A Cooler Broly Saga (DBZ)

[Spartan Altego]

[] - Broly's gained the ability to safely manifest a clone, even if he can no longer demonstrate it. Regardless of the Supreme Kai of Time's actions, this is still an absolutely vital skill for him to master, and so practice it further he shall.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, uh, how do we stop the supreme kai from taking that one as well?

Click to shrink...

Well, there are three outcomes I see happening by continuing Clone Training...which really depends on one's opinion of Time Kai's motivations and the nature of West Kai's hints.

The first option is that Time Kai pops up to steal the next clone made again, in which case the motive is likely about staving off Broly's power development. It's unlikely for reasons I won't get into now, but possible.

The second option is that nothing happens and Broly seemingly is free to make more clones when needed for the foreseeable future, which is...possible, but again I find it unlikely.

The third option depends on whether making more clones will drain power from just Broly or Clone Broly as well. If so, spamming clones until Clone Broly's power is reduced significantly may prompt Time Kai to pop in and be forced to explain herself. Provided of course that she needs Clone Broly for Time Patrolling stuff or other shenanigans. Which she may not.

I personally see further Clone Training as a waste of time right now.

We learn Instant Transmition first.

Click to shrink...

That would be an astounding level of useless against Time Kai. Plus we have zero actual way of finding that technique right now.

 

[Great Greedy Guts]

Reaaally curious why people think that her needing one clone inherently means she needs all clones. It's not impossible but the degree to which people are assuming such to be a self-evident truth is... I dunno, weird?

At the very least, training so that Broly can make more will give us that intel -- which we're pretty sorely lacking in other means to achieve.

Though does make me wonder about having Broly and Bulma work on a communicator that'd allow for instant transdimensional communication, mostly so that if Clone 2 gets yanked we have a way of finding out more.

But, again, I think people are taking what has so far been one event as being potentially far more damning than it necessarily is. If she does it again, yeah, something is up -- but for all we know she needed Broly for Time Patroller stuff and grabbed the earliest model she could. Grabbing more might not help her there, because they'll just re-merge and add to the difficulty in managing him due to the irritation and increased other interests and knowledge.

Like, yeah, West Kai's message could mean that she'll keep doing it. OR it could mean that he doesn't want Cooler to pick a fight with her over something he knows was necessary but can't give explanations for, and the message in its entirety was meant to stave off thoughts of revenge for something that could ultimately benefit us.

Automatically assuming the worst is just as poor planning as automatically assuming the best -- and this is why I want to test what's going on by getting Broly better at it.

Aaaalso I'm curious why folks think it'll be an entire year for him to learn to make one more clone/double that can be independent. He's done it once, I'd be unsurprised if he can make two or three by the end of the year, even if I don't want to rely on it for future planning.

 

[TehChron]

Reaaally curious why people think that her needing one clone inherently means she needs all clones. It's not impossible but the degree to which people are assuming such to be a self-evident truth is... I dunno, weird?

Click to shrink...

Less self evident and more assumed risk with no evidence to the contrary

At the very least, training so that Broly can make more will give us that intel -- which we're pretty sorely lacking in other means to achieve.

Click to shrink...

Which is low priority given the circumstances of this particular year

But, again, I think people are taking what has so far been one event as being potentially far more damning than it necessarily is. If she does it again, yeah, something is up -- but for all we know she needed Broly for Time Patroller stuff and grabbed the earliest model she could.

Click to shrink...

...what?

Time isn't linear for the SKoT

She isn't remotely limited to "the earliest model she can". She can just go into the future to get the best possible model.

The fact that she nabbed the first successful instance of a Broly clone is ridiculously suspicious because of that fact.

Automatically assuming the worst is just as poor planning as automatically assuming the best -- and this is why I want to test what's going on by getting Broly better at it.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but it's not a high priority.

 

[Great Greedy Guts]

She isn't remotely limited to "the earliest model she can". She can just go into the future to get the best possible model.

Click to shrink...

Unless she needs to train him up from a particular power level, or needs Broly to be there at particular points which make it impossible to just grab him outright, or the earliest model is the best for what she needs because he isn't so overwhelmingly powerful as to obliterate what she needs fought, or that this is meant to get us to focus all the harder on clone development, or that this is meant to stall that out so that she can overwhelm the PTO conditioning when she returns her model which will always have a large share of the original split and thus make attempts to counter her efforts by clone spam more difficult, or...

There are any number of reasons why she might choose the earliest model that aren't necessity.

Yeah, but it's not a high priority.

Click to shrink...

Really? Developing the ability to be in two places at once and/or learning what's going on with one of the most powerful/important divine entities in the universe isn't a high priority?

What is, then? Learning from Dabura? Working to reduce power level to avoid drawing attention? I agree on both counts more or less -- but think that with those combined there's more than enough time to work on a skill that could be of incredible benefit (even if Broly can't depend on them all the time, just having intelligent multiform options during a fight would be hugely helpful).

In the game of opportunity costs, I rank "continuing to neither have a clone or have any idea what's going on with SKoT" as a pretty serious continued failing, and one that oughtn't be put off longer. This year being super important honestly makes that feel even more true: this might be the last chance we have to try this for a long while.

Besides, if SKoT does keep grabbing the Clones that'll take care of the power suppression issues some, anyhow!

 

[TehChron]

There are any number of reasons why she might choose the earliest model that aren't necessity.

Click to shrink...

Except West Kai apparently just risked getting rekt to inform us that necessity is the only reason the SKoT was able to do all that in the first place

Really? Developing the ability to be in two places at once and/or learning what's going on with one of the most powerful/important divine entities in the universe isn't a high priority?

Click to shrink...

It certainly isn't an immediate one

In the game of opportunity costs, I rank "continuing to neither have a clone or have any idea what's going on with SKoT" as a pretty serious continued failing, and one that oughtn't be put off longer. This year being super important honestly makes that feel even more true: this might be the last chance we have to try this for a long while.

Click to shrink...

Or we could try and figure out why that is and how to take control of the situation

Besides, if SKoT does keep grabbing the Clones that'll take care of the power suppression issues some, anyhow!

Click to shrink...

True, but there's just way too many unknowns for me to want to use our last action slot on long term benefits with redundant short term payoffs

 

[Great Greedy Guts]

Or we could try and figure out why that is and how to take control of the situation

Click to shrink...

Oh. I suppose I'd just been assuming it was obvious, to some extent.

Bulma is both on the ship for the year and has matrimonial inclinations. How we handle her now will likely determine the tenor of our relationship going forward (not in the Broly/Bulma shipping sense, though I suppose that is also true -- I mean from the Cooler/PTO view). Too much contact and she'll likely make a bid at Broly that will be thorny to untangle (even if we could legalese our way free I don't see that being without consequence). Too little and she'll feel slighted and cease to be so usefully productive, or else pivot in her affections to someone less agreeable, as she has been known to do in canon (albeit under different circumstances). If she finds out how evil we really are and doesn't panic mindlessly, we've got some serious concerns in our future, too.

The Saiyans have just been claimed by Cooler but need to be hidden to keep Frieza pacified -- while also being prideful, disinclined to hide, and led by someone that seems to loathe Broly pretty heavily (even if I suspect he could be made to grow out of it). If they do anything that fucks things up and gets them caught/noticed then Frieza will no doubt take that out on Cooler, some, as well, which'd be no good for the family or the PTO.

Our methods of handling these issues have taken the Armored Squadron and Zangya somewhat out of circulation and limited how much time Broly has free for other pursuits -- which all means Cooler will be a busy, busy fellow himself throughout the year.

Add to this that AI technology is a recent development making some serious waves, that the Cold Family are a bunch of pricks (not new, always relevant), that we're talking about inviting Dabura and Babidi onboard while all this is going on (which might not be an issue in a grander sense and may even be doubleplus goodly given that Babidi is obviously talented with Clone techniques given that he is one), and the generic hints that people are noticing Broly's got a lot to him?

There's some pretty heavy potential for it to be a big, important year. No guarantees on any of it going wrong, but there's enough potential issues that Bob's warning makes perfect sense even without anything else being hidden or hinted at.

True, but there's just way too many unknowns for me to want to use our last action slot on long term benefits with redundant short term payoffs

Click to shrink...

Pffft, where you see redundancy I see synergy. Aaand if things have any chance of going to hell, hey, I'm all for some backup plans.

 

[TehChron]

Pffft, where you see redundancy I see synergy. Aaand if things have any chance of going to hell, hey, I'm all for some backup plans.

Click to shrink...

Which is what I'd like to figure out.

Add to this that AI technology is a recent development making some serious waves, that the Cold Family are a bunch of pricks (not new, always relevant), that we're talking about inviting Dabura and Babidi onboard while all this is going on (which might not be an issue in a grander sense and may even be doubleplus goodly given that Babidi is obviously talented with Clone techniques given that he is one), and the generic hints that people are noticing Broly's got a lot to him?

There's some pretty heavy potential for it to be a big, important year. No guarantees on any of it going wrong, but there's enough potential issues that Bob's warning makes perfect sense even without anything else being hidden or hinted at.

Click to shrink...

Either way, risk management comes before advancement, imo.

Having Dabura and Babidi around may give some control on the Divine side, since the Kai never dared to interfere with them directly.

Alternatively...hmm. Well not doing so wouldn't make the situation better, so let's forget that.

Cooler will likely use the time chambers if empire management grows too demanding on his time.

Zangya is too much for the Saiyans to break free from at this time, so they won't get the opportunity to muck anything up ideally.

The AI stuff will be tied to Bulma at the very least. So we'll see where things go from there. We have no real way to control it better than encouraging Bulma to stay in our camp.

Assured Play is strong, though. So there may be a bit of control that...

@Bob's Beard does this work?

[] Broly has become proficient enough in both teaching magic and Time Chambercraft that you feel confident that you can make the time to begin learning the mystic arts. Its also been some time since you've had the chance to check his progress in a more hands on matter. Commission Broly to create a Time Chamber that meets your lofty standards for safety and security, and then use that to get some alone time with your favorite Saiyan this year.

 

[Bob's Beard]

[] Broly has become proficient enough in both teaching magic and Time Chambercraft that you feel confident that you can make the time to begin learning the mystic arts. Its also been some time since you've had the chance to check his progress in a more hands on matter. Commission Broly to create a Time Chamber that meets your lofty standards for safety and security, and then use that to get some alone time with your favorite Saiyan this year.

Click to shrink...

Sadly, not so much.

The crux of the issue is that Cooler still does not feel the Time Chambercraft magic is safe enough for his personal use. In point of fact, the moment it reaches that point he'll automatically start using it - but until then he's happy to foist the potential long term risks of playing with a vector of reality onto his minions. That's what having people is for, after all. The point here is that Cooler isn't yet in a position where you can 'add to' his time, as he is rather more concerned with his personal well-being/condition than the average voter. Understandable, given the seperation between being a quest player and being in the situation oneself.


There's another issue intertwined with the above; Cooler is going to be busy this year, for many reasons @Great Greedy Guts already observed. He won't have his most bureaucratically capable officers available except in snippets (Salza), his superscientist is going to be persistently distracted throughout the year (Broly), your best science officer isn't going to be available for much of his normal work (Neiz), your best dude for making sub-par groups rise to the occassion is similarly unavailable in the general sense (Dore). Cooler's most capable set of operatives is rather gutted - and he's going to be moreso busy than a normal year even without that. Ensuring the Saiyans stay properly managed, keeping abreast of the potentially cataclysmic Broly/Bulma situation, managing a society-changing tech hitting it's stride... If ever there was a time Cooler was too busy, it'd be now.

 

[TehChron]

...shit

At this rate we're going to have to consider acceptable risks again with the hope that fallback options will be sufficient

Which is asking for trouble given we don't know if Toddler spread word about the Dragonballs all being on earth or not.

I can't seem to have any ideal solutions come to mind right yet. Damn.

We should've done the Machine Mutant research earlier. Double damn.

 

[CeBrudras]

So, about that idea to have Broly research something together with Bulma that would damage their relationship, how about having them adapt the AIs to help with empire management? Giving Cooler more free time seems useful, especially with his current busyness and the fact that we are hoping to give him some magic soonish, and having Bulma directly experience all these casual calculations about the lives and deaths of millions and the rational ways used to expand and maintain the PTO seems like an efficient way to have her reconsider her whole crush a bit, especially since Broly will propably be incredibly motivated because the project is about helping Cooler with a problem he is struggling with right now.

 

[TehChron]

So, about that idea to have Broly research something together with Bulma that would damage their relationship, how about having them adapt the AIs to help with empire management? Giving Cooler more free time seems useful, especially with his current busyness and the fact that we are hoping to give him some magic soonish, and having Bulma directly experience all these casual calculations about the lives and deaths of millions and the rational ways used to expand and maintain the PTO seems like an efficient way to have her reconsider her whole crush a bit, especially since Broly will propably be incredibly motivated because the project is about helping Cooler with a problem he is struggling with right now.

Click to shrink...

That's honestly the best solution that has a major risk associated with it.

The issue is whether or not that's acceptable

 

[Great Greedy Guts]

The issue is whether or not that's acceptable

Click to shrink...

I'd bet that that depends largely on how the write-in is phrased. Can't do one now, but might later tonight if I have the time. If anyone else is so inclined, they should definitely take a stab instead of waiting on me, though.

At this rate we're going to have to consider acceptable risks again with the hope that fallback options will be sufficient

Click to shrink...

Suppose this is part of why I'm pushing to do the Clone thing now. We know it'll be years at best until Cooler feels safe having himself (or Broly) utilize the timechambers. A Clone, if we can keep it, would be a major parallel boon -- and potentially a chance to study long term effects of the chambers in more personal detail.

 

[TehChron]

I'd bet that that depends largely on how the write-in is phrased. Can't do one now, but might later tonight if I have the time. If anyone else is so inclined, they should definitely take a stab instead of waiting on me, though.


Suppose this is part of why I'm pushing to do the Clone thing now. We know it'll be years at best until Cooler feels safe having himself (or Broly) utilize the timechambers. A Clone, if we can keep it, would be a major parallel boon -- and potentially a chance to study long term effects of the chambers in more personal detail.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but from that perspective the Machine Mutant experimentation would yield vastly superior gains from those angles.

 

[Bob's Beard]

FYI I'm still doing christmas stuff today - I wasn't expecting to, but some family I couldn't hook up with over the last couple days is available, and wants to do an oyster feed as a 'christmas' thing.

I rather slightly love oysters.

So one more day peeps, until I'm back and a'writin - see you then!

 

[Spartan Altego]

Inb4 next update there's an entire segment devoted to Cooler's secret fondness for space oysters.

 

[shepsquared]

Inb4 next update there's an entire segment devoted to Cooler's secret fondness for space oysters.

Click to shrink...

He does like space seafood

 

[zecorezecron]

He does like space seafood

Click to shrink...

That's why I said we should have had Bulma work on the cloning thing so he can have seafood that doesn't exist anymore. Because someone, Broly, blew up the planet they were on.

 

[arsdraconis]

Or he can just have Broly materialize it? I can't imagine Cooler not ordering him to learn how to make his favorite food on Broly's culinary binge.

 

[Bob's Beard]

So another update!

Point numero uno: I got a chance to hook up with some old buddies tomorrow to marathon the machete cut of the Star Wars series, and then jump right into rewatching The Force Awakens in the historic Tamal Vista theater that Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford and the rest were at for the original trilogy's release... so that's going to be a time sink.

Point #2: During today's awesome post-christmas oyster feed, I had an oyster slip in my hand and cut my finger with its shell something fierce. Let me tell you - typing without one of your index fingers is pretty darn tough!

So yeah, yet another day's dely, bar minimum - such is life, folks!

I'd say sorry, but I'd take movie marathon with old friends over your guys any day - no offense to you or anything, it's just that the alternative is so darn amazing you can't compete.

Personal note: this took way too long to type sans one index finger...

 

[TehChron]

I'd say sorry, but I'd take movie marathon with old friends over your guys any day - no offense to you or anything, it's just that the alternative is so darn amazing you can't compete.

Click to shrink...

cant knock you for that one

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

So another update!

Point numero uno: I got a chance to hook up with some old buddies tomorrow to marathon the machete cut of the Star Wars series, and then jump right into rewatching The Force Awakens in the historic Tamal Vista theater that Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford and the rest were at for the original trilogy's release... so that's going to be a time sink.

Point #2: During today's awesome post-christmas oyster feed, I had an oyster slip in my hand and cut my finger with its shell something fierce. Let me tell you - typing without one of your index fingers is pretty darn tough!

So yeah, yet another day's dely, bar minimum - such is life, folks!

I'd say sorry, but I'd take movie marathon with old friends over your guys any day - no offense to you or anything, it's just that the alternative is so darn amazing you can't compete.

Personal note: this took way too long to type sans one index finger...

Click to shrink...

My condolences for the string of mishaps and misfortunes that has plagued you over the last few months.

 

[Great Greedy Guts]

The machete cut was pretty good. We did the same thing here a couple weeks back, barring the immediate jump to the Force Awakens (as it wasn't yet out) and the whole historic theater thing.

Hope it's at least as much fun for y'all as it was for us. Also that your finger heals up right-quick -- quest-centric selfishness aside, finger cuts always seem so much more aggravating than most of the other nicks and scratches one picks up.

 

[Spartan Altego]

So another update!

Point numero uno: I got a chance to hook up with some old buddies tomorrow to marathon the machete cut of the Star Wars series, and then jump right into rewatching The Force Awakens in the historic Tamal Vista theater that Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford and the rest were at for the original trilogy's release... so that's going to be a time sink..

Click to shrink...

Machete Cut Marathon was also what I did prior to seeing the film - glad to see you're doing the same with some friends! Nothing stimulates the brain factory like a good time watching classic films. Especially when you seem to have broken a lot of mirrors in your past life, or were mortal enemies with a black cat.Perhaps an alternate universe Beerus.

 

[ShieldCrown]

So another update!

Point numero uno: I got a chance to hook up with some old buddies tomorrow to marathon the machete cut of the Star Wars series, and then jump right into rewatching The Force Awakens in the historic Tamal Vista theater that Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford and the rest were at for the original trilogy's release... so that's going to be a time sink.

Point #2: During today's awesome post-christmas oyster feed, I had an oyster slip in my hand and cut my finger with its shell something fierce. Let me tell you - typing without one of your index fingers is pretty darn tough!

So yeah, yet another day's dely, bar minimum - such is life, folks!

I'd say sorry, but I'd take movie marathon with old friends over your guys any day - no offense to you or anything, it's just that the alternative is so darn amazing you can't compete.

Personal note: this took way too long to type sans one index finger...

Click to shrink...

.......did you anger a witch or something? Because you've had a lot of bad luck lately and I'm starting to get worried.

 

[Locos_Docos]

Hypothetically, what scenarios would ultimately cause a Bad End to this Quest? I'll lend an open ear to any who would indulge me on this topic. I, myself, can hardly think of anything else outside of the following three situations:

1. Broly is permanently indisposed (killed or otherwise).
Broly is the linchpin in Lord Cooler's master plan for destroying the God that presides over destruction itself. There is no backup plan in regards of forging a metaphorical God-slayer weapon. Above all else, the Quest itself is about the cultivation of the Legendary Super Saiyan himself, not someone or something else. Thus, if Broly's gone, so is the Quest.

2. Cooler is permanently indisposed (killed or otherwise).
Honestly, I haven't really given much thought to this one. Cooler is the main PoV character for the Quest, and yet we players have had opportunity to assume direct control over Broly. For almost all of Broly's life, he's followed the orders of his Lord and has been under his Lord's protection as well. I suppose if Cooler were to bite it, there would definitely be anarchy, but as to specific consequences due to his demise? I'd need someone else to go in-depth for me on the ramifications to that one.

3. The Beard gets shaved.
We must prevent this from happening at any cost. Failure in doing so results in the QM [Bob's Beard] ceasing to exist; without the QM, the Quest cannot continue.