en en en en en es es es pt en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en en en en fr en en en en en en de en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en fr en en fr en en en en en en en en en fr en en en pt en en en en en de en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en de en en ceb en en en fr en en en en en en en tr en en fi en en es en en fr en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en fr en it en en en en uz en en en de en en fr en en en en en fr en en en en en fr en en en ca en en en en en pt en en it en en ja en en en en en en en en en vi en en sv en en en en en ja en en en en en en fi en en en en en en en fr en it fr en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en fr en en en en en hu en en fr en en fr en en hu en de en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ja en en en en en fr en en es en en en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en en en en fr en en en en en sv en en fr en en en es en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fi en en en en en fr en en sv en en sv en en fr en en en pt en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en fr en en en en en fr en en en en fi en en fr en en fi en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en sv en en en fr en en en sv en en pt en en en en en en sv en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en de en en es en en fr en en en en en en en fr en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fi en it sv en en en en en en en en en en en ja en en en en en ja en en en en en en ja en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en es en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en de en en de en en fr en es cs en en en fr en en en fi en en en en en en fi en en fr en en ja en en en en en fi en it en fi en en en en en en en id en en en fr en en en en en en vi fr en en en en en fr en en en en it fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en fi en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en fi en en fi en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en it en en en en en en en en ca en en fr en en fr en en en en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en en fr en en ru en en en fr en en fr en en en en en pt en en fi en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en ja en en fr en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en ja en en de en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en fi en en en en en ja en en en en en de fr en en fi en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en nl de en en en en en qu en en fi en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en fr en en fr en en en en en fi en en fr en en fi en en fr en en en en en en en en qu en en en en en qu en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en en it en it en it en it en fr en sv fr fr en en en en en en en en en en en en de fr fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es fr en en fr es en en en it en en en en en en en en de en hu en en fr en en en es en en en en en en en en en de zh en en en en en en en en sv en en en nl en en en en en en en de en en de en en en en en en
When Sydney gets that branch of the skilltree totally filled out, the PPO’s selective fire switch is going to have a lot of settings. Rapid fire, Cutting Beam, probably a stun Phaser, maybe a land mine or proximity bomb? Some sort of targeting laser slash gravity beam that pulls asteroids down on your victim? I’m just spitballing here. I mean, I obviously know what all the pips do but that last one does sound pretty cool. Hmm.
Speaking of training, someone should probably reinforce with Sydney that she should concentrate on her target, and not diddling with her weapon while firing. One lesson of MANY that Sydney needs to learn. Like who to inform that of out of control fires she starts on clandestine missions. In this instance, Harem is right there and knows what to do.
Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. $1 and up, but feel free to contribute as much as you like. Patreon donations might count as some kind of tax write off. I don’t know. Definitely ask a tax professional about that. But in the meantime, donate like you’re trying to get into a different tax bracket!
March 20, 2017, 5:00 am | # | Reply
We’re never going to hear the end of that exhaust port thing.
Hey next time you tender for a death star contract just pretend that it was a sub-contractor who built that part.
Consideri all the low-bidders involved in that project. The Empire was probably lucky that the exhaust port was the ONLY problem that had time to manifest in the Death Star’s very very brief career (it was arguably the Death Star’s “shakedown cruise” after all).
One has also wonder about changes between the original design and the end-result. You have doubtless heard the line that a camel is a horse designed by a committee? Well, by the same token, an elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.
Don’t you remember the most recent movie? The exhaust port was installed by a disgruntled engineer. Lesson for evil overlords: If you’re going to do something that would may key employees hate you, make sure they end up blaming someone else for it.
In the original Expanded Universe (now Legends) Palpatine was really, really irked.
The head-engineer of the Death Star (named Bevel Lemelisk) was personally tortured and murdered by him several times.
Sorry, I haven’t SEEN the lates movie as yet, though there has been -plenty of info around anyhow.
My previous statement was mainly an attempt at this weird thing you may or may not have heard of, called Humour.
I still prefer the original take, where it was just a design flaw, but Imperial arrogance made them believe no one would be capable of exploiting it.
March 21, 2017, 12:43 pm | # | Reply
I prefer the original take as well, but not so much that it was a design flaw as a necessary part of the design and that without access to the precise plans it was not an exploitable weakness. We don’t see the smoke stacks on armoured battleships as being a flaw or the weak top and bottom armour of tanks as being flaws; they’re just one the necessary compromises engineers need to make. My assumption has always been that the Death Star designers needed a heat exhaust in order to dissipate waste heat from deep inside the station so they chose the best possible design. It might even be the case that the only reason the rebel attack worked was because the main power generators were at full power in preparation to fire at the Yavin moon and under normal cruise conditions firing a torpedo down the heat exhaust wouldn’t have resulted in a catastrophic explosion. Also it might be the case that ALL Star Wars ships need a heat exhaust, but normally the exhaust is so small that it simply isn’t an exploitable weakness.
Or maybe being rushed to finish the Death Star construction meant that they did not have time to install simple safety features. Like handrails, next to bottomless drops, and putting a wire mesh over the exhaust port.
Maybe it was cheaper to specify repulsors at the bottom of the shafts than installing handrails on every single level, so anyone falling off gets a soft landing when they reach the bottom. We didn’t actually see anyone hitting the bottom after all. :)
March 20, 2017, 7:40 am | # | Reply
probably lost their gruntle when they were assigned to design the death star’s b***hole. I mean, can you imagine the afterwork beer hall chatter? “I’m working on the massive laser system”, “We’re team power distrib”, “Who’s that bunch?” “oh, they’re doing the trash compactors. musta been on the Dark Lord’s sh*tlist.”
trash compacter guys: “Yeah,but not as bad as that guy at the of the bar – he’s doing the b***hole.” (laughter follows).
The original original version had an additional scene that essentially said “the reason they think nobody will ever be able to exploit this it that it’s fscking impossible!”, by means of an unsuccessful rebel run where everybody and their cat tried and failed to shoot the damn thing. The scene was cut for time, and as a result we weer left with the impression that the flaw was actually huge. It wasn’t: Luke was just that good.
Yea, it looked the size of a menhir. But you have to engineer based on reasonable foreseeable circumstances. It would be like failing to account for rebels who drank potions which gave them super-strength!
Yet, even so the bards still keep caterwauling on about how bad the design was.
March 20, 2017, 10:11 am | # | Reply
But it helps when the Menhir deliveryboy fell into the cauldron when he was a baby. And don’t let one particular Bard even open his mouth please!
Typical bards, this is why they don’t even have any super weapons.
March 20, 2017, 1:20 pm | # | Reply
IIRC, it was a thermal exhaust port- so one reason why it was the size it was is it HAD to be, or the Death Star would overheat. Combine that with the fact that there was perhaps ONE person- Luke- who could have made the shot it’s entirely possible that it was a case of “you want to spend HOW MUCH protecting against something that is all but guaranteed never to happen?
Plus, as far as I am aware, they promptly started shielding the exhaust ports after the Death Star got blown up.
March 21, 2017, 3:23 am | # | Reply
It’s not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they’re not much bigger than two meters
“PETA? Great, I have a bloke, on the internet, admitting to killing womp rats.”
“Uh huh. Endangered you say? Still hunting the most notorious mass killer.”
“Oh, no, this guy’s name is Garbler, not Skywalker.”
“How big a reward? Wow? What is the exchange rate on that? Naa, not much call for gold-pressed-latinum. How about pounds sterling?”
March 22, 2017, 4:35 am | # | Reply
It isn’t even the main exhaust port. It is a secondary, smaller one below the main port. Presumably the main port, being recognizably a weak point, has more shielding and defensive measures. Even the secondary port is ray-shielded, so they have to use torpedoes.
I was going to say pretty much the same thing but you beat me to it.
As I was saying: Lies.
They made a short vid about that one too.
Such disrespect, at the end, to somebody who was just trying to stop some bad dudes! No wonder he was in favour of choking prisoners.
March 20, 2017, 6:44 am | # | Reply
Technically it wasn’t the actual shakedown cruise in either Legends nor current Canon.
Legends shakedown was once halfway around prison planet Despayre (where DS1 was being built in the last few stages), before said planet was used as target for test-firing the superlaser.
Canon the latest obvious part of shakedown was either the trip to Jedha or Scarif.
I’m only surprised that Star Wars Trekkies, or whatever they are called, haven’t just crept off to hide their heads in embarrassment and confusion, long ago..
They’ll do it in the future, far away, but somehow in the past.
*excitedly bounds over, lead in mouth, tail wagging*
There was actually an article written about the exhaust port thing, pointing out that it wasn’t really much of a “flaw” in the design. You have a station that’s the size of a small moon, with a MASSIVE power source. That of course is going to generate phenomenal amounts of heat, and need to be vented. The fact that they got the exhaust port down to the size it was, and only needed a single one, is amazing. Not to mention, it’s an EXHAUST port, not an “intake” port, meaning if someone were to try and fire something into it, the force of the exhaust being pushed out would almost guarantee it would just bounce off the walls and not do much.
Until you insert Space Wizards into the mix. So not only did he fire torpedoes that went in, made a ninety degree turn and then went straight down into the core, but the Space Wizards were supposed to be ALL DEAD. Meaning no one should have ever been able to make that shot. And who was it that made it? The second in command’s KID. And his dad was out there “trying to stop him”, but failed completely and not only let him blow the thing up, but let him escape as well.
March 20, 2017, 10:04 am | # | Reply
Right you are! The whole point of the movie was ‘good triumphs over evil against possible odds.’ I don’t know what movie the haters watched but as I remember the scene they played up the difficulty of making that shot.
The line is “a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port.” Note it’s “a”, not “the”, and there’s a “main port” which is presumably much larger.
March 20, 2017, 4:13 pm | # | Reply
Indeed, it is not the fact that there was a thermal port that was the flaw; it was that the placement of that one let a single missile launched from a one-man fighter set off a chain reaction that explodied a moon-sized fortress.
I look at it like it was described by Rockhound in the movie, Armageddon; “We’re strapped in a vehicle about to light off several tons of high explosives that consists of over 70-thousand moving parts & built by the lowest bidder.”
Ok, I’m paraphrasing there, but you get the point.
March 21, 2017, 3:28 am | # | Reply
“…and built by the lowest bidder” was a meme kicking around NASA since at least the Apollo program, I think someone actually said it to an astronaut during prelaunch at some point.
March 21, 2017, 12:40 pm | # | Reply
If contracts go to the lowest bidder, why does the military pay $700 for a toilet seat? Please tell me that $700 was not the lowest bid!
The other supplier quoted $20,000.
More likely, the “extra amount” on those quotes was diverted to the so-called “black box” projects under the highest classifications that not even Congress can know what they are voting to fund. Even though Congress regularly votes for “block funding” for that kind of funding, it’s likely that such added expense gets “tacked on” to those projects anyway.
Then, of course, there is simple old corruption. It happens in every country in the world, it is just that sometimes it is more blatant than others.
March 22, 2017, 6:18 am | #
then again, do you have any idea what it takes to contain the contents of a toilet in zero g when there’s even a tiny bit of sudden decompression? say, losing only an airlock’s volume of air? pay the money, it’s cheaper than cleaning up.
March 22, 2017, 12:16 pm | #
Yea. And if you factor in all costs space loos cost millions.
However Oberon had diverged from the space topic and was referring to news stories about normal toilet seats, for use in barracks and other buildings (or, depending on the particular story he had in mind, on board naval ships).
March 21, 2017, 2:11 am | # | Reply
If you see the name “Erso” anywhere in their planet destroying beam engineering crew, go with the other contractor.
March 20, 2017, 9:46 am | # | Reply
Look up an old fan video “Death Star Repairmen.”
Gotta love that lucky electro gripper.
Junkrat would so love the Pew-Pew Orb right now
It’ll be great for suppressive fire since you can shoot bat everybody all at once…
As if Sydney didn’t already make it easy to start a forest fire with just one beam (back when the orbs were still new to her & before she ran into Archon)…
Then again, it might come in handy to make a controlled-burn fire break when there’s another, more massive forest fire spreading. But yeah, that’s beside the point…As if Sydney wasn’t dangerous enough even before she became a Gatling Gun…
March 20, 2017, 5:07 am | # | Reply
Dra, here I thought that panel where her eye looks red was the start of a power up stage. Ah well, I think she should try the beam mode, see if it can reflect that, or if it will burn through.
That’s a damn good point.
I don’t think that is an actual opening in the shield but more like a summoning circle through which the fireballs are unleashed. We saw a similar circle last time she used the PPO at the demonstration and she wasn’t using her shield at that time.
Probably a safety feature to prevent her from blowing off her own fingers.
I think it’s more of a portal to some sort of extradimensional power source inside the orb
I want to agree, but since that thing reflected the PPO, doesn’t that mean the orbs actually DO have a recognizable power source?
Crap. I just realized- no one could figure out what the orbs were or their source or anything- until Krona saw the ‘deep code’. The wavefunction collapsed.
All Sydney’s powers are significantly weaker now since they’re identifiable.
I think it probably helps her to see what she’s shooting at, rather than a summoning spot directly between her and the target.
Don’t you mean an ‘exhaust port’?
March 20, 2017, 10:52 am | # | Reply
Why are you so fixated on exhaust ports? Don’t project your fetish on us!
March 20, 2017, 8:36 pm | # | Reply
TBH, I’m more interested with the in-ports (especially on women) than I am with exhaust porsts…
Imported brides are interesting. If potentially exhausting.
March 20, 2017, 10:49 pm | # | Reply
If that is a concern, then you better order yours from Brazil.
March 21, 2017, 4:51 pm | # | Reply
Ordered one from Panama City Beach, Florida. They are in season now , it’s Spring Break.
It’s not a hole in the shield, it’s a uh, particle portal.
Cool. Err of flaming hot, as the portal probably is. Thanks for clearing up that debate!
A porticle, or possibly portical.
March 21, 2017, 5:13 pm | # | Reply
As much as people here are shipping Sydney with a variety of other characters, you’d think she was in the Navy. You know, with a ship at every “port-o-call.”
March 20, 2017, 9:14 pm | # | Reply
Mmm, my initial thought was that this was a portal from an extra-dimensional place. Which remains the most likely interpretation. But the pedantic might take this to mean that there is a door (as per the ‘portal’) but for particles only. Hence why it is not a ‘hole’ as things cannot freely pass through it.
Although air, bullets and fists are all made up of particles…
*shakes paw angrily at pedants*
Perhaps it might be better described as an ‘energy portal’? Still having similar problems, but being a bit less likely to be misinterpreted.
Plus it avoids the acryonym problem of Sydney having a ‘p.p. sphincter’ as part of her weapon.
March 21, 2017, 6:09 am | # | Reply
And peace reigns in Nerdsville once more.
(now if I can just get DB’s attention about that typo in last Thursday’s comic before next Thursday… [who am I kidding. Its doomed to be permanent for generations of archive crawlers. DOOMED I SAY!])
March 20, 2017, 5:11 am | # | Reply
With everything on fire, at least Max will have an easy time finding them. Interesting how this orb has a control function. So, maybe more of the others will also, in time.
Ever wonder who had those Orbs before Sydney? Who they were originally made for?
March 20, 2017, 5:15 am | # | Reply
The other orbs have controls too. The shield has size controls and the true sight orb’s detect magic function can be toggled. Amongst other things I’m sure.
March 20, 2017, 5:20 am | # | Reply
The Fly orb also has a speedometer of some sort that alerted her either on how fast she was going or how close she was to breaking the sound-barrier.
March 20, 2017, 5:31 am | # | Reply
Setting everything one fire… always a good way to summon reinforcements.
March 20, 2017, 5:49 am | # | Reply
“Ever wonder who had those Orbs before Sydney?”
” Who they were originally made for?”
Tsar Nicholas II, who gave them to Anastasia, who, in the Grrlverse, fled with them across the Atlantic, towards America. Until falling foul of the Bermuda triangle!
March 20, 2017, 6:27 am | # | Reply
I wonder,am I the first person to ever fall fair of the Bermuda Triangle? It just randomly appeared in my hallway about 2 years ago in boardgame form. It’s pretty fun too, if utterly skillless.
March 21, 2017, 5:08 am | # | Reply
I kinda fell fair of the Bermuda triangle once…never need a shaver THERE ever again…
what?, i meant my aunt’s house. what did you THINK i meant??
March 21, 2017, 10:49 am | # | Reply
Who me? No, nothing.
March 20, 2017, 6:36 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 6:25 pm | # | Reply
The origin of the Orbs is one of the great mysteries of this comic. Not only who the orbs were made for, but why?
Given the nature of the currently unlocked features, the orbs appear to be designed with either military or espionage uses in mind. So was the original owner of the orbs an alien grunt? An Atlantean spy? An undercover Illuminati?
Why did the orbs take to Sydney? Was it just first come first served, or were they somehow specifically tuned to her long before she found them? Were they planted there for her to find by an extra terrestrial or extradimensional entity? Was there some deep purpose in making sure she was the holder of the orbs, or is the whole thing some massive practical joke orchestrated by a Mr. Mxyzptlk type of character?
March 20, 2017, 7:51 pm | # | Reply
It is usual for aborigines to think that all actions revolve around themselves. Think of it like a monkey that has stumbled across an explorer’s parked range-rover. Due to them having foolishly left the keys in the ignition, it has been able to start the car. The only purpose was to find oil, not to spy on monkeys.
March 20, 2017, 5:11 am | # | Reply
… Sydney found the M61 setting, but she needs the GAU-8 setting to take out big ugly…
March 20, 2017, 5:29 am | # | Reply
Also, now she doesn’t need to try to pick up the minigun in the training range. She is her own minigun. Although, I am curious as to whether or not the lighthook has enough fine control to handle that thing.
March 20, 2017, 5:52 am | # | Reply
It can write a website address and pick up three women, without harming them, I would guess so. It certainly falls under its weight limit.
Now how good Sydney would be at aiming with it, especially if not able to get an eyeball down the length of the barrel, that is another mater entirely.
March 20, 2017, 6:00 am | # | Reply
That depends on the Lighthook’s built-in features. If it has a “Lay perfectly level!” setting, then aiming becomes easy.
March 20, 2017, 6:10 am | # | Reply
Auto stabilisation would be nice. Mostly I think the various components just respond to Sydney’s mental commands (barring where she has buttons to press, such as above). So if she thought ‘keep it steady’ the tentacle would probably translate that into the effect you describe.
March 20, 2017, 6:55 am | # | Reply
Maybe she could get the Hentorb to form a tripod shape, Sydney would just need to practice manoeuvring the not-so mini-gun one handed
March 20, 2017, 11:56 am | # | Reply
A shooting stick would be plenty, ala “Quigley Down Under”…
March 20, 2017, 11:57 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 3:07 pm | # | Reply
Great great movie (specially the final fight), was thinking a tripod for added stability and for better weight distribution
March 21, 2017, 5:09 am | #
I personally prefer Condorman. but I’m weird
March 21, 2017, 7:29 pm | #
No reason to not like both (personally have the novel adaptation of Condorman :D)
March 20, 2017, 7:52 am | # | Reply
it really bugs me when hollywood sci fi has guns that don’t aim themselves once the shooter indicates a target. the very real phalanx ship defense system just has an “on” switch, not a trigger (metaphorically- once activated it targets incoming flying objects to blast). the site of all those combat droids in a star wars movie that couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn from the inside is why I stopped even trying to watch star wars drivel.
March 20, 2017, 9:26 am | # | Reply
And just about all other anything with high tech ranged weapons.
Except Fifth Element. That’s more accurate.
(checks to see how much I get attacked)
March 20, 2017, 9:53 am | # | Reply
Nothing wrong with the best human soldier, in the galaxy, having superb aim. Nor a genetically engineered super-being.
March 20, 2017, 9:51 am | # | Reply
The Fifth Element solved things like that with a “replay” button on a weapon being sold. ^_^
March 20, 2017, 9:53 am | # | Reply
Or perhaps I misunderstood the comment? xP
March 20, 2017, 9:54 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 10:18 am | # | Reply
The Smart Guns and the Sentry guns from Aliens aimed themselves.
March 20, 2017, 3:11 pm | # | Reply
You people need to stop being such fucking moronic wankers: if they really were such great shots, the movie would have ended within the first 15-20 minutes!!
March 21, 2017, 3:32 am | # | Reply
That would have actually improved quite a few sci fi movies.
March 21, 2017, 11:36 am | # | Reply
Although, to give credit where credit is due, Star Wars was the one that turned the genre around from being for ‘B-movies’. Whilst there were a few exceptions, to that rule, it was Star Wars which became the phenomenon which drove investment money and talent into that segment of the industry.
So without it there would have been a lot more crap sci fi movies, until the special effects and some other movie eventually broke the mold. But that would have lagged further behind than in our timeline, without the boost to F/X credibility and investment caused by Star Wars.
Besides which the majority of shots in real fights don’t hit their target. Clearly stormtrooper basic training, of the era, emphasised suppression fire over precision shooting.
March 21, 2017, 7:41 pm | #
Except you have Old Ben Wankalone expressly commenting on the precision shooting of the ‘Troopers, to the effect that they can make it look like random shots from Sand People
March 21, 2017, 9:21 pm | #
So you suspect that they are rebel sympathisers, who want the enemy to win, so deliberately miss?
March 22, 2017, 6:21 am | #
uh… remember 2001, a space odyssey?
March 22, 2017, 12:37 pm | #
I did say there were a few exceptions. But 2001 did not turn the industry around. You don’t get 2001 conventions, in countries around the world, every year. Most people could not even name a character from it.
Plus if you compare box office 2001 made $57 million (in the US). Versus $621 million for Star Wars (and that is episode IV alone). Up that to $7.7 billion worldwide, when you factor in the rest of the franchise!
Mind you it is not surprising, as 2001 gets rather weird at the end. So whilst it does have solid production values, and represented realistic spacefaring technology, Star Wars was the much more entertaining story. Despite various inconsistencies both in the script and with physics.
March 20, 2017, 9:24 am | # | Reply
Who is to say the manual buttons aren’t also mentally responsive, but she’s indecisive?
March 20, 2017, 9:55 am | # | Reply
I don’t know, is she? Maybe. Not sure. Maybe not?
March 20, 2017, 10:22 am | # | Reply
*sets bucket full of Trick or Treat Yorpie Points in front of you*
You can only have ONE.
*closes eyes, turns around, walks away, leaving you with the bucket*
March 20, 2017, 10:45 am | # | Reply
*settles down to examine each one extensively*
Actually I know this happens. Once I got Buffy, my parents started sending out ‘aid parcels’ to me. I had emigrated over five years before that, with none, then out they started coming, once I got my Jack Russel. Anyhow, my dad sent samples of various treats (like different flavours of biltong and smoked jerky), telling me to do taste tests, to determine what to send in future.
So I trained Buffy to recognise when she was being offered a choice. It took remarkably little time, namely a single instance of me eating the item she failed to choose initially. Which took her decision time from a sniff of each item to about two minutes of alternating her sniffing on each one. Before indicating which one she wanted.
Increasing another minute once she confirmed her hypothesis that I was eating each one she rejected. :-D
It turns out to have been a very useful technique for finding out which things she prefers, in general. She is clever enough that I can offer her choices of activities as well. Without fail she prefers walkies to even her favourite snacks!
*nibbles on one treat*
March 20, 2017, 10:57 am | # | Reply
Couldn’t she send her telepresense ahead to aim for her?
March 20, 2017, 1:12 pm | # | Reply
Yes. But not if needing the shield up. Or Sydney could get the tentacle to hold the gun so that she could sight down it (or do the tripod arrangement that Guesticus suggests). Any of which though makes it a fairly cumbersome alternative to the PPO. Worth practicing though, in case she has to oppose critters immune to fire. Or versus things like werewolves which may only be harmed by special munitions.
I should mention that the biggest problem is that she may need an oversized trigger guard, if the tentacle is too big to fit through that. I forgot that point, from the last time the question was debated.
March 20, 2017, 2:24 pm | # | Reply
Well, if she has the tele orb out then she could also port out of the way.
March 20, 2017, 8:05 pm | # | Reply
Pretty high-risk strategy. Look at how close Sydney got to being whomped by the tentacle, before getting the shield up. She is only a normal human, without supernatural reflexes or spidey-sense.
Although I do grant that, with the extraordinary responsiveness of the orbs, and their powers, she could pull off dodging an attack like that, such requires paying constant close attention to any potential attacker and anticipating their action before it occurs.
Sydney is known to being a little bit distractible….
Plus she will not get a second chance. Once her internal organs have been spread over the floor her reaction times nose dive!
March 20, 2017, 10:55 pm | # | Reply
All of that will improve with More Training.
March 21, 2017, 3:36 am | # | Reply
having had undiagnosed adhd while serving in military, I can assure that More Training does not actually help, but lots of lots of exercise does.
March 21, 2017, 12:26 pm | #
It makes me wonder if, had you been diagnosed, and had your training been adjusted to specifically accommodate ADHD, if that might have had a different result? Not that I am suggesting that the symptoms can be negated, by training, but there are bound to be techniques and tips that can be taught, which help to cope with them.
Likewise, with a commander who is aware of the pros and cons of the condition, such individuals can be utilised more effectively. We have had it said several times that skills like tracking are enhanced, due to the constantly shifting attention. Likewise I imagine that would be of benefit in scouting, in general, and if put on point.*
Then though it would be necessary to help those troops, especial when in such a vulnerable position, to reduce the chance of getting distracted by things not pertinent to the task at hand. For which I imagine those who have been aware of their condition, for a long time, will have developed ‘coping mechanisms’, which could be passed on to them.
Be that through a specific ‘coping with ADHD in the military’ course or through attending self-help groups and getting advice from medical professionals.
The latter being particularly important in ensuring that lifestyles are adjusted suitably to handle any drugs which are prescribed. Knowing how to properly cope with side-effects, or spot them wearing off, for example.
* And, if that is true, would a look-out on a ship, with ADHD, be better or worse than their land-bound counterparts? Does the lack of distracting stimulus help the duty, or is it more likely to cause ‘getting lost in thoughts’, due to the boredom?
March 20, 2017, 9:45 am | # | Reply
Mind you, “minigun” is a brand, one particular version of a Gatling gun, or a Volley Gun …. although, the Gatling gun was originally also merely one specific brand of multi-barrelled heavy machine gun, …. so I guess calling them “miniguns” is perhaps no more wrong than calling them Gatling guns, as long as you’re not referring to a chaingun, which might look similar. ^_^
Also, they may be referred to as “volley guns”, but that essentially refers to ALL multi-barrel guns, so … I wrote this just to be informative. :D
March 20, 2017, 10:00 am | # | Reply
Etymology-Man! We’ve missed you!
March 20, 2017, 5:23 pm | # | Reply
Somehow, I guessed the ending. ^_^
March 20, 2017, 10:28 am | # | Reply
A Volley Gun fires all barrels at the same time. A gatling gun is the rotating barrel where only one barrel fires at a time as per Dr. Gatlins original design. A chaingun is a single barreled gun that the action is driven by a chain drive from an electric motor.
Requa Volley Gun https://www.virginialighthorse.freeservers.com/images/cw_volley_gun_front.jpg
Gatling Gun (civil war) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Gatling_gun_1862_Type_II_(1).jpg
March 20, 2017, 5:17 pm | # | Reply
Wikipedia notes on Volley gun : “A volley gun is a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots, either simultaneously or in sequence.”
You refer only to the ones that fires simultaneously.
March 20, 2017, 12:05 pm | # | Reply
So was Gatling, since was on the patent. Also see Maxim, Browning, Garand, and Kalashnikov, among many others…
March 21, 2017, 5:12 am | # | Reply
technically, the Derringer was a ‘minigun’
March 21, 2017, 1:59 pm | # | Reply
Or maybe he was just a super hero engineer. With a miniaturizing ray attack.
Never did manage to commercially produce a gun version though.
Do you think the orbs are actually miniaturised stars, with a crispy coating?
March 22, 2017, 5:30 am | # | Reply
mmmm, tasty crispy coating….
March 20, 2017, 5:12 am | # | Reply
I’ve never really liked spread weapons. Always more of a precision shooter. But options, that don’t overwrite your current loadout, are always nice.
March 20, 2017, 10:59 am | # | Reply
It’s fine if you are aiming for a crowd.
March 20, 2017, 5:14 pm | # | Reply
Or someone who dodges a lot.
March 20, 2017, 12:07 pm | # | Reply
It never bothered me a bit to have M-60’s and grenade launchers in my platoon…
March 20, 2017, 3:27 pm | # | Reply
My first up they were still issuing the M79 instead of the one that fits under the M16 (M223?). The good thing about that was the grenadier was also allowed to carry a .38 revolver in a gunslinger holster… Mine was an 8″ barrel with bone grips. I really wish they would have let us keep using the shot shells in the 79, 4 oz of mixed buckshot from 4 to 00 would take out as many people in one shot as a full magazine on the M16. Never mind that as a single shot weapon it took considerable amount of time to reload after being able to move your right arm when you recovered from the recoil, which was longer than emptying a full mag and shoving a fresh one into the receiver on the 16.
March 21, 2017, 3:40 am | # | Reply
“If violence is your last resort, you haven’t used enough violence”.
March 20, 2017, 5:15 am | # | Reply
That did a lot of damage before the shilds went up.
Lesson for Sydney: Always start with the highest setting. Maybe.
March 20, 2017, 5:19 am | # | Reply
No, the Shield was always up during the shooting… oh, you meant the Brainless Warbot’s shield
March 20, 2017, 6:31 am | # | Reply
yeah, the normal beam woud’ve probably gibbed it, too bad the rapid fire does less damage
March 20, 2017, 11:01 am | # | Reply
Maybe it is the same amount of damage, but spread out.
March 20, 2017, 12:09 pm | # | Reply
I agree, but I also expect there’s an output control she hasn’t found yet….
March 20, 2017, 6:34 am | # | Reply
So, the original ‘anti-tank’ setting she swapped off for the new scatter shot?
March 20, 2017, 12:03 pm | # | Reply
If you mean “can she not use the original beam any more?” then no. Remember each orb has selectable settings when being used. She just chose to immediately use the new one.
March 20, 2017, 5:19 pm | # | Reply
Ah, no… I’m not trying to imply that it’s stuck, just that using the Explody Beam Of Death And Forest Fires for the sneak attack would have been more effective. Mode 2 is less useful for this situation.
March 20, 2017, 8:14 pm | # | Reply
Correct. But Sydney had no way of knowing that, until she tried it. Had she been thinking clearer she would have stuck with the known option, with a good chance of success, rather than gambling on getting a more powerful one with guaranteed success. The gamble failed (for this particular fight).
Although setting the forest on fire is not good, it is actually less directly destructive than the main beam, so perhaps it has not turned out as badly as the alternative. After all the main beam had enough of a delay to activate that the construct may have anticipated the attack (especially with warning dialogue, as in this case) and have gotten its shield up before the strike. Or simply dodged it.
Punching a hole straight through a distant office block, or two, could have far more serious consequences than a forest fire, near a deserted part of town.
March 21, 2017, 7:48 pm | # | Reply
The only reason there was a delay during the Press Conference, was because Sydney hadn’t been aware until that time of the Safety Switch
March 21, 2017, 9:28 pm | # | Reply
Plus she was having a transcendental experience, at the time.
But has Sydney had enough practice, since, to both become blasé about it, negating the aforementioned point, and get used to ‘flipping the safety’?
March 20, 2017, 8:57 am | # | Reply
Yes; always start with the highest setting. Except when it’s a bad idea. …and remember there is sometimes no way to tell whether it’s a bad idea before you fire!
March 21, 2017, 3:48 am | # | Reply
except if the bad guy is standing in front of the SoHOaBR (Scraps of Hope Orphanage and Bunny Rehab). but if the bad guy is standing in the way, you can’t see it…hmmm havta do some math on this…angle of occlusion, with of ionized path….distance to SoH as the laser beam flies…
oh, yup. maybe a bad idea to start the PPO at 11.
March 20, 2017, 5:18 am | # | Reply
I like how it appears right on the shield when it is up. Its really driven home regularly how integrated the different functions really are. (unless we later learn that the orbs are just constructs of Sydney’s mind trying to deal with her new powers the only way it knows how. [by making it a game])
March 20, 2017, 5:19 am | # | Reply
P.S. Also still have that typo on the last Thursday’s page.
as good __ anything.
as good >>as<< anything.
In case Dave's reading at this time.
March 20, 2017, 9:29 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 5:22 am | # | Reply
Something else about this mode of fire — these mini-projectiles appear to have some amount of mass, as the deflected ones are clearly moving in gravity-induced arcs.
March 20, 2017, 5:27 am | # | Reply
That’s because they are balls of plasma
March 21, 2017, 5:15 am | # | Reply
even light bends its knee to gravity
March 20, 2017, 5:23 am | # | Reply
This is the first time Sydney has attempted to use the PewPewBall while Bubbled, so maybe that ‘firing window’ was always part of the package (like the Super Droideka’s at the start of “The Phantom Menace”)
March 20, 2017, 5:30 am | # | Reply
I mentioned this above but at the demonstration we saw a similar ring appear without her using the shield. This time the ring seems projected on top of the shield.
March 20, 2017, 5:36 am | # | Reply
Those rings look very different and the original looks far too wide if it has the same meaning in both situations. I think everyone at the time just took it as a manifestation of the blast itself and not a projected ring meant to convey information of some kind.
March 20, 2017, 5:46 am | # | Reply
These are different firing types as well. The color could be an indication of what kind of beam is being used, dotted red for spread and solid yellow for concentrated beam.
I haven’t looked through the comments on that page again now, but I recall people mentioning how the ring seemingly blocked the light and that it might have been a safety feature to keep (most of) Sydney’s body away from the beam.
March 20, 2017, 5:56 am | # | Reply
So you think it is a shield in its own right? Like how the flight orb has mild shield like effects to protect Sydney from some of the effects of flight?
March 20, 2017, 6:15 am | # | Reply
Something like that. Probably not against incoming projectiles but at least against its own output.
March 20, 2017, 5:33 am | # | Reply
“window”? So you think that is an actual opening in the shield instead of just a way for Sydney to quickly visualize the direction and spread of her fire?
March 20, 2017, 6:14 am | # | Reply
There are probably two separate components, the window (as observed being folded out in panel 1) and the ‘control/aiming/summoning circle’.
Sydney may be able to isolate a button to just open the window. If she compares the PPO to the Flyball, I would bet a plate of Yorpie Snax™ that she will find a corresponding button.
March 20, 2017, 8:54 am | # | Reply
My money is on the aperture being a standard feature of the Shield+PPO combo. She just has never used them together until now.
Now, the aperture size adjuster, that is likely along with the Rapid Fire, since you wouldn’t need it so much for the ‘cutting beam’ mode.
March 20, 2017, 9:21 am | # | Reply
Max is going to have a hell of a training outline, if they actually ever get to do any training….
March 20, 2017, 9:57 am | # | Reply
Forget about the foldy out window. Turns out that is a wall.
*points nose at wall, ears drooping*
March 20, 2017, 5:24 am | # | Reply
And I mean that in more ways than one!
March 20, 2017, 5:39 am | # | Reply
If her orbs get too close together though, they will bump her head!
March 20, 2017, 5:33 am | # | Reply
OK nobody called ‘burn down the forest’, despite Sydney’s history for that!
But grats to K. Drakor on predicting the hole.
I was going to say that the hole will cause problems when underwater or in space, but I guess that fire probably does not work too well under those conditions anyhow, so Sydney may as well keep the Halomobile sealed under those circumstances.
March 20, 2017, 5:39 am | # | Reply
I am very sure that its outside the shield.
March 20, 2017, 5:40 am | # | Reply
All blasts appear outside the hole when viewed from any kind of side angled view. Still not enough evidence to say that is a hole in the shield.
March 20, 2017, 5:44 am | # | Reply
maybe the circles a targeting reticle/’muzzle’ marker
March 20, 2017, 6:03 am | # | Reply
Have a look at panel 1. There is a panel of force that appears to have folded outwards, from the force field. Like an opening gun port. Complete with a sound effect more appropriate to that than the appearance of the ‘summoning circle’.
March 20, 2017, 6:24 am | # | Reply
I see the firing circle itself. I see the reflection of nearby light on the shield. I see a some imperfections on the concrete behind it. I can’t make out any panel of force at this time but I gave it the old college try at 300 zoom on my decently sized screen.
I have no idea what “vwoop” is appropriate to as a sound effect. Google suggests people have thought it the sound of anything from the Tardis revving up to the sound of a railgun firing. *shrugs*
I put it firmly in the maybe category.
Don’t know why there needs to be a hole though when there is nothing going through that hole.
March 20, 2017, 7:33 am | # | Reply
There is a horizontal line across panel, going roughly from the construct’s hip to the middle of Halo’s torso. This is not just a beam of light though. If you look below the ‘hip’ you can see that it is part of a structure. Were we to see it in other circumstances I would describe it as a ‘pane of glass’.
Further it is not isolated to panel 1, it persists in panel 2, so is a stable artifact, rather than an isolated oddity.
The sound effect is overlayed onto this ‘pane of glass’, both to help you identify its location and to point out that it does appear to be associated with it (although the later weapon noises appear there too, so I am only reading so much into that).
Overall I feel that this is an intent to show a panel of force that has either slid down, or folded down, from the front of the force field. Given that I can see no other reason for it being there, I assume that Sydney is indeed shooting through the gun port that is formed that way. It would seem odd to open a hole if the weapon does not require such.
March 20, 2017, 7:47 am | # | Reply
That is the wall that Krona tripped over.
March 20, 2017, 7:49 am | # | Reply
Look at panel 8.
March 20, 2017, 8:25 am | # | Reply
OK, then we are back to the possibility that the circle is manifesting on the outside of the shield or that it is an opening. I cannot see that we have any evidence one way or the other. So it is a matter of opinion as to which applies.
I favour it being on the outside of the shield, as with the tentacle, but there are a few points for the other argument. For instance the reflected light appears on the areas of the shield outside of the red circle but not inside it.* This implies that there is no force field present there.
* Particularly noticeable on panels 1, 4 & 5. Although it can be argued that the reflected light just naturally gets less by that point. Nonetheless the impression remains.
March 20, 2017, 8:47 am | # | Reply
It’s possible that even if it if “opening” the shield to allow the passage of the blasts from the PPO that doesn’t necessarily compromise the integrity of the shield from all outside effects. To use the most basic analogy, if it does in fact create an opening in the shield, that could be closer to the effect of opening a window that has a screen on it. It will allow certain access through the window (i.e. fresh air, breezes, smells, etc) but will still block a great many things that are blocked by a window. (i.e. bugs, leaves, etc)
Personally, I’m not sure if I think it is just a superimposed targeting reticule or the equivalent thereof or an opening or an obligatory alien pop-up add that comes along with the decision to use this feature advising all targeted entities to “Eat at Joe’s.” However, I suspect this will at least provide some options to play with for fun scenarios in the future.
March 20, 2017, 9:43 am | # | Reply
I’m thinking the rings around the PPO when in use are supposed to be informational and protective, but without a surface on which to project, only part of it works. The PPO is supposed to be used with the Shield, if that’s the case.
March 21, 2017, 6:11 am | # | Reply
Duuude! That hurt my eyes! LOL
Save that stuff for April 1st just ’round the corner.
March 20, 2017, 9:39 am | # | Reply
Maybe it isn’t a hole at all- it’s just a ‘energy can come out of this area’ port on the shield, and not an actual hole.
March 20, 2017, 1:47 pm | # | Reply
Yup, Dave has now confirmed that, in a reply above.
March 20, 2017, 5:49 am | # | Reply
It might not be a hole at all but more like a summoning circle layered on top of the shield. Her other use of the PPO at the demonstration showed a similar circle even without her using the shield.
March 20, 2017, 6:36 am | # | Reply
While it looks like hole in the shield, i think it’s some sort of portal to the power source inside the orb (it’s probably bigger on the inside), my bet is it’s a star inside
March 20, 2017, 9:44 am | # | Reply
She did say it felt like one.
March 20, 2017, 9:37 am | # | Reply
I’ve caused a fire to ignite while it was underwater. I’m sure Sydney’s ball can do the same.
(Get a ‘flower’ type firework, attach a rock with a rubber band. Light the fuse. Just before the fuse burns into the tube, drop it in the drink. It’ll ignite and spin around while underwater.)
March 21, 2017, 5:16 am | # | Reply
and dropping a piece of pure magnesium into water might also achieve the same effect
I could be wrong
March 21, 2017, 5:41 am | # | Reply
Magnesium you have to light first, but it will stay alight when you place it in water.
Lithium, Sodium, or any of the heavier ‘Group 1’ elements (whose reactivity increases as one goes down the group) , on the other hand…
March 21, 2017, 12:55 pm | # | Reply
There was that dock fire in China, where loads of chemicals were being stored illegally, and without proper warning signs, for emergency services. Of which some were very water-averse and reacted violently, when water was used, to try and put out the fire.
Took out a sizable chunk of the city! Not to mention numerous firefighters.
March 22, 2017, 5:31 am | # | Reply
that was just Gojiira…
March 22, 2017, 12:41 pm | # | Reply
Doh, I forgot about the Veil. You are right.
March 20, 2017, 5:54 am | # | Reply
so rapid fire = less penetrating power but shotgun spray and firing speed could probably mow down scores of unshielded targets (unless the spray builds up power as it goes along making it something not initially dangerous but let it go for a minute and the guy advancing through, or deflecting the hail finds themselves falling back and/or being chipped apart by it). well anyway hey sydney time to check behind your target and then ‘touch the sun’ sure it needs to charge up for a bit and its one-shot however it has penetrating power for days
March 20, 2017, 6:07 am | # | Reply
Those that hit were doing damage, prior to the construct raising its own shield. But the individual projectiles are indeed smaller and proportionately less damaging than the tank-melting beam. So I think even armoured opponents would be vulnerable to them. But not shielded ones.
March 20, 2017, 6:12 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 6:15 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 6:59 am | # | Reply
YES!! a full, loaded, plate of Yorpies!!! :D
March 20, 2017, 7:38 am | # | Reply
Dammit why is there always EXACTLY ONE person who comments what I wanted to write whenever I want to make a joke? >_<
March 20, 2017, 12:21 pm | # | Reply
Because two would be redundant.
March 20, 2017, 6:14 am | # | Reply
In reference to today’s comic title: https://youtu.be/CDXNfe2W8c8
March 20, 2017, 7:01 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 6:27 am | # | Reply
Cutting Beam, probably a stun Phaser, maybe a land mine or proximity bomb?
Land mines are illegal under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) or “Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects” (to use the full title) signed in Geneva on April 10, 1981
March 20, 2017, 6:35 am | # | Reply
I’m thinking that the originator of the orbs never read the Geneva Convention.
March 20, 2017, 7:02 am | # | Reply
Neither did most of the world, just like the Kyoto Protocol
March 20, 2017, 8:00 am | # | Reply
Those orbs most likely predate the Geneva Conventions by several thousand years as they were discovered embedded in a coral reef. Centuries at least, depending on the growth rate of some coral species and if they were actually in the limestone substrate, exposed by erosion.
March 20, 2017, 9:47 am | # | Reply
Good thing that isn’t what Sydney unlocked, then, otherwise Lucy would have some ‘splainin’ to do.
March 20, 2017, 6:38 am | # | Reply
Maybe a slow moving plasma ball that explodes on comand?
March 20, 2017, 6:40 am | # | Reply
But is replicating them through superpowers illegal? Would them being easily retracted change anything?
March 20, 2017, 7:52 am | # | Reply
It would depend on how the treaty was phrased. If it is sensible it would describe the effect of land mines (an explosive, incendiary or other damaging device, that is placed and later triggered by proximity or touch, for example) rather than define them too narrowly. In that example the only point of contention would be whether ‘device’ implied manufactured or if it could cover ‘things created by super powers’.
I think most courts would opt for the latter definition, given that we are in an era where methods of manufacture are becoming increasingly varied. If you define it too narrowly then a biologically grown landmine would be exempt, in addition to a super-power created one.
Clearly the treaty makers intent is to prevent untended ordinance from being able to harm non-combatants. So both a mad-botanist’s landmine and a Halo landmine would fit this legal intent.
This would be of relevance if Halo used such a feature outside of US territory, in any capacity other than a UN sanctioned deployment of US troops. It is not necessary for the US to be a signatory to a treaty for their personnel to break the law in every country that is a signatory. But if Halo has been invited into such a territory, in her capacity as a member of the US military, then that would be understood to include making use of their standard combat tactics.
If the court is being fair, anyhow.
March 20, 2017, 8:06 am | # | Reply
One could argue that people(supers) are a device created through use of an organic manufacturing process. One could also argue(after a brief and disgusting view of the internet) that many people attempt to perform this process, and fail to do so correctly.
March 20, 2017, 9:48 am | # | Reply
*Starts singing a song about Betty for obvious reasons*
March 20, 2017, 9:49 am | # | Reply
Biologically grown landmine = stinging nettle
March 20, 2017, 11:11 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 12:27 pm | # | Reply
It’s actually fairly easy to handle stinging nettles. And cooking them takes some knowledge, but they taste better than canned spinach.
What I found amusing was an article about them which described the area where they grow – not including western Washington – and said they grow to about three feet tall. That’s because in western Washington, in spots where they get adequate shelter from strong winds, they grow to about ten feet tall.
March 20, 2017, 10:23 am | # | Reply
That answers question A but not question B. Part of why landmines are such a problem to civilians is that they don’t go away when the area stops being a war zone.
March 20, 2017, 11:00 am | # | Reply
It probably would not no. Law makers would be unlikely to amend international treaties to accommodate the powers of a single individual. Currently (to the best of my knowledge) there are no exceptions for ‘easily retrieved landmines’, so Halo would not be able to use that as a defence.
What she could do though is use her contacts and get Deus to produce a line of landmines that would fit the bill. If he successfully markets it to enough countries, worldwide, then they would seek to amend the treaty accordingly. However there would still be that issue of it blowing up innocent civilians during the war. So it would probably earn both him and Sydney very poor publicity, even attempting it. Especially the first time that some little kid got blown up by one.
As such I think Sydney would only use such a weapon if it was of the remotely-activated type (such as with a claymore triggering device) where she would be able to determine that it was safe to activate it or if it was 100% discriminatory in only affecting baddies.
March 20, 2017, 11:16 am | # | Reply
Crablike drones, that are able to bury themselves it the sand, and then arm their fuses. The retrieval could be set on a timer. No tell tale antennas that way.
March 20, 2017, 7:13 pm | # | Reply
Bonus points if they can be activated by vibrations to hunt down nearby enemies.
March 21, 2017, 2:55 am | # | Reply
Would that be the of landmines?
March 21, 2017, 1:02 pm | # | Reply
That was an odd link. Did you mean this?
March 20, 2017, 7:36 am | # | Reply
The USA is not a signatory to that, if my memory serves me correctly. Land mines are considered a vital component in their defenses in areas such as the border to North Korea.
March 20, 2017, 5:11 pm | # | Reply
America isn’t a part of several treaties of that type, but we’re the only ones whose mines have an end of life fuse, but it isn’t perfect…
March 20, 2017, 8:02 am | # | Reply
If you want to be technical Syd breaks the law all the time so I wouldnt worry about it =)
March 20, 2017, 10:10 am | # | Reply
Other than said accidental arson and the odd (provoked) assault, I would not say that.
March 20, 2017, 6:36 am | # | Reply
Sydney, the queen of collateral damage. Somewhere behind that garage there is a surprised farmer saying “My Cabbages!”.
March 20, 2017, 6:39 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 7:10 am | # | Reply
“Oh God no, my marijuana patch!… er… I mean my carrot patch!”
March 20, 2017, 7:54 am | # | Reply
Calm down! Just stand in the smoke and take deep breaths…
March 20, 2017, 7:56 am | # | Reply
Looks like ‘the alien’ suffers from the same syndrome as Maxima. Not remembering about things like ‘weight’ or, in this case, that humans are not bullet-proof.
March 20, 2017, 8:52 am | # | Reply
To be fair he was distracted because his idiot brother seemed to have failed to wipe out all the life on the planet.
March 20, 2017, 7:59 am | # | Reply
And then Smokey gets headshot by accident XD
March 20, 2017, 6:45 am | # | Reply
All we need is for Sidney to shave her head and get several arrow tattoos.
March 20, 2017, 9:53 am | # | Reply
March 21, 2017, 5:20 am | # | Reply
Halo with Last Airbender
March 21, 2017, 1:07 pm | # | Reply
Darmok and Jalad… at Tanagra.
March 22, 2017, 5:32 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 6:38 am | # | Reply
Yes,I think Sydney NEEDS more training…!
Pray Maxima does not have her dishonorably discharged for what she did.
March 20, 2017, 6:45 am | # | Reply
More like we hope Maxima isn’t dishonorably discharged for send a green recruit into the field on a classified mission without sufficient training.
March 20, 2017, 6:51 am | # | Reply
Maxima is responsibly so she better be the one praying.
But I doubt such valuable assets are going to be discharged over some burnt trees which should be pretty easy for their powers to put out if they get the Bloodbot put down soon.
March 20, 2017, 8:14 am | # | Reply
When tanks were first deployed, in WW1, crews were not given dishonourable discharges for missing their targets, when firing from a moving vehicle. This was something new to warfare. Until it had first been deployed, they had no idea about its effect on the battlefield.
Shit happens. Trees burn. Not being wiped out by the enemy is the greater priority.
Now if there is a an orphanage and bunny sanctuary in those trees, then there will be a lot of bleating in the press, about discharges. Up until the powers that be realise that the country needs both Maxima and Halo.
March 20, 2017, 9:35 am | # | Reply
To play devils advocate theres a big difference between one of historys bloodiest wars where tanks were more effective as a psychological tool and a government approved “Justice league”.
That said alot of stuff that was allowed to fly in WW1 wound up getting officially massively banned in much later decades.Tanks are small potatoes compared to mustard gas attacks and in later decades sarin.
March 20, 2017, 10:17 am | # | Reply
But tanks were not banned and have since been adopted into practically every military in the world. Yet, even to this day, collateral damage occurs when tanks are deployed in the field. Just as with the rifles used by infantry, most of the ordinance (be it machine gun bullets or main gun shells) miss the target. Unless you have sophisticated homing technology that is just an accepted flaw with weapons.
Not that it is anything new, the same problem applied back when there were slings and arrows. Even to the extent of, when flaming arrows were developed, burning down forests accidentally.
March 20, 2017, 4:00 pm | # | Reply
“‘Leave us alone, Mel Brooks!!!”
March 21, 2017, 1:53 am | # | Reply
To be honest youre comparing apples and oranges,Tanks are a weapon of war,they're designed to kill things and not with pinpoint precision,Each time ones deployed its already accepted that despite best efforts theres a chance some people who arent targets will likey die because of it at some point.
Halo is a superhero in training.When she gets deployed its for the purpose of stopping crime-usually violent ones- and other super powered individuals.Since shes living in america im pretty sure the US Government didn't rubber stamp an acceptable losses of innocent lives for each of her deployments so if she explodes a busfull of nuns while on Maximas orders then Maxima has to explain either why exploding nuns was a vital part of the mission or why Sydney was so poorly supervised she wound up in a situation where nun exploding was the result of her actions.
Sending Sydey,A green as grass recruit out on this mission which even after a few years training shed still be poorly suited for purely on the merit of her powers was a poor judgement call on Maximas part though not one I think she should be seriously reprimanded for.
March 21, 2017, 1:23 pm | # | Reply
Although I did make the distinction between trees and people. The military make mistakes or have accidents all the time. Much like folks in civilian life too, for that matter. But when it involves loss of life then it becomes front page news.
Without that it may just be dealt with within the unit, or it may be elevated to a discreet internal inquiry. In this case they are on a covert mission so, provided the collateral damage is limited to trees, doubtless they will make every effort to avoid being associated with it publicly. Or to put it down to something mundane, if there is a need to pay out compensation, for property damage.
“Fireworks were used in an unauthorised action, which did not follow adequate safety procedures. The individual concerned has been disciplined and compensation paid to the owners of the shed and car which were damaged.”
Which is close enough to the truth that even eyewitnesses might corroborate it, if they only saw the display, and not the rooftop fight.
March 21, 2017, 7:57 pm | # | Reply
You, once again, are forgetting (or blatantly and deliberately ignoring) the fact Team X-Ray were sent to this location for the express reason they believed it to be the least likely to have any activity, but it still had to be checked out
March 22, 2017, 11:46 am | # | Reply
And the council doesn't have a literal army of people trained to kill supernaturals that would be way more qualified for a stealth recon op than Sydney “Subtle as a nuke” Scoville?The fact that Halos hijinks before things went south didn't utterly blow their cover says a lot about the lack of competency of the villain of this arch in general.
March 22, 2017, 12:51 pm | # | Reply
Deploying a killer robot within ten minutes of a stakeout being set up is actually pretty impressive, if you compare it to the many months of such that the FBI get up to, without being found out.
Although admittedly Sydney certainly did contribute to that, by raising her voice. But, in mitigation, they are across the street, and quite a wide one at that, and on top of a roof. I doubt most building security guards would pick up on that, unless they happened to be outside for a cigarette break.
March 20, 2017, 9:23 am | # | Reply
Yeah Sydney needs ALL the training,Probably more so than most employees.
Maxima will be fine,For one this is essentially a black op so it can't be officially recognised without damaging the masquerade and for two shes essentially a superman expy-In a world with supers getting weaponised i can't see anyone connected to the government being willing to alienate an “I win button” over a bad decision.
March 20, 2017, 6:40 am | # | Reply
Isn’t a rapid-fire laser just a downgrade from a consistent beam?
March 20, 2017, 6:50 am | # | Reply
That depends on the target(s) you’re trying to hit. A single concentrated beam might be more easy to dodge than random scatter fire. It also seems more useful if you just want to blow through a door or wall without cutting up everything behind it.
March 20, 2017, 6:53 am | # | Reply
It depends on whether you are up against a large number of small targets or a small number of large targets.
March 20, 2017, 6:57 am | # | Reply
Or one really dodgey bugger.
March 20, 2017, 7:52 am | # | Reply
You’ve gotta watch out for those Dodgey Buggers! They’ll sneak up behind you!
March 20, 2017, 9:17 am | # | Reply
Downgrade can be good. You couldn’t shoot the deathbeam horizontally if you aren’t a monster. The rapid fire is probably not going to cut down an entire city at waist level.
March 20, 2017, 9:39 am | # | Reply
Yeah though if used properly this one could potentially be safer in populated areas,If Sydney used her default beam the murderbot wouldve gotten cut in two and lord knows how many other things would get hit before it ran out of energy.
March 20, 2017, 6:41 am | # | Reply
Is that Rho Aias?! Are these golems going to start shooting off Noble Phantasms now?!
March 20, 2017, 6:46 am | # | Reply
Hum so here is the big question.
Is that an actual opening.
Or is that an overlay on the shield that emits the effect while not effecting the shield itself.
I assume the later, because of how the MolestOrb works.
March 20, 2017, 6:55 am | # | Reply
That has indeed been one of the larger questions of the comment section so far. People have weight in on both sides. Yorp swears he sees something “folding” into the opening in the shield in panel 1. I can’t see it and further don’t see any of the weapons effects showing beyond the “hole” inside the shield. They are all outside the shield. So why would there need to be a hole. As you say the Hentai-orb is capable of appearing outside the shield without disturbing it.
March 20, 2017, 7:15 am | # | Reply
Agreed. I don’t see any evidence for an actual hole in the shield.
March 20, 2017, 9:42 am | # | Reply
Id say an overlay,The orbs are extremely user friendly so i doubt if the shield would be designed to create an opening that can be shot into while attacking.Though it does remind me of an old 2000 AD comic where that was literally the weakness of a villains defences.
March 20, 2017, 7:11 am | # | Reply
Another question is whether the murder bot adapts to all threats like the Borg or can only adapt to one thing at a time. If it’s the former, that’s probably a problem, but if it’s the latter, this would be the perfect time for someone to hit it from another angle.
March 20, 2017, 7:14 am | # | Reply
PPO now dubbed the CYCLOPS-HAVOC ball.
If you’ve read or seen the xmen movies, you know why.
March 20, 2017, 9:58 am | # | Reply
I can swing it.
March 20, 2017, 7:17 am | # | Reply
It’s at times like this that we just need Maxima popping in and yelling “Scottsville!” with the face palm. She warned her earlier about firing off her PPO and shooting what’s behind the target lol.
March 20, 2017, 7:52 am | # | Reply
Last page it looked like Sydney was aiming slightly upwards, so aiming at the sky, which makes sense since the target is significantly bigger than her. It has now been pushed back so the upward angle is lower to still keep hitting it.
Max’s comment was more about keeping in mind what would happen if the target dodged the attack or it if went straight through the target. Right now though the target is blocking the attack and making it ricochet elsewhere, which is pretty much out of Sydney’s control on where it goes.
March 20, 2017, 9:52 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 9:42 am | # | Reply
Scottsville = GD autocorrect
March 20, 2017, 9:59 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 7:19 am | # | Reply
Ok, I called grabbing the PPO, but I did not call the automatic-mode option. Now, what to do about her second forest fire?
Halo: [ Using throat mike] Uh, Max? Do you have a Bambi-bucket?
Max: [ Exasperated] What did you do this time?
Halo: I didn’t check behind my target enough and I sort of started a little forest fire.
Max: Ah, I see it. That is not a little fire. Let me see what I can do. Where’s Pixel?
Halo: She got thrown into the building we were watching. She may need some medical attention.
[ Off to the side, Krona also sees the forest fire. Her hair is an absolute mess, by the way ]
Krona: Let’s see. Give the animals a few minutes to get out of the area. The trees won’t be making that much oxygen at night, so let’s get ready to move all the oxygen out of the air around the fire.
Harem: What was that you were mumbling?
Krona: Just figuring out how I can nail that forest fire.
Harem: Is it going to deal with that one too? Or how about that one?
Krona: Damn, I guess I will deal with them one at a time.
March 20, 2017, 7:23 am | # | Reply
Sydney has a custom locator function! OK, it isn’t technically a locator function, she just causes enough havoc that anyone can spot her at a distance.
March 20, 2017, 7:49 am | # | Reply
Darn, I was really hoping for that cupcake beam too. Also, https://www.gofundme.com/my-car-is-toast I need a HERO!
March 21, 2017, 5:23 am | # | Reply
how about you open up a Kickstarter campaign?
March 20, 2017, 7:51 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 7:51 am | # | Reply
I bet some people would like to see Sydney diddling her orbs ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
March 20, 2017, 8:56 am | # | Reply
March 20, 2017, 9:11 am | # | Reply
Kind of like how David Bowie played with his balls in the film Labyrinth. I still miss Bowie.
March 20, 2017, 10:01 am | # | Reply
I think that once the Fuck You Orbs get their features revealed, they’ll look different. Dave said something about regretting not making them more unique, so this could fix that.
Kinda like how the glass balls / bubbles were uniform until memories appeared in them.
March 20, 2017, 7:57 am | # | Reply
Im just happy Syds not in a populated area or so many people would be dead by now lol.Given how she is stuff like this happening is going to be why the pewpew orbs likely going to be her least encouraged orb for loooooong time!
Just imagine how the PR would go if Syd(The least subtle person on the planet) kept getting recorded inflicting more collateral damage than the villains.
March 20, 2017, 8:17 am | # | Reply
To be fair Sydney has enough self-control to not fire pewpew orb while in a populated area……..while medicated………..and not surrounded by many shinies……….probably :D
March 20, 2017, 8:40 am | # | Reply
Well, she did not demonstrate it inside the boardroom during her interview. That was appreciated.
March 20, 2017, 8:28 am | # | Reply
This would be why Sydney did not use the PPO when she was in the populated area in the previous big fight. It is also why she does not assemble her gun and shoot members of the press corps. She is not insane.
March 20, 2017, 9:13 am | # | Reply
Uhhh Syds sanitys a little debatable given she treated her own death as a video game achievement and didn't even act remotely worried until she was actually about to be shanked by the frankenelf loonie but I get your point.
March 20, 2017, 10:21 am | # | Reply
There is a distinction between ‘insane’ and ‘eccentric’. If you are rich you are merely eccentric. Sydney is so rich, she is the queen of salt!
March 20, 2017, 10:23 am | # | Reply
It makes me wonder what if the movie ‘Inside Out’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Out_(2015_film) were set inside of Sydney’s brain. What personality would be at the controls the majority of the time? I think they may have to add a new character trait called “Ooh look! Shiny Object!”
March 20, 2017, 8:37 am | # | Reply
Two words: Charged Shot
March 20, 2017, 10:17 am | # | Reply
Yeah I’m thinking of Yuri’s minigun defenses from C&C. Longer it fires, faster it shoots,and the more damage each round does.
March 20, 2017, 8:57 am | # | Reply
Is it possible to have a view of the skilltree that show where she spent her points? A interactive flash of some sort that show how the skilltree is progressively filled. (At least, showing where she spent this point would be nice).
March 20, 2017, 10:18 am | # | Reply
I figure Sydney will just update Dabbler’s drawing with the two new points and their new functions and let ARQ-SparQ just go over it from there.
March 20, 2017, 10:23 am | # | Reply
Even Sydney does not know where she spent this one, other than ‘on the PPO’. She literally picked it with her eyes shut.
March 20, 2017, 5:20 pm | # | Reply
The tree for the PPO is unique, so that be an interesting thing to find out…
March 20, 2017, 3:50 pm | # | Reply
Two new points? Dabbles already knows where Sydney spent the first point
March 20, 2017, 8:58 am | # | Reply
So she picked the More Dakka upgrade. How orky.
March 20, 2017, 9:34 am | # | Reply
Mek Quake, he approves of more dakka. More dakka helps with Big Jobs!
March 20, 2017, 11:55 am | # | Reply
Of all the ABC warriors it could have been… Hey Mek Quake! There is a lot of dakka hidden on the bottom of the sea. Go and look for yourself.
March 20, 2017, 2:33 pm | # | Reply
Launchpad McQuack also approves of this choice.
March 20, 2017, 2:35 pm | # | Reply
Hm, I now want to see a Duck Tales remake of Star Wars.
March 21, 2017, 5:25 am | # | Reply
they’d still need Bugs Bunny to play Jar-Jar Binks. while wearing a Rasta hat
March 22, 2017, 9:31 am | # | Reply
The prequels never happened!
March 20, 2017, 8:58 am | # | Reply
You know, I am a bit surprised. Given how much effort went into plausibly making it so Sydney and Señor Clankybritches* are alone on that rooftop, I expected her upgrade to make a hyooge kaboom, and take off the top of the building.
*Of the South Hampton Clankybritches. The North Hampton Clankybritches are all New Money
March 20, 2017, 9:53 am | # | Reply
The funny thing is that Sydney probably expected that too,It almost feels like a bit of lampshade hanging about how narrative causality usually doesn't work in the real world and despite being a world with heroes etc grrl power likes to let reality ensue from time to time X3
March 20, 2017, 9:56 am | # | Reply
Or to put it in Sydney terms “Ok ill all alone with the big bad,My teammates have been beaten showing how powerful it is,THIS is the point in the story where the heroes new power is unlocked to save the day and I AM THAT HERO!!!!KAME-AHHHHHME-HAhhhh? laser spitballs!?!??!What a gyp!”
March 20, 2017, 9:30 am | # | Reply
The Warbot seem to have backed a little and put a shield up. so it mean that those projectile are somewhat heavy or send at great speed.
March 20, 2017, 10:27 am | # | Reply
It was also melting bits off its armour, prior to raising the shield. Putting distance between yourself and an opponent improves the odds of them missing. So it could simply have been a slight tactical withdrawal, whilst raising the shield.
But your points are reasonable in their own right too.
March 20, 2017, 9:49 am | # | Reply
Silly Syd… if you can start a fire, you can put out a fire.
March 20, 2017, 12:08 pm | # | Reply
…By burning everything around it to ash?
March 20, 2017, 8:51 pm | # | Reply
They’re called ‘counter-fires’ and THEY’RE A THING!
March 20, 2017, 9:52 am | # | Reply
We’re calling it the Red Ring of Death now.
March 20, 2017, 3:53 pm | # | Reply
Nah, “Sphincter Portal” has a better ring to it >_>
March 21, 2017, 5:26 am | # | Reply
it was meant originally as an Orb-ital cannon
March 20, 2017, 9:59 am | # | Reply
I’m suspecting that what triggers the levelups is when she masters the last one she bought. She got this one after using the teleport on the lightbee orb, so now that she’s actively learning the new functions on the PPO she just bought, she might get another one very soon.
March 21, 2017, 1:35 am | # | Reply
Actually that sounds pretty on the money,Ive always thought they're less level ups and more very sophisticated built in safetys(Likely an AI that tracks the usage of the orbs to gauge the proficiency of the user until they're ready to learn a new feature).
Any new user trying to use the orbs without training from the original owners/creators would be guaranteed to accidentally kill people/level several buildings just trying things out so an unregistered user who grabs the orbs gets reset to level one for their own safety.
March 22, 2017, 6:35 pm | # | Reply
::gets dragged offstage by a wolf in Confederate uniform saying “Time to go, son, joke’s over…”::
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Grrl Power is a comic about a crazy nerdette that becomes a superheroine. Humor, action, cheesecake, beefcake, 'splosions, and maybe some drama. Possibly ninjas.
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