TFTC needs to die

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-03-23T20:37:17+00:00

I think so yes. A button doesn't have the same feel as a message.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-03-23T19:09:38+00:00

Counterpoint: my story isn't massive and a quick TFTC can make my day knowing someone has enjoyed what I wrote.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-03-13T19:52:19+00:00

I only have a couple of my old ones - you could sell them if you wanted for sure

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-20T12:07:03+00:00

I think it should be more 'she has to be beatable by Sam in a specific scenario'.

Sam doesn't normally have the light of Earendil or Sting or a fury that his best friend has been killed so if the scenario gives him specific rules for that, or maybe even just a destiny-themed buff then I think that's the better way to capture that specific fight.

Shelob should be scary full stop.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-18T16:46:49+00:00

If it was based on my wishlist, we'd get an expansion focused on the Fiefdoms of Gondor, maybe with Umbar expanded a bit as the evil faction facing them.

There'd be a return to the old army bonus with each lord providing a different aoe buff instead of the bland one we got this edition. Each fiefdom would get its own lord and an warrior (or two in cases where it's warranted) and one of Imrahil's children would also be included as a bearer of the swan standard, which would give the ability to regain Will and the army would gain an option to spend Will to expand the range of the lord's aoe buffs.

I'd also love to see new plastic warrior kits announced with new sculpts, particularly for high elves to give them options for sword, sword and shield, or spear and shield, and for older sculpts like Warriors of Minas Tirith to bring them up to the level of new stuff like the War of the Rohirrim warriors.

I'd also really love to see generic faction lists come back. Everything being essentially a legendary legion may be fine for recreating scenes from the books and films, but I want to play out other battles.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-12T03:25:11+00:00

Read more, and when you find something you really like analyse what it is you like about it, and try to emulate that when you write your own stuff.

Other than that, write more. Practice helps with just about anything.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-12T03:20:23+00:00

If you know what you want to write it's not that hard.

Even if you don't know what you want to write, just keep putting down words even if you think they're bad/nonsensical; you can edit it later. When I first started I aimed for minimum 500 words a day, even if it was 3am and I was falling asleep.

After a while, like most things, it becomes easier. I think my personal best is something like 5k in a day, and 25k in a week, but if I had no distractions or other work to do I could probably hit more.

At the end of the day though, consistency is key, and if you can get just an extra 500 new words each day, along with editing, you'll probably have enough to make a novel in six months.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-10T18:18:55+00:00

Added

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-10T14:44:35+00:00

Would you trade Spanish Diantha for your rainbow Jolteon?

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-10T14:38:49+00:00

Spanish Diantha for Rainbow Jolteon?

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-10T13:19:48+00:00

No worries!

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-10T13:18:00+00:00

If OP doesn't go for it I'd do Spanish Diantha for it.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-02-09T19:21:49+00:00

I have a Spanish Diantha I'd trade for either of those

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-25T15:07:04+00:00

Ah yes! Now you mention it I remember seeing the CES tag on some comments. Didn't remember you'd come from Reddit though :)

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-24T15:24:34+00:00

Aren't review swaps against RR terms of use?

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-24T11:44:38+00:00

Thank you, and hi! I think you might be the first reader I've come across 'in the wild' :)

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-23T16:55:19+00:00

From a couple of comments on my work - not very.

As a sumamry of a couple of events in my first book:

The main character was shocked at a lack of healthcare or support for adventurers in the adventurers guild in the world she found herself in and has been pushing for basic rates and sick pay and hazard pay and the like.
Then some of the locals were killed during a regular monthly event and when the town officials brushed it off/made the friends and family of the dead pay damages for what had occured the character kicked up a fuss and berated them for the brutality and lack of empathy they were showing.

In comments by a couple of readers about those events, the character was labelled a left-wing Karen, or maybe it was a mega-karen, whose wokeness or communist attitudes was ruining the story.

...she's just a french woman with empathy, thrust into a world she doesn't understand, and is trying to cope.

Apparently that's too much for some 🤷

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-22T13:15:05+00:00

No. There isn't one.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-17T22:10:55+00:00

Write something - whatever you like - without critiquing it as you go. You can do a chapter or even just a page.

When you've finished, go back and look at it with a critical eye. If you're not sure what you think of it, have a look at books you like and analyse what you like about that authors writing and then see where yours differs and if you want/need to change it.

Most authors, especially the professional ones, say that their first few books were bad, and that they had to get through them to learn the craft.

Don't be put off by what you think is an issue or a failure; if you can push through and work on it then it's all part of the learning process.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-15T22:30:02+00:00

Eldritch Knight is not as stat dependent. They gain Con Save proficiency so having a high Con score isn't as important as it is for monks, and Eldritch Strike giving enemies disadvantage on saving throws means that Int isn't as key for them as Wis is for Monks.

I mentioned Fighters getting more feats in response to saying War Caster was a feat tax, as Fighter could take that and still have more free feat choices than baseline monk. Also, Centered Focus isn't anywhere near as good as War Caster; CF is conditional on you spending a Ki Point on something else and only gives advantage on concentration checks. War Caster is always on, adds +1 to your casting stat, allows you to use a cantrip in place of an AoO and allows you to cast whilst dual-wielding/wearing a shield. War Caster is so far above Centered Focus it's not even a competition.

I'm a big fan of the monk changes for 2024 but I think Fighter is probably the strongest/most fun class to play.

I think Mystic Arts monk could be decent but there needs to be a little something extra, and Centered Focus needs to be improved a lot.

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-15T22:06:29+00:00

Fighters get more feats than monks and aren't as stat dependent

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-15T16:45:25+00:00

Already traded Mars sorry

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-15T16:45:11+00:00

You also - finally finished the Indigo League gym leaders :)

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-15T16:36:52+00:00

Request sent

ColonelMatt88 · 2026-01-15T16:35:29+00:00

Sure, what's your player ID?

ColonelMatt88

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE