Erfworld 153 - tBfGK - 140

[Gez]

Parson as a Hippiemancer, I can see it to some extent. Parson has...
- been obsessed by the question of free will in Erfworld;
- a cultural bias towards notions of equality and human rights virtually unknown to Erf;
- probably no compunction against using mind-altering substances.


Remember the "a mighty wind" excerpt overheard here?
- Peace: Erfworld appears to be a world designed for constant warfare.
- Freedom: In Erfworld, everyone except the overlords are devoid of free will.
- Equality: Erfworld has three interlocking hierarchical systems; with levels; unit/leader/overlord; and commoner/noble/royal.

[Kandarin]

Portal to the magic kingdom... does it only transport casters? *Or* does it transport anyone but the casters terminate non casters who use it (to protect their kingdom from invasion and keep the myth of "only casters")

Who in magic kingdom made the spell that brought Parson? If he is really is a hippiemancer, then perhaps the spell for "ultimate warlord" was for sneaky opposite purpose. If he isn't then perhaps hippymancer sees way to use him.

My theory on this:

The Magic Kingdom is indeed a side - and one that has access to unrivaled magical power. The portals, when used, cast an advanced Capture effect on anyone who uses them. Anyone who passes through the portal is automatically added to the Magic Kingdom's side. This evades the rule that units from non-allied sides must attack each other, preventing casters who visit the Magic Kingdom from being forced to attack the natives or each other while saving all other sides the potentially hairy political issues of having to ally with the Kingdom. It also allows the Magic Kingdom to control, and thus disband, anyone who doesn't fit its criteria: i.e. noncasters.

And this whole scene. It seems to lack any centrilized control. No one is in charge. Janice has to pay other presumably friendly units to get things done. There was no central desicion process to deal with the intruder. There did not appear to be a chain of command. I'm wondering if the magic kingdom has a ruler? Could it be a "cityless side"? Perhaps the ruler got his mind shattered.

A side is under no obligation to break up a link that could, after all, be very useful and profitable. Neither does it have an obligation to keep it. Janis has to sway things one way or another.

I'm not sure about whether it has cities or not. The first panel of #11 is kind of fuzzy and those things could be interpreted as cities or groves or whatever. Someone with a stronger opinion than I will no doubt be along to discuss that shortly.

[Nekomata]

What about the figure standing just to the left of the left-hand pillar? Somewhat behind "Gandalf/Dumbledore's" wand?

That's Spock.

Parson as Hippiemancer... perhaps his players really did slip something in his drink...

[Kyouhen]

My theory on this:

The Magic Kingdom is indeed a side - and one that has access to unrivaled magical power. The portals, when used, cast an advanced Capture effect on anyone who uses them. Anyone who passes through the portal is automatically added to the Magic Kingdom's side. This evades the rule that units from non-allied sides must attack each other, preventing casters who visit the Magic Kingdom from being forced to attack the natives or each other while saving all other sides the potentially hairy political issues of having to ally with the Kingdom. It also allows the Magic Kingdom to control, and thus disband, anyone who doesn't fit its criteria: i.e. noncasters.

Actually that's a good theory. If the portal simply killed non-caster units Parson would have said he didn't know why he didn't croak, not disband.

[tomaO2]

Taken down by a nerve pinch?

How utterly humiliating.

I would have prefered it if Parson had pretended it had worked instead of it actually working.

[dr pepper]

So non-casters disband when they set foot in the magic kingdom? Or maybe just when they portal. And they have a lot of casters.

I highly suspect the hippymancer was a quick lie.

That's a good call. It may be that Janis and whoever else made the summoning scroll did something they don't want the other mages to find out about. But it seems a weak lie. If i were one of the residents of magicians' sanctuary and someone the size of a twoll with a sword longer than my leg showed up suddenly, "hippymancer" is that last thing i'd think. Janis should have said he was some kind of advanced magical construct.

BTW, i think if the Sagan impersonator had been about one degree more condescending, then he would have been perfect.

[Grunthos]

(shudders, briefly, at the thought of an empowered Henry Kissinger showing up)

If we think of J. Edgar Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover will appear and destroy us!

I'm trying to figure out why Spockamancer's clothes are what they are. Black pants, sure, but if you're going to go with the white turtleneck then the jacket should be red.

Thus my link to The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins, where Nimoy is wearing a slender white turtleneck with a black jacket.

[dr pepper]

I think the thinkamancer stopped Sizemore's name from being said because it could destroy the link.

That makes sense.

[Fez]

Btw, in reference to the question of what is a 'rand', a possible guess is that it might be a reference to a 'random number' or rand() or true randomness, ie where the rand() function is usually a pseudo-random result and a die roll for example represents true randomness.

If the magic portal sends mages off the 'map' to a non-place where they somehow learn/buy new stuff and then re-enter the game, its a kind of meta location within the game. And in any game where chance occurs, you're affected by the source of your randomness. Most computer games use a pseudo-random number generator such as rand(), rather than true randomness. Theoretically this won't be much of a problem outside cryptographic and other specialized pursuits. Still, since the magic realm is a nebulous semi-out of game place, the currency that is most valuable might be the rand() rolls or whatever source of randomness that affect the workings game system and world of Erf.

[VariaVespasa]

[QUOTE=VariaVespasa;5983991]

Taken down by a nerve pinch?

How utterly humiliating.

I would have prefered it if Parson had pretended it had worked instead of it actually working.

How do we know he's not pretending? :P

[kreszantas]

"Dr. X" = Dr. Xaivar from X-Men would be one of the thinkamancers, wheelchair, all powerful commander of the X-Men at least from the comic perspective in training of mutants. Parson is a mutant to Erf therefore this would fall into line with some of the other themes that I missed until this page.

[SteveMB]

My theory on this:

The Magic Kingdom is indeed a side - and one that has access to unrivaled magical power. The portals, when used, cast an advanced Capture effect on anyone who uses them. Anyone who passes through the portal is automatically added to the Magic Kingdom's side. This evades the rule that units from non-allied sides must attack each other, preventing casters who visit the Magic Kingdom from being forced to attack the natives or each other while saving all other sides the potentially hairy political issues of having to ally with the Kingdom.

Casters are Commanders, able to lead stacks. The ability to lead a stack includes the ability to refrain from auto-attacking when in contact with non-allied units. So, there's no need to "evade" that rule; casters are not bound by it anyway.

[slayerx]

My theory on this:

The Magic Kingdom is indeed a side - and one that has access to unrivaled magical power. The portals, when used, cast an advanced Capture effect on anyone who uses them. Anyone who passes through the portal is automatically added to the Magic Kingdom's side. This evades the rule that units from non-allied sides must attack each other, preventing casters who visit the Magic Kingdom from being forced to attack the natives or each other while saving all other sides the potentially hairy political issues of having to ally with the Kingdom. It also allows the Magic Kingdom to control, and thus disband, anyone who doesn't fit its criteria: i.e. noncasters.

Actually, the auto attack rule only applies to unled units... warlords and their like are able to choose not to attack... since casters are able to lead units like warlords can they likely get the ability to choose whether or not to an attack an un-allied unit when it enter the space... and the magic kingdom is a place heavily populated by casters

BUt still, the portal does likely have some special features to prevent non-casters access

[edit]ninja'd

[docstrange]

Hey! I know that guy in the very stylish cloak!

[Borris]

It seems to me that the Magic Kingdom i sjust a no-PVP area accessible only to casters. But I guess we'll learn much more in the few next strips.

Regarding Spock, I don't think it's Spock at all, but rather Leonard Nimoy, despite the pointy ears. As as been mentionned before, he shows a much too wide range of emotions in a single strip to be truly representative of a Vulcan mind, and his clothes look nothing like a Start Trek character's uniform. I'd say they look like Nimoy's in The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins, but he'swearing white pants in that clip. Maybe it's a Spock-Nimoy hybrid?

As for the Spock pinch, I'm not exactly sure what's going on. We clearly see "Spock" attempting, with no effect. And Spock is clearly surprised in the fifth pannel. Was he expecting it to work quicker? Maybe it was just a diversion for Janis to attack Parson from behind.

And when it comes to who the new thinkamancers may be, I doubt we'll see ancient figures like Plato or Aristotle. So far, most (if not all) of the references in Erfworld, have been to 20th century pop culture, from KISS to Charlie's Angels to Elvis to McDonald's. Here we have Carl Sagan, Jeannie, Harry Potter, He-Man, Wizard of Oz, Dr. Strange. So the other thinkamancers are most likely going to be great minds of the 20th as well, though probably from other fields than politics or physics.

Spoiler

Show

Personally, I'm seeing Sigmund Freud as one of the thinkamancer. He already looks like a wizard anyway.

[Kilkrazy]

One note:

Carl Sagan said that there would be four more thinkamancers arriving in a few minutes. So Erfworlders do have the concept of minutes, and presumably hours, seconds, etc. AFAIK this is the first time we have seen anyone in the comic use conventional units of time (other than the day/night cycle which seemed almost inextricable from the turn based timing system).

It makes sense too, otherwise a side could simply choose never to end turn for whatever reason and screw up the whole system. Each turn presumably has a definite time limit.

In most turn based wargames, each side's turn lasts a turn which takes as long as it takes for the player to finish. The overall length of the gameturn is not affected -- it still lasts as many player turns as there are players.

The moving player always finishes his turn, since not to do so simply causes the game to be suspended. In Erfworld this would be a compulsion on a side's leader to end turn.

It's also possible a turn is ended automatically once all a side's units have performed an action.

Thus it is possible that the flow of time during a turn can vary considerably, and that specific time limits are not involved.

[Oracle_Hunter]

So who is Bunny based on? The third thinkamancer you have forgotten.

Well, TV is a vampire kingdom, so I'm guessing it's a pet name for "Richard" Cheney

*rimshot*

In a more serious vein, TV seems to be the exception to many rules. They aren't humans, to start with, they sleep in coffins, and they drink blood. It is quite possible that their Thinkamancers follow different conventions.

So while I won't scrap my theory, I do admit this is puts a ding in it. Perhaps Thinkamancers can also be modeled after fictional great brains too - I can think of one Bunny that fits that description.

EDIT:
Actually looked at the link and realized I hadn't connected Vamp-Chick with Bunny. I'm still sticking to "TV follows different conventions" though

[kreszantas]

Well, TV is a vampire kingdom, so I'm guessing it's a pet name for "Richard" Cheney

*rimshot*

In a more serious vein, TV seems to be the exception to many rules. They aren't humans, to start with, they sleep in coffins, and they drink blood. It is quite possible that their Thinkamancers follow different conventions.

So while I won't scrap my theory, I do admit this is puts a ding in it. Perhaps Thinkamancers can also be modeled after fictional great brains too - I can think of one Bunny that fits that description.

EDIT:
Actually looked at the link and realized I hadn't connected Vamp-Chick with Bunny. I'm still sticking to "TV follows different conventions" though

That is because they can convert units by biting them into TV side by the way Cesar and Vinny 'say' the you want her (Jillian) on our side right?

[elrod13]

Janis reminds me of Janis Joplin for some reason.
Except she is prettier.

[Goshen]

No wonder Parson waited until the last possible moment before jumping through the gate. Great page.

I vote for the Professor X thinkamancer. And perhaps moondragon too, if we are drawing from the Marvel universe.

[SteveD]

I don't know why people are guessing that the Magic Kingdom has already heard of the Volcano; we know from previous trips that portal travel is near instantaneous, and Parson left before most of the Coalition troops were croaked. Even then only sides that lost units would know straight away.

I wonder how Jamis will react when she learns of how many Sizemore has killed. With sadness, I'd guess.

Parson a Hippiemancer? Can't see it myself; it destroys the mystery of his character too easily. But I think Jamis has her own agenda here...

[Yuki Akuma]

My theory on this:

The Magic Kingdom is indeed a side - and one that has access to unrivaled magical power. The portals, when used, cast an advanced Capture effect on anyone who uses them. Anyone who passes through the portal is automatically added to the Magic Kingdom's side. This evades the rule that units from non-allied sides must attack each other, preventing casters who visit the Magic Kingdom from being forced to attack the natives or each other while saving all other sides the potentially hairy political issues of having to ally with the Kingdom. It also allows the Magic Kingdom to control, and thus disband, anyone who doesn't fit its criteria: i.e. noncasters.

Casters lead stacks just like warlords do - they don't autoattack.

[Oracle_Hunter]

That is because they can convert units by biting them into TV side by the way Cesar and Vinny 'say' the you want her (Jillian) on our side right?

Perhaps, though since Our Vampires Are Different I'm betting they don't; TV forces probably pop just like everyone else - including casters.

As for Jillian, they probably just want to hire Jillian for the time being - it's not like she has any money or much in the way of remaining forces. Once they expand TV into the remains of FAQ they may let her go, or Vinnie might make her one of the founding members of the Kill Team Tool squad.

[dr pepper]

So what kind of currency do we think Rands are?

I'm thinking that the magic kingdom is supposed to be Galt's Gulch.

Either that or it's a reference to the RAND corporation... these are the finest minds in Erf after all...

Perhaps "rand" is short for "random". That would make it a luckamancy enhancer, like the luck points that some games have. Perhaps some characters get a few points each turn. That would make them a highly valuable medium of exchange between individuals.

[dr pepper]

"Dumbledore" COULD conceivably be Merlin

That was my thought too.

[linkhyrule5]

Actually, Janis's actioin makes sense. She is a hippiemancer after all, attempting to preserve peace, and killing random people is not very "hippie"ish

[Jimorian]

A couple of reference updates.

The Leonard Nimoy reference and clothing is from him hosting the paranormal investigative show "In Search of..."

Janis might also be Janis Ian, a folk singer of some popularity back in the 70s.

And finally, Sizemore said that time flows differently in the Magic Kingdom and it was hard to keep track, so that's probably why they use minutes and such.

[Oracle_Hunter]

A couple of reference updates.

The Leonard Nimoy reference and clothing is from him hosting the paranormal investigative show "In Search of..."

Janis might also be Janis Ian, a folk singer of some popularity back in the 70s.

And finally, Sizemore said that time flows differently in the Magic Kingdom and it was hard to keep track, so that's probably why they use minutes and such.

Not quite - he noted that in the presence of Hippiemancy, your perception of time... crumbles. The Hippiemancers call it "flaking" and it also seems to give you the munchies

[dr pepper]

So who is Bunny based on?

Dondi

And this whole scene. It seems to lack any centrilized control. No one is in charge.

Sounds like hippies to me.

[Crazy Ivan]

2 points:

I support the idea that a Rand is a Random Entity value, which would make it very valuebal in what (to me) ammounts to an extra-planar Curio Shop and Foundery, essentially being traded to be used to forge spells and powers. The question then becomes, if they are infact, finite by the nature of being consumed, how do they generate? (as well as ANY currency in Erfworld)

The idea that the Rand is an intrisicly more useful, and powerful 'commodity' forms up because the Magic kingdom does take Schmuckers, as refferenced when Wanda purchased the Summoning Spell. If the Rand was just a currency, then they would have just demanded Rands, forgoeing the conversion process.

It might also be possible that units still require Upkeep in the Magic kingdom, as well as Rands to form Spells and Items, which gives reason as to why the Magic kingdom essentially functions very near to the way CharelsComm Enterprises functions, but significantly more Neutral.


Second,


As to people wondering about future Thinkamancers appearing:

The general rule we've seen is: Powerful 'thoughtful' figures. However, Bunny is the exception, the name violating the convention. I don't think it's too far off that Bunny could be an early 1900's switchboard girl, given the excessive Mafia/Mob/Gang theme surrounding Transylvito. Possibly, also with a switchboard magical item to facilitate better communications with less strain (considering Maggie was nearly sapped from the Communications Parson put forth, and she seems a fairly compotent Thinkamancers, atleast capable of forming Links). This of course means we could also see communications Masters as well as Telepathy and Intellectual figures. I for one am rooting for Alexander Grahm Bell.


Also; hooray for being an infrequent poster!



P.S. Thought cropped up after posting: Charlie is infact, a very powerful Thinkamancer who acrued a large enough warchest of Rands and Schmuckers and then went rouge, forming his own faction, the Archons being a high Schmucker upkeep unit, that cost Rands to summon, hence why they are so powerful, and presumable costly units to lose, without being 'Overpowered' in terms of game mechanics. It also explains why no one (of the Warlords we know, and possibly the Casters) knows who he is, because he is now using some Foolamancy to cover his origins. It keeps Arkentools in the convention of being 'Tools' and the 'Dish' as a very well crafted Thinkamancy device. But this is just a theory that sparked from random tangents colliding.