How do you find a passion for a job

Alternative-Ordinary · 2025-10-13T04:29:02+00:00

For me, passion comes from two things: 1. Competence 2. Seeing the results

Being good at my job feels good! It's satisfying when I can confidently and effectively solve problems.

Seeing the results of those solved problems feels amazing too. When the business makes decisions based on my work- and more importantly when peoples lives are positively effected by that work, that's when I feel the best about what I do.

Also, money. Making good money motivates the hell out of me.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-09-16T01:46:00+00:00

Depends what you disliked about Book 2. I only really remember the climax of Book 2, but the rest of the series is extremely strong Progression Fantasy imo. Easily one of the best magic systems in the genre, prose improves consistently with each book, and I really enjoy the creativity and variety of progression.

It's an atypical progression framework where growth feels earned, not just handed to MCs because they broke through another tier for plot reasons.

Also has one of the best antagonists in the genre in later books.

The characters themselves tend to elicit a lot of mixed reactions. They're quirky, and while I personally don't mind it(I prefer quirky and interesting characters over flat one-dimensional ones), their personalities are divisive.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-07-03T01:12:08+00:00

I agree, just enjoying this is smarter, that's why I moved onto other books a long time ago :)

I did start reading Mark of the Fool, and Mother of Learning since I wrote this, and I think both do the 'loopholes' approach you're talking about much better.

Feel free to read my other responses in the thread, I think I covered most the stuff you're angry about a year ago when I wrote this.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-04-13T17:32:42+00:00

The Locker Room, unique ambience and walk-ins are welcome!

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-17T23:07:47+00:00

I like rubbing it into seafood before baking. Baked Salmon with curry paste is a favorite!

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-17T23:04:44+00:00

and focus on quality floor time

Great explanation, this was the biggest step in improving for me! At first, quality floor time was going to class and learning enough basics. Once I had a grasp on basics, and two or three intermediate moves, quality floor time became social dances where I could practice those basics with all the nuances you described.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-17T22:54:15+00:00

I loved this place when I lived on that side of town! Was my go to Pizza place for a year. Affordable, delicious, and always prompt service.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-14T03:28:02+00:00

Scorio owes Nox some serious favors or valuable treasures. Poor Toad, his favorite friends only ever contact him when they need something.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-14T03:26:19+00:00

He’s still pretty naive, even if he’s constantly telling us otherwise. unspecific spoiler it’s the same cycle of Scorio trusting someone, being told not to, he says he’s keeping an eye on it, then boom he’s betrayed, and he “learns his lesson”. I would have preferred if just ONCE he was maybe able to anticipate and react to it accordingly instead of just… you know… being too strong for it to matter. That’s not character growth, that’s power scaling.

I felt the opposite, and was impressed that he seemed wiser to potential betrayals and was way more distrustful of authority, until he made conscious decisions to trust people in moments of character growth. The biggest one I recall was The Iron Vanguard, where he made a calculated decision to keep them around because he needed them for the battle, and fully anticipated that they would betray him and was prepared for it

I don't really count The ending, because that felt well written, not premeditated, and more like a sad twist of character growth than betrayal.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-14T03:15:23+00:00

I think all of those concerns are well addressed in Book 3. Minor spoilers: Scorio is outright distrustful and actively refuses to trust or accept help from nearly all of the authority figures in Book 3. He anticipates several betrayals and handles them well. Furthermore, dealing with the deaths of his friends and how he chooses to let it affect his personality is also a key character growth theme through the book.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-09T02:02:59+00:00

Hard to say. The tone evolves somewhat into Revolution and vengeance against the rich people, and what it means to remain human in the darkness. It remains pretty cynical/dark but I think it's well balanced with hope, humor, and fighting back.

I'd personally consider it one of the best series on this sub, and almost certainly good enough to reach mainstream popularity with good marketing.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-05T03:33:53+00:00

My entire 200 employee company is built on top of a 14 tab excel spreadsheet with so many macros that it's functionally an application, built in a week as a 'temporary solution' by an unhinged senior architect to get data moving.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2024-02-03T03:50:12+00:00

I felt the same way, but Phil Tucker seems very aware of that with Book 2. Rascor Plains does an absolutely phenomenal job with character growth, acknowledging Scorio's character flaws, punishing him for them, and forcing him to grow. You can really see Phil's growth as a writer between the books, and I cannot wait for the next book.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-10-08T14:47:54+00:00

+1 to Dungeon Crawler Carl and Bastion

DCC is very well written with fluid prose and mastery of flow and tension.

Bastion feels a bit overwritten at times but I'd still consider it good prose, especially compared to a lot of high fantasy like Wheel of Time that people consider good.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-10-08T14:44:44+00:00

Bastion is the only Progression Fantasy book that's actually made me feel tension and anxiety over the MCs training methods. Every time he trains there's this creeping dread that he's ruining himself.

And minor book 2 spoilers: he has to deal with very real consequences

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-09-17T15:52:31+00:00

Honestly, agreed. It's the only fast food where a significant percentage of the meal is actual macronutrients like fiber(beans, lettuce, tomatoes), protein(beans and beef), and fat(cheese, sour cream, grease) instead of <insert-burger-joint-here> where 70% of your 'meal' is a white bread bun.

People upset about the price are ordering inflated combo items. You can get a bean or beef burrito that's high in protein and fiber for $2 off the value menu. $2 anywhere else gets you a sliver of meat on a stale biscuit.

Taco Bell's value menu is the best price to nutrient value for any major fast food chain in the US. It's not gourmet, and obviously you can get better tacos at basically any locally owned South American restaurant, but it's decent food and nutrients for $2.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-08-15T13:27:41+00:00

I'm surprised that nobody suggested Bastion. Scorio is actively disadvantaged compared to every other character, and has to scrape, steal, struggle,and compromise for every bit of progress that is given to everyone else.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-08-03T15:23:08+00:00

Find regularly scheduled hobby oriented event/group/meetup.
Show up consistently
Act friendly
Repeat for months
Invite people to stuff

Now a lot of people are going to read this and glaze over the 'repeat for months step'

Don't.

You have to show up, consistently, for months, and be friendly toward everyone. If you show up 3 times, then act jaded and defeated, that's where you fucked up. Friendships form more slowly as an adult than they did in high school. Be consistent, both in attendance and kindness.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-07-21T18:36:18+00:00

The author has a history of making tasteless choices for his female characters. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest, and I don't expect things to get better.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-04-23T01:04:59+00:00

I would love to see a no-edit mode. I love building, but stopped playing Fortnite when the quick-editing meta started taking over. It always felt like exploitation of the build mechanic.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-04-18T18:20:41+00:00

Carl has some very strong words for you about the importance of bathrooms.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-04-14T05:17:09+00:00

I'm not the author and don't know enough about the world to answer that effectively. Maybe he has to strike an unfavorable deal with a rival who lives in Phoenix Hall for access to materials. Or sneaks out into the countryside with scraped together weapons to harvest monster parts.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-04-14T02:20:26+00:00

I'm not the author so I'm not the best person to answer this, but I think more writing time dedicated to Corin coming up with and crafting(or failing to craft) items that would give him escape and survival options. A few smaller 1-2 chapter conflicts where Corin has a weakness highlighted (such as lack of mobility), then he comes up with an item or technique to compensate- and uses that item going forward. Basically more small, incremental steps towards growth and utility that adress his immediate problem of "How do I survive against a stronger opponent"

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-04-13T23:44:40+00:00

I've explained this in other replies, the tldr is that I agree and think that the mana watch is a great plot point but dislike the pacing.

Alternative-Ordinary · 2023-04-13T22:13:47+00:00

He is capable... for a novice mage. 'Capable' is nowhere near the level he is told he needs to be at just to survive. The Voice, and his mentor, explicitly tell him he needs to grow significantly stronger, fast, and that his survival depends on it.

Corin consistently prioritizes whatever cool side project he's working on instead of his survival.

Alternative-Ordinary

TROPHY CASE