Jolt Country

Yes. This project represents a time in my life that always makes me happy, and as I find the things that are good influences in my life, Trotting Krips is definitely one of them!

As a test for myself, I have taken some time before bed and played some games and written about them. Unlike what I would need to do for a Krips review, I did not finish or mostly finish a game. But I feel I am building virtual muscles here for our wonderful text game project.

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 10:03 pm

bryanb wrote: Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:10 pm The final RFTK review of 2021 (unless Robb or Flack do something crazy!) has now been posted.

http://trottingkrips.caltrops.com/2021/ ... over-2007/

See you in 2022!

I read this again tonight and laughed and loved it.

I appreciate you, Bryan B. Thank you.

I think I played this game when it was relatively new. I vaguely remember getting through it okay (considering that it's not a long game, battling the parser didn't add an insane amount of time). I have to admit that it earned some charm points for me just because it was written in ALAN. Making a semi-playable game in that system isn't really a small feat, and all of its authors transform into quirky idealists in my head.

With 20 reviews published on the site, BryanB has more reviews than ICJ (5) and I (9) have combined. We gotta turn it around for 2024!

2022 XYZZY Awards are out, the game I have been playing for a RFTK review, According to Cain, took best game. I have good taste!! I will get the review up this month, that is still a goal of mine and playing IF has been relaxing and pleasant.

https://intfiction.org/t/xyzzy-awards-2 ... ults/66535

I had planned to write a backup review to have on hand just in case Robb couldn't get a review done in time, but I never got around to it. Damn it! Should we try again next year?

That's not to say that 2024 is going to be a bust or anything. I actually have a couple of new ideas for the site -- finding the time and the energy to make them happen is the tough part. Getting old(er) is the worst decision Robb, Ben, Flack, and I have ever made. What the hell were we thinking?!

I failed you. I did not forget. I just failed. So far.

I played Overboard, which is practically a text adventure. And there is something I have ready to go for the PCjr. I'm pivoting to creating content here.

We were not setup with a page for Ben, so I added one. I added one of his reviews (For a Change) to Wordpress. I got sick enough of Wordpress, that that's all I am going to do right now. But now, clicking on his name should show the reviews he did as we add them (it was taking people back to the old site for him).

Are you thinking what I'm thinking here? Whenever it's late in the month and we don't have a review ready, all we need to do is have "Ben" post an old review. He's saving the whole goddamn website once again without even trying. Classic pinback!

February plans: it's time for me to play some new IF. I played a game a bit ago that'll be easy to review that I can use as a fallback, but it's more of a silly novelty than anything else so ideally I'd like to find something a bit more interesting to cover. Either way, there will be a new Bryan B. review this month if it's the last thing I do. Or a "new" "Ben" review because those are always fun.

There's a good chance that once I go back to graveyard shifts I'll be playing more IF again.. but honestly I still have more Infocom stuff I really want to finish. Do you guys want any Infocom reviews?

Jizaboz wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 12:55 am There's a good chance that once I go back to graveyard shifts I'll be playing more IF again.. but honestly I still have more Infocom stuff I really want to finish. Do you guys want any Infocom reviews?

Hell yes we do!

I submitted a new review (1983's "The Mutant Spiders") and scheduled it for March 1st. If you want to run it before or after that, feel free to adjust the scheduled date in WordPress.

Flack wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:03 am I submitted a new review (1983's "The Mutant Spiders") and scheduled it for March 1st. If you want to run it before or after that, feel free to adjust the scheduled date in WordPress.

HERO

Hopefully it won't come to that, but when panic mode inevitably hits on February 29th it's nice to know we've got options. I've never heard of that game before, but now that I know it exists I feel like a great hole in my heart has been filled. I just hope SMASH SPIDER works. For just once, I want to guess the verb before even playing.

i reviewed The Last Mountain by Dee Cooke for February.

http://trottingkrips.caltrops.com/2024/ ... ooke-2023/

Thanks to Flack, there'll be another new review to read tomorrow. Yes, you need to start visiting the site every day now if you don't want to miss out on any of the quality content. It's 1999 all over again!

It's live! Flack's Weird and Gilly-approved review of The Mutant Spiders is now available for your perusal.

https://trottingkrips.caltrops.com/2024 ... ware-1983/

I cannot thank Flack enough. I know the man has been in pain with back stuff lately. What a fun review of a game that I think we are all glad he played, so we could learn about it and not AHHH go through ourselves. It was a magical time for text games before any sort of standardization took place.

There was a spider that was bouncing around my monitors this last week. It got onto a $18 8BitDo gamepad that I bought for my nephew to use. I do not allow spiders in the house, so I went to kill it but it jumped inside the gamepad, in the area around the trigger buttons.

I sprayed Windex at the area, but it stayed inside.

I went to the sink with it. You know how there are stories of people putting circuit boards in their washing machines to clean them and letting them dry out? I always felt that was horseshit, there is no WAY the water doesn't cause an issue, I don't care if they leave it out for a week. But it works for people who know what they are doing. I tried to get a little stream of water inside the gamepad. The spider did not come out.

8BitDo is using a sort of tiny torx screwdriver to keep the gamepads shut, by the way. They really, really, really, really don't have to do that.

I left it upside down in the bathroom for a few hours, and when I returned, the spider's body was dead on the front of the gamepad. Presumably it got out of where it was at some point and died. I feel awful but Christ I do not want them around. It is unseasonably warm so they are starting to appear out here. I am going to try spraying the window where my computers are with bug spray this year to just give them a reason to not try to get inside. Sorry spider.

This one is for the spiders.

I have a review of an old game almost done, I just have to finish the game. I decided to do it on the Apple since I haven't gotten help to let the PCjr work for more than 20 minutes. If I don't get it posted on Sunday, I will definitely be able to do so Monday night.

bryanb wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 10:36 am

Jizaboz wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2024 12:55 am There's a good chance that once I go back to graveyard shifts I'll be playing more IF again.. but honestly I still have more Infocom stuff I really want to finish. Do you guys want any Infocom reviews?

Hell yes we do!

I fired up Bureaucracy the other night at work and forgot about being frustrated with the intro when I was younger. (Motherfucker, I picked MALE! RESTART) Man, do I feel stupid now. Quite possibly a review for this one coming up rather than me trying to actually finish Ballyhoo again which I've tried to do since I was 14.

Thanks to Roody, I have all the feelies to this game as he sold me his copy of Lost Treasures of Infocom II. I already owned I from back in the day and kept everything but the box.. now everything is crammed into the II box ;)