@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN That’s a great question, and I don’t know that I do anything special, personally. But I do have to read and write a lot at work (emails, presentations and proposals, evaluations, research, etc) and that naturally makes me have to work on it. I’m sometimes required to read scholarly articles mixed in as well, often as part of preparing for projects. I have to engage in some public speaking too, and so I’ve always felt that I lean toward conversational writing better than academic writing.
A small thing I like to do is follow a word-of-the-day to keep the vocabulary evolving. I’m not very good at it but I try to use the new word in some conversation or written discourse that day. Sometimes the word will stick and become part my daily lexicon, but usually not. Even if I get into the habit of using one new word a week, it’s more than I was using before, so it’s worth the effort.
I do think reading and writing tend to invigorate one another. The more one reads, the better they write and vice versa.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution Good point, and, after reading your reflections I think it's wise not to abandon Literature altogether, after all, because, as you say, the one often has a bearing on the other.
I've realised today that life, in many ways is like an RPG. You choose your identity, or it is shaped by those around you as well, you can customize your appearance, to a certain extent, you obtain currency or xp through your labours which you can spend on clothing and items i.e "armour" and "loot" and obtain mental tools or, if you will, psychological "weaponry" to help you survive and progress through life.
Now, from the ridiculous to the sublime. This is just a general comment, below, for anyone to read.
I think I have finally mastered jazz guitar, the secret, I feel, is to play with freedom and abandon, and a minimal (it can be more expansive) knowledge of musical theory.
Edit: I can finally play the guitar to my satisfaction! I think abandoning recording had something to do with it -now there's no pressure! I didn t like the ego-related thing about performing to other people - i.e potentially showing off to some people's perspectives as well. Now it is just something I choose to do for myself, and I really enjoy it! One life ambition complete.
@Th3solution As I have spent time with Sekiro, I seem to have realised that the key to unlocking these games is simply to learn the movesets of the bosses and enemies, through practice and repetition. Although, as I have said before, you can't get by in Sekiro without parrying/deflecting. But back to my philosophy on FromSoftware's output, do you concur, good chap?
Edit: I think that realisation was a "wizard behind the curtain" moment for me.
@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Yes, I do agree that’s the main formula at play. And to add to that, in most instances I think there’s another layer whereby one must not only learn and memorize the movesets and attacks, but also the specific counter moves that will work in that situation. And then thirdly, learn the timing of said counters.
Most times when I’ve watched YouTube boss guides for Souls games, they start by showing you the moves and the telegraph of each one. Repetition is a good teacher, but sometimes I need to have things slowed down so I can learn them better. It saves some of the frustration. 😅
It’s not necessarily limited to From’s games, but yes, they definitely have tuned their games around that need for learning and recognizing enemy moves.
I have some other specific thoughts on the subject which I’ll drop over on the Sekiro thread. 😄
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@JohnnyShoulder Yeah, it’s a crazy drop off from previous years of going deep into the World Cup and winning the 6 nations.
It’s been great having a resurgent Scotland over the last few years (even if they have been beating England regularly..) and a more competitive Italy too.
@CJD87 I don't know how you feel about the platinum for Sekiro, I don't know if you've got it, but it seems to me, upon reflection, that it's worth pursuing for a game like Sekiro. I learned after some research that I am close to the halfway point now, and to me that suggests quite a short length for the game, especially compared to the likes of Elden Ring and whatnot, and I am enjoying the experience so much that I don't want it to be all over just like that, as the first half more or less flew by for me, even though I still took breaks throughout, to stretch out the experience. What are your thoughts? Think the platinum is worth pursuing? Did you get it? Will you aim for it? Or do you think one playthrough is enough Sekiro for one shinobi Black_Swordsman type of lad?
@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN IIRC - Sekiro Plat can be attained with 2 playthroughs, as long as you employ a bit of save-scumming?
I actually never went for the platinum, but I actually might revisit it on Steamdeck and go for it. Not to give too much information, but I played through Sekiro whilst recovering from a pretty awful operation... and by the time I'd beaten Sword Saint, I'd fully recovered. It seemed quite poignant to put the game down after the one playthrough.
If you can stomach another playthrough, I definitely would say the platinum is worth it. And NG+ you should storm through, and feel quite OP? I got the plat for Elden Ring and also Demons Souls (2020). I enjoyed ER, but DeS was a real slog... Visually beautiful (DeS) but still has a lot of antiquated tropes and lacks QoL features you'd take for granted in From's games today.
@CJD87 It would be a phenomenal achievment, save scumming aside. I will probably just do 4 or 5 playthroughs to avoid farming for xp later, it's a game that's truly close to perfection, I may do other things than play games after that, if I get it, as it's hard to find games that are similar or as good, Nine Sols, for example, looks good, but I'm not really a '2D' type of guy...
Edit: In short, plan is to plat Sekiro and go back to playing and studying theory for jazz guitar, continue pursuing a career in counselling psychology, and chillax until the next Miyazaki masterpiece drops!
And if that game isn't something I'm interested in, or whatever, life takes a different route, I am sure that Art will supplant my interest in video games somehow - I may start an art blog, for example.
I'm sorry to digress, but your anecdote about your operation has inspired me to speak out, it's been a very personal journey for me with Miyazaki's masterpieces, and it feels like, like you, when you had recovered around the same time that you beat the final boss, a plat for Sekiro would be the perfect high note to end my gaming journey on - going out on top!
From's portfolio seem to have a certain reach with people, who are undergoing periods of mental/physical illness. I've seen a lot of people speak out about how Dark Souls helped them navigate periods of depression in life etc, quite inspiring to think a video game has that level of potential to alleviate those elements of life right?
And yes, Sekiro for me is also a near perfect game. I'm not a massive 2D guy either, but trust me Nine Sols is immaculate. Good luck man!
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