Book 2 – Page 96

[noname_hero]

I just noticed one game mechanics-related detail - most of Jetstone's infantry seem to be *jumping* into the courtyard. Anyone remeber whether the fall damage mechanics applies to *all* falls or only to transitions from airspace to the ground?

edit: I looked it up and no, fall mechanics are not limited to crossing zone boundaries. Getting knocked off a wall counts as a Fall. Would be interesting if one the reasons the attack (possibly) fails is that too many basic infantry lose some hit points jumping into the courtyard, especially considering how Parson used the fall mechanics a few in-game moments ago

[teratorn]

I see «Wanda,» but where are Jack and Sizemore? Everyone is concentrating so much on Parson that a bit of foolamancy should have been possible.

[Werebiscuit]

I just noticed one game mechanics-related detail - most of Jetstone's infantry seem to be *jumping* into the courtyard. Anyone remeber whether the fall damage mechanics applies to *all* falls or only to transitions from airspace to the ground?

edit: I looked it up and no, fall mechanics are not limited to crossing zone boundaries. Getting knocked off a wall counts as a Fall. Would be interesting if one the reasons the attack (possibly) fails is that too many basic infantry lose some hit points jumping into the courtyard, especially considering how Parson used the fall mechanics a few in-game moments ago

I'd be surprised if every "jump" incurred a "fall" otherwise the tankeroo that carried Tramennis into spacerock or the one that is carring Jetstone troops in panels 4 & 5 of the current comic would an inefficient means of transport as it would be dead or incapacitated before the end of it's journey. There must be some hidden parameters to incur the fall mechanic

[bladestorm]

Aaaand, there go my quatloo.

[noname_hero]

I'd be surprised if every "jump" incurred a "fall" otherwise the tankeroo that carried Tramennis into spacerock or the one that is carring Jetstone troops in panels 4 & 5 of the current comic would an inefficient means of transport as it would be dead or incapacitated before the end of it's journey. There must be some hidden parameters to incur the fall mechanic

Well, the tankeroo is using movement, and it is beginning its jumps at about the same height it ends at. The Jetstone units are crossing zone boundaries and their jumps end lower than they began.

And I'm not suggesting we should be seeing lots of croaking Jetstone units. But the wall seems to be about as high as the guys are or higher and they're running in a crowd and wearing full battle rattle. We could be seeing a few hitpoints missing, the equivalent of sprained ankles, people falling one on top of another and so on. Maybe it is my personal experience talking and I'm forgetting this is not stupidworld but still...

[drachefly]

Climbing down off a wall when the method includes jumping seems like a very different thing than a fall. They all land on their feet, for instance.

[noname_hero]

Climbing down off a wall when the method includes jumping seems like a very different thing than a fall. They all land on their feet, for instance.

I know, I know... But they are not carefully climbing down a wall. They are a rushing crowd. And have you ever tried something like that jump wearing armor, helmet, spear, shield...? I have and it is not a 100% safe thing, not under the conditions they're under.

And remember Parson's notes. A three foot fall can kill you, even if you carefully step down from a hovering mount. This is Erfworld, after all.

edit: I have to stop posting today, I'm both talkative an cyslexid

[YRM_DM]

I see why this art is taking forever, there's just too many detail oriented scenes, again and again and again.

I mean it's nice that we're seeing all these varying perspectives on a partially destroyed castle, it's really quite impressive creatively. She's got a good sense of space and scale, and how to present it. But it will be better once this campaign is finally over, and we get back to casual discussions and small scenes.

It's always really tough to illustrate and color scenes with lots of buildings and forces and destruction. A wall is a wall, but a destroyed wall has bricks jutting out, rubble, broken beams, and worse. The artwork is absolutely fantastic but there's no doubt why it's taking so long.

As to the... what's it been? 38 months real world time? That Parson has been talking about going through the portal. Obviously I think that's stretching it too much but some don't.

Good writing and adding tension requires throwing more and more justified chaos at the protagonist. Bad luck at the wrong time, a surprising foe, a betrayal, another twist and turn obstacle to overcome.

The depth of the characters is fantastic and Parson has some amazing obstacles to overcome.

I just hope it's worth it. There's an awful lot of the opposite of deus ex machina going on in this comic where a hero is just about to succeed and an antagonist just happens to step in to throw a wrench in at exactly the right moment.

Again, it's like when a DM has a story in mind, and his players come up with a great plan to thwart the story, so the DM decides that his story is more important than his players enjoyment, and purposely alters the rules to cause the perfectly viable plans of the players to fail.

Or it's like when, on a syndicated series on a regular channel... like, say, The Mentalist. The cop team on The Mentalist solves a new crime every week with amazing ease thanks to amazing cold-reading abilities and people skills of the lead character. But for 10 years, they haven't made any solid progress at all on catching the serial killer that killed the protagonists family. The serial killer can hack police computers, has endless followers in the police and FBI and government, lots of money, blindingly intelligent, and a con man of the highest degree.

But all those traits haven't served what-so-ever to widen the man hunt or expand the search? How many rich, political, high ranking, cults of personality with killer followers are there in a given state that after 10 years, the best crime solving group to ever exist has no solid group of suspects that's been named?

---

Or, on LOST... you could see that they did a great job of challenging the protagonists, building mystery, etc. But the SOLUTION at the end of the mystery was garbage, and took a hundred years to reach.

---

So I'm hoping and trusting that Rob has a very cool plan for Parson and Charlie and ErfWorld. Even if some folks predict it accurately at some point. And I hope that the endless obstacles are tempered with enough reveals to limit the frustration along the way.

And finally, given the above two things, I hope Rob and Xin make a million dollars and syndicate a video game or TV series or animated movie or some amazing new level of carrying this story to the masses.

My hopes and fears about this comic are rooted in it's high, high potential, and hoping it becomes a finished work with a beginning and end that is an all time classic, not dislike.

[effataigus]

As to the... what's it been? 38 months real world time? That Parson has been talking about going through the portal. Obviously I think that's stretching it too much but some don't.

Real time aside, it was a lot of build-up of tension for it to be solved by a "wait, nevermind." I'm guessing Jojo's speech won't convince everyone.

I wouldn't be surprised if both Parson and the other carnymancers believe that Jefti's just been "suggestion-ed."

[Aquillion]

Isn't the obvious change in Jojo's position a pretty strong indication that there's something wrong? It could be some sort of bluff, and it'd be reasonable for Parson to expect a bluff from a carnymancer, but Jojo's sudden willingness to see Parson go through the portal should be evidence enough to Parson that there's some ulterior motive. I forget; has Parson voiced any suspicion that Jojo's thrown in with his known enemies?

If he believes that Jojo is a rogue agent, acting of his own volition, then there's almost no way to account for his recent change of tune. But if Parson suspects that Jojo is somehow conspiring with one of his enemies, then this change of tune would indicate that it's not in fact very wise for Parson to proceed. If it is indeed what Jojo wants, it might be very bad indeed for Parson, and he should realize that.

The problem is, we know Parson goes through the portal. Multiple predictimancers have predicted it.

I see «Wanda,» but where are Jack and Sizemore? Everyone is concentrating so much on Parson that a bit of foolamancy should have been possible.

Unless he was lying earlier, Jack is out of juice. He used the last of it to get Wanda and himself to Parson (I still don't understand why.)

[0beron]

I sense a dance fight coming soon.

I don't think this update suggests that JoJo is working for anyone other than Charlie. He's arguing for letting Parson through....after that decision has already been made. So what he is *actually* doing is stalling for time, to make sure Parson goes through at exactly the right point. If he lets Parson in too soon, he might have time to survey the situation and retreat before Fakely makes it to the throne.

[(name here)]

I believe that Charlie wants to bait Parson into Jetstone, cut off his retreat, and kill him. JoJo is suddenly arguing for him to go through at precisely the moment when it's too late for him to really change the battleplan.

[Morni]

I believe that Charlie wants to bait Parson into Jetstone, cut off his retreat, and kill him. JoJo is suddenly arguing for him to go through at precisely the moment when it's too late for him to really change the battleplan.

I can see it. Parson charges for the portal... and the portal closes in his face because the capital changed.

I beleive this is an unknown, are the portal location base on sites, or on sides? aka would switching capital from site a to site b.. change the portal location.

[vrellum]

I know Sylvia has dodged death many times, but I can hope that one of those big boulders finds its mark and flattens her.

[Oberon]

There must be some hidden parameters to incur the fall mechanic

It is as you said: A jump is not a fall. So long as it does not cross a zone, it is a controlled motion without danger.

I beleive this is an unknown, are the portal location base on sites, or on sides? aka would switching capital from site a to site b.. change the portal location.

That's a good question, and one which would make sense of the otherwise nonsense maneuverings around the capitol change. If the portal doesn't move when the portal room in the capitol changes, then who cares when Parson goes through? He'll either be the sole GK unit in the new JS capitol, and either captured or killed in short order by the portal chamber guards, or he'll be in Spacerock where Charlie seems to have concocted some scheme with the soon to be dead Slately clone to kill Parson. So, where's the drama? In either case Parson is seemingly screwed.

But if the MK portal location changes with a change in capitol portal rooms, then that makes a bit of sense as it'd be a warning to Parson that he'd be heading into the wrong city.

[name lips]

It would be utterly fascinating if Slately moved the capital back to Jetstone just as Parson leapt at the portal, and he emerged in Jetstone instead of Spacerock.

[Tathar]

Wow, Jeftichew's flip-flopping really doesn't sound sincere. I doubt anyone within earshot is buying it.

[sheepfly]

This is a small thing, but the text bubble in the third panel appears to be coming from the wrong dwagon rider, unless someone other than Sylvia is saying, "Now." Based on the other panels, Sylvia is on the red dwagon second from the right, from Slately's perspective.

Also--good to see that there's still a living yellow dwagon on GK's side. Anything that can fight and fall and be decrypted to fight again for GK could be critical in the next few minutes of battle.

Solid update.

[joosy]

I know Sylvia has dodged death many times, but I can hope that one of those big boulders finds its mark and flattens her.

THANK YOU!

[noname_hero]

There must be some hidden parameters to incur the fall mechanic

It is as you said: A jump is not a fall. So long as it does not cross a zone, it is a controlled motion without danger.

Allow me to quote from Parson's situation room notes:

You can croak from a three foot fall.
So if you get dismounted, it's a fall. Knocked off a tower or a wall? Fall. Your flying mount is shot out from under you? Fall.

Crossing zones is obviously not the only case where fall mechanics come into play. Oh, and do I have to remind you that the Jetstones are in fact crossing zones, even though this fact is not really important?