"...or even if it will be the next book I publish"

[fergo]

In the latest Kickstarter announcement, Rich said that he didn't want to include the current book as a prize because, of amongst other things, he wasn't sure of the above.

So, I thought it might just be time for some baseless speculation . Does anything think Rich has any specific projects in mind?

The first thing I thought of was another prequel, but since the Linear Guild and Tarquin are the only two major parties not already covered, and it would make sense to do them both in one book, and in any case it would make far more sense to publish them after the story arc involving Tarquin was published (not to mention any revelations upcoming in future arcs ) I didn't think it was very likely.

Anyone else have any ideas?

[MammonAzrael]

The current speculation with the largest support is another book like SSaDT, a compilation of all the stories that Rich is making for the Kickstarter drive (O-Chul, the 3 $1250 stories, Dim Sun, etc). There is almost enough material right there for a book.

Of course, it's all speculation, and I believe The Giant has stated that there are no current plans for a book like that, either. Pure rumor and theory.

[Xapi]

The current speculation with the largest support is another book like SSaDT, a compilation of all the stories that Rich is making for the Kickstarter drive (O-Chul, the 3 $1250 stories, Dim Sun, etc). There is almost enough material right there for a book.

Of course, it's all speculation, and I believe The Giant has stated that there are no current plans for a book like that, either. Pure rumor and theory.

What you need to remember is that The Giant doesn't do e-books because he thinks that e-books mess up his projections for printed book sales.

Now, imagine just HOW messed up the projections would be if he were to launch a book for print that was already available months before as a PDF and that at least 4000 of his most loyal fans already had...

The only way something like this could be turned into a book would be via it's own separate kickstarter project, and I don't think The Giant would have the time to take care of something like that with all of the obligations he's putting upon himself (Extra comics, signed stuff, etc.)

I think he's most likely already working on a prequel book (Linear Guild? Tarquin's Co.? Order of the Scribble? Two of them? All three of them?) but he has not yet decided wich book will see the print first (Either book 5 or the already being worked on prequel).

[NerfTW]

The biggest possibility is the long awaited third prequel book mentioned way back in NCFtPB. The two likely candidates being a Linear Guild or Order of the Scribble book. Or another SSDT style book, not necessarily of the bonuses. And most likely not the bonuses. As mentioned, e-books take too many customers away from the print books for the print book to be reasonably priced. (price goes down with higher print runs)

But that wasn't a confirmation, just a statement of fact. There's lots of things that could happen in the meantime, up to and including Rich not being able to do the comic anymore and working on something else. As much as we'd like to hope for the best, authors don't always finish their works. Paying for a book that already won't come out for over a year at the least is foolish enough. But for a book that might never come out is even worse.

[Fitzclowningham]

Could it be...

Spoiler

Show

...another Prequel?

Be still my heart.

[NerfTW]

Could it be...

Spoiler

Show

...another Prequel?

Be still my heart.

Keep in mind that wasn't a confirmation of anything, but a statement of fact. Any book five would be over a year away, and anything can happen between now and then, including not being able to finish the Order of the Stick or even this arc at all.

[Chess435]

If the reprint drive keeps going at this rate, it'll be pushing a million by the end!

[SavageWombat]

Order of the Stick: Top 10 Crack Pairings

with bonus pullout by Royo.

[Alagaesian]

...the Linear Guild and Tarquin are the only two major parties not already covered...

Quite a few people, myself included, are very curious about the Order of the Scribble. There seems to be a lot of story potential there - it ends with three party members ready to slit each other's throats, for crying out loud! You could make an argument that we know everything we'd need to know about them, but then again, a new reader could make that same case against SoD and OtOoPCs now.

[Tanuki Tales]

I just want to say that I'd still personally buy a print version of the pdf stories, even though I'm getting them anyways for making the pledge level I'm at.

I like to own something tangibly, even if I can and do have a pdf version of it, and I'm far more likely to have some horror beset me that results in the loss of my pdf versions than a print version.

But that's just my two coppers on the subject and I already know and understand why this isn't likely to happen unless Rich makes it into a particularly larger book with new material.

[SpaceBadger]

Quite a few people, myself included, are very curious about the Order of the Scribble. There seems to be a lot of story potential there - it ends with three party members ready to slit each other's throats, for crying out loud! You could make an argument that we know everything we'd need to know about them, but then again, a new reader could make that same case against SoD and OtOoPCs now.

True, but I think if we had that much info on the Order of the Scribble it would probably spoil some of what the Giant has planned for the big ending of the current OOTS story. Maybe a Scribble prequel after the big finale, but I don't see it coming before that.

[Raistlin82]

Quite a few people, myself included, are very curious about the Order of the Scribble. There seems to be a lot of story potential there - it ends with three party members ready to slit each other's throats, for crying out loud! You could make an argument that we know everything we'd need to know about them, but then again, a new reader could make that same case against SoD and OtOoPCs now.

I don't care when it's made, but I'd love to see an Order of the Scribble (and their oddly names foes) prequel.
Maybe they could even fight against one of the three spliced souls at one point (not all of them, though... that would be contrived).
Or maybe they could even have a brief encounter (not "Gate-related") with Tarquin & Co. when they were younger and less expert...

[NerfTW]

True, but I think if we had that much info on the Order of the Scribble it would probably spoil some of what the Giant has planned for the big ending of the current OOTS story. Maybe a Scribble prequel after the big finale, but I don't see it coming before that.

Exactly. And there's no reason the prequel book has to come out now or before the last book. Also keep in mind that it can come out while the last book is running on the web.

Since there hasn't been any confirmation of when the book is coming out, it could be either party.

[Adama]

In the latest Kickstarter announcement, Rich said that he didn't want to include the current book as a prize because, of amongst other things, he wasn't sure of the above.

So, I thought it might just be time for some baseless speculation . Does anything think Rich has any specific projects in mind?

I think he's just covering all his bases. The way he talks about publishing the current storyline as a book, it sounds relatively far off, so he's probably just hedging in case something else pops up before then.

If he's like any other writer, he's probably got a bunch of different theoretical ideas in his head (or even notes jotted down) but nothing that's really that tangible.

[Zevox]

If it happens, I'd wager on either another Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales style book (possibly including the PDFs from Kickstarter, possibly not, either way definitely with new content), or a prequel focused on either the Linear Guild or the Order of the Scribble, once we get whatever relevant story info might be preventing it.

That's strictly speculation though. Most likely Adama is right though, he's just covering his bases, without necessarily having anything specific in mind.

Zevox

[Grey Watcher]

Wouldn't a Tarquin & Co. prequel and a Linear Guild prequel be pretty much the same story? As I understand the events in the comic, the Linear Guild was born out of Nale's failed attempt to seize power for himself during the rise of the Empire of Blood, which was only two years ago, and I believe it's already been a year since the Dungeon of Dorukan blew up. Nale was already associated with Sabine, Thog, and Yikyik as of his failed coup, so any Origin of PC's style backstory vignettes for those four would be very closely tied in with the goings on of Tarquin and his cronies.

As for the Order of the Scribble, while I'm sure there IS a very good yarn to tell there as well, I almost wonder if that's TOO much for a prequel book, especially one that's "in production" at the same time as the main narrative. Just look at how long it's taking the Order of the Stick to find each gate and deal with their antagonists along the way. The Order of the Scribble must've had an even longer quest seeking the rifts out (without any foreknowledge of where they might be or just how many there were). They had to determine their nature, develop the gates, all, I'm sure, while dealing with the same wide variety of side- and subplots that the Order of the Stick does.

Not that it wouldn't make for fascinating reading, or that we, as fans, wouldn't eat it up, but it does seem to me like a dauntingly large task to tell a story that has the potential to be the same kind of sprawling epic that as the main narrative while still trying to keep up with writing that main narrative in the first place.

My personal piece of entirely unfounded speculation on the nature of the next not-directly-part-of-the-main-narrative book is that it's going to be a collection of short stories about various ant-, deuter- and other-agonists. A few pages about Tsukiko first getting into Necromancy. Some scenes from Tarquin's life. Some stories about Lord Shojo and the Sapphire Guard. Exactly why Julio Scoundrel is wanted in Azure City. A day in the life of the Oracle. Vaarsuvius' parents taking their then-young son on a camping trip. More wacky adventures from those two assassins in the Inn in... Nowhere? Somewhere? The basic idea is an anthology of stories from the lives and times of people who are not The Order of the Stick or Team Evil.

That or 200 pages of the Dirt Farmers arguing.

[Morgan Wick]

Also, the O-Chul story we're getting kind of stomps on the toes of an Order of the Scribble prequel, especially if it covers the Sapphire Guard a lot.

Let's see how much we find out about the Scribblers by the end of this book. If it's a lot, it may actually set the stage for an Order of the Scribble prequel because Rich wouldn't necessarily have to spoil too much.

[Flame of Anor]

If the reprint drive keeps going at this rate, it'll be pushing a million by the end!

It won't, but we've still done amazing things.

Order of the Stick: Top 10 Crack Pairings

with bonus pullout by Royo.

Nooooo....nonononono

Quite a few people, myself included, are very curious about the Order of the Scribble.

I second this.

Also, the O-Chul story we're getting kind of stomps on the toes of an Order of the Scribble prequel, especially if it covers the Sapphire Guard a lot.

What? No, the Order of the Scribble ended decades ago. Soon Kim was done adventuring and installed as leader of the Sapphire Guard, and possibly even dead already, by the time O-Chul's career began.

[Joxer t' Mighty]

Little Psion That Could, the complete children's book

[The Extinguisher]

It won't, but we've still done amazing things.

Technically, at the rate we're going we will get over 1 million by the last day, but that's only if we stay at the rate we're going now (I imagine we're going to slow down a lot)

[Flame of Anor]

Technically, at the rate we're going we will get over 1 million by the last day, but that's only if we stay at the rate we're going now (I imagine we're going to slow down a lot)

That's what I mean--we won't maintain the rate.

[Porthos]

While I agree that an Order of the Rift/Scribble book has the potential to be very spoily, Start of Darkness wasn't exactly light on the spoilers either. But, as near as I can remember, Rich chose to release it during the Battle for Azure City arc as he thought that was the right time to tell that story.

Now due to various minor problems here and there, the timing was off by a couple of months. But it still was told more or less when Rich wanted to tell it.

So is this the right time to tell either a Scribble or Linear Guild/Tarquin story? Well for the later, I'd say absolutely. The family ties between the LG and Tarquin are a major component to the just preceeeded arc, and look to be important for the foreseeable future. As for the former? Maybe, maybe not. Probably wouldn't hurt for whatever we see go down when the OotS gets close to Girard's Gate.

[isocum]

I expect to have a "gate" book, a "sidequest" book and a prequel for every gate. for example we had dungeon crawlin fools for first gate's book, no cure for paladin blues as the sidequest between the arcs, and on the origin of the pcs as prequel. same pattern repeated for the sapphire gate with war&XPs, don't split the party and start of darkness. so if this pattern holds, we should have 2 gate books, a sidequest book before the last gate, and 2 prequels at least(+maybe an epilogue, but i doubt that).

as for the next book, I expect order of the scribble prequel will be the last prequel before the final gate, so most likely we will get a prequel fleshing out iffc and girard, tarquin and nale's respective guilds.

[The Succubus]

Order of the Stick: Top 10 Crack Pairings

with bonus pullout by Royo.

As former contributor to that thread, I can honestly say "Hell no!".

[SpaceBadger]

Technically, at the rate we're going we will get over 1 million by the last day, but that's only if we stay at the rate we're going now (I imagine we're going to slow down a lot)

Or there could be another surge when the rewards are more settled.

I pledged early, when it was just War and XPs. I plan to pledge more, once the available rewards settle down. I don't want to have to keep going back and adjusting my pledge as new stuff is added. (BTW, thanks to whoever pointed out in another thread the "Manage My Pledge" link).

edit: I already have Snips Snails, Origin of PCs, and Start of Darkness, so I'm hoping for some package to let me pick up all the rest of the books. I'd love to get that package that has ALL of the books signed by Rich Burlew, but don't have that kind of extra cash lying around just now.

[Tanuki Tales]

After hearing from Grey, I've personally changed my mind on wanting anything concerning the Order of the Scribble to be in a prequel book.

Because that honestly sounds like an epic idea for what comes after Order of the Stick ends.