Book 2 - Page 1

[raphfrk]

1) Kudos for all the little pop-culture references. I didn't see it mentioned yet, but is that a tetris piece Tool is standing on in the second panel?

On first glance, it looks like it is part of the ramparts. However, they doesn't seem to extend in either direction, so maybe it is just Tetris block .

[Xondoure]

Coming out of my hiding place to say that this is quite possibly the greatest thing that has happened to me for quite some time. Thanks.

[DoctorJest]

Because omniscient narrators don't give opinions and because the cognitive limitations jab doesn't fly with omniscient narration,

I'd argue the "cognitive limitations" comment was the NICEST POSSIBLE WAY to state the obvious that Stanley is, bluntly, a tool. And not in the Titanic sense (which is the joke, of course). This isn't an opinion. It's empirically true. Everything we've seen of Stanley since the beginning has proven this simple fact: Stanley is, indeed, cognitively limited. Not opinion. Fact.

That itself doesn't sound like it's Parson's internal narration. We don't even know that he knows about Stanley not paying for the support plan, and not to mention that the whole thing is a little backhanded at Parson as well as Stanley (i.e. the implication that Stanley ended up with Parson because he was cheap, not because Parson was, in fact, the perfect warlord. More he's the bargain basement perfect warlord).

So since our narrator takes stabs at both Stanley and Parson (presumably for the sake of new readers) it's safe to say that the narrator is, in fact, by your own logic, neither of them. And it's not Maggie because she's busy, so busy she can barely acknowledge Parson's arrival.

[BoopingCynic]

Nice opener for book two. Now that we have a story with some momentum due to the summer updates we can hope right into the action.

A few thoughts:

1) Kudos for all the little pop-culture references. I didn't see it mentioned yet, but is that a tetris piece Tool is standing on in the second panel?

2) As far as oriental dwagons go, it may be an issue of geography. Jillian references the different architecture far to the south. I wouldn't be surprised if different areas had different flavors of units and structures. Perhaps factions for to the east (assuming there is an absolute direction in Erf World) can only pop oriental dwagons and not western dwagons. (Edit: Annnnnnnnnd I've been ninjaed)

3) How vulnerable is GK to having communications cut off? It seems that right now Maggie is the most important -mancer on the GK side (excluding Wanda). If she were neutralized and Jillian cuts the dwagon express, GK's forces would be split and out of touch. I'll be interested to learn just what the situation ont he ground is and if Jillian has popped up again.

Looking forward to the next installment.

I hope We get to see them on GK's side because i love the owiental dwagons . Maybe there are types of ninja or samurai units over there .

[barawn]

See, thank you for proving my point! An opinionated narrator is a CHARACTER in itself. Maybe not in the story, but the narrator is developed into a person. You don't go suddenly from an impartial narrator, book 1, to an opinionated narrator, and have it be the same Character narrating. The narrator for Book 2 is different than book 1.

The way that the narrator described Wanda's day ("And that made a bad day a great deal worse") is perfectly consistent with the narrator in Book 2. The narrator had a grand total of 6 sentences in Book 1. This isn't anywhere near enough to determine if they're opinionated or unopinionated.

[Lord Kasavin]

3) How vulnerable is GK to having communications cut off? It seems that right now Maggie is the most important -mancer on the GK side (excluding Wanda). If she were neutralized and Jillian cuts the dwagon express, GK's forces would be split and out of touch. I'll be interested to learn just what the situation ont he ground is and if Jillian has popped up again.

I'd say not very vulnerable, at all.

Keep in mind that they now have "hats" to do their communication. Perhaps GK always had a store of hats and stopped using them when the eye-mancers were linked. Beyond that, shutting down Maggie can't be easy. Disrupting the Dwagon Express possible, either by taking out a way station (which probably are for the most part sufficiently defended cities, and if not cities otherwise defended with troops of some degree), or by setting up an ambush on a dwagon's route (which would be much more difficult to pull off).

Finally, they could probably pay Charlie off if worst truly came to worst.

[DevilDan]

GK certainly has the money to hire a replacement for Maggie, assuming casters will work for him. (It must be possible, given that Bea asked her casters not to do so).

[BoopingCynic]

3) How vulnerable is GK to having communications cut off? It seems that right now Maggie is the most important -mancer on the GK side (excluding Wanda). If she were neutralized and Jillian cuts the dwagon express, GK's forces would be split and out of touch. I'll be interested to learn just what the situation ont he ground is and if Jillian has popped up again.

I'd say not very vulnerable, at all.

Keep in mind that they now have "hats" to do their communication. Perhaps GK always had a store of hats and stopped using them when the eye-mancers were linked. Beyond that, shutting down Maggie can't be easy. Disrupting the Dwagon Express possible, either by taking out a way station (which probably are for the most part sufficiently defended cities, and if not cities otherwise defended with troops of some degree), or by setting up an ambush on a dwagon's route (which would be much more difficult to pull off).

Finally, they could probably pay Charlie off if worst truly came to worst.

Disrupting a city would be difficult, it would take a strike force which would weaken the available forces on the Western Front just to disrupt some of multiple routes, and since they can't get Charlie, the most powerful side in Erf, because of his attainment of an 'tool and their hatred of all "tools" they can't just curb-stomp all of the cities that aren't too close to the AotD or GK and even then they might be able to still get some form of limited transportation. Besides both forces are growing with Dwagons, Hobgobwins, and the Decrypted (Which I hope GK relays Wanda after killing all the marbits to get some tunnel units ).
As for the communication they have hats and Maggie one of which can't be disrupted and the other is in a theoretically Level 8 city making her almost invincible .
Jillian is probably in some heavy duty conquering around Faq (Has anyone else notice that this philosophical kingdom was called FAQ or Frequently asked questions )

[Infidel]

So since our narrator takes stabs at both Stanley and Parson (presumably for the sake of new readers) it's safe to say that the narrator is, in fact, by your own logic, neither of them. And it's not Maggie because she's busy, so busy she can barely acknowledge Parson's arrival.

Mmm. Good point.

This is why I take stands here. Because people can point out I'm wrong politely.

Didn't see Rob comment on the whole backlog thing, hopefully he'll mention it somewhere. I was thinking that Jamie had already made a number of pages before he moved on, so does our new artist not have a back log? Now that I'm spoiled with these frequent info-dumps for the summer sequence, I'm very looking forward to a consistent update schedule, relatively, since the new updates will be less informative, but much more graphically pleasing.

[Hermod]

Jillian is probably in some heavy duty conquering around Faq (Has anyone else notice that this philosophical kingdom was called FAQ or Frequently asked questions )

http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=%2F083.jpg Panel four.

I think we noticed ;p

Anyway, digging the new art style, but Stanley looks so odd constantly scowling like that. I mean I can totally see Stanley posing and looking dramatic for no reason, he's just that kind of person. But the constant scowl looks odd on him, I would imagine him having a more smug grin, real or not.

[BoopingCynic]

Jillian is probably in some heavy duty conquering around Faq (Has anyone else notice that this philosophical kingdom was called FAQ or Frequently asked questions )

http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=%2F083.jpg Panel four.

I think we noticed ;p

Anyway, digging the new art style, but Stanley looks so odd constantly scowling like that. I mean I can totally see Stanley posing and looking dramatic for no reason, he's just that kind of person. But the constant scowl looks odd on him, I would imagine him having a more smug grin, real or not.

Oh well now I feel kind of slow .

[Gez]

Anyway, digging the new art style, but Stanley looks so odd constantly scowling like that. I mean I can totally see Stanley posing and looking dramatic for no reason, he's just that kind of person. But the constant scowl looks odd on him, I would imagine him having a more smug grin, real or not.

We've seen him for one single scene, one scene where he has reasons to be worried (the uncroaked he mistrusts are attempting something that didn't work before), focused (a battle will probably happen, and that's about the only thing he's good at) and angry (Parson is late). Sure, most artists would probably have used such a setup to have Stanley exhibit in all six panels a limitless cornucopia of exuberant facial expressions from all the rainbow of human emotions; but personally I understand and approve the choice that was made to be more consistent here.

[Welf von Ehrwald]

Anyway, digging the new art style, but Stanley looks so odd constantly scowling like that. I mean I can totally see Stanley posing and looking dramatic for no reason, he's just that kind of person. But the constant scowl looks odd on him, I would imagine him having a more smug grin, real or not.

Well, he is probably in bad mood, which is quite understandable. GK is about to destroy their biggest enemies. They use Ansom's strategy, Wanda's decrypted and Parson's ideas. Only Stanley just sits around watching and is generally useless. Except for the dwagon taming and the setting of the city production, Stanley's job could be done by a sponge. The former hasn't been so important until now, the latter can prolly be delegated to city rulers. For somebody that likes to do things personally, that is a depressing situation.

[Hermod]

Anyway, digging the new art style, but Stanley looks so odd constantly scowling like that. I mean I can totally see Stanley posing and looking dramatic for no reason, he's just that kind of person. But the constant scowl looks odd on him, I would imagine him having a more smug grin, real or not.

We've seen him for one single scene, one scene where he has reasons to be worried (the uncroaked he mistrusts are attempting something that didn't work before), focused (a battle will probably happen, and that's about the only thing he's good at) and angry (Parson is late). Sure, most artists would probably have used such a setup to have Stanley exhibit in all six panels a limitless cornucopia of exuberant facial expressions from all the rainbow of human emotions; but personally I understand and approve the choice that was made to be more consistent here.

Sorry.

I just expected Stanley would be happier that someone is trying to set up an religion with him on top. I suppose you do have a point though, he'd have to 'share' that spot with Wanda. ;p

[raphfrk]

I just expected Stanley would be happier that someone is trying to set up an religion with him on top. I suppose you do have a point though, he'd have to 'share' that spot with Wanda. ;p

... and Charlie.

He thought he could attune to any Arkentool that he managed to capture.

[Higatron]

Am I the only one who was surprised to see not uncroacked/warlord humans guards? Up until now all the guards have been twolls or uncroacked. GK never had normal human pikers/infantry back in book 1.

[Hermod]

Am I the only one who was surprised to see not uncroacked/warlord humans guards? Up until now all the guards have been twolls or uncroacked. GK never had normal human pikers/infantry back in book 1.

Those are Decrypted humans, so they're a kind of uncroaked.

[Subtext]

Oh dear.

First of all...I'd really love the new art but with one little exception. I don't know how to explain properly but it made a bit...static impression to me. More like people who get their photo taken than an actual part of something that is happening right now. I hope you understand what I mean.
Except for that it is simply awesome

I really had to giggle really girlish when I read the title of the issue


When I thought about that a little, I had an idea...don't know if anyone posted it already, didn't read the whole thread, but...

Spoiler: show

I have the feeling that Ansom will in fact take Jetstone. Maybe a tough battle, but he'll take it. After that he'll split into a new side - with Wanda as the de facto ruler. Since he is specifically loyal to her and not Stanley, it would make sense.
The troops in Gobwin Knob turn against Stanley and the capital will be seized from within. Stanley will survive, flee and go barbarian. He'll lose most of his dwagons due to upkeep issues and flee with the casters, Parson and probably a couple of still loyal knights. Maybe Vurp...

[Lightbender]

I expect at some point in the future, we'll see Vinny fighting Ansom to the death

[shai-hulud]

What happened to Page 1? Is it still available? When I click on the "Older Entries" link, the text beneath the picture changes, but the picture remains the same. Does anyone else have this issue?