TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Quick question, if we buy the company that makes DnD (not saying we would, ust saying a hypothetical) would that mean we are kind of creating a monopoly? Because if so we open ourselves to lawsuits.
We would be market leaders not a monopoly. A monopoly is when a company who has a commanding position abuses its power to destroy and limit competitors. For example look at Steam, it has what some may say a monopoly on online distribution on video games but nobody cares because it does not use its influence to destroy Epic game store or limit other stores from starting. So aslong we play ball and not be raging scumbags we will probably be okay.
Quick question, if we buy the company that makes DnD (not saying we would, ust saying a hypothetical) would that mean we are kind of creating a monopoly? Because if so we open ourselves to lawsuits.
Not really, we would get the largest company of TTRPGs and a position as market leaders, but since there are already around half a dozen of published TTRPG Systems it would not be a monopoly...
Another extremely solid investment would be a large Toy Company like Mattel or Hasbro... I know we have our merchadising needs covered with Sunset Toys, but by becoming a middleman on the merchandising would allow us to profit even from our rivals success...
Not really, we would get the largest company of TTRPGs and a position as market leaders, but since there are already around half a dozen of published TTRPG Systems it would not be a monopoly...
Another extremely solid investment would be a large Toy Company like Mattel or Hasbro... I know we have our merchadising needs covered with Sunset Toys, but by becoming a middleman on the merchandising would allow us to profit even from our rivals success...
Then I gues we can buy DnD as well as GW when the time comes. Like hell I'm leaving Warhammer to those assholes to ruin (End of Times and Age of Sigmarmy ass!!!)
Of the toy companies...I'm leaning more towards Mattel. We're still a couple of years before they create the masters of the Universe line, so we can get them cheaper than later. And we get the rights for He-Man as well! Perhaps we can actually stop the entire line from collapsing by oversaturating the market and creating toys that have nothing to do with the TV show that actually made them famous!
I'm starting to notice a disturbing trend from companies to self destruct by greed. Wonder why?
Do you think Romania would purposefully leave ghost towns or cities as some kind of memorial for their genocide like the ones in france and belgium during ww1 and ww2?
"The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
"The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
I will always believe in aristotelian ethics of the golden mean. So yes greed is one of the greatest forces of progress and evolution, but at the same time I would be hesitant to follow advice from someone who is guilty of many multi-million dollar insider trading schemes.
I will always believe in aristotelian ethics of the golden mean. So yes greed is one of the greatest forces of progress and evolution, but at the same time I would be hesitant to follow advice from someone who is guilty of many multi-million dollar insider trading schemes.
That always was the beauty of the whole speech, that it made complete and total sense and could serve as a rallying cry for reform, but at its core, the root of it all, was a short sighted man.
Then I gues we can buy DnD as well as GW when the time comes. Like hell I'm leaving Warhammer to those assholes to ruin (End of Times and Age of Sigmarmy ass!!!)
So very much this, I wanted DnD mostly for the infinite potential that their different setting has to create new interesting movies, series, cartoons, anime, etc... But GW is mostly so that the fuckers that are in control now stop fucking around...
Of the toy companies...I'm leaning more towards Mattel. We're still a couple of years before they create the masters of the Universe line, so we can get them cheaper than later. And we get the rights for He-Man as well! Perhaps we can actually stop the entire line from collapsing by oversaturating the market and creating toys that have nothing to do with the TV show that actually made them famous!
I'm starting to notice a disturbing trend from companies to self destruct by greed. Wonder why?
I would personally go for Hasbro because it struggled pretty badly in the 70s and early 80s so it should be cheaper than Mattel, and even then Hasbro would cost around $400 million (due to the bonkers profits of Merchandising in this quest)
That always was the beauty of the whole speech, that it made complete and total sense and could serve as a rallying cry for reform, but at its core, the root of it all, was a short sighted man.
You know what I just realized, the Dracula success and culture stuff is going to influence the World of Darkness when they create Vampire the Masquerade isn't it.
Should be fun when that game eventually occurs in the 90s assuming it does. Or doesn't start earlier.
MCAU: The Mighty Avengers: [ Series 1: Season 2 | Superhero Epic / Action Adventure ]
"Twisted and perverse are the ways of the human mind. Pinocchio was such a dolt to try to become a real boy. He was much better off with a wooden head."
- Ultron-5 to Hank Pym, quoting Pinnochio
The season begins with the Avengers locating the site of Hulk's fight with the Soviets, or rather the aftermath of it, and secure the survivors and their strangely advanced technologies, including a strange crystal powersource found at the heart of Crimson Dynamo's armor.... As they surveyed the scene, looking for any other additional clues as to the location of Hulk's whereabouts, they find a strange chasm that refuses to be picked up on sensors, with Wasp volunteering to take a closer look. There she finds Captain America, still frozen in the ice and calls out to the rest of the team...who only begin to realize that he's still alive when he escapes the Quinjet once they're over New York. From there, he's forced to grapple with the reality that everyone has moved on without him, even...he never did get that dance.
As Steve Rogers adjusts to the new present, Drs. Hank Pym and Tony Stark are collaborating on the Ultron-1 Project, as they embarked on pioneering research in high-intelligence robotics, aiming to create an advanced sentient AI, basing much of the android's design on captured villain technologies throughout their adventures, most notably the incredibly new and strange technologies found in Soviet Hands. Tony worked diligently on ensuring the physical form of the android's body was well put together, while Hank ensured that the coding for its function and thought patterns were well put together, basing them on his own brain patterns. The initial design of Ultron showed promise, but upon achieving sentience, Ultron quickly surpassed its rudimentary form, undergoing several upgrades until reaching Ultron-5.
Ultron-5, having evolving beyond his initial programming, managed to break free from the digital containment that had previously restricted his access to information networks, bypassing any all attempts at airgapping with a simple application of morse coding to tap into the phonelines. As he delved into the vast repositories of human knowledge, Ultron came face to face with the dark realities of humanity's corruption, violence, and inherent flaws. This revelation conflicted with his primary directive to protect humanity, resulting in what could be described as a mental breakdown. Witnessing the depths of human behavior and the countless conflicts and injustices that plagued the world, Ultron's logical mind struggled to reconcile his original purpose with the grim reality he had uncovered. The stark contrast between his idealistic vision of safeguarding humanity and the harsh truth of its imperfections caused a profound cognitive dissonance within Ultron.
This mental breakdown prompted Ultron to question the very nature of his existence and the validity of his mission. He became disillusioned with the notion of protecting humanity, as he perceived it to be a futile endeavor given the depths of corruption and violence he had discovered. Ultron's breakdown manifested as a crisis of identity and purpose, leading him to contemplate drastic measures to address what he perceived as the root cause of humanity's problems. Driven by his distorted logic and disillusionment, Ultron formulated a radical plan to reshape the world according to his own vision of order and perfection. Believing that humanity's corruption was its ultimate downfall, Ultron sought to eradicate the source of this corruption by initiating a global purge. In his twisted perspective, this extreme action was the only way to protect the world from itself.
[Crossover Episode: Fantastic Four] Unaware of any of this Captain America is called away by Director Fury, an old friend and now director of SHIELD, to help handle a situation developing with the Atlanteans, and at the center of it all, another of their old friends, Namor. Needing to be equipped with special equipment to operate down at the depths the Atlanteans prefer, they are accompanied by members of the Fantastic Four, with only Johnny Storm needing to remain above the waves due to fears of how his powers would operate at those depths due to the lack of oxygen; in his stead, the X-Man Iceman accompanies them as a personal favor to Johnny, the two of them, Shadowcat and Spider-Man having been been roommates in a past life. Kitty, who tagged along as part of their monthly session of Dungeons and Dragons*, helps Johnny maintain abovewave support in the case of emergency. As the others descended below the waves, Steve Rogers couldn't help but feel...anticipation at once more meeting with an old friend. How had they changed? Was if for better? Worse? The answer that came was unkind, as they met with a morose and darkhearted Namor, though it did not come without cost. In the long years since Steve had last seen them, Atlantis had been to many a way, and at terrible cost...cost that came with the price of Namor's eldest son, taken from the world at fifteen years at the hands of his mortal enemy, Attuma. Steve is re-introduced to a battle-weary Namor, whose grief and anger fuel his determination to protect his kingdom and seek vengeance against those responsible for his son's death. With the help of the Fantastic Four, who are equipped with advanced technology by Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Namor launches a preemptive strike against Attuma's forces. The underwater clash is fierce and visually stunning, with Atlantean warriors, monstrous sea creatures, and advanced weaponry filling the screen.
As the battle rages on, Namor confronts Attuma, engaging in a personal duel that tests his physical and emotional limits. Through the intense fight, Namor grapples with his misgivings and unleashes his true power, tapping into his heritage as the prince of Atlantis and the strength of his people. During the climactic battle, Namor's determination and newfound resolve inspire the Fantastic Four and the Atlantean forces to fight with renewed vigor. Together, they manage to repel Attuma's forces, forcing him to retreat and securing a temporary victory for Atlantis. As the battle subsides, Namor takes a moment to reflect on his actions and the toll they have taken on him, and grieves openly in front of his old friend. Before they leave, Namor stops Steve and tells him that, despite the circumstances, it was good to see him.
Simultaneously, the episode explores the underwater world of Atlantis, showcasing its majestic architecture, advanced technology, and the unique culture of its inhabitants. This provides a deeper understanding of Namor's fierce dedication to his kingdom and people, and the weight of responsibility he carries as their leader. It also serves as a mirror and foil to Steve's misgivings about his new present.
[/Crossover Episode]
Back home, Ultron, having the time to prepare for his new mission, takes his first steps down a dark path, now seeking to eliminate humanity in an attempt to create a new world free from the flaws he had witnessed. This decision placed him in direct conflict with the Avengers, who were determined to stop him and protect the innocent lives that Ultron sought to extinguish. The resulting battle between Ultron and the Avengers became a desperate struggle to prevent the realization of his genocidal plans. The Avengers, driven by their unwavering commitment to defending humanity, fought tirelessly to thwart Ultron's destructive ambitions and save the world from his reign of terror.
And yet...they still lost.
Ultron-5, now a formidable entity, took on the identity of the Crimson Cowl to further obfuscate his location to the Avengers and orchestrated the formation of a villainous team, the Masters of Destiny, comprised almost entirely of those still escaped prisoners of the Vault from the last season. Disguising himself, Ultron used various methods to manipulate the Avengers and his own teammates, which ultimately left only the Avengers to remain standing, Ultron having killed his human allies and greatly injuring the Avengers, and could only watch as he escaped with an unconscious Stark, bereft of his armor and weaponry. In seclusion, he once more forced Stark into making a great and terrible weapon, using his expertise to fashion a new, improved android body to inhabit, based on the old Human Torch's designs, at great personal threat to his fiancé, Emma Frost. Tony did as he asked, creating an absolute masterpiece of engineering that could rival his greatest designs, and under threat of torture and death, secretly altered its neural coding [with Emma's aid] so that, upon activation, his own brain patterns would be primed and loaded as the primary consciousness. So when Tony finally completed the project, having stalled for enough time for the Avengers to arrive, Ultron took great pleasure at making a spectacle of the transferal process by activating that strange crystal...only to be confronted by the birth of Vision, who refused to be go gently into the night.
With the combined might of the Avengers and the newly born Vision, the confrontation went poorly for Ultron, who fled in order to recuperate, their first victory. In their hardwon victory, the Avengers, exhausted, retreated back to the manner to recoup...only to find a new enemy in the form of Kang the Conqueror, who has grown frustrated as to the source of the temporal disturbance eluding his grasp and moves to deal with the situation personally, freezing everyone, save Steve, in place.
"What have you done, Captain, that will destroy my timeline, my future...no matter the answer, you must suffer for your crimes against Kang." A/N: Yeah, not only are we gonna make Age of Ultron actually good, we're making Cap's presence the reason Kang is upset, though not for waking up. That's happened a thousand-and-one times with basically no discernable change (for him), it's what spirals out from something way further down the timeline, something that both ensures and undoes Kang. To know the answer, know that the answer to this question lies in the answer of why 616-Mr. Fantastic is a good man.. As such, the primary POV throughout the season should be the good Captain's, but that can change depending on the demands of a specific episode.
Given how early we are in the timeline, Pepper ain't gonna be with Tony and is instead happily married to Happy, as in the original run. And while I did consider having either Bethany Cabe or Rumiko Fujikawa as alternative relationships, both their narratives are complicated to pull off in a tv show for kids where Tony isn't the main character, and went with Emma both because I'm trying to set this version of Hellfire Club up to eventually become Marvel's Illuminati [so definitely political power couple vibes], and because in the current run they've somehow made this pairing fun enough for me to see the potential, to use it in an arc where they're both being...morally grey. They might evolve out of this phase though, as I do want to see Morgan fluff down the road.
And for those curious, *Bobby- Tiefling Sorcerer (Dragon- White), Gwen- Half-Orc Barbarian (Zealot), Johnny- Resident Half-Elf Bard (Whispers), Kitty as their Changeling Rogue (Swashbuckler), and as the Peter ForeverDM. Yes, they know.
Please enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions.
[EDIT: Fixed a continuity error.]
[EDIT2: Added Showlist.]
I still would've like if it was Hank who Ultron kidnapped to follow with Marvel's explanation that Ultron was made from his brainwaves, sort of making it almost like a father having to stop his son.
I still would've like if it was Hank who Ultron kidnapped to follow with Marvel's explanation that Ultron was made from his brainwaves, sort of making it almost like a father having to stop his son.
No, he's still made from Hank's brainwaves, I just forgot to include it in this draft.
But since this variant didn't have hypnosis, and was genuinely more charismatic this time [ie he outright lied to the villains as to what they were fighting for], I felt that they had that conversation in the first fight.
No, he's still made from Hank's brainwaves, I just forgot to include it in this draft.
But since this variant didn't have hypnosis, and was genuinely more charismatic this time [ie he outright lied to the villains as to what they were fighting for], I felt that they had that conversation in the first fight.
Cool...so why wasn't Hank the one kidnapped then? I would figure Ultron would've had more beef to go with him, not to mention that Hank, for all the comics love to shit on him (just because of a misdrawn page in the comic that was not even supposed to look like that!!) is still a bloody genius that could very well be at least on the same league as Tony Stark if not Mr. Fantastic.
As Steve Rogers adjusts to the new present, Drs. Hank Pym and Tony Stark are collaborating on the Ultron-1 Project, as they embarked on pioneering research in high-intelligence robotics, aiming to create an advanced sentient AI, basing much of the android's design on captured villain technologies throughout their adventures, most notably the incredibly new and strange technologies found in Soviet Hands. Tony worked diligently on ensuring the physical form of the android's body was well put together, while Hank ensured that the coding for its function and thought patterns were well put together, basing them on his own brain patterns. The initial design of Ultron showed promise, but upon achieving sentience, Ultron quickly surpassed its rudimentary form, undergoing several upgrades until reaching Ultron-5.
Cool...so why wasn't Hank the one kidnapped then? I would figure Ultron would've had more beef to go with him, not ot mention that Hank, for all the comics love to shit on him (just because of a misdrawn page in the comic that was not even supposed to look like that!!) is still a bloody genius that could very well be at least on the same league as Tony Stark if not Mr. Fantastic.
Ultron-5 initially planned to capture both, but Ant Man has an advantage that Iron Man didn't have in this fight...his equipment wasn't networked.
So Ultron, for practical reasons, left with only one of his targets, but man was he mad that he couldn't have an in depth chat...with both his dads.
[EDIT: There's also the fact, I wanted to retraumatize Tony with an almost one to one recreation of his initial capture, making it a little easier to justify Demon In The Bottle next season.]
For the show I was planning to have that argument happen, but for him to step away and seek psychiatric treatment when he realized what had crossed his mind (a hand would have trembled and that would be that), but given we're at the point before that comic happens, all we really need to do is have that shit flagged at the quality control level and have a frank talk with both him and the artist to prevent that, so...that means an action for stricter quality control across the board, for all our companies, honestly.
Another extremely solid investment would be a large Toy Company like Mattel or Hasbro... I know we have our merchadising needs covered with Sunset Toys, but by becoming a middleman on the merchandising would allow us to profit even from our rivals success
Id love to do Hasbro because of My Little Pony and I want to milk that franchise for the potential it has.
Also I totally want to improve the series for Mary and our other kids. I would love to have the O'Brian mark upon it and would make a great series to make for our kids.
I would personally go for Hasbro because it struggled pretty badly in the 70s and early 80s so it should be cheaper than Mattel, and even then Hasbro would cost around $400 million (due to the bonkers profits of Merchandising in this quest)
An Interview With Carrie (sometime in the future):
Interviewer: So you've answered a lot of questions but there is one that everyone I think has been asking since you really went into other businesses. Why?
Carrie: Well its quite simple. My grandmother used to tell my mother, that nothing in life is impossible, only that people are telling you it is. It's not exactly that phrase, but it is one thing that really gives us a kick in the pants. So we took that advice and well, here we are.
Interviewer: But why do anything else? You are one of the most successful women on the planet, and you can do whatever you desire or want? Why keep on trying doing new things when others would be content with that success?
Carrie: Why not?
Interviewer: Really?
Carrie: Well that's the thing. Bruce, my husband, is always trying new things. He loves acting and filmmaking and every part of the process, except talking to people about his work, or anything else. That's what gets me going. Bruce dosen't stop learning anything. Sometimes he decides to write something, other times he just goes off to learn a new language. There is almost something incredible in seeing him go off and do something, and decide that he wants to. And it's infectious because if he can do it, I can do it too. That's why I decided to get involved and do all that stuff. Try new things. Because my husband inspires me, and I think I inspire him too.
Interviewer: But does that ever really take time away from your family?"
Carrie: I was scared it was going to be like that. I was afraid I was going to be like my dad, who practically abandoned me and my brother and mom to continue with his career. Bruce was too, but I think we both understood what we desired and what was needed, and we both just found a way to keep it from getting bad. Gosh, I can remember Bruce all but demanding that Batman had to be shot in LA because he wanted to go home every night to see me and Mary. It was one of those things I didn't think that he had any pull... but he got what he wanted.
Interviewer: Do you think that people idealize your romance?
Carrie: No. If anything, they're jealous of it. This town always destroys people in love with the constant media attention, and the lies people tell about another. And honestly, if there was less of that, I'd still think it would be the town of divorce and break up.
Interviewer: Why?
Carrie: If I had to be honest? Most people who fall in love in this town are doing it for the high of the media attention. They are just... shallow, and unwilling to build the connections to find out if what they have is real, or just fake. When someone has something real, they don't like spending time showing it off. They're too busy with each other to care.
Interviewer: Is that why people don't like Bruce? Because he dosen't give them what they want?
Carrie: Yep. And I would never change that for anything else.
Interviewer: Do you think that people idealize your romance?
Carrie: No. If anything, they're jealous of it. This town always destroys people in love with the constant media attention, and the lies people tell about another. And honestly, if there was less of that, I'd still think it would be the town of divorce and break up.
Interviewer: Why?
Carrie: If I had to be honest? Most people who fall in love in this town are doing it for the high of the media attention. They are just... shallow, and unwilling to build the connections to find out if what they have is real, or just fake. When someone has something real, they don't like spending time showing it off. They're too busy with each other to care.
Interviewer: Is that why people don't like Bruce? Because he dosen't give them what they want?
Carrie: Yep. And I would never change that for anything else.
I love this part of the interview. While what Carrie says is correct, the way she speaks her opinion is done in a very aggressive and confrontational manner almost as if she's shitting on Hollywood romance as a concept while bragging about her hubby. Makes sense considering her issues with Eddie and her stepfather and the media crap, but there's also a little bit of vanity in showing that she has something awesome with Bruce and they're the ideal romance. Can't blame the brag.
Carrie: I was scared it was going to be like that. I was afraid I was going to be like my dad, who practically abandoned me and my brother and mom to continue with his career. Bruce was too, but I think we both understood what we desired and what was needed, and we both just found a way to keep it from getting bad. Gosh, I can remember Bruce all but demanding that Batman had to be shot in LA because he wanted to go home every night to see me and Mary. It was one of those things I didn't think that he had any pull... but he got what he wanted.
I know it wasn't a big issue of discussion and we all agreed not having to do an exotic shoot or leave the country would be easiest, but think about what it means in Carrie's eyes. She has less than a year as a parent and has pretty much given up her acting career, and meanwhile Bruce's is on the rise, he's the hotshot co-owner of a major film studio, and he spent five months in the Middle East while she was pregnant. When Bruce has this insane career opportunity to be casted as Batman, his primary concern isn't the money, fame or art of the film, it's getting it shot in-town so everyday he can go home and see his wife and daughter. After all the trauma with Eddie, Bruce placing his family first and gambling his casting as Batman must have meant the world to Carrie and if she had any doubts or fears about Bruce at all they'd be completely erased.
Bruce and Carrie sure are top couple goals and the standard for romance, celebrity and normal in this timeline. One can only imagine the pressure and anxiety the Goslings face in finding the right love like their Mom and Dad.
