Book 2 – Page 39

[Paladinian]

Loved the page! And Xin's art is freaking awesome. Great work! :salute:

I certainly second (third? fourth?) the sentiment. The artwork was really captivating!

And a likewise reaffirmation that having some consequences for Jillian was nice to see. Charlie freaking out adds a fantastic tension to the scene.

[Archaic]

A thought.

If Charlie can listen in on messages...does that mean he sees the visual component as well? Wouldn't be difficult for Parson to just hold up pieces of paper with his real plans while sprouting bullshit, if he suspects Charlie is only getting audio.

[luxgladius]

Seems like giving Charlie the ability to spy on Thinkagrams would be extremely unbalancing in the long-run. Either Parson would have to devise some form of encrypting his battlefield communications, or they would have to devise a relay system of messaging, which is especially inconvenient since Parson seems to be trapped in GK (or the Magic Kingdom I guess). A couple other alternatives:

A) Charlie can monitor Thinkagram activity, but not content. He observes the change in Warlord, and then observes a long communication between GK and the front. He knows something's going on, but he's not sure what. Since there is a communication involving Parson, it must be something bad though.
B) He has a spy in Stanley's side, and knows that Parson has been promoted and is in communication with Wanda.

Maybe these aren't correct, and I guess Rob has shown that he's not above throwing game-unbalancing mechanics into the mix... But giving the antagonist unfettered access to the only method of real-time communication just seems over the top.

[fjolnir]

there's no such thing as "Real Time Communications" in Erfworld, hats work just as well for communications in a world where time is personally relative, though if the dish works on general Eyemancy instead of just Thinkamancy, there could be hacks into since foola- and looka- are the other parts and could be used to intercept written messages before or after going into the hat...

[ftl]

A thought.

If Charlie can listen in on messages...does that mean he sees the visual component as well? Wouldn't be difficult for Parson to just hold up pieces of paper with his real plans while sprouting bullshit, if he suspects Charlie is only getting audio.

It's "think"amancy. I doubt there's any sort of reasonable distinction between the "audio" portion of a thinkagram and the "video". After all, it's transmitted via thought.

And, after all, "calls" to Charlie are both audio and video.

[Rajin96]

Seems like giving Charlie the ability to spy on Thinkagrams would be extremely unbalancing in the long-run. Either Parson would have to devise some form of encrypting his battlefield communications, or they would have to devise a relay system of messaging, which is especially inconvenient since Parson seems to be trapped in GK (or the Magic Kingdom I guess). A couple other alternatives:

A) Charlie can monitor Thinkagram activity, but not content. He observes the change in Warlord, and then observes a long communication between GK and the front. He knows something's going on, but he's not sure what. Since there is a communication involving Parson, it must be something bad though.
B) He has a spy in Stanley's side, and knows that Parson has been promoted and is in communication with Wanda.

Maybe these aren't correct, and I guess Rob has shown that he's not above throwing game-unbalancing mechanics into the mix... But giving the antagonist unfettered access to the only method of real-time communication just seems over the top.

Well, encoding them might be fairly easy.

Have Jack and Maggie form a link to create new eyebooks. While linked, Jack uses his foolamancy to encode each book with "x" number of codes. When someone uses a book for communication they create the message and before they send it, they hit the encode button and the message is randomly encoded. When the message is received, the person hits the decode button to see the message.

Course, this hangs on Jack surviving the up coming battle.

While yes, Charlie would still be able to intercept each message, all he would be getting is stuff he could not read. This seems like it could work since Charlie appears to only be able to intercept a sent message, or send one once he knows the receivers "address", and not actually have access to the info (i.e.Parson's Clog) that is stored on the books.

[Lord Kasavin]

I like this update. Namely because somebody is yelling at Jillian, and doing it with teeth. She might be able to sack some GK cities for funds for the time being, but money will be tight. Of course, Charlie just did to her what she was thinking of doing to Charlie.

On another note, this update all but spells out Charlie's ability to intercept other Thinkagrams. Charlie was still playing nice with Jillian after she first left Jetstone airspace. He even earned a lot of bad will from Haggar to help Jillian destroy the GK infantry column. What changed? The only thing I think of is she saved/captured Ansom, and then left the vicinity entirely. More likely, Charlie just heard Parson's plan and thinks it will work.

Actually, maybe Ansom is the key. Charlie is worried about compromised secrets. He seems to have gone out of his way to insure the former prince dusted. Does Ansom know something about Charlie learned at the BfGK that he sworn to secrecy about, only now that he is decrypted is no longer bound by the promise? Something Charlie does not want made public?

Or, maybe now that a royal is willing to talk to him he dumps Jillian as the high-maintenance, little reliability ally that she is. Jetstone was always the key player in the anti-GK effort. I also have trouble seeing how any GK plan can be so perfect as to allow a knowledgeable Jetstone to at least counter. Remember, they have the advantage of defense, numbers, and casters.

[Jeivar]

Well gee, someone sure can't handle adversity. Come on Charlie, what did you think? That you could control the personification of chaos? How many have tried and failed?

I wonder what's next for Jillian. She and Charlie are done and it's a stretch to say that she kept her agreement with King Don. She's short on allies and queen of a tiny kingdom. Something is going to have to change; Either her attitude or the size of her territory.

[Dr Pepper]

Have a feeling Jillian will get a similar call from Don King, right after everyone in the ballroom sees Parson's plan in action. Bad Jillian, you're on your own, girl.

Don: Bad Jillian, Bad! Vinnie, it my royal command that you spank her!

Jillian: Oh, please no! You can use the paddle on the wall over there.

Vinnie: The one marked Fan Service?

Jillian: That's the one. Please, don't!

[Casander]

Anybody else think that Charlie made a REAL mistake turning Jillian into a Royal? Because she is ACTING like one. She is acting in the interests of FAQ, not the interests of "the Royal Alliance", and not in the interests of Charlie.

And I think Charlie is trying to bluff Jillian, to get control over her again. Charlie is MOST worried about losing control. He doesn't JUST want to save Jetstone, if I read him right, he wants to be PAID to save Jetstone.

[build6]

hrm,

(a) so, Charlie can be other than obsequious (I remember how polite he was to Ansom even while reaming him a new one with the modified contract). Interesting. He may be sneaky, but he's definitely honest face-to-face - has he outright lied to anybody?

(b) is it really the case that Charlie can spy on thinkagrams? What if, upon seeing what the arkenpliers do, and knowing what he knows of Erfworld game-mechanics, he figured out the same thing Parson wants to do and knows that Parson, despite having less experience/knowledge of erfworld, is certainly gonna figure it out too? (or he just figures that Parson's got a lot more brains than he does and so could well come up with something he (Charlie) won't expect - I mean, it's already happened once before).

[jodwin]

I don't think this page really proves that Charlie is able to eavesdrop on thinkagrams yet. First of all, he's very well aware of Parson's tactical genius and knows that unless Parson's enemies are definitely able to crush him, there is a chance that Parson will find a way to get out of the mess alive. In fact, he seems to be the only one outside of GK's side who's aware of Parson's abilities: He doesn't need to know what exactly Parson is up to, it's enough for Charlie to know that he's one deadly adversary.

Second, Parson himself was dubious if his tactic would be even enough to keep Wanda alive, while Charlie is hinting that GK is going to raze Spacerock. Either Charlie is trying to play Jillian, he's overly confident in Parson's abilities or Parson doesn't trust himself enough. Either way, it doesn't prove for certain that Charlie was eavesdropping on Parson's thinkagram.

Most likely Charlie was simply trying to intimidate Jillian into going back to Spacerock to annihilate Wanda, nothing more.

[WarFAN]

Anybody else think that Charlie made a REAL mistake turning Jillian into a Royal? Because she is ACTING like one. She is acting in the interests of FAQ, not the interests of "the Royal Alliance", and not in the interests of Charlie.

Jilian turning into a Royal was Don KIng´s idea. And it is proving to be a HUGE mistake. Jillian is not acting in the interests of FAQ: She is acting as the idiotic, capricious woman she is. She has betrayed the Royal Coalition, she has betrayed Jetstone, she has broken his agreements with Charlie and Don King... As a matter of fact, she is losing this Second War Against Gobwin Knob all by herself.

And if Trammenis can´t see it... well, poor Trammenis and poor Spacerock.

[Nihila]

Jilian turning into a Royal was Don KIng´s idea. And it is proving to be a HUGE mistake. Jillian is not acting in the interests of FAQ: She is acting as the idiotic, capricious woman she is. She has betrayed the Royal Coalition, she has betrayed Jetstone, she has broken his agreements with Charlie and Don King... As a matter of fact, she is losing this Second War Against Gobwin Knob all by herself.

Yes, she is. And I hope there's a collection of Boop-Hitting-The-Fan Golems at Brookstone, to slice her overlarge marshmellows into so much yellow dust. And Jillian is acting in the interests of Jillian, not Faq. She's acting based on her own emotions, which will lead to her eventual (or swift) destruction. Those emotions just sometimes act a little bit in Faq's interest.

[I<3ChocolateMilk]

Great. Thanks, Rob/Xin.

Now I can't help reading Charlie's voice with an outrageous Irish accent.

Amazing work - can't wait for the next instalment!

[BenH]

Just wanted to say that I've been really enjoying the updates lately, and the artwork has been superb.

Thanks!

[zilfallon]

ah...at last, justice! queen dumb just figured that people will not tolerate her idiocy and selfishness.

charlie seems angry. i don't think it's a bluff, because charlie isn't the type to be the losing side's angry, pissed-off player, even if it is a lie, he needs a cool and undefeatable image. but this time, there is no way to protect that image of his, so he is at least trying to get a chance of giving gk serious casualties (not winning, he knows parson will be the victor)

I don't think tram will be able to counter parson's plan. sure, gk forces are vastly outnumbered, but not more than TBfGK. Even though tram is the more intelligent brother, Ansom had led the RCC1, took down a strong GK (11 cities to 1), and lost only because of the perfect warlord. He may not really look like it , because he lost, but he IS a good commander, probably a better one than tram.

I think we won't be able to see jetstone's banner anymore =(
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And who else is expecting Stanley to bloodrage? Only units which were his, will be probably decrypted. Maybe he'll scream "ENOUGH!", name a heir and go on a rock-out rampage with his uber knights =)

[Tom90deg]

Hmm...Who on Erfworld actually knows about Parson becides the Gobwin Knob forces? There's Charlie and...that's it. I think Jillian still thinks that Stanley or Wanda were behind the volcano, which is a problem. A few updates ago Charlie had a odd reaction that Jillian wasn't worried about Parson, or that she didn't know about him. While I do see that Jillian is gonna be in deep, i think part of what is making Charlie mad is that love is involved, which is a...statless stat, if you understand. Can't control it, can't use it, it just sits there doing nothing until it destroys everything. I also think the "End your turn" magic is gonna change how Erfworld warfare works. Now, it's gonna be a lot more like real world warfare, no gently setting everything up, organizing quietly then hitting when you're ready, it's gonna be more, "Move fast! Get em in place and hit, don't worry about getting everything lined up right away!"

At any rate, I think Jillian is gonna turn around, hopefully that "Oh crap" look on her face was the realization that whoever did the Volcano is back. Whether she'll be on time or too late is another question, as is the question if they're going to run or fight. As Wanda said, primary goal is escape, but if Parson's come up with a doozy, they may hit em while they have the chance.

[splintermute]

How is Jillian not acting in the interests of Faq or RCC II? She saved Jetstone's capital from being quickly razed by Wanda. She locked the GK units in a position in which (she thought) they could be slaughtered without risk of retaliation.

Staying behind would have been the worst thing she could do for Faq - she'd be needlessly risking herself and her units and her caster (which represent a massive investment of Don's and Charlie's resources) in a battle with GK in which GK can actually fight back, since they would both be in the airspace. Taking out the GK infantry leadership, and the massive GK CWL bonus, so that Tramennis could effortlessly mop up the ground forces, and leaving the GK air force to Jetstone's archers, is the most rational and beneficial course of action for a ruler of Faq, despite the irrationality of her actual motives. She's not obligated to suicidally attack Wanda's dwagons, and it would unreasonable to expect her to sacrifice herself just to save Jetstone some arrows.

Yes, there will likely turn out to be some crazy impossible battle situation that no one could ever have anticipated, but that's the point - if you're going to accuse Jillian of misbehaviour, you'd have to assume she knows that GK is somehow capable of VIOLATING THE LAWS OF NATURE. You can't fault her for not being able to predict the future.

[Sieggy]

Whoa! Talk about information density . . . Ah, marbits . . . Tragically Malicious. Perhaps some of the symbolism here is that the marbits are going to eat Parson for breakfast? And I'm really surprised that no one picked up on the fact that the rainbow logo has become the gay symbol (much cheerier and more discreet than a lambda), the avatar that Charlie used to manifest before Tramennis . . . who seems like a really cheerful follow.

I think either Jillian will grow from this experience, or wind up losing her kingdom and becoming a barbarian once more. Either way, she has Ansom . . . after a fashion. And . . . I have to wonder how much long range control Wanda has over Ansom, given the summer update's reveal that tribe members know their chief's will, even at a distance. It would really be like Wanda to use Ansom to manipulate Jillian from afar . . . the ultimate puppetmistress.

I really don't see Don King surviving Caesar's (and the rest of the Commission's) wrath once Jetstone is destroyed because Don King's investment high-tailed it out of there, job undone. And I think that Caesar's FIRST target will be Faq, for revenge over Jillian's betrayal (nobody double crosses the mob and lives) and to recover some of TVs 'investment'. I suspect the final battle there will pit Jillian against Vinnie . . .

I think that Charlie will spill what he knows to Tramennis, who may or may not believe him, but that's moot, as Slately will refuse to believe a word Charlie says. This may be the ultimate punishment for Charlie - like Cassandra, the frustration of KNOWING what's going to happen and having his warning rejected may prod him into making a major mistake.