Summer Updates - 004

[balder]

New one's up. Illustration's kind of minimal because Jamie has had a lot on his plate.

[Anton Gaist]

Wow. So, Stanley's upset. I don't think he ever expected Wanda to attune to an Arkentool, and he really must feel he's no longer in control... maybe even a little scared. He did betray his own ruler once, I bet inside he's afraid the same thing will happen to him. And his reaction after seeing the unknown troops makes sense with that in mind.

[cloudbreaker]

I like how their skull shoulder decorations match. It's almost as if they called each other up and asked what the other was wearing.

[Cmdr I. Heartly Noah]

As firey mad as Stanley gets, he sure can act nonchalant.

"Yeah... that's a good one."

[moose o death]

i really like the internal thought were getting in these updates. gives a much better insight of the characters motivations and personalities. especially when wanda's heart breaks when stanley seems unimpressed by what he see's. she was so happy, and he crushed her.

[Nebulious]

How cruel! We are on the tip of answering the question that has been slowly boiling in everyone's' minds for weeks! Will there be an insurrection or not?

[Cmdr I. Heartly Noah]

i really like the internal thought were getting in these updates. gives a much better insight of the characters motivations and personalities. especially when wanda's heart breaks when stanley seems unimpressed by what he see's. she was so happy, and he crushed her.

I got the distinctly different impression that she was thinking "are you kidding me? look around!"

[Ragn Charran]

Illustration's kind of minimal because Jamie has had a lot on his plate.

Actually, I thought it was deliberate. Very fitting for the potentially cold showdown being described, isolating the characters. Although I will admit seeing the sea urchin piker squad might have been funny.

I'm already imagining Parson sending that piker ball rolling down the mountain, slaughtering everything in its path until it finally reaches the plain below

[BarGamer]

Although I will admit seeing the sea urchin piker squad might have been funny. I'm already imagining Parson sending that piker ball rolling down the mountain, slaughtering everything in its path until it finally reaches the plain below

Na naaaaa.... nanaNA nanana-naNAnananananaaaaa... Katamawi Damancy...

Ok, silliness aside, I love Wanda's reaction here. I also think it's an "Are you TOTALLY oblivious?!" face-fault, rather than a total ego-crush. Hey Wanda, try hitting some walnuts with it, see if that gets a reaction from him. Or squeeze a durian, whatever.

[Infidel]

Jamie doesn't need to worry. Any tidbits he wants to draw is plenty. Personally I'm more interested in the text right now although It makes me wonder if there are many Picture stories out there on the internet. Everything that comes to mind seems to be webcomic or e-book. There are not many, if any mainstream web stories that incorporates both. In all seriousness, I'd be perfectly happy if book 2 followed this format.

Alas, there are probably more people that disagree with me than agree, and it's not as if I don't look forward to more comic goodness myself. But it seems picture book = best of both worlds. It is really starting to feel like a Japanese light novel.

[Kreistor]

Stanley is taking this far too well. This is not the old Stanley. He would have gone right for her to get the 'Pliers.

Which means that there is a new way of dealing with Stanley. Stanley can now be intimidated into compliance. Right now, he's facing a Decrypted Army far stronger than his little band of 7 dwagons. Sure, the dwagons could stand off and fry them from on high, but that's a Rock/Paper/Scissors effect. Counting total combat power, the army has the edge in numbers. (Why can I say that? Because Stanley believes that.) Stanley fears it, and so will not set Wanda off. That's more thinking than most would have given old Stanley credit for.

So, Stanley returns to his throne with a whimper. He lacks a goal, so Parson will have to give him one (Oh, lemme guess... maybe... take over the whole world?) Wanda will give him the power to achieve it. Sizemore the money. And Parson the strategy and tactics. What is there for him to do, if he's going to act like this? Just sit back and stay out of everyone's way? Stanley needs to get his spinal column back.

[Lunaya]

Do it Wanda, croak him! You know you want to!

Fingers crossed she'll just start her own side once the opportunity presents itself.

[Infidel]

So, Stanley returns to his throne with a whimper. He lacks a goal, so Parson will have to give him one (Oh, lemme guess... maybe... take over the whole world?) Wanda will give him the power to achieve it. Sizemore the money. And Parson the strategy and tactics. What is there for him to do, if he's going to act like this? Just sit back and stay out of everyone's way? Stanley needs to get his spinal column back.

You think Parson will drive Stanley to conquer? Somehow I see the opposite. I see all of Stanley's staff calling for war, but Parson only grudgingly complying. I mean, Parson decided to be a player, but in many wargames, there is more than one way to win, you don't necessarily have to win militarily. Maybe there is culture creep.

[KBF]

I know I ran out of complain points awhile ago, but I would not go so far as to say I wouldn't mind the next book being like this. That being said, I'm definitely enjoying the light novel format.

I think Stanely is more worried about exactly what everyone else was worried about. Wanda isn't actually Stanley's troop. She's under no loyalty spell. She is more powerful than him. And he is completely surrounded by her troops in his city. Not a great situation. He's trying to act as nonchalant as possible to remain in control of the situation, although he has no idea what to actually do with that control. What do you do in that situation? I mean, she joined with him from his perspective because he was powerful. Now she is more powerful.

I like italics.

Also, FYI, Pliers are only attuned to one person. He can't take them. And he's surrounded. He's not thoughtless.

[melhelix]

Oh Titans, clearly you can make mistakes. His head was making that buzzing noise he hated. Still, he needed to be in control. Get control now.

Hmm. Thinking? Or is the Arkenhammer disagreeing with Stanley's assessment of the Titan's making a mistake? How much influence do the 'Tools have on those attuned to them? It certainly sounds like Stanley has heard this buzzing before, so I doubt it is any interference from two of the Tools being in close quarters. Hmmm....

Very interesting update. I love their outfits.

[Mikalyaran]

I think Stanely is more worried about exactly what everyone else was worried about. Wanda isn't actually Stanley's troop. She's under no loyalty spell. She is more powerful than him. And he is completely surrounded by her troops in his city. Not a great situation. He's trying to act as nonchalant as possible to remain in control of the situation, although he has no idea what to actually do with that control. What do you do in that situation? I mean, she joined with him from his perspective because he was powerful. Now she is more powerful.

I like italics.

Also, FYI, Pliers are only attuned to one person. He can't take them. And he's surrounded. He's not thoughtless.

Not being under a loyalty spell is different from not being loyal. The troops are his. He says so and backs it up by commenting that he can see their stats (which is an interesting tidbit that seems to answer a long standing question about exactly who can see what regarding stats). I think the non-chalantness isn't any kind of survival instinct. It's just him putting himself above her. Despite her being attuned he is better than her and always will be. Her accomplishments ( meaning the army in this case) have to seem below his regard. Barely worth his notice. Oh, did you do that? huh, that's pretty good. Its all ego for Stanley.

[konmanrocks]

a good update. looks like things will be getting interesting story wise!

[Lemarc]

I think Stanely is more worried about exactly what everyone else was worried about. Wanda isn't actually Stanley's troop. She's under no loyalty spell. She is more powerful than him. And he is completely surrounded by her troops in his city. Not a great situation. He's trying to act as nonchalant as possible to remain in control of the situation, although he has no idea what to actually do with that control. What do you do in that situation? I mean, she joined with him from his perspective because he was powerful. Now she is more powerful.

She has more power than him at this current moment, because she has control of the army. Stanley controls the city, and the treasure reserves, so he is unlikely to remain outnumbered for long.

[Alcazabedabra]

I also like Italics.

Yes. Stanley's intimidated. If I were Parson, I'd want to have Stanley backing into a back seat.

Honestly though, Parson is potentially a greater power than either Wanda or Stanley. He is a better tactician than either of them. Possibly the best in Erfworld. He has proven that at least in small ways he can break the rules of the Universe. Parson is Goddamn dangerous. A smart overlord would disband him just to sleep better at night.

The question of who leads Gobwin Knob from now on is going to have an interesting answer. I think that answer is going to be overshadowed in importance by what Parson does from here.

I can see scenarios in which Parson defects, is captured, or is cast out - and has the task of assaulting Gobwin Knob. Let's say Gobwin Knob does start to take over the world - successfully. Where the hell does that leave Parson, if he needs to take Gobwin Knob from the outside?

[cloudbreaker]

I think Stanely is more worried about exactly what everyone else was worried about. Wanda isn't actually Stanley's troop. She's under no loyalty spell. She is more powerful than him. And he is completely surrounded by her troops in his city. Not a great situation. He's trying to act as nonchalant as possible to remain in control of the situation, although he has no idea what to actually do with that control. What do you do in that situation? I mean, she joined with him from his perspective because he was powerful. Now she is more powerful.

I'm pretty sure Wanda is still Stanley's troop. Just because she isn't loyal to him, doesn't mean she doesn't belong to him. Remember, Units that have been converted to your side have notoriously low loyalty. And if she is still his unit, then if she tried to take over and croaked Stanley with the army (which I believe would be under his command anyway) then the Gobwin Knob side would be leaderless and everyone within the city limits would freeze in time until an enemy attacked. So I'm thinking it would be entirely beneficial for Wanda to stick with Stanley. At least for now.