Tag Archives: gaming

Feb5

Tabletop Gaming: A Guide For Beginners

Posted on by
Standard
Tabletop Gaming: A Guide For Beginners

Tabletop gaming is a lot of fun. It’s something we’ve done since time immemorial and it’s something we’ll continue to do for years to come. After all, all you need is an idea of something to play and a place to play it – you don’t even necessarily need anyone to play with you either! One player TTRPGs are super common nowadays, and just having some time to dedicate to the session is the one requirement. But when you’re new to playing tabletop games, the whole tabletop scene can be a bit daunting. If that’s the predicament you find yourself in, here are some things to keep in mind about getting started:

Try Out Various Genres:

The variety you can find in the tabletop genre is genuinely astounding. It’s not just Dungeons and Dragons or Warhammer – there are hundreds of genres you can dig into and try out. If you find a typically popular tabletop game isn’t for you, you don’t have to keep playing it just because loads of other people do. You’ll be more than able to find something else to try that is likely to be a lot more fun, and suit your tastes better.

Buy a Dice Set:

When you have your own dice, you’re set. It doesn’t matter where you are, who you’re with, or what game you’re playing. You’ve brought an essential bit of kit along with you, and if there’s not enough to go round, you can pull your D20 Dice bag out of your pocket and be the hero. Aside from that, dice sets can get pretty creative. Many of them are made to look extra special and fancy, and you could even learn to make your own from home. Buying dice in colors and designs you love will only stoke the fires of your tabletop passion.

Don’t Be Afraid to Play with Strangers:

Heading down to a board game bar or cafe for a gaming night might sound quite intimidating, but it’s genuinely a lot of fun, even when you’re a beginner. Game nights like these bring the local gaming community together, and if you never give it a go, you’re unlikely to find other tabletop lovers outside of your select friend group. They’re strangers for now, for sure, but they won’t be for long! If you truly don’t enjoy the session you can leave whenever you want, and you don’t have to come back, but giving it a try is usually worth the time and energy. Plus, you can head online to find gaming forums and strike up conversations there too.

If you want to try tabletop gaming, get started with these tips. Try as many games as you can, get involved with any local gaming communities, and make sure you’ve got the right kit on your side too!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov12

Exploring Career Options In The Games Industry

Posted on by
Standard
Exploring Career Options In The Games Industry

It can be a lot of hard work to get into the games industry. But with the right experience and skills, you can join thousands of talented people to create something special. Whether you have a good head for numbers, a logical brain, or are highly creative, there will be something for you:

Programming Complex Algorithms:

Video games of all kinds are put together using various disciplines. One of the main things that ties everything together is programming. If you are skilled in programming, you are a valuable asset to a video game developer. From $1 deposit online casino games to the largest AAA franchises, all video game companies need talented programmers. Mathematics and logic are the cornerstones of programming.

A Visual Artist’s Dream:

Before a game enters creation, it is detailed in a design document. Depending on the game, these can be sparse or richly detailed. Some design docs include concept art, which helps guide the artistic direction of the project. Hand-drawn art is converted to digital art, which is then finalized as 3D artwork. Any kind of artist experience can be helpful in a game development team, and if you can manage 2D and 3D, you will be a precious asset to the team.

Work in the Games Industry as a Consultant:

Some of the world’s biggest video game companies require multiple sources of input to get a game finished. Sometimes, this involves hiring a consultancy agency that can provide insights into a subject the dev team doesn’t fully understand. This has become a controversial topic within the gaming community, but you can take control of your career with such a change. But, with a 22% year-on-year opening of new studios, expert input on a range of topics is welcomed.

Project Development and Management:

A game, even a small one, requires expert project management. Some can take a year to complete, and others over ten years, such as Red Dead Redemption 2. The time scale alone requires people experienced with extensive project management, and you can be a massive help to a development team. Most studios would look for people with experience within the games industry. However, you are a suitable candidate if you have similar project experience.

Music and Audio Production:

One of the most overlooked and underrated, yet vital parts of a game is music and audio production. Game developers have access to vast libraries of sound, but these are costly and often don’t have what is required. A sound engineer makes a huge difference to a game. For example, most of the audio in the original Tomb Raider game is unique because there were no libraries that had what the team needed. An audio engineering degree can help you get there.

Programming is one of the critical skills a team needs when recruiting candidates to work in the games industry. But it isn’t all about logical skills. You could get hired as a consultant to help with a narrative or participate in art, both visual and audio, to help make the game.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb11

V-Day Our Way

Posted on by
Standard
V-Day Our Way

Hello darlings!! Sending hugs and kisses your way because it’s almost Valentine’s Day! V-Day is one of those holidays that you either love, hate, or are totally indifferent about. I have to admit that I am one of those people who are right down the middle. Honestly, every day with Johnny feels like Valentine’s Day, so when the actual day does roll around we’re both just like “oh” lol. While it can be fun to go all out on the day of love with elaborate gifts and dates, Johnny and I do V-Day Our Way. It looks a little something like this:

Gifts: 

For a majority of the gift giving occasions, I like to surprise Johnny. However, there are times where we both have specific things in mind that we would like and it’s so much easier to just tell each other what it is. For example, Johnny told me that he wants a new denim jacket because his old one has seen better days. He found the one he wanted and I will order it. This worked out perfectly because I had a gift for myself picked out too: A new Keurig! My old one got waterlogged when my kitchen flooded due to a burst pipe in the building and we never replaced it. Now, I need one desperately because of my 3 AM work mornings and Johnny will order me a new one too and a pack of K-cups. I can’t wait!

Dinner:

Johnny and I rarely go out to eat and find that it is so much more luxurious to DoorDash something! To us, there is nothing better than getting food from one of our favorite places and enjoying it from the comfort of our pajamas. Texas Roadhouse is one of our preferred “special occasion” restaurants to order from so we might end up going that route. But, we’ll see what strikes us the day of… We are always one hundred percent content with getting Taco Bell. 😀

Entertainment:

Valentine’s Day is on a weekday and that automatically makes it highly inconvenient for me and my main squeeze. We both have very early starts to our morning and are normally exhausted by the time we get home. There is a one million percent chance that we will return from our shifts and be ready to turn Criminal Minds on! Over the weekend, I am sure we’ll take the night on Friday or Saturday to make it about us. And, by that I mean, we will play Diablo IV and Resident Evil IV together all evening. We love to game together and that is always our go to way to celebrate. It is never not a complete blast!!

V-Day Our Way looks like any other day for Johnny and I and that is fine by us. We tend to go all out for our Birthaversary and I anticipate slightly more than the usual in June! No matter how we spend the day, I’m just happy it’s with my husband. ❤

How do you feel about Valentine’s Day? How are you celebrating this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec7

Medieval Times OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Medieval Times OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! As you read yesterday, I visited a board game bar this past weekend called The Green Dragon Inn. It is my new favorite place in Akron and was decorated like a Medieval tavern. I am still amazed that this gorgeous space exists not even twenty minutes away from me! It took a minute, but I had the perfect cardigan in mind to wear for this outing and I love the look that I created with it. Let’s take a gander and discuss further:

image_50769665(3)image_50459905(3)image_6487327(27)image_6487327(26)

Who? What? Wear?

Chain Pattern Cardigan: MaxSport LA, TJMaxx

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: Candie’s, Kohl’s

The earrings were a gift from my aunt and the necklace is from the Goodwill!

I had seen pictures of The Green Dragon Inn before our outing and wanted to style an atmospheric look to mesh with the wonderful setting. The initial planning phase of my Medieval Times OOTD had me going through multiple different options. I was thinking faux fur for a while, but I literally just created an OOTD with a faux fur accent and knew I had to pivot. As I continued to rack my brains, I remembered a fabulous longer cardigan by MaxSport LA and couldn’t believe I didn’t think of it right away!

I loved this cardigan for my visit to The Green Dragon for several reasons. The pattern, first and foremost, was ideal for the setting. The regal color palette of black, red, and gold felt like a nod to way back when and the chain pattern reminded me of a suit of armor. The shape of this cardigan also helped match the vibe as it fit more like a robe and had a hood. This little MaxSport number had me feeling like a video game character come to life and that is exactly what I wanted.

Since the cardigan was so bold and offered a lot of length, I kept the rest of the look sleek and simple. This was the best way to go because another pattern or even texture had the potential to overpower this outfit in the worst way. For my top, I chose one of my go to camis from French Rooster to add a feminine touch with the lace and show some skin as I was almost completely covered up. Prior to settling for a pair of plain black skinnies, I actually had on my coated pair by Seven Jeans. However, their sheen really clashed with the soft cloth motif that I was already working with on top and swapped them out. See, sleek and simple was definitely the way to go!

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For my shoes, I put on a pair of heeled thigh high boots by Candie’s. These boots are old as dirt, but they are one of my favorite pairs and I felt like they embodied the “video game character IRL” aesthetic I was building. Granted, an adventurer probably wouldn’t wear heels, but you all get the point. Jewelry was next and I knew I wanted to incorporate a necklace so I selected a small pair of ruby red dangly hearts to keep from jewelry overload. For my necklace, I went with an amazing pendant I found from the Goodwill as a teen. You can’t tell, but it features a portrait of George Washington crossing the Delaware River lol. This pendant or amulet, if you will, tied my look together and I was ready to enter into the realm of The Green Dragon. 😀

A bit of trial and error went into styling my Medieval Times OOTD, but it was well worth the effort. I wanted to create a character look to wear to The Green Dragon Inn and I think I nailed it!

What is your favorite video game? How about your favorite video game character? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah