BlackMage slipping?

[Dr. Casey]

Wow, what a surprise. People complaining that a long-running series is going downhill... this is a first for the history books. I've always loved the series, but I think it's much better now than it was during its first year or two. As rultor said in Post # 2, the characters have become somewhat more mild over the years but this is true of almost any work of fiction. Basic character traits are heavily emphasized early on and then gradually fade away once the point has been made.

[Fifthfiend]

No, I'm not expecting the comic to magically become the way I want it to be. But the greatest benefit of a webcomic, rather than a traditional comic, is that it offers and added layer of interactivity, so that the comic itself, rather than being a product, is a unifying force that users can discuss, and hopefully contact the author to bring a more personal interaction to the reader/creator dynamic. As a result, unlike a traditional comic book, my refusal to read and comment will actually be counterproductive, since the status quo is silence.

That would be great if this comic wasn't written by Brian Clevinger. His response to complaints is then he makes his crappy comic even worse, out of spite.

[Mirai Gen]

I fail to understand why it is that people seem to be reacting violently to Black Mage changing.

Brian's even said before that the characters are just gross exaggerations of stereotypes. You can't carry a linear story very long with characters that all stick to their own dogma to the letter. So their personalities are a little less in-your-face.

Big deal. When characters have to get something done and they would clash if they tried to do it, sometimes as a writer you have to fudge some numbers and repress some of a character's more vocal reactions just to get the damn story told. Black Mage wants to kill everyone, starting with the people he knows.

It's like having a DND party that doesn't get along. More often than not the party members just sigh, keep their mouths shut, and ignore the irritation because leaving the party - like their characters normally would and should do - would mean breaking up the DND session, and that's just lame.

That, and, they can't all be gold-star winners.

[42PETUNIAS]

Originally Posted by Silver Rose

And this certainly isn't as rude as things the standard for civil discussion on this board..

I'm curious why you took a year-old post by an aggravated mod to use as this "standard" of discussion. that certainly isn't the standard, and using it only undermines yourself. Other than to bring up an old grudge, I don't see why you brought up that post.

Besides, every time I try to make people understand my opinion better, I get the answer, "You're wrong and that's the end of it." Then if it goes on long enough, "Just shut up" or "I'm not reading all that." So when I utter my opinion in a similar assertive fashion, I get "You're too mean/negative/jealous/stupid/unworthy/(insert-label-here)" and the implicit argument that my position doesn't count as a result. If I explain myself, I get roasted. If I get to the point, I get roasted.

Do you want to give an example of this? It might not happen as much in the 8Bit subforum, but usually arguements are thoroughly read and argued. Hell, that post of Krylo's that you linked to seemed to explain itself very well, and analyze your points too.

Brian doesn't consider himself my sort-of-friend and the feeling is mutual. Friends are the ones he helps raise money for to Save Connecticon, or are the people he does special favors for that are not family, professional associates, editors, publishers, etc. (note: 8-Bit Theater is not a special favor by any means). I see him as the maker of the comic and no more. He sees me as nothing except a passing annoyance, if that. That's not my definition of even "sort-of friendship."

Nique clearly meant "sort-of friends in the sense that you can talk to Brian, and give feedback about his comics, rather than have no interaction whatsoever with the author, not in the very literal sense that you took it.

The person is asking about more than one individual who has brought up this issue. I include myself as one of the people who believe that Black Mage has changed.

You do have a point, but when you say "as fans, we don't like it" you make it sound like you are speaking for the entire 8bit community, which is clearly not the case, since most people have no problems with the changes in the comic.

[Meister]

Why is it every time we sit down to discuss the quality of the recent comics it turns into a "analyze Silver Rose's discussion style" extravaganza? The two can't really be inseparable, can they?

Please continue with the comic discussion.

Just to address that point: This is a story with a definite end, and I'd think it unfair to judge it before it's over. What someone perceives as bad writing might turn out to be crucial to the story as a whole in the end. Then again and to be fair, if I thought 8BT was badly written right now I'd probably stop reading it too. Hell, that's what it boils down to in the end: you like it or you don't. Personal taste.

EDIT: One off topic post deleted, any further will be liberally sprinkled with warnings.

[NikkTheTrick]

Hmm... given the today's cartoon, BM is back on track

Ah, gotta love that cute fellow with beady little eyes...

[Ori Klein]

All I said was that I was feeling BM going a bit 'off course' from his usual norm.
Then it all became a flame war between the "shut up this comic is god you should thank Brian he even bother making it for free" tribe and the "fudge you nazi censor shaft tonguer I R FAN ergo comic should service" camp.
Sigh.
*shakes head*
Shrug.

Originally Posted by NikkTheTrick

Hmm... given the today's cartoon, BM is back on track

Ah, gotta love that cute fellow with beady little eyes...

Drinks are on me!

[bass_virus]

Originally Posted by Ori Klein

All I said was that I was feeling BM going a bit 'off course' from his usual norm.
Then it all became a flame war between the "shut up this comic is god you should thank Brian he even bother making it for free" tribe and the "fudge you nazi censor shaft tonguer I R FAN ergo comic should service" camp.
Sigh.
*shakes head*
Shrug.

Dude the joke gets stale after awhile. If you have BM performing mass slaughter like every 5 comics it quits being funny. Besides the comics aren't real time, 50 comics is like an hour in the world they are in. Even BM can't fit that much killing in such a small amount of time.

[blackwaltzomega]

Given the most recent comic, I'd say that the BM we all know and love is still around.

Sarcasm AND mass murder; a perfect combination.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Originally Posted by Meister

Why is it every time we sit down to discuss the quality of the recent comics it turns into a "analyze Silver Rose's discussion style" extravaganza? The two can't really be inseparable, can they?

Oh sweet tapdancing Christ, this happens regularly? Well, I'm breakin' out the hammer-gun......

And blackwaltzomega, whilst I agree he's still the same good 'ol (albeit maybe distracted by his current state of affairs) BM, I'm not so sure it's sarcasm and murder he's laying down so much as murder and an inability to register other's sartled reaction to it.