Book 2 – Text Updates 013

[Rosa Vernal]

I'm curious as to what'd happen if Stanley ordered Ossomer to attack. And what Wanda would do.

Either way... what we have here is a failure to communicate.

[Goshen]

I wonder what colors Stanley and Parson wanted the figurines to be?

I suspect it was more that Stanley was asking when Ossomer would be repainted in GK colors, and PArson told him to shut up as Maggie was concentrating.

More or less this. I was thinking it was Stanley who wanted to discuss what sort of "kewl kolors" to paint all the miniatures and Parson said he was a grown-up and didn't give a boop.

I agree with your sentiment, and description of Stanley's motives. But colors can be very important on the battlefield and on the tactical map and you have large numbers of units to manage. IMHO, the most efficient visual schemes are also attractive if not beautiful, because they engage the whole brain which likes pretty stuff.

[Welf von Ehrwald]

I wonder what colors Stanley and Parson wanted the figurines to be?

I suspect it was more that Stanley was asking when Ossomer would be repainted in GK colors, and PArson told him to shut up as Maggie was concentrating.

More or less this. I was thinking it was Stanley who wanted to discuss what sort of "kewl kolors" to paint all the miniatures and Parson said he was a grown-up and didn't give a boop.

Maybe, Parson is also a gamer, afanatical, obsessed gamer, so the painting of some figures which represent some units in the battlefield should be important to him.

[Kaed]

Novice, Acolyte, Adept, Masterclass at a guess. Mercedes Lackey used that progression for Magic users in the Valdemar world, I forgot where she got it from but it is one of those things that permeates Fantasy, there was probably a "Golden Age" book that invented it that everyone read.

EDIT: Note I said "Masterclass" and not "Mastermind" I think each casting specialty will eventually get its own cool "high level name" Grand Abbey and Mastermind are the two we know.

That's very interesting to know, thank you! If that's the case, it would mean that while not YET Master-class she is pretty close. I did already gather that last bit myself. I think those titles may go to exceptionally powerful and/or skilled Master-class casters. Perhaps while you do not get the capability to perform more powerful feats after Master-class (You still need a Thinkamancer link to comprehend spells of that caliber), maybe you become better at using your juice over time, i.e. reduced cost. The Erfworld equivalent of capping your level and learning all your spells, so all that there is left to do is let your mana increase a bit with each level.

Some more questions that I'm interested in knowing:

1) What ARE all the special titles for the casters?

Speculation (this is mostly silly, but I guess would be cool if I was right after all xD):

Spoiler: show

Hocus Pocus
Findamancer - Summoner
Predictamancer - Seer
Mathamancy - Mathemagician or Einstein.

Spookism
Turnamancer - Dominatrix (xD) or Time Mage
Dollamancer - Toymaster
Weirdomancy - Discipline not yet defined.

Stuffamancy
Dirtamancer - Master Digger
Changemancer - Discipline not yet defined.
Dittomancer - Copycat.

Eyemancy
Lookamancer - Eagle-eye or Farseer.
Thinkamancer - Mastermind.
Foolamancer - Grand Fool or Trickster.

Hippiemancy
Florist - Grand Abbey (I assigned this one because the other two disciplines don't seem to fit with 'calming a battle')
Signamancer - Discipline insufficiently defined.
Date-a-Mancy - Discipline not yet defined, nor is the basic caster name.

Naughtymancy
Shockamancer - Channer. (XP)
Croakamancer - Puppetmaster or Necromancer(?). Maybe they should henceforth be called Wandas in honor of the new Tool ;P
Retconjuration - Accessible only to the titans. But we'll call the masters... Robs. XP

Stagemancy
Hat Magician - Houdini.
Carnymancer - Discipline not yet defined.
Rhyme-o-mancy - Discipline not yet defined, not is the basic caster name. (I hope it isn't Rapper though >>;)

Clevermancy
Luckamancy - Fateweaver.
Healomancer - White Mage? (eh.)
Moneymancer - Banker.

2) Does a caster's juice reserves just suddenly increase when they gain a caster level (if it works that way) or do they gradually gain more and when they get to point X they're considered the next level of Caster?

3) Are combat and caster levels separate?

[opal]

I think caster class is independent from level. My theory is when an Efrworlder mentions class they are referring to skill. So Jack Snip is a class above average foolamancers not because of his ability to cast illusions. It is his ability to use illusions to fool an opponent that makes him a master.

So level determines brute strength and amount of juice. While class is a measurement of dexterity and finesse.

[splintermute]

Stagemancy
Hat Magician - Houdini.

That should be Hood-ini. Houdini was an escapist - he never really did anything with hats.

[Lamech]

So from a simple unit count it appears that GK is a good bit stronger then Jetstone with over 9k compared to under 6k. Plus GK has a good number of other advantages. Such as getting dwagons at a rate of a few a turn, that has to count for quite a few level 5 cities worth of production. The cash produced by all of those gems. The large number of archons. Although its definitly not enough to simply smash Jetstone Hagar, Translovito, and Faq by use of overwhelming forces.

[BCCroaker]

Since this is a Maggie update, let me say I really like way Xin has developed her appearance. When the comic started we had standard magic user types (for good, narrative reasons); Janis-Earthmother, Wanda-smoking hot, black haired, evil enchantress and Sizemore and Maggie as your favourite aunt and uncle. Sizemore hasn't changed yet, but Maggie now looks like a grey human rather than an old one. That is her skin and hair match. Of course appearance in Erfworld is no guide to duration since popping, but it definitely makes her more of a romantic possiblity for Parson.

[theseus2x]

This update made me smirk. Dunno why.

[theseus2x]

Of course appearance in Erfworld is no guide to duration since popping, but it definitely makes her more of a romantic possiblity for Parson.

True... Slately and Don King were supposedly popped LOOKING like that. Hum.

[build6]

... what we have here is a failure to communicate.

heh, was that a guns n roses reference?

anyways, i'm sorry if this was answered somewhere else, but if each unit can "think hard" and communicate to the thinkamancer, and instructions go in the other direction as well, they seem absolutely central for the proper operation of any side, what does it mean to any side that doesn't have a thinkamancer?

as for Maggie worrying about misleading Parson ... this reminds me of Vurp feeling bad about lying to Parson (in that case about the truth of Saline IV's demise). It seems to me that the only reason there's a general "lie to Parson" imperative for all of Stanley's units, and the only reason that this can be so would be that Stanley had previously (secretly) issued such an order?

[badninja]

I got a feeling that GK is going to loose Maggie is going to use up her juice and that's when Charlie is going to attack. If that is his plan, it is one devious one at that. Good update and the battle when it starts shorty.

[the_tick_rules]

Stanley is not gonna like Wanda's deviation.

[Oberon]

[...] all nearby sides except Charlescomm and Transylvito.

Charlescomm is a "nearby" side. An interesting piece of information.

And now we may look forward to a possible closer inspection of the rank/subordinate relationships we have going on here.

Ansom: I'll alert the Tool. He will order you to allow me to lead the assault.
Wanda: No. You will not.
Ansom: No. ...I will not.

Chief Warlords outrank casters. We saw Parson able to order all three of the GK casters present in the final fight. He could even have ordered Maggy to essentially kill herself during the breakup of the trimancer link. And yet poor Ansom is clearly unable to order Wanda to do anything, and her orders become a part of his mental state.

... what we have here is a failure to communicate.

heh, was that a guns n roses reference?

Dear God... The clip of speech you are referring to was used in a Guns 'N Roses song, but it is a rather famous line from the epic movie Cool Hand Luke.

[build6]

Dear God... The clip of speech you are referring to was used in a Guns 'N Roses song, but it is a rather famous line from the epic movie Cool Hand Luke.

hrm. i had to look it up. are you very old? i'll get off your lawn

[splintermute]

as for Maggie worrying about misleading Parson ... this reminds me of Vurp feeling bad about lying to Parson (in that case about the truth of Saline IV's demise). It seems to me that the only reason there's a general "lie to Parson" imperative for all of Stanley's units, and the only reason that this can be so would be that Stanley had previously (secretly) issued such an order?

I don't think there's a general "lie to Parson" imperative, but units can lie to Parson if they think it's in the best interest of GK. Vurp is a natural ally, as opposed to a GK unit, so there may be less duty there, and maybe his secret about what really happened to Saline is so explosive it would tear GK apart. Maggie wasn't concealing anything from Parson, just weighing the importance of the information against the importance of conserving her remaining juice.

[fjolnir]

Re: Thinkamancers, remember, the majority of charlescomm's money is made via providing thinkamancy solutions to sides without them, and orders are conveyed via "natural thinkamancy as well"

[the_tick_rules]

Is that where they make their money? I thought it was just ordinary merc work.

[BCCroaker]

So from a simple unit count it appears that GK is a good bit stronger then Jetstone with over 9k compared to under 6k. Plus GK has a good number of other advantages. Such as getting dwagons at a rate of a few a turn, that has to count for quite a few level 5 cities worth of production. The cash produced by all of those gems. The large number of archons. Although its definitly not enough to simply smash Jetstone Hagar, Translovito, and Faq by use of overwhelming forces.

The decrypted are in that count, even though they don't wear Stanley's colours, because Maggie can sense Ansom. Interesting that Wanda doesn't have exclusive control of them as long as they are part of the GK side.

[Vreejack]

Also - detail on turn order. So there is a natural roster that dicates who goes first for certain, and GK is in one of the first places, with Charlescomm and TV ahead of them. I wonder if that is ominous detail - either Charlie doesn't have units there, or they are allied. Or maybe a sufficiently powerful Turnamancer might be able to move your turn further back in the order... (probably not, but )

Even if Rob had not thought of that before, I'm sure he'd agree that it's one of their abilities.

And GK has scouts hundreds of hexes away... I wonder what types of units they are using for that?

Do they have anything other than archons? They make excellent scouts, and aren't really at risk as long as they return to the main stack before the end of the turn.