Author Topic: Nue Quest Alter Code 6: A Z-Machine Adventure (Read 39496 times)

E-Nazrin · « **Reply #180 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:04:38 AM »

I honestly don't know what he's up to here. Why didn't he make this offer before? What does he hope to accomplish by stalling for time or...

Ah. He wants to make a trade so he can use the spark to avoid freezing or speed up the process.

I can't see any reason to take him up on this unless we get to fleece him for something wildly disproportionate. For that matter, giving up our ability to use danmaku entirely is pretty huge. I'd just give him a bemused look and toy with the trading for a while until pointing that out and refusing anything at all minor or remotely 'fair' for him. If he starts getting uppity, ponder calling Cirno back down. Perhaps aloud.

I am a cruel person =[

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #181 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:10:55 AM »

> Frown.
> "...Wait a minute. Wouldn't this give you more sparks?"

---

Thought process right now.

I've been horrendously wrong on anticipating responses to things across the entire thread, but if he's breaking things up into three parts, I imagine he will be asking for three of the four most practically important things to our situation; danmaku, flight, shapeshifting, and the trident (possibly alongside the rest of our inventory). Danmaku would've been our best bet to survive any combat that followed after we got in but to no one's surprise it's the first thing off the board, probably for that very reason. (The prospect of re-trade is a scare tactic and not worth basing our decision on.)

What danmaku gone means is we're a little girl fighting a grown man. Period. He's going to be physically stronger than us, and he's going to have better natural reach than us, and given those, each of the other three things becomes almost invaluable and it's a true shame we're going to have to give up two of them.

- No flight means any ice on the floor that we come across over the course of combat becomes a major factor.
- No trident means our one potential reach advantage is gone and we're completely declawed.
- No shapeshifting, while normally acceptable for combat situations, means we lose our weather armor, and while he's currently in worse shape than us, he's also a lot better dressed for the cold.

I have no faith in my ability to out-haggle him because my brain has been demonstrably nowhere close to the mark at any point in this quest, so if it becomes a bargain-off, I doubt I will be of any use.

Maus also brings up the second major problem with these proposals: they'll give him three extra sparks, to do God knows what with.

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #182 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:13:32 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 03:10:55 AM

> Frown.
> "...Wait a minute. Wouldn't this give you more sparks?"

>"Should it matter to you, if you're dedicated to stopping me?" he says.

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #183 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:16:37 AM »

> "It most certainly does. For all I know, those last two or three sparks will be all you need to finally complete what you're doing before I can get to you, whereas if you don't get them, the cold will get to you before you can finish."

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #184 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:20:03 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 03:16:37 AM

> "It most certainly does. For all I know, those last two or three sparks will be all you need to finally complete what you're doing before I can get to you, whereas if you don't get them, the cold will get to you before you can finish."

>"Mere weather will not stop me," he says.

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #185 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:27:06 AM »

I swear to God this isn't meant to be racist. ;_;

> "I'm not sure your skin color entirely agrees with your words."

E-Nazrin · « **Reply #186 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:31:28 AM »

>"Especially when you wait until it becomes a problem to make your offer."

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #187 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:33:09 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 03:27:06 AM

> "I'm not sure your skin color entirely agrees with your words."

~~>"Great now Kotohime has to cameo to PC police you."~~
>"Think as you wish," he says.

Quote from: E-Nazrin on August 25, 2011, 03:31:28 AM

>"Especially when you wait until it becomes a problem to make your offer."

>"Again, think as you wish," he says. "Rather, this is the first time you've make more than a token attempt to reach me. I am a merchant, Miss Houjuu. I see a desire and the ability to fill it."

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #188 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:36:08 AM »

> "If you see my desire, why offer things up in thirds?"

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #189 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:38:13 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 03:36:08 AM

> "If you see my desire, why offer things up in thirds?"

>"Would you prefer fifths?" he says. "Would you prefer for me to decide you are not interested after all?"

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #190 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:44:38 AM »

> "I think you mistake my motivation. I am an interested buyer, perhaps even an eager one. But I am not a desperate one. You're a businessman; you must know that the best way to get a transaction is to make your offer more appealing than the other available options, in any of the litany of ways this is possible to do. What you have proposed is appealing, I will certainly grant you that. But there are sufficiently many factors that stay my hand just a bit, and when combined with the presence of a second appealing possibility, I am not sold yet."

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #191 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:46:46 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 03:44:38 AM

> "I think you mistake my motivation. I am an interested buyer, perhaps even an eager one. But I am not a desperate one. You're a businessman; you must know that the best way to get a transaction is to make your offer more appealing than the other available options, in any of the litany of ways this is possible to do. What you have proposed is appealing, I will certainly grant you that. But there are sufficiently many factors that stay my hand just a bit, and when combined with the presence of a second appealing possibility, I am not sold yet."

>"And I think, given your misapprehensions in the past, you are familiar with the idea of a monopoly," says Rinnosuke.

>_

E-Nazrin · « **Reply #192 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:47:22 AM »

There's also the part where getting 1/3rd of the way to him is kind of useless on its own.

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #193 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:47:54 AM »

> "Of course."

Maus: That is one of the factors, yes.

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #194 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:52:47 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 03:47:54 AM

> "Of course."

>"Then, you are aware that there is no other place you can get this service. It already has the strongest possible appeal, you wish for it and can get it nowhere else. The deal is as sweet as it is going to be."

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #195 on:** August 25, 2011, 04:00:08 AM »

> "Except I don't wish for a third of the way there. A third of the way is useless by itself, we both know that. I am interested in all of the way there. And, of course, I say I am interested knowing that 'all of the way there' would entail tacking on whatever other exchanges you had planned for the remaining two thirds."

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #196 on:** August 25, 2011, 01:04:26 PM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 04:00:08 AM

> "Except I don't wish for a third of the way there. A third of the way is useless by itself, we both know that. I am interested in all of the way there. And, of course, I say I am interested knowing that 'all of the way there' would entail tacking on whatever other exchanges you had planned for the remaining two thirds."

>"Perhaps so," says Rinnosuke. "But I do not feel the need to go into details until the first is agreed upon."

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #197 on:** August 25, 2011, 01:35:21 PM »

> "Then I should tell you there are things you may ask for that are completely not for sale. Things where I would rather die or suffer through your world than give them up. And with no reassurances that you will not ask for these things, I am having a difficult time accepting what is presented."

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #198 on:** August 25, 2011, 01:37:58 PM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 01:35:21 PM

> "Then I should tell you there are things you may ask for that are completely not for sale. Things where I would rather die or suffer through your world than give them up. And with no reassurances that you will not ask for these things, I am having a difficult time accepting what is presented."

>"I suppose your devotion isn't as strong as you claimed, then," he says. "Very well."

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #199 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:00:29 PM »

> Chuckle a bit.
> "Think what you will."

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #200 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:01:23 PM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 02:00:29 PM

> Chuckle a bit.
> "Think what you will."

>He does not answer.

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #201 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:04:37 PM »

> Lounge around in the air for another minute. Contemplate the pros and cons of growing a beard while watching his skin color.

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #202 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:14:45 PM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 02:04:37 PM

> Lounge around in the air for another minute. Contemplate the pros and cons of growing a beard while watching his skin color.

>You would certainly look very silly with a beard, but it would also keep your face warmer. Then again, imagine you already look silly.
>It's hard to tell if he's taking on any more of a pallor by this point, he's already fairly pale.

>_

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #203 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:35:13 PM »

> "Suppose I might as well ask, worst you'll say is nothing. Will you be asking for anything related to the relationships I have with my friends?"

Hello Purvis · « **Reply #204 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:37:30 PM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on August 25, 2011, 02:35:13 PM

> "Suppose I might as well ask, worst you'll say is nothing. Will you be asking for anything related to the relationships I have with my friends?"

>"I have no interest in purchasing such things," he says.

>_

GuyYouMetOnline · « **Reply #205 on:** August 25, 2011, 03:18:32 PM »

Okay, that could be a hell of an opening right there. I'm not good with this sort of thing, though, and would likely screw it up, so somebody else please do it.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I'm referring to Rinnosuke saying 'purchace' instead of 'exchange' or something of the like.

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #206 on:** August 25, 2011, 04:34:37 PM »

All right, I'll come out and say that losing ties to our friends was the only thing I was truly worried about. At this point, I'm inclined to go for it. I realize that accepting his first offer is a suicidal, irrational, we-have-no-reason-to-believe-this-will-work choice, but the last time we made a suicidal, irrational, we-have-no-reason-to-believe-this-will-work choice, it ended up being the correct choice (infuriatingly enough). I'm not gonna go ahead and accept it this quickly, but any and all input would be appreciated as it is able to be given.

The 'purchase' thing I wouldn't know how to exploit, beyond repeating the word back at him, and I suspect he'd chalk it up to a minor terminology disagreement. But if someone can think of something, so much the better.

communist unity (comm-unity) · « **Reply #207 on:** August 25, 2011, 04:59:51 PM »

The last time we did something like that, it also wasn't an 'offer' extended to us by the guy himself. What do we particularly gain by giving up our powers? We do have a lot to lose (no defense vs. him nor anyone else who wants to give us shit on the rest of the quest. we won't be able to get them back), but what do we gain? Even if we give up flight/shapeshifting/danmaku, it's meaningless since he would be able to overpower us by raw force by that point.

GuyYouMetOnline · « **Reply #208 on:** August 25, 2011, 06:28:56 PM »

Yeah, let's not give up any of that stuff.

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #209 on:** August 25, 2011, 06:59:19 PM »

Do you really want to depend on the cold? I've already said I have zero confidence it will work and that hasn't changed a bit. We have no other way of getting at him, either, since Patchouli refused to come along and help dispel this nonsense.

If I get outvoted on this, then so be it, but I have a really bad feeling about it.