The Questionable Content guy gets one out every night...

[OwlbearUltimate]

Why doesn't Rich just declare it a weekly comic so I don't have to check in and be disappointed 6 times a week?

[OwlbearUltimate]

And instead of locking out threads like this why don't they just address it?

[Kish]

Would there be any point to my mentioning that a schedule of "there is no schedule" hardly implies whatever you're implying it implies?

[Dogmantra]

It has been addressed several times in the FAQ. Rich has stated that he has a condition that often leaves him unable to work, and people would be entitled to complain if he missed an update, which he would definitely do. Just calling it a weekly comic is not going to magic up an update every week.

[BRC]

Because it has been addressed. Because it's not a weekly comic, sometimes it updates once a week, sometimes we get an update on Thursday and another on Saturday, sometimes we go for weeks without updates. Rich cannot predict when he will be able to make comics, so he doesn't have a schedule.
It does update, on average, about once a week or so, so you can just treat it like a weekly comic. Every, lets say, Saturday you check to see if it's updated.

[theinsulabot]

i would like to hereby use this thread to mock those of you who arent fortunate enough to live in a comfortable warm climate and will be spending the evening inside wearing a coat huddled in front of your heaters and fireplaces, while here in texas its such a nice day i am considering stopping off at the meat market and grilling some steaks tonight. you know, enjoy the sunshine.



what. this thread is my thread now, i can do what i like with it!


EDIT: my thread in a figurative, dont-actually-yellow-card-me-when-you-lock-this-thread, roland, kind of way

[Gnrlshrimp]

Besides, Rich isn't under any strict orders to give us a comic every day, or even every week!

I'm grateful that he's made Order of the Stick, and that he's kept it going for so long. It's funny, it's enjoyable, and it seems horribly unfair to think that he's obliged to give us a comic on a certain day.

It's good enough that he makes them at all, and any delays, whatever the reason may be, are of no concern to me. It's not up to us to say when and how often he produces a new comic, just be glad that he's chosen to make it at all!

[Sanguine]

Well all the good points have been made so...*Waits for thread to be locked*

[Watcher]

Well, this thread is probably going to be locked, just like the very many before.
Oh, and I finally got to post in one before it got locked!
Edit: Ninjas! I mean, it's not like I didn't expect it, though.

[Ash_Gazn]

Wow... You're an A$$, OwlBearUltimate.

Go read some old news stories at http://www.giantitp.com/index1.html and find the one dated Sept 7 2007.

[OwlbearUltimate]

I like how he has said on making it a daily comic "I might be able to, but I choose not to. See, I have a limited capacity to come up with OOTS jokes, and my fear is that should I attempt to craft a new strip every day, the quality will drop rapidly."

I think the quality is a little hurt when conversations are split a week apart. No insult to him or anything, the comic is funny as hell, but I think he can trust himself to push out more often even at the result of lost quality.

[FoE]

Rich actually updates the comic every night and sends the new strips to his loyal fans in their Inboxes. Nice work on getting yourself blacklisted from the 'regular update' group, buddy. :smallamused:

[Gamerlord]

C'mon people, its been what, a week? Complain about updates? Its almost Christmas!

I will now wish Roland a very merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas Roland!

Rich actually updates the comic every night and sends the new strips to his loyal fans in their Inboxes. Nice work on getting yourself blacklisted from the 'regular update' group, buddy. :smallamused:

Yeah, last one was pretty good :smalltongue: what was it? number 800? :smalltongue:

[Ash_Gazn]

Insulabot... I'm LOVING the weather up here in Michigan. No coats in front of the heater here. Just making lime marmalade from scratch and watching TV

[BRC]

I like how he has said on making it a daily comic "I might be able to, but I choose not to. See, I have a limited capacity to come up with OOTS jokes, and my fear is that should I attempt to craft a new strip every day, the quality will drop rapidly."

I think the quality is a little hurt when conversations are split a week apart. No insult to him or anything, the comic is funny as hell, but I think he can trust himself to push out more often even at the result of lost quality.
You think he can, but does he think he can make high-quality comics if he holds himself to a more frequent update schedule. Considering he has considerable knowledge of himself, his schedule, his experience, his ideas, and his talents, and you have simply read his work, I would say that he is far more qualified to decide whether or not he can update more often.

Personally, if it's infrequent, high-quality OOTS or cheesy, low quality, not thought out frequent OOTS, I'll take the first any day. If I think the update schedule is messing up the pacing, I'll just wait abit then archive binge.

[OwlbearUltimate]

Okay Face Of Evil, that was the dumbest comment I've ever heard. And Ash_Gazn, there is none for September 2007, so, uhhhh?

[Sanguine]

Okay Face Of Evil, that was the dumbest comment I've ever heard. And Ash_Gazn, there is none for September 2007, so, uhhhh?

Look again I just read it.

[Gamerlord]

Okay Face Of Evil, that was the dumbest comment I've ever heard. And Ash_Gazn, there is none for September 2007, so, uhhhh?

Ever heard of "Sense of humor" ?
He was kidding, that happens a lot on this forum.

[BRC]

Okay Face Of Evil, that was the dumbest comment I've ever heard. And Ash_Gazn, there is none for September 2007, so, uhhhh?
Wasn't mine. For me the dumbest comment would be that one British guy saying they would have no need for the telephone because they had plenty of messenger boys.

Edit: Also, on your original point, QC's updates are usually about 4 panels, usually of people having an entertaining conversation, usually about eight lines of dialouge total per comic, OOTS updates are nine panels during which the story is always progressed. It's alot easier to think "What would be an interesting conversation for these characters to have" than "How do I advance the story in an entertaining way without being cheesy and too jokey, without abandoning humor, and without rushing things too much".

They're very different jobs. Both artists make excellent comics, but it's different types of comics. Your question is like going up to a filmmaker and saying "The TV show producers manages to get an episode out every week, why can't you".

[Watcher]

September 7 2007 is 7/7/2007. It's near the bottom.

[Elfin]

I'll just post it; here it is:


7/7/2007

Those of you who have been readers a long time know that I tend to go in cycles with the strip: a few weeks on time, followed by a few weeks where most of the comics are late (and some days are missed altogether). Oftentimes, I’ll make an announcement afterwards that I was sick. The thing is, I get sick a lot, and that’s not likely to change in the future. For more than two years, I’ve been experiencing a medical condition that often leaves me unable to work (or even sit at the computer) for 2-3 days at a time, and the symptoms tend to come and go in clumps. I’ll be fine for a few weeks, then have a few really bad weeks where I struggle to get any work done. This is part of the reason I never can manage to create a “buffer” of strips in advance: I spend all of my working time catching up on stuff I was supposed to finish while I was sick. (No, I’m not going to tell you exactly what is wrong with me; it’s nobody’s business. Suffice to say that it is nonfatal and my significant other takes good care of me.)

My job here at Giant in the Playground has been much more forgiving than my old Day Job in that it allows me a greater degree of freedom to work around my health problems. But over the years I’ve kept trying to grow the business bigger, take on more projects, keep more plates spinning in the air at the same time. And that’s really not a good idea. My symptoms have been getting progressively worse since the first of the year, with new and (frankly) scary ones developing alongside them. Therefore, as part of a deliberate effort to lighten the load on myself, we have made the decision to cut back on a number of aspects of my business that may impact you, the fan.

The schedule for updating OOTS will return to “at random”. There will be three comics a week, most weeks, but the exact day and time those comics will appear will be random—or rather, will seem random. Basically, when I’m doing well, I will post comics, and when I am not, I won’t. If I fall behind by a comic, it will be made up at a later date. Honestly, this is sort of what I’ve been doing for weeks now, I’m just making it official. As of right now, the schedule is, “There is no schedule.” Getting the comic updated is a top priority, but getting it updated at a specific time is just too difficult for me, since I can’t predict when I will be sick. Removing the official schedule probably won’t affect the comic’s frequency much, but it will remove the additional stress when I’m unable to meet the three-times-a-week deadline (and removing stress is a good thing, according to my doctor). Plus, you guys will all know in advance not to expect the comic until it gets here, so you won’t waste time staying up late for an update that won’t arrive for two days. You might want to subscribe to our RSS feed in order to be alerted near-instantly when a new comic is posted.
No more conventions for at least a year. I’ve already cut my personal appearances way back, turning down many smaller conventions that graciously invited me to attend. The travel is too draining, not to mention the logistical difficulties. However, the big news here is that I am canceling my attendance to GenCon Indianapolis this year. GenCon has been a great event for us, where I get to meet and sign autographs for thousands of fans, so this was not a decision that was made lightly. In the end, though, we decided that it would be too difficult for me to attend and run a booth, not to mention certain scheduling conflicts with my doctor appointments. This will be a financial loss for us, but being as healthy as I can be is more important to us than making money. Note that not all of the events scheduled by GITP will be canceled, however; we’ll announce at a not-too-far-in-the-future date which ones will still be happening.
No more new projects. The thing is, most of what I do, you guys don’t see until its finished. I didn’t announce Start of Darkness until it was completed, so no one knew that I had been working around the clock for five months on it. So while I will be taking on no new merchandise projects for a while, you should be aware that there are 4-5 existing projects that are mostly done (some of which would have been available for GenCon). These will still come out as intended, so you should expect to see some new book and board game announcements in the next few months, after which it will taper back a bit. Of course, even then, regular compilations of the online strip will continue for as long as OOTS itself does.
When the current story arc ends, I will be taking a few weeks off. The story is quickly approaching the conclusion of what will be the third book. When it gets there, I will be taking at least two weeks off before continuing. I may look into getting a guest artist for that time, I haven’t decided yet. When the hiatus begins, I will inform you all exactly how long it will be and what (if anything) will appear in OOTS’s place for those weeks. Erfworld will be unaffected (since all I do for that comic is post it).
I want to emphasize that this is NOT a plea for monetary aid; I have very good health insurance these days for exactly this reason. Donating money is not going to change anything about this situation. If anything about my message spurs you to want to donate money, here are a few of my favorite charities that could use your dollars more.

Thank you for taking the time to read this; talking about my personal issues is not the sort of thing that comes easy to me. I make this announcement in hopes that it will help you understand these decisions and some of the context in which we have made them. With luck, these efforts will result in a healthier me that can continue to produce the comic strip that so many of you have come to love (and others have come to tolerate because everyone else in your gaming group loves it).

[doliest]

Forumites typed out,
an immaculate colon,
and down from on high
descended Roland
who delivered a lock
that could shatter servers
right into the lair
of a single Owlbear.

[OwlbearUltimate]

The Owlbear had asked
And a community had answered.
His questions were blunt,
But direct and clear
Some jest were thrown
Maybe the shed of a tear
But in the end it all
Was left unanswered
From the Giant

[Watcher]

Forumites typed out,
an immaculate colon,
and down from on high
descended Roland
who delivered a lock
that could shatter servers
right into the lair
of a single Owlbear.

Is that a Lemon Demon reference?

[Gamerlord]

The Owlbear had asked
And a community had answered.
His questions were blunt,
But direct and clear
Some jest were thrown
Maybe the shed of a tear
But in the end it all
Was left unanswered
From the Giant
Any last words Owlbear? Roland will be here soon...

Merry Christmas Roland!

[doliest]

....I was actually kinda hoping someone could pick up the batman part of the song, followed by the obscenely fast portion...and since this thread is thoroughly hi-jacked, who would be the forum's massive cast for that part of 'Ultimate Showdown?'

[FoE]

Yeah, last one was pretty good :smalltongue: what was it? number 800? :smalltongue:

I especially liked #787 where Nale unleashed the Snarl from Girard's Gate.

[Kobold-Bard]

I'll just post it; here it is:

I've never actually seen the post before, thanks.

@Owlbear: Hopefully the infraction you get for this will remind you not to make threads like this in the future. The rules are there for a reason.
To save disappointment, you could just check once/week instead of daily (because there will never be daily updates). Sometimes there'll still be nothing, but sometimes you might get three. Comic update Russian Roulette can be fun sometimes.

<Waves to Roland as he passes through>

[BRC]

The Owlbear had asked
And a community had answered.
His questions were blunt,
But direct and clear
Some jest were thrown
Maybe the shed of a tear
But in the end it all
Was left unanswered
From the Giant
Oh geeze, flashback to my time on the WoW forums, where no matter how many people answered the question, or how clearly they answered it, the OP would not accept the answer as legitimate unless it came from a moderator or an admin.
For the record, the Giant dosn't read the forum. So chances are the closest thing you'll get is a response from Roland. Chances are it will include the words "Lock" "Thread" and hopefully "Pudding".

[OwlbearUltimate]

Yeah one thing, no one made a comment about the Questionable Content reference, can you guys not identify with that comic?

[Mystic Muse]

oh. And 890 was good where Xykon gets crushed by a rock. That was so anticlimactic.

merry christmas Roland/ the giant!/ other mods!

Also, they HAVE addressed it dozens of times.

[BRC]

Also, on your original point, QC's updates are usually about 4 panels, usually of people having an entertaining conversation, usually about eight lines of dialouge total per comic, OOTS updates are nine panels during which the story is always progressed. It's alot easier to think "What would be an interesting conversation for these characters to have" than "How do I advance the story in an entertaining way without being cheesy and too jokey, without abandoning humor, and without rushing things too much".

They're very different jobs. Both artists make excellent comics, but it's different types of comics. Your question is like going up to a filmmaker and saying "The TV show producers manages to get an episode out every week, why can't you".
Reference to Questionable Content, as ordered.

[Zanaril]

oh. And 890 was good where Xykon gets crushed by a rock. That was so anticlimactic.

merry christmas Roland/ the giant!/ other mods!

I'm up to #1337... and oh dear gods. No V, don't do it! :smalleek::smalleek: *bites nails*

[Ladorak]

Forumites typed out,
an immaculate colon,
and down from on high
descended Roland
who delivered a lock
that could shatter servers
right into the lair
of a single Owlbear.

Haiku Fu!

Wind blows
Cherry blossums fall
Owlbear sucks
The big Douche

Na, just joking. I'm with you Owlbear, I think we should pool our resources and hire someone to kidnap Rich and tie him to a desk. Or maybe pay him some kind of salary. Or hire a spy to find out what kinda sickness he has and donate the excess to charities researching the cure. Or maybe pay a professional physcologist (Hey, I live with one :smallsmile:) to find a method of treatment that beats into the thick skulls of those unwilling to take the point that if you don't pay for it, you have no right to demand it.

I mean seriously, your OP and follow up show you obviously know the forum rules... I know, I know, I have problems with pretty much all authorities too, but sometimes it helps to try to understand why they're there before you start ripping on them

[Elfin]

I'm up to #1337... and oh dear gods. No V, don't do it! :smalleek::smalleek: *bites nails*

I know...can you believe that even though Kyrie turned out to be an incarnation of the Snarl, V still wants to get remarried?

[Mystic Muse]

it would be nice if Rich DID get cured honestly. I'm sure he'd appreciate it even if it didn't enable him to update any more than before.

[Mystic Muse]

I'm up to #1337... and oh dear gods. No V, don't do it! :smalleek::smalleek: *bites nails*

already way past there. I'm at 1600 where it's Ended and Elan and Haley get married!

I also enjoyed 1400 where Haley and Roy had a relationship because they thought Elan and Celia had been unmade by the Snarl.

1500 was so sad.:smallfrown:

[Darklord Bright]

I enjoyed the part when Roy lived up to his duty as the next Green Lantern.

And when Thog came back from space.

[Ladorak]

Oh, also...


Also, on your original point, QC's updates are usually about 4 panels, usually of people having an entertaining conversation, usually about eight lines of dialouge total per comic, OOTS updates are nine panels during which the story is always progressed. It's alot easier to think "What would be an interesting conversation for these characters to have" than "How do I advance the story in an entertaining way without being cheesy and too jokey, without abandoning humor, and without rushing things too much".

They're very different jobs. Both artists make excellent comics, but it's different types of comics. Your question is like going up to a filmmaker and saying "The TV show producers manages to get an episode out every week, why can't you".



Yeah one thing, no one made a comment about the Questionable Content reference, can you guys not identify with that comic?

[OwlbearUltimate]

Okay whether you guys will ever believe me or not, it doesn't matter, I haven't been to this forum in a while, but that was just my friend trolling you guys while I had to go and make some mac and cheese :P haha It's good though

[Watcher]

There's still a topic of this exact topic on the first page and it's locked.

[Gamerlord]

#1000 was so amazing when it turns out that the IFCC are really prophets of the snarl!

[Kobold-Bard]

Okay whether you guys will ever believe me or not, it doesn't matter, I haven't been to this forum in a while, but that was just my friend trolling you guys while I had to go and make some mac and cheese :P haha It's good though

I believe this, and wholeheartedly endorse his innocence.

...........:smalltongue:

[The Dark Fiddler]

I was JUST thinking about how long it'd been since we'd had an update thread.

[Mystic Muse]

I enjoyed the part when Roy lived up to his duty as the next Green Lantern.

And when Thog came back from space.

I was happy to see Thog come back but I didn't really like Roy being the next green lanter. felt......I don't know. It just didn't feel real.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: What do I do when the :smallsigh: icon isn't weary enough?

Look, Rich has addressed this. He has said that future updates will be "at random." He has an illness that interferes with his schedule. He has multiple projects in the works at any given time.

That this is unsatisfactory, well, I can't help you with that.