Book 2 – Text Updates 055

[Archameades]

Is Mary the archer that Cubbins gives up his unipegataur for? Or will there be a depressing text update where she watches some other lucky archer get saved just before she dies falling off the tower?

I loved it!

Since Mary doesn't mention being redeployed to the tower after the attack starts. I don't see how she would have moved off the walls in time. I suspect that this will be a page to possibly show a contrast to life before and then after decryption as Wrigley was. If true, I can't wait!

[Ilari]

The problem with a reference-heavy work like Erfworld is that when you encounter an unfamiliar name, it can be difficult to tell whether it's unfamiliar because it's original or because you're not getting the joke.

I couldn't find anything on Google, so I'm guessing the names for Mary's unit were simply chosen to be as generic as possible. Her stack name is just a unit class and a number. Everyone in it has very short, simple names that rhyme, except for Rudolfo. It's the sort of thing you'd get if you were pulled away from something important and forced to think up a bunch of names before you could get back to it. Nobody cared about these guys. They didn't even care enough to name the last guy Barry.

[BLANDCorporatio]

Poor Mary. Erfworld isn't big on ambition. I mean, a lowly garrison Archer getting ideas that she may one day be a warlord? Pheh. Next thing you know, she finds some rusty artifact in a cave somewhere and starts her own side around a new found ability to shoot hippiemancy rainbows, and one definitely can't have that.

[Beeskee]

Wonderful! We get to dust off the old names and start posting again!

I'm a bit disturbed by the complete lack of attention Jetstone payed to those archers. Meeting other people shouldn't have involved the word 'eventually'.

That's probably pretty standard for nonessential units. They are spawned where they need to be, and know their duty. Why would you need to interact with them?

I think it shows that Jetstone doesn't pay much attention to their units, or possibly even care for them all that much. Being greeted by their commanding warlord shouldn't be that difficult for even a large side to manage, but it was the "no training" that really showed us how Jetstone felt. If Jetstone had been on the ball, those units would have received training from day 1, and would probably have been higher level by this point.

(Heh, reminds me of Invader Zim. At least Zim got a "Welcome to life" greeting before being told to report for duty.)

[Vreejack]

One potato, two potato, three potato, four,
five potato, six potato, seven potato more.
Icha bacha, soda cracker,
Icha bacha boo.
Icha bacha, soda cracker, out goes you!

[Vreejack]

So what's up with all the references?
Mary Sagittari: "sagittarius" means "archer" ("armed with arrows and bow") in Latin. "Sagittarii" is plural for "sagittarius".
What about Sagittari CXIV? (CXIV is 114 written in Latin numbers.)

It's supposed to evoke the idea of Roman legions, which would be numbered in a similar fashion, but would sometimes be given names, like "Victrix". So it is the 114th regiment "Sagitarii"

What about Carrie, Terry, Jerry, Perry, Harry, Gary, and Rudolfo? Any significance in Gary being "the stern one"? Harry the jokester? Rudolfo the quiet one?
Swordsman/stabber named Dodge?

Did you miss the bit about Rudolfo have a shiny nose? A nose so bright that you would even say it glows? And did you notice that all the other archers wouldn't let him play their archery games? Neither did I; I just made that up.

Googling "Count Topotato" and "Topotato, and beyond!" reveals that both refer to the phrase "counting to potato" and Internet meme "to potato and beyond" that mock people with low intelligence.

You do not need to Google that. Count: One potato, two potato, three potato, four... Do you not remember being a small child? Now, try this:

One potato, two potato... and beyond!

Now do you see the humor?

[BLANDCorporatio]

You do not need to Google that. Count: One potato, two potato, three potato, four... Do you not remember being a small child? Now, try this:

One potato, two potato... and beyond!

Now do you see the humor?

No.

[Rhetto]

[BLANDCorporatio]

Still no.

[Morthe]

I was thinking about potato-tomato somatic hybrids which in german are called 'Tomoffel' (from 'Tomate'=tomato and 'Kartoffel'=potato), therefore 'topotato' or 'pomato'...
http://www.springerlink.com/content/x171141987443w00/?MUD=MP

and of course Buzz Lightyear's "To infinity and beyond"

[Lamech]

Wonderful! We get to dust off the old names and start posting again!

I'm a bit disturbed by the complete lack of attention Jetstone payed to those archers. Meeting other people shouldn't have involved the word 'eventually'.

That's probably pretty standard for nonessential units. They are spawned where they need to be, and know their duty. Why would you need to interact with them?

Give a few generic orders for starters for when the fan. Or the atrium ceiling as the case may be. They should probably have them be trained, if they have enough time for that inane court cwap they have enough time for a bit of training. Or even hand them a shovel and have them dig a moat around Jetstone, and increase defenses by a point. Start a small garden. I mean anything at all would be better than them sitting around on-turn. I think it shows both a disregard for their little guys AND a lack of discipline for resource management.

[Balerion]

Reading another example of infantry viewpoints, and combining it with the start of the prequel, I want to toss out a theory:
Upkeep is a constant cost that must be paid to keep a unit from returning to "0". The more upkeep a unit costs, the farther from 0 it is so it can be more defined. Notice that parson costs over 1k a turn; a high level archon might have been what, 400? This is why even if a unit is fed from other sources, it simply is at "minimum upkeep" instead of being a free unit. Something has to keep it from falling into nothingness, and that is the schmukers burned for its upkeep.

Because the basic infantry cost so little (especially garrison units) there is very little there; some basic impulses, rudimentary knowledge, and that's it.

[five-thirteen]

I'm a bit disturbed by the complete lack of attention Jetstone payed to those archers. Meeting other people shouldn't have involved the word 'eventually'.

Mismanagement makes sense. Slately's signamancy was lackluster until a few pages ago. I hope he makes it mostly because I'm curious if Erfworld is naturally adapting to Parson (more ruthless units, efficient leaders, etc.). Also interesting: Charlie hasn't switched sides. I can't tell if he's trying to push goblin knob forces back or just trying to get his archons (and the information they know) out of GK hands.

[Sixty]

This was a very pleasant surprise after several bad days for me. Loved the lengthy review leading up to getting back into the comic along with another view from the infantry's perspective.

[Muzzafar]

Did you miss the bit about Rudolfo have a shiny nose? A nose so bright that you would even say it glows? And did you notice that all the other archers wouldn't let him play their archery games? Neither did I; I just made that up.

Yes, I did miss the bit about Rudolfo having a shiny nose.
Where I come from, there is no Santa Claus riding a sleigh being drown by a pack of reindeer (one of which is called Rudolf). It is Grandfather Frost riding a sleigh being drown by a troika.
So albeit I am familiar with the whole "Santa reindeer sleigh" concept, I missed the "Rudolf with a shiny nose" part when I was a child. Different cultural background, you see.

You do not need to Google that. Count: One potato, two potato, three potato, four... Do you not remember being a small child?

We did not count to potato when I was a small child. We counted Eniki and Beniki who were eating "vareniki" (sweet dumplings with cottage cheese and cherries) or some other things.
That is why I need to Google that.

[Kreistor]

This one humanized the lesser Units a lot. The Stabber-spearman text entries dehumanized them, I thought.

Rules:
1. Basic units do have levels, not just Commanders.
I'm not sure if this has been included before, or we were just assuming it.

2. Unlead units with multiple target options can choose priorities, and aren't just attacking randomly.

Questions:
Do volley fire kills give exp to the entire stack, or just the unit that hit, or does the unit that hit get a bonus?

[Vreejack]

You do not need to Google that. Count: One potato, two potato, three potato, four... Do you not remember being a small child?

We did not count to potato when I was a small child. We counted Eniki and Beniki who were eating "vareniki" (sweet dumplings with cottage cheese and cherries) or some other things.
That is why I need to Google that.

Vareniki sounds really good. But where am I going to get kefir for the dough?

[Vreejack]

You do not need to Google that. Count: One potato, two potato, three potato, four... Do you not remember being a small child? Now, try this:

One potato, two potato... and beyond!

Now do you see the humor?

No.

So...

He can count "to potato," and is even smart enough to realize that there are numbers beyond that, a fact which absolutely amazes him (Oh the mysteries of the Universe!). One, two, and beyond...all tied together with the "I can count to potato" meme. It's hilarious! Except I had to explain it, so it isn't as funny anymore.

[Sixty]

I believe they had mentioned in Parson's stupid meals that they had so many of _____ units remaining and mentioned they were mostly low level or mid level etc so I think we had a pretty good reason to believe that all units had levels. If they didn't it would have created problems when stabbers get promoted to warlord like Stanley was.

[brendanmcguigan]

So what's up with all the references?
Mary Sagittari: "sagittarius" means "archer" ("armed with arrows and bow") in Latin. "Sagittarii" is plural for "sagittarius".
What about Sagittari CXIV? (CXIV is 114 written in Latin numbers.)
What about Carrie, Terry, Jerry, Perry, Harry, Gary, and Rudolfo? Any significance in Gary being "the stern one"? Harry the jokester? Rudolfo the quiet one?
Swordsman/stabber named Dodge?
Googling "Count Topotato" and "Topotato, and beyond!" reveals that both refer to the phrase "counting to potato" and Internet meme "to potato and beyond" that mock people with low intelligence. Anything else?
"Clotheshorses" probably refer to clothes rack while "Aquabats" may refer to The Aquabats.
Any ideas?

My first thought with her was that it was a reference to the so-called 'Death Star' - but it turns out that's WR 104, not WR 114. So I'm at a loss. The eight of them, though, would seem to represent the 'teapot' of Sagittarius, which is comprised of eight stars.