Pathetic King
"I Speak To The Audient Void."
- Location
- Colorado
That seems more like a QQ thing than a SV thing. Plus that's arguably rape and I doubt SV will ever let a Quest have a rapist for a protagonist.
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Lex Sedet In Vertice: A Supervillain in the DCU CK2 quest
- Thread starter King crimson
- Start date
- Superhero
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Sorry it was an omake that I had to come back to again to reread it to come to a conclusion on it and in the working of trying to get things done on time I ended up forgetting about it. Still it is good enough to be a Canon omake have 500 exp.
Microchips are now used in Lex-Phones improving the quality of the next release (out of universe microchips dropped the DC of every option involving phones or computers). I'd put Lex-Phones at about the same quality as an early iPhone right now with less app support. Factories are automated if you have them and building new production facilities will automatically be built with that in mind making them more effective (on top of that various construction DC's have been altered). The hidden weapon systems are essentially machine guns and rocket launchers that you could seamlessly integrate into a human sized robot or larger. Exo-suits will make use of the capabilities but the weapons are currently too heavy for humans to use on their own. Supercomputers are not cost effective to make for the masses but you can make one for your own use.
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King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Well I'll take out the option then. I didn't really think that people would select the option but yeah the whole rapey aspects of it were me pushing the boundaries of what Lex would consider moral (people could feel that Lex was a good guy since he didn't take this absolutely repugnant option when he had the chance to). However I have no intention of getting the quest banned or ended for an experiment in messing with peoples morality when making choices (if I present absolutely morally reprehensible options are people more willing to do things that aren't moral but aren't as bad?). I'll remove the option of using pheromones to coerce someone to literally get in bed with you (metaphorically is a different story though, since I feel there is a degree of difference between using mind control for popularity and using it for rape, neither are good but one is way worse). Sorry for any controversy that might have caused.
Kkutlord
Prince of Breath
- Location
- Indianapolis, Indiana
@King crimson: Okay, so, regarding "mind control" and all that... What about meta layers of mind control? Like, instead of outright taking control, we just nudge them in the direction we want.
Thus they would be rationalizing away our influence in ways that make sense to them. So unlike pheromone spray, we would have to be a lot more careful so they don't automatically reject the influence or have some psychotic break due to contradictions.
On the other hand, since we're just influencing them, there's actually nothing to "free" them from. Even learning about it would be different, as it'll be clear their choices were all their own instead of true manipulation like the pheromone spray.
Thus they would be rationalizing away our influence in ways that make sense to them. So unlike pheromone spray, we would have to be a lot more careful so they don't automatically reject the influence or have some psychotic break due to contradictions.
On the other hand, since we're just influencing them, there's actually nothing to "free" them from. Even learning about it would be different, as it'll be clear their choices were all their own instead of true manipulation like the pheromone spray.
- Location
- U.S.
you mean like a deus ex casie implant?
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Oof this is a complicated question. I'd argue that you don't need powers to nudge people in the right direction for their own thought processes to arrive at a conclusion you want them to. But there will be options to use extranormal means to subtly shift peoples perceptions and opinions.
Like you could make an argument that Luthor has already done something like this to Pamela (he has played on her insecurities fears and dreams to warp her into someone who is incredibly devoted to him and his well being. Her thought processes were all her own so there is nothing for her to fight but Lex has definitely shifted her perception of both him and the rest of the world) and he is likely to do this to anyone who lives in or works at LexCorp tower (going to a place where it is normal to consider your boss to be an absolute genius who can figure out anything will heavily warp your perception of that boss given enough time). Lex already hires and takes in disenfranchised isolated people, enables them for a little bit and then slowly warps them into becoming someone who will serve his own interests (Ivo and Carstairs are examples where the thread is doing this right now). As such I could argue that you already are doing this just very subtly.
If you are speaking about magically or technologically influencing people then yes you could do that also. Magic runs on concepts so with a good focus and enough power you could create a spell that automatically causes people to interpret your actions in a positive light if at all possible for them. It's a level of complexity you won't reach for a while yet (the reason why most magicians go for brute force mind control is because it is actually easier in terms of conception than a spell with numerous addendums and clauses created to not truly violate free will). Similarly technology can be used to subtly nudge people into thinking your way through rewarding certain types of behavior and discouraging others in society at large.
However because I am unsure of what you mean so I don't know if I've answered the question (like would implanting subliminal messages in someone's phone that makes them more receptive to buying LexCorp products which in turn causes them to justify liking LexCorp and by extension liking Lex Luthor count as overt mind control in your book?). The simplest way I can put it I guess is that there are degrees of mind control and you will be able to utilize different kinds to different effects assuming you travel down the right paths to do so.
So nothing absolutely revolutionary for microchips. I mean, 10 years-ish ahead of everyone else, but it's not like Animal AI or what have you. Or is the limitation on price, and we could make microchips FAR more powerful if we don't worry about price?
How good do you say the supercomputer is?
Also, what's that flight propulsion thing? Is it basically Tonys repulsor tech?
I was thinking of us being able to get Pamela to make an off shoot that makes people calm and happy, using justifications a lot like that. We aren't mind controlling them. We're just using nice smells to comfort people.
- Location
- Israel
So next update is the turn 6 vote, right?
Also, we have a great reputation in Gotham to dangle over Bruce's head. Not a smart thing to do, but still it's just a nice thing to have at the moment.
Also, we have a great reputation in Gotham to dangle over Bruce's head. Not a smart thing to do, but still it's just a nice thing to have at the moment.
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
The limitation is mainly price at this point. You could use microchips to build something incredibly advanced but the materials would get so expensive that its just not practical to use them in anything you sell to the public (anything you make for yourself however will most certainly be better than what the public gets).
The supercomputer is very hard for me to place on a concrete position since it is hard to compare since nothing like it exists in the real world. The best comparison as to what the supercomputer lets you do that I can think of is the Batcomputer which is capable of analyzing previously unencountered substances down to a molecular level and providing possible counters to them, storing data on hundreds of thousands of individuals and references being able to quickly find them with a simple search and running incredibly fast and smoothly at all times. You can make something similar to that for your own private use.
The flight propulsion thin is basically repulsors that cannot be weaponized. They are a modification of an engine that allows power to be cleanly burned to provide a lot of lift but cannot be used to move other object as the force disperses very quickly in the air (it's comic book tech).
Next update is me wrapping up the loose ends from the previous bits (Carol Ferris' interview, Lois Lane's report on Ra's, the final results of the aftermath of the party etc.) and then it's the turn 6 vote
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Cicero
Rome's Greatest Orator
- Location
- Ancient Rome
[X] [Kane] Make Kathrine Kane the head of a special squad of your security forces
[X] [Assassins] Ask Talia for information about the two assassins
[X] [Ally] Rebecca Carstairs
[X] [Ally] Vicki Vale
[X] [Ally] Roxanne Sutton
[X] Investigate the Batman personally
[X] [Assassins] Ask Talia for information about the two assassins
[X] [Ally] Rebecca Carstairs
[X] [Ally] Vicki Vale
[X] [Ally] Roxanne Sutton
[X] Investigate the Batman personally
- Location
- Argentina
[X] [Kane] Make Kathrine Kane the head of a special squad of your security forces
[X] [Assassins] Ask Talia for information about the two assassins
[X] [Ally] Rebecca Carstairs
[X] [Ally] Roxanne Sutton
[X] [Ally] Vicki Vale
[X] Keep appraised of information in Gotham but don't go personally looking
[X] [Assassins] Ask Talia for information about the two assassins
[X] [Ally] Rebecca Carstairs
[X] [Ally] Roxanne Sutton
[X] [Ally] Vicki Vale
[X] Keep appraised of information in Gotham but don't go personally looking
Kkutlord
Prince of Breath
- Location
- Indianapolis, Indiana
@King crimson: So, the easiest way to sum it up... "The best way to control someone, is by not controlling them at all". Basically, use all the additional means we want, but avoid actually dominating someone's mind.
Usurp control, and you'll only get people fighting against you- either the victims themselves or others fighting for them. Classic comic book tale for "Mind-Controlled Hero breaks free", after all.
Honestly, the biggest problem Mind-Controllers face is how nobody wants to be controlled by them. Few ever go with finesse, despite the mind being such a delicate thing.
Basically, the approach shouldn't directly change our target, and honestly installing it all in our L-Phones is just asking for things to go wrong anyways. Pretty sure Batman once located someone using a "Notice-Me-Not" effect because nobody looked at them.
Anyways, onto other topics... Couldn't we just have Lex aim to be Kane's Chosen Conception Partner or something? Seriously, just develop a deep enough friendship that regardless of orientation either one is fine having kids together.
On a similar line, how about a Write-In for parthenogenesis, aka "female couples having biological daughters together without a man's genetic involvement"? Something similar is possible for men, though they would have a 1/3 chance of having daughters.
Wait, is there already an Option for commercializing uterine replicators? Now that would be a huge game-changer for society, especially if paired with the above. Oh, what about an option for making gender-bending a thing? Really, snagging all that LGBT support would do wonders for our rep.
Usurp control, and you'll only get people fighting against you- either the victims themselves or others fighting for them. Classic comic book tale for "Mind-Controlled Hero breaks free", after all.
Honestly, the biggest problem Mind-Controllers face is how nobody wants to be controlled by them. Few ever go with finesse, despite the mind being such a delicate thing.
Basically, the approach shouldn't directly change our target, and honestly installing it all in our L-Phones is just asking for things to go wrong anyways. Pretty sure Batman once located someone using a "Notice-Me-Not" effect because nobody looked at them.
Anyways, onto other topics... Couldn't we just have Lex aim to be Kane's Chosen Conception Partner or something? Seriously, just develop a deep enough friendship that regardless of orientation either one is fine having kids together.
On a similar line, how about a Write-In for parthenogenesis, aka "female couples having biological daughters together without a man's genetic involvement"? Something similar is possible for men, though they would have a 1/3 chance of having daughters.
Wait, is there already an Option for commercializing uterine replicators? Now that would be a huge game-changer for society, especially if paired with the above. Oh, what about an option for making gender-bending a thing? Really, snagging all that LGBT support would do wonders for our rep.
- Location
- Pennsylvania
Whoa man, I was not suggesting that. I was just responding to the person who mentioned our habit of picking up women. I ain't interested in the scumbag mind-controlling rapist route.
- Location
- California
@King crimson
Thanks. I believe I should have 4000 xp to spend (I don't believe the exp chart took into account my first omake out of 2 yesterday which would have pushed my available from 3000 to 3500 then to 4000 with the newest omake. )
If so, I would like to spend 4000 xp to increase Lex's learning 4 to 30.
On a related note, would you be willing to reveal what the Learning of the smartest person on the planet is?
Thanks. I believe I should have 4000 xp to spend (I don't believe the exp chart took into account my first omake out of 2 yesterday which would have pushed my available from 3000 to 3500 then to 4000 with the newest omake. )
If so, I would like to spend 4000 xp to increase Lex's learning 4 to 30.
On a related note, would you be willing to reveal what the Learning of the smartest person on the planet is?
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King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Sorry if I in any way offended you. The comment was not meant to be directed towards you and I don't believe anyone in this thread actually wants to go with that option. I apologize for the lack of tact in my quoting of your post.
All of the write-ins are already options that will become available with enough time sunk into learning about biology (most of the clones Lex makes are not grown in a human body and Superboy is basically Pathenogenesis between Superman and Lex Luthor).
I suppose you could have Lex aim to be Katherine Kane's chosen conception partner but I'd say its more accurately aiming to befriend Katherine Kane could lead to that. I don't know how well it would work out and I'm not one hundred percent convinced I could write such a relationship in a tasteful manner (without accidentally insulting others) and not violate the rules of Sufficient Velocity at the same time.
On mind control I disagree with the statement that there is a "best" way to do mind control. It's all dependent on what you want to accomplish. If you want Lois Lane to go and attempt to assassinate her boss you are probably better just brute forcing it instead of setting up tons of layers of complexity for the scheme in such a manner that might not even work in the end.
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Sweet. Now I kinda want too become Batmans provider.
Repilsors honestly kinda suck as a weapon. They're mainly good for nonlethal applications, which we don't tend to concern ourselves with and we have better options. The main upsides is its size/power, and the fact it's a reaction-less thruster. Very useful for a lot of things.
Cicero
Rome's Greatest Orator
- Location
- Ancient Rome
the ultimate waifu for Lex should be Wonder Woman.
I mean I remember that he once made a Lois Lane robot which I am pretty sure he dated so not to far out there
- Location
- California
@King crimson
Looking at only my omakes (8 canon and 3 non-canon) that should make my experience total 4,600. Minus the 900 XP I spent to up Learning last time to 26, that would leave me with 3,500 XP- and that is only Omakes. However, I have received approximately 500XP for various suggested moves that were accepted (such as the Risk Management Firm). I believe that should put me at 4k.
I noticed yesterday that I didn't get credit for my first omake on the XP post, but I chalked that up to my omake not getting the canon stamp of approval until after the XP post was edited.
If the ruling is still 3.5k, I will abide by it. I know that there are lots of XP to juggle, so I just wanted to point out what I believed my XP would be.
BTW, kudos on making a quest interesting enough so that I not only started writing omakes...but wrote a few.
And, now, my goal is clear: racing to reach who I assume to be Brainiac.
Looking at only my omakes (8 canon and 3 non-canon) that should make my experience total 4,600. Minus the 900 XP I spent to up Learning last time to 26, that would leave me with 3,500 XP- and that is only Omakes. However, I have received approximately 500XP for various suggested moves that were accepted (such as the Risk Management Firm). I believe that should put me at 4k.
I noticed yesterday that I didn't get credit for my first omake on the XP post, but I chalked that up to my omake not getting the canon stamp of approval until after the XP post was edited.
If the ruling is still 3.5k, I will abide by it. I know that there are lots of XP to juggle, so I just wanted to point out what I believed my XP would be.
BTW, kudos on making a quest interesting enough so that I not only started writing omakes...but wrote a few.
And, now, my goal is clear: racing to reach who I assume to be Brainiac.
- Location
- U.S.
you need more plot bunnies/omake ideas?
- Location
- California,USA
Gentleman please...why would we limit ourselves to JUST Wonder Woman.
I am somewhat worried that XP provides a way to bring stats to absurd levels. Maybe some kind of scaling (higher levels require more XP to level up) should be considered.
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Your math adds up. I don't know where I dropped the exp but I'll give the extra 500. The character is not Brainiac (they are on earth) and attempting to race them could backfire hard on you if you aren't careful when dealing with this character (they can steal intelligence out of others minds, making yourself as smart as them also makes you a target for them).
I'm thinking of maybe capping it at 40 without taking certain actions as a way to prevent exp from ballooning stats uncontrollably (exp donations will only be able to get a characters stat up to 40 and then they will have to manually earn it). I'll be debating scaling the exp later but I'm already having a some issues keeping track of everything so I want to keep things simple so as to not confuse myself. I will be observing to see if there is a need to change the system though.
Nicholas Brooks
Redeemer and Destroyer
- Location
- United States
Perhaps limit it to 1 per turn? So investing 4,000 XP would result in Lex gaining 1 in that category each turn.