Petals of Titanium -- My Life as a Mecha Setting Bridge Bunny Quest
- Thread starter Gazetteer
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well...
We're not dead yet. Sometimes, that's all you can ask for.
Let's ask for more.
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
We're not dead yet. Sometimes, that's all you can ask for.
Let's ask for more.
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
- Location
- Nova Scotia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Inserted tally
MacroDaemon
Lachrymose Lapis
[X] Gloriana's squad isn't overwhelmed before friendly mecha can arrive
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
Interesting vote distribution. It looks like, aside from the bandwagon vote, the other votes are relatively evenly split. The leading vote has a plurality but falls far short of a majority, with less than a third of the total.
I notice the two plans that enable the counteroffensive to succeed are lagging a bit. That's unfortunate, since IMO of the three "big picture" options I think a successful counteroffensive would provide the greatest benefit:
- It would be nice to prevent the Divine Navy fleet from coordinating, but Titan's defenders can still pull through without this. If, that is, the defending fleets are in a position to do so, which leads to...
- Helping the Outer Fleet avoid further losses would obviously be good, but the Outer Fleet can still achieve its objectives even if it takes a beating: the prompt isn't about whether the Outer Fleet will fail to reach its allies, only how much it hurts to do so.
- The choice for the Inner Fleet, on the other hand, is decisive: either the counteroffensive fails, or it succeeds. If it fails, then the primary shield between the Divine Navy and Titan's civilian infrastructure has just been weakened. But if it succeeds, then a strong counteroffensive will be Titan's best defense.
That's why I think the 4th and 5th plans in the last tally make the most sense: either double down on the big picture, combining a strong counteroffensive with a disorganized enemy for a rout, or save Lori's squad while ensuring the most critical element of the defense succeeds.
(In theory there's also a 6th plan, combining a successful Inner Fleet counteroffensive with fewer losses for the Outer Fleet, while allowing the Divine Navy fleet to regroup and sacrificing Lori's squad. That would setup an epic final clash. Interesting no one chose that.)
I want Lori to live, so I chose:
Tayta Malikai
200% Space Whale
- Location
- Australia
Nice update as always. I guess there's always more to lose.
Vote changed to the less chaotic option.
[X] Gloriana's squad isn't overwhelmed before friendly mecha can arrive
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
Vote changed to the less chaotic option.
[X] Gloriana's squad isn't overwhelmed before friendly mecha can arrive
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
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- Pronouns
- Him/He
[X] Gloriana's squad isn't overwhelmed before friendly mecha can arrive
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
In a way, if the enemy fleet loses coordination, it'll be much much harder to sound a retreat or withdraw, while if it stays a mess we would have to basically shoot down every ship. I don't know if we're anywhere close to finishing the battle, or if the coordination will regain later even if it stays disconnected now.
But I'd like to start taking the wins we can, and not bet everything on one big turn around later.
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
In a way, if the enemy fleet loses coordination, it'll be much much harder to sound a retreat or withdraw, while if it stays a mess we would have to basically shoot down every ship. I don't know if we're anywhere close to finishing the battle, or if the coordination will regain later even if it stays disconnected now.
But I'd like to start taking the wins we can, and not bet everything on one big turn around later.
- Location
- canada
My counter argument to all the Gloriana votes is this: Is a single mecha squad really worth sacrificing potential ways to actually win this lopsided battle, when they would inevitably die anyways at the end if the battle is lost? Why push to make a few character survive slightly longer if it seems like they can't even stay alive at the end?
Sacrifices were always a major part of this quest, and I thought that vote back then to retain the Menschy matter over saving Ito meant this quest valued overall strategic benefits to actually win, over sentimentality that can't win wars. In fact I expected people to make the hardest choices here at the end when the odds are at the worst, not sacrifice a potential ending with the MC actually winning and surviving over being able to keep the people close to her alive for a bit longer. before everyone is killed tragically.
Is it just me that thought winning this battle and war would've required taking hard choices that lead to victory, and not just pick whatever option people would've preferred to vote for to keep characters alive?
Sacrifices were always a major part of this quest, and I thought that vote back then to retain the Menschy matter over saving Ito meant this quest valued overall strategic benefits to actually win, over sentimentality that can't win wars. In fact I expected people to make the hardest choices here at the end when the odds are at the worst, not sacrifice a potential ending with the MC actually winning and surviving over being able to keep the people close to her alive for a bit longer. before everyone is killed tragically.
Is it just me that thought winning this battle and war would've required taking hard choices that lead to victory, and not just pick whatever option people would've preferred to vote for to keep characters alive?
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Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
[X] Gloriana's squad isn't overwhelmed before friendly mecha can arrive
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
Consider: Preserving the Outer Fleet's numbers, keeping the enemy off-balance - these are holding actions. They keep us in relatively healthy shape, but they also leave the enemy in good shape. Disorganised, perhaps, but not facing any decisive defeats.
The longer the enemy is in the fight, the more updates the battle takes. The more updates the battle takes, the more votes they get where we have to choose what goes wrong.
Take the hit to the Outer Fleet, we get a successful offense that does severe damage to the capacity of the enemy to keep hurting us in future votes.
More seriously, this story is very much in the style of mecha anime, and mecha anime are all about character drama. The whole point of mecha is to be heroes, to be people, writ large on a sci-fi scale. If this actually were a show, preserving Amani and Gloriana's relationship would be a central dramatic engine, and whether it lives or dies would be a powerful signal of whether the war was worth winning or not.
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
Consider: Preserving the Outer Fleet's numbers, keeping the enemy off-balance - these are holding actions. They keep us in relatively healthy shape, but they also leave the enemy in good shape. Disorganised, perhaps, but not facing any decisive defeats.
The longer the enemy is in the fight, the more updates the battle takes. The more updates the battle takes, the more votes they get where we have to choose what goes wrong.
Take the hit to the Outer Fleet, we get a successful offense that does severe damage to the capacity of the enemy to keep hurting us in future votes.
we do not bury our gays in this quest please and thank you.
More seriously, this story is very much in the style of mecha anime, and mecha anime are all about character drama. The whole point of mecha is to be heroes, to be people, writ large on a sci-fi scale. If this actually were a show, preserving Amani and Gloriana's relationship would be a central dramatic engine, and whether it lives or dies would be a powerful signal of whether the war was worth winning or not.
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cB557
voOOP
I didn't say anything because I didn't want to play chicken with this, but it's for this reason that I'm pretty sure that even if we don't vote for the squad not getting overwhelmed, Gloriana will probably still survive. I think she and Amani might be nearly safe for this fight.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Not sure if Gloriana squad gets overwhelmed necessarily equals to her death. At least I don't think it is
Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
It might not. But looking at the kind of votes Gazetteer runs, that's not a chance I'm prepared to take.
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Considering that the hanger bay got blown up, any damage to Gloriana's mechs is much more serious as well, since they have no support. They can't just retreat, they're basically flying solo until not just the other mechs, but other support ships can make room for them.
That makes me a lot more adverse to having her take damage or extra heat, since we may have just spent any lifelines she had with the last vote.
That makes me a lot more adverse to having her take damage or extra heat, since we may have just spent any lifelines she had with the last vote.
SirLagginton
Shadow Cabal Caerbannog Bun-Bun
- Location
- Arrrghhh
[X] The Inner Fleet's counteroffensive doesn't fail
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination
[X] The Divine Navy fleet doesn't entirely regain its coordination