What started as a practice track that turned into a little remix that I thought Tyla's vocals would work with.
Most of the time I'm okay with leaving a project with minimal vocals, but it can get a bit boring without any. I like putting vocals on tracks, but before I would get my tracks taken down on SoundCloud from its recognition algorithm.
I mean, I can get by with royalty-free vocals, but sometimes it's cool to mix with a song that you like, you know?
It helps with getting a general idea of how I like going about it.
Also, RE: Final Fantasy XIV:
#I like it. Like a lot.
This is probably the first MMO that "stuck" with me. All other times I guess I just "didn't get it." I started back in 2020 with the whole pandemic going on on my PS4, starting out as a Miqo'te Thaumaturge/Black Mage (BLM). Unfortunately, life gets in the way and I hold off trying to get into it until like four years later. At that time, Dawntrail had released and I learned that in the previous expansion, Endwalker, the option to have your character be a male Viera (the rabbit people in the series).
And it was at that moment...I got it.
I figured out the problem--Miqo'te didn't really fit me.
It felt like a "placeholder" for some other person that I wanted to be. I didn't particularly care about being a catboy. Just doesn't feel right. Everyone's seen a catboy--they're not that intriguing to me. Bunny boys? Just a bit different. I guess it felt more representative of how I felt to be percieved. Maybe I'm just into that body type. Who to say? :)
Let me tell you something about the Thaumaturge leveling experience: it's not a great time. Leveling up this class has to be the most tedious process in a video game that I've made myself endure. Charge/cooldown times are slow at low levels, the AOE is pretty bad (says the person who just figured out AOE with BLM just recently), and the mobilty--or lack thereof--can ruin your game plan with your rotation.
#And yet, I enjoy it.
If there's one thing I know about myself, is that I'm stubborn. Despite there being other opportunities to enjoy this game, I chose this one and stuck with it. Recently, I've gotten into learning Dark Knight (DRK) and that's really fun with its combat and class story.But at the end of the day, I still find myself going back to BLM and blowing shit up with my Fire spell rotation. It may not be effective, but I like it anyway.
Around the time I got back into it I had built a decent desktop tower to run FFXIV. I think another limiting factor was the fact that most of the computers I've personally owned were never meant to play games. The most intensive gaming I've done with them at that point was probably League of Legends, and I regret that time spent just a little bit (teehee). Initially I had a stripped down build of Windows 11 without all the nonsense added, even then that's a hassle. Long story short: I uninstalled that trash and installed CachyOS. (I have a Steam Deck--I know Linux can play games.)
And it's a pretty great experience.
Currently I'm going through the Stormblood expansion, and...it feels like I'm playing through this story at an appropriate time. If you're unfamiliar with the story, the main plot point is that the Warrior of Light and the gang travel to the land of Ala Mhigo to help rally a liberation front against the Garlean Empire.
You might be picking up what I'm putting down.
If you live in America in 2025...you should get it.
This shit sucks.
And yet...we still persist.
I've learned a long time ago that to get what I feel that I deserve for it I have to work for it. Just no ifs, and, or buts about it. No matter what it is, you can't be lackadaisical about wanting it. To do so is to say you can do without it.
Going through this story so far has also given me some inspiration. I'm trying my best in keeping my motivation. Sometimes, there's hesitation, but I still keep going. Knowing that I'm not alone in this life lets me know that there's gotta be enough of us to make a change. No matter how small the task is, no matter how daunting it might be--we have to see to it.
That's about all I have for this track for now. Let's see what I'll have to say next time.