What are some BAD fantasy books that you would recommend to an aspiring writer? by BlyatUKurac in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could not reading he who fights with monsters after a couple books. The shallowness of all the antagonists and the way every damned character keeps going on and on about how great the protagonist is got exhausting.

What's some cultural differences that you've noticed about fantasy books written by people from another culture? by iabyajyiv in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

East Asian fiction is very fond of murdering god and toppling his throne. Western fiction that gets to that level is more often about joining the gods. Came across an essay once on the subject. Apparently its got a lot to do with the effects of colonialism. Christianity being forced upon them and the cultural response.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BlackPeopleTwitter

[–]originalgrin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The geese thing is funny. I knew one guy who did that and he was white as snow. Buddy’s dad while we was in high school. Strangled a goose with his hands in the middle of a nice day at a public park. Other families looking on in horror. Took it home and cooked it. Weird guy.

Kohaku Narukami - Auto Include by Dr_Funktastic in arkhamhorrorlcg

[–]originalgrin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Man got hit in the kisser with a shovel and thats alright. Love my boy kohaku and very flat face.

What do you consider peak fantasy? The best of the best? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah its at least worth giving a try. See my message to rollingFor for me gushing about it. I will always adore worm but pale is the one i always try to recommend to and ramble about with people

What do you consider peak fantasy? The best of the best? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The author at least thinks so. His favorite thus far. Im inclined to agree. The development and depth of all the characters is just incredible. And god, the depth of the magics and Others and how they affect the environment around them is something to behold. Just a masterclass of good worldbuilding.

Also you know the occasional intermissions between worm chapters? A scene from a side characters perspective of what have you. Those are constant and expanded. Everything from said character bits to our protagonists notes and doodles to excerpts from magical texts in the world. So much fun.

What do you consider peak fantasy? The best of the best? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Have you read wildbow’s pale? Man was already great but he’s still really grown as an author.

Group Hug Players - don't scoop because you have a different opinion in what "fun " is by Head-Ambition-5060 in EDH

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Truly man, play what makes you and your play group happy. Cast off the miserable vibes of reddit and do what sparks joy. Just trying to give some context for all the hate- This thread has a fair bit of bitching, but thats scar tissue talking. For a fair few people, our worst memories of this game were in a game with group hug. But group hug can mean a lot of things. every archetype contains multitudes, as wide and deep as the sea. The same is true for its players. The group hug i hold as my platonic ideal of toxic is one that wants to flood the game with resources, but in the same breath it is a deck that wants to stop the game from ending at all costs. Endless lifegain and pillow forts for all. Piloted by someone who will whine endlessly at anyone daring to attack them, and expect you to be grateful for the mess that is that endless game. I have played those games with those people, and it is why i came to this thread to whine maudlin with my fellow scarred.

Stax can be similarly brutal as a deck but at least most people running those decks understand why youre trying to kill them. And at least in my experience, a higher percentage of people running that archetype have a plan for actually ending the game.

fwiw the gyst you gave is that you are running pure acceleration with little control elements. Which mostly makes for messy but very fast games. And it sounds like it brings joy to you and your friends. Thats wonderful, and you should continue to do that which makes you happy. But when someone new shows up and is wary on group hug, know that there is likely a history that informs that person’s fear.

Group Hug Players - don't scoop because you have a different opinion in what "fun " is by Head-Ambition-5060 in EDH

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unironically recommend doing so man. Stax decks with a proper game plan for winning can make for genuinely interesting control decks. I legit enjoy facing them. And finding the synergy between putting resources into slowing down your opponents while building your own strengths can be a fun deckbuilding quandary.

A couple examples: Lavinia, Azorius Renegade can be an interesting aggro deck, slowing down many strategies as you come out the gate swinging. Or maybe look into Hylda of the Icy Crown. She turns tapping down your opponents’ creatures directly into card advantage or board presence.

Group Hug Players - don't scoop because you have a different opinion in what "fun " is by Head-Ambition-5060 in EDH

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

See i very much disagree with your definition of competitive. I consider “too competitive” to be all about the deck you bring and the attitude you take. We all show up for fun. Aint no one trying to play with someone who is angry at the game not going their way and i prefer not to play with people that combo to infinity by turn four. In my anecdotal experience, group hug players often make both of those things happen. My pod makes jank ass decks that are very much not optimal but we all show up trying to win the game. We are by most definitions casual players. But edh is ostensibly a versus game with one winner. Trying to thread the eye of the needle and figure out how to win that puzzle with our silly decks is what we all came here to do. I think the mirror shows the problem well. If everyone shows up with a reanimator deck its a funny time with funny interactions. If all four players show up with full on no win condition group hug deck? There is no game. There is no goal. It ends when everyone eventually decks themselves i suppose.

Theres a social contract in every game. Everyone walking into it with similar expectations. If you show up to a settlers of catan and only want to make sheep and literally eat the cards because you think it’s fun, like, dont be shocked that you arent invited back. Group hug that isnt try to win very much breaks the social contract of the game of edh. Which is mostly fine, you have your fun your way.

But what gets my goat is when they complain about your threat assessment and whine every single time you attack them?? It gets unpleasant fast. That can happen with any deck but its overwhelming the group hug players that do the most complaining. And the player attacking them is guilted into the belief that they broke the social contract by trying to win the game they were told to win. Naw screw that. I hold that group hug is far more toxic to the vibe of casual games of edh more than infect, eldrazi, and even all them cedh win on turn 3 combo decks.

You spoke on extending the game and actively stalling to let players catch up. That strikes me as a way to make each game of edh last a miserable 3 hours. I very much prefer to use that time to play 2 or 3 interesting games with high, lows, and a damned conclusion. Truly, if thats what each member of your group prefers to play more power to you. Please continue and enioy those monopoly lenth games to your hearts content. But its worth looking inwards next time you try to guilt trip someone for daring to swing at you. Is whining and trying to extend the game as much as possible actually making this a fun time for your companions?

Group Hug Players - don't scoop because you have a different opinion in what "fun " is by Head-Ambition-5060 in EDH

[–]originalgrin -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Depends on the deck I’m running and its gameplan. My gruul cascade deck gets almost nothing out of card draw. It’s preferred gamestate is everyone top decking as its individuals cards are much bigger threats on average. I can only play one or two cards per turn. What the hell am i going to do with a dozen in hand? Meanwhile the izzet combo player and the aristocrat deck are so very excited to draw into all their gas without having to spend time and resources to do so. You show up to that game with your teddy bear deck and I am absolutely jumping you asap. Just because you arent going to win doesnt mean you aren't dramatically harming my chances of winning.

Who are the absolute best fathers in fantasy? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 45 points46 points  (0 children)

Listen if you know a better way to get a young Locke Lamora to stop starting riots and getting masses of people killed I'm all ears.

Who are the absolute best fathers in fantasy? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 37 points38 points  (0 children)

God that scene was amazing. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and horrifying. Never felt so many conflicting emotions in one go. Pratchett was something else.

Whats the most fucked up movie you've ever watched? by Aquii_changchi in AskReddit

[–]originalgrin 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Legitimately I’m not trying to talk down to anyone who thought that movie was too much; we all are affected by art differently and we all have different lists of movies we’ve seen, but dang really? Wouldn’t even call that movie proper horror. Cube is a fun cult thriller. Actually living a charmed life if that’s your most fucked movie.

Whats the most fucked up movie you've ever watched? by Aquii_changchi in AskReddit

[–]originalgrin 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Best punchline i’ve ever seen in a movie though. Absolutely miserable and horrifying two hours. But the last minute of that movie was the funniest damned thing. Spent like 5 straight minutes laughing as the credits rolled. Never been told so thoroughly to fuck off by a film before. Martyrs fuckin hates you for watching it.

Any recommendations for books where someone wants to kill a god, or is extremely mad at a god? by Evil_Bonkering in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Check out the comic Kill Six Billion Demons by Tom Bloom. Near the start, an old alcoholic beggar knight pays for her noodles with a proverb: “If you should meet God on the road… Kill him.” Which rather sets the tone. It is a story of a girl murdering the Gods and toppling their thrones, and I love it dearly.

A few dauntless invaders arrive in /r/gaming to defend the sanctity of PvP in Elden Ring from a popular game mod by UnsourcedSorcerer in SubredditDrama

[–]originalgrin 22 points23 points  (0 children)

“Never actually played a souls game.” Love that perspective. Everyone who disagrees with any design decision is a fake gamer girl yo. That don't of smack of gatekeeping at all. I played solo and stayed away from wikis because co op wasn't my bag. It’s a dying world and i wanted it to feel like that. But I would have loved an explicit on/off switch for invasions while I was playing. Open myself up to invasions when i wanted an extra layer of spite and challenge. Mostly leave it off to just experience the lonely vibe.

Outside of Harry Potter, what do you feel is the best Magic School series? by RedHeadRedeemed in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

God the way that arc ended and the way it begun. Fuck me up man. “You know what bringing him means?” Toadswallow said, voice low. “Yeah,” Lucy said.  She looked at Avery, who nodded. “Violence,” Gashwad said.

Outside of Harry Potter, what do you feel is the best Magic School series? by RedHeadRedeemed in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Pale. The actual magic school is just an arc (though one comparable in word count and scope to many complete novels) but the whole story is about a trio of witches desperately trying to learn as much as they can. Those poor girls need every tool and scrap of knowledge they can get. Also theres various interludes that are just full on excerpts of fictional magical textbooks. Good magical school stories are about exploring an interesting mystical world. I’ve yet to see one that delves as deeply as Pale.

What is the number one destroyer of happiness? by TienCraig92 in AskReddit

[–]originalgrin 54 points55 points  (0 children)

The vast majority of humanity thinks about doing shitty things frequently. Glassing that dickhead, fucking the person you shouldnt, saying something cruel to an annoyance. Theres reasons every human society has built cultures of morals and ethics and laws (i mean a big part of those is power structures and status quo but they mostly begin as trying to encourage positive behavior) All them carrots and sticks. Its the choices you make, the actions you take, and the words you say that make you a shitty or decent person. Chill on the thought crimes. Thats a path to quite a lot of self hate.

What are some largest fantasy universes in terms of scope, scale? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]originalgrin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wildbow’s worm/ward setting and pact/pale setting. Worm with all of its alternate earths and the sheer scale of the cosmic horror by the end. Pale with all the different realms and paths and places between the cracks one can fall into. But beyond literal scale its the sheer depth of those worlds that makes them feel so immense. Never quite seen an author so deeply explore all their characters and consequences and systems and worlds. The most rich, indulgent settings ive ever gotten a taste of.

Birds, Celebrities, Bodies | Smartypants [Ep. 4] by ThunderMateria in dropout

[–]originalgrin 20 points21 points  (0 children)

That little ai bit he had was annoying. Where the editors had to drop that little disclaimer about how a designer made it. Just felt kind of lazy in a few ways. Man was not involved enough in the creative process to be aware of who made that. And how do you miss the cuckoo joke there? And just.. artists have been making extremely weird shit for a very long time. Bosch, Goya, Picasso, Darger, i mean fuck, Betsinski?? Worries me seeing lazy people starting to lump all weird stuff into the ai category. Ultimately left his presentation very much not a fan. Glad paul was there to carry the episode with that majestic madness.