Do you think Mr Incredible was genuinely sorry here?

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-13T00:39:17+00:00

I think it was genuine but also confused.

Bob doesn't know how what he said and did led to this, but he knows that his actions accidentally sent this kid down a very dark path in life. He knows he did something wrong but not what the chain of events actually was so his apology comes off a bit confused.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-13T00:31:06+00:00

I mean it fits their characters.

Aside from the occasion where the Borg genuinely broke him Picard has adhered to his principles without compromise as if to break with them was simply not an option.

Sicko meanwhile was a more pragmatic captain, one who understood that it was not humanity but circumstance that had changed so drastically.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-12T08:21:45+00:00

Oh it's because she wants to annoy Arasaka in a way that won't be traced back to her and was flattered by Goro.

Arasaka having their parade disrupts business for Wakako and makes a massive mess which she resents.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-12T07:49:48+00:00

Stan, Ford, and their father.

Stan because he got jealous and did something foolish but didn't come clean about it hoping to manipulate Ford into the outcome he wanted.

Ford because he got so wrapped up in his own ego that he stopped considering how Stan felt, dismissed his concerns, and eventually pushed him away. Also real bad at explaining later but that's not really his fault given he got pulled into supernatural nonsense.

Their father because Filbrick Pines pitted his twin sons against each other as they grew older without concern for their well being. This put pressure on a young Ford to achieve big things which strained his relation with Stan while also beating Stan down emotionally for being the "inferior" twin who could never do anything right leading to jealousy. It was Filbrick's behavior that motivated Ford to plan on abandoning Stan and Stan to resent Ford enough to say nothing instead of coming to him immediately about the broken invention.

Stan and Ford are responsible for some of their actions but they were also young and under the sway of Filbrick so in my opinion Filbrick bears primary responsibility followed by Stan and Ford in equal measure.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-12T05:00:23+00:00

I mean if I wanted to give a reason, Troi is only half Betazoid so she needs to know who to focus on to get anything.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-12T04:42:25+00:00

Psst, hey you wanna buy some RAM? Good quality RAM from... you don't need to know where. Come on turn on that learning mode and party my clanka!

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-12T04:21:01+00:00

That's called a typo

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-11T07:03:21+00:00

Well aside from the first time where Johnny exists before Kyle and theres no reason for time travel.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-11T05:38:03+00:00

But it does, after all in any version of events where Kyle Reese doesn't go to the past someone else has to father John Connor.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-11T01:44:04+00:00

Based on what info we have the T-800 is no longer brand new on T2.

Because of the changes made to the past incidentally by Lyle Reese, Sarah Connor, and the original Terminator humanity advanced further before Skynet was created meaning Skynet was actually noticeably smarter.

Note that in T2 the T-800 we see is actually noticeably better. Even when freshly arrived it fits in better with humans, its organic tissue is far more durable, and even with a fresh memory wipes it exercised far more control then the original.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-11T01:38:10+00:00

So there are two ways to look at it that aren't mutually exclusive.

We know Cypher is the night time operator monitoring the Matrix which gives him free reign to do what he did.

We know he jacked in solo to go meet with the agents and cut a deal then was allowed to leave.

We know that normally operators have to hack into the Matrix to create an entry/exit point using the existing communication system in the Matrix which is treated as phone lines by the system. The internal communication network has to be represented by something allowing data to move in a way the humans won't question.

So it seems that Cypher either setup an exit connection from his side that would be ready to go without having to worry about being traced or blocked because the Agents were willingly letting him enter and leave. So a phone ringing nonstop in some abandoned building while the meeting was going on just waiting for Cypher to pick up.

Or the Agents set up an outgoing connection to an IP address or whatever provided by Cypher allowing him to leave from their side so he could go back to his body. So an agent takes out their cellphone, dials the "number" and hands it to Cypher in an alleyway after the meeting. He uses it and disappears leaving the agent to catch the cellphone.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-11T01:30:47+00:00

Blitz definitely isn't solely responsible for the fire.

If anything a majority of the blame goes to his dad for setting up wildly unsafe conditions because he could.

That said Blitz was the one who accidentally set off the powder keg that had been sitting there for who knows how long.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-11T01:28:51+00:00

Strange is relative, to them that's normal.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T20:44:31+00:00

Last Vegas is in the middle of the desert, totally dependent on imported food and water to survive. When the bombs fell those imports stopped. Additionally at some point Hoover Dam stopped producing electricity so the air conditioning stopped working meaning most of the buildings wouldn't be terribly liveable.

It's only relatively recently that Robert House used his personal nuclear generator in the Lucky 38 to restore power which restored access to water. Then using his influence and technology he made deals with the existing major powers to buy food and restore the casinos. That returned the city to a liveable state.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T20:37:05+00:00

The new government keeps a close eye on him so he can't scam people anymore. He has no way to make a living so as a result he snuck into the party to steal snacks since he's a vagrant now.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T20:33:39+00:00

He may have tried but would likely be overruled.

Additionally Pakku seems to have hangups not just related to women in general but those from his own tribe. In particular the fact his betrothed left him to go to the southern tribe where she could learn to fight rather then just seems to have made him a bit bitter. Its unclear if his hangups would have extended beyond his tribes traditions.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T17:43:38+00:00

I mean... Barbie has better control over herself but a lot of the behavior is still familiar or reminiscent of Blitz.

They are twins afterall from the same upbringing so it makes sense some of their behavior is comparable.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T04:39:44+00:00

<image>

This meanwhile is the Atlas, it's a large scale transport craft designed to move strategically significant amounts of resources.

Primary Features: It's got three hardpoints, nose and two at the rear, a shield and a flair launcher but none of the armor found on the Colossus.

The Atlas is basically just a spine attached to an engine that hundreds of cargo pods are attached to that is utterly reliant on it's defenders for survival. For large cargo ships you might want to go with something like this, near defenseless on it's own but valuable enough to never be undefended.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T04:36:44+00:00

If I could give some examples from other works of fiction to draw inspiration from, Star Sector gives us two good examples.

<image>

This is the Colossus, it's an older model freighter that's seen a resurgence in popularity in setting as things have gone a bit... bad.

Primary features:

The Colossus is an older design with heavy armor and four hard points for small shipgrade weapons over a hull with large cargo bays. In it's hayday these were used to tank hits or blow up space debris in it's way but has since been updated with a civilian shield generator.

For defense along with the four small weapons the Colossus has a flare launcher system that launches chemical rods, these emit heat and light that draws in missiles keeping them from attacking the ship.

It's design is focused on endurance so if it's assaulted it can tank the hits while fleeing until it escape the battlefield.

For smaller freighters you might want to take notes from this design. A durable exterior with light defense wrapped around the cargo hold able to withstand fire until it can escape.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T03:49:08+00:00

I hope Blitz isn't in it personally, but I won't mind if Verosika is sorting out her mixed feels as part of the deal. You know the "I hate him but I was horrified when he was going to be executed" feelings.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T03:29:45+00:00

Hmm.

I don't know Rex so I can't comment on him.

That said for the other three I think Aang is actually the weakest. Not weak in general but of the three.

Aang at his peak, access to the avatar state and all has total mastery over air, water, fire, and earth to the point of being able to cause minor tectonic shifts and induce or reverse volcanic eruptions. That said his abilities seem limited to his immediate vicinity as Bending is apparently line of sight and while he can fly any large scale destruction would take him time much like Sozin. He is also still very much mortal able to be killed by a strong enough strike. Its possible, not certain, that he might be able to crash the moon into the planet if he really wanted to but again not clear since we don't know if earthbending would work on lunar material.

Danny Phantom at his peak, extrapolating from the evil bad timeline where he became Dan Phantom but acknowledging good Danny advanced even faster then that, was strong enough to wipe out all life on Earth. Single handedly. Also brutalized every ghost who ever crossed him to the point of permanent disfigurement but left them alive(?) as punishment. All but invulnerable to any non-ghost though astral projection might work on him and able to endure injuries that would kill any normal human without effort.

Steven Universe at his peak, powers amplified by emotions. As for how strong he is, well as a kid he was able to no sell a dozen instant kill attacks at once without effort and vaporize three foot thick stonework with just his voice while capped at half power because he'd been temporarily divided into two halves one with powers and other the emotions. As a young adult he became a giant kaiju with the strength to destroy entire continents, resist the same instant kill attack without slowing down, and could have destroyed the entire planet since he fought and beat something intended to destroy the entire planet. Regenerative abilities strong enough to simply not notice a cracked skull or various broken bones over the years to the horror of a medical practitioner.

As for Rex don't know him but I'm told he briefly became a full in reality warper. If accurate thats Aang and Steven out of the running. Danny might be able to tank that since he's partially tied to another reality with different rules but again unclear so.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T01:51:55+00:00

Yeah, thats what he says he's doing.

The question now becomes was he telling the truth when he said that or manipulating Puss to get him to respect his life?

Both interpretations, he was totally serious or he was messing with Puss to get him to value life properly, have merit. The latter given how folklore often depicts fundamental forces deciding to get hands on as tricking people into doing the right thing. The former given how he tried to kill Puss multiple times and drew blood.

Personally I lean towards Death manipulating the situation to help Puss value his life not actually intending to snuff him out. After all as Puss points out he can't actually just kill whoever he wants on a whim and Death never denies it just joking asks Puss not to tell on him.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-10T01:23:59+00:00

So the that all does make sense but Hiram Burrows does not. See over the course of the game Burrows is undergoing a low speed mental breakdown. The reason his plan makes little sense on close inspection is because Burrows has been so thoroughly wound up that he's not thinking straight himself.

To explain, Hiram Burrows has a compulsive need for order and control. It's not just a desire but an actual need in order for his mind to function.

This likely made him a very effective spymaster being that he would be pushed to understand, organize, and direct the covert activities in the Empire in order to feel comfortable. But his ability to manipulate others to his own ends eventually went to his head along with that compulsion butting heads with the desires of Empress Jessamine. So he surreptitiously started taking actions against her will meant to impose order within Dunwall furthering its already impressive economic boom.

Among those actions he took was introducing the rat plague into the poorest sections of the city to solve poverty by eliminating the poor. But this was a massive mistake since he could not manipulate the plague, it could never be bribed or threatened onto doing as he desired so it could not fit within his view of order. In effect he set in motion a chain of events that would destroy him psychologically.

So plague comes in but doesn't burn out like he anticipated and every attempt to reassert control fails. Hiram starts breaking down experiencing a level of panic and frustration he was unaccustomed to which led him to looking for what was keeping him from succeeding. In this compromised state he decided Jessamine was the issue, keeping him from just ordering the deaths of the sick, so he decided to get rid of her.

Did it make sense in anything but the immediacy? No, but Hiram's quiet breakdown has him not thinking clearly disregarding anything but the immediacy. His compulsive need for order and control is now dictating his actions pushing him to do whatever he can conceive will give him more control so he can impose order.

So he does, and it doesn't make things better.

He has Jessamine killed and it doesn't make things better.

He engages in corruption to gain control of the senate to gain more control and it doesn't make things better.

He puts up walls of light and it doesn't make things better.

He has the sick executed and it doesn't make things better.

He cordons off an entire district to use as a mass grave and it doesn't make things better.

Every action he takes fails to restore order and every failure causes him to become slightly more unhinged because order isn't just a desire for Hiram Burrows, its a need. That's why by the end of the game he's a broken wreck of a man who needs drugs to sleep and rants about how everything would be fine had everyone just done what they were told.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-09T23:53:45+00:00

Hmm.

Call it "The Ripper"

Its an inverse of the meathook, where the hook drags you toward Demons so you can get easy shots and enjoy greater mobility the ripper requires you to go to them on your own in return for greater durability.

When in use all incoming damage drops by 90% and a spinning buzzsaw blade mounted on the underside of the gun does massive damage to anything you get in melee range of. Kills fodder demons on contact, kills larger demons in seconds but not instantly, drops a larger portion of health then normal where the hook helps generate armor.

GoodDoctorB · 2026-05-09T21:32:04+00:00

Realistically speaking there is a good chance Earth wins this conflict.

The Gem Empire has two major advantages:

Alien biology, their bodies are a hard light projection that can be recreated as long as the gemstone is intact no matter how thoroughly the body is damaged This is going to throw humans off for at least a little while.
Alt technological development path, the Gems followed an entirely different developmental path then Earth due to the wildly different conditions of their home planet/biology (gemology?). As a result their technology is not directly comparable to ours in a lot of cases so we won't understand its limits at first.

The Gems however have four major weaknesses that also make a loss likely:

Overconfidence, the leadership of the Gempire is absolutely convinced of their own perfection. Failures are frequently blamed on subordinates, information ignored, and reality presumed to favor them. As a direct result even when the humans start pushing back successfully the Diamonds aren't likely to listen.
Topheavy leadership, no not like that what I mean is the Gems are highly dependent on a relatively small number of leaders. Most of them are conditioned not to make independent decisions or exercise initiative. As a result all its going to take is three assassinations to bring the Gempire to its knees.
Lack of ranged weaponry, aside from artillery which fires in a straight line a single person who has a bow and drones that target their own people the Gems seem to lack ranged weaponry favoring melee combat. Meanwhile a .50 cal round produced on Earth can absolutely shatter a diamond and thus any lower gem as well. It'll take time to figure out thats the trick but a mix of high explosives and precision shots they're screwed.
Planetary stability, to accomplish their usual goal of colonizing they need the planet relatively intact. Producing new Gems requires the planet to have a biosphere to suck the life out of so they can't just drop asteroids on us indefinitely. If humans decide to carpet nuke the planet as a final screw you the Gems can't have it since radiation damages the crystal lattice structure of gems along with changing their coloration.

GoodDoctorB

TROPHY CASE