Best Of
Re: Stories about Kyle
I'll just put this out there now so you can plan ahead: We're going to Florida in July 2020 to watch that rocket go up.
primesuspect
Re: Icrontic on Township
me: I need to spend less time on my phone
also me: installs farmaddicttimesuck v.42
Icrontic on Township
There is a mobile game called Township: https://www.playrix.com/township/
It's a compelling, colorful, and casual town/farm builder that hits a lot of the right notes. It's one of those games that looks like this:
However, where it gets interesting is the "co-ops", the "regatta" and the leaderboards.
Allow me to explain:
Township is a game in which you run a small town; you start off like most city builders, with a farm and some fields and some animals and eventually you start building factories to make raw materials and then more complex goods. You level up, you build more housing, you get new features like a zoo and a mine, and so on. The graphic design is top-notch, and the sense of progress and pace is well done; like most mobile games there is definitely a pay-to-win element, but it's not necessary to have fun or progress. It's mostly to speed things up, but this game is pretty forgiving with the "Cash" (the stuff you need to buy things), gives plenty of it away just for playing and participating, and you can play at the max level of the game without ever spending a dime. Content is not gated.
So, it's a good time-waster; BUT:
When you join a "co-op" with other players, you have access to the Regatta, which is a race against other co-ops. You score points in the regatta by completing tasks from a random pool; you pick tasks that are worth points, complete them, and your whole team gets credit in the race. The more points your team earns, the higher up the leaderboard you go. Each co-op competes with their peers for points in a week-long event (there is a one-day break in between races), and the entire co-op gets rewards. It really makes the game much more interesting than it would be without the multiplayer aspect.
ANYWAYS: Icrontic has a co-op. Join me, @Massalinie, @_k, @elyxandra, @lershee, @CrazyJoe, @mewashere03 and others. We were part of another co-op but we had... a disagreement in leadership styles and there was mutiny and anyways now we have an Icrontic co-op.
To join the co-op you need to be level 19, which is much easier than it sounds. Getting to level 19 is basically playing for a day or two enough to learn the ropes. Consider it a tutorial. When you're level 19, ping me and we can get you in! Our co-op code is #CRGNXW
EDIT: Roster link (to friend people before you can get into co-op for help with orders)
Also, I'm gonna make a badge for it :D
Re: Stories about Kyle
I first met Kyle at the 07 LAN (and then again in 2-3 following events). I, much like others, distinctly remember him building cool Lego awards and creations and showing them off. I thought that was awesome, wish I would have taken some photos of them.
Most of all, I remember at the 08 LAN playing with Kyle for a bit during some down time and really thinking about how "grounded" he seemed for his age.
I remember thinking Kyle was so fun and Brian is doing such a good job being the cool dad, and one day when I have kids I hope do as good of a job as he was doing.
❤️
jared
Re: Stories about Kyle
I have so many Kyle stories to tell, I'm having trouble picking ones to share. But this morning as I was taking a shower I think I recalled my favorite story. It's really a series of stories rather than a single one - it was the weekend when Kyle and Ray came through San Francisco on their 'round the country roadtrip in 2015 (I think).
Kyle and Ray were both in rare form on that trip. By the time they got to SF, they had already been on the road for about a week. You could tell Kyle was ready for a short break from being stuck in a car for a week with his Grandpa, and I was there to (briefly) rescue him.
I drove up to the city on the first night and met Kyle by himself at the historic Caffe Trieste. He was drinking coffee and playing Kerbal on his laptop. It was Kyle AF. I sat down and we BS'd for a bit, talked about Kerbal, and space stuff. I could tell it was refreshing for him to have someone younger to talk to.
We later met up with Ray and his friends in Chinatown, North of FiDi where I now work. Ray had just panic-purchased a Nikon DSLR because their older Canon had broken (a decision that was wildly controversial for both Kyle and Brian, for the right reasons). Ray's friend was a local tour guide and was showing us the plaza outside the Chinese cultural center. A cultural dance exhibition was happening and it was beautiful and solemn. The sort of thing you watch in silence out of respect. Ray, with his brand new camera, was anxious to put it to use.
He walks up towards the dancers and just starts... loud talking out of excitement. "WOW! LOOK AT THIS! ISN'T THIS AMAZING, KYLE? LOOK AT THOSE DANCERS THIS IS INCREDIBLE! KYLE COME OVER HERE AND TAKE SOME PICTURES! HEY, KYLE! COME HERE!"
I looked over at Kyle and he looked like he wanted to just blast off into space and never return. He was SO EMBARRASSED and desperately did not want to look like a tourist. Kyle and I just up and peaced right then and walked around the block and resumed talking about nerdy things.
There are so many other moments like that from their short 2 day stop in SF, but I treasured all of them. Kyle and I waling around the Wharf drinking at different coffee shops, and of course, smack talk. I ordered a spicy Chinese dish that was too hot and Kyle was over there taking pics and talking smack. With both of Brian's children, that'll always be the legacy between myself and them - fun, endless smack talk.
Later, after they had hit the road for LA, I heard from Brian that Kyle told him how happy he was that he got a bit of a break and got to hang with a "young person" and got to do some genuinely fun stuff in the city. I was always happy for that. I'm not the best tour guide for people that come to my city, but I was happy to have shown Kyle a proper good SF time.
Kyle and I became very close as a result of that adventure. It was a true bonding experience. I'm gonna miss that kid more than words convey.
UPSLynx
