You may remember me S.A.S creator of the "S.A.S's guides to x", from
the old BarrysWorld / GAME
NET sites. It's been a long time, but I'm back! :).
I am now job
hunting for a new games industry job, although for the time being I'm
stuck within a management coaching role. My thirst is, and always has
been, for gaming and writing, it continues to grow and needs to be
quenched, so welcome to the FreddysHouse Guides!
This website hosts a range of guides, articles,
features and will expand into other guide related areas (I'm keeping these
under wraps for the moment ;) ).
Currently
Playing... - Updated by S.A.S,
Wednesday 17th May 2006
I've been asked recently what games I am currently playing. Here's a mini
list:
Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion (single
player. For those quiet days when I'm in a thinking mood)
Battlefield 2 (online. For days where I just want a blast of action
and team work)
Hatrick.org (free online browser football management game)
Travian.com (free online browser MMOG).
I'm also on the hunt for Battlefield 2142 information,
although have given up on the prospect of a preview copy of the game to
guide :(
Battlefield 2142
Info & Guide - Updated by S.A.S,
Thursday 6th March 2006
EA Games upcoming futuristic war game is due for release this summer. The
guide is up and running containing information as it is
released regarding Battlefield 2142's development.
With the popularity of the Battlefield series,
Battlefield 2142 is set to be a sure fire hit.
>>
Battlefield 2142 Guide <<
Balancing Act - Updated by S.A.S,
Sunday 12th March 2006
How to strike the balance between a job. A girlfriend and things I'd like
to do for a career. Balancing two things is tricky, but three, is a
nightmare.
Job wise I am still at Royal Mail in a role as a Work Group Coach.
This week my given mission is to write a coaching guide / manual
containing coaching strategies and techniques which will help develop a
'best practice' approach to coaching. Lots of meetings with coaches and
managers to gather information, before pen hits paper are ahead. My plan
to use the same format as for the guides on this site, where input from
the community (of coaches in this case) helps develop the guide to cover
every angle in an easy to read format. But...
...although I enjoy my job, I feel at times something
is missing and I should be doing more. I joined Royal Mail purely because I needed a job
at the time to pay the bills, and have ended up there for four years. During
my time I've stuck to a continued writing, guide / manual creating
line of work, which also led me into management and training/coaching
roles. I enjoy working with the people there and Royal Mail is a good
company to work for, but I find myself regularly wondering what I could be
doing. I'm feeling restless.
Where would I be now if BarrysWorld/GAME.net had not
closed their doors? Online gaming is huge now and building up momentum day
by day. Could I re-enter the games industry? It is a tough beast to work
for, but the job security is not guaranteed.
Anyhow along with my day job, I also have FreddysHouse.
Covering the news and hopefully one day getting around to updating the
guides site you are on now. I do this voluntarily and enjoy it, but get
frustrated I can't spend more time on it. FreddysHouse could do with
articles and reviews, which would help attract new gamers into its
community and I have a list of things I'd like to do, but with limited
time to even post news posts on a daily basis my hands are tied.
I guess things came to a head when I tried to take part in
the Gamesday TdC planned for this Friday 10th. I managed to escape
from work at 8pm and rushed home to end up stuck in a lift for an hour.
Luckily the doors opened themselves just as I was about to call the Fire
Brigade. After a few gulp fulls of fresh air I popped online and started
to set-up for the games day. However after 30 minutes the game had not
started and tea was up (stomach was rumbling) so I logged off. As I ate I
thought back to the community at BarrysWorld. The laughs, the highs and
low points and the old mega games where 50+ players would enter a server
on a map designed for 20 and try to reach first place amongst the hail of
bullets, flying rockets, and bouncing grenades.
Back then I was in the heart of the community, but now I
am on the edge and it's something I'd like to change, but again with
limited time probably impossible to do without impacting on my job or girlfriend.
I've been with my girlfriend Mandy for 3 years now.
Although she loves console gaming she has no interest in online or even PC
gaming making my work on FreddysHouse.
I respect that and spend time with Mandy when she is around. At the
moment we are working at setting up her own jewellery making
website / ebay
shop. Hopefully I'll get some freelance web design work out of it
too.
Luckily for me Mandy is a nurse and works different
shifts, like this weekend, where she is working 2pm-10pm today giving me
time to fire up Battlefield 2 and spend a few hours getting my gaming fix.
This way the balance is restored.
Thinking about it now, the problem is I work a 2pm-10pm shift at work 5 days a
week. In the mornings Mandy maybe around, but even if she is not I find
myself doing nothing from the time I am up at 9am till 2pm. I watch videos
and do some bits and pieces, but I should be doing something constructive.
However knowing work is at 2pm tends to snap any drive I have. Also if I
do work on FreddysHouse during my spare time am I not then caught in a
cycle of work, girlfriend time, and work again with no down time?
I'll stop here as this is turning into a Blog / mini rant
also I doubt anyone is going to read it! Needless to say I need to make a
decision and soon. Do I stay with Royal Mail and stick to that path, or do
I stop and step onto the job market and take a leap back into the games
industry?
Time will tell...
--------------------------------
Guide Formats - Updated by S.A.S,
Friday 30th Sept 2005
I've spent the last few months up to my eyeballs in work and life stuff,
which has resulted in less time to work on the guides, but has given me
time to look at new guide formats.
I needed something that will be quick and easy to produce,
yet fully useable by gamers, and after a number of weeks I think I've
cracked it. Something that I don't think has been done yet by anyone else.
Simple idea but highly useable...
I am knocking up some examples this week before I revel
any more details. After all, a picture speaks a thousand words :).
--------------------------------
Change is coming - Updated by S.A.S,
Sunday 12th June 2005
Due to my role at work changing back to its original role I can start
doing some fun stuff. Its been frustrating, but now finally I'm free to
start work on the guides once again.
My plan is to update my CV (always handy?) and personal
website with a new lick of paint, followed by articles for FreddysHouse
and work on a new guide.
Expect to see work start before the end of June at the
latest.
--------------------------------
Xmas and the New Year
- Updated by S.A.S, Friday 7th December 2004
Things at work are turning, and I should have more time to dedicate to the
guides. The new year will start my drive into writing full time again,
which means weekly updates here and continued work on my personal website
www.grenney.co.uk.
2005 will be the return... I'll be back.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Update
- Updated by S.A.S, Friday 25h September 2004
A quick note to say work is underway on a number of guiding projects, but
due to work and real life sucking up my time it is taking a bit longer to
complete the guides than I would like.
In the mean time you can still catch me on the #freddyshouse IRC channel and the
forums, where I manage to squeeze out a few news posts through the week.
Doom3
Watch
- Updated by S.A.S, Friday 04th August 2004
In case you've been on another planet the past few weeks, DOOM 3 is now
out in america and it will be hitting the UK shores on the 13th August. Be
ready!
The DOOM 3 watch section has been updated
with the system requirements.
I plan to work on a DOOM 3 Guide sharpish, but my workload at work and
real life pressures are getting the better of me at the moment.
Half-Life2/Doom3
Watch
- Updated by S.A.S, Wednesday 21st July 2004
The release of Half-Life 2 (September) and Doom 3 (August 2nd) has
resulted in a flood of news and therefore updates of the
Half-Life 2 /
Doom 3 watch features.
Tweaks
- Updated by S.A.S, Friday 4th June 2004
I've updated a number of sections, including the
Dark Age of Camelot's,
masterlevel process guide. Guide to connecting
with mirc and numerous tweaks to the rest of the site.
Other news... Half-life 2, Doom 3 and Warhammer 40k: Dawn
of War guides are still underway.
I've bought more RAM to boost my machine to 512mb,
and hopefully next month a new gfx will be on order. That is if I can
scrap the money together.
On the job front I've applied for a position in the job I
am currently in, although again not games related, (sigh). There does not
seem to be many writing / community type jobs available in the industry at
the moment :(.
DAOC: Masterlevel
Guide
- Updated by S.A.S, Saturday 22nd May 2004
Tijl has created a guide to
Dark Age of Camelot's,
masterlevel process, including tips on how to complete the levels in
this popular MMOPRG.
Warhammer 40,000
Guide
- Updated by S.A.S, Wednesday 19th May 2004
After checking this game out on the
official site,
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is shaping up to be a faithful creation of the popular GamesWork Shop board game. I am now developing a guide for it, but will
keep posting on the FreddysHouse news, and getting my hands dirty with
other projects. Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 will be guided also, but I might be
forced to choose which to guide agh...
Half-Life 2 & Doom 3
- Updated by S.A.S, Thursday 13th May 2004
E3 has started and news on Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 is being released daily.
Both games are now confirmed for a summer release. The
Half-Life 2 and
Doom 3 watch sections have been updated
with the latest information.
And on a side note expect a update to the Counter-Strike
guide soon and plans for a new guide. Posting news on the FreddysHouse
main site/forum is taking up a lot of time, but I've got a few weekends
with the girlfriend working and no money in the wallet so quiet nights in
front of the PC are coming.
Half-Life 2 Watch:
Box Art
- Updated by S.A.S, Monday 19th April 2004
Sierra have released the box artwork for Half-Life 2. Take a peak over on
the Half-Life 2 Watch
feature.
Update: IRC Guide
- Updated by S.A.S, Sunday 18th April 2004
I've overhauled the IRC Guide to include details on joining the #freddyshouse
irc channel. The full guide can be seen here.
Doom 3 Watch
Feature
- Updated by S.A.S, Saturaday 17th April 2004
The
Doom 3 Watch feature is now up, and will be updated as we draw closer
to the release of one of the most eagerly awaited games of 2004.
Battlefield Vietnam
Review
- Updated by S.A.S, Wednesday 14th April 2004
Forum user Xane has sent over a player review
to the highly popular war game, Battlefield Vietnam.
Half-Life 2 Watch
Feature
- Updated by S.A.S, Thursday 8th April 2004
The
Half-Life 2 Watch feature is now up, and will be updated as we draw
closer to the release of one of 2004's biggest games.
FreddysHouse Forum
Features
- Updated by S.A.S, Sunday 28th March 2004
Two new features have been added to the FreddysHouse Forums. These include a
full blown arcade, and "petz" where you can create a small animal to do
battle against the other forum users animals. I've created a
forum feature starter guide, here.
Warning, the arcade is highly addictive!
Guide Forums Opened
- Updated by S.A.S, Friday 26th March 2004
The
Guide
forums are now open (click to enter). A number of sections are
included for each guide and also covers other guide related topics.
Guide now Live
- Updated by S.A.S, Friday 19th March 2004
The Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault Guide is now live.
Although not as in-depth as the other guides, it is designed to ease you
into playing MOH online. Enjoy :).
Past News...
