Update on Infinite Potential chapter 12 and some thoughts on Fallout 76 · 12:06am Dec 4th, 2018
So, seeing how it's been about 4 months since the last chapter of Fallout: Equestria - Infinite Potential came out, and about a month since the last chapter for one of my other stories had came out (as those of you who follow my other stories and/or blog posts noticed), it's about time chapter 12 cames out, huh?
... I got about 1600 words so far 
Last year, when I published chapter 8, the 4th chapter I had wrote for Infinite Potential that year, I decided that this year I would double that number, write 8 chapters, and (hopefully) finish Arc I, finally. So, yeah, that plan went down the drain... Admittedly, I couldn't have known that my new job that I'd get on March would end up consuming so much of my time and would be so physically, mentally and emotionally draining (especially during the first few months on that last one). Honestly, though, knowing my laziness, I cannot blame this solely on my job; I'm sure I would have more chapters for you if I would spend less time on playing games, watching stuff or just lazing about. Ugh.
Rest assured, though, chapter 12 will come out before the end of this year. If I cannot write 8 chapters, I will at least keep up the quota from last year and write 4 chapters this year as well. Yes, I only have less than 2k words so far, but I did start writing, finally, and this chapter should be shorter than 20k words. In the worst case scenario, if I won't get it done within the next 3 weeks (which is probably definetly going to happen), I will just power through on my christmas break, will have 2 weeks free (going to Greece with my mom to spend Christmas with her family^^ Been over ten years since the last time I've been in Greece during winter^^), I will definetly get it done quickly then. I've already alerted my proofreading-editing team and they've all said they will be able to get the chapter looked over and done quickly once I finish it (worst case I would spend the entirety of 31st looking over the chapter myself, though I doubt it will come to that).
Okay, that's all the news I have regarding Infinite Potential for now. Since I'm already here though I figured I might as well write down some of my thoughts regarding Fallout 76.
So, hm, I know the newest Fallout game is a little... controversial. Especially in regards to some of Bethesda's... actions. Let me say that regardless of my opinion of the game, I am severly disappointed with Bethesda for how they're dealing with people's... disappointment (which apparently they had expected, considering how they made it apparently impossible to return the game and PC version cannot be bought by Steam which makes returning games easier).
Now, the game itself? I like it. Yes, there are bugs, but I've gotten used to Bethesda games having bugs (especally Fallout games), and more than gotten used to network issues multiplayer games suffer with WoW, so those things don't bother me THAT much. There are some stuff that I don't like, it bothers me that I cannot sell ammo (I've got over 5000 ammo for guns I don't use, like .38 rounds and .45 rounds) or how the prices are ridiculous there (I really cannot believe that I've originally been annoyed with Fallout 4 prices back when I first started playing it, compared to this the bartering is way better there). Thankfully, bottle caps are practically useless, I spend them mostly for Fast Travel and Fusion Cores if I am low on them. The fact that I can stash only 400 pounds in my camp? That is very annoying, especially since I've always liked to collect things (in general, not just Fallout games). Fortunately, with 5 levels until I can use T-60 power armor, I will get more free space (got a whole set of T-60 ready^^). At least I keep using junk to repair and craft and mod, so I am keeping it more or less managable... That limit is easily the most annoying thing for me, actually.
The changes in crafting, how you cannot make everything, you need to find blueprints? I'm a bit annoyed by it, but it does make sense (actually, considering Vault 76 Dwellers were supposedly trained and prepared to rebuild America, we should be able to craft things, and we should have needed to find blueprints in Fallout 4 instead, where we play as a soldier/loyer, I don't think our knowledge regarding crafting would be very broad, but I digress). The fact that we now need to repair weapons and armor? Had to do that in Fallout 3 and New Vegas, so doesn't bother me none, it was actually nice seeing this game mechanic back.
The fact that everybody is dead?... I won't lie, I do miss the fact that there are no factions to join or proper quest givers, that there isn't a town we can come in and do, like, 5 quests (then again, Fallout 4 didn't have many "towns", only a ton of settlements that would give you the same 4 quests over and over...). There are robots, of course, especially on NPC that I grow to enjoy, but it's not quite the same. However... I actually like it. The fact that everybody is gone, that the Wasteland is empty, that even the people who survived the nuclear apocalypse had also died. Why? Well... I recently figured out that I actually enjoy such scenarios, where everybody dies and you only learn about them afterwards and try to piece it together.
Some of you might remember that I am an archaeologist, and, well, that's pretty much what we do. We don't really get a chance to piece together a life of specific people, but still, that's kinda the main idea. I guess that's part of the reason why I ended up studying archaeology and staying in this profession, despite often complaining about things; as I said, I only recently realized that I like solving such misteries. What made me realize it, you might ask? Well... this:
The Terror is a series based on a book under the same name based on real life events, namely Franklin's Lost Expedition to find Northwest Passage through Canadian Artic Archipelago. The expedition was undertaken in 1845, and it was the most advanced expedition of that time... and everybody was lost, some of the (almost 150) dead found years or even decades later. (I suppose I should consider this a spoiler for those of you who would be interested in watching this show, but come on, it's been over 150 years ago.) I just... found the idea so interesting, so misterious, when I first learned about it. Now, I perhaps should consider the video that made me learn of the expedition and the show to be what caused me to realize I enjoy such tales and misteries:
I subscibe to several internet reviewers, this one being among them, and I was intriqued when I notices a video containing the word "Terror". More importantly, the video was fascinating, as well as the ones that came later, including Race to the Poles mini series (especially because of the Terra Nova expedition's fate, that sorta played into this whole borderline creepy fascination I apparenlty have...). I even started reading about such misteries myself; I've known about Diatlove Pass incident for years (even played the Kholat game a bit, got to scared to finish it), but I've also learned about Andree's Arctic Balloon expedition, for example (not writing in greater details about those here, since I've already gotten off topic from Fallout stuff; I provided links to wikipedia articles, though, so if you're curious you can look those up^^). Of course, those are all tragedies, and I wish they wouldn't have happened, that all those people would have lived to ripe old age, but I just find it interesting to learn about what had happened, try to imagine what must have been going through their heads... yeah, I might be a little... dark, I guess.
(I highly recommend both "The Terror" series and DiamandaHagan's "The Terror (and the basics of The Franklin Expedition)" and "Race to the Poles" series on youtube, the show is great and those videos are hightly entertaining and very informative.)
The point is, I highly enjoy this aspect of Fallout 76, to try and piece together what happened to all the factions within Appalachia, or even specific people we meet through holotapes and terminal entries; one of those people actually became my most despised Fallout character, despite that character beind dead for about 20 years for crying out loud. So to me, this part of the storytelling, the stories of all the "npc", it's good. The plot itself seems good to me, too, but I hadn't finished the main questline yet (a true testament to how busy my job had kept me :/), so I don't think I can grade it properly. Also no spoilers please.
The PvP? I actually only fought another player once, I normally try to stay clear of other players. The guy started shooting at me for no reason as far as I knew. Of course, years of playing Fallout allowed me to quickly think of a way to kill him easily, despite being several levels above me (run out of sight, throw a frag mine, and shoot with hunting rifle from distance, switch to shotgun when he gets close). However, his stronger (by 10 levels) friend came around, revived him, and they teamed up against me. Slightly wounded from the earlier fight and with my last frag mine gone (and low on stimpanks to boot), I didn't stand a chance (it was also near a very big open area, with no place to run and hide). Still, it was quite fun^^
The monsters? Oh, they are great^^ I really love the Mothman, although I hadn't yet actually met one in game. The Scorchbeats?... not so much. I mean, being level 35 I am besically powerless everytime one of those flying bastards spots me; which happens annoyingly often! Everything else I can deal with, even Hermit Crabs and Deathclaws, but the Scorchbeats are.. something else. I suppose it's a nice callback to how monstrous Deathclaws were in Fallout 1 and 2. Yes, they are still walking killing machines in Fallout 3 and later games, but it's different in a turn-based game, I still remember how ridiculously difficult killing the first Deathclaw you encounter in Fallout 1(so ever, actually) was. Scorchbeasts are about as difficult to damage, and on top of that, they are flying, and I've alway found flying enemies annoying in Fallout games (I hate Cazadores from New Vegas). So it's kinda fun to have such impossible to beat foe... But still, f*** those things.
Soo... yeah, I am really enjoying this game. I won't lie, I got a few ideas from it for Infinite Potential Well, maybe not "ideas" ideas, but ideas how to make some things more... polished, to be more precise.
Anyway, I feel like I've taken enough of your time, see ya^^
Thanks for the news and the little review. :)