Book 2 – Page 56

[Smoker]

This means that if GK want to protect themselves, they can either go after Faq and destroy the side that is openly attacking them, or they can go after TV and cut off Faq's funding then go after Faq. Since cutting off the funding after Faq has already built their army wouldn't really help, it only makes sense that GK would pursue Faq first.

Actually, the right tactical decision would be to take down banrupt and divided TV first. Like Charlie pointed out, you want to strike where your enemy is weakest first. If you can choose before destroying an enemy force or an enemy supply resource, the second is a much better target. Because then Jillian will be left in the cold whitout any choice to sustain her army but keep raiding, in wich case GK will be waiting for them.

That depends if GK are happy to take the losses from Faq, who will presumably continue to fight GK during the turns in takes for GK to wipe out TV. If Faq had not yet built an army, then I'd agree that going after their supply would kill two birds with one stone.

If it were me, I'd slam Faq first, and get them off my back. TV wont have enough time to build up a resistance, so there's no real danger there.

I mean, say it takes 2 turns to end either side.

You can attack TV first, and have Faq attack you for two turns.
Or you can attack Faq first, and have TV basically powerless to hurt you.

It buys TV time, (during which they hope that GK will fall,) before GK turn their attention on TV, at which point they need to consider accepting terms.

If all they could do is hope that GK falled by itself, then they should've consider accepting terms from the begginning, instead of giving even more reasons for GK to want to wipe them out.

Im not suggesting that Don expects GK to fall over a log and break its neck. I'm suggesting that Don is contributing his part to the RCCII, which he hopes will topple GK. Faq alone couldn't be expected to do it, but there's also FoxMUD, Sofa King, Hobbittm, Hyatt and whatever is left of Jetstone. Don's hoping that the combined effort of all these sides will be enough to remove the GK threat.

GK finding out that TV has been backing its established allies shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. It might make an alliance/surrender a bit harder to attain, but that's not their priority. Their two main priorities are:
1)Keeping people fighting GK
2)Keeping GK fighting people (who are not TV)

TV are not pretending they are neutral, they are just staying far enough back that there are better targets for GK to attack first.

But there were already other targets. GK was kinda busy stomping on the big arrogant royal sides. And once GK had crushed all major resistance, Charlie would be next on the list of things to do. TV could've just stood watching them bash each other and then allying with whoever won.

If you accept that TV want to fight GK one way or the other, then were it not for Faq being the proxy, TV would be one of those arrogant Royal sides.

You're not taking into account that TV wants GK to fall. Yeah its an option to let your long standing allies bite the dust then ally with the enemy, (or let your allies struggle to throw off a super power without your help, and expect them to remain your allies) but thats not the decision that was made. TV are staying true to their existing alliances and fighting GK with everything they can spare, they're just being sneaky about it. Considering that TV are (I believe) geographically closest of all the RCCII sides except Faq, I think thats a reasonable position for them to take.

Im not saying that withdrawing from the GK conflict altogether isn't a valid option, but since the decision was made to opt into that battle, using Jillian wasn't a terrible way of doing it.

Don was outright blinded and is now just stumbling and improvising. There was never another plan besides "Royalty will surely prevail!".

If that's your interpretation, that's fine (seriously). Personally I'd rather explore the possibility that Don is better than that. I could be wrong, but its still possible - that's all I'm saying.

[Atomic]

GK has already decrypted a unit that knows about the TV Faq connection Tv is not going to be able to come out of this squeeky clean if Faq goes down.

{HUGE SNIP} So without actually being given the pieces, I doubt Parson can put together the puzzle. {/HUGE SNIP}

And Jack decided not to share any of this with Parson because...?

I'm going to, very loosely, compare Don King's strategy for Transylvito to America in World War II... The Axis' Powers-That-Be (GK) knew America (TV) was part of the Allied forces, yet while America (TV) was content to support from afar, there was no real 'need' for the Axis (GK) deal with them. I know it's flawed; the Japanese Oil Embargo/Pearl Harbor, blah blah blah. It's an example; don't pick it apart. Just try to understand what I'm trying to say and work from there.

As far as the whole 'diminishing shmucker' point, I think Parson was (half-)lying to Charlie. Although there's an obvious cost for supporting so many thousands of troops, Gobwin Knob has the power to kill/Decrypt their own units. Parson would find that appalling/barbaric, of course...but if it even started to near the point where they'd start losing cities/the war/Parson himself being brutally sentenced to death for his heinous war-crimes, I think he'd take one for the team and start having units decrypted.

As is, though, I don't think Gobwin Knob has reached the point where such tactics are a necessity. I mean, geeze, they're fighting a conflict in the west (which we can guesstimate is roughly one quarter of the world) and the best strategic minds we've seen so far have only taken out one-and-a-half of the, what, dozen sides near by? If they're already reaching the point where they can no longer expand, then the Titans never intended for a side to emerge victorious.

Blarg. There's a lot of other stuff I'm missing, but I just really wanted to make a post before heading to bed... I've yet to cast my vote as to whether or not Don King is a moron. I'd like to think he isn't, but I'm seeing some compelling arguments on both sides. I'm just gonna wait and see on that one.

[Red Piker]

You still haven't been reading the same comic. GK wants allies. They need allies. They are at some kind of limited returns point where they simply cannot build their side much larger. (I won't pretend to understand this when the decrypted have zero upkeep, but this is what Parson said) They need allies or their momentum stalls. If GK was willing to ally with Jetstone (and they were), the architects of not one but two royal coalitions with the stated goal of the death of Stanley and the destruction of the GK side, then surely they can overlook some funds going from one member of the RCCII to another member of the RCCII, no matter what the reason. And that's assuming that reason ever comes to light, which I doubt it would or could.

Its highly possible that Parson was straight up lying or implying something deceptive. Charlie doesn't know that decrypted have no upkeep cost. Its possible on-lookers would conclude that GK had a "diminishing shmucker point" as the result of getting ruined cities and large numbers of units. Or that GK would be running up against the diminishing shmucker point when really there a few thousand units short of having that problem.

We also don't know how harsh it is. It may max out at a certain point. Say... when you have new cities get a 50% reduced income. Or something similar.

Probably what Parson means is the more allies they have the faster they can recoup losses, currently GK cities can either pop normal man units like pikers and archers, or dwagons by spending several turns. However if they're allied with some kind of neutral tribe those can pop units for GK on their own. Currently they only have a single hobgobwin tribe left and a few twoll tribes so each turn they can only pop about a dozen or so units. If their army suffers huge losses like it did at exposition bridge it will take them a few turns to get back to that strength even with decryption. Added, both Stanley and Parson seem to have agreed that it isn't a good thing for the majority of their army to be made up of decrypted units that are loyal only to Wanda. They want a sizeable force of twolls, hobgobwins, dwagons and normal men to keep them in check in the event of Wanda going completely mad.

My theory is TV, under Ceasar, will ally with GK. Ceasar sees GK as a threat but a meeting with Parson would likely make him see that they aren't evil or deranged. However Ceasar -HATES- Jillian and FAQ, it's not a stretch to see him ally with GK on the grounds that A. TV gets the FAQ cities, B. Ceasar gets to be in the main force that goes after Jillian. With the Fall of Jillian the main focus will most likely switch to Charlie who, while everyone was busy at each other's throats, has amassed a huge army of archons and strong armed sides and tribes to try and "correct" Erfworld. That will cue the dramatic return of Trammenis and his jetpack gun toting roman legions.

[kagato23]

{HUGE SNIP} So without actually being given the pieces, I doubt Parson can put together the puzzle. {/HUGE SNIP}

And Jack decided not to share any of this with Parson because...?

Atomic, I'm a bit confused here. How would Jack know? I agree that if anybody would be able to voice suspicions to Parson and help him see the unseen hand in things, Jack would be perfect. But he was a member of FAQ long before TV was involved. Now, I would put him down as the person that is second most likely to figure things out, but he's lacking the same information Parson is: just because he's near the people that could possible provide some of the pieces of my metaphorical puzzle doesn't mean that he has been given the relevant data.

The only way I could even see this start is if they found Don's bat, and started wondering what it was doing there. But I can't figure out what Jack would have to share right now. Other then "Warlord Lazarus is a rather rude woman." Which is too bad, cause she's obviously in awe of Parson and Scarlet X Parson is my OTP*

*No it's not. That's obviously Jack X Trem

[BLANDCorporatio]

Ahem. Slately X Stanley.

C'mon. You know you wanna.

[Swodaems]

Ahem. Slately X Stanley.

C'mon. You know you wanna.

MY MIND CAN NOT UNTHINK.

[Chit Rule Railroad]

If they're already reaching the point where they can no longer expand, then the Titans never intended for a side to emerge victorious.

...hence GK's declared goal of a world-wide alliance, which must be the other way to win.

[Swodaems]

If they're already reaching the point where they can no longer expand, then the Titans never intended for a side to emerge victorious.

...hence GK's declared goal of a world-wide alliance, which must be the other way to win.

Or Parson needs to do more research into money making gambits

[kagato23]

Ahem. Slately X Stanley.

C'mon. You know you wanna.

This is now my new OTP.

WHY CAN'T ALL OF YOU SEEEEEEE

[Catalyst]

Discussions get really crazy after the first few pages...

My two cents is that i think Don has more going on than we, Caesar, or anyone else knows about. My guess is he has more motives to keeping Slately's side alive than just good ol' "royal" values. Either Slately's side, or maybe even Tram in specific. I have no idea what it is, but i think Don has a plan, and everyone on his side thinks he is crazy because no one knows what it is. The fact that they have followed him this far shows they trust him, but unless he reveals more soon then the doubts will take their toll.

[Oberon]

I have no idea what it is, but i think Don has a plan, and everyone on his side thinks he is crazy because no one knows what it is. The fact that they have followed him this far shows they trust him, but unless he reveals more soon then the doubts will take their toll.

I find myself in complete agreement with this statement.