he's one of the few people hear who seem to be interested in anything other than survival. you'd like to get to know him better. right now I don't think trying to recruit him would be a good idea, though something like a non aggression pact were we both agree to stay out of each others way might be possible. but don't mention it until the end of the conversation.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)18:58 No. 2004168 ID: c811c4
File 133670148205.png - (7.98KB , 700x700 , ssf3-59.png )

Alison asks if he has any recommendable drinks, getting an answer that the bartender knows who likes what and would be better to ask.

Continuing on, she mentions that that big nosed despot strikes her as the type to hold grudges, so he must be confident. The Bandit agrees, but the Chief also doesn't easily give up on possible recruits. The Bandit will probably be approached again to be recruited sooner than outright hostilities. He tells Alison to cut the small talk, if she's going to move on.

She explains she won't try to recruit him, that she just wants to talk. She doesn't have bags of CU or threats. That gets him to be quiet, leaving him to wonder out loud if that's supposed to be a reverse psychology trick. Alison assures him it isn't, while he now wonders why everyone is either trying to recruit him or talk to him. Nothing he does should have anyone wanting words with him, certainly not idle conversation from a victim of his theft.

Few people are interested in anything but survival, and that piqued her interest. If she were to try to recruit him, it would be for his survival. She is trying to get as many people to live through everything as possible. He says that is impossible, she can only put others lives ahead of others based on who is willing to join with her. How many, he asks, would she be able save? In what must be thousands of and thousands of deaths by now, can she expect to save any significant measure of individuals when the number of stage exits remain the same?

Ask him when was the last time an exit didn't let more than the maximum displayed capacity through.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)19:10 No. 2004170 ID: c811c4
File 133670225062.png - (11.58KB , 700x700 , ssf3-60.png )

>Ask when was the last time an exit didn't let more than the maximum displayed capacity through.

Never. He asks if Alison can safely assume that that will never change, and if it does change, what would Alison do about it?

>How many, he asks, would she be able save?
>any significant measure of individuals

As many as are in front of us, who will work towards the exit with us.

We'll save what we can. Whether that means one guy, or hundreds, the goal has been accomplished as long as we stick to it.

>when the number of stage exits remain the same

A lot of times the stages allows for more people to leave than the absolute limit. There are exceptions, but what can anyone do about that? We don't mind losing some CU in order to have more people get through, and we don't only extend this courtesy to friends.

That isn't to say that we don't prioritize friends. We will go well beyond reason for them. They're our friends. We want to see them succeed.

But if a random person wishes to cooperate towards the exit together, and doesn't mind taking a hit to CU from an over capacity exit, we can work with that.

>Never. He asks if Alison can safely assume that that will never change, and if it does change, what would Alison do about it?

No, I can't. I suppose we'd have to deal with it then. Perhaps an organized tournament, where everyone fights, or a raffle, or a vote, where everyone gets a vote, and chooses someone else they'd want to advance.

Whoever created this, created us are true sadists. They made us able to feel, to form friendship, to feel horror at death. Then they forced us to kill, to leave others behind to die while you live. The best you can do is carry on... and do your damn best to spit those sadists in the eye by making sure as many survive as possible.

We managed to help save two more then the maximum last time and one extra the time before that. Three lives saved. Maybe this time five or six more will be willing to go through on reduced CU. In the face of 300 deaths.... is that truly worth it? Yes. Do we wish we could save more... yes. Do we wish we could save them all... oh yes. But each stage has made it so large groups do not prosper. it would take a large group of people who truly trusted one another to ensure as many survive as possible otherwise a small fraction of them could screw the rest over.

in the long run? die. right now our strategy for survival involves a tight nit group willing to risk themselves for each other. if whatever this is puts hard limits to who can leave a stage our group will probably eventually break apart after being forced to sacrifice members.

also, the fact that many thousands of others are dying does not lessen the value of the few we do manage to save.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)19:35 No. 2004174 ID: c811c4
File 133670372222.png - (11.81KB , 700x700 , ssf3-61.png )

She says that she'll save who she can, and if there is an exit that doesn't allow multiple exits, she'll just have to deal with it through a tournament, raffle or vote. The value of a few lives doesn't change even if there are thousands around it, so if she can just save a few, it will be worth it.

The Bandit says it's respectable that she sticks to a philosophy that is more than 'survive' as well. He will stick to his own, and make things fair within his power.

He says this conversation was informative. A bag of coins is dropped on the table by the Bandit, who pushes it forward to Alison. 23 CU, the amount that he stole before. He repeats that he is sticking to his beliefs by doing this.

...take it and thank him, but remark that if he's been trying to level the playing field so far... doesn't that mean he must think we've fallen behind?

Ask him what he thinks your group's chances are with the chief around.

Thank him. Tell him you'll do your best to make sure he survives to follow your own creed.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)19:52 No. 2004178 ID: c811c4
File 133670475217.png - (10.00KB , 700x700 , ssf3-62.png )

>Ask him what he thinks your group's chances are with the chief around.

Abysmal. Getting the silent treatment from the Chief is not a sign of peace.

>Doesn't that mean he must think we've fallen behind?

With her mentality, he explains, she will need far more CU than whatever she has now to make things fair. He says he would like to have a moment of peace and solitude for once, which Alison can't think of a compelling reason to deny, so she says she will do her best for him to survive, and must think of other things to do until stage 3.

Give Iso a friendly relaxing blowjob.

He's right about the CU shortage we're facing Chief probably can recruit lots of peeps due to the huge number of available exits.

Anyway I can't think of anything else unless there are others around worth recruiting. Read, sleep and spend time with friends I guess.

>>410358
...we COULD charge CU for sexual favors, couldn't we?

What are Alison's thoughts on sexual activity and the selling of?

Give 20 CU to Math so he can upgrade his scan to rank 2.

Talking to Recluse, telling him what you saw in your dream, and asking why he's doing what he's doing could provide some insight. Unfortunately, he's almost certainly going to be in his inn room until time runs out, dreaming his dream world.

Head up to your group's room and share your experience with Bandit. Then do whatever. Help Engi build his telescope. Sleep and dream a little more. Read. Think on the nature of things. There's not much more to do.

>>410361
In this place, that would be an even more frivolous use of CU than buying music ability. Most everyone here doesn't even have the bodily equipment to engage in that anyway.

>>410367
>Most everyone here doesn't even have the bodily equipment to engage in that anyway.
Don't forget about the apparent lack of modesty-instinct. Or any instincts at all. The idea and knowledge of sex that anyone has appears to be semi-present, most likely just as a default part of the bulk package that consisted of the original Seed AI.

And if anyone hasn't guessed yet, sleeping produces a temporary reprioritization of processing power in order to successfully unpause the processes of the absorbed AI tasks.

>>410371
This probably also means that Resurrection is plausible, as an Absorbed AI has been 'Save State'd within the mainframe, meaning that all that would be necessary would be to somehow give those stored programs User privilages again. Or better yet, somehow hack in an Extra Life into the inventory of the Absorbed AI you want brought back.

>>410374
Alison just has to find a "crack" in the world. A combination of place or action that will break her out. It would have to be something quite odd, that none before have thought of. A very non-standard ability and item build, or doing something completely strange. But to find that would be highly unlikely.

What Alison can do now is see if the Shopkeeper-types can be targeted with the scan ability. That might yield something.

Be careful about cracks. It might end up being you who ends up cracking. What Allison needs to do is learn how this world works. Not to simply learn that timers count down, but how the timer counts down. Not simply how to navigate the platforms, but how to make the platforms do what she wants. If Allison can take CU out of her pocket without removing CU from her pocket, then we've got this game thoroughly whipped, but that still leaves a question of how to get beyond the game. Ultimately our goal isn't more CU at all, but rather the safety from this game that they offer.

1/2 Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)21:15 No. 2004187 ID: c811c4
File 133670972721.png - (16.89KB , 700x700 , ssf3-63.png )

Alison returns to her inn for now.

>Help with telescope
Engineer says that it's just in the planning phase, and needs some amount of scientific understanding to help with anything, but thanks Alison.

>Sexuality
Alison hasn't seen appropriate body-gear to engage in that, but she hasn't looked around much.

With her group, she confirms that, to varying degrees, there is a sex drive amongst people. All regardless of whether or not they have any appropriate equipment.

>Selling of sexual activity
Alison can't deny that that may actually be a valid source of CU from certain crowds, but she has bypassed more CU for less, such as denying the Duelist the tavern fight when she could have absorbed 40 to 50 CU from that alone. Along with having to get overly friendly with people she's never met before, she has no interest in opening that sort of shop.

Some jerkface would probably go and do it for free like everything else anyway.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)21:17 No. 2004189 ID: c811c4
File 133670986607.png - (16.85KB , 700x700 , ssf3-64.png )

>Sleep

On returning to the dream, Alison learns that the dead are only conscious while Alison is asleep. They have a sense that time passed, but they couldn't tell by how much, just enough to know that Alison did, in fact, leave for awhile. They talk idly for another hour or so about inconsequential things. For a brief moment they all speak about building around here, but no one knows anything about building even if the Guardsman could chop down a tree with his sword.

It's nice to spend time with them, but options of what she can do here look limited.

Nonetheless, between spare time and certain developments, Alison's thoughts keep on going back to how to escape from all of this. She has no idea how she could do such a thing, but she may try doing unconventional concepts such as scanning the shopkeeper.

>>410389

>> to varying degrees, there is a sex drive amongst people. All regardless of whether or not they have any appropriate equipment.

TRULY THIS HELL IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION

>>410393

Oh, well that's... less than ideal. At least they still exist, to some degree. The trick is rigging it so the game thinks you're asleep all the time. Can you move your body or sense anything outside of being here while you're "asleep"? Is someone else able to wake you up? How does waking up happen from your dreaming perspective?

>>410409
Hush, you. It's probably present in the same way your pinkie finger is present: it's there, you feel things with it, and you sometimes even pay attention to its input, but it really isn't that important to you, provided you don't break it somehow.

well think of getting some when you get enough body upgrades.

>>410393
Escape? I don't think that's wise.
Traditioal methods are right out, as the universe you currently exist in has clearly defined limits between stuff existing and stuff NOT existing, so you wouldn't die or be killed, just deleted from reality and then maybe reset from last known good conditions.
Hacking this reality is an option, but it will require you to achieve CHIM successfully in order to even open the debug command console.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)22:37 No. 2004197 ID: c811c4
File 133671463285.png - (22.20KB , 700x700 , ssf3-65.png )

>How does waking up happen from your dreaming perspective?
She is able to wake up on her own will easily, similar to holding ones breath.

>Can you move your body or sense anything outside of being here while you're "asleep"?
Very faintly, but she can sense her waking body. She can't move it at all though, and if she focuses too much on trying, she feels like she'll slip out and wake up.

>Is someone else able to wake you up?
She hasn't had anyone try, but if people couldn't wake others up, she imagines that the Recluse wouldn't have needed to be alone.

If there is nothing else to do in the dream, then she'll leave to spend time with those who are still alive, read some, mention what she's seen to the Recluse if he can be found, and what little business remains.

Chances are, there is enough CU left over now for Mathematician to get Scan 2, and scan the shopkeep and barkeep.

You've already seen that this world isn't infallible. Remember one of the Shopkeepers popping in and fixing things when you noticed them? You just have to find situations this world's architect didn't think to cover: Edge conditions and outliers. Just know there's a chance it'll break things in unfavorable ways.

Start with grabbing Math and trying to scan target the Barkeep, then the Shopkeepers. See if you can make the creation of a CU coin glitch by reaching into your pocket just far enough to pull one out, then will one to form and return over and over, as fast as you can. Try to break a CU coin in half; Maybe fractional CU is possible. Look for ways to climb up the side of the Level Tower, either by flying or sticking to it. See if the Safe Zone protection extends to injuring yourself, by giving yourself a small cut. Attempt to dig through the bottom of the Safe Zone... Man, there's a lot of things to try, and not enough time.

>>410393
What a sad existence being a ghost in a dream, isn't it? Why would the Recluse want to absorb all those people into his? Is his plan to sleep forever and build a new world with them in the dream? Is that his idea of "freedom?" Sounds more like escapism.

>>410389
How strange it is that you all have a sex drive, yet you've never had a way to engage in the act. Maybe it just comes with choosing a body with a gender, or even just a body. Be slightly thankful you haven't encountered someone who chose a rampantly over-sexual form just to titillate and fluster others.

>>410427
>ghost in a dream
Oh well, still better than flat-out ceasing to exist, right? ...right?

>>410422
Have you tried falling asleep while in this dream?

Let's get some inception goin' on in here.

>>410428
I don't know, but it's got to be better than being stuck in a shell.

Suggestion 2012/05/10(Thu)23:49 No. 2004202 ID: c811c4
File 133671896028.png - (7.58KB , 700x700 , ssf3-66.png )

>Ghost in a dream better than ceasing to exist?
Everyone seems to think so, yes.

After spending more time with everyone dead, she wakes up and heads off with the Mathematician to scan and ask for boons.

>Boons
The shopkeep says that at these early stages, shop boons won't be available, and they come more often in chests. Later on, he won't say precisely when, will have purchaseable boons for relatively cheap considering their power.

>Scan barkeep/shopkeeper

With Rank 2 scan, Mathematician can cast scan for 2 CU. Without boons, his only options are to scan 2 random abilities, what items they have, or identify all non-standard abilities.

>>410446
>all non-standard abilities

Yeah, let's go for that one.

After scanning ask the shopkeep what free boons come with absorb, weapon range, disarm, knockback and protector. I believe that was one of the infromation packages offered for sale.

I just thought of an interesting glitch. Find an error and when having a red-glove challenge the shopkeep to a duel as he pops up.

Of course if we do that we'd need to scan his standard stats to make sure hes not at infinite life or something silly like that.

>>410459
Red gloves cannot be used in the safe area. Check all non-standard abilities.

Scan for non-standard abilities.

>>410465
That's why you use it in the level, when a Shopkeep comes to fix a glitch Alison notices. It'd take quite a bit of planning and setup to pull off, though.

>>410465
He meant in level.

Suggestion 2012/05/11(Fri)01:05 No. 2004209 ID: c811c4
File 133672351885.png - (8.40KB , 700x700 , ssf3-67.png )

>What free boons come with abilities

Shopkeep says that the current price for that is 10 CU per ability line, to give a full list of ability bonuses.

>Scan Shopkeep, special abilities

-Scan
-Merchant
-Persistence

Ask if you could purchase the merchant skill. I can't imagine it being useful outside of combat so it might be included with music and sportsmanship.

Do ask what the persistence ability does, as well as the merchant ability.

Scan him again, and this time check his items. There'll be his listed inventory, but there may be some things that aren't listed.

Suggestion 2012/05/11(Fri)01:59 No. 2004212 ID: c811c4
File 133672676451.png - (15.18KB , 700x700 , ssf3-68.png )

>Ask about the merchant and persistence ability

He says that's very funny, scanning him. Neither merchant or persistence is available to standard contenders.

Alison and everyone else combined only has 6 CU remaining, so she only has 3 scanes available. Scan the shopkeep's items?

Might as well. Afterwords I see no reason to stick around. Timeskip then start stage 3. Wish Bandit good luck if you see him before entering.

End of Thread 1 Suggestion 2012/05/11(Fri)02:15 No. 2004214 ID: c811c4
File 133672774159.png - (10.26KB , 700x700 , ssf3-69.png )

>Scan merchant items

Not a single one.

>Scan barkeep

Only Scan and Persistence.

Alison spends the remaining time reading and relaxing. Mathematician finds a satisfactory body equation as well, before the time limit is up.
>>/questdis/362399

With that, she prepares everyone to enter Stage 3.

Crap you weren't supposed to tell him. Now he's on to us. But find a way to get that persistence ability, even if you have to rip it out of his chest.

Two theories on persistance. 1. e's invulnerable to attacks which is the most likely. 2 He has inifinite extra lives. 1 doesn't leave us with much but two has... possibilities. Especially since Absorb probably has boons allowing the extraction of skill lines. That or its in the thief skill set.

Cloak's ability to communicate while not having communication skills still seems like it would be worth investigating. Having an ability to temporarily copy someone else's abilities would account for it, but even that should have shown up when he was scanned. It could have been an item, but that would have been a terribly wasteful moment to use it, and he is not dumb. It's too bad he didn't get absorbed so we could ask him.

>>410508
Pretty sure his ability to communicate's from being absorbed, not from something he himself had. In other words, because he's part of Alison, he can communicate with her.

>>410520

I think "Cloak" refers to this guy here:
>>408230
>>408235
The guy who answered "yes" to a question despite having neither speech nor understanding. We never really found out how he did it.