12/06/09 [PF #68] Now available in a store near you

Jairus · June 12, 2009, 07:44:11 PM

Neat idea, yet I sense some old-fashioned creatures aren't gonna go for it. Though I can see some potential in the fields of machines, and installing an artificial soul, but I don't think these'll work that way.

Tapewolf · June 12, 2009, 07:59:05 PM

Quote from: Jairus on June 12, 2009, 07:44:11 PM
Neat idea, yet I sense some old-fashioned creatures aren't gonna go for it. Though I can see some potential in the fields of machines, and installing an artificial soul, but I don't think these'll work that way.

Yeah. Jakob doesn't think for a minute that just because he's providing an alternative that everyone is immediately going to jump on it. But there are scenarios where it is a viable alternative.

The primary market is people who don't like the idea of taking souls but doesn't see any alternative if they are going to remain young, or make their tri-wing attempt or whatever.

Then you've got people who don't have moral issues with doing this but decide that soul-stealing is too risky from the point of view that they could be strung up if they're caught (indeed, one of the characters who is introduced much, much later is an incubus adventurer who specialises in taking down 'Cubi and other Creatures who steal souls).

Among other things you've got things like Abel's hypothetical desk-lamp, too...

PS: the dialogue from this was heavily ~~stolen from~~ inspired by the Comic Time & Conservation of Energy thread, which was very useful, though not the original source of the plot idea.

Corgatha Taldorthar · June 12, 2009, 08:06:27 PM

If they have all this energy that they can create artificial souls for later consumption, why can't they have adequate lighting?

Tapewolf · June 12, 2009, 08:33:13 PM

Quote from: Corgatha Taldorthar on June 12, 2009, 08:06:27 PM
If they have all this energy that they can create artificial souls for later consumption, why can't they have adequate lighting?

Aesthetics always trump practicality in this place...

Amber Williams · June 12, 2009, 08:45:57 PM

Is Jakob going fishing? Cause that is a mighty impressive can of worms he is holding there.

Tapewolf · June 12, 2009, 08:56:10 PM

Quote from: Amber Williams on June 12, 2009, 08:45:57 PM
Is Jakob going fishing? Cause that is a mighty impressive can of worms he is holding there.

Yes, it's quite likely that you and I see this unfolding in very different ways. That said, the project is secret at the moment and one of the other cans of worms which they open is somewhat bigger. Though it ultimately gives Jakob's organisation considerably more bargaining power if anyone objects to what they are doing.

James StarRunner · June 12, 2009, 11:04:28 PM

I always loved Azrael's witty humor.

Jairus · June 13, 2009, 03:11:59 AM

Quote from: Amber Williams on June 12, 2009, 08:45:57 PM
Is Jakob going fishing? Cause that is a mighty impressive can of worms he is holding there.

Mere worms cannot halt the progress of SCIENCE!

Zedd · June 13, 2009, 04:03:13 AM

Nice so I am guessing this is something my personas father would be interested in...

Amber Williams · June 13, 2009, 01:34:41 PM

Really I would imagine the biggest negative reaction would not come from the morality, but the political. If you have an existing group of incredibly high powered individuals, them looking down and seeing someone opening up a backdoor with a "join the club, admission $5" and starting to let just about anyone in...it does not fly well.

Jairus · June 13, 2009, 01:52:20 PM

Quote from: Amber Williams on June 13, 2009, 01:34:41 PM
Really I would imagine the biggest negative reaction would not come from the morality, but the political. If you have an existing group of incredibly high powered individuals, them looking down and seeing someone opening up a backdoor with a "join the club, admission $5" and starting to let just about anyone in...it does not fly well.

Ah, that mentality. Yeah, Yakky might have a problem from that direction.

Beings could also theoretically use these souls, correct? I mean, can beings gain power through soul consumption in the DMFAverse?

Tapewolf · June 13, 2009, 01:52:55 PM

Quote from: Amber Williams on June 13, 2009, 01:34:41 PM
If you have an existing group of incredibly high powered individuals, them looking down and seeing someone opening up a backdoor with a "join the club, admission $5" and starting to let just about anyone in...it does not fly well.

From what I've gathered, the power structure in DMFA at the moment is going to be radically altered by the time DMFA concludes, so I'm taking the line that for one reason or another, some of the heavier-hitters are not going to be in a position to object by the time PF is set.
That is only an assumption of course, and if it's wrong, then, um, it takes place in an alternate future

But yes, the idea of making tri-wings more of a commodity (dangers inherent in doing so and other factors notwithstanding) is one that I have just hinted at rather than exploring very fully because to be honest, I have no idea what would happen politically.

At the risk of giving too much away, Jakob himself will have a substantial ally before they start to go public with this, though.

!KCA · June 14, 2009, 02:32:09 AM

How much would one of those things go for, anyway?

Anything stopping a creature from using the cans as suppliments when they can't get real "food?"? Why not down a six-pack, use the power surge to take out a difficult enemy, then devour their soul as well?

Tapewolf · June 14, 2009, 05:23:47 AM

Quote from: !KCA on June 14, 2009, 02:32:09 AM
How much would one of those things go for, anyway?

I was thinking in terms of the RRP being in the $500-$1000 range. Not exactly a casual purchase, but not exactly a major investment either. Unless you have someone who's completely destitute and desperate (in which case they may be able to reach some kind of agreement anyway) that's a pretty small price to pay for what it is, IMHO.

Granted you could go off and suck someone's soul out for free, but what Jakob is offering has less hassle involved, is more ethical (think 'organically-grown', Quorn, vege-burgers and so forth) and at the end of the day has far less repercussions in terms of Beings and other Creatures making the soul-stealer dead for public safety reasons.

QuoteAnything stopping a creature from using the cans as suppliments when they can't get real "food?"? Why not down a six-pack, use the power surge to take out a difficult enemy, then devour their soul as well?

Not really, it's just like any other tool. You can use a knife to murder someone or make a sandwich.

Worst case, if it's abused in too many horrible ways it may become a controlled substance that's only available through prescription, though that does detract from the easier-than-soul-stealing factor.

At the end of the day, this technique doesn't bring anything new to the table that wasn't available before - but it does offer a way to take the cruelty out of it.

Tapewolf · June 19, 2009, 03:29:42 PM

By way of an update:

Owing to Ren's birthday and another appointment with the Village, we didn't manage to complete the new strip in time. We're probably looking at a Monday update realistically. If that fails, I'll put up some filler.

I've had the draft of Walk in the Woods lineart, but still no word on the final version. When I know more, so will you but I'm quietly hoping for some kind of update over the weekend.

Zedd · June 20, 2009, 12:13:52 AM

That's a sweet b-day gift

llearch n'n'daCorna · June 20, 2009, 04:30:38 AM

... all the main bit in blue is missing is someone writing "for Abel" over it....

Edit:
On second thoughts, it needs Daryil writing it...

Tapewolf · June 20, 2009, 11:11:07 AM

Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on June 20, 2009, 04:30:38 AM
... all the main bit in blue is missing is someone writing "for Abel" over it....
On second thoughts, it needs Daryil writing it...

Hmm... I really didn't think of that. Though it's entirely possible that Daryil wrote what's there in the first place. To be sure, if he minded it being there he'd have peeled the paint off molecule by molecule.

llearch n'n'daCorna · June 20, 2009, 02:44:12 PM

I think he'd get a kick out of it.

Of course, I could be wrong. But The idea of him finding that, and then finding a shirt that says "For Abel" on it, and standing in the right spot? Just seems... like Daryil. ;-]

Gabi · June 21, 2009, 11:48:33 AM

Last night I made a post saying I liked the wall as a whole.

Now the post isn't there.

What happened?

Tapewolf · June 21, 2009, 12:03:54 PM

Quote from: Gabi on June 21, 2009, 11:48:33 AM
Last night I made a post saying I liked the wall as a whole.

Now the post isn't there.

What happened?

That would be a question for llearch or Damaris, I'd say. Has there been anything that would force a rollback of the database?

llearch n'n'daCorna · June 21, 2009, 03:54:43 PM

Not by us. The server had a few problems of late, though, so it's possible it either didn't finish posting or something removed it; nothing we can do, other than commiserate, though. :-/

Tapewolf · June 21, 2009, 05:17:38 PM

I now have lineart for page 69. I'm hoping for a Monday update, but we'll have to see how it goes.

Gabi · June 22, 2009, 03:01:53 PM

Good luck with that.

About my post, that's OK. As long as it wasn't deleted because it broke some unwritten rule or something.

llearch n'n'daCorna · June 22, 2009, 03:39:28 PM

Quote from: Gabi on June 22, 2009, 03:01:53 PM
About my post, that's OK. As long as it wasn't deleted because it broke some unwritten rule or something.

If we do that, we add a rule that says why it was deleted, and send a PM to the person in question so they don't just go and post the same post again.

Particularly with the better behaved forum-goers - if you've done bad things before, we get less inclined to explain, but the ones who've been around for a while without causing trouble? It's more likely to be a misunderstanding than a deliberate attempt to annoy us, so we treat it as such...