Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)

[SlickRCBD]

Yeah, which is why I want to stay on it unless we get some clue that the skills to fully unlock Ragnarok are found elsewhere.
Although with the fail for frost beam, I'm open to Ring Bind as an alternative.
I kinda wish I was good at creative writing to unlock Tim's Bind Mine and Anti-Magilink Field via omakes just to see if there is anything potentially useful to be worth pursuing that path for our PC, especially something that might help with Ragnarok. For a while I was convinced that Divide Energy was needed before SW nixed that idea, but it could be something in that tree.

@Silently Watches Couldn't Taylor ask Prefect Storm about these spell trees and requirements for Ragnarok? I can see it requiring a "hanging out" action, but it would be an excuse to get rid of some of the guess work.

 

[UberJJK]

Actually wondering now if Temporal Sludge would've helped (takes longer, relative to us, to break the ice) or not made a difference (the ice is at same time-rate for the Brute, so he breaks it the same).

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IT would have helped. While from his perspective the ice would have taken the same amount of time to break from our perspective since both he and the ice would be within the field it would have taken three times as long.

The problem is that Temporal Sludge only lasts for 60 seconds real time so we'd have had to be casting it as often as we did Frost Beam. That however still would have been an improvement given how draining Frost Beam is compared to our other spells.

But Multishot continues the logic we had for Burst before, in being more useful against a wider spread of light targets (where we already have big knockouts for sturdy ones, so I'm not sure where we want mistletinn) while finishing out the direct Flare branch.

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Multishot actually don't help when targeting a wider spread of light targets. It took fate 72 seconds to cast Photon Lancer Phalanx Shift. While we never see Reinforce fire off Photon Lancer Genocide Shift we do see her building up for ten seconds.

Busters meanwhile take like three to five seconds to fire.

There is a reason we pretty much never see anyone use a Shift attack. Fate uses it when she has Nanoha pinned down (each limb bound) and wants to dish out enough damage to OHKO her. Reinforce uses it because she's the Book of Darkness. That's about it really.

Honestly it seems to me more like it's more useful for area bombardment (IE: Make that city go away) without pulling out something like Ragnarok or when your fighting as part of a mage army. In an army vs. army situation Galea could have some of it's Calamity Witchs hang back and charge up Multishots, probably with homing turned on, to bombard any Belkan mages with flight.

 

[edale]

Right. I forgot about that.

Another thing that came to mind just now: I don't recall Dragon ever telling our PC about the restrictions. I don't think we know about them IC, except for whatever flaws the Dragonslayers exploited (which we don't know any details on, either).

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Dragon hasn't told us that, and we haven't told her we know she's an AI yet. Tim figured it out because of his studying of AIs for the device tech branch.

@Silently Watches How many weeks until Tim gets an S-ranked core again?

I thought the plan was for Tim to summon twin GBs, then spending the last 3 weeks (9 builds) before he hits an S-ranked (while his learning rate is doubled) working with his GBs to construct an Off-Site Power plant?

Or were we trying to increase his production capacity before doing that?


Also, a reminder for @r100d: You have a training point you can assign to any of Tim's or Taylor's skills from that omake you posted a few days ago. I don't think I saw you post where you wanted it yet.

 

[Silently Watches]

@Silently Watches Couldn't Taylor ask Prefect Storm about these spell trees and requirements for Ragnarok?

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Pffffft. No.

Must say I continue to be confused by the name...or is it common? Even moreso with the full one told now.

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Recall what I said in the spoiler for 8.4:

A fan of professional lucha libre, this MS-13 parahuman styled his look after the luchadores of the same name. Mysterio cannot fly or heal, but he grows stronger and more resilient the more impacts he takes. Previous encounters prove that this strengthening process is temporary, though the time to baseline is unknown.

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@Silently Watches How many weeks until Tim gets an S-ranked core again?

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9 weeks if my math is right.

 

[GiftOfLove]

Well I can't believe I never found this quest until now. Great read.

I taken it from comments in-story you guys are looking in to installing mana generators into Taylor, or some kind of way to feed Perfect Storm mana without channeling it directly through your Linker Cores, to avoid getting mana positioning/exploding from Ragnarok? Didn't the original Starlight Breaker get around this by pulling the mana from around the area? Not the most familiar with Nanoha.

 

[landcollector]

I taken it from comments in-story you guys are looking in to installing mana generators into Taylor, or some kind of way to feed Perfect Storm mana without channeling it directly through your Linker Cores, to avoid getting mana positioning/exploding from Ragnarok?

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I think that was a minority view, honestly. We're only expected to use the tac-nuke spell once, maybe twice, in the whole quest so an invasive procedure like having mana generators implanted into us doesn't seem needed (at least, imo).

 

[Always Late]

I taken it from comments in-story you guys are looking in to installing mana generators into Taylor, or some kind of way to feed Perfect Storm mana without channeling it directly through your Linker Cores, to avoid getting mana positioning/exploding from Ragnarok? Didn't the original Starlight Breaker get around this by pulling the mana from around the area? Not the most familiar with Nanoha.

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At this point Taylor's basically got all the tools she needs to win the game. Right now it's all about getting Tim and the privateers geared up while we wait for the TSAB.

 

[veekie]

I taken it from comments in-story you guys are looking in to installing mana generators into Taylor, or some kind of way to feed Perfect Storm mana without channeling it directly through your Linker Cores, to avoid getting mana positioning/exploding from Ragnarok? Didn't the original Starlight Breaker get around this by pulling the mana from around the area? Not the most familiar with Nanoha.

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Thats how you give yourself permanent incurable mana poisoning.

Starlight Breaker got around Nanoha's personal mana capacity by drawing ambient mana, but it's still going through a Nanoha sized pipe(which is fine, since given a 10 second charge she basically just used ambient mana to replace her own mid-term output while just running it at capacity). It got a lot less fine when she used 4 cartridges to instantly charge Starlight Breaker, or worse, simultaneously maintained four convergence points via Blaster Mode.

Suffice to say, the mana has to pass through your linker core and all that adding generators, capacitors, etc does to your core is hook up a bigger, higher pressure tank to the same sized hose.

...the hose bursts at some point.
You can get bigger stuff, but you're starting at battleship scale constructions to channel that much mana. Inanimate objects have a much lower capacity than sentient linker cores.
One alternative solution is a Unison Device, which has it's own Core that you can dualcore off.

 

[Silently Watches]

Vote 8.5

A little over 24 hours, but eh. Less of a delay than there's been in the past. Work's gotta come before writing.

It's been a while, but recall that I like build plans arranged a certain way:

[ ] Plan name
-[ ] First thing you want Tim to build
-[ ] Second thing to build
-[ ] Third thing if you'd have a remaining build slot
-[ ] BUY a skill or spell for Tim with your tech points if you want
-[ ] BUY another if you have more points

Also vote for a spell to learn. This should NOT be in the build plan but instead on its own.

 

[Demojay]

[X] Ring Bind

 

[Hellarion]

[X] Ring Bind

 

[LancerisDead]

[X] Crescendo

 

[landcollector]

[X] Plan: Saint's Worst Fear
-[X] Build Device Programming Terminal
-[X] Build an Advanced Device
-[X] Buy Integration

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I forget, what's the purpose of this again?

 

[Hate Fish]

-[X] Buy Integration

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Doesn't this cost 4 point, when we only have two available? Also, if we're allowed to go into point debt, is there a limit on how much we're allowed to go into?

 

[Always Late]

[] Plan: Iron Avenger
-[] Build DFNS-A ArmorX3

[X] Ring Bind

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[X] Ring Bind

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Tim already owns that!

[X] Crescendo

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Not available for Tim to buy either.
NVM, sorry. That one was following the rules.

-[X] Buy Integration

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We do not have enough tech-points to purchase that. That costs 4, we have 2.

Device Programming Terminal

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What is this and why do we need it?
EDIT:

Also, if we're allowed to go into point debt,

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We are not.

Shipwright's sheet is on the first page with everyone else's. I shouldn't have to explain anything.

 

[landcollector]

Tim already owns that!

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Remember that we are voting for a spell for us as well.

 

[Always Late]

Remember that we are voting for a spell for us as well.

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Except just putting a single spell on its own leaves no distinction of whether its voting for Tim or for Taylor.
@LancerisDead did it right though, and I was the one who screwed up there.

 

[Silently Watches]

Doesn't this cost 4 point, when we only have two available? Also, if we're allowed to go into point debt, is there a limit on how much we're allowed to go into?

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No, you may not. The most I'll allow is to build something and use that point in addition to what you already have to buy a skill, but you can't buy a skill to build a thing to get you the point to buy the skill.

Lancerisdead's plan doesn't use any skills you don't already have, though, so it's okay so long as the purchase is at the end of the plan.

Tim already owns that!
Not available for Tim to buy either.

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Except just putting a single spell on its own leaves no distinction of whether its voting for Tim or for Taylor.

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An independent vote is for the spell you want Taylor to learn. Purchases for Tim have to go in the plan vote. This was explained yet again in the vote post because I knew people would forget otherwise.

[X] Plan: Iron Avenger
-[X] Build DFNS-A ArmorX3

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EEEHHHHHHNNNNNN!

Reinforcement – Power armor and prosthetics can both be built. These are capable of greater feats of strength and endurance than are their organic analogues. Power armor takes twice as long to build due to its larger size.

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3 suits of power armor are 6 time slots. You only have 3 right now.

 

[Always Late]

Today is 'Late is a massive fucking hypocrite' day it seems.

 

[LancerisDead]

I forget, what's the purpose of this again?

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Tim already owns that!

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Not available for Tim to buy either.

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That spell is for Taylor.
EDIT: Ninja'd

We do not have enough tech-points to purchase that. That costs 4, we have 2.

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We have two reserve points. Plus the ones we'd get from building projects that gives us four, enough to buy Integration.

What is this and why do we need it?

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Shipwright's sheet is on the first page with everyone else's. I shouldn't have to explain anything.

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@Silently Watches said previously that if Tim wants to make Devices from scratch he needs to build specialized equipment first; in other words, a Programing Terminal.

 

[landcollector]

EEEHHHHHHNNNNNN!

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Here you go!

 

[Solusandra]

The key phrase there is forged properly. From what I can see on Wikipedia, HEAs are rather sensitive to defects, so the most practical way to use them would be in small systems that have to stand up to intense conditions. Small-scale HEAs have exhibited strength an order of magnitude above large-scale HEA components when tested.

The other concern is that the metals required may be expensive. However, this could be a viable bit of technobabble once we get some points in Exotic Physics.

@Solusandra I do appreciate your efforts to bring in real-life physics. As a student of that discipline, that makes me very happy.

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As my source is a number of youtube lectures by the people working on them I'll admit what I know is rather dumbed down. However, they suggest that it's not actually that difficult to make HEA's, it's that just as with old school alloying small adjustments to the heat or alloy mixture can give you different properties.

In laymans terms, Old School alloying, you choose a base metal because you want the properties OF THAT METAL, and then you add in small bits of other metals for synergy. But put in too much (in parts per million, or sometimes even per billion) you can lose the original properties of your base alloy. this doesn't make the alloy useless, just unsuited for the specific task.

HEA's aren't high tech or sophisticated in reality, they're just contrary to the entire orthodoxy of alloying.

The base property.

Get the right mix, temperature and cooling method for what you want, and the HEA's are as easy (or difficult) to forge as regular metals. But it's a relatively new science and the combative properties depend on the combination used rather than the base metal.

Very much like cooking.

Regardless, even the early stumbling formula's of HEA's were a magnitude stronger and more damage resistant than the best steels. That the artists of the new-ish field have made ones that are a magnitude better even than those isn't entirely surprising.

Last I heard they were working on superconductor materials. They'd managed one that could pass energy perfectly at relatively high temperatures, rather than the current widespread types that required superlow temperatures, and were shooting for a mix that could affect room temperature superconductivity.

 

[Always Late]

[X]Plan It's Also A Gun.
-[X]Sniper-scythe
-[X]Grenade launcher-hammer
-[X]Assault rifle-sword
-[X]Anti-Magilink Field

[X]Ring Bind

 

[Silently Watches]

Today is 'Late is a massive fucking hypocrite' day it seems.

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Oh, I misread the calendar. I thought it was only "Late had a massive brain-fart" day. My apologies.

Build an Advanced Device

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One thing I forgot to mention earlier, though, is that an "Advanced Device" is not a thing. It is a type of thing. Details are, as always, in the character sheet.

EDIT: No, scratch that. Let me spell it out in case you aren't that familiar with MGLN. There are three kinds of advanced Device:

Armed Devices are (often) shaped like melee weapons and used for that purpose. They just also have the ability to assist with spell-casting, generally of the variety that supplement physical attacks.

Intelligent Devices are what Perfect Storm is: an assistant for spells that a long-range shooter would use. They can take on melee properties just like an Armed Device can be used for Shooter spells, but it isn't common.*

Boost Devices are used to cast spells that are not direct attacks. Buffs, debuffs, healing, summoning (if the caster has that Rare Skill), etc.

*Namely, in this quest it has to be wielded by a mage with a Linker Core rank of A or higher.

There are some spells that are utility spells that can be used by any Device. These are things like binds, Spatial Translocation, Recursion Field, Basic Flight/Aerial Combat, Guardian Beast, Round/Strong Shield… Rule of thumb, if it's in both Taylor's and Tim's character sheets, it's probably a spell castable by any Device.

 

[Hate Fish]

A'ight, so I didn't realise the "one thing produced = one point gained" thing. But I got me ideas.

[X]Plan Hard Light Variability
-[X]Energy Weapons
-[X]Programming Terminal
-[X]Hard Light Shield Projector
-[X]Hard Light Armour Projector

[X] Ring Bind

Should leave three points floating, so that we can save up for Unison Devices. Because we really need to make a Unison Device to stick Dragon in, for two reasons: 1) she'd love us forever if we gave her a human-scale Unison Device á la Reinforce Ein, and 2) we can't just pass up that scale of power boost. Also, Hard Light is such an adaptive technology that it's unreal - it's literally just a forcefield that can form into more or less anything, meaning it can be used for decoys, armour, stairs, ranged weapons, melee weapons, containers, and so on. It's the Swiss Army Knife of technology - it might not be perfect for the job, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be able to do it.