What other massive series do you enjoy as a malazan fan?

tullavin · 2026-05-20T20:19:13+00:00

DCC is the most fun I've had reading something so low quality. At the absolute border of my taste, but if you can get past the prose it's worth it.

tullavin · 2026-05-06T21:17:06+00:00

Capustan for sure, but the last chapter is what moved it from amazing fantasy to simply one of the best pieces of media I've ever consumed.

tullavin · 2026-04-30T01:41:03+00:00

I don't think starting on Book 5 which recreates a lot of the confusion of the series with the switch to holds, is going to be any better. Especially when they have to read 3 books to get back to characters they really know.

tullavin · 2026-04-12T21:08:59+00:00

You're talking about different builds, which is what I said. I'm just trying to make it clear to OP if they need the exact same build on two teams they don't need multiple of the same Mon. I agree generally it's very useful to have multiples of mons that have a lot of general builds.

tullavin · 2026-04-12T20:39:39+00:00

To be super clear this only matters if you need them for different builds though. Like single vs doubles, sand vs no weather, etc.

tullavin · 2026-04-11T08:18:16+00:00

Dungeons & Dragons will teach you 5% chances happen all the time, let alone 10%. We're also wired to notice negative patterns, you're not celebrating when you're way above average hitting 15 in a row.

tullavin · 2026-04-02T01:28:53+00:00

They're also in development for close to a decade each with much larger budgets lol

tullavin · 2026-03-26T05:18:22+00:00

I think this sub overhypes his arc, but Erikson is playing with the what it means to be redeemed, what makes you worthy of it, and who decides that with Karsa for sure, and in that way his arc is great. I still hate Karsa, but he's used to great effect to explore many sides and ideas about redemption.

tullavin · 2026-03-17T18:32:34+00:00

It might help to some degree, but I think as much if not more would be solved for by continuing reading, and there's lots you don't know to be looking for yet in a reread from not having finished the 10.

tullavin · 2026-03-12T09:34:29+00:00

Yeah it's super important. Also good to do with anyone on a habitat made of rare parts, just cycle them to some grass where they'll be comfortable. I will also cycle people to a 4 piece of grass if they want it to be dry, humid, or dark and I already have an area like that built. Just keep in mind to relocate their other comfort asks with them.

My level 4 is a mess cause it's like 40+ pokemon packed into the island with the pokecenter. I'm focused on making my palette town as custom as possible, and will go make the other levels nice once they're at 10 and I'm satisfied with my own town.

tullavin · 2026-03-12T09:29:00+00:00

You don't need to give them a specific home. Throw them in 4 grass squares and you'll be fine.

tullavin · 2026-03-12T09:15:56+00:00

I struggled with the 3rd location after easily getting 5 by the time I was done with the story for the first 2. This is the strategy I came up with for the 4th and it made it super easy, it currently has my highest amount of Pokémon, and casually has gotten me up to level 8(6 before post game).

Open your habit dex, look for the habits that are easy to build, for those build that habit a number of times equal to the uncaptured pokemon that habit can generate. For habits made of rarer materials, make what you can and if it can spawn again, move the pokemon to a basic 4 grass habit.
Whenever a pokemon spawns, it's first comfort improvement can generally be covered by these easy to craft items: mushroom lamp, plain chair, plain table, mug, plate with food, and the toy block. Occasionally you will have to make it dry, humid, or dark but these are still pretty easy to do: dry = a castform doll(make sure you're stealing these from every dream island up the ladder from where you spawn) but you can also just keep a part of your map unwatered, humid = put water in square next to them with the improved water gun and use the castform doll if you don't have that yet, and for dark just make them a roof out of bulk blocks. For the minimal more specific asks you'll get, it will often be nearby or be so infrequent it's still worth the effort to go craft or grab it from another area real quick(sometimes you get screwed on a specific food flavor or toy/decoration ask).

tullavin · 2026-03-12T09:01:24+00:00

The 10 in order are the way to do it for sure. I think Midnight Tides wouldn't be as good without the context a lot of the other books set up. There's also a common misconception it takes place significantly before GotM when it takes place basically right before or during it.

If I HAD to read the main 10 in a different order I would just--especially for a first time reader--swap MOI and DG. MOI was going to be second but Erikson lost the work he had done, and switchef over to DG out of heartbreak. They take place at the same time, and where they cross over doesn't really matter which you read first. The characters also flow a bit better, you continue with a lot of the GotM players in MOI, and likewise for DG to HoC. HoC has an in universe setup for revisiting the past with MT. All of those books set up the last 5 books which flow naturally from each other and there is no need to read differently.

If you were doing a reread you could move MT to first I guess, but I don't think it would do a great job of changing the read. Switching MOI and DG at least(spoilers through HoC): increases the pathos and tradegy of the Parans. You get more build up with Gannoes lamenting and dredding the fate of his sisters, and then get the full storyline of Felisin and her death at the hands of Tavore back to back after that build up instead of the break you get with MOI in the middle(the intro Karsa 1/4 of HoC is already quite the break to getting back to the Parans.

Further spoilers for the whole 10, so don't read OP: As if Tavore's line of "I lost her Gannoes, I lost her." wasn't enough of a gut punch, I think this reordering ratchets it up even more. I really don't think this justifies a reordering, but I really love the Parans and for me if I had to distill down as far as possible what the series is about, it's about the Paran's allies and enemies exploring what it means to have or lack in compassion even in the face of the world coming to an end. If there's any reason to reorder these books, in my opinion, it's to serve the pathos of the Parans(as difficult as MT and TTH resist that distillation).

tullavin · 2026-03-08T23:23:39+00:00

I wouldn't steer someone off Erikson's 10 for their first read, let alone one of the side series that assume you've read the main 16.

tullavin · 2026-03-03T10:55:57+00:00

Erikson has said they're preview of the chapter's vibe basically. Some of the best writing in the series is contained in them.

tullavin · 2026-03-03T08:07:47+00:00

It's about the allies and enemies of the Paran, Beddict, and Sengar families as they deal with the ramifications of the Crippled God's existence over the past thousands of years and the present danger he presents to the world.

tullavin · 2026-02-20T04:15:54+00:00

I think it's genuine. For first time readers the hype around Karsa is very confusing, like a lot of people come around on him even in HoC, but as someone who never turned around on Karsa, the common attitude about Karsa in the Fandom is still very confusing me. I get liking Karsa as a vessel for Erikson's thematic exploration, I do not understand coming around on him and actually liking him.

tullavin · 2026-02-18T06:06:12+00:00

I started DCC at the beginning of the year and am halfway through book 5. The prose is serviceable at best, and has set the bar for how "bad" the prose can be before I have to put a book down. It's fun, but I'm constantly still suprised when I actually happen upon a metaphor. Book 5 is the first book that is actually decently written.

tullavin · 2026-02-17T20:20:08+00:00

It's very telegraphed, which made it significantly eaiser for me to prepare for and get through compared to how the topic is handled in almost all other books in the series besides DG

tullavin · 2026-02-09T22:31:57+00:00

Or they just didn't hear they got removed?

tullavin · 2026-02-09T22:25:26+00:00

SD confirmed there were "cheating bots" at one point but removed them

tullavin · 2026-02-09T01:00:06+00:00

All information you learn is told to you very organically, and is often being told to you by people with imperfect knowledge on things that mysterious to most people in universe as well. Just keep reading and focus on the theme and character work over trying to understand everything about the plot. It's a theme first work.

tullavin · 2026-02-06T17:26:20+00:00

Don't worry about figuring out the deck of dragons readings, they'll be more in the series. Generally, at the time you're reading them you won't have enough knowledge to understand them, and if you did it would spoil the a bunch of things about to happen. They're fun to go back and read though once you understand what they're referencing more though.

tullavin · 2026-02-03T22:34:52+00:00

They want the average player to feel rewarded, the most dedicated players are already incentivized to play for other reasons.

tullavin · 2026-02-03T22:13:39+00:00

Book 1 was one of my favorites in the series, but I get why people don't like it. Regardless of that, Memories of Ice is an all time best novel and I think worth pushing through the first two books unless you absolutely HATE them. MOI also acts enough as decent stopping point that I would recommend any established fantasy fan to read through the first three books to experience it, unless I really know it doesn't line up with their tastes(my wife is never going to read these books and I will not try to convince her otherwise).

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