Tea or fighting? Clearly the solution is tea while fighting!
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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
- Location
- oregon, usa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
My point was that we could reasonably expect any Art or Technique used in a challenge to be a known factor to the person we challenge next. Expecting all the other Inner Sect members to be in Ling Qi levels of closed door work is unreasonable, and given the perks of higher ranks there is significant incentive to keep track of threats and targets. Further, it is completely unreasonable to expect the loser to have no insights onto the winner's abilities. Anything Ling Qi used in the tournament against Sun Liling and Ji Rong, it can safely be assumed is readily available information to any interested parties.
I did kinda say that infosec was a lost cause, because in general, it is. Certainly, if we had more time to build Ling Qi's abilities without the imminent need to climb the ranks quickly, we might be able to pursue a strategy of concealing abilities (I would certainly like to, given Ling Qi's current occupation and task set of doing sneaky things for Renxiang, but I do not think we can). As it stands, new tricks and cultivation levels reached are going to be used very rapidly in successive challenges. The attendant, if not meteoric, rise through the ranks is going to play merry hell with our ability skate under people's notice.
I will grant that the possibility that people might just not look into their opposition had not crossed my mind, when I made the post that started this train of discussion. It is possible, but until otherwise informed, I would rather not place high odds on that happening. All of which aside, it should be apparent that any infosec, if possible (with the current requirement to rise through the ranks having the necessities that I expect it has), is a product of the disinterest of the Inner Sect's members to a far greater degree than it is a product of stealth tactics and concealment Arts/medicines.
Measures could be taken to reduce the spread of information up to a point, but I believe that from where Ling Qi is presently those measures will take time to maintain and set up, which could better be employed on other tasks. If Cai Shenhua's task proves significantly more easily or more rapidly completed than I am expecting, I am willing to revise my position significantly.
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- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
I wonder if this is the handmaid she has been assigned.
Are skills normally harder to train than attributes? It seems kinda strange that one would be less efficient at taking omake successes than the other. Is the idea just that attributes need to be "earned" in story, because it is a lot harder to handwave their improvement away as the result of inspiration or the like?
I was under the impression that the Xiao clan was a separate clan rather then lesser cousins of the Bai?
- Location
- The Core
I do think you have a point, given that we aim to progress quickly, the fame will make surprises harder. Perhaps we should have a chat with Cai Renxiang or Bai Meizhen about this, and counterstrategy - perhaps taking some control over the rumor mill through Gu Clan and generally trading favours, to spread some misinformation... there are other ways to play the intelligence game, after all.
- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
My understanding is that the Xiao are a subclan of the Bai.
Mmm, it makes sense. There's only a few stats, and so they apply quite broadly. There are a lot more skills and they tend to be more specific. Similarly, skill learning could be expected to benefit more from us being higher cultivation.
Basically, don't put points in attributes unless you have a good reason, push for cultivating it IC instead.
[X] would suggest that they have a spar after their talk
I'm pretty fine with tea, but I'm curious to see what Renxiang actually looks like in peer combat. We've only really seen her described when we were far under her.
I'm pretty fine with tea, but I'm curious to see what Renxiang actually looks like in peer combat. We've only really seen her described when we were far under her.
- Location
- Third planet from the star named Sol
- Pronouns
- He/They
[X] would suggest that they have a spar after their talk
We can take her!
[X] talk tea over a cup of the stuff, Cai Renxiang seemed to think it was important.
Tea appears to be one of the precious few things that Cai Renxiang enjoys for its own sake. The other appears to be law.
I think I know what Ling Qi would prefer to talk about.
Needlework is.....eh, I feel like that has the potential to move onto us butting in on her and Meizhan's embroidery sessions, which is just no.
Sparring is decent, but the goal of this is to relax her, not punch her in the face.
Tea appears to be one of the precious few things that Cai Renxiang enjoys for its own sake. The other appears to be law.
I think I know what Ling Qi would prefer to talk about.
Needlework is.....eh, I feel like that has the potential to move onto us butting in on her and Meizhan's embroidery sessions, which is just no.
Sparring is decent, but the goal of this is to relax her, not punch her in the face.
- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
[X] talk tea over a cup of the stuff, Cai Renxiang seemed to think it was important.
Is it finally here? Best Snek is getting her Ninja Maid?! Oh boy she is gonn HATE us and it will own! The disapproving half frowns as she Alfred Pennyworth snarks at us will be glorious.
Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
We have a few good reason to do so though. Without doing so the odds of getting Dex S before the tournament are fairly slim, for example, depending on events or special bonus. Even worse if we want Manip S.
Some skills do need a lot of help too though, so...
Time and resource differentials make up for any of the results of that to the point of making it a moot point. The above 500 range is the one filled with the lifers and the individuals who are less talented than Ling Qi but also have their eye on upward advancement. Either way, they'll have had the time to train up their sideboards, and likely have the motivation to take measures to cover any potential weaknesses meaning that there is a value to them investing in obtaining the information necessary to develop their versatility properly.
Information Security is, as a matter of fact, literally the one of the only relevant games in town. As indicated by Bao Qingling directly, and the canonicity of my Zhiqiang Omakes indirectly.
So no, it's not a lost cause, or else huge swathes of the Inner Sect are wasting their time on something completely pointless including legitimately competent individuals with an eye towards upward advancement.
Like I said, both your assertions and George's are ridiculous.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
People find all sorts of good reasons to do nothing and avoid risks. I expect many people keep preparing before challenging always wanting one more edge.
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Nothing you've said rebuts my point (quoted below) in the slightest and these insults are making you look like a petulant child who can't handle actually digging into the details.
Precisely.
Information informs preparation. Which makes intel one of the most valuable commodities in this part of the Inner Sect outside of cultivation aids, as that is one of the factors that can help determine your ability to get more resources from the Sect itself. Or whether you lose them to a challenger.
For example, not a lot of people bothered to actually show up the earlier rounds of the Outer Sect tournament before the semifinals, so things like the Quarterfinalists arts kit would be unknown, especially for people in the 800's range who are potentially at risk to challenges from them.
Others might want to get the deets on the Production side Disciples, or wonder what to expect from Xuan Shi should he make a challenge to break past 799. Or say there's a particularly aggressive Inner Sect disciple making a play for getting into the higher ranks after revealing that they have a much higher level of cultivation than previously assumed, someone will want to know if they ought to be preparing themselves for a challenge from them.
Or hell, there's nothing saying that a challenge has to take place immediately after it's issued. Knowing what to expect from the person gunning for your spot is what anyone would want going into a match with a potential peer cultivator.
And I pointed out that gossipmongering is a known phenomenon in the Inner Sect between Yanmei and Zhiqiang.
lmao
I'll keep saying it: You're being ridiculous. And now you're adding petulance yourself on top of it. Physician, heal thyself
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Shinr
Lurking since December '98
I wonder how Yrs will manage 900+ Inner Sect Members.
I assume that outside of the people we already know, the top 10, milestone members (Every 50/100 ranks), the "Target Ranks" of upper 500s and our immediate neighbors they might as well not exist until given attention. Plus I think a lot of Production crowd will be skipped over unless Suyin is involved.
And even then I expect that in interest of saving time some of them will be characters adapted from other franchises, similar to the Cais being not!Kiryuins. (And now I imagining totally Not!Geese Howard slamming fools left and right)
I assume that outside of the people we already know, the top 10, milestone members (Every 50/100 ranks), the "Target Ranks" of upper 500s and our immediate neighbors they might as well not exist until given attention. Plus I think a lot of Production crowd will be skipped over unless Suyin is involved.
And even then I expect that in interest of saving time some of them will be characters adapted from other franchises, similar to the Cais being not!Kiryuins. (And now I imagining totally Not!Geese Howard slamming fools left and right)
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Gossipmongering and detailed accounts are entirely different. Whether people know 'she's in Green 5' versus 'these are her Derived Attributes and a detailed description of of each technique she used in the last 3 challenges' are completely unrelated and give distinctly different incentives for how much we should invest in subterfuge. The first means that some investment is valuable while the latter would mean that it's either a total lockdown or we might as well not bother.And I pointed out that gossipmongering is a known phenomenon in the Inner Sect between Yanmei and Zhiqiang.
lmao
I'll keep saying it: You're being ridiculous. And now you're adding petulance yourself on top of it. Physician, heal thyself
This is a simple and reasonable point; I don't know how you're failing to comprehend it.
DeAnno
Sometimes words have two meanings
I'd imagine that when we go looking for challenges we won't get a list of all 100 people vaguely in range, but a much trimmed down list of the people LQ and CRX think are best targets from the start. A lot of the extra NPCs can be abstracted out of focus that way.
- Location
- oregon, usa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The problems with hiding your abilities and advancing the ranks is that in order to do both at the same time, you must have sufficient edge on your opposition to win with less than your full capacities. If it turns out that the Inner Sect is weaker than Ling Qi to a sufficient degree for concealing the full extent of her abilities is practical and manageable, then I will revise my opinion.
The specific point I have regards what is used against a challenger or a challenge target, and what the opponent then does with the knowledge gained from the fight. If Ling Qi can win without revealing the full extent of her abilities, then by all means she should.
It is your belief that Inner Sect Disciples are interested in the subject of information about the competition and generally have the time pursue that interest (to a productively problematic degree for Ling Qi). This particular belief is one that I share. I however do not believe that Ling Qi will be able to maintain advancement in rank through challenge victories without using her full extent of cultivation level and other abilities during challenges (certainly not while under the time constraints of Shenhua's orders*).
If it looks like the 'rising through the ranks' mission will go more easily than I am currently expecting, I did say that I would revise my position.
*orders, I will note, that none of the other persons we have confirmation are using concealing techniques/tactics, have hanging over their heads
No, they're not mutually exclusive. Nor are they guaranteed to be accurate.
And a lack of accuracy for any reason is part and parcel of the information dealing business. It's a problem, and why reliability and verification are highly prized. Plenty of people can exaggerate stories or outright lie in retellings for the sake of conveying intended meanings or impressions to their audience. There's a difference between hearing something on the grapevine and reading it out of a detailed dossier.
But in order for there to be a grapevine to hear stuff off of, someone needs to make said grapevine in the first place.
Now you're just moving goalposts, lol