Shards of a Broken Sun [Deprecated; see link in final post for remake]

I'll admit, she's one of my favorite characters as well, but what do you in particular like about her?

Actually... this seems like a good time to ask, while I'm organising my notes. What do you guys like about the story? What do you dislike?
I like the cosmological model, and the style of thinking that leads to it. I also like Ami, and her struggle to save the world against immense (but no longer impossible) challenges.
 
I'll admit, she's one of my favorite characters as well, but what do you in particular like about her?

Actually... this seems like a good time to ask, while I'm organising my notes. What do you guys like about the story? What do you dislike?

The worldbuilding, and the hope that maybe things will get better.

And I actually like Exa as a character, he's just trying so hard, despite not being programmed for this shit though playing him up as an occasional interlude or head-advisor/obiwan is probably for the best.

(Mind you, a lot of this is because a lot of Exa's communication is from my write-ins. So I've got an affection for the little spark of divine might)
 
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I like the cosmological model, and the style of thinking that leads to it. I also like Ami, and her struggle to save the world against immense (but no longer impossible) challenges.

It's so cute to see how she bears the weight of the world* on her little shoulders!

*objects in phrase may be smaller than they appear
 
I'm not sure what your imagining here. A Presence Excellency and (optionally) Irresistible Salesmen Spirit shouldn't be detectable from the outside and can subvert Hotsuin just as easily as anyone else.
Oh boy. I just have to respond to this, even if it's a little delayed.

Mental influence. Even natural mental influence, even just best-there-ever-was levels of Presence instead of outright superhuman levels... would be spotted. Certainly, being good at this also means you can make it less obvious to the target; just as certainly, anyone who talks to the target (without you being there) can easily notice that something is up. That sort of skill gets noticed, and often gets you in the history books.

It isn't a complete OCP even in real life; most of us have had the experience of talking to someone who is better at arguing than you, and who's been able to address every flaw and convincingly argue that you should change your mind... despite their position being wrong, and you knowing it is, you just aren't quite able to explain how. Skill at argumentation is a separate thing from actually being right, a fact which I hope most people are aware of.

How much more important would that understanding be, then, in a world in which beings like Amu or Nyarlathotep exist?

=====

Some of you may be caught up to the Laundry Files. If you have, then you'll know what I mean when I say this: A socially-specced Solar is very similar to the Mandate.
 
Holy crap, I didn't realize there were three books after Rhesus Chart now. Nice.
I'm not sure "nice" is the appropriate word for CASE GREEN NIGHTMARE and GOD GAME INDIGO, but yes, there are books.

I'm sorely, sorely tempted to borrow elements from it. Only the fact that the cosmologies clash badly is really stopping me.
 
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If I recall correctly, you pointed out that Hotsuin would notice a large change in skill, and I wanted to have Dia buy another dot of Presence so we could cover it as a Chara thing. Though that might have been later.
That's correct.

One intriguing option would be to purchase a larger boost, but then not use it on Hotsuin. Well... he's a roadbump, but he's not actually a bad guy; he's the closest thing to a neutral-route patron you've got right now. I'll leave it to you guys to figure him out.
 
That's correct.

One intriguing option would be to purchase a larger boost, but then not use it on Hotsuin. Well... he's a roadbump, but he's not actually a bad guy; he's the closest thing to a neutral-route patron you've got right now. I'll leave it to you guys to figure him out.
I have come around to the "all the Bureaucracy" plan, which should get on his good side and is directly useful.
 
I'm not sure "nice" is the appropriate word for CASE GREEN NIGHTMARE and GOD GAME INDIGO, but yes, there are books.

I'm sorely, sorely tempted to borrow elements from it. Only the fact that the cosmologies clash badly is really stopping me.
It's more "I have books that I will probably enjoy to read"-nice than "good things will happen"-nice.

I can definitely empathize with wanting to use elements from the Laundry Files, though; it's a very interesting cosmology.

I have come around to the "all the Bureaucracy" plan, which should get on his good side and is directly useful.
Becoming an effective bureaucrat and a major boost to the bureaucracy would get us on many, many people's good sides while also giving us useful personal leverage.
 
I have come around to the "all the Bureaucracy" plan, which should get on his good side and is directly useful.
At least a couple in socialize as well. We have perfect plans from Lore, but we need both Bureaucracy and Socialize to ground them enough to be useful.

Granted the Bureaucracy Charms are the ones we're looking at to multiply our usefulness. Although the... boosting ones require us to have a symbolic leadership position in the orginization.
Literally drowning certain parties in paperwork also has it's appeal.
That one's a Water Caste DB Charm unfortunately. We can fuck their ability to organize anything six ways to sunday though. As long as it's an organization and we know their name anyway.
 
If you explain the situation, you'll end up racing against Hotsuin to be the first to destroy them.
Why? Wouldn't he just prefer to drop The List on us and then get ready to capitalize on their bureaucracy being utterly wrecked by us?

I get he's seeing us as a potential rival, but he's also pretty damn practical and pragmatic. Most of the time. The Dragon Line comes to mind.
 
Granted the Bureaucracy Charms are the ones we're looking at to multiply our usefulness. Although the... boosting ones require us to have a symbolic leadership position in the orginization.
Worse, actual leadership, at least for Bureau-Rectifying Method.

Literally drowning certain parties in paperwork also has it's appeal.
That one's a Water Caste DB Charm unfortunately. We can fuck their ability to organize anything six ways to sunday though. As long as it's an organization and we know their name anyway.
I don't think we can afford to go two whole charms out of our way just to fuck with the Easter corporation, though it shouldn't be too hard to deal with them with just accumulated institutional goodwill. A man like Utau's stepfather has to have committed at least a few provable crimes.
 
I was fairly sure the text specified it only needed to be a symbolic position of leadership. *Shrug* Wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong though. That always happens.
The exact wording is
This Charm supplements an organizational effort that the Solar leads—a dramatic action taken by a bureaucratic, mercantile or governmental organization.
and common sense suggests that superb organizational ability is of limited use as a merely symbolic leader. Servant-Rewarding Benevolence, however, only requires that we be officially recognized as having the authority to provide some benefit to the workers.
 
Why? Wouldn't he just prefer to drop The List on us and then get ready to capitalize on their bureaucracy being utterly wrecked by us?
Simple: IT'S PERSONAL, BABY!

Easter is ideologically intolerable to a degree that they would be first on The List. And given that said list include Polaris, Hikawa and Japanese Diet... and that Hotsuin kinda can't get rid of aforementioned three and it get's on his nerves...
 
The exact wording is

and common sense suggests that superb organizational ability is of limited use as a merely symbolic leader. Servant-Rewarding Benevolence, however, only requires that we be officially recognized as having the authority to provide some benefit to the workers.
You only have to lead the effort; your position within the organization is irrelevant. If we can prove that we can be useful in such a position (which can be done with just dots an an Excellency), then we can certainly get into a leading position for a project and start working some bigger magic.
 
You only have to lead the effort; your position within the organization is irrelevant. If we can prove that we can be useful in such a position (which can be done with just dots an an Excellency), then we can certainly get into a leading position for a project and start working some bigger magic.
Isn't Hotsuin's Competence Obsession fantastic? :V
 
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