Summer Updates - 008

[Ragn Charran]

I doubt, however, that this webcomic is secretly modeling Ender's Game, at least entirely. I mean, who would be Valentine/Peter?

Considering that Rob specifically reference Ender's Game by name, that would be a pretty boopsy ripoff! And yes, I'm in total agreement, this is not just a straight Ender's Game ripoff. I see very little in common, actually, aside from the "genius forced to slaughter untold numbers" parallel between Parson and Ender.

[Bobby Archer]

And, as a side note...how do you get your quote to have the person's name who wrote it (Blah blah blah wrote) above?

If you hit one of the "quote" buttons, either in the thread itself, or in the topic review on the post a reply page, the board software will insert it automatically.

If you're building the quote tags yourself, in the first tag, put ="username" before the end bracket. For instance:
[ quote="Happyvampire"] (without the space)

who is the general/admiral/corporal (I forget who it was) who commanded Ender. Is it Erfworld? Who or what is Erfworld? And what are its motives?

Wanda says late in Book 1 that Parson is a pawn of Fate, and in the final pages Parson challenges Erfworld itself as though it were a discrete entity. It seems like (at least from their perspective) that these terms refer to the same force/entity, but what that is (assuming it's not just rhetoric) remains to be seen.

[Anton Gaist]

Anton Gaist wrote:
Just as long as he isn't contacted by some disembodied "voice" in his book that turns out to be a new species... And as long as he doesn't go Outside and come back with a new Bogroll and Misty all sharing his aiua...

Damn, is it me or did that just make sense?

OK, no it didn't.

It did make sense. However, I think more in question would be who is commanding Parson, and for what reason--in other words, who is the general/admiral/corporal (I forget who it was) who commanded Ender. Is it Erfworld? Who or what is Erfworld? And what are its motives?
I doubt, however, that this webcomic is secretly modeling Ender's Game, at least entirely. I mean, who would be Valentine/Peter?

(Picking up my copy to get the names right) Let's see, the principal at Battle School was Hyrum Graff, aka "The real bastard in the book". He's the one who pushed Ender to the edge, and was tried for war crimes after the Formic War. Did he go to prison? No, he got a cushy job as Minister for Colonization.

I don't think that Erfworld is modeled after Ender's Game either. There are similarities, sure, but the differences set them apart. For one, Parson is aware that his actions have real consequences, that people die because of his decisions. Ender didn't.

It could have been, though. Picture Ender being summoned not directly to GK but to a room where he was forced to play a board game to demonstrate he was worthy of defending GK, while in reality his game decisions were instantly relayed as real commands for the battle... now that's Ender's game right there.

That's why the deaths of Misty and Bogroll are so important, they forced upon Parson the consequences of his actions. He's not playing a game, he's not commanding numbers on a sheet of paper. Whether he wins or loses, people will die. Whether he acts or not, people will die.

I don't think Ender would have been able to win the Formic War had he known it wasn't a simulation. Heck, the only reason he won is he was trying to prove he wasn't fit to command.

As for who Peter and Valentine are... I'd say Wanda is Peter and Sizemore is Val.

[Ragn Charran]

As for who Peter and Valentine are... I'd say Wanda is Peter and Sizemore is Val.

Actually, I'd say Ansom is Peter. Sizemore as Val is right though.

[Anton Gaist]

As for who Peter and Valentine are... I'd say Wanda is Peter and Sizemore is Val.

Actually, I'd say Ansom is Peter. Sizemore as Val is right though.

Really? Before his decrypting I had him for Bonzo Madrid. Remember, the aristocratic pretty boy? Went home in a body bag?

[Ragn Charran]

Really? Before his decrypting I had him for Bonzo Madrid. Remember, the aristocratic pretty boy? Went home in a body bag?

Ruthless, intelligent* conqueror hiding behind a slick veneer of saving the world for its own good, but actually just because he thinks he has the basic right to? Peter all the way.

* yeah, Parson smashed him. But Ender would have smashed Peter too, had he chosen to get involved in the politics. And Ansom obviously was successful in the past, having reached his high level and able to lead the coalition all the way to virtually certain victory - he had the game won, until Parson broke the world. So let's not have this degenerate into an Ansom love vs. hate thread, yeah?

[Kallisti]

P.S. I don't find a whole lot of nobility in Sizemore's pacifism. He still goes through with whatever he is told to do. He is regretful for it, but it didn't keep him from Goatseing a huge chunk of the alliance forces.

Sizemore lacks free will, I don't think disobeying orders is an option, it changes the moral landscape somewhat.

[Anton Gaist]

Really? Before his decrypting I had him for Bonzo Madrid. Remember, the aristocratic pretty boy? Went home in a body bag?

Ruthless, intelligent* conqueror hiding behind a slick veneer of saving the world for its own good, but actually just because he thinks he has the basic right to? Peter all the way.

* yeah, Parson smashed him. But Ender would have smashed Peter too, had he chosen to get involved in the politics. And Ansom obviously was successful in the past, having reached his high level and able to lead the coalition all the way to virtually certain victory - he had the game won, until Parson broke the world. So let's not have this degenerate into an Ansom love vs. hate thread, yeah?

True, I hadn't thought about that. Ansom is a brilliant strategist and a good diplomat, no doubt about that. He basically was the Coalition, after all. So aye, I agree, Ansom is Peter.

So who is Wanda, then? Mazer Rackham?

[Ragn Charran]

So who is Wanda, then? Mazer Rackham?

Heh, this is where the parallels start to fade. I don't see as good a fit for those characters.

But if I had to?

Wanda is the colonel. Forget his name, but the guy who ran Battle School (I want to say Emerson, but that's Robotech ). The one pushing Parson, forcing him to become what is needed to win the war, through whatever means necessary. Of course, the Colonel had the greater good in mind and faces guilt for his decision, whereas Wanda seems to be oblivious to the pain and death she has and will continue to cause for her own gain.

As for Mazer, that would have to be Charlie. Someone else who understands the big game, the limitations holding everyone else back, and that the mind is the greatest weapon of all. Of course, we haven't seen true out-of-the-box thinking from Charlie, that's where this parallel fails.