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I have to say. I very much enjoy this story. And it tempts me to use it's version of the forge.
I do hope we get more magical knowledge soon. Not that what we have now is bad, but I like the sorta mystical shaman path the MC walking and can't wait to see where that goes.
 
Flashes 23
It takes a while to convince her, but you know that you don't have much time before the trading trip. As it is, you are going to need to hurry back, sleeping little for at least two more nights in order to reach the town in time.

Spending the majority of the day carving out the hollow might still put you behind schedule.

She seems a little sheepish when you tell her as much, though still stares longingly at the hollow even as you promise to come back with her once you have completed your trading expedition.

Still, getting back to town quickly would take time. You covered ground quickly, as you moved through the forest. Your staff lending your party speed as you lead her back to town. You barely stopped for lunch, merely grabbing some fruits and nuts from trees as you simply slow down to a quick march.

You are eventually forced to slow down, even with Bridgitte's years of foraging she doesn't have the unnatural endurance you enjoy.

Still, you make one last push through the night and make it to town as day starts to break, collapsing into bed only after checking with the gate-guard that you had made it in time.

You awaken to the feeling of your power reaching out into the other-place
points: 400

Rolled Aetherpunk (800)

Alchemy Lab (150)
Initially this takes the form of a large perfectly level sheet of crystal quartz, ringed by a series of benches festooned with glassware, each time you get this perk, you gain additional equipment, for various alchemical arrays for analysis, decomposition, construction and to help offload the mental strain of storing extremely complex alchemical processes in your mind.

[][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[][PERK] None

You wake up sore, and to the sounds of a crowd outside your hut. Slowly pulling yourself out of bed, you head out to see that the procession of carts has already pulled up in town. People are eating as others browse the wares on display.

You eventually work your way through a bowl of porridge as you wait.

[][PLAN] Peruse some of the wares
[][PLAN] Talk to some of the traders about what you will see in Seaford
[][PLAN] Speak to the other villagers to see if there is anything they might want
[][PLAN] Write-in

A/N:
@Denubis, sorry for the delay, things have been a little hectic.
 
[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab

[X][PLAN] Market research

It's good to know what's up with the place we're going too, and we can talk to the villages later.
 
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time for market research...

[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
- [X] While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on

p.s. guess what the #1 metal item most pre-industrial villages love to have. Nails, it's also one of the more mind numbingly annoying tasks for blacksmiths to produce by hand they usually assign apprentices to it since it's repetitive and builds skill.
 
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[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
-[X]While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on

time for market research...

[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
- While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on

p.s. guess what the #1 metal item most pre-industrial villages love to have. Nails, it's also one of the more mind numbingly annoying tasks for blacksmiths to produce by hand they usually assign apprentices to it since it's repetitive and builds skill.
You need the brackets and the X next to the second line if you want it to link to the vote.
 
[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
-[X]While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on
 
[X][PERK] None
I don't think alchemy lab will have much to offer us seeing as we don't really have any alchemy stuff.
[X][PLAN] Market research
-[X]While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on
 
[x] [PERK] Alchemy Lab
[x] [PLAN] Market research
- [x] While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on
 
[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
-[X]While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on
 
I don't think alchemy lab will have much to offer us seeing as we don't really have any alchemy stuff.
Actually, between compounding, the foci perk, the rituals perk, and the magic perk... we know a lot about alchemy. We just need to experiment some to start filling in the blanks that we don't know that we know. But yeah, while we don't have a dedicated Alchemy perk, we pretty much have all the components for it... we'd just have to try and learn it the long way.
 
Actually, between compounding, the foci perk, the rituals perk, and the magic perk... we know a lot about alchemy. We just need to experiment some to start filling in the blanks that we don't know that we know. But yeah, while we don't have a dedicated Alchemy perk, we pretty much have all the components for it... we'd just have to try and learn it the long way.

Moreover, we get (eventually):
... you gain additional equipment, for various alchemical arrays for analysis, decomposition, construction ...

Which implies the necessary infrastructure for a FMA style alchemy as well as the ability to perform really intricate chemical isolation and purification -- something that almost all of our perks can take advantage of.

For what we have now, I wonder how this integrates with our chemistry lab? Given that both give us a good work area and glassware -- how are they different and how do they combine? This first level *is* very expensive for what it gives us, but it's worth it for access to more advanced alchemy in the future bought on the installment plan.

@Emizaquel What is, from the perk's point of view, the difference between an "alchemical array" and a "ritual" -- and what is this universe's perspective on alchemy? (i.e. is it a pre-chemistry, is it Full-metal alchemist, potion making, or ... what? Having a framework for us to understand capabilities will likely be useful for some voters.)
 
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@Emizaquel What is, from the perk's point of view, the difference between an "alchemical array" and a "ritual" -- and what is this universe's perspective on alchemy? (i.e. is it a pre-chemistry, is it Full-metal alchemist, potion making, or ... what? Having a framework for us to understand capabilities will likely be useful for some voters.)
Alchemy is explicitly logical, unlike rituals that are narrative.

Anything related to the Exotic tab implies that you are calling upon a set of physical laws not immediately available to the natural world for some reason - perhaps it requires some form of internal energy or something else - but it remains a set of physical laws.

Anything in the Mystical tab implies a narrative "soft" system that I ascribe to magic. Magic effectively runs on narrativium
 
[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab

I was hesitant to get this, seeing as we can make most things using our chemistry lab. That being said, there are a lot of shortcuts that can be taken if we have alchemy. It will let us do more magic stuff, which is where our build is leaning.
 
Alchemy is explicitly logical, unlike rituals that are narrative.

Anything related to the Exotic tab implies that you are calling upon a set of physical laws not immediately available to the natural world for some reason - perhaps it requires some form of internal energy or something else - but it remains a set of physical laws.

Anything in the Mystical tab implies a narrative "soft" system that I ascribe to magic. Magic effectively runs on narrativium

Ok. What does this first level allow us to do that we would not be able to do in our chemistry lab? I.e. if we run the same reaction in both places, will we get different results because of the novel physical laws?

{Edit} Reviewing the spreadsheet, we have

Alchemy100Alchemy, the study of the natural world. To be able to understand what things are composed of and how to use that to your advantage. To take control and reshape the world around you. And you can do it now. A few symbols scribed, carved or even embossed into place, it doesn't matter, and to can reshape matter, but remember, alchemy is about transformation, not creation, and something cannot come from nothing.

Thinking about this in the context of: "Anything related to the Exotic tab implies that you are calling upon a set of physical laws not immediately available to the natural world for some reason - perhaps it requires some form of internal energy or something else - but it remains a set of physical laws."

Perhaps the most essential part of the Alchemy lab needs more emphasis. Rather than

Chemistry Lab100Initially, this allows you to summon equipment available to a high-school chemistry lab, but the variety and quality of the tools available to you will improve each time you receive this perk.
Alchemy Lab150Initially this takes the form of a large perfectly level sheet of crystal quartz, ringed by a series of benches festooned with glassware, each time you get this perk, you gain additional equipment, for various alchemical arrays for analysis, decomposition, construction and to help offload the mental strain of storing extremely complex alchemical processes in your mind.

There neds to be a line of: "The Alchemy Lab is a space dedicated to and specialised in the exotic art of alchemy. Rather than the Chemistry lab which provides the physical space for safe and consistent work with chemical reaction -- the alchemy lab biases the physical reactions within its tables and apparatus towards an alchemical manipulation of matter. Where possible, work within the alchemy lab will perform an alchemical reaction instead of a chemical reaction where the outputs would differ. There are also minor alchemical safety and isolation features built into the tables (and scaling with level.)" (Again, noting that I tend to use too many words).
 
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[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
-[X]While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on
 
[X][PERK] Alchemy Lab
[X][PLAN] Market research
-[X]While perusing the wares for anything we might want to haggle for make conversation about what sort of metal goods are needed so we know what to focus on
 
Vote closed
Scheduled vote count started by Emizaquel on Feb 13, 2023 at 12:28 PM, finished with 15 posts and 11 votes.
 
Interlude 23.1
You head out into the crowd after stumbling through a quick breakfast.

The group are mostly trading dried herbs, meat, leather and various dyes, minerals, and especially limestone and lye.

There are other goods, including fine cloths and even some bronze - the merchant professed some luck in finding some native copper near his home town.

As you discuss what might be useful, you realise that your limited stock of ceramics would be well appreciated, but would likely not afford you many major purchases. As it stands, the majority of your inventory is less functional than you would hope, and the majority of your trade is probably going to be in the form of one-off pieces, especially since you don't have the time to work on any metal pieces.

You might have better luck establishing agreements for future trade, in terms of your metal goods. Apparently it is somewhat common practice to arrange a deal and then return months later to seaford as a part of a smaller trading party once the winter snows melt.

Eventually, bundle up your wares and head off with the caravan once trading finished up.

[] stick with the main body of the caravan to talk to some of the other traders
[] head out into the woods to explore while keeping up with the caravan, to see what you might find
[] Write-in

A/N:
(Going off many of Battleship NJ's videos -- excellent youtube channel -- trying to figure out *why* we'd have a modern battleship. The nuclear cruise missles was from the recent videos on the nuclear-tomahawk-firing-keys. From a strategic perspective, the only reason to have a nuclear battleship is if it can use its stupid tonnage to deny the skies to drones and aircraft -- which is why I have laser CIWS.) I'm shaving crew like mad from all of these, but they all still require significant numbers of sailors. I know your descriptions tend to be much shorter, but I'm not sure where to cut details here. I mostly felt like I had to add details to differentiate this from a WWII era battleship. I could have had a much shorter entry if not for the "nuclear".)

Yeah, these are quite a bit longer than I would prefer. To some extent that is because I don't want to set a precedent for very long descriptions on the forge - Most of this was me working alone, so writing out long descriptions would be cost-prohibitive, but it is also to open up room for authorial interpretation.

Additionally, I am entirely open to a degree of suspension of disbelief when talking about crew sizes, mainly to avoid locking future authors into adding numerous additional characters of giving them equipment that they can't reasonably use. Sure, this forge does try and limit 'safety' by making it so that equipment and lab space is summoned into the real world, as opposed to having a pocket dimension that one can retreat into, but given the fact that it is theoretically possible for somone to gain access to a vehicle without a Garage or Port to stash it in, requiring large crews as an explicit component is a little harsh.

That said, this should require only moderate editing, so given that no others have come forth, I'll say that you have four rewards that you can claim.

There neds to be a line of: "The Alchemy Lab is a space dedicated to and specialised in the exotic art of alchemy. Rather than the Chemistry lab which provides the physical space for safe and consistent work with chemical reaction -- the alchemy lab biases the physical reactions within its tables and apparatus towards an alchemical manipulation of matter. Where possible, work within the alchemy lab will perform an alchemical reaction instead of a chemical reaction where the outputs would differ. There are also minor alchemical safety and isolation features built into the tables (and scaling with level.)" (Again, noting that I tend to use too many words).
There's a few issues with this, mainly because it implies an augmentive effect to the Alchemy Lab beyond the presence of high-end supplies. As it stands, there are some issues to the description of the Alchemy Lab
 
[x] head out into the woods to explore while keeping up with the caravan, to see what you might find

while we could obviously do both, we do have that elk staff. might as well get some extra use out of it.
 
[X] stick with the main body of the caravan to talk to some of the other traders
-[X] Try to get agreements for future trade with these traders, especially if they will supply the raw material.
{edit 2} -- I'm happy to lose ties if the vote is between me and inbetweenaction.

Points please. (I don't find the other option compelling -- it might be worth tweaking it.) [Edit] Perhaps having a "sticky" option that I can apply to a choice that has been rolled to keep it around? Extending the list by two, once, without the points to afford it seems like an opportunity for bad feelings all around.

In terms of the crew requirements -- there is a sort of irreducible complexity when it comes to a ten billion dollar vessel designed to be the centrepoint of a nation's power projection capabilities plus nuclear reactor(s). But yes, there's a tension between the minimum crew needed to move the ship between docks and the minimum crew for an engagement and the optimal crew for an extended cruise at sea. I couldn't find ready numbers on the minimums. Making these large vessels "useful" may just be a "the ships have a loyal crew of NPCs (of a type reasonable to the other perks of the main character) who are not interested in leaving the ship or in larger affairs".

In terms of the labs -- the points concern me. A ten-fifteen billion dollar automatically repairing aircraft supercarrier with two nuclear reactors is 350 points. Glassware for a highschool chemistry lab is 100 points (Let's say... $10k, if we're being generous and chucking in the gas piping for Bunsen burners.) Glassware and a flat surface for an alchemy lab is 150 points. (And then there is the fact that the physics paradigm is hard to get a sense of from the lab description -- but that's for a different discussion.) Having these lab spaces be "appropriate" spaces for the activity -- promoting safety, providing automatic documentation of labwork, providing extensive manuals and support would go some ways towards justifying the cost. I like the idea of a lab providing the space and means to learn and perform an activity safely and effectively without shoving the knowledge in the character's head.
 
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In terms of the labs -- the points concern me. A ten-fifteen billion dollar automatically repairing aircraft supercarrier with two nuclear reactors is 350 points. Glassware for a highschool chemistry lab is 100 points (Let's say... $10k, if we're being generous and chucking in the gas piping for Bunsen burners.) Glassware and a flat surface for an alchemy lab is 150 points. (And then there is the fact that the physics paradigm is hard to get a sense of from the lab description -- but that's for a different discussion.) Having these lab spaces be "appropriate" spaces for the activity -- promoting safety, providing automatic documentation of labwork, providing extensive manuals and support would go some ways towards justifying the cost. I like the idea of a lab providing the space and means to learn and perform an activity safely and effectively without shoving the knowledge in the character's head.
mind you the equipment is unlimited, automatically repairing on a much smaller timescale (though it can't be harvested) but really, it's because vehicles are kind of on their own scale when it comes to pricing. workshops are more fundemental to the power whereas vehicles are more accessories. vehicles are effectively discounted because of this, since you are almost certainly going to be able to make better solutions.
 
mind you the equipment is unlimited, automatically repairing on a much smaller timescale (though it can't be harvested) but really, it's because vehicles are kind of on their own scale when it comes to pricing. workshops are more fundemental to the power whereas vehicles are more accessories. vehicles are effectively discounted because of this, since you are almost certainly going to be able to make better solutions.

I hear that. Even discounted, I'm not quite sure I'd want to spend 300 points on a battleship. As you say -- we will eventually build better. For equipment, what I'd be most interested in is lab-safety infrastructure, storage, and necessary reagents. Those, as fonts of base infrastructure + a safe and dedicated place to use them (plus proper lab documentation techniques) would make the labs easily worth their points, whereas with automatically repairing glassware ... making a kiln is not so difficult.

This is a very interesting thought experiment in different and conflicting values. I like it.
 
[X] stick with the main body of the caravan to talk to some of the other traders

We should stick to the save path rather than going off alone in unknown lands. Keep in mind we are still extremely weak right now.
 
[X][PLAN] Future contracts
[X] stick with the main body of the caravan to talk to some of the other traders
- [X] try to set up an agreement for the next trade event be conservative in regards amounts and numbers so we aren't swamped under work and can still do our own thing for the most part outside of that obligation.
(potential trade goods on offer from our end: nails, metal hinges, ceramics (containers, plates, tiles, and shingles)

the goal here considering we didn't spend much time on prep and allowed ourselves to be pulled every which way was to get some insight into what's on offer and what we can offer for future trade expeditions. We should probably also pay attention to our fellow villagers to see if there's someone particularly good at the art of the haggle that might be willing to handle this event for us in the future should we be unable to attend in person.
 
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