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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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The_Knowing said:
I'd much rather have our Xuan Wu tank-bro for the underground spelunking, than an Indiana Jones temple of puzzles and traps.

I don't want to potentially tangle with some big nasty while one of our party is still cultivating, and the only one around is a back-line support... and maybe Su Ling. I don't remember if she's coming along or not.
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We are always going to be cultivating. We will always be stronger next turn. You could similarly say that leaving Xuan Shi off for another couple of months to master SCS and our perception arts would make us much better there as well. In either case, however, I think that would be overly cautious.

TimEd said:
A favor left hanging is a dangeous thing. As usual, i want to do all the choices.
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Given that he's a friend, and we know what he's going to be asking us for, it's hardly dangerous.
 
[X] Li Suyin: The proper paperwork is done. You can do the expedition any time. Who knows what you might find, deep below the earth.
 
Zaealix said:
[X] Li Suyin: The proper paperwork is done. You can do the expedition any time. Who knows what you might find, deep below the earth.
Obligations before boy-chasing.
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Suyin is not one of our obligations.

We owe a debt to turtle boy. That can be seen as an obligation.

We are responsible for our household (even if we dont manage it ourselves.) and so we owe them an obligation.

But going on a trip for a discount with a friend is not an obligation.
 
Erebeal said:
We are always going to be cultivating. We will always be stronger next turn. You could similarly say that leaving Xuan Shi off for another couple of months to master SCS and our perception arts would make us much better there as well. In either case, however, I think that would be overly cautious.
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Eh, not really. I just figure since Zhengui isn't available right now, it'd be better to wait for the primary tank of our combat strategy before we jump into the depths of the earth in search of magical items.
Erebeal said:
Given that he's a friend, and we know what he's going to be asking us for, it's hardly dangerous.
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If it isn't dangerous, then let's get it out of the way now while we can. I don't think we've done much lock-picking lately, and it looks like it'll be fun to spend time with Xuan Shi looting a dungeon.
 
Honestly, frankly speaking people are going to push to sideline Xuan Shi the same way they did Han Jian, Han Fang, Guangli, and wink wink nudge nudge Xuan Shi now the same as they did in the Outer Sect.

I'd at least like to get something done with him before another New Hotness comes up to marginalize his Social Link advancement options. Which you cant even say isn't a real concern given the developments this update and people wanting to hook up with Punk Rocker girl on a more permanent basis.
Adhoc vote count started by TehChron on Feb 4, 2019 at 5:44 PM, finished with 157 posts and 105 votes.
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NotAlwaysFanfic said:
I'm going to point something out. This is incredibly similar to trends that happened back in outer sect. Arguments that some people take priority and should be done now, so others get pushed back for unspecified 'later times' that never come. It's why we stopped associating with Han Jian and Xuan Shi and barely associated with Gan Guangli and Gu Xiulan's cousin.

Those arguing for Li Suyin have some water, in that Li Suyin isn't going to advance on the particular bond prompt without us taking that action, but the same is true for Xuan Shi. Whatever the favor is, it's something he interested in advancing on, and wont do so until we take that prompt. Sure he has other fields to progress with as well, but so does Li Suyin (cough cough finally advancing to green cough cough). Li Suyin isn't dependent on us, and while descending into the pit is something Ling Qi can help her with, I do not see why we should consider it anymore time sensitive than repaying Xuan Shi's favor.
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It should be considered more time sensitive than repaying Xuan Shi's favor because we already established with Li Suyin that we would undertake this specific task with her, and we established it months ago, pending paper work. At this point, if we don't act on it we're actively dragging our feet as far as the narrative is concerned. Which isn't a great look.

Xuan Shi's task, by contrast, doesn't actually get introduced in the specific until/unless we accept it. It fundamentally lacks the same narrative awkwardness. Like, if someone was reading the story as just a story, they would probably be wondering when Ling Qi is going to go cave exploring with Li Suyin already. They would not be wondering when Xuan Shi is going to call in his favor, at least not to anywhere near the same degree, because nothing about the favor he intends to ask has actually been established or explored in the story itself.

Asael said:
Suyin is not one of our obligations.

We owe a debt to turtle boy. That can be seen as an obligation.

We are responsible for our household (even if we dont manage it ourselves.) and so we owe them an obligation.

But going on a trip for a discount with a friend is not an obligation.
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Ling Qi literally obliged herself to it! There is a standing agreement between Ling Qi and Li Suyin to go on this excursion together. There exists, in a very real sense, a social obligation to make good on her word and not unduly inconvenience a friend with plan-tilting inconsistency.
 
[X] Xuan Shi: For once, the odd boy has called in your offered favor. He wishes for your aid in penetrating the interior of an odd little temple full of traps and puzzles.
 
TehChron said:
Honestly, frankly speaking people are going to push to sideline Xuan Shi the same way they did Han Jian, Han Fang, Guangli, and wink wink nudge nudge Xuan Shi now the same as they did in the Outer Sect.

I'd at least like to get something done with him before another New Hotness comes up to marginalize his Social Link advancement options. Which you cant even say isn't a real concern given the developments this update and people wanting to hook up with Punk Rocker girl on a more permanent basis.
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NotAlwaysFanfic said:
I'm going to point something out. This is incredibly similar to trends that happened back in outer sect. Arguments that some people take priority and should be done now, so others get pushed back for unspecified 'later times' that never come. It's why we stopped associating with Han Jian and Xuan Shi and barely associated with Gan Guangli and Gu Xiulan's cousin.

Those arguing for Li Suyin have some water, in that Li Suyin isn't going to advance on the particular bond prompt without us taking that action, but the same is true for Xuan Shi. Whatever the favor is, it's something he interested in advancing on, and wont do so until we take that prompt. Sure he has other fields to progress with as well, but so does Li Suyin (cough cough finally advancing to green cough cough). Li Suyin isn't dependent on us, and while descending into the pit is something Ling Qi can help her with, I do not see why we should consider it anymore time sensitive than repaying Xuan Shi's favor.
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Beside what Abeologos has said about how we have already established a commitment to Li Suyin and she has already sent the paperwork about going there 2 months ago, there is the simple fact that you are somehow assuming that Xuan Shi's SL is in 'danger' while Li Suyin's isn't.

From what I can gather, though, CRX flat out ordered us to be a point of contact with Xuan Shi. As such, he is as close to a 'lock in' relationship-wise as there can be. OTOH, I would say that if we keep telling Li Suyin we will do something with her and then not doing it, that is more likely to have repercussions.

That, and we just had a narrative arc that made Ling Qi question herself and how she would act about her friends, if she would give up on them. Doing the delving with Suyin is a perfect occasion to do so, given she is one of our highest SL. OTOH, if she does the delving alone because we are too tempted by Temple loots, this would all be confirm Ling Qi's fears.
 
AbeoLogos said:
It should be considered more time sensitive than repaying Xuan Shi's favor because we already established with Li Suyin that we would undertake this specific task with her, and we established it months ago, pending paper work. At this point, if we don't act on it we're actively dragging our feet as far as the narrative is concerned. Which isn't a great look.
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Yeah, I mean, I like Xuan Shi! If we hadn't already set up this thing with Suyin I'd be all over him!

(well, ok, I'd actually vote for Mother here as the most time-sensitive and important option, but Suyin would be way down the priority list)

But we did. And that matters.

TehChron said:
And unlike most, Suyin isn't an SL people are going to be willing to write off in the future to go for the shiny new SL options.
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I'm totally willing to not do more Suyin social after this. She doesn't need it. She's established as a background friend in Ling Qi's story who will turn up of her own volition.

But, you know, given that we have already promised to do this and have a timetable, made even more important by Ling Qi's current issues over whether or not she's a good friend, Suyin should absolutely be done now.
 
Listen, I don't want to jump into the Underdark where ugly gribblies might be waiting, escorting a toolbox-engineer while we have no front-line to aggro and block.

I have no idea if Suyin can hold her own if we step into something. LQ might be able to control the field enough to keep anything away from Suyin, but I've still got no clue what's down there. I just want a full party before embarking.
 
Arkeus said:
Beside what Abeologos has said about how we have already established a commitment to Li Suyin and she has already sent the paperwork about going there 2 months ago, there is the simple fact that you are somehow assuming that Xuan Shi's SL is in 'danger' while Li Suyin's isn't.
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Well, yeah. Because Suyin's angle has both obvious material rewards, and is one of Ling Qi's few Rank 4 Social Links.

There's no risk of it being kicked down the can indefinitely, if only due to the sunk cost fallacy. Whereas Xuan Shi is much easier for people to write off in the future, and thus I want to at least get this done before people go "Oh well its not like he actually asked" each turn its an option until we leave the Sect outright.
 
The_Knowing said:
Listen, I don't want to jump into the Underdark where ugly gribblies might be waiting, escorting a toolbox-engineer while we have no front-line to aggro and block.

I have no idea if Suyin can hold her own if we step into something. LQ might be able to control the field enough to keep anything away from Suyin, but I've still got no clue what's down there. I just want a full party before embarking.
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We have TRF. We have Deepwood for emergencies. Suyin has already been down there. We can grab her and run at any time. We're fine.
 
Xuan Shi is cool. He's my top social priority aside from our anomalous standing established playdate with Li Suyin and spooky snow mentor events. The latter cause it's kind of Way central-ish.

No shiny new characters are likely to change that. Shen Hu was a priority for me previously because we'd already established a raport and intention to spend more time with each other. Given the time that has elapsed, if something else like that happened with a new character, Xuan Shi would still win out. There could be an option for hanging out with Laio Zhu getting exclusive sneak training and I'd turn it down for Xuan Shi.
 
[X] Li Suyin: The proper paperwork is done. You can do the expedition any time. Who knows what you might find, deep below the earth.
 
Erebeal said:
Yeah, I mean, I like Xuan Shi! If we hadn't already set up this thing with Suyin I'd be all over him!

(well, ok, I'd actually vote for Mother here as the most time-sensitive and important option, but Suyin would be way down the priority list)

But we did. And that matters.


I'm totally willing to not do more Suyin social after this. She doesn't need it. She's established as a background friend in Ling Qi's story who will turn up of her own volition.

But, you know, given that we have already promised to do this and have a timetable, made even more important by Ling Qi's current issues over whether or not she's a good friend, Suyin should absolutely be done now.
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AbeoLogos said:
Xuan Shi is cool. He's my top social priority aside from our anomalous standing established playdate with Li Suyin and spooky snow mentor events. The latter cause it's kind of Way central-ish.

No shiny new characters are likely to change that. Shen Hu was a priority for me previously because we'd already established a raport and intention to spend more time with each other. Given the time that has elapsed, if something else like that happened with a new character, Xuan Shi would still win out. There could be an option for hanging out with Laio Zhu getting exclusive sneak training and I'd turn it down for Xuan Shi.
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And its really cool that you guys say that, but I still have like zero faith in the voters being able to not vote that way, as some of you realize from the way that the Patreon poll turned out this month :V
 
TehChron said:
Well, yeah. Because Suyin's angle has both obvious material rewards, and is one of Ling Qi's few Rank 4 Social Links.

There's no risk of it being kicked down the can indefinitely, if only due to the sunk cost fallacy. Whereas Xuan Shi is much easier for people to write off in the future, and thus I want to at least get this done before people go "Oh well its not like he actually asked" each turn its an option until we leave the Sect outright.
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given the massive backlash the Suyin option had both times it came up (this time and last) i honestly doubt that this is true. If Suyin SL4 loses against Shen Hu SL1 and Xuan Shi SL2 then I have to ask at what point people will actually be ok to vote for her?

I get that she isnt popular, but given that this is likely the last social advancement we will make for her (SL4 is the domain relevant one), our promise to do it and the narrative part where Ling Qi wondered if she would abandon a close friend, if it came down to it, I think that she is by far the better fitting SL option compared to Xuan Shi
 
[X] Xuan Shi: For once, the odd boy has called in your offered favor. He wishes for your aid in penetrating the interior of an odd little temple full of traps and puzzles.
 
If Xuan Shi's favor was time-locked, or if we hadn't already covered Li Suyin's exploration several times over multiple updates with an implicit "time has/is passed/passing" aspect to it, sure I'd vote for him. But narratively, the Li Suyin option is far more pressing, especially since we've been getting far too many hints about her darker side for my liking. Zeqing will probably win the next vote, and then next month or whatever month Zhengui wakes up from his nap, we can take Xuan Shi along to make sure he's fine and Xuan Shi can coincidentally mention his favor request at the same time to nicely segue into the temple. Smooth transitions are great.
 
[X] Li Suyin: The proper paperwork is done. You can do the expedition any time. Who knows what you might find, deep below the earth.

So the Bloody Moon Quest was a Kobayashi Maru, huh? I feel bad for Moon Boy, to keep throwing yourself into that nightmare, hoping that this time, you can find the silver bullet to a situation that is literally unwinnable is rough.

At least we only went through it once. Plus, he was able to somewhat give us closure about the choices we made in the dream by telling us that yeah—there was no winning play.

We have to carve out our own path.
 
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