Sword Art Online - Episode 11 Discussion / Poll

[Ray]

I'm very happy that this arc is a two-parter. I loved Kirito and Asuna's interactions in the novels.

Asuna and Kirito make such an adorably awesome couple. They're probably one of my favourite couples in anime/light novels. And after throwing Yui into the mix, who just happens to be so utterly adorable with her 'Mama' and 'Papa', we get a charming little family. More, please <3

Man, I know I've said it before, but Asuna is frighteningly beautiful when she's angry.

[Adigard]

Originally Posted by Clarste

This is sort of a commonsense thing for people who've played MMOs on release day.

It does remind me of the complaints from the first ep thread about that topic... but yes, anyone who's ever played a new MMO on day one, or expansion on day one, or even read about one should understand.

You routinely get hordes of people doing the exact same things, because that's exactly how theme park MMO's lead people to the next thing to do, and you get these terrible queues of people lining up and waiting for that one quest mob to re-spawn, so it can be killed. It's fairly possible things didn't work that way in SAO with the fear of death (also because it obviously isn't that type of MMO), but I'm willing to bet the fields outside the starter city were pretty bad on day one... and once someone dies to a NPC mob... it's all going downhill fast.

Originally Posted by ronelm2000

It's seriously damn weird how the Army's extorting stuff from people who probably can't even kill a Boar to earn Col. If ever, I think what they're doing is simply terrorizing.

The kids they had cornered there had arms and amor... seems fairly likely they caught them on their way back to meeting up with their sensei after doing some low-level farming, and wanted their cut and alllll~ those back 'taxes' too. Probably in the form of the little girls clothes...

[Kamui04]

Originally Posted by Adigard

It does remind me of the complaints from the first ep thread about that topic... but yes, anyone who's ever played a new MMO on day one, or expansion on day one, or even read about one should understand.

And guess release day preparations and infrastruture are better than now, since they didn't get an Error 37 when everyone tried to log in on Nov. 1 2022 at 1pm.

Originally Posted by Adigard

The kids they had cornered there had arms and amor... seems fairly likely they caught them on their way back to meeting up with their sensei after doing some low-level farming, and wanted their cut and alllll~ those back 'taxes' too. Probably in the form of the little girls clothes...

And it was mentioned that they should turn the other cheek around and let the Army do as they please. But what are they going to do if they give away all their money and equipment? How are they supposed to get back on their feet when their tools for farming are taken away? Other option woudl be to do go & fetch quest inside the starting city, but when the Army thugs are terrorizing the streets?

[relentlessflame]

This is another note to novel readers; it seems I have to do one every week.

Do not engage in speculative talk about elements where you already know the exact answer.

We have two speculation threads; one for novel readers, and one for anime-only readers. Please use those as appropriate. Fake speculation by novel readers in anime threads will be treated like a spoiler and subject to bans, whether you give away the "right answer" or not (because the staff and I don't want to be spoiled to look it up). Also, novel readers who willingly reply to spoilers and inappropriate speculation will also be subject to bans. Please just report it and do not reply.

[GundamZZ]

How about non-novel readers who pretend to be the novel reader?
For example,

Spoiler for Gintama style:

By the end of next episode, it's heartbreaking. Asuna dies. Kirito loses his arm, and he puts on the mechanical arm.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by GundamZZ

How about non-novel readers who pretend to be the novel reader?
For example,

Spoiler for Gintama style:

By the end of next episode, it's heartbreaking. Asuna dies. Kirito loses his arm, and he puts on the mechanical arm.

If you make me legitimately doubt whether or not you're posting spoilers, and you end up getting banned for it, don't come crying to me saying it was a joke. At least use an emoticon so everyone'll get that it's sarcasm...

[Seitsuki]

I don't get it. Asuna just proved that you can't do jack in terms of actual harm to other players in towns right? She was only able to blow that douche away because she was so massively OP in comparison. IIRC there's also some 'harassment' function wherein if someone touches you or whatnot against your will you can just push a button and report them. So how did this situation ever end up happening?

I suppose it's another story if you get put on some sort of blacklist and are hunted down when you're out farming, but as far as I can tell there's no problems with the Army on the PK front. So is pretty much everyone in the start town just a pushover?

[dark998]

Fairly slow paced episode after the last two but still nice thanks to the COPIOUS amounts of OTP and the introduction of the mysterious Yui. Human? NPC? Wired ghost? [mod edit: removed hints at future content]

[Wild Goose]

Originally Posted by Seitsuki

I don't get it. Asuna just proved that you can't do jack in terms of actual harm to other players in towns right? She was only able to blow that douche away because she was so massively OP in comparison. IIRC there's also some 'harassment' function wherein if someone touches you or whatnot against your will you can just push a button and report them. So how did this situation ever end up happening?

I suppose it's another story if you get put on some sort of blacklist and are hunted down when you're out farming, but as far as I can tell there's no problems with the Army on the PK front. So is pretty much everyone in the start town just a pushover?

Pretty much, yes.

Spoiler for Light novel infomation and elaboration:

The Aincrad Liberation Front was originally a benign mutual cooperation guild, but after Kibaou - yes, that same cactus-haired asshat Kibaou from Episode 1 - managed to work his way to becoming 2nd in command, ALF changed into the Army and became bullies.

For the most part, the players who're in the starting city are extremely low-leveled; they're players who decided to play things safe and rarely venture outside of the city, so they're easily pushed around. Also, being hit by a sword is still an unpleasant experience: the Player Protection Code protects you from PK and taking damage inside town areas, but the physics engine is still simulating a sword being swung at your head. In the light novels, Asuna doesn't chase off that section of Army troops, she attacks them relentlessly for three minutes, with the result that all of them are non-lethally KOed and need assistance from backup to escape. And once you're knocked out, the ways of executing sleep PK can done.

Also, it is still terrifying to be in a battle, even if you know in your head that you can't be hurt. Your heart doesn't agree.

As for the harassment function, IIRC that only works on opposite genders. And what the Army do is that they block off your way, and shove you back, and won't move until you give up what they want. Note that this works a lot better on younger players, like the kids we see here.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Seitsuki

IIRC there's also some 'harassment' function wherein if someone touches you or whatnot against your will you can just push a button and report them. So how did this situation ever end up happening?

Well, I think the automated harassment feature only works if they actually touch you; note that the army goons weren't touching anyone, they were just intimidating them. That itself doesn't seem to trigger the warning system. It's not as if you can report someone who is annoying you and have a GM listen to your case or something (as happens in most MMOs I've played).

But I wonder if Asuna's attacks, though they caused no damage, did trigger the Harassment system? But I suppose they might have figured that, if they actually tried to report her, it could have consequences down the road?

[Wild Goose]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Well, I think the automated harassment feature only works if they actually touch you; note that the army goons weren't touching anyone, they were just intimidating them. That itself doesn't seem to trigger the warning system. It's not as if you can report someone who is annoying you and have a GM listen to your case or something (as happens in most MMOs I've played).

Pretty much, yeah, as I mentioned above.

But I wonder if Asuna's attacks, though they caused no damage, did trigger the Harassment system? But I suppose they might have figured that, if they actually tried to report her, it could have consequences down the road?

Spoiler for Light novel additional info:

There's little information on this in the light novels. It's noted that Kirito kissing Asuna and hugging her in the last episode would trigger a harassment report window (i'm inclined to think such things go away if the status changes to Married). There's no mention of whether attacks by sword would count; probably not, given that in towns HP doesn't decrease.

It's stated that some players take advantage of the Player Protection Code to have mock duels for fun, going all out against their friends in the knowledge that neither of them will die.

[Krono]

Originally Posted by Seitsuki

I don't get it. Asuna just proved that you can't do jack in terms of actual harm to other players in towns right? She was only able to blow that douche away because she was so massively OP in comparison. IIRC there's also some 'harassment' function wherein if someone touches you or whatnot against your will you can just push a button and report them. So how did this situation ever end up happening?

You can't walk through a player's avatar in SAO. Get a bunch of people together on a narrow street and you can block the way and surround them to keep them from going anywhere. They aren't touching them, much less in a way that would trigger the anti-harassment system, so that's out. Being punched or stabbed in the face is still frightening and unpleasant even though it doesn't hurt, or reduce HP. Short of having the strength stat to jump over, or force your way through, you're stuck there until they let you go. Which is inconvenient, especially as time passes, and you get tired and hungry. The blockers don't mind, as they have enough to rotate people out for food and rest. Boredom isn't a problem for them either, as they're likely doing this for entertainment as much as they are for risk free money.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

But I wonder if Asuna's attacks, though they caused no damage, did trigger the Harassment system? But I suppose they might have figured that, if they actually tried to report her, it could have consequences down the road?

Spoiler for Answer from the light novels:

No, since it's something the system itself blocks, and has valid uses for training, it's not considered a crime, or harassment.

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by Seitsuki

I don't get it. Asuna just proved that you can't do jack in terms of actual harm to other players in towns right? She was only able to blow that douche away because she was so massively OP in comparison. IIRC there's also some 'harassment' function wherein if someone touches you or whatnot against your will you can just push a button and report them. So how did this situation ever end up happening?

I suppose it's another story if you get put on some sort of blacklist and are hunted down when you're out farming, but as far as I can tell there's no problems with the Army on the PK front. So is pretty much everyone in the start town just a pushover?

Spoiler for Parody:

The Army is run by a man named Shoujo_Fanatic181, and he's trained his followers in the fine art of passive-aggressive bullying -- getting up to leave whenever someone you dislike sits down for lunch, writing nasty things on their desk, blocking their path and ignoring them. The truth is the other residents of the Starting Town and even many members of the Army don't like the way he treats others, but they're all afraid of being shunned if they take a stand.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

Spoiler for Parody:

The Army is run by a man named Shoujo_Fanatic181, and he's trained his followers in the fine art of passive-aggressive bullying -- getting up to leave whenever someone you dislike sits down for lunch, writing nasty things on their desk, blocking their path and ignoring them. The truth is the other residents of the Starting Town and even many members of the Army don't like the way he treats others, but they're all afraid of being shunned if they take a stand.

By the way, a number of people have posted this (and similar) now, but isn't there a pretty damn good chance that this will be discussed/revealed in the next episode? Future event spoilers are forbidden in anime episode threads.

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

By the way, a number of people have posted this (and similar) now, but isn't there a pretty damn good chance that this will be discussed/revealed in the next episode? Future event spoilers are forbidden in anime episode threads.

That the army uses bad shoujo manga as its training manual? That would be quite a twist.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

That the army uses bad shoujo manga as its training manual? That would be quite a twist.

Well, a number of people have posted extremely similar explanations before (shoujo manga parody aside). As I said before, don't make me guess if you're posting spoilers or not; I'll err on the side of caution.

[supermegasonic]

Originally Posted by LoweGear

End Card, GET!!!!!!

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

YES, this is awesome thx

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

That end card is hilarious. I've liked all the other end cards with various beautiful takes on the characters, but this one... wait for it... takes the cake...

*everyone falls over*

o you....

Originally Posted by Rakshasa

LOL fast pregnancy.

KNEW someone was gonna say this

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

So Asuna wants to go out and "play" but Kirito's exhausted from two straight days of "playing" with her. Asuna, you dog. And where anyone can see.

even kirito has to get some rest to you know

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

That the army uses bad shoujo manga as its training manual? That would be quite a twist.

o wow

[Bahamut]

...with Asuna's years of cooking research...she probably made tea with the same effect of viagra...
...so Kirito is good to go...no problems...

...even better...they can just make their own guild to finish the game...mass production...
...romantic and pragmatic...
...the system works...

[ronelm2000]

Originally Posted by Bahamut

...with Asuna's years of cooking research...she probably made tea with the same effect of viagra...
...so Kirito is good to go...no problems...

...even better...they can just make their own guild to finish the game...mass production...
...romantic and pragmatic...
...the system works...

lol it could be a great fanfic, but why is it in this thread?

Anyway, does anyone notice how they simply jumped through the Army guys? Is there a Jump skill? Or do you need to simply have the right amount of STR to jump that high?

[Anh_Minh]

DEX, I think. Unless there's an AGI stat, but I don't think so.