#002: Hold X To Run

First steps are never easy - and often can be outright painful. Even in virtual reality.

Read Full Article

Sigmund Av Volsung:
I like the high quality art-style. Makes it seem like I'm reading a graphic novel.

Whilst I'm not sure of the plot, so long as it doesn't fall too far into usual "games humour" territory of overkill with references or Joss Whedon'd characters, I'll be sure to dig it.

Keep up the good work! :D

Thanks, Sigmund! Much appreciated!

Yeah, I definitely wanted to make something different: story-heavy, with its own universe, held together by in-universe logic and consequence, referential - but not to the obscene. It's definitely not one's usual webcomic, so the question becomes whether people will enjoy it and come back for more - and thus whether it will attract enough attention to hang around. Here's hoping it'll do. :D

Sigmund Av Volsung:
Sounds interesting: you can count myself as an intrigued reader from now on :)

Thanks, dude. As someone always wanting to go my own way ("Hurr, I want it this way, so it's gonna' be this way!"), but anxiety-prone, I bow before thee and cherish your declaration. :D

maninahat:
Cool. And I notice some kind of binary number stuff half way down...is that an Easter egg?

It most definitely is! Every episode has a bit of "source code" of the virtual reality client embedded into it, "sipping into the comic", along with little factual bits, programmer comments, etc. - some will be more foreshadowing than others, but all make sense (unless I'll eff it up and it turns out gibberish by mistake).

Lightknight:
Any inspiration from Sword Art Online? This is interesting, I'm guessing that it's an MMORPG of some kind. This is right up my alley and I look forward to the next one.

Never played Sword Art Online, not even sure what it is other than that it's got anime art style - but I did see it mentioned a couple of times over the past month... Worth checking out after Pillars of Eternity?

Guffe:
I hate cliffhangers!!! >:(
But I guess that will be a reoccuring theme since this is a webcomic xD
As I said last time, keep 'em coming :D

Yessir, I'm afraid cliffhangers are very much a thing to be expected, so I do apologize for rustling your jimmie here and in the future. :D I, for one, adore them, I admit. Spike of adrenaline just before the end was always something that worked wonders for my level of interest.

Lightknight:
Oh, don't worry, she quite clearly fell all the way to the water and didn't get a chance to hang on.

Pun appreciated. :D

chozo_hybrid:
Did you adjust the visual noise in this one? Because I found it much easier to read this time around :)

I did, following the suggestions! :) In fact, the art style got a bunch of different tweaks based on the comments I received, from friends and the forum. If you spot anything else weird, out of tune or generally sucking ass, do tell.

I'm not sure what to think of this. Definitely intrigued though.

My feedback: needs more dragons. and tits. and dragons with tits.

stringtheory:
Not a game but an anime. Worth checking out for the whole 'real people stuck in an MMO' setup if nothing else. Also contrast with Log Horizon which has the same set up but goes in an entirely different direction than SAO. (single person's adventure for SAO, world building, actually realistic MMO mechanics for Log Horizon)

Gah, well then, the more you know. I'm not that big on anime (not counting features/movies) - nothing particularly against it either, I just assign the little time I have on my hands more willingly to live-action shows (and, hey, Tartakovsky stuff, since I'm a 90s kid). However, since this seems quite thematic, I'll try to lick an episode or two, see how it goes. Hell, if I can catch it somewhere, going for the original graphic novel might be a good idea too, I love those in any form or genre.

awesomepanda:
I'm not sure what to think of this. Definitely intrigued though.

Glad to hear that! All I can hope for so early on! The future stuff is meant to be a bit more intensive, but you need to start with intriguing, or at least catching some basic interest (and hoping it will last long enough to get to the prime meat, and provide numbers that'll keep the publisher from dumping your ass, and...) - if it's happening, I'm all smiles and giggles, and secret self-high-fives.

martyrdrebel27:
My feedback: needs more dragons. and tits. and dragons with tits.

So, you're saying this needs way more titragons?

StreamerDarkly:
In general, you are right. Alas, jetpacks and glide jumping abilities are becoming ever more popular, and there are no bad decisions on where to run.

I'd wager I can come up with a few directions you shouldn't run towards, if bothered to. The jetpack comment, however, just reminded me of what I was missing from the scenario right up until now. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

FPLOON:
Man... Someone forgot to press Y to duck... or the right shoulder button to sense if there's a flying shovel coming at you... Other than that, does holding X also help you swim... or do you need to a QTE to regain control of yourself before you can even think about swimming at this point?

Quick Time Events are obviously the pinnacle of all game development, so one should at the very least consider adding them to the next neural simulation that comes about, no? I mean, the market demands it, clearly.

Xman490:
This is how I feel playing Titanfall. It's like the game has been invaded by MLG pro bullies, just like with every other competitive multiplayer FPS. *SIGH*

Yeah, "being hit on the head so hard I pass out" is generally my experience with most multiplayer games. :D

chozo_hybrid:
Can't think of anything else at the moment, but thanks so much for that :D I'm interested to see where this is going.

Sure thing. I think it's safe to say we'll be accelerating a bit real soon, mayhaps the next episode if I manage to squeeze in all that I want (if not, soon after that).

Bob_McMillan:
What is she wearing? Looks like a nurse outfit. Anyway, I'm interested enough. I've always loved webcomics and a new one for the Escapist is always welcome. Captcha: Describe the Playstation Brand: "Better than Xbox" Captcha is confirmed to be a Sonypony.

Definitely overall scrubs, yes. :)

What I'm now wondering, however, is... Where the hell are there any captchas around here?

Lightknight:
Well, seeing as I'm playing Pillars of Eternity too and I don't see any end in sight, I don't know what the world will be like when "after" Pillars of Eternity is a thing. Hopefully Netflix will still be around.

Hopefully it will actually come to Poland by then (where I'm from and reside), because so far we have not yet tasted such pleasantries. No Netflix, no comparable services, just sadness. Seriously, our access to world culture is at the very best wildly limited, at least through proper, legal channels.

Lightknight:
You may want to check out the first show just to get the premise. Only because it's in a similar vein but you've absolutely got your own unique take on it so far. Just one other virtual MMORPG with a ton of real world people stuck in it like the other poster said. I'll admit though, I only ever watched the first episode of that as I'm not a big anime person with a few exceptions.

Yeah, I believe that to be a fair approach, checking out a couple of first episodes, see how it goes. Using the occasion, I'll slip out a little spoiler in that this here webcomic...

DayDark:
Still super interested. Some feedback as requested: 1. In the second panel, something about the running seems too mechanical, robotic. 2. Running through the forest and getting hit in the head is gonna mess up that hair somewhat (Unless it's because of the rules governing whatever world she has entered.)

Thanks DayDark! Appreciated, will check out that running frame again, try to discern what exactly made it look more robotic. The hair is a bit trickier in that the rules should generally apply to it, but I'm having some problems making it look like not-spaghetti when flapping around and actually reacting to stuff around. I guess what must be done is: apply science, try stuff, see what comes out.

A.K.B.:
Pretty intriguing indeed...
I think to some extent that this yet too early to judge where this is going, but the color tone, and the dialogue in the first chapter kinda'f betray a dark comedic vibe...
I'm all up for that.

A friend of mine (Sloth) occasionally makes fun of me that I wouldn't be able to release a single thing without solid dark/fatalistic/nihilistic/oh-cruel-is-the-fate-even-in-comedy undertones, so I think we'll have that covered. :D