Our Comic Lab in the Playground: An experimentation class

[HalfTangible]

Considering that the price for most crimes in a medieval fantasy is death or mutilation why NOT let the good people go free? If they're good then they haven't really harmed anybody (EDIT: And helped people) Neutral is more slippery, but in a non-objective morality system evil people go free all the time because of the law, a la Kubota.

[Lord Raziere]

Originally Posted by HalfTangible

Considering that the price for most crimes in a medieval fantasy is death or mutilation why NOT let the good people go free? If they're good then they haven't really harmed anybody (EDIT: And helped people) Neutral is more slippery, but in a non-objective morality system evil people go free all the time because of the law, a la Kubota.

exactly the reasoning the people in the setting are using.......then again the law not being objective in an objective morality universe doesn't seem make any sense anyways....

[HalfTangible]

Originally Posted by Lord Raziere

exactly the reasoning the people in the setting are using.......then again the law not being objective in an objective morality universe doesn't seem make any sense anyways....

Raziere, laws are originally human creations a human concept. Of course they make no sense

EDIT: Seriously though, circumstances often force someone to break the law or do evil. In which case, the laws need to be flexible.

[M@XWeru]

Originally Posted by Lord Raziere

@Weru: as for dystopian.....well that is the problem with an objective morality system, thing is all the players in DnD already do that: kill people for being evil according to the rules of the universe

Pish posh. I kill whoever I feel like, alignment be damned.

But at least I don't discriminate. ;P

But yes. Incredibly dystopian. I'll have to give it a look through when it gets up there.

[Keveak]

Originally Posted by Lord Raziere

eh no.

they wouldn't divide it by race, but by tribe.....the evil tribes would be wiped out, the good tribes would be left alone. for example, one tribe of orcs worshiping Gruumsh would be killed, another tribe of orcs not worshiping the god and saying they just want to live in peace, left alone.

So if I was an Orc, neutral or good in alignment, who happened to be born in and living in (due to the dangers of even attempting otherwise let alone what to do afterwards) a Gruumsh tribe then I am to be killed along with the rest? Or if I simply know no other way and would become a prophet of the sun god (forgot his name, but he is the most Lawful Good deity in 3.5) if taught the ways of the good?

I would also like to point out that despite what cynics say, killing evil in DnD is not necessarily dystopian. They get their rightful destiny in the afterlife so as long as nobody miss them... Well, they would get what they had coming, if they realise their wrongdoing and repent it then they get to go to Celestia, if not then they already knew what would happen. the same thing goes for 'heroes' who justify killing a petty thief for stealing bread to survive or kills mercenaries for taking a job for the wrong guy.

It's not perfect but it's not that bad either

[Lord Raziere]

Originally Posted by Keveak

So if I was an Orc, neutral or good in alignment, who happened to be born in and living in (due to the dangers of even attempting otherwise let alone what to do afterwards) a Gruumsh tribe then I am to be killed along with the rest? Or if I simply know no other way and would become a prophet of the sun god (forgot his name, but he is the most Lawful Good deity in 3.5) if taught the ways of the good?

*shrug* not perfect, can't check them all. would you hold back your men from firing on a hundred hostile troops to save a single civilian among them?

[Keveak]

Originally Posted by Lord Raziere

*shrug* not perfect, can't check them all. would you hold back your men from firing on a hundred hostile troops to save a single civilian among them?

... Yes?

They have magic, just incapacitate them with mass Hold Person and then check their alignment.

That way you can keep the evil ones for slavery public service :D

Also leaves plenty of room for corrupt diplomats selling them on the black market and bribing the evilness checkers to deem them all evil

[Darklord Bright]

It can easily be dystopian! Have police with magical scanners of detect alignment who beat up anyone not on the 'good' axis!

[Lord Raziere]

Originally Posted by Darklord Bright

It can easily be dystopian! Have police with magical scanners of detect alignment who beat up anyone not on the 'good' axis!

I'm actually planning to make the dystopian feeling subtle and focus more on the conflict between the adventurers and the things starting to replace them, all that stuff is more like off to the side and shows the consequences of a DnD world trying to progress from its eternal medieval age with its objective morality in place, but its not the focus of it.

the focus are the out of work adventurers: when DnD society has moved on from them-for better or worse- what will happen to them? I'm thinking that they would die out, that they would become bitter, paranoid of the races society is accepting in, and thinking its unfair that they are repaid for all of their efforts of protecting the world with being made useless, that they would form into a group and try to stop all these changes...

.....and that this would be the bad thing as it would just mean sending everyone back to the Age of Adventurers where the common defenseless village can easily be slaughtered by roving barbarians, liches running rampant and raising the dead, and cults summoning demons.

if you think about it, the normal DnD world isn't that much of a better place- unless your this super-adventurer person, a god, archmage or other very powerful supernatural being, your life sucks as you have to fight off enemies from every side, the progressions in the comic would actually be a good thing, no matter how morally/ethically iffy they are as it would mean that people are actually safe from all these threats around them.

I mean just pick any Monster Manual, would you like to live in a world with all of that without super-adventuring powers?

[Bayar]

Originally Posted by Lord Raziere

*shrug* not perfect, can't check them all. would you hold back your men from firing on a hundred hostile troops to save a single civilian among them?

I think you would enjoy playing Warhammer 40K as Space Marines. And using Exterminatus on a mostly neutral alligned planet because there is a heretic living there, or sending a squad of terminators to purge a system because the humans living there are not good enough.

[M@XWeru]

At least the Inquisition is consistent. It is better to die in vain than live in abomination, you know. ;)

[Maximum Zersk]

Originally Posted by Bayar

I think you would enjoy playing Warhammer 40K as Space Marines. And using Exterminatus on a mostly neutral alligned planet because there is a heretic living there, or sending a squad of terminators to purge a system because the humans living there are not good enough.

Suffer not the Alien, the Mutant, the Heretic.

[Zexion]

So, I have this idea for a comic about a supervillain academy, and I just thought I'd bring it over here to check some reactions. I have a few awesome acronyms, including V.I.L.E. (Villainous Institute of Learning Evil) and H.E.R.O. (Humanitarian Enforcer Regiment Operations).
Thoughts?

[Maxios]

Originally Posted by Zexion

So, I have this idea for a comic about a supervillain academy, and I just thought I'd bring it over here to check some reactions. I have a few awesome acronyms, including V.I.L.E. (Villainous Institute of Learning Evil) and H.E.R.O. (Humanitarian Enforcer Regiment Operations).
Thoughts?

That sounds pretty good.

Can anyone illustrate my webcomic for me, as I'm not a good artist?

[Savannah]

There's no way I'd be able to illustrate anything right now (too busy), Maxios, but if I were thinking about it, I'd want to know a little bit about the idea before I volunteered to see if it's 1) something I'm interested in and 2) something I feel capable of doing. Now, I can't speak for all artists, but you may get a better response if you post a brief overview of the idea.

[Lord Raziere]

Originally Posted by Bayar

I think you would enjoy playing Warhammer 40K as Space Marines. And using Exterminatus on a mostly neutral alligned planet because there is a heretic living there, or sending a squad of terminators to purge a system because the humans living there are not good enough.

uh no, the rule applies in reverse: you do not fire upon 100 innocent civilians when there is only one spy there. the point is that such things are subjective and must be evaluated to see what must be done that is best for the situation.

[Maxios]

Originally Posted by Savannah

There's no way I'd be able to illustrate anything right now (too busy), Maxios, but if I were thinking about it, I'd want to know a little bit about the idea before I volunteered to see if it's 1) something I'm interested in and 2) something I feel capable of doing. Now, I can't speak for all artists, but you may get a better response if you post a brief overview of the idea.

Alright. I'd like the art to be OOTs style if it's do-able. During flashback sequences, I'd like the art to be different and just have the outlines of objects colored.
Before every strip, I'd tell the artist how that strip is, what the characters do, what they say, etc.

[Zexion]

Originally Posted by Maxios

Alright. I'd like the art to be OOTs style if it's do-able. During flashback sequences, I'd like the art to be different and just have the outlines of objects colored.
Before every strip, I'd tell the artist how that strip is, what the characters do, what they say, etc.

*facepalm*
As in what's the theme, what's the basic plot, etc.

[HalfTangible]

What Savanah/Zexion said. Also, different in what way? Do you want it order of the scribble style, or just fill everything with gray, or leave it all white and color the outside, or what?

[Nibleswick]

So, I'm looking around at different programs right now, and I was wondering if anyone here knew anything about one called Manga Studio. How does it stack up against other drawing programs?

[Maxios]

Originally Posted by HalfTangible

What Savanah/Zexion said. Also, different in what way? Do you want it order of the scribble style, or just fill everything with gray, or leave it all white and color the outside, or what?

Alright.


Theme: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Setting: The Nexus (ffrp universe). Unlike other Nexus comics, it'll be made so anyone who reads it can understand it.

Plot: It's about a programmer named Sean Decimal, who becomes under attack by AMEN. After narrowly escaping with his life, he's forced to hire two bodyguards (A Laser Samurai, and a Wizard with a talking sword). Meanwhile at the same time, the embodiments, basically gods, find out that the multiverse's most ancient monster willl awake soon, and makes Sean and the others their champions to find whoever is summouning the monster, and stop the ancient ritual.

When it's Flashbacks, Order of the Scribble style would be nice.

When it's not flashbacks, it's regular OOTs style.

[Maxios]

No one wants to draw the comic ?

[CrimsonAngel]

Ask flare why I don't draw comics for other people now. *sweat drop*

[Maxios]

Originally Posted by CrimsonAngel

Ask flare why I don't draw comics for other people now. *sweat drop*

Darn it!

Does ANYONE wanna draw the comic?

[Zexion]

Originally Posted by Maxios

Darn it!

Does ANYONE wanna draw the comic?

Most artists don't enjoy drawing other people's comics, especially if they live more than 4 timezones away. Timezones play hell with people's sanity.

[Maxios]

Originally Posted by Zexion

Most artists don't enjoy drawing other people's comics, especially if they live more than 4 timezones away. Timezones play hell with people's sanity.

Darn it! Can anybody, ANYBODY, draw my comic?!?!?

MethosH used to draw it before he stopped posting

[BRC]

Originally Posted by Maxios

Darn it!

Does ANYONE wanna draw the comic?

Don't be surprised. Drawing is always the hardest part of comic making. That's not to say Writing is a breeze, but drawing, especially for somebody else, is very tough. When making a comic, the fun parts are coming up with the ideas, examining your finished product, and seeing people's reactions. Turning that idea into a product is the hard part. For a Writer, that means going from a loose idea to a finished script with a storyboard of some variety. For the Artist, this means going from a vauge idea of what needs to happen, to a finished comic, and that tends to be a lot longer, harder, and less fun then writing it. Agreeing to do art for somebody means you are basically doing the hardest part of making the comic, and it's not even your ideas you're doing. That's why these forums have lots of "Writer seeking Artist", but I've yet to see an Artist seeking a Writer.

If you can find somebody to do Art for your comic, congratulations. be very grateful, and remember that they are doing you a favor. However, don't be surprised or upset if you don't.

[Trazoi]

Originally Posted by Nibleswick

So, I'm looking around at different programs right now, and I was wondering if anyone here knew anything about one called Manga Studio. How does it stack up against other drawing programs?

I've dabbled with Manga Studio Debut, although not enough to consider myself qualified to make a recommendation (plus I'm no artist; I think I picked it up at the time because there was a sale on and I too was looking at different programs so I thought hey, why not?)

From what I've seen it's good for what it's geared for, which is making B&W manga. The more you deviate from that then it gets less useful. It's also got a translated-from-Japanese feel to everything that makes things slightly confusing. However if what you want to make is a B&W manga it has everything you need and is very streamlined towards that particular goal.

[Nibleswick]

Hmm, I see. Thank you. Well, I'll find it cheap and mess around with it a while. The real trouble is that Adobe is too expensive for just messing around. Ah well.

[Mad Mask]

Originally Posted by Maxios

Darn it! Can anybody, ANYBODY, draw my comic?!?!?

MethosH used to draw it before he stopped posting

I'm interested! I hope you don't mind, but my OotS-style is a little different from the norm, in that I shade and include sleeves and pants. Here's an example.