Erfworld 140 The Battle for Gobwin Knob, Page 127

[AtomicKitKat]

That would be Tekken 3.

Although not quite the same kind of dance-fight. :P Still, Eddy (or more to the point, Tiger) had some groovy moves.

Street Fighter EX(or maybe EX 2, or EX 2 Plus) has Pullum Purna, ArabicIndeterminately Middle-Eastern Belly Dancer. In one of the versions, she has a Belly Dance super, where she fires a music note at her opponent, and if it's not blocked, she and the opponent start synchronised dancing, and at the end, pirrouette till the opponent falls down. Maybe I remembered wrong and it was the clown guy from Star Gladiator.

Anyways, one way to implement dance fighting would be something similar to Darun(also from Street Fighter EX)'s Gamble of Darun(GoD) super, where the player of Darun has to keep doing 360 +Punch(or)Kick, and the opponent has to hit either Punch or Kick(whichever matches Darun's player's choice) to escape the series of grapples.

Back to the AoW thing, I remember that you could recruit heroes, and depending on their equipment and class(and level-up choices), you would gain auras for whatever was in the stack. Plus, there was a limit of 8 units(inclusive of any heroes) per hex, although you could attack with more than one stack if those hexes were touching the one you were attacking into. One difference being that in AoW, you gained XP only for hitting/killing in combat(even if you flee after that), and not for "just taking part".

[Cruxador]

One difference being that in AoW, you gained XP only for hitting/killing in combat(even if you flee after that), and not for "just taking part".

Only applies to units, your Heroes gained XP in all sorts of ways. But yeah, the XP does seem to work a bit differently.

[Hatu]

Happy ending?

I think she's the BBEG.

I must admit: having the surviving sides team up to kill Wanda would be about the nicest, most enjoyable solution to Erfworld's plot I could think of. I find her disturbingly evil (given how studiously everyone else in the comic tries to avoid classic "evil"), but I seem to be unusual in that.

It seems a little too cliche to happen (what with the evil Necromancer and her army of the undead thing), but it is a nice idea.

-H

[AtomicKitKat]

Can't believe I forgot the most obvious dance-fighter of all. Duck King!

[Paul_Blue]

Doesn't she look a lot like Diana from the series V?



//Paul

[Yellowchopstick]

Do I have a dirty mind for noticing that the female uncroaked have the Hamstard's head nestled snuggly in their...uh...breastplate?

[Fjolnir]

yes but only a little. when do we see what maggie is doing?

[Goshen]

yes but only a little. when do we see what maggie is doing?

I see some parallels between Maggie and Wanda.

They are both absolutely loyal, and completely ruthless. Both are highly competent and like order--In D&D terms, I think Wanda is lawful evil and Maggie is lawful neutral. Both like to stay within their specialties, but it looks like her recognized competence in other areas keeps her busy doing stuff she doesn't like. I guess Maggie was more successful in not volunteering to do anything outside of her specialty. Both are tough as nails.

On the other hand, Wanda is psycho-sexy, while Maggie is quite the square. I It looks like Wanda is more creative than Maggie, but they our probably equally smart.

I can see them having completely impersonal all-business working relationship, and being entirely comfortable with that.

[Oslecamo]

On the other hand, Wanda is psycho-sexy, while Maggie is quite the square. I It looks like Wanda is more creative than Maggie, but they our probably equally smart.

I don't think that Wanda is more creative than Maggy.

It's just that Wanda is more willing to take risks than Maggy.

Wanda has little trouble jumping into the fray and improvising as
needed.

Maggie on the other hand likes to have a bacup plan. She acepted the whole linking thingy because she knew when it was broken she could survive at the expense of others. She patched up Hamster's mind out of her own free will when he looked tired, and admited she couldn't compete with Charlie's thinkmancy right away.

Wanda on the other hand got seriously crippled because she did the whole brainwashing thingy whtout taking precautions, she has a stash of combat scrolls BUT doesn't take them to battle, she rose to the top of the tower just so she could nuke her ex-girlfriend(exposing herself to a lethal counter attack on the process). She's probably more neutral evil, since altough she likes rules she's more than willing to breack them when they don't suit her. How many times has she changed clothes already?

[Subtext]

I can't see why Hamster shouldn't follow Thriller in a dance-fight...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsAiS9vNid0

[Goshen]

It's just that Wanda is more willing to take risks than Maggy. Wanda has little trouble jumping into the fray and improvising as needed.

I have to agree with you there. Maggie is definitely more conservative with her safety. It makes sense that the Thinkamancer likes to work quietly behind the front line, while the Croakamancer is a dominatrix. Of course, those roles could easily be reversed -- it works either way. IMHO, that is evidence of a good narrative setup.

[Fuzzy_Juan]

It could be different than that even...te system could look more like this...

Modified Attack Power = (stack bonus, 8 max) x (Overlord)*(leader)*(other bonuses)*(base unit attack)

So that the power of each unit multiplies with each bonus, and of course, the modified attack power of all troops adds together when they fight in large numbers....

So, we say Parson has recieved a leadership boost from the sword from 2 to say...4. Lets call the natural terrain 3 for defence. massive bonus to uncroaked...lets say 8...sure...that seems massive and since jillian is a 9 it seems possible. dance is 2-4, lets say 3. They will be stacked until they reach the max 8 stack bonus. They are the weakest form of undead, lets say 1 then for base attack.

1 base*8 stack*3 dance*8 croak*3 terrain*4 overlord = 2304 AP/uncroaked

Ansom is a capable overlord, lets give him an 8, just to be fair, he has kicked alot of ass, though not as much as Jillian perhaps. His leaders have been compromised as part of the plan...ok...not a problem, but lets say Parson succeeds and the other leaders cannot help in this courtyard scrap. He would be a fool to not stack up to the 8 bonus and he is no fool so 8 it is. the last bonus he gets is an artifact bonus, not attuned, so we will call it 5 rather than 10. His troops are basic infantry, maybe some advanced, so we will call them 4 base...why not. Their stats...

4 base * 8 Ansom * 5 Pliars * 8 stack = 1280 AP/soldier

While he has other leaders able to bring their leadership to bear though, his units look more like this...(assume capable leaders like weibnar or 4)

4 base * 4 Leadership * 8 Ansom * 5 Pliars * 8 stack = 5120 AP/soldier

This assumes that things are indeed multiplicative as he says and that they work like this. you stack enough bonuses and things just get crazy strong. So, if this is true, it seems Parson's plan at the start of the fight was to eliminate the secondary leadership with Sizemore and rely on Sizemore and Maggie to keep any extra leadership stacks away from the front line fighting. That way, with everything stacked into Parson's favor, while still outnumbered, they are fighting stronger than their opponents...and if they croak Ansom, or even just take his pliars, he is hosed...

I doubt we'll ever fully understand the combat system used for the comic, but i think it works more like the above. It isn't all just raw numbers, there must still be some other factors involved...but force multipliers must heavily weigh in on the outcome of whatever chance there might be...and Parson has a full day of luckamancy to help with that too...Also...if Parson's sword rants him some sort of 'artifact' bonus, or the terrain gives more...or if his units are stronger than '1', or if his natural leadership improves...good god...it could go from meatgrinder to a slaughter. Ansom will inflict casualties that is certian...but if Parson's multipliers can force casualties to be 10-1 in his favor, then by the time Ansom is unwilling to continue, Parson will just revive the dead and hit Ansom with a fresh crew at the start of his next turn using the same bonuses most likely...And that would crush him...Parson was right...Ansom's only hope was to wait for Charlscomm forces to bring in their bonuses and such to assist and tilt thing so far out of Parson's reach there was no chance...by pushing the assault, since the numbers are not in his favor thanks to 'the plan', unless he can toss in a wrench, he is screwed. The only question is, will he get away?...and if he does...will he have his pliers with him?

I don't think so. Most games that run on rules like this have a "you can" or "you can't" system. This one seems to be the same (In the current strip, Parson states that Ansom's Coalition, by and large, are incapable of dance fight). Thus, if the unit can't, it can't even try.

However, it seems that all warlords may be capable of dance fighting.

So far, we've seen:
Stanley and KiSS
Transylvito's troops
Jillian
Archons (when dancing with warlords)
Wanda
Uncroaked infantry (when led by a master-class necromancer)

have all been referenced as dance-fight capable. It stands to reason that a great many, if not all, warlords/generals can dance-fight (note that casters are considered warlords and can lead stacks). However, only dance-fighting units get the dance-fighting bonus.

So, if you have the following:

2000 troops, attack 2 each. = 4000 attack
Let's say Parson's +2 applies to all.
2000 troops x +2 bonus per = 4000 attack
Let's say Wanda's HUGE bonus is 8.
2000 troops x +8 bonus per = 16,000 attack
And say Dance fighting is a modest 4.
2000 troops x +4 bonus per = 8000 attack
Total: 32,000 attack
For sake of argument, let's say the garrison applies a x3 defensive bonus. (Gobwin Knob is the toughest defensive fortification in the known world)
Total: 96,000 attack

Now, let's say Ansom has 10,000 troops, 2 attack each. = 20,000
Ansom has a bonus of 5, let's say.
10,000 x 5 bonus per = 50,000
Let's say other leadership is negated, and they don't benefit from terrain.
Total: 70,000 attack.

That would be a rough mock up of the pending battle, if it goes according to Parson's line of thinking.

While Ansom's forces may be greater than 10,000, likely coalition forces will demoralize after that many troops are dropped, and end the attack to wait for Charlie's forces.

Also to be noted, Parson's main maneuver is to seize on split forces.
1) He attempted to pull air and woods units away from the rest of the column, in order to isolate and destroy them.
2) He attacked the tunneling contingent of the coalition, when it got too close to the city, when it was isolated from the rest of its army.
3) Ansom believes his error was not moving quick enough, when in truth it was a lack of coordination. He divides his forces again, attacking before Charlie can join.

And the days he can brute force in are coming to a close.
Every loss shrinks his army and swells the enemy's.
The enemy is entrenched.

Likely, if he breaks off after losing 10,000 troops? Parson's army will probably be 5 times its original size. At that point, when entrenched, it may well be unassailable at that point, until the uncroaked decay.

[Doran]

I have to agree with you there. Maggie is definitely more conservative with her safety. It makes sense that the Thinkamancer likes to work quietly behind the front line, while the Croakamancer is a dominatrix. Of course, those roles could easily be reversed -- it works either way. IMHO, that is evidence of a good narrative setup.

Considering which U.K. political party Margaret Thatcher was a part of, I'd say even more evidence for her being 'conservative'. Also Thatcher was known as the Iron Lady, I wonder if that'll be referenced somehow.

[fendrin]

This assumes that things are indeed multiplicative as he says...

Or we can assume that he is using 'force multiplier' in the way it is used by people who study asymmetric warfare.

[Goshen]

Considering which U.K. political party Margaret Thatcher was a part of, I'd say even more evidence for her being 'conservative'. Also Thatcher was known as the Iron Lady, I wonder if that'll be referenced somehow.

Heh. Well, she is kind of a grey color all over.

I really can't wait to see what she can do with those thinkamancy scrolls, although, I think her best value is communications. Without her, Parson would have to use messingers!

[Squall83]

That was great!!! ^^

Hardly anyone in Ansoms coalition can dance fight but anyone can play DDR. I really didn't expect a countermeasure like that.

[Eisen]

It's entirely healthy that I stormed about last night swearing because I couldn't come here and whine. Really.

Why must Ansom ALWAYS pull something out of his butt every time Parson's in the lead?

[HandofShadows]

Why must Ansom ALWAYS pull something out of his butt every time Parson's in the lead?

Because while many people don't like him (me, me!) he is not an idiot and is a good warlord when faceing other Erfworld warlords. He is taking hits from Parson because Parson is up on modern tactics and stratagy and Erfworld is closer to Middle Ages in style. But Ansom has the troops to loose and Parson does not.
From a purely narrative standpoint if Parson came in and stomped Ansom too easily, the story would be rather short and boreing.

[MickJay]

DDR/Eurodance platforms are way overrated, PIU system is much more versatile and allows far greater fluidity of movement (it's got 5 zones arranged in X rather than 4 in + shape). That, and a way better choice of songs

On a side note, why can't Maggie do her stuff now and completly confuse Ansom's moves, cancelling the dance bonus?

[dr pepper]

We have established precedent that says Maggie can read "The Thinkamancer's Guide to Strokes and Seizures" from cover to cover and still have time to boil Ansom's brain.

[krossbow]

Now would be the perfect time for a certain foolamancer to show up stanley; while they might not be in perfect shape, a foolamancer seems like the perfect type to ruin ddr.

[Godskook]

Now would be the perfect time for a certain foolamancer to show up stanley; while they might not be in perfect shape, a foolamancer seems like the perfect type to ruin ddr.

Not GK's turn

[SteveMB]

Not GK's turn

I figure that both Jillian and Stanley can get back during their respective turns tomorrow, and that the battle will not be finally resolved until they do.

[Lamech]

Now would be the perfect time for a certain foolamancer to show up stanley; while they might not be in perfect shape, a foolamancer seems like the perfect type to ruin ddr.

Good thing Wanda saved all that foolamancy.