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Larry Parrish posted:it has to be written at a competent level and it has to not be masturbatory power fantasy. there's a lot of forms this can take but basically i don't like books without conflict. it doesn't particularly matter what form it takes, but there has to be some and the solution to it has to be something other than a variation on Goku screaming even harder and becoming more powerful. this sort of conflict resolution structure is basically emblematic of genre fiction but especially cheap, quickly written genre fiction. even stuff like romance novels often has this structure, just presented in different ways. Have you read A Memory Called Empire yet? That one was pretty good and the bulk of the conflict in the main plot is basically all societal and cultural. Like there's politics and intrigue, but not the kind that's usually in sci-fi, I think. I need to read the sequel soon.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:05 |
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# ? Jun 10, 2024 19:02 |
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I'm trying to think of the last sci-fi book I read. Might've been one of the Culture books by Iain Banks? I haven't read as much as I used to, though, and a lot of my book consumption the last couple years has been random mythology chronicles or blacksmithing stuff cuz I'm trying to get into that as a hobby
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:08 |
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I didn't even know the sequel came out. Thanks was looking forward to it!
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:08 |
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I couldn't really get into Ann Leckie's Ancillary series, but loved the hell out of The Raven Tower so I should really give her sci-fi another shot.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:12 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:Have you read A Memory Called Empire yet? That one was pretty good and the bulk of the conflict in the main plot is basically all societal and cultural. Like there's politics and intrigue, but not the kind that's usually in sci-fi, I think. no but my favorite book probably ever is healers road which is literally about a magic healer and a discharged combat medic becoming best friends on a caravan in a world which is basically 1600s Eurasia except inexplicably magical healing exists and no other magic afaik. probably 99% of the conflict in the book is internal to either character.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:28 |
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Larry Parrish posted:no but my favorite book probably ever is healers road which is literally about a magic healer and a discharged combat medic becoming best friends on a caravan in a world which is basically 1600s Eurasia except inexplicably magical healing exists and no other magic afaik. probably 99% of the conflict in the book is internal to either character. The basic gist of A Memory Called Empire is that a woman from an independent space station gets sent as an ambassador to a galactic empire after the station's previous ambassador died. The station uses things called imagos to basically store personality back-ups of important people as a way of training successors, but her process gets rushed and is about fifteen years out of date, so she's dropped neck deep into a byzantine mess of trying to find out how her predecessor died while also trying to keep the empire from annexing her home. The empire also seems to Mesoamerican inspired at least judging by how a lot of the words are styled, so that was neat, too. Edit: There's also a lot of analysis of linguistics, like in the empire's language "The World" could mean "The palace district" or "the capital planet" or "the empire as a whole" or "known space, including your pissant station" all depending on context that the main character has to pick apart. Cthulu Carl has a new favorite as of 14:48 on Feb 23, 2023 |
# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:43 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:The basic gist of A Memory Called Empire is that a woman from an independent space station gets sent as an ambassador to a galactic empire after the station's previous ambassador died. The station uses things called imagos to basically store personality back-ups of important people as a way of training successors, but her process gets rushed and is about fifteen years out of date, so she's dropped neck deep into a byzantine mess of trying to find out how her predecessor died while also trying to keep the empire from annexing her home. adding this to my list of books to read, that sounds great
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 14:59 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:The basic gist of A Memory Called Empire is that a woman from an independent space station gets sent as an ambassador to a galactic empire after the station's previous ambassador died. The station uses things called imagos to basically store personality back-ups of important people as a way of training successors, but her process gets rushed and is about fifteen years out of date, so she's dropped neck deep into a byzantine mess of trying to find out how her predecessor died while also trying to keep the empire from annexing her home. Whoa cool
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 16:51 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:The basic gist of A Memory Called Empire is that a woman from an independent space station gets sent as an ambassador to a galactic empire after the station's previous ambassador died. The station uses things called imagos to basically store personality back-ups of important people as a way of training successors, but her process gets rushed and is about fifteen years out of date, so she's dropped neck deep into a byzantine mess of trying to find out how her predecessor died while also trying to keep the empire from annexing her home. This seems great. I’m going to add it to the list of books I should read rather than watching yet another dumbass long form YouTube video about how hot water heaters work.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 16:54 |
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it's pretty good. the sequel is also pretty good. i don't recall it being quite so linguistically focused as the example given might indicate, but there is a lot about how one's culture shapes... one i enjoyed embassytown by china meiville, for scifi about thoughts vs language.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 16:58 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:The basic gist of A Memory Called Empire is that a woman from an independent space station gets sent as an ambassador to a galactic empire after the station's previous ambassador died. The station uses things called imagos to basically store personality back-ups of important people as a way of training successors, but her process gets rushed and is about fifteen years out of date, so she's dropped neck deep into a byzantine mess of trying to find out how her predecessor died while also trying to keep the empire from annexing her home. That actually sounds like it owns, thanks for the rec
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 17:27 |
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Inexplicable Humblebrag posted:it's pretty good. the sequel is also pretty good. i don't recall it being quite so linguistically focused as the example given might indicate, but there is a lot about how one's culture shapes... one Yeah, it wasn't like... I think it was Blue Mars where there's a multi-page dissertation on the physics behind the color of the martian sky, but pops up in little quicker bites, like someone asking "do you want some coffee?" And there being a sentence about whether it was a formal or informal 'you'. Also, though he doesn't appear and is only mentioned once, there's a dude named Forty-Two All-Terrain Arctic Vehicle or something like that.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 17:54 |
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I feel like Elden Ring is falling apart as I get later in. The scaling has gotten kind of wack. I did just learn that Cinders for DS3 has a randomizer though so I might run that when I finish Elden Ring
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:18 |
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Doctor Goat posted:I feel like Elden Ring is falling apart as I get later in. The scaling has gotten kind of wack. Do you mean too easy, like you broke the intended curve? Whats your build?
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:23 |
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Doctor Goat posted:I feel like Elden Ring is falling apart as I get later in. The scaling has gotten kind of wack. as in the enemies are too powerful or you are? felt pretty tight to me, but i was doing all the optional areas which i think were harder than the direct route
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:23 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:Yeah, it wasn't like... I think it was Blue Mars where there's a multi-page dissertation on the physics behind the color of the martian sky, but pops up in little quicker bites, like someone asking "do you want some coffee?" And there being a sentence about whether it was a formal or informal 'you'. lol the mars books own quote:"SAX", yelled the colony administrator. "THERE'S BEEN A BIG EXPLOSION"
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:30 |
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Doctor Goat posted:I feel like Elden Ring is falling apart as I get later in. The scaling has gotten kind of wack. If at any point you feel like you're being overwhelmed by non-bosses, I would suggest taking a step back, upgrading your weapon, then putting some levels in health + whatever your main stat is. Not dealing enough damage but getting splattered by common enemies usually meant for me that I was just behind the curve a bit
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:43 |
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In elden ring there's always like half a dozen things around your level that you can go do instead of getting owned by a bunch of dicks with halberds or something
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:54 |
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I'm at 40 Vigor and the dudes on the way to Godskin Duo are splattering me if I get caught up in their combos, but if I start hitting them first they're boned. It's like almost everything is a glass cannon. I have 70 int or something like that and Carian Slicer/Adula's Moonblade are both really good, every now and then the moons see some use for sticking frost on an enemy really fast. 70 int in this feels like it's less useful than 40 int was in Dark Souls 1. I went int/str because I keep doing int/str for some reason. This is the first game where all the weapon buffs I'd want have been non-int, blackflame seems really good I've been going back and picking up things that I know I missed when I get frustrated by something
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 18:59 |
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I finished with Elden Ring after like 200 hours put in summer last year but the way I remember it int/str isn't a very good combination in this one. You can have 18 respecs per playthrough though so there's plenty of room to try things.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 19:03 |
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Doctor Goat posted:I'm at 40 Vigor and the dudes on the way to Godskin Duo are splattering me if I get caught up in their combos, but if I start hitting them first they're boned. It's like almost everything is a glass cannon. Oh those dudes exist to do exactly that. The faux-Darkwraith guys? 40 vigor is pretty low tho
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 19:11 |
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it is extremely YA fiction, with all that implies, but I'm a big fan of recommending The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm as one of my favorite sci-fi books
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 19:14 |
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Doctor Goat posted:I'm at 40 Vigor and the dudes on the way to Godskin Duo are splattering me if I get caught up in their combos, but if I start hitting them first they're boned. It's like almost everything is a glass cannon. 40 vigor is not the same sort of breakpoint it was in Dark Souls, and Elden Ring is generally higher level on top of that. You need more vigor. Int/Str can work it just takes a while to come online and int breakpoints for staffs are kinda odd, don't remember the math off the top of my head.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 19:15 |
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Psycho Landlord posted:40 vigor is not the same sort of breakpoint it was in Dark Souls, and Elden Ring is generally higher level on top of that. You need more vigor. I have so much trouble with softcaps/hardcaps/breakpoints in stats. I'm not sure why. Moonveil started out really strong. The MLGS equivalent does loads of stance damage. I think if I do a reset I'm going to try to go all in on Bloodhound's Fang with Blackflame Blade, Bloodhound's Fang is real good and reminds me of dipping into the crypts area in DS1 to get Gravelord Greatsword early. I'd just pop a buff on it with scholar's weapon but I don't feel like that would even give me the versatility of greases, much less the stuff like Vyke's buff/Blackflame/Holy
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 20:54 |
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lmfao so i bought a new video card and installed it, but crucially, forgot that i have an old rear end monitor with a vga cable. so i have a nice new and more powerful video card but am still unable to use my desktop computer until an adapter arrives. great stuff.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:21 |
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you should get a new monitor. even if you get an adapter the vga part is still gonna make it look like poo poo
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:30 |
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Cthulu Carl posted:The basic gist of A Memory Called Empire is that a woman from an independent space station gets sent as an ambassador to a galactic empire after the station's previous ambassador died. The station uses things called imagos to basically store personality back-ups of important people as a way of training successors, but her process gets rushed and is about fifteen years out of date, so she's dropped neck deep into a byzantine mess of trying to find out how her predecessor died while also trying to keep the empire from annexing her home. kinda sounds like ancillary justice which is also one of my favorite series tbh.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:31 |
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watching my 4k blu-rays on a black and white tube television
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:31 |
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NoiseAnnoys posted:watching my 4k blu-rays on a black and white tube television You joke but there is a case to be made for PC gaming on a CRT https://youtu.be/V8BVTHxc4LM Granted that CRT is like $1000 even today but still!
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:33 |
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Larry Parrish posted:kinda sounds like ancillary justice which is also one of my favorite series tbh. I really need to give that series another shot.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:35 |
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but also please don't get me wrong. my standards for books are specific but in their own way, pretty low. im finishing up The Angel Who Lives Next Door Spoils Me Rotten vol 5, and while it does have conflict and it isn't magically solved so it fits my standards, it's still a light novel series. it's really cute though. i like reading about insanely lonely people getting together.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:38 |
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Leraika posted:it is extremely YA fiction, with all that implies, but I'm a big fan of recommending The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm as one of my favorite sci-fi books i loved that book when i was 10. i dont really read now, my "serious" media mostly extends to music and that's it. maybe when i'm an old fart
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:40 |
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Larry Parrish posted:kinda sounds like ancillary justice which is also one of my favorite series tbh. bet you're wearing gloves right now (the ancillary trilogy is really good and i really enjoy the fact that it's about local politics against a huge sprawling space opera background)
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:47 |
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Leraika posted:it is extremely YA fiction, with all that implies, but I'm a big fan of recommending The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm as one of my favorite sci-fi books I adored this book as a kid and looking at the Wikipedia page I only vaguely remember the plot. I should try it again. Feels Villeneuve posted:i loved that book when i was 10. i dont really read now, my "serious" media mostly extends to music and that's it. maybe when i'm an old fart You might want to try short stories if you want to get back in the habit, there are plenty of great collections in whatever your genre of choice is and you can easily read like one story then put the book down for a week/month/year/whatever. The stories will still be there when you feel like it.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:47 |
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johnny park posted:you should get a new monitor. even if you get an adapter the vga part is still gonna make it look like poo poo well, maybe it will turn out that my monitor, rather than my graphics card, was what was broken. all my poo poo is like ten years old so it's bound to start breaking.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:51 |
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Leraika posted:it is extremely YA fiction, with all that implies, but I'm a big fan of recommending The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm as one of my favorite sci-fi books tbh i find that YA fiction makes for good light reading with a (usually) satisfying conclusion. with most 'adult' books it's like a 50/50 chance of having a ending that wraps everything up and completes a story or a depressive "realistic" ending that makes you go wtf. it got worse after GoT got super popular and i don't know if it's become any better. speaking of light novels i've been reading otherside picnic and it's been fun as someone who's always enjoyed ghost/paranormal stories.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 21:52 |
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Big Mad Drongo posted:I adored this book as a kid and looking at the Wikipedia page I only vaguely remember the plot. I should try it again. Oh yeah I just run into the whole "so many hours in a day" thing especially when right now the highlight of my day is when i chill out and put music on for a few hours. there is just too much dang art out there!!!
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 22:34 |
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Feels Villeneuve posted:Oh yeah I just run into the whole "so many hours in a day" thing especially when right now the highlight of my day is when i chill out and put music on for a few hours. sitting in a cozy chair in the bay window area of my house listening to jazz is the best part of my day now
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 22:38 |
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i got into classical when everything was closed for lockdown and it hasnt stopped rip
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 22:40 |
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# ? Jun 10, 2024 19:02 |
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Larry Parrish posted:it has to be written at a competent level and it has to not be masturbatory power fantasy. there's a lot of forms this can take but basically i don't like books without conflict. it doesn't particularly matter what form it takes, but there has to be some and the solution to it has to be something other than a variation on Goku screaming even harder and becoming more powerful. this sort of conflict resolution structure is basically emblematic of genre fiction but especially cheap, quickly written genre fiction. even stuff like romance novels often has this structure, just presented in different ways.
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# ? Feb 23, 2023 22:41 |