I know, a new post, first since March of 2023, other than updates to my General Wishlist post, it’s been a while.

I have cross posted most of this in Lots of Different Feedback – Character Selection, On Death and Other Mechanics, and Many Others on the PoE 2 forums. Also note, for those who don’t know, GGG refers to Grinding Gear Games, the company in New Zealand, who makes Path of Exile.

So I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Path of Exile 2. Path of Exile was long one of my favorite games. I have been on the forums at least since 2012, though not sure when I first started playing as I’ve generally deleted most of my characters once they moved to standard from a league. I do remember I quickly bounced as it was too complicated for me at the time. Eventually with the help of some build guides, I did eventually get to the end game. I’ve never made it too far in the end game, back in the day I’d get to one or two of the main bosses in the corners of the atlas, then now, basically the same point, early red maps where I run out of the ability to progress further. Always with a build guide though, and at that point, it’s usually gear that I’m lacking in, and skill I’m sure. And while I play in trade leagues, I am fairly solo self found in trade. 

With PoE 2, I am once again going mostly without a build guide. Trying to understand it myself. So we’ll see how it goes. As I write this, I have finished Act 3, and started Act 1 Cruel (EDIT, time played to about 30 minutes into Act 1 Cruel was 1 day, 15 hours, 10 minutes, 26 seconds, 121 deaths, and killed 24,562 monsters). So not in the endgame maps yet, and some of the thoughts on end game are based on what I’ve seen so far. The rest is more or less based on what I’ve experienced so far in the game. EDIT 9 January 2024, I’m in the End Game, Maps now. Total play time before that was 2 days, 16 hours, 29 minutes and 5 seconds, I died 236 times, and killed 43,107 monsters. So about 40 hours first 3 acts, 24 for the second 3…

I’ve been playing the game off and on, on my Twitch channel, and uploading the highlight (basically the whole stream) to my YouTube.

I got to say that I love WASD for movement. That is perhaps one of PoE 2’s greatest achievements. While I haven’t tried controller support, I hear, aside from a few menu related things, and chat, it is an amazing achievement itself too. So bravo on that. It is one of the game’s best features. I do wish it had a Grim Dawn like ability to spin the camera, which would have been the chef’s kiss in terms of movement and looking around. 

I also enjoyed the campaign. It took me 1 Day, 15 hours, 10 minutes through the first 3 acts and to get to Act 1 Cruel. That’s with learning things, trying things on my own, and exploring nearly every nook and cranny. Probably would be closer to 20 to 30 on a normal run. If Act 4 to 6 take about the same length of time, I’m good. I don’t think we should listen to those who are complaining about the campaign length. It takes me a fairly good time to get through the campaign in regular PoE, certainly not as long, but a lot of that is experience with the game, and not exploring as much as I have with this character in the game.

Before buying things here myself, money would be used to be ready for any potential financial emergencies, such as car or home repairs, and especially for paying things off, etc., basically savings, then the items below. But if one wants, money can be given via PayPal and credit card donations can be made here, though there is a fee (not sure the percentage), (also generally 10% of all donations I get there I give to The Trevor Project (suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQIA+ youth). While cash may be more appreciated than the stuff below, I know people think cash is impersonal, so that’s what the list below is for.

Also, as this is mostly health related, I’ve got My Potential Supplements page where I talk about what I might take to make up for a poor diet.

As most of this is for my fitness wishes, so here’s my Strava profile, so when, if, I get this stuff, one can see how I do. I also believe this is my Zwift profile.

Primary Wants

Some of the below are on this Amazon wish list, though many of the cheaper more preferred choices, such as the cheaper bike trainer (even the Wahoo trainer on there doesn’t come with a year of Zwift like the ones direct from Zwift or Wahoo do), aren’t available from Amazon. However, to make it easier on some people, I put on the Amazon list what I could.

These items are mostly for my bike, a bike computer, a new watch (mine is fairly old, and the battery is draining somewhat fast), and a smart direct drive bike trainer. As of May 2024, the power meter pedals, the best way to train without a smart trainer, and has the advantage of being used outdoors, was moved up to the Primary Wants section, along with shoes that could then be used on it, as you can’t use regular shoes with it.

The smart bike trainer would come right after a new watch, but space issues is what pushes that down. Ideally, I’d use it on my computer, because to use it outside the main living space, I’d need to have a new iPad, gaming level laptop, or 32″ TV and an Apple TV (more details below, but the TV and Apple TV are probably the cheapest option after using the computer I already have indoors). Using it outside also steps up the fan requirement to be better than what I have at the moment. Like I’d probably use it near daily if I could use it on the computer, with Zwift becoming my most “played game” or used app, whatever one would want to call it. Trying to use it on an iPad or laptop outside the house’s Wi-Fi makes things complicated. Because of the likelihood of needing to use it away from the computer, the iPad section has been moved up to Primary wants, and that makes it far more portable, can use it at work, whatever, where the 32″ TV and Apple TV idea keep it limited to the patio (like I’m not carrying a 32″ TV and the Apple TV to a remote location, lol).

A New Smart Watch

My watch is getting out of date in terms of fitness tracking. It can’t track lots of activities that the newer watches can, like climbing, and doesn’t track running dynamics. Also it’s GPS is nowhere near as good as the ones here. It’s an older Garmin Venu, and the Venu 2 came out in 2021, with then on the Venu 3 out now, so an idea of how out of date it is. The Venu is more an semi entry level fitness watch than a sports watch. So the idea is to upgrade to a proper sports watch. Plus my Venu is starting to drain a bit too fast. It is still better than say an Apple Watch, but bad for a Garmin.

The “cheaper” of the new watches I want is a Garmin Forerunner 965 ($599.99). Black band or yellow band… though really, the yellow band really kicks it up. This is what I’d probably go for, even if I had the money for the Epic Pro (gen2) below, because that extra money could go for other items on the list.

While that is the more “reasonably priced” option. Going up to $899 (for the regular Gorilla glass), or $999 (for Sapphire crystal and Titanium case), one gets the brand new Garmin Epix Pro (gen2). The Epix Pro (gen2) has far more features, far more accuracy (both GPS, and fitness), and has ECG ability, though that’s more for detecting heart attacks, which while helpful, isn’t a mandatory feature yet. Like this watch is beyond amazing, and I want it as my main watch choice, but is it really $300 better than the Forerunner 965? Probably not.

Bike Computer for Bike

Okay, as of 11 June 2023, I moved the bike computer way up, as it would help a lot navigating routes when not with a group. Also I need a way of seeing my heart rate, cadence, speed, incline, and the like. For the moment, I have an app on my phone that can show most of these metrics, I just have to keep waking the phone up and unlocking it to see them. Also even though I’ve got a new phone, the battery doesn’t last as long as a dedicated bike computer below, which can go days before I’d need to recharge them. Really though, this is after the trainer, and probably after the power meter pedals below, where it becomes nearly needed.

EDIT: In July, Garmin released the Garmin Edge 1050 ($699.99), which would be my number one choice, but it isn’t on Amazon last I checked.

The Garmin Edge 840 ($449.99) is the main choice. There is a Garmin Edge 840 Solar ($549.99) that does extend the battery some, but probably not $100 more battery for my area. Like for the price of the solar 840, I could get the 1040. Like the Garmin Edge 1040 ($599.99 or $749.99 for the solar version) would be better, especially the solar version, but again, at what I’ll be doing and using it for, the 840 is the sweet spot… The Garmin Edge 540 ($349.99), which lacks a touch screen, has half the memory than the 840, and you can’t put in an address to route yourself somewhere, would be a distant choice. So the choice order basically is, 1040 Solar, 1040, 840 Solar (though again, for that much may as well get the 1040 non-solar), 840 (the sweet spot in price/performance), 540 (where the solar version isn’t worth it, but the 840 is much preferred).

Smart Trainer for Bike

So one of the main reasons I wanted a bike period, is to use Zwift, TrainerRoad, or other similar apps (more on those later). So it’d be number one on this list, but space to use it is why it’s down here. Plus to use it anywhere I can’t see the computer, means an iPad, gaming level laptop, Apple TV and a new TV, or something along those lines.

The Jell-O Brand Instant Chocolate Pudding used to come with a recipe for pie. It still says on the box, pudding and pie filling. But the box only includes the pudding recipe, not the pie one which cuts the milk.

I can’t even find the recipe on their website. They got variations of it, with Cool Whip, and Peanut Butter, etc, but not the old basic one for just the basic chocolate pudding pie.

After some searching I found this:

Directions
5 min. Pudding Directions: 2 cups of milk. Beat pudding mix and 2 cups cold milk with whisk 2 min. Pudding will be soft-set in 5 min. Makes 4 (1/2-cup) servings. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Classic pudding pie: Makes 8 servings. Prepare as directed for pudding, reducing milk to 1-3/4 cups. (For fuller pie, use 2 pkg. [3.9 oz each] and 2-3/4 cups milk). Pour at once into Honey Maid Graham pie crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (3 hours for fuller pie) or until set. Top each serving with 2 Tbsp cool whip whipped topping. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Why that can’t be printed on the box anymore, I don’t know…

So I got to play a bit of the Ashes of Creation alpha, an upcoming open world MMORPG. The eventual promise of the game, is that every action you take, can impact the world. You can help build a settlement into a city. It’s sort of EVE Online, but in a fantasy roll playing world, and perhaps not as complex… we’ll see.

To be fair, I generally don’t care for full PvP, open world MMORPGs, I prefer my games to be more theme park, like Final Fantasy XIV, which is a super great MMORPG, that I enjoy thoroughly, and I only use the Demo version of so far… World of Warcraft lost me a long time ago, long before the current player base drift.

As I try to get myself more fit, I’ve created a Fitness Wishlist Page that goes over the stuff I could use to help me get to that end.

While I haven’t been posting much here, I have been streaming off and on, on my Twitch channel. So please be sure to check the stream out, and old VODs…
Potentially coming soon, with the proper fitness equipment, will be more YouTube content related to me trying to get fit.

First, I’m not going to be answering that question, I’m asking it, and arguing why it should have been on the Solstice (when being setup, not now), and not some random day after. This isn’t some cute way of raising the question then providing the answer, such as “why is it dark at night?” Which while it may seem a clear answer, we’re on the shaded side of the Earth from the Sun. But given the number of starts out there, that every spot you look at has tons of galaxies, even in the gap of stars, the night sky should at worst look like the Milky Way all over the place, to being even a bit brighter, even on a night with no moon overhead. There would still be night, it would still be “dark”, but it should be brighter than it is. There is of course a rather simple answer, and I’ll let you go about exploring that on your own.

This is just a simple question of why didn’t the Gregorian Calendar set January 1st on the Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice? Why some random date 11 days later? Continue reading Why Isn’t January 1st on the Solstice? →