Book 2 – Text Updates 030

[ftl]

Uh oh. Unknown factors for this fight are stacking up. We don't know what Charlie's going to do to spoil Parson's plans via Tramennis, and a helpful accessory + the aid of two Casters might be the thing that tips an already messy fight the wrong way.

Also, it's interesting that Cubbins seems uncertain- doesn't, as Maggie and Sizemore demonstrated in the summer updates, Duty compel units to take actions beneficial to their side, even if not specifically ordered?

I don't think it's going to mess up anyone's plans. Parson already knows there's a hatomancer and a dollamancer around; it *should* come as no surprise to him that they can make things. Of course, the plan is highly risky as it is, so any little bit can make the difference, but I don't see what's special about this particular little bit. (If anything, Charlie telling Tramennis the plan is far more likely to tip the scales.)

Cubbins is uncertain because he's not sure that it'll be beneficial to their side. After all, it does use up their juice. In a case like GK, where Stanley is in charge, his underlings know perfectly well that he's an idiot and that they probably know better than he does how their juice should be spent. In Jetstone? They have competent leaders. If they haven't given an order to use juice, that may be because they should be planning to use the juice later. It's not at all clear-cut that doing something without orders is beneficial to their side.

[fjolnir]

I Disagree on #3 BLAND, while Jillian is not a DISPOSABLE character it seems more and more like she's going to be put up against the wall and shot since charlie has abandoned her and her other major backer is probably going to do so by the end of this turn, unless you think that Jill Vs GK Vs The World is where this story is going...

[Carne]

I am intrigued by the glowy sphere thing in the accompanying pic. Ace seems to be staring at it, but it received no mention in the text. Given its placement and difference in color from the rest of the panel, it seems to be suggesting it has some interesting purpose, beyond that of just an apparent light source.

[atalex]

This update was ... unexpected.

I really have nothing else to add. Either we have met one or two new and somewhat interesting characters who will play a complex role in the coming drama or we have just been introduced to one or two new characters so that we will recognize their bloody remains later after they quickly get killed.

[splintermute]

I am intrigued by the glowy sphere thing in the accompanying pic. Ace seems to be staring at it, but it received no mention in the text. Given it's placement and difference in color from the rest of the panel, it seems to be suggesting it has some interesting purpose, beyond that of just an apparent light source.

I thought so too, but the Slately update was totally lit with yellow glowy things, and there have been other uses of color in previous update illustrations (e.g. the glowy blue in Charlie's threat to Sammy). It probably is just a light bulb.

[SteveMB]

I am intrigued by the glowy sphere thing in the accompanying pic. Ace seems to be staring at it, but it received no mention in the text. Given it's placement and difference in color from the rest of the panel, it seems to be suggesting it has some interesting purpose, beyond that of just an apparent light source.

I think it's just the Jetstone equivalent of a light bulb -- we've seen them from the beginning of the story.

[Ansan Gotti]

I personally think Parson, Charlie and Wanda are the three most "immortal" characters right now (assuming the possibility of a Wanda-auto-decrypt-upon-death doesn't count against her). Everyone else, a bit less. I really doubt Tramennis would die, but I wouldn't put it past Rob to have him killed and decrypted on the GK side.

[Nihila]

I really doubt Tramennis would die, but I wouldn't put it past Rob to have him killed and decrypted on the GK side.

I wouldn't put it past Rob either, but if it happens, I want to see a chess game between Tram and Parson.

[Carne]

re: lightbulbs, you'd think I've have noticed them before now. Must drink more coffee, apparently. Still, odd that it seems to be the focus of the panel rather than the new characters. I'll chalk it down to artistic license

[cloudbreaker]

Something else interesting we learned from this update is that Tchotchkes are caster-made units. And we know from other text updates that they can be decrypted. So it seems at least some caster-made units can be reanimated by wanda. I wonder if all of them can.

[gameboy1234]

The punnage! It burns us! And we likes it.

[zilfallon]

Well, the reason Ace is using juice without orders, is because he is %100 sure that it's a fight they'll win without much losses. So he wants to be useful a bit to have a chance to use his creativity after jetstone destroys GK.

What a dreamer

I believe this text update had the purpose of showing us how sure Jetstone was. And it might be an indication of Slately telling Tram to stfu when he tells Spacerock is about to be razed.

Still, was expecting more from this update. About Sizemore... Curious, dissappointed, but patient, let's wait

[Menlo Marseilles]

This is just my gut talking, but if Tramennis gets decrypted I think it will only be as an offset to Jack croaking for real. He's a certain kind of intellectual challenge, similar in ways to Jack if different in execution, that deserves to be a counterpoint to the protagonist - whether as a worthy opponent or as a friend and confidante. If he were to join Team Parson, it feels to me as though it would be to fill a vacant post.

Of course, there's still the possibility that Charlie succeeds at Solving For X and gets Wanda to turn, in which case it'd be easy to end up with a decrypted - and still antagonistic - Tramennis. But that's a whole other kettle of fish.

[cloudbreaker]

This is just my gut talking, but if Tramennis gets decrypted I think it will only be as an offset to Jack croaking for real. He's a certain kind of intellectual challenge, similar in ways to Jack if different in execution, that deserves to be a counterpoint to the protagonist - whether as a worthy opponent or as a friend and confidante. If he were to join Team Parson, it feels to me as though it would be to fill a vacant post.

Of course, there's still the possibility that Charlie succeeds at Solving For X and gets Wanda to turn, in which case it'd be easy to end up with a decrypted - and still antagonistic - Tramennis. But that's a whole other kettle of fish.

My gut tells me that Tramennis will somehow join Gobwin Knob's side, but not as a decrypted unit. I'm not sure how that idea popped into my head though, so an idea is all it is.

[effataigus]

I think we found a good candidate to test Carne's question (from the last reactions thread) about what happens when an arkentool finds someone who is more well-attuned to it. This guy and the arkenhammer are made for each other.

Is that a lightsaber on the table? Could be useful, though he should know that undead are weak against chainsaws

Aye, the only characters that seem in danger of dying (and not coming back in some form) are Sylvia and Ossomer... or perhaps some Jetstone b-listers who end up being "spent twice."

[Decorus]

Charlie has explictly stated that Parson is going to destroy Jetstone and if she wanted to see how she should turn around.
That pretty much ends any chance that Charlie can help stop this from happening.
Its also unlikely Trem will pay for the information to "save" Jetstone as his reasoning for contacting Charlie is to discover why Charlie is actually running the battle against GK.
Ace seems to be someone who would fit in quite well under Parson with his Action Figures.

[splintermute]

Another interesting point is that dollamancers seem to be able to create magic items that allow spell-like effects from other magic disciplines. When Ossomer initially used the tesla bracer, I remember rampant speculation that it was a shockamancy item, and it clearly seems to have a shockamancy-type effect.

I, too, am amused by the thought that Ace won't be able to get his happy ending without Tramennis' help.

Also, who would be so despicable as to ambush a picnic?

[gaiaswill]

Also something tells me that Ace Hardware is going to end up on the Toolist side, though I don't know what

Ow, OW! The pains from the puns and the laughing, it is too much!

[DoctorJest]

I really like this update. Ace is a great character.

He's the Helpful Hardware Man

[badninja]

I can see this going both ways, either really bad or really good. If it goes good I can see Parson not expecting it because the enemy has done something unexpected. If it goes bad Parson will have some new ideas that he could improve. Either way how will Trem deal with his casters doing this behind his back?