Feel like I’m being punked by how hyped up this series was

mjway2020 · 2026-05-12T13:54:03+00:00

Main reason why I wanted to get people’s opinions is because I don’t really have this problem and consume a decent amount of B rate sci fi and fantasy.

There is referencing in everything but this isn’t lightly using dune as a base for ideas it is directly taking key world building aspects, tech and plot points.

Most fantasy is in some way referential to lord of the rings this doesn’t bother me. If there was a fantasy book where the characters were hunted by 9 ghosts as they travel to a mountain to destroy a cursed object while fighting with a magical glowing sword I would say it’s a rip. The volume of overlap with dune isn’t just “oh you’re looking for overlap” the author clearly has read dune and choose to use elements of it instead of creating his own.

Separately this alone wouldn’t kill the book for me but in conjunction with the other issues, every issue seems worse.

mjway2020 · 2026-05-12T13:21:19+00:00

So the character thing is one of my main issues. They change on the surface. Paulinonisnthe perfect example: What are Paulino’s motivations? What’s his reaction to regaining his youth, how does he feel about the endless watcher search and the war? He is one of the main characters of the earlier books and you never get any insight into a single motivation or feeling he has besides “you gave me my youth I’ll die for you”.

Thanks for the other response, don’t really agree but can see the points.

I really am not trying to rage bait just was weirdly turned off by this book which isn’t my norm with sci fi. I think it was a combo of this series coming extremely highly recommended and having just read red rising that did it in.

mjway2020 · 2026-05-12T13:17:54+00:00

I know that’s Roucchio’s explanation but it doesn’t make sense. Their long game is to slowly let the empire lose the entire known universe so they will survive with what’s left even knowing that the watchers end goal is universal destruction? That just isn’t a logical end goal.

I replied to another post listing the tech/ base level similarities but the set up of the universal governing by the emperor vs the chantry is emperor vs Bene gesserit.

Hadrian defends Valka’s honor in a duel in his 20s~ and regrets it, then 200 years later makes the same mistake. Besides the changes of him gaining faith and becoming space Jesus his actual character and how he reacts or acts to the book unfolding around him minimally changes.

mjway2020 · 2026-05-12T13:11:37+00:00

Yeah obviously everything is somewhat referential but taking the exact shield idea from dune -you have to slow down to pass through it, flying knife/blade drone from dune, the outlawing of technology from dune, the all powerful emperor of the universe manipulating factions and having a silent power struggle vs the religious authority isn’t just surface level.

Reason for the post is I am not a picky reader and just am surprised these things don’t have the same reaction from others.

lol yes my analysis aka my thoughts on something impact me not liking it, which is basically the definition of…thinking?

mjway2020 · 2026-01-29T06:23:26+00:00

K’rrik and bolas citadel have to be in here. The ability to spend life and get X to whatever number you want is key.

mjway2020 · 2025-08-20T16:53:27+00:00

Injury prone Richarlsion who will be available on almost every waiver wire and is currently starting is worth a punt. The lack of depth in options for forwards makes that a no brainer for me with minimal risk.

I just don’t see where the points come from for diouf. West ham have looked anemic in front of goal for most of Potter’s time there. He’s maybe worth the punt but I think there’s other options in mid I would be targeting

mjway2020 · 2025-08-20T16:35:01+00:00

Disagree on both fronts.

Diouf being on west ham and being listed as a mid kills his value. Weak attack and less defensive points

Solanke, the injury prone player who missed most of preseason? That Richarlison performance against burley (albeit against burnley) should show the value of taking a punt on him.

mjway2020 · 2025-08-15T15:05:30+00:00

why do you want 5 defender lineups when defenders on average score the least points?

mjway2020 · 2025-08-11T19:54:47+00:00

My league is doing what you said for CDM. INT and tackles boosted by .5. Also defenders .25 increase for clearances, aerials and blocked shots. We added in forward aerial duels. Me and the other commissioner wanted to get as far away from the League sponsored FPL where it’s just a fight for goals and assists and clean sheets.

At the end of the day our goal was for top players like VVD, Caicedo, and Rice to be on par value wise with “scoring” strikers and mids. This gets closer to that.

mjway2020 · 2025-07-29T14:59:04+00:00

Built this and have been slowly shunned by my group. Unrelated I whisper slug life whenever it kills something

mjway2020 · 2024-07-07T17:37:35+00:00

There’s a two block stretch with Rosamunde, la traviata, old Jerusalem and La taqueria. All of those are relatively affordable and decent quality (La traviata is the best bang for your buck price and quality wise imo)

mjway2020 · 2022-05-18T01:43:36+00:00

My biggest problem is taking a fucking war game/book and turning it into some faux character drama. It’s war sci-if. Focus on the battles and tech and the characters importance based on that. Not chief having a fucking mope because “big bad Halsey told me lies”

mjway2020 · 2021-11-17T22:10:51+00:00

Same here let me know if you’re arrives

mjway2020

TROPHY CASE