Month: April 2021

Smite

Gilgamesh first impressions

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Gilgamesh first impressions

This release is defined as a low skill floor but a high skill ceiling. The base kit is simple to understand, a couple of mechanics add to the ceiling. The high skill ceiling tricked me, making my first impressions negative. Failed to find success but quickly noticed other players performance. After a couple of games, you start to understand how everything works. The community has found him fun, stats don’t lie with the average player finding success.  Strangely success has been found on every skill level and mode. Hinting that he could be over tuned, more data is needed. Expect any changes will be to every ability, not just one thing. Only warrior in the game without sustain or crowd control immune.

In terms of playstyle dive the other team’s damage, locking them in place. Here comes the problem any sort of mobility starts to counter him. Gods with crowd control immune make diving difficult. Flexible in terms of build path, ability or basic attacked or could go hybrid. Like many warriors, bruiser builds can work on him. Attack speed even some can be a huge benefit. Recommended roles are jungle or solo. I found more success with jungle over solo, wait for frontline to dive first.

At the moment bunch of items worth considering, whatever route you take the kit just works. Feels weird playing a warrior without any sort of healing or immunity.

What makes his skill ceiling so high?

Lack of crowd control immunity, in most fights this causes huge issues. Anything that can cause disruption, cripples or stuns create big issues. Forces you to pick your fights carefully, as players learn how to counter him. I can see some matchups in solo against anybody with sustain or healing hard. Lane bullies exist with high base damage and sustain. Makes him more suited towards jungle over solo. Still think he viable in whatever role but don’t expect much playtime. Ultimate can be used in two ways zone control or lockdown. Nobody wants to be stuck in the giant circle with the risk of being locked down.

Unlike past releases trying to get experience with the gods more. High skill ceiling releases normally end up defining the meta, causing chaos in ranked for months. Better to abuse it over having some sort of morals. He also fits my playstyle is flexible diving but focused on team fights. Before release, he did see some damage reductions.

Thoughts

Minecraft timeless classic?

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Minecraft has introduced me to a style of game, for years I avoided.  A simple idea with easy to understand rules, an open-world randomly generated sandbox. Over time the game has expanded, adding new blocks and new items. I remember hosting my own server, creating a base on the side of a mountain. Years passed I never touched it again, recently however I found my love for the game again. The Redstone element of the game lets you create machines that can automatically farm resources. Two main versions of Minecraft, the bedrock for console and Java for everything else. Redstone for bedrock is weird compared to java certain thing. Pistons act randomly in bedrock, causing certain machines not to work from java. Bud system is another example, blocks that can be powered don’t work.

I need to put more time into the game. Learning how to use redstone to speed things up. The building is the other challenge, crafting better-looking things. For some time I always avoided games like Minecraft now it perfect break from everything else. Makes me remember the days of lego. That just what I needed during the constant lockdowns.

Journal

Lack of supermarket food boxes

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Lack of supermarket food boxes

Supermarket experience has been largely the same for decades now. Products on offer may have changed but majority are independent of each other. Separate ingredients make up the bulk of any weekly shop. Meal kits exist but may need to pick up extras. Ready meals remove the planning element but come with a cost. Food boxes offer a selection of items but you need to do the planning. In recent years food boxes with planned meals and instructions have become popular. Outsiders have entered the market, companies like hello fresh, gusto and various others.

Why have supermarkets not created something similar? They already promote themed months and publish meal recipes based on stocked items. Morrisons controls large part of the supply chain, already has basic food boxes but lacks the planned elements. Bringing together the giant supply chains, reducing waste sounds so obvious. I understand that branding of supply chains could be one big sticking point. Can’t see many 3rd party brands enjoying becoming generic items.  Retail food margins are low, maybe not much to gain. Here the thing loads of potential here and margins. Could provide low margin food boxes but with high margin luxury foods or premium items.

One thing missing from food box services so far is lunch or breakfast options. Loads of potential spaces for supermarkets. Premium rivals can exist with cheap options from retail co existing. Always wondered why nobody has even consider the above. Only problem I see is letting people pick what meals they want. That not very different compared to letting people pick what product they want. Morrisons does offer some food boxes but you don’t know what is coming. Unlike the rivals that exist which offer planned food boxes.

Loads of food box services around at the moment, from meat to vegan based ones. Flower to wine boxes have been around for years now. Supermarkets apart from one lack a service like it. Weird considering they have been moving into things like credit cards for years now.

Journal, Technology

Time for an mobile phone upgrade

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My daily driver has been the Oneplus One, been rather dependable handset. At the time it was mid range killer, Oneplus has changed focused in certain years. System OS is no longer supported, Oneplus has ditched the 3rd party OS provider. Decided to create it own version of android. Custom ROMs exist but I never got around to upgrading. I was worried about losing freatures. Battery is still rather good however showing it age, charger that came with it no longer works. Died some time ago, USB cable suffered from daily use.

Oneplus entered the scene but failed to make permanent impact. Strangely the parent company did create two other brands which did see success. Xiaomi has become the most successful, oppo has found some success. Independent operated companies that share similar resources. Which brings me to the phones I been looking at buying.  Narrowed the short list down to 5 phones, chinese smart phones shape the list.

  1. Xiaomi redmi note 10 pro
  2. Xiaomi x3 pro
  3. Oneplus nord n10g
  4. Moto g9 pro plus
  5. Google pixie 4a

Xiaomi redmi note 10 pro is best all rounder. Google Pixie 4a offers great value with long term support. Oneplus Nord N100G is similar but with worse specs. Moto G9 Pro Plus offers the best battery of the bunch. Xiaomi X3 pro offers the performance.

At the moment leaning towards the redmi note 10 pro or Google pixie 4a. Couple downsides to Xiaomi full of bloatware, built in advertising.  That how they create cheap smart phones, other companies sell services. Google offers stock android, Xiaomi offer an OS close to it.