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Ogre in the Playground
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The Index of the Giant's Comments
Version 1.7.0
Thread "Rules" (Please Read!):
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These rules were decided by forum vote. They specify what sorts of comments are suitable for inclusion in the Index and what sorts are not. This thread is run by its caretaker in accordance with forumgoer consensus.
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a) The quote / comment must still be accessible online.
- 1. This includes the use of the internet wayback machine and other methods of accessing comments that may not still exist in the archive.
- 2. This does not include second-hand sources, like "I remember Rich said this, but the thread does not exist anymore." Even if you are 100% certain Rich said that, if the quote is not demonstrable or provable it cannot be included.
- 3. This does not include Rich's commentary in books or in any medium that cannot be legally accessed for free.
b) The Index is for collecting only quotes that have to do with the Order of the Stick comic or other fiction works by Rich Burlew.
- 1. This excludes non-comic-related opinions, statements, etc. from Rich. So if he says "I like Italian food" or something like that, it is not to be included.
- 2. This may include information tangentially related to the comic, like Rich's views on Dungeons and Dragons, book publishing, art design, etc. These quotes are still within the sphere of comic-related discussion. Uncertainty should be decided by thread poster consensus.
- 3. This excludes GiTP forum rules, updates, or general information. That is for the admins and mods to publicize and spread word about, not this index.
c) The index is a forum tool, meant primarily to provide easy access to direct statements from the author for the purpose of forum discussion. Thus, while the index may be fun to read through on a whim, this is not its primary purpose or focus - it is a research aid more than it is a trivia collection.
d) If two quotes seem to contradict each other, only the quote that illustrates Rich's most recent and current opinion or position will be included. This is because of rule c).
e) Quotes that contain redundant information need not be included. This reduces clutter. The quote should only be included if it provides new information or clarity, or if it expounds upon information included in a prior comment.
f) The index-keeper (ThePhantasm) has the job of updating the index in keeping with thread-goer consensus.
- 1. He may reorganize the index if deemed necessary, though all reorganizations can be reversed by majority vote.
- 2. He may immediately add a comment to the index without any vote, discussion, or consensus required if the comment obviously is in accordance with these agreed rules.
- 3. He may never fully "reject" a comment's inclusion, however, he may postpone its inclusion until further discussion (and, if the divide in opinion appears even, a vote) decides the matter.
- 4. If a comment's inclusion is uncertain, a vote requires a clear majority. If there is a tie the comment will not be included. The majority must have at least 2 more votes than the minority. Remember, the purpose of the discussions and votes are to reach some measure of consensus, not division.
Note: As of 3/20/12 all entries have been updated with not only the date of the comment, but the last posted comic at the time of the comment. This is simply to provide context and does not imply any shifts in opinions or decisions by Rich. Unless Rich specifically indicates that he has changed his mind or intention on something, arguments to that effect are purely speculative.
For Those Who Missed Out on Kickstarter: The swag, sans patches, will be very likely available again at some point.
Alignment -
Art -
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Character Appearances & Forum Speculation: Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. For example, just because two persons have similar hairstyles doesn't mean they are related. (10/6/2009; #683)
Examples of Rich's Non-Stick-Figure Art Talent: Rich's mad art skills on showcase. Also more here. (4/11/2012, #848)
Why the Strip Titles Aren't Above the Strip: The titles are "bonus" jokes. Rich prefers not to put them above the strip itself. (11/20/2010; #759)
True Subjective View In #843: V gets cornered. (03/7/2012; #843)
Speech Bubbles: Don't overthink them... they are subservient to the story. Malack's bubbles are only black when he "vamps out." (02/18/2013; #870)
Light and Art: The art style doesn't show lighting and shading, much like how it doesn't show noses. (02/26/2013; #871)
Art and Magic:
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Invisibility: Why the art for invisible characters isn't consistent (utility trumps consistency). (03/15/2010; #706)
Counterspelling: The Giant doesn't use different art to differentiate between counterspelling with Dispel Magic and counterspelling with the same spell. (01/23/2012; #830)
Spell Colors: The colors come from the spellcaster's choice or personality, and not their alignment or the types of magic. (06/28/2010; #731)
Meld Into Stone: Art trumps rules accuracy here in order to show the warping of the spell effect. (07/26/2012, #859)
Art and Merchandise:
D&D Rules and Explanations -
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Malack's Undead: Malack reanimates the dead Draketooths into mummies. (06/20/2012; #856)
Acid-Born Shark: Rich created it, and made fun of himself in the comic. (04/6/2011; #785)
Character Items:
Character Stats -
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OOTS' Stats: Rich hasn't written them down, and everything is up in the air until they need a specific ability. (04/10/2010; #714)
Tsukiko Breaks The Rules: Tsukiko has too many schools. Rich doesn't make character decisions based on common player trends. (08/14/2011; #800)
Durkon's Mass Death Ward: Rich did not even know Mass Death Ward existed when he wrote the strip. He pegged it at 7th level instead of 8th. (09/19/2011; #806)
Elan and Nale are Twins: So Nale has the same Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution as Elan. (05/3/2004; #65)
A Piece of Straw: Haley used a piece of straw to get out of the jail cell. Info on Haley's Dexterity, Level, etc. (01/3/2006; #262)
Tarquin Doesn't Have Trap Sense: "I don't usually bother making fun of mechanics anymore, but if I do, I'm not that subtle about it." (07/23/2012, #858)
Vampire Durkon Can Cast Spells: A cleric doesn't have to worship a deity to cast spells. (04/09/2013; #883)
Combat Scenes and Explanations -
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Battle Scenes and D&D Tactics: "My job is to entertain, not to showcase perfect D&D tactics. If you can't be entertained by anything BUT perfect D&D tactics, that's on you." (02/28/2013; #873)
Miko's Fight: How Miko defeated the OOTS off-panel and captured them. (11/30/2005; #251)
Roy's Arena Fight With Thog: Roy's strategy to taunt a dungeon-crashing Thog into breaking the pillars. (10/6/2011; #808)
Zz'Ditri's Break Enchantment: Rich didn't read the casting time while making the strip. (09/7/2011; #800)
Malack and Mass Death Ward: Why did Malack bother checking if Durkon protected himself when he could simply dispel the spell and not care at all? (03/02/2013; #876)
Rules Accuracy:
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Rules Accuracy In The Comic: "If you are looking for moment-to-moment rules accuracy from this comic, you probably should stop reading." (08/17/ 2011; #801)
Rules Accuracy In The Comic, II: Case in point: Rich avoids the D&D term "calling" for the sake of non-D&D OOTS readers, who probably would not understand its meaning. (01/10/2012; #826)
Game Balance Doesn't Matter in This Story: "I was communicating the way I expected the audience would perceive it, then I began the process of abolishing that perception." (9/20/2011, #806)
Story / Plot -
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General / Uncategorized -
Familicide (03/7/2012; #843): How it works.
Some Thoughts on Visuals and Story: People get invested in the story, not the art, of a comic. (02/18/2012; #838)
Scrying in the Desert: It was Zz'ditri who scryed on the Order after they found Girard's illusion. (02/18/2013; #870)
More Prequels? The total number of planned prequel stories is "pretty much fixed." (09/1/2011; #804)
Not everything needs a backstory, or even has an interesting one worth telling. (06/23/2010; #737)
V's Children: The Giant made them adopted to leave open the possibility that V / Inkyrius are gay or lesbian. (04/09/2013; #882)
Dragon Continuity: The Dragon Magazine strips and Gygax magazine strips exist in a separate continuity from the OOTS strips. (11/25/2012; #859)
Calendars and Dates:
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Chronology & Timeline: Anything that states a numbered, dated year references the Northern calendar. The Oracle uses the Southern calendar. Further details on timeframe of Belkar's death prophecy included. Some time references in the strip (like the deva's chart) should not be taken too literally. (05/26/2010; #725)
OOTS Age Range: Intended to be early to mid 20s. Durkon is the "dwarf equivalent" of this age range, in his 50s. (07/2/2010; #732)
Culture and Geography:
Prequels (SPOILER ALERT) -
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SoD Paladins & Miko's Fall: Only the crayon pages are narrative by Redcloak. Not every event is necessarily "seen." Certain scenes are largely shown from Redcloak's perspective. Details of why the paladins who killed Redcloak's people may or may not have fallen, why it doesn't matter, and how showing it would have cheapened the effect of Miko's fall later. (03/15/2010; #706)
The Rise of the Dark One: The other gods lost their one shot to gang up on him and kill him. The Dark One has since been building his power. (01/04/2013; #864)
Right-Eye's Family: They weren't raised because Redcloak doesn't control Team Evil's finances to pay for resurrection, Xykon does. Evil characters are not discouraged / prohibited from raising the dead in OOTSverse. (06/15/2008; #566)
How Xykon Broke Out (with some insight into The Giant's writing process). (09/07/2012; #862) On Xykon and Redcloak's escape from Lirian, see also this post.
Dragon Magazine Alternate Panel: What didn't show up in Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tails. (08/3/2011; #799)
The Crimson Mantle: Generally it is not known by non-goblins that the mantle is the source of power. (01/12/2012; #826)
Redcloak's Little Sister was not irredeemably evil, and certainly did not deserve execution. (02/14/2012; #835)
Kickstarter Bonus PDFs (SPOILER ALERT)
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Fire Threat: Belkar did not actually burn the town down on his first adventure. (02/23/2013; #870)
Cornered For Donations: "Nervous" and "Afraid" look pretty much the same, which helped with the misdirection at the start of Belkar's story. (02/25/2013; #871)
Reading Too Much Into It -
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Hidden Meanings: Not everything in the comic has one. (06/2/2009; #667)
Current Politics: There are no references to current politics in the strip beyond those which readers invent themselves. (07/2/2010; #732)
Belkar's Jokes: Belkar making a joke about something does not make it so. (04/11/2011; #786)
TV Tropes: Rich is aware it exists. No, he doesn't use it for ideas or reference it in any way in the comic. (03/4/2010; #705)
Pratchett: Rich hasn't read Pratchett. (10/26/2009; #687)
Orrin Draketooth's Daughter: She's not Haley. (11/21/2011; #811)
Malack's Chamber Plans: This was intended to use the imagery of factory farming, not the Holocaust. Malack plans to create a vampire ruling class. (03/01/2013; #875)
Malacks Vampirism and LGBT: Malack's condition is not an allegory for LGBT. (03/01/2013; #875)
Soon's Gate Backstory and Explanation
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Soon's Gem and Gate: Details about Soon's rift and how it is protected. The gate / rift could not be moved. You can shift a gate to another plane, but not another place on this plane. (08/21/ 2011; #801)
Soon's Castle: Soon built the castle, but did not build Azure City. (09/1/2011; #804)
Storytelling Mistakes? -
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Surprises Are Not Deus Ex Machinas (09/19/2011; #806)
No Purpose? "As a general rule of thumb, no one should say the sentence, 'There's no (or no other) possible narrative purpose for Rich to have done X!' until the story is completed. Because there's always a narrative purpose, you just haven't thought of what it is." (01/10/2012; #826)
A Missed Opportunity in #602? Why Hilgya was not the Cleric of Loki working for the Thieves' Guild.
Typo in #597? Nope. It is a joke. (09/30/2008; #597)
True Resurrection as a narrative-wrecking device, and an answer to the age-old "why didn't x character do y?" question. (9/07/2012; #862)
Racism and Sex in OOTS: Rich answers two separate concerns: One, whether there is some correlation between skin color and promiscuity, and two, whether there is too much promiscuity among the women portrayed in the comic. The short answer to both is no. (05/2/2009; #650)
The Gods Created Creatures After The World Was Created: Is this a contradiction? No. There is no Gaia hypothesis in OOTS world. (3/20/2012, #845)
On Plots and Boredom: "If one does not care about the protagonists or antagonists and is not emotionally invested in their struggles, and all one cares about is the resolution of the MacGuffin chase, then you will almost certainly be bored with a lot of the material I'm producing." (03/02/2013; #876)
On Character Importance and Leadership Skills: The Giant doesn't feel a character suffers for not having "leadership skills," and won't force someone's development just to give them said skills. (04/07/2013; #882)
Plot Holes:
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Giant's Response I: Including - why Haley was surprised that Miko was killed, info on Nale's self-delusion and ego, how the rift got so close to Xykon's Tower (it grew), and what is and isn't a plot hole. (11/29/2011; #816)
Giant's Response II: A character thinking one thing instead of another thing is not a mistake, it just is. The rift grew according to Redcloak's predictions, but he was measuring the actual hole, not the cracks. (11/30/2011; #816)
Why Destroy Tsukiko's Remains if Redcloak was just going to tell Xykon he killed her? One reason is so that Xykon would be unable to Speak With Dead on Tsukiko... or Raise Dead. (01/26/2013; #866)
Writing Process and Story Development
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V's Gender History: Why Rich made V's gender ambiguous and what discussions about it were like in the early days. Roy's 'V-man' comment is not necessarily indicative of V's true gender. (05/29/2011; #793)
Dungeon of Dorukan History: Originally, Dorukan was not even necessarily a person. (06/20/2005; #196)
On Writing Female Characters: The difficulties and fan reactions. (04/09/2013; #883)
The Dwarven god Thor: OOTS Thor is not based off of D&D Thor. Until referenced in the comic, the Nordic legends / mythology does not exist in OOTSverse. (07/12/2004; #86)
LGBT Characters: Why there aren't more in the comic. (04/08/2013; #882) (Also see this.)
Character Development / Backstory:
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Parental Problems: Background info on the parents of various characters like Elan and Haley, including character / plot development history. (11/18/2011; #815)
Miko and Shojo: Shojo was the "tape" that held Miko's character together for so long. He was responsible for much in Miko that was good / positive. (11/18/2011; #815)
Miko's Popularity: Miko's story was not "cut short" because of fan opinions - it was precisely the length intended. Rich does not make storytelling decisions based on finances. ( 12/18/2012 #863)
Durkon and Malack's Breakup: Durkon reacts not only to Malack's vampirism, but to his alliance with the Linear Guild. He knows that Malack does not know Belkar isn't innocent. (02/26/2013; #872)
V's Splices: There won't be a prequel book about them, and Rich hasn't developed a backstory for them. Just 3 evil souls. (08/21/2011; #801)
Worldbuilding vs. Foreshadowing: "Say hello to your boss for me." (08/18/2011; #801)
Haley's Leadership: A greedy self-centered rogue becomes leader. Belkar and Haley are the only one's who questioned her leadership skills during the Azure City Resistance. (04/07/2013; #882)
Character Names:
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Malack's Name: Not based off of Darth Malak. Originally was going to be named Malachi. (10/10/2010; #749)
Tarquin's Name: Named after a Roman King, not the Grand Moff. (10/11/2010; #749)
Azurite Names: Why O-Chul isn't Oh Chul. (03/10/2013; #879)
The Story as a D&D Spoof:
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D&D Spoof: The Giant on the comic's shift in focus from D&D gag-a-day jokes to a story that might appeal to a broader fanbase. (01/22/ 2012; #829)
D&D Spoof Part II: More on the above topic. (01/29/2012; #831)
Geekademia Interview Table of Contents
eBooks: Yes, Rich has considered it. Digital PDF's are not in the works. Rich prefers to sell physical copy books. (4/11/2011, #786)
Top Webcomics: Do not vote for OOTS on Top Webcomics. (5/19/2010, #724)
Updates:
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1.1.1 - Unlogged Updates from thread's inception to Feb. 29th 2012
1.1.2 - [ 1]
1.1.3 - [ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
1.2.0 - Added Geekademia Interview [3/15/12]
1.3.0 - Added dates / last-comic-at-the-date-of-the-comment info to all entries in the index. [3/20/12]
1.3.1 - [ 1]
1.4.0 - Added the Thread Rules [4/8/12]
1.4.1 - [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
1.4.2 - [ 1]
1.4.3 - Dates added where necessary.
1.4.4 - [ 1]
1.4.5 - [ 1]
1.5.0 - Added several new subcategories: "Arts & Merchandise," "Culture and Geography," "Calendars and Dates," and "Rules Accuracy." [07/06/2012]
1.5.1 - [ 1] [ 2]
1.5.2 - [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
1.5.3 - [ 1]
1.5.4 - [ 1] [ 2]
1.5.5 - [ 1] [ 2]
1.5.6 - [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
1.5.7 - [ 1] [ 2]
1.5.8 - [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
1.6.0 - MEGA UPDATE [04/13/13]
- - [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11] [ 12]
1.7.0 - Links Changed to Post Tags [05/19/2013]
Special Thanks
. . . to Xapi and B.Dandelion for transcribing the Geekademia interview. Reformatted for the index by ThePhantasm. Original interview by Jesse Baruffi and David Lawrence of Geekademia.
. . . to Jasdoif for adding the date and "most recent comic" info to each summary.
. . . to theangelJean for switching the link tags to "post" tags to save space.
__________________
Thanks, Bradakhan, for the avatar!
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
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Last edited by ThePhantasm : 05-19-2013 at 05:36 PM.
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