|
|
Post by warrl on Nov 20, 2015 21:01:04 GMT
That could lead to a lot of trouble, if Kat makes this widespread as they could also use it to fit new niches for them, such as fighting. That's currently a thing in Questionable Content. (Note: every character on that particular page is a robot.) |
|
|
|
Post by mordekai on Nov 20, 2015 22:18:26 GMT
He's keeping a calm face, but we all know he's screaming all kinds of feelings out on the inside. You wanna become a Machine Deity, Kat? 'Cause this is how you become a machine deity. As I said the other day: Being considered and Angel and a Prophet wasn't enough, was it, Kat? You are shooting for full Godhood... This is so going into Dresden Codak's Sexy Robot Elohim territory... |
|
|
|
Post by Corvo on Nov 20, 2015 22:27:46 GMT
I was wondering, why is Kat doing this actually? I fail to see how this is an improvement over existing robots. Seems way more complicated and without any benefit.  |
|
|
|
Post by Jelly Jellybean on Nov 20, 2015 23:23:11 GMT
I was wondering, why is Kat doing this actually? I fail to see how this is an improvement over existing robots. Seems way more complicated and without any benefit. It is an improvement because the bots think it is an improvement, or at least a step in that direction, and the ether makes that belief real. |
|
|
|
Post by zbeeblebrox on Nov 20, 2015 23:58:28 GMT
Robot, bro, you gotta make those big gains bro. Imma get you in the gym, we're gonna get you jacked bro.
...also I'm gonna make an exception for you, that it's okay to skip leg day. Cuz of your, uh, medical affliction.
|
|
|
|
Post by todd on Nov 21, 2015 0:15:44 GMT
I was wondering, why is Kat doing this actually? I fail to see how this is an improvement over existing robots. Seems way more complicated and without any benefit. Most likely because the whole robotics business fascinates her. (In fact, the initial purpose, to give S13 a new body, was fulfilled as early as Chapter Eighteen, when his CPU was housed in that robot mouse body. But his needing a new body was just the spark - the real purpose driving Kat on is her excitement with discovery and coming up with new ways to build things.) |
|
corvis
Junior Member
"I like this place and could gladly waste my time in it."
Posts: 56 
|
Post by corvis on Nov 21, 2015 0:54:09 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by arf on Nov 21, 2015 4:39:54 GMT
-plays a theremin in the background- Theremin is the way to go. All other instruments are but a poor replacement. Before the air guitar, there was the theremin. |
|
|
|
Post by arf on Nov 21, 2015 4:48:52 GMT
1. I wonder if Kat's continued changes to S13's body will affect his philosophies (it doesn't seem to have yet, unless that's why he's been getting increasingly committed to them) 2. Tom's twitter stream yesterday suggested he's currently in a depressive phase. I suppose it's a good sign he's able to talk about it. |
|
|
|
Post by TBeholder on Nov 21, 2015 6:13:18 GMT
Maxim 14: "Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?" You wanna become a Machine Deity, Kat? 'Cause this is how you become a machine deity. Really? I thought it involves lurking on Mars for a few millions of years and then carefully cultivating the potential priesthood. I see an infestation of those pesky pink moths again. How do they keep getting in here? and a lot of random walking?  |
|
|
|
Post by fwip on Nov 21, 2015 6:17:59 GMT
I was wondering, why is Kat doing this actually? I fail to see how this is an improvement over existing robots. Seems way more complicated and without any benefit. She's a workaholic. She's doing it because it's there, because she'd be bored if she didn't. IDK. Maybe she's also scared of the Seraphs? She got started trying to build a working body for Robot, but it's probably more than that now... Maybe it's part of her god-transformation - she's not a god yet, but the forces that will eventually make her a god are currently compelling her along that path. Maybe it's a totally different force, that of the Plot, without which we would have an inferior story  |
|
|
|
Post by smurfton on Nov 22, 2015 1:47:13 GMT
Don't forget that Kat took the idea of Jones being a robot as a personal challenge to create an android/gynoid that looks as convincing!
|
|
|
|
Post by keef on Nov 22, 2015 10:33:32 GMT
1. I wonder if Kat's continued changes to S13's body will affect his philosophies (it doesn't seem to have yet, unless that's why he's been getting increasingly committed to them) He changed when his CPU was placed in S1, although that was scripted, but in a way he also changed when he was given his (more human-like) body. He started to wear clothes for one thing, and his behaviour became less childish, more like an adult human being. Yes, but as always it makes you wish you could do something. Also on his Twitter: New interview. |
|
|
|
Post by intotheether on Nov 22, 2015 11:51:34 GMT
I wonder how it would work if an entire body was made out of this stuff at once? It doesn't look like there's any skeletal-style structure, at least initially, would it just lead to a floppy mass of muscle and mystery purple material? (of course kat could just add some structure in as she gets it figured out more, but it's an interesting thought that the same body type could potentially develop differently) IT KEEPS HAPPENINGIf Kat's dabbling in bio-organic mechanisms, maybe it's similar to the case with human bodies where cells will specialize as time goes on? Although it's strange that the rest of the arm would have developed before a skeletal structure if that's the case... Anyways, here's hoping things start to look up for Tom. I know those depressive phases all too well and they can be difficult to kick, especially when there's not so much a targeted cause for them as there is just a loss of motivation and desire. |
|
|
|
Post by mordekai on Nov 22, 2015 21:42:49 GMT
Jones and James?!!  But... how? She's like an immortal animated statue, she can't express emotions, and she pretends she hasn't them at all...  |
|
|
|
Post by dramastix on Nov 23, 2015 1:48:41 GMT
Jones and James?!! But... how? She's like an immortal animated statue, she can't express emotions, and she pretends she hasn't them at all... Might want to reread The Stone. They've definitely got a thing going on. And it was hinted at pretty early on in the comic. I love that relationship just because it's so wonky (did she start playing a more romantic roll only when he was on the rebound from Surma? Was an emotionless immortal being just the perfect, ahem, rock to fall back on when when he was still reeling from whatever went on there? What does she get out of it?) Also: TMS: Can you give us any hints about what’s coming up for GC? Siddell: Yes! It will continue to be updated Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays! Thank you, Tom, for refusing ever to reveal anything coming up. Do we suppose he has someone in his life who he's able to bounce story ideas off of? |
|
|
|
Post by mordekai on Nov 23, 2015 18:12:13 GMT
Jones and James?!! But... how? She's like an immortal animated statue, she can't express emotions, and she pretends she hasn't them at all... Might want to reread The Stone. They've definitely got a thing going on. And it was hinted at pretty early on in the comic. I love that relationship just because it's so wonky (did she start playing a more romantic roll only when he was on the rebound from Surma? Was an emotionless immortal being just the perfect, ahem, rock to fall back on when when he was still reeling from whatever went on there? What does she get out of it?). I assumed she played a motherly role in his life. She basically raised him. |
|
|
|
Post by darththulhu on Nov 23, 2015 18:48:24 GMT
Might want to reread The Stone. They've definitely got a thing going on. And it was hinted at pretty early on in the comic. I love that relationship just because it's so wonky (did she start playing a more romantic roll only when he was on the rebound from Surma? Was an emotionless immortal being just the perfect, ahem, rock to fall back on when when he was still reeling from whatever went on there? What does she get out of it?). I assumed she played a motherly role in his life. She basically raised him. Just like she raised that one British aristocrat from infancy, and ended up being that same British aristocrat's heiress the following century ... nothing says that being that aristocrat's "life partner" didn't involve being his romantic partner in some of the intervening decades. Think of it like the werewolf-imprinting from the Twilight series, except without a drive to reproduce when the target is sexually mature: she bonds for life, and she shadows them relentlessly. (This puts an intense spin on teen Surma "not being able to stand Jones" and teen Eglamore wanting Jones to be in the group photo.) As for "what does Jones get out of it?", other than "studying humans one life at a time", who the heck knows. What does she get out of the rest of her pattern of life-shadowing, for those shadowings that never become romantic? What level of romance is she able and willing to reciprocate (since it is physically impossible to make her do anything she doesn't wish to continue doing)? Does it skip directly to "like we've been married forever" or is there a period of indulging the amorous affections of her partner? Is her experience at "going through the motions" of amorous affection more like her skill at fighting (stunningly good) or more like her skill at smiling (horrifyingly bad)? Tom will almost certainly never answer any of these questions for us in the main comic. Part of what makes the comic so wonderfully good: so many mysteries remain mysteries. |
|
|
|
Post by darththulhu on Nov 23, 2015 18:54:25 GMT
I see an infestation of those pesky pink moths again. How do they keep getting in here? 1) Paz can talk to animals 2) Insects are animals 3) Clearly, it's all Paz's fault |
|
|
|
Post by mordekai on Nov 23, 2015 20:02:47 GMT
I assumed she played a motherly role in his life. She basically raised him. Just like she raised that one British aristocrat from infancy, and ended up being that same British aristocrat's heiress the following century ... nothing says that being that aristocrat's "life partner" didn't involve being his romantic partner in some of the intervening decades. Think of it like the werewolf-imprinting from the Twilight series, except without a drive to reproduce when the target is sexually mature: she bonds for life, and she shadows them relentlessly. (This puts an intense spin on teen Surma "not being able to stand Jones" and teen Eglamore wanting Jones to be in the group photo.) As for "what does Jones get out of it?", other than "studying humans one life at a time", who the heck knows. What does she get out of the rest of her pattern of life-shadowing, for those shadowings that never become romantic? What level of romance is she able and willing to reciprocate (since it is physically impossible to make her do anything she doesn't wish to continue doing)? Does it skip directly to "like we've been married forever" or is there a period of indulging the amorous affections of her partner? Is her experience at "going through the motions" of amorous affection more like her skill at fighting (stunningly good) or more like her skill at smiling (horrifyingly bad)? Tom will almost certainly never answer any of these questions for us in the main comic. Part of what makes the comic so wonderfully good: so many mysteries remain mysteries. It's so weird... Everything seems to point to that relationship being completely unsatisfactory and unlikely: James should be conditioned to see her as a mother figure. He is obsessed with another woman (Surma). Her face and voice are emotionless and unable to show affection. He knows that she lacks emotions or at least pretends to. He knows that all her shows of affection are carefully scripted, and anyways, she's awful at it (she can't make her face show emotion). She probably can't even feel anything, and James knows. I'm not even sure her flesh is flexible enough for sex... If they have sex, it would be as if James's mom had inserted a speaker into a wooden mannikin and spoke to him while he was having sex with said mannikin. Least sexy and greatest turn off EVER. As for keeping it platonic, why bother? He isn't in love with her. She already plays an important role in his life as mother figure. And she's awful at mimicking romantic love. Even if she's trying to comfort him, it should be completely unsatisfactory; she would help him better if she remained in her motherly role and pushed him to date other girls. I caught her gestures of affection, and thought that she was mimicking motherly affection. I know the way she embraced him the night Surma dumped him was ambiguous, but I thought it was Tom Siddell taunting the readers before revealing their true relationship in later strips. |
|
|
|
Post by Jelly Jellybean on Nov 23, 2015 20:23:23 GMT
Just like she raised that one British aristocrat from infancy, and ended up being that same British aristocrat's heiress the following century ... nothing says that being that aristocrat's "life partner" didn't involve being his romantic partner in some of the intervening decades. Think of it like the werewolf-imprinting from the Twilight series, except without a drive to reproduce when the target is sexually mature: she bonds for life, and she shadows them relentlessly. (This puts an intense spin on teen Surma "not being able to stand Jones" and teen Eglamore wanting Jones to be in the group photo.) As for "what does Jones get out of it?", other than "studying humans one life at a time", who the heck knows. What does she get out of the rest of her pattern of life-shadowing, for those shadowings that never become romantic? What level of romance is she able and willing to reciprocate (since it is physically impossible to make her do anything she doesn't wish to continue doing)? Does it skip directly to "like we've been married forever" or is there a period of indulging the amorous affections of her partner? Is her experience at "going through the motions" of amorous affection more like her skill at fighting (stunningly good) or more like her skill at smiling (horrifyingly bad)? Tom will almost certainly never answer any of these questions for us in the main comic. Part of what makes the comic so wonderfully good: so many mysteries remain mysteries. It's so weird... Everything seems to point to that relationship being completely unsatisfactory and unlikely: James should be conditioned to see her as a mother figure. He is obsessed with another woman (Surma). Her face and voice are emotionless and unable to show affection. He knows that she lacks emotions or at least pretends to. He knows that all her shows of affection are carefully scripted, and anyways, she's awful at it (she can't make her face show emotion). She probably can't even feel anything, and James knows. I'm not even sure her flesh is flexible enough for sex... If they have sex, it would be as if James's mom had inserted a speaker into a wooden mannikin and spoke to him while he was having sex with said mannikin. Least sexy and greatest turn off EVER. As for keeping it platonic, why bother? He isn't in love with her. She already plays an important role in his life as mother figure. And she's awful at mimicking romantic love. Even if she's trying to comfort him, it should be completely unsatisfactory; she would help him better if she remained in her motherly role and pushed him to date other girls. I caught her gestures of affection, and thought that she was mimicking motherly affection. I know the way she embraced him the night Surma dumped him was ambiguous, but I thought it was Tom Siddell taunting the readers before revealing their true relationship in later strips. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.... |
|
|
|
Post by dramastix on Nov 24, 2015 2:43:14 GMT
It's so weird... Everything seems to point to that relationship being completely unsatisfactory and unlikely: James should be conditioned to see her as a mother figure. He is obsessed with another woman (Surma). Her face and voice are emotionless and unable to show affection. He knows that she lacks emotions or at least pretends to. He knows that all her shows of affection are carefully scripted, and anyways, she's awful at it (she can't make her face show emotion). She probably can't even feel anything, and James knows. I'm not even sure her flesh is flexible enough for sex... If they have sex, it would be as if James's mom had inserted a speaker into a wooden mannikin and spoke to him while he was having sex with said mannikin. Least sexy and greatest turn off EVER. As for keeping it platonic, why bother? He isn't in love with her. She already plays an important role in his life as mother figure. And she's awful at mimicking romantic love. Even if she's trying to comfort him, it should be completely unsatisfactory; she would help him better if she remained in her motherly role and pushed him to date other girls. I caught her gestures of affection, and thought that she was mimicking motherly affection. I know the way she embraced him the night Surma dumped him was ambiguous, but I thought it was Tom Siddell taunting the readers before revealing their true relationship in later strips. Well, that's a mental image I didn't need in my head. But I don't think a romantic relationship necessarily has to be a sexual one (as exemplified by plenty of Ace relationships - for example Jamie and Erin in Girls With Slingshots or Robot and Shadow in this comic), and I've gotten the impression that their relationship stopped being one of pure motherliness a long time ago (why else would James want her in the photo with his other friends?). But I don't disagree that he seriously needs to get over Surma and move on with his life. It's not like Jones is going to leave in a huff if he decides to fulfill his needs with someone more conventionally human. |
|
|
|
Post by speedwell on Nov 24, 2015 8:52:28 GMT
If they have sex, it would be as if James's mom had inserted a speaker into a wooden mannikin and spoke to him while he was having sex with said mannikin. Least sexy and greatest turn off EVER. As for keeping it platonic, why bother? He isn't in love with her. She already plays an important role in his life as mother figure. And she's awful at mimicking romantic love. Even if she's trying to comfort him, it should be completely unsatisfactory; she would help him better if she remained in her motherly role and pushed him to date other girls. Well, that's a mental image I didn't need in my head. But I don't think a romantic relationship necessarily has to be a sexual one (as exemplified by plenty of Ace relationships - for example Jamie and Erin in Girls With Slingshots or Robot and Shadow in this comic), and I've gotten the impression that their relationship stopped being one of pure motherliness a long time ago (why else would James want her in the photo with his other friends?). But I don't disagree that he seriously needs to get over Surma and move on with his life. It's not like Jones is going to leave in a huff if he decides to fulfill his needs with someone more conventionally human. It's not as though there is nothing physical about their relationship. Jones is perfectly fine "mimicking" affection; she does it because she wants to, and she wants to because she presumably feels something that makes her want to, even if that feeling is purely one of "this is how humans make each other feel loved and accepted". She would have no feelings of disgust, we imagine, in feeling obliged to "fake" affection; nevertheless she does not choose to do so with just anyone. Even the fact that Jones and James like to spar together is highly physical, and between any other emotionally bonded couple, somewhat sexually charged as well. As for whether they can actually have sex, if it took an X-ray for the Court to discover that Jones is something other than human, and it took an exhibition of superhuman ability for people in her past to discover the fact as well, I think it's safe to assume Jones is anatomically correct enough to be convincing. Besides, I think we all suspect that Jones has feelings, even if those feelings don't completely map onto human feelings; one could not properly exist and "pass" in society without a well-enough simulation of human feelings and reactions as to make no substantive difference. With regard to the question of her hairstyles, we have at least a hint that she can control things about her body by force of will. Exercising that will means she clearly has things we can identify as motivations and preferences, and perhaps reasons for those as well. My working theory is that she finds it so easy to pass as human because "humanity" is not only independent of the body, but something she has "grown into" over time. I think we can agree that James appears to be mentally healthy enough that he would find it difficult to bond emotionally to someone who hasn't meaningfully reciprocated that bond in the entire history of their relationship. |
|
corvis
Junior Member
"I like this place and could gladly waste my time in it."
Posts: 56
|
Post by corvis on Nov 24, 2015 15:56:10 GMT
1. I wonder if Kat's continued changes to S13's body will affect his philosophies (it doesn't seem to have yet, unless that's why he's been getting increasingly committed to them) 2. Tom's twitter stream yesterday suggested he's currently in a depressive phase. I suppose it's a good sign he's able to talk about it. 1: oh, almost undoubtedly! (I say 'almost' because this is Gunnerkrigg we're talking about.) 2: Oh. Well, if that's true, I'll keep him in my thoughts... |
|
|
|
Post by Chancellor on Nov 25, 2015 8:23:25 GMT
Maxim 14: "Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?" You wanna become a Machine Deity, Kat? 'Cause this is how you become a machine deity. Really? I thought it involves lurking on Mars for a few millions of years and then carefully cultivating the potential priesthood. I see an infestation of those pesky pink moths again. How do they keep getting in here? and a lot of random walking? Well it's not like the Void Dragon PLANNED to go to Mars. Plus the Emperor had a much better plan, shove the C'tan monstrosity beneath Mars and wait for a cult to spring up, then drop in one day and let them declare you the incarnation of their god. |
|
|
|
Post by Trillium on Nov 25, 2015 15:14:26 GMT
Well, that's a mental image I didn't need in my head. But I don't think a romantic relationship necessarily has to be a sexual one (as exemplified by plenty of Ace relationships - for example Jamie and Erin in Girls With Slingshots or Robot and Shadow in this comic), and I've gotten the impression that their relationship stopped being one of pure motherliness a long time ago (why else would James want her in the photo with his other friends?). But I don't disagree that he seriously needs to get over Surma and move on with his life. It's not like Jones is going to leave in a huff if he decides to fulfill his needs with someone more conventionally human. It's not as though there is nothing physical about their relationship. Jones is perfectly fine "mimicking" affection; she does it because she wants to, and she wants to because she presumably feels something that makes her want to, even if that feeling is purely one of "this is how humans make each other feel loved and accepted". She would have no feelings of disgust, we imagine, in feeling obliged to "fake" affection; nevertheless she does not choose to do so with just anyone. Even the fact that Jones and James like to spar together is highly physical, and between any other emotionally bonded couple, somewhat sexually charged as well. As for whether they can actually have sex, if it took an X-ray for the Court to discover that Jones is something other than human, and it took an exhibition of superhuman ability for people in her past to discover the fact as well, I think it's safe to assume Jones is anatomically correct enough to be convincing. Besides, I think we all suspect that Jones has feelings, even if those feelings don't completely map onto human feelings; one could not properly exist and "pass" in society without a well-enough simulation of human feelings and reactions as to make no substantive difference. With regard to the question of her hairstyles, we have at least a hint that she can control things about her body by force of will. Exercising that will means she clearly has things we can identify as motivations and preferences, and perhaps reasons for those as well. My working theory is that she finds it so easy to pass as human because "humanity" is not only independent of the body, but something she has "grown into" over time. I think we can agree that James appears to be mentally healthy enough that he would find it difficult to bond emotionally to someone who hasn't meaningfully reciprocated that bond in the entire history of their relationship. Jones has been in James's life a long time, probably will never lie to him and will always be there. James has been given or trained up to have a lot of strength and speed. He'll never have to worry about physically hurting Jones. James may have come to see Jones as more than human instead of less than human. They treat each other with respect if not affection in their own way. There is a lot to recommend in their relationship. I have no problem with it whatever it is. |
|
