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Artorian's Archives #14
Arcoplex
Uncountable bugs. Endless, enormous power. Break out the quack tape.
Round one of the Eternia Beta run ends with the Task Manager getting disabled by the Administrator. Without the Task Manager’s nefarious influences, Eternia comes to life as warm hugs and sweet sunshine beat back The Pale.
With these issues properly sorted, the Eternia Beta can begin, and the Heavenlies can come out to play! Even if Avalon’s new additions are someone else’s problem, Artorian the Administrator remains locked in a seemingly never-ending battle against a bug-infested game system.
Abilities always work as described. The floor is always real. That cat was always there.
Round one of the Eternia Beta run ends with the Task Manager getting disabled by the Administrator. Without the Task Manager’s nefarious influences, Eternia comes to life as warm hugs and sweet sunshine beat back The Pale.
With these issues properly sorted, the Eternia Beta can begin, and the Heavenlies can come out to play! Even if Avalon’s new additions are someone else’s problem, Artorian the Administrator remains locked in a seemingly never-ending battle against a bug-infested game system.
Abilities always work as described. The floor is always real. That cat was always there.
- GenresAudiobook
490 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2023
56 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 19, 2023
Edited 11/18/2023:
As an audiobook, this one was confusing, number-crunching, and nonsensical. Mostly game development stat sheets. No plot or character progression. Only 5% of this story was interesting and made sense to me, in audiobook format. Most of the time, I literally could not understand what was happening at all, even if I rewinded multiple times.
Super disappointed and frustrated. Try to refocus on the story at least more often than the mechanics, like in the first 8-10 books in this series.
Please write separate books, not in this series, to explain detailed game mechanics and the most highly detailed parts of tabletop role playing decision-making (like: Which abilities do I want? How do I calculate damage on this hit and in this situation?) that should be happening *behind the scenes*, not front-facing.
Please instead write ttrpg rulebooks or add-ons to explain rules and calculations.
Thank you. I'm sorry this is so harsh. I have followed all the books in this series and related Divine Dungeon and Completionist Chronicles series with devotion and joy for years.
I care deeply about the world, the characters, and what happens in the story.
I'm being critical in this review with the intent to guide or suggest improvement in the hopes that this series won't continue to seemingly lose its way but will instead course correct at least a little to retain readership.
There's magic in this series and most of its books, in the sense of an emotional, connective, brilliant creative work kind of normal real world magic. I don't want this series to lose that special, unique magic that makes this series wonderful amongst minutae. Or to have the autbors stop writing this series because they lose too many readers and get discouraged without understanding what could be considered to be done to stem that.
I took a break from the series for awhile kind of in protest and frustration. I just returned to listen to the next audiobook, Amenacida, and am encouraged that it seems like the authors are making an effort to reduce number crunching and nearly speaking directly to us readers about our feedback.
I'm sorry if I hurt the feelings of the authors or added to discouragement, was too harsh or scathing in my negativity.
I appreciate what they have done to course correct already in Book 15 and purchased Book 16 with renewed hope that they're listening and trying to adapt at least somewhat without losing their individual type and style of writing and voice and purpose.
I'd rather have a few stumbles like this book and then see them get their stride back than have the books stop because of poor reviews like mine was before editing. Please keep at it!
As an audiobook, this one was confusing, number-crunching, and nonsensical. Mostly game development stat sheets. No plot or character progression. Only 5% of this story was interesting and made sense to me, in audiobook format. Most of the time, I literally could not understand what was happening at all, even if I rewinded multiple times.
Super disappointed and frustrated. Try to refocus on the story at least more often than the mechanics, like in the first 8-10 books in this series.
Please write separate books, not in this series, to explain detailed game mechanics and the most highly detailed parts of tabletop role playing decision-making (like: Which abilities do I want? How do I calculate damage on this hit and in this situation?) that should be happening *behind the scenes*, not front-facing.
Please instead write ttrpg rulebooks or add-ons to explain rules and calculations.
Thank you. I'm sorry this is so harsh. I have followed all the books in this series and related Divine Dungeon and Completionist Chronicles series with devotion and joy for years.
I care deeply about the world, the characters, and what happens in the story.
I'm being critical in this review with the intent to guide or suggest improvement in the hopes that this series won't continue to seemingly lose its way but will instead course correct at least a little to retain readership.
There's magic in this series and most of its books, in the sense of an emotional, connective, brilliant creative work kind of normal real world magic. I don't want this series to lose that special, unique magic that makes this series wonderful amongst minutae. Or to have the autbors stop writing this series because they lose too many readers and get discouraged without understanding what could be considered to be done to stem that.
I took a break from the series for awhile kind of in protest and frustration. I just returned to listen to the next audiobook, Amenacida, and am encouraged that it seems like the authors are making an effort to reduce number crunching and nearly speaking directly to us readers about our feedback.
I'm sorry if I hurt the feelings of the authors or added to discouragement, was too harsh or scathing in my negativity.
I appreciate what they have done to course correct already in Book 15 and purchased Book 16 with renewed hope that they're listening and trying to adapt at least somewhat without losing their individual type and style of writing and voice and purpose.
I'd rather have a few stumbles like this book and then see them get their stride back than have the books stop because of poor reviews like mine was before editing. Please keep at it!
April 18, 2023
Alas I lament that another book within this series has released. I knew ahead of time I would hate it... but I am not a quitter so I decided to endure. In general, the book lacks interesting character progression, has too many sidetrack moments that distract from an already subpar plot line. The first third of the book is about analyzing a Artorian's character sheet. I wish I was joking... a full 3rd of the book is about reading stats and relearning skills. It's a slap in the face as there are many hanging plot threads that have received no meaningful progression or even hints that the author plans to address them in future books. Unfortunately this is and has been the current state of this series for the better part of 6 books now, and I highly doubt anything will change that.
As with my previous few reviews, I will continue to harp on the fact that the main characters have traded interesting personalities for childish whimsy. The MC Artorian is starting to become unlikable... as he spends a pretty significant part of this book whining about arbitrary things...
Now please put on your tinfoil hat for the following non-spoiler part of my review:
Begrudgingly, the book is actually better then the previous 4-8 books... so I am gonna give it a start back. However, there are HUUUUGE issues with both the direction the books have taken, pacing, character development, plot cohesion, consistency for both magic systems and ideologies expressed within. Everything is in flux 100% of the time, which makes reading any descriptor (which is about 80% of these books at this point) both tedious and boring.
As with my previous few reviews, I will continue to harp on the fact that the main characters have traded interesting personalities for childish whimsy. The MC Artorian is starting to become unlikable... as he spends a pretty significant part of this book whining about arbitrary things...
Now please put on your tinfoil hat for the following non-spoiler part of my review:
Begrudgingly, the book is actually better then the previous 4-8 books... so I am gonna give it a start back. However, there are HUUUUGE issues with both the direction the books have taken, pacing, character development, plot cohesion, consistency for both magic systems and ideologies expressed within. Everything is in flux 100% of the time, which makes reading any descriptor (which is about 80% of these books at this point) both tedious and boring.
September 23, 2023
meh
So Artorian does … filler episodes. He goes in the games, talks, OPs a boss, leaves the game, pouts, returns, starts a new adventure and character sheet that’s just like the old ones and the story ends right before it starts.
The author has stated via his characters a goal of making the series about 21 books long. That’s great! Unfortunately it feels as if the character growth and story progression has stagnated. Characters change names like clothes leading to reader confusion. The challenges feel like watching the Episodes 1-3 of Star Wars after watching 4-6, you know how the epic fights between the MC and BBEG will turn out. And no one is allowed to dislike the MC because he’s everyone’s grandfather who thinks he’s smart but is a just clever meddler.
The last five or so books could easily be condensed into one without damaging the series.
That said, I will keep reading as I enjoy the universe and the ideas. I look forward to more adventures and hope to feel for the characters.
Please enjoy
So Artorian does … filler episodes. He goes in the games, talks, OPs a boss, leaves the game, pouts, returns, starts a new adventure and character sheet that’s just like the old ones and the story ends right before it starts.
The author has stated via his characters a goal of making the series about 21 books long. That’s great! Unfortunately it feels as if the character growth and story progression has stagnated. Characters change names like clothes leading to reader confusion. The challenges feel like watching the Episodes 1-3 of Star Wars after watching 4-6, you know how the epic fights between the MC and BBEG will turn out. And no one is allowed to dislike the MC because he’s everyone’s grandfather who thinks he’s smart but is a just clever meddler.
The last five or so books could easily be condensed into one without damaging the series.
That said, I will keep reading as I enjoy the universe and the ideas. I look forward to more adventures and hope to feel for the characters.
Please enjoy
May 11, 2023
things happen.
I saw recently that this series could extend to over 20 books. It’s really not clear to me what world building is happening here, other than continued shenanigans of Artorian. Eventually it’s supposed to describe the backbone behind Completionist Chronicles.
I saw recently that this series could extend to over 20 books. It’s really not clear to me what world building is happening here, other than continued shenanigans of Artorian. Eventually it’s supposed to describe the backbone behind Completionist Chronicles.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews