Attention: Giant

[wax_on_a_candle]

I absolutely love OotS and am eternally grateful to whoever it was that introduced me to it.

I wanted to make some constructive criticism however.
I understand the reasons that forced you to change the schedule for the release of comics but i would caution you to realise that those reasons, which admittedly had an adverse affect on your health, may have been an important ingredient in what made OotS special.
I have started to consider this possibility after noticing a change in ... ambience (?) in recent comics.

Perhaps a possible compromise would be to reintroduce the schedule but less frequently, say 2 a week, monday and thurs maybe or even 3 every 2 weeks perhaps?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I think the change in ambiance is entirely intentional. The story has recently taken some drastic turns, and those usually end up changing the mood of a story.

If you're saying that OOTS has been losing quality lately, I must disagree. It's still good, it's just good in a different way. Less cracking jokes for the sake of cracking jokes, more story-central activity. This isn't always the case, but at the moment it seems to be.

What exactly is your complaint with the comic at the moment, besides the loss of "an important ingredient in what made OotS special?" Or, barring that, what exactly WAS lost?

-The Djinn

[tenguro]

I agree I don't see the point here. Also The quality of the comic is still awesome(atleast for me) and yeah I admit I liked it when Rich updated 3 times a week, but this schedule works for me, and somebodies health is more important, I know this is how Rich makes his living, but still.

[The Hop Goblin]

I always thought that Giant could drop back to 2x or 1x per week, while secretly building up that 'buffer' he always wanted. Then when things get a little rough for him personally, he can skate on the buffer in the mean time.

[VetMichael]

I can understand someone who has just been introduced to the comic sensing a change, particularly if they've not been hanging around the forums much. I think Rich is doing a fine job, particularly since he provides these webcomics for free, and any schedule he decides to adhere to (or not) is totally up to him and I, for one, am grateful every time there's a new comic up - particularly because the Chaotic side of me prefers surprises to "hey, it's Wednesday, shouldn't there be a comic up?" kind of predictability. This, I think, preserves his creativity so episodes don't wind up being forced and contrived (though would it KILL you to include a few Aboleths every once in a while? :smallbiggrin: )

[Icewalker]

I think he should just go at whatever pace suits him. I haven't noticed any real changes.

@ Djinn: Heey, haven't seen you around in a while.

[VetMichael]

I can understand someone who has just been introduced to the comic sensing a change, particularly if they've not been hanging around the forums much. I think Rich is doing a fine job, particularly since he provides these webcomics for free, and any schedule he decides to adhere to (or not) is totally up to him and I, for one, am grateful every time there's a new comic up - particularly because the Chaotic side of me prefers surprises to "hey, it's Wednesday, shouldn't there be a comic up?" kind of predictability. This, I think, preserves his creativity so episodes don't wind up being forced and contrived (though would it KILL you to include a few Aboleths every once in a while? :smallbiggrin: )

[batsofchaos]

I've had a similar feeling to what the OP is describing. The best way to describe it is anticipation-disappointment. I really like the comic, and I want to read more of it than is available, so when there is an update I'm very excited. However, the update is usually only one more page of stuff, and I get a little disappointed because it was great, but it wasn't enough. When an update schedule was kept, it was much easier to deal with the whole shebang; I knew that I just needed to wait two/three days for the next installment. With the new schedule, I have no idea when the next installment will come; maybe tomorrow, maybe a week from today. It's certainly not anything to get angry over (for me, anyway), but it's a little bit of a downer that tinges the 'newest comic' with a bit of bittersweetness.

I have found that going back through the last thirty strips or so at one sitting is a great read, so I surmise that the quality of the newer strips is not to blame, and it's just that the waiting game sucks.

[Alfryd]

Perhaps a possible compromise would be to reintroduce the schedule but less frequently, say 2 a week, monday and thurs maybe or even 3 every 2 weeks perhaps?
He's effectively been doing 2 strips a week now, (on average,) for several months, but he still can't seem to pin down a regular schedule.
I wouldn't get my hopes up.

(Damnit, Rich- the idea was that you would start squirreling away installments to the update buffer, and then you could procrastinate in favour of your 'emergencies' and 'family issues' and 'having to breathe oxygen'. I've never heard such whining.)

I honestly have no particular complaints to make about strip quality- on average it's been pretty damn good lately- but I do wish he would stop claiming to update thrice a week -mostly because it's a goddamn lie.

Also, bring back Miko. ...we need Miko. I need Miko. You don't know what I'm capable of.

[shadeofblack]

schedules are evil.

[Yoritomo Himeko]

Well, this has been what I've been saying for a while.

If Rich is having a lot of trouble with his health, why doesn't he just take a break? Maybe a week or two more than he needs. Then he could finally build up a buffer and the comics would come out more evenly. He can even work on some of the other projects he has.

The comic got better when he took those three weeks off back in August. So, shouldn't he do that again?

This is only a suggestion.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

If Rich is having a lot of trouble with his health, why doesn't he just take a break?
His problem, whatever it is, is chronic. It's not going away no matter how long his break is.

[RTGoodman]

However, the update is usually only one more page of stuff, and I get a little disappointed because it was great, but it wasn't enough. When an update schedule was kept, it was much easier to deal with the whole shebang; I knew that I just needed to wait two/three days for the next installment. With the new schedule, I have no idea when the next installment will come; maybe tomorrow, maybe a week from today. It's certainly not anything to get angry over (for me, anyway), but it's a little bit of a downer that tinges the 'newest comic' with a bit of bittersweetness.

[...] it's just that the waiting game sucks.


It's just a suggestion, but maybe you could find some other webcomics? Not that they're going to be as good as or better than OotS, but some are indeed really good.

If you like the style itself, check out some of the "fan-comics" in the Arts & Crafts forum (I particularly like Anti-Heroes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68504)), and there are several not on this site that are great. If it's the fantasy genre you like, Chainmail Bikini (http://www.feartheboot.com/comic/default.aspx?c=16) updates twice a week (Monday and Friday) pretty regularly, Kukuburi (http://www.kukuburi.com/2007/08/09/one/)updates every Tuesday with about 2-3 pages of new material, and I'm sure there are others out there that I don't read regularly. And if you haven't checked it out yet, you should support Erfworld (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0001.html) while you're here, too.

[batsofchaos]

It's just a suggestion, but maybe you could find some other webcomics? Not that they're going to be as good as or better than OotS, but some are indeed really good.

If you like the style itself, check out some of the "fan-comics" in the Arts & Craft forum (I particularly like Anti-Heroes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68504)), and there are several not on this site that are great. If it's the fantasy genre you like, Chainmail Bikini (http://www.feartheboot.com/comic/default.aspx?c=16) updates twice a week (Monday and Friday) pretty regularly, Kukuburi (http://www.kukuburi.com/2007/08/09/one/)updates every Tuesday with about 2-3 pages of new material, and I'm sure there are others out there that I don't read regularly. And if you haven't checked it out yet, you should support Erfworld (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0001.html) while you're here, too.

I actually have an expansive list of webcomics I read regularly, and a couple that I read in batches because I'm not as grabbed by them/they update very slowly/the pacing is wrong for reading a page as they come out.

OotS is just far and away my favorite.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Please do not discuss the timing of comic posting; it has been designated an Inappropriate Topic on these forums.