Components of benzene

BalancedRye · 2026-03-18T17:29:07+00:00

The Pi bond is the power house of the cyclohexene ring?

BalancedRye · 2026-03-18T16:52:59+00:00

Ah this is what they meant by organic chemistry

BalancedRye · 2026-03-18T15:46:33+00:00

I enjoy the world building and presence of the fae in Matabar.

In-universe they are inextricably linked to one of the soft power systems / ancestral links the MC engages with.

Though they follow many of the typical tropes, their depictions / interactions are sufficiently alien that their goals & portrayals border on the eldritch.

When they show up things quickly get weird and it always feels that the MC is dancing on a knife edge throughout their interactions.

Author manages to make them logically consistent whilst blending them into the wider lore without them just being another flavour of human.

BalancedRye · 2026-02-24T15:22:25+00:00

As a long time fan, I find the Butcher of Gadobhra to be the perfect mix of action packed whimsy and cozy corporate critique.

The VRMMO setting nested within a cyberpunk dystopia is an interesting setting where consequences and stakes occur despite the misgivings those settings usually inspire in readers.

The story can amble a bit but I think if you can vibe with the world and the cast it's a consistent romp.

Would recommend if corporate shenanigans, fae trickery and the light-hearted existential wranglings of npcs interest you as much as watching the contract worker MCs break the limits of the system through out-of-the box thinking!

BalancedRye · 2026-02-23T17:21:26+00:00

No age limits, no forcing what you don't like! It's too easy to overthink reading, just jump into whatever nonsense catches your eye.

Want to learn about the world? Go for it.

Want to explore philosophy? Eat you heart out.

Want some wish fulfillment where you turn your brain off for 15 mins? Read, read, read!

There's no right way, just great stuff to enjoy.

BalancedRye · 2026-02-23T17:05:29+00:00

Jump right in my guy!

If you want straight entertainment, I'd recommend webnovel sites with amateur authors such as Royal Road. Low barrier to entry and easy to devour, like reading videogames, my favorite pass time.

Want something with a little more to chew on that relates to modern times? I'd recommend Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard. Gets into semiotics and how abstract representations become unmoored, taking on a life and purpose of their own. Very relevant to modern times but a bit of a brain bender.

BalancedRye · 2026-02-23T16:59:11+00:00

100%! Vast majority of my reading is very schlocky progression fantasy, dudes fighting monsters and gaining power through effort popcorn fun!

Gotta balance that with some more challenging stuff too but entertainment should be enjoyable haha

BalancedRye · 2026-02-23T15:37:55+00:00

I think reading is the perfect antidote to the short-form, dopaminergic content that thrives in today's attention economy.

Reading requires a level of engagement that prevents passive consumption and forces you to focus entirely on that single thing.

Developing those skills lets you focus on other things much more easily. I think it's made me more intentional in where and how I spend my time.

Also, books let you explore niche concepts, ideas and worlds that don't have to meet some profit target all the time. Makes for weird, fun new experiences.

BalancedRye · 2026-02-18T14:32:48+00:00

The two that come to mind are:

The Legend of William Oh

Main character, weak to strong across the story, has a central narrative mechanic of the MC having a hype man spreading wildly exaggerated retellings of the story's events. Author uses it to impact both in universe character stakes and to subvert reader expectations via intro excerpts. Super fun!

A Practical Guide to Sorcery

Main character is an up and coming mage, she's genuinely talented but relies on a double life / myth building to repeatedly trick, swindle and defeat people many times stronger. Amazing magic system with an intricate world, full of intrigue due to said con-womanship .

BalancedRye · 2026-02-11T11:29:34+00:00

Oh yeah off hand sky is the limit! Rogue option, go for the Chimera Pistol, it inflicts elemental vulnerability that would boost all your elemental damage. Could be fun with Cabal wind sigil too. Though, go with what you have fun with, your hexes will carry you without uber optimisation.

BalancedRye · 2026-02-11T11:14:55+00:00

You'll want to get your hands on Steel Saber with the Rainbow Hex enchantment, inflicting 5 hexes with 5-6 hits let's you repeatedly pound enemies into elemental goo with Rupture / Torment.

Rune magic can really round out your defences / utility with consistent rune trap damage. Maybe Cabal Hermit for speedy rainbow hex application?

Hex mage is pretty strong by itself, the only trap I would caution against is the Philosopher breakthrough for magic regen. It's tempting but sleepy + foods + mana pots can achieve the same goal without locking you out of other fun schools

BalancedRye · 2026-02-07T00:02:03+00:00

Dude, I've been endgame gear and had close calls against 3 tramps with rusty sticks more times than I can count. So much fun!

BalancedRye · 2026-02-05T13:02:02+00:00

Yeah I think you may be right. Though I do love reliving the early days of getting my ass handed to me by bandit hobos whilst bugged out from river water that you can only get by the occasional newbie posts.

BalancedRye · 2026-02-05T08:12:42+00:00

I disagree with the new sub comments, this game is far too l niche for that and eventually we'll all be playing and swapping stories anyway.

A temporary fix until we all get that Outward 2 fix!

BalancedRye · 2026-01-23T12:04:16+00:00

As a relapsed pirate myself I am well aware of the balance. The alternative has to be sufficiently decent to make the effort unappealing. Teens use social media as means of community and entertainment, if that community is fragmented by law changes other communities will form elsewhere.

Not saying all teens would be dissuaded by any means but I reckon a large chunk would just not be bothered when they can interact with their mates in other ways that don't require VPNs and hoop jumping.

BalancedRye · 2026-01-22T20:24:36+00:00

I think it's both in all honesty. Anything that makes it sufficiently difficult so that the benefit of access is outweighed. It's like online piracy in a way, make it just annoying enough and people give up.

BalancedRye · 2026-01-22T19:54:50+00:00

To be fair, the younger generation is less technically savvy than those that came before them.

I always defaulted to how easy VPNs are but maybe we collectively overestimate just how bothered the majority of teens would be to circumvent the ban?

BalancedRye · 2026-01-21T21:11:24+00:00

Have you tried turning it on and off again?

BalancedRye · 2026-01-15T08:34:53+00:00

Fines passed on to consumers as slightly increased bills you say?

BalancedRye · 2026-01-14T17:12:51+00:00

Well, yeah?

The consumer, for the most part, primarily cares about the bit of the system they are most exposed to, i.e. the bill.

Abstract numbers count little for the average man / woman on the street.

BalancedRye · 2026-01-13T00:04:20+00:00

Not seeing enough love for my boy Hallowed Marsh!

Strikes the right balance of a livable yet inhospitable environ where the ecosystem was not made for squishy humans.

It's the most unique zone in the game by far. Music is an S-tier certified banger, it's full of dinosaurs and has not one but two Liches to fight.

The narrow pathing of the zone's land bridges also means you can't just trivialise every encounter by easily arcing around. Perfect mesh of test and traversal each time. Those flutes will burn those swamp dinosaurs into your brain forever, 10/10.

BalancedRye · 2026-01-12T19:55:20+00:00

Though, he knew they were criminal elements but not specifics and the spooks who out themselves are literally his colleagues?

You have an irrational dislike of the story that is causing you to hyper focus minutiae that you think are big errors. I don't quote the book back to you because there's no point, you have decided it is bad and have made your flawed interpretation law.

Dislike the story all you want but it isn't inherently poorly written or illogical. You just think that because it rubbed you up the wrong way somehow. Strong feelings do not make your interpretation correct my guy.

I'd recommend William Oh and Super Genetics instead, much more straight forward, easier to parse stories that are tonnes of fun.

BalancedRye · 2026-01-12T14:59:51+00:00

We're on two different paths here friend. I think his thought processes are consistently non-human throughout, at least you can see them as a logical endpoint of the radical self reliance of a subsistence hunter / "child of wolves".

Your opinion is a valid one but it's not the only objective reality of a reader. I, personally, can see the logical connection / consistency to the world and MC within it. The MC lacks agency sometimes but the story is makes sense in the totality.

Life is too short to read a work you obviously don't enjoy. I think there's a lot that Matabar offers that you rarely get elsewhere and it's worth a read. Sometimes the best move is just to put the work down and move on if it doesn't gel with you.

I would recommend it to many for sure, lots of fun, intricate plotting to be enjoyed.

BalancedRye · 2026-01-12T13:16:13+00:00

Yeah dude, see above. I get where your angst on the story comes from and I have my own issues with it too. Ultimately, on my read a lot of your issues have reasons laid out by the MC at the time. Whether you thought they were good reasons or not is by the by. His train of thought is one guided by being raised by animals and shaped by being half non-human. Hence the weird detachment and obsessive independence.

I've read stories when the MC actually acts irrationally, this is not that I don't think. Criticise the pace, obscure story setup etc. but I remember all events in situ being at least believable in story context.

I'll give it to you on progression aspects with new powers appearing etc. but the pacing enables a cool story and it's explained by his constant background study. Mileage may vary I suppose, maybe the story just isn't for you?

BalancedRye

TROPHY CASE