Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2)[January 25, 2024]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman starting on January 25, 2024.


Happy Reading!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

In for all the Dungeon Crawler Carls... read #1 in October/November... anyone wanting to catch up can read #1 with Nirkatze in December or Narilka in January, I think...

Me & Emily are for sure reading this January 25th onwards...

[Choko]

Where is the thread for #1? I would like to catch up with you guys:)

[Nirkatze]

We don't have an actual thread--but we could make one! Some folks read in Vagabond a month or so ago, and just keep telling others (me & Narilka) to catch up...

I'd be fine with setting a specific date and thread... if we put it near the end of December Narilka could join too... Say December 28?

[Choko]

No, no need. I will do it in Vagabond:)))

[Nirkatze]

Okay!

[Tonari no Emily]

This is one of my most looked forward to in January! :D

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "This is one of my most looked forward to in January! :D"

Was just thinking the same...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

it'll be zany as hell, I'm sure...

[Nirkatze]

Starting! Through Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[and on to level 3... new races too... the different classes made me laugh. And seriously? As soon as Princess agreed so easily to take a specific class, you know she was lying.

Compensated Anarchist, lol. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Through Chapter 13--(view spoiler)[LOL Upgraded boxers!!

A lot more game statistics so far, but I don't really mind. Kind of makes me want to play WoW again... especially the Mongo bits--my main is a hunter... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I devoured this at work today... almost finished it before lunch...

Reached the epilogue on the drive home... 100% finish soon...

Was great to get back to this after a 3 month break... glad to be reading monthly now...

I wasn't sure if the title of the book would ever be referenced in story/explained, but it totally was...

It's a shame I know the series has only reached floor 7-8, so far, and we're gonna have to wait once we catch up, but I think I heard on discord that he's released half of the next book on patreon already, so it's coming along...

(view spoiler)[I feel a little bad for the manager guy getting duped, but it's great to have someone to explain some things...

The system seems super rigged, but at the same time Carl & Donut have been super lucky to keep surviving...

I feel kinda bad for Carl too, being constantly objectified and fucked with, but it creates good comedy, I guess... I totally want to see him get chaps to bypass the Free Baller restrictions :D (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Through Chapter 13--LOL..."

I'm a bit of a minmaxxer... my first character was a Hunter in WoW... and I put over 100 days played into it in TBC, before branching out to Paladin healer and other things... Dread Knight in WotLK... all the classes for completeness and professions and storage space, later on...

In recent years, when I play, Druid has become my main (the minmaxxer part), because it's best for solo play... tank mode, healer mode, dps mode, instant flying morph, best for gathering professions, etc etc etc... best versatile solo class basically...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished epilogue: unfairness abounds... (view spoiler)[I have a feeling the deeper Carl gets in this dungeon gameshow, the more likely he is going to be to bankrupt the galaxy... the galaxy seems like a house of card, barely maintaining financial stability... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Doublechecked wiki/etc, and book 7 is floor 9... the floor that keeps getting mentioned in the books, since it's the floor with the royal family that needs to be killed, because of Donut's sepsis crown...

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Through Chapter 13--LOL..."

I'm a bit of a minmaxxer... my first character was a Hunter in WoW... and I put over 100 days played into it in TBC, before branching out to Paladin he..."

I love playing hunter... even when none of my friends are on line my pets make me feel not alone... We do pretty well for solo too, being DPS with our own tank, and even healing abilities if spec'd right... dang I wish I had time to play...

[Nirkatze]

Through Chapter 19 now and dittoing--glad y'all picked this for a read! (view spoiler)[I still love the cooky premise and high humor paired with the unexpected depth of emotion. Adding in hints of Carl's ex? I wonder if they really will pull her out somehow... even if she didn't survive, with the tech the aliens have shown so far, I could see the game masters deciding to make her.

The hobbies the pair got... Donut being given scatophilia as a hobby was hilarious... very appropriate for a cat, though more-so if she were a dog. I'm glad Carl's hobby was explained--and useful--I'd never heard it before. I still can't remember what it was called... High Ligh? Oh yay! Google was successful, it's called jai alai, and is originally from Basque. Yay!

It took me a while to remember exactly who Mordecai was now that he's a permanent fixture and manager--but I'm really glad he's part of the team. I also didn't remember Mungo from the end of the last book, but he's becoming quite an interesting addition as well.

I really like how Carl can't help but stir the pot in these interview spots... and this latest one really kicked the nest, even starting a war, maybe? (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Also noticing Carl saying "Dammit, Donut!" "Dammit, Mungo!" etc a lot more here... I remember in book 1, when he was asked to say his tagline, I was trying to guess what it might be and couldn't remember anything specific... but now I notice!

[Nirkatze]

Finished! Loved it. (view spoiler)[Would totally love to see Carl get chaps too! Or rather, I want to see Carl's reaction to getting chaps. I would rather not see Carl actually in chaps.

The dungeon folks screwing over Carl & co still stung, though it wasn't unexpected... at least they got partially screwed over themselves too. I like @Iain's idea that they'll get more and more bankrupted by Carl's antics as he levels...

How many levels is the whole dungeon again? (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Finished! Loved it..."

The dungeon is 18 floors, I think... but nobody has made it past floor 12-13 (few seconds into 13?)...

And, every 3rd floor is like a boss floor with a connected storyline?...

Author has said they'll never split a floor across multiple books... the first book covered 2 of the tutorial floors, and every book since has covered a single floor...

Based on the cover art, Carl is stuck looking as he does now basically forever (unless it's inaccurate), and Donut is a chonker...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Those images ended up much bigger and more detailed than I expected... Carl definitely has a varied collection of rings/bracers/pads/etc, from cover to cover, so it's probably accurate... Donut changes too...

[Nirkatze]

Love the flying-squirrel pose Donut with glasses on #4! Makes me think of this video, on the Insane Plot Armor of Cats--they are masters of physics...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBjYt...

[Tonari no Emily]

Hah love the covers... The heart boxers are hilarious. So he was actually wearing heart boxers when the whole thing happened?? Did we ever actually get a description? xD

Had sooo much fun with this, maybe not quite as much as the first, but I'm itching for more! The humor paired with my rage against how effed up the system is is such a unique emotional experience lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

iirc, he got the enchanted heart boxers in the 1st book, as an upgrade, and swapped into them...

EDIT: Bronze Boss Box on floor 2, 2nd half of book 1... floor 3 upgraded them with a scroll... they're called Enchanted BigBoi Boxers... size-adjusting, like The Hulk's pants...

[Tonari no Emily]

ah that checks out LOL

[Nirkatze]

Wondering if the size adjusting thing means he'll get a talent for hulking out at some point...

[Tonari no Emily]

I hope its for overall leg/bottom size and not... uh one specific thing. lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

That's what I wondered, after commenting here yesterday... if it was all just a penis joke... that I missed at the time...

Just finished Hunted, in the Iron Druid series this morning, and it has a lot of horny Zeus/Jupiter...

[Nirkatze]

I did not think penis joke--it did mention size-changing wardrobes for superheroes, so I'm hoping it's legit...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

never know... the AI voice is THIRSTY... after all the foot stuff...

[Nirkatze]

I think I have a mental block on the foot stuff. My brain just cut it all out.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "I think I have a mental block on the foot stuff. My brain just cut it all out."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljnoO...

[Nirkatze]

nonononono, that was not an invitation to fill in the blacked-out holes, noooooo... okay I'll watch it. LOL footstuff.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Mentopolis is a season of Dimension 20 that takes place inside someone's head... there's a dual layered mystery going on inside Mentopolis and outside in the real world (I think... haven't watched the season yet, just seen clips)...

All the characters are personifications of emotions/impulses/thoughts...

The players play characters like The Fix (hyperfixation), Dan Fucks (you know), Imelda Pulse (impulse), etc... whoever was in that clip mentioned 3 cousins: Fight, Flight, and Footstuff :D



Noir Detective aesthetic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=des...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

There's like 20 seasons of Dimension 20 now (no exaggeration)... I have a clip for every occasion, at this point...

[Tonari no Emily]

Ohhh my...

[Choko]

Just started, but before I did, I read 5 chapters from the previous book to refresh. Man, I had forgotten about that family with the daughter... He has enemies for life now:( Also, the Ork princlet ... And the made up video of Carl and him having sex:) And Mongo, of course:))) Now I am ready to dive in...

[Choko]

Through Ch. 2... OMG! Donut is so impulsive, I would be terrified if I had to depend on her making choices, that would affect me!!! Her choosing her race was insane! Carl is a stronger person than I...

And Mordecai is a hot incubus on this level! Interesting...

[Choko]

OK, so that was all preplanned... I feel a bit better...

[Nirkatze]

I'd forgotten most of those highlights from book 1... thanks for the quick review!

When you say "That was all preplanned" what are you referring to with "that"? The race etc choices?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yes... that was a strategy the talk show host came up with to rope in Mordecai as manager...

[Choko]

Yep! I thought she was just her impulsive self, but they had worked on it with Carl, so they could get Mordecai without him realizing they did it on purpose...

I finished and really liked it! I am fascinated by the political machinations and the scorched earth approach to the "big players" Carl has adopted. Although I don't particularly approve, I understand his attitude. Those f@#$ers destroyed Earth and killed billions of people for their entertainment and profit, but if it happens to one of them, they act all shocked and distressed! F@#k them! What bothers me is that Carl and Donut are still being used as pawns by someone and I want to know who that is!

(view spoiler)[ I felt terrible for the NPC Orc lady! I wish they had been able to save her! Actually, what really upsets me is what these people consider NPCs! They are actual, real living creatures, who although created in vats, once living, they are no different than you and I. Just because they "made" them, shouldn't give them the right to treat them like disposable playthings! I hate that world!

The weird vampire/major spell arc was interesting, but I am definitely more of the structure of the world type of fan! (hide spoiler)]

Donut continues to grow on me, and the chicken is hilarious! I want to know more about the elderly folks group too! Really, I am looking forward to finding out where the author is going to take us with this series!!!

[Tonari no Emily]

Yeah I really want to know whats going on with the elderly folks as well! One of them made it to top 10!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Yeah I really want to know whats going on with the elderly folks as well! One of them made it to top 10!"

Right?... such a left field moment in the book...

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Yeah I really want to know whats going on with the elderly folks as well! One of them made it to top 10!"

Triple ditto this! We need some Wandering Inn-style side-story background!

[Ryan]

Starting now, will check back here when I'm done.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ryan wrote: "Starting now, will check back here when I'm done."

I see you read DCC #1 two years ago... be interesting to see how you like #2 after a long break...

[Ryan]

Good so far! I wish there was a recap of the first in the beginning. Oh well. I remember it well enough, and I doubt any of the details will be that relevant considering they get new abilities and the dungeon layout is different.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The biggest overarching plotline is Donut's crown requiring combat on floor 9, and the game show stuff with their sponsor...

[Ann-Marie]

In my quest to avoid anything serious I read book 1 and started book 2 this afternoon and yeah, I am loving these <3