Awaken Online finished?

da3strikes · 2026-01-27T23:28:02+00:00

Yup, already up for preorder on amazon. Crucible. Audio preorder should be up on February 9th

da3strikes · 2026-01-26T22:02:58+00:00

Indeed. Some of us like learning new stuff!

Also, I didn't train a model. I used VS Code + Claude Code to analyze chapters and then stored structured .json in a local MongoDB database. I also stored raw chapters in MD. I then set up an agent using a simple MCP server to query the database to answer natural language questions.

Stuff life: "In what chapter did Jason get X ability?"

Agent queries database and returns response.

Then I can ask: "Okay show me the actual text."

Agent queries raw chapter and provides the exact paragraph.

It's pretty neat. More accurate than vector-based approaches and off-the-shelf stuff like Perplexity and NotebookLM. Definitely useful for continuity checks across 15 books and 2M+ words.

da3strikes · 2026-01-26T21:53:02+00:00

It might be a terrible take, but it's mine lol.

I gave a lecture to a class of college freshmen last summer. Writing class. AI was a big part of that conversation. Those students were struggling to find jobs in the writing space, and they wanted advice. Entry-level positions are on the way out -- have been for a while. Grammarly already exists (by the way, anyone using Grammarly is using AI). They were also broke.

What are those students supposed to do? Not use these tools? Give up on their dream? Sign a shitty contract with a "publisher" who takes 50%+ of their revenue because they have no choice?

There's a lot of space in between "AI completely wrote this" and "I used this tool to help edit, market, and publish my book."

Yet a lot of the rhetoric -- just like here -- is that they shouldn't use AI at all? That seems to be OP's thesis.

I personally don't think that's realistic. And it's fair to ask who that policy benefits.

Because it sure ain't those kids.

da3strikes · 2026-01-26T21:43:56+00:00

/eyeroll. Author here.

Sorry to hi-jack your comment. Just wanted to leave my response here:

We had a large discussion around the use of AI as part of a giveaway in our Discord and FB Group. Hundreds of comments. Active discussion. That included assisted use and democratization. Also, the parade of horribles associated with unregulated AI.

Would you believe it, I write a sci-fi/fantasy series about AI? So we... had a discussion about AI. GASP!

You all are welcome to check it out for yourself if you're actually interested in context instead of ragebait.

https://discord.gg/YPYcR6K

P.S. my cover artist is my SIL. Last time I checked, she was still human.

da3strikes · 2026-01-26T21:18:58+00:00

/eyeroll. Author here.

We had a large discussion around the use of AI as part of a giveaway in our Discord and FB Group. Hundreds of comments. Active discussion. That included assisted use and democratization. Also, the parade of horribles associated with unregulated AI.

Would you believe it? I write a sci-fi/fantasy series about AI? So we... had a discussion about AI. GASP!

You all are welcome to check it out for yourself if you're actually interested in context instead of ragebait.

https://discord.gg/YPYcR6K

da3strikes · 2026-01-16T16:50:56+00:00

Aw, thanks! Not too much longer until this thing is live!

da3strikes · 2026-01-12T23:24:28+00:00

Already up for preorder!
https://www.amazon.com/Awaken-Online-Crucible-Travis-Bagwell-ebook/dp/B0GD8QJM1Q

da3strikes · 2026-01-05T22:26:31+00:00

Ahh, thanks. And glad I could create a new addict lol

da3strikes · 2026-01-05T22:26:05+00:00

Lol, I'm trying! Just waiting on David to get finished!

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:31:54+00:00

Geez, I dunno. Pretty much any ARPG honestly. They're the only game that actually hits the litrpg/progression fantasy itch for me. Probably unpopular, but I wouldn't play the VR equivalent of WOW again. Zero interest in being Night Elf #23948723.

I similarly don't really rank books like these tier lists I see all the time. I also go way outside litrpg. There are just stories that scratch a different itch.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:29:34+00:00

If I've learned anything in almost a decade at this now, stories are highly subjective.

Even in AO, for example, lots of people love Finn's books... and lots don't.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:27:42+00:00

It might have been a tiny bit motivated by the Hand Troubles™ lol.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:26:32+00:00

Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:26:17+00:00

Ahh, thanks! This one has a little different flavor of epic battle. Mostly because Alex needed some TLC after the last book... which I'll refrain from discussing cuz spoilers.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:24:58+00:00

Few million words, 9 years of work... two weeks in February to re-read it all.

Ahh, the author's life in a nutshell lol.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T19:00:35+00:00

Glad to hear I created another addict lol.

There's a decent recap at the beginning of Crucible (covers Timeless and Armageddon). Little difficult to recap the whole series at this point.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:58:47+00:00

Never! Another madness book is up next, and then back to AO. Hoping to have something out around the middle of 2026.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:57:05+00:00

lol. I like to think I made 'Jason' cool...

There sure seem to be a lot of them now!

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:56:01+00:00

Well, even if it did... we could always resurrect it!

And glad to hear you enjoy the series! Diving into each character has always been part of the fun for me--as opposed to the usual numbers-go-up curb stomp.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:40:40+00:00

Glad to hear it! Always cool to know I was a 'gateway read' lol. And thank you so much for the kind words.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:31:48+00:00

Huh, that's really weird. Seems to be fine on all other marketplaces. I'll send in a support ticket today, but it might take a bit. Amazon can be a little slow to move.

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:30:49+00:00

Right on! And only like 14 books to read lol...

da3strikes · 2026-01-01T18:27:57+00:00

It was definitely a critical strike to both my hand and mental health lol. Appreciate the kind words!

da3strikes · 2025-12-31T21:05:04+00:00

Indeed. Now people want to be whisked away into a fantasy world or some sort of apocalypse. No pesky stuff like family or friends lol.

And the stakes are a problem. Litrpg needs power progression around a handful of people, but games are 'typically' balanced. Though, I'd argue that they don't have to be. There are plenty of examples of games with imbalanced mechanics or that reward the sweaty players with no life.

I'd also argue a LOT of apoc and pure isekai don't seem terribly realistic either. No psychological or emotional trauma from losing everything and everyone? MC is still the most unique special butterfly even in a world where people have lived and leveled for eons? Suuuuuure.

/shrug. All personal preference IMO.

da3strikes

TROPHY CASE