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File 168833119523.png - (124.19KB , 800x600 , fop-questdis.png )
139947 No. 139947 ID: e139aa

Flockload of Discussion
(quest: >>/quest/1066631 )

Hello. My name is Cirr. I am an amateur quest make guy writing about a weird glass bird, long may it run this time.

someone made me think a discussion thread would be a good idea
91 posts omitted. Last 100 shown. Expand all images
>>
No. 141134 ID: 99f29a

If 'within the same galaxy' is unfathomable you're not very transcendent after all.
>>
No. 141135 ID: 6e7268

Is there any known records of a species known as humans or more accurately classified species, homo sapiens?
>>
No. 141136 ID: 8f9bc4

>>141134

I believe Vi.al is the "transcendent being" for the lepi in My.a's game, not Vi.si.mi. Similarly, the soon to be pregnant Sarikki is not the transcendental, but only her Acolyte, while the Woven Sorceress is the transcendental for the noetuno.
>>
No. 141137 ID: 273c18

>>141134
Hmm. This brings to mind a question.

What does "Transcendental" mean? Transcendental creatures aren't immortal considering Woven aren't.

>fancy water
What is it though? What does it do?
>>
No. 141138 ID: 273c18

Hey, weird question:
Is there anything under Vi.al's robe?
>>
No. 141139 ID: b242fe

The sheer star density of the galaxy is pretty unfathomable, so distances can be, too. How do The Shapeless get around, FTL, and how fast is it?
>>
No. 141140 ID: 09f667

Okay, I am very curious what these different regrets and further augmentations are. Do they have something to do with the erotic media that you dropped last time?

Though on that note, do constructs ever add genital structures/primary sexual characteristics to their bodies for personal fulfillment/aesthetic/recreational reasons? I understand a taboo against self-replication, but I don't believe there is a taboo against pleasure in a construct's off time.

One more thing, you looked adorable as a vatling.
>>
No. 141141 ID: 7832d0

>>141137
this will prolly be answered more directly but i think from context clues it means "species defined by direct modification and control of the molecular makeup of their bodies". basically if you can patch some software to grow a new arm, youre transcendental. if youre just some robot tooling around in space, you arent. i think the main difference is probably the level of power and capability that amount of self-modification affords.
>>
No. 141142 ID: 7832d0

some more fun questions:

-- when did the shapeless monarch ̶d̶i̶e̶ go on permanent vacation relative to now?

-- are there any kind of sapient rights organizations or do the shapeless treat non-transcendentals as essentially their property

-- What was the most impactful social change/revolution in shapeless society you are aware of?

-- Does Vi.al have a first contact procedure with a totally unknown sapient race? What's the funniest way it's backfired?

-- How do shapeless deal with grief, culturally?
>>
No. 141147 ID: 09f667
File 169952612994.png - (9.73MB , 3000x3000 , SHAPELESS MONARCH TRI TI, THE BRUTAL STRATEGIST.png )
141147

This is my own Shapeless Lord fan character, but I was given Cirr's blessing to share it here! The description doesn't conflict with cannon, but I can't say it will be relevant.

LORD TRI.TI, THE BRUTAL STRATEGIST

Lord Tri.ti is an eccentric individual, even by the standards of Shapeless Lords. However, despite their eccentric nature, Lord Tri.ti is also a dangerous general, and as a result, often acts to enforce peaceful relations between Shapeless Lords in the local cluster. Their current interest is in organic weapons, creating living organisms to function as adaptive and regenerative automata. Squadrons of automata, lead by combat constructs, with whole fleets commanded by partitions, form dangerous, unpredictable, strike forces that enforce Lord Tri.ti's military power in the local cluster. For this reason, Lord Tri.ti is often called in to resolve situations that any single Shapeless Lord can no longer control on their own.
>>
No. 141152 ID: 09f667
File 169965665405.png - (58.46KB , 680x471 , Dirt.png )
141152

Vi.si.mi enjoying a snack with Va.ha.ti.
>>
No. 141153 ID: e139aa

>>141152
excellent
>>
No. 141155 ID: 2aa5f0

>>141152
they're secretly best friends
>>
No. 141157 ID: 2a82d3

>I am obligated by Maintainer Vi.a to at this point specify that Lord Vi.al does not receive constructs slated for execution for high treason from other Lords in obfuscated trades for the purposes of deniability. Lord Vi.al is above being a glorified executioner for all of the Lords, and no payment is delivered for ensuring secrecy. Lord Vi.al is a friend to all life, synthetic and organic, and is not desperate enough for substrate to be accepting such ignoble deals. The Vi.al substrate economy is healthy despite the presence of the Blot and all rumours to the contrary are exactly that. Rumours.
There's a sweet irony to all that being unironically true. Vi.al is absolutely the type to know when and where that kind of thing happens, among other skeletons in the Substrate closet, and is no stranger to enforcing diplomatically-compelled recitations on his subjects. It's also relatively easy to run an economy under a population deficit (relative to other Lords). That's probably why he over-engineers who or what he does make.

Do Vi.al agents normally have a higher degree of success on missions? Or is it more like a higher satisfaction rate? (Is that why the crazy game master god stacked the odds against us?)
>>
No. 141158 ID: 273c18

What happened to the first standard design?
>>
No. 141165 ID: b3eab7

>>141157
Va.ha.ti should mention to maintainer Vi.a that unless this is actually a distraction away from Vi.al's actual dark secrets, they're being very poor at propaganda. The stilted way it's stated makes all the entire delivery low-trust, and gives low-trust answers to questions most of the audience weren't even asking.
>>
No. 141167 ID: 2a82d3

>>141165
Unless you read it as Vi.al deliberately being the scapegoat for other Lord's dark secrets, through an "I know you know I know" sort of message. Makes sense for a galaxy brain.
>>
No. 141172 ID: e139aa

Hello readers, I have had a terrible, terrible idea that I think might be fun!

When the thread ends, which is coming closer than you might think*, I am torn between launching directly into thread 2 or doing a little interlude. This interlude will involve EITHER cycling through different semi-disposable perspectives to give more context for the world at large OR picking a faction (which will be put up to a vote) and doing a Day In The Life Of Some Random Mook because my brain is bursting from ideas of this setting we will probably never get to see otherwise for actual literal years oh my god why are quests such an undertaking (well at least it's not gamedev)

However I am acutely aware that this runs into the risk of things like "reduced audience investment" and "unclear contradictory goals" and "becoming a confusing incoherent mess only the unhinged author can parse", so before I dive into this madness I thought I'd at least ask if people were interested either in "Cirr saw someone play The New War once and thought that was a really neat sequence to flesh out different perspectives in the setting" or "hey I vaguely remember when we got to be an arkot in Salikai (when are you updating Salikai Cirr bring Salikai back :C**) and that was pretty fun/tolerable/not actively causing me a migraine"

I should hasten to add that the goal for such an interlude would be to be significantly shorter than thread one of Flockload of Problems, but, well, many things should be shorter than thread one of Flockload of Problems, I never know when to make the first thread split, and I've been at this on and off for ten years so I suspect I will never know!

Anyway I am rambling again as always (Vi.si.mi is the easiest character to write) so I'll clarify the actual call to action here.
Decide time!

1: No interlude - go straight into the eternal problem grind that is Vi.si.mi's life
2: Interlude type A - a grand tour of perspectives, not lingering too long on any
3: Interlude type B - a day in the life of [faction choice goes here] on some sort of task targeting not the lepi and not Vi.si.mi

*point and laugh at me when this ends up being way off the mark, as usual

**look I sort of miss Salikai too but it turned into way too much of an unmanageable jumble, whereas Flockload of Problems is a slightly more manageable jumble that at least has a protagonist with a motivation to be in the scenario instead of trying to escape it at all times, and I took a personal vow never to do perspective swaps in the main quest itself again, oy. also i mean if i bring back salikai that means flockload of problems has to go on the bench and i definitely prefer flockload a lot more setting-wise, structure-wise, character-wise, so, uhm, i dunno, maybe i'll figure out a way to recycle salikai into it too like all the other cancelled projects it's had shoved into it
>>
No. 141173 ID: a7a180

I support interlude type B, followed by switching my support to interlude type A when my faction of choice loses.
>>
No. 141174 ID: 64faaa

I'm fine with either A or B, whichever works better.
>>
No. 141175 ID: de5cb4

Type A sounds best, but I'm interested in whatever you write.
>>
No. 141177 ID: 99f29a

I vote for choice II.
>>
No. 141178 ID: 0c04ce

Ooooh, Type B sounds like a good way to help show us what's going on elsewhere so we get to see more of the setting!
>>
No. 141179 ID: db478f

Interlude A
>>
No. 141180 ID: 9e6f2b

Interlude type A Sounds interesting but I’m good with B should it win.
>>
No. 141182 ID: f3171e

>>141172
Type B sounds fun.
>>
No. 141183 ID: 99ca7b

Type A!
>>
No. 141185 ID: e9f32f

>>141172
type A works as a diversion and teaser with probably the least potential for ballooning into a whooe big thread again.
>>
No. 141187 ID: b3eab7

I want to see A but I think B would be better audience-interaction-wise.
>>
No. 141188 ID: e139aa

okay it's looking like interlude type A is winning 2 to 1 so I think the writing is on the wall

prepare for the Carousel of Conundrums soon
>>
No. 141189 ID: 73c7e5

I'm torn because Interlude A is a series of brief glimpses into the whole array of things the setting has to offer not unlike channel surfing, which is what I want; but Interlude B is a short, concise story with a clear argument and set of characters, which is what I need.
>>
No. 141193 ID: 3735b9

While type B would be more useful for knowing what's up in local area... And honestly I really want to know more about the Rain stuff...

I think A would give much more general stuff to chew on for people. Personally it would be pretty interesting, but dunno about others ^^"

Either way it should be pretty interesting, as it's clear there's a lot of neat stuff all over the place

P.S. I really, really can't stop thinking of Rain World (especially FP and the song RG) half the time anything is happening. But the relevant part is deep deep spoiler territory, so it's a bit difficult to hope for any reply on that
>>
No. 141194 ID: 7695ec

A type B intermission would leave me hungry for more of them, which is not good for the quest
>>
No. 141195 ID: 8f9bc4

"I'll just write a day in the life of [faction choice goes here]"
"the goal for such an interlude would be to be significantly shorter"
"what could possibly go wrong?"
>>
No. 141199 ID: e139aa

thanks for rubbing salt on where a wound is going to be a few months from now
>>
No. 141200 ID: a7a180

>>141199
if you lick it up before a wound is inflicted it will just be tasty.
>>
No. 141201 ID: 2a82d3

Type A is a good writing challenge. If you have an update limit, quest scenes have to be impactful, and also have a decent excuse to limit influence from suggestions.

As an aside, I do think the neutonos can be redeemed if they can learn to chill. Their primative culture seem to stem from their over-developed fear response, but Four Strokes wouldn't have a base of outcasts to work with if everyone accepted it.
>>
No. 141202 ID: e139aa

giving myself an out right now: if things are dragging on too long, we'll look at three choices now, and then the interlude ends, we go to Flockload thread 2, and then the other 3 can get their turn then
>>
No. 141203 ID: 0d10a3

hey cirr thanks for making this i like it
>>
No. 141204 ID: 2aa5f0

>>141201
>As an aside, I do think the neutonos can be redeemed if they can learn to chill. Their primative culture seem to stem from their over-developed fear response, but Four Strokes wouldn't have a base of outcasts to work with if everyone accepted it.

Honestly I'm pretty sure we could get them to work with us if we can just remove their current leadership (unless the lepi are pissed enough at them that such a thing would only cause more problems then it would solve). I mean from what we've seen and been told they are miserable, fractured and seem to only be banding together because of how fucked the world is right now. Take out either the hedonistic and narcissistic king, or the short sighted and emotional alien and they'd probably flock to the other for protection, take out both and they'd either scatter or join out of fear of facing the world alone. Hell from what I'm seeing we could probably recruit or at least ally with most races by taking out their leader (assuming said leader[s] can't be reasoned with) since most seem to follow their alien overlord out of fear. Either fear of said leader or fear of how they'd fair without them there to use their powers to aid them against the other factions.
>>
No. 141206 ID: 273c18

>>141202
That kindof sounds like a good idea regardless.
>>
No. 141207 ID: 83ba40

>Salikai
Guh. Stop tempting me to do totally-non-canon Salikai continuation FFS. Don't even have any drawing skills (even if just making icons outta existing images might be good enough)! Way too much of a flake to do it too!
>>
No. 141209 ID: f3171e

I for one long for the return of our glorious leader Typhon.
>>
No. 141210 ID: 2a82d3

>>141204
>Hell from what I'm seeing we could probably recruit or at least ally with most races by taking out their leader (assuming said leader[s] can't be reasoned with) since most seem to follow their alien overlord out of fear. Either fear of said leader or fear of how they'd fair without them there to use their powers to aid them against the other factions.
Indeed.

I name-dropped SMAC, so sorry if I repeat myself, but it seems our faction's closest analogue is Gaia's Stepdaughters, not the Peacekeepers. (Not being big fans of democracy should've been my first clue.) The big difference is the planet's defenses evolved decentralized and independent rather than as one central system, that could be fixed ad-hoc by strong leadership. The mind worm analogues are Shapeless-built, after all.

>>141209
Totally Still Waiting for what the life-god/reanimated-statue fox will do to the chaos fetus.
>>
No. 141212 ID: 2aa5f0

>>141209
I'm still holding out hope that defective might get updated again one day.
>>
No. 141213 ID: f3171e

>>141212
That's a deep cut.
>>
No. 141216 ID: 2aa5f0

>>141213
it was the first cirr quest I read when I found this sight. it wormed it's way into my heart.
>>
No. 141219 ID: f3171e

>>141216
Same for me. Our precious mismatched little mess will always have a place in my heart.
>>
No. 141220 ID: 2a82d3

>>141216
>>141219
Oh yeah, I think it was mine too. Though, in all seriousness, I don't think it's fair ask the author pick it back up when they would've moved on by now, personally and/or artistically. I think I see the similar concepts being worked in with this quest, anyway. And the work ethic has been much improved.

Anyway, I like the current guy. Among other things, he's, like, juggling 3 different love interests, unintentionally. My pet theory is he's being groomed to be his Lord's successor, is in denial over it because of what it implies (why does an immortal being need a successor?), but everyone either knows or could make an accurate guess of that.
>>
No. 141221 ID: 4535dc

>>141220
Oh I doubt anyone was saying Cirr should stop what he’s doing and immediately revive any of his old quest, just remembering some of his past quests that stuck with them over the years.

>Anyway, I like the current guy. Among other things, he's, like, juggling 3 different love interests, unintentionally. My pet theory is he's being groomed to be his Lord's successor, is in denial over it because of what it implies (why does an immortal being need a successor?), but everyone either knows or could make an accurate guess of that.

As for this, my personal theory is our little bird is actually a shapeless lord youth that is being raised in secret for some reason only the lord of secrets knows. That’s why they also seem to get special treatment over their peers. I have no evidence to back this up but it’s what my gut is telling me.
>>
No. 141231 ID: 273c18

I like a bunch of Cirr's old quests but Flockload is more important right now.
>>
No. 141244 ID: 9cc4dc

>>141220
three, huh?
>>
No. 141249 ID: 986eb1

someone pointed out I never linked the interlude thread in this discussion thread so here it is:

https://questden.org/kusaba/quest/res/1077498.html
>>
No. 141349 ID: e139aa

donated blood, felt bad for a few days, got insomnia, felt bad for a couple days, felt better, disrupted by going to a convention in London, get back home, RSI flareup

how do I stop falling down these goddamn stairs
>>
No. 141350 ID: b23ea2

Damn, that's a tall staircase, hope you get a moment to rest and get well!
>>
No. 141351 ID: f3171e

>>141349
Fluids and cultivating your qi, I guess.
>>
No. 141354 ID: f90eeb

You should probably take a couple of you days. And I don’t mean from the quest I mean in general. Set some time aside to just relax for a couple days. Play video games, watch some movies, hell just sleep all day if you need to. Just give yourself some time to relax and destress.
>>
No. 141445 ID: 3184a6

Marry Christmas everyone. Hope you all have a wonderful day.
>>
No. 141455 ID: e139aa

I have decided that seeing as I seem to have completely run out of all available steam related to this planned set of "meanwhile, some other guys" stories, I'll be putting that on hold and getting back to the story that I seem to care significantly more about as soon as I can, sorry argh
>>
No. 141459 ID: 3184a6

>>141455
shit happens. Don't worry about it.
>>
No. 141460 ID: 2a82d3

'S OK. You wanted a break, you took one, and now you're energized. That's what counts, in the end.
>>
No. 141578 ID: 2aa5f0

welcome back Cirr, hope your feeling better.
>>
No. 141728 ID: e139aa

some explanations of what happened:
- tried to enter a month long game jam starting February while still suffering from health issues I keep going to the GP about and cycling medications
- was, for the first 2/3rds of the month, actually getting somewhere
- suffer flare up of chronic condition that coupled with my current illness fucking stops everything that isn’t being in a world of unpredictable pain spikes
- present day


quest isn’t dead, i swear, but boy, at this rate i predict something new will go wrong with either my body, my apartment or my computer by the time i heal up because i am apparently no longer allowed good things
>>
No. 141729 ID: 16d082

>>141728
you should have known about using CON as a dump stat IRL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZwfCNTp0Kk
>>
No. 141734 ID: 13483e

>>141728
the curse
the cuuuuuuuurse
>>
No. 141748 ID: db3b07

>>141728
I'm a terminally online reader and sometimes suggestion maker of your quests and/or quest attempts from roughly since this image board began and I must say it's nice you're at least still trying.
>>
No. 141975 ID: e139aa
File 171208848094.png - (528.01KB , 800x600 , fop2-27a.png )
141975

so I don't make a habit of this but I made fundamental goofs with an image of the last update, so, uh, putting a corrected image here
>>
No. 143102 ID: 4d3d69
File 173367766541.png - (4.42MB , 3000x3000 , That moth MAN that showed up in Cirr's quest.png )
143102

Damn it Cirr, why do you make hot alien creatures.
>>
No. 143108 ID: 4d3d69
File 173378660011.png - (4.02MB , 2085x3000 , Lightgreen is actually turbo cute and I don't.png )
143108

I can't believe I haven't drawn Lightgreen yet, so have Lightgreen with a flocklett!
>>
No. 143276 ID: 861ceb

so how are constructs treated in the shapeless lords' territories? Are they seen as people or things? Like if one was made to chop wood but either sucked at it or wanted to try something else would they actually be reassigned or would they be scrapped and recycled for parts?
>>
No. 143363 ID: 2ca689

Bad news!

So aside from the fact I've had an update written and not drawn for like 12-13 days at this point and I've been laid low by sickness, some temporary work surges and other unidentifiable malaise, I'm also going to be taking the entirety of February off from quests and such to participate in a game jam (which I'll mention again if I actually produce anything for it because my track record for succeeding in these things could not be lower recently).

I wish I could keep up the manic pace I started the year off with but I always knew that was going to be impossible. I was always planning to take February off, but it just feels especially cruel with how the last couple weeks have shaken out with no update.

I do intend to return! So far, Flockload's the only quest that I've taken long breaks from and thought "man I can't wait to get back to it" so the odds are good I'll resume in March (or slightly earlier if the game jam goes south).

Thanks for reading the quest!!
>>
No. 143369 ID: 861ceb

man everyone has been getting sick this month. Anyways good luck with the game jam. See you when you get back.
>>
No. 143371 ID: 273c18

>>143363
Alright, have fun with the game jam!
>>
No. 143381 ID: 3df1ab

Good luck on the game jam!
>>
No. 143386 ID: 9bbb0e

>>143369
For real.

>>143363
Ganbatte, Cirr-san!
>>
No. 143519 ID: 2ca689

well the game did happen, although it's not particularly Flockload related
https://cloudbird.itch.io/cold-vessel

updates resuming when I recover from the month of nothing but gamedev, someone scrape me off the floor into a bucket please
>>
No. 143520 ID: 861ceb

Congratulations on finishing the game. took me a hot minute to figure out you want your sliders to stay near the middle but I manage to beat it once I figured that out.
>>
No. 143535 ID: 16d082
File 174098102160.png - (315.05KB , 802x484 , maiesiophilia.png )
143535

it's a good experience and I really appreciate that you compiled a Linux version. Each erotic furry card game about psychic battles of will that isn't bound solely to the sordid .exe is another blow against The Servant of Mammon's A.K.A The Literal Antichrist's A.K.A. Bill Gates' Embrace-Extend-Extinguish plantation

also I'm starting to think that you have a fascination with pregnant women
>>
No. 143536 ID: 2ca689

whaaaaat noooo what could have ever given you that impression aside from the staggering mountain of evidence
>>
No. 143901 ID: 57438a

Welcome back!
>>
No. 143903 ID: 9bbb0e

Bird up!
>>
No. 143909 ID: ca5b84

The Hashed purple text on the recent update, W### S#G###. the latter is definetely SIGNAL, so WILL SIGNAL?
>>
No. 143925 ID: ba9785

>>143909
You're playing a very dangerous game.
>>
No. 143928 ID: 94d85e

>>143909
WEED SUGARS
>>
No. 143931 ID: bfa405

>>143925
oh absolutely, unfortunatly, I knew just from looking at it that three letters is enough to know the whole thing, there ain't many 4 letter W words, and "Signal" is an arc-word it seems
>>
No. 143933 ID: d54b41

>>143928
No, no, he's onto something. We can make up stupid nonsense to fit into the information hole to distract Vi.si if they start to think too much about it.
>>
No. 143935 ID: ba9785

>>143933
It definitely says potato salad.
>>
No. 143941 ID: 273c18

It's W.S. Gaster!!!
>>
No. 143945 ID: 9bbb0e

>>143935
I too enjoy powtato salgad.
>>
No. 143949 ID: 861ceb

>>143941
William Afton you say?! It all makes sense, he's even purple!
>>
No. 144094 ID: 16d082
File 175397844580.jpg - (32.57KB , 754x600 , sir_arthur_harris_destroyer_of_krauts.jpg )
144094

I get excited every time I see FoP has been bumped to page 1 and every time it has turned out to have been that German spambot

we nuked the wrong Axis power
>>
No. 144099 ID: 607303

Hey Cirr, you doing ok? Saw something earlier and I just want to make sure you’re doing ok.
>>
No. 144100 ID: 607303

>>144094
The more spam bots I see the more I’m starting to see things your way.
>>
No. 144104 ID: 9bbb0e

I feel like the spambots are especially attracted to Flockload, I see them ramming it the most often. I wonder if they have the hots for Vi.si.mi.
>>
No. 144105 ID: 202a8d

they identify with the green robot people
>>
No. 144207 ID: 0f6cbd
File 175692030130.png - (231.19KB , 800x600 , fop2-136-revised.png )
144207

there appears to have been some confusion with my wild whimsical prose that tends to avoid calling out specific character descriptions (due to my belief that this is usually redundant when an image is provided) so I am clarifying things here now
i hope this helps
>>
No. 144208 ID: dfa46e

>>144207
does visimi canonically know what a sea cucumber is
>>
No. 144209 ID: 0f6cbd

maybe not by the same name but translation convention means I'm not trying to write this entire quest as some kind of horrifying black midi fugue song as it is, so sure
>>
No. 144210 ID: dfa46e

ok cool, how about vi.si.mi
>>
No. 144293 ID: 66de4b
File 175901049108.jpg - (82.85KB , 800x600 , fixed.jpg )
144293

>>144207

Understood!
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