How long do you think the comic will last?

[The Pale King]

I think were likely more than halfway through the run of the comic. I suspect that maybe this or the next book will be the last one. I can't see it running for more than three books. But I could be wrong. What do you guys think?

[Gift Jeraff]

I can't see it ending in this arc, but I agree that only 3 more (including this one) seems like the max. My bets are on this + 1 more + 1 more prequel.

[BatRobin]

This is the fourth book coming now. 0.o


OOTS is guaranteed to go at least 900 unless Rich dies or is injured or something.

[Forbiddenwar]

This is the fourth book coming now. 0.o


OOTS is guaranteed to go at least 900 unless Rich dies or is injured or something.

OMG, where is the wood. Knock on wood, right now! We can't let that happen!:smalleek:

[Katana_Geldar]

We're going to see quite a few more story arcs than we're going to guess, I would imagine. Something like the taking back of Azure City I could see happening, and the Order helping with it perhaps.

[Kish]

I'm betting on the current book and one more book. Uncertain number of prequels and/or sideways books.

[Porthos]

What about the future of the strip in a general sense> Well I have enough major plot to fill up another four books after this one, and as we saw in the with the bandit sequence, I tend to run long in the telling, so who knows. We may end up with a total of seven, eight, or even nine books total! And that's not even counting any additional original OOTS books. We already have one of those-On the Origin of PCs- with at least two more planned. One will tell the tale of Xykon, from his life through his death to his undeath, including how he met Redcloak and the Creature in the Darkness. The other... Well that's another year away. I don't think I'm ready to talk about that yet.

So according to that, there will be at least two more books (the Major Arc that we are currently under plus one after that). And perhaps more, depending on how the plotting goes.

On the other hand, this was written well before Rich had his major flare up with his chronic illness and he cut back on a lot of his projects. For instance, we have zero idea if the other "all new content" book that was mentioned in the above quote will ever be made or not. Plans change, especially ones made three years ago.

Much more recently (back in June, to be precise), Rich had this to say about the length of the comic:


I am not going to be writing the Order of the Stick for the rest of my life. There will come a time when I will move on to another story, and that time will be here in less time than I have been writing OOTS already.

As noted in this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113489) that means there are, at most, about five more years worth of strip to go. And, of course, possibly much less. Then again, plans might change. Who knows?

So as of right now, I would say there will be at least two more books worth of comics. Anything else beyond that is unknowable.

[David Argall]

My bet is 3 more books, The Western Continent, the Snarl World, and the Northern Gate.

[Zevox]

I think were likely more than halfway through the run of the comic. I suspect that maybe this or the next book will be the last one. I can't see it running for more than three books. But I could be wrong. What do you guys think?
More or less what you said. I can't see it ending after just one more book, but two more, possibly as much as three, would be what I'd expect.

Zevox

[Andore Mordre]

My bet is 3 more books, The Western Continent, the Snarl World, and the Northern Gate.

This, only I'm guessing Western Continent, Northern Gate, THEN Snarl World.

And hopefully another prequel book.

With the current rate of expansion in book sizes and episode numbers, I'm guessing about 5 years? Hopefully more?

[ThePhantasm]

I'm fine with Rich "running long in the telling." Give me a long, cohesive story and not something rushed just because certain fans are impatient.

[Liwen]

At the current update rate and estimating the comic will end somewhere between 900-1200 issues : Anything from 15 to 25 years

So don't worry, you may show this to your grand kids even before it truly ends. :smalltongue:

[Gullara]

If only it would last forever :sigh:

[Vetreon]

If only it would last forever :sigh:

Maybe he'll be so nice to make the last panel the same as the first panel so we can loop it.

[marc]

I've always prefered a story that ended too soon instead of one that goes on too long. In the first case, you're only disappointed that the story ended. In the second, well, the significance of the whole work is diminished.

I have trouble imagining someone working on the same story for 10 years so I imagine we have at best two more books coming (the 3 volumes out now, the story arc completed last month + 2 more).

[fangthane]

I think I'm going to take a leaf from ID's book on this one.

It's going to last until it's done. :smallbiggrin:

I neither hope for a speedy resolution nor an endless cartoon, but one which (as Marc alludes) leaves us potentially wishing there were more, but satisfied with the product's self-consistency and closure*.

*note that this doesn't necessarily mean "no loose ends" but that such loose ends as exist are not critical to the understanding or outcome of main or significant plotlines.

[Boogastreehouse]

Maybe he'll be so nice to make the last panel the same as the first panel so we can loop it.

No! don't let it be that! I was really enjoying The Dark Tower series and then the author pulled an ending like that! It was even sort of appropriate for the story, but it was still so unsatisfying!

[[TS] Shadow]

Including the arc we're currently in (on the western continent, for now at least) I guess we have 3 more story arcs left. Then I guess we'll have one more prequel book, hopefully on the Linear Guild.

[Atronach]

Rich stated in the FAQ http://www.giantitp.com/FAQ.html#faq27 that he has plans for story arcs that will last at least five years.

[Andore Mordre]

Rich stated in the FAQ http://www.giantitp.com/FAQ.html#faq27 that he has plans for story arcs that will last at least five years.

Yeah, but that hasn't updated in forever...but it's probably (hopefully) looking at being more accurate now than it was then.

[Vorpal word]

I'll agree with most people on the three arcs. Most likely, they end up in the snarl world as a result of some sort of screw up by the Linear Guild which also destroys the gate.

[Shpadoinkle]

It'll last until it ends.

[Nimrod's Son]

Rich stated in the FAQ http://www.giantitp.com/FAQ.html#faq27 that he has plans for story arcs that will last at least five years.
The last update to the FAQ was four and a half years ago, so that doesn't tell us much.

[Vetreon]

No! don't let it be that! I was really enjoying The Dark Tower series and then the author pulled an ending like that! It was even sort of appropriate for the story, but it was still so unsatisfying!

Haha, I was just joking. I really don't think such an ending would fit at all!

[Jagos]

I'm betting on the current book and one more book. Uncertain number of prequels and/or sideways books.

A fifth book?

I can't see how that would explain the number of cliffhangers we've seen. And there could be at least one extra book for just the world in the Snarl.

[Atronach]

The last update to the FAQ was four and a half years ago, so that doesn't tell us much.

It has really been that long?! I thought it was three years ago!


...... Crud. I guess we cannot rely on that, then. Well, I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky if he can reach a fifth book.

[Forbiddenwar]

I think there is going to be at least 6 books. Probably 8, not counting prequels and other nononline material books.

[HealthKit]

Well, if you look in the web address of each strip, there's room for a thousand decimal...

Something to think about. :smallwink:

[Porthos]

Well, if you look in the web address of each strip, there's room for a thousand decimal...

Something to think about. :smallwink:

I don't think the comic is going all the way to #9999. :smalltongue:

[CrimsonAngel]

My bet is 3 more books, The Western Continent, the Snarl World, and the Northern Gate.

The western continent, Northern gate, Snarl world, takeback of Azure city, wacky last adventure, small book of oots old age.

[Bibliomancer]

Maybe he'll be so nice to make the last panel the same as the first panel so we can loop it.

Optimally, the last issue would be synchronized with the release of DnD 5e or 4.5e.

[Kish]

A fifth book?

I can't see how that would explain the number of cliffhangers we've seen. And there could be at least one extra book for just the world in the Snarl.
Just to clarify: When I say "current book," I mean the book that will begin with strip #673, not the next book to be published in continuity, which will cover strips #485 to #672.