OOTS #303 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[TinSoldier]

Yay! New comic is up!

I loved the brain map. I think I can safely translate Haley as "Ha Ha Ha" etc.

Edit: Okay, someone else got the "Bwa" part. I think in the asterisks, she goes "*cough*". And I suck at cryptograms.

[ElfLad]

I translate Haley as follows: "Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..." and so on.

P.S. Excellent comic, Giant. This explains how the condition is treatable by clerics, but still furthers character growth in Haley.

[Fishies]

Wow... ironic. Seriously. Haley is a freakin' ROGUE for cryin' out loud!

EDIT: First page? Wow.

[Annalia]

As for Haley's speech, you forgot *snort*, I believe.

Great strip!

[JustyUekiTylor]

Great strip. I love that there are areas of the brain devoted to Guacamole Recipes and Spoilers. And Haley revealing her secrets? I'm there laughing with her.

[Overelemental]

Cute reaction by Haley :) Well done mr Giant

[TheJet31619]

"Sex, More sex." lol

Classic.

First page again! WHOOOOOO!

[Jonathan_Crane]

Gv gv gv! Very funny indeed!

[Jacklu]

Frv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was great.

Edit: Also, I loved the diagram of the brain.

[Bozidar]

nice one, Giant :) Hope she's cured soon..

[theKOT]

That was good. Haley is about as "proper" as Britney Spears. What I want to know is: what does the unmarked brain section do? Is it related to toenail clipping?

Thog's brain must be mostly puppies section. It seems to have enveloped his Sex sections, anyway.

[Dragonmaster_Crono]

Heh, unable to be deceptive enough, yeah right! :P
Let's see, she's been deceptive about her feelings towards elan, her desire to rescue her father, and the need for the money to use for that purpose. Yeah, no stress there... ::) ;)

[TinSoldier]

I think the spoilers portion of my brain is enlarged. Along with a couple of other areas ;D .

[tarlen]

I'd put my money on "*snort*".

And any guesses as to the use of the unlabelled area of the brain on the right?

[Coldin_Torrence]

Awesome Comic Giant.

Hopefully, they can cure Haley's speech problem now, if she's willing to tell all of her secrets.

[Blaznak]

There is something really interesting about HALEY being the one suffering this condition. There used to be a school of science called Phrenology (if I recall correctly) that determined a person's criminal tendancies based on bumps on that person's head.

Since she IS the rogue of the group... well, anyways, interesting comic... Vedddy vedddy interesting...
Later!

[Tomada]

I'd put my money on "*snort*".

And any guesses as to the use of the unlabelled area of the brain on the right?


Reading OOTS

[jmaccabeus]

Gvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvg!

Ah, phrenology. One of the more enjoyable and interesting pseudosciences.

I take it Thog's "Puppies" area has at some point taken over his "All Useful Skills" area? ;)

EDIT: Yep, Blaznak, you got it right. And it was used for some even less reputable things as well...

[Annalia]

As for the unlabelled section, it is yet another one of Haley's secret! More stress for her!

[The Giant]

There used to be a school of science called Phrenology (if I recall correctly) that determined a person's criminal tendancies based on bumps on that person's head.

Uh...the word "phrenology" is directly used in the comic. So yeah, you recalled correctly.

[Priceless_Ming]

Ah yes, the plight of every sociopath in history. Well the plight of bad sociopaths anyway. Y'know the one's with a conscience.

She's a got an impressive tally of confessions to make, that's for sure. Between the rapier room, the old stone trick and this whole big huge bribe thing...though I'm sure she won't get carried away in confession. She does have all that 1e rogue in here still.

And with a little retrophrenology, she'll be good as new.

*tap tap tap tap tap tap tap!*

[rwald]

And ironically, fMRI, a widely-respected imaging technique used in neuropsychology studies, doesn't differ that much (in abstract theory, at least) from phrenology. Except for the "changes in use --> changes in size of brain --> changes in size of head" bit, and when you have no nondestructive ways to look inside the skull, it's tempting to make that assumption.

[Jabrona_Bond]

Gv gv gv! I loved it!

Seriously, Giant, I needed that. Esp. on a Monday. I don't usually comment (this is time #2, I believe) but I just wanted you to know that when life sucks I can usually go, "Hey, I haven't checked for the new OOTS yet!"

[AzSteven]

Poor Haley - I wonder if she might pop into Room 115 to reveal at least one secret, only to find her dreams smashed by Elan?

Then again, maybe its her father's fate she really needs to reveal. I suspect that is one loose thread that is going to play a role in the struggle to come.

Great comic Giant; very fun!

[Winged One]

The last line of panels wasn't really nessessary. You know, since anybody would have reacted exactly like Haley did to that statement. ;)

[Nlannie]

haha awesome as always giant :D

[Hurlbut]

Well Haley could confess to a "priest".

[Beelzebub1111]

Well, we know the cure now.

Not the best but still pretty good. They can't all be diamonds.

EDIT: Notice how "Sex" "More Sex" "Cravings" and "Cheese" are all close together

[Jabrona_Bond]

Hey, when you can't have a cigarette, go for a grilled cheese sandwich.

[mimicgogo]

Notice how "Sex" "More Sex" "Cravings" and "Cheese" are all close together

Who doesn't frequently crave cheese? Mmmm...

Interestingly enough, I was thinking *snort*; I didnt even think of *cough*...

While the distraction is infinately amusing, I really hope she does tell some secrets soon. Maybe some we don't know *fingers crossed*.

[Maxymiuk]

Good strip.

And now, for the prediction of DOOM.

The Gv gv gv mode of laughing takes over the forums and freaks the nether hells out of any new members when first encountered

[ElfMaster2000]

Awesome comic! Heh... haley not being deceptive... I'd Gv my head off too.

[Bilbo27]

loved it

spoiler !!-- I thought she would spill her secrets in her cryptive state, and that would cure her.-- spoiler

Great job Giant

Love that she has two parts of the brain devoted to sex!

By the way, did elan and that azure city babe hook up? And which friend did he bring?

seems I don't know how to make my spoiler look different!! someone tell me how in future post please.

[TinSoldier]

I didn't think of *snort*. I said that I was bad at cryptograms.

I decided to wait 'til the third pages, since I stole two places on the first page.

I think the blank area on the brain map is "sprinkles".

[starwoof]

Metagaming and sex are the largest areas of Haleys brain, apparently.

[enigma]

What a wonderful treat. I come home from my business trip and find only one comic, come back 30 mins later to reread the funny comic, and there's a new one!
Oh, and I finally read Origins of the Stick and I have to say with a little back story the characters are even funnier. I love exposition.

Enigma

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Unused 3.0 rules... BUWHAHAHAHA *snort* HAHAHAHAHAHA

[plainsfox]

What did someone work her cryptogram code out to? I think that's a big clue.

[Steward]

What did someone work her cryptogram code out to? I think that's a big clue.

It's probably 'h' 'a'. I figured that out without even punching it into my super-advanced giant StewardComputer.

[Reptile]

I too am a fan of the diagram. :)

So, the real question seems to be whether Haley will reveal some or all of her various secrets, or simply wait a few weeks for the spell to be researched. Of course, the former would probably give more opportunities for "new plotlines, some of which may not be immediately apparent."

As a side note, I did quite a double-take when the female cleric referred to secrets and lies causing the swelling, given the name of the book I'm reading at the moment.... (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471453803/)

[Behold_the_Void]

Great comic, I like the brain diagram.

[Flak_Razorwill]

I love haley.

I actually thought that while she was a thief and a liar, she was still a goodhearted person when it mattered.

[Steward]

Wait, does this mean that HAley has the equivalent of a cancerous tumor in her brain? If this were a soap opera, we'd have to cue the hospital bed sign scenes, the Elanic epiphanies, the melodramatic Last Gestures, and the emotional manipulation.

[theKOT]

Wait, does this mean that HAley has the equivalent of a cancerous tumor in her brain? If this were a soap opera, we'd have to cue the hospital bed sign scenes, the Elanic epiphanies, the melodramatic Last Gestures, and the emotional manipulation.
Only to find out that the tumor was benign all along, but be better off for thinking Haley was dying?

[Solarious]

Ooohhh... there are secret Gualcomole Recipies hidden inside the brains of people? This calls for a few lobotomies! ;D

*packs up butchering implements disguised as faux surgery instruments and goes hunting for random victims*

But honestly. "Sex." "More Sex." "Cheese." "Metagaming." "Spoliers." You've done well in your dissection of an average gamer's mind, Rich. Wonderfully done.

[Maelstrom]

Hehe -- Tasha's made an appearance...

--------


And um, woohoo...forth page ::)

[Arachnophile]

Let me just say, Giant, that you have outdone yourself with this comic and the thought of the last few panels will brighten my thoughts for days to come.

[ladycomet]

Freakishly amazing, Giant. Much applauding ensues ;D

[saraswati]

Gv gv gv!

(just trying to contribute to the use of "gv")

Interesting how the healers don't say who Haley needs to tell her secrets to. Could she just reveal them to Durkon and ask him not to tell?

Or does she need to actually tell Elan about her feelings and the rest of the group about her Dad?

Psychologically speaking, it would probably be the latter. But maybe there's a magical way to get around that.

Spoiler ::

Hmmm, Haley being told to confess her feelings co-inciding with Elan being offered a girl's room key? I don't like where this is leading

End Spolier

Yikes!

[Gamaliel_the_Bard]

Absolutely Wonderful!!!!

I was laughing almost as hard as Haley.

Imagine her, a proper young lady, having secrets.

Thanks for the comic Giant.

[Jothki]

Only to find out that the tumor was benign all along, but be better off for thinking Haley was dying?

No, she'd die then later be retconned back alive.

[TheLastOfTheFallen]

Giant, all I have to say is: gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv....

Seriously, hilarious.

[Steward]

No, she'd die then later be retconned back alive.

Nah. She'd 'die' off-panel, with one of Lord Shojo's vassals (not Miko) running in to tell Elan the bad news. Then he'd go into a histrionic fit of hand-waving and introspection, ending in his leaving of the Order to wander alone in sorrow.

Fast forward to the battle against Xykon. Roy and co are losing badly. Elan shows up just in the nick of time to knock out Xykon and save everyone. Then, in true comic book/soap opera fashion, Xykon pulls off his head to reveal...

(weekend cliffhanger)

Haley! It was Haley all along!

[ref]

Interesting... Ten gold says she'll wait for the spell to be researched.

[Vaarsuvius_Prime]

Hmm, more delicious... ;D

[Antina]

Poor Haley... for I think the laughter is no because of she´s thinking it to be funny...

It may be one of the hysterical ones people get into, when they find the situation really unbearable.
Prove: The "high"Priest shall know the difference between a normal "having-fun-laughter" to a "hideous uncontrollable" one - as he said... .

Haley knows the student IS RIGHT - so she´s getting hysteric about the thought that REVEALING HER SECRETS ist the cure (yes - she is a rogue... and so there would be a lot to talk about...)


And: Thanx Giant for the panal about the BRAIN PARTS - quite GREAT (as ever)

[5tephen]

Love it! Thought there'd have to be some character work behind curing her. Very appropriate Giant.

Incidentally: I didn't read this thread before racing off to ressurect the "What Haley Said" thread.

[Elfich]

I'll only refer to it in this way: If you look back about (50-60 episodes) as to exactly when Haley lost her power of speech; she had just lost something. A lot of something.

That in of itself normally doesn't set a character off. But if you look back at least 150-200 epsisodes I think you'll find a clue as to what she wanted to do with what she lost.

Without spilling the beans directly I think that is a big clue in the right direction

[Evik]

OMG i almost died reading the sections of the brain!!!
LOL
sex....more sex...unused 3.0 rules...puppies LMAO
that was AWESOME
:D hehehe

[EscherEnigma]

Gv gv gv.

Much goodness, gv-ness even. I can't wait till thursday to see who the camera turns to next. Cause it does seem to be looking at each person (ok, we've only seen two pages of the new story arc, but so far evidence supports my claim!)

V and Celia again? Maybe Belkar being tall?

I'd say I can't wait till thursday, but I have a pseudo-scientific book report that I have to write that will keep me writing.

No, really! I read this just after finishing reading my book on pseudo science!

[Dhavaer]

The 'puppies' area of the brain is huge. Are puppies really that important in the ootsverse?

[koumdros]

bhahahahahha

niceeee

lets see , will haley find the guts to admit at least some of her secrets?

[infiniteviking]

Oh, very good indeed! The doctors' visual aids are hysterically funny. 'Normal -- You'... *cackle* And SPOILERS!? Are you reading our minds or something? ;D

I notice that the brain section devoted to fashion sense is rather, ahem, small... and then wonder how that guy can look at her current raiment and say 'proper young lady' without cracking up.

I certainly can't.

(Waitaminute, the Secrets section doesn't have any visible deformity. Maybe it's a scan of his brain?)

Speaking of which:


And now, for the prediction of DOOM.....I second the Prediction of Doom. Frvvvvvvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvgv!!!!!


The *hpleq* has to be *snort* (rather than 'cough' or 'choke') because cough has an H in it, so the ciphered word 'cough' would have to end with G. Just saying.

(edited for grammar)

[Pvednes]

Not areas of the brain, it's bumps on the head.

Phrenology, remember? :D

[Ozar]

Gvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvg!

Ah, phrenology. One of the more enjoyable and interesting pseudosciences.

Of course you'd say that.. you have the brainpan of a stagecoach tilter!

[warmachine]

That clerics think Haley isn't capable of much deception is very odd. I find it hard to believe that the healers are that naive to think that women barely lie. That Lord Shojo maintains a deception means lying is not alien to the local culture. The use of 'proper young lady' appears to be the key: they mistake Haley for some cultured, well-mannered young lady, who are too nice to lie. This is a common attitude in medieval patriarchies for the daughters of nobility. This is, of course, chauvinism and such women can be devious schemers. In Oriental societies, appearances count for a lot but healers should know that a nice, innocent facade can often hide deception.

Nonetheless, it must be cultural misunderstanding. Haley must be dressed like a typical, nice, cultured, well-mannered, young lady of the local nobility. Try imagining that.

[Archonic Energy]

i had to join haley in her rtfl-ing!

Very Funny Giant.

[tee_kay_one]

finally, a OotS comic specially made for mad neuroscientists like me... way cool Giant, way cool!

(being a nerd and not sure about girls psyche) I think I don't quite get WHY Haley is laughing so hard -- is it relief because the cure is so "easy", is it because these ivory-tower clerics think girls don't have secrets?

[Vargtass]

Oh, very good indeed! The doctors' visual aids are hysterically funny. 'Normal -- You'... *cackle* And SPOILERS!? Are you reading our minds or something? ;D

I notice that the brain section devoted to fashion sense is rather, ahem, small... and then wonder how that guy can look at her current raiment and say 'proper young lady' without cracking up.

I certainly can't.

(Waitaminute, the Secrets section doesn't have any visible deformity. Maybe it's a scan of his brain?)

Speaking of which:

I second the Prediction of Doom. Frvvvvvvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvgvgv!!!!!


The *hpleq* has to be *snort* (rather than 'cough' or 'choke') because cough has an H in it, so the ciphered word 'cough' would have to end with G. Just saying.

(edited for grammar)

I got the distinct feeling that the "scan" is a generic map for OotSworld phrenology. Thus, all stick-people have spoiler section, a puppies section, etc.

[Holy_Knight]

(being a nerd and not sure about girls psyche) I think I don't quite get WHY Haley is laughing so hard -- is it relief because the cure is so "easy", is it because these ivory-tower clerics think girls don't have secrets?

Oh, don't worry about not geting girls' psyche--the good news is that it gets much easier as you get older. Yep, girls just get less and less complicated and irrational the longer you're around them.

...
...
...wait for it...
...wait for it...
...
...
FRV rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv!!!!!

Hee hee... ok, on a more serious note now...

Another great comic, Giant. I like the things that everyone else mentioned, but one thing I don't think has been mentioned yet is the diagram from panel 6. I'm not totally sure why, but I found the "Normal" "You" thing pretty amusing. :)

[battleburn]

The brainscan isn't a brainscan, it's a drawing to explain to patients and cleric students the working of the brain. This is the average combination of brainsegments. Haley probably has a different set of brain compartments.
On a second note. I think it's a drawing of a male brain. With the two large sex parts and the huge puppy part.

Also, I like cheese.

I agree with those who say it's the secret of the money and what she's using it for. Because the loss of that money is what triggered the loss of speach.

[Kish]

(being a nerd and not sure about girls psyche) I think I don't quite get WHY Haley is laughing so hard -- is it relief because the cure is so "easy", is it because these ivory-tower clerics think girls don't have secrets?
It's because they think she's a "proper young lady" who is incapable of deception.

You don't need any particular insight into "girls psyche" for this.

[tee_kay_one]

I don't? *sigh*
Wew, anyway I think it's a rather strong reaction, close to, well, hysterical. I have the feeling Haley could use a day off...

[DEMONhunter]

Loved the comic, as usual. Gv... Good work giant, can't wait to see how Haley gets her voice back. Though I may be able to guess...

[phlip]

I think it's fitting that "Cravings" borders both "Sex" and "More sex".

And that "Metagaming" is the largest section of the lot...

And I found the highly-detailed Normal/You chart hilarious...

And the doctors treating Haley's reaction as a symptom...

In summary, Rich is awesome.

[edit] woo, single-digit page!


The *hpleq* has to be *snort* (rather than 'cough' or 'choke') because cough has an H in it, so the ciphered word 'cough' would have to end with G. Just saying.
You're new to solving Rich's cryptograms, aren't you ;)

Seriously though, it has to be "snort" because of precedent. OtOoPC, page 57.

[Aeek]

Notice how "Sex" "More Sex" "Cravings" and "Cheese" are all close together

and that cheese is all about sex, arguably central to sex.

[gnownek]

Haley's a 'ho. She's hiding the wild passionate night with Belkar from Elan.

Dem short ones are always getting some.

[kerberos]

But honestly. "Sex." "More Sex." "Cheese." "Metagaming." "Spoliers." You've done well in your dissection of an average gamer's mind, Rich. Wonderfully done.
It only apply's to female gamers, male gamers look different, For example they don't have the sections markes , Cravings, secrets, pupies, fashion sense and Cheese. Instead the have cravings for sex, secret sexual desires, Furry sex, mental pictures of girls in slutty ourfits and even more sex.

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

Haley's a 'ho. She's hiding the wild passionate night with Belkar from Elan.

Dem short ones are always getting some.

No... just no...

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

.

[edit] woo, single-digit page!





You're easy to satisfy

[Kanashimi]

Funny, very funny. Love the pages of laughter. Upright young lady. hee hee hee

Great job, Giant!

[Taelas]

Ahh, phrenology... ;)
As someone else already said, one of the more interesting pseudosciences.

Oh, and by the way, the map has nothing to do with the brain--phrenology cares only about the shape of your head.

[kamikasei]

I think it's fitting... that "Metagaming" is the largest section of the lot...
This is OOTSland after all. That 'Metagaming' section probably has the importance of such real-world functions as 'abstract thought' or 'spatial reasoning'. Or simply 'breathe in, breathe out...'


It only apply's to female gamers, male gamers look different, For example they don't have the sections markes , Cravings, secrets, pupies, fashion sense and Cheese. Instead the have cravings for sex, secret sexual desires, Furry sex, mental pictures of girls in slutty ourfits and even more sex.
I take offence, sir. Is it so hard to accept that men, too, can secretly crave fasionable puppies? Puppies coated in... cheese?


What I want to know is: what does the unmarked brain section do? Is it related to toenail clipping?
Looking at the position, I'd say it's the 'Sex' section, wrapped around the back of the skull...

[wampus]

Is it just me or does Haley have the mind of a guy? The biggest part of her brain is reserved for sex.

Edit: phlip said something about the metagaming being the biggest part, just remember that there are three sections for sex. You have sex, more sex, and the part on the right that wraps around from the original sex section.

[Blaznak]

Uh...the word "phrenology" is directly used in the comic. So yeah, you recalled correctly.

Oh! We are supposed to READ the comics BEFORE we comment on them? I wondered about that...

- (GRIN) -

[Yahoo_Serious]

Haley's a 'ho. She's hiding the wild passionate night with Belkar from Elan.

Dem short ones are always getting some.

So maybe her secret is she's expecting a three-quartersling... ???

[tee_kay_one]

Wew... I made a discovery!!!! There is a unused section in the phrenological map, right between "Spoilers", "All useful Skills" and those funky "Guacomole Recipes"... unused or (dundunDUN): SECRET?!

(now what does "to much time" mean, hm?)

[Eressea]

This is my first post, I believe, I'm more a reader than a poster, but this time...

When I read today's comic, I just saw myself there sitting :D The first and last three screens were the perfect pictures for CFS-patients like me :D Doctors tread you just like these: nothing seems to be wrong. you are a picture of perfect health The only thing they can find is that there seems to be something wrong with motor skills :P Thanks, Giant!! (by the way, CFS is chronical fatigue syndrome, also known as M.E.).

*philosofical mode on* Maybe doctors and patients just speak another language.... *philosofical mode off*

[ibitak84]

As a side note, I did quite a double-take when the female cleric referred to secrets and lies causing the swelling, (...) Now, look, he's obviously male. "No beard" does not equal "woman"!

[fithi]

"Proper young lady"? Haley?

Gv gv gv gv gv gv!

*catches breath*

This is going to be interesting, finding out just what secret she will tell to cure herself of the aphasia.

[Ego Slayer]

Wow.
The diagram of the brain is especially hillarious! ^_^

[Alfryd]

New comic is up.
Hilarity 7.1. Moving on.

[Some_Guy]

Reading OOTS
How iterative.

[ElfMaster2000]

Great comic!

[DragoonStar47]

Wow..... that was a good comic!

[prometheusx]

Not sure what's proper about a young lady who wears a low-cut belly-shirt wihle traveling alone through the wilderness with a group of errant adventurers. Anyone?

[Forderz]

*snort*

[Romalar]

That clerics think Haley isn't capable of much deception is very odd. I find it hard to believe that the healers are that naive to think that women barely lie. That Lord Shojo maintains a deception means lying is not alien to the local culture. The use of 'proper young lady' appears to be the key: they mistake Haley for some cultured, well-mannered young lady, who are too nice to lie. This is a common attitude in medieval patriarchies for the daughters of nobility. This is, of course, chauvinism and such women can be devious schemers. In Oriental societies, appearances count for a lot but healers should know that a nice, innocent facade can often hide deception.

Nonetheless, it must be cultural misunderstanding. Haley must be dressed like a typical, nice, cultured, well-mannered, young lady of the local nobility. Try imagining that.
Perhaps they are trying to be culturally sensitive, and assuming that her strange clothing must be proper and noble in the north? She is, after all, affiliated with Shojo. Maybe this cleric is too naive to think Shojo would ask them to help someone capable of that much deception.

IMO, the main cleric is the only one who thinks she wouldn't be capable of deception. The one without a beard seems to think she was capable (he said it to begin with), and looked offended when the bearded cleric shot down his theory.

[sniffles]

Oh, no - I've been sick and laughing makes me cough... cough cough cough... :D

I need a real-life copy of that phrenology poster! You should market one, Giant!! ;D

[Aiani]

Very interesting turn of events. I loved the little brain diagram and Haley laughing so hard she fell off her seat. Very nice.

[McBish]

I love phrenology. Franz Gall (the guy who made it up) is my hero. For the most part he just randomly assinged sections of the brain to certain functions and then made lots of money off of people who belevied him.

Oh, and by the way, the map has nothing to do with the brain--phrenology cares only about the shape of your head.
Actually it does deal with the brain. If you use one part of the brain more then another it grows bigger and creates a lump that you could find. For more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrenology

[Brasswatchman]

Ha. Conversion disorder. Totally called it.

[Xenon]

secrets... yeah, she has a LONG list of those.

but wait... if replacing her lost gold would fix it... would they have to pay up? it was all the evil miko's fault after all

[Eternal-Darthness]

"It began when my great-aunt was kidnapped and held for ransom by an unlicensed Armenian phrenologist"
"An Armenian phrenologist?!"
Revenge of the Pink Panther
"Beump?!"
"What?"
"You said 'beump'"
"Yes, it is a large beump. You could receive a concussion from such a beump."
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
;D ;D
Apparently I have a large guacamole recipes section. Gaaa!
The reason Thog doesn't have a distorted head from puppies is that his brain was too small in it too begin with. Also a dimunutive "sex" sextion.

[snelson66]

"proper young lady" Bwa hahahahahahahaha!!!

Great comic, Giant. Can't wait to see what the rest of the Order is up to. Especially V.

Yay! first 10 pages post!

[gregory_carslaw]

Compaing that chart to a phrenology chart (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/1895-Dictionary-Phrenolog.png) it seems that where Haley has cravings most people have wit.

Which makes you wonder why she's interested in Elan :P

Great comic :D

[Melnor]

Haha Giant, you rock. That was a definite smiler ;)

[redmind0]

Metagaming and sex are the largest areas of Haleys brain, apparently.
Sex and metagaming are supposed to be the largest portions ocording to the diogram.

Gv gv gv gv.

[SPiX]

Great one, keep up the good work ;D

[szerade]

was i the only one who saw the "cheese" section and immediately thought of "wallace & gromit" ??

loved it!!!

[kit]

The *hpleq* has to be *snort* (rather than 'cough' or 'choke') because cough has an H in it, so the ciphered word 'cough' would have to end with G. Just saying.

(edited for grammar)

You're new to solving Rich's cryptograms, aren't you

Seriously though, it has to be "snort" because of precedent. OtOoPC, page 57.


The first thing that popped into my head was *gasp*.

*goes looking for your precedent*

[Kedrot]

oooooh man that's a knee slapper amnd I'm glad to see the metagaming section, in one of my games, the DM had ato make a metagame point system because we were getting so bad. Great Comic!

[warmachine]

IMO, the main cleric is the only one who thinks she wouldn't be capable of deception. The one without a beard seems to think she was capable (he said it to begin with), and looked offended when the bearded cleric shot down his theory.
Good point. Whilst the senior cleric is perturbed, the junior is not, suggesting the senior is socially oblivious whilst the junior doesn't want to hurt his feelings. The senior may even be a mild autistic.

Schadenfreude. So cruel. But I like it.

[munehiro]

I was wondering... given that the brain of Haley appears as a male brain (sex, more sex, metagaming), should it be appropriate starting to speculate that Haley is interpreted by a man? :)

and given the metagaming issues (yes, as we all know, it's common practice: when there's a girl in the group, try to mate with its character in the hopeles effort to mate with her) this means that Elan is interpreted by a girl :)

btw... i believe that gender swapping in roleplaying is the highest level of interpretation :) I really loved all my female characters (especially the Sune cleric :) )

[Zeekar]

Wew... I made a discovery!!!! There is a unused section in the phrenological map, right between "Spoilers", "All useful Skills" and those funky "Guacomole Recipes"... unused or (dundunDUN): SECRET?!

(now what does "to much time" mean, hm?)
Gah! Doesn't anyone follow the Giant's instructions to read the thread before posting? The unlabeled area was first mentioned on page 1 . . . 12th post, by TheKOT.


IMO, the main cleric is the only one who thinks she wouldn't be capable of deception. The one without a beard seems to think she was capable (he said it to begin with), and looked offended when the bearded cleric shot down his theory.
For what it's worth, I immediately filed the unbearded cleric as "female" as well. You seem to have assumed male, and someone else said they were "clearly" male. I wonder what we're reacting to? It's not just the lack of beard (although that in close juxtaposition with the bearded cleric is no doubt a contributing factor); there's something about the hairstyle itself that seems feminine to me.

Not that it matters one way or the other.

Anyway, it's true that phrenologic bumps theoretically originate from bumps on the surface of the brain, but a phrenological chart is still distinct from a brain map, since it deals only with the outer surface of the brain and not the whole three-dimensional organ. So the picture does not depict a brain, just a head with labeled areas of skin. Now, said areas happen to be shaped and connected in such a way that, in a stick-figure comic, they can be mistaken for a representation of the brain's surface, but they aren't really such a representation.

Unless the Giant meant for them to be. In which case I'm wrong.
:)


I'd put my money on "*snort*".
I agree, if only because of the precedent. But we really don't have enough to go on. Especially given Rich's history of dual-mapped letters.

BTW: awesome icon. Did you make the model and take the pic yourself? If so, do you have more? If not, please tell me where you got it immediately so I can go look and see what else they got.
:)

Speaking of icons:

Gv gv gv! Very funny indeed!
"Jonathan_Crane", eh?

Someone get this man a stick-figure-Scarecrow icon! Stat!

Also,

hee hee hee
I would just like to say that Questionable Content rules. Only recently discovered it and it is fast becoming my second favorite strip after OOTS...

P.S. Forgot the rules; have now merged my multiple-successive-replies into one post. Sorry.

[Doug_Lampert]

I was wondering... given that the brain of Haley appears as a male brain (sex, more sex, metagaming), should it be appropriate starting to speculate that Haley is interpreted by a man? :)

What makes you think Female gamers are that different from male gamers in how they think?

If girls aren't interested in sex the demographics of fans of Romance Novels and Soap Operas require some explaining.

Girls are simply (strongly) culturally discuraged from talking about it arround men not their husband in our culture.

DougL

[BURNhollywoodBURN]

I'll only refer to it in this way: If you look back about (50-60 episodes) as to exactly when Haley lost her power of speech; she had just lost something. A lot of something.

That in of itself normally doesn't set a character off. But if you look back at least 150-200 epsisodes I think you'll find a clue as to what she wanted to do with what she lost.

Without spilling the beans directly I think that is a big clue in the right direction

We all know. Don't we?


Not sure what's proper about a young lady who wears a low-cut belly-shirt wihle traveling alone through the wilderness with a group of errant adventurers. Anyone?

I think you're forgetting. this is OotS.


Oh, no - I've been sick and laughing makes me cough... cough cough cough... :D

I need a real-life copy of that phrenology poster! You should market one, Giant!! ;D

ummmmmmm... I'll put that with marketing a lead sheet.

[Elfich]

We all know. Don't we?


I would assume everyone knows. I am more wondering if the giant will be showing that as one of the adventures or not.

[mikoto]

gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv gv

awesome :D

[Kish]

What makes you think Female gamers are that different from male gamers in how they think?
Thank you.

[SpoonlessJedi]

Given all the time she spends around Elan, I'm surprised at the small area devoted to "sex" and "more sex."

[captheather]

Thank you.

I concur with female gamers not being so different. All the guys in my groups always drove off the normal girls and got stuck with us gamer chicks. You know, the insane ones... ;)

[shadowdemon_lord]

Haha, sweet comic! I would also concur with the whole female gamers not being that different from male gamers. That whole "girls don't think about sex as much as guys thing" is total bull.

[ekedolphin]

What makes you think Female gamers are that different from male gamers in how they think?

If girls aren't interested in sex the demographics of fans of Romance Novels and Soap Operas require some explaining.

Girls are simply (strongly) culturally discuraged from talking about it arround men not their husband in our culture.

DougL

And I, too, thank you for that. Jeez loueez, guys have enough of a reputation for being sex-crazed without guys helping to reinforce that very image. Of course girls think about sex, otherwise, you know, the human race would not exist.

[El-Fire_and_Damnat]

So...if Haley reveals all of her secrets while speaking in jibberish no one can understand, then wouldn't it be a win/win situation? Haley gets her normal speech back, but without having to truly divulge anything! The bonus is she gets to unload all that mental and emotional baggage she's been carrying around. ;D

[kit]

Somehow I doubt that would work.

[infiniteviking]

You're new to solving Rich's cryptograms, aren't you ;)*cheerful* Yep.

The relevent secret can't be her love for Elan. She confessed it already, to Elan himself -- "I'm totally in love with you" -- and it didn't help. Wasn't her fault that he couldn't understand it. In her current condition, she could say anything and nobody would understand it. Clearly a secret confessed aloud in a state of advanced cryptography which did not cause said state, with or without concomitant comprehension from her concerned comrades, to spontaneously revert to its natural setting, cannot be the secret responsible for the aphasia! QED. ;D

[Holy_Knight]

*cheerful* Yep.

The relevent secret can't be her love for Elan. She confessed it already, to Elan himself -- "I'm totally in love with you" -- and it didn't help. Wasn't her fault that he couldn't understand it. In her current condition, she could say anything and nobody would understand it. Clearly a secret confessed aloud in a state of advanced cryptography which did not cause said state, with or without concomitant comprehension from her concerned comrades, to spontaneously revert to its natural setting, cannot be the secret responsible for the aphasia! QED. ;D
Ah, but there's a crucial flaw in your argument. Namely, Haley only "confessed" because she knew that Elan couldn't understand her. A true confession would be one in which she actually intended for Elan to understand what she was saying--so that could still be the secret (or one seret) she needs to tell for the aphasia to go away.

[Vargtass]

The theory says that only if Haley truly chooses to share her secrets, she can reverse her aphasia, so any trickery on this part won't work.

And, still, I think the phrenology map is a generic map illustrating the common areas of any stick-figure brain. The relative sizes do not correspond to Haley's brain.

[The Doctor]

I was wondering... given that the brain of Haley appears as a male brain (sex, more sex, metagaming), should it be appropriate starting to speculate that Haley is interpreted by a man? :)

and given the metagaming issues (yes, as we all know, it's common practice: when there's a girl in the group, try to mate with its character in the hopeles effort to mate with her) this means that Elan is interpreted by a girl :)

btw... i believe that gender swapping in roleplaying is the highest level of interpretation :) I really loved all my female characters (especially the Sune cleric :) )


I am aware of and have experienced the 'common practice' above (which more accurately ammounts to: male players who play girls turn into nymphomaniacs, especially with girls about that play male PCs), however, as much as I'd hate to bring it to you... girls think about sex too. Yes, some do so all the time ;)
And yes, one of my female PCs did get to bed with a male PC of a female player... but they (the PCs) were both rip-roaring drunk, and had been party-ing and brawling all night. Generally my female PCs are a lot more sensible when it comes to romance/men/sex.

[CelestialStick]

Gah! I went to check for today's new OOTS and realized that I must have forgotten to check on Monday so I'm two days behind!

I love the portion of the brain set aside for unused 3.0 rules. ;D

You know, I wonder if the cleric could heal her just by pounding that lump on her head flat. :D

[Antina]

??? Why do so many people think the shown picture to be haleys brain? I thought it to be just a picture out of one of the OOTS-worlds medical books...

[CelestialStick]

??? Why do so many people think the shown picture to be haleys brain? I thought it to be just a picture out of one of the OOTS-worlds medical books...


I never considered whose brain it might be. It's clearly not my brain, because it doesn't have the part that loves kitties. ;D

This is your brain. This is your brain on D&D. Any questions? :D

[Pontifex]

Just FYI: I'm a native German speaker and the newest comic and this thread both look a little... odd... to me.
Why? Because in German, the usual abbreviation for "Geschlechtsverkehr" (sexual intercourse, a medical, non-loaded term) is GV. So, both Haley uttering a stream of "gv"s and the people in this thread throwing out a happy "gv" to everyone do look a little off, especially considering the brain chart with the "sex" and "more sex" areas and the precise nature of Haley's secret. I'm not saying that that's how it is intended or that it's a bad thing, just pointing out an interesting coincidence.

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

Just FYI: I'm a native German speaker and the newest comic and this thread both look a little... odd... to me.
Why? Because in German, the usual abbreviation for "Geschlechtsverkehr" (sexual intercourse, a medical, non-loaded term) is GV. So, both Haley uttering a stream of "gv"s and the people in this thread throwing out a happy "gv" to everyone do look a little off, especially considering the brain chart with the "sex" and "more sex" areas and the precise nature of Haley's secret. I'm not saying that that's how it is intended or that it's a bad thing, just pointing out an interesting coincidence.

Hehe... It'd be funny if it was intentional. And my friends mock me for taking foreign language classes. Yeah, I take Spanish and I could understand what the Mexican guy in the hospital was saying the other day... of course he was speaking English, but hey! I could understand him! ;) Yeah, I came up with that just now...

[Silverblaze]

Just FYI: I'm a native German speaker and the newest comic and this thread both look a little... odd... to me.
Why? Because in German, the usual abbreviation for "Geschlechtsverkehr" (sexual intercourse, a medical, non-loaded term) is GV. So, both Haley uttering a stream of "gv"s and the people in this thread throwing out a happy "gv" to everyone do look a little off, especially considering the brain chart with the "sex" and "more sex" areas and the precise nature of Haley's secret. I'm not saying that that's how it is intended or that it's a bad thing, just pointing out an interesting coincidence.

Given that there is no reference to anything German in Mr. G's FAQs, I sincerely doubt that we are talking anything but coincedence here. But look at it this way - it brings about that contradiction in terms "an extra layer of German humour" *L* (Just kidding)

Is it just me or does the diagram of the brain look somewhat like the Belkster ? Were they to do one on him, I should think that murder and mayhem will take up a larger portion of our favourite psyco's brain ;D - Where as one done on V most likely would have a major part dedicated to "Secrets of the Cosmos" *GG*

[tsmack5150]

I've done it! I've successfully not read the Monday OOTS until Wednesday, thereby ensuring that from now on, when I read OOTS every Mon-Wed-Fri morning I'll be almost always reading a fresh comic! Victory is mine!

[Tyrasius]

Love that she has two parts of the brain devoted to sex!

Metagaming and sex are the largest areas of Haleys brain, apparently.
Actually I'm pretty sure that that is the normal brain in the diagram and that everyones brain has two sections devoted to sex and large metagaming sections. Haley's diagram would have had a large bump in the secrets section because it is the biggest part of her brain. The diagram is to show that the section of her head with the large bump is the secrets section of the brain,

Edit: actually I'm dead positive that this is just a generic brain and not an actual scan of Haley's, thats the point of phrenology after all. I am hoping that the author himself will show up to confirm this but thats probably to bad for me

[Antina]

Just FYI: I'm a native German speaker and the newest comic and this thread both look a little... odd... to me.
Why? Because in German, the usual abbreviation for "Geschlechtsverkehr" (sexual intercourse, a medical, non-loaded term) is GV. So, both Haley uttering a stream of "gv"s and the people in this thread throwing out a happy "gv" to everyone do look a little off, especially considering the brain chart with the "sex" and "more sex" areas and the precise nature of Haley's secret. I'm not saying that that's how it is intended or that it's a bad thing, just pointing out an interesting coincidence.


Hmm - okay - I happen to be a native (german) speaker too, but I´ve never ever heard of this one..?
Well - anyway - my husband has.
He just told me that the expression was used "in the good old days".
Nowadays - really - not in the papers nor in TV or anywhere else... - maybe in stiff university student debates?

And by the way: It happens very often, that especially names or short words picked in another language happen to have a strange, bizarr or even sexual meaning (even happened to "Car-Names" once...- now the companys have whole programms to prevent that case :)).
IF OOTS will be translated someday the GV´s will be too (because there is the proclaimed code which has to change into German too).

Anyhow - I really see no trouble anyway (and do not find it funny either - sorry - nothing personal)

[Boomlaor]

I've done it! I've successfully not read the Monday OOTS until Wednesday, thereby ensuring that from now on, when I read OOTS every Mon-Wed-Fri morning I'll be almost always reading a fresh comic! Victory is mine!
Yeah, untill you give in to the addiction and read today's comic tommorrow.

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

Just FYI: I'm a native German speaker and the newest comic and this thread both look a little... odd... to me.
Why? Because in German, the usual abbreviation for "Geschlechtsverkehr" (sexual intercourse, a medical, non-loaded term) is GV. So, both Haley uttering a stream of "gv"s and the people in this thread throwing out a happy "gv" to everyone do look a little off, especially considering the brain chart with the "sex" and "more sex" areas and the precise nature of Haley's secret. I'm not saying that that's how it is intended or that it's a bad thing, just pointing out an interesting coincidence.

That's hilariously awesome.

[AyuVince]

Really? I'm a German native speaker and I'm not familiar with that abbreviation. Perhaps you're studying medicine?

However, I think that for Haley, sex and loot are pretty much the same, which explains the two sex centers in her brain. We all know how she thinks about treasure. ;)

[Leatherman]

I'm surprised the subject of the clerics assistant has not been cleared up. The assistant is CLEARLY the same gender as V, which is of course.....

[Hurlbut]

I'm surprised the subject of the clerics assistant has not been cleared up. The assistant is CLEARLY the same gender as V, which is of course.....The blacksmith *ahem* did show a curvous chest (if you can't see it, use a magnifying glass > : P), the assistant does not.

[ibitak84]

For what it's worth, I immediately filed the unbearded cleric as "female" as well. You seem to have assumed male, and someone else said they were "clearly" male. I wonder what we're reacting to? It's not just the lack of beard (although that in close juxtaposition with the bearded cleric is no doubt a contributing factor); there's something about the hairstyle itself that seems feminine to me.Actually, it's the hairstyle that suggested male to me; I interpret it as one of those hairstyle often found on teenagers, with a hint of grunch.
But it's true that the parted hair seems to confuse many readers. Still, a woman -even one with generally short hair- would probably keep it longer.

I'm surprised the subject of the clerics assistant has not been cleared up. The assistant is CLEARLY the same gender as V, which is of course...Yes, same gender. Male.

The blacksmith *ahem* did show a curvous chest (if you can't see it, use a magnifying glass > : P), the assistant does not.One cut argue that the assistent is wearing a wide, flowing cleric robe that hides all features. Of course, the blacksmith is wearing a thick layer of protective leather.
Also the older cleric seems to have exactly the same body as the assistent.

Hmm - okay - I happen to be a native (german) speaker too, but I´ve never ever heard of this one..?German is my mothertongue, too, and Im the third of us to never have heard of it. It seems very obscure to me.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Wait, wait, wait, wait
for the comic to update!

You know, I don't like double-comics. I wouldn't mind the whole comic for one day being a splash page. I guess I'll just have to check back tomorrow for my OotS fix...

[wagomorph]

I concur with female gamers not being so different. All the guys in my groups always drove off the normal girls and got stuck with us gamer chicks. You know, the insane ones... ;)


I agree. The main female in our group (player not wife/gf) would stab her husband (in the game) with a clean conscience and a song in her heart. She talks little of sex yet has multiple kids.

I, on the otherhand, seldom think of sex as I am a man and, therefore of pure of heart. By the way, that's a cute avatar. Like what's your sign? You come here often? Additional cheesey pickup line. Subsequent cheesey line. Yet another annoyiing cheddar line.

In all seriousness, I think it is just a matter of discretion. We typically have less.

[ref]

Ah yes. Haley is always the one naming animals. V's crow ("I haven't named any other class features" hehe, typical Vaarsuvius), and she was the only one to name her steed ("Darn it, Whisper!"). So I guess that's what the unnamed part is for (assuming that is Haley's brain). Some day the happy naming-loving Haley will be back. :)