Who thinks this comic will end at 1000?

[Cleverdan22]

I've been thinking about it recently. The Giant has always said that this is a tale with a planned ending, and it seems like a lot of things have happened to the characters in this time, and by 2000 they all might be half-dragon wizard demons. :smalltongue:

I'll be sad when it ends, but doesn't that kinda seem like what the comic may end on?

[Ancalagon]

a) He never hit round numbers with his plans.
b) If he did, it was anticlimatic (on purpose).

[harami2000]

Seems like too much to do, still, even if the pacing remains quick. Maybe Rich is aiming for 6,001 just to outdo Dave Sim. Who knows... :smalltongue:
*looks prepared for the long haul, regardless*

[Dogmantra]

I think we're about half/a third of the way there, so I think it's going to end a few hundred strips after 1000.
If Rich is going to go out on a specific number, it will be the holy number of Munckins everywhere: 1337

[Logalmier]

Nah, Rich will end OotS when he's ready to end it. Not based on the comic number. It has as much of a chance of ending on comic 1324, as it does any other number.

[The Blackbird]

I hope the comic ends (Though I will be saddened) at 1097, but 997 would be cool too...or 1197, or 1297...

[Evil DM Mark3]

Or 1234, that might be amusing.

[chionophile]

a) He never hit round numbers with his plans.
b) If he did, it was anticlimatic (on purpose).

Do you (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html) really (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html) think (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0400.html) so (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0500.html)?

[The Dark Fiddler]

It will end either on page 3469, or page 6934.

[PId6]

Or 1234, that might be amusing.
I'd prefer 12345 myself.

[EyethatBinds]

2012, it'll all be over. That's what the Mayans were trying to tell us.

[SolkaTruesilver]

2012, it'll all be over. That's what the Mayans were trying to tell us.

Oh. My. God...

IT ALL MAKES SENSE!

[isocum]

dorukan gate arc 1-121, 120 strips (crawlan fools)
sidequest arc 122-301, approx 180 strips(paladin blues)
azure gate arc = 302 - 485, approx 180 strips(war&XPs)
reunion arc = 486 - 651 so far, likely 180 or so strips as well
girards gate arc
post girard arc
kraagors gate arc
epilogue?(i expect this to end up as a seperate book)

if the remaining arcs go by with same numbers, we will have approx 500 strips after reunion arcs end, so the end will be somewhere between 1150 - 1200.

[SteveDJ]

With everyone making all these guesses, and not hidden in spoiler tags, you now know that the Giant will make absolutely sure he DOESN'T hit any of those numbers... :smallbiggrin:

So, instead, I offer this prediction:

He will do something funny with the numbers, like an extra 1/2 strip or something, so that the ending number isn't a whole number at all - but a fraction or decimal. :biggrin:

[The_Firenail]

Well, I think so. Or maybe any other 4 digit number, cause of the url.
I think an epilouge is likely, but short enough to be in the final book.

[Salty]

Comic 1337! 666! Over 9000! 42!

Oh, wait. we passed that one.

...

I'm sorry. I'm done now.

Honestly, I'm expecting it to end somewhere around 1200, maybe 1300. I doubt that he will make it a nice round number, but it would be neat if he did.

[Axl_Rose]

Let's hope it NEVER ends.

Okay, maybe not, but still, I'm hoping +1200 at least.

[The Dark Fiddler]

2012, it'll all be over. That's what the Mayans were trying to tell us.

Not at all. They went beyond 2012

[shadzar]

I'd prefer 12345 myself.

:smalleek: That's the combination to my luggage! Now I have to change it.

I don't think the comic will end on any number we can gues, but will end with a number of strips to equal the full story and a complete last book compilation of the strips.

1000 doesn't quiet seem to work out that way unless there are many more multi-page strips to come.

[Liwen]

I came back to number 42 just to see if Rich had done something special, and he did! it's the first time Belkar makes his spot check a solo kill a goblin ninja!

Quick, I must become shoeless, reduce my height to a third, become psychotic and kill a goblin ninja with two daggers while wearing a Irishman green costume and a cool cape. THEN the answer shall be understood.

[harami2000]

Not at all. They went beyond 2012
Long count is long.
sry...
Might as well change my vote to 2112 or 2525 according to taste, I guess, for all the chance that has of being correct. :smallbiggrin:

[Cleverdan22]

I came back to number 42 just to see if Rich had done something special, and he did! it's the first time Belkar makes his spot check a solo kill a goblin ninja!

I really doubt that had anything to do with that. If it did, there probably would have been at least a small reference in the lines or the title.

[factotum]

There have already been places in the comic where the story has taken much longer than expected, according to the book commentaries, so even if Rich had been originally intending to end the comic at strip 1000 I doubt it would end there now.

In any case, there appear to be at least two books' worth of material left (Girard's Gate and Kraagor's Gate), and at the typical length of an OotS book we'd be a fair few strips past 1000 by the time it ended.

[Jimorian]

I think there's a decent chance that the next gate battle might be the end. Just because just about all the characters have been set up with their Big Changes in preparation for what is to come. I'm just not sure what could go on between "failing" at the first gate and finally winning at the final one, unless it's a fairly direct run between them with Lessons Learned directly in mind.

I guess more what I'm saying is that I think the story will be more direct from here on out.

[shadzar]

I think there's a decent chance that the next gate battle might be the end. Just because just about all the characters have been set up with their Big Changes in preparation for what is to come. I'm just not sure what could go on between "failing" at the first gate and finally winning at the final one, unless it's a fairly direct run between them with Lessons Learned directly in mind.

I guess more what I'm saying is that I think the story will be more direct from here on out.


I find a small problem with Girard's Gate being the end. We have the halflings diary of the 5th gate. Xykon and probably by now, Redcloak, both know what is in that diary and how to find it. It could even be that the hobgoblin forces were sent to find and secure it from any monsters that may be around.

[Elan man]

umm.. 128,656,492,725 i hope but seriously its going to be





WHATEVER RICH CHOOSES (HOPEFULLY IN THE THOUSANDS THOUGH I'M GONNA MISS OOTS WHEN IT'S GONE)

[factotum]

I think there's a decent chance that the next gate battle might be the end. Just because just about all the characters have been set up with their Big Changes in preparation for what is to come. I'm just not sure what could go on between "failing" at the first gate and finally winning at the final one, unless it's a fairly direct run between them with Lessons Learned directly in mind.

I guess more what I'm saying is that I think the story will be more direct from here on out.


Two important prophecies suggest otherwise, both concerning Durkon.

The Oracle:
Durkon will return home posthumously.

High Priest of Thor, "On the Origin of PCs":

Durkon will bring death and devastation with him when he returns home.


Taken together, these two imply that Durkon's posthumous return home will take place "inside" the comic continuity (or else why include the OtOoPCs prophecy at all?), and since Kraagor's Gate is close to Kraagor's homeland, and Kraagor was a dwarf...well, I think you can see where I'm going with this.

[David Argall]

Do you (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html) really (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html) think (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0400.html) so (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0500.html)?

Yup. consider...
[url] this dig at the idea (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0100.html)
[url] and this putdown (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0600.html).

Nor do your examples show much interest in showcasing special numbers.
By original plan, the party would have met Miko at about strip 180, putting 200 at about the end of the dirt farmers story and not particularly well place for any dramatic scenery.
300 is the end of the book, and thus dramatic for quite a different reason than the mere fact it is #300.
400 may be dramatic, but it is not above 393 or 406. This is a problem with the basic argument. There are so many dramatic/great strips that it is almost automatic that the special number strip is something dramatic/great.
500 even more rates as a pretty average strip.

So no, our writer is [thankfully] not paying much attention to the number of the strip and has no serious plans to end with a particular number. In fact, he has mentioned he is not even sure of the number of books he is going to have. [He said he has enough material for 7 books, and felt he can likely expand that.]
Now we can see there will be a book for each of the remaining gates, and each is likely to be 180 pages. That gives us 360 + 660 to date, making a total somewhat above 1000. But Azure City took two books, and more. If we follow that pattern with the other two gates, we could looking at another 700 strips and maybe 1400 pages total.

[SolkaTruesilver]

I think there's a decent chance that the next gate battle might be the end. Just because just about all the characters have been set up with their Big Changes in preparation for what is to come. I'm just not sure what could go on between "failing" at the first gate and finally winning at the final one, unless it's a fairly direct run between them with Lessons Learned directly in mind.

I guess more what I'm saying is that I think the story will be more direct from here on out.


Except if V is the new Arcane Caster for Redcloak's plans. In that case, there might be some new developments after Xykon's demise...

[Silverraptor]

(Reads Title.
...
Laughs Hysterically and attracts many stares)
Rich says he nevers fulfills people's expectations.

Edit: That includes you Blackbird.

[Prowl]

I predict that it will end on a number not specifically predicted in this thread... just because he can.

[Kranden]

Absolutely, it's a biiiiiig and rooooooooound number


biiiiiiiggg annddd roouuuunnnddd