New Prequel Book! Order of the Stick: Good Deeds Gone Unpunished (Book 1/2) [Archive]

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The Giant

2018-04-30, 12:57 PM

Look, it's a book!

http://www.giantitp.com/Images/products/OOTS50_7in72dpi_RGBds.png (https://ookoodook.com/products/order-of-the-stick-book-good-deeds-gone-unpunished)

The Order of the Stick: Good Deeds Gone Unpunished is the latest book (ninth overall!) in the Order of the Stick saga, featuring tales of Azure City and beyond. Join your favorite Azurite heroes—and some all-new faces—through hilarious action and thrilling edge-of-your-seat comedy presented in patented greyscale "PrequelVision." Five tales tell the story of Azure City before, during, and after its conquest by hobgoblins (whoops, spoiler!) through the eyes of its residents, paladin and commoner alike:

That's the Spirit: Kazumi and Daigo are settling in to their new island home, but a chance encounter with a lost soul leads to trouble for the expectant couple!
Scruff and Tumble: Cold, alone, and hungry behind enemy lines, Mr. Scruffy must dodge hobgoblins and other dangers on a quest for yummies.
Spoiler Alert: Therkla just wants to read her book on her day off, but a surprise assignment from Kubota sends her hurtling toward a fateful encounter with fate!
Pier Pressure: Teenagers Daesuk and Lien just want to hang out on the dock and maybe smoke cigarettes or something, but then things get, like, super weird.
How the Paladin Got His Scar: When a series of mysterious raids bring the Azurites and the neighboring hobgoblins to the brink of war, Captain O-Chul of the Azure City Army must lead an unlikely band of misfits in a desperate mission to avoid a bloody retribution.

At 160 pages of original material that's not available online as part of the main comic, Good Deeds Gone Unpunished is our biggest black-and-white prequel-type book yet. And for the first time ever, we're offering it in both printed and digital editions at the same time! You can pre-order physical copies right now from Ookoodook (https://ookoodook.com/products/order-of-the-stick-book-good-deeds-gone-unpunished) or digital copies from Gumroad (https://gum.co/ootsgdgu), and they'll get delivered when the book releases in August.

For additional information, check out the Product Page (http://www.giantitp.com/GIPOTS50.html), or keep reading to have some questions answered.

Frequently Asked Questions:

General Questions

Q: Is all of this material new?
A: That depends. If you didn't support the Kickstarter in 2012, then all of the material in this book is new to you; it's never been available to buy before. If you did support the Kickstarter, then the stories about Lien, Mr. Scruffy, and Kazumi and Daigo are entirely new, while the stories about O-Chul and Therkla are ones you received as PDFs when they were initially completed.

Q: How long is each story?
A: The centerpiece of the book is How the Paladin Got His Scar, which is 94 pages long (over 20 pages longer than On the Origin of PCs). The other four stories range between 11 and 16 pages each.

Q: If I already have the Kickstarter stories, can I get a PDF with just the new material for less money?
A: Unfortunately, no. I'm choosing to release it this way partly to give people an incentive to buy the entire book, so that everyone is getting something new with it—but the financial reality is that I can't support the physical printing process if a large portion of the potential audience is only purchasing a smaller product.

Q: What number is on the book's spine?
A: The book is numbered "1/2" to represent the fact that the stories take in the middle of other books. For example, O-Chul's story takes place in between parts of Start of Darkness, while Therkla's story occurs during the events of War and XPs. I felt that using a fraction for the book number properly suggested the fact that book could legitimately be shelved in several different places, chronologically speaking.

Will there be a comic later?
A: Yes, as soon as I get all this marketing stuff released.

Printed Edition

Q: When will the physical books from Ookoodook ship?
A: They're currently scheduled to ship at the end of July or beginning of August. We don't want to lock down an exact release date because there tends to always be something that pushes it back a few days.

Q: Can I pick the physical books up at GenCon?
A: Yes! Ookoodook (https://ookoodook.com/products/order-of-the-stick-book-good-deeds-gone-unpunished) is offering GenCon pick up for pre-orders, just select the "GenCon pick-up" option for your shipping method when you order. I recommend printing out the confirmation email and bringing it with you when you go.

Q: Will the physical books be on sale at GenCon?
A: Yes, unless something has gone horribly wrong with the printing process. I will not be present to autograph books, however.

Q: Will the physical books be available in my local gaming store?
A: Yes, assuming they've carried Order of the Stick books in the past. This title will be fully available to game store distribution, though I'd expect them not to show up on store shelves until closer to September.

Q: What if my game store doesn't carry Order of the Stick products?
A: Then you should ask them to! Our stuff is available through all major hobby game distributors, even those outside the US, so just go to your local gaming store and ask them to place an order.

Q: Why is the overseas shipping so expensive?
A: Because overseas postage rates are expensive, and most of the companies you're thinking of that charge less have international warehouses they can ship from, or use bulk rate shippers due to the large volume of products sold. Ookoodook is a very small company that does not have those kinds of resources, so they have to bring them to the post office like everyone else. If the postage is too high for your budget, we suggest either purchasing the digital edition or waiting until it shows up on your local gaming store shelf.

Q: Why is this book more expensive than the previous black-and-white prequels?
A: Two reasons. First, it is much longer; at 160 pages, it is more than twice as long as On the Origin of PCs and 43% longer than Start of Darkness. In fact, it's the same length as the first color book, Dungeon Crawlin' Fools. Second, if you're wondering why it's the same price as that color book that I just told you about even though it's not in color, it's because that book was first printed (and given its MSRP) in 2005, and printing and paper costs have gone up substantially in the intervening 13 years.

Q: Why should I pre-order rather than just waiting until the book is released?
A: Good question. Pre-ordering lets me to judge how many copies I should print, and accurately estimating that is what allows me to produce a printed product at all. If I print too many copies, I spend too much money now and end up with loads of unsold inventory that costs more to store. If I print too few, I have to reprint right away and due to the economies of scale, that costs more than it would to print a larger run the first time. Only by getting it pretty close to where demand is can the numbers work out such that I can pull this off without losing a lot of money. So if you care about the financial health of the comic (because you would like me to keep doing this), it's helpful to pre-order.

Digital Edition

Q: Can I buy this book as a digital PDF file?
A: Yes! You can pre-order it from Gumroad (https://gum.co/ootsgdgu) today.

Q: When will the digital PDF files be released?
A: The a link to download the digital files will be automatically sent to your email inbox on August 15, 2018, at 12:00 pm Eastern Standard US Time.

Q: Why are you delaying the PDFs until August? Why can't I download it today?
A: It's being delayed until the physical book is published so that some customers don't have to wait longer than other customers to read it. We really want the print edition to succeed, and if readers thought they could read the story three months earlier by buying the digital edition then they would be far more likely to do so. By holding the digital edition back to be published at the same time, we ensure that people buy the edition that they really want rather than rushing to get the one that comes out first.

Q: What does the watermark look like?
A: It's on the first page (the cover), and it's a small grey ribbon-shape with the Gumroad "G" logo, next to which it says "Sold to" and then the email address that you gave when you purchased the book. So don't buy using your top secret email.

Q: Why are you using Gumroad instead of (insert name of other company)?
A: Because they charge the lowest commission, which means I could lower the price more. Plus, most other companies that offer a watermark service add it to every single page, which seemed like overkill to me. One page is enough.

If you have any other questions, go ahead and ask them here and maybe I'll add them back up to the FAQ afterward.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-04-30, 01:09 PM

*crosses fingers*

pleasenohurricanesthisyearpleasenohurricanesthisye arpleasenohurricanesthisyear...

Iago

2018-04-30, 01:30 PM

Shut up and take my money!

Emanick

2018-04-30, 01:36 PM

*crosses fingers*

pleasenohurricanesthisyearpleasenohurricanesthisye arpleasenohurricanesthisyear...

Seems like this ought to get printed before hurricane season gets fierce. But obviously hurricanes would be, erm, bad. So I concur. :smalleek:

Off to pre-order this - before even reading the new comic!!!!!11@!

Zyzzyva

2018-04-30, 01:42 PM

Unexpected, and yet awesome. :smallcool:

Also just in time for my birthday, too!

Bubble

2018-04-30, 01:50 PM

Preordered! Thanks!

SaintRidley

2018-04-30, 01:55 PM

You don't have to ask twice, you've got my money. Honestly, you've got my money for life.

And I actually taught start of Darkness this semester. It went pretty well. In the future I'll probably connect it with this so they can bounce ideas back and forth between SoD and How the Paladin Got His Scar.

Cizak

2018-04-30, 01:56 PM

Sent an e-mail to my local gaming store. They carry the rest of the series, so hopefully they'll pick up this one too so I can support both them and you. :smallsmile:

Jaxzan Proditor

2018-04-30, 02:01 PM

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this product ever since How the Paladin Got His Scar was released to the backers, so you have no idea how happy this announcement makes me. And at $25, this product is totally a steal for what I’m getting out of it. Can’t wait for when it’ll be shipping out!

Peelee

2018-04-30, 02:04 PM

Dr. Gamera

2018-04-30, 02:10 PM

Pre-ordered (the physical version, of course)!

2D8HP

2018-04-30, 02:16 PM

Look, it's a book!Q: Will the physical books be available in my local gaming store?
A: Yes, assuming they've carried Order of the Stick books in the past. This title will be fully available to game store distribution, though I'd expect them not to show up on store shelves until closer to September.

:biggrin:

Awesome!

Awesome!

AWESOME!

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

nabcif

2018-04-30, 02:22 PM

Giant this might not be asked enough to qualify for FAQ, but if books will be picked in physical and PDF form from herein out, even with the delay for the PDF versions, would you be open to the idea of a bundle for both physical and PDF for less than buying both individually?

I second this question! I'm not terribly likely to get both, but if there's a discount I doubt I'll be able to resist the siren song of giving you more money if there's a 50¢ bundle discount or whatever. ;-)

And agreed; "How the Paladin Got His Scar" is absolutely wonderful.

Emanick

2018-04-30, 02:46 PM

DaggerPen

2018-04-30, 02:49 PM

Oh heck yes. I can't wait!

Rhasimir

2018-04-30, 03:07 PM

The Gumroads description claims there are 170 pages of content in that 164 page book (160 + cover pages). That's 10 more than the printed version :smallbiggrin:

The Giant

2018-04-30, 03:20 PM

Giant, this might not be asked enough to qualify for FAQ, but if books will be printed in physical and PDF form from hereon out, even with the delay for the PDF versions, would you be open to the idea of a bundle for both physical and PDF for less than buying both individually?

The problem with this is that I'm using two different companies to fulfill the books and the PDFs, and there's no easy way to tell Gumroad to give a discount to people who bought it from Ookoodook (or vice versa). I could give out a coupon code, but then it's almost guaranteed that it will get out onto the internet and a lot of people will buy the book at whatever discount. Neither system supports individualized automatically generated coupon codes. Also, Ookoodook charges your card when you make the purchase (because that is a large part of how I pay for the print run) while Gumroad doesn't charge until the PDF files are released, which could lead to situations where people buy the book from one place, get the discount code, order the book from the other at a discount and then cancel the first order.

Basically, I would need to have unified fulfillment in order to pull this off without a lot of people taking unfair advantage of it, and I don't.

The Gumroads description claims there are 170 pages of content in that 164 page book (160 + cover pages). That's 10 more than the printed version :smallbiggrin:

That was just a typo. It's fixed now, at 160 pages.

RabidEel

2018-04-30, 03:21 PM

What does the "GenCon pickup 2018" option mean? I mean, it can't mean "go to Gen Con and pick it up", or else it wouldn't be shipping, but what does it do and why is it so much cheaper?

The Giant

2018-04-30, 03:26 PM

What does the "GenCon pickup 2018" option mean? I mean, it can't mean "go to Gen Con and pick it up", or else it wouldn't be shipping, but what does it do and why is it so much cheaper?

That is literally what it means: you go to GenCon and pick it up in person from the Ookoodook booth. It's "shipping" because it's a limited website and the option has to be put in there in a way that the system understands.

Chei

2018-04-30, 03:46 PM

How the Paladin Got His Scar was absolutely bonkers as a Kickstarter Reward (edit: That is to say, a low-tier reward. I pitched in like $10), so I'm glad to see it get released as a book, with some bonus side dishes. I'll preorder it later.

2018-04-30, 03:51 PM

Sigh.
Now I have to go back and figure out which PDFs I'm missing (got behind on it) and order them, plus the PDF version of this, plus the physical version of this.

Woe is me.

Take my money!

Peelee

2018-04-30, 04:12 PM

The problem with this is that I'm using two different companies to fulfill the books and the PDFs, and there's no easy way to tell Gumroad to give a discount to people who bought it from Ookoodook (or vice versa). I could give out a coupon code, but then it's almost guaranteed that it will get out onto the internet and a lot of people will buy the book at whatever discount. Neither system supports individualized automatically generated coupon codes. Also, Ookoodook charges your card when you make the purchase (because that is a large part of how I pay for the print run) while Gumroad doesn't charge until the PDF files are released, which could lead to situations where people buy the book from one place, get the discount code, order the book from the other at a discount and then cancel the first order.

Basically, I would need to have unified fulfillment in order to pull this off without a lot of people taking unfair advantage of it, and I don't.

That's understandable. Both pre-ordered.

ETA: actually, I just inadvertantly thought of a way that you totally could do it at virtually no cost, but it would likely be more annoying than any other way (including just not doing it at all), so I'll just keep shut about it.

The Aboleth

2018-04-30, 04:13 PM

Rich, how far in advance can I change the shipping address if I order the physical book? My living situation is very uncertain right now, and I have no idea if I will be in my current location by the time August comes around. I very much want to order the physical book, but I'm worried about problems with shipping if I end up having to move.*

*I know the obvious solution to this is to just pre-order the PDF, but I prefer the physical books for a variety of reasons.

The Giant

2018-04-30, 04:21 PM

LadyEowyn

2018-04-30, 05:48 PM

YAY!

I've been waiting for this ever since HTPGHS was released to Kickstarter backers and everyone loved it!

Still have to wait three and a half more months....

ti'esar

2018-04-30, 05:59 PM

Wow, this is even cooler than I was expecting!

137beth

2018-04-30, 06:03 PM

Peelee

2018-04-30, 06:10 PM

Is there an advantage to pre-ordering the PDF as opposed to just buying in August? I thought pre-orders were to make sure you can get a physical product before it sells out. Supplies of the PDF can't run out.

I would say the main advantage of pre-ordering the PDF is it doesn't matter if you forget about it by the time it's released.

Darkohaku

2018-04-30, 06:16 PM

I wasn't around for the kickstarter, so I'm happy for the new book. Already I have all the physical collection for the story.

I would have waited for the release, but...I just couldn't. Your comics are the best Giant, thank you very much for them.

Well, the wait now begins...

The Giant

2018-04-30, 06:26 PM

Is there an advantage to pre-ordering the PDF as opposed to just buying in August? I thought pre-orders were to make sure you can get a physical product before it sells out. Supplies of the PDF can't run out.

The main advantage is that people won't spend the next three months asking me if they can get the book in PDF format.

Alternately, like Peelee said, you can buy it now and not have to think about it again until it shows up in your inbox.

ChristianSt

2018-04-30, 07:04 PM

Q: Will the physical books be available in my local gaming store?
A: Yes, assuming they've carried Order of the Stick books in the past. This title will be fully available to game store distribution, though I'd expect them not to show up on store shelves until closer to September.

:smallsmile: Glad I can pick this up at my FLGS; really looking forward to get a new shiny OotS book. :smallcool:

georgie_leech

2018-04-30, 07:07 PM

The main advantage is that people won't spend the next three months asking me if they can get the book in PDF format.

An underappreciated advantage :smallbiggrin:

Dr. Gamera

2018-04-30, 07:43 PM

Hey Giant, the picture in the news post on the front page links to AMFES (Winter) at Gumroad, not to GDGU. The link in the news post on the front page to GDGU at Gumroad does work, however.

Priceguy

2018-05-01, 02:40 AM

Preordered! I've waited for this moment since I heard the Kickstarter backers gushing over How the Paladin Got His Scar. Why didn't I back the Kickstarter, you ask? Because I was on an Order of the Stick hiatus at the time so I'd have a bunch of strips to read through when I got back. Which I did right after the Kickstarter finished. Since then I haven't dared go on another hiatus.

Xianthe

2018-05-01, 07:56 AM

Yes!

Pre-ordered both physical and digital!

Kaed

2018-05-01, 10:35 AM

This probably isn't going to win me any popularity points, but I don't really understand the logic of not releasing a digital product until the physical product has already been shipped and likely to have already reached some people. The digital product doesn't need to go through a printing process and have a bunch of logistical details worked out like where to store it, etc etc. It's just ready, and can be sent out once the actual comics in question have been completed and collected into a readable data format.

I've heard before that it's being done to be 'fair' to the people who are ordering the physical books, but what fairness are we talking about? The fairness of avoiding spoilers from the stories? The fairness of not having to know the people who paid for the digital product got it faster, because that's the nature of digital media?

But, I thought a large part of the appeal of a physical copy was to have something you could hold and read without electricity or an internet connection, and in some cases, the knowledge that you supported the creator responsible.

Then again there might also be some business sense to it I don't know about, because I've never been in publishing before, and I literally have no idea what you go through getting all this done. Maybe you could illuminate me?

Xianthe

2018-05-01, 10:54 AM

Then again there might also be some business sense to it I don't know about, because I've never been in publishing before, and I literally have no idea what you go through getting all this done. Maybe you could illuminate me?

You don't want to undercut the potential pool of buyers for the physical copy of the book, since print run prices are strongly dependent on economies of scale. This is mostly because the set-up costs for a print run stay the same whether you want 10 copies made or 10,000,000 - it's only the cost for paper and ink that changes with volume.

Functionally, out of the potential customer pool for this book, there's three broad categories of buyer we're dealing with:

A small-ish group of readers who will buy both editions.
A larger group that will buy only their preferred format
The people who don't really care which format they get, they just want to get it as early as possible

If the e-book is available sooner, then third group I mentioned would all buy PDF, instead of choosing to wait and get the print book. Depending on the size of that group, that could be significant drop in print copy orders, which would then narrow the margins that the Giant makes on the print books (potentially even to the point where it is not cost effective to print them).

The Aboleth

2018-05-01, 11:01 AM

I honestly don't know the answer to this, so I would contact Ookoodook customer service and ask them.

Or maybe APE Gamer will magically show up and tell us...

Thanks! I've sent a message to Ookoodook and eagerly await their reply.

Then again there might also be some business sense to it I don't know about, because I've never been in publishing before, and I literally have no idea what you go through getting all this done. Maybe you could illuminate me?

From the OP (bolded emphasis mine):

Q: Why are you delaying the PDFs until August? Why can't I download it today?
A: It's being delayed until the physical book is published so that some customers don't have to wait longer than other customers to read it. We really want the print edition to succeed, and if readers thought they could read the story three months earlier by buying the digital edition then they would be far more likely to do so. By holding the digital edition back to be published at the same time, we ensure that people buy the edition that they really want rather than rushing to get the one that comes out first.

This quote suggests to me that, business-wise, the print edition is the real money-maker. If the digital edition were released right away, it would presumably affect the print sales in a negative manner, which is an undesirable outcome for Rich's business. Also, as Rich stated earlier, the print pre-orders give him a rough estimate of how many books he needs to order printed; drastically over or under-shooting that number also negatively affects his business, and while estimating wrong is still something that could happen even if he goes by pre-order numbers it is at least far LESS likely to occur.

So, the PDFs are delayed in order to give the print edition an at least even chance of success against the digital edition.

I also assume (but have no basis for this) that delaying the PDFs also give Rich a chance to fix minor things that he might notice between now and August (or whenever he orders the physical books to be printed). If he releases the PDFs now, only to then notice later that a speech bubble is out of place (for example), he would then have a situation where the PDF and print versions have a minor difference between them. While he could, in theory, re-release an updated PDF to fix the mistake, the fact would remain that there would be a version of the PDF out in the ether that wouldn't be the same as the "correct" one, and I can imagine that'd be annoying (at best) for an artist.

The Giant

2018-05-01, 01:35 PM

Xianthe has it right: In order for the print run to work financially at all, I need anyone who might be interested in print to buy print. There is a minimum number which I need paper pre-orders to reach by June 1st or else there will be no print run at all, because I will not have the funds to pay for it. Given that the PDF already has a significant price advantage over print, if I also gave it a speed advantage then a large portion of people who don't care either way would be heavily incentivized to buy a PDF, which would raise the possibility that the book print run would not even happen.

So no, it's not about fairness, it's about the financial realities of printing.

infinityman

2018-05-01, 01:40 PM

I'm in for physical and digital! I love the convenience of reading on screens and the smell of the paper. If they could duplicate that smell on an iPad, I might go all digital.

Capt Spanner

2018-05-01, 02:54 PM

Pre-order in. :smallcool:

Unregistered

2018-05-01, 03:14 PM

Ordered both. And while I know you can't influence it and it always the same (which is why it's featured in the FAQ) I am really astonished by the incredibly high shipping costs.

Chronos

2018-05-01, 03:50 PM

I would just like to inform you that I shall not be buying this book.

Because a friend just bought it for me as a birthday present.

KorvinStarmast

2018-05-01, 04:33 PM

yes. *dances a happy dance*

Matt620

2018-05-01, 10:19 PM

Strange to see all Azure City folks and not Hinjo. Is he part of the other stories, or did he just not make the cut?

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-05-01, 10:23 PM

Strange to see all Azure City folks and not Hinjo. Is he part of the other stories, or did he just not make the cut?

You'll have to buy it to know, won't you?
he's there
GW

Jasdoif

2018-05-01, 10:29 PM

Strange to see all Azure City folks and not Hinjo. Is he part of the other stories, or did he just not make the cut?Hinjo's a supporting character in How the Paladin Got His Scar. Whether he appears in the three yet-unreleased stories...I guess we'll find out in a few months!

LadyEowyn

2018-05-01, 10:44 PM

And while I know you can't influence it and it always the same (which is why it's featured in the FAQ) I am really astonished by the incredibly high shipping costs.

Yes. There's no way I'm buying print when the shipping costs as much or more than the book does.

Peelee

2018-05-01, 10:56 PM

Yes. There's no way I'm buying print when the shipping costs as much or more than the book does.

Overseas I can understand. But Canada? Our friendly neighbors to the north? Rules be stupid.

LadyEowyn

2018-05-01, 11:01 PM

Makes no sense to me. Most parts of Canada with a substantial population are closer to the US than the US West Coast is to the US East Coast. I've bought plenty of books across international borders without $20-$40 shipping costs.

NerdyKris

2018-05-02, 07:36 AM

Peelee

2018-05-02, 09:10 AM

Did you order those books from large retailers that have warehouses and bulk shipping to the country before being distributed? Because like Rich said, Ookoodook uses regular post office shipping, which is $26 for a small flat rate box. Large international retailers have warehouses that don't use the mail system until they're inside the country. Ookoodook does not.

USPS is remarkably fast and cheap. I'd imagine Canadian postal service is likewise. Customs would be the big hurdle, and large international retailers still have to deal with that.

Not saying anything one way or the other, I just wonder why it's so crazy expensive to cross borders when the logistics are theoretically already there and not too bad.

Ted The Bug

2018-05-02, 09:51 AM

When does pre-ordering end? I'm moving in the beginning of July and won't know my new address until sometime next month.

The Aboleth

2018-05-02, 10:02 AM

When does pre-ordering end? I'm moving in the beginning of July and won't know my new address until sometime next month.

Here is the response I got from Ookoodook regarding address changes:

You would place an order now. There is an email that goes out for address changes once we get closer to shipping the packages out. You can contact [email protected] when your address changes so I can follow up with this as well.

Turin_19

2018-05-02, 10:58 AM

Regarding the preference in taking the PDF or print book, that's exactly my case: I'd rather have the book; however, international shipping to Brazil sucks so much (due to our customs) that I'm not willing to wait for 30+ days to get the book in my house. I'll get the PDF and, once I know someone in a trip to the US or Europe, I'll buy it and ask them to bring it over to me.

And I'm not a fan of having both editions - I really prefer the books. (I still don't have SSDT).

DataNinja

2018-05-02, 11:13 AM

USPS is remarkably fast and cheap. I'd imagine Canadian postal service is likewise. Customs would be the big hurdle, and large international retailers still have to deal with that.

Having family in Canada Post... can confirm that the administration is stupid, and that USPS is way faster. To give you an idea of what we have to deal with here in the city I live in... mail going to this same city has to get shipped several hours to Vancouver to be sorted, then back here to be delivered. Because they shut down the sorting plant here.

So... no, sorry to say, but you've got the way better end of the deal down there. (It's still on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and customs is most likely the big hurdle... but, yeah, fast this ain't.) :smalltongue:

Rogar Demonblud

2018-05-02, 11:24 AM

Hey, we have that 'close everything and use one distro center' thing going too. They're talking now about closing all the distros up here except Bismarck, which will cover at least two states.

And Turin, check the rate for shipping SS&DT and GDGU together. That might work better for you.

The Giant

2018-05-02, 01:38 PM

I already said what I had to say about shipping in the FAQ, so I'm not going to say anything else.

When does pre-ordering end? I'm moving in the beginning of July and won't know my new address until sometime next month.

The book is scheduled to ship from the printer to Ookoodook on July 23rd. I would say as long as you have your address change in before then, you'll be fine.

zimmerwald1915

2018-05-02, 03:53 PM

Strange to see all Azure City folks and not Hinjo. Is he part of the other stories, or did he just not make the cut?
He's on the cover, albeit in the background.

The Giant

2018-05-02, 04:06 PM

It looks like Shopify (which runs the back-end of Ookoodook's online store) is having some sort of technical difficulties. So if you can't load the page, it's not you, it's us (well, them), and please try again in an hour or two.

EDIT: And it seems like they fixed it already.

justben

2018-05-02, 07:12 PM

Is there a preface and introduction on the online version of the book?

The Giant

2018-05-02, 08:14 PM

Is there a preface and introduction on the online version of the book?

Yes, the books are identical in content.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-03, 04:54 AM

Q: Why is the overseas shipping so expensive?
A: Because overseas postage rates are expensive, and most of the companies you're thinking of that charge less have international warehouses they can ship from, or use bulk rate shippers due to the large volume of products sold. Ookoodook is a very small company that does not have those kinds of resources, so they have to bring them to the post office like everyone else.
My research here is limited, so maybe this is old news, but my understanding (https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/) is that these company's print-on-demand services allow for distribution in many overseas territories, as well as eliminating inventory costs?

The Giant

2018-05-03, 06:55 AM

My research here is limited, so maybe this is old news, but my understanding (https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/) is that these company's print-on-demand services allow for distribution in many overseas territories, as well as eliminating inventory costs?

The price per copy for that service would be approximately three times what I pay in printing. That would lead to cover prices in the range of $40 for a book like this one and $80-90 for one like Blood Runs in the Family—for everyone, regardless of where they live—and they would also be using lighter, less durable paper stock (60# instead of 80#) and cover stock (10 pt instead of 13 pt) and a crappier printing method (digital, which leads to less rich blacks and ink that you can rub off with your fingers, instead of offset). You would be paying more for worse books, but I guess the shipping would be less. But it doesn't matter because I am not going to do that.

EDIT: Also, this:
I already said what I had to say about shipping in the FAQ, so I'm not going to say anything else.

137beth

2018-05-03, 06:39 PM

The main advantage is that people won't spend the next three months asking me if they can get the book in PDF format.

Alternately, like Peelee said, you can buy it now and not have to think about it again until it shows up in your inbox.

Thanks for the concise explanation. I think I'm just going to wait and buy the PDF in August.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-04, 09:11 AM

The price per copy for that service would be approximately three times what I pay in printing. That would lead to cover prices in the range of $40 for a book like this one and $80-90 for one like Blood Runs in the Family—for everyone, regardless of where they live—and they would also be using lighter, less durable paper stock (60# instead of 80#) and cover stock (10 pt instead of 13 pt) and a crappier printing method (digital, which leads to less rich blacks and ink that you can rub off with your fingers, instead of offset).
CreateSpace is limited to 60lb, but looking at the shipping calculator for IngramSpark here (https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/ShippingCalculator), 8x10 inch full-color on 70lb paper works out at ~$6.20 per 100 pages in printing costs, or about $10 for Good Deeds. There might be other providers that go up to 80lb B&W. I can't speak directly to print quality, but my understanding (http://www.printmag.com/featured/print-on-demand-3-things-to-know/) is that PoD has largely closed the gap over the past few years. Either way, I would be surprised if this pushed a $25 book into the $40 range.

.

Reboot

2018-05-04, 09:34 AM

I can't speak directly to print quality, but my understanding (http://www.printmag.com/featured/print-on-demand-3-things-to-know/) is that PoD has largely closed the gap over the past few years.

The following sponsored content is brought to you courtesy of Blurb®, a book-making platform...

i.e., you just linked to an ad for POD.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-04, 09:50 AM

...you just linked to an ad for POD.
I think I might try setting up an account and see if I can print myself a few test-documents this way. In principle it shouldn't be that hard.

Peelee

2018-05-04, 10:20 AM

CreateSpace is limited to 60lb, but looking at the shipping calculator for IngramSpark here (https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/ShippingCalculator), 8x10 inch full-color on 70lb paper works out at ~$6.20 per 100 pages in printing costs, or about $10 for Good Deeds. There might be other providers that go up to 80lb B&W. I can't speak directly to print quality, but my understanding (http://www.printmag.com/featured/print-on-demand-3-things-to-know/) is that PoD has largely closed the gap over the past few years. Either way, I would be surprised if this pushed a $25 book into the $40 range.

.

The Giant's feelings about advising him on his business aside (I believe he generally disinvites it), this sort of thing feels like it'd be more suited to a PM than the new prequel book preorder and info thread if you still really want to say it.

Sc00by

2018-05-05, 04:22 AM

International Shipping costs will stop me pre-ordering, sorry, but I'm looking forward to UK distributors getting their copies of this so I can pick one up later in the year.

*squee! I really enjoyed How the Paladin got his scar and have to buy this, if only because I've got all the rest! ;) But new OotS content is always good.

Ruck

2018-05-06, 07:39 PM

Pier Pressure: Teenagers Daesuk and Lien just want to hang out on the dock and maybe smoke cigarettes or something, but then things get, like, super weird.

"It was for me. I was going to smoke the marijuana like a cigarette."

Anyway, gonna preorder both, because I like having both and also doing whatever I can to support OOTS as a going concern.

The Giant

2018-05-07, 11:35 AM

I think I might try setting up an account and see if I can print myself a few test-documents this way. In principle it shouldn't be that hard.

You can do whatever you want, but I already told you I'm not using print-on-demand. I know what options are out there. I have made the choices that work best for me.

If you want to have a theoretical discussion about the quality of print-on-demand, go start another thread about it. This thread is about the book that will actually exist only.

2.5 cats

2018-05-13, 11:25 PM

My cats and I are looking forward to the Mr. Scruffy story a bit too much. :smallbiggrin:

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-15, 07:01 AM

This thread is about the book that will actually exist only.
Okay... well, in that case, I do have one or two questions about the O-Chul story.

In HTPGHS, Miko and Hinjo refer to eachother as 'cousin', and a discussion between O-Chul and Hinjo implies that she had as much political influence as Hinjo, suggesting that Miko was formally adopted into Shojo's family. However, Miko in the main strip never refers to Shojo as 'father', never refers to her title as anything but 'samurai', has no particular wealth aside from her gear and 'a small stipend from my Lord', and retains her family name of Miyazaki, rather than Jo.

Was Miko, perhaps, expelled from the royal household at some point? It occurred to me that the Miyazakis themselves might have been cousins of the Jo family in some capacity, but in that case, why was Miko left in a monastery for 13 years? Wouldn't one normally expect surviving relatives or retainers to take care of an orphaned child, particularly if they're as well-off as the ruling house?

hamishspence

2018-05-15, 07:25 AM

Okay... well, in that case, I do have one or two questions about the O-Chul story.

In HTPGHS, Miko and Hinjo refer to eachother as 'cousin', and a discussion between O-Chul and Hinjo implies that she had as much political influence as Hinjo, suggesting that Miko was formally adopted into Shojo's family. However, Miko in the main strip never refers to Shojo as 'father', never refers to her title as anything but 'samurai', has no particular wealth aside from her gear and 'a small stipend from my Lord', and retains her family name of Miyazaki, rather than Jo.

Was Miko, perhaps, expelled from the royal household at some point? It occurred to me that the Miyazakis themselves might have been cousins of the Jo family in some capacity, but in that case, why was Miko left in a monastery for 13 years?
Miko was orphaned "at a young age" and brought into Shojo's samurai at the age of 13:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html

this does not mean she was a baby when orphaned, and that she was with the monks for 13 years.

EDIT: Also, as the Giant pointed out in the past - she was old enough to remember her parents - losing them was traumatic:

I've always felt that someone who had come to him with less underlying issues (whether due to her inherent personality or the trauma of losing her parents and getting sent to a monastery) could have been raised the same way and not turned out to be like Miko. Likewise, if Miko had never met Shojo, she probably would have left the monastery as an angry unstable loner with no purpose. Shojo's guidance was the tape that was held her together for so long, which is why she went to pieces when it was ripped off.

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-05-15, 07:32 AM

D.One

2018-05-15, 07:38 AM

I fail to see what this has to do with O-Chul's story. It feels even more off-topic than your previous line of inquiry.

GW

I believe his main doubt is in the lines of "They call themselves cousins in O-Chul's story. Are they blood-related cousins?"

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-15, 07:47 AM

...this does not mean she was a baby when orphaned, and that she was with the monks for 13 years.
You're quite right- we don't really know when Miko was orphaned, so she may have spent significantly less than 13 years in the monastery. (Which could have been traumatic for reasons unrelated to her age at the time, but that's another discussion.)

This is kind of secondary to my main point, though, which is that main-strip Miko doesn't show much sign of belonging to the upper nobility. She never, for example, says "You have no right to speak to me this way, I am a <duchess-equivalent>."

hamishspence

2018-05-15, 08:06 AM

We'll just have to wait and see what, if anything, The Giant says in the introduction about Miko, Shojo, O-Chul, and the Sapphire Guard. I suspect something will be said, even if not a lot.

zimmerwald1915

2018-05-15, 08:27 AM

She never, for example, says "You have no right to speak to me this way, I am a <duchess-equivalent>."
She says almost exactly that. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0251.html)

Keltest

2018-05-15, 08:48 AM

She says almost exactly that. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0251.html)

As presented in the story, Samurai is an earned military title, not an inherited nobility.

Frankly, I think its more likely that Miko was simply discouraged from emphasizing her relation to the ruling family, both because it could theoretically cause issues of succession and because as a high ranking subordinate of Shojo, it could raise questions of favoritism.

Kish

2018-05-15, 08:48 AM

She says almost exactly that. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0251.html)
And for that matter, Hinjo corrects someone who calls him the heir to Azure City by saying that being heir-presumptive is legally meaningless and until Shojo formally announces who his heir is, he's "just another apprentice consular."

Miko's sole source of legal hard power is her samurai title. Being part of the Lord's family would give her tons of soft power--see the way Hinjo is the only person in the book who actually believes being heir-presumptive doesn't make him important--but Miko wields her authority way too overtly to actually use soft power.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-15, 09:48 AM

She says almost exactly that. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0251.html)
I am aware of the quote I was paraphrasing. That's my point- if Miko was using her official position to browbeat people, she'd presumably use the highest rank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazoku#Development) she was entitled to claim. (She also never says, for example, "But you have bags upon bags of treasure! I have only the rental income from my 8000-hectare estate.")

Frankly, I think its more likely that Miko was simply discouraged from emphasizing her relation to the ruling family, both because it could theoretically cause issues of succession and because as a high ranking subordinate of Shojo, it could raise questions of favoritism.
This didn't stop Hinjo from calling him uncle (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0406.html).

It just seems odd to me that someone Shojo ostensibly adopted as a daughter doesn't receive any particular rank, wealth, name, or even the right to call him 'father' out of it.

hamishspence

2018-05-15, 09:53 AM

Maybe, she's attached enough to her original parents, that even if she has the right to call him "father" or "adopted father" she chooses not to do so and sticks with "Shojo" outside of "chain of command" situations.

factotum

2018-05-15, 10:08 AM

It seems to me that any political influence possessed by both Miko and Hinjo boiled down to "Shojo listens to us". That's still influence, even if you never make use of it--and Miko almost certainly never did, because she was supremely disinterested in politics as a whole.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-16, 08:16 AM

Actually, you know what? Never mind all that. Check out one of Miko's bonus strips in War & XPs.

https://s31.postimg.cc/3qjecegzv/miko_family_quote.jpg

...so, 'cousin' Hinjo and 'father' Shojo don't count as family here?

hamishspence

2018-05-16, 08:53 AM

Actually, you know what? Never mind all that. Check out one of Miko's bonus strips in War & XPs.

...so, 'cousin' Hinjo and 'father' Shojo don't count as family here?

Not in Miko's eyes, apparently. She may believe blood is thicker than water at this point.

Throknor

2018-05-16, 09:13 AM

I feel like this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0623.html) is relevant to this discussion, but I'm not sure why...

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-16, 09:22 AM

Not in Miko's eyes, apparently. She may believe blood is thicker than water at this point.
Forgive me, but that seems like a shift in outlook that requires a non-trivial explanation.

I feel like this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0623.html) is relevant to this discussion, but I'm not sure why...
Fiction is a place where you get to invent your own facts to fit your own theories. Is it asking so much that the facts are at least consistent?

Peelee

2018-05-16, 09:27 AM

I feel like this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0623.html) is relevant to this discussion, but I'm not sure why...
It's not a plot ole; at worst, it's a minor inconsistency that doesn't affect the plot. Or, like hamish said, Miko doesn't consider her status to be terrible relevant, especially as an adult.

Actually, you know what? Never mind all that. Check out one of Miko's bonus strips in War & XPs.

https://s31.postimg.cc/3qjecegzv/miko_family_quote.jpg

...so, 'cousin' Hinjo and 'father' Shojo don't count as family here?
So.... do you think it'll be addressed in any of the stories in the book?

hamishspence

2018-05-16, 09:28 AM

Forgive me, but that seems like a shift in outlook that requires a non-trivial explanation.

If Miko addresses Hinjo as "cousin" in Scar, but says in effect that "I have no family" in War & XPs - then it does show a change of outlook.

But if it's the case Hinjo describes Miko as cousin, but Miko never describes Hinjo as cousin - then a change of outlook is not necessarily mandated.

It would be like in some stepfamilies, where the stepparents are happy to use "daughter" or "son" for their stepchild, but the stepchild doesn't reciprocate - insisting on addressing their stepparent by name.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-16, 09:57 AM

But if it's the case Hinjo describes Miko as cousin, but Miko never describes Hinjo as cousin - then a change of outlook is not necessarily mandated.
Nope. Miko calls him cousin right back at least twice.

It's not a plot hole; at worst, it's a minor inconsistency that doesn't affect the plot.
It doesn't affect the plot directly... but it has some potential import to Miko's background motivations. Miko killing a defenceless old man who was recently lord of the city is not good. Miko killing her surrogate father is even worse. But Miko killing someone who used to be her surrogate father and then... disowned her?... would explain a lot. You can get a lot of bad blood between family members depending on how the estate is divided up.

But again, I don't really know what's going on there. I was hoping the author could elaborate.

Peelee

2018-05-16, 10:27 AM

It doesn't affect the plot directly... but it has some potential import to Miko's background motivations. Miko killing a defenceless old man who was recently lord of the city is not good. Miko killing her surrogate father is even worse. But Miko killing someone who used to be her surrogate father and then... disowned her?... would explain a lot. You can get a lot of bad blood between family members depending on how the estate is divided up.

Imean, you see all the motivation you need in the online comic. Miko is so sure of her own infallibility that she misreads everything in whatever light makes her right. Roy tricked Miko into killing Shojo. Roy tricked Shojo into saying the things that made Miko kill him. Roy and Shojo were in league together. All said within a minute. She reaches for any explanation she can so that she can believe she isn't wrong. The Twelve Gods themselves appear and personally remove your paladin powers? That was because of someone else's wrongdoing, not hers.

Just because you refuse to either acknowledge or accept that Miko has a crippling character flaw does not mean that she doesn't have a crippling character flaw. And if you want to continue trying to reason in a way for Miko to be the super special awesome nice person you want her to be while still staying true to her portrayal in the comic, then maybe start a thread devoted to that. We've already had one redtext saying that this thread is supposed to be about the book that's coming out. I'd very much like to not be slapped down with another.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-16, 11:59 AM

I mean, you see all the motivation you need in the online comic. Miko is so sure of her own infallibility that she misreads everything in whatever light makes her right... ...Just because you refuse to either acknowledge or accept that Miko has a crippling character flaw...
I could throw around accusations that certain readers are so certain of the author's infallibility that they engage in fabulous mental gymnastics to avoid admitting a plain textual contradiction, but... I have not done so, because I don't strictly know that's true. I will allow for the possibility that the author has genuinely given thought to how the petty-noble footsoldier with modest resources and no surviving kin might have evolved from the adoptive protegé princess in recent publication. If you have your own theories on that front, I'd be happy to hear them. But I will thank you not to impute motivated reasoning to my analysis where I can see abundant motivation behind yours.

Peelee

2018-05-16, 12:32 PM

I could throw around accusations that certain readers are so certain of the author's infallibility that they engage in fabulous mental gymnastics to avoid admitting a plain textual contradiction

The only contradiction that you can claim is that Miko was adopted by Shojo, yet claims no familial ties. Which, as has been pointed out, is not terribly unusual. Neither is murder committed by a family member, sad to say. I by no means subscribe to author infallibility - in fact, I fully disagree with some messages the author puts forth. That I accept what is in the text regarding a character is hardly mental gymnastics.

hamishspence

2018-05-16, 12:49 PM

Nope. Miko calls him cousin right back at least twice.

OK, twice -

"Cousin Hinjo? You should not be here." and "Cousin." when the two groups meet again.

It may be akin to Roy's calling a family friend "Uncle Myrtok" despite their not being related - he calls him "Uncle" but doesn't see him as family, Miko calls Hinjo Cousin, but may not see him as family.

Kish

2018-05-16, 12:59 PM

I'm inclined to think "we have no family" to "Hinjo is my cousin" does indicate a minor shift in the writing background.

I just don't think "three books ago, this character had the same background but how she viewed it was slightly different" is worth attaching any significance to. In How the Paladin Got His Scar and War and XPs alike, it's pretty evident that, in Miko's mind, http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a311/estelindis/hinjo.gif=irritatingly lenient paladin who I outrank; whether the name she stuck on that concept was "Hinjo" or "Cousin Hinjo" made absolutely no difference to the way she acted toward him.

Emanick

2018-05-16, 02:09 PM

My mother is the godmother of a girl whose mother she was friends with when I was a baby. I call her my cousin, and when I was younger I thought of her as a little like family. Now, if someone asked me if she was my relative, I would say “No.” But I still call her my cousin, for some reason.

Maybe there’s a somewhat similar relationship between Miko and Hinjo. I could see that.

D.One

2018-05-16, 03:54 PM

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-17, 05:38 AM

For what I could understand, the whole "cousin x no family" debate is aimed at deducing if there's any blood relation (even if distant) beetween Miko and Shojo (and Hinjo). As far as we've seen until now, there's none (but I may be proved wrong).
This isn't especially about blood ties. I mean, sure, it would be interesting/puzzling if there were some, but the main point is that early-strip Miko shows absolutely no sign of belonging to the royal family or even being particularly highly placed in azurite society outside of her authority in the guard.

Does anyone think that Miko, the ostensible overbearing narcissist who exploits every advantageous technicality, wouldn't be emphasising her ties to the ruling house at every possible opportunity? Because I sure don't.

Bear in mind this is a webcomic where one of the main protagonists was literally brain-damaged by the combination of one parent dying young and the other being overly paranoid. I consider this idea to be complete nonsense (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nurture_Assumption), but you can't just pretend that the details of a character's family environment are incidental to their development in OOTS. This is huge.

hroþila

2018-05-17, 06:22 AM

Bear in mind this is a webcomic where one of the main protagonists was literally brain-damaged by the combination of one parent dying young and the other being overly paranoid.
What? whatwhatwhatwhat

hamishspence

2018-05-17, 06:53 AM

It's an allusion to this:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0303.html

Throknor

2018-05-17, 08:52 AM

Does anyone think that Miko, the ostensible overbearing narcissist who exploits every advantageous technicality, wouldn't be emphasising her ties to the ruling house at every possible opportunity? Because I sure don't.

Your double negative phrases that poorly and presumptuously. It would be more straight-forward to say "I [L.C.] think Miko is an overbearing narcissist who exploits every advantageous technicality and therefore would be emphasising[sic] her ties to the ruling house at every possible opportunity. Doesn't everyone?"

And the obvious answer is "No". In my opinion she feels her mandate of being better than others comes from the Twelve Gods she was born under. Any supposed power from a human-made social system is meaningless in that view, similar to the national borders that she holds beneath her when she tracks down the OotS in the first place.

As for her 'cousin' status with Hinjo: First, once Hinjo joined the Sapphire guard he became a fellow soldier of righteousness - any non-blood relationship no longer mattered once she literally outranked him. Even blood cousins in the armed services don't generally say 'cousin' when on duty and she was always on duty. In the bonus strip she would know that Hinjo was already occupied; so even if she still thought of him as family she could still simply have meant "none of us has family available to eat with" without needing some deeper mental gymnastics.

Lacuna Caster

2018-05-18, 04:31 AM

Any supposed power from a human-made social system is meaningless in that view, similar to the national borders that she holds beneath her when she tracks down the OotS in the first place.
I always find it striking (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?6495-Order-of-the-Stick-November-II&p=292847&viewfull=1#post292847) how many people give Miko flack over this, when it was Shojo who ordered her to go traipsing into other countries in the first place, despite believing that the Order were approximately innocent, and happily violated his own legal system several times over, despite swearing the same oaths. Personality goes a long way, it seems. But that's neither here nor there.

In any case, no, I don't think that Miko considered her power from a human-made social system (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html) to be meaningless (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0251.html). (Note, also, "when I turned 13, Lord Shojo chose me to become one of his Samurai." Not, "when I turned 13, Lord Shojo adopted me into his family/made me his ward/raised me to the peerage.") Shojo is only ever referred to as her lord or master, even when she's basically talking to herself (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0373.html) or not exactly (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0409.html) in full self-control. And Sapphire Guard membership never stopped Hinjo from calling his uncle his uncle.

If you want to argue that the Miko we mostly got is an unstable, overzealous, self-deluded termagant fanatic, go ahead. But that version is clearly not part of Shojo's family.

You know, in a way, I should thank the author. I always felt that Miko's development did her a disservice (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524518-Kickstarter-Discussion-Thread-How-the-Paladin-Got-His-Scar-(SPOILERS!)&p=22034990&viewfull=1#post22034990), but this is like she never even existed as a coherent textual entity. It's... almost a relief, really.

hamishspence

2018-05-18, 06:18 AM

If you want to argue that the Miko we mostly got is an unstable, overzealous, self-deluded termagant fanatic, go ahead. But that version is clearly not part of Shojo's family.

We've already had one redtext saying that this thread is supposed to be about the book that's coming out. I'd very much like to not be slapped down with another.

Maybe move the discussion to the How The Paladin Got His Scar thread itself (possibly asking permission to revive it sine it's nearly a year since last post):

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524518-Kickstarter-Discussion-Thread-How-the-Paladin-Got-His-Scar-(SPOILERS!)

or just create a new "Retcons in OOTS - Miko as Shojo's adopted daughter" thread.

Though it's possible that commentary in the book will shed light on the reasoning behind The Giant's decision to make Miko Shojo's adopted daughter.

The Giant

2018-05-21, 01:31 PM

First, this is not that complicated:

Miko is not legally Shojo's daughter, but he did "adopt" her in the sense of taking her under his wing and mentoring her. As was mentioned in the main comic, she was only 13 at the time, so she would have been living under his roof rather than being on her own. As a result, both Miko and Hinjo were told to think of each other as cousins. As adults, they no longer see each other in that light, because they are not actually cousins and Miko's general behavior in the interim has already brought strain to that relationship. I'm sure they had a big falling out at some point, but that's not what the story was about so I didn't show it. And to be clear, I don't feel like I need to spell this out in the text just so that everyone can feel like all the dots connect.

Second, this is a thread for people to come looking for information about the book they want to buy. Please do not post unmarked spoilers for that book in this thread! I should not have to tell you this.

Third, Lacuna Caster, since this is the second time I've had to warn you about what this thread is for, don't post it in again, for any reason.

ref

2018-05-22, 04:16 PM

At first I read the title as "Book 1 of 2" and I was wondering what would the second book be. Pre-ordered, and I threw in a second copy of Book 2, hopefully with the full Haley-translations, hehe.

So, -1, 0, 1/2, D, and 1-5. I think I'm not missing anything (The coloring book, I know, but I'm not getting it for now). Speaking of this, maybe we are close to Book 6 ending now?

Reboot

2018-05-22, 08:13 PM

Speaking of this, maybe we are close to Book 6 ending now?

Doubt it. For one, too much foreshadowing hasn't come to a head yet (Durkon's mum & "family" haven't shown up in the present, the ex-Exarch was sent off to work on the Council just before the start of this fight, etc). For another, Book 5 ran #673-946 [274 strips] - as of this post (i.e., as of #1122), there are 176 strips from Book 6 on the website. While that doesn't mean there are exactly 98 strips to go, I doubt it would be ~two-thirds the length of the prior book, even if it wasn't quite as long.

Lord Torath

2018-05-29, 11:20 AM

Placed my order over the weekend. I can hardly wait! Thanks, Giant!

unbeliever536

2018-06-01, 08:01 PM

Doubt it. For one, too much foreshadowing hasn't come to a head yet (Durkon's mum & "family" haven't shown up in the present, the ex-Exarch was sent off to work on the Council just before the start of this fight, etc). For another, Book 5 ran #673-946 [274 strips] - as of this post (i.e., as of #1122), there are 176 strips from Book 6 on the website. While that doesn't mean there are exactly 98 strips to go, I doubt it would be ~two-thirds the length of the prior book, even if it wasn't quite as long.

Check the page count (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?338549-OOTS-By-Page-Count) though. We're approaching the (online) length of DSP, the longer of the two previous gateless books, and this book is already longer than NCftPB. And things are starting to come to a head: we've explicitly got Durkon's last memory-viewing, and we're in the middle of a battle that's been built up for a good two thirds of the book. My guess is, story-wise, we're somewhere around the explosion of the pyramid, if you want to make a comparison to BRitF. This is the beginning of what's likely to be a fairly long climax, with some resolution to follow that will feed into the final book. I wouldn't expect any more cutaways to Team Evil or anyone else, at least.

We also know that BRitF ran so long that the Giant would have preferred to split it into two books, so I doubt its length is anything to go by. At a guess, this book will probably be over around strip 1150-1160; certainly by the 1200s.

King of Nowhere

2018-06-02, 10:24 AM

M.A.D

2018-06-08, 12:32 AM

I would like to buy the book; at the same time, transoceanic shipping is a killing, and I already read most of the content by being a kickstarter backer. Since the next oots compilation can't take too long to be ready, I wanted to wait until then, and order both books at once, saving a bit on shipping.

My question is: do I have a guarantee that by the time I actually order the book, it will still be available in store?

EDIT: Or rather, I know I don't have a 100% guarantee, but how much can I count on it?

You can probably count on the PDF to be always available.

For the hardcopy, the current book is barely two-thirds ready. Adding the lag time between the publishing of this book's final online strip and the time when its first paperback is on sale, I think you're looking at a minimum of 6 months before you can put both in the same order. I can't tell if this book would stay on shelf at Ookoodook that long, but after 6 months you do have a >0% chance of finding it from a secondary or even tertiary distributor. There would be offers on Amazon, at the very least. Of course if the book is scarce at that time, secondary distributors can increase the price at their own distinction, regardless of the shipping cost.

Reboot

2018-06-09, 11:46 AM

For the hardcopy, the current book is barely two-thirds ready. Adding the lag time between the publishing of this book's final online strip and the time when its first paperback is on sale, I think you're looking at a minimum of 6 months before you can put both in the same order.

Oh, more than that. #945 (last strip of Book 5) went up 19 Feb 2014. BRITF was announced 20 Oct 2014. That's eight months *after the book was finished online*. Then you have to allow the fact that there's still more to go in Book 6...

If Book 6 is up for order before the start of 2020, I'll be shocked.

King of Nowhere

2018-06-11, 11:06 AM

You can probably count on the PDF to be always available.

For the hardcopy, the current book is barely two-thirds ready.

How do you say? is there a specific statement from rich about it? If not, then I would not trust mathematical extrapolations based on the lenght of previous books, simply because they are too erratic. the present arc seems like a climatic encounter to me, one that coulld end the book in a dozen strips or two. If I see that is not the case, then I can still order good deeds gone unpunished

Reboot

2018-06-11, 11:10 AM

How do you say? is there a specific statement from rich about it? If not, then I would not trust mathematical extrapolations based on the lenght of previous books, simply because they are too erratic. the present arc seems like a climatic encounter to me, one that coulld end the book in a dozen strips or two.

It can't be, for one very simple reason: the Ex-Exarch was sent away to prepare the following encounter (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1111.html). If this was the climax, that wouldn't have happened.

(Also, we've yet to see Durkon's mum/etc in the present day after all the flashback setup, etc, etc...)

brionl

2018-06-22, 01:21 PM

Q: Why are you using Gumroad instead of (insert name of other company)?
A: Because they charge the lowest commission, which means I could lower the price more. Plus, most other companies that offer a watermark service add it to every single page, which seemed like overkill to me. One page is enough.

Well, I have to say, Gumroad's storefront is pretty awful. Half the stuff I buy never shows up on my Gumroad App, or the library. I accidently bought two copies of AMFES: Winter because it doesn't show which files you've already bought. Even though I bought two copies, neither one of the shows up in the App or my library. I just have to keep track of downloaded files.

(about bundle deals)
Basically, I would need to have unified fulfillment in order to pull this off without a lot of people taking unfair advantage of it, and I don't.

Like, say, DriveThruRPG? I've used them forever (in Internet time). They do print-on-demand and PDF bundles all the time. I also never have any of the PDF problems either.

Mathguy

2018-06-22, 02:57 PM

Can I get all 9 printed books together for less than the a la carte price of $231.55?

Look, it's a book!

http://www.giantitp.com/Images/products/OOTS50_7in72dpi_RGBds.png (https://ookoodook.com/products/order-of-the-stick-book-good-deeds-gone-unpunished)

The Order of the Stick: Good Deeds Gone Unpunished is the latest book (ninth overall!) in the Order of the Stick saga, featuring tales of Azure City and beyond. Join your favorite Azurite heroes—and some all-new faces—through hilarious action and thrilling edge-of-your-seat comedy presented in patented greyscale "PrequelVision." Five tales tell the story of Azure City before, during, and after its conquest by hobgoblins (whoops, spoiler!) through the eyes of its residents, paladin and commoner alike:

factotum

2018-06-23, 01:46 AM

Can I get all 9 printed books together for less than the a la carte price of $231.55?

Can't speak for the Giant, but I doubt it--his costs don't change just because you bought all the books together.

Armitage

2018-06-24, 12:37 PM

Well, I have to say, Gumroad's storefront is pretty awful. Half the stuff I buy never shows up on my Gumroad App, or the library. I accidently bought two copies of AMFES: Winter because it doesn't show which files you've already bought. Even though I bought two copies, neither one of the shows up in the App or my library. I just have to keep track of downloaded files.
Are you logged in when buying something on Gumroad? If not, are you always using the same email address?

I've bought a bunch of stuff on Gumroad and everything I've bought using the same email address appears in my library just fine.

Mathguy

2018-06-27, 06:31 PM

Can't speak for the Giant, but I doubt it--his costs don't change just because you bought all the books together.

Well, the postage certainly goes down if you bundle books together, but there is also the incentive factor. If a deal offering 9 books together for X% off will induce people who take the deal to buy Y% more books, that at full price have a Z% profit margin, than they otherwise would have, whether the math works if it is offered depends on financial and marketing details I'm not privy to, but it's worth a shot.

snowblizz

2018-06-28, 02:53 AM

Well, the postage certainly goes down if you bundle books together,

Actually the postage may even go up. 4 books can be more than 3 times expensive as 2 books and such. Books are heavy and quickly hit shipment thresholds for weight and size. You could get 1-3 in a letter category (book 5 alone probably pushes it), but the whole set of nine might require a fairly expensive box. All depending on where you are.

Sadly many postal services are recouping costs incurred by packages delivered from elsewhere with high prices on outgoing mail. Any place with a lot of incoming vs outgoing is gonna be shafted by the international postalsystem.

The price you see listed is ofc on the books themselves which does not include shipping.

The Giant

2018-07-13, 09:24 AM

For those of you who are waiting for the book, I just did a mini-update as part of the latest News Post (http://www.giantitp.com/index.html#JyOHVwfCxpK1dB0LuwI).

2D8HP

2018-07-13, 10:01 AM

For those of you who are waiting for the book, I just did a mini-update as part of the latest News Post (http://www.giantitp.com/index.html#JyOHVwfCxpK1dB0LuwI).

Still due to arrive at FLGS' (assuming that they do the right thing) near September?

Lord Torath

2018-07-13, 10:40 AM

For those of you who are waiting for the book, I just did a mini-update as part of the latest News Post (http://www.giantitp.com/index.html#JyOHVwfCxpK1dB0LuwI).Woo hoo! Thanks for the update, Rich!

Peelee

2018-07-13, 10:54 AM

Still due to arrive at FLGS' (assuming that they do the right thing) near September?

Sounds like!

The Giant

2018-07-14, 08:58 AM

Still due to arrive at FLGS' (assuming that they do the right thing) near September?

Oh, definitely. The books are scheduled to be done printing at the end of July, so there's plenty of time for them to get through the distribution chain by then.

The GenCon situation is a little tight because it's the first weekend in August and there are all sorts of deadlines for when the truck going to Indianapolis from the warehouse is leaving, but arriving on time through the other channels is essentially certain at this point.

The Steve

2018-07-15, 09:15 PM

That is literally what it means: you go to GenCon and pick it up in person from the Ookoodook booth. It's "shipping" because it's a limited website and the option has to be put in there in a way that the system understands.

Since I will be at GenCon, I asked ookoodook "I was wondering if I could order multiple other books from you and pick them all up, or just the one?" and the answer was YES.

You can order all the books and pick them all up at gencon.

Thank you for your business!
Tina B.
Shipping Manager
ookoodook.com/Ape Games

Sorry, I guess this is more of an answer than a question...

The Steve

Mathguy

2018-07-23, 10:46 AM

Oh, definitely. The books are scheduled to be done printing at the end of July, so there's plenty of time for them to get through the distribution chain by then.

The GenCon situation is a little tight because it's the first weekend in August and there are all sorts of deadlines for when the truck going to Indianapolis from the warehouse is leaving, but arriving on time through the other channels is essentially certain at this point.

You didn't answer my question about getting a discount because I plan to order ALL the books (all 9), so I assume this is not available. However, although I cannot be in Indianapolis, I work in Philly, which is where you are, so if you have some personally in stock maybe I can save on postage if I come to pick them up?

The Giant

2018-07-23, 12:25 PM

You didn't answer my question about getting a discount because I plan to order ALL the books (all 9), so I assume this is not available. However, although I cannot be in Indianapolis, I work in Philly, which is where you are, so if you have some personally in stock maybe I can save on postage if I come to pick them up?

There is no discount for ordering all 9 books, and no, you cannot pick them up from me personally.

Mathguy

2018-07-23, 01:53 PM

There is no discount for ordering all 9 books, and no, you cannot pick them up from me personally.

OK, I'll just go to the site and order the regular way then, after the end of the month. Thanks!

Ted The Bug

2018-07-23, 07:25 PM

OK, I'll just go to the site and order the regular way then, after the end of the month. Thanks!

You won't regret it - there's so much extra content!

2D8HP

2018-07-24, 07:43 AM

You won't regret it - there's so much extra content!

I read the print books first, but even if I didn't I'd say the extra content is totally worth it as well.

The Giant

2018-07-24, 09:06 AM

Update: The books shipped from the printer last night, as scheduled. That means that they are 100% on time, and we won't even need to do any fancy tricks to get them to GenCon. They'll just be there.

We'll probably be cutting off GenCon pre-orders in the next day or two, so the people working the Ookoodook booth know how many copies to set aside for pre-order pick-up.

Mathguy

2018-07-24, 10:33 PM

Rogar Demonblud

2018-07-24, 11:11 PM

Enjoy your rapidly approaching reading binge!

Ted The Bug

2018-07-30, 03:50 PM

Has anybody gotten shipping news? I'm on the edge of my seat!

The Giant

2018-07-30, 05:48 PM

Pre-order shipping started today, so people should be getting notices very soon. Tonight or tomorrow, I would imagine, especially since I think the team wants to get them all out the door before they leave for GenCon.

Xianthe

2018-07-30, 06:48 PM

Is there a chance that the release date for the PDF will get moved up a couple of days, with physical book shipping getting underway already, or are we still expecting a mid-August release there?

Jasdoif

2018-07-30, 10:39 PM

I got my shipping notice from Ookoodook about...eight hours ago.

Peelee

2018-07-30, 10:51 PM

Have yet to get mine, but I have no problem waiting for the hard copy to come in the mail while reading the PDF version.

Joerg

2018-07-31, 10:56 AM

I've also got the shipping notice. Of course, it will take some time to reach Germany and then I'll probably have to get it from the customs office, so the PDF may still be faster.

Peelee

2018-07-31, 12:32 PM

Oh hey look a shipping notice.

....squee.

Emanick

2018-07-31, 12:40 PM

Got my shipping notice in the wee hours of the morning!

I didn't see a time estimate in the email, though. Do any fellow Americans have any idea how long these books take to arrive? I've ordered books before, but it's been years since I did so, so... no idea how long I should expect to wait.

(Rich, if you read this, don't take this as a request for more information from you - you have enough on your plate already! I'm just asking fellow fans.)

Peelee

2018-07-31, 12:49 PM

Got my shipping notice in the wee hours of the morning!

I didn't see a time estimate in the email, though. Do any fellow Americans have any idea how long these books take to arrive? I've ordered books before, but it's been years since I did so, so... no idea how long I should expect to wait.

Not offhand, but USPS has always been ridiculously fast for me. The keep in mind, the shipping labels have been generated, but nothing's gone out yet, so don't expect anything until they actually make the USPS drop. Once that hits, though, I'd expect a few days.

Jaxzan Proditor

2018-07-31, 03:41 PM

Haven’t gotten anything yet, but my fingers are crossed I’ll get my notice soon! Hopefully it gets sent to the right galaxy.

nabcif

2018-07-31, 05:21 PM

Haven’t gotten anything yet, but my fingers are crossed I’ll get my notice soon! Hopefully it gets sent to the right galaxy.

Got mine mere minutes ago. :-)

The Aboleth

2018-08-01, 11:17 AM

Got mine mere minutes ago. :-)

Still have not received a shipping notification (even checked my Spam folder). Is this unusual, or are others also waiting on theirs?

Peelee

2018-08-01, 11:22 AM

Still have not received a shipping notification (even checked my Spam folder). Is this unusual, or are others also waiting on theirs?

I assume it's based on when you ordered and how far down you are in the queue, but I could be wrong about that.

The Aboleth

2018-08-01, 11:24 AM

I assume it's based on when you ordered and how far down you are in the queue, but I could be wrong about that.

I figured as much, too. Just being unnecessarily paranoid, I suppose.

Yanisa

2018-08-01, 11:25 AM

I assume it's based on when you ordered and how far down you are in the queue, but I could be wrong about that.

I am also waiting, but I am international so I'm not worried yet.

I did order within 2 hours after the Giant put up this thread, so the when doesn't matter probably. :smalltongue:

Lord Torath

2018-08-01, 11:31 AM

Woo Hoo! According to the USPS, I should get my book tomorrow! :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

The Aboleth

2018-08-01, 11:32 AM

I am also waiting, but I am international so I'm not worried yet.

I did order within 2 hours after the Giant put up this thread, so the when doesn't matter probably. :smalltongue:

The other thing is that I sometimes forget Ookoodook isn't some massive operation like Amazon; they're a comparatively small company who are probably dealing with a massive amount of orders.

I just wanted to be sure I shouldn't be worried yet. Seeing a lot of people respond that they had their notices just made me skittish that my order somehow got lost. I'll wait a week or so before I really start to worry.

Peelee

2018-08-01, 11:41 AM

Woo Hoo! According to the USPS, I should get my book tomorrow! :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:
Well hot damn, just checked and same!

The other thing is that I sometimes forget Ookoodook isn't some massive operation like Amazon; they're a comparatively small company who are probably dealing with a massive amount of orders.

I just wanted to be sure I shouldn't be worried yet. Seeing a lot of people respond that they had their notices just made me skittish that my order somehow got lost. I'll wait a week or so before I really start to worry.

And now I feel kinda bad. I wouldn't worry if I were you (though that's easy for me to say). Another day or two and you'll probably get it. Or, best case scenario, they forgot or mistyped or something and your book is already on the way and comes in tomorrow.

The Giant

2018-08-01, 12:20 PM

Shipping is still ongoing, so don't worry yet if you haven't gotten a notice.

I'm not sure what order they're doing them in, but in the past they have filled all the "solo" orders—just the book—before more complex orders with other products added in. That lets them get the most orders out the door on Day 1 and then take the time to make sure they don't mess up on Days 2+.

Ariko

2018-08-01, 12:26 PM

Still waiting on my solo order, but I know they have my correct info, so not too worried.

Ruck

2018-08-01, 12:55 PM

My shipping notification came in about 10 AM (central) today.

factotum

2018-08-01, 03:53 PM

Has anyone outside the US got a shipping notification yet?

The Aboleth

2018-08-01, 04:37 PM

Well hot damn, just checked and same!

And now I feel kinda bad. I wouldn't worry if I were you (though that's easy for me to say). Another day or two and you'll probably get it. Or, best case scenario, they forgot or mistyped or something and your book is already on the way and comes in tomorrow.

Oh, please don't feel bad on my account! I was just worrying unnecessarily. :-)

Ariko

2018-08-01, 05:10 PM

Got my notification email now :smallbiggrin:

SaintRidley

2018-08-01, 05:29 PM

Tracking says I can expect to read it this weekend.

Emanick

2018-08-01, 05:52 PM

Expected Delivery by THURSDAY 2 AUGUST 2018 by 8:00pm

Woohoo! I'll be away Friday through Monday, so if the estimate is right, this is almost too good to be true!

I live in the US Northeast, so this means that it's not just Southerners like Peelee who might be getting their books tomorrow.

Peelee

2018-08-01, 06:28 PM

Woohoo! I'll be away Friday through Monday, so if the estimate is right, this is almost too good to be true!

I live in the US Northeast, so this means that it's not just Southerners like Peelee who might be getting their books tomorrow.

We just started putting hardwood floor in the living room. Ourselves. After work. I find the idea of reading it tomorrow mighty amusing, despite how much of like it to be true.

Also, there some places in the the US Northeast I'd certainly like to live. If only it weren't so cold...

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-01, 07:28 PM

OK, what kind of creature is the teleporting armadillo? It seems to have some kind of gem in its forehead, if that helps give anyone a clue.

Grey Wolf

georgie_leech

2018-08-01, 07:45 PM

OK, what kind of creature is the teleporting armadillo? It seems to have some kind of gem in its forehead, if that helps give anyone a clue.

Grey Wolf

Haven't read anything yet, but when I hear "magical creature with gemstone in forehead," I think Carbuncle. (https://www.google.ca/search?q=carbuncle+creature&client=ms-android-samsung&source=android-browser&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje9oalkc3cAhWiCDQIHQ2KC1AQ_AUICSgB&biw=732&bih=284&dpr=2.63) Side note, apparently carbuncle is also a word for a cluster of boils.
Remember kids, never google image search blindly, no matter how sure you are of vocabulary.

The Giant

2018-08-01, 08:26 PM

Hey guys, if you got your book, please do NOT spoil the stories in it on this thread! People will be checking this thread to see if other people got their shipping notices and stuff, and I'm sure they would rather not learn about the contents of the book that way.

I will start a discussion thread for the book, and you can talk about it in there.

Edit: Posted here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?565459-Good-Deeds-Gone-Unpunished-The-Discussion-Thread-(Unmarked-Spoilers!)).

Stabbey

2018-08-01, 09:02 PM

Has anyone outside the US got a shipping notification yet?

Canada here. Got a notification two days ago. It was an order with multiple books (a couple of gifts for my sister-in-law).

Lissou

2018-08-02, 12:04 AM

If anyone else is worried, just letting you know I pre-ordered right away, ordered nothing else and live in the US and haven't received a confirmation yet. So don't worry about it. I'm sure they got tons of orders.

In the past I've received orders days before getting the confirmation email, so I wouldn't worry about not getting one :)

infinityman

2018-08-02, 09:19 AM

I got a shipping confirmation on Tuesday night, but the tracking still says "pre-shipment"... the suspense!

Peelee

2018-08-02, 09:33 AM

Figured it was better suited to this thread: the pull tab to open the package was completely taped over. Not a huge thing, but a mild annoyance.

Darth Paul

2018-08-02, 10:04 AM

My shipping notice was waiting for me when I got home from work last night... :smallsmile:

Emanick

2018-08-02, 07:24 PM

Figured it was better suited to this thread: the pull tab to open the package was completely taped over. Not a huge thing, but a mild annoyance.

Mine worked just fine. (It arrived today, as promised.) I've never seen a pull tab on one of these packages before; either this is a new invention, I'm an idiot, or I need to start buying books online more often.

Peelee

2018-08-02, 08:01 PM

Mine worked just fine. (It arrived today, as promised.) I've never seen a pull tab on one of these packages before; either this is a new invention, I'm an idiot, or I need to start buying books online more often.

The third one. Never had it be taped over before, though. Defeated the purpose of the easy open.

But like I said, mild annoyance at worst. Not like I don't got scissors.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-02, 11:18 PM

Only time I've heard of that happening if with packages from Noble Knight.

But let's face, NK tries to hermetically seal things so the post office doesn't destroy them.

ChaoSera

2018-08-03, 12:38 AM

Checking in from Germany - Package went into shipping on Tuesday and according to tracking is currently in Chicago. Can't wait for it to make its way across the pond! So excited to read all the stories.

ackmondual

2018-08-03, 02:29 AM

Q: Is all of this material new?
A: That depends. If you didn't support the Kickstarter in 2012, then all of the material in this book is new to you; it's never been available to buy before. If you did support the Kickstarter, then the stories about Lien, Mr. Scruffy, and Kazumi and Daigo are entirely new, while the stories about O-Chul and Therkla are ones you received as PDFs when they were initially completed.

I did back that kickstarter. I downloaded Belkar's "origin story", and Haleo & Juliett PDFs. I believe I must've missed instructions on downloading O-Chul and Threkla storylines. Who may I contact about this?

Armitage

2018-08-03, 06:09 AM

I did back that kickstarter. I downloaded Belkar's "origin story", and Haleo & Juliett PDFs. I believe I must've missed instructions on downloading O-Chul and Threkla storylines. Who may I contact about this?
Just go to Kickstarter and read the approriate updates:
Kickstarter Update #77: Download for "How the Paladin Got His Scar"
Kickstarter Update #69: Download for "Spoiler Alert"

factotum

2018-08-03, 06:14 AM

I did back that kickstarter. I downloaded Belkar's "origin story", and Haleo & Juliett PDFs. I believe I must've missed instructions on downloading O-Chul and Threkla storylines. Who may I contact about this?

You should have received those instructions via Kickstarter update e-mails--if you're not receiving those anymore then I think it's Kickstarter you need to speak to. For reference, the updates in question are:

How the Paladin Got His Scar (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/599092525/the-order-of-the-stick-reprint-drive/posts/1886292)
Therkla in "Spoiler Alert" (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/599092525/the-order-of-the-stick-reprint-drive/posts/1141270)

Jasdoif

2018-08-03, 06:31 PM

Figured it was better suited to this thread: the pull tab to open the package was completely taped over. Not a huge thing, but a mild annoyance.Mine arrived today, same situation...though it doesn't sound like your package was torn open on one side except for where the tape was, unlike mine. (The interior was fine, so whatever.)

Peelee

2018-08-03, 08:28 PM

Mine arrived today, same situation...though it doesn't sound like your package was torn open on one side except for where the tape was, unlike mine. (The interior was fine, so whatever.)

Oh my. No, mine was perfect except for the offending tape. Glad your payload was intact, though.

Lissou

2018-08-03, 11:41 PM

Please don't talk about the content of the book in this thread, even if you think it's a detail. Thanks!

BriarHobbit

2018-08-03, 11:45 PM

Waiting for the word (aka notification).

Bhaalspawn

2018-08-04, 07:57 AM

I am supposed to pick up the book at gencon, but Ookadook, Giant in the Playgrounds, or Order of the Stick don't show up anywhere on the map or schedule for being tabels in the exhibit hall and I didn't see it on my wander through. What table number is it/where is it located?

Yanisa

2018-08-04, 08:03 AM

Bhaalspawn

2018-08-04, 08:13 AM

Rich Tweeted:

I hope that helps.

Thanks! I don't have him followed on Twitter and didn't see any email or anything that stated that.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-04, 04:11 PM

His Twitter feed is in one of the panes to the left of the screen.

<=========

A thing to check for all sorts of announcements!

KorvinStarmast

2018-08-05, 08:23 PM

A thing to check for all sorts of announcements!Ook has yet to notify, I guess one must be patient. All things in their own time.

Peelee

2018-08-05, 08:48 PM

Ook has yet to notify, I guess one must be patient. All things in their own time.

Aren't they based in Texas? That's rough.

factotum

2018-08-06, 02:25 AM

No notification over here either--how long should we wait before querying things?

Throknor

2018-08-06, 09:22 AM

No notification over here either--how long should we wait before querying things?

At least another week, or until they say "We've shipped all pre-orders!". They have enough staff in packing/shipping to handle their normal throughput of product. The few times they have a major pre-order release I'm sure they press more people into it but there is a point where more people only increases the confusion and chance of mistakes, and the others have other things to do anyway. They can get x shipments out per day regardless of what they are so they will get to us when they get to us.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-06, 11:49 AM

If they sent enough people to GenCon, there would naturally be a lull in getting things shipped out.

GooeyChewie

2018-08-06, 01:06 PM

Picked mine up at GenCon. Read it all that night. I enjoyed all the stories and particularly enjoyed the intro by a most unexpected character.

factotum

2018-08-06, 02:57 PM

If they sent enough people to GenCon, there would naturally be a lull in getting things shipped out.

The Giant said: "I think the team wants to get them all out the door before they leave for GenCon". This is why I'm a bit concerned--it would be nice to know they definitely failed to achieve that goal and thus some people will have to wait a bit longer.

Smolder

2018-08-06, 03:23 PM

Got my copy in the mail today.

For a moment, I thought it was called "Good Deeds Gone Unpublished"

Throknor

2018-08-06, 03:39 PM

The Giant said: "I think the team wants to get them all out the door before they leave for GenCon". This is why I'm a bit concerned--it would be nice to know they definitely failed to achieve that goal and thus some people will have to wait a bit longer.

I would think that the fact some people haven't received theirs makes it self evident they didn't meet the goal. Heck; they're using USPS. Even once they manage to package a bunch doesn't mean their door-to-door carrier is prepared pick them all up.

I'm giving them until the release date until I even think about this again. If it shows up before then all the better.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-06, 04:12 PM

They also were working on getting the solo orders out the door first, then doing the boxes with multiple items. So if factotum ordered GDGU and, say, SS&DT, well, there's a delay there as well.

Velaryon

2018-08-06, 06:21 PM

Got mine in the mail today at work (I use my work address for a lot of things because my apartment has tiny mailboxes and I don't want packages sitting outside my door where they can easily be stolen). I eagerly read through as much of it as I could on my lunch break and will undoubtedly cover-to-cover it at least one more time tonight.

factotum

2018-08-06, 09:18 PM

They also were working on getting the solo orders out the door first, then doing the boxes with multiple items. So if factotum ordered GDGU and, say, SS&DT, well, there's a delay there as well.

I didn't--I already own all the other books, so this was just a single order.

hroþila

2018-08-07, 05:34 AM

Folks, it's not so much about giving them time or whatever - I don't think anyone is actually complaining. It's about being paranoid about something going wrong :smalltongue:

I didn't--I already own all the other books, so this was just a single order.
If it helps, I haven't got my notification yet either.

The Giant

2018-08-07, 09:21 AM

Until you see me (or APE Gamer) saying, "All the pre-orders have shipped," assume that all the pre-orders have not shipped.

Jaxzan Proditor

2018-08-07, 04:43 PM

I got my order confirmation earlier this morning! This book is definitely going to be the highlight of my week.

The Giant

2018-08-07, 08:31 PM

Just talked to Kevin at Oookoodook. He told me that they had to freeze shipping from Wednesday to Monday due to GenCon. But everything is back to full capacity, so the remaining pre-orders should be going out very soon.

I will still make an announcement when they are all shipped.

Lissou

2018-08-07, 11:42 PM

Thanks for the update, Giant! I got a confirmation email too.

KorvinStarmast

2018-08-08, 11:37 AM

Aren't they based in Texas? That's rough. Indeed, but I got an email today so it's on the way. yay. :smallsmile: *dances a happy dance*

Just talked to Kevin at Oookoodook. He told me that they had to freeze shipping from Wednesday to Monday due to GenCon. But everything is back to full capacity, so the remaining pre-orders should be going out very soon. And I got my notice Tuesday, so it fits like a glove. Thanks for the info. (And the stories...)

The Aboleth

2018-08-09, 09:54 AM

And I got my notice Tuesday, so it fits like a glove. Thanks for the info. (And the stories...)

I also got my shipping notice on Tuesday! I had only pre-ordered the one book. Can't wait for it to get here!

Jaxzan Proditor

2018-08-10, 03:49 PM

My book arrived! Finally, I’ll soon be able to take a look at that juicy unmarked spoiler thread.

KorvinStarmast

2018-08-10, 07:55 PM

But everything is back to full capacity, so the remaining pre-orders should be going out very soon.
Arrived today. I sat down with a cuppa coffee and enjoyed it.
*applause*

Lissou

2018-08-10, 08:22 PM

Mine arrived too, and I love it so far. Heading to the other thread as soon as I finish it!

Toper

2018-08-10, 10:36 PM

My book arrived! Everything is great. I greatly enjoyed spending time with the Katos together (even though their actual plot is a bit thin), and Mr. Scruffy’s adventure and Lien’s origin story are both really sweet with great art, and rereading Therkla’s and O’Chul’s stories was a pleasure.

Only one serious quibble. It is pretty serious though.
Does Rich maybe not know the word “bight”? Because calling it ClawClaw Bay feels like he was telling a joke but forgot the punchline!

Anyway, thank you, Giant, for many awesome stories.

Emanick

2018-08-10, 11:35 PM

Sarcasticles

2018-08-11, 12:34 PM

Got my book today. Looks lovely, as always. I think the O-Chul story is my favorite of the prequel stories, ever. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing, though, so take my word with a grain of salt.

ref

2018-08-12, 10:25 AM

Got it! Very nice stories, both the three new and the two I already knew from KS.

ackmondual

2018-08-13, 10:53 PM

You should have received those instructions via Kickstarter update e-mails--if you're not receiving those anymore then I think it's Kickstarter you need to speak to. For reference, the updates in question are:

How the Paladin Got His Scar (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/599092525/the-order-of-the-stick-reprint-drive/posts/1886292)
Therkla in "Spoiler Alert" (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/599092525/the-order-of-the-stick-reprint-drive/posts/1141270)

Those links worked. Thanks!

factotum

2018-08-14, 02:19 AM

No problem! Oh, and I got my delivery notification yesterday, so now I just have to wait for the book to make it across the Atlantic.

Alish

2018-08-14, 05:44 AM

Armitage

2018-08-14, 06:56 AM

To those that pre-ordered at gumroad: did you guys get an e-mail after preordering? I pre-ordered today (yes, I know it’s just 30h before the release) did not get any e-mail and am now afraid I made a typo when putting in my e-mail.
I pre-ordered in May and got a confirmation. (And thanks for the reminder that I should be able to download the PDF tomorrow... still waiting for the print book to make its way across the Atlantic.)

Alish

2018-08-14, 07:16 AM

I pre-ordered in May and got a confirmation.

Welp. Time to e-mail gumroad, I guess...

Cinnibar

2018-08-14, 01:25 PM

Forgot about this until Gen Con. Saw one of the last copies sitting on a table and scarfed it up immediately.

Thank you!

Unbodied

2018-08-15, 11:17 AM

So how long until the Gumroad books are available? I live in a different time zone and I'm not sure which zone I should be looking at.

Armitage

2018-08-15, 11:28 AM

So how long until the Gumroad books are available? I live in a different time zone and I'm not sure which zone I should be looking at.
I just got the notification from Gumroad a few minutes ago.

Unbodied

2018-08-15, 11:36 AM

I'm not getting any notifications, on email or on Gumroad. I tried resending the receipt and when I looked at Gumroad again Good Deeds was suddenly no longer in my library. :smallfurious::smallfrown:

Peelee

2018-08-15, 11:41 AM

I got the charge confirmation email at 11:08 CST, just downloaded it now.

Kurald Galain

2018-08-15, 11:56 AM

I just received two confirmation e-mails (on the same address) and two download links to the book, and apparently I was also charged twice. I'm pretty sure that's not supposed to happen? Does anyone else have this issue?

Peelee

2018-08-15, 12:00 PM

dmc91356

2018-08-15, 12:25 PM

Just bought and downloaded it from Gumroad. Hopping a flight to Europe tomorrow, so I am saving this delicious treat to brighten that otherwise dismal time waste.

I did look at the page before the preface and loved this bit (I believe I can quote it here do to it having nothing whatsoever to do with the actual book:

This book would have been printed on recycled
paper if it had been printed at all, but since it’s
a digital copy, it isn’t. I guess the electrons are
recycled, technically.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-15, 12:50 PM

He uses the same blurb on all the PDFs, replacing the jokes about recycled paper. I think the blurb in this book has something to do with shambling mounds.

Yes, Rich can make even a form statement about the paper content a funny joke.

Unbodied

2018-08-15, 01:15 PM

Well Gumroad tech support got back to me pretty fast all things considered and they fixed the issue pretty quickly. Its still not part of my Library for some reason but they provided me a direct link to it so I'm pretty satisfied. :smallsmile:

DeliaP

2018-08-15, 02:10 PM

I'm not getting any notifications, on email or on Gumroad. I tried resending the receipt and when I looked at Gumroad again Good Deeds was suddenly no longer in my library. :smallfurious::smallfrown:

Well Gumroad tech support got back to me pretty fast all things considered and they fixed the issue pretty quickly. Its still not part of my Library for some reason but they provided me a direct link to it so I'm pretty satisfied. :smallsmile:

Hmm... Same thing has happened to me... How did you contact Gumroad?!

Peelee

2018-08-15, 02:15 PM

Hmm... Same thing has happened to me... How did you contact Gumroad?!
Wheee!
Try this (https://help.gumroad.com).

DeliaP

2018-08-16, 06:06 AM

Ughhh! Turned out to be a problem with spam filters, after all that. (stoopid spam filters). App and pdf now fine, but thanks for the replies!

...... and now I have the story to give to players who want tips on how to play a paladin!

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-16, 11:43 AM

O-Chul is always a good example of how to play a paladin.

littlebum2002

2018-08-16, 11:52 AM

I didn't have it either, the link was in my Spam folder.

I don't understand why there is a button marked "add to library" instead of having that done automatically.

Peelee

2018-08-16, 12:03 PM

Here is the response I got from Ookoodook regarding address changes:

You would place an order now. There is an email that goes out for address changes once we get closer to shipping the packages out. You can contact [email protected] when your address changes so I can follow up with this as well.

For what it's worth, this isn't always the case (i also didn't need it, but if address change comes up surprisingly for anyone, that could be an issue). I got a confirmation email from Ookoodook and email receipt from paypal on April 30, a pre-order advertisement from Oookoodook on May 26, and then shipping confirmation email (with tracking number) on July 31. No address change email.

The Giant

2018-08-16, 04:25 PM

Just stopping in to say that if you didn't pre-order the PDF, it's now available for sale and immediate download.

Also, while I haven't spoken to the Ookoodook people, I have to think they're done with the pre-order shipping by now, so if you want to order the book and get it right away, you can do that, too.

And it's well on it's way to game store shelves as well.

So basically, the book is out, is what I'm saying. Hope everyone enjoys it. :smallsmile:

fan4battle

2018-08-17, 11:42 AM

I'm a Kickstarter backer, so I've previously read and enjoyed O'Chul and Therkla's stories, but I had to get the book because I can't get enough of your work, Rich! Unfortunately I can't afford physical books (limited home space and expensive shipping), but on the other hand, with Gumroad I can support you and read the book right away! I hope you don't mind me pointing a typo - page 59 panel 8, balloon 2 - I think it should be 'than', not 'then'. That story (Lien's) I liked the most from the new ones, and that big panel on page 62 is beautiful!

Ruck

2018-08-17, 12:41 PM

brionl

2018-08-17, 01:24 PM

Look, it's a book!

How the Paladin Got His Scar: When a series of mysterious raids bring the Azurites and the neighboring hobgoblins to the brink of war, Captain O-Chul of the Azure City Army must lead an unlikely band of misfits in a desperate mission to avoid a bloody retribution.

I just noticed this, but shouldn't it be "unlikely band of ragtag misfits"?

Oh, and I just got my PDF from GumRoad. But I bought it today, not a preorder.

Peelee

2018-08-17, 01:25 PM

I just noticed this, but shouldn't it be "unlikely band of ragtag misfits"?

If they were ragtag, sure. Maybe they're just misfits.

Smolder

2018-08-17, 03:36 PM

I just received a second copy from Ookoodook. I'm fairly sure I only ordered one copy.

The Giant

2018-08-17, 03:43 PM

Hmm, so I did pre-order the PDF, but in my Gumroad library it's still showing up as a pre-order and my card hasn't been charged, even though the email receipt said it would be released on the 15th. I'm trying to find somewhere on the website I can contact someone about this.

Some of the pre-orders failed to successfully charge the card for various reasons (charge declined, or they accidentally put in the wrong number, or whatever), so that's probably what happened. Try contacting [email protected].

I just received a second copy from Ookoodook. I'm fairly sure I only ordered one copy.

Give it to a friend! Especially one who doesn't read OOTS usually. :smallwink:

If there's a rash of people getting multiple copies, I'll have a talk with Ookoodook, but it's probably just something like they forgot to clear your order from their system after they mailed it the first time.

Linneris

2018-08-17, 03:52 PM

Just read it.

It's beautiful, Giant. The art is great, the writing is top notch, and the O-Chul story may well be the most thought-provoking part of OOTS lore to date. Moral conundrums similar to those faced here are very relevant to the real world, and unfortunately, it is all too common to see them dealt in less than satisfactory ways seen in this story.

And this coming right after the release of a fantasy game with an "us or them" divide that expects you to hate and wage war on "them" simply for not being "us" is just what I needed to soothe the dirty feeling from playing that one.

Smolder

2018-08-17, 03:56 PM

Give it to a friend! Especially one who doesn't read OOTS usually. :smallwink:

Done and done!

Kurald Galain

2018-08-17, 04:03 PM

I just received a second copy from Ookoodook. I'm fairly sure I only ordered one copy.

Did they charge you twice, too?

Kish

2018-08-17, 04:30 PM

And this coming right after the release of a fantasy game with an "us or them" divide that expects you to hate and wage war on "them" simply for not being "us"
Dare I ask?

valuedmember

2018-08-17, 05:54 PM

Absolutely fantastic book. All the stories were great, though O-Chul's stood out for length and characterization of this not-so-side character. What really impressed me was the art in some panels, in particular:

Mr. Scruffy's dream, Sangwaan's death, Lien standing on the ocean floor smiling, O-Chul's last panel with the solar system.

Even after reading OOTS for years it's incredible how much emotion The Giant can put into a stick figure drawing. :smallsmile:

Lissou

2018-08-17, 06:44 PM

Dare I ask?

I'm assuming they mean the latest expansion of WoW. It's a very "Horde vs Alliance" game (despite the fact you constantly end up fighting something else because it wouldn't be much fun for half the players to be on the losing side consistently).

Seward

2018-08-17, 08:22 PM

To those that pre-ordered at gumroad: did you guys get an e-mail after preordering? I pre-ordered today (yes, I know it’s just 30h before the release) did not get any e-mail and am now afraid I made a typo when putting in my e-mail.

My notification got eaten by my spamtrap. Check your spam folder.

I think my favorite story was the Lien origin. That was just lovely. Especially the final panel.

Rogar Demonblud

2018-08-18, 12:00 AM

Really, it shouldn't be surprising that paladins can pun. But it was, and was awesome.

Smolder

2018-08-18, 07:33 AM

Did they charge you twice, too?

I double checked my account... I don't think so.

ackmondual

2018-08-18, 04:15 PM

No problem! Oh, and I got my delivery notification yesterday, so now I just have to wait for the book to make it across the Atlantic.

Also wanted to mention that with typical kickstarters, I tend to follow up only once 3 to 6 months. I lose track of them because they typically take a while to get any news and updates. I did get notices about the Roy refrigerator magnet a long time ago (around 2012), but don't know if I never got these links, or it got lost in all my emails.

AlignmentDebate

2018-08-18, 09:37 PM

I don't want any another spoilers, but is Miko in this book?