Summer Updates - 006

[Ichthus]

Rob and Jamie:

I hate you all. Stupid cliffhangers...

Your loyal fan,
-Ichthus

[badninja]

I remember from previous comics it was stated that if a side grew to big it would split. Could this be happening now, Wanda has been "decrypting" every unit she can maybe she has done a few to many. Anyway great comic, cannot wait for the next one.

[Aquillion]

I think 'fireworks' is just an argument down on the ground, likely Stanley reacting to Ansom's answer to his previous question.

It's hard to imagine some major game-changing event happening in these summer updates... but who knows.

[teratorn]

I remember from previous comics it was stated that if a side grew to big it would split. Could this be happening now, Wanda has been "decrypting" every unit she can maybe she has done a few to many. Anyway great comic, cannot wait for the next one.

Well, it could, if it were lead by royals. Regular non-royal units need first to be declared heir to a given side. Stanley hasn't declared Wanda his heir.

Unless there is something in Wanda's past we don't know... she could be the heir to lost Croatan side and kept that fact hidden from both the people at Faq and Stanley. If that's the case she will be able to claim GK after croaking Stanley. That might have been her original plan at Faq: get Stanley there, have him killed while attacking the city, take his hammer, uncroak all the casualties and take the city.

[parson4president]

What will parson build?(after a folding chair of course) and the true question is if he builds something can he use it in battle. Everything that is used in battle up to now was popped at one time.... I mean he has found loop holes in the rules before but that seems like it is one of the foundation rules of this world. everything pops and cost smuckers to do so

The parade seems harmless Wanda may think that Stanley is a tool (pun intended) but she is loyal. I am sure if she wanted him croaked she would have done it a long time ago. Also if Wanda croaks Stanley we never get to see the true battle for Gobwin Knob.

I remember from previous comics it was stated that if a side grew to big it would split. Could this be happening now, Wanda has been "decrypting" every unit she can maybe she has done a few to many.

This brings up a great point maybe this is how the final battle is set up. A split that leaves Parson on his own side and the ability to disolve the alliance.. where do Wanda, Sizemore, Maggie, Bogroll end up in the split?? i cant imagine that all of them get to go with Parson....

I have been following this comic for some time now and just want to say that it is brilliant! It is my preverbial crack! Great work guys and thanks for getting me intouch with my inner gamer again!

[atteSmythe]

Well, if we have to sit by and let a meaty plot-conversation happen out of ear shot, at least we got some meaty rules expansion.

[Ragn Charran]

What will parson build?(after a folding chair of course) and the true question is if he builds something can he use it in battle. Everything that is used in battle up to now was popped at one time.... I mean he has found loop holes in the rules before but that seems like it is one of the foundation rules of this world. everything pops and cost smuckers to do so

So was "boop", and we saw what happened there.

[Anton Gaist]

This brings up a great point maybe this is how the final battle is set up. A split that leaves Parson on his own side and the ability to disolve the alliance.. where do Wanda, Sizemore, Maggie, Bogroll end up in the split?? i cant imagine that all of them get to go with Parson....

Bogroll would end up where he is right now, hitting on Gwen Stacey.

Personally, I don't think Wanda wants her own side. She wanted an Arkentool of her own, but that doesn't mean she will now go after Stanley's neck. She's more of a "power behind the throne" gal, methinks.

[Binty]

Wanda start her own side?

As far as we know an Erfworlder won't consider the probablity of a caster becoming overlord. Chief Warlords become overlords. Casters being named heirs might not be mechanically possible even. It might be that only Warlords can start their own side? However, it might be the case that Charley is the exception, having attuned to the Arkendish...

Perhaps attuning to an Arkentool gives the unit freewill? Maybe this is how Stanley arranged his takeover? Of cource it seems Wanda was always a free agent.

[atteSmythe]

Perhaps attuning to an Arkentool gives the unit freewill? Maybe this is how Stanley arranged his takeover? Of cource it seems Wanda was always a free agent.

I still have a feeling that Wanda had more to do with Saline's unfortunate demise than Stanley did.

[Bobby Archer]

I'd never thought about that. Makes sense. Sizemore said that Stanley had taken a number of casters, but didn't specify who was there and who wasn't. Wonder if we'll ever find out more about what happened then.

As for Wanda as a free agent, she's Loyal to Fate. If anything, she acts with less free will than anyone, because she's simply trying to follow her Fate, no matter what. Her relationship to Stanley depends on what Fate still has in store for her.

[Binty]

Perhaps attuning to an Arkentool gives the unit freewill? Maybe this is how Stanley arranged his takeover? Of cource it seems Wanda was always a free agent.

I still have a feeling that Wanda had more to do with Saline's unfortunate demise than Stanley did.

Sounds plausible. That it was her idea and she arranged it, very plausible. I doubt Stanley would have objected to the plan (if he knew about it). From Parson's experience, Loyalty seems to stop you doing things directly, I doubt that it would force you to confess a plot. So although I agree it's likely Wanda was the prime mover, doesn't mean Stanley wasn't in on it too.

Wanda's lack of Loyalty spell is an oddity. Maybe Stanley never captured her, but allowed her to become a barbarian caster. Her then hired her as a mercenary ally like Jillian with the RCC. Like Jillian, she would then be a free agent who can break alliance at will. If this is true she still operates as an allied unit rather than a GK unit.

So it maybe possible for Wanda to gank Stanley, but I doubt its going to happen any time soon. At the moment its all going very well for Wanda. I think Stanley will continue to follow Wanda's nudges in direction.

[Cmdr I. Heartly Noah]

I'd thought of that too; or, specifically imagined that Stanley had no idea he'd be Overlord after he took Faq.

But there are issues -

1) How did Wanda strike the deal with the gobwins?
2) Why would she have Saline killed if she didn't think Stanley would take Faq?

Perhaps she didn't know Stanley was an heir, and thought by killing Saline she could destroy the side, leaving GK in the hands of unambitious gobwins, leaving Stanley dead or a barbarian, and getting his hammer. Still, it seems a stretch.

Though I'm still open to the idea Stanley didn't plan the coup (only because everyone assumes he did it, he's the perfect fall guy) but I dunno how it could have happened.

[Wisp Wings]

When it comes to what the fireworks actually are, I think they are the physical object for the following reason:

Parson was discussing equipting a relitivly unskilled unit with a object and allowing them to launch a missile attack. Most missile (bricks, rocks, ect.) simply hit the target or the ground and stop, resulting in a rather weak volley if done in a large group. But, hypotheticly, if one of those units could be fitted with a missile that could do area damage on impact, I don't know- how about a firework?, then the destructive ability of a single unit may be increased beond that of a large group throwing bricks. Why do riot police show so much concern at the first sign of one of those explody bottle... things than at a continuous stream of bricks? Actually, I think parson may actually make a group that represents a real world violent riot.

[matrygg]

How much of Sizemore's reaction is actually being willing to get rid of Stanley, and how much of it is the Grand Abbie's admonition to help Parson?

[BarGamer]

Someone on the Facebook group wished for Parson to introduce Black Powder. I think that kind of "Archery Upgrade" is JUST the kind of rules-breaking the Grand Abbie wanted. I have no clue about the portability of cannons or artillery, or even an Abrams Tank, but I'd love to find out.

[Chit Rule Railroad]

As far as we know an Erfworlder won't consider the probablity of a caster becoming overlord. Chief Warlords become overlords. Casters being named heirs might not be mechanically possible even.

Casters are Commanders, and we haven't seen any evidence that non-chief Warlords are anything other than Commanders with a Leadership bonus. The relationship between Chief Warlordship and Heirdom (Stanley, Jillian, Ansom - was he established as an heir?) may just be conventional. Banhammer apparently expected to have an heir he could relate to better than Jillian, and he didn't relate to warlords in general. There's been speculation that Caesar seems less noble than Vinny.

It will be interesting to see if Stanley ever believes in his side enough to take the risk of naming a Lieutenant (to use a term he'd prefer to Heir). If he were to discount the risk of betrayal, don't you think he'd pick Wanda right now? And if one doesn't trust Wanda, one should not trust her creation, either. Who knows what she can do with Ansom's mind?

What we might be seeing evolve with Ansom vs. Parson is a recognition that, given sufficient Eyemancy (especially Thinkamancy), it may make sense to separate the roles of field marshal (charisma = Leadership score = Ansom), chessmaster (left-brain intelligence = Parson), and visionary (right-brain wisdom = Wanda? uh oh...). Given appropriate orders, mechanically it might be advantageous to make the charismatic field marshal the Chief Warlord, but strategically he's not the one who should be the Heir. For one thing, since the field marshal is charismatic, he doesn't need to be Overlord to have appropriate influence and, if he were Overlord, could easily overshadow the other two minds - as we've seen with Stanley. For another, if the field marshal were promoted to Overlord, he would be too valuable to stay in the field, which is the only place he is mechanically advantageous. On the other hand, if you have a chessmaster or a visionary, they'll mostly work behind the scenes anyway, so their mechanical duties would be less impaired by taking over the responsibility of Overlordship.

I have to confess my main reason for expecting a caster to get a promotion someday is strictly linguistic: she or he would be a "Commander-in-Chief".

[bathysphere]

The black powder speculation is really interesting. Also, the more the comic dwells on the mechanics of loyalty, and the more Parson muses the morality of the loyalty mechanic, the more I think ultimately Parson will have some 'splaining to do (to erfworld, to himself, to his "popper"...) for the way he used Bogroll. He took advantage of a pretty evil mechanic to win. As he begins to bring strategeries and technology from his world, he may feel more and more the need to pull some earth morality (such as it is) with him.

[raphfrk]

The black powder speculation is really interesting.

The process for manufacture of the saltpeter would get him some pretty weird reactions.

Basically, it is often made from urine and/or manure mixed with straw and left to ferment for a few months. The resulting decomposed mass (which contains lots of nitrates) is washed out with water. The water is passed through a filter containing the ashes left after burning wood (which converts the various nitrates into potassium nitrate). The resulting nitrate rich water is then left to evaporate, and the saltpeter is left as a residue.

The other 2 parts are less complex. Sulphur would need to be found (a good place to look is near volcanoes ), and charcoal can be obtained by heating wood to high temperature (often by burning part of it).

[gameboy1234]

Basically, it is often made from urine and/or manure mixed with straw and left to ferment for a few months.

So in other words, you'd need someone who's good with crap to get it.


Hmm.... Sizemore?