You know, throwing around theories is fine for awhile, but eventually clarification somewhere is needed. Otherwise you reach a point you are no longer telling a story, just hinting about it.
Ha ha, says the dude with the Portal-based avatar. :P
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Yeah it seems like the people of the forest kill monsters only as a last resort. Hell it could be argued the lookouts are just sacrifices to keep the monsters happy the survivors being able bodied defenders is just a bonus.
One would venture the thorn watch is not a fan of that system.
That... makes a lot of sense.
It does? Why?
"Sacrifices" aren't any good to the monster if it's dead.
Personally, I believe their creed is some kind of "survival of the fittest" thing, where it's extremely difficult for their civilization to support a large population because humans are clinging to a tenuous ecological niche.
I said this in the other thread because I'm dumb, but I think the Thornwatch are deserters who follow some hidden code (look for tied thorns) not because they're members of the same group who were trained to do it, but because it's what they did when they were young. They were helped, but then forced to live out in the wild without the help of society, and in doing so learned to be badasses. Because they feel guilty, when someone follows the same ritual they did they come to their aid, but they sadly know that they're damning the kid to the same solitary existence they were forced to live.
Yeah it seems like the people of the forest kill monsters only as a last resort. Hell it could be argued the lookouts are just sacrifices to keep the monsters happy the survivors being able bodied defenders is just a bonus.
One would venture the thorn watch is not a fan of that system.
That... makes a lot of sense.
It does? Why?
"Sacrifices" aren't any good to the monster if it's dead.
Personally, I believe their creed is some kind of "survival of the fittest" thing, where it's extremely difficult for their civilization to support a large population because humans are clinging to a tenuous ecological niche.
Except it's pretty clear 99% of the time these kids do not survive at all. in the very first comic ? The forest lost its shit when they all lived and the monster was slain. Some of these children are meant to be lunch and only that.
King Riptor on
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Can we talk for a moment about the wrist in the 2nd panel cutaway ? Because as much as I'm looking forward to viewing Lookouts-related strips, that wrist looks very out of place and wrong.
Can we talk for a moment about the meter in the 2nd line of the verse in this strip? Because as much as I'm looking forward to reading Lookouts-related material, the word 'to' in that line is pointless and breaks the verse's rhythm, making me frown.
Between the misstep in the verse and the noodly wavy wrist, I didn't enjoy this one much at all.
So, am to believe this guy has, what, a magickal bramble bind sense? *snort*
I'll admit there is a part of me which is a bit vexed by this poetic but seemingly rather impractical means of contacting the Thornwatch which Gabe (or I guess actually Tycho according to one of the newsposts) has devised. The whole system relies on the good fortune of some Thornwatcher just happening to stroll through and see your wreath tied to a tree? I mean, I guess you can't just call them on your iPhone, but it seems like a bit of a crapshoot to say the least.
So, am to believe this guy has, what, a magickal bramble bind sense? *snort*
If the next Lookouts had an Ent smashing kids, people probably wouldn't blink. Therefore, why is it completely outside the realm of belief that either the plants have some kind of special property or the Thornwatch DO have some kind of detecting skill?
I like to think that they're always there, always watching the young scouts. But knowing the deep consequences of their intervention, will only step forward once explicitly summoned as so.
That or magic. Magic is good.
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CambiataCommander ShepardThe likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered Userregular
I like to think that they're always there, always watching the young scouts. But knowing the deep consequences of their intervention, will only step forward once explicitly summoned as so.
I like this theory; that any time the Lookouts venture forth, the Thornwatch waits and watches silently, ready to save the youths if they're called, but daring not to intervene if they are not. Because if they intervene when not called, they Lookouts may view them as enemies and try to attack them. Not that the lookouts would be a threat to Thornwatch, but Thornwatch is probably against child killin' which is why they're outcasts.
Heck, maybe the Thornwatch started out by just trying to assist Lookouts and save their lives, but the Lookouts did try to attack them as enemies, kids were killed and thus Thornwatch got their reputation as hostis humani generis.
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
You know, throwing around theories is fine for awhile, but eventually clarification somewhere is needed. Otherwise you reach a point you are no longer telling a story, just hinting about it.
Hinting about a story can work towards a certain minimalism.
I'm sick of the HEY LOOK AT SETTING I BUILT COMPLETE WITH A SPOKEN LANGUAGE.
I see the Thornwatch as being a response to the troubling ambiguity of the Lookouts story as it was initially told, where failed children were condemned to death.
I'm not asking for Glyphs or mythos or anything, I'm just saying that a few disconected lines of poetry combined with a few panels, scattered over several years does not a story make.
Which is part of the reason I prefer Automata more. We've already been given the entire premise, and backstory to the story in the one shot. I can't wait for the next installment to be released.
You know, throwing around theories is fine for awhile, but eventually clarification somewhere is needed. Otherwise you reach a point you are no longer telling a story, just hinting about it.
Ha ha, says the dude with the Portal-based avatar. :P
Portal may have a giant world that has not been fully filled in yet, but at least we've been given SOME specifics about the charactors, the plot, etc etc.
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CambiataCommander ShepardThe likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered Userregular
You know, throwing around theories is fine for awhile, but eventually clarification somewhere is needed. Otherwise you reach a point you are no longer telling a story, just hinting about it.
Ha ha, says the dude with the Portal-based avatar. :P
Portal may have a giant world that has not been fully filled in yet, but at least we've been given SOME specifics about the charactors, the plot, etc etc.
Portal 1 didn't have ANY of that actually.
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
This thing I like has a carefully constructed and believable world. Also, the magic system is pretty cool and original.
Alright, the thing is that I don't actually know much more about the Automata world than I do about Lookouts, despite a lot more written material and characterization. The "realism" is an illusion provided by iconic details and elements like racism and the roaring 20's.
Having more detailed plot elements does not a story make. It's possible for a story to be over-written simply because there's just too much distracting bullshit or because those details are supposed to be more interesting that the story itself.
So, am to believe this guy has, what, a magickal bramble bind sense? *snort*
Might be an ineffective representation of time. I mean, tying that knot seems to have taken a while, maybe the wait does to. Rather than it being the kid immediately running away and tying the thorn knot, it's been hours or days. The kid knows he can't go back to town, so he just cowers nearby his knot. Since he's made a mess of tracks and whatnot whereever he's gone, of course any super-secret-forest-ranger will follow his tracks and notice that nearby there's a knot around the tree.
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Ha ha, says the dude with the Portal-based avatar. :P
No way to be sure, but interesting. it does look like he's missing an eye with a pretty nice scar across it.
"Sacrifices" aren't any good to the monster if it's dead.
Personally, I believe their creed is some kind of "survival of the fittest" thing, where it's extremely difficult for their civilization to support a large population because humans are clinging to a tenuous ecological niche.
Except it's pretty clear 99% of the time these kids do not survive at all. in the very first comic ? The forest lost its shit when they all lived and the monster was slain. Some of these children are meant to be lunch and only that.
Can we talk for a moment about the meter in the 2nd line of the verse in this strip? Because as much as I'm looking forward to reading Lookouts-related material, the word 'to' in that line is pointless and breaks the verse's rhythm, making me frown.
Between the misstep in the verse and the noodly wavy wrist, I didn't enjoy this one much at all.
Its not super effective in a three panel format I admit.
I'll admit there is a part of me which is a bit vexed by this poetic but seemingly rather impractical means of contacting the Thornwatch which Gabe (or I guess actually Tycho according to one of the newsposts) has devised. The whole system relies on the good fortune of some Thornwatcher just happening to stroll through and see your wreath tied to a tree? I mean, I guess you can't just call them on your iPhone, but it seems like a bit of a crapshoot to say the least.
If the next Lookouts had an Ent smashing kids, people probably wouldn't blink. Therefore, why is it completely outside the realm of belief that either the plants have some kind of special property or the Thornwatch DO have some kind of detecting skill?
That or magic. Magic is good.
I like this theory; that any time the Lookouts venture forth, the Thornwatch waits and watches silently, ready to save the youths if they're called, but daring not to intervene if they are not. Because if they intervene when not called, they Lookouts may view them as enemies and try to attack them. Not that the lookouts would be a threat to Thornwatch, but Thornwatch is probably against child killin' which is why they're outcasts.
Heck, maybe the Thornwatch started out by just trying to assist Lookouts and save their lives, but the Lookouts did try to attack them as enemies, kids were killed and thus Thornwatch got their reputation as hostis humani generis.
Man, I'm parroting bullshit ethics classes.
I'm not asking for Glyphs or mythos or anything, I'm just saying that a few disconected lines of poetry combined with a few panels, scattered over several years does not a story make.
Which is part of the reason I prefer Automata more. We've already been given the entire premise, and backstory to the story in the one shot. I can't wait for the next installment to be released.
Technically, some people THINK it's not child sacrifice, some do. It's not been clear on that yet.
Portal may have a giant world that has not been fully filled in yet, but at least we've been given SOME specifics about the charactors, the plot, etc etc.
Portal 1 didn't have ANY of that actually.
Alright, the thing is that I don't actually know much more about the Automata world than I do about Lookouts, despite a lot more written material and characterization. The "realism" is an illusion provided by iconic details and elements like racism and the roaring 20's.
Having more detailed plot elements does not a story make. It's possible for a story to be over-written simply because there's just too much distracting bullshit or because those details are supposed to be more interesting that the story itself.
Might be an ineffective representation of time. I mean, tying that knot seems to have taken a while, maybe the wait does to. Rather than it being the kid immediately running away and tying the thorn knot, it's been hours or days. The kid knows he can't go back to town, so he just cowers nearby his knot. Since he's made a mess of tracks and whatnot whereever he's gone, of course any super-secret-forest-ranger will follow his tracks and notice that nearby there's a knot around the tree.
Or you know, magic.