Page 46..errr..42, Discuss!

[Flakey]

The only major battle shown so far was 8 panels long, admittedly it was partly an introduction to Wanda, but the way this story has been going I would not be upset if most major battles are handled this way. This comic is about the characters, and not hack and slash. If your waiting for 40 odd pages of combat I think your going to be disapointed.

The pacing and way most of the characters are being built up is great, so much more to them than usual fare.

Would also have to say I do hope 90 pages is the end of the first story arc, and not every thing. Which having a subtitle of Battle for Gobwin Knob seems likely that is just the end of arc.

[Brawl]

'Crush her with you bare hands' Awesome, of course for those who know from which film is that quote.

[Nerd_Paladin]

Deviating from a formula is good, but you have to do it in a way that improves the story, not hinders it. Personally, I don't think that Balder is doing a particular disservice to his story, but I lhave, like some others, wondered whether the actual battle itself will really be the focus of this story.

[Rawhide]

I'm disappointed, its page 42, where's the hitchhikers guide reference???

[Scientivore]

Deviating from a formula is good, but you have to do it in a way that improves the story, not hinders it. Personally, I don't think that Balder is doing a particular disservice to his story, but I lhave, like some others, wondered whether the actual battle itself will really be the focus of this story.

"It's the little things which make a difference sometimes." Erfworld, Chapter 1, Page 1, Panel 1. I put the following literary analysis into spoiler tags because what enhances the fun for me might suck it dry for someone else.

Spoiler

Show

Looking at the beginning of a work for a clue to its real topic is a technique of literary analysis that goes all the way back to the verbal tradition, at least as far as Homer and probably beyond. For example, IIRC the first word of the Iliad was "menis" or godlike anger and the the first word of the Odyssey was "andra" or real man. At just about any point in either of those two works, it's useful to ask, "What does this have to do with the first word?" I don't think that we can zoom in that closely with Erfworld; the first sentence fills that role IMO.

I expect that there will be a literal battle for Gobwin Knob by the end of the first chapter. I also expect that the battle will be decided more by "the little things which make a difference sometimes" than by combat.

In other threads, I've described how I see the Arkentools as metaphors for another godlike tool that can transcend mundane realities: the will. So, the use of an Arkenrhinestone for the first example of one of those "little things" indicates to me that Erfworld will mostly be about the little choices that make a big difference to ourselves and our world.

[Estelindis]

Too much buildup before the fight. The fight should be happening already.

The story introduction is long over. The characters are established. The conflict is established. The plot is established. At the halfway mark you should be acting out the story with what you already have, not introducing still more characters and still more minions.

Humorous? Sure it is. But it's not effective writing.

I disagree. I think the last few strips have added immensely to the richness of the strip, making it more involving. The nuances in the inter-character relationships are fascinating, and I think we're going to need to be able to take these into account while watching the development, implementation and fallout of Lord Hamster's tactics.

[pendell]

BTW, for the continuing "who are the good guys" argument ...

... note that whatever power sent forth the Archons said "one of the sides has finally met our price".

Is it fair to assume that archons would NOT be rented to a side that is Pure Evil?

Which implies, again, that this is a gray-vs-gray battle, and not a black-vs-white battle. If Stanley was the Sauron of Erfworld, wouldn't it have been inconceivable for archons to fight on his side at ANY price?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Starla]

I really like Vinny too. He seems really level-headed and intelligent, more so than Ansom or Stanley, at times.

Isn't it funny how the leaders need smart level-headed people like that? It seems they are too smart to be the leader because they know the consequences when they are wrong are much worse for the leader than for the advisors.

[Walpurgisborn]

It's odd, since the beginning I've been thinking of Ansom as a bit of a pretty boy rich kid erfworld equivalent of the school jock. But the lok on his face was pretty damn poignant and I have to admit my heart went out to the boy a bit. Istill want him to lose since I want Parson to win, but I have to admit that Ansom kind of grew on me in this last one.

Vinnie Doombats OTOH, he always kicks ass.

[Bilgore]

IOf course, Vinny realizes that it's not quite that simple, which is why he has a more serious expression in the last panel, when he urges Ansom not to go because that's what Stanley is expecting.

I'm betting Vinnie offers to take his place on that expedition, and we get treated to a Vinnie vs. Wanda showdown. (Both are more competent than their bosses, and we would have uncroaked vs. croakamancer, so it [u]has[/i] to happen.)

[SteveMB]

I'm betting Vinnie offers to take his place on that expedition, and we get treated to a Vinnie vs. Wanda showdown.

I'm sure that's what he has in mind; the question is whether he can persuade Ansom. I'm inclined to suspect that he can't -- I see three possible reasons for his insisting on going himself:

1. Love for Jillian (even if he can't unreservedly trust her).

2. Noblesse oblige (feeling that this is a princely responsibility he can't delegate).

3. Strategery (he may see this as a chance to engage Stanley's forces out in the open instead of through Gobwin Knob's defenses, with the Archons and perhaps some other trick or two up his sleeve to tilt the odds from "walking into a trap" to "acceptable risk").

[K2]

WOOT! one hundred replies. What a pretty perfect number. But the moment I post this it will become 101 replies...CRAP!

Another thought, why did this thread jump to the very top of the thread list? I thought that only admin started threads could get there.

Am I just stupid?

[Scientivore]

Another thought, why did this thread jump to the very top of the thread list? I thought that only admin started threads could get there.

One of the mods made it "Sticky". That means that it'll stay above all non-Sticky threads and sort by last post with the other Sticky threads. Sometime after the next update is posted, this thread will be un-stickied and fall down from grace to wallow in the dirt with the other threads.

[Vox]

With regards to the "good guys" argument.....

I think by this strip, it's pretty clear that there are no completely good or evil sides. Stanley is obviously more inclined towards evil: He took power by regicide (read: murder), started a long, destructive war that has killed countless people solely to further his own personal power, justifies his actions, however horrific, as being divinely sanctioned, and shows little to no care for any of his underlings (with the possible exception of Wanda, and even that is more an appreciation for her abilities than any personal liking). Also, as Parson noted, the Tool commands nearly all the classically evil creatures in his army (goblins, dragons, spiders, necro (croak) mancers, and his rank and file units are undead (uncroaked). In short (no pun intended, of course), Stanley is the classically evil tyrant.

Ansom's coalition, however, does not seem to have the most altruistic (NRFTW reference, anyone?) motives. Ansom seems to care more about Stanley's ignoble origins than any evil he may have committed. Jillian has some......"complex".....relationships going on (as Vinny observes, she too has no obvious reason for being involved in the war). The various coalition allies, (Vinny topping the list), seem to be the only consistently good characters....and Vinny is a vampire (or vampiric type character.) Not that I don't love him anyway, but still.......Classically evil character, consistently good in this strip. Interesting. At any rate, with even "Charlie's Archons" appearing not as "Ultimate Good" but as simply very well-paid mercenaries, it appears that Erfworld does not have quite the same Good vs. Evil dynamic as other dimensions.

At least not in the Battle for Gobwin Knob.

[SteveMB]

With regards to the "good guys" argument.....

I think by this strip, it's pretty clear that there are no completely good or evil sides.

True. Arguably, Bogroll and Sizemore are the closest to "basically good" (even though they're on the "bad guys" side), but we haven't seen all that much of what makes them tick. Wanda would seem closest to "basically evil", but her "complex" relationship to Jillian seems to have some element of genuine affection (if only by habituation to the "caretaker" part of her role).

There are multiple interpretations consistent with what we see the characters say and do, and I don't think the utter absence of thought balloons is accidental.

[Erk]

I think the inspiration is that in strategy games like Warlords, the "Paladins of Light" teams do just as many atrocities as the "Dark Lord of Darkness and Dark Evil" teams... pillaging, sacking things, razing farms, whatever. The only difference is the unit types. Both sides are evil, or at least have no worry for civilians and casualties.