Hiatus Time is (Almost) Over!

*insert crickets chirping here*

Yeah, it’s getting close to that time, so I figured it’d be best if I make a quick housekeeping post to announce it.  I’ve been holding Cross-Up down this winter with one-a-week posts, compared to the usual two, as per the hiatus -- one that I went on to finish writing a novel.  The progress on that is…going to take some explaining, but to put it simply?  Assuming everything goes well, I’ll be done with the lion’s share of the work before the end of the month.  Or maybe by the end of the month.  That’s a big assumption, though.  I’ve had three separate IRL interruptions in this day alone, so anything (awful) could happen.

Some days I wonder if it’s because I’m secretly a font of chaos and calamity.  It’s possible.  Check back with me three Thursdays from now; those seem to be my unluckiest days.  Not Mondays, for whatever reason.

There is a part of me that’s tempted to make the one-a-week posts permanent, because -- like I said -- I’ll be done with the lion’s share of the work, not all of the work.  There’s still a long road ahead, and if anyone else was in my situation?  I wouldn’t blame them for ditching a blog for 100% focus on an outside project.  On the other hand?  Me doing one-a-week posts doesn’t give me the chance I need to go into every subject (game or otherwise) within a viable time frame.  I wanted to do one on the BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle DLC kerfuffle -- because how dare they put half of Team RWBY behind a paywall -- but I got locked out.  So here I am.

I have plans for what I want to do with the blog from here on.  Part of that means giving it a much-needed visual upgrade.  I’ve put it off and put it off, but once I get this writing thing done, I’ll be able to create some new art assets.  There was something different I wanted to do vis a vis that aspect, but for now I think I’d better keep it simple.  As you know, 2D art still has its place in the world.

And since this is (basically(?)) a gaming blog, it’s only natural for me to talk about more games.  I’ve got some surprising, unexpected newcomers on that front, so you can look forward to that at some point.  More Dragon Ball FighterZ stuff is on the way, for sure -- possibly Story Mode stuff, I haven’t decided yet -- but assuming I can actually make a character whose face I like, then there might be Monster Hunter World stuff, too.  Plus at some point it’ll be time for me to deploy an ongoing series I’ve mulled over for, like, half a year at least.

But with all that in mind?  I think one of the biggest reasons I want to get back into full blogging swing is because of the worst reason possible.  I’d like to think that what sets me apart from a lot of other online critics, analysts, essayists, bloggers, and the like -- shut up, I’m legit too -- is that I prefer to focus on positive stuff than dump all over negative stuff.  I would rather not rage, but gush.  I know that’s the most backwards, hypocritical thing I’ve ever typed, because I mostly got started through a personal vendetta with Final Fantasy, but sometimes rage and disgust and revenge are unavoidable.

And, sadly, this is one of those times.

If ever there was a candidate for a Let’s Discuss series, it’d be Xenoblade Chronicles 2.  Why?  Obviously, because I’m a fan of the Xenoblade games; both XC1 and XCX qualify as Hall-of-Famers in my eyes (though XCX just slightly edges its predecessor out).  XC2 does not qualify.  It is, by leaps and bounds, one of the most disappointing games I’ve ever played.  Not the worst, games, mind you.  But the most disappointing.  If FF Type-0 is a train wreck (and it is), then XC2 is more like a hot air balloon deflating -- negligible at first, but the longer it goes on, the worse it gets until you’re covered in yards of chilled fabric.

I’ve fallen asleep while playing it.  I’ve sighed despondently while playing it.  I’ve groaned internally while playing it.  I’ve screamed in abject fury (in my head, of course, because I didn’t want to make my dogs go crazy) while playing it.  I’m at a point where, presumably, I could walk through one last set of doors and take on the final boss after some 80 hours of gameplay.  But there’s a part of me that can’t be arsed to do it.  It probably has something to do with the fact that there’s a sequence of cutscenes late in the game that break everything so thoroughly and utterly, I could write an entire post on how bad it is.  I absolutely could.

…But remember, this is supposed to be a bright and happy place.

And that’s about where I stand.  Look forward to some more Dragon Ball FighterZ posts in the immediate future (or one, at least), and finally the continuation of the Kamen Rider Ex-Aid posts.  After that?  If all goes well, I’ll be able to get back to blogging with my full attention.  There’s a lot that needs to be written, and I’m the only one crazy enough to do it.

Just as well, though.  Everyone needs a hobby.  Thanks for reading, and…man, I still have a lot of training I need to do in FighterZ.  I’ve been letting Frieza players get away with too many shenanigans.  I need to shut them down.

That’s a good way to do it.  God bless you, Android 16.