Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XLVI: A Tark of the Klones, Electric Boogaloo

[Nerd-o-rama]

Hmm. I kind of want to refute the whole "Samus as one-dimensional hero" statement. Looking at the Prime Trilogy and Metroid fusion these games do a great deal to flesh out samus' character. What she was prior to Other M was a silent protagonist, but she did have depth to her character.

But that might just be my opinion.

Edit: Not trying to derail the thread but out of curiosity can anyone explain what makes pre-Other M Samus a one dimensional character? I've seen some thoughts on the subject, but I'm always looking for a new perspective.

I was still making fun of Mookie during that part of the sentence, specifically some of Mookie's "interesting heroes and villains" points, like shallow interpretations of action heroes, his assumptions that "complex" characters should never exist in stories he designates as "simple", and that the only way to even have a complex character that isn't laughable is to make him outsmart his opponents instead of outfight them.

I don't even play Metroid, I just know it didn't have a plot until it went 3-D. Although Super Metroid has the most adorable and manly-tears worthy parasite ever.

[Landis963]

Edit: Not trying to derail the thread but out of curiosity can anyone explain what makes pre-Other M Samus a one dimensional character? I've seen some thoughts on the subject, but I'm always looking for a new perspective.

I think the main argument is that "we never knew what her internal monologue is, so therefore she doesn't have one". Grossly paraphrased and generalized, of course. I think another element to it is that she, in many cases was so stoic and unflappable as to be mute when killing loads of Space Pirates. Now back to your regularly scheduled snarkery.

[Veridis Quo]

I don't even play Metroid, I just know it didn't have a plot until it went 3-D. Although Super Metroid has the most adorable and manly-tears worthy parasite ever.

Indeed it was, baby metroid is a total bro.

I think the main argument is that "we never knew what her internal monologue is, so therefore she doesn't have one". Grossly paraphrased and generalized, of course. I think another element to it is that she, in many cases was so stoic and unflappable as to be mute when killing loads of Space Pirates.

I have to agree here, outside of the monolouges in fusion and Other M I don't think she has ever really voiced her own opinion about her mission.

Now back to your regularly scheduled snarkery.

Indeed, thanks for the input guys. I just don't have much to say about DD anymore...the snark is weak in this one as of late.

[Johnny Blade]

Now back to your regularly scheduled snarkery.

Well, alright.

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Dominic doesn't really understand compassion and only thinks in tactical terms, it seems. A return to form for who once was Lord Dominus, possibly.

Also, Katya looks...man, I don't even know what to say. Kind of like one of those little fuzzy guys from the Wild Edge arc.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Well, alright.

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Dominic doesn't really understand compassion and only thinks in tactical terms, it seems. A return to form for who once was Lord Dominus, possibly.

Also, Katya looks...man, I don't even know what to say. Kind of like one of those little fuzzy guys from the Wild Edge arc.

Wait, that makes perfect sense!

Hobgoblins are actually Runts exiled from WA and forced to interbreed in the wild. It explains their d% reaction table and their unusual sexual practices.

[Trazoi]

Gee Dominic, stop being so clothes-minded.

Gah this is so predictably dull. No-one ever does anything, they wait for enough MacGuffins to materialise for them to SEE THE TRUTH DEEGAN WINS.

[Rhapsh]

Well, alright.

I like full names for things. I also like bold text. But I don't really like knowing what's going on or why things are important.

Thanks Mookie, you've successfully played to my interests.

[SaintRidley]

I like full names for things. I also like bold text. But I don't really like knowing what's going on or why things are important.

Mookie seeks to liberate us from the tyranny of actually having to know and learn things.

[Welf]

Stuff seems to happen, and its implied that more stuff happens. This is very close to pretending there is a plot.

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So, if you touach a Cloak of Ara in a Tempest, then you get teleported to a runt. Interesting rule of magic.
Now I'm interested in what special powers the cloak has. The must be special, since they for some reason didn't help its original creator, an archemage.

[Rhapsh]

Additional note. If this cloak is instrumental in saving the day, it retroactively makes the king look like an even bigger idiot. I've mind controlled this air elemental for months, and they possess a powerful magical artifact.

Hmm. Maybe, a "give me your cloak" is in order.

[Trazoi]

Additional note. If this cloak is instrumental in saving the day, it retroactively makes the king look like an even bigger idiot. I've mind controlled this air elemental for months, and they possess a powerful magical artifact.

What I am expecting, which is the only way around that, is that the Cloak of Ara is useful mostly because Ara was hanging around Dave for so long it makes a perfect focus for Dominic to scry on what the king is up to.

However if that's the case, it means Dominic was too lazy and/or stupid to hunt down a focus proactively for the last year and a half and had to wait for one to literally land in his lap. I guess an arc about breaking in the castle to look for clues would come too close to approximating plot. Better stick to learning sword scrying that will never come up again ever.

[Cavelcade]

I'm just sad the ridiculously large lightning bolt he arrived on had no effect except to fill him full of static which he got to discharge through Katya. So close to what would have been a hilarious end/new beginning to the comic.

[Mr. McGician]

Wait, so... There isn't even any explanation for how he gets back? It just happens? This is the laziest "writing" I have ever seen. It's things like this that make me think that Mookie doesn't even care anymore and is just trying to end the comic as quickly as possible. But then I think about the months and months he's spent on completely useless drivel, and I just don't know. Unless he is such a bad writer that he actually thinks that he is ending the comic as quickly as possible.

[elros]

Dominic doesn't really understand compassion and only thinks in tactical terms, it seems.

Dominic doesn't care if anyone below the 3rd caste dies. Isn't that obvious?

Wait, so... There isn't even any explanation for how he gets back? It just happens? This is the laziest "writing" I have ever seen. It's things like this that make me think that Mookie doesn't even care anymore and is just trying to end the comic as quickly as possible. But then I think about the months and months he's spent on completely useless drivel, and I just don't know. Unless he is such a bad writer that he actually thinks that he is ending the comic as quickly as possible.

Mookie seems to care more about the relationships than the plot. The problem is that those relationships are so twisted and creepy. It makes me concerned that his next webcomic will repeat the same character mistakes, just in a different setting. Since the background will be superheroes, I am certain Mookie will have outcasts with crazy super powers who save dumb jocks, and dependent women who cling to manipulative guys.

[T-O-E]

I'm just sad the ridiculously large lightning bolt he arrived on had no effect except to fill him full of static which he got to discharge through Katya. So close to what would have been a hilarious end/new beginning to the comic.

Nimmel should have teleported in as a fried corpse, the Cloak of Ara in one piece around his neck.

[Cavelcade]

Nimmel should have teleported in as a fried corpse, the Cloak of Ara in one piece around his neck.

That would have been perfect and led to actual complex character moments.

I can see why Mookie didn't go for it.

[Trazoi]

Mookie seems to care more about the relationships than the plot.

I'm not sure how much he cares about the relationships either. Look at how Mookie deal with the breakup of Pam and Greg. It just happened in the blink of an eye - then Mookie careened off into an arc about Dex. Or the marriage of Dom and Luna, which happened because Mookie needed to have a wedding that year.

Mookie writes personal escapist fantasies, which could still work except that's all they are and they twist on his current whims. It's almost certain his superhero/sci-fi/whatever collaboration will fall into the same pattern, starring a clear Mookinsert from the beginning. What will make it more interesting than DD is if the artist gets inserts too.

[Oracle_Hunter]

What will make it more interesting than DD is if the artist gets inserts too.

I dunno, I feel like a character committing suicide every page would get old fast

[Nerd-o-rama]

Gee Dominic, stop being so clothes-minded.

I think this comic has corrupted Trazoi.

[Veridis Quo]

Wait, so... There isn't even any explanation for how he gets back? It just happens? This is the laziest "writing" I have ever seen. It's things like this that make me think that Mookie doesn't even care anymore and is just trying to end the comic as quickly as possible. But then I think about the months and months he's spent on completely useless drivel, and I just don't know. Unless he is such a bad writer that he actually thinks that he is ending the comic as quickly as possible.

My best interpretation, the Tempest is some form of naturally occuring portal capable of bridging the dimensional gap between the plane of air and Dominion. However the connection between the two is very unstable and violent which is why the tempest is a raging hurricane.
The reason why Nimmel needed Ara's cloak is because the cloak is a powerful artifact with the ability to focus magical energy through it as well as alter the wielders physical properties; the perfect kind of cloak for someone who is made out of loosely bonded molecules.

When we see Nimmel struck by lightning in the tempest his entire body is converted into electricity by the cloak to aid in his transportation to Dominion. Upon grounding himself the cloak transforms him back to his normal body, albeit he still retains some residual electrical charge.

[Gez]

What will make it more interesting than DD is if the artist gets inserts too.

Mookie's artist will be Garth Cameron Graham. Who ran this webcomic for four years, spanning less than 200 pages, filler included. Then he went on to make this until it ran into infinite hiatus.

Now, Garth is a much better artist than Mookie, he's actually on a level that I'd describe as "mediocre-to-average professional". It's not gorgeous art that I'd be tempted to frame on my walls, but it is good enough, characters are visually distinct, there actually are backgrounds, and the virtual camera isn't always stuck in the same place, showing two dudes in 3/4 profile from the waist up yammering about pointless exposition for eight panels straight. So, it's good enough to be called professional.

But as a writer, Garth managed to be probably even worse than Mookie. That "Finders Keepers" webcomic is basically a giant ripoff of Neverwhere with a sprinkling of Gargoyles; and Comedity was basically "me and my friends' wacky self-insert adventures and also my PC is a sexy robot for some reason", with special guest appearance from the esteemed creators of Applegeek, Control-Alt-Del, Dominic Deegan, and Hookie Dookie Panic!.

So, I am quite confident that there will be a self-insert for the artist too, and that if they bounce "ideas" between each other for the story, it'll probably be even worse than what Mookie would come up with alone.

[Mewtarthio]

Given Dominic's ability to prioritize, I wouldn't be suprised if Ara's Cloak "saves the day" when Dominic hangs it in front of a window and triumphantly declares "Let's see Spark claw up these drapes!"

[Welf]

Mookie's artist will be Garth Cameron Graham. Who ran this webcomic for four years, spanning less than 200 pages, filler included. Then he went on to make this until it ran into infinite hiatus.

Now, Garth is a much better artist than Mookie, he's actually on a level that I'd describe as "mediocre-to-average professional". It's not gorgeous art that I'd be tempted to frame on my walls, but it is good enough, characters are visually distinct, there actually are backgrounds, and the virtual camera isn't always stuck in the same place, showing two dudes in 3/4 profile from the waist up yammering about pointless exposition for eight panels straight. So, it's good enough to be called professional.

But as a writer, Garth managed to be probably even worse than Mookie. That "Finders Keepers" webcomic is basically a giant ripoff of Neverwhere with a sprinkling of Gargoyles; and Comedity was basically "me and my friends' wacky self-insert adventures and also my PC is a sexy robot for some reason", with special guest appearance from the esteemed creators of Applegeek, Control-Alt-Del, Dominic Deegan, and Hookie Dookie Panic!.

So, I am quite confident that there will be a self-insert for the artist too, and that if they bounce "ideas" between each other for the story, it'll probably be even worse than what Mookie would come up with alone.

Worse writing than Mookie? That's possible? I guess the degrading writing was an attempt to converge the quality.

(Just kidding, I know it can be muuuuuch worse, and Mookie is as good as many mainstream comic and movie writers. Sadly.)

But I think it sounds promising. Maybe Garth can learn to keep schedules from Mookie, and maybe Mookie can improve his writing if he has a partner to talk about. Or they combine their worst attributes and this will be a complete train wreck. But I hope for the best.

[random11]

Wait, so... There isn't even any explanation for how he gets back? It just happens? This is the laziest "writing" I have ever seen. It's things like this that make me think that Mookie doesn't even care anymore and is just trying to end the comic as quickly as possible. But then I think about the months and months he's spent on completely useless drivel, and I just don't know. Unless he is such a bad writer that he actually thinks that he is ending the comic as quickly as possible.

Of course there is!

If you go through the tempest that you happen to find, and you just happen have some sort of protection, you can pass safely.
Then, if you happen to have someone you care about who also happens to be an oracle, that just happened to look for you just at that time you have a target set, and the only thing left is to be struck by magical lightning.

Easy, no?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

But I think it sounds promising. Maybe Garth can learn to keep schedules from Mookie, and maybe Mookie can improve his writing if he has a partner to talk about. Or they combine their worst attributes and this will be a complete train wreck.

Let's hope so, but the Snark in me says put chips down on Trainwreck.

[Squark]

Let's hope so, but the Snark in me says put chips down on Trainwreck.

Wouldn't such a trainwreck be more readable than dominic deegan, since it would cross back into "so bad it's good" territory, while Dominic Deegan just oscillates between "bad" and "horrible"?

[Rhapsh]

Of course there is!

If you go through the tempest that you happen to find, and you just happen have some sort of protection, you can pass safely.
Then, if you happen to have someone you care about who also happens to be an oracle, that just happened to look for you just at that time you have a target set, and the only thing left is to be struck by magical lightning.

Easy, no?

You forgot to include that the friend you care about needs to have the assistance of what amounts to a demi-god.

[Welf]

Wouldn't such a trainwreck be more readable than dominic deegan, since it would cross back into "so bad it's good" territory, while Dominic Deegan just oscillates between "bad" and "horrible"?

Unlikely, since this would probably involve massive update problems and a never ending hiatus. Which too much time there would be nothing to discuss so any snarker community would dissolve. And the various threads provide roughly 97% of the fun.

[T-O-E]

That would have been perfect and led to actual complex character moments.

I can see why Mookie didn't go for it.

I just wanted to see Nimmel dead.

But as a writer, Garth managed to be probably even worse than Mookie. That "Finders Keepers" webcomic is basically a giant ripoff of Neverwhere with a sprinkling of Gargoyles; and Comedity was basically "me and my friends' wacky self-insert adventures and also my PC is a sexy robot for some reason", with special guest appearance from the esteemed creators of Applegeek, Control-Alt-Del, Dominic Deegan, and Hookie Dookie Panic!.

It's basically just a ripoff of everything Gaiman has ever done.

From the cast page:

Death

Death is the youngest of the Powers that Be, the nine manifestations of the fundamental governing powers of the mortal coil. Though she is the youngest of the nine, she will live longer than any save Void. Many would say that being the youngest shows as Death often acts in the cavalier manner of a young girl. For who she is, she is amazingly chipper and energetic. And a insatiable flirt.

Death is the end of all things. She is responsible for and represents endings of life, cultures, nations, eras, everything. All things come to her in the end. And while that may seem to be a depressing responsibility, she likes to think of it as merely the final letting go before new things can occur. The new cannot happen without the old giving way. Change and growth cannot exist without the old and decaying letting go and giving way. All must end so that all can begin again. The gardner of existence. And she does tend a small rose garden, which she is very fond of. Though she won't tell anyone. It would ruin the exuberent goth look she has cultivated.

Oh no, but it's 9, not 7! That's completely different and original.

I haven't read all of it but it also uses Puck, who was a Sandman villain. I know it's Shakespeare and loads of fantasy writers overuse him, but still.

[Mr. McGician]

It's basically just a ripoff of everything Gaiman has ever done.

From the cast page:



Oh no, but it's 9, not 7! That's completely different and original.

I haven't read all of it but it also uses Puck, who was a Sandman villain. I know it's Shakespeare and loads of fantasy writers overuse him, but still.

That sample sounds a lot like Mookie's writing. Magic systems that are a convoluted mishmash of things the author has read elsewhere, long boring philosophical walls of text about how death and life coexist, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure they'll get along very well, to the detriment of the comic.