I was going to make an update video but I think I want to put my time into other stuff for right now. So here's your 2022 Randomrings update.
Life (skip this part if you don't care; I don't blame you)
Last update I talked about having a lot of burnout. I don't think I'm completely out of it. It might just be depression there. I've been making more stuff and enjoying making it. However, I'm severely depressed. The mysterious stuff that happened at the beginning of the year is something I've more or less overcome. It still affects me a little but I'm functional in regards to that. Many other things have affected my overall well-being and I'll be honest; I'm at a very fucking low point in my life. I won't vent about how I feel about it, I'll just tell you what's up.
I live in Redneckia, USA and I'm openly queer. I no longer feel safe using the bathrooms at my job. Most of the people at my job are bigots or just incredibly unknowledgeable. Also, everything is very expensive. I used to be able to live fairly comfortably part-time at the same job. I make more hourly now and can barely make rent at the end of every month. This is the poorest I've ever been and I have the biggest credit card bill I have ever had (save for buying my guitar but that was knowing I would be able to pay it all off at the end of the month, anyway). I am trying to find other jobs that won't destroy me and will give me insurance. I am also trying to find jobs that do that and utilize my bachelor's degree. I've been doing physical labor for too long and it's starting to take a bigger effect on my body and mind than I have ever consistently dealt with. My BFA is in writing. Most writing jobs these days don't pay well enough for me. I had an interview and it was mostly just the hiring agent at the company berating me for not having enough recent customer service experience and treating me like an idiot for needing a new job in 2022.
So the fact that I've been able to regularly stream at all is kind of a testament to my overall resilience and how much I like doing what I do online for people. But in all honesty and full transparency, I'm rarely finding joy in anything tangible. Everything I do enjoy now just has a constant looming dread attached. I can't think away poverty. I can't smile away the risk of homelessness. I'm fucking terrified. I'm not just depressed, I'm fucking terrified and that's not helping my mental state. Taking care of myself is a chore, also because eventually, I will run out of resources to take care of myself which will put me in greater financial debt. I am scared of running out of toothpaste, makeup, clothing, the whole nine.
But hey, what kind of silly little things am I going to make for everyone to consume?!?!?!? Continue reading to ffiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnd out!
Randomrings Channel
I might have a game review out soon. I might occasionally do those again. We'll see.
I am going to do a whole series of Randomrings Let's Plays videos. Right now, only two episodes are out. There will be 12 total! Or 11! Not sure yet! It's of my Pokemon SoulSilver stream series. Each episode is roughly 24 minutes on average and covers a major point of the main story of the game. The exception is the final episode which will be a bit over an hour long, covering the Elite Four. Fun sidenote; I beat the Elite Four using an all-Water-type team (Feraligatr, Quagsire, Gyarados, Lapras, Lanturn, and Slowbro).
I'll talk about it more in the next section of this blog post but we're probably streaming more Pokemon SoulSilver pretty soon. I didn't do any of the Kanto stuff. So we gotta do that, right? I will probably edit that into a kind of sequel series. So in other words, if the Johto arc ends on P11, the Kanto arc will start on P12.
I have a second highlight video based on my friend Satellite's PowerWash Simulator chat show that he does on Wednesdays called "Say It and Spray It". He invited me on a second time for reasons God only knows. That should be out soon. I just have to throw a few images on the screen. Everything else is pretty much done. It won't be as extensively edited as the first one but it holds up on its own without me pushing it along with more intricate edits.
There will be an RLP video of Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck for the Nintendo 64. Don't know how soon to expect that. End of the year?
I might put out a vloggy thing about Russian Doll Season 1. I recorded it and edited it. Let's see if I actually finish the video and render it without being overly embarrassed of myself.
I'm going to finish up RLP Timespinner P2 soon. I'll be honest, I'm not that excited for this series anymore. I just kind of want to be done with it. I really hope other people can enjoy it but the gender dysphoria with my voice is too real to enjoy long-term. I like the edits I made and everything. I actually had more planned for Timespinner P2 but ended up not doing the more elaborate things I wanted to do. I don't want Timespinner P2 to be my peak video. Like I said, if people enjoy it, that's great. It just kinda bugs me personally.
Remember the Spyro 2 video? That video has a sequel and I still haven't finished it! In fact, I haven't worked on it in months! But I still have all the files for it. Shouldn't be too much longer. Also, don't be surprised if I'm lying right now and it doesn't come out until next year!
Randomrings Streams
Pokemon SoulSilver will come back eventually. I beat the Elite Four but after that, you can go to Kanto and I want to see what all that's about!
I want to stream the new CODE Bunny demo but I haven't picked out a date for that yet. I want to schedule that in advance so people can expect it.
We're starting The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age in 2023! It will most likely be the first game I stream.
In 2023, time willing, we'll be doing a randomized Nuzlocke of Pokemon Omega Ruby! I think I'm going to randomize:
- Pokemon spawns
- Pokemon starters
- Item placements, probably including key items
- Pokemon Abilities (passives)
- Maaaaaybe their moves as well
Lexi Karma
Music? I'm planning a Lexi Karma stream on May 6th, hoping I can actually pull it off. It'll be a live event on the Randomrings Twitch channel.
Self Titled Again is coming along. I need to finish up the vocals on it. I haven't recorded vocals on it in a while because I've been really fucking broke and depressed.
Fake and Stupid won't be out in 2023. It just won't be. God, I want to put it out but it is nowhere near done.
I'm writing new stuff a lot too which is part of the reason none of the stuff I've already announced is done. I've been really excited about taking Lexi Karma into a new timbral direction and I think these songs I wrote are going to really solidify that in a way that people will still enjoy. I'm really fucking excited about that.
Webcomic(s)?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Uh.... writing... of any kind at all?
I'm starting a portfolio for my writing. Rather, I've been sitting on stuff like this for a while saying "I have to get it to a certain point of quality before putting it out publicly!" It's just a portfolio. It's better than no portfolio. However, I've been running into technical snags getting them up now that I actually have a script to publicize and another one on the back burner. I'll probably make a separate blog post and talk about it in various places when I actually put up something readable.
Conclusion
I am very fucking depressed. You enjoying anything I slap out into this nutso world makes what I do feel worth it. Knowing that people enjoy what I do in any regard encourages me to keep doing all this stuff. Thank you for being a part of this. I only hope I can get my behind-the-scenes together so I can continue to entertain you all.
Thanks for listening,
-Ayden Iona