Book 5 Speculation

[Tom Lehmann]

We're getting close to the end of book 5 based on number of strips. While there have been a few 1 and 1/2 length strips recently, #841 was a 1 and 3/4 length strip. Is The Giant intending to end book 5 on a "to be continued" cliff-hanger note, with the discovery of the bodies?

If so, this would make book 5 the journey west and introduction to Tarquin, as well as the rise and fall of the Elven-aided resistance, while book 6 would become the struggle for this Gate, Belkar's death, and -- presumably -- the start of V's redemption.

One possible title/pun for book 5 might then be: "Go West, Elan!"

[KingFlameHawk]

I doubt that 841 is the end of the 5th book. This is because every time it was the end of an arc it was either stated (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0120.html), lampshaded (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html), or directly says at the bottom of the strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0484.html) that it will return (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html) sometime in the future. I belive it is possible that the end will be coming soon but not at 841.

[ThePhantasm]

I think the Giant said recently on Kickstarter that the book may not be ending as soon as some might think. I wouldn't make any assumptions just based on the number of strips.

[Sunken Valley]

I still think it will end before 2013. I don't see Rich finding anywhere to put the "cameo" in the middle of the serious bit. Plus, I'd say the 9 in a row we were promised is the start of book 6. Higher chance of one pagers.

841 roughly coincides (book length wise) with the other "mass death" scenes (bouncy ball and familycide). These were an average of 40 strips away from the end. And remember, in 10 strips Mr B can stage a fight between the two strongest arcane casters in the world, put out Redcloaks eye, lose the phylacetary, release O-chul, bring back black wing and explosive runes, show off MitD and drop a massive hint.

[The Derider]

The Giant's tales always run long in the telling...

Maybe this will be longer than War and XPs.

[Gift Jeraff]

I'm betting on this book being about 200 strips long. Enough time for the anticipated OOTS/Team Evil/Linear Guild climax, the destruction of Girard's Gate, and a short denouement/slowdown.

[Zar Peter]

For book 5 I expect the quest for Girards gate ended. That would make the 6th book the quest for Kraagors gate and the 7th book the final battle with Xykon/Redcloak/Tarquin/Eugene

[RMS Oceanic]

I'm betting on this book being about 200 strips long. Enough time for the anticipated OOTS/Team Evil/Linear Guild climax, the destruction of Girard's Gate, and a short denouement/slowdown.

Pretty much this.

[Stabbey]

Right now, this book is at 169 comics, and the previous one was at 187 (not counting the bonus ones in the book). It'll probably be a little while, but it's hard to say how much longer. 200 before bonus strips seems like enough time to finish this part off, though.

[t209]

I wonder what will happen to Niuh
A. Bonus strip shows her commiting seppuku after sending to Hinjo.
B. Like A but goes down in
Sundance kids Bolivian Army ending.
C. Or ship her with Hinjo over loss of friends.

[NerfTW]

I still think it will end before 2013. I don't see Rich finding anywhere to put the "cameo" in the middle of the serious bit. Plus, I'd say the 9 in a row we were promised is the start of book 6. Higher chance of one pagers.

They're at the "serious" bit right now. Why would the cameo affect the story at all? And the breaks are usually only 3 months, not a whole year, so its not like he's in a rush to get it in there. And that's assuming there's a break at all this time.

Given that he has the story and basic books mapped out already, I think we can all seriously disregard any impact a kickstarter bonus is going to have on where the book is going to end.

[Avaris]

From the book commentry, I'm fairly certain Belkar is due to die this book... and that will probably be our clearest signal of it ending

[Porthos]

Right now, this book is at 169 comics, and the previous one was at 187 (not counting the bonus ones in the book). It'll probably be a little while, but it's hard to say how much longer. 200 before bonus strips seems like enough time to finish this part off, though.

It's not just number of comics that matter, but the length of them. After all, each extra-long strip adds more pages to the books.

Ignoring the bonus content in the books (bonus comics, chapter splashes, commentary, et etc), the books had the following "base" number of strips:

Dungeon Crawlin' Fools: 122.5 pages
No Cure for the Paladin Blues: 197 pages
War and XPs: 242 pages
Don't Split the Party: 226 pages.

Presuming that DCF was a small book length that will probably never be revisited, the range is anywhere from 200 to 240. I seem to recall Rich previously saying that he was going to try not to have a book the size of W&XP ever again. But maybe the Kickstarter drive changed his mind. Or maybe I'm misremembering what he said. Either way, I think we can safely say that W&XP is something of an "upper bound".

Book Five (so far) has 194 pages of content (170 base + 24 pages worth of extra length strips). This would mean that, again ignoring things like commentary and the like, there are 48 pages worth of updates before Book Five hits W&XP size and 32 pages worth of updates before it hits DStP length.

But as ThePhantasm said, Rich already commented that book Five might not be ending anytime soon. So I don't know if we can use prior book length as any sort of guide as to when it is going to end.

[The Pilgrim]

I think that Durkon will be the one to die this book. The next book will be the fullfilment of Odin's prophecy... then on to Kragoor's for the last book.

Remember the pattern: Book 1, gate blown. Book 2, no gate blown. Book 3, gate blown. Book 4, no gate blown. This is Book 5, gate blown. Next Book: no gate blown.

[Ron Miel]

I still think it will end before 2013. I don't see Rich finding anywhere to put the "cameo" in the middle of the serious bit.


What is this cameo of which you speak?

[hamishspence]

One of the Kickstarter prizes is for the backer's personal character to make a cameo appearance in OoTS.

[Gift Jeraff]

What is this cameo of which you speak?The $5,000 cameo from the Kickstarter drive.

I do feel it's more likely that the cameo will be during the light-hearted strips usually found at the beginning of the books, but it could easily be during a fight scene as well, like:

Tarquin: [Dueling Roy] You're nowhere near as good a fighter as the legendary <cameo, complete with cutaway gag>.
:nale: I knew we should have accepted <cameo>'s application into the Linear Guild.
:xykon: Eh, the only hero whose name has ever stuck with me was <cameo>.

[Jaros]

Given that he has the story and basic books mapped out already, I think we can all seriously disregard any impact a kickstarter bonus is going to have on where the book is going to end.
No but I'd assume he thought something like "If I offered a cameo, I could probably fit it in in this section of story." And I agree that sounds more likely to happen in a light hearted section.

However, even if that is the start of book 6, there are still 10 months left in 2012.

Also, I like the idea that the Encore will be at the start of book 6.

[Mr. Pants]

I think I know what the next title of the book is going to be called. It's going to be called "Blood Bath."

Maybe we'll also get a prequel book for the Linear Guild in the near future too...

:nale: :sabine: :thog: