12.13 - Epilogue: William the Conkerer
Added 2024-11-15 15:07:20 +0000 UTC13.
Monday, December 15
Comments
You have absolutely flooded my brain with dopamine
Paul CB
2025-01-06 20:07:47 +0000 UTCIf you use champ generally it means you're up for a fight
JaegerMaxim
2024-11-27 12:21:00 +0000 UTCChamp!? We use champ as an insult in Oz. Dazza could probs get away with calling Wibbers mate though 😅
JaegerMaxim
2024-11-26 09:19:31 +0000 UTCShe has a very successful Netflix show, too. I've seen that. It's a lot more watchable than it sounds!
Ted Steel
2024-11-18 11:06:01 +0000 UTCI kinda viewed the Candy Crush thing as the Imps having fun, after spending 6+ months on relationism. I reckon it will get toned down eventually. After all, real football isn't all about nutmegs, Max was probs just a bit manic and the absurdity I assume was on purpose
Fraser
2024-11-17 18:22:54 +0000 UTCRegarding relationism and the curse, the other comments on the same subject, I very much agree with @Uncle Snoo's thoughts in terms of big picture. It's not my vision, and I'm sure you have plans on how things will go, so I'm willing to trust on the big picture, but as @Froyo Baggins said, this way doesn't feel human or good to me. And then the addiction angle makes it worse. It is a deal with the devil, maybe that is the point, but I will have to sit on the chapters if that is the arc, I wouldn't be able to take them one by one. And then as @Andres919 said, this doesn't feel like football or relationism to me. I liked that he was teaching relationism without the curse, and was looking forward to that pay off. I was privately hoping a bit that the curse wouldn't do much other than let him use it more easily in matches, and that he would develop more on his own. That was only my private hope so it doesn't matter, not my story. I'm sorry for being negative, and I hate that I'm making things worse when you (@Ted Steel) are already needing a break, so I'm going to stop with the comments now. I've enjoyed the story and the twists and turns, so I will just try and trust.
Luke
2024-11-16 21:27:56 +0000 UTC@BelligerentGnu Regarding the addiction thing, it is very much written as an addiction speedrun. This isn't just happy that a gamble paid off, read the below excerpts, this is exactly how addiction works: "Every time a word popped, I got a rush of something. Straight dopamine, it felt like." "When I popped them, I couldn't help but cackle, giggle, snigger. It was all incredibly delightful, and it had effects. Every big pop was like giving my players Bench Boost for ten seconds, and there seemed to be other effects I was too fucking drunk on joy to notice." "The first thing it did was give me another dose of liquid football, straight to the brain stem." "Every new 'achievement' came with a rosette, and each one made me laugh harder." ""Fuck," I said, sobering up just about enough to remember I had promises to keep. "Subs! All the subs!"" "But how boring and stale the old screens were! Nothing popped, nothing exploded, nothing sparked joy, there were no sound effects." "I lasted five seconds before I got itchy and hit the toggle. I felt better instantly. The colour, the life, the sense of discovery, it was all intoxicating." "Football had never been this much fun."
Luke
2024-11-16 21:13:48 +0000 UTCRelationism is supposed to be about the joy of the game, and the game is football. The rapid flow of off the ball movement and short passing being too much for teams to follow and too unstructured to position against. I don't think you can take the candy crush thing too literally. It's just a metaphor for the goals being secondary to the combinations and fun. Very much not route one.
Richard Carling
2024-11-16 18:08:29 +0000 UTCSpiney Norman got a relationism check.
Richard Carling
2024-11-16 18:00:43 +0000 UTCAlso genuinely curious if you've read "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo, because I feel like that is the only time I've read 'sparks joy' haha
Fraser
2024-11-16 09:29:03 +0000 UTCI agree…. I grew up watching South American football and relationism is not this manic… it is more about trusting your teammates to make short quick passes and runs … less structured because it doesn’t matter if it’s a CB who is making the run forward or a ST…nothing to do with increasing the number of nutmegs
Andres919
2024-11-16 06:46:38 +0000 UTCSo, reactions: Hooray for a horse! Biscotti is safe. Funnily enough, screen-addicted teens are, on average, *more* literate than previous generations. It's almost like all those words on electronic screens are still words. Sarah Greene and Wibrob are adorable, and I continue to love the Sin Bin sessions. And finally seeing relationism was an absolute joy, I was giddy right alongside Max. The candy crush implementation was a bit weird, but as I mentioned elsewhere I'm happy to give it time and see where it goes. Loved Dieter's reaction and the stomping of Sam.
BelligerentGnu
2024-11-16 06:13:24 +0000 UTCThat chapter was a helluva a fever dream. One of the most fun I’ve ever read!
Caerold
2024-11-16 06:09:45 +0000 UTCI do get what you're saying about the seriousness, but I think the wild laughing isn't the curse, it's just Max. He's taken a huge, months-long gamble and it's paid off perfectly and he's just utterly giddy with joy. Regarding the gaminess of it, I'd give it a little time. My *strong* suspicion is that the relationism part of the curse will be nerfed strongly and soon. Nick's been incredibly stingy with perks that directly boost performance - my guess is that the imps got ahead of their boots with this and he'll haul them back after a few wins.
BelligerentGnu
2024-11-16 02:11:12 +0000 UTCLittle thermometers appearing, filling up, dictating both his choices and his feelings.
Froyo Baggins
2024-11-16 00:26:58 +0000 UTCYeah I'm iffy on the Candy Crush screen . The absence of strategy and thought isn't what gets me going here. Feels like weird fever dream that's addictive for him and unnatural. I have in the past had friends struggle with addiction so I feel the previous comment. It's Max as a thinking, feeling HUMAN man that draws us to this story and the relationism in the back half doesn't feel that. Being drawn along a path by an outside force into something possibly darker but definitely not yourself is what it feels. Don't like it.
Froyo Baggins
2024-11-16 00:25:28 +0000 UTCI had a similar feeling. I wouldn't say I hated it. But the implementation felt a bit too silly. Having to do more one-twos and megs just to get a boost seemed self-defeating. It felt less like a relationism perk and like more a boost perk that rewards skills. I already had an idea that Max wouldn't be able to control relationism since that defeats the concept, but I was expecting more of an option that just allows relationism on top of the regular positional play so Max can eventually merge the two into some form of hybrid style of football. And not much system involvement since it fits the theme of him having to do everything from scratch. Maybe he can visualize player relationships /connections using the system so he can figure out strong points and weak links, which helps him in relationism training. Create a strong web of connections among the players. This even makes sense when a new player replaces an old player and you see the new player disconnected from the web and have to train and develop those connections from scratch. Can also add toggles to control the intensity (minimum number of players near the ball that form a blob - 3, 5 etc) and frequency (number of times they form the blobs - occasionally, frequently etc). Higher intensity means high risk high reward since the blob is tighter, risk decreases with better connections. Higher frequency means they look for every chance to form blobs, sometimes even half chances, which is again high risk, as opposed to waiting for good opportunities. Though this can again feel like trying to control relationism so I'm not sure about this. Anyway, I don't know what direction Ted is going with this. I understand this is completely new territory and there's not much to go on from, but the boosts and silly candy crush style and dopamine hit crazy Max really put me off. Max's long-term goal is to leave a legacy behind and save English Football. It's not much of a legacy if it can't be learned and repeated by others like Sandra, Peter, Well in to similar success. As it is, the reason Max would be switching to relationism wouldn’t even be because he trusts the system and it can help disrupt their opponents' plans but mostly to get those boosts. I really hope it doesn't devolve to that. Rest of the chapter was fire as usual.
Uncle Snoo
2024-11-15 22:09:43 +0000 UTCI understand. Thanks for sharing.
Ted Steel
2024-11-15 19:52:37 +0000 UTCSo I've been reading for a long time now, and I genuinely look forward to Monday and Friday mornings (in the US) for the newest chapter. This is the story I enjoy the most, and is a touch of good energy in difficult times. However, I hated this portrayal of relationism. Maybe it's because I've experimented with drugs and lost friends and family members to addiction, but I was really uncomfortable and not enjoying reading that last part. I kinda liked the idea of him trying to move beyond the curse somewhat, but also having it be somewhat realistic, and this portrayal also goes against that, it's just too much and too crazy for me, and not in a good way like normal. Idk, your vision and sorry for being all negative, but I wanted to share my feedback, and I don't really look forward to more relationism, which I had been looking forward to.
Luke
2024-11-15 18:55:58 +0000 UTCAlready read it again. Such a rush of a chapter! This series is so F'ing good, Ted!
Geoff Urland
2024-11-15 17:35:58 +0000 UTCWhat a fun chapter! Now get your well deserved rest, mate. You earned it! What a fantastic journey book 12 was.
EducatedFool
2024-11-15 17:28:29 +0000 UTCThank you!
Ted Steel
2024-11-15 17:22:12 +0000 UTCFixed, but it was supposed to be quick! It's mad how you can read things 20 times and not spot things like that. Thanks!
Ted Steel
2024-11-15 17:22:01 +0000 UTCBook 13: Max gets addicted to relationism screen time Of all the possibilities I did not expect candy crush! Hilarious!
Geoff Urland
2024-11-15 17:09:45 +0000 UTCMinor typo: "It meant, this is one button you don't press for a quite twenty-second experiment." Pretty sure quite should be quiet.
Tyler Jansen
2024-11-15 17:05:22 +0000 UTCThis was such a fun one! I look forward to Mondays and Fridays so much because of your story. Have a well-deserved break :)
Coordinator of Falconry
2024-11-15 17:00:25 +0000 UTCAbsolutely glorious
Jake Lewis
2024-11-15 16:47:13 +0000 UTCSo much fun!
Joppest
2024-11-15 16:25:55 +0000 UTCWe finally get a taste of it. Max probably seems even crazier now haha
Fraser
2024-11-15 16:22:43 +0000 UTCHoly hell that was fun to read!!!
Mack
2024-11-15 16:22:05 +0000 UTCTop top top chapter Ted! Enjoy your break, you deserve it. This book has had some superb chapters.
Joshua Smith
2024-11-15 16:13:45 +0000 UTCLol, well that has potential to go off the rails! Thanks for creating this insane tetralogy of trilogies.
Galeg
2024-11-15 16:13:09 +0000 UTCI genuinely cannot wait to see the reaction to this match. What a chapter Ted
Leon Beverley
2024-11-15 15:43:22 +0000 UTC
