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16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:21 pm
by Krulle
permalink: http://goblinscomic.com/comic/page-16-2018/
@[color=red]Thunt[/color]_Goblins wrote:Imma boop you on the nose with a new Goblins comic! Will Minmax, with his high intelligence, be able to figure out who is up there? BOOP!

Image

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:49 pm
by BuildsLegos
It's only now I realize only Chief actually learned her name. To the rest of them, she was just another escaping monster.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:33 pm
by Davis8488
http://goblinscomic.com/comic/10222015-2

Ears remembered her name, and now they all know Minmax loves her.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:22 pm
by Shardstorm
I don't know about "all". Thaco doesn't remember from the look of it, but Complains clearly does.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:37 pm
by RocketScientist
I think Thaco is just messing with Minmax, isn't he?

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 10:01 pm
by SamWiser
Yeah, that definitely sounds like a sarcastic response from Thaco. Based on how often Minmax said her name in the previous panel

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:38 am
by arkayn
It has been almost forever since I posted on here, but I have kept following the comic even during the down time.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 5:41 am
by AXIS
Ehhhh


Can't quite put a finger on it, but this page isn't working for me for some reason

It's....... silly



when we should be getting a big hit of emotion

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 6:54 am
by Rooks
I'd imagine the bit hit of emotion will be coming when they finally get reunited.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:35 pm
by Shardstorm
Yep, on a re-read, you're totally right. Thaco is trolling Minmax.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:18 pm
by Generic
AXIS wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 5:41 am Ehhhh


Can't quite put a finger on it, but this page isn't working for me for some reason

It's....... silly



when we should be getting a big hit of emotion
It's the problem with having need for a punchline ever so often. I think this comic often has a tone problem. Remember, all these characters just saw their friends tortured to death or fallen from a bridge-to-death. It just happened to them. Like. Just moments ago. Long moments, sure, but I don't remember them making camp or anything.

Plus, the page's very flat. Not much is happening in the frames.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:29 pm
by Generic
Rooks wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 6:54 am I'd imagine the bit hit of emotion will be coming when they finally get reunited.
And right now it feels like we're only waiting for that to happen. What we need is a ticking clock. I think we needed a creepy shot of the sawn together mouth doing something sinister, or something. Sure, Kin can't speak. She probably can't cast. We need to affirm that she also is in danger to keep us on our toes.

Right now we're just watching Thac0 goof with MinMax and waiting for them to stop doing that.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:25 pm
by crow76308
I love this bit of comedy. It's a much needed break from the drama and angst.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:28 am
by TheOneThatGotAway
I think Minmax is realizing he has no idea how to get up there and do some saving in the last panel.

But I'm also feeling a teensy bit let down that we haven't yet received any hint of urgency about WHY they should save Kin and not just finish the dungeon and come back for her.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:25 am
by Morgaln
Generic wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:18 pm
AXIS wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 5:41 am Ehhhh


Can't quite put a finger on it, but this page isn't working for me for some reason

It's....... silly



when we should be getting a big hit of emotion
It's the problem with having need for a punchline ever so often. I think this comic often has a tone problem. Remember, all these characters just saw their friends tortured to death or fallen from a bridge-to-death. It just happened to them. Like. Just moments ago. Long moments, sure, but I don't remember them making camp or anything.

Plus, the page's very flat. Not much is happening in the frames.
They did make camp once, here: http://goblinscomic.com/comic/12232015-2. But even if we assume that they rested for 8 hours and every room in this dungeon took them an hour to complete (which is a very generous assumption), from the view of Minmax and the GAP it has still been less than a day since:

Kin broke up with Minmax
Fumbles came out of his catatonic state
Chief got tortured to death
Forgath died
The Axe of Prissan broke and hell started to take over
Complains transformed further into a demon several times
Thaco, Ears and Complains almost died in an explosion
Ears lost a hand
Fumbles almost got killed by a botched ritual

One would expect all of this has some emotional impact on the characters. Their constant snarking and bickering seems somewhat incongruous with the state of mind they should be in at this point.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:22 am
by Sessine
Morgaln wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:25 am They did make camp once, here: http://goblinscomic.com/comic/12232015-2. But even if we assume that they rested for 8 hours and every room in this dungeon took them an hour to complete (which is a very generous assumption), from the view of Minmax and the GAP it has still been less than a day since:

Kin broke up with Minmax
Fumbles came out of his catatonic state
Chief got tortured to death
Forgath died
The Axe of Prissan broke and hell started to take over
Complains transformed further into a demon several times
Thaco, Ears and Complains almost died in an explosion
Ears lost a hand
Fumbles almost got killed by a botched ritual

One would expect all of this has some emotional impact on the characters. Their constant snarking and bickering seems somewhat incongruous with the state of mind they should be in at this point.
True, but... there are meta considerations. This is not a novel. It is a web-comic being published page by page over a period of many years. Some incongruity is inescapable. If the characters had been constantly angsting over those losses this whole time, the fan reading experience would have been terrible.

In a way, it's only an exaggeration of tabletop gaming, where character timelines just about never match up with a player experience of, say, weekly gaming sessions. When players remember, they might roleplay a bit of grief over another character who died a dozen dungeon rooms back, but for the players it was three months ago, so they're not going to be doing it all the time. That would be no fun. They snark and joke, both in and out of character. The comic's real-world timeline has been much more stretched out than this.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:49 am
by Generic
Morgaln wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:25 am
Generic wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:18 pm
AXIS wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 5:41 am Ehhhh


Can't quite put a finger on it, but this page isn't working for me for some reason

It's....... silly



when we should be getting a big hit of emotion
It's the problem with having need for a punchline ever so often. I think this comic often has a tone problem. Remember, all these characters just saw their friends tortured to death or fallen from a bridge-to-death. It just happened to them. Like. Just moments ago. Long moments, sure, but I don't remember them making camp or anything.

Plus, the page's very flat. Not much is happening in the frames.
They did make camp once, here: http://goblinscomic.com/comic/12232015-2. But even if we assume that they rested for 8 hours and every room in this dungeon took them an hour to complete (which is a very generous assumption), from the view of Minmax and the GAP it has still been less than a day since:

Kin broke up with Minmax
Fumbles came out of his catatonic state
Chief got tortured to death
Forgath died
The Axe of Prissan broke and hell started to take over
Complains transformed further into a demon several times
Thaco, Ears and Complains almost died in an explosion
Ears lost a hand
Fumbles almost got killed by a botched ritual

One would expect all of this has some emotional impact on the characters. Their constant snarking and bickering seems somewhat incongruous with the state of mind they should be in at this point.
I forgot about most of those things. That's ok, the characters seems to have as well.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:02 pm
by BuildsLegos
Haven't you ever heard of a coping mechanism?

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:32 pm
by redfeather
I think the tone of this comic is fine. I got an emotional payoff just from Minmax realizing it's Kin, and immediately being puppyishly excited and desperate for the reunion. Undercutting that with Thaco's sarcasm (and Complains cracking up) was a great way to keep us "on the hook" for another week. The next comic will get into a lot of details of how exactly he plans to get to her; better to have a "beat" panel before getting into all that.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:19 pm
by AXIS
redfeather wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:32 pm I think the tone of this comic is fine. I got an emotional payoff just from Minmax realizing it's Kin, and immediately being puppyishly excited and desperate for the reunion. Undercutting that with Thaco's sarcasm (and Complains cracking up) was a great way to keep us "on the hook" for another week. The next comic will get into a lot of details of how exactly he plans to get to her; better to have a "beat" panel before getting into all that.

Ah there we go, you put the finger on it for me.

MinMax is acting like a stupid teenager in love rather than an adult.

okay that makes sense now, still doesn't work for me but at least I know why.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:17 am
by Generic
AXIS wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:19 pm
redfeather wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:32 pm I think the tone of this comic is fine. I got an emotional payoff just from Minmax realizing it's Kin, and immediately being puppyishly excited and desperate for the reunion. Undercutting that with Thaco's sarcasm (and Complains cracking up) was a great way to keep us "on the hook" for another week. The next comic will get into a lot of details of how exactly he plans to get to her; better to have a "beat" panel before getting into all that.

Ah there we go, you put the finger on it for me.

MinMax is acting like a stupid teenager in love rather than an adult.

okay that makes sense now, still doesn't work for me but at least I know why.
Well, a few days ago he DID turn 13.
http://goblinscomic.com/comic/07092005

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:36 am
by Scoshan
Okay, call me clueless, but I don't get to what you're referring on that page.

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:08 am
by Krulle
The date of publication....

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:18 am
by Scoshan
I didn't even think of that, and in hindsight it should have been obvious. :oops:

Re: 16 July 2018: Sorry, who's up there?

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:01 am
by Morgaln
Sessine wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:22 am
Morgaln wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:25 am They did make camp once, here: http://goblinscomic.com/comic/12232015-2. But even if we assume that they rested for 8 hours and every room in this dungeon took them an hour to complete (which is a very generous assumption), from the view of Minmax and the GAP it has still been less than a day since:

Kin broke up with Minmax
Fumbles came out of his catatonic state
Chief got tortured to death
Forgath died
The Axe of Prissan broke and hell started to take over
Complains transformed further into a demon several times
Thaco, Ears and Complains almost died in an explosion
Ears lost a hand
Fumbles almost got killed by a botched ritual

One would expect all of this has some emotional impact on the characters. Their constant snarking and bickering seems somewhat incongruous with the state of mind they should be in at this point.
True, but... there are meta considerations. This is not a novel. It is a web-comic being published page by page over a period of many years. Some incongruity is inescapable. If the characters had been constantly angsting over those losses this whole time, the fan reading experience would have been terrible.

In a way, it's only an exaggeration of tabletop gaming, where character timelines just about never match up with a player experience of, say, weekly gaming sessions. When players remember, they might roleplay a bit of grief over another character who died a dozen dungeon rooms back, but for the players it was three months ago, so they're not going to be doing it all the time. That would be no fun. They snark and joke, both in and out of character. The comic's real-world timeline has been much more stretched out than this.
Novels don't get written in a day either; some of them are taking years to write, or in the case of long series, they might even take decades. Just ask George R.R. Martin or Robert Jordan (might have to find a good medium for that one, though). Considering the doorstopper nature of their writing, they have a lot more stuff happening that they need to keep straight than a webcomic with a few hundred pages. Yes, novels go through a lot of editing and proofreading after they have been finished. A webcomic cannot do that. But that doesn't mean a webcomic is exempt from quality control. It just means that quality control needs to happen at an earlier point in production.

As for the tabletop gaming, I am once again struck by how different everyone's experience seems to be from mine when it comes to RPs. My players will absolutely change the behavior of their characters if something happens that affects them emotionally. They will consider how a situation affects their characters and they will adjust their game accordingly. If their characters are distressed, or angry, or depressed, they will play them like that and they will not suddenly forget about it from one session to the next. I guess I'm just blessed with awesome players, since not caring about the story or character development is apparently the standard.