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Is girl genius actually meant to end? I sort of stopped reading a year or two back but it eventually felt like it was just sort of doing the endless serials thing where you have the long term goal but never get there. Just an endless array of new sets and small plots that just introduce new sets and small plots. Like its fine and fun to read though! I also don't know if its gotten more focused recently but I am gathering from those remarks that it has not.
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Aug 4, 2023 17:18
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It has not gotten any more focused. It finally joined a few other things in getting pruned from my feed reader recently because I can barely keep track of what's going on anymore and I have no desire to go reread years of archives to remember most of these people and what's going on.
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Aug 4, 2023 17:21
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There do seem to have been a number of major plots set up in the very early days of the comic that have made a surprising amount of progress MikeJF fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Aug 4, 2023 |
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Aug 4, 2023 17:36
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MikeJF posted:There do seem to have been a number of major plots set up in the very early days of the comic that have made a surprising amount of progress Yeah, there's a very slow drip feed of progress on the big plot arcs and they've never abandoned them outright, the Foglios just love spending a year+ on random adventures (not even counting interludes!) between plot beats.
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Aug 4, 2023 17:41
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SlothfulCobra posted:Well, after nearly a full year on its sidestory, Girl Genius is finally back to its main plot. If you said "fighting the other" well done! But that's more of a motivation than a plot
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Aug 4, 2023 18:11
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Splicer posted:If you said "fighting the other" well done! But that's more of a motivation than a plot It can be both! What makes it a plot is that there are several central mysteries that are slowly being unraveled, including quite a lot of time travel shenanigans, through which we've already seen a glimpse of the climax. So the plot is working its way towards that predefined point.
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Aug 4, 2023 18:20
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Splicer posted:I dare you to articulate what the main plot is. *cracks knuckles* The plot of Girl Genius can be (currently) divided into two arcs: 1) To reach and reclaim Mechanicsburg 2) To rescue Mechanicsburg from the time-fuckery that the Baron did In order to accomplish Goal Two, Agatha has embarked on a series of small quests to gather allies, information, and tools. After freeing herself from the clutches of the would-be Storm King, she traveled to Paris, last known location of a professor renowned for his time mad science. Instead, she found the professor had been waylaid into a separate quest to find a time-slowing artifact, and while investigating that, stumbled into a plot to conquer Paris. Once that was resolved, both the professor and the time-slowing artifact were gone, headed to England, domain of a powerful god-queen. So Agatha headed to England. In England, Agatha found many diversions from her quest. This was not helped in the least by the Queen herself, who seems to be rather fond of 'collecting' interesting people, and has been attempting to distract Agatha with flirty British spies, old theater friends, and scientific curiosities. During the distractions, Agatha learned she had a time-limit on freeing her town, because the time-fuckery is attracting weird beasties from beyond time and space. The professor showed up, dead, and the time-slowing artifact was taken by a master assassin. Agatha and her friends followed the master assassin to an uncharted island, where they found new The Other machinations afoot. They killed the master assassin and reclaimed the artifact, but were forced to flee. For now, Agatha does not have any new leads about how to go about freeing her town, but probably the current conversation will give her some new hints to chase...
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Aug 4, 2023 18:34
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I think you could generally articulate the main plot as "Agatha reclaims her family legacy," which involves both taking up rulership of her father's family lands and becoming the Heterodyne, and dealing with her mother's plans to take over the world.
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Aug 4, 2023 18:38
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"fighting the other" is a motivation, but the overarching plot is more about learning the nature of The Other as a time travelling entity, presumably linked in some way to The Muse of Time, the thing that we glimpse through the first time portal we see, in the first couple of pages of the comic. The Other, the time portals, the Queens, and The Muse are all linked together to form the big overarching mystery of the comic. And then that's distinct from the goal of Agatha that keeps pushing her on, which is reclaiming/freeing Mechanicsburg and her family's legacy and forms the day-to-day quest plot.
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Aug 4, 2023 18:45
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I feel like the main plot is about Agatha's maturation as an adventurer and the effects of that on Europa as a whole. First she needed to learn what she had special that was going for her and claim her legacy, now she's been working to recover her town, and it turns out as part of that, she's going to be confronting the powers that threaten the entire order of the continent on her journeys. I think there's also some kind of metaplot about planting the seeds for adventure stories that will warp and change as they get further away from her, but there hasn't been much of that lately, it was a lot stronger at the beginning of the comic with all the stuff about traveling Heterodyne shows and the Baron as an imposing force that put an end to the silliness and brutal chaos of those bygone days. celadon posted:Is girl genius actually meant to end? I sort of stopped reading a year or two back but it eventually felt like it was just sort of doing the endless serials thing where you have the long term goal but never get there. Just an endless array of new sets and small plots that just introduce new sets and small plots. Like its fine and fun to read though! I also don't know if its gotten more focused recently but I am gathering from those remarks that it has not. There absolutely has always been some kind of plan for where it will go. Most obviously there's been the time portals (that still haven't paid off), there's also been things where the Foglios put out a card game with "here are some of the characters in the comic", and those characters wouldn't actually be introduced for like 15 or so years. That's not to say everything has been planned out specifically, I think there's been signs of plans changing over time (although I don't know if the Foglios have ever said anything specific about pivoting). I feel like sometimes they may have over-planned some bits, like they ended up stuffing to many things into one part of the plot. I really got that impression from the Mechanicsburg arcs and how a lot of aspects seemed redundant. I think the amount that they've put into "post-plot" content implies that the Foglios might want to toddle around with one-off adventures after whatever ending that they've been planning for the comic proper though.
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Aug 4, 2023 19:15
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I generally had considered whenever i was reading it that the time portals needed to get resolved before the comic could even begin to reach endgame, and it didnt super seem like that was happening beyond the breadcrumbs level. Like stuff kept feeding back into that for a while but its just a very long time to have a story going. I think I'd want to start from the beginning again if I restart the comic and thats a ton of stuff to get through. Rand Brittain posted:I think you could generally articulate the main plot as "Agatha reclaims her family legacy," which involves both taking up rulership of her father's family lands and becoming the Heterodyne, and dealing with her mother's plans to take over the world. Yeah I think this is a good summary but given the scope of that legacy its quite a lot to resolve.
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Aug 4, 2023 19:51
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celadon posted:Is girl genius actually meant to end? I sort of stopped reading a year or two back but it eventually felt like it was just sort of doing the endless serials thing where you have the long term goal but never get there. Just an endless array of new sets and small plots that just introduce new sets and small plots. Like its fine and fun to read though! I also don't know if its gotten more focused recently but I am gathering from those remarks that it has not. All I know is I will never start reading it again unless it does end, because I found the endless diversions and how long it took to get resolution on anything maddening, even though I liked it well enough. Also after a while the whole treatment of Sparks as superior, even with lip service to the idea that their personalities can make them dangerous and destructive, just got grating to me. More of a me issue, I think, it's not really conflicting with the tone of the story or anything, I just dislike it. mycatscrimes fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Aug 4, 2023 |
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Aug 4, 2023 22:07
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mycatscrimes posted:All I know is I will never start reading it again unless it does end, because I found the endless diversions and how long it took to get resolution on anything maddening, even though I liked it well enough. Drakyn fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Aug 4, 2023 |
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Aug 4, 2023 22:39
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It's a comic about mad scientists  Having a literal mad science gene does lead to some unsavory implications, but the comic is also very clear that it is not actually a good thing; there's a reason that late 19th century Europe exists in a largely medieval state despite the existence of futuristic technology. The "good" rulers like Wulfenbach, Voltaire, and Albia are still very much the least bad options.
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Aug 4, 2023 22:57
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mycatscrimes posted:All I know is I will never start reading it again unless it does end, because I found the endless diversions and how long it took to get resolution on anything maddening, even though I liked it well enough. It sure has meandered for a long while, but in that respect it's not really very different from most longform narrative content. It's rare for most of these things to have much actually planned for what the ending will be. But it's also perfectly natural to get tired of that, especially if you've gotten older and seen a lot of other stories just not finish after going on forever (or coming up with some last minute bullshit when they do finish). As for the spark stuff, it has been a while since spark/nonspark dynamics have come up. I think a lot of it tends to work on cape comic logic where a significant amount may be good and become great heroes, but the majority turn out evil. Politics seem to be dominated by people who are good t corralling sparks so that they aren't a threat to society at large. It also seems blurry as to who's a spark and who's not. I think the sidestory with Franz didn't feature any sparks in it at all. There's a lot of hypercompetent non-sparks running around, but that still makes the story drift further away from relatability.
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Aug 4, 2023 23:12
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Bobulus posted:*cracks knuckles* Very good, now be sure to add this when reading all that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXZ12NiziBo
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Aug 4, 2023 23:22
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the holy poopacy posted:It's a comic about mad scientists Yes that's what I mean by paying lip service to it. However in terms of what's actually in the comic, the Sparks are always the best, most impactful, etc etc. It's not about the worldbuilding or set dressing, either, it's about who gets to be narratively important and a mover and shaker in the plot, as well as the nonpowered characters, even ones we are supposed to find very cool and competent, constantly being shown up by the mad science ubermenschs. No one character is actually allowed to outshine a Spark, even in what is supposed to be their core competency, ala Gil and his spy butler, or Viola and Tarvek. Even the one character who wants to get rid of Sparks is a Spark, lmao. I get that it's a genre thing, it's just not one I enjoy. I've enjoyed a lot of super power fiction that manages not to fall into that, and consistently don't really enjoy when it does, but I don't think fiction has like, a moral obligation not to or anything. It's not wrong for a writer to be overly enthusiastic about the 'power' part of super power fiction. Just the longer it goes on and the more blatant it gets, the more it turns me, personally, off. SlothfulCobra posted:It sure has meandered for a long while, but in that respect it's not really very different from most longform narrative content. It's rare for most of these things to have much actually planned for what the ending will be. But it's also perfectly natural to get tired of that, especially if you've gotten older and seen a lot of other stories just not finish after going on forever (or coming up with some last minute bullshit when they do finish). I agree it's a natural trap for long serialized fiction, GG is far from the only work I'm waiting to see if they actually end before I put more energy into reading it. It's exactly as you say, getting older and a little tired of it all. I also am hesitant to pick up long running unfinished manga/anime or book series. GG is just a particularly excessive example. But the authors clearly have a lot of passion for the project and they have shown they are going somewhere and definitely in it for the long haul, so I do think it will get there eventually! I'll take your word for it on the spark/nonspark dynamics having progressed, I haven't read the comic in a few years after all. mycatscrimes fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Aug 5, 2023 |
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Aug 5, 2023 00:37
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I feel like that was all very negative. The comic isn't bad and I don't mean to be too down on it, I had a lot of fun with it before I stopped reading.
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Aug 5, 2023 00:54
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mycatscrimes posted:Yes that's what I mean by paying lip service to it. However in terms of what's actually in the comic, the Sparks are always the best, most impactful, etc etc. It's not about the worldbuilding or set dressing, either, it's about who gets to be narratively important and a mover and shaker in the plot, as well as the nonpowered characters, even ones we are supposed to find very cool and competent, constantly being shown up by the mad science ubermenschs. No one character is actually allowed to outshine a Spark, even in what is supposed to be their core competency, ala Gil and his spy butler, or Viola and Tarvek. I feel you, this is sort of like a thing I've noticed in some fantasy where there will be some token acknowledgment that nobles are not inherently more valuable than peasants and it is incredibly evil to even think that way, but the author can't help themselves from making every noble the most beautiful powerful competent (even if some of them are evil) and obviously doesn't really care for the non-noble characters in the same way. But the entire base concept of "special" people is kind of problematic when you really get down to it, so you just have to swallow it.
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Aug 5, 2023 01:22
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I feel like Viola was significantly more competent than she let on, re: her and Tarvek and smoke night poo poo.
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Aug 5, 2023 01:33
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Does anyone know where to find that comic where the guy wished for teeth to be drugs, and then the world collapsed? I dont know if I'm just looking extremely poorly but I can only find people asking for where to find it.
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Aug 5, 2023 05:44
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celadon posted:Does anyone know where to find that comic where the guy wished for teeth to be drugs, and then the world collapsed? I dont know if I'm just looking extremely poorly but I can only find people asking for where to find it. https://imgur.com/a/FTytK
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Aug 5, 2023 05:56
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also looking for something. actually two somethings one is a maakies comic titled something like "vacations of the classes". had a rich dude at a resort, then a middle class in a walled garden, then finally uncle gabby sitting in a run-down shack tripping his rear end off. the other is some alien uplifts a beast. the uplifted being is angered by their new sapience and fights and kills the alien before de-evolving themselves
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Aug 5, 2023 14:30
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The second one sounds familiar, but I can't find either, sorry! Also, hey, Anthony Clark unfucked Nedroid's website and it's functional again, and he's posting new comics! https://nedroid.com/
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Aug 7, 2023 22:48
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thank you!!
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Aug 9, 2023 18:42
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In which Birdie is introduced to the concept of maps
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Aug 11, 2023 13:01
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Some disorganized Wilde Life thoughts Judging by the comments section, it seems like a lot of people think that this is still partly a romance comic where the OTP are set up in the first act and then everything else is an expression of their inevitable romance. Oscar and Sylvia in this case. But Eliza has yet to be wrong about the supernatural and one thing she has consistently stressed is that ghosts are bad news bears. I really think that getting Sylvia to move on is gonna be part of Oscar closing the door on his own unhealthy relationship with grief/inability to 'let go' and so on. Just a question of how bad the blowout from kicking the ghost can down the road is gonna be.
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Aug 24, 2023 21:55
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Captain Oblivious posted:Some disorganized Wilde Life thoughts Wow that is a wild (haw haw) take. I'm completely with you on this, its never occurred to me that there would be a romantic thing between them and the comic has foreshadowed her needing to move on eventually numerous times.
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Aug 24, 2023 21:58
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I think Wilde Life is more horror/slice of life than it is romcom. So yeah, I agree with you.
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Aug 24, 2023 22:07
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Regy Rusty posted:Wow that is a wild (haw haw) take. I'm completely with you on this, its never occurred to me that there would be a romantic thing between them and the comic has foreshadowed her needing to move on eventually numerous times. You would be surprised how many people out there are absolutely convinced that the comic is trying to convey Oscar and Sylvia as some kind of destined star crossed lovers and I’m out here feeling like I’m being gaslit. Really this is just me trying to confirm I haven’t lost my mind
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Aug 25, 2023 03:06
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Captain Oblivious posted:You would be surprised how many people out there are absolutely convinced that the comic is trying to convey I thought it was going to do that relatively early on, but it did become clear that this would be Not Good if it did happen.
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Aug 25, 2023 03:13
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Captain Oblivious posted:You would be surprised how many people out there are absolutely convinced that the comic is trying to convey The comic is 100% building to an arc where Sylvia's unhappiness tips over and they have to find a way to help her move on before someone gets hurt.
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Aug 25, 2023 09:30
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I really don't feel like a romance with Oscar is safe for either party.
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Aug 25, 2023 11:07
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Yeah I definitely agree. I guess I can see why people would think otherwise since some of Oscar's first interactions with Sylvia was him literally hitting on her. And both of them seem to mean well in their interactions. But I think the writing in the comic has been pretty clear at stating that things will get really really bad at some point. Isn't there even some implication that she's been passively (likely unknowingly) draining his strength to become more tangible? I don't remember when but I could have sworn there was. Either way, this is definitely not a healthy nor sustainable situation for either of them.
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Aug 25, 2023 14:40
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I hate to post about posting, but why are spoiler bars being used for this Wilde Life discussion? It is just discussion of things that have already happened and speculation on the future of the story. I do not think any of it constitutes spoilers.
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Aug 25, 2023 15:05
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it's likely because this is the general webcomic thread and not a thread for wilde life specifically, meaning that you can't assume everyone reading this thread is fully caught up with that specific comic
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Aug 25, 2023 21:44
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flatluigi posted:it's likely because this is the general webcomic thread and not a thread for wilde life specifically, meaning that you can't assume everyone reading this thread is fully caught up with that specific comic
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Aug 25, 2023 23:27
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It takes very little effort to spoiler stuff so, why not I figured.
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Aug 26, 2023 05:37
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I was wondering if y'all might know this webcomic I can't find anymore. It was super stylish, maybe touched on voodoo stuff a little? Main boy had several little spirit monster things, and he could merge with them or something to power up. It ended up being dropped by the creator, I believe. May have been around 2017 when I read it? I've been wanting to reread it for some reason and I can't seem to Google it up. I wish I had a better description lol my memory for that far back is really bad.
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Aug 26, 2023 05:43
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Pogonodon posted:I was wondering if y'all might know this webcomic I can't find anymore. It was super stylish, maybe touched on voodoo stuff a little? Main boy had several little spirit monster things, and he could merge with them or something to power up. It ended up being dropped by the creator, I believe. May have been around 2017 when I read it? I've been wanting to reread it for some reason and I can't seem to Google it up. Was it Vibe?
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