OOTS #964 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[maxon]

Totally fashionable. Hurrah for steampunk gnomes.

[manuelj]

Steampunk gnomes! yay!

[dicefool]

There's so much smog! I imagine the rabbit and garden in panel 2 are having a tough time.

[Gray Mage]

Time for some steampunk, yes. :smallcool:

[Pantler]

Gah! I adore steampunk :redface:

[AsteronIronhoof]

Aaawwww I was hoping we would switch over to Team Evil... :smallfrown:

[StLordeth]

Expected more, but nice looking setting. Will be interesting.

[Rock270]

Order of the Steampunk, fanfiction go!

[Emperor Time]

I have to admit that I love the look of Tinkertown. Since it like looking into the future of that world.

[Raphite1]

Beautiful page! Wow what an introduction to gnome-ville.

[Adun]

Wow a volcano; I suspect some action is coming :belkar:

[Lkctgo]

Can an evil cleric control the volcano? Because if so....

[Rock270]

I'm sure that volcano is PERFECTLY under control...

[CoffeeIncluded]

Hahaha, steampunk gnomes. It's always gnomes for some reason. I guess they are known as tinkerers.

[Jay R]

Very nice panel, and it sets the mood well. As far as I'm concerned, you can use a whole page on scenes like that any time.

[HappyFunNorm]

Those gnomes look happy and friendly.... They're doomed... I feel bad for them, and hope this winds up being a simple resupply stop, despite my worst fears.

[internisus]

Since the latest art upgrade, this comic can spend all the time it wants on setting the scene as far as I'm concerned.

[Don Ohnic]

Seems like a friendly and bright-coloured place. Yet dim. I really like the colours.

[zimmerwald1915]

I'm sure that volcano is PERFECTLY under control...
Nothing good ever came from a [fictional] volcano...

[hamishspence]

I like the little rainbow helicopter hat on one of the gnomes.

And the Mechane looks great from that angle.

[Rock270]

Hmm, that Propeller-hat gnome is hanging by his head...oh, right.
:belkar:That's the problem with you humans, always thinking other races are the same as they are...

[Shekinah]

Never thought I would see someone walk their pet rabbit.

[davidbofinger]

Again, relaxed pace and minimal plot development. This strip has definitely got more arty and less plot-driven lately. (Not saying that's good or bad, just different.) It's remarkable how much the tone has changed, from D&D parody to mostly about characters to mostly about the plot to visual. Of course, that's happened over quite a long time and a lot of strips.

Why is nobody examining the tiny details and saying which bits are foreshadowing and getting it completely wrong? Isn't that something we do any more?

The smoke from the city and volcano look alike, could it be geothermal power? But the sidewheeler is the same, too.

What's the structure in the top right of panel two? It looks like a multi-level platform for freestanding buildings. Is that a gnomic social feature in D&D?

[Anarion]

Love it. The gear in the guy's hat in combination with the strip title had me cracking up.

[Ezekiel]

For some reason I can't help laughing at monocle guy. Looks like a great place to visit :smallbiggrin:

[Adun]

Again, relaxed pace and minimal plot development. This strip has definitely got more arty and less plot-driven lately. (Not saying that's good or bad, just different.) It's remarkable how much the tone has changed, from D&D parody to mostly about characters to mostly about the plot to visual. Of course, that's happened over quite a long time and a lot of strips.

Why is nobody examining the tiny details and saying which bits are foreshadowing and getting it completely wrong? Isn't that something we do any more?

The smoke from the city and volcano look alike, could it be geothermal power? But the sidewheeler is the same, too.

What's the structure in the top right of panel two? It looks like a multi-level platform for freestanding buildings. Is that a gnomic social feature in D&D?

Is it me or the rabbit has a fiendish red eye??? :roach:

[Keltest]

Its everything I imagined it would be... but im a little concerned we might be unable to tell apart gnomes from halflings.

[Gwynfrid]

Beautiful scene, exciting new setting with potential in spades. Go Giant!

[t209]

I think Rich knew about Gnomeregan in Warcraft or the Worgen city.
Trust me, he made WoW jokes.
I thought D&D Gnomes are into natural stuff.

[Lheticus]

Ah, the good ol' Ye Olde Lampshade.

[hamishspence]

Its everything I imagined it would be... but im a little concerned we might be unable to tell apart gnomes from halflings.

Halflings tend to go barefoot in D&D, with hairy feet (at least in early editions - and Belkar's look seems to hark back to those).

Hank, from the Greysky arc, has the same hairy bare feet:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0604.html

Telling gnomes from dwarves might be harder though. Ones with beards tend to have short goatee-type beards rather than the bushy ones that dwarves do.

[Durkoala]

Well, it's nice, but it looks very chaotic.

Traquin: 'There's no unity of theme here'

It just looks like there were a lot of things made because they look cool. Just glue some gears on... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCuE5rHbPA)

That said, I love the sleeping fishergnome.

[nonamearisto]

Its everything I imagined it would be... but im a little concerned we might be unable to tell apart gnomes from halflings.

I think it is something like this:

Dwarven males have beards and shoes.

Halflings are barefoot and have no beards.

Gnomes have shoes and their males have no beards.

Admittedly, the art style has some perfectly understandable limitations, but there is usually a feature or two which can let one know.

[gamerxl]

I don't know why, but the lampshade at the end made me burst out laughing.

[Peelee]

Its everything I imagined it would be... but im a little concerned we might be unable to tell apart gnomes from halflings.


Halflings tend to go barefoot in D&D, with hairy feet (at least in early editions - and Belkar's look seems to hark back to those).

Hank, from the Greysky arc, has the same hairy bare feet:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0604.html

Telling gnomes from dwarves might be harder though. Ones with beards tend to have short goatee-type beards rather than the bushy ones that dwarves do.


I think it is something like this:

Dwarven males have beards and shoes.

Halflings are barefoot and have no beards.

Gnomes have shoes and their males have no beards.

Admittedly, the art style has some perfectly understandable limitations, but there is usually one or two features which should tip one off.

And hats. Gnomes have hats.

[nonamearisto]

And hats. Gnomes have hats.

Speaking of which, is that a helicopter cap on that gnome? Like Dr. Seuss imagined?

But yes, all of the gnomes seen here have hats, as did that gnome Belkar killed.

[FolcoTook]

Prediction - the Volcano is a power source and will fail catastrophically in the near future. :)

[Zea mays]

Sweet page! :D

For some reason I love the teeny-tiny versions of the order that can be seen disembarking from the Mechane in the penultimate panel.
Heck, what's not to love about a flying rainbow-beannie gnome?

[Ivrytwr]

Pet rabbit on a lease, airship dock, the terraced factory, the side-wheel steamboat, the volcano(!), and the multi-color chin-strapped flying beanie.
Lots of cool!
Thanks Giant.

[nonamearisto]

Is there ever a work of fiction with an active volcano in which it does not erupt? :smallbiggrin:

Maybe this will be the first?

[Sky_Schemer]

Wow, Rich!

Just, wow!

[ORione]

Gnomes have shoes and their males have no beards.

There are gnomes with beards in this strip.

[Keltest]

Speaking of which, is that a helicopter cap on that gnome? Like Dr. Seuss imagined?

But yes, all of the gnomes seen here have hats, as did that gnome Belkar killed.

not true! there is one gnome without a hat that I can see.

[Calimehter]

Why is nobody examining the tiny details and saying which bits are foreshadowing and getting it completely wrong? Isn't that something we do any more?

Based off of the beanie, I am predicting an encounter with a gnome wizard who has integrated personal extradimensional storage space with steampunk technology and is now . . . Inspector Gadgetgnome!

[DaggerPen]

:mitd: Well that isn't a Team Evil cutaway at all!

But seriously, a gorgeous page with a great punchline. Wonderful work, Giant.

[Burner28]

Cool update, though.

[Vladier]

Leave it to Elan to ask really important questions. And to Haley to answer them.

[Lathund]

I wonder if we're going to see Leeky in action again.

Either way: meh, I never liked the idea of gnomes as tinkerers. First time I ever got into contact with the concept of gnomes, they were nature-oriented. Any other representation of gnomes just feels wrong to me.

[Peelee]

Is there ever a work of fiction with an active volcano in which it does not erupt? :smallbiggrin:

Maybe this will be the first?

Most of the Legends of Zelda, I believe.

[SaintRidley]

Steampunk tinker gnomes. Yes.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Gah! I adore steampunk :redface:

As if we couldn't tell by your avvy.:smallwink:

Beautiful work, Rich.

[zimmerwald1915]

Is it me or the rabbit has a fiendish red eye??? :roach:
Nah, it's an ordinary brown eye.

Thank you though, for pointing out the rabbit. I've been needing a model, and there hasn't been a stationary rabbit on-panel since Rabbit appeared in the sky with the other Twelve Gods.

[Lvl45DM!]

I wonder if we're going to see Leeky in action again.

Either way: meh, I never liked the idea of gnomes as tinkerers. First time I ever got into contact with the concept of gnomes, they were nature-oriented. Any other representation of gnomes just feels wrong to me.

Problem with that is you've got elves living in harmony with nature and halflings living an agrarian lifestyle. not many nature niches left for the poor gnomes

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Well, I was kind of hoping to see Team Evil, but the art here is so incredible! Excellent update!

[hamishspence]

Halflings are barefoot and have no beards.


Hank from Greysky City has what the Good Hair Evil Hair trope page:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoodHairEvilHair

refers to as a "soul patch" (tiny tuft underneath the lower lip).

[Jay R]

Never thought I would see someone walk their pet rabbit.

Of course not. That's impossible. You can't walk a rabbit.

She's hopping her pet rabbit.

Yes, I know - I'm splitting hares.

[Merfet]

I feel like the white smoke is just steam. It's all steam powered, maybe steam harvested from the volcano?

[Inevitability]

STEAMPUNK.

This comic was totally worth the wait. Now all we need are some mechanic dinosaur pets for the gnomes.

[Mastikator]

This comic sure is getting fancy and serious.

[Murk]

Tinkertown is nice. It's even sadder that Belkar killed the poort Gyort Lurkyuk-guy who's name I just totally miswrote before he could go live there :(

[Itrogash]

Gnome with a geared tophat and the fisherman guy bring a smile to my face :smallredface:

[ref]

Yes for Steampunk. That is awesome! I'm sure gonna enjoy the next arc.

[Gnoman]

Is it just me, or does Haley's new armor look somewhat off in the last panel. I paged back to where she got it, and I'm not seeing any overt differences, but in the small panel it looks strange in a way it didn't full-sized.

[BranMan]

V, Durkon, and Elan, form a link and Uncroak the volcano!

[hamishspence]

Tinkertown is nice. It's even sadder that Belkar killed the poort Gyort Lurkyuk-guy who's name I just totally miswrote before he could go live there :(

Solt Lorkyurg:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0539.html

which makes me wonder if his death will be a plot point here.

[LadyEowyn]

Yay, steampunk!

[Killer Angel]

steampunk FTW! :smallbiggrin:

...totally worth the little wait. :smallsmile:

[Skull the Troll]

I think Rich knew about Gnomeregan in Warcraft or the Worgen city.
Trust me, he made WoW jokes.
I thought D&D Gnomes are into natural stuff.

I refer you to the Dragonlance books from 20 years before this Webcomic started. :) Wonderful page though, best showing of the new art style IMHO.

[Keltest]

I refer you to the Dragonlance books from 20 years before this Webcomic started. :) Wonderful page though, best showing of the new art style IMHO.

I hope for the gnomes' sakes that Rich isn't using Dragonlance as inspiration.

[hamishspence]

I hope for the gnomes' sakes that Rich isn't using Dragonlance as inspiration.

Spelljammer also took Dragonlance's gnomes and ran with them.

I wonder if we will see mutant giant hamsters at any point?

[Origamite]

Solt Lorkyurg:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0539.html

which makes me wonder if his death will be a plot point here.

I doubt it. He looked like he had bare minimum technology and got news from a fox. However, he was coming down from the North, so...who knows?

Also, what's with the perfect Mechane-sized dock? Is this type of ship common?

[Keltest]

Spelljammer also took Dragonlance's gnomes and ran with them.

I wonder if we will see mutant giant hamsters at any point?

Personally I would love for Elan to get a miniature giant space hamster

[BannedInSchool]

That could be a miniature giant space rabbit there.

[Thomas Hunter]

I love the detail in this. Quite frankly, it's beautiful.

That said, these are the comics that I appreciate much more in readthroughs than when actually waiting for updates. *takes cover*

[Grey Watcher]

Personally I would love for Elan to get a miniature giant space hamster

But he already has Banjo to help him with butt-kicking for goodness!

Hooray for Gnomepunk!

Also, the wide shot of the Mechane is gorgeous. Much kudos all around for beautifully detailed splash panels!

[Keltest]

But he already has Banjo to help him with butt-kicking for goodness!

But Banjo can't go for the eyes!

[Lurkmoar]

Didn't expect a steampunk setting to be honest. Haley and Elan's comment at the end made me chuckle.

[rbetieh]

All right, the Framing portion is over and the first side-quest begins! Just like clockwork :smallbiggrin:

[Mike Havran]

I could almost hear some classic adventure game soundtrack :smallsmile:

[HandofShadows]

Wow a lot of nice views there. And we are going to have rebuild the 4th wall again. :smallamused:

[ti'esar]

Oh my... is that a gnome without a hat in the background of panel 2?

I don't care much for steampunk, personally, but I was expecting this sort of take on gnomes ever since I heard the name "Tinkertown", so I don't mind this. And I really like how the place looks.

I can't help but wonder if the ending gag is also a bit of a poke at the people who keep insisting that the story needs to progress faster.

[Keltest]

Also, what's with the perfect Mechane-sized dock? Is this type of ship common?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was an exclusively gnome-created device, but on the off chance it isn't, there are likely universal standards for the construction of skyships and skydocks specifically so that if you need to make a landing you aren't setting down on a dock three sizes too small and wrecking it. It wouldn't be very useful if you couldn't actually land the darn thing in 99% of the world.

[Ceiling_Squid]

Bleagh... Steampunk. :smallyuk:

Not you too, Rich!

Just kidding! I shall endure, regardless of my personal gripes. I'm sure Tinkertown will be both whimsical and amusing.

And yet, I cannot hide my disdain for a completely wrung-out, misapplied, dead horse of a fashion trend.

So be it.

PS: Beanie propeller gnome is the MAN. Love that guy.

[Spirited Charge]

I love the gnome flying around using a beanie propeller cap! :smallbiggrin:

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Looks more like Clock Punk plus some Steam Punk.

There's a difference.

Look at the second panel's fisherman and his walker-thing. It's clearly powered by winding it up (which is clockpunk).

The steam funnels are clearly steam punk.

And gears are more associated with steam punk than clock punk, but should really lead the mind to clock punk just as much.

The real reason why most "steam punk" isn't actually steam powred is that stuff from that actual time looks dull and boring. See the telautograph.

[DaggerPen]

I think the rule of thumb for this comic is-

Gnomes have shoes, (usually) have hats and may have random gears or other tech apparel.
Halflings have bare feet.
Dwarven men have beards, and dwarves of all genders have accents, with the exception of Hilgya, who may have purposely dropped hers, and that one theology professor (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0954.html), who I guess could have been a gnome (he did have a hat).

As with the theology professor, there remains some room for ambiguity.


Spelljammer also took Dragonlance's gnomes and ran with them.

I wonder if we will see mutant giant hamsters at any point?

Well... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?231404-MitD-V-MitD-and-the-Templates-of-Doom-%28Please-Read-the-First-Post%29&p=12815116&highlight=hamster#post12815116)

[Vinsfeld]

Holy mother of steampunk. I loved it!

[Aerolith]

Gnomes wearing hats that aren't just red cones? Nice.

Looking forward to seeing what side they'll take in this story, what worldview they'll have and how they contrast against the Elves and Dwarves.

[Carl]

Adorable scene, especially the kid with the rabbit. Got a something in my eye..."No get away from me you psychotic halfling:belkar:"

Nothing much to speculate on, but who care's, scenery porn yay.


Also since i don't have Twitter

@Mr Burlew: Whilst Im obviously super pleased at getting more updates, i also aren't going to throw a hissy fit over you focusing on the necessary parts of getting the prior sequence into print, but i do appreciate very much the communication on the point of the rate of updates. Obviously you've always made it clear that the rate of updates is upto you and so on and so forth vis a vis people complaining about the the pace, i just wanted to say thanks for telling us why things have slowed down recently and keep up the good work on the new print thingy. I think i'll leave it their as i don;t want to come off condensing or something equally awful, just wanted to say thanks basically.

[Lord Torath]

Anyone notice that Flying-Beanie gnome has his control grip on the back of his hand? It should be on the inside of his hand, not the outside.

Other than that, it looks beautiful!

[t209]

So anyone feel like it's Gnomeregan from WoW again? I know there are tinker gnomes but it's still remind me of gnomes from WoW, which the game started to look like mishmash of various ages instead of medieval (prevalence of fire arms, space ship, subway, roller coasters, remote vehicles, air vehicles, sailing ships, and Motorcycle).

[brian 333]

My first though on viewing the page was, "Mad Hatter, Alice, and The March Hare."

I'm not a big fan of Steampunk. Some interesting tales come out of it, but it really doesn't capture me as a setting. But I can't wait to see what the OotS does in Tinkerville; it's sure to be fun.

Of course, they will have to encounter the Yardstick Union somewhere along the way. Surely there is a band of Steampunk adventurers out there somewhere!

[juckto]

I can't believe we're on the 4th page of replies and no one has mentioned the reference yet.
http://youtu.be/TFCuE5rHbPA

As I read the Gazette to catch up on the news,
Some classified adverts I chanced to peruse.
When I saw a category called “Steampunk”,
I turned to it eagerly, but left in a funk.
For I quite enjoy the steampunk aesthetic,
But what I beheld there was rather pathetic!
These intrepid online auctioneers
Had just taken modern objects and stuck on some gears!
It’s simply not cricket!
It shouldn’t be done!
But it’s clear how their thoughts had run:
/chorus/
Just glue some gears on it, and call it steampunk;
That’s the trendy fashion nowadays!
A copper-painted chunk of some nineteen-eighties junk
Will fetch a pretty penny on eBay!

... And a few more verses I won't bother copying.

[SnowballMan]

Nothing good ever came from a [fictional] volcano...

So, destroying the One Ring was a bad thing?

[Keltest]

So anyone feel like it's Gnomeregan from WoW again? I know there are tinker gnomes but it's still remind me of gnomes from WoW, which the game started to look like mishmash of various ages instead of medieval (prevalence of fire arms, space ship, subway, roller coasters, remote vehicles, air vehicles, sailing ships, and Motorcycle).

WoW is hardly the first setting to feature Tinker Gnomes. Dragonlance and Everquest both predated it by many many years.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Additionally, tinkering gnomes are common in dnd history--take a look at Faerun.

[hamishspence]

So, destroying the One Ring was a bad thing?

The One Ring came from the volcano - it was made there. Destroying it would come under "good things done with volcanoes") rather than "good things coming from volcanoes" :smallamused:

[Keltest]

The One Ring came from the volcano - it was made there. Destroying it would come under "good things done with volcanoes") rather than "good things coming from volcanoes" :smallamused:

And even then Frodo and Sam would have died there if Tolkien hadn't forgotten that lava is really hot.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

The One Ring came from the volcano - it was made there. Destroying it would come under "good things done with volcanoes") rather than "good things coming from volcanoes" :smallamused:


And even then Frodo and Sam would have died there if Tolkien hadn't forgotten that lava is really hot.

I was about to reply and say both of these things before I noticed them. Darn ninjas.

[StClair]

Some suitable theme music for viewing this strip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL-j8h0r2Q8).

[zimmerwald1915]

The One Ring came from the volcano - it was made there. Destroying it would come under "good things done with volcanoes") rather than "good things coming from volcanoes" :smallamused:
A tip of the hat for the exacting semantic argument, sir. :smallbiggrin:

[Thealtruistorc]

Do I smell warforged in the near future?

[Fralex]

Speaking of which, is that a helicopter cap on that gnome? Like Dr. Seuss imagined?
Huh... Does anyone else think it would be neat to see steampunk done in a Dr. Seuss style? They seem like they'd go well together! Dr. Seuss's machines always had that "accomplish this task in the most byzantine and bizarre way possible" feel to them.

[Jay R]

That could be a miniature giant space rabbit there.

"miniature giant". And in a D&D context, it makes sense.

I love this game.

[Keltest]

"miniature giant". And in a D&D context, it makes sense.

I love this game.

A miniature giant space hamster is a real thing in Spelljammer, and in Baldur's Gate (I and II) Minsc has a pet he claims is one named Boo. Do not take Boo.

[thereaper]

So, I check the new page.

"Ooh, I think I'm going to like this place."

Then I hit the last panel.

Genius. :smallbiggrin:

[GAAD]

...
Okay!
That settles it. Tinkertown is going in my city list for the Civ game. I don't care if it's not Azurite territory, it's just TOO AWESOME to resist.
I even found a perfect spot for it... sure, it's inland, but if I settle my second city inland I won't have to worry about constant capital assaults from boats if I DO lose Azure City (which, admittedly, some might try to do).

[luagha]

And of course gnomes naturally speak to small burrowing creatures so it stands to reason that pet rabbits are all in vogue. Even ones that are happy to be on leashes.

it's like all of gnomishood is distilled into one splash page.

[Commander672]

And so our heroes who live in a magical medieval fantasy arrive at a secluded steampunk town several decades (possibly centuries) ahead of the rest of the world's technological development.


...and then the firebenders attack in tanks forcing our intrepid heroes to bomb them from the air!

[TheMiningDwarf]

There's so much smog! I imagine the rabbit and garden in panel 2 are having a tough time.

I think that's actual steam not just smog since they're on a island with a volcano they could be using the natural heat to generate power

[Akabana_Shin]

What a huge waste of time. Really.

Don't get me wrong; while I appreciate a good introduction to a new setting, when a product comes as slow as the strips are coming lately, I tend to value plot over visuals. I know it's the beginning of the arc, but I feel the plot has been moving at a shockingly slow speed. And the new visuals have done nothing but help to slow it down. We're at 17 or so strips since the arc begun and not much has actually happened. Again, with a more frequent comic, perhaps this would not be an issue, but well, I guess we're not allowed to discuss much further into this issue.

[Keltest]

What a huge waste of time. Really.

Don't get me wrong; while I appreciate a good introduction to a new setting, when a product comes as slow as the strips are coming lately, I tend to value plot over visuals. I know it's the beginning of the arc, but I feel the plot has been moving at a shockingly slow speed. And the new visuals have done nothing but help to slow it down. We're at 17 or so strips since the arc begun and not much has actually happened. Again, with a more frequent comic, perhaps this would not be an issue, but well, I guess we're not allowed to discuss much further into this issue.

A lot of the books begin with very little happening relevant to the overall plot. The last book had about the same number of strips before they actually did anything relevant to the gates other than traveling and preparing to travel. There was some violence, but it was random violence, like what we have with Belkar attacking Durkon.

[Carl]

What a huge waste of time. Really.

Don't get me wrong; while I appreciate a good introduction to a new setting, when a product comes as slow as the strips are coming lately, I tend to value plot over visuals. I know it's the beginning of the arc, but I feel the plot has been moving at a shockingly slow speed. And the new visuals have done nothing but help to slow it down. We're at 17 or so strips since the arc begun and not much has actually happened. Again, with a more frequent comic, perhaps this would not be an issue, but well, I guess we're not allowed to discuss much further into this issue.

Check the twitter feed, The Giant has noted that he's working heavily on the print book for the desert arc, so he's not getting much time to do work on the comic. Where not slow because the art's taking long, where slow because very little work is being done on new web posted stuff atm.

[Onyavar]

Soo... new recurring characters? Who do you vote for?

Rabbit girl?
Monocle guy?
Walker fisher?
Beanie guy?
Backpack guy?

Will one of them be a contact for the order? Will one of these guys even replace Belkar??? Oh dear, will there be an epileptic forest?

[Keltest]

Soo... new recurring characters? Who do you vote for?

Rabbit girl?
Monocle guy?
Walker fisher?
Beanie guy?
Backpack guy?

Will one of them be a contact for the order? Will one of these guys even replace Belkar??? Oh dear, will there be an epileptic forest?

I vote for the rabbit. Not the girl, just the rabbit.

[DaggerPen]

Soo... new recurring characters? Who do you vote for?

Rabbit girl?
Monocle guy?
Walker fisher?
Beanie guy?
Backpack guy?

Will one of them be a contact for the order? Will one of these guys even replace Belkar??? Oh dear, will there be an epileptic forest?

Well, if we're going for Belkar replacements, rabbit girl does have an animal companion.

[BranMan]

What a huge waste of time. Really.

Don't get me wrong; while I appreciate a good introduction to a new setting, when a product comes as slow as the strips are coming lately, I tend to value plot over visuals. I know it's the beginning of the arc, but I feel the plot has been moving at a shockingly slow speed. And the new visuals have done nothing but help to slow it down. We're at 17 or so strips since the arc begun and not much has actually happened. Again, with a more frequent comic, perhaps this would not be an issue, but well, I guess we're not allowed to discuss much further into this issue.

I feel the same, and it is certainly frustrating to wait this long for a new strip when the plot hardly moves along. The previous strip wasn't as bad, seeing as we had 2 full pages, a lot of exposition, and plenty of speech bubbles. Here, we have two, with a grand total of 4 panels.

I love the art, love the story, and love everything about oots, but it's kind of disheartening to wait this long for new content and have it be underwhelming.

[Qaanol]

What a huge waste of time. Really.

Don't get me wrong; while I appreciate a good introduction to a new setting, when a product comes as slow as the strips are coming lately, I tend to value plot over visuals. I know it's the beginning of the arc, but I feel the plot has been moving at a shockingly slow speed. And the new visuals have done nothing but help to slow it down. We're at 17 or so strips since the arc begun and not much has actually happened. Again, with a more frequent comic, perhaps this would not be an issue, but well, I guess we're not allowed to discuss much further into this issue.

I actually think a lot has happened in these 18 strips:

Durkon’s mother, Sigdi, is introduced
We learn how vampires work in OoTS
Thor knows the vampire took over his cleric, and is not pleased
The Mechane catches fire and Elan is deeply immersed in his role as backup healer
V listens to tactical advice and uses no more magic than necessary
Both rear propellers stopped, and Bandana gives orders to Roy
Belkar knows the vampire isn’t Durkon, but Roy doesn’t believe him
We learn how clerical powers are shared among the gods per the Domain Agreement
V prepares and uses defensive spells strategically
Tinkertown is foreshadowed, plus the team works together on their own initiative
Belkar’s words really annoys the vampire, who commands him to jump overboard
The vampire feeds on Elan
Haley and Bandana talk about gender and authority
Belkar gets a new weapon and immediately stabs the vampire
Roy double-checks that the vampire is praying to Thor
We learn why Hel has no clerics of her own
We see how Durkon’s behavior was shaped, and Durkon learns he can trick the vampire
The Mechane arrives in Tinkertown

[Jaxzan Proditor]

What a huge waste of time. Really.

Don't get me wrong; while I appreciate a good introduction to a new setting, when a product comes as slow as the strips are coming lately, I tend to value plot over visuals. I know it's the beginning of the arc, but I feel the plot has been moving at a shockingly slow speed. And the new visuals have done nothing but help to slow it down. We're at 17 or so strips since the arc begun and not much has actually happened. Again, with a more frequent comic, perhaps this would not be an issue, but well, I guess we're not allowed to discuss much further into this issue.
All the introductions start out like this, though. DStP spent around 16 strips alone in Celestial, and although several things of I happened, few of them had a long term effect on the plot. From there, we switched over to Elan, Vaarsuvius, and Durkon, where every single strip was set up for later on down the road, and then finally we moved to Belkar and Haley, where the plot began moving.

Also, the Giant has said multiple times that he views OOTS as character-driven (or focused), so it is quite natural that most of the strips will work on developing the characters and showing their interactions as opposed to merely advancing the plot.

[nonamearisto]

I actually think a lot has happened in these 18 strips:

Durkon’s mother, Sigdi, is introduced
We learn how vampires work in OoTS
Thor knows the vampire took over his cleric, and is not pleased
The Mechane catches fire and Elan is deeply immersed in his role as backup healer
V listens to tactical advice and uses no more magic than necessary
Both rear propellers stopped, and Bandana gives orders to Roy
Belkar knows the vampire isn’t Durkon, but Roy doesn’t believe him
We learn how clerical powers are shared among the gods per the Domain Agreement
V prepares and uses defensive spells strategically
Tinkertown is foreshadowed, plus the team works together on their own initiative
Belkar’s words really annoys the vampire, who commands him to jump overboard
The vampire feeds on Elan
Haley and Bandana talk about gender and authority
Belkar gets a new weapon and immediately stabs the vampire
Roy double-checks that the vampire is praying to Thor
We learn why Hel has no clerics of her own
We see how Durkon’s behavior was shaped, and Durkon learns he can trick the vampire
The Mechane arrives in Tinkertown

Strictly speaking, even filler still contains content. Things still happen in useless content. That said, most of those things you mentioned fall strongly into the category of "not-filler." :smallsmile:

[Cubanpep]

In an effort to keep from going crazy waiting for a new comic, I read all of the comics again.

Two points...

1) Not exactly excited that I had time to spare after having gone through them in their entirety.

2) Despite the lull in plot development and infrequent updates... I have to say that the comic has become one of the more visually appealing works of art available now.

Very impressed!

[...]

I'm just going to say that steampunk hit its high point in popularity a few years back, so Haley might want to hold off on that comment.

[dtilque]

Wow a lot of nice views there. And we are going to have rebuild the 4th wall again. :smallamused:

The fourth wall of this strip has been smashed with a wrecking ball, dynamited, bulldozed, jackhammered, sledgehammered, run through a crushing mill, and steamrolled. It now has the consistency of fine dust. If it gets broken any more, it'll be reduced to nanoparticles.

[Peelee]

I feel the same, and it is certainly frustrating to wait this long for a new strip when the plot hardly moves along. The previous strip wasn't as bad, seeing as we had 2 full pages, a lot of exposition, and plenty of speech bubbles. Here, we have two, with a grand total of 4 panels.

I love the art, love the story, and love everything about oots, but it's kind of disheartening to wait this long for new content and have it be underwhelming.

Then stop reading the comic and wait for the book to come out. The story is meant to be a cohesive whole. If you read a book at a rate of one page every two weeks, each page would be rather lackluster on its own, as it is meant to be taken in larger quantities. That is literally exactly what you see happening here, except the webcomic format also allows for single-page gags for the majority of strips. I'm not trying to be mean here, I'm not saying, "if you don't like it, then leave." I'm saying this may not be the proper format for you to get maximum enjoyment. The Giant has said words to this effect several times, and it holds true; if you don't enjoy it as is, wait until the full book is released. Its way more annoying, but pages like this will then seem properly paced and well done, instead of underwhelming because of your own inaccurate expectations.

[SeeDElite08]

Looks a lot like a steam punk Fisherman's Horizon. Any confirmation for basis, or just a sweet coincidence?

[Jay R]

And so our heroes who live in a magical medieval fantasy arrive at a secluded steampunk town several decades (possibly centuries) ahead of the rest of the world's technological development.

Leaving aside the fact that the highest level of technological development is magic, and any place with Wish spells is far ahead of the mere 21st century, ...

... this is clearly several decades behind Cliffport's technological development.

[ss49]

I doubt it. He looked like he had bare minimum technology and got news from a fox. However, he was coming down from the North, so...who knows?

Also, what's with the perfect Mechane-sized dock? Is this type of ship common?

I was wondering how the Mechane got ehough air to it's screws. :smallfrown:

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[OoTLink]

Holy cow!

Is.. that... plot movement?! We're actually going to have a comic that isn't dedicated to the vampire dude complaining about Durkon's thoughts? WOOHOOO!!!!!

it's a really pretty comic too :D

[Rogar Demonblud]

The fourth wall of this strip has been smashed with a wrecking ball, dynamited, bulldozed, jackhammered, sledgehammered, run through a crushing mill, and steamrolled. It now has the consistency of fine dust. If it gets broken any more, it'll be reduced to nanoparticles.

So, that'll be in, what, five more strips?:smallbiggrin:

[GAAD]

So, that'll be in, what, five more strips?:smallbiggrin:

Make it thirty. They always run long. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0732.html)

[Finagle]

What's the relationship between halflings and gnomes? A number of them might end up like old Solt Lurkyurk.

There are a lot fewer posts on the forum these days! It's like it's losing steam or something. That's a steampunk joke for you.

Also, I think as soon as they get all patched up and have a nice sidequest, Thor will start throwing more than thunderbolts at OOTS. It will be interesting having a Lawful Good antagonist for the party once again.

[BriarHobbit]

Gnomes, run for your lives. Belkar is in town.

[Messenger]

What religion do these gnomes follow? The Northern Pantheon? That seems likely. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0952.html)

'Coz the Mechane has Hel's High Priest with them.

I've got a feeling that there's going to be a bunch of "religious conversions" while Durkula is there. The Order and Mechane may well be leaving a newly formed coven behind. :smalleek:


Gnomes, run for your lives. Belkar is in town.Belkar's not the one that worries me. :smalleek:

[Adun]

Looks a lot like a steam punk Fisherman's Horizon. Any confirmation for basis, or just a sweet coincidence?

I was going to write the same thing, the sleeping fisherman was a dead giveaway for me.
Also the FH was built by engineers, and what better engineers than gnomes? :biggrin:

[Ron Miel]

Also, what's with the perfect Mechane-sized dock? Is this type of ship common?

We've seen a few of them.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0388.html
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0775.html

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Holy cow!

Is.. that... plot movement?! We're actually going to have a comic that isn't dedicated to the vampire dude complaining about Durkon's thoughts? WOOHOOO!!!!!

it's a really pretty comic too :D

Well, it's not really plot movement, since not much happens to the plot. The comics with Durkon and the High Priest of Hel probably move the plot along more.

[ManuelSacha]

"Are we allowed to spend a whole page on setting the scene, like that?"

Not if we get one page a month, you're not. :smallyuk:

[stench]

the machine the fishing guy is sleeping in reminds me of the magitek armor from FF6.. with a huge wind-up gear in the back..

[Stella]

Its everything I imagined it would be... but im a little concerned we might be unable to tell apart gnomes from halflings.
The halfling will be the one stabbing things. :smallbiggrin:
He's supposed to be jolly. WHY ISN'T HE JOLLY!?!

[Svata]

"Are we allowed to spend a whole page on setting the scene, like that?"

Not if we get one page a month, you're not. :smallyuk:

Well, its a good thing we generally get about two, then.

[oppyu]

Do people really spend time pining after new strips? For me it's more of going about my life and every now and then I see OOTS pop up in my RSS feed. Makes waiting easier.

[...]

We have Steampunk Gnomes and a Volcano. What could possibly go wrong?

[Zonkerbl]

Yay steampunk!

And shame on those of you who have COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN about Arcanum!!!

[brian 333]

I haven't seen a male gnome without a goatee yet, though telling female halflings from female gnomes may be a problem. (Well, not for Balkar, anyway.)

But here we have the final solution to the puzzle: we now know why Belkar will draw his last breath and yet remain in the comic: he will get Frankensteined by the Steampunk Gnomes!

[YossarianLives]

Ohmygoditssteampunktophatguythisisamazingohmygod!

[Catticus]

The story is meant to be a cohesive whole.
I first came to OotS when it was in the late 700s. I started at the beginning, fell in love, read to current, and then repeated. At this point, I couldn't tell you how many times I've read from strip 1 to current or the number of times I've read the bound content outside the strips. The break between strips is just time to re-read prior content (or, gasp, read or do something else) and to appreciate that it really is written as a whole.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I first came to OotS when it was in the late 700s. I started at the beginning, fell in love, read to current, and then repeated. At this point, I couldn't tell you how many times I've read from strip 1 to current or the number of times I've read the bound content outside the strips. The break between strips is just time to re-read prior content (or, gasp, read or do something else) and to appreciate that it really is written as a whole.

I absolutely agree with this advice. If you are tired of waiting for new strips, re-read (or even re-re-read) the old ones, or entertain yourself in other ways.

[Greatmoustache]

i love the tiny oots at the "air"port in panel 3. can't spot durkon though. i wonder why :smallamused:

[Keltest]

i love the tiny oots at the "air"port in panel 3. can't spot durkon though. i wonder why :smallamused:

That's not him between Roy and V?

[DaggerPen]

That's not him between Roy and V?

Yeah, I think that's him - the skin tone and profile match.

[Greatmoustache]

i'm not so sure. if i were a vamp with limited sunscreen, i'd wait for the night. so i'm guessing it's someone from the crew.

edit: it COULD be him. it sure looks like him. but it's not him. not according to my imagination anyway, no sir!

[factotum]

i'm not so sure. if i were a vamp with limited sunscreen, i'd wait for the night.

Well, we don't know his sunscreen *is* limited anymore--he might have researched the Protection from Daylight spell himself by now.

[Carl]

We have Steampunk Gnomes and a Volcano. What could possibly go wrong?

Hel knows Thor suspects...

:biggrin:

[Ron Miel]

That's not him between Roy and V?

Hard to tell from such a small picture, but the beard looks wrong. It looks more like a gnome's goatee than Durkon's full face cover.

I agree that Durkon wouldn't use charges from his staff unless he really had to.

[Koo Rehtorb]

I hope this trip ends with Belkar murdering every last stinking gnome on the island.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Wait, am I in the third page? :smallconfused:

Anyway, nice strip. Pity it didn't advance the plot much, though :smalltongue::smalltongue:

[Ron Miel]

I hope this trip ends with Belkar murdering every last stinking gnome on the island.

I predict the opposite, that Belkar will actually save the Island from its greatest peril.

[Neoriceisgood]

I want that hat.. (no, the other one.)

[Jaxzan Proditor]

That's not him between Roy and V?

It looks like him to me. It looks pretty cloudy/smoky outside, so maybe he doesn't need to expend a charge?

[GAAD]

I want that hat.. (no, the other one.)

Sorry, already nabbed it. You can have THAT one, though.

[Emperordaniel]

Sorry, already nabbed it. You can have THAT one, though.

Whoeffer has de best hat vins!

[rodneyAnonymous]

Something I liked about the simple art was that it could be made quickly.

[Carl]

The new OOTS book is eating my life, I think. I'll try to get a new strip out before the end of the week.

Can we now please stop going on about how the new art style is slowing down updates when we've got word of giant that it isn't???

[Zurvan]

I can't stop thinking about FFIX Lindblum.

[Peelee]

Can we now please stop going on about how the new art style is slowing down updates when we've got word of giant that it isn't???

The Bananatorium (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?335909-The-Index-of-the-Giant-s-Comments-III-We-ve-Left-a-Banana-In-Charge) tells us that while the new hands take no longer to draw, the backgrounds to take up a significant amount of creation time, comparatively. Though I for one am very much a fan of the rich level of detail in the comic at this point.

[dtilque]

I haven't seen a male gnome without a goatee yet, though telling female halflings from female gnomes may be a problem. (Well, not for Balkar, anyway.)

The hairy feet should give away the halflings. Have we even seen a female hobbit yet? Can't think of any. The only halflings I can think of are Belkar and Hank.


But here we have the final solution to the puzzle: we now know why Belkar will draw his last breath and yet remain in the comic: he will get Frankensteined by the Steampunk Gnomes!

At which point he changes his name to Aby Normal.

[DaggerPen]

The hairy feet should give away the halflings. Have we even seen a female hobbit yet? Can't think of any. The only halflings I can think of are Belkar and Hank.

There's one (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html) who's a little bit (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0277.html) important to the plot, yes. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html)

[Lordchoculla]

I first came to OotS when it was in the late 700s. I started at the beginning, fell in love, read to current, and then repeated. At this point, I couldn't tell you how many times I've read from strip 1 to current or the number of times I've read the bound content outside the strips. The break between strips is just time to re-read prior content (or, gasp, read or do something else) and to appreciate that it really is written as a whole.

I wholeheartedly agree.

While I too am waiting with eager anticipation for the next strip, I cannot under any circumstances be angry with the author of this great story that has provided me with many, many hours of pure enjoyment over many years.

Keep up the good work, Giant! :smallsmile:

[Dr. Gamera]

Ah, shiny steampunk goodness after a long airplane journey (mine) and a long blimp journey (theirs).

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Does anyone else prefer their Steampunk as punk? Using the industrial revolution to revisit the tropes of the Cyberpunk genre?

I'm just saying if Gnome civilization isn't destroying their environment while promoting horrible class imbalances between the haves and have-nots, possibly in the form of large corporations with too much power or corrupt government agencies up to shadowy things (much as was happening in the real life Victorian time period, with groups like the East India Trading Company or things like London's killing fogs), I'm going to be sad.

[Glodart]

The Bananatorium (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?335909-The-Index-of-the-Giant-s-Comments-III-We-ve-Left-a-Banana-In-Charge) tells us that while the new hands take no longer to draw, the backgrounds to take up a significant amount of creation time, comparatively. Though I for one am very much a fan of the rich level of detail in the comic at this point.

Pun intended?

Kidding aside, I already love this city.
Although one question I ask myself:
Is the flying gnome in the background an actual gnome with a flying cap, or is a giant gnome robot even more in the background?

[dtilque]

There's one (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html) who's a little bit (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0277.html) important to the plot, yes. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html)

Yeah, I had a feeling I was forgetting someone significant. Note that she has the standard halfling hairy feet, so we know that's not just a male feature.

[Ron Miel]

Another female halfling here:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0238.html

[rbetieh]

Strictly speaking, even filler still contains content. Things still happen in useless content. That said, most of those things you mentioned fall strongly into the category of "not-filler." :smallsmile:

Correct, this wasn't filler, it was framing. The author of this comic does this with every new arc. He wants us to understand the mindset his characters have before they have to react to external stimuli.

This one is special in that one of the characters now has a split personality and both need to be explained. Still framing, not filling.

Of course, I haven't bothered to comment on the frame thus far, because it is only interesting in the context of how they react/adapt/learn/grow. None of this happens until external stimuli is applied.

[Garwain]

The Bananatorium (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?335909-The-Index-of-the-Giant-s-Comments-III-We-ve-Left-a-Banana-In-Charge) tells us that while the new hands take no longer to draw, the backgrounds to take up a significant amount of creation time, comparatively. Though I for one am very much a fan of the rich level of detail in the comic at this point.
I'm just hoping that all the kickstarter backlog finally goes away, that the new book is on the shelves and that we get Durkon back. Guess I'll have to come back in 6 moths.... :smalleek:

[KoboldMasteRace]

I predict the opposite, that Belkar will actually save the Island from its greatest peril.

And at the cost of his own life, at that.

... That doesn't preclude the chance to just a few of them, though... Maybe more than a few...

[Peelee]

I predict the opposite, that Belkar will actually save the Island from its greatest peril.

Just for funsies, I'm gonna predict that Belkar will not die until after Xykon is defeated.

[...]

I'm gonna predict that after all the loose threads are tied and the comic ends, there is a shot of the party together for possibly the last time. Then a random train goes through and runs over Belkar.

[lio45]

Hank from Greysky City has what the Good Hair Evil Hair trope page:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoodHairEvilHair

refers to as a "soul patch" (tiny tuft underneath the lower lip).

Can't help but notice that Ian Starshine would be the most trustworthy character in the strip according to that facial hair spectrum.

[Forikroder]

Can't help but notice that Ian Starshine would be the most trustworthy character in the strip according to that facial hair spectrum.

probably why he wears it like that

[Gnome Alone]

I, for one, welcome our new gnomish overlords.

[DominusMegadeus]

So, destroying the One Ring was a bad thing?

Well, the One Ring was forged in there in the first place, so it kind of makes your point moot.

[BannedInSchool]

Well, the One Ring was forged in there in the first place, so it kind of makes your point moot.
Rings don't enslave the world. Lieutenants of the Dark Enemy enslave the world.

Alternatively: The One Ring isn't bad; it's just forged that way.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Well, the One Ring was forged in there in the first place, so it kind of makes your point moot.

Also, I think Sauron and the Nazgûl (and possibly some of the Elves) didn't view its destruction as good.

[breathandpaper]

Guess I'll have to come back in 6 moths.... :smalleek:

I don't think 6 moths are enough to carry even a small gnome, you should try giant moths.

[Lord Torath]

Did anyone else notice that the flying beanie gnome's controller is on the back of his hand, rather than being held in it?

[veti]

Nothing good ever came from a [fictional] volcano...

It's not explicitly stated, but from the shape I'm pretty sure Tracy Island (http://thunderbirds.wikia.com/wiki/Tracy_Island) is volcanic.

[Gusion]

Rings don't enslave the world. Lieutenants of the Dark Enemy enslave the world.

Alternatively: The One Ring isn't bad; it's just forged that way.

I'd go with... "The One Ring doesn't kill people. Humans using the One Ring kill people."

[hamishspence]

Can't help but notice that Ian Starshine would be the most trustworthy character in the strip according to that facial hair spectrum.

Might qualify as an Unkempt Beard while he's in prison at least.

Though his beard before going there was pretty tidy:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0093.html

[Keltest]

Might qualify as an Unkempt Beard while he's in prison at least.

Though his beard before going there was pretty tidy:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0093.html

Haley is dangerously close to setting her head on fire in that scene :smalleek:

[Jay R]

Haley is dangerously close to setting her head on fire in that scene :smalleek:

Life is pain.

[Keltest]

Life is pain.

Fire is also pain sometimes.

[Tragak]

Fire is also pain sometimes.Life is fire

[Ron Miel]

Haley is dangerously close to setting her head on fire in that scene :smalleek:

♫ So many dumb ways to die. ♫