This forum hurts the comic

[TibiX]

For some time now I've been a reader of this great, GREAT comic. I wanted to say that firstly, and congratulate Richard Burlew for it.

Once upon a time I signed up in this forum but I didn't read a lot of topics.

Now, in the last months I've seen the comic quality coming down... Some sentences the characters say just don't make any sense to those of us who don't read the forum. I think that the author, in his attempt to answer your questions is 'hurting' the comic. Wasting time on that.

My suggestion is that Mr. Richard Burlew should stop reading this forum.

mho

[Korias]

Rich doesnt look to the readers for opinions. All he does is look for possible spelling errors. The script and plot have already been set out MANY comics in advance.

Provide some examples with these "Forum-based sentences", if you can. Since Rich barely reads the forum anyway, I doubt that there are any actualy in the comic.

[slayerx]

Care to give an example of something that doesn't make sense to the non-forum goers... cause frankly, i haven't been watching the OoTS forum to closely and everything is fine by me

[Mant]

This forum doesnt hurt the comic, just the mind: a bunch of nerds debating about the most senseless and unreal theories ever imagined.

So, dont worry, the comic itself is not in danger.

[OverWilliam]

^ ... I...You... ...You don't know they're unreal. :smallannoyed: :smalltongue:

I agree with the general consensus. This forum is just an outlet for geekery so that it doesn't accidentally spill over into real life and get us fired or something. It's like those movies about killers who satisfy their compulsions on the most worthless, pathetic, criminals, drug dealers, and sometimes even murderers themselves kinds of people so that they don't lose control and hurt someone who matters. Sortof. :smallbiggrin:

[Moff Chumley]

^ ... I...You... ...You don't know they're unreal. :smallannoyed: :smalltongue:

I agree with the general consensus. This forum is just an outlet for geekery so that it doesn't accidentally spill over into real life and get us fired or something. It's like those movies about killers who satisfy their compulsions on the most worthless, pathetic, criminals, drug dealers, and sometimes even murderers themselves kinds of people so that they don't lose control and hurt someone who matters. Sortof. :smallbiggrin:

Uh...

A word of warning, whenever someone starts this kind of thread, it gets locked within four pages, or dies after I post :smallbiggrin: . Also, Rich makes a big point of completely ignoring any speculation about the comic.

Personally, though, I haven't noticed any quality deterioration.

[rickvoid]

Ah, the drive-by poster. :smallsigh:

One post in his topic, and then he runs for the hills without explaining what the hell he's talking about.

Personally, I haven't noticed any changes to the comic, and I barely have any time to read the forums.

[HorustheElder]

I've never seen a blatant pandering to the forums, but I've seen several references to the forum, for example, comic 468, in which Belkar's speech addresses a few threads on the forum at the time.

I agree though, the forum does hurt the comic, but not for the reason the OP specified.

[Heroic]

I disagree with TibiX, as said before, Rich doesn't take into account our theories, the plot has been already made.

[PePe QuiCoSE]

i think it's way too flattering to the "bunch of nerds that post in the forum" that mindless gibberish is affecting the comic flow. Basically you are saying that it outsmarts the guy that's making a comic for already 500 strips and that is bringing down the comic quality.
If you are a bit jaded by Oots, well, i think that it's hard to have 500 strips + 2 books to be original to keep making you crack of laugher.

Oh, and i "browse" the forums (impossible with the amount of pages each thread gets to) and i never noticed that about Belkar speech. Though, i do believe that Burlew could think of that by himself...

[verloren]

Definatly hurts the mind. I don't know why i subject myself to it, besides that it's funny.


Like I say. The problem with public forums is most of the public are idiots.

[Archbear]

The first part of this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0436.html) really felt like it was influenced by the forums. :smallsmile:

For the most part though, I doubt it makes much of a difference, at least not visibly. I don't think the Giant spends that much time here, anyway. I seem to recall something about him specifically avoiding topics that could influence the comics.

[Human Paragon 3]

The first part of this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0436.html) really felt like it was influenced by the forums. :smallsmile:

For the most part though, I doubt it makes much of a difference, at least not visibly. I don't think the Giant spends that much time here, anyway. I seem to recall something about him specifically avoiding topics that could influence the comics.

If by "influenced by the forums" you mean "hilarious," then yes.

[Magnor Criol]

I only hang out in the Homebrew and Gaming (d20) sections of the forums, and only came to this thread because its enticing thread title was on the main page.

So I don't read any part of the forum that debates the comic or any part of it. For all intents and purposes, as it relates to the comic, I'm not a member of this forum. And I have noticed not one instance where I didn't understand something in the comic.

[RTGoodman]

The first part of this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0436.html) really felt like it was influenced by the forums. :smallsmile:

For the most part though, I doubt it makes much of a difference, at least not visibly. I don't think the Giant spends that much time here, anyway. I seem to recall something about him specifically avoiding topics that could influence the comics.

I was going to point out that same strip. I don't necessarily think that it's Rich pandering to the forumites or whatever, but sometimes it seems like he likes to slip in little "inside jokes." Which is fine, because they're usually based on the same sort of random speculation that a normal audience might think of anyway. I definitely don't see it hurting comic quality.

[Nerd-o-rama]

For some time now I've been a reader of this great, GREAT comic. I wanted to say that firstly, and congratulate Richard Burlew for it.

Once upon a time I signed up in this forum but I didn't read a lot of topics.

Now, in the last months I've seen the comic quality coming down... Some sentences the characters say just don't make any sense to those of us who don't read the forum. I think that the author, in his attempt to answer your questions is 'hurting' the comic. Wasting time on that.

My suggestion is that Mr. Richard Burlew should stop reading this forum.

mho
If you can't understand this comic, perhaps you should consider some reading comprehension courses at the local learning annex. Rich Burlew makes a point - a point I wish to God I could emulate, frankly - of ignoring the contents of this forum. At least as pertains to the content of the comic. I believe he established this some time shirtly after incorporating the fans' inability to tell Vaarsuvius's gender (he was male) into the comic as a running gag. Because seriously, most of the stuff in this forum? Complete and utter rubbish, and reposts of rubbish, from a literary standpoint (sorry guys, but you're no Rich Burlew.)

He'll throw in an occasional shout out to things his fans must have been thinking, like the above-cited arrow panels, but seriously. If I believed Rich Burlew took plot points or jokes from this forum at any time after the first hundred comics or so (and he clearly hasn't), I would instantly lose all respect for him.

[Grey Watcher]

Rich does, occaisionally, slip in a reference to the popular speculation from the forums. I think he's handled it well. He's avoided making any such references acrimonius, and makes sure they work as jokes or lines in their own right for readers who don't visit the forums.

So, no, I don't think the forums have ever hurt the comic. Influenced it? Undoubtedly. If Rich hadn't been so immediately aware of how viscerally many of his fans hated Miko, he might have had her story turn out differently. But I've never once felt that forum reaction has caused Rich to make a choice that negatively impacted the story.

[RTGoodman]

If Rich hadn't been so immediately aware of how viscerally many of his fans hated Miko, he might have had her story turn out differently.

I don't even know about that - what's the fun of having a paladin if he/she isn't going to fall at some point during the story? :smallbiggrin:

Seriously though, a fall from grace and redemption is a big part of the genre (well, we've only seen the first half, but there's still more comic), and I'm sure Rich probably had that in mind the whole time.

[Grey Watcher]

I don't even know about that - what's the fun of having a paladin if he/she isn't going to fall at some point during the story? :smallbiggrin:

Seriously though, a fall from grace and redemption is a big part of the genre (well, we've only seen the first half, but there's still more comic), and I'm sure Rich probably had that in mind the whole time.

Well, the behind the scenes commentary in No Cure for the Paladin Blues seems to indicate that Rich hadn't originally intended Miko to be as... brutal as she turned out to be. It wasn't entirely fan reaction, as in those commentaries Rich acknowledges that most of what he wrote for her somehow came out harsher than he'd intended. Anyway, I think he'd settled on this harsher, meaner Miko long before the events leading up to the death of Shojo. I think, by the end of the trial sequence, he'd already revised what he expected to get out of Miko well away from what he had in mind when the Order was still wandering around the Dungeon of Dorukan.

[Vuzzmop]

For some time now I've been a reader of this great, GREAT comic. I wanted to say that firstly, and congratulate Richard Burlew for it.

Once upon a time I signed up in this forum but I didn't read a lot of topics.

Now, in the last months I've seen the comic quality coming down... Some sentences the characters say just don't make any sense to those of us who don't read the forum. I think that the author, in his attempt to answer your questions is 'hurting' the comic. Wasting time on that.

My suggestion is that Mr. Richard Burlew should stop reading this forum.

mho

Save your breath, he doesn't.

[RTGoodman]

Well, the behind the scenes commentary in No Cure for the Paladin Blues seems to indicate that Rich hadn't originally intended Miko to be as... brutal as she turned out to be.

Oh, okay. I don't have any of the books yet - I'm hoping someone in my family took the hint that I want them for Christmas (i.e., that I wrote down the URL and gave it to them).

[Klose_the_Sith]

Huh ... I didn't join this forum or even start reading until 508 and I haven't missed any jokes at all.

[Animefunkmaster]

I think the little interlude with Therkla and particularly someone saying she is a trusted half orc being a quick clarification on this sections gross speculations.

[Klose_the_Sith]

I think the little interlude with Therkla and particularly someone saying she is a trusted half orc being a quick clarification on this sections gross speculations.

Huh????????

:eek:

[Querzis]

If Rich hadn't been so immediately aware of how viscerally many of his fans hated Miko, he might have had her story turn out differently.

Why? Its always good to have one character you hate. They are just as necessary as the characters you love. Rich said Miko would be there until the end of the comic so she will be, I have no idea how shes gonna come back but shes still gonna come back. A good writer make us feel strong emotions, I hate Miko so much that Rich gotta be the best writer ever.

Anyway, there has been a some references to the forums but nothing that cant be understood without reading the forums, especially since everyone think about those things even before they read it (or write it) on the forum. When I saw the grand larceny guy arrow, I wondered if it was gonna hit something way before I read the theory on the forum, if the people on the forum think about it, everyone does. The arrow is still hilarious no matter if you read the forums or not because pretty much anyone would expect the arrow to hit something.

[Fish]

I think what you meant to say was, "Supposing, in theory, that Rich read these forums, and if indeed he took to heart what was being said on them vis a vis the questions, speculations, and untidy loose ends about which we debated, and if those speculations were not part of the original intention, then theoretically such an activity might, in some way, hurt the comic, possibly."

And I agree. :smallsmile:

[Ancalagon]

Now, in the last months I've seen the comic quality coming down... Some sentences the characters say just don't make any sense to those of us who don't read the forum. I think that the author, in his attempt to answer your questions is 'hurting' the comic. Wasting time on that.

Examples, please! Give examples... since I think you are wrong with that.

[Regneva]

I previously laid out some examples here:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42236

[Fozzie]

Should you all read the FAQ before posting, you would see that:

"Q: Wouldn.t it be cool if X, Y, and Z happened? You should totally do that.

A: Thanks, but I prefer to create my own plots. In fact, I try not to read anything where people suggest upcoming plot ideas because I hate it when people guess what is going to happen. I feel the uncontrollable urge to change what happens, just to prove them wrong. Petty? Probably.

Q: Hey, you used my idea I posted! Cool!

A: No, I didn.t. Even if your idea that you posted completely matches what eventually happened, you can be sure I was not inspired by your post. Largely because I probably didn.t read it (see above question)."

So people, no more discussion about this.

[Ecalsneerg]

I've never not understood any jokes because of 'forum references'. i'm not saying I've always got the jokes, I mean it's an Ameican writer (I live in the UK) and popular culture refeences will of course differ. Hell, since I started using the forums, I've understood more of these jokes probably.

[rickvoid]

Should you all read the FAQ before posting, you would see that:

"Q: Wouldn.t it be cool if X, Y, and Z happened? You should totally do that.

A: Thanks, but I prefer to create my own plots. In fact, I try not to read anything where people suggest upcoming plot ideas because I hate it when people guess what is going to happen. I feel the uncontrollable urge to change what happens, just to prove them wrong. Petty? Probably.

Q: Hey, you used my idea I posted! Cool!

A: No, I didn.t. Even if your idea that you posted completely matches what eventually happened, you can be sure I was not inspired by your post. Largely because I probably didn.t read it (see above question)."

So people, no more discussion about this.

THANK YOU!

People, just because you managed to correctly guess what would happen in the next comic, doesn't mean Rich changed the content of the next comic to fit your guess. To believe that he changes the plot at the whim of his readers is the height of arrogance, and I'm disapointed to see that many of you seem to think that he does. :smallfrown:

I read through both comics that were cited as examples. This (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0436.html) is not an example of bow to the will of the forums. This is simply showing us what happened to a poison covered arrow that misfired, an arrow that could have, depending of who it hit, had repercussions on the battle. And inthis one (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0468.html), Belkar's speach deals with interactions between magic, portable holes, and pocket dimensions; All of which are long running gags in the game that the story of based off, Dungeons and Dragons. I can't believe that Rich would skip the opportunity to insert a joke about the Bag of Holding when it comes up, just because the forum is talking about it.

Of course, I'm sure those of you who claim that you're influencing the comic will ignore my post, with your fingers stuck in you ears chanting "La la la la, I'm ignoring logic, La la la..." unto infinity. :smallfurious:

Sad. :smallannoyed: