iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 15/01/2024

Trying out Bleak Sword DX, a little action combat focused game with an incredible retro-diorama aesthetic. Not very far yet but enamored with its presentation.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 14/01/2024

Today packed up a lot of my retro games and stuff from closets. Def getting too old for moving. It'll be fun to set up the retro games room (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, Saturn, etc. with my old CRT) once we get moved though!

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 12/01/2024

Break almost over… got one more daytime weekday brewery trip in with bonus Commander. Meanwhile has some great beers.

Magic cards on a wooden tabletop. This deck is the “Veloci-ramp-tor” precon.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 10/01/2024

filed under "songs I love but cannot listen to in public because I don't want to straight up ugly cry in the office/HEB/etc.": Plea from a Cat Named Virtute by the Weakerthans www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmkN...

youtube.com

Plea from a Cat Named Virtute

Provided to YouTube by EpitaphPlea from a Cat Named Virtute · The WeakerthansReconstruction Site℗ The Weakerthans. Under Exclusive License to Epitaph.Release...

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 10/01/2024

Belated birthday dinner; went to a favorite Japanese place. Couple of nigiri/rolls not pictured because I was too excited!

Shishamo, striped bass and salmon ceviche, chicken kara-age

Matcha cheesecake and a yuzu crème brûlée

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 09/01/2024

We have a bunch of themed tabtletop game playlists with music from all sorts of games, but when a track from Octopath Traveler comes on I always notice. What a killer soundtrack.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 07/01/2024

Cleaning the garage out today and finding a LOT of nostalgic stuff (personal and games related).

Tub full of large PC game boxes: Ultimate Doom, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Bladur’s Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast visible on top.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 06/01/2024

We made a really good beef noodle soup. Even better the second day! Mood improved.

Bowl of beef noodle soup with mushrooms, green onion, ginger, and sriracha. Sriracha and black vinegar nearby.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 06/01/2024

We see this fella on our walks all the time (and sometimes hear him). Good blue chicken.

A peacock hanging out on the roof of a white-bricked house against a grey sky.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 06/01/2024

Mine would be to build a MUD (fully text and all) from the ground up, all the systems and world-building and everything.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 05/01/2024

Been working on and off for a while cutting Commander pre-cons down into “Brawl” versions. A few of the decks are too politics-focused to work well, but it’s a fun exercise (and I can play with more decks without a pod).

Magic: the Gathering cards in piles on a table. From Galea, Kindler of Hope Commander pre-con deck.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 04/01/2024

Accidentally broke keys unlocking doors while refactoring things in my text game. Now I actually have things working right again (please be true). The thrills of game development? Sometimes progress really doesn't feel like it!

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 04/01/2024

Want to make a first person dungeon crawler set in a mall in the 80s that's slowly sinking into hell (but somehow make it not TOO Stranger Things).

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 04/01/2024

Two absolute powerhouses. Both demand a lot but give back exponentially (and tbh Qud even has difficulty modes now that let you see more of the game if you're not into permadeath).

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 03/01/2024

100% sign me up, relevant to my interests, etc.!

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 02/01/2024

More holiday break arcade action! I’m glad we still have a handful of them around.

Rows of arcade machines in an industrial-looking building with lots of natural light.

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Reposted by allison berryman

Dungeonbuster @dungeonbuster.bsky.social · 02/01/2024

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992) is a first-person RPG for MS-DOS by Blue Sky Productions. Blamed for the kidnapping of a baron's daughter, as the Avatar you must prove your innocence and rescue her from the depths of the Stygian Abyss... (a wrongfully imprisoned thread)

Thrown into the Stygian Abyss which has become a prison for tossing in undesirables, you must find the baron's missing daughter starting with little else other than the rags on your back.

The depths hold many dangers, some of them lurking in the water.

During your adventure, a number of NPCs living in this underground prison can be spoken to. Even the goblins that live there. Not everything is out to eat you!

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 01/01/2024

Spent a few hours updating input for my hobby game (now fully "press buttons" instead of "parse an actual string the player entered"). Started organizing rooms into areas and re-worked initializing rooms with their npcs etc. Slow going! Next maybe character create?

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 01/01/2024

ok I feel like 2023 must not have gotten off to the right start, so I'm going to make sure 2024 does

Screenshot from Morrowind intro: wooden boat interior, dark elf NPC Jiub informs the player they've arrived in Morrowind.

Screenshot from Morrowind: view of Seyda Neen, the player's arrival point, from the boat. Shoreline, town buildings, and a silt strider in the background. A guard awaits the player at the dock.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 01/01/2024

We played Flamecraft today; it's fun, easy to learn, quick, and (most importantly) is chock full of adorable little dragons doing jobs. Great game if you're looking for something light and have a love for cute little guys. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33...

Cute, colorful illustration of a café. A waiter holds a small dragon as it breathes fire onto a crème brûlée while a pink-haired witch in a red pointy hat looks on expectantly.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 31/12/2023

Snacks and mulled cider for board games!

Mulled cider in pot on stove with cinnamon sticks; caramel whisky and mugs in background.

Cheeses, salamis, olives, vegetables, pita chips and a variety of dips.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 30/12/2023

There are so many games but here I am replaying Disco Elysium, the perfect game. “Mother, help me, there’s a head attached to my neck and I’m *in* it.” Truest encapsulation of despair.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 30/12/2023

Nightmare grocery experience: got sent by employee to 15 or fewer lane when I had more because lines were getting long. Felt need to anxiously explain myself to everyone in earshot. Horrible!

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 29/12/2023

achievement unlocked: every possible ooze spawned.

Gloomhaven board game enemy card populated with ten dice representing oozes’ HP. Ooze action card describing oozes spawning additional oozes on their turn.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 29/12/2023

Time for margaritas and dungeon crawling - steady Gloomhaven progress!

Gloomhaven board game - minis on dungeon tiles next to a margarita in a mason jar.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 28/12/2023

I really like Cultic's presentation and it feels pretty good, but I think it might be a little too scary for me, a giant baby.

Screenshot from Cultic. Pixelated retro first person shooter. Character holding a lighter, view of a drawbridge in a narrow canyon, cloudy night sky in background.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 28/12/2023

Making carnitas today. Prepared for torment while the house smells amazing for 8 hours and I can’t eat them yet.

Slow cooker filled with pork, onion, garlic, orange, and seasonings.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 28/12/2023

Tonight’s “awake at 4AM” brought to you by “what is that campfire smell?” and “is it stronger outside? where is it coming from?”

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 28/12/2023

Finally getting around to playing Wargroove, but damn I don’t remember being this bad at Advance Wars. I have a really hard time moving on without 3-starring a map though…

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 27/12/2023

I love flipping through old issues of Dragon and Dungeon; what a trove of cool art and a window into TTRPG and game design history. The Internet Archive has them if you're curious (or nostalgic!): archive.org/details/Drag... archive.org/details/dung...

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 27/12/2023

Excited because my latest guitar lesson is teaching me how to play part of Wish You Were Here. Making progress against something recognizable (that I like) is really motivating, even if learning is slow going.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 26/12/2023

Turns out I have a lot in common with worm from Mobile Suit Baba...

Dialogue window from Mobile Suit Baba describing the worm unit: "They aren't very fast and have no special skill, but they try their best."

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 26/12/2023

Every time I have a real life challenge ahead (you know, serious stuff like having to call someone on the phone or clean up the kitchen), the O+S music still immediately starts playing in my head. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsps...

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Ornstein & Smough - Dark Souls Soundtrack

The Music of Dark SoulsComposer: Motoi SakurabaTrack #10This soundtrack comes with the Japanese Collector's Edition.All Dark Souls material belongs to From S...

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 26/12/2023

Got some really cool stuff this year. Gonna have to practice a lot before I can paint that tyranid guy, but nice to have an aspirational project! I love the alligator capo.

A Warhammer 40K Hive Tyrant, Phantasy Star IV diorama with sand worm battle, Themeberchaud red dragon ornament, alligator guitar capo, Monster Hunter World art book, and Pathfinder 2E Kingmaker adventure.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 26/12/2023

My mom got us these claws that are supposedly for tearing up meat like carnitas, but now I’m just running around the house with them pretending to be a bear.

Black plastic claws with a grip to put your hand through, similar to brass knuckles.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 24/12/2023

The illustrations and example materials in 50 Years of Text Games are great. There are early ads, code snippets, maps, and “screenshots” that add so much detail and context to the articles.

Code snippet in MDL from Zork, handling part of the Carousel Room.

Simple black and white line map of many rooms in an early version of Adventure.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 23/12/2023

Finished The Case of the Golden Idol; recommend it if you like deduction puzzles like Obra Dinn. Some of the DLC puzzles had almost too much going on, but the game was fun to solve.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 22/12/2023

It's not much, but I changed how exits function in my tiny text game! I have been slowly extending a Godot parser-based text adventure tutorial I followed; current challenge is making it button-based. Especially proud of my NPCs' periodic text barks, like a MUD might have!

Screenshot of a text adventure game. Describes rooms and the NPCs in them.

"Inn Hallway - The back hallway of the inn. From here, the din of the common room is muted, and you can smell tantalizing dishes being cooked up in the nearby kitchen."

"Back Patio - The back porch of the Wavy Noodle Inn. Wooden posts prop up the wide patio roof. Weathered benches, chairs, and tables provide ample space to relax away from the bustle of the town square. A sneaky little goblin is prowling around here. The innkeeper is here, taking a break. The innkeeper yawns."

Option buttons are "Enter the inn's back hall," "Talk to the innkeeper," and "Engage the enemies!"

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 22/12/2023

Kind of hate how getting reasonable sleep, getting up in the morning, and doing even a little exercise actually does make me feel better. I want to be a little goblin and stay up all night but also feel great >:|

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 21/12/2023

Reading about the early dungeon crawlers on PLATO terminals in 50 Years of Text Games. Wild to me that relatively complex, visual, multiplayer games existed as early as ‘75-‘76, all the way down to high level players camping lowbies.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 21/12/2023

Rounded out the day at the arcade, where we found no fewer than ten machines with credits already paid for. Felt like magic…

Modern Black Knight and Star Wars pinball machines

The Typing of the Dead cabinet complete with Japanese keyboard controllers

Twister (the movie) and Jurassic Park pinball machines

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 20/12/2023

Great day so far; had French dips at Hopfields and some beers at Lazarus. Hoping to visit a lot of breweries I don’t usually get to on break.

Two French dip sandwiches with pommels frites on a wooden table.

Upstairs at Lazarus Brewing, cozy stone fireplace and a couple beers on a coffee table on an old-looking rug. A Christmas model train runs along the mantle.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 20/12/2023

I can kind of play Heart of Gold now and I'm feeling pretty psyched about it, but I have no idea how anyone in the entire universe can play AND sing AND then also play the harmonica, wtf actually www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7eB...

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Neil Young - Heart of Gold (Official Audio)

Official audio for "Heart of Gold" from 'Harvest (50th Anniversary Edition)' Get it now at: https://NeilYoung.lnk.to/Harvest50thFor the full experience, visi...

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 20/12/2023

One of the in-game lorebooks I contributed to ESO was about the Sload. As a longtime Elder Scrolls fan, it was a huge bucketlist thing, tbh. I love writing those kinds of little glimpses into a game world.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 19/12/2023

Break means I finally have time for board games. One day we’ll finish a Gloomhaven campaign. Beem Suncrunch and Hilty Rumblyrocks assault the necromancer’s stronghold!

Gloomhaven board game set up - enemy cards, player stations, and a dungeon made of tiles with minis.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 19/12/2023

I like the Feeds feature here, but I don't know if there's a way to mash all the ones I watch into one giant chaos feed, which I'd like to do. Some of my favorites are Birds! 🦉, Moss 🟢, 🎧, and the Quiet Posters feed.

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 19/12/2023

Listening to some favorite music this morning to combat my brain being horrible. Spires Burn is probably my #1 favorite Elder track. Crush dumb brain under loud sound! beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com/album/spires...

beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com

Spires Burn/Release, by Elder

2 track album

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allison berryman @onwi.bsky.social · 18/12/2023

Checking out Against the Storm; only in the tutorial so far but seems very cool. Been itching for a city building game recently and this one even has lizard guys! Big fan of lizard guys.

Screenshot from Against the Storm, view of a stylized city in isometric view with information panels.

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