Grrl Power #1149 – Cat curls
From the people who brought you Goat Yoga…
Seriously, how did Goat Yoga come about? It had to have been a bet, right? Someone had a line on a shitload of goats and bet his buddy who had a bunch of venture capital laying around that he could get “afternoon wine drunk yoga moms” to do yoga while goats stand on them.
Pixel weighs about 90 lbs in her human form, and Anvil was running out of space for 45 lb plates on the bar. I guess she has a 90 lb dumbbell tied to the other side. I know, you’re like, why doesn’t she just tie a dumbell to each side. You know how it is in a gym, one dumbbell in a matched pair has wandered off, or the 75 lb EZ Curl bar is missing and you can only find the 85 lb one and you can only get 3 reps with that one before your form goes to shit. No, leaning back 45 degrees is not good curl form.
So anyway, Sydney can make 2 lighthooks simultaneously and also somehow pre-emptively upgraded the atmorb. Atmosphorb? Life Supporb. The green one.
Here’s the updated skill tree. I know at some point in the past there was an errant extraneous point in the PPO skilltree, but I can’t find a comic it showed up in. I might have gone back and quietly retconned the art but I don’t recall. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen. The blue pips are the ones that were filled in when she found the orbs, the teal ones are the newly spent points. By the way, I realize that the second point on the Lighthook branch which allows her to use two hooks at the same time implies that the first point on that branch is required to use a single hook, meaning if that point isn’t spent, the orb is fairly useless. What can I say? Aliens, man.
The April vote incentive is up! As promised, it’s a Sydney pinup. Not airplane bathroom selfies, but hopefully her cuteness will satisfy.
Variant outfits and lack thereof over at Patreon, as well as the semi-usual bonus incentive related comic.
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Double res version will be posted over at Patreon. Feel free to contribute as much as you like.
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I thought she would go to passives seeing how she reacted to flight passive.
So Sydney did what I like to let my players do in one of my TTRPG games. Preemptively use a skill (at a slightly increased difficulty) they have not unlocked but will have the ability to upon their next level up / experience gain, but with the promise that they will buy that skill the moment they can (unless it turns out it’s absolute garbage and we all hated it. I’m not a monster). In story, I just say it’s someone going “Let me try something crazy” finding out they CAN do it, and then they now have the confidence to do it again on command from then on. Also something I allow very sparingly (I have good players, so they don’t abuse my leniency)
In Champions we sometimes had players set points aside for a future “mystery power” they get to use at a dramatic juncture (I would actually spend the points for them). If they needed it too soon the points would be on credit and force a specific upgrade.
Regarding the skill tree, points may to equal hooks. Maybe the first point made it stronger or longer or faster etc.
Maybe the first point was another compulsory first purchase for that orb.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that there were “level 0” points in the tree. Like each other has a specific point needed to be usable at all which may be the factory setting.
Yeah, that’s more or less what I was thinking, like maybe some points are spent by default at the point of manufacture, maybe there’s a way to unspend points that Sydney hasn’t figured out, is locked out of, or doesn’t have the anatomy to do, so there are default points spent from manufacture that enable the orbs to function and there’s a way for enthusiasts to disable some orbs if they feel like it, or they want to ultra-spec into one orb without grinding XP so they turn all the other orbs off to fill in most of the skill tree for their preferred orb.
I wouldn’t assume that the first pip was needed to have one. I’d assume that the pips modify or extend the base power. We never actually saw the base power, but maybe it could only lift one ton, or maybe it could only reach twenty feet. And we just spent a pip that doubles the number of tentacles that can simultaneously manifest.
There might be another one (or two!) that do the same thing in line, but there might also be pips that unlock fine-manipulation skills or sensory feedback, a pip that allows the tentacles to go invisible, or a pip that allows the “manipulating forcefield” to take other shapes (like being a flexible sheet that could scoop up a lot of loose stuff or hold gases in a bubble).
That’s what I was thinking;
First one is heavier capacity, second one is second tentacle, third one is digits on the end, fourth one is range, fifth one could be the ability to morph the tip into things like lockpicks etc.
However, that would then call into question the point of having four different branches of advancement.
What would the passive skill point on the light hook do anyway? Is it going to be active all the time? Maybe she could use it without holding the orb.
Semi-autonomous back scratcher.
probably strength
Tracking of objects around her?
An autofabber would be neat.
It would be but that doesnt seem passive or lighthook related.
Leave the hook active and locked into its last position when she lets go? Which could be super useful, although I can’t decide if that breaks the ‘must be holding the orb’ rule any more than featherfall.
Detailed haptic feedback so they have a sense of touch. Depending on how sensitive it could be, she might prefer not to get that until she learns how to turn things off again.
The other likely option would be having better awareness of where each of them are around her, so her brain can actually make sense of controlling the max number of tentacles at the same time.
It’s already helping her out pretty well in that department, or else she wouldn’t be able to form it into detailed cursive messages.
So why are some of the pips really bright, and most are not? And what did Sydney try to use the upgrade on but it failed?
Also, on top of being an incomplete upgrade interface, there are also hidden pre-requisite? Good grief.
as the author explained, the bright spots (teal) are her choice, the blue ones came with the orbs.
Ah, didn’t think she leveled up that much!
This is a weird plot development. It is boring to me.
There’s just nothing much we know about the orbs in the first place. What is true, is that this comic has been going on for a decade and very few of all those dots have been filled in. The likelihood of figuring out what they do in any orderly and scientific manner will be impossible during the average readers’ and artist’s lifetime. This comic is a lot more slice of life than it is massive superhero fightfests and I enjoy it for that. But this is a little fiddly thing that seems important but likely won’t be. I find myself unable to care.
“little fiddly thing that seems important but likely won’t be” sounds pretty “slice of life” to me.
Or maybe in the future she will met someone more familiar with them that will help her understand their use
I admit I’m kind of terrified of the passive on the PPO. If she (and the universe at large) is lucky, then it’s a Cpt. Marvel style “energy beam absorption” thing. If it lets her accidentally sneeze lasers…
Maybe it’s point defense?
Could be a targeting system like her glasses, so she knows where to aim and how much energy to expend to do what she wants.
ohh, theres an idea. personally, i think it would more likely be the ability to use the orb without handling it. seems like the only think passive about a weapon system to me, being able to use it without having to first think about the turning the safety of (grabbing it).
For those who need to know, Goat Yoga is specifically with baby goats (kids), and there is literally nothing that is cuter than a baby goat.
Some things are equally as cute, but nothing is more cute.
*said whilst perched daintily atop a middle-aged yoga instructor who can crack coconuts with her thighs*
Baaaaa!
*happy baby goat noises*
My mom lives in a small historic/touristy town surrounded by farm country on all sides. Upon leaving her town on the extended drive back to the Big City, in the middle of all this rural country life, is this farmhouse offering Goat Yoga. We live in an age of wonders, man….
Hmm, I wander if the points are more the
(this skill was here the whole time but the energy required was too high to use it so we are just bringing up your energy reserve level for that so you can use it…which isn’t usually a skill tree thing, its usually just a *there is a powerful combo, or move that tends to be a question mark or non–highlighted space in the move menu because you lack the power to use it)
or the orbs can do all the things already, just the pip creates an easy path to use it, less tooling around with it and more direct *creating a short cut menu*. Like if you rewarded someone for messing with a program and discovering there was a hidden feature by giving them a short cut direct link button to do it without having the mess with the code or menu options next time.
I kind of suspect the center one might be upgrading a “fuel gauge” and there needs to be some choice balances between constantly upgrading moves and adding to the fuel gauge so she can use them more frequently…if this is true there could be either (I’ve upgraded this one but its not doing anything…because there isn’t enough power to do it) or like with some games it simply won’t let you select that skill because your mana or whatever isn’t high enough
(the first is more general, the stopping selection is usually found in games where they are targeting a slightly younger audience usually or trying to be more user friendly and keep the player from wasting exp on something they can’t even use yet.)
it would be annoying to use a skill point on something and without instructions just not know the reason its doing anything is because you need to upgrade the fuel gauge enough to actually use it…especially if without instructions you don’t even know there is a fuel gauge.
I think the center points were kind of a user manual. After putting a point there she understood the orbs a bit better if i recall
I remember that, it is a really weird feature to use skill points to activate a user manual, unless its the *hints* feature like some games have…yes in some games the feature so many players find annoying in others the *hint giver* is actually locked behind hidden features or in-game points…well that and the fortune tellers in so many games back in the day where you’d spend coin to be reminded of what you were doing and a clue on where to go next (why journals and game diaries were such an improvement).
that said, it can be two things, like the orb that sees through illusions also has a teleport and the one for flying also opens portals (which I am very curious what the upgrades on that path do if the one she has at first pip is already the pinnacle of the known civilizations’ technology for interstellar travel…first guess the next one makes it so people can’t scan where she is coming or going while its open like they can now, giving it a stealth mode.
I’m going to bring up something unrelated to this day’s cartoon. I am starting to get a little bit lost about who’s who. I’ve noticed the cast list has not been updated for a long time. Love the comic!
Lots of people commenting about her getting lighthook instead shield passive…
I think it makes complete sense for Sydney to buy lighthook there.
So. Sydney is a logical thinker (and overthinker) but with a VERY emotional trigger for her thought chains. She recently risked losing her superpowers, or so she thinks. And that was cause her only offensive option is the laser. However, overusing the PPO is what caused her orbs to “malfunction” or so she assumes, which means she needs an alternative way to attack, that doesn’t drain ehr batteries that fast. And the Molestorb is a VERY good option there.
So yah, I think it makes perfect sense that she’d choose it, based on who she is.
She also needs more ways to subdue criminals and villains between her two usual options of “harsh words” and “massacre”.
Was it overusing the PPO… or using the atmo-sphere to create nitrogen? That might have been a very expensive operation, depending on exactly how it worked.
Doesn’t matter what it REALLY was. What matters is what she THINKS it was.
It seems like it was from using the atmo-sphere to create nitrogen.
The PPO idea was Dabbler’s guess, which seems to have been an incorrect assumption.
what if the prevous owner dies and goes into the orbs like a AI and mentors the next user so mind scan oh this is what she could do or understand right now and not die. then her stunt with change nitrogen was a “wait what to the AI or so on or entity then gave the upgrade or so on. or more of “wait why didnt i think of that moment”
It’s been a while since we last saw Shawn…
also, double lighthook? so, if that segment is quantity, so maybe 5 in total?
also, maybe the one with less points are strength (no idea what would qualify for the other with 1 point) and the one with 3 maybe elasticity/range since Sydney can write cursive with it.
also, if the brown orb already has 1 point on the trees, maybe it is doing something when Sydney grabs it… Or it isn’t and Sydney have to intent to make it work, like PPO or Fly Orb
Maybe the single point tree is semi-permeability; i.e. the ability to pass through objects at will.
Doc Ock? or is this alien version of learning TK via baby steps?
Another fan of “The Princess Bride,” I take it.
Max was already on the verge of a rant when she thought the choker’s were just chokers and merely reminiscent of collars and women being property of husbands back in 956. Did she ever get a proper onscreen reaction to learning that the chokers are directly based on sex slave collars?
This picture of the skill tree with shown spent skill points is quite helpful, thanks. So in all that time Sydney only got 8 skill points huh… well, surely she can gain more later.
Now, what would be I interesting to check is a point that connects two orbs. It’s possible it gives some additional synergy, and many other options were tested so why not test this one with next point. In particular, Sydney often uses shield and lighthook, I propose those two; alternative is shield + flight
I’m intrigued by flight and ppo already being linked.
Possibly it’d be like a lot of RPG abilities where you can use the first one free, and then the first upgrade is a ‘subtle point’, making it stronger/faster/longer ranged, then the point following that gives a doubling effect which is essentially only possible because of the first point.
Just noticed there’s very, very faint skill tree options, some (three?) without any apparent spot for a point. Wonder what these could be.
Could the skill tree actually be like bumpers in bumper bowling that keep the user safe until they’ve either gained enough experience to use a feature, or their brain has evolved enough to use the skill. Like keeping track of two tentacles has to be a lot more mentally challenging than just one a la the old pat your belly/rub your head trick?
Man, if Patreons get a version of the skill tree with actual labels or explanations for everything I’d sign up in a heartbeat just to see that, just saying. xD
Why are Pixel’s nails glowing in her human form? It helps me understand that she is sitting on the weights but I thought the laser claws were solely in her were form. Is she partially morphed right now?
You and me both. Maybe while she is “uniquely, only super in her were forms” explaining why her physical change is so drastic-ie gaining something like 4 feet in height with muscles and curves to match while not being a dire were variant- the glowing might be a sign that she is a werepanther. That is maybe there are certain changes to the base human form from being a Werebeing, like maybe even as a human her nails are thicker and tougher, so her powers that normally are locked into her other form have a little bleed through here.
Or she is doing it on purpose like you said and is partially morphed- maybe tapping into were healing to recover faster from exercise but not hulk out all the way.
Those are speed lines, commonly used to signify motion. In this case, up and down.
What scares me is that the plates on either side of the dumbbell look equal, signifying that Anvil is strong enough that a 90+ pound weight imbalance doesn’t bother her. That’s hell’a strong torsion control.
I’m curious – not sure if it’s already been asked, but the one lone, thick branch that each orb has almost looks like the start of a connector to an additional orb. Is it possible there are more orbs somewhere out “there” and that they could be bound into the tree at some point?
Based on the original state and evolutions, the single double-outlined node on each orb is the passive slot – the airb (based on the pool scene) came with some kind of self-activation mode, and the flyball now has featherfall.
Ahh, cool, thanks!
The auto allocate makes me think the pips are closer to certifications in a training program. She can choose a next training module to pursue, but can also be ‘certified’ based on experience. So, she demonstrated sufficient understanding of the use of atmospheric alteration to skip that module. Tada. Certified. She also got to pick a new training module to pursue.
This implies the prior owner had a fatal accident during drivers Ed.
Goat Yoda Is better then Goat Yoga
https://stolengoat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/elite-goat-yoda.jpg
This cinches my belief that the pips in the center give Syd an intuitive awareness of how the orbs work. When she took that third pip out in space, she took it just in time to figure out how dumb it would be to jump to her last “fritzy” preset. Since then, she’s guessed how to generate nitrogen, figured out passives lickety-split, and now intuits why the pip spent itself. You really want a badass Sydney? Give her a fourth pip in the center.
The alien technology of unknown origin and bonded to it’s user that is so advanced it confounds other known aliens may be influencing the mind of it’s wielder to better use it’s self.
… Sydney in the background of the last panel just quoted The Princess Bride?
Looking at the picture of the orb’s skill tree, every single orb can has multiple connections to the other’s. I’m seriously thinking that’s what the last unknown orb does, acts as a control unit for the others. Once all connections are made in the skill tree she could just hold the one and use the rest at the same time! The mind boggles….
All her powers on any and all the time…
@daveB,
Doing a re-read now, because of a link to a comic where she spent the flying point and I decided I wanted to re-read the entire story again.
I stumbled upon this: https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-552-0-1810367-leagues-under-the-sea/
How come she can get that deep into the ocean while she demonstrated here https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-539-and-the-winner-of-the-cannonball-contest-is/
that she can’t fly her shield bubble down in water because of the buoyancy?
Is Max actually pushing them down while inside the bubble?
The page at your second link explains itself perfectly – she can fly in the water just fine, as demonstrated there and when chauffeuring the team to the Black Reliquary, but pops up when she lets go of the flyball to try another orb. Sydney says on surfacing: “I can’t maintain my shield, and fly downward against the buoyancy, and use a third orb at the same time.”
In panel 9 of strip 539 Sydney explains it there, she has to use the fly-orb to stay under. I like to re-read from the beginning now and then too, helps to keep up with the lore. I do that with several different strips, some because they post bi-weekly or monthly and it’s easy to forget what the current one means if you don’t (I’m aging and my memory sux).
Pixel’s human musculature is hella neat.
What Pixel and Anvil were saying about the auto-upgrade might explain why the orbs were acting weird, the OS that the orbs use(?) might of been glitching until she used the upgrade points. They do show they can act up if they have points to be used, like when they fell out of her bag in the airplane’s head. Or when she was fighting Mega Squidward.
I gotta ask, why is Pixel’s nail’s doing the contrail effect if only in her wereform does she have laser claws? Or does she just use special nail polish because she thinks it’s neat?
Curious as to whether Sydney could activate 3 other orbs at a time now, by using the lighthook to hold 2 of them
Even if she could just use the lighthook to hold and operate 1 other orb indirectly, which is still kind of “only 2 active” if you squint, that could be useful in some situations.
so, uhm, where was the off-spec use of air orb?
nevermind; nitrogen fire extinguisher after melting a desert into a city sized glass puck
she has already written in cursive with it multipletimes. the ones that spring to mind were instructions to find and help her when she was parylized by the demon hunter, ad when advertising the comic store on t.v.
Wait. I thought it looked like Were-Pixel outweighed Cat-Pixel. Was that just the forced perspective?
The auto allocate makes me think the pips are closer to certifications in a training program. Max was already on the verge of a rant when she felt the chokers were just chokers and merely reminiscent of collars and women being the property of husbands back in 956.
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