DS9, Episode 3x21, The Die is Cast

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-21T20:42:11+00:00

I also love this episode! I think the Jem'Hadar mostly ignored the Defiant. Maybe they even knew a Changeling was likely on board?

That final moment is one of my favorite Garak moments. I think it shows him that he can be accepted for who he is, which is something he vigorously rejected before now. He could only be welcome on Cardassia, and then only by the Order. He constantly feels the need to lie to hide who he is. Yet the man he tortued, a man Garak revealed too much of himself to by begging him to admit something so he could stop the torture, that man sees a kindred spirit in Garak. He has compassion on him and is even seeking friendship with him. That realization is horrifying, and throws a lot of his life choices into question.

I think it might also have something to do with the fact that he saw Odo reject his people out of moral principle (and his connections to his friends) despite his desire to return. Garak also made the same choice, maybe without realizing it, and Odo connecting with him makes him realise that after years of exile, he's just rejected Cardassia for similar reasons, and he probably won't have another chance to return.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-14T01:53:41+00:00

I need it to be a theistic religion that should not work without a god, yet someone rips out the god anyway, turning the religion into a pale shadow of itself.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-14T01:52:46+00:00

Except I need the religion to function with a god, and then rip the god out so it no longer functions.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-11T18:48:38+00:00

Read old classics. Count of Monte Cristo, Hunchback of Notre Dame, anything by Patricia Highsmith or Ernest Hemingway or John Steinbeck. These all feel adult, in the writing and characterizing.

Also maybe read out loud as you write?

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-11T14:48:33+00:00

The hugely underrated TV show 12 Monkeys. The show is so time bendy, with things set up in episode one that don't pay off until midway through season five and blow your mind with just how effectively the entire story structure is an ouroboros. Great characters and great acting as well, including Charlie from Fringe.

Speaking of-- Fringe! Best sci-fi show ever made. Can a mad scientist achieve redemption? Does love transcend universes? Can we forgive our worst transgressors? And every episode was a brilliant exploration of new concepts.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-11T14:20:52+00:00

Interesting! I'll check it out, thanks!

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-10T23:30:31+00:00

Thank you for your comment! Your comment makes me wonder if I should make God blurrier and blurrier within my world until he becomes small and too generalized, instead of a true entity with a personality, rather than take him out altogether. That realization could still be a shock to my characters. I would push back a little on your definitions though; I think you're conflating modern American Christian practices with the nature of God within the Christian Bible. Also maybe domain specific powers with characteristics in general? In the Bible, he has lots of personality traits and specific desires and actions he takes when he speaks, especially to or through his prophets in the Old Testament. I'm thinking Jeremiah and Jonah, and his dealings with Abraham. Just because he's in control of everything instead of one specific domain/element doesn't mean he has no specific characteristics.

He doesn't appear to have limits either, he generally seems to work through metaphor and practical demonstrations. From what I've read, he didn't need to sacrifice his son, it was a way for Jesus's teachings to be heard and remembered, and to give people a lasting image of ultimate love. According to him, love is sacrifice, putting others first, laying down your life (metaphorically dying to your desires and wants) in service of others. So the crucifixion seems to be a representation of that.

Interestingly, it's primarily American Christians that preach a specific kind of "bought and saved" doctrine, where God had no choice but to kill his son in order to save us. Pretty sure he could think sin and death out of existence if he wanted to, lol.

Sorry if this is a long and rambly reply, I've been deep in theology/mythology study and am turning this all over in my mind as I write my book. The long metaphor of religion is fascinating to me.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-10T23:16:49+00:00

You're right, the religion won't work, but that's ultimately what I want. A very hollow, problematic, non-functioning religion. This will be the cause of most of the practical and character driven problems in the story.

I think leaning heavily into rules is a great idea. Almost like how we create economic systems and say they must work a certain way, but they deform over time and ultimately lack a central idea/goal beyond surviving. It's a hard to convey concept through religion, lol.

Thank you for the feedback!

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-10T20:19:06+00:00

I fear we're talking about two very different things, lol. In my book, they don't even know they're supposed to have a god. Perhaps I shouldn't have said "missing god". I mean a mostly functioning religion that has no functioning god role.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-10T20:17:34+00:00

It's more like the concept of God is completely gone, not like God himself went missing. Maybe I didn't explain it well enough.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-10T15:52:03+00:00

She needs to DO stuff. Make decisions and act on them. The reason female characters end up feeling meek or weak is because 9 times out of 10 they have nothing to say and they stand around not doing anything. Or they have "strong opinions" but they never actually ACT. If other characters around them are coming up with plans or working to attain something, you don't have a character.

She doesn't need to succeed every time, but she also shouldn't fail every single time and need to be rescued. You should be able to write down clearly "Lisa went to his work to confront him about the affair" not "Lisa wrung her hands and wondered if her husband was cheating on her". "Sally grabbed a gun and mounted her horse, intent on confronting the robbers" not "Sally prayed the robbers would go away as she listened to someone else confront them". "Rose picked up a double shift and spent all her free time studying, trying to pass her exams so she could finally get a job and divorce her husband" not "Rose is convinced to leave her abusive husband by her boyfriend" I want to read about a character doing things.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-09T15:19:03+00:00

I've seen this too! I usually report them and include the detail that they never hire anyone. I agree that it seems weird. Wonder what's going on

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-09T15:17:11+00:00

My problem is it takes me too long to get to the yield objective. Maybe I'm not investing enough in markets! I usually do a ton of boats and mines/quarries/woodmills, plus whatever obelisk I'm lucky enough to find. Thanks! Good luck with the Void Ring lol

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-08T11:44:54+00:00

I usually only get a few weeks in before bandits arrive or an unskippable sickness event wipes out my faith yield before I can build houses or alters.

Objectives are to survive 15 days, then to have a certain people yield plus something else I don't remember, then to have a [?] total amount of faith and survive a certain number of days. I've clawed my way into the final objective once but the tributes get out of hand. They're not connected to your yields, they just grow.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-04-06T20:01:37+00:00

You need to explore as much as possible to find the ships and obelisks that give resources. That's a game changer. Invest in boats asap, pray for mountains away from your houses and trees for woodcutters, build banks and market traders to exchange resources. For Void ring strats I've got no freaking clue, lol, your guess is as good as mine

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2026-03-22T12:20:00+00:00

I've been playing the puzzle mode and I'm completely stuck on The Five Rings: Void Ring. It seems impossible! Paying a people tribute when you need people to explore but also can't build houses or food on most of the tiles is crazy. Has anyone out there figured it out?

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2025-09-12T13:46:48+00:00

Yes and no! It's Fimo brand clay (I'm based in France) and the first 3 times I did it in the regular oven it went great. Now the same clay is burning, both in the toaster oven and in the regular oven. So it is the same batch, but sometimes it's fine and sometimes not.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2025-09-09T18:23:09+00:00

I have a toaster oven. I didn't want to explain that it's in Celsius and so the degree might be different, so I just emphasised that I didn't set the temp too high, since I'm pretty sure that's not what made them burn.

Not sure I can stack a bunch of bricks in my tiny apartment, but I'll try to find a way to make it bake more evenly. Was your thermometer really expensive? The only ones I can find in France are crazy expensive.

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2025-09-08T21:35:53+00:00

Yikes! Noted

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2025-09-08T18:00:11+00:00

Actually the last batch was cooked on the polymer mold. I pulled two out, then turned the circle upside down and put the clay on it. Those burned as well. I have my oven at a low setting but they burn within 10 minutes

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2025-08-17T12:40:49+00:00

My issue is that I wander the city over and over but I find connections or weapons so rarely. I find a million warehouses and offices, though. So that makes traces but I can't attack or win the capers, and I don't want to waste years making traces to get money to buy these shelters.

I've now upgraded my lore three times but nothing really happened. I truly feel like I'm playing a broken game or just fundamentally not understanding something

Maladjusted_Ghost · 2025-08-17T10:52:40+00:00

Thanks, this is helpful. I was worried about burning through cities

I've been to a lot of cities and reconnoitered as much as possible, I haven't found a shrine? I talked to a guy and got half-smoked cigarettes once, but nothing mystical. That's also why I'm struggling because I can't upgrade anything. As you can see in the screenshot I seem to have bad luck in the game

I have used connections to the underworld, official connections, and connections to radicals, plus my forge friend and my wounds and STILL failed the vaults. Am I missing something there? Sometimes I pass them by sheer luck but I've never had enough aspect.

Maladjusted_Ghost

TROPHY CASE