Results 151 to 180 of 1472
-
2017-07-04, 01:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Oof. I do not like the new inker's style at all. At least not in the tiny bit we've seen of it.
http://www.erfworld.com/blog/view/47...arter-launched
Her work is the top image on the page.
Maybe it will be better once she adjusts to the style.
-
2017-07-04, 03:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Splitting book at pg 141, reminds me of a YouTube WH40k video where the Emperor of mankind says - we'll split the book into two parts, for double the profit.
If you look at pg 141, it's just an unnatural point to break. Next page requires you to know what happened in previous scene. Book one and two started with an intro, this book starts in middle of a previous scene.
Say you are new and you read pg 142. Here is the stream of consciousness of newbie. What's leadership? Did those guys beat up the glow girl? Why is she helping them? Our ruler? They are same side? Hell is Dollamancy. And, so on.
This move seems to be addressing the criticism of book 3 being too long, by essentially cutting it in two. That's how an engineer would solve a solution of the prose being too wordy. That or extracting more money.
Also full agreement on GRR Martin. I thought I was the only one.Last edited by -D-; 2017-07-04 at 03:25 AM.
-
2017-07-04, 04:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
That's going too far. How many people do you expect to start reading the comic from a middle book? A new book should still contain some intro/reminders for readers who last read the comic a while ago though. I suppose he can add a "What has gone before" wall-of-text at the beginning of this Book 4. Is there a better breaking point do you think?
-
2017-07-04, 05:21 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
My point was, it makes no sense to split the book into two. And all books so far had introductions.
- Titans created the worlds, yada yada, last Chief Warlord dies.
- After winning a decisive battle, Stanley keeps Parson in capital
- Three casters and Parson begin their plan to stop Charlie
- Parson is captured, Wanda is captured, Decrypted are captured, Charlie is crying, Bonnie is Decrypted, **** is hitting wall left and right.
If I had to visualize pg 142 as "start" of Book 4 it would be this: http://i.imgur.com/NLUkAEj.mp4
It just throws you straight away into plot. To me that reeks of last minute measures. If you want new readers of your books, you kinda have to think how each book will be received by new readers, no?
As for the point at which it should break? I really don't see one. If I was Rob, I'd continue with the plot tumor that is Book 3, admit fault, and try better in the future. Maybe by not having so many characters/arcs/plot/fates running at the same time?Last edited by -D-; 2017-07-04 at 06:04 AM.
-
2017-07-04, 09:02 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2015
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
I think that what you are complaining about is pretty typical among webcomics. To put things in context, some other successful webcomics don't do better job of splitting the story into books, although normally they don't retroactively split a book so late. One example is Girl Genius. Here is the last page of one book and here is the first page of the next book, which is also the current one. There is a scene change there, but no particular break in the action. Several books ago, the Foglios even retroactively adjusted a break by shifting a few pages from one book into the other and forcing a renumbering of pages in the latter book.
For several years, it seemed pretty obvious that the Foglios were attempting to split things so they could publish one book per year. The story arcs lasted much longer than that, so the breaks simply occurred throughout the arcs.
I know you like Unsounded. In that case, the break between the first and second books corresponded to the break between Chapters 3 and 4. The really wasn't much of a break in the story there, though. Chapter 3 ended with Sette and Duane avoiding a couple of Peaceguard. Chapter 4 began possibly the next morning with the Peaceguard locating were Sette and Duane had stayed the night and walking into a trap there. There wasn't anything at the beginning of Chapter 4 to set the context for that, although there was a flashback a couple of pages in. Still, a reader wouldn't want to start there. The next break was at the end of Chapter 6. Again, it corresponded to a change from one day to the next morning.
I'm wondering if Rob has thought much about how his page numbers will correspond to physical pages, though. I think his text updates would often require several physical pages to include all of the words.Last edited by eschmenk; 2017-07-04 at 09:23 AM.
-
2017-07-04, 09:34 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
And I'm not reading Girl Genius. I guess it might be ok if it's one of those 2 book 1 book, like GoT or Harry Potter (IIRC).
So the defense is, everyone is awful at it, so it's ok?
My points was things in Erfworld story structures/overall experience have degraded.
It's still a more natural break than between pg 141/142. Unsounded chapter starts more slowly, while pg 142 is essentially hit the ground running after jumping out of a car.
Also between chapter 3 and chapter 4, Duane and Sette were poisoned and scammed. It's a much longer period than between pg 141/142.Last edited by -D-; 2017-07-04 at 09:37 AM.
-
2017-07-04, 09:54 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Location
- Orlando, FL
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
-
2017-07-04, 10:22 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- Singapore
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
It's not that bad. I mean, yeah, it's not as good as the current one (which is hardly a surprise given that she was second place!), but she's way better than the one before that, who I think we can all agree was so bad near the end that it was actively interfering with the comic.
It's interesting to look back at that comparison and get a sense of how different artists could change how we see Erfworld. Lauri's use of shading and added lines to make Wanda and Jack more expressive stands out in particular. It also shows something else they mentioned in that post about the advantage of Lauri being a longtime fan - he emphasized the openness of the Portal Park as a clearing and the fact that the forest stops there, presumably since he knew more about the canonical layout of the MK. (OTOH now that I look at it, he gave GK way too many soldiers in that column. They never had THAT many in the MK.)Last edited by Aquillion; 2017-07-04 at 10:31 AM.
-
2017-07-04, 10:32 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2015
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Well, you have to be realistic. And no, I don't think it's awful.
I don't know where you get that. In Erfworld characters are trying to figure out how to deal with the aftermath of something.
What are you talking about? Sette and Duane didn't even interact with anyone else! There was some sort of a time break there, but it just seemed to be overnight. Granted, there wasn't any time between 141 and 142.
-
2017-07-04, 11:10 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Book 1 bonus material (Sette, Duane and the priestess of Tirna short story)l? You don't have it?!
Yeah. But usually after some time passes. Not like right this minute. Even Book 3 happens some time after Book 2 (enough to make a link). Book 4 happens, right the **** now.Last edited by -D-; 2017-07-04 at 11:13 AM.
-
2017-07-04, 12:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2015
-
2017-07-04, 12:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- Schllaand
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Spoiler
Yep, feels right.
Death to GamesWorkshop! Also money!
I agree with that. Page 141 could work as end for a book. I don't like it if books end on a cliffhanger, since it doesn't resolve something. But page 142 doesn't work as first page. Maybe a few extra pages are added in the book version to make it feel more natural or at least less artificial.
-
2017-07-04, 01:07 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- Watching the world go by
- Gender
-
2017-07-04, 03:12 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2014
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Alternatively...
"All right, I've been thinking. When Fate gives you lemons? Don't make lemonade. Make Fate take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see the Titans! Make Fate rue the day it thought it could give Charlie lemons! Do you know who I am? I'm the tower who's going to smash your city down! With the lemons! I'm going to get my Archons to invent a Lemon Golem that'll smash your city down!"The stars predict tomorrow you'll wake up, do a bunch of stuff, and then go back to sleep.~ That's your horoscope for today.
01001110011001010111001001100100
-
2017-07-04, 04:17 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
One thing Rob could do is just publish the rule-book. It's not like he is going to lose any Tools, since every D&D comic that I have seen, readers will fight like rabid animals over RAW vs. House Rule vs. Rule of Funny. Of course, that would make all the text updates demonstrating the inner turmoil of a Dirtmancer that had his crapgolem commit suicide by using an MK toilet redundant.
The Giant
There are no mistakes, because there are no rules. NONE. No, not even that one.
-
2017-07-04, 04:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
-
2017-07-04, 04:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2014
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
The stars predict tomorrow you'll wake up, do a bunch of stuff, and then go back to sleep.~ That's your horoscope for today.
01001110011001010111001001100100
-
2017-07-04, 06:38 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
The Giant
There are no mistakes, because there are no rules. NONE. No, not even that one.
-
2017-07-04, 06:42 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Greece
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Spoiler: new comicWhat the hell just happened?Many thanks to Assassin 89 for this avatar!
-
2017-07-04, 08:09 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Gender
-
2017-07-04, 08:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- Bristol, UK
-
2017-07-04, 08:34 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2015
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
I don't think we see what happened to it. Presumably the string connecting it to Charlie was cut, but as far as I can tell, we don't see it after the fifth panel. I think what's in the last panel is what's left of the tar baby, not Charlie's golem. I think Isaac used the wonky wrench to remove the tar from the tar baby.
Looking at it again, I changed my mind. The body shape makes it look like the tar baby, but rather than covering a doll with tar, the tar baby golem was apparently made just from pitch and was completely turned back into pitch by Claud. There wouldn't have been anything to remove the tar from nor anything other than the pitch to throw away.
There is no cliffhanger, so what does it have to do with the title of the thread?Last edited by eschmenk; 2017-07-04 at 09:58 PM.
-
2017-07-04, 08:51 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- Bristol, UK
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.
-
2017-07-04, 09:33 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2015
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
I edited my earlier comment because I decided that Isaac probably threw away what's left of the action figure rather than what's left of the tar baby.
With a cliffhanger, you usually know what happened and more importantly you know what you're afraid will happen. As you pointed out, we don't know those things, so it's not a cliffhanger.
In this case, we see that Isaac is about to ride off in a cart with the wonky wrench. We don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. If we don't know that much, how can it be a cliffhanger?
I don't know why the thread got the title, anyway. There were a couple of things that could have counted as cliffhangers, but most of the time the scenes just switched without anything that could count as one. Rather than Erfworld being a series of cliffhangers, they are rather rare.Last edited by eschmenk; 2017-07-04 at 10:03 PM.
-
2017-07-04, 10:20 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2014
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
For those not familiar with the reference in the final panel, it's from a game called The Binding of Isaac. Named after the biblical mythology of the same name with...a similar opening premise. Isaac in the game is offered up to a schizophrenic mother because he has been tainted by the wicked world. Thus making Isaac a sacrificial lamb.
I imagine that's what Rob was referencing. That Isaac (our Isaac) is going to sacrifice himself.
-
2017-07-05, 02:48 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
What a ridiculous place to halt the story. So if it's not a Cliffhanger, Eschmenk, what is it? A mysteryhanger? A ridiculouhanger? Or maybe just an empty hanger?
-
2017-07-05, 04:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.
This ending is pretty bleak. Isaac decided to **** off somewhere. He took the Wonky Wrench, the rest of casters are catatonic, trapped under a layer of bedrock they can't dig without the Wrench. And Isaac took Tondy's corpse.
Not to mention, the fact Isaac doesn't want to cheat, makes me worry for Parson. They consider what he does cheating. They consider summoning him here cheating...Last edited by -D-; 2017-07-05 at 06:01 AM.
-
2017-07-05, 06:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Location
- Orlando, FL
- Gender
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Puts the anger in cliffhanger?
Hmm, maybe Isaac thought of a better way to 'cheat' and leaves Wanda behind for her own protection. Telling her not to cheat is just his odd backwards way of saying stay loyal to Parson rather than her goal of uniting the Arkentools?
-
2017-07-05, 07:48 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2008
- Location
- Scotland
-
2017-07-05, 07:54 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
- Location
- Tron Spacetime
Re: Erfworld Thread X: A Series of Unfortunate Cliffhangers
Gun arms? You know, I think you are right Wanda is destined to serve Queen Jillian of Bat****.
I mean, I guess Charlie could leave Wanda alone because Fate says so, but after being a thorn in the side, I'm thinking he'll be willing to punish her in some way. Maybe just killing Claud/Ivan.
Right now, I suspect Isaac considers even himself a cheat. And in previous update it mentions suit is Parson's cheat.Last edited by -D-; 2017-07-05 at 08:29 AM.