Questionable Content XVIII: "That's only sort of good news"

[Cazero]

It seems odd seeing (here and elsewhere) the "gamer basement" being made into an aspiration, rather than something arranged out of necessity (largely because one's parents don't appreciate having a dining room table or living room television monopolized for long periods of time).

Someone's never known the bliss of underground protection against the dreaded orb of desication that puts blinding lights on every reflective screen it touches.

[Gnoman]

It seems odd seeing (here and elsewhere) the "gamer basement" being made into an aspiration, rather than something arranged out of necessity (largely because one's parents don't appreciate having a dining room table or living room television monopolized for long periods of time).

Having a space dedicated to a hobby is quite nice - it doesn't get in the way of your day-to-day life (such as having controllers or games taking up space in your main living spaces) but allows you to set things up in a comfortable and accessible way (such as having all your games on a nice shelf instead of sticking them in a shoebox under the TV or something). For hobbies where natural light is a detriment, a basement is a superb location (provided that it is suitably dry and furnished) because basements get little natural light by virtue of being underground. In a shared living space, it also tends to maximize the space between a potentially noisy activity and the other residents, who will be at least one floor above, possibly two, and thus less bothered by activity in sleep periods.

A lot of people I know have a game room or home theatre setup in the basement rather than the living room. Indeed, to a certain extent that's where the exiled-from-necessity version started - kids were told to go play in the basement rec room instead of the living room.

[Eldan]

Yeah... I'd love to have a livable cellar. Our current one is a shared room for three parties, with low ceilings, raw brick walls and gravel floor, that regularly gets flooded by groundwater. I used to live in a place where I could rent a cellar room, which I used mostly for mini painting and other hobby projects, and man was it ever nice to be able to go down there for a few hours in the summer. It's 35° now outside, I'm dying.

[Wildstag]

I dunno how much this forum pays attention to Jeph's twitter, but he posted this today, so tumultuous times ahead, by the sound of it.

[Willie the Duck]

I dunno how much this forum pays attention to Jeph's twitter, but he posted this today, so tumultuous times ahead, by the sound of it.

For those of us who can't open twitter on a work computer, can you give the 3-sentence version?

[Kish]

Jeph wants everyone to know that the forthcoming arc will "get wild" but he's not bringing the comic to an end.

[Rodin]

That's more concerning than anything. I was down for a "Marigold buys a house" storyline, because however awful the story leading up to it was that sounds like a fun story to pursue.

This sounds like a more major world change. Lessee....

Marigold wants to buy a house, but there's nowhere in Northampton that suits her needs. So she's going to move away.

At the same time, Claire finally gets a job offer. Claire and Marten move away.

At the same time, Dora and Tai get married. Tai gets a good offer elsewhere, so Dora sells the shop and they move away.

Hannelore leaves again for...well, pretty much any reason under the sun.

With all of her friends gone, Faye engages in destructive behaviour, breaks up with Bubbles, and goes back to Georgia.

The rest of the comic turns to focus full-time on Roko's non-profit and fictional robot politics that are a thinly-veiled reference to real world issues. Secondary protagonist becomes Renee, because why not?

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I don't think I would ever want him to do a "grand finale". It's not that type of story. Just say "life goes on" and that's it. It's not like OOTS where we're all waiting with bated breath for the big conclusion.

[geoduck]

That's more concerning than anything. I was down for a "Marigold buys a house" storyline, because however awful the story leading up to it was that sounds like a fun story to pursue.

This sounds like a more major world change. Lessee....

Marigold wants to buy a house, but there's nowhere in Northampton that suits her needs. So she's going to move away.

At the same time, Claire finally gets a job offer. Claire and Marten move away.

At the same time, Dora and Tai get married. Tai gets a good offer elsewhere, so Dora sells the shop and they move away.

Hannelore leaves again for...well, pretty much any reason under the sun.

I'd vote for Claire and Marten leaving as being the most likely. (Not that I particularly agree or disagree with this idea.)

[Mechalich]

I'd vote for Claire and Marten leaving as being the most likely. (Not that I particularly agree or disagree with this idea.)

I actually think Dora & Tai are more likely. Those two haven't appeared in the strip to do anything other than discuss their impending nuptials for probably over 1000 strips. They are primed to make an exit. Also, I think the elevation of Aurelia as a significant character (I do not think Jeph can help himself going back to the MommyMilkers well) makes Claire's retention more likely.

Also, if Tai leaves Claire can have her job, which is a nice little way to handle that issue and also might actually push Marten to move forward with his life. Further Jim can buyout Coffee of Doom from Dora, allowing for a condensation of the action to one location.

[Traab]

I actually think Dora & Tai are more likely. Those two haven't appeared in the strip to do anything other than discuss their impending nuptials for probably over 1000 strips. They are primed to make an exit. Also, I think the elevation of Aurelia as a significant character (I do not think Jeph can help himself going back to the MommyMilkers well) makes Claire's retention more likely.

Also, if Tai leaves Claire can have her job, which is a nice little way to handle that issue and also might actually push Marten to move forward with his life. Further Jim can buyout Coffee of Doom from Dora, allowing for a condensation of the action to one location.

Honestly, at this point tai and dora leaving would mean almost nothing. They have been so detached from events we hardly remember them and havent impacted anything in im not sure how long. Im thinking bubbles faye drama is the biggest potential issue for major drama and bad things to happen. But even then it wouldnt really suggest the comic is ending. So my money is going to go with a marten/claire arc where it at least looks like moving away is on the table because he is the original character after all, having him gone would be like having garfield die. Sure Odie and nermal are there, but its not the same.

[Kish]

Honestly, at this point tai and dora leaving would mean almost nothing. They have been so detached from events we hardly remember them

Speak for yourself.

[Wraith]

"It's been months...." (Referring to the MM420/BurgerOni stream and resulting youtube videos - it happened some time ago, apparently)

"So they actually met up..." (Referring to Aurelia meeting Marigold like he doesn't know the details?)

The time-skip is a little jarring, but not quite as much as the realisation that it sounds like Claire and Clinton haven't spoken to each other since the event, and are just now catching up about it months later.

...This isn't going to be a flash-back/exposition arc, is it? We jump ~3 months into the future and now Claire and Clinton spend the next week explaining how nice Dora/Tai's wedding was, and how Claire got offered her new job out of state and she's just now about to get on the bus to leave?

...I guess that'd be one way to avoid having to draw wedding dresses, a big venue, and a bunch of one-shot characters again while shaking up the status quo as was promised?

[Cikomyr2]

T-T-T-TIME JUMP

Tike to shake the status quo

[Dame_Mechanus]

The time-skip is a little jarring, but not quite as much as the realisation that it sounds like Claire and Clinton haven't spoken to each other since the event, and are just now catching up about it months later.

I took it less as "we haven't spoken since then" and more as "I never really talked about the fact that you were in the room where it happened, huh?" But both readings are valid until we know more.

[Eldan]

Have claire and Marigold really never met before?

[Keltest]

Have claire and Marigold really never met before?

I dont know, but Claire is attempting to respect Marigold's privacy by not revealing her identity unless invited to. She was cagey with Martin too.

[Delicious Taffy]

Oh, it's "been months", has it? That's one way not to show us the tedious process of buying a house or....I guess any of the other ongoing stories. Was anything else going on? I swear Pintsize was doing something with clothes and maybe something about Faye and Bubbles having mild tension? Wasn't Roko in the middle of some kinda lawsuit? Actually maybe it's best if I don't remember.

[KillianHawkeye]

So a comic where a week passing takes literal years IRL just skipped ahead a few months?

[Radar]

So a comic where a week passing takes literal years IRL just skipped ahead a few months?

That's not unusual actually. Time in a webcomics is spent according to needs. Sometimes a single day will take years to publish even with a tight release schedule. A single action scene lasting 5 to 15 minutes will obviously take multiple pages. On the other hand, whole days, weeks or months do get skipped when there is nothing relevant to cover. There were surely many more timeskips even in QC just not as clearly stated as for sure the seasons did change at some points.

What is surprising though is that this timeskip came out of nowhere here as there were a lot of things going on right then and there. Typically timeskips would be used between arcs or something.

[Wraith]

I took it less as "we haven't spoken since then" and more as "I never really talked about the fact that you were in the room where it happened, huh?" But both readings are valid until we know more.

That's fair. I still think it's kind of odd that exactly one interesting thing has happened, and that Claire and Clinton haven't discussed it except for waiting 'months' to bring it up as though it was yesterday.... But yeah. Tomorrow could show that Claire has been living abroad for 2 months after a sudden and unexpected job offer, and this is her first time back home in a while?

I remain sceptical... But let no one say I'm not open minded about random swerves to peoples' lives at short notice.

Have claire and Marigold really never met before?

They were at the Lakehouse party together. Marigold is the... third? Person that Claire has been shown serving coffee to, which led to Claire watching Marigold leave the shop with Aurelia after having it confirmed that she was Mom's vtubing buddy. But no, I don't think they have ever interacted directly, and socially.

What is surprising though is that this timeskip came out of nowhere here as there were a lot of things going on right then and there. Typically timeskips would be used between arcs or something.

Jeph has even proven he can do it better, like that time when Faye was working at the fighting arena. Several months were covered in a single strip, and it was a perfectly good one that showed how things were happening, just nothing of note except for characters living their life for a while.

This is just... Kinda pointless? "Months later" and characters are still having the same conversations that just as reasonably could have taken place "the next day". What is the point of the timeskip, if it's only to avoid having to draw the wedding, or the house moving, or the things that we're about to have explained to us?

[Morquard]

Hadn't Aurelia mentioned she's been turned into a meme before or something? Maybe he's referring to that incident, and basically saying "OMG, not again! I'm still having the old stuff pop up and now this is gonna add on top?"

[KillianHawkeye]

Hadn't Aurelia mentioned she's been turned into a meme before or something? Maybe he's referring to that incident, and basically saying "OMG, not again! I'm still having the old stuff pop up and now this is gonna add on top?"

Doubtful? He specifically mentioned the eating ass comment as the thing he's still seeing about.

[Mordokai]

Whomever said it was Marten and Claire most likely to move away, you seem to be proven right.

[DavidSh]

Or the comic could relocate to PEI, where Claire further transforms into an Anne of Green Gables lookalike.

[Morquard]

Doubtful? He specifically mentioned the eating ass comment as the thing he's still seeing about.

Hmm, good point. Yes seems here was a timeskip

[Vinyadan]

Damn, Clinton could plough a field with that chin.

[Wraith]

Question: Why do AIs need a physical library, let alone a super-advanced cube-shaped one? They have the entire internet inside their head, including every book ever printed, and more besides.

Similarly, why do AIs need a novice, human librarian to work at the library that they don't need? They have the entire internet inside their head, including floor-plan and a detailed instruction on the dewey decimal system.

I do approve of the hook-handed evil nemesis plan, though. That sounds like a wise career choice in today's market. Lots of fresh air, plenty of exercise, set your own hours, getting to meet lots of interesting people (albeit if only briefly....)

Damn, Clinton could plough a field with that chin.

At least his nose hasn't turned semi-transparent so that you can see the rim of his glasses through them. Again.

[Mechalich]

Question: Why do AIs need a physical library, let alone a super-advanced cube-shaped one? They have the entire internet inside their head, including every book ever printed, and more besides.

The boundary between 'library' and 'archival datacenter' may be a bit nebulous in this alternate future. It's possible that the AIs want some kind of specialized hard-linked archive in a single location, rather than networked across the planet, for various advanced programming and hardware reasons.

Similarly, why do AIs need a novice, human librarian to work at the library that they don't need? They have the entire internet inside their head, including floor-plan and a detailed instruction on the dewey decimal system.

Maybe the AIs are developed a new archival data framework designed to have equal ease of use by both humans and AIs and they desire the perspective of a freshly minted librarian for this purpose?

This whole Cubetown thing also raises the question of whether or not Cubetown is considered part of Canada or is intended to be part of some sort of sovereign AI state. That's kind of important, for a bunch of reasons, but especially those involving Marten, since Marten can't move to Canada (or any other country really) to live with Claire unless they get married first.

[Delicious Taffy]

Marten can't move to Canada (or any other country really) to live with Claire unless they get married first.

Unmarried people can't move in together in Canada? That's strange.

[geoduck]

Unmarried people can't move in together in Canada? That's strange.

Pretty sure he can't emigrate to Canada with no job of his own waiting for him. Living arrangements once there aren't an issue.