# Order of the Stick General Discussion Thread (Open Spoilers and Speculation) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096 "2009-02-02T07:39:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/21 "2009-02-06T16:43:31Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Uh, wow, yeah. I hate to say it, but I’m kind of rooting for the dragon too. I’m not so much rooting for the dragon as understanding her pain, and at the same time chuckling at how Burlew is sending up the game mechanics while making us sympathize with an evil dragon. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/22 "2009-02-06T16:55:10Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You know, I love OOTS, but whoever’s hosting Giant In The Playground sucks. That server consistently times out on me. I’m talking about every single time I click a link that leads to an OOTS strip or the main OOTS page, I’m stuck waiting and then timing out. I can usually get in on a refresh, but not always. Okay, I’m glad it isn’t just me. For the past few weeks, I get an error -every- time I click a link to the page. When I go manually, I usually get a time-out. I’m wondering what gives? (I’m using an Opera browser. You?) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/23 "2009-02-06T17:00:40Z")
> [@ArrMatey](#): > > Okay, I’m glad it isn’t just me. For the past few weeks, I get an error -every- time I click a link to the page. When I go manually, I usually get a time-out. I’m wondering what gives? > > (I’m using an Opera browser. You?) Edited: Sorry, Firefox at home, IE at work. Both hang consistently on [giantitp.com](http://giantitp.com). ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/24 "2009-02-06T17:20:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’m not so much rooting for the dragon as understanding her pain, and at the same time chuckling at how Burlew is sending up the game mechanics while making us sympathize with an evil dragon. Consider the lives of the previous owners of the various items of wealth in the dragon’s hoard. Consider how many of them parted with their wealth willingly, or were alive (for long) after the wealth subsequently moved into the dragon’s hordes. Naw, I’m down with the original adventuring party that ganked the dragon-mother’s hubby. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/25 "2009-02-06T17:21:53Z")
> [@robertliguori](#): > > Naw, I’m down with the original adventuring party that ganked the dragon-mother’s hubby. Son? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/26 "2009-02-06T17:29:41Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You know, I love OOTS, but whoever’s hosting Giant In The Playground sucks. That server consistently times out on me. I’m talking about every single time I click a link that leads to an OOTS strip or the main OOTS page, I’m stuck waiting and then timing out. I can usually get in on a refresh, but not always. Yep. I often have to try four or five times, and some days I can’t get through at all. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/27 "2009-02-06T17:46:40Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Son? I think he means the group that left her a widow, originally. (On the other hand, the valuables might’ve been the remnants of the many who said “Let’s go kill a dragon!” before one group succeeded.) ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/28 "2009-02-06T18:19:47Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’m not so much rooting for the dragon as understanding her pain … same. especially considering the fact that in a typical RPG world, slaying random \ for their phat lewt is the main job description and income of adventurers. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/29 "2009-02-06T18:40:32Z")
So, a dragon is going to just appear in the middle of an elven village, eat some of the villagers, and get away clean? Somehow, I don’t see it being as easy as the dragon seems to think it will be… I suspect that we will discover that V has already made arrangements, before he went into his trance-deprivation dementia, to protect his family in event that a magical enemy decided to go after them, or given V’s reaction today, that his family took it upon themselves to make such arrangements without informing him. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/30 "2009-02-06T18:57:04Z")
Another angle is that the dragon really doesn’t have a leg to stand on here. Let’s face it: she’s a psycho. Her kid decided to act like a random wandering monster and go assault the party. Roy isn’t a mad-dog killer, and neither are the rest (excepting Belkar) - they’d have negotiated for the starmetal. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/31 "2009-02-06T19:06:00Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Another angle is that the dragon really doesn’t have a leg to stand on here. Let’s face it: she’s a psycho. Her kid decided to act like a random wandering monster and go assault the party. Roy isn’t a mad-dog killer, and neither are the rest (excepting Belkar) - they’d have negotiated for the starmetal. Would they have? Remember, they had about _Over 12, Under 24_ hours where Teenage Dragon was under Suggestion. They could have easily gotten the starmetal, gotten the loot, and left if Vaarsuvius hadn’t insisted on waiting until she (or possibly he) turned back into an elf. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/32 "2009-02-06T19:07:56Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Another angle is that the dragon really doesn’t have a leg to stand on here. Let’s face it: she’s a psycho. Her kid decided to act like a random wandering monster and go assault the party. Roy isn’t a mad-dog killer, and neither are the rest (excepting Belkar) - they’d have negotiated for the starmetal. Yeah, but they broke into his and his mom’s house. He figures hey, he’s a dragon, they’re puny humanoids, what’s the big deal? He’s probably seen his mom toast intruders before, maybe even helped. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/33 "2009-02-06T19:11:27Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yeah, but they broke into his and his mom’s house. He figures hey, he’s a dragon, they’re puny humanoids, what’s the big deal? He’s probably seen his mom toast intruders before, maybe even helped. Yeah, but that’s not much of an argument. If I live out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, and some people wander by looking for something I won, I’m not really justified in grabbing my axe and trying to kill them. (I call this the “Jason Vorhees is not a hero” rule. Varsuuvius can be a little emotionally cool, but he was simply removing the threat in the most efficient manner once it had made its hostile nature apparent. It’s not nice, but then, alignments forces are not about “nice.” ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/34 "2009-02-06T19:29:32Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Would they have? Remember, they had about _Over 12, Under 24_ hours where Teenage Dragon was under Suggestion. They could have easily gotten the starmetal, gotten the loot, and left if Vaarsuvius hadn’t insisted on waiting until she (or possibly he) turned back into an elf. Can we reasonably assume that V’s spouse is female? It looked like it in the comic. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/35 "2009-02-06T19:36:22Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Can we reasonably assume that V’s spouse is female? It looked like it in the comic. Actually, probably not. If you look at the spouse the right way, s/he looks at least as androgynous as V. And the dialogue is VERY careful not to assign anyone a gender, which makes me think that Burlew wouldn’t do a visual giveaway, either. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/36 "2009-02-06T20:08:11Z")
Or wouldn’t intend one, anyway, regardless of whatever tiny detail obsessive readers might choose to inflate into a meaningful clue. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/37 "2009-02-06T20:19:52Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Yeah, but that’s not much of an argument. If I live out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, and some people wander by looking for something I won, I’m not really justified in grabbing my axe and trying to kill them. (I call this the “Jason Vorhees is not a hero” rule. Varsuuvius can be a little emotionally cool, but he was simply removing the threat in the most efficient manner once it had made its hostile nature apparent. It’s not nice, but then, alignments forces are not about “nice.” Once the young dragon was under suggestion, the party had plenty of time to get the star metal and get gone. There was no need to kill the dragon. V did so because staying overnight was convenient for her, kind of like how she killed Kubota because he looked like he might be an inconvenience. V may not be evil, but her acts are arguably evil. And mama dragon’s upcoming murder attempt is evil as well, but it’s surely more justifiable than what V did. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/38 "2009-02-06T20:29:05Z")
As a side-note, can anyone tell Rich that his comic seems to be inaccessable to a bunch of folks? I can apparently read Battle for Gobwin Knob (which I don’t particularly enjoy), and read the forums, but I can’t register for forums nor read the OotS comic, and I suspect others are having the same issues. Been going on for over a week now. ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/39 "2009-02-06T20:47:11Z")
V definitely needs some sense kicked in to him/her, but that’s pretty dark. Criticizing V’s aim just before teleporting, driving home the point that s/he failed? Cold. And of course V can’t learn teleportation because it’s a prohibited school, which just makes his/her inadequacy more apparent. Also, going back to read the comics when the party killed the little dragon, it’s not entirely clear who started the hostilities. They find the dragon at the end of one strip, and next strip they’re already in the middle of combat. And yeah, the Giant server is terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/40 "2009-02-06T20:48:53Z")
He’s aware…the announcement page makes mention of his “flailing server”. I’ve been having a fun time running browser races when I want to read the comic. I fire up IE, Chrome and Firefox and then hit the OOTS bookmark on each. One of them usually is able to pull it up in 30 seconds or so (only using one invariable brings back a non-response error). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096.md?page=3)