So tomorrow is the 31st... (spoilers?)

[Shinizak]

What do you think is going to happen?

I think they are going to have their singular random encounter before hitting shore, then maybe get hurried along into a Nale subplot.

[FeAnPi]

I think we'll see what we'll see... :smallwink:

And it is going to be great!

[Kaytara]

Something involving the Linear Guild would make sense.

[Ancalagon]

Nothing is going to happen tomorrow. Stuff will show up from Sept 1st to 3rd.

IF (when) something happens, it'll start with something... new.

[Rutigris]

Yeah, Rich may just start drawing again tomorrow - he didn't exactly say there will be a new comic posted tomorrow. Although I choose to interpret what he wrote as a new comic will be posted! :smallbiggrin:

It'll be interesting to see the new story arc, hopefully it'll be something totally unexpected!

[factotum]

I'd agree with Ancalagon there. To my mind, "on hiatus until 31st August" means that the 31st is part of the hiatus, therefore nothing until September 1st at the earliest.

[Dark Faun]

If Rich planned to post the next strip September 1st, he'd have written "The Order of the Stick will return September 1st", not "August 31st." :smallconfused:

[The Dark Fiddler]

Is this considered speculating on the schedule?

If not, it's getting close to it.

And I expect what I expect.

[Cizak]

Um, it said "oots returns August 31st", not "Rich will return from his vacation August 31st." We will have a new comic tomorrow.

[Dark Faun]

Is this considered speculating on the schedule?

If not, it's getting close to it.

And I expect what I expect.
True, so I'll try to steer the thread back to its intended purpose.

I don't know why, but I expect the first strip to happen in Ivyleaf and be about V's family. :smallconfused:

[The Dark Fiddler]

Um, it said "oots returns August 32st", not "Rich will return from his vacation August 31st." We will have a new comic tomorrow.

It didn't say that either. :smalltongue:

I'm thinking that (honestly) I have no idea what he'll do. Rich is awesome at surprising us, so trying to anticipate it will only leave a bad taste when it turns out to not be what I expected. As such, this is one of the few anythings I can resist speculating on.

[Cizak]

It didn't say that either. :smalltongue:

Yes it did. "tOots will return August 31st." Just like I wrote the first time. :smallredface:

[Ancalagon]

Is this considered speculating on the schedule?

I think it's pretty much this, yes.

[Meg]

I don't know. I want to be suprised (Of course, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, I'm like a little kid at Christmas).

[Jackson]

'When it returns on August 31st' is from the newspost. 'The Order of the Stick Will Return August 31st' is from the comic. I'd say it's reasonable to expect there will be a new comic tomorrow.

That said, I wasn't here for the break at the end of the Battle of Azure City and am not sure how the schedule worked out at that time. I wouldn't be surprised either way, but I'm expecting to see a new comic tomorrow. I won't be disappointed if I have to wait a day or two, though; I don't have any idea in my mind of how often we should have a new OotS comic, so it doesn't bother me to wait.

I am excited, however.

[The_Void]

I have a sneaky feeling we'll be seeing a little bit of the Linear Guild first.

[Delorges]

I'll be happy with whatever the next strip will be, simply because it'll be the strip to end the break. :smallbiggrin: Personally I guess the Linear Guild shows up, but seeing V's family again would be nice too.

[Kish]

I will be quite surprised if the first strip of the next book doesn't focus on the Order itself.

[Elan's Modron]

Hmmm
I think we'll def. get the Order of the Stick crew- and I'm guessing we'll have some pretty splendid landscape or vista or architectural marvel, or something, of the Western Continent.
The former (the OotS) provides stability, continuity
the latter (Western Continent) provides for some novelty and wonder

I feel like the Giant has been doing ever more cool, big, eyepoppin', artsy panels (the latest being the spectacular world in the rift) - and more big landscapes- and don't we all want to gaze in wonder at the Western Continent? (Though honestly I'm getting confused as to what's located where- and what characters hail from where, etc.) - but isn't the continent the OotS is headed to the one ruled by Marduk and Tiamat etc.? So maybe a little hanging gardens/temple prostitutes/Babylonian flava?

Ooh- one last prediction- a glimpse of at least one old villain- but I'm thinking not as obvious as, say, the *current* Linear Guild members. (though this would be a great time for *Hilgya* to pop back up.) There's gotta be at least some new (or in this case 'old') menace set in motion- but Rich wouldn't be Rich if we could see it coming too easily...

and THAT said-
*because* Rich is such a narrative genius, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find myself wrong on ALL counts-

just like with the world within the rift, say- or a million other examples- = I certainly never saw THOSE coming...

What I DO know for sure is that I'm going be just as 'so freakin' excited' as Kristen Wiig is in those SNL skits!

Aug. 31st is tomorrow! HUZZAH!

[Katana_Geldar]

It's the 31st here today :(

Maybe I will stay up late so I can get the first update.

But I think we'll get the Linear Guild, it's been far too long since we have seen them.

[Maximum Zersk]

Aug. 31st is tomorrow! HUZZAH!

Huzzah, indeed. :smallbiggrin:

Anyway, I, of course, don't know who the next strip is going to revolve around, but I'm guessing it will be the Order. Wat, I'm guessing is that the first few panels will be from the perspective of a native of the western continent seeing the boat the Order is on sailing toward the landmass. Pure speculation, though.


--Zersk786

[Berserk Monk]

I think we'll see what we'll see... :smallwink:

And it is going to be great!

I know we'll see what we see.

[Carnivorous M.]

I agree with the Berserk Monk on this one.

[Ted The Bug]

It'll be a huge epic strip, or else it won't be. It'll either have the Linear Guild, or some other people. Main idea: we don't know, hell, it could even be another crayon strip (which would be interesting, tho unlikely).

[moxproxy]

The boat will hit a reef.

Or not.

[Sequinox]

Well, it's not really Rich's style to start with a boom, so I'm guessing it's going to introduce new things and begin a new subplot relating specifically to the western continent.

[The Dark Fiddler]

If we're talking "This will or happen, or else this." then I say that we'll get another episode of going to the lobby, or else we won't.

[rangermania]

So 31st is HERE!!!!! Huzaaah again...:smallbiggrin:

(At least in my country)

[factotum]

So 31st is HERE!!!!! Huzaaah again...:smallbiggrin:

(At least in my country)

Unfortunately Rich doesn't live in your country and is unlikely to have been aiming to get a comic uploaded for 2AM his time. :smallwink:

[Munch]

For the last Hiatus, OotS came back on the day he said it would. I would imagine this one would be quite similar.

I think the next couple strips will be the Order landing on the continent, quickly followed by what the Linear guild is doing. Quite honestly, though, I don't care what is next, cause I know it will be good.

[Katana_Geldar]

31st here today, and over there as well. The update will probably be aorund 11pm my time, if I bother to stay up for it.

But I think Rich is going to a little setting the scene first ebfore the order arrives, you know how much he likes dramatic irony.

[Athaniar]

It's the Day in my country as well, although I guess I'll have to wait a few hours. And waiting I am, and expecting the usual greatness.

[Liwen]

Some will have had a appearance change in the time from their departure to the next comic. I bet Roy has grown facial hair.

[Katana_Geldar]

Isn't the island not far from the western continent (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0643.html)?

That would take a few days, at most.

[Liwen]

Days? You mean an hour or two

[Katana_Geldar]

Either way, it's too short a time for Roy to have facial hair.

And I think he'd rather NOT look like his dad. :smalltongue:

[kpenguin]

Unless that's a very fast boat, I doubt they'll cross a few dozen kilometers in an hour or two.

[Liwen]

Oh right, I forgot about Eugene. Good point there. It's just seems that every male Greenhilt eventually grows one. But I never implied they would still be on the boat when the next comic comes, I merely says Roy would have facial hair in the next comic.

Somebody pulls out the chart on boat speed from the DMG please, we need to settle this 'How long' thing.

[Totally Guy]

Maybe he'll start with the voyage of the phylactery. That is if something dramatic is due to happen with it.

[Anthea]

Tststs, still nothing. No extra night shift? :smallbiggrin: It isn't as if we were waiting for something, or if we would be a bit curious about what will happen with the new story arc.
Probably it will only be a new title page, anyhow :smallcool:

[Ripped Shirt Kirk]

I'm hoping for another Intermission comic!

I'm hoping for an intermission, because he says that when someone predicts whats happening in the plot, he wants to change it.

[shadzar]

Nothing is going to happen...see this is something some people might be forgetting...it never said which year the comic was on hiatus until. :smallbiggrin:

If I am wrong, then who knows how this next journey will start out....

[Katana_Geldar]

Still nothing.

The waiting game sucks.

[Zanaril]

It's better than the other game.



...Damn it! I lose again!

[Cracklord]

Damn it yourself. That's ten days I managed!

[Katana_Geldar]

I am killing time by re-reading the last story arc.

[Anthea]

Nothing is going to happen...see this is something some people might be forgetting...it never said which year the comic was on hiatus until. :smallbiggrin:
That happens when you can't read :smalltongue:
Just look at the complete message again:

OOTS will not update at all for the next three weeks
In our timeline, I can't see an August, 31st, that is not in this year and only 3 weeks from the announcment.

[TriForce]

my guess is that the first strip will not be showing any known characters, but rather some new npc's in the western continent planning stuff that will bring them on a collision course with the order without them knowing :) i mean, new book, new continent, new npcs?

[The_Void]

It's better than the other game.



...Damn it! I lose again!

It's OK, I read xkcd, I'm immune! :smallbiggrin:

[Purple_cloack]

Still nuthin'... I think that the picture will show a hobgoblin. then two. Then dozen. In the end, you see hundreds of hobgoblins in the canals, sewers and rivers, seeking for phylactery.

[XBobbis]

Personally, I'm rooting for an intermission comic.

[Deme]

my guess is that the first strip will not be showing any known characters, but rather some new npc's in the western continent planning stuff that will bring them on a collision course with the order without them knowing :) i mean, new book, new continent, new npcs?


This is my opinion, as well. Specifically, I'm thinking we'll get our first solid look/hint of Lord Tyrinar, provided that he's going to be important in this book. If not, we'll see someone else. Or maybe the Linear Guild. Or maybe Lord Tyrinar AND the Linear Guild, proving/disproving the surprise no one but the characters would be surprised at.