THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Comic Discussion => ALICE GROVE => Topic started by: jwhouk on 02 Nov 2014, 05:37

Title: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: jwhouk on 02 Nov 2014, 05:37
And, as it is a new month, here's your poll and Discussion Thread.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 02 Nov 2014, 12:50
A second discussion thread...*sniff* our little baby's growing up so fast.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 02 Nov 2014, 16:11
I voted for Alice's real identity and I'm betting that we're all going to be startled just how mundane it is.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 02 Nov 2014, 20:13
General Purpose Maintenance Engineer Class II?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 02 Nov 2014, 20:35
Does "identity" include whatever superpower she has?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: FunkyTuba on 02 Nov 2014, 21:31
Waiting for QC cameos.... Any bets in when Harriet will put in an appearance?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 02 Nov 2014, 22:36
I'm better Alice's real identity is GSV.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: KOK on 03 Nov 2014, 08:47
Alice's secret identity is Pizza Girl.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 03 Nov 2014, 11:15
Well, that would explain why we haven't seen her in QC for a while


She's crossed dimensions
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 03 Nov 2014, 12:04
Or perhaps this is where people eaten by the Allosaur go? Does this mean Angus will be joining the cast? People need to know these things!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Pilchard123 on 03 Nov 2014, 13:45
What, like the Nethersphere?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 03 Nov 2014, 18:10
I am more and more getting the impression that Alice is no more a native of this world than Ardent is. Perhaps even less.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: SubaruStephen on 03 Nov 2014, 18:16
Oh, I get it, we've got an M. Night Shyamalon's The Village situation going on.



(Yes, I know I spelled his name wrong)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 03 Nov 2014, 19:47
I'm telling you, Alice is the avatar of the General Systems Vehicle Alice Grove. The world is a spaceship and the spaceship is Alice.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 03 Nov 2014, 21:37
So Alice is still being a shitty xenophobe?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 03 Nov 2014, 22:32
Maybe. But, whatever's going on, Alice has something to protect here.

One could jump to conclusions about her, but one then skips the questions: Why is the harmony so balanced? What is doing the balancing. Who is managing the what? Is it Alice? And, most interesting, is "Not supposed to possible" a throwaway line, or does Alice know of something that would prevent extra terrestrial sight seers
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 03 Nov 2014, 23:27
Called it: Ardy is a tourist (and, thus, a parody of every thoughtless thing that we do on holiday).

What is interesting is that "it isn't supposed to be possible". My guess is that someone is trying to build a perfect world and has psychotic robot defences in place to stop outsiders from getting in and 'infecting' the place. As for Alice? She's a caretaker. She keeps things working and in balance. Sometimes that involves removing things that disrupt the balance, so Ardent should watch his back!

Alternately, this is a simulation and Alice is an avatar of the system's maintenance algorithms.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 03 Nov 2014, 23:45
Alternately, this is a GSV and Alice is an avatar of the ship's AI.
Improved that for you.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 03 Nov 2014, 23:59
Alternately, this is a GSV and Alice is an avatar of the ship's AI.

Improved that for you.

Is that a The Culture reference? I've never liked those stories. The Culture was always too OP and too self-righteous for my tastes.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 04 Nov 2014, 00:06
To me, the Culture is a modern take on the United Federation of Planets. Their attitude makes perfect sense for that perspective, and the way it clashes with things around it is fun to watch.

Alice's self-righteousness is certainly in keeping.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 04 Nov 2014, 00:26
The biggest argument against Alice being an all-powerful AI is that she can't do anything about Ardent. A Culture AI would disintegrate him on the spot and walk on before he even finished dissolving. No, she has some special abilities but she is mostly at the same level as the townsfolk and farmers. That's what makes me think 'Caretaker'.

She may be a very advanced AnthroPC but that's the top limit.

FWIW, I believe that she is capable of/authorised to use deadly force to protect The Experiment, so Ardent should watch his step. However, I suspect that he is a symptom of some far greater problem and may end up an unlikely ally in the tradition of Twoflower.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 04 Nov 2014, 00:56
Oh, I know she's not a GSV. At the rate this story is moving it will be a good long time before we really know anything, so I came up with the most insane theory still vaguely consistent with the established story.

And I'm stickin' to it.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 04 Nov 2014, 01:14
I was thinking about this on my way to work this morning and realised that 'Caretaker' has some misleading implications. If Alice has a title, I've got a feeling that it is 'Guardian'.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 04 Nov 2014, 04:53
Maintenance technician. Custodian. Janitor. Petty Officer Second Class.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 04 Nov 2014, 10:34
Alice is Mindy and Ardent is Mork.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 04 Nov 2014, 14:46
For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky!!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 04 Nov 2014, 14:51
For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky!!

Or The Jack Show.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 05 Nov 2014, 20:07
Quote from: ReindeerFlotilla
Alice is not an android. She's a Druid.

An andruid?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 05 Nov 2014, 20:28
Quote from: ReindeerFlotilla
Alice is not an android. She's a Druid.

An andruid?

I'm copyrighting that.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Schmorgluck on 06 Nov 2014, 22:35
Clothes are overrated.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 06 Nov 2014, 22:53
They seem to be expected in that society.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 06 Nov 2014, 23:18
ALICE: "Yes! It's a half-naked blue boy with a tail! SO?!? Get out of here, people! Nothing to see! Move on already!"

Seriously, the destabilisation Alice feared has already begun. She'll have to move fast to keep on top of it. Something tells me that this won't be pleasant for poor Ardent!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: mikmaxs on 07 Nov 2014, 11:52
I just realized that Alice Grove has no shading. I thought the art looked weird since it started, but I just now figured out why. Huh. Weird.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 07 Nov 2014, 11:58
Well, at least they don't have Pitchforks and Torches



Yet.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 07 Nov 2014, 12:04
I just realized that Alice Grove has no shading. I thought the art looked weird since it started, but I just now figured out why. Huh. Weird.

THAT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME. WHY DID THAT NOT OCCUR TO ME?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: MooskiNet on 07 Nov 2014, 14:55
I dunno, are you kind of dumb?

Nice to meet you, too.

 :claireface:
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: DSL on 07 Nov 2014, 19:26
Great, now Reindeer's gonna make you balance a can on your head.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 07 Nov 2014, 20:10
Nope.

I'm going to make you balance toucans!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 07 Nov 2014, 20:17
That'll just get him puffin'
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 07 Nov 2014, 20:21
It's just a lark.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Storel on 08 Nov 2014, 01:36
Praline: Lark's vomit?
Milton: Correct.
Praline: Well, it don't say nothing about that here.
Milton: Oh yes it does, on the bottom of the box, after monosodium glutamate.
Praline: (looking) Well, I hardly think this is good enough. I think it'd be more appropriate if the box bore a great red label "Warning: lark's vomit!"
Milton: Our sales would plummet!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Nov 2014, 09:03
I just realized that Alice Grove has no shading. I thought the art looked weird since it started, but I just now figured out why. Huh. Weird.

THAT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME. WHY DID THAT NOT OCCUR TO ME?
What do you mean by shading? She doesn't look odd to me, am I missing something?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: MooskiNet on 09 Nov 2014, 09:31
It's like the difference between QC 2762 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2762) and  QC 2763 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2763) - characters are colored, but there's no shading on the 2762 characters.  The shading you see again in 2763 isn't present at all in the Alice Grove comics.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Nov 2014, 09:36
Oh! I thought you were referring to Alice Grove the character, and I was trying to find how she was different than anyone else.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 09 Nov 2014, 11:43
No, she is NOt a Vampire
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: jwhouk on 09 Nov 2014, 16:29
THAT was what was wrong with the new art style: no texturing.

Compare May's hair in 2761 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2761) with the very next strip. That's what's missing in Alice Grove.

Alice's ponytail should have some texture to it, similar to what our red-headed avenger has in QC.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 10 Nov 2014, 10:25
I would assume it's a conscious choice.  The question is why?  I guess it does make for a kind of pastoral look.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: FunkyTuba on 10 Nov 2014, 13:23
I think it makes for a brighter look overall to the comic and it has a nice side benefit of saving a fair amount of drawing time (which I think he uses to make the panels bigger)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 11 Nov 2014, 12:15
I just noticed his tail is up; does that mean he's happy?  He doesn't look happy.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 11 Nov 2014, 19:28
He could be startled. Or stretching.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 11 Nov 2014, 19:40
At least he doesn't have his hackles up and isn't hissing
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: cesium133 on 11 Nov 2014, 20:11
I just noticed his tail is up; does that mean he's happy?  He doesn't look happy.
He probably needs to have his tail up to shit a brick.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 12 Nov 2014, 06:03
At least he doesn't have his hackles up and isn't hissing

He seems more likely to be a monkey-boy than a cat-boy. I'd expect him to be using a primate threat gesture - barring his teeth and frowning - if he was actually that scared.

He's more puzzled than anything else, I think. It helps that the crowd doesn't seem to be acting hostile in any way. Even Alice looks puzzled, which suggests she isn't too sure what's going on. I'm think that it's just a typical crowd come to look at the freak from out-of-town.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 12 Nov 2014, 08:00
I think they both look more worried than puzzled.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Channelore HellicottAtham on 13 Nov 2014, 16:06
This comic moves so excruciatingly slowly.. I feel it'll take forever for us to learn anything of these characters. Or, on the other hand, perhaps storylines will evolve faster relative to number of strips than storylines in QC would, just to get the story out in a reasonable time frame. Maybe three strips a week would be a nice compromise, as currently it already feels forever since strip 1 this week!  :-\
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 13 Nov 2014, 17:48
It doesn't move that slowly, it just feels like that because of the two a week schedule.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: explicit on 13 Nov 2014, 22:08
Not every comic can update on an every day schedule, this 2 week one seems to move at the same pace as any other. I read plenty of comics that update once a week, now those can get aggravatingly slow, especially during filler comics.

Not every author can match Dave Willis' pace (10 comics a week if you count shortpacked and DoA + a 3 month buffer of completed comics). That'd be unreasonable.

 
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 13 Nov 2014, 23:03
alicegrove.com still takes me to the tumblr page; if everyone else is getting the real website and that's where new updates are going, somebody please tell me.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: explicit on 13 Nov 2014, 23:07
alicegrove.com still takes me to the tumblr page; if everyone else is getting the real website and that's where new updates are going, somebody please tell me.

The last one I got was the 6th and there should be one tomorrow. I think is what's up with that.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Channelore HellicottAtham on 14 Nov 2014, 01:49
It does seem super duper extra long this time; I keep returning to the page and refreshing, but alas, in vain. Jeph posted on Twitter that Alice for the 13th was already drawn up and ready to go, so he must be delayed in sending it up. I think he's been travelling though. Guess I've been spoiled by QC's regular updates, so Alice seems to go a long time between drinks even when it isn't delayed! :cry:
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 14 Nov 2014, 02:06
The current guess is that Jeph is sick and can't update his pages.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 14 Nov 2014, 05:34
New strip up!

Okay, that was totally out of left field and it explains the 'Witch' reference earlier on very neatly. I'm more certain than ever that Alice is special. Is she the town's Guardian Angel (either literally or figuratively by the simple fact of her nature and behaviour)? Is she the protector of this town and its environs?

I'm thinking the 'bubble world' scenario is getting more and more likely with Alice being either an Agent of the System or the an AI caretaker/protector unit.

My opinion of Ardent has totally changed. His reaction shows that he is actually a lot more mature and sensible than he lets on. He knows that this is no ordinary tour guide!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 14 Nov 2014, 05:51
I actually chuckled at the point that all the people were there to talk to Alice, and nobody paid a bit of attention to Ardent. :)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: osaka on 14 Nov 2014, 06:17
I actually think that Ardent's face says something on the lines of "Delicate balance my ASS you motherfucker."
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 14 Nov 2014, 07:59
Alice is a fixer. She fixes things. Anything, from sore arms to wind generators.

Which brings us to my insane, obviously-wrong version of the bubble-world scenario: Alice is playing an RPG. A fully-immersive game on a Star-Trek style holodeck. It's one of those games where the hero has to perform a million little sub-quests to get the main quest accomplished. "Need the long-lost whatchamadoodle? Sure, but it's at the bottom of the old mine. You'll need to get the mine elevator working to get down there. For that, you'll need electricity. There's an old wind generator, but it hasn't worked in years. Maybe if you could get it working again..."

It would also explain how she wasn't hurt when she fell - the holodeck safeguards are turned on, and for once are actually working.  :psyduck:

Ardent is a rogue element in the game that Alice suspects isn't supposed to be there. Whether he's another player who hacked in or the avatar of a virus is yet to be determined. However, Alice has to consider that there's a chance Ardent may actually be part of the game, and so she has to deal with him as such. But she'll also keep a close watch on him and try to eliminate him if he's there to mess up her game.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: MrNumbers on 14 Nov 2014, 09:21
I'd like to point out how everyone's heads bowed with respect, their eyes and faces are particularly grateful, somewhat humble...

... and Alice herself just looks bored. Arms crossed over chest - and we know from QC Jeph is really good at subtle body language to tell a story - means she's not just bored, but might even be slightly irritated. Like; "Yeah, I did that, why are you bringing it up? Why are you making a big deal of this?"

So here's the thing - why? Is it just because she's frustrated dealing with Ardent, or is it something else?

Something much more else?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 14 Nov 2014, 09:27
So here's the thing - why? Is it just because she's frustrated dealing with Ardent, or is it something else?

Something much more else?

No so much bored but angry and embarrassed, I think. She is doing what she should be doing, what any moral being would do, and really doesn't like the way the townsfolk treat her like a wizard or a deity.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: MooskiNet on 14 Nov 2014, 09:54
So here's the thing - why? Is it just because she's frustrated dealing with Ardent, or is it something else?

Something much more else?

No so much bored but angry and embarrassed, I think. She is doing what she should be doing, what any moral being would do, and really doesn't like the way the townsfolk treat her like a wizard or a deity.

Maybe, but the thank yous in panels 2, 3 and 4 are for things the average person probably couldn't do, moral or not.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: FunkyTuba on 14 Nov 2014, 10:00
I actually think that Ardent's face says something on the lines of "Delicate balance my ASS you motherfucker."

Well, every set of scales has to have some kind of operator to decide what goes in each pan.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: plusorminus on 14 Nov 2014, 10:17
The "holodeck" scenario posited by Zebediah makes the most sense to me thus far. There seems to be a subtle hint of it in the penultimate panel when the kid asks if it's true that Alice can make the sun come out. That seems to indicate a controlled environment that Alice has placed herself at the head of, and it's possible that this is some experiment to see how far AIs can become "self aware." In usual holodeck scenarios, no one is aware of anything - Data as Sherlock Holmes, for example. No one in those scenarios seemed to think it odd that "Holmes" had yellowish skin and yellow eyes spoke without a British accent, etc. If the kid associates Alice with making the sun come out, the AIs in her experiment might be starting to become self aware.

But this doesn't explain Ardent or Alice's initial reaction to him. He was sleeping for quite a long time before the stick came out. If Alice knew immediately that a blue boy in red skivvies with a tail wasn't part of the scenario, why seem so baffled at the outset? She only became annoyed once Ardent started saying he was from outer space. She seemed okay enough with him while he was asleep and even when he woke and introduced himself.

Also a possibility? Alice is a member of the Q continuum.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Schmorgluck on 14 Nov 2014, 10:20
Am I the only one to whom the deed mentioned in panel 4 is the most impressive of the lot? Sounds like Granny Weatherwax level of headology witchcraft, to me.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 14 Nov 2014, 10:52
That little boy worried me. His mum seemed terrified of Alice. Rumour can go a long way but Alice's dismissive reaction was disturbingly detached from a normal person's reaction to a frightened child.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: MooskiNet on 14 Nov 2014, 10:57
Possibility (largely arrived at in the last thirty seconds while staring into space and trying to decide where to eat lunch):  Alice is an AI in prison, and she's not going to be released until she can demonstrate an appropriate level of empathy with humans.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: DSL on 14 Nov 2014, 12:11
The only thing going against the "holodeck" scenario with Alice as the protagonist/gamer/whatever is that we've already seen two scenes from the POV of people other than Alice. The farmer and Jack discovering Ardent, and Jack running to get Alice. That doesn't rule out a bubble universe, or even just an isolated community, with Alice as a visitor, of course.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 14 Nov 2014, 12:29
"Any form of technology significantly advanced enough can only be explained in the terms of magic."
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: explicit on 14 Nov 2014, 12:53
"Any form of technology significantly advanced enough can only be explained in the terms of magic."

Like the shakeweight
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Eternal_Newbie on 15 Nov 2014, 05:16
I don't think its a simulation, I think Alice like Blue Boy (forget his name) is a visitor from a post scarcity society. It's quite possible she made some serious mistakes when she first arrived, caused some serious disruptions and stayed (or was forced to stay) to clean up her mess.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zwammy on 16 Nov 2014, 08:44
That little boy worried me. His mum seemed terrified of Alice. Rumour can go a long way but Alice's dismissive reaction was disturbingly detached from a normal person's reaction to a frightened child.

I don't think frightened and terrified come into it at all. The people are in Awe. Mom is telling the boy not to bother Alice because she is an important personage. Awe can turn to frightened if awe is abused, but the people talking to her seem to like her for helping at this point. Of course, people suck and will turn on her at the drop of a hat, but there ya go. It's a fine line, I tells ya, a fine line!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 16 Nov 2014, 09:54
So men wear long sleeves and women wear short (or in the case of Alice, no) sleeves?

What does that mean?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Half Empty Coffee Cup on 16 Nov 2014, 11:26
That little boy worried me. His mum seemed terrified of Alice. Rumour can go a long way but Alice's dismissive reaction was disturbingly detached from a normal person's reaction to a frightened child.

I don't think frightened and terrified come into it at all. The people are in Awe. Mom is telling the boy not to bother Alice because she is an important personage. Awe can turn to frightened if awe is abused, but the people talking to her seem to like her for helping at this point. Of course, people suck and will turn on her at the drop of a hat, but there ya go. It's a fine line, I tells ya, a fine line!
Agreed. They're awestruck.

I take it she doesn't go into town too often. If she did, the crowd of people eager to thank her would be smaller. Or larger, if her going to town more often would mean her doing things for more people. Hrmm...
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 16 Nov 2014, 19:27
So men wear long sleeves and women wear short (or in the case of Alice, no) sleeves?
What about the kid in the penultimate panel?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 16 Nov 2014, 19:53
The Alice Grove equivalent of short pants?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: mikmaxs on 17 Nov 2014, 17:06
It looks like women and children wear short sleeves, only grown men wear full sleeves.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 17 Nov 2014, 17:09
I think we've seen too small a sample to make such a generalized statement.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Half Empty Coffee Cup on 17 Nov 2014, 22:08
I don't even know anymore.  :psyduck: Alice seems at least as extraterrestrial in her understanding of things as Argent, even if a bit more mature about it.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 17 Nov 2014, 23:06
Do I sense a slight softening of her attitude toward him in the last panel (http://www.alicegrove.com/post/102938849739/its-delightful)?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 17 Nov 2014, 23:47
Do I sense a slight softening of her attitude toward him in the last panel (http://www.alicegrove.com/post/102938849739/its-delightful)?

I'm not sure about that but she is obviously not totally humourless. She recognised the absurdity of Ardent's words and responded with the appropriate level of mockery!

So... "You're with me, so it's none of their business", eh? Curiouser and curiouser, as another little Alice might say...
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: SubaruStephen on 18 Nov 2014, 00:17
Hah,first he stink palms her, now he's mooning her!

Such a rude alien.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 18 Nov 2014, 13:24
It's a fine caudal appendage.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Loki on 19 Nov 2014, 01:43
So she is indeed a witch - in the Terry Pratchett sense of the word. Huh.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 19 Nov 2014, 18:34
I don't know what that means.

By the way, when she speaks of the primitives, does anyone else get the feeling she means "everyone but me"?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ReindeerFlotilla on 19 Nov 2014, 18:59
Pratchet's witches (and wizards) are vastly powerful, but almost never use their power. Wizards because they can't their heads out of...Erm...

The witches don't because it's just plain wasteful and wouldn't work anyway (Sound and fury signifying nothing. Typically the more powerful a thing is on the Diskworld, the less useful it is. Unless it's the bad guy. Or the Luggage.). Witches, in general, deal in practical knowledge and psychology to get what they need done.

Because of the latter, witches tend to get something of a pass when weird stuff happens around them. Because, witch. If people are concerned about a thing, and witch is involved, it's best to let her deal with it. Because she's not going to give you a straight answer most likely. Or she'll give you such a straight answer your mind will be twisted in knots. And then you'll have to join the quest, and probably still won't understand what's going on.

Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Pilchard123 on 20 Nov 2014, 00:37
The psychology being less "you are not being chased by a monster" and more "here is a club, stand and fight".
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 20 Nov 2014, 17:43
I'm ready for another comic, but afraid Jeph's gone to once a week...
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 20 Nov 2014, 20:38
mmmm butts. So, is genetic engineering/body modification common where Ardent comes from?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 20 Nov 2014, 22:06
Alice

If looks could kill.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Fig on 20 Nov 2014, 22:11
Fat bottomed girls you make the other rockin' worlds go 'round!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 20 Nov 2014, 23:42
Yep, Ardent is clearly the sort of tourist who is on the pull! Alice is not pleased with that at all!

Actually, looking at panel 1, she doesn't look too happy with Ardent talking with Jack either! She obviously can't stop him right now but I don't think she's happy with him interacting with the 'natives'.

BTW, I think that they're going to Alice's place. I doubt that she'd let him crash anywhere else; she wants to keep an eye on him!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: osaka on 21 Nov 2014, 00:01
So we can now assume that Ardent is a "butts" person. Which considering how interested he was with Alice looking at his tail, makes complete sense.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: KOK on 21 Nov 2014, 21:05
I don't know what that means.

By the way, when she speaks of the primitives, does anyone else get the feeling she means "everyone but me"?

She is accusing Ardent of regarding the locals as primitives. Herself included, no doubt.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Mlle Germain on 22 Nov 2014, 07:09
This is how I understood what she said, too.
And I think she's right in a sense -- Ardent does seem to be mostly after being passively entertained by a culture that he considers primitive compared to his own to me. Also, he seems to expect to get special attention (and possibly perks?) because he's a stranger.

(I don't like Ardent. I wish the story was focused on Alice more. Only my personal opinion, of course.)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: mikmaxs on 22 Nov 2014, 20:19
Question:
Why would Ardent find human females sexy, for exactly the same reason that modern men find women sexy? Either it's just a thing because Jeph finds it funny, or else Ardent has been around human females (or at least, things that look exactly like human females) before. I don't know what this means, but it seems important.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 22 Nov 2014, 23:41
@Mikmaxs,

It is likely mostly for the lulz, yes. However there is such a thing as xenophilia.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 23 Nov 2014, 07:00
It appears that Ardent is human, more or less - he's been genetically modified from a standard human body plan, but still falls in genus Homo. And he comes from a culture with lots of variation in body type, but that probably includes a fair number of "standard" human females. So why wouldn't he find them attractive?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 23 Nov 2014, 17:43
(I don't like Ardent. I wish the story was focused on Alice more. Only my personal opinion, of course.)
Alice's entire characteristic seems to be "good at falling" and "people trust her". I wonder if she likes being the most unusual person in town, which is why she's irked by Ardent.

@BenRG - "on the pull"?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Half Empty Coffee Cup on 23 Nov 2014, 17:48
Alice still has Ardent beat for "most unusual person in town", if the crowd's attention is anything to go by.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 23 Nov 2014, 17:51
To Ardent's chagrin, yeah.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: SubaruStephen on 23 Nov 2014, 23:23
And he comes from a culture with lots of variation in body type, but that probably includes a fair number of "standard" human females. So why wouldn't he find them attractive?

Apparently he's an ass man to booty
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 23 Nov 2014, 23:33
@BenRG - "on the pull"?

Sorry; British slang term for actively seeking casual sexual partners.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Loki on 24 Nov 2014, 00:36
It appears that Ardent is human, more or less - he's been genetically modified from a standard human body plan, but still falls in genus Homo. And he comes from a culture with lots of variation in body type, but that probably includes a fair number of "standard" human females. So why wouldn't he find them attractive?
It is also likely he came to this world especially because he finds the human females attractive.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: explicit on 24 Nov 2014, 19:10
"I only asked if she wanted to fuck"

Yeah, asking girls "so you wanna bang?" never worked for me either. It's always, "no, go away creep" or "why are in my house?".
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: SubaruStephen on 24 Nov 2014, 19:10
Yep, Ardent is clearly the sort of tourist who is on the pull! Alice is not pleased with that at all!!

BenRG nailed it! Ardent IS a sex tourist (from spaaaaaace!).
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 24 Nov 2014, 19:12
Okay, so Ardent's pretty easy to explain - he's an interplanetary sex tourist. But what the hell is Alice, exactly? She receives an extraordinary amount of respect from the townsfolk. More so than can be explained by her just being somebody who solves everyone's problems. Why is Jack so afraid of her? What is it that she can do to people who get out of line?

Warning - while you were typing 2 new replies have been posted. You may wish to review your post.

I type too damned slow. I wonder if Alice can fix that.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Half Empty Coffee Cup on 24 Nov 2014, 19:31
The name is Ardent. Too Ardent.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 24 Nov 2014, 20:25
OMG!  It's Pintsize in a new body!!!!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Loki on 24 Nov 2014, 22:53
Why is Jack so afraid of her? What is it that she can do to people who get out of line?

I suspect it's mostly headology. Fear usually doesn't really work by rationally estimating outcomes - it is fear of the unknown, and I am sure she does not a lot to stifle any rumors that must be abound.

I really like Ardent's tail in the last panel.

Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Schmorgluck on 24 Nov 2014, 22:56
Wait... You're not supposed to ask?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: explicit on 24 Nov 2014, 23:01
Wait... You're not supposed to ask?

Looks like someone has egg on their face
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 24 Nov 2014, 23:40
Oh... Shit. Yeah, she's the Caretaker alright and, based on Jack's fear, she has a reputation of doing whatever it takes to keep the experiment balanced.

What can she do? I've got a mental image of Ardent standing in front of a pit he just dug in the woods, Alice standing behind him with a gun pointed at his head. She's about to 'take care of it', as Jack so nervously put it. I doubt it will go that far but I think she has a lot of power and resources and the freedom to use them to protect these people.

[edit]
Of course, if she uses the 'headology' tactic, she could be very, very subtle. Maybe up to and including an entirely psychosomatic 'curse' that is a negative reinforcement against what he thinks he wants ("All hominids on this planet are non-symptomatic carriers of a permanently-disfiguring STD. The only way to escape it is to never enter this planet's ecosphere again."). Basically, not only make him leave and be afraid to ever come back but to also make sure everyone he contacts is afraid to ever visit.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: cloudbuster on 25 Nov 2014, 04:15
Ok, I just have to note that it is totally unfair to create a character that has one, notable, "really big" characteristic, then NOT SHOW US said characteristic!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Schmorgluck on 25 Nov 2014, 11:22
So apparently it's okay to physically assault someone for asking a question...
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: explicit on 25 Nov 2014, 14:02
I think I misread that, I was really drunk and missed the not. Is what I'm guessing.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 25 Nov 2014, 14:43
So apparently it's okay to physically assault someone for asking a question...

It is when the the question includes offensive language, cheapens the value of one of the most intimate parts of human behaviour and clearly is in violation of social standards for the local area. So, we've confirmed that, in Alice's town, "Sorry, I'm not from around these parts" is not a valid excuse.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 25 Nov 2014, 14:54
If I walked up to a woman I'd never met before and immediately asked her if she wanted to fuck, I would not be at all surprised if I got slapped. Or worse.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 25 Nov 2014, 15:54
All hominids on this planet are non-symptomatic carriers of a permanently-disfiguring STD
- it makes your tail fall off.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 25 Nov 2014, 17:06
And turns you various shades of pink or brown.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 25 Nov 2014, 17:56
Ok, I just have to note that it is totally unfair to create a character that has one, notable, "really big" characteristic, then NOT SHOW US said characteristic!
Glad I'm not the only one who noticed this :roll:
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Uniquitous on 25 Nov 2014, 18:19
So I'm betting Ardent is from the Culture, possibly a ship-mind's avatar, and Alice is SC. Any takers?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 25 Nov 2014, 18:19
Culture? SC?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 25 Nov 2014, 18:46
Iain Banks, I believe.

Alice may not embody the highest standards of non-violence. Notice she's content that she intimidates people.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 25 Nov 2014, 18:53
Iain Banks?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 25 Nov 2014, 20:36
This gentleman I presume (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Banks)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Channelore HellicottAtham on 26 Nov 2014, 03:26
I'm not entirely sure I like her yet, to be honest. I find she seems quite cool towards the primitives, almost as though being their 'fixer' is a hassle rather than a privilege of sorts. Or, if privilege does not seem the right word, an honour in that she is very respected and held in high esteem. I was feeling the townsfolk seemed somewhat fearful of her too, but I see that awe is a better way to look at it. It just jars me is all that they seem so humble and she has this look in her face and posture of almost dismissiveness. I am a Paramedic and have folk approach me at times in a similar sense (albeit less deferential thank dog), either after a job to express their gratitude, or entirely outside of a call setting just in saying how they respect what we do, and I could never be unmoved as she seems by such genuine expressions of gratitude.

The holodeck / AI prison farm / 'Better Than Life' type game hypotheses are interesting; I'd assumed her to be from another world one way or another as is obvious, but hadn't thought at all along such lines. Jeph did say AG was not within the QCverse and so for this reason I'd taken the few strips we have at face value rather than pondering the existence here too of the AI and other advanced technologies Marten et al live amidst.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 26 Nov 2014, 04:11
Overall, Alice has been generally neutral towards the locals. The only time she starts looking annoyed or defensive is when they start treating her like "The Witch". I still suspect she's sort of an aid worker from a far more advanced culture who is doing her best to help the locals live a happy, balanced and, most of all, harmonious, life. Nothing she has done is 'witchcraft', even though the locals insist on calling it that.

I think that when they look at her with awe and start acting as if she's their supernatural protector, it makes her profoundly uncomfortable. That's why she looks defensive and maybe a little hostile sometimes.

Put yourself in her work boots: How would you feel if you're just trying to do your best for the local community and people insist on treating you as if you are some kind of superhero? You'd probably feel annoyed too!
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 26 Nov 2014, 12:18
Question: what does the wind turbine power?  I haven't spotted any use of electricity by the hoi polloi yet.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 26 Nov 2014, 12:21
Could be something for her own personal use. The turbine was pretty far from the farm, enough to send a fast runner. And farms tend to be outside of town, so the turbine would be pretty far away if all you have is foot and horsepower.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 26 Nov 2014, 13:37
Question: what does the wind turbine power?

Her 'witch's castle', of course. That's actually a fairly modern house with modern conveniences that looks like a magical fortress to the locals.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: pwhodges on 26 Nov 2014, 15:35
I'm picturing a house "out of its place", as Eutus's house in later episodes of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 26 Nov 2014, 15:37
I'd prefer Howl's Moving Castle myself, but to each their own. :)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: MrNumbers on 26 Nov 2014, 17:17
Her house is obviously a series of interconnected garages and back sheds.

We all know all the best inventing is done in garages and back sheds.

Bedroom? Garage. Bathroom? Garage. Kitchen? Back shed, because it's obviously a grill and an eski, which are back-shed things.

Oh! And probably a slightly grease-stained library.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Kugai on 26 Nov 2014, 18:12
It's underground, she keeps her Vorlon Transport there as well.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: ysth on 26 Nov 2014, 18:42
I googled for pictures of turkeys on wind turbines, but all I could find was this osprey:

(http://savetheeagles.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ospreys_new_home.jpg)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 26 Nov 2014, 19:07
Nothing she has done is 'witchcraft'
I can think of one example of this not being true, or at least possibly not true.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 27 Nov 2014, 00:11
Nothing she has done is 'witchcraft'

I fan think of one example of this not being true, or at least possibly not true.

I think that I know what you're talking about. However, you can hand-wave this away if, as I suspect, Alice isn't exactly the local baseline for 'normal human'.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: KOK on 27 Nov 2014, 04:30
I find the last frame very odd. Why would miss Wheelwright need Alice's aproval? It sounds very condescending. Something an adult would say to a child.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 27 Nov 2014, 05:42
I find the last frame very odd. Why would miss Wheelwright need Alice's approval? It sounds very condescending. Something an adult would say to a child.

Ardent has been with Alice every time he's been seen by most of the townsfolk. Alice might want to reassure Miss W that she hasn't offended her by rejecting him. I also think she wants Jack out of the way so she can slap Ardent down (likely only metaphorically).
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Zebediah on 27 Nov 2014, 05:48
I think it was a way to make it absolutely clear to Ardent that what Miss Wheelwright did was OK. Because Ardent doesn't understand how out of line he was.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 27 Nov 2014, 06:40
Given that we know from Ardent that there is technology to modify human bodies as desired and that Alice is 'not from around here' apparently I suspect that when she fell and was unhurt... it was exactly that. She's a lot tougher than other people. Maybe she's a modified human, android or cyborg. I'm really wondering what the purpose of this community is, or possibly planet. Since nobody has commented about being unable to leave the area yet. And a con man would find it extremely difficult to work within a closed community once people realize he is a con man... And I still wonder what Alice's function here is... She doesn't have the power it seems to just remove Ardent, so it seems unlikely she's a guardian or caretaker. But she is aware of a greater universe out there and the fact that this area/planet is supposed to be 'closed off' to it. It makes me wonder if she somehow didn't get stranded down there at some point and is just trying to stay low key but still help out the locals. So many questions.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 27 Nov 2014, 06:52
I don't think Ardent is a con man. I'm pretty sure he's exactly who he says he is.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Neko_Ali on 27 Nov 2014, 09:45
I was referring to the scene earlier where someone thanked Alice for convincing a con man to give back his dad's savings. If this was some Village inspired tiny group everybody would know everyone else... You could pull a con like that once at best, and then you would probably have no where to spend it as the rest of the town turned on you. So there has to be more places out there. I agree, Ardent is no con man. He's not even the worst kind. He's just a clueless tourist.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 27 Nov 2014, 17:07
Miss Wheelwright looked pretty young to me, and if it's a typical low-tech rural society then being unmarried is unlikely after full adulthood.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 27 Nov 2014, 19:07
Ardent looks pretty young, too.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Wildroses on 27 Nov 2014, 20:24
I find the last frame very odd. Why would miss Wheelwright need Alice's aproval? It sounds very condescending. Something an adult would say to a child.

Wouldn't be surprised if that was the point. Alice seems to be universally considered someone way more important and powerful than everyone else in this society (I consider it possible there are people who hate her and what she does we haven't met yet). 

Although a more sinister idea occurred to me when I remembered that line about the people here living in 'perfectly balanced harmony'. Possibly physical violence is so rare and considered so disgusting in this society Miss Wheelwright might be seriously afraid what she did wasn't perfectly acceptable.

On another note, I'm not yet convinced Alice is the hero of this story. She might be the villain. Or this story will chart her progress from villain to hero.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: Method of Madness on 28 Nov 2014, 06:33
I don't think she's either.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: cesium133 on 28 Nov 2014, 06:36
Villo, perhaps?
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: BenRG on 28 Nov 2014, 06:58
If Alice is anything like Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax, then she tries her hardest to be a mysterious figure who doesn't really have 'friends' or encourage anyone to view her as such nor indeed is ever seen much. The problem is that she genuinely cares for her community and works tirelessly and unsparing to support and protect it. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, she's become a hero, even if she has also made people afraid to be in her presence because of her unsociable demeanour.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: SubaruStephen on 28 Nov 2014, 20:09
Villo, perhaps?

Viili?
(http://www.erimenu.fi/media/uploads/image/Ingman_laktoositon_viili_150g.jpg)
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: KOK on 29 Nov 2014, 03:53
I think it was a way to make it absolutely clear to Ardent that what Miss Wheelwright did was OK. Because Ardent doesn't understand how out of line he was.

So do I, but she could have done that without talking down to anyone. She could have asked Jack "What she did was entirely appropriate, don't you think?" e.g.
Title: Re: Alice Grove MCDT - November 2014
Post by: jwhouk on 29 Nov 2014, 06:27
Next stop - December MCDT!