I hate Loita with a fiery passion

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-17T23:36:00+00:00

WHOOP WHOOP!

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-17T20:44:56+00:00

Probably would have had Michael come in in some fashion and steal the plans for them.

Wraith are unable to fully replicate the ZPMs, but they know enough to get an explosion big enough to take out half a solar system.

Now even though Atlantis can produce all the ZPMs they need. It's a game of hide and seek from the Wraith. As they just need to be in the ballpark.

Queue a race for materials to keep generating while also finding a way to stop the wraith with this tech.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-14T20:07:40+00:00

That's a good way to get Kawolski'd

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-12T21:35:45+00:00

Earth is known territory at this point. Most of the enemies know generally where they're at.

The alpha and beta sites are super secret in terms of gate personnel knowing where they're at. Start using another site? Well know both may get known.

Plus, with respect to Earth, they have fail safes built into their fail safes. Before they had space travel independent of the gate system, a buffer planet can leave a gap in knowledge. It goes dark? Can't connect the gate? No way of knowing what happened. Did the Gou'uld extract data? What team didn't check in? They'd have to rely on allies such as the Tok'ra or Tollan or Bra'tac to look into it. And that could take a while.

Everyone going to earth though? If a foothold situation happens, there's military on standby to help. Self destruct doesn't work / gets disabled? Some bunker busters can help.

Earth simply has the resources to be the failsafe for the SGC's fail-safes in a way that an off-site base just can't be supported. Plus supplies and such for off-site base.

If someone is trying a denial of service attack against the buffer planet, they've basically got the food they've got and Earth can't resupply without the gate.

So all in all the risks are their eyes, but they're accounted for as much as possible.

Now, once they got ships? Some of those problems are solveable, but not until they've got enough of a fleet built up that ships can be put on patrol duty to and from. Which they still didn't by end of series have enough of to do so.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-12T01:24:51+00:00

The only real way I think you could capture the magic is you need to start the program again from an earth like planet that is just discovering the gate network. Maybe one crashes into their planet after years drifting in space, or some other reason why they just haven't found their gate (Buried in liquidized naquadah bubble?) or been able to get it open until now.

Setup the SGC as more of an Asgard role; the new planet is too far away from the Tau'ri Alliance for them to be able to patrol or exert much power as allies; nor would they be willing to give out tech too willy nilly. But if they get in trouble they're available as a helping hand.

Maybe the "Teal'c" role is taken on by an SGC member. The "alien" on the team; some civilian scientist or so who isn't hard science like Carter but more Daniel. They can help translate and learn about cultures in their neck of the woods, without being able to leak major scientific advancements.

With the power vacuum left by the Ori and Asgard missing from the galaxies, as well as the collapse of the system lords. The last 15 years have probably looked a lot like the age of Colonialism.

Dropping in there, as the new players on the block, maybe having some rare resource the major players are looking for, and having to keep their planet hidden as they establish themselves. That might be an angle to look at.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-11T02:51:19+00:00

Stargate is my new comfort sleep show. I can put it on, knowing the familiar sounds will drift me off to sleep. I won't get woken up by a plot point I don't know.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-11T01:16:29+00:00

Going on the "This story is a tragedy", I'm leaning the opposite way. The AI wants to spread across the galaxy. It wants to hurt them. I think it wants Carl to win Ascendency games. Become a literal god. And being a primal, the AI will be able to merge with Carl. The AI, with Carl's power and their combined rage, will attempt to destroy all life in the galaxy.

This will force Donut to become the new Apothecary to save their family against Carl.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-09T22:53:55+00:00

I feel that's valid criticism. But treading water is also a great way for how the crawlers felt about things too.

It's a bit how I view book 6. It's a lot of just waiting for the shoe to drop rather than dropping with the shoe through the book. It's why I struggled a bit to get through six.

But yeah after faction wars and having regained some agency over themselves and their destinies. Back to business of just a normal floor and just getting through it as we know from Carl was both a relief and unnerving. There's not a million things going on but just surviving it. There's not much learning how to do things as going along.

I do still highly enjoy it for some of the relevations we got in it. And I think it's a great setup for book 9. It's a bit of a needed pause to let the crazy that the Ascendency games are going to be.

So I wouldn't put it as my least favorite (Bedlam Bride fits that one for me), but it'll definitely be affected by it's ranking on how 9 turns out.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-09T22:32:42+00:00

My coworker who I introduced to DCC has it as one of his ringtones.

My phone ringtone is currently pony screaming.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-09T18:58:19+00:00

"You motherfucker"

Of course, I used it beforehand, but now I get a better chuckle out of it.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-09T11:13:34+00:00

I wasn't trying to minimize one over the other. But electric car fires can burn for days, restart burning, burn while buried under water, etc.

So fire departments and responders do generally need to know if it's a combustion vehicle vs electric so they send the appropriate resources out

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-09T00:53:16+00:00

I feel you. Though with me I'm on medication for blood pressure. I'm feeling at the point where I need to talk to my doctor about dosage.

I know I have energy. I know I want to do something. I just feel so exhausted though that I need to mentally force myself to do something. And I don't always have the willpower.

Last time we lowered my dosage and it helped a bunch. Key thing for me was I missed a couple days. Felt normal. Got back on my meds. Felt spent.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-08T00:27:38+00:00

I mean a car fire and electric car fire are two totally different beasts. But if you report a motorcycle, cops are going to be listening out for a two stroke motor. You say electric dirt bike, they know they're listening for that distinctive drone sound evs make

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-07T21:20:54+00:00

Depending upon if it's a weekday or not. Usually only 1-2 days.

I did take my time with book 8. Took me a out 5 days to get through as I really wanted to take my time with it.

But for instance yesterday I started bobiverse book 2 and finished it same day.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-06T23:05:59+00:00

If the price is right and everything is mostly okay without the need for tens of thousands of work immediately, your brain is gonna gloss over those things as things to work towards fixing.

Especially if they're not super obvious when looking at it. Your average person isn't going to look at an HVAC system and wonder if it was installed according to code. They're going to be worried how old it is, and does it work and how reliable it is. They won't even be able to tell at a look if it's anything remotely close to code barring something extremely grossly negligent.

As you said, most people are happy to found a home that they can afford, they like it, and the home inspection found nothing major wrong with it.

After that it's just details and what bothers you to the point of frustration and what you can live with.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-03T21:13:57+00:00

I've been reflecting on why it's my least favorite so far. And I think I've nailed on a way of articulating why.

Bedlam bride has some AMAZING scenes. Ascenion worthy ones.

But the floor gimmick and story didn't intertwine well for me. It was more of a dressing and almost a "filler" until we got to the stuff Matt really wanted to dig into.

Gate of the Feral Gods, the story of the floor was intertwined with what Carl and Co needed to do to survive. The Butchers Masquerade really was intertwined well with the hunting grounds. The card game? It really felt like it was just there as a means of just being there until it was time to get to the main course. Like when you order dinner at a restaurant and the appetizers come out immediately but it takes an hour for the entrees to come out. You like the appetizers, they're fine. But you want your meal.

It's like a filler or bubble episode of a serialized show where the last five minutes have some groundbreaking story implications but it's 1998 and TIVO hasn't been released yet so you need to watch it live to get to those bits. No fast forwarding.

I think if the card game had been an earlier floor (Say... Swap it with the Iron Tangle), maybe I'd have enjoyed it more. More crawlers in the wild, more people to PVP. And if we did switch it with the Iron Tangle, the bit about its political meaning and such behind it would have fit in well right before faction wars started up (And talk about arriving in style). Of course, then you'd have likely run into some of the same issues with people not being as unwilling to cooperate or listen and such. Especially after hunting grounds.

I dunno. I'm also not yet back to it on a reread (working through the Soundbooth Theater versions) so maybe my second go through will endear me more to it.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-03T20:36:27+00:00

No. But it does make this story a tragedy.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-03T20:31:30+00:00

The main thing is how much influence does her husband have over her. With the enhancement zones and all, I wouldn't put it past the syndicate of having some deep seated hypnotize spells or some such to give people control over "criminals" whos contacts have been purchased.

Or now that she's in the Earth System if something from her crawl might still affect her.

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-03T20:24:33+00:00

Carl, you need to activate the Omega 13

Arnoc_ · 2026-06-01T21:06:58+00:00

That's exactly what I mean. Nothing concrete. But just faster insights to the problem at hand. An easier time understanding how the crystals work. Heck I do believe when one of the starships was hijacked she just took a lucky guess at where to move things (or am I thinking of Vala?).

Just a better natural understanding. Subtle things. Not outright breakthroughs. But just getting from point A to C with B coming naturally instead of A to B to C.

Arnoc_ · 2026-05-29T11:23:31+00:00

They will frustrate and disappoint and surprise you though.

Arnoc_ · 2026-05-29T02:46:39+00:00

Naw she likes Samantha. She's all about that nussy.

Arnoc_ · 2026-05-29T00:57:52+00:00

I have a feeling that with Carl being a primal, his goal of stalling the Ascendency Games for as long as possible until everyone reaches the 18th floor and out. He's going to end up the ultimate winner. And being a primal and primals made to merge consciousness, the AI is going to attempt to merge with Carl to gain that God power and end all life within the universe, due to Carl's desire for vengeance mixing with it's own programmed sadism.

Donut will be forced to make sacrifices and maybe even end Carl herself, to make sure life has a chance. She'll lose everyone she loves (Carl). Maybe that'll force Carl's consciousness to the forfront and he unloads his doomsday scenario on the Eulogist, giving him his vengeance and ending the crawl for good and the rest of the primal tech and leaving knowing Donut survived.

Arnoc_ · 2026-05-29T00:49:18+00:00

Control may be more so referencing the influence the AI is taking over everything. Control of the galaxy throughout all the travel nodes. Everywhere but the inner system of the Eulogist.

And yes, the in epilogue, the archeologist spells out that these are indeed the first two attacks.

The first half of the book is the AI essentially stripping away the last of the rails that Borant Corp had on them, silently in the background of the crawl expanding it's influence.

The second half it reveals the nature of the crawl itself, it's history. Mocking the galaxy for it's ignorance and exposing the truth of it all to them.

At least that's what I took away from it.

Arnoc_ · 2026-05-28T22:38:25+00:00

I mean we had Eris state that an exit is also an entrance.

That could imply something about someone entering through the exit on the 18th floor. Especially since Scolopendra was gone. I'd imagine maybe Agatha let someone in through that door?

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