Topic: WCDT 3896-3900 (17-21 December 2018) (Read 9370 times)

Rincewind · « **Reply #100 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 11:21 »

Quote from: cesium133 on 21 Dec 2018, 05:06

Quote from: Drunken Old Man on 21 Dec 2018, 01:20
Um....did Roku just get freaking killed????
Probably not killed. But she may wake up with her chassis replaced by a breadbox.

Hmm. Given her "kink", she might actually like that...

Y · « **Reply #101 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 11:26 »

Shouldn't Crushbot insurance have to pay for it? After all just like on the highway orbiting has precedence over de-orbiting.

Roborat · « **Reply #102 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 11:57 »

Quote from: Theta9 on 21 Dec 2018, 09:15

[Stan] Oh my god, they killed Roko!

[Kyle] You bastards!

And there goes my post.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #103 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 12:00 »

Like liability insurance for other operators of machines that can cause damage. Mandatory for car owners.

traroth · « **Reply #104 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 12:48 »

That cliffhanger will kill me!

Wagimawr · « **Reply #105 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 13:24 »

I dunno, anybody else feel like that cliffhanger is a little flat?

Theta9 · « **Reply #106 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 14:04 »

Quote from: Roborat on 21 Dec 2018, 11:57

Quote from: Theta9 on 21 Dec 2018, 09:15
[Stan] Oh my god, they killed Roko!

[Kyle] You bastards!

And there goes my post.

HA! For once, I got here first!

Case · « **Reply #107 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 15:08 »

Quote from: Theta9 on 21 Dec 2018, 09:15

[Stan] Oh my god, they killed Roko!

[Kyle] You bastards!

Neko_Ali · « **Reply #108 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 18:42 »

Quote from: Wagimawr on 21 Dec 2018, 13:24

I dunno, anybody else feel like that cliffhanger is a little flat?

There's no need to pound that joke into the pavement.

Castlerook · « **Reply #109 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 18:53 »

Quote from: JoeCovenant on 21 Dec 2018, 01:49

"Gentlemen... we could rebuild her... we just don't have the technology...or the materials...or the funds...or the time...or manpower..."

FTFY

DSL · « **Reply #110 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 20:37 »

How long has Roko been a former cop? She might still have her insurance.
When I quit my newspaper job I got to keep my (relatively shitty, but it helped more than it hurt) health insurance for a month.
I have to assume Massachusetts is better than Ohio in that regard, especially if Roko is/was a public employee.

Also, she might get the loan of Momo's old chassis. Or Winslow's.

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #111 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 21:23 »

Roko is not flat. But I'm sure there is now a Roko-shaped dent in the sidewalk. ( there has to be a tv tropes ref ) and her chassis has surely suffered serious damage. It is significant that Jeph had this happen right outside Union Robotics...

Torlek · « **Reply #112 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 22:55 »

Oh she's not going to be flat. Broken into a multitude of pieces, yes. But a pancake she will not be.

I'm just curious if this is going to lead to a body dysphoria arc or an impermanence of the physical arc.

hakko504 · « **Reply #113 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 23:13 »

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 21 Dec 2018, 21:23

Roko is not flat. But I'm sure there is now a Roko-shaped dent in the sidewalk. ( there has to be a tv tropes ref)

Yup.
Impact Silhouette

Case · « **Reply #114 on:** 21 Dec 2018, 23:27 »

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 21 Dec 2018, 21:23

It is significant that Jeph had this happen right outside Union Robotics...

"Dammit Faye, I'm a doctor, not a ohwait ..."

Theta9 · « **Reply #115 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 09:37 »

Quote from: Case on 21 Dec 2018, 15:08

Quote from: Theta9 on 21 Dec 2018, 09:15
[Stan] Oh my god, they killed Roko!

[Kyle] You bastards!

I don't get it.

Drunken Old Man · « **Reply #116 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 10:14 »

Quote: everyone saying Roku isn't dead

I dunno, guys... certainly she COULD survive that...even probably.

But that last panel of her (unsquished)...bathed in light from the entry way...looking back one last time...

Just please let's don't have a "It's a Wonderful Life" episode with Spookybot as Roku's Clarence. I will be physically ill.

Stibbons · « **Reply #117 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 11:14 »

***kin' OW!

This could be serious, Corpsewitch said that the arena robots were hardened against damage, but a domestic model like Roko? I doubt that even as a police robot she had much by way of armor plating (she'd presumably have had to hand it back when she quit otherwise).

Ah well, looks like Faye and Bubbles have got their steady cash income, assuming insurance will pay out and Union Robotics get the job. Is robot insurance more like car insurance I wonder...

I second that Spookybot will probably be involved somewhere along the line.

Castlerook · « **Reply #118 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 12:40 »

Quote from: Drunken Old Man on 22 Dec 2018, 10:14

Quote: everyone saying Roku isn't dead

I dunno, guys... certainly she COULD survive that...even probably.

But that last panel of her (unsquished)...bathed in light from the entry way...looking back one last time...

Just please let's don't have a "It's a Wonderful Life" episode with Spookybot as Roku's Clarence. I will be physically ill.

Given the general tone of Questionable Content, that turn in the story is a little too dark. I mean, AI are literally indestructible, their cores are designed and tested to be able to withstand being run over by a tank. Plus, critical existence failure due to being crushed by another AI who slipped on a crate of bananas is just too overly comical a way to kill off a character.

Tova · « **Reply #119 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 15:19 »

I don't mean to push the idea that Roko is in fact doomed.

But I think a couple of people now have stated as fact that AI cores can withstand being run over by a tank. And as far as I know, that comes from comic 3008.

But is this true of ALL AIs? Or just the ones that were participating in the fights?

I don't want to overread 3008, but to me, "triple-reinforced drives" suggests to me that this is an exception to the norm (i.e. reinforced to three times the strength of a standard AI drive).

I'll just add that the expressions on the face of Bubbles and Faye suggest strongly to me that Roko's is in fact in danger.

So I'm not so quite so blithely sure of her safety as some.

Penquin47 · « **Reply #120 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 16:06 »

Even if her brain is fine, we just spent quite a bit of time reminding us that Roko has very high bodily integration, to the point where she becomes ill at the sight of damaged parts. Even if her core programming is perfectly fine, she's gonna be suffering a LOT.

Really, in some ways, it might be kinder if she were dead. She's almost certainly in for a tricky recovery.

bhtooefr · « **Reply #121 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 17:41 »

Quote from: Castlerook on 22 Dec 2018, 12:40

Given the general tone of Questionable Content, that turn in the story is a little too dark.

Counterpoint: this is a comic in which one of the central characters watched her father commit suicide, and her watching that happen was actually depicted.

It can get dark.

Granted, it hasn't gotten that dark for over a decade, but still.

Gyrre · « **Reply #122 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 18:06 »

Quote from: brasca on 21 Dec 2018, 01:38

I doubt Roko is dead and if she had to sustain major damage this is the right place for emergency repairs, but I'm not sure what her insurance policy is like since she left the police force. She might get stuck with a substandard chassis like May. Maybe she had the AI equivalent of COBRA, but if she has something less like the Decepticons she'll probably get dumped out a space shuttle. If she's lucky Unicron will reformat her. Either that or Spookybot, but you know they'd lord that over her everyday.

Insurance doesn't get much less than COBRA. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out if their founder's name is something like Rexford G. "Rex" Lewis or Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV.

ZoeB · « **Reply #123 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 20:14 »

Whoever negligently left the bananaskins on the footpath better have good insurance, or this will not end well.

ZoeB · « **Reply #124 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 20:35 »

But it could get a lot worse.

Former cop who ended an illegal robot fighting ring gets "accidentally" slain by one of the former fighters involved in it. The only witnesses are two individuals also up to their necks in involvement, and whose greymarket Chop Shop the victim walked out of moments before.

DAs are professionally suspicious, and there was definitely something unusual about the resolution of the original case.

OldGoat · « **Reply #125 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 22:30 »

Quote from: ZoeB on 22 Dec 2018, 20:35

But it could get a lot worse.

Former cop who ended an illegal robot fighting ring gets "accidentally" slain by one of the former fighters involved in it. The only witnesses are two individuals also up to their necks in involvement, and whose greymarket Chop Shop the victim walked out of moments before.

DAs are professionally suspicious, and there was definitely something unusual about the resolution of the original case.

Very good point, Zoe. I'm more than a little embarrassed that I didn't spot it.

Gyrre · « **Reply #126 on:** 22 Dec 2018, 23:39 »

I was only thinking about the severity of the matter from the health insurance angle. But those potential legal implications/insinuations are pretty dang YIKES!

Sullivan · « **Reply #127 on:** 23 Dec 2018, 21:31 »

Quote from: Drunken Old Man on 22 Dec 2018, 10:14

Just please let's don't have a "It's a Wonderful Life" episode [...]

"You know, I've never seen that. ... I could never get past the title."
- Batman to Robin in "Christmas with the Joker", Batman: The Animated Series, written by Eddie Gorodetsky

Tova · « **Reply #128 on:** 24 Dec 2018, 00:09 »

Quote from: ZoeB on 22 Dec 2018, 20:14

Whoever negligently left the bananaskins on the footpath better have good insurance, or this will not end well.

I actually had a minor panic attack there when I thought for a moment that I was in the Let's complain some more! thread.

Quote from: ZoeB on 22 Dec 2018, 20:35

But it could get a lot worse.

Former cop who ended an illegal robot fighting ring gets "accidentally" slain by one of the former fighters involved in it. The only witnesses are two individuals also up to their necks in involvement, and whose greymarket Chop Shop the victim walked out of moments before.

DAs are professionally suspicious, and there was definitely something unusual about the resolution of the original case.

Whoa.

Now that's speculation.

Sullivan · « **Reply #129 on:** 24 Dec 2018, 16:44 »

Quote from: ZoeB on 22 Dec 2018, 20:35

But it could get a lot worse.

Former cop who ended an illegal robot fighting ring gets "accidentally" slain by one of the former fighters involved in it. The only witnesses are two individuals also up to their necks in involvement, and whose greymarket Chop Shop the victim walked out of moments before.

DAs are professionally suspicious, and there was definitely something unusual about the resolution of the original case.

How is the shop "greymarket"?

Tyr · « **Reply #130 on:** 24 Dec 2018, 19:25 »

It's grey market in that they aren't accredited like an Idoru Store or Whatever the place Winslow's new body came from would be. They aren't doing anything illegal, and the building presumably passed safety inspection, but at the same time, they mayn't be a certified repair shop for those brands.

OldGoat · « **Reply #131 on:** 26 Dec 2018, 21:38 »

Quote from: Tova on 24 Dec 2018, 00:09

Quote from: ZoeB on 22 Dec 2018, 20:14
Whoever negligently left the bananaskins on the footpath better have good insurance, or this will not end well.

I actually had a minor panic attack there when I thought for a moment that I was in the Let's complain some more! thread.

Quote from: ZoeB on 22 Dec 2018, 20:35
But it could get a lot worse.

Former cop who ended an illegal robot fighting ring gets "accidentally" slain by one of the former fighters involved in it. The only witnesses are two individuals also up to their necks in involvement, and whose greymarket Chop Shop the victim walked out of moments before.

DAs are professionally suspicious, and there was definitely something unusual about the resolution of the original case.

Whoa.

Now that's speculation.

You don't know many prosecutors, do you?

Tova · « **Reply #132 on:** 27 Dec 2018, 00:40 »

At least a dozen! Admittedly they don't phone me as much since that day I tried to drag QC spoilers out of them. More of a friend of a friend thing anyway.

P.S. Seriously though, I'm curious to know how you got from my brief post to your conclusion, because I have a sneaking suspicion that you read something into my words that I didn't intend.

JoeCovenant · « **Reply #133 on:** 27 Dec 2018, 02:05 »

Are the comics for this week canon?
If so - then Roko's suddenly fine???

(Don't get me wrong... I'd be happy at that!)

Penquin47 · « **Reply #134 on:** 27 Dec 2018, 07:30 »

They're canon-esque, perhaps? They are not part of the storyline, having been originally created a while back, but there's no reason this couldn't have happened at some point. (It does not mean that Roko is suddenly fine.)

JoeCovenant · « **Reply #135 on:** 28 Dec 2018, 02:47 »

Quote from: Penquin47 on 27 Dec 2018, 07:30

They're canon-esque, perhaps? They are not part of the storyline, having been originally created a while back, but there's no reason this couldn't have happened at some point. (It does not mean that Roko is suddenly fine.)

Yeah... I just realised that soon after I posted...

keithcurtis · « **Reply #136 on:** 29 Dec 2018, 10:44 »

Pintsize suffers worse on an almost daily basis. Of course, his chassis is military...

OldGoat · « **Reply #137 on:** 29 Dec 2018, 21:46 »

Quote from: Tova on 27 Dec 2018, 00:40

At least a dozen! Admittedly they don't phone me as much since that day I tried to drag QC spoilers out of them. More of a friend of a friend thing anyway.

P.S. Seriously though, I'm curious to know how you got from my brief post to your conclusion, because I have a sneaking suspicion that you read something into my words that I didn't intend.

There's nothing speculative about ZoeB's statement. That's how prosecutors' & cops' minds work. And we pay them to think that way.

Tova · « **Reply #138 on:** 30 Dec 2018, 01:12 »

*sigh*

I'm sure that is the way their minds work. It made total sense to me. That's why I liked the post (don't know if you noticed) and praised it (not sure if you realised that either).

It is speculation because, regardless of how believable the post is, there's no guarantee that this is the way the story will go.

Edit: correction, I hadn't clicked like! But I did like it. If you know what I mean.

ZoeB · « **Reply #139 on:** 30 Dec 2018, 05:10 »

I know what you mean.

I have no idea if Jeph had thought of this though. It's obvious in hindsight, but perhaps only in hindsight. So obvious though that some reason should be thought up to prevent such complications if they are not to inevitably occur. Roko recovering for example. Or echoes of Spookybot ™ intervention in the past. Even "We Klingons don't talk about it" or "We have top men working on it" followed by dropping the subject.

Maybe Jeph will read this and say "Ah, so some of the readers got it" as I'm sure he's done in the past. Or will say "Oops.. better do something about it". But now I really *am* speculating, so I'm content to wait and see what happens sometime in the coming month or two.

This is a rattling good comic series, to state the obvious.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #140 on:** 30 Dec 2018, 06:25 »

It is speculation, but consistent with what we know, that Eminence Grise would not have stopped with Roko but might have "negotiated" with the DA about jurisdiction as well.

Or the DA may never find out, or Jeph may not be interested in telling that kind of story.

bhtooefr · « **Reply #141 on:** 30 Dec 2018, 06:32 »

Also, regarding the insurance implications... most people don't carry blanket liability policies outside of businesses. Sure, there's heavy machinery insurance, but not blanket "I tripped and fell and injured someone" policies.

And, in any case, my guess is that whoever left the banana box in the public right of way that Crushbot stepped on would be held liable, unless Crushbot was carrying the box...

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #142 on:** 31 Dec 2018, 08:41 »

It's pretty standard on homeowner's policies, and if AI insurance works like car insurance it will provide for paying for repairs to victims of collisions.

pwhodges · « **Reply #143 on:** 31 Dec 2018, 08:51 »

I don't know about the US, but in the UK having third-party insurance is a legal requirement if you drive a car on a public road.

OldGoat · « **Reply #144 on:** 31 Dec 2018, 10:48 »

Okay, I see what you meant, Tova. But, since this is fiction from one artist's mind, it's all speculation. I agree that Jeph isn't apt to take the story in that direction - it would change the tenor of the entire strip to mystery/courtroom drama.

bhtooefr · « **Reply #145 on:** 31 Dec 2018, 12:25 »

In most US states it's required (a couple states don't require it, and a few states allow you to declare self-insurance at a certain level (mine allows it if you have at least 25 vehicles registered in your name and deposit $25,000 with the state)).

Jeph Jacques's comics discussion forums

Author Topic: WCDT 3896-3900 (17-21 December 2018) (Read 9370 times)