NostTW Update 26/04/2019

Hullo me fullars!! So insomnia64 is over, I’ve returned home from UKSM and my voice is absolutely destroyed. BUT, all for good measure as I can’t help but admit that I had one of the best times of my life there! Met some amazing fellow speedrunners and gamers, got a bit hands on with event organisation (trying not to pull out another internet cable, sorry guys) and really excited for what’s next to come!
Just to summarise that during my runs for UKSM, you fullars have raised around £80 worth towards SpecialEffect! THAT’S INCREDIBLE! Thank you all so much for your generosities and I hope that we can continue to support this charity through UKSM with more Spyro runs and more!

So this leads me over to the main bulk of this pastebin, it’s going to be a big update so I’ll make a contents thing here so you can read navigate to what you want to read:

1.	Final Subgoal
2.	Stream hiatus
	a.	Exams
	b.	Bit badges
	c.	Stream Graphics & more
3.	Stream Return
	a.	First Streams back
	b.	New Speedruns? You Decide.
	c.	Future UKSM events (i65 and/or EGX)
4.	Future Plans
	a.	Post-graduation
	b.	Comics


1.
nostthHUG IS FINALLY APPROVED!!! Now the tier 1 emote count reaches to 4 emotes! Never would I think that subscribing to the channel would be so rewarding like this aha xD Honestly thought affiliates would be sticking with just 1 emote but this opportunity is awesome.
The final subgoal is to reach 50 subpoints and that will unlock my final emote of: nostthGASP. If you fullars would like to achieve this – then well, you know what to do ;) Feel free to continue to subscribe, gift subs, etc. I ain’t going to be pushing for this myself anymore as I am really content with the 4 emotes in tier 1 right now but if you really want to blow my mind away, there’s nothing stopping you!

2.
Now, this isn’t all bad news but as I have mentioned, I am going to be taking a stream break from now until 24th May (1 month from now). The reasons are as follows:

	a)	My physics degree final exams are coming up and I REALLY need as much time as I can to revise these. This may also mean that I will also be a little bit inactive on Discord so if I do not reply immediately, assume I’m head in books. First exam is 8th May and the final one is 23rd. Wish me good luck, I’m going to need it big time!
	b)	I have started working part way through the custom bit badges as you have seen with the Cheer 1 and Cheer 100 badges but I’ll make sure to clean those up and make the higher up ones for when I’m back. I’ll make up to the 25k one.
	c)	So here’s the big one. Now I’ve been starting to make a bit of a rebrand for the stream but I’m gunna need to have a bit of time to be able to change overlays completely, update description panels, create new artwork and start plans on what to do with this channel. I am going to make a list and try and work through as much as I can to make the streams look even more sleeker and follow a niche theme. Also, may work on merch ideas….can’t guarantee anything yet though.
In addition, I’m going to be adjusting and adding some more pints redemption and alerts for streams. Now Twitch Sings is a thing, I feel like Nost Kareoke can be done loads easier now!

3.
Crucially tho, I like to think about how things would be like for when I return from hiatus, here’s what’s on mind:

	a)	So the first streams back will be to FINALLY finish Spyro Reignited Trilogy by completing Spyro 3:YotD 117% causal playthrough. That will be guaranteed what I am to do when I am back on May 24th onwards. Hope you all are also looking forward to some chill Spyro – I may even crack out some drinks to celebrate end of the degree with you folks too! May sure to join 
	b)	After the casual playthrough is done, I will then be contemplating how things are going to be looking with regards to streams throughout the rest of the year and of course, Spyro and speedrunning is going to be the focus. However, with that UKSM will be returning to i65 and EGX later this year, submissions will be up at around end of May therefore I will likely need to start thinking about what runs to showcase. I am going to leave it down to a poll and get some statistics to see what people would be interested to see on the channel – both from you fullars’ perspective and from people in general who may not know a thing about the channel.

So here’s the options:
	i.	Chase for WR in SRT Spyro 1 Any% (Currently 4th)
	ii.	Aim for Top 5 in SRT Spyro 1 120% (Currently 9th)
	iii.	Begin and aim for top 10 in SRT Spyro 2 40 Orb
	iv.	Begin and learn Shadow Of The Colossus (2018) Boss Rush and aim for top 10
	v.	Begin and learn Sonic Riders [PC] All Stories and aim for top 10

CHOOSE HERE: https://www.strawpoll.me/17888204


Just a reminder that I do currently hold WRs for Columns Crown however I am the only runner for the game so far. If you would like this to change, please consider picking up the game and giving it a go – if you would like hints and guides, ask me in pm’s and/or feel free to join the game’s discord server: https://discord.gg/CZBPEMm

	c)	Okay, here’s the important one! I WANT to go to both UKSM @ i65 (Birmingham - August) and UKSM @ EGX (London - October) however this is BIG money dependency. Hotels aren’t cheap and after finding out this weekend just gone, food at the NEC isn’t cheap either. (Damn you Wetherspoons! £7+ for a traditional breakfast is criminal!). I will likely be submitting SRT Spyro 1 Any% and 120% again for i65 and would like to try another category for EGX.
I would like to know your thoughts on whether you would like to see me again at the event. If I return to i65, I won’t be asking for money through the tip incentives this time round – maybe for EGX but I’ll decide at a later date. Honestly, your support for just this first event is enough for me have goals and stuff – I would prefer any tips and/or donations going towards SpecialEffect at UKSM itself.
My financial situation this year is REALLY chaotic. Uni accommodation isn’t cheap; my loan company hates me. I’m celebrating a massive family occasion in the summer which is alright a massive bite out of my wallet. I’m trying to path a way to getting a summer job and things from September 2019 onwards, but all is just eating away at my savings more and more. I’m even going to apply for educational grants which (fingers crossed) I could get something from. Not sure on the likelihood tho.

4.
As much as things are looking to the future, it’s looking dope. Can’t believe it’s been such a massive turnaround from last year!
	a)	After graduation, summer will see me working trying to recover back as much money as I feel I have lost. I think I’m going to have to go back to budgeting – I suppose this can get me learning code again! What will I be working? Well…..what if I were to show you this pixelated photo of me catching a wave when I shouldn’t have:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/432083964111618050/571317349404377108/56567376_268344454109906_5013227334178701312_n.png
What will be happening when you graduate, Nost? Hard question because, I don’t even really know myself to be honest xD I’m aiming to go for a postgraduate course in something which I can follow up with from my Physics degree however how soon I’ll be doing that course will be determined on whether I have to money to start it or not. It could be Sept 2019, or Sept 2020…we’ll see.

	b)	Whats annoying is that in order to build a creative portfolio, I would love to actually start making comics. However with how things are looking financially and how stream things are going so far, comics are most certainly going to be on hold until soonTM . Hopefully, I’ll surprise you all when they’re ready to be published – I’ll keep all that creative jazz hush-hush.

TL;DR (as this is probably one of the biggest paste-bins I’ve made): I’m taking a stream break for a month, I’m currently money tight, UKSM was awesome and I want to do it again later this year, please choose what speedruns you want to see when I come back and hopefully going to give you all the best for the rest of this year.

Love you all, me fullars! ^.=.^
-Nost