What a ride it's been - Moonstone, DarkSouls3 & other updates

Greetings friends!

Yes I know it's been a while since I posted anything, giving you all about a 2 or so week gap of no information.

I know what you're thinking: "how will we know what is going on in your life if you don't share ever minute detail?"
- I mean that's how social media works, right?

Jason Voorhees has made himself a sandwich and is gearing up for Summer Vacation!

No? Anyway...

I wanted to give you all a quick update. To tell you that much like GLADoS I am very much still alive!

I've also been on a bit of a holiday myself. My todo list is huge. Need to update the live copy of Override, print and build some Moonstone terrain and get all the play materials ready for that. But for the past few weeks, I've done almost nothing!

I spent a few days in London with @tehtri where we sampled the best that Camden had to offer.

I spent many hours lazing in front of the TV.

I ate a lot of different types of chicken.

I went to Salute where I got to meet a lot of great people.

I pledged to the Mythos Kickstarter campaign.

I also built and assembled yet more Moonstone proxies.

Now I have the following Dominion Troupe:


Seasick Steve, Boulder, Swiggarty Swooty.
Crusty, Grub, McBoom, Mortician, Viscous Midget.
El Capitano, Beaky Bobby

Then I had fun creating a starter troupe for the Commonwealth!


The Librarian/Quack, Gutchgot, Flintlock.
Gertrude the Faerie Hunter, Eric(a) the Squire.
Baron Van Fancyhat

These were 'finished' on Wednesday with last touches and photos yesterday.

Now by 'finished' I mean 'not bare materials'. In their current form I'm happy to use them as model pieces, but will be giving a full paint job over the next few weeks.

I've also been spending far too many hours playing Dark Souls 3 on my PC. After downing about 5 bosses, I had to delete my save file as it appeared to be caught up with the recent 'corruption' sweeps, so I've had to start from scratch, but it is very very interesting to see how it plays a second time around.

You see, once you have very quickly been told the basics in movement and combat, you are thrown against your first boss. A weird knight dude who seems to infected by the Ouroboros virus from ResEvil. At this point in the game you have no way in upgrading your character. You can't buy any new armour or weapons and you can't visit a trainer to increase your stats. All of this requires access to a Bonfire, and the first Bonfire is (you guessed it) gated behind this first boss.

So the first time I played this boss, I must have fought him going on 15-30 times. Over and over dying repeatedly until I learned every move he did, what every animation looked like. So when it came to him taking a single step forward I instinctively knew exactly what he was going to do, and the angle he was going to do it, so that when the damaging blow landed, I wouldn't be there but instead at a nearby flank ready to 'stabby-stabby' him.

Roll on another 10 hours of game time, almost 2 weeks in real time, and I'm back there fighting this boss again. He's smacked me around, but I'm on my first attempt still. My health potion is empty, and he's on 1/4 health.

I've slung my shield onto my back allowing me to grip my long sword with 2 hands for stronger damage and we're dancing around each other. With one arm he swings his polearm towards my right side, with a massive snake like arm he swings in from the left. From both sides I have incoming damage, but I saw it coming - the recognisable stance that designates this bosses twin-swing attack. I know that if I'm caught in the middle I'll be dead for sure, but I'm not standing still waiting for the attack to come, I've dived forward, in a single roll dodging under his polearm and landing on my feet at his now exposed left flank. I grab my sword tight and stabby-stabby he has but a sliver of health left, before he rights himself and slams his snake-arm ontop of me. I have already rolled, but just a bit too late and my health is cut to a sliver itself. I know that whoever gets the next hit in wins. I dodge forward and lunge, my thrust piercing his armour. He falls while I stand triumphant, the upgrade hub awaiting me ahead.

So yeah... I'm loving this game!

- Your friendly neighbourhood Doctor Loxley