OOTS #672 - The Discussion Thread

[npc revolution]

guess what, tomorrow is the 31st of august, can't wait to see what Rich opens the new book with!

[Acero]

guess what, tomorrow is the 31st of august, can't wait to see what Rich opens the new book with!

probably with a comic...

[Larocs Macalar]

I wanna know what will happen to haley's father. if no one remember, she has a father and need 200000 coin to free him, and i dont remember that she realized him...

[lothos]

guess what, tomorrow is the 31st of august, can't wait to see what Rich opens the new book with!

Well, here on the east coast of Australia it's already 31st August, we will most likely have to wait until 1st September here... At this time of year we are 16 hours ahead of US EST. But I don't mind the extra day wait at all, I'm sure it will be well worth it. Like Haley said to V back in strip 650, "Why are you getting so upset, what difference do ten minutes make ?"

probably with a comic...

:-) Hmmmm, well if we are going to be as generic as possible I think he will start with a number of pixels arranged on our screens in a configuration that he designs, eventually to be printed up in a book using one or more inks upon a substrate made of some kind of paper.

[spargel]

Just because a genre's conventions are used as the skeleton of a story does not mean the author is just cribbing. I would argue that, in his own way, Rich Burlew is deconstructing D&D campaigns and fantasy in general, while simultaneously providing an amazingly cool and funny story with likable characters. A story with this many surprises, this much depth, and this much fun is in fact the antithesis of cliche. I'm not saying I'm a bigger fan than any of you, but the poor use of terminology really bugs me.

Sorry, rant over.

I find the story to be cliched about half the time, and funny the other half.

[Puns de León]

:-) Hmmmm, well if we are going to be as generic as possible I think he will start with a number of pixels arranged on our screens in a configuration that he designs, eventually to be printed up in a book using one or more inks upon a substrate made of some kind of paper.

Paper? Let us not jump to conclusions. I will say only that it will be somehow transposed onto some sort of suitably flat and more or less smooth material; with eco-friendliness in mind, perhaps it will be linoleum, or bark. ;)

On topic: OOTS identifies and destroys clichés very nearly every time a strip is released. It thrives on references and subversion, but the Giant has always displayed excellent judgement in approaching tropes, and has never wandered into the realm of questionable decisions, like other authors. Don't get me started on Salvatore.

[farty_brando]

You know, I read lots of people on these forums, self-proclaimed fans no less, call the plot developments of OOTS cliche all the time. This bothers me. I'll avoid quoting Inigo Montoya, but I don't think some people are using the term correctly, or else they're just wrong.

it's difficult to make any good story without making loads of cliches. I think there are many of them here. Haley being in love with one of the team members, the bumbling fool no less, and them ending up together is a cliche. although slight less cliche then if she had ended up with roy. i think the planet in a planet thing was mabe cliche a bit.

but thats all kind of pointless because i wasn't referring to earlier in the book, i was referring to what david said as what would happen later in the story. I can tell you right now it's extremely likely that the main character/s will live happily ever after, and that's a pretty big cliche. When it comes to endings, 90% of it is generally cliche, but thats okay because its kind of unavoidable if you want to actually make a good story. i also find pretty much any romance/relationships resolving really cliche. It seems like a waste to blow all the final pages on backstory and "look we have inner peace becuz we found our long lost children/love/parents" or what not.

IMO it should have lots of epic action that changes the world forever and makes our favorite misfits the most important people around, or close to it. something that everyone would be like HEY ITS THE ORDER OF THE STICK whoaaah. then you can throw in a couple pages of LOOK MY PERSONAL PROBLMS R RESOLVED AS WELL YAY
and maybe somebody should die. But not really die because people dying sucks. so come back to life or something.
Although whether or not ANY OF THAT will actually happen is totally up in the air.

[factotum]

I can tell you right now it's extremely likely that the main character/s will live happily ever after

Except we have prophecies stating that Belkar will be dead by the end of the year and that Durkon will return to his homelands "posthumously". There's also the matter of the Oracle's prediction to Elan: when asked "Will this story have a happy ending?" the answer was "Yes--for you, at least." That's a pretty large indicator that one or more of the others will NOT be getting a happy ending, or he wouldn't have needed to add the caveat.

So, in short, you're ignoring some pretty major evidence that your theory is WRONG.

[Selene]

I'll avoid quoting Inigo Montoya, but I don't think some people are using the term correctly, or else they're just wrong.

If Inigo pointed out every time someone in the forums used a literary term incorrectly, his face muscles would hurt from talking so much.

[farty_brando]

Except we have prophecies stating that Belkar will be dead by the end of the year and that Durkon will return to his homelands "posthumously". There's also the matter of the Oracle's prediction to Elan: when asked "Will this story have a happy ending?" the answer was "Yes--for you, at least." That's a pretty large indicator that one or more of the others will NOT be getting a happy ending, or he wouldn't have needed to add the caveat.

So, in short, you're ignoring some pretty major evidence that your theory is WRONG.

not the "character/s". As in the true 'main character(s)" of the story is unknown. I'd say Roy for certain, being the leader and the most 'normal person'. But whether or not any of the other people are really part of the 'hero crew', the crew that always survives, or not, is up in the air.

Also i'd like to mention that i have seen many many stories or movies which included future prophecies or godlike beings telling the heroes they would die or lose, and yet they were still victorious.

I think that it's above 80% certainty that Roy will end up happily ever after, but who knows about the other guys. About 18% of that is the chance that Rich will somehow turn the ending into a joke, and Roy will get utterly screwed instead for laughs.

Also, people CAN die in D&D and then be rezzed. happens ALL the time. death is hardly permanent. as far as we know durkon will return to his homeland as an intelligent zombie. lol.