Author Topic: Webcomic-The Meridian Way  (Read 56318 times)

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #260 on: 11/25/2022 08:45 pm »

With a population of only about 2 million, would you actually have a need for dedicated crowd control robots/waldos? or could that just be one of the functions of a more generalized "disaster response" mechanism, designed for fire/life support failure/other toxic conditions? I guess I'm picturing troops or peace officers having the ability to "deputize" any autonomous machinery to come and make a moving wall (while waving their arms and saying "Danger, Will Robinson").
Perhaps,  I've been downsizing my response to the Great Landcruiser robbery as time went by, from a 'They stole nuclear material, this means war!'  to a more measured 'hum that, a bit annoying, my good chap', level of response. 
Deputized emergency rescue equipment?  That's an interesting thought.  They do look a bit more like tractors than police officers, to be honest :-)
That would address Zed_Noir's objection with a minimal change of text, something like: "Well, they do look as dangerous as a bunch of old tractors can look", or something slightly derisive of that sort...

Offline SpeakertoAnimals

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #261 on: 11/25/2022 08:52 pm »

With a population of only about 2 million, would you actually have a need for dedicated crowd control robots/waldos? or could that just be one of the functions of a more generalized "disaster response" mechanism, designed for fire/life support failure/other toxic conditions? I guess I'm picturing troops or peace officers having the ability to "deputize" any autonomous machinery to come and make a moving wall (while waving their arms and saying "Danger, Will Robinson").
Perhaps,  I've been downsizing my response to the Great Landcruiser robbery as time went by, from a 'They stole nuclear material, this means war!'  to a more measured 'hum that, a bit annoying, my good chap', level of response. 
Deputized emergency rescue equipment?  That's an interesting thought.  They do look a bit more like tractors than police officers, to be honest :-)
That would address Zed_Noir's objection with a minimal change of text, something like: "Well, they do look as dangerous as a bunch of old tractors can look", or something slightly derisive of that sort...
or possibly "Where did they find those old donut delivery bots?".

Offline Zed_Noir

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #262 on: 11/25/2022 11:16 pm »

With a population of only about 2 million, would you actually have a need for dedicated crowd control robots/waldos? or could that just be one of the functions of a more generalized "disaster response" mechanism, designed for fire/life support failure/other toxic conditions? I guess I'm picturing troops or peace officers having the ability to "deputize" any autonomous machinery to come and make a moving wall (while waving their arms and saying "Danger, Will Robinson").
Perhaps,  I've been downsizing my response to the Great Landcruiser robbery as time went by, from a 'They stole nuclear material, this means war!'  to a more measured 'hum that, a bit annoying, my good chap', level of response. 
Deputized emergency rescue equipment?  That's an interesting thought.  They do look a bit more like tractors than police officers, to be honest :-)
That would address Zed_Noir's objection with a minimal change of text, something like: "Well, they do look as dangerous as a bunch of old tractors can look", or something slightly derisive of that sort...
The press ganging of "semi-autonomous" machinery to form a mobile barrier while sounds good. Have to address the liabilities of the owners of those machinery and the liabilities of the authorities doing the pressing. Like does the authorities compensated to the owners for any damage or even destruction suffer by the pressed machinery. Not an objection to the pressing machinery by authorities during a contingency idea.

'They stole nuclear material, this means war!' is a bit overblown. As long as said nuclear material isn't weapons grade. Even now there is a lot nuclear material floating around for medical and industrial usage.

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #263 on: 11/27/2022 05:14 pm »
Updated p.73 as per suggestions.  Thanks!
Safety first!!

Offline SpeakertoAnimals

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #264 on: 11/27/2022 09:50 pm »
Updated p.73 as per suggestions.  Thanks!
Safety first!!
I like it, it suggests finite resources and robotic first responders with meatbags showing up second once they are dressed and figure out what else to bring to an emergency. I'm picturing the 911 call center sending robots first and then trying to explain to their supervisors what they think is going on while the bots are screaming in under high G forces.
Edit: Next will we have a stereotypical english bobby calling out over the speakers in the bots, saying: "Well now, what's all this then?".
« Last Edit: 11/27/2022 09:56 pm by SpeakertoAnimals »

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #265 on: 11/30/2022 04:01 am »

Offline SpeakertoAnimals

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #266 on: 11/30/2022 12:05 pm »

Setting up for a robot fight? Will we be having a dump truck trying to run over a fire bot?

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #267 on: 11/30/2022 01:01 pm »

Setting up for a robot fight? Will we be having a dump truck trying to run over a fire bot?
I was going to deescalate, but this is soooo tempting.  The story kind of whimpered out to a stop.
I still have the idiots brothers to start fires that they cannot stop...

Now how could I strip out about 10 pages of talking heads all along the way to tighten up the whole thing.... I see that it's a problem with this creation process; it tends to wander and stretch out.

Offline MickQ

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #268 on: 11/30/2022 09:01 pm »
The ability of a robot to rapidly change size and shape would be rather intimidating in a crowd control situation, eg go from a squatting posture to standing tall and spreading arms wide.

Offline Zed_Noir

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #269 on: 12/01/2022 06:23 am »
The ability of a robot to rapidly change size and shape would be rather intimidating in a crowd control situation, eg go from a squatting posture to standing tall and spreading arms wide.
Unless the crowd perceived some form of threat from the robot, not really. And you need a wall of robots. Also a surging crowd will likely overturn any light weight robots or vehicles that gets in the way. Plus in the context of the story, provide a bigger and easier target for anti-vehicle weapons.

Offline SpeakertoAnimals

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #270 on: 12/03/2022 06:04 pm »
The ability of a robot to rapidly change size and shape would be rather intimidating in a crowd control situation, eg go from a squatting posture to standing tall and spreading arms wide.
Unless the crowd perceived some form of threat from the robot, not really. And you need a wall of robots. Also a surging crowd will likely overturn any light weight robots or vehicles that gets in the way. Plus in the context of the story, provide a bigger and easier target for anti-vehicle weapons.
I don't see anti-vehicle weapons being something available. People living in pressurized habitats would be very adverse to the existence of that kind of weapon.

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #271 on: 12/04/2022 12:44 am »
The ability of a robot to rapidly change size and shape would be rather intimidating in a crowd control situation, eg go from a squatting posture to standing tall and spreading arms wide.
Unless the crowd perceived some form of threat from the robot, not really. And you need a wall of robots. Also a surging crowd will likely overturn any light weight robots or vehicles that gets in the way. Plus in the context of the story, provide a bigger and easier target for anti-vehicle weapons.
I don't see anti-vehicle weapons being something available. People living in pressurized habitats would be very adverse to the existence of that kind of weapon.
I don't think Mars will be particularly violent, rather like an even more polite Canada than the wild west.  Lots of interdependence, a fragile living space in a difficult environment.  I'm kind of tired of stories where spear carriers get killed left and right and violent futures, not really what I wish for my children ;-)  Anyway, will go for the quiet ending, I expect.

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #272 on: 12/05/2022 12:03 am »
De-escalation.

Offline CameronD

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #273 on: 12/05/2022 05:26 am »
I love the sunset colours you've chosen in the last few pages - looks awesome!  8)
« Last Edit: 12/05/2022 05:27 am by CameronD »
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #274 on: 12/07/2022 07:36 pm »
Not quite satisfied with the snappy comeback.
ah well, it'll have to do, unless someone has a better suggestion :-)

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #275 on: 12/12/2022 03:16 am »

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #276 on: 12/14/2022 03:58 pm »

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #277 on: 12/16/2022 02:00 pm »
The next few scenes will take place at the Surya Spaceport. 
What might be the ICAO code for the Spaceport?  If ICAO gave JZRO to Jezero crater in 2021, might the Surya Spaceport be JSUR, with J standing for Mars?  Could "J" become the letter used for off Earth spaceports and space stations in general?

https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/ICAO-celebrates-latest-step-in-aviation-innovation-with-code-assignments-for-world-first-offplanet-flight-operation.aspx

It's just a detail, won't be more tha a few letters in the background somewhere, but it's fun to get thing right and perhaps anticipate the future a little bit.



Offline neoforce

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #278 on: 12/16/2022 02:22 pm »
Given the mess of airport codes, JSUR is as good as any.

I knew nothing about IATA and ICAO codes until CGP Grey released his recent video on them, attached below.  But it does seem that J is reserved for Mars (for now) and I would guess there will be an new letter for the Moon.  And if we ever get off world in a big way, it will become a mess, just like how codes evolved for airports as described in the video.



« Last Edit: 12/16/2022 02:33 pm by neoforce »

Online lamontagne

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Re: Webcomic-The Meridian Way
« Reply #279 on: 12/16/2022 02:40 pm »
Given the mess of airport codes, JSUR is as good as any.

I knew nothing about IATA and ICAO codes until CGP Grey released his recent video on them, attached below.  But it does seem that J is reserved for Mars (for now) and I would guess there will be an new letter for the Moon.  And if we ever get off world in a big way, it will become a mess, just like how codes evolved for airports as described in the video.



Saw the same video, that's the origin of this question  ;-)
Love CGP Grey, in particular Rules for Rulers.
« Last Edit: 12/16/2022 02:42 pm by lamontagne »

 

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