No video today…

Hey Swagnilla Ice community,

Just a quick update from your favorite content creator! I’m not feeling my best today – I’ve got a sinus cold or flu bug that’s keeping me down. Unfortunately, this means there won’t be a new episode of Swag Plays Factorio Season 2 today.

I’m taking the day to rest and recover, and I’m hoping to be back on my feet and ready to record a new episode for you all on Friday. In the meantime, why not catch up on some of the previous episodes or check out some of my other content?

I appreciate all your support and understanding. If you could keep me in your thoughts and prayers, I’d really appreciate it! Let’s get me back to 100% so I can continue bringing you the best content possible.

Stay tuned for more updates, and remember, I’ll be back before you know it!

Your favorite content creator,
Swagnilla Ice

Swag Plays Banished S2 E38: Slow Growth, A Trader Arrives, and Unexpected Challenges

Swag Plays Banished S2 E38: Slow Growth, A Trader Arrives, and Unexpected Challenges

In this thrilling episode, the citizens of Otterview face new challenges as they strive to survive in the untamed wilderness surrounding their settlement. The tunnel project hits a snag, and a mysterious trader arrives at the trading dock. Will the citizens of Otterview secure valuable bargains, or will they be left with more questions than answers? Watch to find out and share your thoughts in the comments!

Episode 50: St. Catherine of Siena

In this episode of ‘A Few Moments with God’, we celebrate our 50th episode by exploring the extraordinary life of Saint Catherine of Siena. Born in 14th-century Italy, Catherine was a mystic, pious laywoman, and influential political figure. Despite facing numerous challenges, including family opposition and health struggles, she remained steadfast in her faith and dedication to serving others. From caring for the sick and incarcerated to advocating for peace and reform within the Church, Catherine’s impact was profound. Join us as we delve into her inspiring journey, her mystical experiences, and her enduring legacy as a Doctor of the Church and patron saint of various causes. Reflect on how Catherine’s life can inspire us to live with greater faith, courage, and love.

Swag’s Honest Reviews #1: Bowling Dice

Swag’s Honest Reviews #1: Bowling Dice

Welcome to ‘Swag’s Honest Reviews,’ a brand new series where I’ll be sharing my thoughts on games, books, and various fanfiction stories that I’ve personally played or read. While I’m always open to suggestions, please bear in mind that a review might take some time if it’s something entirely new to me. To kick things off, today we’re diving into a review of the game Bowling Dice by Ideal.

Bowling Dice is an ideal game for family game night. It’s easy to play, quick to pick up, and helps develop valuable math and logic skills. Even when playing solo, you can still have a great time and sharpen your math abilities! Whether you’re by yourself or with a group, as long as you have a space to roll the dice, you can enjoy this fun game.

The game’s scoring is identical to real bowling, making it easy to pick up if you’re already familiar with the sport. If not, the instruction booklet is quite clear and provides all you need to understand the rules. Just like in actual bowling, each frame consists of up to two throws. Instead of seeing how many pins are knocked down, you’ll look for an ‘X’ on your first roll for a strike, or a ‘/’ on your second roll for a spare. If you don’t get either of those, you’ll simply count the ‘pin’ icons on the dice. (Do note that a ‘/’ on the first throw or an ‘X’ on the second throw will just count as another knocked-down pin for that specific turn.) And just like in a real bowling game, if you manage a strike or a spare in the tenth and final frame, you get to throw additional dice to complete your scoring.

Since scoring relies on basic math, and achieving a strike or spare comes down to pure luck rather than skill, this game truly is for everyone. For players who might find the math a bit challenging, another player can easily lend a hand, or a calculator can be used. This ensures that anyone can participate and have fun – and for games with more than one player, the person with the highest score wins!

Bowling Dice by Ideal is a fantastic game for everyone and an excellent choice for family game night! Requiring very little space and being a game of pure chance rather than skill, it’s a game that most people are sure to enjoy. I highly recommend you try it out for yourself if you haven’t already!

My Score:

Swag Plays Factorio S2 E46: Continuing to Master Factory Logistics!

Swag Plays Factorio S2 E46: Continuing to Master Factory Logistics!

Efficiency is the name of the game in this 46th episode of Swag Plays Factorio, Season 2! Join me as I explore new ways to refine my factory’s output. I’ll be constructing an additional green circuit production area, deploying robots for smarter deliveries, and removing outdated belt setups. The ultimate goal? To get that rocket launched! So, I adjust the research queue to focus on turning coal into heavy oil and, ultimately, the rocket fuel needed to achieve victory this season.

Swag Plays Factorio S2 E45: Mastering Fast Splitters and Tunnels for Victory!

Swag Plays Factorio S2 E45: Mastering Fast Splitters and Tunnels for Victory!

In this episode, I automate the production of fast underground belts and fast splitters, streamlining my factory operations. I then tackle a small power crisis by adding a new set of steam turbines to the power area. Additionally, my research progresses closer to the rocket silo, bringing me one step closer to winning this season by launching a rocket! Stay tuned for more exciting updates and strategies.

Happy Canada Day!

Hey everyone!

Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian members and visitors! Today, we celebrate our nation’s birthday, and I hope you all have a safe and joyful holiday. May Canada continue to thrive as a sovereign nation for many years to come.

I pray that blessings fall upon our land, and that our leaders are guided by wisdom and compassion as they govern us. Let’s also take a moment to appreciate the diversity and beauty that makes Canada unique.

Wishing you all a fantastic day filled with fun, family, and fireworks!

Swag Plays Banished S2 E37 | Tunnel Time and Stockpile Mix Up

Swag Plays Banished S2 E37 | Tunnel Time and Stockpile Mix Up

In this episode of Swag Plays Banished, the community makes a significant change by canceling the bridge project in favor of a tunnel that is closer to town. This strategic move is expected to expedite construction. Additionally, a new stockpile is established near the tunnel site for resource management, but some citizens make a puzzling decision by storing firewood there instead of in the town center stockpiles. What were they thinking? Watch the entire episode to see all the twists and turns!

Episode 49: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Join Swagnilla Ice on ‘A Few Moments with God’ as we delve into the inspiring life of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. Discover how this Doctor of the Church overcame personal struggles and persecution to become a beacon of faith and mercy. From his early days as a lawyer to his founding of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, and his later years as a bishop, Alphonsus’ life is a testament to unwavering devotion and service. Learn about his profound teachings, his impact on the Church, and how his legacy continues to guide us today. Tune in for a journey of faith, reflection, and inspiration.

Our Community is Leveling Up: New Features and Your Support Needed!

Greetings everyone!

I have some exciting news to share with you today, and I need your help to make it a reality. Please take a moment to read this entire post. My goal is to create the best family-friendly community website out there for anyone in the world who can speak, read, and write English. I believe the news I’m about to share will bring us one step closer to achieving that goal. So, let’s dive in!

The first bit of good news I have to share is that you can now earn hearts and ranks! The higher your total hearts, the higher your rank will become. Here’s how it works:

  • Starting Rank: Everyone begins as a Recruit.
  • First Level-Up: Earn 100 hearts to level up to the next rank.
  • Subsequent Level-Ups: Each rank after the first requires ten times the hearts of the previous one. For example, the third rank requires 1,000 hearts, the fourth rank requires 10,000 hearts, until you reach the rank of Triplicarius at 1,000,000, halfway up the ranks.
  • A Bigger Jump: To get from Triplicarius to Centurion, you need to earn another 1.5 million to get to 2.5 million in total.
  • Top Ranks: The top four ranks are spaced 2.5 million hearts apart. This means you’ll need to earn 2.5 million hearts to reach the next rank.
  • Top Rank: The highest rank is Legate. Who will be the first to achieve this prestigious title? Only time will tell!

By the way, I named the ranks after those of the Roman military, so if you’re curious about the historical context, feel free to look it up!

The next bit of good news is that we now have arcade games to play here! Yes, and they are amazing! Here are some details:

  • Game Availability: New games are added every day, so there’s always something fresh to try.
  • Tournaments: I hope to soon add tournaments (but that will cost C$96 – consider joining today and becoming a paid member – it’s a way of earning hearts) to allow you all to compete for bragging rights.
  • Guest Access: Visitors can play our games five times before they need to register to continue playing.
  • Member Benefits: All members, including basic (free) ones, get to record their high scores (only their high scores) on games that support the feature, which should encourage you all to have more fun and try to set new high scores every time you play!

Now, I need your help with something exciting: I want to add an events calendar to the site. However, to get all the features I want, it will cost US$399, which is a significant investment, but I believe it will be well worth the money. Here’s what the events calendar will offer:

  • Event Submission: You’ll be able to submit your own events.
  • Ticket Sales: Sell tickets for your events through the shop and split the revenue with my company.
  • Location-Based Search: Search for events by location, so no matter where you live, you can see what’s happening nearby that you can enjoy with your family members!

Additionally, I have an idea to introduce achievements to the site. These achievements will serve as visual rewards for achieving certain milestones or ranks. Here are some of the achievements I envision:

  • 1st Comment
  • 1st Forum Post
  • 1st Forum Reply
  • Your suggested activity-based achievements

While I’m not an artist myself, I’m open to suggestions and help from the community if anyone is interested in designing them.

In summary, we have some exciting new features to enhance our community:

  • Ranking System: Earn hearts and ranks to level up and achieve the prestigious title of Legate.
  • Arcade Games: Enjoy a growing collection of arcade games, with tournaments coming soon for members.
  • Events Calendar: Help us add an events calendar to submit, search, and sell tickets for local events.
  • Achievements: Earn visual rewards for achieving milestones and ranks.

Your support is crucial in making these enhancements a reality. Consider becoming a paid member or donating via Ko-fi to help us reach our goals. Together, we can make this the best family-friendly community website for English speakers worldwide.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Let’s make this community even better together!