Alchemical Solutions [Worm/Exalted] Thread 24: Xenial Xenos Xerox Xanthous Xiphos

[Ekzentric Lohner]

Random brainwave: Assembly member roles as related to game genres:

• Weaver is of course playing a strategy game: gaining awareness of the environment, fabricating drones and equipment, commanding units all over the place, choosing strategy and tactics to achieve objectives.
• Vajra is of course playing a combat action game: getting in the thick of things, giving/taking/dodging hits, beating up bosses, deciding when to use power moves to down her opponents.
• Tatsu is of course playing a visual novel: keep track of characters' emotional states and choose the best dialog options to win their loyalty (or at least ensure their well-being) and get the good endings. Sure, she's got a bunch of cheat tools for when there is no sufficiently good dialog option, but it's all about characterization and interaction either way.
• Uzu is probably also playing a visual novel, but between that old "Precision and Grace" foreshadowing bit (Saki is likely Precision and thus Sakura is likely Grace), her more flamboyant martial art, and her feel-good charm loadout, she could be playing a rhythm game as an Autochthonian pop idol. Or at least a timing-related game of some kind...
• Who is of course playing a game with both stealth and platformer elements: she's awesome at sneaking around, she jumps and dashes like a boss, but she can also gank mobs when stealth and mobility isn't enough. She is totally going to get all the loot hidden in hard-to-reach places!

Everyone so far has options for healing either themselves or others - Weaver and Who have magic surgery, Tatsu has lovely drugs, and Vajra can use Lay On Hands like any good Paladin.

Our Orichalcum candidates are pretty obvious:

• Accord is made for playing a CMS or a civilization sim: managing resources, arranging infrastructure, and setting policy to build the best support base. He has a tech tree and an awareness of the greater area he's working in, but with a very different focus from Weaver's. Not immediately combat based, but his inevitably high Int score and simultaneous affinity with and experience-induced drive for control of his Clarity means he'll probably be the best candidate for getting Weaving Engines as he levels up. He's there to handle the large scale problems - either by raising things or razing them.
• Glaistig UaineValkyrie(?) is all about the RPG elements: choose which party members to use in a fight, add defeated enemies to your party (gotta catch'em all!), use Phoenix Down (even if they died in a cutscene!). Also likely to get Weaving Engines as she levels up, but more out of "Magic" thematics and her power likely synergizing with that one protocol for trapping free ghosts in soul gems.

Both fill roles adjacent to but distinct from Weaver's. Accord has a top-down view and manages things, but on the infrastructure/policy level rather than the unit/action level - he's the one charting out what to do over the long term, not the one who gets tasks done in the short term; a navigator rather than a captain. GU commands others, but more at the single-fight level than at the all-the-fights level - she's more a unit commander than a general. Both are likely to be the Party Wizard, or at least the primary one - someone with Weaver as her hero name, a Design Weaver in her anima, and high enough levels of both Int and Essence to install the first of the required Charms now is kind of an obvious fit for backup Protocol Weaver at the very least.

Our Jade candidates I'm less certain of, but still have a good idea:

• Vista will probably be playing a puzzle game: she'll be rearranging either the environment or the things in it to achieve her goals. Non-Euclidean thinking, go!
• Miss Militia could easily end up playing a shooter (because IDKFA cheat code, F*** Yeah!), but I kind of see her as ultimately playing a tower defense game: she's always awake and can therefor always be vigilant, and the logical expansion of her "arm myself" power is to start arming surrounding fortifications and/or the garrison forces within them. Totally the Shield to the other combatants' Weapons, the Anvil to their Hammers.

Both are thoughtful approaches that can work from a distance (at least initially), either via rearrangement of said distance or via artillery.

 

[uju32]

@Gromweld
QUESTION

Hmm.
Hasn't Director Uriel seen the Broadcast shard/Jack Slash/Vision of Vengeance video that Armsmaster's armor recorded?
Or the highly classified report Taylor wrote explaining precisely what happened there?
Doesn't Chevalier remember seeing Vision pull tentacles out of Jack Slash's head?

Click to shrink...

Which of those things is Saki aware of IC?

 

[Gromweld]

Which of those things is Saki aware of IC?

Click to shrink...

In order:
- Armsmaster didn't show anyone his video of the VoV incident, but when his armor and tech was confiscated when he was quarantined (after Simurgh mindwhammy) that video was noted as classified and sealed before anyone in the review team could see it. He hasn't gotten his stuff back yet, but when he does the video won't be in his systems anymore.
- Saki is aware that Taylor wrote a detailed report of the Vision of Vengeance events, but hasn't had a chance to read it herself so she doesn't know what was in it beyond what Taylor explained when she and Prayer gave her a breakdown of what happened (which was generally less detailed purely because Taylor wrote a damn novel for her report).
- She is aware that Chevalier probably saw the tentacles since Prayer saw them, but Chev only dismissed casual inquiry about it saying that he was blacking in and out during the event (and she's aware that the whole event is Classified at the highest level) so she isn't sure.

 

[landcollector]

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Local Assembly And Read-In Allies First

 

[tenchifew]

[X]Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Local Assembly And Read-In Allies First

 

[FunkyEntropy]

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Director Uriel First

Because Uriel hasn't been doing enough hard drinking recently.

 

[landcollector]

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Director Uriel First

Because Uriel hasn't been doing enough hard drinking recently.

Click to shrink...

"This is undoubtedly Weaver's vengeance against me..." Uriel grumbles as he reaches for his flask of bourbon.

 

[uju32]

In order:
- Armsmaster didn't show anyone his video of the VoV incident, but when his armor and tech was confiscated when he was quarantined (after Simurgh mindwhammy) that video was noted as classified and sealed before anyone in the review team could see it. He hasn't gotten his stuff back yet, but when he does the video won't be in his systems anymore.
- Saki is aware that Taylor wrote a detailed report of the Vision of Vengeance events, but hasn't had a chance to read it herself so she doesn't know what was in it beyond what Taylor explained when she and Prayer gave her a breakdown of what happened (which was generally less detailed purely because Taylor wrote a damn novel for her report).
- She is aware that Chevalier probably saw the tentacles since Prayer saw them, but Chev only dismissed casual inquiry about it saying that he was blacking in and out during the event (and she's aware that the whole event is Classified at the highest level) so she isn't sure.

Click to shrink...

Thank you.

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Director Uriel First

Because Uriel hasn't been doing enough hard drinking recently.

Click to shrink...

Good point.

VOTE
[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Director Uriel First


Might as well have Uriel thinking longingly of Taylor's return, and not just for the superlative coffee.

 

[RoninSword]

It looks like Taylor routinely fiddles with every coffee machine she comes across. Sure, its likely not as good as her own brew, but its still likely amazing.

 

[Vyrexuviel]

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Director Uriel First

 

[uju32]

It looks like Taylor routinely fiddles with every coffee machine she comes across. Sure, its likely not as good as her own brew, but its still likely amazing.

Click to shrink...

Possibly. Sorta like a tic; leave a coffee machine around her for a couple days, and it will be inevitably improved.
Obviously tea is superior in her judgement, but thats no reason to let other people drink substandard brews.
Or in the Wards/Riley's case, cocoa.

 

[RoninSword]

I was specifically referring to the scene where Taylor first runs into Aisha. By the end of the scene, the coffee machine has 3 nozzles.
Edit: Makes it seems she just got into a habit so that people wouldn't fight over her own coffee as much.

 

[FunkyEntropy]

It looks like Taylor routinely fiddles with every coffee machine she comes across. Sure, its likely not as good as her own brew, but its still likely amazing.

Click to shrink...

Make a man a cup of coffee, keep him buzzed for the morning.

Make a man a coffee machine, keep him buzzed for rest of his life.

 

[uju32]

I was specifically referring to the scene where Taylor first runs into Aisha. By the end of the scene, the coffee machine has 3 nozzles.
Edit: Makes it seems she just got into a habit so that people wouldn't fight over her own coffee as much.

Click to shrink...

I think Riley and Mister broke that one by mistake.
So she fixed it.

 

[Gromweld]

It's a bit more involved than that: she has a few already-fixed PRT coffee machines in TIE storage, which she usually just swaps for an unaltered one when she comes across them. Then, when having a moment when her hands are otherwise unoccupied, she extrudes one of the non-altered ones from her storage and fixes it up before putting it back. Efficiency.

 

[FunkyEntropy]

It's a bit more involved than that: she has a few already-fixed PRT coffee machines in TIE storage, which she usually just swaps for an unaltered one when she comes across them. Then, when having a moment when her hands are otherwise unoccupied, she extrudes one of the non-altered ones from her storage and fixes it up before putting it back. Efficiency.

Click to shrink...

Hey Grom, can start selling Weaver-brand coffee machines as part of a hair-brained get rich quick scheme? Decorate it with an insect motif, and have the tagline, "Weaver coffee. It'll get you buzzed."

 

[VNodosaurus]

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Cauldron First

Alas, Gibbard's theorem, proven in 1973, states that for any deterministic process of collective decision, at least one of the following three properties must hold:

1. The process is dictatorial, i.e. there exists a distinguished agent who can impose the outcome;
2. The process limits the possible outcomes to two options only;
3. The process encourages agents to think strategically: once an agent has identified their preferences, they have no action at their disposal that would best defend their opinions in any situation.

Whenever you offer us all equal votes with more than two options, strategic voting will be a concern. Back when we were narrowing our Orichalcum candidates down to two, I changed from my true preference of Armsmaster vs Accord to just Accord because the developing landslide for Ciara meant Accord might be eliminated if Armsmaster got enough votes to come in second, and I wanted Accord to stay a candidate even more than I wanted Ciara to be eliminated as one. Choosing a less-than-most-favored option to avoid a least-favored option winning will always be a thing.

Click to shrink...

Yes, but how bad the strategic voting gets is variable. In particular, with approval voting, there are multiple sincere votes possible, and the optimal vote is always one of them. I don't remember whether approval voting is allowed in this Quest, but it's good at limiting the strategic-voting issue, while also being automatic with the vote tally.

...Meanwhile, instant-runoff manages to be the worst of both worlds, and is nevertheless the most popular in real-world settings. But that's another rant.

 

[Gromweld]

VOTING CLOSED​

TL;DR RESULTS: Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Local Assembly And Read-In Allies First



Overwhelming Success Management: (Choose ONE, NO STUNT)

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Local Assembly And Read-In Allies First
No. of Votes: 22

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Aelethea
[X] Antuanferre
[X] Daemir
[X] Derpmind
[X] Ekzentric Lohner
[X] Justbrowsing
[X] jwolfe_beta
[X] Killer_Whale
[X] landcollector
[X] Lord Ultimus
[x] Qwertystop
[X] rags
[X] Silently Watches
[x] Sintonir
[x] Spectral Waltz
[X] Sworl
[X] tenchifew
[X] The Lowtide
[X] Timerider
[X] Twilight666
[x] veekie
[X] wingnut2292

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Cauldron First
No. of Votes: 6

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Scify
[X] Golden Lark
[X] Pathos
[X] Phyrexia Unbound
[X] SaltyWaffles
[X] VNodosaurus

[X] End Taylor's Vacation, Work With Taylor First
No. of Votes: 5

Spoiler: Voters

[X] spudman
[X] Corpusvoyeur
[X] Evil Atlas
[X] PseudoSim
[X] sainen

[X] Taylor's On Vacation, Work With Director Uriel First
No. of Votes: 5

Spoiler: Voters

[X] dpara
[X] FunkyEntropy
[X] tryingtobewitty
[X] uju32
[X] Vyrexuviel

 

[uju32]

Ugh.
I cant believe people voted to work with Cauldron over their friendly PRT director.

 

[Spectral Waltz]

Ugh.
I cant believe people voted to work with Cauldron over their friendly PRT director.

Click to shrink...

Friendly? Uriel is a jackass last I recall.

 

[RoninSword]

He is also one of the very few Directors to have survived having the S9 come to his city.

 

[FunkyEntropy]

Friendly? Uriel is a jackass last I recall.

Click to shrink...

We are literally contributing to his early demise via alcohol poisoning.

(Also, you know the old saw about how the reward for good work is more work? Exalts are really good at getting shit done. Uriel isn't meanspirited, he's just a cranky old man middle-aged bureaucrat who grumps about how we're making more work for him.)

 

[uju32]

Friendly? Uriel is a jackass last I recall.

Click to shrink...

As compared to Cauldron? Really?
Cauldron, that put a gun to Shatterbird's head at Saki's first meeting with them in order to manipulate her into help with "adjusting" their prisoners back to some sort of sanity? Cauldron, that were complicit with Danny's stress testing of Taylor's emotional attachments?

Uriel is vocally dismissive with Taylor, who can take it, and Aisha who revels in being a vocal ass right back.
He's almost scrupulously gentle with Saki.
And he's quite solicitous of their physical safety.

I don't have a problem with Local Allies winning. I am disappointed that Cauldron is second.

We are literally contributing to his early demise via alcohol poisoning.

Click to shrink...

Also, this.
Admittedly Sirkalla doesn't let it get that far

 

[FunkyEntropy]

Also, this.
Admittedly Sirkalla doesn't let it get that far

Click to shrink...

Part of being a good Alchemical is taking care to make sure your mortal superiors don't fatally overdose in response to your frequent amazing successes!

(That's what medical charms are for. Remember kids, only do drugs in a safe and controlled environment with plenty of adult Exalt supervision )

 

[SaltyWaffles]

Cauldron has the kind of reach, information network, influence, and insight to be most useful in this kind of situation, barring perhaps our own Assembly. It makes sense.