Monday, January 6, 2014

Signing Off


Well that was rude of me wasn't it? Disappearing for over 2 years without a word of goodbye? Shameful, and I would like to apologise for simply stopping, rather than putting this blog to bed properly as I should have done. This is not me starting Cryonite Cove up again, I'm just doing what I should have done once I stopped playing Pirate Galaxy (PG).

So why did I stop? Well one of my later posts was probably direct from my sub-conscious. I fell for another game. I knew it would happen, people change, and it's not PG, it's me. So who was the sexy young slut who led me astray? Well actually it was a mature older game with many miles on the clock, but still with a host of old flames and admirers, a classic, F.E.A.R.

Many years ago, before PG and I even met, I bought F.E.A.R. when it was a stunning young debutante, only to discover that my PC of the time wouldn't run it. I learnt the lesson of reading the required specs before shelling out on a new game, and put F.E.A.R. in a drawer. After 2+ happy years with PG, which is probably my longest relationship with any game, I started wanting something new, something fresh. I remembered that tasty morsel hibernating in its drawer, and loaded it up. After all it's just one date right? It was not as if it meant anything, no one would get hurt. Well one taste of F.E.A.R. and it was all over between me and PG. No row, no fight or break up, I just walked out and haven't been back since.

So are me and PG still friends? Well for my part yes. We were together for longer that I've probably been with any other game. I had a great time and would recommend it to anyone as a quality, enjoyable, well run and fully supported browser game. (At least it was, and I have faith it still is.) It's got a great community and is genuinely free. I did start to pay cash towards the end, which in hindsight that was probably me trying to bring a little spice back into our relationship.

What PG thinks of me I don't know. I see it post on Facebook once in a while and it seems to have moved on with its life. I doubt if we'd even recognised each other if we met up again. We're two different people now. No regrets, no recriminations.

Me and F.E.A.R? Well it didn't last that long to be honest. I was infatuated, and it's still the only game that ever made me shout out in terror. That moment when you turn to go down the ladder and you see...Brrr! Still gives me shivers. I played the story through and loved it, but starting over at a higher difficulty level didn't do it for me. I moved on again, and me and Skyrim shared 12 months of beautiful adventure. Main quest done I did restart with another character, but then Football Manager 2013 came into my life and that's who I spend my time with now. We've been together for over a year, probably because leading Birmingham City F.C. to win the Premiership title is flipping hard.

So that's why Cryonite Cove went quiet for so long. I moved on and didn't want to talk about it here. Why? I actually felt guilty. I loved writing this blog and didn't want to say goodbye, plus so many read and followed it (some still do going by the hit count) I felt like I was letting them down. In fact by just stopping, I probably did. Sorry, again.

However I didn't stop writing, and have now published my own book on Kindle. You wouldn't like it, but just in case you're interested it's called Hiding. That's the UK link, for the US it's here. For other countries just change the .com or .co.uk to whatever's appropriate, as long as Amazon is there, then hopefully so is Hiding. I've also dipped my toe into the Twittersphere and actually quite like it. I'm @stephenallsop1 if that's how you roll. I may well kick start my old personal blog too, but I'll probably tweet that when I'm there.

Did I just come back to plug my book? No, I came to do the decent thing, but while I was here it seemed too good a chance to miss.

Well that's it, I'm done. I feel much better for closing up shop in a more gentlemanly fashion. The last thing to do is to say thanks.

Thanks to you for reading. I appreciate the support, and I'll always be touched that so many took the time to drop by.

Thank you to Pirate Galaxy, a great game. It was fun.

One last thought, Some romances are destined to be rekindled. Never say never.