Number of Character Appearances V

[martianmister]

Ugh, "power-up" sounds like a cheap Game Boy move. Can't we pick something better? Like "boosted," maybe, since that's how Roy describes the effect?

It isn't a cheap game move?

[Flame of Anor]

It's not a game boy move, it's a game man move because Roy is all grown up.

[Nimrod's Son]

Would Powered-Up Roy count retroactively for all the times we've seen the green glow in the past, not just the times he's been maxing it out or doing it on purpose? Granted, he didn't know what he was doing at the time and the effect was less spectacular, but it was still a "power-up" in a sense.

[martianmister]

Would Powered-Up Roy count retroactively for all the times we've seen the green glow in the past, not just the times he's been maxing it out or doing it on purpose? Granted, he didn't know what he was doing at the time and the effect was less spectacular, but it was still a "power-up" in a sense.

In these cases, there was no visual alteration to Roy's appearance.

[SirKazum]

In these cases, there was no visual alteration to Roy's appearance.

Seems like a reasonable rule of thumb to me. After all, it is the "Number of Character Appearances" thread.

[martianmister]

Updated through 1047
Eugene, Roy

[martianmister]

Updated through 1048
Eugene, Roy (with Power-up)

[martianmister]

Updated through 1049
Elan, Roy

[martianmister]

Updated through 1050
Bandana, Elan (+1), Haley (+1), Mechane Crewwoman with Bandana, Roy (+1)

[Yendor]

1051: Bandana (+1), Blackwing, Elan, Felix, Haley, Kwesi (+1), Mateo, Mechane crewman with five o'clock shadow, Mechane crewwoman with banadana, Roy (+1), Vaarsuvius

EDIT: Added Felix.

[ti'esar]

I think this is the first time Kwesi has gotten a name. Not sure what she was called up to this point.

Also, the frost giants all seem to have unique designs, though if people don't feel like making the effort to track them all I'm not going to complain.

[2.5 cats]

1051: Bandana (+1), Blackwing, Elan, Haley, Kwesi (+1), Mateo, Mechane crewman with five o'clock shadow, Mechane crewwoman with banadana, Roy (+1), Vaarsuvius

There's one more. His name is Felix, yes? You can see his back as he pulls a lever in panel 2.

I think this is the first time Kwesi has gotten a name. Not sure what she was called up to this point.

Kwesi was formerly known as "Mechane Crewwoman with Purple Hair" (4 views before strip 1051; first appearance in strip 990.)

[Vargtass]

I cannot identify the frost giants in the first panel of 1051, but the following giants have their second appearance in this strip (first appearance in 1050, obviously).

Male Frost giant with dark blue tunic, Female Frost giant with mantle without helmet, Male bald Frost giant, Male Frost Giant with down-turned horns, Male Frost giant with up-turned horns and off-white sleeves.

[Emanick]

You know, I've looked at strip #392 (second page, panel 3), and the more I do, the more convinced I am that the woman rushing off panel in panel 2 of the second page of #1,051 appeared in the former strip. The way the hair parts at the end of her ponytail is exactly the same. It can't be a coincidence. Her shirt is also the same color.

I know we can't see her face in #1,051, but I'm pretty sure she's the same person.

[Nimrod's Son]

The woman in #392 has a red top and brown hair; the partially-glimpsed figure in the latest strip (probably a woman judging by the body shape, although it's possible it's another androgynous elf) has a purple/violet top and blue-grey hair. Also the shape of the ponytail isn't identical - if anything, it's the inverse. If it is the same person then she's aged massively and had a costume change since we last saw her, even accounting for the background colour-fade, so by the rules of the thread we can't assume they're the same without a lot more evidence.

Direct colour comparisons:

[Emanick]

The woman in #392 has a red top and brown hair; the partially-glimpsed figure in the latest strip (probably a woman judging by the body shape, although it's possible it's another androgynous elf) has a purple/violet top and blue-grey hair. Also the shape of the ponytail isn't identical - if anything, it's the inverse. If it is the same person then she's aged massively and had a costume change since we last saw her, even accounting for the background colour-fade, so by the rules of the thread we can't assume they're the same without a lot more evidence.

Direct colour comparisons:

I'm not sure I agree. The ponytail shape is flipped, yes, but the angle of the indented cut is 1) pretty unique and 2) identical as far as I can tell. I compared the image in my WaX book to the image on the screen in 1052, and they look the same when lined up against one another (albeit flipped, but that's immaterial).

And I'm wondering whether you're getting a pixel from the right area in #1,051, because the shirt looks pretty obviously red to me - certainly not purple or violet. The colors aren't going to be the same either way, because of the lighting differences, art upgrades and the background color-fade you mention. I think you aren't going to be able to properly differentiate between hair colors from an individual pixel examination, given the differences in color "boldness" (there's got to be a better word for it) between #392 and #1,051.

The only point I'm a little leery on is the hair color, because it does appear darker than I would have expected, assuming the woman is the same in both strips - but I can't tell how much of that is because of lighting, art upgrades and background fade.

That being said, there are only a few characters on board the Mechane who have only appeared once (I've kept separate track in my own documents). Most of them have reappeared at some point. It seems very unlikely that Rich would have introduced a model who coincidentally looks very similar to one of those few non-reappearing characters onboard the same ship, but is intended to be an entirely different person.

[martianmister]

Updated through 1051
Bandana (+1), Blackwing, Elan, Felix, Frost Giantess, Frost Giant with balding head, Frost Giant with blue tunic, Frost Giant with upright horned helmet, Frost Giant with upside-down horned helmet, Haley (as invisible), Kwesi (+1), Mateo, Mechane Crewman with five o'clock shadow, Mechane Crewwoman with Bandana (+1), Roy (+1), Vaarsuvius

[Nimrod's Son]

And I'm wondering whether you're getting a pixel from the right area in #1,051, because the shirt looks pretty obviously red to me - certainly not purple or violet.

Wonder away. Or, y'know, feel free to check for yourself. The colour I posted above is the colour of the character's shirt - you can take my word for it or you can do your own investigation, but I assure you the result will be the same.

The colors aren't going to be the same either way, because of the lighting differences, art upgrades and the background color-fade you mention. I think you aren't going to be able to properly differentiate between hair colors from an individual pixel examination, given the differences in color "boldness" (there's got to be a better word for it) between #392 and #1,051.

I don't recall Rich ever using vastly different colours for an art upgrade before, unless the character also gets a costume change in the process. "Lighting differences" is irrelevant, as Rich didn't use fancy lighting back in the War & XPs days so we have no basis for comparison. And the more recent "colours fade as they retreat in the background" technique simply wouldn't account for that degree of colour change. Take the square below as an example:



The inset colour is Kwesi's hair colour whenever she's in the foreground of a panel; round the outside is her hair colour when she's in the background with the fade applied. Both are taken from the latest strip, and as you can see, the difference is minimal to say the least.

That being said, there are only a few characters on board the Mechane who have only appeared once (I've kept separate track in my own documents). Most of them have reappeared at some point. It seems very unlikely that Rich would have introduced a model who coincidentally looks very similar to one of those few non-reappearing characters onboard the same ship, but is intended to be an entirely different person.

To quote the author: "Sometimes, characters that have a similar hairstyle just have a similar hairstyle. How many hairstyles do you think there are that can be drawn in stick figure style, anyway?"

If you want to accept it as your personal head-canon that these two characters are the same, that's entirely up to you. But as I said, it's not good enough for the purposes of this thread.

[Vargtass]

1052: Varsuuvius, Haley (invisible), Blackwing.

I think none of the frost giants has been identifyable before.

[martianmister]

Updated through 1052
Blackwing, Haley (as invisible), Vaarsuvius

[Fawkes]

1052: Varsuuvius, Haley (invisible), Blackwing.

I think none of the frost giants has been identifyable before.

Two of them look the ones on the bottom right of 1050, but the two they're with are different, so it's kind of a wash.

[martianmister]

Two of them look the ones on the bottom right of 1050, but the two they're with are different, so it's kind of a wash.

Most of them have similar bodies with little differences.

[ti'esar]

Okay, let's dig into this.

In 1050's big splash panel, there's 14 giants that can be clearly made out. There's also 7 more minimally detailed stick figures (and about 8 totally unidentifiable blobs), but I don't think they're worth it. Going roughly clockwise from the top, we have:

1. Male giant in blue armor and fur boots with a long beard
2. Male giant in a horned helmet with the horns pointing upward and armor, short beard
3. Male giant in purple with a fur half-cape and conical helmet.
4. Female giant in light blue with a purple cape.
5. Female giant with pauldrons and no helmet.
6. Male giant in a vest with a Nale-style goatee and hair visible under his helmet.
7. Male giant in a face-concealing helmet.
8. Female giant in a helmet, cape, and purple dress, with a braid.
9. Male giant in a horned helmet with the horns pointing upward and a short beard. Looks almost identical to Giant 2, but he has a cape.
10. Male giant in dark blue with a nasal helmet and short beard.
11. Female giant with a cape, armored boots, and no helmet.
12. Male giant in a horned helmet with the horns pointing downward, with a buckle on his belt
13. Balding male giant with no helmet and a blue cape.
14. Male giant in gray with a fur cape and a spear strapped to his back.

The giants in panel 1 of 1051 are all again minimally detailed stick figures who I'm not going to make an effort to identify. In panel 1, however, Giants 10-13 appear. Giant 9 is in panel 8. They're all already listed under 1051's entry.

Finally, coming to 1052, we have what appear to be four all-new giants:

1. Clean-shaven male giant with a cape
2. Male giant with a long beard and a horned helmet with the horns facing upward
3. Female giant in dark blue with no helmet
4. Helmeted female giant in purple

Giant 1 here is obviously new, because none of the male giants in 1050 were clean-shaven. Giant 2 can't be either of the giants in 1050 with his style of helmet, because the beard is longer and there's lines of on the helmet that those giants don't have. Giant 3's clothes don't match either of the female giants in 1050 who aren't wearing helmets. And while Giant 4 looks very close to the giant I've identified in 1050 as Giant 8, her helmet is simpler and her hairstyle is completely different.

(This probably went into way more detail than was needed, but it should be a good reference for the rest of this scene).

[martianmister]

Updated through 1053
Belkar, Elan, Frost Giantess with Medium Hair, Frost Giant with Pointed Helmet, Mechane Crewman with eyepatch and pegleg, Mechane Crewman with Five o'clock shadow, Roy

[Vargtass]

1054: Belkar, Haley (invisible), Blackwing.

I do not find earlier appearances of the two frost giants.

[Flame of Anor]

The doomsealed giant in 1054 might be the one on the far left in 1053.

[Vargtass]

Yes, I think you are right. Good catch! So, how about Doomsealed Frost Giant as a name?

[Cizak]

No, the giant in 1053 has a another beard colour, no shoulderguards and no hair on the side of his head.

[martianmister]

Updated through 1054
Belkar, Blackwing, Haley (invisible)

[Flame of Anor]

No, the giant in 1053 has a another beard colour,

I'm not sure about that. The Giant does use a good deal of situational shaders these days, with the new art style.

no shoulderguards and no hair on the side of his head.

Theoretically those could have just not been visible in 1053. (For example, the raised arms could have pushed the spaulders back.) But for the moment I suppose there isn't enough evidence to call them the same.