scrape_r_rational/data/cache2/2bj6ag.md

[Q, Mk] What would you ask Loki? (Two Year Emperor)

• Author: u/eaglejarl *

• URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/2bj6ag/q_mk_what_would_you_ask_loki_two_year_emperor/

• Score: 10

• Created: 2014-07-23T21:00:36

Post:

Jake of The Two Year Emperor fame has 8 questions that he's allowed to ask Loki. Loki is allowed to not answer, but if he does answer he must be truthful, complete, and non-deceptive.

I know several things I'm going to have him ask, but there's a few questions I haven't accounted for yet, so I am seeking the Wisdom Of The Reddit.

What would you ask?

(EDIT: I'm experimenting with a new [Mk] == Munchkin tag. What do you think?)

Comments:

u/alexanderwales [+6] Time flies like an arrow (30 minutes later)

Since not-answers don't count against me, no reason to not shoot for the moon, at least to start out with - that's just good strategy. Besides which, each not-answer gives information, because you know that it's something that Loki can't or won't answer. I guess I would also see if boolean operators would work within my questions, so that I could get some more mileage out of them and acquire information, but I am guessing that wouldn't fly - still, no real penalty for trying, and hopefully he'd like my pluck. As for what I'd actually want answers to, with the caveat that I'm not thinking too hard about the precise wordings (I'm not sure if you've seen the Open Source Wish Project, but you need to be very clear about what it is that you mean, even if you have a guarantee that the answers will be truthful, complete, and non-deceptive).

• Among all the things that I don't know, which piece of information would be the most advantageous for me to know?
• Are there any potential useful allies that I do not currently know about, and how can I meet them? (possibly rephrase so that can't be counted as two questions - I'd be more specifically interested if there is dissent within the undead empire that can be leveraged)
• Which of the people within the humanoid resistance is secretly working for the enemy?
• What is the most easily accessible single point of failure for the undead army?
• Where are all of the liches phylacteries located? (Which is hopefully considered a single question - figure that out first before blowing all of the questions on this one)
• How do I turn the undead empire against itself?

Rumsfeld gets a lot of flack for it, but the unknown unknowns are a very real thing, and those are the most important to ferret out if at all possible - it's just a matter of phrasing the question such that Loki is compelled to give you answers to the questions you don't know that you needed to ask.

u/failed_novelty [+1] (23 hours later)

Your first bullet point could be accurately and completely answered with "The eight questions that would have gotten you the best and most useful information."

In other words, a wasted question.

When evaluating questions, first look for a useless non-answer that could none-the-less satisfy the requirements.

u/alexanderwales [+1] Time flies like an arrow (23 hours later)

I had assumed that the fact that the answers must be "complete" meant that such trickery was out the window.

u/failed_novelty [+1] (a day later)

But it is a complete answer to the question. It completely tells him the information that would have been most useful. Nowhere in the question does it ask for the information, just what the information IS.

And there is NO trickery that is beyond Loki. That's pretty much the definition of Loki.

u/alexanderwales [+1] Time flies like an arrow (a day later)

So you're just arguing that it's an issue of phrasing then? How would you phrase the question?

u/failed_novelty [+1] (2 days later)

I have given it some thought, and been unable to come up with a question which is equivalent but lacking loopholes. The problem is that it is much easier to tear down something than it is to construct it. I am not clever enough to craft a question I cannot pervert, but I am clever enough to pervert some very clever questions.

u/Anakiri [+3] (2 hours later)

I'm not owed 8 answers. I'm owed 8 honest answers and 7 that are merely truthful, still left over from my last deal.

Loki, of course, will decide which set of rules he wants to play by for each individual question, and there's nothing stopping him from deceiving me about which deal he's honoring.

If I don't remember that, I'm screwed no matter what I ask.

u/eaglejarl [+1] (3 hours later)

Fair point. I should have included those in the list.

u/Nepene [+3] (2 hours later)

The number one wish is "Can I have more wishes."

So I'd ask him "What easier relatively successful ways could I and the empire use to get favors or requests from various gods including you?" If there are other gods who Loki knows desire something and would aid who he could ally with that would be great, knowing exactly what Loki wants him to do to win favors like the cannons, answers and such would be helpful.

Saving his life is also helpful. "What are the major ways in which it is likely or certain that undead will invade or subvert the defences of this city."

Since Afi is scary.

"What plans and schemes do the Liches have that are interesting to us?"

u/Empiricist_or_not [+3] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (7 hours later)

I like the [mk] tag.

u/DeliaEris [+2] Fully General Idealist (8 hours later)

Me too. However I think it would be more machine-readable if you formatted multiple tags like [Q][Mk].

u/clawclawbite [+2] (8 hours later)

Are their any gods besides you who are actively aiding the undead forces beyond granting spells?

If so:

Do they know about my background and homeworld?

u/drageuth2 [+2] (a day later)

What are the 7 questions I can ask you to get the most advantage for myself out of this?

u/Zephyr1011 [+2] Potentially Unfriendly Aspiring Divinity (2 days later)

You would probably need to further define advantage. It's somewhat ambiguous as is. Does it mean greatest life expectancy for you? Greatest expected happiness? Greatest chance to defeat the dragua?

u/drageuth2 [+1] (2 days later)

Yeah, would prolly have to run wording by Albrecht et al. As I would with any wish. But I'm more talking general ideas of what to ask after here.

u/Gurkenglas [+1] (14 hours later)

If Loki had will and ability to tell you something, he could do it without him owing you a question; since he hasn't done that, he can't or won't do it. Therefore, he'll just decline to answer any question you ask him, without ever depleting the 8 questions account.

u/Nepene [+2] (a day later)

If he does that he both reduces his reputation among gods and humanity as someone who isn't willing to adhere to a deal, thus reducing future opportunities for bargaining, and loses the goodwill of Jake.

u/alexanderwales [+1] Time flies like an arrow (17 hours later)

I've been sort of operating under the assumption that the word of a god actually means something - which is backed up by a whole host of myths and legends in the real world, and stories told in many versions of fantasy worlds. Hell, a decent number of the stories about trickster gods involve them being tricked by humans, so I think there's some precedent for him being bound to his words and deals - he's just allowed to be slippery about them. Besides that, he's involved with Jake already, and has at least some incentive to keep on playing the game in order to maintain relations.

u/clawclawbite [+2] (a day later)

And it makes a great excuse.

I was not helping him because I wanted to, I lost a bet, made a deal, gave my word due to another matter.

u/Gurkenglas [+1] (a day later)

I mean that the deal he made allows him to decline to answer. (The excuse thing above is of course true.)

---