Draw Something Every Day

I just completed the first week of a personal goal of drawing something every day. Six of these were from following the twitter @pixel_dailies and making something with their daily theme (Mario brothers, training, nathan drake, lantern, inn).

Trying to get better, and I figure drawing every single day, even if it's something small and crappy will improve my art at least a little.

I think I've located what's missing in my life

I've read a poem that I can't get out of my head.

You have to be always drunk. That’s all there is to it—it’s the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk.

But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk.

And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch, in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again, drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is singing, everything that is speaking. . .ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: “It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.”

It's really sticking in my mind lately. I've found it describes a lot of what I've been feeling and a lot of what I feel has been missing. I lack purpose and passion, the kids are fantastic but no matter how much I try I cannot seem to do much besides what keeps us comfortable. Everyday I go to work, I come home, I cook and hang out with my family. It's what is supposed to make me happy right? Right?! I have no cause for complain, there isn't any outside pressure on my life, I've taken all the steps I needed to make sure my family is warm and never hungry, I've gotten more than my fair share of luck with friends and jobs.

But I just feel, empty. I feel like someone who's watching a movie of my life instead of actually experiencing it. I need to re-find my passion. I need to draw and create again. It's been far too long since I've danced, or learned something completely new, and I can't even remember the last time I was scared.

Maybe this is what life is in your 30's? I refuse to accept that though, it can't be this colorless life. I need to get drunk on life again.

Roguelites from the past

I've been a long time fan of the roguelike genre ever since I found nethack, a fantastic game built around exploring and risk assessment.



Played off and on for years before branching out to DCSS, umoria, and many others that I've forgotten. What makes a roguelike has always been a loose definition with quite a few passionate debates coming up when a game is presented as a "roguelike" with the inevitable "that's not a roguelike" comment added on in short order.

The basics of the argument is some people think certain features in a game make it a roguelike, while others say it has to have the "feel" of the original rogue game. Whichever camp you land on the rush of newer games like Rogue Legacy and FTL which fit most of the requirements started being called the grayer term "Roguelites" in order to quell the endless forum arguments of what should be called a roguelike or not.

While this seems to be a good descriptor going forward, it also got me thinking of games in the past, games that would have been called a "roguelite" had the term been around at the time. For my personal definition I need:

Randomly or procedurally generated gameworld
Permadeath
Customizable main character (or characters)
Player choice (optional risk)

The Oregon Trail

Probably the first roguelite everyone in primary school during the 90 played. You create and customize your party, select your supplies and get moving. While it certainly didn't have the standard overhead movement aspect of roguelikes it had pretty much everything else. Procedurally generated "world" with hazards like wheels breaking or rivers and choices to go with those hazards. lots of risk assessment (do I bring extra wagon wheels or more ammo for hunting?). And permadeath is probably what most people remember about the game.

Lufia II (gift mode)

I bet you're thinking "Lufia II the classic RPG? That clearly wasn't a roguelite CowFu." But there was a game within Lufia II called "gift mode" where you only played the Ancient Cave, a mode with randomly generated levels, permadeath, and a customizable party. With a ton of risk assessment for skipping enemies and going deeper or trying for some easier EXP. Lots of tactical thinking, and honestly comes close to a true Roguelike in my humble opinion.

I'm sure there are many others that I'm just not seeing, but if nothing else it's fun to think about how long these game mechanics have been around, and I'm excited to see what future developers can come up with. 

Quick Cthulhu pixel art

I think it'd look pretty classy as a cross stitch.