2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

For old comic discussions threads! seriously what did you think
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Lucid_Dragon
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Lucid_Dragon »

WhoElseButQuagmire wrote:
valerio wrote:
WhoElseButQuagmire wrote:Was it ever established if King and Bailey are staying at the Lindbergs or with the wolves? It would be the worst of all "or was it"s for a naked Joel to wake up being strangled by Fox shouting "You! What the }##%%}# are you doing in my house! In my cousin and brother in law's bed! And what have you done with my cousin and best friend you monster!" He might even prefer the alternative .... Waking up in a dark room , the only light coming from the eyes on the snarling faces of an upset pack of wolves surrounding an intruder.
Hm, I think that they were staying at the wolves'. Back at Lindberg house, Fox was sleeping in a basket, and we saw Bailey with her pillow (and no need for that, if they're sleeping at the wolves' in their own bed). Thus, IMO, in this arc King was sleeping at the wolves'.
Heh, in that case I can see the wolves surrounding Joel when a voice comes from behind. "It's ok, fellas, this is an old friend of ours...we need to make him feel welcome." Keene dramatically enters from around the wolves, grinning like a Bond villian. "Mr Robinson, I presume....we have a lot to talk about..." Alt Text 'We were going to have him come out with a white cat in his arms, but couldn't find a kitten small enough' (Assuming of course that Pete filled his minon in on King's past.)
Hahahahaha! As a long time Bond fan, I can totally see that!

Also, Pete was willing to allow them a parting kiss...at least he kept his jerkish-ness in check till then. Even so...this comic makes me want to make the putrid peacock* suffer for separating these two all the more.

In addition, when Pete mentioned Bailey was to be taken to "the other side of the world," it got me thinking...please direct your attention to the seventh frame here. Since "Gardens" was written in after the fact, I wonder if the real Babylon is the battleground.

Personally, I like the cliffhanger style of these epic arcs; keeps you guessing and coming back for more. Keep it up, Rick! This is one of the reasons this series is so great!

*I wonder if I'll ever run out of alliterative avian insults... :P
Last edited by Lucid_Dragon on Fri May 16, 2014 10:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by CHAOKOCartoons »

Brendmar wrote:OK, so here is my deal about things. By looking at the pattern established by the rest of the comic, there is a resolution coming, conflicts established in an arc, end there. The story may span several arcs but overall, trouble started, ends. And the story's haven't (at least for me), had a "bad" ending. An analogy I thought of is this: imagine a wide and dark hallway. And the far end of this hallway is a door emiting a bright light. On the other side of the light is the resolution. Right now its far away and youre deep in the dark. So, you take a step closer. The light gets bigger, brighter. But as a result we perceive that the darkness is getting darker. But we see the hope ahead. So we keep stepping. Light brighter, dark darker. Eventually you may start to fear that the darkness may overtake the light again. And then you get through that door, see the glorious and happy resolution and look back at how silly you were about the darkness. Sometimes I may feel mad about the events in the comic, but I'm not. I'm only unjustly venting about how long I have to wait before I take another step. Lol.

Keep up the amazing work Rick. I look forward to seeing where this adventure takes us.

This has been a rant by your friendly neighborhood lurker!
:shock: ... dude that was fricken beautiful. Well said man.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by CasKamachi »

Obbl wrote:
exranio wrote:Well that's unfortunate. The genre switching is my favourite thing about this comic. I don't think I'd like it nearly as much if it just started being pure slice of life. I mean I'd still like it, but a bit less. I like things that switch genres because it feels so much better to get normal life in the middle of whatever other plot something has going on. Hanging out one episode, fighting dragons the next.

If anything I hope this goes like I want with just about everyone who's been involved with these guys getting in at the end.
It's because of all the complaining that happens every time we get back to the Cosmic game. -_- It would have ended eventually, but it's wearing Rick down having to listen to it, and the last few threads are a good example of why.

I'm really getting frustrated at the lack of trust in Rick to give us a good story with a good ending. Why are we talking about this like there is no hope or things might end terribly or we might never see King and Bailey together again. Seriously, guys. The negativity is dominating these threads. It makes it hard to read through. I guess I'm glad to see some of you turning your misplaced rage against Pete into hope for his defeat, but there are so many other comments dreading the future and hating the seriousness and hoping against hope that things will turn out alright. And I guess that's a testament to Rick's character writing, but are we seriously incapable of just believing in Rick's intentions to give us a story we will actually enjoy?
This isn't really even that dark. I mean, SmileWolf mentioned Dresden Files where a guy is killed and brought back as an avatar to an ill-intentioned goddess, and all we have to deal with is Bailey and King being separated, and King possibly being transformed back into Joel. We're just getting into the story, just setting up the conflict, just getting the ball rolling, and already things are too dark? Guys, Rick has to set up some sort of conflict. I know you all care about King and Bailey, but you can't lost hope just because something bad happens.
I know you want to express your feelings on the comic (that's why this forum is here). But can we tone down on the paragraphs about why we dislike the comic most all of which boil down to "I can't stand to see something bad happening to King and Bailey"?

The most frustrating part really is that people word their dislike in the form of "I hate how the comic is going" and "I hate these characters". Rick puts a lot of time and energy into giving us something that explores new and interesting topics and places, and people keep reacting with distaste through entire arcs. They hate the Cosmic Game, they hate the Cosmic Players. And they do so without knowing how the story is going to end and without understanding who the characters are. They hate the story because of where it is currently and pass judgement on the whole work prematurely. They hate the characters because they do bad things to characters they personally like, or even because they have the potential too in some cases. And Rick puts a lot of time into giving us characters who aren't all good, but certainly aren't evil. It's hard on him, so it's all wrapping up now.
So be happy. You got your wish.

*Claps hands*
I could not say it better! It is upsetting as a reader to see the complaining... I liked the cosmic strips! They added a bit of something different, I can't put my finger on it, but it made things more interesting.
I honestly can't find anything with the comic I dislike, this is one of my top favorites, it is just really disheartening to see all the negative comments... I know I'm a first time poster, but I've been a long time lurker and reader, I just think Rick should write/draw/create his comic the way he wants!

So I gotta say, Rick you make an awesome comic, keep up the great work, can't wait to see what comes next! :D
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Argent »

He also tweeted that he's not reading the forums until the arc's over.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by SmileWolf »

Ok, now hold on. Part of my "negative" post mentioned specifically that Rick should do as he sees fit with his creation, fan feedback be damned. It is disheartening that he is ending the Cosmic Game thread in a rushed fashion because of fan feedback. It was said that we don/t trust Rick to give a good conclusion, and that we can't stand to see something bad happen to King or Bailey. That's a bit off base. A death that serves the storyline, that is not gratuitous, but made in the spirit of moving the story forward and serving the good the heroes represent, is proper and welcome. Laura in TwoKinds, also Alaric in that comic, would be a good example of what I am talking about. And yes, for me, that includes Bailey and/or King dying - I would mourn the character(s) but be satisfied with why the death occurred. And I mentioned the plot twist for happily ever after wouldn't surprise me, and that means I have faith this will occur, and that's why I am still reading.

Overall I enjoy the Cosmic Game arc - it hits a home run with me as a D&D player. It is one of the things that made me keep reading HP. Perhaps the only criticism I could make, and maybe its because I missed something, probably is, that I don't see what the stakes are that justify the moving around of the characters at the mercy of the gods. Yes, I know, look at Greek mythology, the gods played with people at a whim. But there, the myths often (though not always) were used to reinforce some aspect of the cultures mores. Perhaps it will all be made clear at the end of the arc. The problem is that when an arc takes place over years, it gets hard for readers to wait until the end to understand "Oh, that's what all this was for."

This is where novel writers really have an advantage over webcomic writers - the fans don't get to see anything until the whole story is done. The writer doesn't have to hear about it until it is all out there, and the fans don't have to wait years for things to be made clear. Instead, Rick gets stuck making great characters with great storytelling that the fans love, and then the fans get invested in them, and then, all this results. It is really hard for a writer to balance what he wants to achieve with fan expectations in a webcomic format.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by exranio »

I just figured there were no stakes and it really was just a game where everyone not playing is unfortunately controlled, and that both players basically had varying morality as to how willing they wanted others to be.That's what I thought was fun about it, that there is no stakes and it IS that petty. Plus say what you will about the dragon being just as bad as Pete for also playing, but to my understanding everyone on her side was asked and said yes. Also arguably everyone on her side has had their lives made a bit more fun and adventurous from it with just a bit of stress. Which is a farcry from Pete's style and the results his efforts have had on king (even though that also kinda ended up working for the better too).

As for all the "hate" stuff. I think its one of those "the content don't really have a reason to talk things". People who are upset have way more to be vocal about then people who aren't, even if the other side is equal or outweighs the upset one.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Argent »

The stakes in this game are who gets to get their way in another game.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Discostew »

SmileWolf wrote:This is where novel writers really have an advantage over webcomic writers - the fans don't get to see anything until the whole story is done. The writer doesn't have to hear about it until it is all out there, and the fans don't have to wait years for things to be made clear. Instead, Rick gets stuck making great characters with great storytelling that the fans love, and then the fans get invested in them, and then, all this results. It is really hard for a writer to balance what he wants to achieve with fan expectations in a webcomic format.
That's what I kind of touched on in a previous post. We aren't reading a novel that we can read at our leisure from start to finish. We are reading a webcomic. We have to wait for each page to be made and published. On a positive note, we have the advantage of not having to wait until the entire arc is fully written, drawn, and published before we can start reading it, unlike novels that fans would have to wait months (at the very least) in between to get their fill of stories. This just has the unfortunate side effect of discussion prior to the end, leading to speculation and whatnot.

Do I think King will truly keep his life and his wife in the end? Based on Rick's current way of ending on-going arcs, I would have to say yes, but insomuch that King keeps to his promise from his wedding day. "Whatever the cost may be, I will move heaven and earth to get to you." In King's past, others have fought his battles for him. This is going to be his time to shine, to fight for those he cares for and loves. He ain't going down without a fight, and he's certainly not going to wait years to do it. Will he get transformed back to a human in the mean time? Possibly, but I feel he'll get the chance to become a dog again should that happen, so until this concludes, we'd get to see the crazy situations that he will go through.

I'm sorry about the "hate" that has been coming from me recently. I call it "the natural man" of my person, because as much as I try to stay positive, there's always that little secluded figure in a dark corner of my mind that tries and tells me otherwise. It's unfortunate that the world thrives on negativity, and it found its way into these discussions.


On an odd note, I found this new development to resemble Ghost'n'Goblins, where Satan (Pete) kidnaps the princess (Bailey), so Sir Arthur (King) sets out to rescue her. Only this time, the princess has the gear, and our knight in shining armor begins his journey in his birthday suit. This is what I call Hard Mode!
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by CreativePr0cess »

Honestly, I can't believe anyone would doubt Rick and his writing abilities. He gives us good stories, GREAT stories, no doubt about it. People that think this is going to have a depressing ending baffle me. Sense when does Housepets! ever end with a depressing tone? While I do make the occasionally joke about the fact this is a slice-of-life/romantic comedy, but he has all these stories with fantasy elements, it doesn't change the fact it is still FANTASTIC writing! Why can't people look at the positives? Rick hasn't let us down, and he won't? This is for intelligent conversation about this comic, not "OH NO WHAT IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG AND RICK RUINS IT!?" So just wait and see and stop complaining about things that don't deserve any complaint.

pbttbtpbpttpbptpbtt. Kay. Rant over.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Jamonius »

So Pete's separated them for the duel eh? It makes sense, after all Pete wants his avatar to focus on the duel and that might be a bit difficult with King around. Hmmm, might cause Bailey's powers to become unbalanced though. Powered by love and fury, without King around (love) her powers might slip more towards the fury side during this whole duel. Be interesting to see how that all works out.

King is definitely going to be in for a mighty stressful time during Bailey's absence. Not only will he have to deal with worrying about her safety but he will also have to figure out some way to explain her absence, particularly to Fox. I suppose he could fudge a little and just say to Fox "I don't know where she is! I woke up this morning and she was gone!" He wouldn't really be lying there, after all Pete did say that the duel would take place in some forest somewhere halfway around the world and that's so vague that King really wouldn't have a clue as to where Bailey is located. That could easily spark a massive search by the local police canines that would quickly frustrate them with a lack of clues. I can very easily see King become an emotional wreck before this duel is over.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by deepskycyan »

Welp, Pete has just achieved Peanut level on the adorableness meter. I wonder if that's part of his magic.

Some deep discussion going on around here. I personally have no qualms with where the storyline is heading, for I believe that Rick, being a talented storyteller will surely deliver a satisfying ending when the time comes. Although I do feel that the plot is a little rushed, I understand Rick's urgency to push things along; it isn't healthy for a comic strip to dwindle on the same thing for years on end. However, even though the fast pacing may be necessary, I see that Rick still manages to keep the strips in good quality; in no strip do we feel that the story is undeveloped and every release is perfectly executed (well, at least in MY opinion).

I have a lot of respect for Rick for avoiding the comic discussion until the arc has finished. It's hard to go on without reader input, but it really is for the best, for I'm sure he has an amazing story to tell and it would be a shame if he were to change any aspect of it due to fan rambling.
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Stop looking at your wrist Pete. You do not have a watch.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by CreativePr0cess »

One more thing... Earlier I said "Rick wouldn't kill off a character... Right?"

Well... He already has... LOOKY LOOKY: https://www.housepetscomic.com/2008/10/ ... o-get-off/

The character Faust was a mouse appearing in 3 strips in 2008, then in this strip died and never showed up again. Gotta love the fun facts.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Argent »

deepskycyan wrote:Welp, Pete has just achieved Peanut level on the adorableness meter. I wonder if that's part of his magic.
He's cute like a spider.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Stuff. »

Obbl wrote:This isn't really even that dark. I mean, SmileWolf mentioned Dresden Files where a guy is killed and brought back as an avatar to an ill-intentioned goddess, and all we have to deal with is Bailey and King being separated, and King possibly being transformed back into Joel. We're just getting into the story, just setting up the conflict, just getting the ball rolling, and already things are too dark? Guys, Rick has to set up some sort of conflict. I know you all care about King and Bailey, but you can't lost hope just because something bad happens.
Okay, to be fair.

Housepets is seen as a mostly lighthearted comic. While there are some dramatic elements, they rarely go that far and are approached with a sense of humor themselves, which is how I felt about previous King arcs (most of which I loved). Personally I've been enjoying this arc for the most part, but given some time to think about the last few strips, I'm kind of unsure about the storytelling direction here. Not the direction of the plot itself (which I'm more or less fine with so far), but the tone with which it's being approached. This is a concern I've had about the comic's direction since Max's moment in Gallifrax - the drama, when it's there, is starting to go too far with the humor coming in at the end to remind us we're still reading a slice-of-life comic about animals.

To be more clear, it's the sudden seriousness with which King and Bailey's romance is being portrayed. Even in The King and I, it felt really lighthearted. And I get it, they love each other and that's great, but we've never seen them so...well, serious, and given what we've seen, I can't help but think it feels a bit forced to add more drama to the situation. And honestly, I don't want this comic to get so focused on...romantic drama. This just feels weirdly "not fun" for Housepets.

tl;dr I don't have a problem with the direction of the story per se - on the contrary, I'm interested in this turn of events. It's unexpected in some respects, but that's not a bad thing at all. It's just the tone here that I'm really iffy on. Sorry to keep the negativity going, I'm sure this is kind of...unprecedented. I'm glad that Rick isn't reading the forums until this is done, because, well, I'm not sure how he'd react to all this. Honestly, the thing of it is, we've put a lot of emotional investment in these characters, and with this being the big arc where all things come to a head, we want to feel...rewarded for that. If things go in a questionable direction or the comic loses its heart for the sake of dramatic impact, that's going to drag it down for us or maybe even ruin it.

But I do trust Rick to make this story count, and if he's avoiding the forums, well, maybe he knows something we don't. I just want to get my concerns out.
*cough*
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Discostew »

CreativePr0cess wrote:One more thing... Earlier I said "Rick wouldn't kill off a character... Right?"

Well... He already has... LOOKY LOOKY: https://www.housepetscomic.com/2008/10/ ... o-get-off/

The character Faust was a mouse appearing in 3 strips in 2008, then in this strip died and never showed up again. Gotta love the fun facts.
I know you meant this in a silly way, but we all know that Rick will unlikely kill off a major character. Technically speaking, King/Joel was metaphorically killed off from the comic here, after Joel gets arrested for dognapping Fox. Of course, his role was minor back then in comparison to other characters. It wouldn't be for another 6 months before we saw him again when Rick came up with the brilliant idea of bringing him back as King, which has since led him to become one of the major characters of this comic, and through him, made Bailey a major character as well.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Saturn381 »

Bailey gone for seven months? This should be interesting.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Discostew »

Saturn381 wrote:Bailey gone for seven months? This should be interesting.
I would say that's correct, if King was to do nothing, which I highly doubt.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Colby »

Unfortunate for King. He's likely to be changed back to Joel - Pete, not known for his benevolence, either wouldn't care OR gain power through his frustration/distress. As he refused to become bird-man's avatar, he was disregarded as his pawn (like the one on his collar) and is now on the sidelines as said named avatars duke it out, like the third party character he was designed to be.

It sucks, and I can't really think of anyone that wanted things like this for him (Pete excluded, naturally). That being said, I think King has a lot of opportunity in his current position. The players in question - Dragon, Pete, and their DM (I forget his name...Kit?) - are all demigods in their own right, to include omnipotence et all. This is illustrated (haha, puns) by Pete's appearance when King called him out, and outright stated earlier in the comic. I posit that if King called on any of them in such a time of need (aside from Dragon, due to rules that no doubt exist), they would respond. The onus was on Pete due to his self serving needs, but I digress.

What I'm getting at is that as the fight between avatars has begun, the clause that no magical being can mess with him has been nullified...Pete, Dragon, even Cerberus (although that particular meeting might have a little more drama than King would like...) and, say...Kit? He stated his benevolence and care for lower beings, snd it seems accepted that Pete is a That Guy in the order of demigods. Were he to ask, I'd bet that Kit (and I'll call him that until corrected) would have a sit down with an undoubtedly affected third party and explain things. He cares, and as Pete seems to have tossed him away, no real harm would be committed. Or, potentially enter him in as an enemy player. It was hinted at while at the game table, and it would certainly be fitting. He controls one of the dice - even metaphorically, with his fate clock in hand. And it -was- stated that mortal minds can't comprehend everything, so we create imagery to fit. A counterpoint to the white avenger, perhaps.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Obbl »

Colby wrote:Kit (and I'll call him that until corrected)
Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, seen as the magical trickster in much Japanese folklore. ;)
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Colby »

Obbl wrote:
Colby wrote:Kit (and I'll call him that until corrected)
Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, seen as the magical trickster in much Japanese folklore. ;)
Oh I'm aware, I just didn't know if he has an actual name or not. I'm on my phone, so researching it is difficult for me.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Argent »

Great Kitsune.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Ryusuta »

Obbl wrote:
exranio wrote:Well that's unfortunate. The genre switching is my favourite thing about this comic. I don't think I'd like it nearly as much if it just started being pure slice of life. I mean I'd still like it, but a bit less. I like things that switch genres because it feels so much better to get normal life in the middle of whatever other plot something has going on. Hanging out one episode, fighting dragons the next.

If anything I hope this goes like I want with just about everyone who's been involved with these guys getting in at the end.
It's because of all the complaining that happens every time we get back to the Cosmic game. -_- It would have ended eventually, but it's wearing Rick down having to listen to it, and the last few threads are a good example of why.

I'm really getting frustrated at the lack of trust in Rick to give us a good story with a good ending. Why are we talking about this like there is no hope or things might end terribly or we might never see King and Bailey together again. Seriously, guys. The negativity is dominating these threads. It makes it hard to read through. I guess I'm glad to see some of you turning your misplaced rage against Pete into hope for his defeat, but there are so many other comments dreading the future and hating the seriousness and hoping against hope that things will turn out alright. And I guess that's a testament to Rick's character writing, but are we seriously incapable of just believing in Rick's intentions to give us a story we will actually enjoy?
This isn't really even that dark. I mean, SmileWolf mentioned Dresden Files where a guy is killed and brought back as an avatar to an ill-intentioned goddess, and all we have to deal with is Bailey and King being separated, and King possibly being transformed back into Joel. We're just getting into the story, just setting up the conflict, just getting the ball rolling, and already things are too dark? Guys, Rick has to set up some sort of conflict. I know you all care about King and Bailey, but you can't lost hope just because something bad happens.
I know you want to express your feelings on the comic (that's why this forum is here). But can we tone down on the paragraphs about why we dislike the comic most all of which boil down to "I can't stand to see something bad happening to King and Bailey"?

The most frustrating part really is that people word their dislike in the form of "I hate how the comic is going" and "I hate these characters". Rick puts a lot of time and energy into giving us something that explores new and interesting topics and places, and people keep reacting with distaste through entire arcs. They hate the Cosmic Game, they hate the Cosmic Players. And they do so without knowing how the story is going to end and without understanding who the characters are. They hate the story because of where it is currently and pass judgement on the whole work prematurely. They hate the characters because they do bad things to characters they personally like, or even because they have the potential too in some cases. And Rick puts a lot of time into giving us characters who aren't all good, but certainly aren't evil. It's hard on him, so it's all wrapping up now.
So be happy. You got your wish.
Okay, I didn't realize he was taking the criticism of the story so harshly. I've mostly LIKED the cosmic nerd arc. I've complained a lot about Pete, but that's because I've wanted to see a little more to him than just "He's a jerk, move on." I like having context to why a character is a jerk. I feel bad because I really, REALLY want to like Pete, but there's never been any relatability to latch onto. I get he's tried to portray Pete as not all evil, but there isn't really anything to grab on and say "Okay, I get this guy now." Yes, he wants to win a game, but... Is that really all he cares about?

I feel as though this criticism in and of itself is constructive, but thinking about it in light of this, I've see now that I've taken my complaints WAY too far, due mostly to frustration at the idea of the arc being delayed 7 months, as I originally thought it might be. It's very easy to let the frustration and the desire to want to know more SOUND like hatred, especially when someone like me goes overboard with their complaints the way I have been and spouts hyperbolic negativity. I was just getting very excited about the story. Yet I didn't realize it had caused this much trouble...

It really is disheartening that Rick has taken complaints about his comic so hard. I have to admit I'm relieved it's not going to last another full year or more as I'd originally dreaded, but that's only because I want to know once and for all where this goes. If I really HATED the arc, I would have no desire to read on. As it is, I'm constantly refreshing the page whenever it comes near posting time. That's not something you do for a storyline you hate. I'm excited and I'm always delighted when King is there because he is by far my favorite character and the one that got me to read this comic in the first place.

However, that doesn't excuse my spewing negativity throughout the past few days. It's easy to complain when you don't see the consequences of those complaints. Personally, I wanted to give a public apology for anything I've said that was unfair about this plot thread. Throughout it all I've ALWAYS trusted Rick to tell a riveting story, and I've not done enough to get that across. I've always loved Housepets, even if I've occasionally thrown a hissy fit over it. From now on, I'm going to put a lot more thought into what I post. Bet your bottom dollar on that.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Cesco »

How bad and sad. It's a choice of love, but it's also so irresponsible, with Pete there are only complications. :| You hadn't to do that, Bailey, just because you've known King's truth... Both are so impotent against Pete. :( Oh, yeah, that's right the time to go, jerky Pete (and you're even looking at your wrist like if you really have a watch)... :roll: You really want to have her for you for so much time? I don't believe... I would denounce you for kidnapping. :P Fingers snapping! Don't panic too much? It's impossible when you wake up and don't see your love next to you on the bed.
The watch battery is low, there's too little time left until King will be back as Joel. How will it end? The situation is worrying and confusing, but I trust in the good ending for our favorite married couple. ;) About Pete, I hope for a penalty or an inhibition from being a demigod, the important is leave everyone alone...
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Gren
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Gren »

Obbl wrote:
exranio wrote:Well that's unfortunate. The genre switching is my favourite thing about this comic. I don't think I'd like it nearly as much if it just started being pure slice of life. I mean I'd still like it, but a bit less. I like things that switch genres because it feels so much better to get normal life in the middle of whatever other plot something has going on. Hanging out one episode, fighting dragons the next.

If anything I hope this goes like I want with just about everyone who's been involved with these guys getting in at the end.
It's because of all the complaining that happens every time we get back to the Cosmic game. -_- It would have ended eventually, but it's wearing Rick down having to listen to it, and the last few threads are a good example of why.

I'm really getting frustrated at the lack of trust in Rick to give us a good story with a good ending. Why are we talking about this like there is no hope or things might end terribly or we might never see King and Bailey together again. Seriously, guys. The negativity is dominating these threads. It makes it hard to read through. I guess I'm glad to see some of you turning your misplaced rage against Pete into hope for his defeat, but there are so many other comments dreading the future and hating the seriousness and hoping against hope that things will turn out alright. And I guess that's a testament to Rick's character writing, but are we seriously incapable of just believing in Rick's intentions to give us a story we will actually enjoy?
This isn't really even that dark. I mean, SmileWolf mentioned Dresden Files where a guy is killed and brought back as an avatar to an ill-intentioned goddess, and all we have to deal with is Bailey and King being separated, and King possibly being transformed back into Joel. We're just getting into the story, just setting up the conflict, just getting the ball rolling, and already things are too dark? Guys, Rick has to set up some sort of conflict. I know you all care about King and Bailey, but you can't lost hope just because something bad happens.
I know you want to express your feelings on the comic (that's why this forum is here). But can we tone down on the paragraphs about why we dislike the comic most all of which boil down to "I can't stand to see something bad happening to King and Bailey"?

The most frustrating part really is that people word their dislike in the form of "I hate how the comic is going" and "I hate these characters". Rick puts a lot of time and energy into giving us something that explores new and interesting topics and places, and people keep reacting with distaste through entire arcs. They hate the Cosmic Game, they hate the Cosmic Players. And they do so without knowing how the story is going to end and without understanding who the characters are. They hate the story because of where it is currently and pass judgement on the whole work prematurely. They hate the characters because they do bad things to characters they personally like, or even because they have the potential too in some cases. And Rick puts a lot of time into giving us characters who aren't all good, but certainly aren't evil. It's hard on him, so it's all wrapping up now.
So be happy. You got your wish.
I'm with these guys.

I've never doubted about Rick's skills to tell a story. Actually, that's the reason why I keep reading this comic so far. My only complaint is that all the events of the recent strips just came out of the blue. Am I mad of the sudden changes of plans? Not at all. It's just that I wanted a bit more of explanation that the blatant lie of “7000 years of planning ahead”. Of course I know this is a silly comic and I shouldn't expect such detailed explanation. But the reason why I'm mad is because I know he did this sudden twist because people was complaining about the idea of seeing King suffer. I'm mad because he gave up and ended up influenced by these haters. I mean, it is quite obvious this was not his original plan after seeing he switched to the power of love. A desperate last resort when you have no idea of how to give a good ending to a story. Kinda reminds me to Fairy Tail, winning every battle with the power of love and friendship.

It's funny when people complain so much whenever anything dramatic happens when that's actually the reason why they get hooked to the story. And that's easy to prove by just comparing the number of pages on a thread whenever there's an arc of this kind. It's also due to this things what makes a character to be popular. King is not popular because he is a little corgi married with a husky, it's due to the whole ordeal and pain he have to endure. People identifies with his experiences and feelings and want to see him succeed.
The same happened with Peanut during the Grapenut dilemma. At that moment what made him so popular had nothing to do with the taboo nor the love triangle or anything like that. It was because he broke with the stereotype. He was not just another silly dog with the tongue sticking out and a big smile plastered on his face. He had deep emotions: Love, anxiety, despair, heartbrokenness, jealous, envy, anger, hope. He was human (figuratively) and that's why people felt very attached to him and wanted to see him winning Grape's heart.

But whatever. I think I've had enough of this discussion.
CreativePr0cess wrote:This is for intelligent conversation about this comic, not "OH NO WHAT IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG AND RICK RUINS IT!?" So just wait and see and stop complaining about things that don't deserve any complaint.
That will never ever happen.

Changing the subject, now that the duel will be settled with a girl fight, I thought it would be cool if this turns out in a sort of "make believe" of Kill la Kill. It's a shame that the personalities don't match. I think Grape and Duchess would have been perfect for that. And Peanut in the role of Mako just to make the whole thing hillarious. X3
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Gesque »

I'm excited to see where this is going to go from here.

Here's what we know:
— Pete wanted to transform King into a Dark Paladin; a class that got attack bonuses for youth and damage bonuses for age. He also flat-out stated that the class's power is based upon his emotional state. (The more distraught he is, the more powerful it becomes.)
— Pete transformed Bailey into a White Avenger; a class that is apparently fueled by love and devotion.
— Pete flat-out told King that Bailey is "far more powerful than he would have been anyway." This probably means that Bailey's love and devotion is stronger than King's (making it worthless to transform him into a White Avenger) AND Bailey's love and devotion is stronger than King's negative emotions. This makes sense considering that King has married the love of his life and is content at the moment.

With all this in mind, here's my prediction:
— Native pets (especially dogs) are better at being White Avengers than humans are. Dogs are naturally loyal and loving animals, after all. Especially compared to humans.
— Knowing that Bailey would be more than willing to sacrifice herself for King, Pete drafted her as his Avatar in order to "get into the game" so to speak, but unlike the Spirit Dragon, who clearly shows concern for Tarot and other mortals, Pete doesn't care whether or not Bailey survives the duel: more than likely, he's betting on her losing the duel.
— Bailey's loss will send King over the edge emotionally. He'll beg Pete to intercede to "bring Bailey back," which Pete could do considering that he mentions his magic restriction's been lifted. But he'll tell King that the only way to do it is to help him defeat the Spirit Dragon. King'll agree and be transformed into the champion that Pete actually wants, an emotionally unstable Dark Paladin.


With that in mind, my prediction is that Pete is planning on using Bailey to combat Tarot, but ultimately have Bailey lose her life (or worse) to completely destroy King's emotional state
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Ryusuta
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Ryusuta »

Gren wrote:I'm with these guys.

I've never doubted about Rick's skills to tell a story. Actually, that's the reason why I keep reading this comic so far. My only complaint is that all the events of the recent strips just came out of the blue. Am I mad of the sudden changes of plans? Not at all. It's just that I wanted a bit more of explanation that the blatant lie of “7000 years of planning ahead”. Of course I know this is a silly comic and I shouldn't expect such detailed explanation. But the reason why I'm mad is because I know he did this sudden twist because people was complaining about the idea of seeing King suffer. I'm mad because he gave up and ended up influenced by these haters. I mean, it is quite obvious this was not his original plan after seeing he switched to the power of love. A desperate last resort when you have no idea of how to give a good ending to a story. Kinda reminds me to Fairy Tail, winning every battle with the power of love and friendship.

It's funny when people complain so much whenever anything dramatic happens when that's actually the reason why they get hooked to the story. And that's easy to prove by just comparing the number of pages on a thread whenever there's an arc of this kind. It's also due to this things what makes a character to be popular. King is not popular because he is a little corgi married with a husky, it's due to the whole ordeal and pain he have to endure. People identifies with his experiences and feelings and want to see him succeed.
The same happened with Peanut during the Grapenut dilemma. At that moment what made him so popular had nothing to do with the taboo nor the love triangle or anything like that. It was because he broke with the stereotype. He was not just another silly dog with the tongue sticking out and a big smile plastered on his face. He had deep emotions: Love, anxiety, despair, heartbrokenness, jealous, envy, anger, hope. He was human (figuratively) and that's why people felt very attached to him and wanted to see him winning Grape's heart.
This was well said, too. It's more or less what I was trying to get at. People complain about the story arc because they're invested in it and the challenges it presents for the protagonist. It's not a matter of wanting him to stop, it's an excess of enthusiasm that isn't always expressed the right way.

If you think about it, some of the most memorable and loved arcs in the history of this comic were met with initial hostility. I'm glad that this arc will be concluding before too long, but not because I hate it. It's because there's been half a decade of build-up and it was frustrating to think that this was all just going to lead back to more build-up when a climax seemed in sight. Frustration isn't the same as hate, even if idiots like me express it as such without thinking.

I LOVE these story arcs. And while yes I dislike Pete as a character, he's still good to drive the plot forward as an antagonist.

Having said that, I see both sides of things. There's wanting to give honest and legitimate feedback on the one side, but on the other, there's remembering that there is ALWAYS a human being on the other side receiving said criticisms. A human being with thoughts and feelings that does this comic with his love, his creativity, and his heart. And we would all do well to remember that.
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YourRoyalCorginess
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by YourRoyalCorginess »

Pete has just disturbingly become a lot more like Q, but I liked Q, Pete how ever leaves me wondering which I prefer Original Recipe or extra crispy.

Now I wonder just what happened to poor King.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by ConvoyWolf »

People really need to stop whining about this stuff and let Rick do his thing. Yes, i personally hate seeing King being tortured this way and Bailey being used for Petes plan. But in reality things like this keep guys like me interested in whats gonna happen in the next post. I wanna see it happen. If its gotta test the wills of some characters than so be it.

Its nice to voice your opinions and what have you but theres a fine line between criticism and complaining. Also ya gotta realise that Housepets is read by thousands of people on the internet and people whove purchasedthe books. Its hard for a comic artist or any artist to satisfy every reader with a story arc. If you dont like the way things are going, voice your criticism but show a lil respect for the artists decision, because trust me, if Rick wanted to he could pull the plug anytime and wed all be without our favorite characters to root for.

So sit down, eat your popcorn and watch what happens.

End of Rant. ~Convoy
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Ryusuta
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Ryusuta »

ConvoyWolf wrote:People really need to stop whining about this stuff and let Rick do his thing. Yes, i personally hate seeing King being tortured this way and Bailey being used for Petes plan. But in reality things like this keep guys like me interested in whats gonna happen in the next post. I wanna see it happen. If its gotta test the wills of some characters than so be it.

Its nice to voice your opinions and what have you but theres a fine line between criticism and complaining. Also ya gotta realise that Housepets is read by thousands of people on the internet and people whove purchasedthe books. Its hard for a comic artist or any artist to satisfy every reader with a story arc. If you dont like the way things are going, voice your criticism but show a lil respect for the artists decision, because trust me, if Rick wanted to he could pull the plug anytime and wed all be without our favorite characters to root for.

So sit down, eat your popcorn and watch what happens.

End of Rant. ~Convoy
To be honest, I feel like Obbl phrased this same idea, and in a slightly better way. I realize you feel loyal to Rick and want to defend him. and I AGREE with that. But let's not be confrontational about it, either. We all feel emotionally strong about this storyline, and excessive emotions are natural in times like these. Just remember that even if things are phrased poorly at times, it's not done with malice. And in the end, you, me, Obbl, Gren, and EVERYONE here is just using different words to say one thing: "We love Housepets, Rick. Thank you."
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by HundKatzeMaus »

Personally I think people shouldn't analyse this comic TOO MUCH.
Let's be honest:
There AREN'T many people who are able to draw good art AND write good stories.
I can say MANY good things, about this webcomic and I know some people jst want to state what's on their minds,
but please to it in a way, that people see that it isn't ill meaned.
That Arc is just 9 strips long and already some people think to analyse it like some sort of classic drama written by some famous writer.
Seriously it's an awesome comic but the artist, who deserves some well meaned credit, has to wrap up one of the biggest arc's of his comic because so many complained about it and honestly I don't want to IMAGINE what they said.

And Guys the Arc has just nine strips, anything is possible. Just wait a little bit and maybe it will the most AWESOME Arc of all.
And maybe...just MAYBE...we should also say to Rick, that we feel sorry, that something like that seems necessary for him.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by ConvoyWolf »

Ryusuta wrote:
ConvoyWolf wrote:People really need to stop whining about this stuff and let Rick do his thing. Yes, i personally hate seeing King being tortured this way and Bailey being used for Petes plan. But in reality things like this keep guys like me interested in whats gonna happen in the next post. I wanna see it happen. If its gotta test the wills of some characters than so be it.

Its nice to voice your opinions and what have you but theres a fine line between criticism and complaining. Also ya gotta realise that Housepets is read by thousands of people on the internet and people whove purchasedthe books. Its hard for a comic artist or any artist to satisfy every reader with a story arc. If you dont like the way things are going, voice your criticism but show a lil respect for the artists decision, because trust me, if Rick wanted to he could pull the plug anytime and wed all be without our favorite characters to root for.

So sit down, eat your popcorn and watch what happens.

End of Rant. ~Convoy
To be honest, I feel like Obbl phrased this same idea, and in a slightly better way. I realize you feel loyal to Rick and want to defend him. and I AGREE with that. But let's not be confrontational about it, either. We all feel emotionally strong about this storyline, and excessive emotions are natural in times like these. Just remember that even if things are phrased poorly at times, it's not done with malice. And in the end, you, me, Obbl, Gren, and EVERYONE here is just using different words to say one thing: "We love Housepets, Rick. Thank you."
Our posts were made one after the other his right while i was making mine. And your right he did a better job than me. I didnt really make time to come up with how i wanted to say it. I apologise and appreciate you understanding.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Titanium Dragon »

I'm always confused by people complaining at character development. If stuff didn't happen, I'd stop reading.

I like the cosmic nerds because they shake things up.

I like other developments which shake things up too.

There's a nice sort of alternating pattern of silly stuff and more serious stuff and it works fairly well.
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Ryusuta
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Ryusuta »

Titanium Dragon wrote:I'm always confused by people complaining at character development. If stuff didn't happen, I'd stop reading.

I like the cosmic nerds because they shake things up.

I like other developments which shake things up too.

There's a nice sort of alternating pattern of silly stuff and more serious stuff and it works fairly well.
Well, in my case and I feel in the case of the vast majority, the complaints come from a misplaced excess of excitement, anticipation, and frustration at not having the answers.
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WhoElseButQuagmire
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by WhoElseButQuagmire »

Another possibility.... Pete could transform King into a clone of Bailey..... You'll have your life, and your wife.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Discostew »

Ryusuta wrote:
Titanium Dragon wrote:I'm always confused by people complaining at character development. If stuff didn't happen, I'd stop reading.

I like the cosmic nerds because they shake things up.

I like other developments which shake things up too.

There's a nice sort of alternating pattern of silly stuff and more serious stuff and it works fairly well.
Well, in my case and I feel in the case of the vast majority, the complaints come from a misplaced excess of excitement, anticipation, and frustration at not having the answers.
I have to agree. If I didn't like reading this, I would have just stop reading. We're all on edge at what will happen next. It's a roller coaster, and I like roller coasters, even if moments during the ride feel more rough than others. I can't say the same for others, but it never struck me that Bailey could possibly participate in the duel until that moment when Pete brought forth the recent contract and spoke the words "You cannot fathom how right you are" when King figured him out. IMO, that's pure genius, even if I don't like the idea of King and Bailey being separated. In all honesty, the separation was going to happen one way or another. It was just a matter of how, and Rick is working his magic on the "how" aspect very well.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Ryusuta »

WhoElseButQuagmire wrote:Another possibility.... Pete could transform King into a clone of Bailey..... You'll have your life, and your wife.
Kinky~.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Gamewolf67 »

AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOUUUUU
Feel my icy wrath!
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Jamonius »

WhoElseButQuagmire wrote:Another possibility.... Pete could transform King into a clone of Bailey..... You'll have your life, and your wife.
That.... would be extremely disturbing.
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by Ryusuta »

Jamonius wrote:
WhoElseButQuagmire wrote:Another possibility.... Pete could transform King into a clone of Bailey..... You'll have your life, and your wife.
That.... would be extremely disturbing.
You misspelled "awesome." :3
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Re: 2014/05/16 - Parting Blows

Post by ConvoyWolf »

Ryusuta wrote:
Well, in my case and I feel in the case of the vast majority, the complaints come from a misplaced excess of excitement, anticipation, and frustration at not having the answers.

I would have to agree with you sir.
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