100 The Battle for Gobwin Knob, Page 90

[SteveMB]

I haven't the foggiest. But to be fair, we don't have any reason to think he wants Ansom to win either. (Well, except for Tool not liking Charlie.) Maybe Tool getting wiped out would be bad for business.

Well, a victory for the side that hired him is presumably good for business (not so much in this case, when it's the side that was expected to win anyway, but in general).

[Theodoriph]

Just as a random aside, if anyone actually wants to see some examples of capoeira.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKR4cOt2Dc

And of course...though this is choreographed move fight, if anyone is a Tony Jaa fan, they've seen the art before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moReN...eature=related

It's nifty stuff.

[brob]

Well, a victory for the side that hired him is presumably good for business.

Sure. And probably reduces the chance of losing an Archon. I think I've over-thought this plate of beans enough.

[Wadoka]

I never said it would. I simply informed people about what dance-fighting really is, since a lot of them seemed to be sheltered and have no clue, thinking it was some kind of invented concept.

I'm not sheltered, I'm just a martial arts snob. I break out into giggles whenever someone tries to introduce Capoeira into a a discussion of legitimate martial arts.

It's okay; I do the same thing when Savate comes up.

[Theodoriph]

I'm not sheltered, I'm just a martial arts snob. I break out into giggles whenever someone tries to introduce Capoeira into a a discussion of legitimate martial arts.

It's okay; I do the same thing when Savate comes up.

That's rather ignorant of you. Being a "martial arts" snob, you should appreciate each art and the context in which it arose. In specific situations, certain forms are better than others. For instance, in 19th century France, closed fists were considered a deadly weapon under the law. Savate used kicks and slaps to avoid the legal penalties. The multitude of kicks meanwhile, allowed sailors to more easily keep their balance on rocking ships.

Does that make it less of a martial art than others? No. It was in fact a far superior martial art than most would have been in the same situation, as many others would have landed the user in hot water with the authorities.

[Arkenputtyknife]

I never said it would. I simply informed people about what dance-fighting really is, since a lot of them seemed to be sheltered and have no clue, thinking it was some kind of invented concept.

But what exactly does this have to do with the comic? It's not relevant. The comic is apparently based on wargames, pop culture, and Grease, not on real-world martial arts. The concept of dance-fighting as it is apparently to be portrayed in the comic most certainly is an invented concept, in just the same way as the dance-fighting in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Britten's Prince of the Pagodas, Grease, West Side Story etc. etc. etc. are invented concepts. Any one of these shows is infinitely more relevant to the comic than capoeira.

I'm sorry, Theodoriph, but you are not informing anyone of anything useful. You are merely distracting the discussion from the topic at hand.

[The Old Hack]

I'm sorry, Theodoriph, but you are not informing anyone of anything useful. You are merely distracting the discussion from the topic at hand.

I would disagree. I, for one, feel that knowledge of weaponry and martial arts styles is highly relevant to wargaming. It was enlightening to me, for example, to learn of the nature of the second piece of Parson's sword in an earlier thread; similarly, I was ignorant of the origins of Savate and found Theo's explanation to be a small revelation. It's rather startling to realise just how many martial arts styles across the world have resulted from either legal restrictions or prohibitions. Or weapons, for that matter.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Just checking in from the Tin Foil Hat Alliance. We've been most derelict in our duty by not posting the most obvious of all "Who is Charlie" theories!

Look below, if you dare!

Spoiler

Show

Charlie is, in fact, Parson... IN THE FUTURE! Eventually, after Parson has conquered Erfworld, he will be puzzled by the fact that he never found Charlie. He took over Charlescomm and control of the Archons, but he was never able to figure out how to use the Arkendish. Then, one day, while fiddling with it, he realizes that he is able to communicate with someone on the other end - a female who calls herself an Archon. Apparently, these Archons had worshiped the Arkendish as a Tribe for generations after the Titians gave it to them at The Dawn of Time. A Prophecy said that one day the Arkendish would speak, and lead them to glory!

Now, from the future, Parson realizes that he was Charlie all along! It all made sense, when you look back at it. Who initially frustrated Stanley's ambitions for greater conquest, forcing him to delay until his forces were much weaker? Charlie (and he earned Stanley's eternal enmity because of it!). Who provided the forces needed to thwart Stanley's two attempts to get the Arkenhammer in the Battle for Gobwin Nob? Charlie. Whose forces ultimately gave over control of Gobwin Nob to Parson, by driving Stanley to abandon it? Charlie. And who assured Parson that, even with a massive army about to crush his city, that he'd "come through fine?" Charlie!

Now, Parson knows he only has a few hundred turns to get Charliecomm into the proper position before Stanley gets the Arkenhammer in the first place...

Hopefully this will advert any Martial Arts Holy Wars which, although I'm certain would be awesome to watch, probably can't be done justice on these boards.

[Gez]

I haven't the foggiest. But to be fair, we don't have any reason to think he wants Ansom to win either. (Well, except for Tool not liking Charlie.) Maybe Tool getting wiped out would be bad for business.

This is a siege. If Team Ansom wins, Team Stanley is destroyed. (We'll forget about Faq for now.) If Team Stanley wins, Team Ansom has lost but is still around.

Therefore, if Stanley wins, the status-quo is preserved and the war is not over. Mercenaries can continue getting paid. While if Ansom wins, the war is over and business gets closed; until another conflict erupts somewhere.

[Laurentio]

until another conflict erupts somewhere.

Supposely, a really short time, in Erfworld.

Laurentio

[brob]

This is a siege. If Team Ansom wins, Team Stanley is destroyed. (We'll forget about Faq for now.) If Team Stanley wins, Team Ansom has lost but is still around.

Therefore, if Stanley wins, the status-quo is preserved and the war is not over. Mercenaries can continue getting paid. While if Ansom wins, the war is over and business gets closed; until another conflict erupts somewhere.

Precisely. Possible other sides of this argument could be: (1) the great western conflict isn't the only game in town, so who cares if Stanley gets flattened, (2) Charlie might want Stanley to lose for some other reason, (3) Charlie might prefer getting paid for a quick rout over a grind that prolongs the conflict, (4) etc, ad nausium, post-reductio.

[TheTurnipKing]

That actually makes alot of sense. How exciting! They send most of their forces underground.. then they goes CRUSHES! >:3 Maybe all their bodies will help keep the tunnels from callapsing so much the city callapses. Now thats thinking posative.

Charlie knew parson's name promptly...
Charlie appears VERY confident that parson will survive this okay.
Is this advanced knowledge of world mechanics that parson is unaware of but charlie knows? Can he see the future? Or is he just an overconfident guy just talking smack?

Or possibly Charlie has knowledge of the actions of a third faction which has not yet been seen in the strip?

Who knows?!

[Vreejack]

Charlie knows Parson's name because Parson had just told him his name to the receptionist. That's what receptionists do, identify the person calling.

As for Charlie's confidence, that is certainly interesting. As a protagonist, Parson has a myriad ways to survive, but how does Charlie know this? Charlie's confidence can come from only two places: either he is aware of a habit or mechanic that virtually guarantees Parson's survival---something like Ansom's standard capture procedures always working the same way and in such a manner that Parson cannot really avoid surviving---or Charlie has decided on his own (due to the interview) to insure Parson's survival himself, probably through capture.

I am going with the last option, simply because by capturing Parson Charlie gets everything he wants for nothing. The details on capture are not all clear; however, even if all prisoners go to Ansom Charlie is in a good position to bargain for Parson as amongst the alliance only Charlie suspects Parson's true worth. Or not: Ansom may recognize Parson as the one who tricked him. Ansom might disregard Parson as a non-royal, however.

Another reason for Parson joining Charlie is dramatic. Having Parson work as a mercenary is a useful trope for getting him into all sorts of various troubles, providing a handy excuse for him to be wherever the action and drama are. Playing Stanley's chief warlord actually has a similar effect but would be harder to write given the lack of convenient breaks. Think of the old TV series "The Fugitive" but with Parson and Stanley forever running from Ansom & Co. and no mysterious one-armed man to blame it on because Stanley IS the one-armed man.

[SteveMB]

As for Charlie's confidence, that is certainly interesting. As a protagonist, Parson has a myriad ways to survive, but how does Charlie know this? Charlie's confidence can come from only two places: either he is aware of a habit or mechanic that virtually guarantees Parson's survival---something like Ansom's standard capture procedures always working the same way and in such a manner that Parson cannot really avoid surviving---or Charlie has decided on his own (due to the interview) to insure Parson's survival himself, probably through capture.

Of course, that assumes that Charlie really is confident in Parson pulling through, and not just saying so because it's good for business later if he does pull through and doesn't matter if he doesn't (heads I win; tails doesn't count).

[fractal]

Leaving aside the Charlie issue (as noted previously, there's a good chance he would say that regardless of Parson's actual chances, he has nothing to lose), I have a thought regarding Parson's pending call.

I think it is highly unlikely that he is calling Ansom. To do so would hint to Ansom that there is someone competent and organized in charge. If he succeeded, sure, great. However, a failure could upset the careful trap of misinformation about the defenses he has been laying. I don't think Parson would risk his plan B so easily.

[fendrin]

I think it is highly unlikely that he is calling Ansom. To do so would hint to Ansom that there is someone competent and organized in charge. If he succeeded, sure, great. However, a failure could upset the careful trap of misinformation about the defenses he has been laying. I don't think Parson would risk his plan B so easily.

Good point, but it may not be enough...
Parson is trying to play the players instead of the game. As he pointed out, he has to know the players fairly well for that to work. Who does he know anything about, really? Ansom and Jillian. Who does he know more about? Ansom.

He may suspect that Jillian is doubted because of her apparent divided loyalties, and he may suspect that Ansom reciprocates Jillian's feelings because of the way he rushed to her aid against the wounded dwagon hex. Regardless, those suspicions would be awfully thin base to build a scheme on.

I mean, if nothing else, Parson could pretend to have defeated Stanley, and invite Ansom in to walk in through the front door. Either Ansom will buy it and walk into an ambush, or he won't and send the majority of his troops through the tunnels. Which, of course, is what Parson really wants.

Alternatively, he may instead want Maggie to do what Wanda (apparently) attempted to do: put Jillian firmly under control. This would certainly be the more character intense and dramatic way to go. If Parson (indirectly) has control over Jillian, he can make her betray Ansom... likely by killing him, or more dramatically, someone very close to him.
But is that a 'call'?

[Pyro]

Wow Ansom really lost his cool for a moment. That's not very characteristic of him. And there's also Stanely...hmmm *reads thread*

[Wonton]

Edit: Oops... thought this was the 101 discussion thread.

[MostlyHarmless]

What am I missing here? I have been following this comic pretty regularly although the apparent gaps between issues tend to leave me forgetting where things were last time. But what is going on in the last cell of this comic's page? Stanley is killing somebody? Who? I just don't understand the relevance of that image after the whole Ansom and Parson dialog.

Somebody please enlighten me. Sometimes I feel this comic needs popups like Lost does now. (YAY Lost).

[PePe QuiCoSE]

it's MostlyHarmless to re-read some strips to get that that's Stanley with the Foolamancer there. Even though, i feel that if you are missing that, without re-reading you are missing out quite some more.

[MostlyHarmless]

Ah, the foolamancer, thanks. So, IF I were to re-read some, would I understand WHY Stanley is throttling him?

(I think I need Cliff's Notes) ;)

[SteveMB]

Ah, the foolamancer, thanks. So, IF I were to re-read some, would I understand WHY Stanley is throttling him?

Stanley directed him to veil his stack of dwagons (that seems to be why he ordered the three Eyemancers to break their link; he needed the Foolamancer). However, the veil attempts keep failing (presumably because the Foolamancer was psychically damaged by the severing of the link). Stanley responded to this with his usual level of patience and understanding.