Until Next Time... - The Mill

This week on The Mill Dusty shares some news about his involvement in the channel and then reminisces a bit about the journey that began from a chance Gen Con meeting and evolved into something far greater than he could have imagined. Come spend a few minutes with the rambler-in-chief (me). And then ... one more with feeling... Until next time... take care of yourself and each other.
LINKS:
Stonemaier Games e-Newsletter: stonemaiergames.com/e-newsletter
Stonemaier Games Discord: stonemaiergames.com/discord
Here is a link to the BGG microbadge for The Mill. If you need GeekGold to purchase a badge, let me know and I’ll send you some. On BGG I’m username HiDusty.
www.boardgamegeek.com/microba...
And here is a link to The Mill on Twitter, if you’d like to connect there.
/ smthemill
The Mill has an Instagram account, if you'd like to connect there. / sm_the_mill
Thank you for watching. If you like what we're doing here at The Mill, consider liking and subscribing, if you aren't already. If you are already subscribed, thank you so much for inviting The Mill into your KZbin feed. Your feedback and encouragement are very much appreciated.
Transparency Statement - This channel is sponsored by Stonemaier Games. This isn’t a review channel though. Jamey has made it VERY clear that Stonemaier Games doesn't pay for reviews. We are not reviewers. We are passionate about Stonemaier Games though, and they sponsor us so that this fan-focused channel can exist. We create this content on our own, and while Jamey may occasionally watch these videos, he doesn’t review any content in advance. There is also no guidance in terms of what games or topics we should cover. We want to be as fully transparent as we can be, so if you have any further questions, please feel free to post them in the comments.

[@jameystegmaier]

As sad as I am to see you go, Dusty, I'm hyped for what awaits you next. I appreciate everything you did for your Mill almost as much as I appreciate your friendship. Cheers to Carol and Molly for carrying the torch into the future!

[@TheMillShow]

It's been an absolute pleasure, my friend. I am so grateful for those chance Gen Con meetings and talking online that led to this channel. I'm hopefully we'll find an opportunity to sit across the table from each other and play a game sooner rather than later. Carol and Molly were amazing recommendations for co-hosts and it's been a pleasure getting to know them and their partners. Ever an ambassador of Stonemaier and fan of Jamey.. the game designer and the man. Thanks for everything!

[@jameystegmaier]

@@TheMillShow Thank you, Dusty! I look forward to that opportunity.

[@asaswain1031]

I loved watching your videos over the years and will miss you. It was great to get a chance to play games with you at Geekway in 2023. Thanks for everything you’ve given the Stonemaier community. Wishing you the best of luck!

[@KarelTiteca]

Hi Dusty. What a bittersweet video to watch. I’m happy for you that you had the courage to take an important decision and I’m grateful for what you have been giving us, but at the same time I’m so sad - you will be genuinely missed. Yes, you may not be as smooth and polished as some other board game vloggers out there, but that’s actually what I always appreciated from The Mill (and still appreciate with Molly and Carol): what you see is what you get. You are honest and open, and I always loved hearing your thoughts on Stonemaier stuff. You have built something wonderful here, and The Mill is in good hands. Until the next time, take care of yourself and each other, thanks for hosting, bye! ❤

[@TheMillShow]

Karel, I’ve appreciated how often you’ve participated in The Mill and it’s been nice seeing your star rise in the Stonemaier-verse :) You deserve it! Thank you for the kindness and I agree that The Mill is definitely in good hands!

[@janwillemvink2237]

Hi Dusty and greetings from the Netherlands. I want to say thank you for all of your videos. I am pasionate about Stonemaier and I have always appreciated your video's and insight so much. All the best to you - hope to see you again someday.

[@DustyCraine]

Hello and greetings from Michigan! Thank you so much for the kind words and giving The Mill a chance. Carol and Molly have let me know that I'm welcome back anytime and we do have plans to talk games on camera in the future, but I want to give them a bit of time to fully and truly make The Mill their own before I hop back on screen. All the best to you too!

[@aba_dab_o]

Thanks for the video. I believe the first videos on The Mill I've watched were of Dusty and Red Rising in 2021 (of which I was amongst the playtesters of the game). It would lead me to subscribe to this channel, moreover pre-order this game and others as a Stonemaier Champion that year up to Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest. Obviously, life changes for each individual. I'm not a father, but am an introvert. Myself strongly favoring smaller conventions & meetups and, while wanting to meet several board game industry personalities, fearing my social anxiety/awkwardness would make in-person meetups cumbersome on all sides. But anyway… I amongst many wish you well in your future endeavors, Dusty. We hope to see you around sometime, here or elsewhere. :)

[@DustyCraine]

Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your journey with me. I completely relate to being an introvert. I am too, through and through. The fact that I ever agreed to do KZbin was such an uncomfortable undertaking.. at least to begin with. I've been met with a whole lot of love and only a bit of shenanigans. As for meeting content creators, if you see them at an event, even just saying "Hi, I really enjoy your videos" makes our day. I've had a couple of those experiences at Geekway in St. Louis and also at Gen Con. It's always brought a smile to my face. Of course I'm happy to talk with you, and even as an introvert myself, I usually have my go-to questions since we're at a convention.. stuff like 'What's the coolest thing you've seen here? Have you had a chance to play anything fun?' In absolutely any case.. thank you again for dropping a note here and hopefully we'll get a chance to say hello one of these days!

[@tomogorman3947]

We love you Dusty! Thanks for all the great content over the years! And thanks for being such a nice guy who represents the hobby so well

[@DustyCraine]

Thank you kindly! It's been a pleasure to share my enjoyment of the hobby with others who enjoy it too!

[@samirjafri191]

Hi Dusty, just here to say we will miss you, but i can totally relate to where you are and support your decision. This spring, my son graduated from college and my daughter graduated from high school, so I have spent the last 8 years with a high school student in our house. These really are amazing and important times with the kids. Being part of their activities, their accomplishments, their lives has been amazing, and I hope it has and will be for you. Best wishes for happiness and success for you and your family in the future.

[@DustyCraine]

Congratulations to your son and daughter! I've been so lucky to have an employer who never made me choose between work and my kids. I've been very present. I've known I wanted to be a dad since I was like 5 or 6. My mom royally upset my dad by buying me what I asked for for Christmas one year. I got a doll and a crib to lay my baby in. Not exactly the gift my dad would have picked. lol. Since this has always been my goal, and I've lost enough people in my life to know how very fleeting it all is, I have been so careful to take moments and just take it in and appreciate it. A lot of times when it was chaos or loud.. I would close my eyes and tell myself 'these are the good times.. you're going to miss this one day' and I know it's true. Even taking the time to stop and smell the roses, I'm still dismayed and saddened to see how very fast it has happened. Thank you so much for the kind wishes.. I wish happiness and success to you and yours too.

[@LordoftheBoard]

You will be missed Dusty! I have a newborn and I totally see what you mean already. My uploading has taken a huge slow. I just want to be present. Sending positive vibes your way.

[@TheMillShow]

Oh man, Sam.. a newborn. These are long days, and longer nights, but believe me when I tell you that they go entirely too fast. When their entire hand can only grip a single fingertip, or when you're still reminding people to support their head, or when they'd rather just lay face down on the carpet than participate in tummy time. lol. I've never been as sleep deprived or in love as I was then. They're a lot of fun as they get older and develop their own personalities, and you learn what bad habits you've contributed too, but it only makes you love them more. The best days are ahead, my friend. I apologize for missing the birth announcement. Where are you most active on socials? I've abandoned X-witter, but would love to stay in touch. Congrats!

[@TimChuon]

aw man, super sad to see you go Dusty but happy to hear you're being present and just enjoying life with your family!

[@TheMillShow]

I appreciate the kindness Tim! I’ve loved watching you rise and build your brand and team. You’re a ridiculously talented guy and I couldn’t be happier for you!

[@StuartBettiss]

Sorry to see you go Dusty, I’ve really enjoyed watching your videos since I became a champion and then Stonemaier Ambassador, and I enjoyed the very brief discussion/questions I had with you during your live play through video of expeditions this time last year. I wish you all the best, but hopefully we will see you again in the future, and look forward to seeing more videos from Carol and Molly. Take it easy mate.

[@TheMillShow]

Stuart, it was the first (and only - so far) live play but getting to chat with you was a highlight. Thanks for hanging out on stream with me. Yeah, I'm sure you'll see me back here from time to time. Carol and Molly have told me I'm always welcome back and I want to give them time to make The Mill their own. Thank you for the kind words!

[@tonysimpkins4311]

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the years of incredible information and insights you have provided through your show. Your dedication and passion have been truly inspiring and have made a significant impact on so many of us. I completely support your decision to stop the show to focus on your kids and other family obligations. Family always comes first, and I admire your commitment to being there for them. Best of luck.

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you kindly for giving me the opportunity to play a part in how you enjoy the hobby. Your kind words mean a lot!

[@OrangEEverything9822]

Good luck to you! Thank you!

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you!

[@stevevids1]

Hi Dusty, just wanted to thank you for all your hard work on The Mill over the years. I've watched your show since early 2020. Over that time I have really appreciated the genuine passion, honesty & openness you bring to the table, in a space that is often overloaded with shallow hyperbole. I will miss your frequent presence onscreen, but I'm glad that you have entrusted The Mill into some capable and caring hands. Best wishes for your next adventures. I hope you find a good avenue to share your thoughts on Vantage, when it is finally released.

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you for the kind words, and the show is definitely in good hands. Carol and Molly are both wonderful ambassadors of Stonemaier and more importantly they're both wonderful people. When I was struggling with creating content and stuff in my life, they were always reaching out, checking on me, trying to take a load off my shoulders. I'm big fans of theirs, and even luckier to call them friends. As for Vantage, oh, Carol and Molly have let me know I'm welcome to join them at the table to talk about it. :)

[@Storm12612]

Good luck on the next adventure. Thanks for your time and content ❤️

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you kindly!

[@zabelkid]

Dusty, me and my boy would watch your videos together. He wouldn’t watch any other board game vids with me but yours. It’s always been fun, some of my favorite vids were when you were writing out scripts. How you make fun of your unpolished vids. My all time favorite was the vid with the Libertalia patent rumors. Take care. I appreciate you.

[@TheMillShow]

That is awesome! The scripts definitely made me feel more like a traditional somewhat polished KZbinr, but man was it tedious to add more stuff to the filming.. and then when the teleprompter wasn't catching my voice and would leave me hanging... "good times" lol. I'm so glad you were able to enjoy the videos with your boy. Thanks for sharing those memories with me. Take care!

[@SClarkPharmD]

Thank you for your contributions over the years! It was fun to share in the joy of games with you.

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you for sharing that joy! I appreciate it!

[@jeffward-tc5fr]

Loved your content, Good luck!

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you!

[@dannyverbraeken7729]

Thank you so much Dusty for the dedication to your channel. I wish you all the best with your plans, but remember to keep on playing games.

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you! .. and oh, yes, games will continue to be played. :)

[@don_dad]

Enjoy your kids while you can. My oldest will be a senior this year ... Time flies

[@TheMillShow]

It really does. With one almost out of college, and two more that are juniors my life is at a major fork in the road. I'm trying to just take it all in and appreciate all of it.

[@brennansmith8085]

Thank you for everything!

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you!

[@antheaphillips5679]

Hey Dusty! I didn’t catch all your shows but enjoyed those I did catch - especially as our family was dipping our toes into Stonemaier games (Wingspan, Viticulture, and soon Wyrmspan). Enjoy your time with your family & whatever else you’ve got going on 😊

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you Anthea! If you enjoy Wingspan, I'm confident that you'll enjoy Wyrmspan, you can definitely feel the common DNA but it's still distinctly its own game. I enjoy both for different reasons, but the commonality is a comfort and makes it easier to onboard players who know one or the other.

[@antheaphillips5679]

@@TheMillShowgood to know - thank you!

[@ianwilz1979]

Good luck with everything Dusty. Thanks for all of the great content. You will be missed.

[@TheMillShow]

Thanks so much, Ian. See you on the socials!

[@ianwilz1979]

@@TheMillShow You know it. Ive been more active on Discord lately and of course the facebook pages, especially with my Rolling Realms Tutorials.

[@chadstilson8804]

To totally get it Dusty! Sad to see ya go. I hope to eventually find you at some seedy underground Michigan Board Game Store so we can roll some dice 👉✋

[@TheMillShow]

That would be awesome, Chad! Here’s to seedy underground game stores in the mitten!

[@Timhotep8724]

Thanks so much really sad to hear this news, all best

[@TheMillShow]

Thank you!

[@orbesteanu4tsa]

Thank you for everything, Dusty! I will miss you a lot, your setup, your way of talking about SM and games in general, the passion you ve put in! You are a very kind person, thank you for your commitmment during all of these years, I hope to see you around someday and play a game together. Take care and be well, Dusty!❤

[@TheMillShow]

It's been my pleasure. Thank you! I'm hopeful we can get a game in one day too!

[@BillyIndiana]

You will be greatly missed! I wish you all the best in your future 👍

[@TheMillShow]

Bill, it's been a pleasure getting to chat through the years. Thanks for everything!

[@corrthaine7324]

Yup.... this is my first video...and it is a weird one to sit through.

[@TheMillShow]

😆 I bet it was