tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post7555563617133036796..comments2024-03-21T18:54:06.548-07:00Comments on Old Enough to Know Better: SerendipitySteve Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079658447270792228noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-5025735427182119262010-01-01T20:45:29.812-08:002010-01-01T20:45:29.812-08:00One other advantage enforcers might have (even tho...One other advantage enforcers might have (even though Mr. Perry has repeatedly said S.O.T.S. is NOT about the enforcers...)<br /><br />I would expect that enforcers have an "assigned turf," which gives them a home-court advantage over the flexer who regularly travels throughout the galaxy. When you know where the watering holes are, it's mostly a matter of patience, waiting for the prey to arrive...Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-20428741890486685652010-01-01T17:28:01.067-08:002010-01-01T17:28:01.067-08:00All Flexers carry chips. Chips that identify them,...All Flexers carry chips. Chips that identify them, that the winner of the match takes as proof of victory.<br /><br />Maybe they act as locators as well? Who hands out chips in the first place?<br /><br />You don't have to sneak up on a Flexer if you already know his location, or figure out his routine. Find out where he hangs his hat and where he buys his noodles from...The rest is just details.<br /><br />As an enforcer, I would figure that they would be privy to that information.Bobbe Edmondshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14346040017021718774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-23317267234792367712010-01-01T15:48:48.929-08:002010-01-01T15:48:48.929-08:00Two thought's about J.D.'s "pissing m...Two thought's about J.D.'s "pissing match": Mourn didn't just beat the young "primero," he beat him after he was officially challenged. I wonder if that would "draft" him back into the flex, or cause the enforcers to interrogate him if some reported that he won?<br /><br />Second thought about the interaction between the enforcer and the player: 5th, "You think you can take me?" Enforcer, "You were expecting a fair fight?" (There's no cheating when there are no rules!)<br /><br />Darn it...there goes that resolution already...but it's just too much fun to quit! ;~)Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-61110077960704279182010-01-01T15:35:41.152-08:002010-01-01T15:35:41.152-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-72212845882181586122010-01-01T11:20:35.753-08:002010-01-01T11:20:35.753-08:00Dammit, Steve, now I have to go re-read The Musash...Dammit, Steve, now I have to go re-read <i>The Musashi Flex</i>. I know it's in a box in the basement somewhere...<br /><br />:)<br /><br />So, FWIW, I like the idea of enforcers being former Flexers. There could even be a little pissing contest where some upper-rank guy derides an Enforcer who got out at a lower rank. "You never made it past twelfth rank. I'm ranked fifth, and you expect to take me?"<br /><br />"The balance changes when you become an Enforcer."<br /><br />Okay, I know, campy. It's New Year's Day and I haven't had coffee yet. Gimme a break!J.D. Rayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07031474024284784846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-68300145237701930232010-01-01T10:28:55.065-08:002010-01-01T10:28:55.065-08:00Hmm. Siblings of the Bathrobe ... Maybe I'll c...Hmm. Siblings of the Bathrobe ... Maybe I'll change the title.Steve Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12079658447270792228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-78124620318290564872009-12-31T22:09:25.418-08:002009-12-31T22:09:25.418-08:00Origins of the Musashi Flex... Not hard to see. ...Origins of the Musashi Flex... Not hard to see. There are underground fight clubs; some are brutal excuses for what is really just human cockfighting. But some are quiet opportunities for that tiny proportion of serious, dedicated martial artists to prove themselves with each other. You don't know about these unless you're lucky... (You don't know about the others unless you're sick AND unlucky...) I've always assumed the Flex was a logical outgrowth of the good ones, meeting with betting. Just like the UFC & MMA events grew out of the infamous Gracie Challenge...<br /><br />Enforcers as former Flexers? Yeah, makes sense. After all, the Enforcer has to know the Flex inside out and backwards, well enough to spot a Flexer and to know if someone's winning fights they shouldn't. I'd see them as probably being a lot more stable, generally, than the Flexers. Flexers move around a lot, always seeking another fight or another art or trick. But if the Enforcer has stepped out of the game, they probably would have settled down. Y'know... like a guy by the name of Dindabi... (I know, too early but neat idea, huh?) Some would probably still be rovers...<br /><br />Damn, you've got me thinking too much about this! It's your playground, thanks for letting us build some forts in the sand, but you set the rules!<br /><br />Oh, and Bobbe, why keep a record? To know! Why are there people out there who can tell you how a particular batter performs when the humidity is rising?jks9199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-34487932446361172862009-12-31T21:15:09.562-08:002009-12-31T21:15:09.562-08:00Steve: Please change the photo for his post. It ma...Steve: Please change the photo for his post. It makes me think of "Siblings of the Bathrobe" not "Siblings of the Shroud".Bobbe Edmondshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14346040017021718774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-4458650912619133842009-12-31T19:25:36.669-08:002009-12-31T19:25:36.669-08:00I could see the difference in tactical choices, bu...I could see the difference in tactical choices, but I expect that the fundamental difference is that flexers are soloists, while the enforcers are a coordinated unit. Heck, since we're pulling ideas out of...thin vacuum, (whew, that was close) perhaps enforcers have implanted comms which allow them to instantly know and react to input from any other unit member. <br /><br />Nice challenge for L. Mourn: testing Sumito against a "linked" enforcer unit!<br /><br />(Man, I really need to get a life...oh, wait,...this is better!)<br /><br />Happy 2010, Folki!Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-48154246060998901002009-12-31T17:17:03.869-08:002009-12-31T17:17:03.869-08:00Actually, I'd imagine that you'd want very...Actually, I'd imagine that you'd want very different people for the Enforcers than Flexers. The Flexers are essentially duelists whereas the Enforcers need to be predators (hunters/hangmen). There isn't a question of "fair", setting up their brakes to fail and their airbag to be filled with shrapnel would be a completely legit solution.tobyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02492929922686624574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-41077979279627147692009-12-31T17:11:05.620-08:002009-12-31T17:11:05.620-08:00Here's a thought.
Maybe the Enforcers are the...Here's a thought.<br /><br />Maybe the Enforcers are the ones that developed the spetsdod (and possibly Clench)Mario di Giacomonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-57906417840271265212009-12-31T15:18:08.178-08:002009-12-31T15:18:08.178-08:00Very Cool! The best thing about "creating&quo...Very Cool! The best thing about "creating" a religious order is that you can completely make up, and ignore, any rules you want! You don't even have to deal with "cartoon physics!" (Now the dynamic, computer assisted prognostication software...)<br /><br />I've long been interested in the material used to make the "Shroud Line;" as well as your idea of "earning" clothing as an indicator of rank and training. I had interpreted it as a symbol that "the further you progressed, the less 'you' would be projected." Sort of a manifestation that mastering the ego/self is a central point of mastering your physical body and skills.<br /><br />(Don't you just love it when some nut goes off the deep end about little details?) ;~) <br />Happy 2010, Folki! <br /><br />(Hey! Aren't we supposed to "make contact" this year? Thank you, Mr. Clarke, RIP!)Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-63001883210629375502009-12-31T13:52:12.912-08:002009-12-31T13:52:12.912-08:00Each day, the ten thousand paths await ...
Siblin...Each day, the ten thousand paths await ...<br /><br />Siblings is about the creation of that organization, and that's where most of the focus will need go. <br /><br />I played with the martial art and the Flex in the book before this one, and I think the origins of the game and the details concerning its operation ought to stay in the shadows. I'll deal with the Enforcers a little because one of them is going to be a viewpoint character and that's by necessity part of her story. She'll have an arc and some background, of course, but the nuts and bolts of the Flex past that aren't important. <br /><br />Her name, by the way, is "Knapp."Steve Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12079658447270792228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-5954129589768393992009-12-31T13:38:24.491-08:002009-12-31T13:38:24.491-08:00Ya know, I think what Mr. Bobbe brought up about t...Ya know, I think what Mr. Bobbe brought up about the gambling is the most plausible and likly reason for someone keeping track but think it would be cool to see some 'higher purpose' revealed. A cult seeking the reincarnation of the famed Musashi; a recruiting tool for elite covert assasins (kind of the inverse of the Matadors); some rich old geezer simply likes watching people fight for sport and has created a galaxy wide organization so he can watch vids of people dying in hand to hand combat. Your dance, you'll call it as you will of course, just 2 cents worth of ideasTravishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15353783271100674218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-8803924993572052852009-12-31T12:33:36.109-08:002009-12-31T12:33:36.109-08:00"By your command, Boss!" (After all, it ..."By your command, Boss!" (After all, it is your Barbecue. We're just the lucky guests!)<br /><br />Happy New Year, Folki!Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-33514531625191355842009-12-31T11:45:47.059-08:002009-12-31T11:45:47.059-08:00As I see it, the Enforcers are the muscle for the ...As I see it, the Enforcers are the muscle for the RC -- the Rules Committee -- a fly-by-night organization that has various branches. There would be an Executive Council of half a dozen or so, elected from former players, and they control the bean counters who do the ranking math, the spindocs, and the medicos -- simadams, like that. <br /><br />Since most of what the Flex does most of the time is highly illegal, they'd stay under the radar, just like the players.<br /><br />Got to be able to do more than shoot to be an Enforcer -- good Flex players pay attention to their surroundings and one who is looking over his or her shoulder for somebody coming to ice them would pay more attention than usual. <br /><br />I see the field ops in Enforcement being like a cross between hangmen and hunters. If a Flexer in custody fails the brainstrain, they are the ones who throw the switch, either for the wipe or the kill. If one is rogue out in the galaxy, they hunt him down and take him out.Steve Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12079658447270792228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-62660953321691433472009-12-31T09:27:47.835-08:002009-12-31T09:27:47.835-08:00I somehow got the impression that the Enforcers ha...I somehow got the impression that the Enforcers had no problem "cheating", and often worked with the advantage of really controlling the situation. For example, I seem to recall something about Players sitting down with judges/assessors who would do some sort of truth scan/fugue with them -- and if they'd cheated badly enough, could off them right then and there...<br /><br />And, like a few others seem to have mentioned -- they control the rules and ranking certifications (I mean, someone has to decide who gets #5 when the old #5 gets uppity, challenges Numero Uno and they both die in the fight...), etc. so that if they decertify/revoke a Player, word gets out and no Players will fight them. Kind of like "demoting" a black belt... Unless you scrub the brain somehow, they still have the skills and knowledge -- they've just lost the endorsement.jks9199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-41892225267000199722009-12-31T09:20:33.173-08:002009-12-31T09:20:33.173-08:00>At least I'm off Boba Fett.<
One day a...>At least I'm off Boba Fett.<<br /><br />One day at a time.Daniel Keys Moranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12992599044462413412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-60787732891717190222009-12-31T08:38:12.841-08:002009-12-31T08:38:12.841-08:00"How skilled does an enforcer have to be?&quo..."How skilled does an enforcer have to be?" ... Skilled with a long range rifle perhaps ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-37803813276936054532009-12-31T05:31:06.946-08:002009-12-31T05:31:06.946-08:00I always envisioned it as Stan noted, w/ emphasis ...I always envisioned it as Stan noted, w/ emphasis on the plurality --- enforcers work in groups --- this also works to counteract the possibility Stan and Ian SADLER noted of one person holding a grudge --- hard to carry through on that for nefarious purposes if one is being held accountable / monitored by the other members of one's team.<br /><br />Also, enforcers would be able to ``innocently'' involve local law enforcement (using anonymous tips) and also I'd envision a technique of embargo where the organization would prevent any new players from going to a world until such time as the rogue player had been cleaned off it --- and I'd suspect starship companies (or at least captains) would be anxious to cooperate --- it would be hard to be dangerous if the air mix in one's cabin were turned to carbon monoxide.<br /><br />WilliamWilliam Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12502301143571036363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-84017330275267694012009-12-31T03:02:26.812-08:002009-12-31T03:02:26.812-08:00Here´s a novel idea: how about an enforcer gone ba...Here´s a novel idea: how about an enforcer gone bad...<br /><br />Old school, yes, but you cannot beat a classic plot ;-)<br /><br />IMO, of course.<br /><br />J.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-30260180794912910582009-12-30T22:42:54.967-08:002009-12-30T22:42:54.967-08:00I was thinking along similar lines to Stan's 2...I was thinking along similar lines to Stan's 2nd comment.<br /><br />Old flexers never die, they just become re-enforced....<br /><br />Might be an interesting way for Weems to make a cameo, after all some one has to lead that merry band.<br /><br />I guess one point is that the players 'submit' to an analysis, part of the process could see them bound. Easy to 'fail' them in that situation.<br /><br />Or if there is a rogue element carving his was to the top with no regard for propriety, a quad of enforcers should provide enough therapy to show them the error of their ways.Ian SADLERnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-84879983130125812662009-12-30T22:27:45.525-08:002009-12-30T22:27:45.525-08:00Wouldn't it truly suck if an enforcer was a fl...Wouldn't it truly suck if an enforcer was a flexer wanna-be, with a grudge, penis envy, or a religious fanaticism to the memory of Musashi?Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-6389075922695280172009-12-30T22:26:12.821-08:002009-12-30T22:26:12.821-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29640480.post-40099002977020337452009-12-30T22:22:51.638-08:002009-12-30T22:22:51.638-08:00Actually, I hadn't thought about it, but presu...Actually, I hadn't thought about it, but presumed the enforcers were flexers who recognized when it was time to cash in their chips and get out of the game...while they could!Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558678258455039973noreply@blogger.com