Hi, I have never used this kind of software before and I'm completely lost. I have this image of a map and I need to extract only the outline of the continent and islands. How can I do this?
I just started trying these cool puzzles and though I can only do the easier ones, it's been a lot of fun. However, today I stumbled into this one: https://sudokupad.app/james-sinclair/emerald-city , and I can't find where is my mistake even after two tries, so I would like someone smarter than me to figure it out. Not solve it, just find out why I have a line with a triplet for four cells. Check the image.
EDIT: I got it. I got fooled by the center black dots assumed the triple black dots to the right also had to be the double of a double. It didn't even cross my mind it could be something like 2-4-2 or 3-6-3. Thanks guys!
I'm barely starting in my journey with classics and history, and one of my biggest interests right now is what people thought made Monarchs and Empires great in the Middle and Modern ages, how those considered the best thought and what were their values, etc, etc.
Since I got back to reading, I only managed to read The Wheel of Time and the first two books of Malazan. Malazan is really not something that appeals to me, so I'm DNFing it, and would like to have your take on what I'll try to read next of the list I compiled below. I want, if possible, not only pros but also cons.
Now, what do I like?
Like:
- Character centric narrative
- 3th person narrative
- Even pacing, that can get a bit slow or a bit fast depending on the moment of the story
- Prose not overly complicated but also not overly simplistic
- Magic system more visual and active than secret and mysterious
- Clear combat, that paints a clear scene and shows explicitily how things are happening with details
- Can be a bit grim, but there's gotta be hope
- Characters that have a clear identity and don't change their personality at every single difficulty along the way
- Detailed descriptions of characters and places
- Rich worldbuilding
- Story with several "cores" that have indirect influence over each and can work in each others direction to eventually meet in a bigger arc. But I don't particularly dislike stories that are more straightforward.
- Romance, but only is those extremely rare instances where it's done right and not the center of the story, but can be detrimental to the development of a character (Ex: Perrin and Faile in WoT or James Cole and Cassandra Railly in 12 monkeys [I know, that story might be considered a romantasy I guess, but it's an exaggerated example of what I might be ok with]).
Dislike:
- First person narrative
- Romantasy
- Characters can be naive and have normal intelligence, but I hate dumb characters, those characters to go through leaps and bounds to make the take the decision that is clearly the worst possible
- Worldbuilding tossed aside in favor of lesser tropes and arcs
- Dialogues and thoughts unnecessarily and unrealistically shrouded in mystery and subterfuge
- Passive characters
- Characters that have some page time here and there but absolutely no influence in the story
- Too much and/or too explicit sex scenes. Better if there isn't any. A Song of Ice and Fire like scene and frequency is ok.
- Main characters that are depressive for several books before overcoming it
- Superficial worldbuilding
- Main characters with superficial or bullshit motivations
- Off page or vague combat scenes
- Main characters that are fond of half measures and keep getting screwed for it
- Too much grimdark. I don't like that hopeless vibe at all. A Song of Ice and Fire is my sweet spot when grimdark is concerned, no more than that.
- POV that changes all the time with no warning
My TBR List, so far:
Wars of Light and Shadow
Acts of Caine
The Chronicles of Amber
Black Company
Green Bone Saga
The First Law
Age of Madness
The Faithful and the fallen
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Hyperion
Sun Eater
The Bound and The Broken
Bloodsworn Saga
Dandelion Dynasty
The Dagger and the Coin
The Long Price Quartet
Gormenghast
Discworld
The Singing Hills Cycle
The Prince of Nothing
Blacktongue Thief
Since I got back to reading, I only managed to read The Wheel of Time and the first two books of Malazan. Malazan is really not something that appeals to me, so I'm DNFing it, and would like to have your take on what I'll try to read next of the list I compiled below. I want, if possible, not only pros but also cons.
Now, what I think of what I read so far (for you guys to have an idea)?
WoT
Pros:
- Character driven: Even the characters I dislike with all I have are very distinct from each other, and that is a major plus;
- Worldbuilding: It's quite good if looked only at the surface level and it's enough for me;
- Prose: Both Jordan and Sanderson did a great job for and the atmosphere was good and unique;
- Magic system: not my style, but very adjacent and I really like it, though I consider it soft. When things happen, it shows a clear picture.
Cons:
- Almost every single major plot begins because one of the main characters decides to take action based on his imagination instead on the information he has, or decides, of 10 possible courses of action, to chose an 11th, which happens to be dumb beyond belief, like oyster IQ level;
- Atrocious pacing: I'm dead sure Jordan just had no idea what the hell he was going to do next starting at book 7;
- Ignoring worldbuilding: Jordan, instead of using some of the great things he had hinted at, used the worst, resulting in things like Tuon and a whole book to find the bowl of winds, that could've been found in a day by Matt (I read that whole book thinking: "WTF, someone remind him to look for that crap and move the story along");
- Passive and nearly useless villains: We have these superpowerful and knowledgeble villains, that could win single-handedly within a week, destroying the light side even without balefire, conquering cities and waiting to be killed or hiding and doing nothing until the end of book 9;
Malazan (GotM and DG):
I didn't really found something that works for me. Although I can't say I have found cons, I surely haven't found pros. The writing style just makes everything feel bland to me.
I'm not even talking about the author hiding informations intentionally, that is ok. However, even when something is happening in the here and now, with characters pov's, he is vague to the point of confusion when he didn't need to be.
Also, several instances of characters having conversations or thinking, feel extremely unnatural, with them talking in subterfuges, with hidden meanings, say only half of what they should, even with people they have never met before. I might be wrong, but people don't think or talk like that, how tiresome would that be. And through these characteristics, I, as a reader, feel left out of the story, not because I can't understand what is going on, but because everyone's motivations is shrouded in mystery for no apparent reason.
I hope nobody takes my opinions personally. Everyone have their tastes. I'm still looking for that series that will get to my S+ tier.
Feel free to add something you think I might like. Unless it's a first person narrative or a romantasy.
Wars of Light and Shadow
Acts of Caine
The Chronicles of Amber
Black Company
Green Bone Saga
The First Law
Age of Madness
The Faithful and the fallen
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Hyperion
Sun Eater
The Bound and The Broken
Bloodsworn Saga
Dandelion Dynasty
The Dagger and the Coin
The Long Price Quartet
Gormenghast
The Singing Hills Cycle
The Prince of Nothing
Blacktongue Thief