Last year I did a major revamp on this blog and set it up to be more than just a place for written battle reports. I added a few new sections, set up a YouTube channel, set up a Twitch channel, and planned on getting a little bit more advanced in how I discussed and presented my gaming. I had a lot of ideas running in my head (some of them even decent) and was hoping to get those ideas implemented. Did I accomplish those ideas and goals? Not even close!
I managed to take a few game videos throughout the year, but I didn't find the time to edit them and post them. I say "find the time" rather than "didn't have time" because if it had been a priority of mine, I would have made time to edit and post the videos. However, my priorities were to my family - my son is now 20! months old and my wife and I are expecting another child in the next few months - and to some external activities and work. The limited time I devoted to gaming went to attending a few tournaments (the 2016 U.S. Masters Tournament and the 2016 West Coast GT), working on my Ratkin Kings of War army (which is nowhere near complete), and playing a few videogames (mostly Fallout 4 and the Witcher 3 DLC). I did stream most of my Witcher playing when I knew it would be longer than a half hour, but I completely dropped playing any real-time strategy or first person shooter games during the year and so I didn't really have much incentive to stream.
Last year I didn't really set any specific resolutions like I had in the prior years, but I kept the 2015 resolutions going as I hadn't really accomplished most of them. The resolutions mainly focused on painting my giant collection of models and playing at least one game a month. If you average the number of games I played, then I accomplished this resolution between both 8th Edition and Kings of War games. But I was nowhere close to getting my models painted. I have been following Wiscohorndog's 100% Paint Completion for the last year and I love seeing his progress. I need to do this. I have too many models not to know what I own, what I can play with, and what still needs to be put together or painted.
Towards the end of this year, a group of friends have finally gotten together to play some Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. I am really loving this edition and getting everyone over to the house. We are a bunch of busy individuals though, so we usually only get to play every other week. But this is definitely something I look forward to continuing this year. I have been writing a narrative story of the game on this blog and I have really enjoyed writing some fiction (even bad fiction) and am striving to continue the story even if it takes a long time to catch up to where the story currently is.
As it relates to this blog, I posted 23 articles. Most of these articles were battle reports and painting updates but a few were more rule system oriented and explaining the basics of how to play certain games. Less posts than in 2015, but I was far busier than the previous year and I didn't devote as much time to this blog as I should have. Last year I had a life total of approximately 52,000 views on the blog and at this point I have had roughly 63,000 views for an increase of 11,000. Less than last year. But there were significantly less posts and I have not promoted this blog like I used to because I wasn't putting out as much content. Maybe that will change this year, maybe not. We will have to see how 2017 goes. Finally, for purposes of transparency, I did make some money from running this blog. Last year, total lifetime revenue for the blog was $6.14. At this point, total lifetime revenue is $7.22 for an increase of just a little over a dollar. We are getting much closer to the point where I can cash out (woohoo!!!) and buy some paint or maybe a model. We all know that I don't do this blog for money (as you can tell), but its a labor of love and a way to keep my attuned to the larger gaming community.
Recognizing all of the changes going on in my life and my current gaming interests, I present my goals for 2017 (goals, not resolutions because goals are always ongoing and something to strive for).
2017 Goals
- The biggest goal for this year is to inventory my collection of games and gaming supplies. This includes board games (so I know what games and expansions I have), video games (so I know what I have beaten and can trade away), and models (so I know what is in my collection and how far I am from fully painted armies). This goal will take a fair amount of time as I have a ton (and I mean a ton of stuff), but I can slowly inventory it over the year and take stock of what I want to keep and what I want to get rid off. There are models in my collection that I know I will never play with or get to paint and there are games that I no longer enjoy playing that I can clear out. Time to get to it.
- Attend the West Coast GT for 2017. I love this tournament. With the end of the Quake City Rumble, this is my favorite tournament of the year due to the people who run it and the people who attend. I am going to do everything in my power to make this tournament a reality again this year, once I know what the TO's plans are.
- Put paint to models at least once a week. Even if it just getting a base coast on a single model. This is the only way I am going to get stuff painted. I haven't even touched a model in three months. I can find an hour a week to just sit down and splash some paint on some models.
- Continue to work on this blog with continuous updates, at least one video during the year, and relevant gaming information whether it be battle reports, tactics, or general how to's. I've been updating this site since 2012 (going on five years!) and I want to keep it going as best I can.
Let's see how things for this year. I'm hoping for a great 2017!
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