Sientir's Blog

In this episode, I discuss the similarities and differences between the Old and New Covenants (that is, Judaism and Christianity). This includes things like the general structure of the Covenants, what their purposes are, along with other similarities and differences. Due to the way I handled the creative process, I did overlook an obvious similarity in that the Old Testament is an important religious text for both religions. I didn't realize I'd forgotten this until it was too late to add it in somewhere. Join my Discord Server: https://discord.gg/s6ajzsg Support me at https://www.patreon.com/Sientir

In the first Guild Chat episode this week, I give my thoughts on the philosophical question of "Are humans intrinsically good or intrinsically wicked?" As you might guess from the title. Anyway, this requires me to talk about morality a lot—my thoughts there should be nothing new for people who've been listening to my content for a while, though. In the second (much shorter) Guild Chat, I share some personal stories about pets my family had back in the day. Direct video links: Are humans intrinsically good or intrinsically wicked? - https://youtu.be/Fy-Iab5yOu8 Personal Stories: Pets - https://youtu.be/Z2R1B8MZBjE

I do a lot of exploration this week, including finding the final dreamer, The Beast. Most important of all, however, I beat the game! Yay! It was a lot of fun. I give my thoughts on the game's design and the like in the Finale episode. Direct video links: Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 46: The Hive - https://youtu.be/VlBKmw1Qlng Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 47: The Hive Knight - https://youtu.be/BxIQ1VZjrLA Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 48: The Royal Waterways - https://youtu.be/cbwROAw_bT0 Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 49: The Beast - https://youtu.be/ETn9NoNJGJI Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 50: FINALE! and Thoughts on the Game - https://youtu.be/2R-OHWZxxRQ

Have you ever heard the word "Sacraments" and wondered what it meant? Or have you heard of baptism or Communion (or the Lord's Supper or Eucharist) and been uncertain of what those things are? Then you've come to the right place, because in this episode of Geekdom of God, I go over these things! Join my Discord Server: https://discord.gg/s6ajzsg Support me at https://www.patreon.com/Sientir

In the first of this week's Guild Chat videos, I explore the idea of a hero-driven 4X game. In the second, I analyze a problem that can crop up in game design, where you focus on things that sound cool, rather than on the hard details of how a game works. I also examine the idea of what it is like to experience game worlds, since that is a big part of this issue. Direct video links: What Might a Hero-Driven 4X Game Be Like? - https://youtu.be/pX5ErukdUTg Game Design, "Wouldn't it be cool" syndrome, and the Experience of Game Worlds - https://youtu.be/H5dwDo1OQRs

I made a lot of progress this week, finding key upgrades, such as the ability to swim in acid water. I also made a lot of lore progress, finding the King's Brand and the Teacher. I get the feeling I'm rapidly approaching the end of the game. Direct video links: Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 41: The Dung Defender - https://youtu.be/J09X0lfEjMI Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 42: Hornet & the King's Brand - https://youtu.be/icjSmrz2uUc Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 43: Lore Worm - https://youtu.be/YP80akwOF3E Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 44: The Teacher - https://youtu.be/1RMLYKitoBk Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 45: Finding the Queen's Garden - https://youtu.be/BmMI6fU9JQ8

In this week's episode, I talk about persecution and suffering for being a Christian. While it is something we should expect, we have to be careful to not automatically assume that persecution is indicative of us doing the right thing. Also, it is important that we understand what it means to represent Christ, which is actually rather connected to this previous issue. Join my Discord Server: https://discord.gg/s6ajzsg Support me at https://www.patreon.com/Sientir

In the first Guild Chat this weekend, I talk about the unusual paths the led to me getting into some of my favorite games. In the second one, I talk about the challenge of handling an IP that you didn't create, primarily by examining the challenge Disney has when it comes to managing Star Wars. Direct video links: How I started playing some of my favorite games! - https://youtu.be/r0cHFGkxM74 Star Wars and The Challenge of Managing a Legacy - https://youtu.be/a4IUdWENrpE

I make significant progress this week, with a lot of exploration and finding a lot of things. Of particular note is the Wednesday video, where I take down a very challenging boss that leads to one of the beings I'm seeking. I definitely feel like I'm moving towards the end of the game, which, to be fair, I probably should be after 40 episodes! Direct video links: Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 36: Pleasure House - https://youtu.be/77aR0FH5maA Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 37: Adorable Womb Babies - https://youtu.be/_a6LV1aayyk Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 38: The Watcher Knights - https://youtu.be/JphQgDg-5es Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 39: The Watcher - https://youtu.be/dkDRTND9JQc Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 40: Let's Go EVERYWHERE! - https://youtu.be/aJ5yYP8gE1U

As the episode title implies, in this episode, I examine reasons why Christians should associate with sinners. I also explore some of the things that can happen when we don't. The episode on Cultural Christianity can be viewed here:  https://youtu.be/xfG2zeUAMSY Join my Discord Server: https://discord.gg/s6ajzsg Support me at https://www.patreon.com/Sientir

In the first Guild Chat this week, I look at some of the possible benefits of Universal Basic Income from a human empowerment standpoint, an angle that I feel gets less focus than the direct financial aspects of the concept. In the second Guild Chat, I examine the idea of "opportunity cost" as a way to balance stuff in games. This topic is inspired by design decisions ArenaNET made when creating Guild Wars 2. Direct video links: Universal Basic Income (UBI) and Human Empowerment - https://youtu.be/0Dv1pMTppRc Opportunity as Cost: A Guild Wars 2 Inspired Analysis - https://youtu.be/f_d6m_A7pCI

I made a lot of progress in Hollow Knight this week! The main reasons were finding the double jump upgrade and the tram pass, both of which opened up a lot of new ears for me to explore. Direct video links: Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 31: Midwife - https://youtu.be/pQCOufi0umc Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 32: A Functional Tram - https://youtu.be/fYCrOgy00v8 Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 33: The Fancy Sewers - https://youtu.be/A5G9EwsWslA Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 34: The King's Station - https://youtu.be/TsmkNJr2EcE Let's Play Hollow Knight Ep. 35: Hallownest's Crown - https://youtu.be/DvVm7rjQXww

There has been a fierce debate on Twitter (and probably elsewhere) since the release of Sekiro. The debate is about accessibility when it comes to challenging games. The sides seem to be thus: Challenging games should be more accessible vs. challenging games should not be easy. This entire debate is rather interesting from a gaming culture standpoint. But before I can dig into why, I need to first address some terminology. I should first note that I'm using the word "challenging" instead of "hard" because I view there as being a difference. To me, a challenging game is a game that has a high level of difficulty for some purpose, usually so that overcoming the game becomes a powerful reward. This is what FromSoftware has generally tried to do. This contrasts with a hard game, which is a game that is difficult for no reason other than to be difficult. Of course, the distinction between these is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. However, I recall

John 3:16-21 is a powerful encapsulation of the Gospel message, but we often cut it short by looking at just John 3:16. Please join me in this careful look at the entirety of this powerful passage. Join my Discord Server: https://discord.gg/s6ajzsg Support me at https://www.patreon.com/Sientir