What text updates do you want to see next?

[BakaGrappler]

In my opinion, Rob has done an exceptional job with his text updates, and I consider them to be an integral part of the series now. There is nothing like actually getting inside a character's head and hearing their thoughts, especially what he has done with the Hobgobwins, in showing the differing perspectives of this world.

Rob has also used these Text updates to answer our questions about "Why doesn't X perform Y action?" like he did where the four Jetstone mages conversed about why the king isn't flying out. Brilliant.

Now for the purpose of this thread, hopefully it's ongoing purpose. What do you want to see in a Text Update that has not come out yet?

Me, I want to see Sylvia Lazarus' reaction to Parson's emergence through the Magic Kingdom portal and into Jetstone. If she can feel Parson like she said before, there should be some form of reaction when he goes through the portals. And it would also give us the opportunity to read in a text update what is happening with the attempt to batter down the tower using the Purple Dwagons that Scarlet has been placed in charge of. Two birds with one stone.

What do you want to see in a text update? What events or explanations do you want explored in text format?

[cloudbreaker]

I like this subject.

For a while I've been thinking it would be neat to see the perspective of a decrypted natural ally. Particularly an elf or marbit (although gobwin could be interesting too). As we know, marbits and elves don't ally with sides that are allied with hobgobwins, so I think it would be neat to see what they think of being on the same side. Another aspect to explore could be a natural ally chief that has been striped of their title and connection to their side. I don't imagine that happens too often.

The down side to this is that there don't seem to be decrypted natural allies in the main conflict. So the only place we might see one in the near future is in a city Jillian is attacking, or in the city of Gobwin knob. Still, I can hope.

[BLANDCorporatio]

An update about Scarlet Sylvia is always welcome in my book, so let's name something else.

It's been a while- or it feels like it- since we got into Parson's head. Maybe it's just an impression, but we're due for a look in Lord Hamster's brain. After all, there he is, doing something risky and suboptimal, from a powergamer perspective. We know more or less why- not put others in risks he wouldn't face. Who's these others? Would be a time to explore his friendship with Jack, for example, who probably is the one unit at Spacerock that Parson would be most sad to see go. Or Wanda, whose untimely departure would be a frightening event.

Also, I'd like a comic page update about Stanley, swinging both Hammers into battle.

[wrecan]

At this particular moment in the story, I would love text updates from:

• Charlie
• Vinny (secretly being kept informed by Bunny, at Don's orders)
• Revere, an unaffiliated Luckamancer who, in Portal Park on unrelated business, happens to spot Parson slip through the portal and into a tunnel, and then sounds an alarm.
• Ossomer

[ZevGun]

I want to see what Stanley thinks of Parson headed to the MK.
I hope it isn't part of the next comic update so we get to read about it.

[ftl]

At this particular moment in the story, I would love text updates from:

• Charlie

...I think it's a good bet that we're a long, long way off from getting a text update from Charlie's POV. He's a mysterious enemy; it would really mess up the tension if we found out who he is and what he's thinking.

I like your other ideas though.

Me, I'd like to see something from the POV of Marie, or Janis, or Isaac - learn more about what they think of Parson.

Jack's updates are always awesome.

Anything from Transylvito's developing situation.

[Agarwaen]

Personally, Wrigley/FUD/Sylvia stories were the most interesting to me. I liked the nose-to-the-ground view of Erfworld units.
What I really would like are stories of very far off places in Erfworld. Maybe after this conflict settles some, but soon. Sides that aren't involved with Decryption or the Arkentools. They'd have new cultures, new units, and new strategies. Right now Erfworld is feeling a little tight. We only had 4 sides with any depth: GK, Jetstone, Translyvito, and Faq. I'd like to see some diversity with far-off sides with their own conflicts.
Love to see a naval battle or similar fight. Maybe a side with a Techno-Viking slant. :p I love the flavor of the 'Western Giants' and Goyles. Curious on Daemons, Sand Witches, and other non-capital sides.
I want more World building but with the personal perspective.
I feel the text updates can kinda spoil the flow of the main story so I'd rather they didn't touch on it.

[Thunder]

id really like to see one for charlie but im pretty sure hes supposed to be more mysterious

actually what id really like is a text update of charlie chatting with parson because their conversations always make me laugh

[BakaGrappler]

I like this subject.

For a while I've been thinking it would be neat to see the perspective of a decrypted natural ally. Particularly an elf or marbit (although gobwin could be interesting too). As we know, marbits and elves don't ally with sides that are allied with hobgobwins, so I think it would be neat to see what they think of being on the same side. Another aspect to explore could be a natural ally chief that has been striped of their title and connection to their side. I don't imagine that happens too often.

The down side to this is that there don't seem to be decrypted natural allies in the main conflict. So the only place we might see one in the near future is in a city Jillian is attacking, or in the city of Gobwin knob. Still, I can hope.

I think something like this could easily be done, after all we saw the Eager Elves form the first wave once the walls fell in the Battle for Gobwin Knob. There would definitely be a number of Decrypted Eager's among the ranks, and I think Parson would not overlook making some rounds with one of them to ask about Neutral Tribe factioning, about why some tribes hate other tribe and won't work with them. I also think Parson would be wize to start looking for Witches and the like to form Natural Allies with, as I am quite eager to see Erfworld renditions of witches.

Would they be wiccan? Wicked Witches of the East? Glendas of the North? Samatha's of Bewitching? Crones of MacBething? I WANNA SEE!

An update about Scarlet Sylvia is always welcome in my book, so let's name something else.

It's been a while- or it feels like it- since we got into Parson's head. Maybe it's just an impression, but we're due for a look in Lord Hamster's brain. After all, there he is, doing something risky and suboptimal, from a powergamer perspective. We know more or less why- not put others in risks he wouldn't face. Who's these others? Would be a time to explore his friendship with Jack, for example, who probably is the one unit at Spacerock that Parson would be most sad to see go. Or Wanda, whose untimely departure would be a frightening event.

Also, I'd like a comic page update about Stanley, swinging both Hammers into battle.

I like the idea of text describing Parson's thought process while he's going through the portal. It's almost like Stargate, you sink in and go elsewhere. Now, what would be going through a Stupid Worlder's mind while he is still in transit. What thoughts about physics meeting game systems and movement tables would be going through his mind? Is the transit instant or does it take a few moments? Can he breath while he's going through? What does it look like as you're leaving the portal, can you see the light at the end of the tunnel and did Parson think he had finally died the first time he saw it?

I am most curious!

[BakaGrappler]

Since Rob is holding off on the Text updates until he has completed this chapter of Erf-World (an excellent plan if I do say so, since if you don't have subject material you should not write), I feel a legitimate need to post here again, and say what I want to see, when the next chapter rolls around, inside of a text update.

And for everyone else, I encourage you to post what you would like to see included in text updates.

For me, I want to see Artemis' thought process as she is Decrypted. We can see the DeCryt! action in the comics, and often have, but we have not been inside a unit's head as they are risen and are in the middle of having their thoughts rewritten. That moment where they are still dead and are having the spark of life inserted back into them. What would it be like? Would you be seeing the Passage to the Titans and then suddenly have it closed off? Or as a unit is has been meant to be decrypted, and not to be sent to be judged, would your consciousness just be puttering around in the dark until you get yanked back? Sylvia said that she felt Parson while she was dead, waiting to be Decrypted, so is that how it is for other units, the ability to sense a flow of time and relative existences until they are brought back into this world rules by the fall of dice?

And like how Ansom said that he remembers things differently, as a unit is raised, what is the thought process of "Oh, suddenly everything is different" go while it is actually happening? Those important memories, do they suddenly feel so much less so? Does the interpretation of those memories change dramatically? Being able to see the changes inside a person's head as they are happening seems very intriguing.

Also, I am interested in the process of a unit being forcefully turned by a Turnamancer, like what Vanna will be doing on the next turn, a mass Turning. It will be interesting to see Ansom's interpretation and the argument with Jillian about the ethics of forcefully turning a unit in terms of Turnamancy and Decryption. Why is Turnamancy fine while Decryption results in units that can only be treated like garbage? This couple has never been so interesting until they started challenging each other's views of reality.

It will also be interesting to be in the head of Tremmenis as he has the Chekov's Wand of Cure Incapacitation used on him. I have always enjoyed the "shell shocked" sequences in movies where a person is seeing the world around them while they are in a disassociated mindframe, either through seeing those things you can only spy while your mind is incapable of focusing on the important matters at the moment, like the Normandy landing in Saving Private Ryan, or through hearing what is happening around you and being unable to speak to tell everyone to calm down and give orders, the helpless wounded leader who has everything fall apart around him while he is incapacitated.




What do you guys want to see in the next chapter in the form of Text Updates?

[msb]

I'd prefer there to be no more text updates.

They are okay; they're pretty entertaining as far as they go. But the fact that the story is supposed to be coherent without the text updates shows that they are not really essential. I always know when I read a text update that it's not going to include critical events or information, or that if it does it will eventually be revealed in the comic.

In some cases I feel like text updates have revealed information too early. For example, I think I'd prefer to have the Charlie's powers and the thinkamancy stuff be more mysterious at this point in the story. The text update from Maggie's POV was awesome in how much information it gave, but it has made the story somewhat less compelling. The text updates also made some of the pages surrounding the Transylvito-Jetstone loan exchange partially redundant. Etc.

I suppose I could just skip reading text updates. In that case I guess I'd just add that if text updates delay a comic page by even half a day ever, then I certainly feel like it's not worth it. I'd rather have slower overall updates and faster comic page updates than faster overall updates and slower comic page updates.

Note I'm just expressing my preferences here -- if Rob feels like the text updates can make the comic more worthwhile or better, then of course he should start doing them again when it suits him. But since this thread is just about expressing preferences, I thought I'd chime in.

[Sieggy]

Actually, I like the text updates a lot. They add a certain depth, flavor, and nuance to the story that brings Erf more to life, and Xin's artwork on them is really great as well. Though I would suspect that if there's a problem with doing updates in addition to the regular comic pages, the artwork is the bottleneck, as that takes far longer to produce than a page of mere text. Not that I'm saying that a well crafted piece of the story can just be cranked out like sausages, mind you, but art is simply more time consuming.

What I would suggest is the same thing Rob did with the summer updates - bring in guest awtists. They were a refreshing change, and having them do guest panels would no doubt ease the burden on Xin's production schedule considerably. It's always nice to see fan involvement in a project like this, and it would be really neat to see some different interpretations of the subject matter . . .