17th century and sired as a 10th generation member of clan Tremere who today hides as a young Neonate, to protect herself and her lover. She still hunts vampires, but now under the guise of the upper echelon of the Camarilla and their Justicars.

I’m not sure if I would use this method for a publicly streamed game, a book I’m would be planning to sell or any other commercial / public work, but it seems to be an awesome kickoff point for a private game with friends.