[{"content":" Lots of random ideas\u0026hellip; # ","date":"Aug 25 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ideas/","section":"","summary":"","title":"","type":"posts"},{"content":" Game Based Ideas # ","date":"Aug 25 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ideas/games/","section":"","summary":"","title":"","type":"posts"},{"content":" Where is Zum? He owes me money! Bluesky Come and say hi on Bluesky! @ZumDeWald LinkedIn Connect with me on LinkedIn, if you want to wait 6 months for me to respond 😜 /ZumDeWald ","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/about/socials/","section":"About","summary":"","title":"Socials","type":"about"},{"content":"Photo by Nintendo After mulling it over, here\u0026rsquo;s some thoughts on where I\u0026rsquo;d like to see the Prime series go\u0026hellip; IF Nintendo and Retro have the courage to take it there. tldr; Let Samus be a real bounty hunter and pick up contracts Upgrades come from collecting parts and finding capable technicians Instead of \u0026ldquo;zones\u0026rdquo; have 3 - 4 worlds with moderate maps for each Let us pilot the Gunship!!! Let The Robot Cook # I\u0026rsquo;ll spare the cumbersome overview and launch straight into the matter. I want Samus to be an actual bounty hunter.\nWhat if instead of only getting work from the Galactic Feds and being glued to one central mission Samus was able to jump between a few worlds and pick up various types of work? Sure, there would still need to be an over-arching storyline with main quests, but we need Samus to break into the wonderful world of side-quests.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been playing through Star Wars Outlaws recently and can\u0026rsquo;t help but think, \u0026ldquo;how cool would it be to have a larger adventure like this in the Metroid universe?!\u0026rdquo; Samus could buzz around different worlds, picking up contracts, living her best life. How would you get these contracts and what would you even be doing? Great question.\nOpen For Work # The key thing to preserve when it comes to Metroid is the atmosphere. That feeling of being on your own as you venture into these worlds. \u0026ldquo;Well, wouldn\u0026rsquo;t speaking to people in towns or villages break that immersion?\u0026rdquo;, you ask. Maybe there\u0026rsquo;s another way.\n· Help Wanted # Instead of having to rely on verbal contracts there could be a network of terminals setup throughout the galaxy where bounty hunters pick up work, like a digital \u0026ldquo;help wanted\u0026rdquo; board. I was reminded of my SilkSong play-through and how you could clear an area then come back to the \u0026ldquo;wish boards\u0026rdquo; and pick up side quests. A similar setup would allow Samus to operate mostly alone and only have to find the terminals to manage her missions. Shove an arm cannon into a slot, pick up some work.\nOf course there would be some occasions, like the mainline story quests, that would have interaction with others. But the majority of the game would be Samus alone, out in the wilds, overcoming the environment and enemies to accomplish her goal.\n· Never A Dull Moment # These contracts could be to find a missing individual, hunt down treasure / lost parts, or to take out baddies. Adding to the draw of contracts, perhaps you need to complete a certain quest in order to obtain a specific power-up and then come back to another main story line piece to advance. Like a real Metroidvania!!\nSome of the contracts could be for the Feds. There could be bases on some of the planets that get overrun with pirates and they need to be cleared out. Or maybe there are pirate camps, hijackings, or any other pirate related fun to run into as you work your way through the galaxy. Other contracts could be working for individuals or various groups around the galaxy, allowing the chance to expand the world of Metroid in a controlled way.\nBut \u0026hellip; what do you accomplish with these missions? Just the satisfaction of helping out others? Hardly!\nMy Suit Needs An Oil Change # There is plenty of room to expand beyond the \u0026ldquo;Samus has to hunt down and regain all her power-ups from Chozo Statues\u0026rdquo; setup that we\u0026rsquo;ve grown used to. Yes, mainline power-ups like Morph Ball and such could be found at Chozo locations across the planets. However, it would be great to have a list of parts needed to upgrade weapons and other aspects Samus\u0026rsquo; suit and even her Gunship. Along with the required parts you would need some currency and to find the right person to perform such upgrades.\nNow we have some valid reasons to pick up contracts. Find parts, get money, locate Chozo ruins, and maybe even rescue someone who can upgrade our stuff (maybe we run into our old buddy Myles again).\nDoes This Thing Have NOS? # I want to fly the Gunship. You want to fly the Gunship. Let us fly the Gunship.\nEven if there are no major dog fights in space, just getting to pilot Samus\u0026rsquo; Gunship for small periods when jumping between planets or even to dock with a space station or two would be incredible. Maybe there are pirates on a space station near one of the planets and we have to head up there and reclaim the station. Maybe fire a missile or two\u0026hellip; who knows. Any way you look at it just getting a taste of flying the Gunship, however briefly, in the next Prime would be a step that hopefully would lead to seeing more if it in future titles.\n· Other Forms Of Traversal # In addition to flying the Gunship, there are more opportunities for Samus to pilot other vehicles in her adventure. I would imagine Vi-O-La would be a super handy thing to have when crossing larger maps on each of the worlds versus being relegated to an empty desert. The vehicle could adapt to each landscape and be useful in many areas of the game.\nCompanions # Not going too deep on this subject as it is a hotbed of emotion for some. The main point I wanted to cover was the presumed need for additional NPCs to drive the story or give hints as you move through the game. While I would be on board with Samus running into NPCs who add to the game in some way I feel the main \u0026ldquo;companion\u0026rdquo; would be Samus\u0026rsquo; suit. Throughout the series Samus\u0026rsquo; suit holds the map, keeps record of story quests, and picks up distress beacons. This could be the main way Samus potentially gets hints and finds quests / contracts that are triggered at specific parts of maps. No need to make the suit fully sentient like a Navi wearable\u0026hellip; keep it cool.\nFinally, Let\u0026rsquo;s Set The Stage # Why not wrap up with where these events might take place? Who wants the scene to be set at the beginning? Sounds like a format for spoilers\u0026hellip;\nWhile I don\u0026rsquo;t have names of actual locations thought up (for now anyway), there are some pretty obvious choices for the types of places Samus would travel. Seems likely there would be 3 - 4 planets with various climates / environments and Samus would travel between them to fulfill contracts, gather materials, and advance the storyline.\nThere has to be an ice planet, a volcano planet, and a jungle planet. It\u0026rsquo;s not a proper Metroid without those ingredients. There could be a fourth planet that is desert, grass lands, or is more open in general that serves as the tutorial and \u0026ldquo;home base\u0026rdquo; if one is needed. Though that could be folded into part of the \u0026ldquo;jungle\u0026rdquo; planet.\nEach planet would have a decent sized map with various amount of density and places that would be more populated given where the story progression is or what contracts have been taken (empty spot now has an alien enemy later when I pick up a contract to eliminate the nuisance).\nAnd of course \u0026hellip; there should be space just outside each planet where we get to pilot the Gunship.\nI Know You got Thoughts # Have I just completely insulted you and everything this franchise stands for? Or possibly generated a few sparks inside your mind leading to additional thoughts? I don\u0026rsquo;t have a comment system setup here (yet) but feel free to hit me up on socials.\n[End Rant]\n","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ideas/games/metroidprime5/","section":"","summary":"","title":"How Metroid Prime 5 Can Advance The Series","type":"posts"},{"content":"This is the first official post on the new site! How exciting.\nThe site you\u0026rsquo;re exploring now is built using Hugo. Very cool. Be impressed 😎\n","date":"Jan 30 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hello-world/","section":"","summary":"","title":"Hello World","type":"posts"},{"content":" Here Lifes Zum # ","date":"Jan 28 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"","summary":"","title":"","type":"page"},{"content":" Obligatory \u0026ldquo;About Me\u0026rdquo; Section # Are you really curious about this stuff? What, you writing a book or something?? Origins # I was born and raised in southern Oklahoma, in the United States. My family moved to central Tennessee when I was around 10 years old. A few years later we relocated to southern Ohio, right on the banks of the Ohio River.\nIn 2006 I headed west to Saint Louis, Missouri. This is where I found my wife and we started our family. After being here for 20+ years, by far the longest I\u0026rsquo;ve lived in one place, I think it\u0026rsquo;s safe to call myself a Saint Louisan.\nEducation / Work Experience # 2002-2003 Job Cashier Worked at \"Big Bear\" grocery store in Portsmouth, Ohio. Typical grocery store stuff happening there. 2003 Education Lutherie Attended a Lutherie training program in Snellville, Georgia. In the three months there I learned about building, repairing, and maintaining stringed instruments. We each built an electric guitar from raw wood to finished product and as a class built an acoustic guitar. 2003 Job Musical Instrument Sales / Repair After returning from Lutherie training I found a job in sales and instrument repair at a music store called Childer's Music Center in Portsmouth, Ohio. Responsibilities included sales of guitars, basses, drums, PA equipment, amps, violins, etc. as well as the repair, upgrading, and maintaining several types of stringed instruments - but mainly guitars and basses. Most jobs were crafting a custom nut and saddle for acoustic guitars out of bone and adding a piezo pickup to acoustic guitars. Loved the repair work, but I am not a natural-born salesman 😜. 2006 Job Telecom Line Burial Packed up and headed to Saint Louis. For several years I worked for my stepfather's business burying communications lines across the midwest. This included hand burying as well as running a machine to \"plow\" copper lines into the ground for large telecom companies. These lines were mostly the service lines from a terminal to a residence. 2010 Job Barista Worked at a coffee shop called \"Cairdeas\" around Saint Louis for a little over a year. I did go through some pretty great training on the sourcing, roasting, and preparation of coffee and coffee related drinks. Can still make some decent, basic latte art. 2011 Job Telecom Field Technician Got a real job working for AT\u0026T as a field technician. I was the guy who climbed the pole, ran the line to your house, then did all the housework, and set up your Wi-Fi and/or TV service. Initially this was all copper line work, but later in my career here I also picked up fiber optic work (including some fiber splicing) and satellite TV experience. 2016 Job Senior Training Manager Moved into a temporary role with AT\u0026T as a training manager / instructor. During this period I was responsible for traveling to various locations around the US and training new recruit technicians on how to do the job I had done for years. It was on me to teach people right \"off the street\" to climb a pole with a belt and gaffs, how to connect fiber and copper lines, how the internet and networking in general worked, and all the points in between. We had people who had never held a drill or had eny clue how Wi-Fi worked and I had to get them ready on a base level to perform that work in the field. During this time I was partially self-managed. It was my responsibility to plan all my travel arrangements and write up expense reports as well as perform maintenance on the training facilities as needed. 2018 Education Code Upskill Feeling the need for a career change I was selected for a \"Grow with Google\" scholarship. Out of an initial 100,000 + applicants only roughly 1,000 of us made it into the course. The course was for Front End Web Development and spanned several months. This is where the foundation for my real dev skills was laid. Ever since junior high I had messed with HTML and a bit of JavaScript but had not really done anything with it. This was a chance to turn that curiosity into a new career. 2019 Job Web Developer - Senior Software Engineer After completing the course and applying at a few places I found the next opportunity with Joyce Meyer Ministries. Initially I was hired to do minor web work inside a clunky CMS, but over time a few of us were moved into the proper IT department and began working on \"real\" software. During my time here I was responsible for writing, testing, and documenting a wide range of tech including: C#/Dotnet, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Salesforce Apex, Azure Applications / Deployment, Azure DevOps, and many connecting pieces between the software running on the technologies. Present Job Senior Software Engineer Still with Joyce Meyer Ministries and loving my time here. Plenty of different things to do, never a dull moment! ","date":"Jan 28 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/about/","section":"About","summary":"","title":"About","type":"about"},{"content":" Here are all the posts # ","date":"Aug 25 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/","section":"","summary":"","title":"","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/about/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"About","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/connect/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Connect","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/contact/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Contact","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/info/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Info","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/socials/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Socials","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/future/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Future","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/games/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Games","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/metroid/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Metroid","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Aug 16 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/opinion/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Opinion","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Jan 30 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dev/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dev","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Jan 30 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/first/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"First","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Jan 30 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/general/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"General","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"Jan 30 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tech/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tech","type":"tags"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/authors/","section":"Authors","summary":"","title":"Authors","type":"authors"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories","type":"categories"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/series/","section":"Series","summary":"","title":"Series","type":"series"}]