Does the Giant read this forum?

[Radazim]

I'm curious whether Rich reads this forum, or whether he avoids it so as to not "contaminate" his creative process with suggestions or wild guesses from forum posters.

Given the recent delays due to his illness, it seems clear that he doesn't have the strip done way in advance (in which case "contamination" would be moot).

Anyone know?

I ask because Roy's actions just prior to his death by "cement poisoning" (or was it "deceleration sickness") seemed to parrot many of the guesses that people were making over the weekend.

[Setra]

I believe he does, at least a little.

[Assassinfox]

He tells people to mark speculation threads with "SPOILERS!" so he doesn't contaminate the creative processes, but judging from some of the comics, he does occasionally do things just to poke fun at our speculations. Or, he's a mind reader. o.O

[Setra]

He tells people to mark speculation threads with "SPOILERS!" so he doesn't contaminate the creative processes, but judging from some of the comics, he does occasionally do things just to poke fun at our speculations. Or, he's a mind reader. o.O
Such as the Poison Arrow, though he might've planned it, dunno.

[SteveMB]

He tells people to mark speculation threads with "SPOILERS!" so he doesn't contaminate the creative processes, but judging from some of the comics, he does occasionally do things just to poke fun at our speculations. Or, he's a mind reader. o.O

Or, most likely, both the speculations and the actual plotline are logical followups to the story as presented to date. (Of course, there are often several reasonable ways for the story to proceed, people speculate about some or all of them, and the Giant presents whichever one he has already decided on.)

[Assassinfox]

Or, most likely, both the speculations and the actual plotline are logical followups to the story as presented to date. (Of course, there are often several reasonable ways for the story to proceed, people speculate about some or all of them, and the Giant presents whichever one he has already decided on.)

The arrow comic definitely looks like it was a jab at people's speculations.

[mikeejimbo]

Or, most likely, both the speculations and the actual plotline are logical followups to the story as presented to date. (Of course, there are often several reasonable ways for the story to proceed, people speculate about some or all of them, and the Giant presents whichever one he has already decided on.)

Nah, that couldn't be it, it's too logical.

[Brickman]

I'm pretty sure that he has said that he has the storyline planned out all the way to the end of the comic, but he draws it and comes up with details (specific dialogue, jabs at the readers) as he goes. So reading the forums may give him the idea for another joke or two, lke the arrow, but certainly won't affect the direction of the plot.

[SpeakerftDead]

I believe he does read the forums, there have been topics that he has posted in himself. That and the fact that he seems to have an uncanny ability to draw in what the majority of people will think will happen...and then change it at the last second.

I mean, honestly, how many people said that Roy was going to use the Booty Talisman to save himself from falling?

And then of course, was the whole Poison arrow bit...

[jindra34]

I believe he does read the forums, there have been topics that he has posted in himself. That and the fact that he seems to have an uncanny ability to draw in what the majority of people will think will happen...and then change it at the last second.

I mean, honestly, how many people said that Roy was going to use the Booty Talisman to save himself from falling?

And then of course, was the whole Poison arrow bit...
The talisamn was a dead give away... a todler could see that coming... for the arrow maybe he just skims thread titles....

[Roderick_BR]

I read somewhere that he avoids reading most of the forum, but still, he's good at crowd control, making pages that makes people wonder the outcome, then make something related. See the poison arrow from larceny guy, for example.

[SteveMB]

The arrow comic definitely looks like it was a jab at people's speculations.

Actually, that's an example of what I mean -- both the speculations and the actual resolution of the arrow bit clearly derive from Belkar's prophecy.

[Mr._Wilson]

Earlier, Giant used to post in this section every so often, to justify rule's or fight scenes (he posted how the Miko-OOTS fight went the first time they met), but I stopped posting once people started getting out of hand one way or another.

I believe he reads a little, maybe just to get a general feeling about how people are reacting, but doesn't post anymore. There are to many comics that immediately follow up debates on the forums with the first panel answering the forums. Either that, or he's really, really good at anticipating what people are thinking.

Either way, I don't blame him for not posting. One less hassle he has to deal with.

[malagigi]

I think 419 is more evidence that The Giant reads the forum. Before it went up everyother post was a thread arguing that Miko was already a Blackguard. The rest were arguing Miko was going to become a Blackguard. To me, 419 read like a response to that chatter.
Of course the latter didn't go away, but Miko hasn't been around in a while either, so eventually people stopped talking about her.

[factotum]

You're assuming there that the Giant intended to make her a Blackguard and decided not to in response to forum posts, which I don't think is the case. I'm sure he had to provide some sort of explanation for what was going to happen to Miko regardless of fan speculation.

[the_tick_rules]

i think there are too many instancs of our topics being refrenced and complaints being addressed in the comic for it to be entirely coincidene, but to what extent, probably not something too great.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

I'm pretty sure that he has said that he has the storyline planned out all the way to the end of the comic, but he draws it and comes up with details (specific dialogue, jabs at the readers) as he goes. So reading the forums may give him the idea for another joke or two, lke the arrow, but certainly won't affect the direction of the plot.
Actually, when he requested that speculation be marked as spoilers, it was because he was afraid speculation would influence him to change the plot he's already planned out. Just because it's planned out in detail doesn't mean it's not liable to change.

[atteSmythe]

1) Rich is a DM. He's used to guiding speculation to suit his twisted ends
2) Overall, we're not that clever. Building the story one way only to foil the 'obvious' outcome builds drama.

[EvilElitest]

Don't forget Xykon's moderetnly escapable force cage

"Noooooooooo, he can't do that, it doesn't work that way, oh the horror"
Whine whine whine
Oh Durkon's control weather
"NOOOOOOOOOO, you can't do that, it is awful that we allow the arthur creative licence, noooo, whine whine whine"
The whole miko-Roy bit
And also i think what made him leave were the aligments,
Thog is good,
Belkar is good
Miko didn't commit evil
Haley is not chaotic
Roy is evil
Elan is not only Lawful, but intellgent

And the whole
"Roy couldn't have attacked miko, dispite all evidence to the countrary"
Blah blah blah
So i think he left the forum,s but still reads them, like the posion arrow
Though sometimes he makes jokes that seem rather irrelevant to the forums, like Hinjo's wolf

He also includes a bit of stuff for people, like now Thog had a lot more screen time
from,
EE

[malagigi]

You're assuming there that the Giant intended to make her a Blackguard and decided not to in response to forum posts...

Not so. I don't think Rich intended to make Miko a blackguard at all. Not to try and second guess the writer, but I never thought Miko was going there.
I do think Rich made Miko's response to Sabine flagrantly gladiatorial to quash the speculation in the forums. I for one appreciated it. :smallamused:

Of course, he might have had that response planned before he executed Miko's fall, I'm just saying that's the context I read it in, and how I took it.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Somewhere on this website Rich says that he has written five (or more) years of story arcs, but tweaks the strip as he gets to it. A good storyteller can plan on twists, in fact often has to, to keep the story from becoming stale. The underlying story has proven to be quite deep, and I find myself eagerly awaiting the next strip. Every character has depth, public and private agendas, and all the things that make them "real."

Not bad for "Stick Figures."

To me, the LONG story covers the fall or victory at Azure City, Haley rescuing her dad, Durkon's death, V's rising to ultimate power (and why do so many people think V will get said power no later than next week?) Roy's return (you KNOW that's gonna happen!), Miko becoming a Blackguard or not, and Belkar's death, however that happens. Oh, and Elan rising to be more than just a goof. Or not.

There are TWO more gates in addition to the one they are trying to defend right now. Does it make any literary sense to stop Xykon BEFORE the last gate? Why leave a gate untouched and unexplored?

BTW, I think Miko will go Blackguard for the simple reason that Rich is also a fan of Star Wars. Anakin was a hero before he became the greatest Blackguard of all time and space! Of course, Xykon wanted to know what sort of obscure Oriental Adventures undead she would return as...