Hopefully LordR is planning on the endgame and not piling on more 'issues' that MC has to keep solving. Taking the nine out is gonna be hard enough as it is.
Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)
- Thread starter LordRoustabout
- Start date
- Location
- Adelaide, Australia
While that is *possible* Joe is still the only one whose presence she can actually lock onto. Everyone else is pretty much indistinguishable from background noise so even if she does drift through their realms she won't notice anything they do.
You know its kinda funny that everyone knows that either Matrix or Apeiron in some combination are able to make bespoke subatomic particles with specific effects and proprieties and a energy positive fusion generator analog that makes them. And that they seem to have done it so they could make the best possible 1:1 scale model in existence for a cartoon.
And no one even has time to worry about that because of all the other stuff.
- Location
- <CLASSIFIED>
Labyrinth really could use some companionship while she's lost exploring her worlds. Especially when she's stuck in one of her many bad places.
And they could form a self-help group for victims of unethical medical experimentation.
Yeah, who has time to worry about bespoke subatomic particles when they're busy worrying about the bespoke atomic particles and their molecules (Dust) that can be trivially turned into elemental landmines.
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- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I'm unsure if Alma would treat other good if she was to travel there. She seems to treat Joe pretty OK but he's the only person right now that she's used to. If she were to be introduced in a stressful way or meet in a chaotic battlefield then she may take offense to that.
Matrix's pronoun is they due to being a distributed intelligence.
Even having Lethe leave rosemary and cyclamen on the body would have the analysists freaking out. You have a dark and twisted sense of humor and I love it!
[Rosemary signifies remembrance. Cyclamens are commonly given to someone you are saying goodbye to.]
BagFullOfLizards
Some bag, mostly lizards
- Location
- A bag
The problem isn't using they for the Matrix, the problem is that there's a long discussion between Joe and Aisha and then suddenly there's a "They said" without indicating who "they" refers to. Generally if a third character is entering a dialogue and it's been a while since the reader has been reminded they're in the scene the first reference to them should use their name to remind the reader they exist.
Shadow Archon
Protoss Preserver
- Location
- Louisiana
Matrix was already named in the conversation by that point and Aisha literally just asked them a question directed to them by name.
No, she did not.
Edit: Just realized, The Matrix use they because they literally a swarm of individual nanites, so shouldn't they also use "we" instead of "I"? Or whenever The Matrix speaking, it's about that one Omega Nanite instead of the swarm?
Edit-edit: Oh right, The Matrix follows Survey's old algorithm on interpersonal interactions, so using "I" is more about following the algorithm instead of being accurate with how many individuals speaking at the time.
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MagicalAmbitions
the rose in your vase
- Pronouns
- She/Her
it's much easier and less mental gymnastics if you just think of the matrix as a non-binary person who uses they/them and refers to themself with i/me/myself (which is hilariously the inverse of advice sometimes given for learning to use they/them on nonbinary people: "imagine that their body is made out of bees" or whatev)
That just feels like a way to ignore Matrix's character and personal reasoning in favour of archetypal generalization. Yes, it is easier, but all nuance is lost.
Speaking of the Matrix, I had an idea for their Movie Night selection: Flight of the Navigator.
It's a VFX tour de force, and one of the first films to really incorporate fully digital SFX, plus it's about a physically embodied digital life form that is also a polymorphic spaceship. Aisha can identify with the lost kid dumped into an insane world, Fleet will appreciate the problems of navigating without a map, Survey will delight in picking apart the setting incongruities, Garment will be interested in the eighties fashion scene, Tetra might well love the lost alien makes a friend theme, Joe has personal experience of random alien knowledge being stuffed into his head, and the Kerbals might even be coaxed out of their hangar by the NASA connection.
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It's a VFX tour de force, and one of the first films to really incorporate fully digital SFX, plus it's about a physically embodied digital life form that is also a polymorphic spaceship. Aisha can identify with the lost kid dumped into an insane world, Fleet will appreciate the problems of navigating without a map, Survey will delight in picking apart the setting incongruities, Garment will be interested in the eighties fashion scene, Tetra might well love the lost alien makes a friend theme, Joe has personal experience of random alien knowledge being stuffed into his head, and the Kerbals might even be coaxed out of their hangar by the NASA connection.
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Thanks, I was hoping someone would pick that up. Of course to keep the ninja theming she should probably use the Japanese equivalents which would throw the PRT even further off; is Lethe an ABB deserter? Is that why Apeiron has such a hate on for them?
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- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Do any of you have any thoughts about the next week's chapter; Brockton's Celestial Forge AU – Europa's Celestial Forge? Personally I'm all for it but I'm afraid that it will cause his main fic to get delayed. So it feels like I see someone doing something incredible dangerous and I would like to stop him so he doesn't do that. However the person in question stops me and says: "I got this." So I can only stop and watch him doing that incredible dangerous thing.
The AU is basically a recursive fic written by the same author.
If author wants to write, thats a plus, because it means the author still is interested in the characters.
Fanfic authors writing solely for audience expectations are at risk of fic abandonment.
If author wants to write, thats a plus, because it means the author still is interested in the characters.
Fanfic authors writing solely for audience expectations are at risk of fic abandonment.
Eh, there haven't been anything to make me doubt Lord's ability to at least somewhat understand his own limits. He managed to get this work going for four years, while taking delays and hiatus when he knew he needed them, so if he says "I got this" I believe him. After all, he did write that first chapter of Europa without us noticing. Plus, he himself said that BFC is in priority, so even if there will be delays it won't be due to AU.
P. S. My comment most definitely not influenced by bias of being excited for AU for a whole year. In your analogy, I'm not that one person that yells "Do a flip". Not at all.
- Location
- Melbourne
It's been nearly 12 months since the last chapter of the side story. Lord may have been writing on and off over that time and has just finished polishing it for posting.
MagicalAmbitions
the rose in your vase
- Pronouns
- She/Her
i concede to the point that "it's easier to read the character this way" was bad phrasing. however, in my defense: 1) i was confused while reading the last chapter because i couldn't remember if the matrix used the singular or the plural to refer to themself and was posting the advice i started using in order to un-confuse myself, and 2) i Do think that the matrix is presented within the story as, if not identical to a non-binary person, at least comparable or thematically parallel, and it would not be nuanced to ignore that when discussing the matrix's identity.
This. the comparison between 'slotting in a fun side-story AU piece in place of the mainline story for a fun anniversary event' and 'watching someone about to do something dangerous' seems ridiculous and unfounded to me. it's more like watching someone say they're about to do something that is a little bit different from their routine but obviously entirely within their capabilities. like making a ham and cheese sandwich instead of a pb and j, or something.
actually, i might be reading the situation wrong - is the europa side story supposed to replace the mainline story chapter for the next update cycle or are both dropping at the same time / another 3rd option?
- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I'm not disagreeing with anything what you said nor did I mean anything like that. If I carefully consider the scenario with a distance to it then I even agree with you. However I was asking for people's feelings, if they had the same worry as me or if I was in a minority. But, anyway, thanks for your reply.
True. As you said, he's well known at this point with his reputation. Perhaps I let my worries take hold of me too much. I can probably can set aside my worries and let me get excited by the side story.
True, you have a point. Just because one doesn't publishes it or posts it doesn't mean that it might not be written.
I thank everyone that alleviated my fears. Cheers!
My problem with your previous argument is not that I want to ignore some aspect of the character, be it parallels to Non-Binary or whatever else. My problem is that it's an appeal to archetype, instead of consideration of personal reasoning of character. In my eyes, to say "The Matrix uses "I" becouse they are Non-Binary" is the same as to say "Lisa wants to appear smartest in the room becouse she is a Know-it-all" or "Joe saved the Undersiders from Bakuda becouse he is a Hero". All of that is an appeal to archetype, a categorization of character that is not a substitute for understanding of character's motivation. Lisa's, Joe's and The Matrix's reasoning for actions does not stem nor stop at being something, so if one desires to understand them, one should not just start thinking of them as an archetype and stop there.
As a bonus, becouse I seem to have a problem with shutting up, I give an example of how appeal to archetype loses in nuance. "Weld wants Apeiron's treatment becouse he is Case 53" and "Gully wants Apeiron's treatment becouse she is Case 53" are factually correct appeals to archetypes and if someone just looked at those statements they would be able to conclude that Weld's and Gully's motivations are the same. That would be a wrong conclusion. Yes Weld is Case 53, but he is primarily motivated by his powers and sensory deprivation that stems from it, and yes Gully is Case 53, but she is primarily motivated by her appearance and problems that stem from it. So in a theoretical situation where treatment for C53 can change powers, but treated's appearance will suffer in proportion to how bad it already was, Weld would sign up, while Gully would not think the trade is worth it. In the opposite situation, where treatment can only change appearance, but power issues will get exacerbated, Gully and Weld would trade places in their degree of wiliness to sign up. That's how we have two character that can be classified to the same archetype, but their action will still be drastically different in the same situation, becouse their action are driven not by just being Case 53, but by personal reasoning.
Another 3rd option. Europa chapter will be dropping some time in a week, probably around the day of the anniversary. For the record, week of anniversary is off week in BCF schedule and Lord did not say that AU chapter will replace mainline story chapter in schedule or anything like that. So in theory, chapter of ECF around the 1st of May and BCF around 9th May. And ECF or any other side project Lord planing will not have a set schedule, nor will they take priority over BCF's schedule.
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also how does someone like mama matters powers work with this since she highjacks whatever sense she observes through no matter how exotic
The visions are a result of a Perk gained way back in 89: Divine Mechanics, thirty-two threadmarks back.
Hallowed Earth (Personal Reality) 400:
Every inch of your Personal Reality is sanctified. By who? Well… you, I guess. All those within (besides you obviously) are subject to a constant minor blessing that persists for up to a day after leaving that makes them a little luckier and healthier. In D&D terms, a general +1 Morale bonus. Those who worship you as divine may show up here when they die or see visions of you in this, your place of power… though these visions may be merely metaphors for what lies within if they lack the mental or cultural framework to understand. With Linked Portals you may appear anywhere inside your Personal Reality without having to walk there and with Eye Spy you are aware of everything that happens in this Reality. With Central Control, you are constantly aware of the contents of the PR.
If I understand correctly, the visions of Apeiron you are referring to are essentially autonomous and come from a third-person POV. The visions are essentially as if an taken by an invisible and intangible camera, edited to produce an advertisement to "Rejoice for Apeiron is your Lord, Savior, and Master Craftsman!", then transmitted to believers via spiritual/divine/Celestial Forge magic.
Mama Mathers' ability is essentially to control/corrupt any senses which have perceived her (Mathers). Given that the visions do NOT allow Apeiron to sense their recipients then Mama Mathers would gain nothing if she were the recipient of a vision.
If you are asking about what would happen if a current victim of Mama Mathers were to receive a vision of Apeiron in his workshop... that combination might be interesting.
At this point Joe has so many Perks with cumulative and secondary effects that I would sort of expect his believers to experience at least minor benefits from their visions (ex. health boost, aesthetic enhancement, improved crafting skills, enhanced charisma, drive to progress and improve).
I don't know if a vision could completely exorcise Mathers' influence from a believer but I wouldn't be surprised.
The most interesting permutation would follow if someone received a vision of Apeiron receiving Mama Mathers in his workshop, not that it's likely to occur.
I really hope we get to see Alma take on Mama Mathers. That psycho deserves to scream. If the entire world were to witness the fight then see the cute little waifu skip happily over to Daddieron afterwards, tiara sparkling and teddy bear swinging, then I'm all for it.
All hail the Omnissiah!