Thanks for confirming. Will the Arete come on 1st of August or a bit later?
A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- US
We might not even get any Arete at all, which is why it shouldn't be relied on. For all you know, the two Nameless patrons might have bought four commissions instead. (Which IMO, is more lasting value than currency in a temporarily running game, so I'd totally understand that.)
@Zampano here is your GPT shitpost
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The alternative occurs when We return from the Voyaging Realm and the ENCAMPM is another vote against GLaDOS. That would be such an impressive achievement that we would be entitled to an Apocryphal release.
The alternative occurs when the Voyaging Realm returns and the Azure Ring reigns supreme. The voters chose one type of power structure to operate within; Hunger managed to recruit a Primacy Fighter/Mage/Potentor with the Voyaging Realm, Connington defeated Armament and now Gisena is running a powerful Demiurgent/Imperial warlord, and Letrizia is in the process of reclaiming all of the Sovereignty. The thread chose the latter, too, but the distinction between the two options is somewhat epiphanic: on one hand, Letrizia and Hunger both value experience and diplomacy; on the other, Letrizia's experience is the lowliness of her job; in this scenario Hunger is more powerful and Connington has a higher probability of success (or even survival). However, Hunger insists that a society relies on a trusted third party, so the trust must be maintained if a power is to triumph. What Hunger fails to account for, however, is the asymmetry of trust or risk: the Accursed have taken over the domain of Hunger, delivering the Realm to the Accursed for the greater good. Their vassals have not fully replaced the blade, and the mages' absence can only hasten the inevitable; what counts as a secure blade /shield conflict is often much less important than the mages' blade level. What counts as a casual or even friendly sparring match is much more important than a game of ice floes or Quidditch, where mages share experience and tactics.
There is a third theme that interests me about Hunger's choices. He insisted that he does not have to pay for travel and abatement, that we do not have to pay for travel and accrual; instead, he spends his income on travel so that we can continue to accrue value with each loss. He promised to pay for our (((constant capacity + 1)) * Aeira's expenditure of time, but there is something about the contract that pretends that we pay for our own flight that gives us any other benefit. Also, I wonder how much travel really costs, considering the base contract reward.)).
OK, so we traded power for avariciousness. The vote here seems like it would apply the debuff to an unwise opponent (or even a player). But that would be wildly underwhelming for a tradeoff between utility and time spent with allies. If we traded power for avariciousness, would the debuff apply too early to avoid catastrophe when competing in a duel or war so selecting a time-spent on an enemy's #opinion helps a lot but foreshadows the outcome? Are we dealing with combatants or fleets? Are we dealing with raids, cruisers, detachments, or simply GANGS that we ignore or oversimplify as we rush to assemble an extended party of some kind?
The obvious choice is still excellent art, but I have to gush about the optics and poetry accompanying any Huntress death cobbled together with Hunger's help. We didn't make Geas ourselves, so we're in a position to make political trades. Spending 7 Arete on an enemy that technology suggests can be defeated could be a better start than the 2-2 offering from earlier in the game. Spending 1 Arete on a third party with no Huntress connection is unlikely to be able to overcome the +20s needed to Rank 3 Findross and Letrizia's quests. Giving Gisena a gun might be counter-productive, either; most Rank 3 Findross involve non-lethal combat; giving her an alternative to using on other Rank 3 Findross is counter-productive as well. Letrizia's powers might be powerful enough to handle Hunger, but they are not Gisena's or Gisena's powers; they are one another's powers. A fight is just a fight; there's no justification for putting an opponent's best interests first when Gisena's might to win might be the deciding factor in which order she hangs her hat."
(I think I've explained the entire experiment here; there is room for one or more changes, which would change the way we think about Gisena's True Vigor, so that she can make Political Negotiations instead of simply LPRs? We can avoid a decision here and still secure a kill, but there's more danger that a less-focused Decimator of Gisena would go on a rampage and cause as much as a one-hundred percent city-scale destruction.)
The alternative occurs when the Voyaging Realm returns and the Azure Ring reigns supreme. The voters chose one type of power structure to operate within; Hunger managed to recruit a Primacy Fighter/Mage/Potentor with the Voyaging Realm, Connington defeated Armament and now Gisena is running a powerful Demiurgent/Imperial warlord, and Letrizia is in the process of reclaiming all of the Sovereignty. The thread chose the latter, too, but the distinction between the two options is somewhat epiphanic: on one hand, Letrizia and Hunger both value experience and diplomacy; on the other, Letrizia's experience is the lowliness of her job; in this scenario Hunger is more powerful and Connington has a higher probability of success (or even survival). However, Hunger insists that a society relies on a trusted third party, so the trust must be maintained if a power is to triumph. What Hunger fails to account for, however, is the asymmetry of trust or risk: the Accursed have taken over the domain of Hunger, delivering the Realm to the Accursed for the greater good. Their vassals have not fully replaced the blade, and the mages' absence can only hasten the inevitable; what counts as a secure blade /shield conflict is often much less important than the mages' blade level. What counts as a casual or even friendly sparring match is much more important than a game of ice floes or Quidditch, where mages share experience and tactics.
There is a third theme that interests me about Hunger's choices. He insisted that he does not have to pay for travel and abatement, that we do not have to pay for travel and accrual; instead, he spends his income on travel so that we can continue to accrue value with each loss. He promised to pay for our (((constant capacity + 1)) * Aeira's expenditure of time, but there is something about the contract that pretends that we pay for our own flight that gives us any other benefit. Also, I wonder how much travel really costs, considering the base contract reward.)).
OK, so we traded power for avariciousness. The vote here seems like it would apply the debuff to an unwise opponent (or even a player). But that would be wildly underwhelming for a tradeoff between utility and time spent with allies. If we traded power for avariciousness, would the debuff apply too early to avoid catastrophe when competing in a duel or war so selecting a time-spent on an enemy's #opinion helps a lot but foreshadows the outcome? Are we dealing with combatants or fleets? Are we dealing with raids, cruisers, detachments, or simply GANGS that we ignore or oversimplify as we rush to assemble an extended party of some kind?
The obvious choice is still excellent art, but I have to gush about the optics and poetry accompanying any Huntress death cobbled together with Hunger's help. We didn't make Geas ourselves, so we're in a position to make political trades. Spending 7 Arete on an enemy that technology suggests can be defeated could be a better start than the 2-2 offering from earlier in the game. Spending 1 Arete on a third party with no Huntress connection is unlikely to be able to overcome the +20s needed to Rank 3 Findross and Letrizia's quests. Giving Gisena a gun might be counter-productive, either; most Rank 3 Findross involve non-lethal combat; giving her an alternative to using on other Rank 3 Findross is counter-productive as well. Letrizia's powers might be powerful enough to handle Hunger, but they are not Gisena's or Gisena's powers; they are one another's powers. A fight is just a fight; there's no justification for putting an opponent's best interests first when Gisena's might to win might be the deciding factor in which order she hangs her hat."
(I think I've explained the entire experiment here; there is room for one or more changes, which would change the way we think about Gisena's True Vigor, so that she can make Political Negotiations instead of simply LPRs? We can avoid a decision here and still secure a kill, but there's more danger that a less-focused Decimator of Gisena would go on a rampage and cause as much as a one-hundred percent city-scale destruction.)
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The Shadow is the only one who really qualifies as combat-relevant. The other combatants in the ring are mostly experts of the combat, and Hunger is by far the most proficient at using his offense. Given a choice between the Shadow and a baleful deity, the coalition would have to make a moral choice that distinguishes between the combatants. That's an interesting position to be in, because while the Azure Ring might be combat-relevant, the coalition was not. (Ariadne buckled their bonds and engaged a sword like a rocket-propelled explosion.)
The Azure Ring is the moral choice that counts a lot, and I support it. But I think the benefits of the second choice are pretty self-explanatory. There are some that might not be relevant in a combat context, and some that might be relevant in a foreign land, but these are the benefits that I can think of.
The moral choice here is more like what I was getting at in the previous section. The benefits of the second choice are more like what I expected from a 2-pick given a choice between competing for the Human Polities Handel sword and the Lunar Ring's powerful Praxis weapon. There are benefits, obviously, that I haven't explained in detail already, but the biggest one is that (1) we could attribute each pick to a particular ethic trait (like Fair Isle's or Aobaru's choosing) and (2) predict which picks will lead to big returns over time. This is a significant advantage over trying to attribute each pick to a single ethic trait.
Cue the Music. The music is telling us that the Pick is best when paired with (1) Army Plundering and (2) Agriculture's Lot. It's a Rings offensiveness that could be the defining feature of the Pick. There's a second power that we haven't unlocked yet that we could deploy on our enemies.
This is a power grab by the song, and I support it. But I'm not ready to move on.
This power is a little more subtle. There's an implicit threat setting for the Pick, but I haven't seen this described anywhere. It's a bit of a leap of faith for the Azure Ring to put a mortal through a grudge, given that they traded their Ring for power in this galaxy far, far away. (At least.)
It's a little more explicit about the underlying mechanics. The power allows Azure to be attacked. The Geas task allows Azure to be healed quickly. The list goes on.
I'll take any opportunity I can get at detail eliminatorized metaphorical flows. The Azure Ring has a lot of potential, and I'm eager to see what they come up with with a metaphorical flow that balances his power against hers.
One thing that I like, especially in light of the new Accursed power, is just how easy it is for a Hunger / Vile Sten passivity to set in. We've already seen the Azure Ring mitigate the damage done by Vigorflame by limiting its access to a few highly favored elements at a time. That said, there are a few elements that Hunger doesn't fully control, and a passive (but effective) curse would address that right away. (It's a little harder to square Hunger's attention to a single area when considering a full curse, though.)
In a world where RNG is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Hunger gazes out the window.
Hunger doesn't look at the ceiling and say "oh my god, this should've been a temple." He does an amazing job justifying his abilities to himself. I wonder if any of the other options we shot this evening - Apocryphal Curse, a passive +herbsic mitigation to a curse - would have the same effect as a fully crucified Lord Hunger moon walking through the temple. A beguiling lotus-coloured blurbsleeing "holy shit I don't need blood" is all that's left.
The idea of "holy shit I don't need blood" is really quite relatable. You guys are the greatest oafs on the planet. I hope I'm not being unfair about letting a tiny sliver of hatefulness inside of me.
At least you have an option to the side.
Hoof.
It's been noted already that the only real downside to using the Azure Ring as a blood-serpentsions specialist was that we'd be dealing with a total bloodbath. Now that we've got the hang of it, the big
The Azure Ring is the moral choice that counts a lot, and I support it. But I think the benefits of the second choice are pretty self-explanatory. There are some that might not be relevant in a combat context, and some that might be relevant in a foreign land, but these are the benefits that I can think of.
The moral choice here is more like what I was getting at in the previous section. The benefits of the second choice are more like what I expected from a 2-pick given a choice between competing for the Human Polities Handel sword and the Lunar Ring's powerful Praxis weapon. There are benefits, obviously, that I haven't explained in detail already, but the biggest one is that (1) we could attribute each pick to a particular ethic trait (like Fair Isle's or Aobaru's choosing) and (2) predict which picks will lead to big returns over time. This is a significant advantage over trying to attribute each pick to a single ethic trait.
Cue the Music. The music is telling us that the Pick is best when paired with (1) Army Plundering and (2) Agriculture's Lot. It's a Rings offensiveness that could be the defining feature of the Pick. There's a second power that we haven't unlocked yet that we could deploy on our enemies.
This is a power grab by the song, and I support it. But I'm not ready to move on.
This power is a little more subtle. There's an implicit threat setting for the Pick, but I haven't seen this described anywhere. It's a bit of a leap of faith for the Azure Ring to put a mortal through a grudge, given that they traded their Ring for power in this galaxy far, far away. (At least.)
It's a little more explicit about the underlying mechanics. The power allows Azure to be attacked. The Geas task allows Azure to be healed quickly. The list goes on.
I'll take any opportunity I can get at detail eliminatorized metaphorical flows. The Azure Ring has a lot of potential, and I'm eager to see what they come up with with a metaphorical flow that balances his power against hers.
One thing that I like, especially in light of the new Accursed power, is just how easy it is for a Hunger / Vile Sten passivity to set in. We've already seen the Azure Ring mitigate the damage done by Vigorflame by limiting its access to a few highly favored elements at a time. That said, there are a few elements that Hunger doesn't fully control, and a passive (but effective) curse would address that right away. (It's a little harder to square Hunger's attention to a single area when considering a full curse, though.)
In a world where RNG is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Culture is a big problem, and Hunger gazes out the window.
Hunger doesn't look at the ceiling and say "oh my god, this should've been a temple." He does an amazing job justifying his abilities to himself. I wonder if any of the other options we shot this evening - Apocryphal Curse, a passive +herbsic mitigation to a curse - would have the same effect as a fully crucified Lord Hunger moon walking through the temple. A beguiling lotus-coloured blurbsleeing "holy shit I don't need blood" is all that's left.
The idea of "holy shit I don't need blood" is really quite relatable. You guys are the greatest oafs on the planet. I hope I'm not being unfair about letting a tiny sliver of hatefulness inside of me.
At least you have an option to the side.
Hoof.
It's been noted already that the only real downside to using the Azure Ring as a blood-serpentsions specialist was that we'd be dealing with a total bloodbath. Now that we've got the hang of it, the big
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Hype about the anime bringing back Yui Mizuno to direct the piloting scenes of Aobaru's high school yearning is palpable. We've already seen Mizuno in action at work or at home fighting monsters, sparring with friends or classmates, and getting to visit his grandparents in rural Japan. We haven't even gotten to see his father, let alone see the smile on his face as he shares a meal of porridge with him. All the while, Mizuno is busy chasing after his father's business, which is using Mizuno's youth to infiltrate the government's counter-culture. The parallels between Mizuno's leadership role in an organization like the NSA or MI6 or whatever are enough to keep my blood running.
I like the way that Letrizia gets to visit her grandparents in rural Japan! They're not quite there yet, but they are growing close! They've been crushed under the weight of their own arrogance! These Are the lifestyle choices that make a person stand up and say, even when taken as a whole. These Are the lifestyle changes that make a person do better when taken in tandem with Hunger's support program.
This got me excited. First, second, and final is the opportunity for speculation! What are your personal picks for Best Action Role and what did they cost?
Aobaru is really the opposite of praise. He was so eager to curry favor with Gisena that he wasted no time in getting stronger and faster. He even got more hype for his slash technique than Gisena did! This is a teenager taking part in a party where teamwork is the rule. If he can get stronger and faster beasts his foes will rage train even faster.
There was not a moment of tension or drama as the fight broke out. It was a pure opportunity for speculation. What made this Kaiju special so much more than anything else is that it was made with the character in the majority of the chapter. It is a castration an option is not on the table.
I'd expect a reaction from Aobaru immediately after taking the plunge and saying he'll keep fighting. He was very public about his desire to remain a Naruto Gisena, and we should expect to get a full response in less time than before.
The Gisena options are good, but not exactly game breaking. We didn't have as good a time as we could use to pick a fight with Hunger in the Quarters and were a mere three votes away from declaring war.
Deed of Preeminence is a special mark left over from the contest of Primacy that gives Sovereignty to the Ruling Ring. It is implied that this special mark will be used to enhance our Knife!
These are the options we could buy if we run into a bad trade with Nightmare before the quest. We also want to make sure we have a backup plan if we are attacked again in the future.
Knife! This is the only option that we Avenger yet. We didn't give the other options that boosted chaos resistance, so we're stuck with blurb after blurb saying that we'll use this option to our full potential. We could try to hedge our return
I like the way that Letrizia gets to visit her grandparents in rural Japan! They're not quite there yet, but they are growing close! They've been crushed under the weight of their own arrogance! These Are the lifestyle choices that make a person stand up and say, even when taken as a whole. These Are the lifestyle changes that make a person do better when taken in tandem with Hunger's support program.
This got me excited. First, second, and final is the opportunity for speculation! What are your personal picks for Best Action Role and what did they cost?
Aobaru is really the opposite of praise. He was so eager to curry favor with Gisena that he wasted no time in getting stronger and faster. He even got more hype for his slash technique than Gisena did! This is a teenager taking part in a party where teamwork is the rule. If he can get stronger and faster beasts his foes will rage train even faster.
There was not a moment of tension or drama as the fight broke out. It was a pure opportunity for speculation. What made this Kaiju special so much more than anything else is that it was made with the character in the majority of the chapter. It is a castration an option is not on the table.
I'd expect a reaction from Aobaru immediately after taking the plunge and saying he'll keep fighting. He was very public about his desire to remain a Naruto Gisena, and we should expect to get a full response in less time than before.
The Gisena options are good, but not exactly game breaking. We didn't have as good a time as we could use to pick a fight with Hunger in the Quarters and were a mere three votes away from declaring war.
Deed of Preeminence is a special mark left over from the contest of Primacy that gives Sovereignty to the Ruling Ring. It is implied that this special mark will be used to enhance our Knife!
These are the options we could buy if we run into a bad trade with Nightmare before the quest. We also want to make sure we have a backup plan if we are attacked again in the future.
Knife! This is the only option that we Avenger yet. We didn't give the other options that boosted chaos resistance, so we're stuck with blurb after blurb saying that we'll use this option to our full potential. We could try to hedge our return
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If you're looking for a dramatic improvement to the combat system, Hunger has improved his Pleassblood by training it to the maximum level. This means that he's able to exact revenge for those who have wronged him. There are clear benefits to this route, however. The most obvious is a major boost to Gisena's growth as a citizen of the Human Polities. She's a politician, not a serial murder suspect. As such, she's probably got everything under the radar for the political post of "next best thing to hunting."
Hunger's Highness the Ring has also empowered himself with fame, power, and influence. That means that he can make every high society noble a Knight of the Righteous. This requires a strong friendship with the noble to commit, which might be difficult without the Business Cycle benefit of having so many Noble Houses in existence.
There are even benefits to having a high-tech society like the Republic's. It makes recruiting good Noble Houses easier as well.
So now we see blurbs from the Azure Ring. They are couched in a blurb that distinguishes the Azure Ring as a whole. This is a different story about how one's identity is defined by personal vendettas.
I like the characterization of Azure as a person who values respect and is free to pursue his or her own goals. That's good.
But this is a whole other discussion. How does the Azure identity relate to the identity of the NPC who gave it the "help"?
The Azure Ring has always seemed like a danger to Burkhard. The Ring is scary and wearers must be cautious. The danger is always there.
What a scary prospect. If we defeat the Azure Ring, we will all be scarier by the end of it.
I am reassured by the low chance of death, but I am not thrilled that there is any chance of death at all. (At least: it's a 4-in-1 for me.) The potential of the Azure Ring is still somewhat (but not gone). What I am troubled by is the way that this ability to extend the lifespan of NPCs is tied to a curse that delays death by a short Corpse Rot. I don't think this would be a problem if Azure was Really Bad and we set out on a quest to save Azure. Instead, we randomly encountered a Ring Armor, which size Medium Armor is a normal human's complement of hands. (It is not a ring.) The curse that made us vulnerable to death by Corpse Rot would probably not be a problem if we had a massively over-powered Armament, but Azure is not a regular Armament.
We did not invent the idea of an "armor" and, like us, have always needed one. Armor is a type of food that can be proced almost anywhere. Overkill is a must for any juggernaut.
The benefits of owning an armor are fairly well understood. Armor ownership changes the way that we think about technology, i.e. "Who does invent technology anyways?"
There are other uses for technology that Hunger doesn't discuss. for one, the practice of using technology to extend the life of technology rings that we slap on the ring's skin. Ring technology is a rare drop, so wearers who do not already own a technology ring with this ability will face a steep learning curve. Ring technology is often described as a ring of power/incantations that help make the ring smarter. Ring technology is sometimes described as a ring of hope/hopefully we'll get a ring with ++and- +and- +and-ands.
There are other rings with power/incantations, but none with as much potential as the Azure Ring.
The statistical progression of four rings with the same technology tree is a good way to identify potential. The statistical progression of four rings with the same ring type is also a good way to identify potential.
There's a meta- argument to be made here about the exponential growth of the technology tree. We have just purchased 4 rings. This is a huge increase in size while still maintaining the same basic ring type. The basic color coded drop is a massive boost to the look and feel of our 4 new 4-line collectibles.
Hunger's Highness the Ring has also empowered himself with fame, power, and influence. That means that he can make every high society noble a Knight of the Righteous. This requires a strong friendship with the noble to commit, which might be difficult without the Business Cycle benefit of having so many Noble Houses in existence.
There are even benefits to having a high-tech society like the Republic's. It makes recruiting good Noble Houses easier as well.
So now we see blurbs from the Azure Ring. They are couched in a blurb that distinguishes the Azure Ring as a whole. This is a different story about how one's identity is defined by personal vendettas.
I like the characterization of Azure as a person who values respect and is free to pursue his or her own goals. That's good.
But this is a whole other discussion. How does the Azure identity relate to the identity of the NPC who gave it the "help"?
The Azure Ring has always seemed like a danger to Burkhard. The Ring is scary and wearers must be cautious. The danger is always there.
What a scary prospect. If we defeat the Azure Ring, we will all be scarier by the end of it.
I am reassured by the low chance of death, but I am not thrilled that there is any chance of death at all. (At least: it's a 4-in-1 for me.) The potential of the Azure Ring is still somewhat (but not gone). What I am troubled by is the way that this ability to extend the lifespan of NPCs is tied to a curse that delays death by a short Corpse Rot. I don't think this would be a problem if Azure was Really Bad and we set out on a quest to save Azure. Instead, we randomly encountered a Ring Armor, which size Medium Armor is a normal human's complement of hands. (It is not a ring.) The curse that made us vulnerable to death by Corpse Rot would probably not be a problem if we had a massively over-powered Armament, but Azure is not a regular Armament.
We did not invent the idea of an "armor" and, like us, have always needed one. Armor is a type of food that can be proced almost anywhere. Overkill is a must for any juggernaut.
The benefits of owning an armor are fairly well understood. Armor ownership changes the way that we think about technology, i.e. "Who does invent technology anyways?"
There are other uses for technology that Hunger doesn't discuss. for one, the practice of using technology to extend the life of technology rings that we slap on the ring's skin. Ring technology is a rare drop, so wearers who do not already own a technology ring with this ability will face a steep learning curve. Ring technology is often described as a ring of power/incantations that help make the ring smarter. Ring technology is sometimes described as a ring of hope/hopefully we'll get a ring with ++and- +and- +and-ands.
There are other rings with power/incantations, but none with as much potential as the Azure Ring.
The statistical progression of four rings with the same technology tree is a good way to identify potential. The statistical progression of four rings with the same ring type is also a good way to identify potential.
There's a meta- argument to be made here about the exponential growth of the technology tree. We have just purchased 4 rings. This is a huge increase in size while still maintaining the same basic ring type. The basic color coded drop is a massive boost to the look and feel of our 4 new 4-line collectibles.
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There is a second reason that distinguishes this from the first: it is classified as science fiction! The government has already researched the causes of our solar flare, and it has found a substance that we can make use of. A different reason that distinguishes this from the previous generation is that the Foremost technology found only in our galaxy- home is basically the end-all solution to our current solar- flare.
It is telling that Hunger isn't named even once. He is named, basically, with time.
One thing that I like, narratively, is that Gisena would be able to apply her own spin on Hunger's ruse. Hunger often wavers in location between contemplation of Esoteric Knowledge and mere idleness of mind. We haven't mentioned any of the potential benefits to Gisena's work (well, except maybe knowledge gained through diligent practice of Time manipulation). This would suggest that her specialty is in "just doing their thing."
Another benefit of this option is that it addresses one of the concerns that some voters have with Time manipulation: the requirement that a single True Avenger be utilized by another True Avenger to exactly the same amount of effect as the last. This provides a much safer game than just Time repeating the same action over and over. It would allow Gisena to focus on specialized effects instead of simply making her own.
There are good points.
Arguments are good. Downloads are long. But overall a poorly written fantasy or science fiction novel should have: Time repeating the actions of a single True Avenger is generally safe, if not always safe, strategy.
More arguments tomorrow.
Here we see the combination of False Avenger and False Armor preventing a catastrophe. False Avenger is a shortened form of True Avenger which was inspired by the combat similiar to Call of the Wild. Armor is a short lived invention of the Ubbezi the Accursed.
We have seen the appeal, but not the power. False Armor is much more palatable, more accessible, and less intimidating.
The appeal remains an appeal, but the combat options have been reduced. A game that emphasizes positioning and pressure over substancelessness will never be safe.
As far as tactics, we have seen that the Realm can be Manipulated. Using the Ring as a gateway to other Rings can allow our rival to enter our brain and use our imagination in a variety of wondrous ways. Belt and Road can be considered Magic Items for our enemy.
We have seen the benefits, but the effects haven't been stated. Road and Belt are gatewayways to other Magic Items that we can buy later.
There are some benefits that can only be unlocked by owning a Race Ring. Magic Items with at least one Magic Suppression step (or more) from the start of the new Age are said to have unprotected sex. This is a form of intervention that would make Armaments' only competition with Race GIs. There are other Ring-affirming features that could make Ring combat more appealing: improved communication, tradeoffs made by the Age between Spending and Spending Passion, and more.
These are just some of the potential updates that could affect the way that decisions are made in the Realm. I am going to try to list some of the things that I think are potential gameplay benefits that Gisena could derive from using Time manipulation over a single Opalesence purchase.
One other thing that could potentially make a difference is the way that choices are laid out. This would allow for more flexible experimentation with time manipulation. Deciding what is "time-consuming" is a different story. Would you pay $20 for Time on the basic premise that it'll be convenient for us to spend an afternoon analyzing the interplay of time dilation and use of various Realms during a single week?
It is telling that Hunger isn't named even once. He is named, basically, with time.
One thing that I like, narratively, is that Gisena would be able to apply her own spin on Hunger's ruse. Hunger often wavers in location between contemplation of Esoteric Knowledge and mere idleness of mind. We haven't mentioned any of the potential benefits to Gisena's work (well, except maybe knowledge gained through diligent practice of Time manipulation). This would suggest that her specialty is in "just doing their thing."
Another benefit of this option is that it addresses one of the concerns that some voters have with Time manipulation: the requirement that a single True Avenger be utilized by another True Avenger to exactly the same amount of effect as the last. This provides a much safer game than just Time repeating the same action over and over. It would allow Gisena to focus on specialized effects instead of simply making her own.
There are good points.
Arguments are good. Downloads are long. But overall a poorly written fantasy or science fiction novel should have: Time repeating the actions of a single True Avenger is generally safe, if not always safe, strategy.
More arguments tomorrow.
Here we see the combination of False Avenger and False Armor preventing a catastrophe. False Avenger is a shortened form of True Avenger which was inspired by the combat similiar to Call of the Wild. Armor is a short lived invention of the Ubbezi the Accursed.
We have seen the appeal, but not the power. False Armor is much more palatable, more accessible, and less intimidating.
The appeal remains an appeal, but the combat options have been reduced. A game that emphasizes positioning and pressure over substancelessness will never be safe.
As far as tactics, we have seen that the Realm can be Manipulated. Using the Ring as a gateway to other Rings can allow our rival to enter our brain and use our imagination in a variety of wondrous ways. Belt and Road can be considered Magic Items for our enemy.
We have seen the benefits, but the effects haven't been stated. Road and Belt are gatewayways to other Magic Items that we can buy later.
There are some benefits that can only be unlocked by owning a Race Ring. Magic Items with at least one Magic Suppression step (or more) from the start of the new Age are said to have unprotected sex. This is a form of intervention that would make Armaments' only competition with Race GIs. There are other Ring-affirming features that could make Ring combat more appealing: improved communication, tradeoffs made by the Age between Spending and Spending Passion, and more.
These are just some of the potential updates that could affect the way that decisions are made in the Realm. I am going to try to list some of the things that I think are potential gameplay benefits that Gisena could derive from using Time manipulation over a single Opalesence purchase.
One other thing that could potentially make a difference is the way that choices are laid out. This would allow for more flexible experimentation with time manipulation. Deciding what is "time-consuming" is a different story. Would you pay $20 for Time on the basic premise that it'll be convenient for us to spend an afternoon analyzing the interplay of time dilation and use of various Realms during a single week?
Snippet
You are about to witness the triumphant return of the Philosopher's Wreath to the ring's ring chamber. We Are the the Not Dead people; this is a first come, first serve.
The discussion topic of discussion tomorrow. This is a rush hour detail, but I feel like I should say that my afternoon slump in self-delusion has been worth the wait.
It is with a heavy heart that I say I have decided to leave the write-in. I had the opportunity to sit down with Eiji Inafune at EFB to work through some schedule and then I realized I'd made it to the dinner table empty handed. Haha. Ergo: I'm going to try something different tonight.
It is with a heavy heart that I say I have decided to pull out all the stops and come back in a heartbeat. The schedule has brought with it a dramatically reduced amount of energy expenditure. I guess I'm letting my energy use Adam's Plaything take over my life expenditure so that I can get back to spending my time at the library.
But it isn't my intention to "cure" myself of some of the demands. The schedule does give me something to do in a few weeks where I'm ready to get back to spending my time at the library.
...than just relaxing and being able to think." -Marilyn Stanley-
An Evening of Active Traveling
is a very important purchase for me. Between Travel and Breeding I hope will be able to keep going with An Evening of Active Traveling.
Return to the Sovereignty is also a very appealing return for an item that was briefly yours.
Visiting the Moon once again feels like a pilgrimage to the edge of hell. What can we do about that? The option of staying in the Sovereignty means that we'll be able to visit the Moon again once we've reached Gondar. Getting back to the Sovereignty will also allow us to buy Sovereignty Moon Gains we haven't gotten in the previous update.
So now we just inked the F concept, and in search of a good story about a princess named Plerion, we sat down with Eiji to write a short while later. (The conversation was lightly edited for length.)
Being able to personally hold a phone is a great way to keep up with the pace of activity on the Sovereignty. We've been baited with the promise of "leading the charge in the fight against the Deception of the Ring." But what if the Sovereignty is really into Mystery Prizes and we don't have a ring to fall back on? What if the Mystery Ring is a threat that the players themselves cannot defeat? What if the Mystery Ring is a threat that the players themselves can control? Grabbing an Evening Sky opportunity will allow us to overcome some of the element of surprise a little bit. (It will not be as though we will be able to defeat the Deception Ring in a vacuum.)
As for what this Mystery Ring opportunity is all about, it is pretty straightforward. It is made by a high power fantasy/horror author and should be considered royalty free.
The "interesting times" are when the headlines are about blockbuster releases and the announcements are made in front of a packed theater. These are the times when you should expect to see a lot of the things that made Batman so popular back in the day.
Here's what I mean:
Basically, this option is about action & excitement. Action is great when you can take out a ranged enemy with little or no warning while your protagonist slashes and bites the panic button on a bomb shelter. Action is great when you can take out a squad of four or five people without much more danger than Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
There are so many different types of action & excitement levels
The discussion topic of discussion tomorrow. This is a rush hour detail, but I feel like I should say that my afternoon slump in self-delusion has been worth the wait.
It is with a heavy heart that I say I have decided to leave the write-in. I had the opportunity to sit down with Eiji Inafune at EFB to work through some schedule and then I realized I'd made it to the dinner table empty handed. Haha. Ergo: I'm going to try something different tonight.
It is with a heavy heart that I say I have decided to pull out all the stops and come back in a heartbeat. The schedule has brought with it a dramatically reduced amount of energy expenditure. I guess I'm letting my energy use Adam's Plaything take over my life expenditure so that I can get back to spending my time at the library.
But it isn't my intention to "cure" myself of some of the demands. The schedule does give me something to do in a few weeks where I'm ready to get back to spending my time at the library.
...than just relaxing and being able to think." -Marilyn Stanley-
An Evening of Active Traveling
is a very important purchase for me. Between Travel and Breeding I hope will be able to keep going with An Evening of Active Traveling.
Return to the Sovereignty is also a very appealing return for an item that was briefly yours.
Visiting the Moon once again feels like a pilgrimage to the edge of hell. What can we do about that? The option of staying in the Sovereignty means that we'll be able to visit the Moon again once we've reached Gondar. Getting back to the Sovereignty will also allow us to buy Sovereignty Moon Gains we haven't gotten in the previous update.
So now we just inked the F concept, and in search of a good story about a princess named Plerion, we sat down with Eiji to write a short while later. (The conversation was lightly edited for length.)
Being able to personally hold a phone is a great way to keep up with the pace of activity on the Sovereignty. We've been baited with the promise of "leading the charge in the fight against the Deception of the Ring." But what if the Sovereignty is really into Mystery Prizes and we don't have a ring to fall back on? What if the Mystery Ring is a threat that the players themselves cannot defeat? What if the Mystery Ring is a threat that the players themselves can control? Grabbing an Evening Sky opportunity will allow us to overcome some of the element of surprise a little bit. (It will not be as though we will be able to defeat the Deception Ring in a vacuum.)
As for what this Mystery Ring opportunity is all about, it is pretty straightforward. It is made by a high power fantasy/horror author and should be considered royalty free.
The "interesting times" are when the headlines are about blockbuster releases and the announcements are made in front of a packed theater. These are the times when you should expect to see a lot of the things that made Batman so popular back in the day.
Here's what I mean:
Basically, this option is about action & excitement. Action is great when you can take out a ranged enemy with little or no warning while your protagonist slashes and bites the panic button on a bomb shelter. Action is great when you can take out a squad of four or five people without much more danger than Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
There are so many different types of action & excitement levels
Snippet
Prototype Artifacts (Artifacts forged by the Azure Ring, Artifacts forged by the Vanishing Armament, Artifacts forged by the Vigor Itself, or Artifacts forged by the Ring)?
The Azure does not "make" any of the artifacts in its collection, it simply nullifies any & all pretense of first-hand knowledge of the Azure's rule. This is a substantive change in attitude towards outside powers, and a major improvement over the stale attitude of "Woah, that's Azure" all day. It is neat to see some personality traits emerge after spending some time with Letrizia. Letrizia is now free to pursue her own goals other than cooking. This is a modest but notable boost to her power and motivation.
Overall, I'm happy that the Prototype Artifacts have been chosen. Their low risk, medium risk (but certainly not zero-reward) model has been proved right; the risk is now relative to what we might get from obtaining the Prototype Ring. The opportunity to develop and maintain a second Prototype Ring is now much lessening.
One thing is for sure: the benefits of taking on the Azure Ring as an adult are great. Hunger can focus on improving his reading skills as he grows, while Buying in the meantime can help him avoid death traps that would otherwise ambush him.
The course of a game in which the risk/reward relationship is the deciding factor is a great way to drive home the point that combining effort into a proccing machine is a bad idea.
Tere are real benefits to having a combined effort/power reserve. Improving our ability to support one's primary weaponizer can also be a way to mitigate the knock against OP weapons getting in the way of the plot progression.
There are additional arguments for Buying in the background that I've seen made in other threads.
Argument #2: More Decimator Mining. This would incentivize more Decimators. Imagine how badly the population of a democracy-hit society would be if 10% of a city's population were being Decimated/Displaced automatically by the Decimator. The Cut Through crowd is probably furious that the government gave too much away for too low a price.
This would incentivize More Decimators, incentivizing more Decimators as the cycle continues. Eventually all the Decimators would be incentivized to Get More Decimators as the cycle continues.
Anyway, this has been a rant about why the +Progression is a major boon to the thread. It gives us an additional boost as we continue to research our Artifacts. We're already at the peak of our craft, honed over time to the point where we have the all-important +Artifacts.
(Liter: Oh my gosh that was fucking neat. It makes me think about how the +Artifacts might've been overpowered if not for Grabber's cloak...)
There are good reasons to want our Ring to be as strong as it is. It gives us more artifacts to craft gear on. It makes the crafting process much more efficient. It makes researching different crafting systems much more efficient. It prevents the government from purchasing so-so- large stockpiles of all the required ingredients as well.
I'm saying that all of these are reasons to be excited about the possibilities. But I'm not getting too far ahead of the hype here.
Argument #4: Giving Gisena an Armament with the Ring's Might and Utility is a Good Idea. The Ring has the Might of a Ring, and it has the Might of a Ring. Some people think that the Ring's strength is its ability to heal itself, and that its allies are weak against it. This is a fundamentally flawed argument. The strength of a friend comes from being able to rely on it. Weak allies have weaknesses, and Weak allies rely on you to do them. When we give the Armament this boost, we are giving its allies a purpose, too.
Argument #5: Giving the Ring a Weaponized Hammer is Like Giving the Knife to a Sharpie. It Is Not Like the Hammer Is The Gisena's Armor.
This is a lot of Hit Points, and it's been suggested that giving the Ring a weaponized version of Swordplay would be a lot more effective than giving the Armament a modified version of the Armament. This is a spinoff from the Gundam Affinities, where the Ring was primarily a fighting ring. The Ring's attacks were personalized for the type of playstyle that we wanted it to be good at.
Argument #6: Giving the Armament a new paint job than the old than the previous year would predict a repeat pattern. Over time, this would make the old red/blue look good while adding
The Azure does not "make" any of the artifacts in its collection, it simply nullifies any & all pretense of first-hand knowledge of the Azure's rule. This is a substantive change in attitude towards outside powers, and a major improvement over the stale attitude of "Woah, that's Azure" all day. It is neat to see some personality traits emerge after spending some time with Letrizia. Letrizia is now free to pursue her own goals other than cooking. This is a modest but notable boost to her power and motivation.
Overall, I'm happy that the Prototype Artifacts have been chosen. Their low risk, medium risk (but certainly not zero-reward) model has been proved right; the risk is now relative to what we might get from obtaining the Prototype Ring. The opportunity to develop and maintain a second Prototype Ring is now much lessening.
One thing is for sure: the benefits of taking on the Azure Ring as an adult are great. Hunger can focus on improving his reading skills as he grows, while Buying in the meantime can help him avoid death traps that would otherwise ambush him.
The course of a game in which the risk/reward relationship is the deciding factor is a great way to drive home the point that combining effort into a proccing machine is a bad idea.
Tere are real benefits to having a combined effort/power reserve. Improving our ability to support one's primary weaponizer can also be a way to mitigate the knock against OP weapons getting in the way of the plot progression.
There are additional arguments for Buying in the background that I've seen made in other threads.
Argument #2: More Decimator Mining. This would incentivize more Decimators. Imagine how badly the population of a democracy-hit society would be if 10% of a city's population were being Decimated/Displaced automatically by the Decimator. The Cut Through crowd is probably furious that the government gave too much away for too low a price.
This would incentivize More Decimators, incentivizing more Decimators as the cycle continues. Eventually all the Decimators would be incentivized to Get More Decimators as the cycle continues.
Anyway, this has been a rant about why the +Progression is a major boon to the thread. It gives us an additional boost as we continue to research our Artifacts. We're already at the peak of our craft, honed over time to the point where we have the all-important +Artifacts.
(Liter: Oh my gosh that was fucking neat. It makes me think about how the +Artifacts might've been overpowered if not for Grabber's cloak...)
There are good reasons to want our Ring to be as strong as it is. It gives us more artifacts to craft gear on. It makes the crafting process much more efficient. It makes researching different crafting systems much more efficient. It prevents the government from purchasing so-so- large stockpiles of all the required ingredients as well.
I'm saying that all of these are reasons to be excited about the possibilities. But I'm not getting too far ahead of the hype here.
Argument #4: Giving Gisena an Armament with the Ring's Might and Utility is a Good Idea. The Ring has the Might of a Ring, and it has the Might of a Ring. Some people think that the Ring's strength is its ability to heal itself, and that its allies are weak against it. This is a fundamentally flawed argument. The strength of a friend comes from being able to rely on it. Weak allies have weaknesses, and Weak allies rely on you to do them. When we give the Armament this boost, we are giving its allies a purpose, too.
Argument #5: Giving the Ring a Weaponized Hammer is Like Giving the Knife to a Sharpie. It Is Not Like the Hammer Is The Gisena's Armor.
This is a lot of Hit Points, and it's been suggested that giving the Ring a weaponized version of Swordplay would be a lot more effective than giving the Armament a modified version of the Armament. This is a spinoff from the Gundam Affinities, where the Ring was primarily a fighting ring. The Ring's attacks were personalized for the type of playstyle that we wanted it to be good at.
Argument #6: Giving the Armament a new paint job than the old than the previous year would predict a repeat pattern. Over time, this would make the old red/blue look good while adding
Snippet
On a lighter note, the Arete spent arete multiplier is pretty damn impressive. We're talking 1.5 Arete per point gain. That gives us pretty good returns on investment.
Multiplier: this is another argument that has been made throughout the contest. It's been pointed out repeatedly in the comments that multiplier applies to both Actions, and that's exactly what we got when we boosted Arete generation to its full potential. Actions give us a certain amount of momentum while Combatsts give us a certain amount of momentum while Hungryboxed. This is a free multiplier that we can use on our Hungrybox features if we desire. This option also pairs nicely with the Thread's additional monetization opportunities by giving us an additional burst of fame gained when we unlock more Arete.
Thank you for your consideration of the discounted version of Dread Knight. We appreciate the effort taken to identify a few key areas where some of the details were off-putting to newcomers. While we have long considered the exploratory spirit of Nocturnal Vale to be one's own unique, there are also certain attributes that make a character unique only by being able to personally identify and observe individual instances. A unique set of eyes, a certain amount of charisma, and a certain amount of will to do right are characteristics that can be unlocked by completing Narrator's Triangle quests. For those of you who are new to the series, this can be considered a preliminary understanding of what is and isn't possible in Realm Knight.
Questline: A More Moderately Motivated Nocturnal Vigorflame Mightific might increases focus on mitigating status ailments while also increasing our focus on mitigation for status threats. The effects of which are not yet known, but a might is possible: Mightifics were designed to help our allies survive the Doom of the Tyrant, or a foe we could have won by studying the way the Voyaging Realm operates. Mightific activation bonuses might be a lot more powerful than they are now, and we might get a Might upgrade for free! But the point is: Might is a tool, and a user can apply it to his or her own personal use. Using it to your advantage might be more effective than just applying the same level of protection to every other Ally in the game.
What a profound anti-climax. That's all. That's the reaction.
Manipulating the Azure Ring will incentivize hard work, perseverance, and hard work towards long-term success. The more effort a Hero makes, the more progress they'll make towards unlocking the Azure Ring. The more progress a Ring character has, the more progress they'll get (ignoring Subordination and future purchases)
This option makes Hunger more discerning and effective, and decreases the incentive for incremental advancement. The rewards of the Riddle Lottery will more than likely be the inventions of a talented artist.
There are benefits to growing a mustache. Improvising one's voice, especially a monoblocked one, can be a good way to get a lot of things done during downtime. Also, a cool voice acting technique that lets us do cool montages later.
What is the most effective way to grow a mustache in the game?
5 methods
5 levels
10 parts
1214 words, about the highest priority bonus (at the cost of a little humility).
How do you make a living without any formal education system?
It is not clear to me whether increasing the level cap will help us to reach the 4+ bestiary.65 we set the starting set amidships on. If we set the cap at 4+ Arete then the difficulty of an amidship with an additional 4 Arete is effectively 1 Arete harderish Pickled Carrots. However, given that 1-arete-harder are several trillions of Arete more possible. If the cap is raised to 4+ Arete capacity then the difficulty of an amidship with an additional 4 arete is essentially 1 Arete harder.
In other words, a attainable standard of living without any undeath will be possible without a grueling and rewarding education system.
I have explained the appeal of tertiary education so many times before. It allows a temporary boost to one's strength or endurance, but nothing more. The appeal of a high school education is not really where the money is, but that's how it is perceived.
This cuts across the ideological extremes. Those who believe in higher learning should have a point. The critics of this option should have a point.
The argument that I was trying to distract myself with was actually about the nature of the Azure Ring. If we give Azure a training ring it will give us a better sense of who he is and what he is capable of doing. If we give him rings
Multiplier: this is another argument that has been made throughout the contest. It's been pointed out repeatedly in the comments that multiplier applies to both Actions, and that's exactly what we got when we boosted Arete generation to its full potential. Actions give us a certain amount of momentum while Combatsts give us a certain amount of momentum while Hungryboxed. This is a free multiplier that we can use on our Hungrybox features if we desire. This option also pairs nicely with the Thread's additional monetization opportunities by giving us an additional burst of fame gained when we unlock more Arete.
Thank you for your consideration of the discounted version of Dread Knight. We appreciate the effort taken to identify a few key areas where some of the details were off-putting to newcomers. While we have long considered the exploratory spirit of Nocturnal Vale to be one's own unique, there are also certain attributes that make a character unique only by being able to personally identify and observe individual instances. A unique set of eyes, a certain amount of charisma, and a certain amount of will to do right are characteristics that can be unlocked by completing Narrator's Triangle quests. For those of you who are new to the series, this can be considered a preliminary understanding of what is and isn't possible in Realm Knight.
Questline: A More Moderately Motivated Nocturnal Vigorflame Mightific might increases focus on mitigating status ailments while also increasing our focus on mitigation for status threats. The effects of which are not yet known, but a might is possible: Mightifics were designed to help our allies survive the Doom of the Tyrant, or a foe we could have won by studying the way the Voyaging Realm operates. Mightific activation bonuses might be a lot more powerful than they are now, and we might get a Might upgrade for free! But the point is: Might is a tool, and a user can apply it to his or her own personal use. Using it to your advantage might be more effective than just applying the same level of protection to every other Ally in the game.
What a profound anti-climax. That's all. That's the reaction.
Manipulating the Azure Ring will incentivize hard work, perseverance, and hard work towards long-term success. The more effort a Hero makes, the more progress they'll make towards unlocking the Azure Ring. The more progress a Ring character has, the more progress they'll get (ignoring Subordination and future purchases)
This option makes Hunger more discerning and effective, and decreases the incentive for incremental advancement. The rewards of the Riddle Lottery will more than likely be the inventions of a talented artist.
There are benefits to growing a mustache. Improvising one's voice, especially a monoblocked one, can be a good way to get a lot of things done during downtime. Also, a cool voice acting technique that lets us do cool montages later.
What is the most effective way to grow a mustache in the game?
5 methods
5 levels
10 parts
1214 words, about the highest priority bonus (at the cost of a little humility).
How do you make a living without any formal education system?
It is not clear to me whether increasing the level cap will help us to reach the 4+ bestiary.65 we set the starting set amidships on. If we set the cap at 4+ Arete then the difficulty of an amidship with an additional 4 Arete is effectively 1 Arete harderish Pickled Carrots. However, given that 1-arete-harder are several trillions of Arete more possible. If the cap is raised to 4+ Arete capacity then the difficulty of an amidship with an additional 4 arete is essentially 1 Arete harder.
In other words, a attainable standard of living without any undeath will be possible without a grueling and rewarding education system.
I have explained the appeal of tertiary education so many times before. It allows a temporary boost to one's strength or endurance, but nothing more. The appeal of a high school education is not really where the money is, but that's how it is perceived.
This cuts across the ideological extremes. Those who believe in higher learning should have a point. The critics of this option should have a point.
The argument that I was trying to distract myself with was actually about the nature of the Azure Ring. If we give Azure a training ring it will give us a better sense of who he is and what he is capable of doing. If we give him rings
Snippet
We are reminded of a story about Hunger who was about to be swarmed by the terrifying Fates. It is a familiar one for authors, and one that we could all relate to. But what is it about this paragraph that appeals so much to me?
This is a story about personal sacrifice and rejection. A rejection that made me want to pump up the damn Ark and then see what kind of fate that would unleash on me. A rejection that made me go on a limb and consider resettling in a more secure location where I can experience Middle Earth as I please.
It is a parallel that I've been running across in readers who are into characterization: People who like to DM and have fun DMing. DMing as many other people as you like, at least. It's a lot easier said than done.
One thing that has stuck out to me is the way that readers treat existing restaurants / bars. It is perfectly understandable if you expect the client to be a spendthrift. But is it exactly this approach that will win over DMing experts?
This is a problem that we could resolve by having at least some contingency planning in place for the future. Hunger has been on rocket-propelled narrative train tracks for a long time. The idea of being set free in the future is a good grounding for a restaurant's (p) a service for their (t)hen return to civilization. All the while ignoring the larger theme of our current ep.
Let's consider this a different time frame. Since the Letrizia murder trial evidence was so overwhelmingly negative, it made us think about what could happen if we went back in time and found the Temple attacked in the previous scene. The proposed solution: Rune-Hunting.
But this is still hypothetical in nature. What if the Oracle Exemplar (Rune) is really a Time Lord? What if the Time Lord has a plan? What if the Time Lord is able to control the events happening in front of him/her/it/it/it/it/it/it/it/it/
It is a bit of a stretch but this would be a great introduction to the non Time Lords/Admiral classes in Rune Knight Combat. We would not be doing any special Active Actions, just taking actions that would affect the outcome in the short term.
Would it not be cool to have the Royal Advisor / General in the room with the General's 'time-outs'? Giving the Rune Knight time to plan and execute his or her own tactics was a good way to mitigate some of the backlash to Active Actions being taken in the future.
Rip Hop #1378 is out now, was it not for the downturn in ticket sales?
It is great to see a trend ending with no changes made to the narrative. We got another look at Letrizia as a fledgling ruler, and her time as ruler is basically over. There is still a long road to get there.
The Edeldross Breakfasts was a very interesting development, but not by my count. I discussed it on Twitter earlier. I'm inclined to defray the damage done to the Breakfast of Characters by anticipating future developments.
The story line that followed was a good way to explain off-hand the way in which Ennobbed has treatedilitated friendship with Gisena. It suggests that Hunger is trying to get at least some form of formal social status with the nobles. If that goal is not achieved then the nobles will have to be appeased. It is a neat little parallel with the Culture quest, where Culture has been used to massive societal improvement despite the ills that they face today.
The Edeldross Breakfasts offered us something completely different. They allowed us to visit existing settlements, and offered a chance for new interactions. I'm excited about every detail. The interactions are good, but the story is not. We're not done tinkering around the AGM. We need to make friends.
This was a non-committal call. But there were some important points that I wanted to discuss. The first is that Letrizia's connection to Hunger is a little weird, to put it lightly. She's not a Time Lord, of course. But Gisena reminded me a bit of Runecasting, where a time-skip is basically a time-skip to another quest. That means that Gisena can be called to a time-skip scene before Hunger even starts. Does that mean that Gisena can be called to a time-skip scene after we meet up-skyscrapers? Yes. Does that mean that Gisena can be called to a time-skip scene after we meet up-skyscraperfalls erupting from the Temple? YES.
This is a story about personal sacrifice and rejection. A rejection that made me want to pump up the damn Ark and then see what kind of fate that would unleash on me. A rejection that made me go on a limb and consider resettling in a more secure location where I can experience Middle Earth as I please.
It is a parallel that I've been running across in readers who are into characterization: People who like to DM and have fun DMing. DMing as many other people as you like, at least. It's a lot easier said than done.
One thing that has stuck out to me is the way that readers treat existing restaurants / bars. It is perfectly understandable if you expect the client to be a spendthrift. But is it exactly this approach that will win over DMing experts?
This is a problem that we could resolve by having at least some contingency planning in place for the future. Hunger has been on rocket-propelled narrative train tracks for a long time. The idea of being set free in the future is a good grounding for a restaurant's (p) a service for their (t)hen return to civilization. All the while ignoring the larger theme of our current ep.
Let's consider this a different time frame. Since the Letrizia murder trial evidence was so overwhelmingly negative, it made us think about what could happen if we went back in time and found the Temple attacked in the previous scene. The proposed solution: Rune-Hunting.
But this is still hypothetical in nature. What if the Oracle Exemplar (Rune) is really a Time Lord? What if the Time Lord has a plan? What if the Time Lord is able to control the events happening in front of him/her/it/it/it/it/it/it/it/it/
It is a bit of a stretch but this would be a great introduction to the non Time Lords/Admiral classes in Rune Knight Combat. We would not be doing any special Active Actions, just taking actions that would affect the outcome in the short term.
Would it not be cool to have the Royal Advisor / General in the room with the General's 'time-outs'? Giving the Rune Knight time to plan and execute his or her own tactics was a good way to mitigate some of the backlash to Active Actions being taken in the future.
Rip Hop #1378 is out now, was it not for the downturn in ticket sales?
It is great to see a trend ending with no changes made to the narrative. We got another look at Letrizia as a fledgling ruler, and her time as ruler is basically over. There is still a long road to get there.
The Edeldross Breakfasts was a very interesting development, but not by my count. I discussed it on Twitter earlier. I'm inclined to defray the damage done to the Breakfast of Characters by anticipating future developments.
The story line that followed was a good way to explain off-hand the way in which Ennobbed has treatedilitated friendship with Gisena. It suggests that Hunger is trying to get at least some form of formal social status with the nobles. If that goal is not achieved then the nobles will have to be appeased. It is a neat little parallel with the Culture quest, where Culture has been used to massive societal improvement despite the ills that they face today.
The Edeldross Breakfasts offered us something completely different. They allowed us to visit existing settlements, and offered a chance for new interactions. I'm excited about every detail. The interactions are good, but the story is not. We're not done tinkering around the AGM. We need to make friends.
This was a non-committal call. But there were some important points that I wanted to discuss. The first is that Letrizia's connection to Hunger is a little weird, to put it lightly. She's not a Time Lord, of course. But Gisena reminded me a bit of Runecasting, where a time-skip is basically a time-skip to another quest. That means that Gisena can be called to a time-skip scene before Hunger even starts. Does that mean that Gisena can be called to a time-skip scene after we meet up-skyscrapers? Yes. Does that mean that Gisena can be called to a time-skip scene after we meet up-skyscraperfalls erupting from the Temple? YES.
Snippet
I think that the safest course of action is to not buy the card. It's an amazing amount of power and opportunity cost just waiting for the chance to shine. Unfortunately, the power cost is actually pretty dramatic compared to what we've got so far. While playing Magic specifically about combat power, I often feel like I'm stepping back from the game entirely when it comes to power choices. Being able to directly affect an opponent's ability to respond to a response is basically a bad uptime for Magic: the Gathering when we have ahold the itemized amounts of powers that we need to prepare for combat.
The edge of Imaginary/Negative/Brightness is enough to keep this option if I run across a typo.
This is an interesting one-sentence punchline. It follows with a demand that we avoid the word "hypothetical" too much. Letrizia, make your joke.
This offers something more in the vein of "Fighter Fights" (though with a more metaphorical bent) and offers a bit more context for each decision.
I'll try to summarise some points about the Future Placement Fights as I go along:
Fighter Fights Are Good, Decentralised Power Fights Are Better, Moderately Infrequent Fights Are More Likely
I think this is the strongest argument that we've got so far for why Plerion chose a power that allowed him to survive a serious challenge during his short stay in the Voyaging Realm. Future Plerion was a diligent and hard-working laborer, and Future Plerion is simply more efficient at digesting the early stages of human evolution than he is at hunting down the earliest stages of the human species' social evolution.
I do not want to keep analyzing the ruse, but the idea that we could mechanically create a Plerion mascot because he wears a mask might be a valid argument for why we should avoid giving him a cloak. The Inner Temple might be more efficient at suppressing out-group identity politics than it is at dealing with the Gisena that I know. Plus, there's more: a cameo by Plerion might help cement the identity of the More Ancient Temple.
In other words, Future Plerion is the best option for bringing Plerion to the Human Polities because so many of the stereotypes about the Quests (mostly male) have been twisted into a malorableness that makes me think the Temple may be a more powerful being than us humans.
This is a more in-line parallel with Future Plerion but here we are (2005) and the parallel is moral philosophy at its most pure. Moral philosophy deals with the ways in which our rulers sin, not its specific case. Might is a good analogy because it illustrates the relationship between sin and opportunity but this is not the proper analogy for Future Plerion's curse.
In other words, Future Plerion is the one who imposes the curse, not the other.
Now this is something else. "Troublemakers" is a good word. It changes the subject from Treachery to Incarnation, then Hunger gets to pursue his destiny as Ruling Lord of the Temple. It's smooth sailing for now.
This is something else. Hunger's destiny is in his own hands, and he will pursue it. He is forced to confront the nature of his domain (the domain of the Ring) and follow the proper traditions. If nothing else, this foreshadows his decision to take up arms against the Nazgul.
Theodicy is a good reminder that even the most cynical of gamblers are still responsible for blood rippling across the infinity of gametime. We gamblers should remember that we are gamblers, and gamblers are probably more likely to keep track of historical averages than other social interactions.
Theodicy is a good reminder that even the most cynical of gamblers are still likely to keep track of historical averages.
We humans are structured like other members of our social group. We work, in part, to maintain social bonds. But as a rule, very little of what we eat or drink is actually structured in any way like a formal academic or research program.
There are a few formal academic programs that employ a statistical analysis of sample sizes to characterize the kind of results that researchers expect when they apply statistical methods to data sets with many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many numbers.
Hence the special section on statistical analysis. The purpose of this section is to consider the applications of statistical methods in the study of the possible nature of the Potential. The purpose of the section is to apply the principles of probabilistic inference to the possible nature of the Potential.
The edge of Imaginary/Negative/Brightness is enough to keep this option if I run across a typo.
This is an interesting one-sentence punchline. It follows with a demand that we avoid the word "hypothetical" too much. Letrizia, make your joke.
This offers something more in the vein of "Fighter Fights" (though with a more metaphorical bent) and offers a bit more context for each decision.
I'll try to summarise some points about the Future Placement Fights as I go along:
Fighter Fights Are Good, Decentralised Power Fights Are Better, Moderately Infrequent Fights Are More Likely
I think this is the strongest argument that we've got so far for why Plerion chose a power that allowed him to survive a serious challenge during his short stay in the Voyaging Realm. Future Plerion was a diligent and hard-working laborer, and Future Plerion is simply more efficient at digesting the early stages of human evolution than he is at hunting down the earliest stages of the human species' social evolution.
I do not want to keep analyzing the ruse, but the idea that we could mechanically create a Plerion mascot because he wears a mask might be a valid argument for why we should avoid giving him a cloak. The Inner Temple might be more efficient at suppressing out-group identity politics than it is at dealing with the Gisena that I know. Plus, there's more: a cameo by Plerion might help cement the identity of the More Ancient Temple.
In other words, Future Plerion is the best option for bringing Plerion to the Human Polities because so many of the stereotypes about the Quests (mostly male) have been twisted into a malorableness that makes me think the Temple may be a more powerful being than us humans.
This is a more in-line parallel with Future Plerion but here we are (2005) and the parallel is moral philosophy at its most pure. Moral philosophy deals with the ways in which our rulers sin, not its specific case. Might is a good analogy because it illustrates the relationship between sin and opportunity but this is not the proper analogy for Future Plerion's curse.
In other words, Future Plerion is the one who imposes the curse, not the other.
Now this is something else. "Troublemakers" is a good word. It changes the subject from Treachery to Incarnation, then Hunger gets to pursue his destiny as Ruling Lord of the Temple. It's smooth sailing for now.
This is something else. Hunger's destiny is in his own hands, and he will pursue it. He is forced to confront the nature of his domain (the domain of the Ring) and follow the proper traditions. If nothing else, this foreshadows his decision to take up arms against the Nazgul.
Theodicy is a good reminder that even the most cynical of gamblers are still responsible for blood rippling across the infinity of gametime. We gamblers should remember that we are gamblers, and gamblers are probably more likely to keep track of historical averages than other social interactions.
Theodicy is a good reminder that even the most cynical of gamblers are still likely to keep track of historical averages.
We humans are structured like other members of our social group. We work, in part, to maintain social bonds. But as a rule, very little of what we eat or drink is actually structured in any way like a formal academic or research program.
There are a few formal academic programs that employ a statistical analysis of sample sizes to characterize the kind of results that researchers expect when they apply statistical methods to data sets with many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many numbers.
Hence the special section on statistical analysis. The purpose of this section is to consider the applications of statistical methods in the study of the possible nature of the Potential. The purpose of the section is to apply the principles of probabilistic inference to the possible nature of the Potential.
Combat types start at 7.9 but it seems unlikely that they stop there. Combat types don't have progression but they can still power up the normal way, including with things like the Praxis. Nameless certainly didn't have much trouble powering up, the trick is just finding the right magics and artifacts.
Armaments are Rank 10, and given that we hear lots of stories about Armaments and a lot less about their cursed pilots that leads me to believe that combat types, at least 'normal' combat types, are unable to gain enough power to render their armaments irrelevant. So I'd put the upper bound at Rank 10. Maybe a little higher depending on the synergy bonus between pilot and Armament.
I think it's important to keep in mind that actually fighting the Tyrant or rescuing the princess is not required. We'll probably end up doing it anyways though.
I think the odds of us missing OaF for Ber due to picking the Crown right now are absolutely minuscule. Like, if asked to put in numbers, I'd say it's something like 0.01%. That is very much less risky than going after a 3-pick fight with maximum Rank - I expect that one giving something like 3% chance of death. Dangerous fights in the Tower are another thing, but even then I think it is entirely in our power to generate enough Arete before we get into one. As such, I think getting the Crown right now would be very worth it. Missing 0.25 base Rank in a Rank build just seems unarguable.
3 updates is several. 3 updates at Rihaku given 3-Arete per update would recoup most of the 12-Arete Crown cost, in fact - and I think we can earn more Arete per update than that. Not even at Arete storms level - 6 Arete per update is strong Arete wind at best. We managed something like 15 for Praxis.
Rihaku
The Internet
It's quite far. Depends how fast you can travel and what your Rank is, but much farther than the Sovereignty.
Rihaku
The Internet
Poor Brain, his entire life now leveraged to the whims of his creditors... yet this was the fate he chose for himself, a personal Geas of Indenture...
Zampano
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
- Location
- Simping for DSB
Regardless of getting an influx of Pay to Win Arete, I thought the Arete multiplier was scheduled to go way up once payments started coming in?
Anyway, reading GPT of myself was exactly as surreal as I expected it to be. I got about 2/3 of the way through before I got fed up with almost seeing meaning in "my" writing. The quality almost seemed to get better in the lower portions? The following quotes are my favorite passages:
Zampano
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
- Location
- Simping for DSB
Do we get a travel speed boost for Decimator's Lens on our way back?
Honestly this is the first time I have seen emoji generated, so you definitely use it too much, other than that yours was a lot more surreal than @Projectile GPTs easier as well.
Lets fix any issues with the vote after the shitposting
[X] The Walls of Myth
[X] Be the Change
[X] Feat: Crown
- Location
- Pindorama
That's fine, I was trying to bait him for a while now. I gave him markers on a lark, and he barely seemed to use them! How disappointing. If you are so sensibilized by my plight, I would accept Arete for my troubles...
[X] The Walls of Myth
[X] Intervention Mk. I
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Such dickishness and bad faith usage of vote markers. 👍 I approve
- Location
- Pindorama
Haha, I got you now! I will edit that message and you will look so foolish!
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
I have no idea what that was, and I'm not sure I want to know.
Anyway, the reason I haven't used many vote markers so far was that all the votes so far A) I didn't care about enough to spend markers, or I was fine with all possible outcomes B) were already going the way I wanted, or wouldn't go the way I wanted even with markers or C) my personal favorite, someone else had already called BrainInAJar's marker on the choice I wanted! This has happened twice IIRC.
Anyway, the reason I haven't used many vote markers so far was that all the votes so far A) I didn't care about enough to spend markers, or I was fine with all possible outcomes B) were already going the way I wanted, or wouldn't go the way I wanted even with markers or C) my personal favorite, someone else had already called BrainInAJar's marker on the choice I wanted! This has happened twice IIRC.
Projectile
Thinking of Rabbits
- Location
- USA
There wasn't a serious risk that we'd have to go into Arete debt for Crown, but imagine how much it'd suck if we did. Blearily toppling institutions, then having to recreate them without creativity...
That is to say, yay Arete!
- Location
- Pindorama
To argue for Intervention:
To say that Change is the fulfillment of our grand ambitions is at least a little bit facetious. Ultimately, it's just a city-state in the Voyaging Realm, and hardly one removed from a first-world context in terms of rights either. A simple intervention would work fine for now and let us be free to pursue other activities. Ultimately this place is both small potatoes and hardly representative of the challenges we might face in terms of reform, so I don't think skipping out on it this time will be particularly damaging. We can just take a light hand and still end up with a friendly polity on our side, which is still very good! No need to go ham in your ambitions given the barest opportunity.
Hmm, I really don't feel like I've been called a lot, especially compared to the amount of debt I incurred. Which were the votes you were sniped on anyway?
To say that Change is the fulfillment of our grand ambitions is at least a little bit facetious. Ultimately, it's just a city-state in the Voyaging Realm, and hardly one removed from a first-world context in terms of rights either. A simple intervention would work fine for now and let us be free to pursue other activities. Ultimately this place is both small potatoes and hardly representative of the challenges we might face in terms of reform, so I don't think skipping out on it this time will be particularly damaging. We can just take a light hand and still end up with a friendly polity on our side, which is still very good! No need to go ham in your ambitions given the barest opportunity.
Hmm, I really don't feel like I've been called a lot, especially compared to the amount of debt I incurred. Which were the votes you were sniped on anyway?
- Location
- Canada
Don't waste any time, which is very valuable when Ber is coming. We don't get anything from pursuing that course of action, though, and we don't get any time to produce Arete before we depart the Sovereignty.
Do we have any real reason to believe that Aeira's family would do a better job of leading the Sovereignty that its current leaders? This would solve Aeira's family debt problem, give an additional Arete, while taking a minimum amount of time, which we can use to produce to produce Arete, though.
Take enough time that taking it with Walls of Myth has a high risk of dropping Ber on us while we're dealing with our current adventure, which would be potentially catastrophic. But, we want to pick Walls, given that it's safer, so this is not an option.
One of these option is explicitly safer than the other one and might offer magic, artifice and ancient lore. And we've been warned that we may end up blowing everything up and not be able to come back for those:
We already chose an option that has a very real chance of killing us, so let's not be any more suicidal than we need to be.
This was the plan. It allows us to save Arete for OaF and allows to quicly access Strangletorn, which is super synergistic with our build and which is a big part of why we chose Core Panoply.
These abilities are pretty good, but we're better off just sticking to the plan, saving Arete, and quickly getting access to the very powerful and synergistic Strangletorn which was a big part of why we chose Core Panoply.
This costs a lot of Arete when we're trying to save for OaF but, on top of that, we need to pick it with Be the Change, which can't be safely taken along with Walls, because that takes too much time and might lead to Ber dropping on us at the worst possible time, and we have take Walls because Tower is even more suicidal. Therefore we absolutely should not take this.
[X] Intervention Mk. I
[X] The Walls of Myth
[X] Towards Stranglethorn
Live, grow strong... and stick to the plan.
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
I think people play cautiously with their markers. So even going super deeply into dept does not mean being called in every vote.
As which which votes I got sniped on, I had to re-read a bunch of the thread to find them, but it was Zampano calling in a marker for Lunar Coronet back in the day, and again with Talace on Outer Sky. In both of those cases I was planning to call your marker, but someone else did for the option I wanted anyway, which I find pretty funny.
- Location
- Pindorama
Man, what's up with the low-synergy options being popular these last few votes? Wall plus Change was winning, and before that it was Lens plus Contest...
Hmm, being called twice in a row has actually never happened before, I think. Well, this is good for me, so I'm not sure if should be really complaining about it, but I wish the vote market was more liquid. It would make things a bit more interesting...