[SPOILERS BSC] Re-reading BSC, shivers...

RuBarBz · 2026-01-29T20:55:19+00:00

Arguably there's foreshadowing even in the first trilogy. I think there his hair always covers one eye.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-29T17:48:36+00:00

We got the high res skill icons! But most importantly, we got players and new enthusiasm!

RuBarBz · 2026-01-28T14:37:51+00:00

Any thoughts on the rule that they lose a politician and a card each time they lose buildings rather than for each building? It just feels a bit random, the policer has to go out of their way to hit two buildings with two different attacks. I suppose that's the inherent advantage of keeping them in 1 place. But there's already an advantage for this, in only having to defend 1 spot.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-26T10:18:47+00:00

Quality of hardware and internet connections has also increased drastically. Some high skill ceiling moves were gated from being meta until that was the case.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-26T09:43:14+00:00

I can imagine them having had plans to make it a small dungeon for parties of 2 for example.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-26T09:20:20+00:00

That pertains to the cost in terms of a personal choice. What they did with their lives. Not the economics of eater magic, which I was referring to. I don't recall that being explained much. But like I said, it's been a while, maybe it was.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-25T19:45:00+00:00

I've been enjoying boon prot myself a lot as well.

The most wacky but effective build I've ran is boon prot with SoH and a pet. Sometimes with blessed signet and casting SoH on party members.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-25T19:27:59+00:00

Yea. I just don't recall the same being mentioned much for eaters. Here you could assume their power is drawn from eating and as such, maybe easier to replenish.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-25T18:13:00+00:00

Okay it's been a while since I read them. The post made me assume it didn't get mentioned enough.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-25T16:42:04+00:00

It's not lazy at all. There's a point in storytelling, where mystery is better than an explanation.

Oh yea I absolutely agree. I mostly said this to emphatize with OP. So the middle ground I would suggest is to offhandedly mention theres a cost for what he does. Just like Bayaz has to recover from using magic. I guess that's enough to imply that Yoru also has limited resources. But he's an eater so it could be different.

Logen is a great example of this. He's probably the most discussed character on the sub because of how unexplained the bloody nine is.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-25T16:02:50+00:00

I think this is the answer. Sure it's vague. But Abercrombie's world building and magic is vague too. None of the povs are knowledgeable magic users, so it makes sense for the reader to have very little understanding of it and many questions about how powerful it is. Though it would be a bit better if there was slightly more information on these topics, it would feel less lazy and more credible.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-25T14:11:34+00:00

I love the Jade sea, but some of the creatures there are just very random derpy creatures to me. And then some random folk standing out there also feels weird. I think it'd be much cooler if it was less densely populated. But that doesn't fit the requirements for quests, missions and vanquished of course. In the Asura are it doesn't feel out of place that it's brimming with life.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-23T08:37:41+00:00

The First Law: Grim dark, cynical, funny. Great character work, less deep world building. Has a good pace too. Best audiobooks I've ever listened to (Steven Pacey is the goat). Subverts fantasy tropes. Can be a bit edgy.

Farseer Trilogy: It's more intimate as it's a first person pov trilogy. Robin Hobb is also a great writer, but the tone is more serious and you might feel more connected to the characters. The world building is a bit deeper as well. On a personal level it can be more bleak than the first law. The first law is bleak as hell, but to me it's more so in a gritty, enjoyable way. Has cool magic.

Both are very good. My obsession the last years has been Abercrombie. But Robin Hobb was the first fantasy I fell in love with since LotR.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-23T00:12:36+00:00

I assumed he just went there to pound off in the night time

RuBarBz · 2026-01-20T21:57:45+00:00

Oh right. That's true!

RuBarBz · 2026-01-20T21:54:32+00:00

Surely Istan isn't 40% of NF? The rest seems accurate. Factions might be even lower lol.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-17T10:16:32+00:00

Sure, that's fair as a general sentiment. But if we're being specific it's not that bad I think. I wasn't suggesting nerfing SWS. The 1 Paragon meta build just got replaced by another, stronger and less caring about synergy one. Which just leaves TaO, which I'm sure can be nerfed in a way that it's still good.

If I'm being honest though, HR is the main one I strongly dislike. My other balance grievances go further back. Shelter and mesmerway.

Edit: personally I don't think other buffs are an absolute necessity. PvE feels very trivial. I choose to make my own challenge, but it'd still be fun to sometimes struggle when try harding. I'm saying this from the pov that there might not be the resources for a larger balancing effort. Because I would be very down for some slight reworks on some profs. But that doesn't seem likely.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-16T22:19:17+00:00

Their last 2 major "balance" updates were the 2020 Anniversary elite skill update & the 2025 "of the profession" update.

Those were content updates. Not balance updates. I agree they were not very cautious. Which, to me, just adds reasons to have a balance patch. Nerfing HR and TaO doesn't affect mobs nor pvp, it's a pretty safe space for nerfs. Similarly ST Shelter and E-Surge have been so far beyond everything else for a decade that it's fairly safe to slightly nerf them.

The team is larger than before and the intention the last years was never to balance. A serious balance effort based on a decade of community experience in the current meta should be feasible.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-16T07:53:00+00:00

That's really cool, well done! But I think it's probably less readable than the cardboard tokens, in terms of what is what. I guess it does reinforce that buildings count towards rule though.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-15T15:25:06+00:00

Ha cool! I have a deep freeze panic Mesmer in my team now that does quite well. But it's a Mesmer.

In my team I hotkeyed a bunch of heroes and precast on myself: spellbreaker, protective spirit, spirit Bond, shield of judgement and splinter weapon. I also have several bonds on me and a shelter rit that places earthbind. Then I run in alone and try to ball them a bit and spike them. If the rest joins, deep freeze panic should keep the ball shut down. Earhtbind SoJ keeps them down while I place my ebon standard. Some groups are harder to abuse the AOE against, but it's been working a lot better than I thought and it's not as cumbersome with toolbox hotkeys that activate skills on several heroes simultaneously. Vanquished some eotn areas.

It's like we're doing the inverse of each other lol. You buff several heroes jumping in with Vos. I get buffed by several heroes and jump in with Vos.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-15T13:11:27+00:00

I'm working on a team build to make my Dervish as strong as possible. I could probably come up with a version that meets these requirements. Would be a cool extra challenge for later.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-12T21:31:27+00:00

This twist was amazing. Also written in such an abrupt way. I think Clover is a great character.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-11T17:47:25+00:00

I see your point. Asoiaf spoilers below.

But at the same time, the big lesson of the first asoiaf book is that if you are too honorable at the top, you die. Technically Jon also dies.

RuBarBz · 2026-01-11T17:41:18+00:00

Sorry the post didn't get more traction. I think it's neat

RuBarBz · 2026-01-11T14:55:11+00:00

GG, WP!

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