War of the Forums

[mr_pikachu]

DS: Yes, I am as well. Let's hope it stays that way!

I like your theory. So much so that it might even be right. We'll see....

I'd actually considered getting a USB mouse. Still might do that, but I'd rather only use it as a crutch while I get used to this system rather than a permanent replacement. Don't want to fall behind the technological curve.


It's time for me to reveal one of the biggest secrets of War of the Forums.

#177: Panel five alone took almost three hours to complete. You have no idea how much tweaking I did on the dialogue to try to make it all fit without it looking like Brian's eyeball was talking. I'm still not completely satisfied, but the show must go on.

The last panel, predictably, required about 40 minutes of work. The most tedious part of that circle effect is painting over individual pixels that elude a flood fill.

Only a fool would call a sword-wielding maniac "little."

[Dark Sage]

The identity of the mystery girl stands revealed, and its none other than TPM Administrator Little Pikachu!

So what does this mean? Who are Administrators in this world? Some sort of higher power with godlike abilities? We've already heard about the Super-Mods... Clearly, there's more to this heirarchy than has been so far revealed.

Keep it up, and I'll keep reading.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Heh heh, Little_Pikachu, heh heh. That's firepokemon's favourite character, heh heh.

Anyways, I'm glad to see this fic back, too.

[Crystalmaster Mike]

I stand before you, as a working man! *poses*
Since the last time I was online, a lot has happened: my graduation (highest recognition ), and my starting at a local ICT company. It's still taking a lot of getting used to (working 9 to 5, anyone?), but... I'm on the payroll, baby!

...

Anyway, that's some bombshell you've dropped.
LP? Sure, the mystery woman was straight-forward, but I wouldn't have sought that behind her. Of course, that explains the sword... that's for trimming overly-sized sigs, correct? And it also serves as an excellent tool to hack/slash spammers as Jay and consorts.

But what could be the connection, if any, between mistysakura and Little_Pikachu? Can the former serve as a communication vessel between the mods and the latter? ... In any case, mistysakura will get more progress in finding out her motives than Gavin, given their last encounter.

[mistysakura]

Y'know, don't mods do press conferences and stuff? Like how Gavin tried to announce his resignation? If so, wouldn't Brian have known what Ada looked like even before he became a mod? Yay to the lady being Suzie! But how is she connected to Ada? It can't be a random coincidence, can it?

[Goodnight Seadra]

Oh boy, sorry for not replying for a while. Been very busy the last few months. Ack, don't remember where I left off, so I'll just review on the two recent arcs; Dark Sage and Master of Paradox's past and the Mod arc.

Very interesting backstory of Dark Sage and Master of Paradox. So seems MoP wants the mods to be destoryed? I too wonder if that has anything to do with the book like Gabi.

On the Mods arc, so there are Global Mods? Hm, if they'll make an appearance soon, then it'll be interesting of what they could do. Another thing I like is how the Big Brows guy came into the picture and interesting as to why Ada and Brian are considering him. Lastly, wonder what Little Pikachu has to do with this story? Hm...

Overall, things are getting more intersting and also glad this story is back on track, again. XD

EDIT: Shoot, almost forgot to say something! So the gods told Brian which person should be moderator? Can't wait to see where you'll go with that. ^^

[Lady Vulpix]

Welcome back, and congratulations on getting a new connection and a new computer and being able to sort out all the predicaments involved!

Suzie looks scary on that panel. So are the admins the "Gods"?

And do you also like sword-chucks?

[Blademaster]

Welcome back, but...

Am I the only one that fails to see the resemblance between Ada and Suzie? I mean, they have the same kinda hair, but that's about it...

[mr_pikachu]

DS: Yes, mr_pikachu has identified the mystery woman... perhaps. Remember, of course, that he never actually saw her. What if he's wrong?

It's unlikely, however, that administrators outright don't exist. On the other hand, one might say they're shrouded in secrecy. Even Brian's comrades couldn't identify the mystery guest at first glance, after all.


Mikachu: You're saying that Miss Saya Otonashi is fp's favorite character? Then I'm glad to have introduced her!


Mike: Hey, big congrats, Mike! Sounds like a lot of good things have fallen into place recently. Keep up the drive for success!

I love bombshells when they're not exploding on my head. Brian's theory certainly makes sense, but you know there's going to be a counterargument somewhere down the line. Even if it's as simple as "Nope, I refuse to believe it!" Denial is a beautiful thing.

As for the significance of the connection between Ada and the mystery lady, I decline to make any further revelations at present. Sorry; it's just the way I am.


Ada: Good thinking! On the other hand, who among the mods does press conferences? We've got a group of individuals, each with their own special skills....

Regarding the connection, see above. Succinctness is fun.


Seadra: Not a problem! I understand how hard things can get when you're simply too busy. I've been rather swamped myself, recently.

MoP's got some pretty big ambitions, and it looks like he's determined to fight for his goals at any cost. If the cost is the end of the world, however, can his vision still shine through?

It would appear that the moderators are not alone. In fact, they may be the lowest rung on the proverbial ladder. Big Brows and our favorite sword-wielding maniac have their own roles to play, even if some of the main characters are still fighting over their identities.

Pika's "message from the gods" is certainly a sign. Enlightenment or insanity? Is there a difference?


Gabi: Isn't it funny how, as soon as you solve one problem, another one appears? Okay, maybe not "funny" so much as "teeth-gnashingly infuriating," but....

I tried to make Saya as fearsome as possible in that picture; hopefully the spotlight effect helped. As for her purpose, I choose to reveal nothing.

Just as a pair of rubber nunchucks tied together with string would be lame, swordchucks are only cool when they're crafted properly. True swordchucks must be almost as dangerous for your opponent as they are for you.


Blade: For one thing, the resemblance is clearer in some pictures than in others. Of course, such things are totally in the eye of the beholder; it's not as if Saya Otonashi was designed to look like Shinobu Maehara, or anything.


Sorry for the recent delay. I've been dealing with some mod issues for the past week or so and haven't had time to make a long post like this. Actually, I'm still pretty busy with TPM stuff - battling the evil spambots is fun! - but I've eked out enough time for a quick update. Enjoy!

#178: Would you be insulted if you were Ada?

At any rate, I enjoyed that last background. Spent ages searching for an appropriate picture, but it was all worth it.

[classy_cat18]

Is that the Tower of Babel?

But I'm as puzzled as Ada. Then again, I'm usually the clueless one anyway.

[Crystalmaster Mike]

Was that really an insult, or just a reference Ada didn't get?

Maybe that tower symbolizes the member rank hierarchy in the universe... it just goes on and on!

Which makes me wonder: are there versions in that world of the Beginning Trainer, Advanced Trainer, etc. ranks?

---

[EDIT:] Yeah, you could say it's been a swell few weeks. Getting used to doing the "work" thing wasn't as hard as expected, due to the following reasons:
1. I've worked during the summer before.
2. During April - May - June, I spent 8 weeks as an intern at the local University, which let me get used to working on the same project for 5 days a week, from dawn till dusk.
3. Likewise, that internship for school further prepared me at not taking too much of my work home, as I tended to do for school, which might have helped me get through school without holiday tasks or re-examinations of any kind, but which also consumed much of my free time, and shaped me into the introvert person (whose writing's) standing before you today.
4. I've got my first pay check today!

That, and I had (finally) gotten my driver's license a year ago, so that couldn't spoil the celebration mood at all. Plus, the fact my work is 15 min. away by car is brilliant too.

In conclusion: cookies for everyone! They're covered in chocolate and come with a free glass o' Moomoo Milk.

[Lady Vulpix]

What can I say? Great background!

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Mikachu: You're saying that Miss Saya Otonashi is fp's favorite character? Then I'm glad to have introduced her!

No, I'm not. Well I don't know, but I ment it to be a joke, firepokemon has disliked Little_Pikachu for a long time or at least disliked her eariler.

[mr_pikachu]

Shonta: I'm pretty sure it is. Could the Tower of Babel be relevant, or was I just desperate to find a dramatic religion-themed picture?

In my case, puzzlement is a good thing.


Mike: I'll leave that to all of you to decide. That's the way these things should be, anyway.

How many ranks can there be? How do you define a rank? Curious questions.

It sounds like things are going well for you right now. Good for you! Now you can treat all of us to dinner!

(For the record, I'm planning to order enough to have at least three days of leftovers.)


Gabi: What can I say? Thanks!


Mikachu: Heh, I see! Yes, the relationship between two people of differing ranks (the hierarchy again!) can be quite tense, especially when each thinks the other's actions are unjustified.


I've returned from a brief trip, and although things are still frantic online and in the real world, it's about time to serve a new page!

#179: It's surprising how long it takes to craft a page when your internet connection goes down and you realize you don't have a single picture of a prominent character. Thankfully, the silhouettes didn't take very long this time; there are some cool tricks with "flood fill" that I hadn't tried in the past. Gaussian blurs also help to fix little imperfections... and add to the drama, with luck.

I spent a very long time trying to determine the best way to make this introduction, particularly when it came to whether I should show the mighty admins. For the time being, it's probably better to err on the side of caution and treat everyone to another guessing game. Enjoy!

[Dark Sage]

Interesting...

If Suzie is indeed someone who dishes out divine punishment, that begs the question of just how Jay survived, as I believe he did.

Whatever the case, this whole story also begs the question of just how Ibrows fits in to it. I'll be waiting to see what the case is.

[mistysakura]

Deities! Ha! (Hehe, got excited about catching out typos.) Okay, since Suzie is a god, it would seem the mods would be more inclined to follow her orders and wait for a replacement mod to be named, lest they risk 'eternal damnation'. Mm, and I agree with DS: how does Eyebrows come into this structure? But isn't Chris' silhouette kinda obvious?

[Blademaster]

Chris is Goku and Kevin is Yusuke Yurimeshi...

This webcomic just got OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAND!!!!!!! times more awesome.

[The Blue Avenger]

LP as the God of Hell is unbelievably amusing.

[Toxicity]

Indeed it is, HM.

But like the others, I wonder how Jay managed to escape punishment. Or was it that he had been in a long enough slumber to escape damnation until a later time?

Yusuke as Kevin is great, and Goku as Chris is also good, but I still think this comic needs more Fist of the North Star. Just my opinion. ^^;

Keep up the good work!

[Lady Vulpix]

I liked your description of the Gods, Brian.

And wow... all this time and your character still hasn't finished explaining his original statement!

[Goodnight Seadra]

Hm, so the admins are gods, eh? I've seen Little_Pikachu and Chris, but never Kevin...That's probably because I've just joined last year. XD

Well, I assume the reason Jay is punished because Little_Pikachu thinks he's a threat, right? Hehe.

Also, I too like the description of the gods.

[mr_pikachu]

DS: Considering Brian's wild claim, that's a pretty big "if." On the off chance that he happens to be right, however, there might be some relevant pages in the past....

What's the role of the mighty iBrowse, anyway?


Ada: You saw nothing! Nothing, I tell you! NOTHING!

...Ahem. Yes. Well.

Your argument depends heavily on the definition of an "order," as well as how the moderators interpret what the crazy lady said.

Is the second silhouette obvious, or am I playing yet another massive trick on my readers? Oh, how I love deception!


Blade: Whether or not your guesses are correct, I wholeheartedly appreciate the compliment! ^^


HM: Hehe! I hope it's fitting... seemed that way to me, at least.


Laura: Jay's a crafty fellow; perhaps he pulled one final trick at the end of the fight that even an administrator might underestimate. A permanent ban, after all, usually lives up to its name.

Fist of the North Star? Perhaps. Fist of the Nose Hair? Also possible. Be careful what you wish for. In the meantime, I'll try to keep this going strong! Thanks!


Gabi: I appreciate the compliment! It's interesting; since I've done so much thinking about the backstory and whatnot, I was actually able to write those descriptions on the fly. Brainstorming helps everything fall into place.

Brian's original statement? You mean how he interpreted the words of Miss Enigma? Interesting that you should say that. As a general rule, the longer it takes to explain your argument, the less likely it is that you're right....


Goodnight: Yeah, Kevin's a bit of a recluse. He'll sometimes vanish for awhile then pop in when we least expect it to upgrade the forum and whatnot. Makes life... interesting. Rest assured, you're not the only one who rarely sees him.

Jay was more than a threat. By the time he went down, he'd already taken Martin with him. Divine retribution? We'll see.


Next page!

#180: It seems that the Pika has overlooked something. The mystery woman isn't an ordinary member, but what if Brian's analysis is off-track?

This page took me about sixteen hours to finish. I was doing other things for eight of them - real life can be a bother - and handling a bunch of TPM stuff for another four or so.

Crisis management is fun. Or extremely aggravating. Usually the latter.

[Lady Vulpix]

Just wondering... Are you by any chance trying to break a record for the longest explanation in a comic?

[Blademaster]

Blade: Whether or not your guesses are correct,

We both know they are. Stop with the 'Mister Mystery' facade already - the fact that I've been right about every conjecture thus far kinda proves that you're bad at it.

And I'm with Gabi - less exposition, more expedition.

[mr_pikachu]

Gabi: Nope. Hopefully I'm not succeeding, either.


Blade: But mysteries are such fun!

Alright, I get your point about the length - this was another one of those scenes that wasn't supposed to be this long. If it'll satisfy your demands, I can confirm that we'll be switching scenes in... under five pages. Can't tell you the exact amount; I have to retain some secrets, after all.


Every secret, however, has to be revealed at some point.

#181: Revelation upon revelation!

It looks like mr_pikachu's winning the argument again. One has to wonder about the significance of this "original bible," though. How will this claim affect the modding process?

I'm a little unhappy with a couple of panels, as the text was a little difficult to fit into the frames. In particular, panels three and five pushed the limits. From an aesthetic sense, though, it was hard to resolve the problems with the resources at hand without making matters worse.

At any rate, I'm fond of the title, a fun reference to the oddball clone in Multiplicity.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Hey I see Soryu Asuka Langley and Ayanami Rei! Am I hallucinating, I think I've seen them before, I think it was when I watched a Finnish channel named SubTV late night?

Another thing, I've wanted to point it out many times earlier already. It's nitpicking, I know, but in this comic, there is mr_pikachu, not mr pikachu, Mr. pikachu or any other variant. But then there are for example (or are they the only examples) The Missing Link and Little Pikachu, NOT The_Missing_Link or Little_Pikachu!! So why aren't you so exact here as you are solmewhere else? And if there was Inferno_Dragon in your story, would he be Inferno Dragon or Inferno_Dragon?

I hope you didn't get me wrong, I make confusing posts when I'm under hallucinations!

[Dark Sage]

I guess I don't come to this place as much as I should. I've heard of Faiz, but I'm not really sure who he is.

The original bible? So, there's more to this story? I'm anxious to read more of it. (I'm waiting to learn about this prophesy of doom that Brian seems to be worried about.)

Keep it coming.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Faiz = darktyranitar

EDIT: I add this, it's that I should come here more often.

[Charles Legend]

well my guess that the Admins are in it was not off but I was not expecting them to be literal gods, and I agree with Blade about what charters you chose for Chris and Kevin, and I still say Faiz is Ibrower....

btw the funny thing is sometimes I have to go to advance reply in oder to see them, it's not your fault Brian it my computer's. -_-


~Charles Legend

[Blademaster]

...and I still say Faiz is Ibrower....

Actually, I'VE been the one saying that all this time... >_>

[mistysakura]

I believe many of us have been saying that. Are we all infringing your intellectual copyright, Blade?

[mr_pikachu]

Mikachu: Heh. As much as I try to hide them, sometimes it's just not possible... yes, Asuka and Rei are from the classic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion along with my character, Shinji Ikari.

Regarding the underscores, I realized that a long time ago, actually. There are two reasons for me doing it that way. The first, slightly truer one, is that when I did the first couple of pages I was intent on using exact names, but that later I decided to make a few exceptions. (Yes, TML's name was on the first page, which was before I appeared. I attribute that one to... um, stupidity.) The second reason is that it's easy to tell who "Pika" or "mr_pika" is. "TML," on the other hand, could be harder to identify. So, yeah, I've made a few exceptions here and there.

(Note that Evil Mewf0ur's name was not changed. Even the zero remains.)

As for Inferno_Dragon, I'd probably call him Red Gecko. Just for fun.


DS: As Mikachu said, Faiz = darktyranitar. Know your mods!

There's always more to it, isn't there? Unless there's not. In which case... yeah. Perhaps I'll just have the world explode on #200. Reverse deus ex machina!


Charles: I figured it was a fitting role... the unrivaled admins as unrivaled beings. Of course, it would seem that as untouchable deities, they could resolve any conflict. Right?


Blademaster: Postcount++?


Ada: Who owns the copyright? The person who made the comment or the writer who created the original work?


The fact that I'm making this post means there's a fair chance a new page will follow.

...Not!

Okay, I'm kidding.

About the no page thing. Not about the... um... the...

...

I'm confused now.

#182: Ah, religion. The ultimate debate topic. You've got to love it.

On a related note, the TPM Rules used to be very hard to find. I spent several months as a moderator without knowing where they were. It's tough to handle mod issues without that handy reference, let me tell you.

[firepokemon]

Been seeing the odd comic of yours lately. I must admit to finding it mostly weird and not really my thing. It has its positives and I don't want to sound like an ass. I like that its about TPM but not about TPM but its also weird. But well done anyway and I do read each one.

I really replied to this simply because of the side note you made. I don't know about others and looking back to when I was a moderator back in 2000, I too asked for there to be rules. Well actually I went further than that wanting some huge constitution like thing. But you know I think there was something refreshing in that TPM for a long time didn't have actual written rules. Instead people moderated largely though conventions. One being you closed flame wars down, or you let them go for a bit and then close. Spam was taken care of. The thing is you can have all the rules in the world and still people won't follow them. I know this isn't what War of the Forums is about but when i saw the side note I just had to comment it.

[Lady Vulpix]

Yes, I remember it took years before the mods and admins could finally agree on a set of rules. And even longer until we could agree on the wording. Andrew kept insisting on having "no explicit content" as a rule, which to me still means "make sure that everything you post is subtle and ambiguous". That would have made both posting and reading the posts a very complicated and annoying task.

I like the smug look on Brian's face on the last panel.

[mistysakura]

..."no explicit content" seems fairly obvious... Anyway, I've never actually used the TPM Rules; I still rule by common sense, as firpokemon said the mods did before we had the TPM Rules. ...you guys probably didn't need to know that. But most situations in Fanfic are too complex to be handled by the TPM Rules alone anyway. Panels 1 and 6 are great pictures. But I agree with Blademaster; this explanation is taking way too long! I want to see the other characters already!

[mr_pikachu]

First, a little fic-related announcement (don't worry; it's nothing major).

I'm going to be moving in a few days, so I'm rather swamped with packing and such. Our family has been entertaining relatives from another state all this weekend, which obviously necessitated preparations beforehand. As such, I have not been able to make any new pages for awhile, so I'm getting a little closer to the end of my collection than I'd like to be.

As such, I'm going to go on a brief hiatus. Ideally, we'll be moving again on Saturday, which is when I'm actually moving in. However, I'm not sure if the internet is configured yet at my new place, so it could be Monday or even later before I can access the net. Just a heads-up; we're in good shape, but outside circumstances are forcing a short break.

EDIT: Okay, now they're saying they can't activate my internet until the 13th. Bah.


fp: Heh heh. Don't worry, you don't "sound like an ass." I'm just glad you've taken a look at this piece! I understand that a webcomic is much, much different than most things on TPM. It's perfectly understandable that the style and themes might not cater to all tastes. Still, I'm glad you see some positives in my work despite the weirdness!

Rules are a funny thing, as you implied. They give structure to a system and let people know exactly where the boundaries are. But they're also restricting, and judgment calls sometimes rely more on the rules than "taking care of business," so to speak. There are pros and cons to a lot of things in life; rules are no exception.


Gabi: Yes, "explicit content" is an unusual phrase that can be interpreted so many different ways. I certainly see Andrew's intent with that rule; in America (and, I would assume, Australia), "explicit content" often refers to "mature content." Specifically, it refers to nudity and other sexual imagery shown explicitly. (Think of the difference between an ecchi image, like this NSFW picture of Kagome from Inuyasha, and full frontal nudity with all the naughty bits visible.) It's all a matter of dialects; I can see how a literal interpretation would be baffling. That's something I've been trying to correct in my own speech.

As for the smug look... let's just say I'm glad someone commented on that. *smiles smugly*


Ada: I'm not sure I've ever made extensive use of the TPM Rules, either, although I have cited the Fanfic Rules on multiple occasions. They tend to be more applicable than the TPM Rules, anyway; as you indicated, Fanfic has some forum-specific rules that often come into play. Thanks for the compliment on the two panels, too.

As for your last comment, I completely agree with you. This was never supposed to take up... jeez, the majority of Book Four? Ugh. Yeah, if I was writing this as a chapter fic, it would have been no more than a single chapter. Really, I probably would have limited it to part of a chapter. That explains some of the decisions I've made for pages in the near future, actually... trying to keep scenes from continuing forever. It's one of the few things with which I've been very unhappy, and I'm trying to break free of that rut.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Hehe, those religion topics. I remember reading one which was by a member named Kala who introduced an idea of the Christian god being perhaps wrong too like Egyptian gods are thought to be wrong. And Kala didn't mean the topic to be 30 pages long.

I wish you'll enjoy your new apartment. I myself moved this year, too. It's the first time I live alone but fortunately, it's the same town and I can keep up posting at TPM althought I don't have my own Internet, thanks to this place called Mielikkitalo!

[Crystalmaster Mike]

Well, as with the Legendary Pokémon, the WotF pantheon expands!

It's surprising how much the story actually turns out to be like reality, what with Kevin's lurking in the shadow and the Rules of the world being hidden for so long.

Wait, if the "original" bible resembles the TPM rules, do the RPG aliens live by them?

[mr_pikachu]

Mikachu: Yeah, they get pretty wild. I remember starting a poll about evolution, intending each person to just respond to fairly tame questions, that (temporarily) transformed into a scathing duel.

The apartment is really nice, in my opinion. Got a sizable kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom, with no roommates. The rent is surprisingly reasonable, too; it was one of the cheapest places I toured. According to some people with whom I've spoken, I was a little lucky to get this spot. If I may ask, though, what's "Mielikkitalo"?


Mike: Hurrah! There's always something more, it seems.

You're surprised that it's like reality? Interesting. A lot of this plot, to be honest, was actually supposed to be a reflection of reality. It's not necessarily 100% accurate, but that's just to keep you on the edge of your seat. (What does surprise me is when the stuff I make up later turns out to be true. That's almost scary.)

You've got questions, I've got answers. I just don't always share.


Well, I didn't get quite as much work done during my moving hiatus as I would have liked. But at least we have another page for now. Enjoy!

#183: Yes, I'm breaking the explanation into multiple chunks. We can only pray that the next few pieces aren't quite so long, huh?

The enigmatic Faiz has certainly raised some questions about the nature of this world.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

If I may ask, though, what's "Mielikkitalo"?

Hehe, I'm glad you asked. I know this may be off topic, but I'll tell.

It's a building here in my current hometown. We have a kind of community here. The house is open on weekdays 8:00-16:00 and on holidays 9:00-13:00. I come here often 2-3 hours before the offical opening time though. Yes, that means it's open every single day of the year, including Christmas and such. The main goal of Mielikkitalo is to give the 'clients' a place to go to prevent loneliness and alienation. Here in Mielikkitalo we can, for example, play games and voluntarily take part in housework, every day is an inexpensive lunch. This is the place where I use TPM, too, since I don't have Internet at home.