A Quick Channel Update
Summary
- Clarification regarding the channel’s status and the timing of this update.
- Announcement of absence from the upcoming Path of Exile Class Gauntlet event.
- Details on professional involvement with the upcoming ARPG The Dark West.
- Progress update on the personal fiction project, Archangels of Phobos.
Current Schedule and Event Participation
This announcement is neither an April Fools’ Day joke nor a notice that the channel is closing. The video is being posted on April 1st because of social commitments scheduled for April 2nd through 5th that will prevent any video production during that window.
I will be missing the upcoming Zizaran’s Class Gauntlet event for Path of Exile 1. This event, which begins in one week, is a Hardcore Solo Self-Found (SSF) competition with extreme difficulty modifiers. While I cannot participate this time, I encourage the community to check out the event—either to compete for prizes or to experience a version of the game that requires constant vigilance and rewards careful play.
Professional Project: The Dark West
I have accepted a professional role working on an upcoming ARPG titled The Dark West. I am working behind the scenes on core game system designs, specifically focusing on moving away from traditional ARPG tropes that feel outdated.
Key design philosophies being implemented include:
- Uncapped Resistances: Rather than the traditional 0–75% cap with punishing penalties, this system allows resistances to scale indefinitely. Moving from 100 to 200 or 400 to 500 provides a consistent, meaningful stat upgrade without the complexity of hard caps or diminishing returns.
- Simplified Experience Systems: We are avoiding the convoluted experience point math found in other genre titles in favor of a more intuitive system.
For a deeper look at these mechanics, I participated in an interview on Seafarion’s YouTube channel to discuss the project. While I have an employment relationship with the developers, this is a genuine update on my professional activities rather than a paid advertisement.
Personal Project: Archangels of Phobos
For several years, I have been developing a personal fiction project titled Archangels of Phobos. This is a science fantasy litRPG web serial inspired by the cosmology of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. Specifically, it explores the transition between a world similar to our own (the “First Age”) and a high-tech magic utopia (the “Second Age”).
Current status of the project:
- The story is being released as a text-based serial on Royal Road.
- I am self-narrating the chapters on the @ArchangelsofPhobos YouTube channel.
- There are currently over twenty chapters available, representing roughly 35% to 40% of the first planned book.
Final Words
The combined workload of these two major side projects is the reason for my recent busyness and my need to step back from events like the Gauntlet. I appreciate the community’s support as I balance these endeavors. May your Vaal orbs have interesting results.