Erfworld Thread III: As the Erf Turns

[turbo164]

It's hard to explain puns to a kleptomaniac because they take things literally.

[HalfTangible]

It's hard to explain puns to a kleptomaniac because they take things literally.

Boooooo.

[EnragedFilia]

It's hard to explain puns to a kleptomaniac because they take things literally.

I can do you one better, and with just the opening paragraph!

[Rogar Demonblud]

Update for Winter Break 2014.

It's going about as I expected.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Update for Winter Break 2014.

It's going about as I expected.

Minus the promised Xin art, however.

[Miklus]

An update! And on christmas eve no less.

So this all happens after the fall of FAQ. Will Jillian show up as a mercenary?

[Beige Dragon]

How is it after the fall of Faq? Presumably, Banhammer published the book, then when a new library was constructed, it appeared there. Maybe its because i'm too tired. 3 late nights in a row reading from erf world #1 up to the most recent update.

[HandofShadows]

Books like that are only published after the Fall of a Side. For Banhammer's book to be in the library, the side must have already fallen.

[Gez]

Minus the promised Xin art, however.

That something is missing is what makes it as expected.

[NEO|Phyte]

Books like that are only published after the Fall of a Side. For Banhammer's book to be in the library, the side must have already fallen.

The way it sounds, the book isn't one of the dry historical tomes that automagically publishes at the end of a side, but a manually-published book of philosophy.

[HandofShadows]

Read the end of the 2nd paragraph again. Faq is stated as being past tense and even Banhammer would not have been stupid enough to publish a book that described Faq while it still existed. Banhammer's book was sent out by Automagical publishing after Faq's fall.

[NEO|Phyte]

There is insufficient data on whether the publishing spell can be delayed like that, but the book cannot be one of the automagic historical accounts, as those are explicitly exactly that, and wouldn't be full of Banhammer's wonky thoughts on Peace.

[Miklus]

How is it after the fall of Faq? Presumably, Banhammer published the book, then when a new library was constructed, it appeared there. Maybe its because i'm too tired. 3 late nights in a row reading from erf world #1 up to the most recent update.

Come to think of it... You might be right. This is not an auto-generated book. Faq could still be intact at the time Lord Crush reads it.

But I really like how Lord Crush thought of the book.

This was King Banhammers legacy, all that will ever be remembered of him and the court of Faq... A book that almost no one reads and those few that do think it is crap. Yeah, I don't like Banhammer.

[NEO|Phyte]

In fact, reading back through Inner Peace, Dame Branch has apparently read the book, so yes it was published while Faq stood.

[Landis963]

In fact, reading back through Inner Peace, Dame Branch has apparently read the book, so yes it was published while Faq stood.

She did mention reading them "in Faq's library." It could very easily have been authored, but not "published," until Banhammer's death and Faq's fall.

[slayerx]

Read the end of the 2nd paragraph again. Faq is stated as being past tense and even Banhammer would not have been stupid enough to publish a book that described Faq while it still existed. Banhammer's book was sent out by Automagical publishing after Faq's fall.

Not exactly... afterall far off sides knew of Faq as a mercenary side. The book would likely not detail where faq was so there is little risk in letting other sides know about its existance so long as they don't know WHERE it exists. Granted, there could be some risk if the book detailed how they stayed hidden since it would give people a clue on how to look for them; but even then looking for Faq would be like looking for a needle in a hay stack. I mean Charlie has archons that can see through foolamancy and even he wasn't ever able to locate Faq before the first time it fell... Though given what importance Banhammer placed on the pursuit of peace i think he might consider spreading Faq's knowledge to be worth that risk

Also the automagical publishing was said to apply to tomes that automatically detail a sides history... nothing was said about it applying to any books authored by the side

There is insufficient data on whether the publishing spell can be delayed like that, but the book cannot be one of the automagic historical accounts, as those are explicitly exactly that, and wouldn't be full of Banhammer's wonky thoughts on Peace.

Well Banhammer DID have a signamncer. When banhammer saw doom coming to his city, its possible that he emptied the treasury in order to have the book published before his fall.

In fact, reading back through Inner Peace, Dame Branch has apparently read the book, so yes it was published while Faq stood.

Olive claimed the book from FAQ's own library. Even if the book was published, its unlikley it would pop up in haffaton of all places; As crush pointed out, with the number of sides that have existed throughout the history of erfworld, it is unlikely that you would find a book in your library from a side you have heard of (much less one you are currently fighting)

[hajo]

reading back through Inner Peace, Dame Branch has apparently read the book,
so yes it was published while Faq stood.

As I understand it, she captured FAQ, complete with library, so she read the (one and only) book at the source - no publishing involved.

OTOH, the story is set in a recent-enough time for Crush to have a chance to meet with "our" heros, and I look forward to some dialog with Parson/Crush/Trem etc.

I mean, a team with Parson, Sizemore, Ace, Crush would be awesome

[Rogar Demonblud]

I can see Banhammer using his entire defense budget to publish a book of his philosophical mutterings.

[Legato Endless]

So if this is the way publishing works, the only way for me as a warlord to find new books is to go take another side's library. No wonder Faq was so ignorant, they had absolutely no information about the world at all. No eye witness accounts beyond their pariah warlords, and a completely random smattering of old tomes they never updated. Banhammer is like some parody of adolescence on the internet. I read 3 books. I know all the answers to everything.

[NEO|Phyte]

So if this is the way publishing works, the only way for me as a warlord to find new books is to go take another side's library. No wonder Faq was so ignorant, they had absolutely no information about the world at all. No eye witness accounts beyond their pariah warlords, and a completely random smattering of old tomes they never updated. Banhammer is like some parody of adolescence on the internet. I read 3 books. I know all the answers to everything.

Libraries aren't a Side thing, they're a City thing, and the update suggests that it's possible to expand an existing one, though i suspect there's a limit to how big one can be.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Apparently, level 12 is a systemic cap. Although with that many books, how do you find anything?

[Landis963]

Apparently, level 12 is a systemic cap. Although with that many books, how do you find anything?

If there's a garrison unit or caster with a particular interest in the library, I guess they could keep it organized. If the Ruler agrees of course.

[EnragedFilia]

So if this is the way publishing works, the only way for me as a warlord to find new books is to go take another side's library. No wonder Faq was so ignorant, they had absolutely no information about the world at all. No eye witness accounts beyond their pariah warlords, and a completely random smattering of old tomes they never updated. Banhammer is like some parody of adolescence on the internet. I read 3 books. I know all the answers to everything.

Even better: I sat around talking with all my buddies about how everything works and why everything would be better if it worked the way we all want it to for the last 30 years, that makes me a philosopher! Or possibly an old hippy who won't let go of the '60s...

He might have at least kept in contact with the magic kingdom, although their perspective on things is already demonstrated to be pretty one-sided as well.

[NEO|Phyte]

If a person wanted to game the library system, what you could do is take a city, relocate all the books you care about (we've seen a book can be removed from a library with that one borrowed book, though it's possible the library vanishing would cause the book to depop), raze the city, rebuild it with as large a library as possible, and repeat. Though I suspect this would be rather expensive.

[Matuse]

It's probably possible to raze a single building rather than the entire city. It might be more expensive on a per-building basis, but far cheaper than burning down the whole place.

But still...what would be the point? If all you end up with are hundreds of books of dry battle descriptions of sides you've never heard of, then it's a waste. There hasn't been a Parson before Charlie, and Charlie certainly wouldn't publish any of his tricks. Nobody prior to Charlie seems to have ever had a militarily creative bone in their entire body.

[NEO|Phyte]

The point would be to increase your sample size to improve the odds of finding useful knowledge. Lord Crush, for instance, has interest in finding records of sides that manage long periods of stability, to see how they managed it, and how they screwed up in the end.

[Landis963]

It's probably possible to raze a single building rather than the entire city. It might be more expensive on a per-building basis, but far cheaper than burning down the whole place.

But still...what would be the point? If all you end up with are hundreds of books of dry battle descriptions of sides you've never heard of, then it's a waste. There hasn't been a Parson before Charlie, and Charlie certainly wouldn't publish any of his tricks. Nobody prior to Charlie seems to have ever had a militarily creative bone in their entire body.

Well, Judy might've. Of course, Olive saw to that.

[EnragedFilia]

It's probably possible to raze a single building rather than the entire city. It might be more expensive on a per-building basis, but far cheaper than burning down the whole place.

But still...what would be the point? If all you end up with are hundreds of books of dry battle descriptions of sides you've never heard of, then it's a waste. There hasn't been a Parson before Charlie, and Charlie certainly wouldn't publish any of his tricks. Nobody prior to Charlie seems to have ever had a militarily creative bone in their entire body.

Better yet, it might be possible to "sell back" city improvements (a somewhat common mechanic in strategy games that involve city management) to recover a portion of their cost. However, a library rebuilt in that same city might just produce the same selection of books rather than another randomized set (also a mechanic I've encountered in strategy games, usually when the allegedly random properties of something are actually determined at world creation).

[Rogar Demonblud]

Actually, given what we've seen people do to towers, it's probably possible for a Dirtamancer to 'upgrade' any building, for a side willing to spend the Schmuckers.

[Winterwind]

It's amazing how after a mere three text updates, Lord Crush is well on his way to become one of my favourite characters of this whole setting. There's just something about how calm and thoughtful he stays, no matter what situation he finds himself in, be it being suddenly asked to turn by an erstwhile ally or exchanging banter with a court jester, that's utterly awesome. Also provides a nice contrast after Inner Peace, with Jillian as main point-of-view character, who is pretty much the exact opposite.