Oots 606

[Voadam]

I think Belkar's statement takes a hatchet to the back of the skull of the issue and buries it in a shallow grave.

I disagree with your conclusion. I think you are wrong.

But for purposes of discussing the comic, I think the issue is now settled.

I disagree with your conclusion. I think you are wrong.

From now on, I think anyone refering to "the players" or "the DM" of Order of the Stick will be referd back to this comic. Any further discussion that person may have regarding "the players" or "the DM" will be premptively ignored and rejected as not worthy of consideration. It doesn't matter how carefully crafted the thought or what pearls of wisdom, insight, or humor may be found within; the words of that poster will nonetheless be ignored.

By some maybe. I think this individual comic is pretty weak evidence to make such a conclusion from and therefore many will not based solely on this comic. If other reasons already lead them to believe in the RPG physics world theory then this comic will not contradict them, but thats as far as it seems to go.

It's not fair, darn it, but there you go.

Indeed. There you go.

 

[Voadam]

I'm going to go on believing that it's a D+D campaign. First, there are still all the references to PCs and NPCs, plot structure, and other off-hand comments that only make sense if there are players and a DM. Second, and much more importantly, it entertains me to think of the comic that way.

I don't think this comic contradicts your belief. It just shows that Belkar did not subscribe to it.

I can see it either way, the metagame aspects of PCs vs NPCs and plot issues connected there could be physics laws of the universe (analogous to a world with fate or Karma etc.) or represent a game. My inclination is that PCs aware of metagame issues and the fact that they are PCs leans more heavily to the game option, but the comic has not done anything to rule out either possibility conclusively IMO.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Second, and much more importantly, it entertains me to think of the comic that way.

The most significant statement when considering a web comic IMO.

Cheers!

 

[Starbuck_II]

I don't believe we've ever caught the Oracle in a mistake.

Yeah, we did Belkar killed him for the mistake.

The oracle said: "Yeah, I didn't believe that prediction myself:
So he was wrong about what he predicted: even he didn't believe it made sense.
So he can predict false info.

 

[Voadam]

Yeah, we did Belkar killed him for the mistake.

The oracle said: "Yeah, I didn't believe that prediction myself:
So he was wrong about what he predicted: even he didn't believe it made sense.
So he can predict false info.

When did he say that? Are you talking about here? Giant In the Playground Games

He makes up a bunch of theories to have it not be him who is killed but then Belkar stabs him from frustration and he ends up saying "Yeah . . . I wasn't really buying those theories either . . . worth a shot tho" and falls over dead. And his dying made his prection true.

 

[Wolfwood2]

I have a theory to that; The oracle can foretell the future, but only to the extent of the material world; Roy being an astral spirit, the oracle can't foresee Roy's fate because he's not tied to the material plane any more.

Alternately, the Oracle could KNOW that this was going to happen, and it needed to happen for some reason or other. Remember, we haven't revisited the oracle since that comic, either.

I think Roy's theory is correct. The Oracle can know anything but doesn't know everything. That is to say, if the Oracle wants to know something, he has to specifically use his prophecy power to find out the answer to his question. "When is the next time that I will die?" is probably a question the Oracle keeps pretty current on.

"Will Roy's spirit be able to keep his memory when Dismissed back to Heaven?" is a question the Oracle simply hadn't bothered to ask.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

On the note of "is it an actual game, is it not," I find it best to (brace yourselves, I'm sure none of you thought I'd ever say this) not think about it too hard. Which isn't to say that either side is wrong; on the contrary do either/or/both. I go with both, so that I may enjoy the humor of both sides. It's like I can not only have my cake and eat it, but I can also have someone else's cake and have that one too!

Personally, I'm still holding out for an end battle that involves the dead somehow coming back to fight in one last epic struggle. Because who wouldn't want to see every awesome major character all fighting together/against each other/both?

 

[FireLance]

I'm going to go on believing that it's a D+D campaign. First, there are still all the references to PCs and NPCs, plot structure, and other off-hand comments that only make sense if there are players and a DM. Second, and much more importantly, it entertains me to think of the comic that way.

But, if you do that you will be reading the comic wrong. Surely you don't want to be guilty of badwrongreading?

On the note of "is it an actual game, is it not," I find it best to (brace yourselves, I'm sure none of you thought I'd ever say this) not think about it too hard. Which isn't to say that either side is wrong; on the contrary do either/or/both. I go with both, so that I may enjoy the humor of both sides. It's like I can not only have my cake and eat it, but I can also have someone else's cake and have that one too!

Look, it's either a wave or a particle; make up your mind.

 

[justanobody]

On the note of "is it an actual game, is it not," I find it best to (brace yourselves, I'm sure none of you thought I'd ever say this) not think about it too hard. Which isn't to say that either side is wrong; on the contrary do either/or/both. I go with both, so that I may enjoy the humor of both sides. It's like I can not only have my cake and eat it, but I can also have someone else's cake and have that one too!

Personally, I'm still holding out for an end battle that involves the dead somehow coming back to fight in one last epic struggle. Because who wouldn't want to see every awesome major character all fighting together/against each other/both?

I prefer to think OotS is the real world, and WE are the game they are playing. Things just work better that way.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Look, it's either a wave or a particle; make up your mind.

QUANTUM PHYSICS SAYS OTHERWISE!*



*I don't know any quantum physics.