Book 2 – Page 33

[DevilDan]

Parson would have to be thoroughly convinced that a decrypted Jack was indispensable. He may indeed have a plan along those lines, but that'll be his last resort, I'd guess.

[raphfrk]

.. but that'll be his last resort, I'd guess.

The volcano was a last resort too .

In an case, decrypting Jack is almost equivalent to transferring him to Wanda's (pseudo) side. That is better than losing him, but perhaps, not by much. Also, if Wanda does turn on GK, then it might actually be better if she doesn't have an additional caster.

[Jallorn]

You know, why aren't they still using the eyebooks? I know Charlie has shown an ability to hack the eyebooks, but that would just make me suspicious of the security of plain ol' Thinkagrams with regards to Charlie. If I were in Parson's shoes, I would be introducing the magic of cryptography to Erf, or at least discuss the possibility.

Apparently the eyebooks don't work anymore since the tri-caster link was broken.

[Nihila]

Where is that said? Parson was using the eyebook in one of the later summer updates-47 or 48, if I remember correctly.

[Sonic Screwdriver]

There's been a reference where Parson suggested against using the Eyebooks in the field because of Charlie's potential hacking. I suspect something as advanced as cryptography would be difficult to teach, because they haven't shown the concept of learning a language; and phrasebooks only work for predetermined plans, which won't help for new ones like Parson's doing now.

[Black]

A mathamancer should be ably to encrypt thinkamancy. Would be cool.

[technojunkie]

A new duomancer link? Think-manthamancy for secure comms...

[raphfrk]

A new duomancer link? Think-manthamancy for secure comms...

Alternatively, maybe a mathemancer could create a magic item which does the encode/decode process.

They would need to distribute one to each of their main warlords.

[enthar]

There's been a reference where Parson suggested against using the Eyebooks in the field because of Charlie's potential hacking. I suspect something as advanced as cryptography would be difficult to teach, because they haven't shown the concept of learning a language; and phrasebooks only work for predetermined plans, which won't help for new ones like Parson's doing now.

Just send a booklet of one time pads out by dragon express to your commanders. Very difficult to crack, very easy to setup, can encrypt any communication once per pad so no need for predetermined plans. Only problem is getting the pad to your field officers, but Erfworld has an advantage there because only your side can move on your turn, so you can make sure they get the pads securely.

No muss, no fuss.

Enthar

[Dr Pepper]

One more day!

[Nows7]

What, Hamstard doesn't get his own reaction thread?

[robak]

"He may Webcomic so terribly"? That hamster is a loser. No wonder noone read that thing

[Decorus]

Charlie can't read Parson's notes that he writes in the Eyebooks.
Charlie can hack the books to talk to Parson.
We haven't had any indication that Charlie can read messages Parson sends to other people.
Parson is being extra special paranoid, which is a good idea.
The Eyebooks seem to work like an IM program so if Charlie were listening in he would also appear.

[raphfrk]

Parson is being extra special paranoid, which is a good idea.

Not necessarily. Eyebooks are great for communication and save Thinkamancer juice.

They could get some benefit out of them by being careful about what they use them for.

The precautionary principle is not always a good idea.

[Almaseti]

Charlie can't read Parson's notes that he writes in the Eyebooks.
Charlie can hack the books to talk to Parson.
We haven't had any indication that Charlie can read messages Parson sends to other people.
Parson is being extra special paranoid, which is a good idea.
The Eyebooks seem to work like an IM program so if Charlie were listening in he would also appear.

He wouldn't appear if he didn't say anything.

[1condor12]

ok i have a wild speculation on parsons ugly idea. In the summer updates parson talked about a non archer trying to hit a far away target. Maggie and sizemore said that there was no problem with a unit (on the tower) attacking a unit in the courtyard. that is attacking across city boundaries. could the dwagons be turned into the "bricks" from the previous scenario? let them get croaked and then aim them at the archers as they fall. this was probably allready proposed.

and another thing i wonder about. how did parson get the 1 panel hamstard comics into the klog updates in book one? he never even drew the panels in the real world, so did he just think them and they appeared?

[raphfrk]

could the dwagons be turned into the "bricks" from the previous scenario? let them get croaked and then aim them at the archers as they fall. this was probably allready proposed.

Arrows stop at zone boundaries. It is unclear what happens to non-weapons when they hit a zone boundary, off turn.

Maybe, the 'brick principle' works. If the item doesn't have a weapon flag set, then maybe it can fall across boundaries. Ofc, if it doesn't have the weapon flag set, then maybe it cannot do damage.

[splintermute]

ok i have a wild speculation on parsons ugly idea. In the summer updates parson talked about a non archer trying to hit a far away target. Maggie and sizemore said that there was no problem with a unit (on the tower) attacking a unit in the courtyard. that is attacking across city boundaries.

It's only attacking across city zone boundaries for an attacker. For a defender, i.e. Parson's hypothetical non-archer, there are no boundaries - the city is treated as one zone.

Hmm - or perhaps there are boundaries, but they can be penetrated without expending move. Boundaries on Erf seem to have three specific interdependent properties:
1) they separate hexes and zones
2) they block all attacks except for some clearly defined exceptions: on-turn archery, on-turn ballistic defenses, off-turn volcanoes
3) they block all units, although a unit can penetrate a boundary by expending 1 move

Do city zone boundaries simply not exist for defenders, or do they just become permeable to all defender units/attacks without a concomitant move cost?

[raphfrk]

3) they block all units, although a unit can penetrate a boundary by expending 1 move

When Jillian was flying to the Transylvito capital, there was a comment that hills have a movement penalty.

From here

The slowest of her two gwiffons still had a dozen move left. They didn't take much penalty for flying in mountains and none in hills,

If 1 move is normally consumed per hex, then it is harder to handle penalties. The game would have to track non-integer move, or the lowest penalty would be half speed.

[HailGreen28]

Still the most significant part of this page: Parson can say "bullshit". He's breaking the rules more and more.