What would you like to see dropped from Dungeon?

[Michael Dean]

I am not slamming Downer, but...

I normally don't read the comics in either Dragon or Dungeon. But I was bored a few months ago and read a Downer strip, kind of liked it and traced it back to its beginning and started reading. I found it very confusing to follow. I always felt like I must be reading the panels out of order because the story wasn't flowing very clearly for me. Also, it was very difficult at times to make out what was going on in the action panels; who was killing who, who was doing what, etc... The general story line, what I could follow, anyway, was interesting enough, but I kind of gave up the last few months trying to decipher it all. Maybe I'm just getting stupider in my old age.

 

[Michael Dean]

Letters to the Editor.

I'm all for providing the editors with reader feedback...but I never understood why I should read it.

Honestly, the letters seem to fall into three categories: fawning praise, whiny complaints, and pedantic bores.

I hear enough nerd pule on the internet. Why waste good trees.

I'm right there with you, man. I buy the mag because I like it. Why waste space I'm paying for to listen to the whiners who don't like it? That's what the paizo forum is for, apparently. I wish sometimes Eric or whoever writes the responses would get a little medieval on some of their asses. There were a couple of responses in the last year where you could just tell the editor wanted to go there and walked right up to the line, and then backed away. I just wanted to say, "forget the professionalism, dude, and use your Drop Kick feat on his ass!" Now THAT would be worth a little extra subscription $.

Letters to the editor are definitely becoming archaic in the net age.

 

[Erik Mona]

Letters to the editor are important for a couple of reasons.

1. They give the readers a voice in the magazine.
2. They allow us to convey certain information that would be awkward if presented any other way. Generally, if someone has a question about a back issue or a magazine policy or what have you, other people probably have the same question, and rattling off an answer in the letter column is a good way to get info out quickly.

Plus, when you have writers like The Koga (see the latest Dragon), you've got to print their wisdom for the masses.

--Erik

 

[talinthas]

I like downer, but i think i'd enjoy it more in a book by itself, so that i could maintain continuity and plot summary without having to constantly go back and reread older strips to remember what is going on.

and letters to the editor are awesome =)

 

[the black knight]

In additon to the art and the interesting monster juxtapositions, Downer, in its last segment, also gave me the plans for an excellent trap I seem to remember from somewhere....maybe it was the eighties. Yes.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I'm of the opinion that Downer should go and Order of the Stick should replace it.

Sing it! (That was an agreement, just in case you wondered...)

The Auld Grump

*EDIT* I am rather annoyed with the folks who whined Will off the magazine...

 

[Felon]

I am not slamming Downer, but... I normally don't read the comics in either Dragon or Dungeon. But I was bored a few months ago and read a Downer strip, kind of liked it and traced it back to its beginning and started reading. I found it very confusing to follow. I always felt like I must be reading the panels out of order because the story wasn't flowing very clearly for me. Also, it was very difficult at times to make out what was going on in the action panels; who was killing who, who was doing what, etc... The general story line, what I could follow, anyway, was interesting enough, but I kind of gave up the last few months trying to decipher it all. Maybe I'm just getting stupider in my old age.

Let me guess, you stumbled across that big, confusing battle with Downer, a beholder, and a bunch of adventuers. Man, that was just awful in terms of choreographing the action. It didn't help that Downer and his brother happen to look alike. But hey, at least that's been taken care of recently.

 

[ShrinkyLink]

Must enter Downer discussion....

I like it. It needs work, but its strength is that it's different. I think Dungeon is improved by a serialized comic, yet it seems whatever form that takes, not everyone will be pleased. A boring Conan rip off? People would accuse it of being too cliche. Something like Downer that moves to its own beat, and is an acquired taste? People scream to have it removed.

There is no win, unless the comic is nothing but top heavy elven warriors bathing for six panels every month.

Uhh....any chance of that, Erik?

 

[tonym]

Downer shows that D&D is cool, and I like that.

Something else I like about Downer: Downer doesn't make fun of D&D, nor does it make D&D players seem ridiculous. Downer celebrates D&D.

I think Downer should cover 4 pages per issue. Two pages seems too small a number for a storyteller like Kyle.

Tony M

 

[mearls]

Must enter Downer discussion....

I like it. It needs work, but its strength is that it's different. I think Dungeon is improved by a serialized comic, yet it seems whatever form that takes, not everyone will be pleased. A boring Conan rip off? People would accuse it of being too cliche. Something like Downer that moves to its own beat, and is an acquired taste? People scream to have it removed.

I think in 10 years, people will look back on Downer the same way they look back on Wormy. I think Downer is cool precisely because it's so different. I think it's a great model for a whacked out D&D setting where everyone's playing a monster from the MM.