Star Power V: The Final Yawntier

[Kato]

Good to know Grex only murderd bad people. And was only accomplice to war crimes.

Huh, I didn't even think about that. I was too amazed by how subtle this last update was...


Also... How does watching a war help you understand it's details again?

[guttering flame]

Shouldn't Danica use her AI helper to hack into this planets news and records? That would tell her much more than watching a battle in some city.

[Onyavar]

Shouldn't Danica use her AI helper to hack into this planets news and records? That would tell her much more than watching a battle in some city.

Agreed. What amazes me was that during that whole urban battle, nobody spotted her and that neither side had air support. Also, that the battle spontaneously erupted just when Danica arrived.

Who else thinks that this planet is the mystic-bot's testing ground for new sp-sentinels, and all that is just a holograph/telepathic simulation?

Edit. Mystic-bot is called Tom apparently.

[random11]

Agreed. What amazes me was that during that whole urban battle, nobody spotted her and that neither side had air support. Also, that the battle spontaneously erupted just when Danica arrived.

Who else thinks that this planet is the mystic-bot's testing ground for new sp-sentinels, and all that is just a holograph/telepathic simulation?

In the hands of a competent writer? Maybe.
But here, almost every event, both good and bad, were a result of amazing coincidences on the level of miracles.

I think it's for real, and I also think it will be resolved by yet ANOTHER timed event. Either a new power popping out to solve a problem, or Danica just happens to find something that convinces everyone to stop fighting in three panels.

[Celestia]

Shouldn't Danica use her AI helper to hack into this planets news and records? That would tell her much more than watching a battle in some city.

I believe that Mitch is largely inoperable while updating, hence his(?) recent absence.

[Celestia]

When we first learned of Old Tom's kill Star Power protocol, I figured it was going to be foreshadowing for an eventual betrayal. Now it looks like an arbitrary excuse for drama.

Also, why does a robot need scrolls and papers to record information?

[Traab]

Being able to recite information is great. Having a physical record of it is better imo.

[random11]

When we first learned of Old Tom's kill Star Power protocol, I figured it was going to be foreshadowing for an eventual betrayal. Now it looks like an arbitrary excuse for drama.

Also, why does a robot need scrolls and papers to record information?

Link

It's obviously an attempt for tension, but we all know she will pass any test, so even the characters are kind of indifferent about it.

"Oh, you want to kill the president? Well, he's not here right now and we don't know when he'll be back, so I guess you are not a threat. Might as well wait here in the oval office and join us in a game of checkers"

[Kantaki]

Also, why does a robot need scrolls and papers to record information?

Limited memory? Might even have gotten worse over time. The robot is crazy old and presumably has seen a lot, so having some backup can't hurt.
Plus it makes it easier to share your knowledge if you can hand it to others.
I guess he could have saved it on a computer, but that has similar problems as Old Tom's own „brain”.
Besides even ancient murder bots turned guardian of knowledge need a hobby. Waiting millenia is boring and you can't turn yourself off all the time.
Transcribing war stories passes the time.

And you get to invoke the image of a old sage with their scrolls of ancient knowledge if you ever have the chance to tell your tales.
Another bonus.

[random11]

Update

I sure hope his ideals and morals from a completely different culture matches with ours!

[Welf]

They are scientists, they will find out. Probably by controlled experiments.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Chief being all reasonable and sensible and cool-headed. Love the guy.

[random11]

Update

Danica has zero training and knowledge in both war and diplomacy, even her powers are relatively new.
So, quick question, what do they expect her to do?

I'm ignoring the fact that everybody behaves as if they know she is being tested right now when they should be assuming she just started a boring 10 year trip.
The author doesn't care, so why should I?

[D.KnightSpider]

Update

Danica has zero training and knowledge in both war and diplomacy, even her powers are relatively new.
So, quick question, what do they expect her to do?

Wake up, go to school, save the world?

You expect a scientist hero to actually learn new things? How cute! /jk

I expect the coming twist to be that Danica's struggle is with not intervening in the war; the decision to intervene is what Old Tom wants.

[Celestia]

"I totally got this guys!"

"I don't got this!"

"Man, I can so do this!"

"I can't do anything!"

"I'll be fine!"

Excessive crying

[Celestia]

What's that? Pledging can give me a safe for work pinup and even more filler pages? Sign me up!

[Akisa]

all these advertisements are starting to make me less interested in the comic.

Anyway, no pinup is safe for work any more.

[Zaq]

We're back online.

The final panel is spooky. It's exactly how I felt reading Dominic Deegan.

(The Psi-Cop jokes are easy points for Mookie, but they do tend to be more entertaining than the actual strip.)

[Oracle_Hunter]

We're back online.

The final panel is spooky. It's exactly how I felt reading Dominic Deegan.

(The Psi-Cop jokes are easy points for Mookie, but they do tend to be more entertaining than the actual strip.)

I'm getting a Maltak feeling here.

When Mookie gets stuck on how to flesh out a story, he tends to throw in random other plotlines to keep to his update schedule while he figures out what to do next. In Maltak that involved splitting up the party (and adding a couple of random orcs) and switching between their side stories. In the end, the story wrapped up... abruptly with all the plotlines collapsing together with Luna fixing everything.

These Psi-Cop segments... they're filler. Filler that buys him time to figure out how his Green v. Purple Arc is going to progress. Mookie's decided to do a Blue and Orange conflict as an attempt to bring depth to this work but... that's all he's figured out. And Mookie is awful at handling depth in writing.

I'm going to start a Psi-Cop Rating for each book from here on out. It's the number of Psi-Cop pages divided by the total number of pages, displayed as a percentage.

Issue 16 had 2 Psi-Cop per 24 -- A PCR of 8%

Issue 17 had 1 Psi-Cop per 24 -- A PCR of 4%

Issue 18 had 2 Psi-Cops for 24 pages -- A PCR of 8%.

We'll see how Issue 19 progresses...

[Zaq]

I'm getting a Maltak feeling here.

When Mookie gets stuck on how to flesh out a story, he tends to throw in random other plotlines to keep to his update schedule while he figures out what to do next. In Maltak that involved splitting up the party (and adding a couple of random orcs) and switching between their side stories. In the end, the story wrapped up... abruptly with all the plotlines collapsing together with Luna fixing everything.

These Psi-Cop segments... they're filler. Filler that buys him time to figure out how his Green v. Purple Arc is going to progress. Mookie's decided to do a Blue and Orange conflict as an attempt to bring depth to this work but... that's all he's figured out. And Mookie is awful at handling depth in writing.

I'm going to start a Psi-Cop Rating for each book from here on out. It's the number of Psi-Cop pages divided by the total number of pages, displayed as a percentage.

Issue 16 had 2 Psi-Cop per 24 -- A PCR of 8%

Issue 17 had 1 Psi-Cop per 24 -- A PCR of 4%

Issue 18 had 2 Psi-Cops for 24 pages -- A PCR of 8%.

We'll see how Issue 19 progresses...

I both do and don't agree. Basically, I think that Mookie's allowed himself to fall into a habit of starting each issue with a Psi-Cop strip (similar to his habit of ending each issue with a Countess Snaketongue strip early on). He thinks that it's a narrative motif or a running gag or something. Comic relief. (The fact that we've been endlessly drifting through the interminably boring Between Times and therefore we really don't need a break from the action is lost on him, of course.)

It absolutely is filler in that it doesn't advance the plot at all. But the fact that he consistently sticks it at the beginning of the issue is, in many ways, a mark in his favor—there's an indication that he's doing it on purpose rather than just slipping into "something else because that's what I feel like writing at the moment" mode. His reasons may or may not be sound, but at least he thinks he's doing this for some kind of reason.

If he kept routinely breaking the action mid-issue to show us Psi-Cop, I'd agree wholeheartedly, but to give the devil his due, that's not what he's been doing.

Overall, I don't mind Psi-Cop that much. There's basically one joke ("the characters are watching a piece of in-universe fiction that goes way over the top with overused tropes"), and Mookie is really good at running a running gag straight into the ground, but he's been more restrained about it than I expected. And like I said, it's more entertaining than the actual adventures of Space Luna, so as long as he manages to resist the urge to bring up Psi-Cop so often that it stops being funny, I'll let him have his little running gag. (I mean, I actually laughed at the final panel of the current strip. True, that's mostly because it reminded me of Dominic Deegan, but I still genuinely laughed. Credit where credit is due.)

[Kato]

I also think that psi cop is fun enough to merit an occasional appearance. It's not like it's that much and stupid as it is, it entertains me. Often more than the actual story.

[Oracle_Hunter]

I also think that psi cop is fun enough to merit an occasional appearance. It's not like it's that much and stupid as it is, it entertains me. Often more than the actual story.

My worry is the "occasional" bit

[Celestia]

Oh look. Now she's back to moping. Haven't we already been through this five times? Unless, of course, this is all a subtle clue that something is wrong with the planet. Perhaps it has some sort of psionic field that permeates the atmosphere. It has been knocked out of balance, explaining why the people feel pure rage and why Danica keeps getting depressed. To stop this war, Danica needs to confront a power that is completely foreign to not only her but the galaxy, itself.

This must clearly be the answer because Mookie is such a great and creative writer.

[random11]

Update


Sometimes I think the comic is ALMOST self aware.
Danica is traumatized. Sure, what did they expect happens when you throw someone with zero experience in military and diplomacy into an unknown war zone?
If it was truly self aware, this would have been the point where Danica would break and admit she is currently not yet qualified for this job.

Instead, we already know that not only she is expected to succeed in an impossible job, she might die if she fails by a guy who never had any intentions of preparing her to any task.

So we all can see where this is heading for: Danica solving a world problem by talking, everybody worships her (some more) and all is good with the universe until the next "challenge".

[Kantaki]

Okay, I have to admit this was actually funny.
The cut to Danica's breakdown was simply perfect.

[random11]

Update

It almost looks like a bad idea to send her alone without training.

If it seems like I'm repeating myself the last several updates, that's because the comic is just repeating the same page over and over.

[guttering flame]

Update

It almost looks like a bad idea to send her alone without training.

If it seems like I'm repeating myself the last several updates, that's because the comic is just repeating the same page over and over.

It's just the Superhero trope: the superhero is the superhero is the superhero. Superhero school is a contradiction in terms.

[Celestia]

It's just the Superhero trope: the superhero is the superhero is the superhero. Superhero school is a contradiction in terms.

Not always.

Spoiler

Show

[guttering flame]

Not always.

Spoiler

Show

This is Mookie's version of superheroes. If Danica is taught anything, it lessens her superhood.

[Kato]

If it seems like I'm repeating myself the last several updates, that's because the comic is just repeating the same page over and over.

This. Perception might be distorted due to the break and it might work better in print, but right now it feels like we're stuck in a loop for months now...