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To get things back on to Prequel, I will say that one of the challenges, as I see it (maybe not for Kaz) is that the story feels both like it could have a central plot arc with character development or plod along with short arcs (like Dmitri) and individual encounters that don't really build to anything. The format sort of favours the second, but the characters and premise favours the first.
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Sep 26, 2011 03:03
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Nick Buntline posted:I'm aware of that, and honestly I consider it to be the comic's biggest flaw. Condensing all the dialogue into chatlogs gets rid of everything you said it does, reducing the information available to the reader and hitting the cap of when you need "quirks" that much faster, but it doesn't seem to do anything. It doesn't add anything to the story, there's no real change in people's interactions (by which I mean they more or less still talk as if they're face to face), it's just seems to be an artificial limitation placed for no real reason. If you're going to make a structural decision like that, I feel like there should be some reason or benefit to doing so that outweighs what you lose. I'm trying to come up with a good example here, and the best I can think of right now would be comparing Satoshi Kon's films, which tend to have confusing abstractions of reality and causality as part of their overarching themes, and Videodrome, which had confusing abstractions of reality and causality because the film was an unsalvageable mess (Cronenberg's other films are fine, but that one...) Well, the reason there are chatlogs is because a big theme of the story is that all of the kids aren't actually friends IRL, but live far far away from each other and for most of the game stay that way. They develop all these relationships over the internet, because they're all shut-ins. The whole structure of the plot, as well as the medium and the name of the comic would have be to different if he used something besides chatlogs. Sure, later in the story once they actually are meeting in person he could have used something else, but I don't think we lost too much when he stuck with chatlogs. I personally really like the frequent POV changing, I think it makes it easier to follow the story and keeps things interesting. Also Nepeta "describing her actions" didn't do anything helpful because she was RPing, if you were paying attention you may have noticed that she's pretending to be a dragon that's hunting down animals. No useful information is given through that. But anyways! Prequel! I really like that one person who suggested that if she "loots" the corpses instead of "searching" them that she'd be able to find stuff better. I wonder what kind of special powers that ring must have!
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Sep 26, 2011 03:03
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QueerPope posted:But anyways! Prequel! That was absolutely delightful, but the comic is starting to become worryingly saturated with "reader submits weird or creepy idea, Katia reads it and makes a goofy face at the camera" gags. Danger, Kazerad! Danger!
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Sep 26, 2011 03:29
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Gabriel Pope posted:That was absolutely delightful, but the comic is starting to become worryingly saturated with "reader submits weird or creepy idea, Katia reads it and makes a goofy face at the camera" gags. Danger, Kazerad! Danger! Related, a friend showed me this Tumblr exchange a few weeks ago: 
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Sep 26, 2011 03:41
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Speaking of class mobility, Elder Scrolls games are pretty the ultimate Libertarian wetdream. You start off penniless and are possibly an ex-con but you become a lightning-spitting kill machine able to buy and sell entire communities just by working your way up and bootstraps. Good thing the Imperial government doesn't stifle the economy by overregulating the guilds.
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Sep 26, 2011 04:54
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Zenzirouj posted:Speaking of class mobility, Elder Scrolls games are pretty the ultimate Libertarian wetdream. You start off penniless and are possibly an ex-con but you become a lightning-spitting kill machine able to buy and sell entire communities just by working your way up and bootstraps. Good thing the Imperial government doesn't stifle the economy by overregulating the guilds. Amusingly, the ability to save/restore means that you'd probably take more risks than you would otherwise, because there's no real downside past going back to your last save, thus skewing the risk/reward matrix. It's a libertarian wet dream because if someone sells you a poisoned potion you can just go back 5 minutes, making silly things like the FDA unnecessary. OBAMMMAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! 
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Sep 26, 2011 07:05
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Clearly all someone has to do is make it a slow acting poison, that takes effect years later, when they saved over everything before taking the poisoned potion. And wonder why they keep dying at the same time.
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Sep 26, 2011 19:11
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Kgummy posted:Clearly all someone has to do is make it a slow acting poison, that takes effect years later, when they saved over everything before taking the poisoned potion. And wonder why they keep dying at the same time. Old Sierra games, Socialist reality?
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Sep 26, 2011 19:17
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Taerkar posted:Old Sierra games, Socialist reality? Forget to bring teacup to hell = never marry princess. Sounds more laissez-faire to me. Kazerad fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Sep 26, 2011 |
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Sep 26, 2011 21:55
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Zenzirouj posted:Speaking of class mobility, Elder Scrolls games are pretty the ultimate Libertarian wetdream. You start off penniless and are possibly an ex-con but you become a lightning-spitting kill machine able to buy and sell entire communities just by working your way up and bootstraps. Good thing the Imperial government doesn't stifle the economy by overregulating the guilds. This is standard fare for most CRPGs, really. The government is typically portrayed as being impotent at best and is sometimes outright evil, leaving it up to the individualism of a small group of greedy self-serving sociopaths to save the world (while making ridiculous profits.) Whoever pegged Gro-Upp as being the quintessential RPG protagonist character had the right of it.
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Sep 26, 2011 22:08
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Update! Am I seeing what I think I see in the last panel? 
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Oct 2, 2011 15:18
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Oh man I get so happy when my suggestions are used. Also I'm loving the mention of the respawn timer (the 'three days' for those of you who haven't played Oblivion before)
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Oct 2, 2011 15:26
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Looks like someone has set a cooking fire just outside of Kvatch! And that's obviously all it could be and not the start of a hideous demon incursion.
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Oct 2, 2011 20:47
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Dolash posted:Looks like someone has set a cooking fire just outside of Kvatch! Katia would probably think she caused a hideous demon incursion if it started while she was around. 
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Oct 2, 2011 22:43
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What's up with the clothing inconsistency? That robe thing keeps changing shape and coverage depending on zoom levels.
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Oct 3, 2011 05:52
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Pakled posted:Am I seeing what I think I see in the last panel? I have never played Oblivion. Is that fire in the background in the game? Will shenanigans ensue? I really like that Kazerad changes the angle and style up for a few of the images. I especially like the close up of the ring and Katia's paws, which are not ugly. She has pretty paws.  And I like the cute and funny expressions Katia makes with her ears and tail. Also, I love it when my suggestions are used. I just like everything about this comic. It is worth waiting for, but of course, I always want updates to come out more frequently for something so good.
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Oct 3, 2011 20:48
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Deadly Ham Sandwich posted:I have never played Oblivion. Is that fire in the background in the game? Will shenanigans ensue? Short answer: perhaps. I've spoilered the long answer below, although it's nothing anybody who's played the first half hour or so of Oblivion wouldn't be aware of. Almost the first thing that happens in the game once you get out of the prison-and-sewer tutorial bit is that you're sent to Kvatch. It turns out that all these gates to Oblivion (a sort of hell-plane) have been opening up and disgorging daedra (demons) all over the place, but especially in Kvatch, which is consequently on fire with some refugees camping nearby. The fire might indicate that this has started happening - one of the Oblivion gates is right at the entrance to the city - or it might not. We'll see soon.
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Oct 3, 2011 21:00
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SynthOrange posted:What's up with the clothing inconsistency? That robe thing keeps changing shape and coverage depending on zoom levels.
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Oct 3, 2011 23:05
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The fire stuff is probably a red herring, meant to get people who've played the game all wonder-y. It'll probably be something innocuous. Or maybe some other large scale problem besides the Oblivion one. Or maybe he KNOWS we'd be suspicious of such an obvious call-back to the game (or maybe it's a call-forward to future events) and it actually IS happening now. Layers within layers, man.
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Oct 4, 2011 00:50
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http://prequeladventure.com/2011/10/katia-bid-farewel/ update! That look on her in the second-to-last image is perfect. It is a nice complement to the narrative and shows the determinism in her.
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Oct 24, 2011 18:26
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Iced Cocoa posted:http://prequeladventure.com/2011/10/katia-bid-farewel/ update!  Determination. Determinism is something different and is probably not altogether a favorable concept for Katia given the way her life has gone up until now.
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Oct 24, 2011 18:34
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Gabriel Pope posted:
I spelled it wrong and let firefox correct it for me  Thanks for the correction. English isn't my first language but this was still an embarrassing mistake.
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Oct 24, 2011 18:39
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I like seeing good things happen to Katia but I'm not ready for things to go her way just yet. Hopefully along the way to town Katia gets attacked by Gro-Upp or some wolves or something and she only just reaches Kvatch with the last beat of her heart... Quill-Weave's letter in hand.  Except she turns out okay.
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Oct 25, 2011 00:32
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Eggie posted:Hopefully along the way to town Katia gets attacked by Gro-Upp or some wolves or something and she only just reaches Kvatch with the last beat of her heart... Quill-Weave's letter in hand. What the gently caress. I like this adventure but I refuse to ever re-read it because seeing this constant pattern of "Things are bad, things get better, Katia's life is looking good, oh wait no it's not" is incredibly depressing. I do like the way the author is handling suggestions though, where he has a definite path he's taking and just letting suggestions guide it along the way as opposed to some other adventures where the author lets the readers get carried away.
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Oct 25, 2011 01:31
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In my opinion it hasn't gone on long enough to show signs of being a bad iteration of 'three steps forward, two steps back'. So far Katia has had one 'real' setback where she lost some amount of progress she felt she'd made (the single gold coin she earned and spent on booze doesn't count in my book as she really didn't have anything else to lose at that point besides her dignity), and after that she got access to magic. Even the first setback gave her a friend - sure, second setback strained the relationship a lot but again, she got magic, cleaned herself up, and even found a friend who could refill her magic supply. It wasn't great that she hit 'three way with necromancer and skeleton' low but her adventure in the ruins did end with her coming out ahead in the long run (aside from whatever Gro'upp might end up doing later courtesy of his plundering). Now if the step forward part is forgotten or doesn't stay decently ahead of the backwards, I'd agree it won't be any fun anymore, but it hasn't shown signs of that happening yet. I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt right now especially since the creator cares enough to listen to suggestions.
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Oct 25, 2011 05:33
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Another update. Kvatch townspeople are the best townspeople.
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Oct 25, 2011 12:55
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Wow. So much in there. I'll just say that the best bit was the conversation with the Count. And with the Kahjit barkeep. If you've played Oblivion, is there a reason behind the reaction to the head priest?
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Oct 25, 2011 13:23
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MikeJF posted:Wow. So much in there. I'll just say that the best bit was the conversation with the Count. And with the Kahjit barkeep. A very good reason! Martin is the illegitimate son of the emperor and plays a big role in the game itself. Also voiced by Sean Bean. Also, I'm going to agree with you that the conversation with the count is the best! I found a knife, fork and yarn when dumpster diving, was there anything more? Iced Cocoa fucked around with this message at 14:13 on Oct 25, 2011 |
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Oct 25, 2011 13:58
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Iced Cocoa posted:I found a knife, fork and yarn when dumpster diving, was there anything more? Off the top of my head I remember finding a spoon (when you get the knife, fork, and spoon Katia comments that she has a full set), a paintbrush, and I think probably a few other things as well.
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Oct 25, 2011 14:24
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Opposing Farce posted:Off the top of my head I remember finding a spoon (when you get the knife, fork, and spoon Katia comments that she has a full set), a paintbrush, and I think probably a few other things as well.
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Oct 25, 2011 14:31
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Also a girl with a very interesting fetish and parentage near that tree in the north. Surely not a vampire. Definitely not. Katia keeps talking about how she doesn't know any other Khajit like her, though, but... her parents may have been disappointed and probably uncaring, but are we really supposed to assume she's also never noticed they're her species, too? Or did I miss something there?
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Oct 25, 2011 14:36
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Kurui Reiten posted:Also a girl with a very interesting fetish and parentage near that tree in the north. Surely not a vampire. Definitely not. Each Elder Scrolls game has had exactly one type of Khajiit show up in it, different in each game.
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Oct 25, 2011 14:49
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If you keep talking to the barkeep, you get banned from the tavern forever. If you go into the There's also an amusing conversation if you go up on the wall and talk to the captain.
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Oct 25, 2011 15:32
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Hot drat. Kazerad really outdid himself this time. Katia seems to have a problem getting along with other Khajiit 
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Oct 25, 2011 15:55
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Yonic Symbolism posted:If you keep talking to the barkeep, you get banned from the tavern forever. I didn't have time to really check this morning, but does the Dark Elfish guy in the store who doesn't care about what you have to say to him eventually react if you keep asking him if he's ignoring you?
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Oct 25, 2011 16:01
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Kazerad, this is basically the most wonderful thing. I only wish you'd released it sometime other than when Hussie put out the end of act flash so you could get more attention.
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Oct 25, 2011 18:20
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Yeah flash-wise the timing is hilarious(ly bad). But on the other hand this was incredibly fun and funny, so I'm really glad it did come out. Now for Katia to make loads of new friends and get involved in lots of plots and stories with these Kvatch people so they can all die when the town burns down, thus erasing Katia's connections to the world just in time to get jailed for the start of Oblivion. Dolash fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Oct 25, 2011 |
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Oct 25, 2011 19:15
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Yonic Symbolism posted:If you keep talking to the barkeep, you get banned from the tavern forever. I got just under 15k for my high score, with the disaster averted and orcish shame bonuses!
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Oct 25, 2011 19:16
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This is great and unexpected. My favorite bit is the guy in the fighter's guild who starts wildly winking with both eyes.
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Oct 25, 2011 20:06
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Dolash posted:Oblivion plot stuff I think there are at least a few people who haven't played the game and are following this, so it might be nice to spoiler that. And goddamn, Kaz. This explains the delay in updates  . I liked the couple of 4-leaf clovers behind a rock, forever out of reach. Taunting you.
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Oct 25, 2011 20:25
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