Author Topic: Order of the Stick discussion *POTENTIAL SPOILERS!*  (Read 21640 times)

fiveyearwinter

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on: March 20, 2007, 02:06:38 PM
Is anyone else on the edge of their goram SEAT with this war? I'm freaking out. I started reading OotS when Penny Arcade mentioned it, and I've been keeping up ever since. Steve's right - Rich started out with easy D&D throwaway gags, but the whole thing has matured greatly. I care about the characters. And this war has just blown me away.

If you don't read OotS, you shouldn't be reading this thread. Instead, go here: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html and start from the beginning.



ClintMemo

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Reply #1 on: March 20, 2007, 02:52:50 PM
I discovered OOTS around issue 250 or so.  I spent almost an entire weekend reading it.

BTW, when you get to the part of the story where you encounter "Haleyspeak" (you'll know it when you see it), don't try and decipher it unless you have either a lot of time to kill or you enjoy frustrating yourself.  Yes, it is a simple substitution cypher, but it changes from strip to strip.  I don't know what method he is using to create his key. I spent way too much time deciphering what she was saying, but each time I tried, I pretty much started from scratch. He said that the hard copy version has translations in it.   

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


fiveyearwinter

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Reply #2 on: March 20, 2007, 03:15:58 PM
Oh, I didn't even bother. There's a tool going around on the forum that translates it based on the cypher for the particular comic. I, myself, LIKED the fact that I couldn't tell what she was saying. I mean, yes, it gives you a bit of "internal monologue" - but it made the whole thing connect better. I felt the frustration the other characters felt.


I get way too attached.

So you're caught up now. Read the lastest? Like, z0mg!



ClintMemo

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Reply #3 on: March 20, 2007, 07:10:31 PM
I have a button in Firefox called "Daily" that I click on every morning when I get to work (actually, right click -> open in tabs). It has about 15 things in it that I check every morning.  OOTS is one of them. ("show unread posts since your last visit" is another  :P )

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


Jim

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Reply #4 on: March 21, 2007, 12:48:42 PM
Just Google the words "cryptogram" and "solver," and you should find what you need to decipher what Haley is saying. Most of the time, though, it's more or less what you'd expect her to be saying.

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SFEley

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Reply #5 on: March 21, 2007, 03:57:42 PM
Is anyone else on the edge of their goram SEAT with this war? I'm freaking out.

Actually, I was a lot more cliffhung by the Nale's Impersonation plot thread just a few  months back -- that was presented as a more immediate danger to the characters.  I think Elan's suddenly gaining competence (without losing his goofiness) and saving the day has got to be the high point of the story so far, and tying it in with Haley's resolution of her problems was a masterstroke.  You so rarely expect anything good to happen in the middle of the plot like this, and it was a fantastic payoff of so many things.  I even admire the cleverness of having Roy (as close as the story has to a "main" character) sleep through the whole battle while the other characters get their moment, and his disbelief when he finds out what he missed.

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fiveyearwinter

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Reply #6 on: March 21, 2007, 04:02:45 PM
For some reason, I don't take Nale very seriously. It's not that I don't view him as a threat, but for some reason I just can't imagine him having any major, permanent effect on the lives of the characters. I suspect dark things will be coming our way the closer OotS gets to a direct and final confrontation with Xykon (I will be surprised if it happens during this battle).



ClintMemo

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Reply #7 on: March 21, 2007, 05:33:41 PM
(I will be surprised if it happens during this battle).

So will I, since they are only 13th level.  :P



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ClintMemo

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Reply #8 on: March 21, 2007, 05:41:13 PM
I remember really feeling sorry for Elan when he was stuck in jail.
I also liked the way the author showed the same scene twice (where Elan swings in to save her).  The first time he shows the scene, it generated a very big "wtf!?" reaction, but the second I was really pumped.  I also remember taking great glee in deciphering Haley's dialog and discovering her telling Elan to "...kick his ass!"

There are so many things I have loved in that strip, I could gush about it all afternoon.  :-[

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


Rachel Swirsky

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Reply #9 on: March 21, 2007, 06:40:10 PM
The Haley silence bit didn't really work for me. I liked her a lot, and I was pretty ehhhh on the whole "her inner spirits are talking to her" thing.

I am shocked by how much I *like* Elan. He's neat.

Have to confess my favorite bit was the Monty Python routine. :)



fiveyearwinter

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Reply #10 on: March 21, 2007, 06:43:32 PM
I thought that the introduction of Miko was interesting...finding out she was a PALADIN after she seemed like such a dark/scary character was well-played. And the idea that a religious zealot can be driven to terrible things? Oh hey, that's not loaded or anything. :)



ClintMemo

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Reply #11 on: March 21, 2007, 06:48:47 PM
I thought that the introduction of Miko was interesting...finding out she was a PALADIN after she seemed like such a dark/scary character was well-played. And the idea that a religious zealot can be driven to terrible things? Oh hey, that's not loaded or anything. :)

And the picture of her outline in the lightning flash is a great example of a powerful image that is a very simple drawing.

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


Rachel Swirsky

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Reply #12 on: March 21, 2007, 06:50:29 PM
What does it say about my brain that when she turned out to be a paladin, my reaction was "Well, of course!"

Heh.

(Bearing in mind that I read them through fast, which I'm sure is a really different experience than seeing a new one every few days!)



fiveyearwinter

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Reply #13 on: March 22, 2007, 03:07:55 PM
I'm pretty sure Roy is my hero.



SFEley

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Reply #14 on: March 22, 2007, 03:35:56 PM
I'm pretty sure Roy is my hero.

Cool.  But I'm kind of worried about the fact that he's still wearing Xykon's crown around his neck. 

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ClintMemo

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Reply #15 on: March 22, 2007, 03:39:48 PM
I'm partial to Belkar. :P


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fiveyearwinter

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Reply #16 on: March 22, 2007, 03:44:13 PM
I wonder why Xykon said "that guy with the green sword, whoever he is."

I am a little rusty on past comics, but I thought he knew who Roy and the OotS were.



ClintMemo

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Reply #17 on: March 22, 2007, 03:55:38 PM
I wonder why Xykon said "that guy with the green sword, whoever he is."

I am a little rusty on past comics, but I thought he knew who Roy and the OotS were.

he said "Green hilted sword."  Roy's name is Roy Greenhilt. 

There is an ongoing gag with Xykon that he doesn't care about what other people are doing around him, so he often forgets what he has done to other people. The bit (way back when) where Roy tries to tell Xykon that he killed his father and Xykon barely remembers it is hilarious.

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


ClintMemo

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Reply #18 on: March 22, 2007, 03:56:10 PM
I can't wait to see what the monster under the umbrella is.

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


SFEley

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Reply #19 on: March 22, 2007, 04:01:52 PM
I wonder why Xykon said "that guy with the green sword, whoever he is."
I am a little rusty on past comics, but I thought he knew who Roy and the OotS were.

It's just the way he is.  He can't be bothered to remember small details, like his army's strategy or the adventurer who once destroyed him.  


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fiveyearwinter

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Reply #20 on: March 22, 2007, 04:04:29 PM
::waves his hand over his head in an indication that he did not catch the joke the first time around::



SFEley

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Reply #21 on: March 22, 2007, 04:04:37 PM
There is an ongoing gag with Xykon that he doesn't care about what other people are doing around him, so he often forgets what he has done to other people. The bit (way back when) where Roy tries to tell Xykon that he killed his father and Xykon barely remembers it is hilarious.

Here and here.  

(See what you've made me do?  You've made me go back and read this stuff again!)

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Jim

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Reply #22 on: March 22, 2007, 05:41:12 PM
"Yeah? And who the hell are you, sword boy?"

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Rachel Swirsky

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Reply #23 on: March 22, 2007, 08:11:24 PM
Quote
(See what you've made me do?  You've made me go back and read this stuff again!)

You poor thing. That must have been awful. Next time you should delegate to share the pain. :)



BlairHippo

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Reply #24 on: March 23, 2007, 06:47:03 PM
I can't wait to see what the monster under the umbrella is.

A fragment of the Snarl.

Dude.  I'm tellin' ya.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2007, 07:02:09 PM by BlairHippo »