Thread: Order of the Stick

  1. #2731
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Jamieson View Post
    I really doubt that the strip Sebmojo pointed out is a coincidence.
    Yeah, I didn't see that till after I posted.

    I don't think it was a co-incidence. He specifically mentions "wanting" (wishing) for something to happen there.

  2. #2732
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon_Danger View Post
    I'll bet the MitD had nothing to do with that teleport.
    Basic drama (not to mention the close up on the eyes when it says 'ESCAPE') suggests you're wrong.

    Nale would be cheap. The MITD rescue was earned.

  3. #2733
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sebmojo View Post
    Basic drama (not to mention the close up on the eyes when it says 'ESCAPE') suggests you're wrong.
    I think Jon's probably wrong in this case, but Burlew has a habit of trying to mislead readers and do the unexpected and so I think it's going a bit far to toss out the possibility entirely. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if Burlew made it so MitD does have the teleport power but also wasn't the one to do it in this particular instance.

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    Quote Originally Posted by wonderpug View Post
    I think Jon's probably wrong in this case, but Burlew has a habit of trying to mislead readers and do the unexpected and so I think it's going a bit far to toss out the possibility entirely. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if Burlew made it so MitD does have the teleport power but also wasn't the one to do it in this particular instance.
    Oh, fer sure - it's about time for Nale to make an entrance, as Team Evil have been taken out of commission for at least a bit. But I think MITD doing this is dramatically satisfying and can't see any benefit in pulling a swifty over the readers.

    We'll see, I guess!

  5. #2735
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    Did you read the post where I rescinded my comment? You posted right after it, but made no mention of it.

  6. #2736
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    I actually knew about the linked prior evidence before I made my comment.

    Here's my chain of thought:

    Nale hasn't been in a comic for a while, and Rich likes to bring back characters in unexpected ways. We know he's trying to rebuild his old team. We also know that his girlfriend works for the three fiends that helped V -- who in a previous comic said that if V didn't survive, all this would be for nothing. And, finally, we know that both Nale and Demon Chick want information about the Snarl so that they too can use it to gain power.

    The MitD doesn't care about V, so he would have only teleported O'Chul. Nale and Sabine would have wanted V for the demons, and O'Chul for information about the Snarl. The imp who set everything up could easily bring her information about both of them. As to the arcane power necessary, Nale probably already has a caster lined up for the team, and he's pretty good about making complex plans mostly work.

    Then you have the MitD, which has not previously manifested magical powers, although I will admit some sort of setup along those lines. That said, Rich loves misdirection, so the close up and the roaches could have been totally meaningless.

    All that said, I bet you millions of monopoly dollars that we won't know who did it for several episodes.

  7. #2737
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Markell View Post
    Even the compendium books offer a bunch of additional content (bonus strips, commentary from the author and characters, etc.). I love them, and can't wait for a new one.
    Yep, the books are absolutely worth it even to fans who follow the series closely online.

  8. #2738
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    It took an epic level teleport spell to even get into the tower, and even that wasn't easy. Aren't those barriers still in place? And even if they weren't, how would Nale have even found V in the first place? And if even Nale did somehow find V, why V? Elan is his nemesis, everyone else is just in the way.

  9. #2739
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    I don't see any current relevance for the Linear Guild right now either, but that's just why they might be brought in. Elan would say it's silly to waste a recurring villain, after all.

  10. #2740
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    Quote Originally Posted by noun View Post
    It took an epic level teleport spell to even get into the tower, and even that wasn't easy. Aren't those barriers still in place? And even if they weren't, how would Nale have even found V in the first place? And if even Nale did somehow find V, why V? Elan is his nemesis, everyone else is just in the way.
    Quote Originally Posted by me, previously
    Nale and Sabine would have wanted V for the demons, and O'Chul for information about the Snarl. The imp who set everything up could easily bring her information about both of them. As to the arcane power necessary, Nale probably already has a caster lined up for the team, and he's pretty good about making complex plans mostly work.
    Like I said, they've got the right connections and access lined up.

  11. #2741
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    Quote Originally Posted by noun View Post
    It took an epic level teleport spell to even get into the tower, and even that wasn't easy. Aren't those barriers still in place? And even if they weren't, how would Nale have even found V in the first place? And if even Nale did somehow find V, why V? Elan is his nemesis, everyone else is just in the way.

    Remember, there's a giant gaping hole in the cloister spell that Xykon used for summoning spells. (I forget which comic Celia mentioned this in, I think it was linked upthread). I am not that familiar with D&D summoning spells, but would that hole exist for summoning out from under the cloister spell as well?

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  13. #2743
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    If I see you with more eyes than assholes, I'm going to shove one in the other and give your cloak to that hobgoblin.
    Definitely one of his best lines ever.

  14. #2744
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    THEN RAISE HIM!

    It's promising that events lit a fire under Xykon's coccyx, at least. I'm not entirely uncertain the whole slowdown wasn't a nod to the fact that an awful lot of rpg parties are purely reactive in how they go about things--if evil forces aren't driving actively forward, Team PCs are mostly twiddling their thumbs as their players look blankly around the table at each other and take turns saying "uh..." as the GM sighs. I might be projecting there.

  15. #2745
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drastic View Post
    THEN RAISE HIM!

    It's promising that events lit a fire under Xykon's coccyx, at least. I'm not entirely uncertain the whole slowdown wasn't a nod to the fact that an awful lot of rpg parties are purely reactive in how they go about things--if evil forces aren't driving actively forward, Team PCs are mostly twiddling their thumbs as their players look blankly around the table at each other and take turns saying "uh..." as the GM sighs. I might be projecting there.
    Heh, that happens in my game too often. It generally indicates a failure of the GM to provide the players with an adquate indication of what directions are open to them, or players becoming disinterested in the game, or in the worst cases both.

  16. #2746
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hanacker View Post
    Definitely one of his best lines ever.
    That line re-affirms my belief that the OOTS will never finish Xykon off, but rather Redcloak will. Rich is setting up an Emperor/Darth Vader dynamic between Xykon and Redcloak and eventually Xkyon will push him too far. Redcloak might not be quite able to take on Xykon in a straight fight, but I can see him seizing an opportunity to jump in and tip the balance when the OOTS are going toe to toe with him.

  17. #2747
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kraaze View Post
    Heh, that happens in my game too often. It generally indicates a failure of the GM to provide the players with an adquate indication of what directions are open to them, or players becoming disinterested in the game, or in the worst cases both.
    If it seems like the bad guys aren't moving forward with their nefarious plans, my players start crafting immediately.

    "Here's my list of shit I want to make. I'll be in my tower until something happens. Tell me how much of it I get done."

    "Hey, here's my list of shit I want you to make for me, but I don't want to wait until you get all your shit done. I'll pay a little extra to alternate with your shit."

    "Okay. Every time I finish one of my things I start making one of his. Tell me how much I get done."

    "Okay, you start crafting your Deck of Many Things. After two hours there is a loud crash and screaming outside."

    "Two hours? Two fucking hours?"

  18. #2748
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    http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/06/...un-dont-shine/

    I declare this a related comic. 8 Bit is always worth reading, but these two pages dovetail nicely.

  19. #2749
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drastic View Post
    THEN RAISE HIM!

    It's promising that events lit a fire under Xykon's coccyx, at least. I'm not entirely uncertain the whole slowdown wasn't a nod to the fact that an awful lot of rpg parties are purely reactive in how they go about things--if evil forces aren't driving actively forward, Team PCs are mostly twiddling their thumbs as their players look blankly around the table at each other and take turns saying "uh..." as the GM sighs. I might be projecting there.
    Everyone knows there is always time for one more side quest while the world burns! Evil always waits.

    Oh, wait, that'd be CRPGs.

  20. #2750
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    Oh dear god. I just finished reading Start of Darkness.

    ...

    Wow.

    Incidentally (via the GITP forums) - the Monster in the Dark? Psammead?

    1. Ugly, but in a goblinesque kind of way (the goblins in SoD think it's awesome rather than ugly)
    2. Gets tired after wishing
    3. The circus performers in SoD say "'IT' is getting away"
    4. Rich never said it was a D&D monster, but he did say someone else invented it (paraphrased)
    Almost certainly wrong, but it's a better guess than anything else I've seen. The third is my favourite clue, as it feels like a Rich Burlew kind of hint.

  21. #2751
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drastic View Post
    if evil forces aren't driving actively forward, Team PCs are mostly twiddling their thumbs as their players look blankly around the table at each other and take turns saying "uh..." as the GM sighs. I might be projecting there.
    No, that's right. However creative and original and full of initiative the individuals may be, sit them around a table for an RPG session, and often they turn into a bunch who can't do much more than open the next door in the dungeon and roll dice and go through the GM's content in the most stolid and straightforward way.

  22. #2752
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dean View Post
    If it seems like the bad guys aren't moving forward with their nefarious plans, my players start crafting immediately.
    Of course. You've given them this more or less free and easy way to increase their personal power that involves downtime from the game.

    So you can either eliminate downtime by having things constantly happening, or you can eliminate the free power boost from downtime, and at least motivate player initiative in the world (admittedly this is tough to do, but you might as well not discourage it, at least.) So I would vote for the latter....

  23. #2753
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    Yeah, my DM always makes us do our crafting stuff "between sessions" and just has us update sheets before we start playing.

  24. #2754
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sebmojo View Post
    Oh dear god. I just finished reading Start of Darkness.

    ...

    Wow.

    Incidentally (via the GITP forums) - the Monster in the Dark? Psammead?

    1. Ugly, but in a goblinesque kind of way (the goblins in SoD think it's awesome rather than ugly)
    2. Gets tired after wishing
    3. The circus performers in SoD say "'IT' is getting away"
    4. Rich never said it was a D&D monster, but he did say someone else invented it (paraphrased)
    Almost certainly wrong, but it's a better guess than anything else I've seen. The third is my favourite clue, as it feels like a Rich Burlew kind of hint.
    I used to think MITD was version of a Tarrasque. After the Wishcapade, I am not sure at all. Certainly if it were a head-fake by Burlew and someone else be responsible, it could still be true, though. Although his being asleep afterward might lend itself to one thinking he needed to recover, post-effort.

  25. #2755
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miramon View Post
    Of course. You've given them this more or less free and easy way to increase their personal power that involves downtime from the game.

    So you can either eliminate downtime by having things constantly happening, or you can eliminate the free power boost from downtime, and at least motivate player initiative in the world (admittedly this is tough to do, but you might as well not discourage it, at least.) So I would vote for the latter....
    Actually, whenever there's significant downtime it moves quickly, as in, "You're going to have some time here, what do you want to do?" There's the weeks/months downtime for crafting that's built into the game, and then there is the "time enough to investigate" downtime which is usually days where there's a parallel timeline for the bad guys.

    Trust me, I know how to play the game.

  26. #2756
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    Quote Originally Posted by rhinohelix View Post
    I used to think MITD was version of a Tarrasque. After the Wishcapade, I am not sure at all. Certainly if it were a head-fake by Burlew and someone else be responsible, it could still be true, though. Although his being asleep afterward might lend itself to one thinking he needed to recover, post-effort.
    The Tarrasque. And MITD has a dad.

    It's a juicy mystery, to be sure :)

  27. #2757
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  28. #2758
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    perfect line for Elan :)

  29. #2759
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    Heh, I wonder if he's subtly making fun of the new Star Trek movie what with key characters literally falling out of the sky in the locations most convenient for the plot?

  30. #2760
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    I like how O-Chul gets a full Heal and V gets nothing.

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