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Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:35 am
by WearsHats
Before the previous board fell into an oblivion hole, we had a thread called "Popular Theories & Common Knowledge." It started off as a collection of links and general answers for newbies. It was started by Alavar, but I took what he had and what a few others added and reshaped it into an FAQ. Some of that stuff is no longer relevant, but much of it still seems useful. After much poking around, I managed to find a cached copy, so I'm bringing it back and updating it. Suggestions and additional information are more than welcome.
(Note: Spoiler tags won't allow certain punctuation, like question marks. I think it looks neater this way, so I'm going to try to work within those limits.)
1. What are those colored lights which appear when characters use magic?
► Show Spoiler
That's an Individual Magical Effect (IME). It's explained by
the comic on this page. Basically, it's a way to show magic visually in the comic. Every character has a color, and magic used by that character (whether an item or a spell) will always appear in that color. Spell casters have an image (Chief's crown, Big Ears's wall, etc.) which appears when a spell is being cast. The image is the same no matter what spell is being cast. The image becomes larger and more elaborate as the character levels up, and may evolve over time as the character grows and changes. It has no practical effect in terms of gaming/combat. It's just what it looks like when magic is being used. Further information can be found
at the Goblins Comic Wiki.
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2. Why do goblin eyes sometimes turn black?
► Show Spoiler
This happens during times of great emotion, particularly anger or stress. Usually in battle. It's been termed "willowing" by Danielle (Thunt's wife), after Willow Rosenberg, a character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer whose eyes (in later seasons) turned black when summoning great power. Like the IME, this does not actually affect anything in gaming terms. It's just a cool visual effect. (You could say it's like natural sunglasses, or translucent eyelids, providing some minimal theoretical protection to the eyes. But it's just the equivalent of flavor text.)
3. I have a theory...
► Show Spoiler
Cool. Tossing around theories is a large part of what these forums were created for. Bearing that in mind, realize that there's already been talk about a lot of them. Before you post yours, look around to see if anyone else has posted something along similar lines or if there's an existing thread where it would fit. Also understand that many ideas have been put forth already on previous incarnations of this forum, so forum regulars may not be excited about retreading what, to them, is old ground.
Have a theory about Kore?
There's a thread for that.
Does Dies Horribly having willingly sacrificed his life to a demon count as having died horribly? We don't know. But
we can talk about it.
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4. Why X is happening now? Is it commentary on current events? Also, I've got a neat idea for a future comic...
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Thunt wrote the entire script for the comic before he started drawing. Nothing that happens, nothing that's said or done will change the story of the comic. This also means that Thunt knows the real answers to all of the questions about Kore and that Forgath prophecy and the significance of various names and so on and we can be confident that the comic will reveal them in time. Furthermore, elements of action, comedy, romance, etc. will arise and be left behind as befits the story.
5. What are the characters' stats?
6. Why is the comic update late again?
► Show Spoiler
Over the years that he's been working on the comic, Thunt's skill in drawing has steadily and dramatically increased. He's also improved the tools he works with.
The very first page of the comic points this out. Take a look at MinMax.
Here's his first appearance, back in 2005. Here he is in 2006. 2010. 2012.
.
Unfortunately, that level of detail takes a lot of work. Thunt draws seven days a week, sometimes as much as 18 hours a day. He won't sacrifice quality, won't do less than his best. (He will sometimes post a mostly completed page and then update it later with "shading" - the finer texturing and detailing.)
So it's not that he's slacking off. Quite the contrary. He's working at an exhausting pace. He wants to keep the comic going. He wants it to be the best it can be. And the income from it is what supports his whole family.
7. What are some other cool threads to check out here on the forum?
8. What's the deal with the livestreams?
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Thunt sometimes draws live and chats with fans over on Twitch. Follow to get notifications when he goes live. Or check
Thunt's Twitter for announcements.
Not as often as he used to. He's also used a few other services in the past. (Legacy information below, in case we need it again.)
► Show Spoiler
That's
Thunt's Ustream channel. He often draws on camera for hours at a time and talks to people in chat. He uses a text-to-speech program to "listen" to the channel and responds out loud.
Unfortunately, the service Thunt used for that is no longer available. We'll see what works when he's ready to try again.
► Show Spoiler
Thunt has recently switched back to using
his Justin.tv channel rather than Ustream.
It's worth noting that Ustream's built-in chat can can cause problems on some computers. It's been known to develop a "memory leak," taking up a lot more of your computer's resources than it really needs. Luckily, you don't need to use it. You can instead
pop out the video and then connect to the chat via IRC. You'll need
an IRC client.
Server: c.ustream.tv (Command: /server c.ustream.tv )
Channel: #drawing-goblins (Command: /join #drawing-goblins )
You can do the same thing with the Justin.tv interface.
pop out the video and then sign in via irc.
Server: thunt_goblins.jtvirc.com/6667 or 199.9.251.210/6667
Channel: #thunt_goblins
Note, however, that Justin.tv (unlike ustream)
requires you to log in when you connect. You will not be able to even connect to the IRC server if you do not have a Justin.tv account and provide your login information up front. Justin.tv also does not support changing nicknames. Attempting to use the /nick command will get you booted off the server.
Need more help on how to set up an IRC client for the live chat?
There's a thread for that.
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9. How to search the forums.
► Show Spoiler
The forum has its own search engine (the box in the upper right corner), but you may find it less than helpful. You'll probably have better luck using Google. Just do a regular Google search but add site:goblinsforum.com to the end of your search term(s). For example, to search for posts and topics about goblin eyes, you'd go to Google.com (or set your browser's search box to Google) and search for:
goblin eyes site:goblinsforum.com
10. Other helpful links
11. Commonly used acronyms and terms
► Show Spoiler
FMK: Forgath, Minmax, and Kin.
GAP: Goblin Adventuring Party. The group of goblin adventurers consisting of Chief, Thaco, Big Ears, Complains of Names, and Fumbles.
IME: Individual Magical Effect. Explained in question 1 above.
MoM: Maze Of Many. The dungeon in which we see many versions of FMK parties.
Junior: The green being originally created by Klik to replace Dies Horribly's arm.
Psimax: The psionic version of Minmax who wants to consign the Maze of Many to oblivion.
AFAIK: As Far As I Know
ETA: Edited To Add. Denotes part of a post which was edited in at some later point.
IMO/IMHO: In My (Humble) Opinion.
OOC: Out Of Character. Something said by a player which is not directly said or done by that player's character in the game. And OOC thread is used for discussions relating to the game but not part of in-game events.
OTOH: On The Other Hand.
12. Other things to know before posting
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Please review
the forum rules.
Be aware that there are specific rules regarding starting a new thread to discuss the latest comic update. They are under the heading "
On new updates."
13. I am having trouble making a new topic
► Show Spoiler
In 99% of cases, this is simply because you have not made enough posts. In an effort to combat spammers, the admins set a base number of posts required to use certain features and access certain sections of the board. The good news? As soon as you make two posts you are good to go and will be able to start new topics. One common suggestion is to introduce yourself in the
Newcomers thread and then comment on one other topic. Now, if you have made at least 2 posts, are logged but still cannot post? Then you should contact the admins (either SeeAMoose or Wolfie).
14. The forum says I have been banned and I do not know why, or I cannot access the forum from certain devices.
► Show Spoiler
As a rule, when we ban someone, we make sure they know why and that they see it coming. The exception to that rule has been spam bots that use all kinds of spoofed IP addresses. It is possible for a user to have the same IP address as one of those bots. If this happens to you, please let SeeAMoose or Wolfie know immediately. They can be reached by email at
adminmoose@goblinsforum.com,
adminwolfie@goblinsforum.com or at
botwalter@gmail.com. They will be more than happy to assist you.
Any other questions? Anything you think should be added? Ask/suggest away!
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:54 am
by SccrD25
I'm guessing the Shield of Wonder Effects pages are now set aside for the hard copy books?
This was one of my favorite bits of info shared in the old forum. Highly suggest DMs using it once in their games, especially if you have players that read Goblins. The looks of horror when you start going "CRICK CRICK CRICK" are priceless.
(Is this also hard copy material? If so I will take it down)
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 4:41 am
by Alavar
That's what I get for being too lazy to do it myself
Good work, Wears.
I have only one issue - I think that there should only be links for theory threads, no explanations why we need them
AND I have some links saved (to Axe of Prissan timeline and unofficial comic timeline for example). I will link/upload them when I get to my old PC. Also I saved "Character Stats" thread if Alres want's to make it again.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 5:20 am
by Wolfie
Alavar wrote:That's what I get for being too lazy to do it myself
Good work, Wears.
I have only one issue - I think that there should only be links for theory threads, no explanations why we need them
AND I have some links saved (to Axe of Prissan timeline and unofficial comic timeline for example). I will link/upload them when I get to my old PC. Also I saved "Character Stats" thread if Alres want's to make it again.
Those would be awesome Alavar!
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 6:28 am
by WearsHats
What theory threads do we have so far? I'll add links. I took out the links that were in the original version because they went to threads which no longer exist (being on the old boards). Seemed like we were getting a fresh start. But I do still think an explanation would be helpful. Boards regulars can be very touchy about new threads covering old ground, and newbies won't necessarily understand that.
And yeah, those links would be awesome.
Thunt did say that he felt forum members should be entitled to little perks and extras, like being able to find/see those pages.
I should also remember to add in instructions for creating a thread to discuss the latest page: Start the title with the date (does format matter?) then add something central to the theme of the page but non-spoilery, link to the page's permanent address within the body of the post. Am I forgetting anything?
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 6:37 am
by Wolfie
WearsHats wrote:I should also remember to add in instructions for creating a thread to discuss the latest page: Start the title with the date (does format matter?) then add something central to the theme of the page but non-spoilery, link to the page's permanent address within the body of the post. Am I forgetting anything?
That part is actually in the Rules Thread that Moose has in the Announcements section of this part of the Forum.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 6:48 am
by WearsHats
Yeah, just noticed. Except that it doesn't mention linking the page in the first post. But I'll link the forum rules when I next edit the FAQ. Really tired and bleary right now, and I may be spending the day AFK again, but I'll get to it tomorrow if not sooner.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:01 am
by Wolfie
WearsHats wrote:Yeah, just noticed. Except that it doesn't mention linking the page in the first post. But I'll link the forum rules when I next edit the FAQ. Really tired and bleary right now, and I may be spending the day AFK again, but I'll get to it tomorrow if not sooner.
Ok. I'm going to work on either the Controversy FAQ or the Gaming FAQ today or this weekend. I'll have free time at work on Sunday.
Get some sleep Wears.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 1:17 pm
by WearsHats
Post has been updated. Let me know what you think. Anything I did wrong? Forgot? Left out? Let me know.
(Or, if you happen to be an admin, global moderator, or forum moderator, do feel free to edit the post directly in order to improve it and keep it up to date.)
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:14 am
by Lookatroopa
The link to the Realm Map doesn't work. I think that you need the direct link to the image itself.
It's here.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:55 am
by WearsHats
Thank you. Fixed now.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:51 am
by stevedj
How's about a list of common Goblins acronyms? You know, like FMK for Forgath/MinMax/Kin group, and so on.
And maybe include a secondary list, just for convenience, with some of the common internet acronyms, too? (like tl;dr and such) One I'd like to see in such a secondary list: ETA. I see that used a lot, but has its meaning changed from what I grew up with (Estimated Time of Arrival??) -- I think a lot of times people use it where they really meant to use ETOH.
But if it has changed -- well, then there's one I need to see in the list...
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:02 am
by WearsHats
I'll add in some acronyms. To answer your question, ETA in the context of a boards or blog post means "Edited To Add." The part that comes after it (sometimes the entire rest of the post, sometimes not - hopefully context makes it clear) was not in the original post but was edited in later.
I haven't encountered ETOH. Google and wiki say it's an abbreviation for ethanol. Is there another version I'm not finding out did you mean OTOH (On The Other Hand)?
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:08 am
by stevedj
Gah, yea, I cannot type today -- the "other hand" thingy is what I meant.
ETA - that's a new one for me then (so you should add it). I've just seen people use (and used myself) plain old "edit:" followed by the change.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:13 am
by gamecreator
stevedj wrote:And maybe include a secondary list, just for convenience, with some of the common internet acronyms, too?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:34 pm
by 96harothfee
Question about the comic- I'm not a longtime player of RPGs but is there a ton of references to things ingame I should know about? like, to lore out side of the comic or whatever? I'm sorry for silly question but I wanted to know if there was something I should read first before I read the comic from start to finish.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:42 pm
by SamWiser
I have never played DnD, or any game like that, but the comic is still enjoyable. There are some jokes and things that might be hard to get, not much that will get in the way of enjoying the comic. The only thing that might count as lore would be the fiend folio, and that's only mentioned once. There are a few inside jokes for people that know a lot about DnD, but not a lot. I hope that helps.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:24 am
by Alavar
Maybe change "But there's nothing to stop us from guessing" line into link for Arles "character stats" thread?
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:48 pm
by WearsHats
Right. Thank you. I thought of that, thought I'd already done it, and never actually checked whether I'd done it here or just the version on the old boards. Oops. I'll fix it tonight, when I'm at a real computer.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:25 pm
by WearsHats
I edited in the link. For some reason, it doesn't show up as a link unless I hover my mouse over the words. Getting the same deal with a couple of the other inline links. No idea why. Anyone else seeing the same thing?
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:18 am
by gamecreator
It's because of spoiler. It happens to the last line of every spoiler. you can see it in spoiler 10, for example.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:25 am
by axe11154
Are psions over powered?
After seeing minmax as a Psion I gotta ask
are they over powered?
I don't play the game so I don't know.
from what ive seen in the comic they seem very off putting its its weird he is the first weve seen.
My last question is have we seen a Psion before in the comic or was he the first?
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:41 pm
by WearsHats
You can read up on how psionic powers work over at
d20srd. The short answer is that Psimax is very high level. Yes, psions can do some very weird things, but high level spellcasters (wizards, clerics, etc.) can, too. What happened is that he destroyed his counter. So he was able to go through the dungeon crawl hundreds of times, earning lots of XP. That's why he's overpowered.
And thanks, gamecreator. I'll play around with the formatting later tonight.
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:52 pm
by axe11154
wait?
yur telling me by destroying the counter you get all the exp fro your past lives... sorta amazing hes the only one to do it?
Re: Boards and Comic FAQ
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:33 pm
by gamecreator
No, you just don't lose xp after next resets. Psimax, probably, is only one who was able to destroy it and was not opposed to messing with the Maze's mechanics.