Summer Update - 035

[DevilDan]

Solid update. I new they weren't going to spend too much time on Warchalking.

Parson is learning a few things about how some bonuses work... the hard way.

Wow, the new info is coming in fast and furious. Arkenhammer, "management bonuses," "rocking out..." Just "imagine what we'll know tomorrow."

[MarchHatter]

This was an amazing update I have to say.

Also after reading all of your responces and everything, I have come up on my opinion of what goblin gnob should focus on doing.

Popping should be switched to casters, it doesn't matter what type but it should be casters (hope for a moneymancer). I rememeber reading that it costs more smuckers and turns to pop a specific type of caster but less when you just want any type of caster.

Also Stanley should keep up on dragon collecting

Sizemore should be doing his best to make golems and increase defences, maybe engineer lava golems.

Everyone's favourite evil croakamancer ( is she chaotic or neutral evil?) and Ansom should just reclaim cities and uncroak people.

everyone else: do something useful.

[atteSmythe]

I like this line of questioning, though. Parson apparently can't follow orders he doesn't understand -- unlike most units, who instinctively know exactly what their Duty is.

Good call. He thought he WAS following orders, which may be all that Duty can compel.

[gameboy1234]

I like this line of questioning, though. Parson apparently can't follow orders he doesn't understand -- unlike most units, who instinctively know exactly what their Duty is.

Warlords don't have to obey orders if they feel it is the overlords best interests not to. Parson obviously thinks (or thought at the time) that his time was best spent studying in the library.

Interesting ideas. I've been thinking (a dangerous pastime, it's true). Parson's a Hippymancer, right? And what was Sizemore doing when we first met him? Ignoring his duty and Flaking out. Wanda had to come get him in the Magic Kingdom, remember?

So I'm going to advance the idea that Parson has a special ability due to being a Hippymancer: Flaking Out, and that's what he was doing, instead of his Duty.

[fehler]

Quick guess, all of Stanley's dwagon collecting was done before he became Overlord. He would have been under orders, and free of the "royal burden". It explains why Stanley seemed to have a "soft spot" for the dwagons, he's thinking of all the work he had to put up with just to find 1-2 of them. Also, maybe the FAQ-pass ambush affected him more than he's putting on, since he's worried about another ambush in the mountains now?

Rock on for the Minty Mountain Hop.

[OneHugeTuck]

If parson wasn't high on Stanley's list, I bet he's higher (but of course not fully appreciated ala Stanley style) now.

Stanley will be a lot more confident and able to get back to his pompous self with a storm cloud of dwagons darkening GK. (man, that's go so much possibility!)

[Anton Gaist]

I liked the update, good insight into Duty and following Orders, there. And I'm also betting Stanley is one happy Evil Overlord now.

[DevilDan]

Quick guess, all of Stanley's dwagon collecting was done before he became Overlord. He would have been under orders, and free of the "royal burden". It explains why Stanley seemed to have a "soft spot" for the dwagons, he's thinking of all the work he had to put up with just to find 1-2 of them. Also, maybe the FAQ-pass ambush affected him more than he's putting on, since he's worried about another ambush in the mountains now?

Dwagons are Stanley's "thing." Of course he give them importance, given his tactical style and superficial approach. Now he likes the more than ever because they're one thing over which he has greater control than Wanda.

[atteSmythe]

In my haste to reply to someone else, I forgot to comment on the update itself!

I love it, especially the note it ends on. It'd be good for Stanley and Parson to build a little rapport, and this is a great way for it to happen - the slow realization that he has someone with him who is clever and, though obstinate, loyal. Each of those characters would do well to learn a little patience, and this is a situation where a little patience can be rewarded with fruits greater than either would likely achieve on his own.

Hopefully this will be something that Parson can point to and say, "Look - this is exactly the sort of thing I can do for you if you just tell me how the world works."

[Unclever title]

"Course it was good," snapped Stanley. "It was Titanic. Rock is the highest music there is."

I think Stanley might be on to something there especially considering that the Titans look like gigantic Elvis impersonators.

Heh, thinking about that makes me wonder if an Erfworlder spotting a person impersonating Elvis might call them out for blasphemy.

[OneHugeTuck]

Regarding an earlier post re: dwagons being loyal to the hammer.

I wonder if those dwagons would go free if Stanly croaked.

And assuming Parson picked the hammer up, and assuming he attuned to the hammer, I wonder if he would have to retame them or if they would still be tamed due to the presence of the hammer.


That would be a fun scene, Parson with hammer in hand trying to tame 100+ swarming dwagons.

[Ronfar]

Stanley seems to be a victim of the Peter Principle. Before he became Overlord, he was a soldier. He was probably very good at being a soldier, kicking ass in combat and leading individual stacks. However, being good at kicking ass doesn't mean you can actually manage anything, so when he was promoted, he reached his level of incompetence and is now in over his head. He'd probably be a lot happier if he could just go out and kick some ass again without having to worry about micromanaging resource production and leaving Gobwin Knob without an Overlord if he loses a fight. He's probably well aware that he isn't as good at his job as he ought to be, but he has to put on a strong front because, thanks to the Arkenhammer, he's the one who has to be in charge. Making things worse, he now has to worry about Wanda, who, now that she has an Arkentool of her own, has as good a claim to the throne as he does, and she's quickly becoming both more powerful and a more effective leader than he ever was. Viewed this way, Stanley becomes somewhat more sympathetic than the standard Pointy Haired Boss, but it still sucks to be the one who has to clean up after someone like that. He could mature over the course of the story, but for now, it's going to be rough for both him and everyone who works for him.

- Doug

[OneHugeTuck]

Why does her having an Arkentool give her any claim to the throne?


It seems she has always been a much better leader/strategist that Stanly.

[Welf von Ehrwald]

Stanley seems to be a victim of the Peter Principle.

Stanley IS the Peter principle. He was more than competent as warlord and chief warlord. He won battles, took cities (I guess he took Unatard as chief warlord) and had with the arkenhammer a massive boost to his fighting abilities. Flying heavies, lighting, both as AoE and single target, improved dance fight. I think the biggest downside of Stanley's promotion to overlord was that Gobwin Knob lost Stanley, the chief warlord.

[Infidel]

Here's my thought regarding Stanley after reading this update:

THIS is Parson's next, big battle. Stanley, under it all, is not a bad guy. He's titanically insecure, and needs guidance from those around him. Stanley, basically, is a kid. Wanda IS bad, and all of Gobwin Knob's villainy has been a result of Wanda's guidance. Now, Wanda's out getting her kicks with her decrypted horde of loyal slaves, and not around town to manage the tool, so Stanley-sitting duty turns to Parson, and he's got the opportunity to reform the Tool, build his confidence, and make him a better person. I predict Parson's relationship with Stanley will be a major theme in the next installment.

I hope your right. That would make for an interesting story. But I'm not going to make a prediction, but that would be a nice direction for Rob and Jamie to take the story.

[atteSmythe]

Why does her having an Arkentool give her any claim to the throne?

By Stanley's reasoning, the fact that he attuned to an Arkentool meant that he had the blessing of the Titans - and even more than Royalty, since Ansom was not attuned to his Tool. He did not expect Wanda to attune to the Pliers- her doing so means that his mandate is not as unique as he had thought. It elevated her potential, if not her actual rank. Stanley fears that she could overthrow him, or split the side.

[OneHugeTuck]

Why does her having an Arkentool give her any claim to the throne?

By Stanley's reasoning, the fact that he attuned to an Arkentool meant that he had the blessing of the Titans - and even more than Royalty, since Ansom was not attuned to his Tool. He did not expect Wanda to attune to the Pliers- her doing so means that his mandate is not as unique as he had thought. It elevated her potential, if not her actual rank. Stanley fears that she could overthrow him, or split the side.

Well, Stanely's a bit delusional, as we know.

Maybe it's not what you meant, but her attuning doesn't give her any rights to GW itself, though certainly she could use it's power to topple Stanley

Claim, as opposed to ability to depose, is what I was referring to.

[atteSmythe]

Why does her having an Arkentool give her any claim to the throne?

By Stanley's reasoning, the fact that he attuned to an Arkentool meant that he had the blessing of the Titans - and even more than Royalty, since Ansom was not attuned to his Tool. He did not expect Wanda to attune to the Pliers- her doing so means that his mandate is not as unique as he had thought. It elevated her potential, if not her actual rank. Stanley fears that she could overthrow him, or split the side.

Well, Stanely's a bit delusional, as we know.

Maybe it's not what you meant, but her attuning doesn't give her any rights to GW itself, though certainly she could use it's power to topple Stanley

Claim, as opposed to ability to depose, is what I was referring to.

My reading of the post to which you were responding was from Stanley's point of view. It doesn't matter whether she actually has a claim or not - Stanley believes she does.

Put another way: Whether or not she can depose him, Stanley believes that by attuning to an Arkentool, she has earned/demonstrated right to rule. Coupled with her obviously superior ability at actually leading, Stanley at best questions his position. At worst, fears for it.

[OneHugeTuck]

From his point of view. Got it. Makes more sense now.

[raphfrk]

On a side note, Stanley should order a bunch of new warlords and send them levelling with the dwagons. A number of level 2 or 3s that can lead dwagon stacks increases the power of his loyal forces and they can rule the new cities. A level 5 in his capital would be a good replacement for Ansom, just in case. And some new hobgobwins with dance fight abilities would be a good thing, too.

Right, unlike Archons (and to a less extent decrypted), dwagons aren't self leading. That is a weakness of the hammer's special unit.

Stanley managed to tame 2 dwagons in the turn. Thus he would need one warlord every 4 turns or so, assuming he is aiming for 8 unit stacks.

However, for leadership purposes, he could get away with fewer than that. The donut attack only used 3 warlords.

Popped units would have to do something to level up, they probably can only be popped as level 1. The dwagons could be used to cycle them to the front. It would depend on how exp works. Units might gain exp just by being present when a city is taken. OTOH, moving a level 1 unit with a dwagon seems like overkill.

Another advantage of having some warlords is that it allows the dwagons to be used as scouts to cover more hexes. That assumes that the archons can't cover all the hexes that Stanley can reach and return.

It appears that they have lower move than Stanley, as there are hexes he can reach and return that that they cannot.