[Webcomic] PVP Discussion

[DarkAudit]

Trenches is a train wreck. You want to look away, but can't. The dialogue is nonsensical, the art crap, and the characters you wouldn't piss on if they were on fire.

And then there's the accompanying game industry horror story. No one has the courage to put any names to anything, so you don't know who is putting people into near-slavery conditions. The PA gang apparently wants to have it both ways. "The game industry treats people worse than animals, but we have our heads so far up their asses we can't tell you who without destroying our business model."

 

[AshburnerX]

Trenches is a train wreck. You want to look away, but can't. The dialogue is nonsensical, the art crap, and the characters you wouldn't piss on if they were on fire.

And then there's the accompanying game industry horror story. No one has the courage to put any names to anything, so you don't know who is putting people into near-slavery conditions. The PA gang apparently wants to have it both ways. "The game industry treats people worse than animals, but we have our heads so far up their asses we can't tell you who without destroying our business model."

I'm not going to hold PA responsible for the anonymity. It's very clear from some of these just which company they are talking about, but anyone who speaks out about the conditions publicly is going to get blacklisted. So... unless you suggest that PA start hiring game developers that fired for speaking out, I don't think you have a leg to stand on here.

The art style is a new artist.

 

[David]

I go to Trenches to read the Tales from the Trenches. The comic at this point is just some background art that I wouldn't miss if they got rid of it all together and made the site dedicated to the blog.

 

[Dave]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you. Fool me three times, god damn it, will you stop shaming yourself?!?

 

[Sparhawk]

I deleted my bookmark for PvP yesterday. I opened my tabs for comics this afternoon and didn't even notice. It's kinda liberating, like deleting that annoying person that you accepted a friend request from on Facebook.

 

[GasBandit]

The sad fact is though, that PVP is better lately than it has been in years.

 

[Sparhawk]

The sad fact is though, that PVP is better lately than it has been in years.

But I stopped caring about the characters, or anything that they were doing during that time of really crappy strips. I held on, probably for more than just habit, hoping that would come back. It hasn't. I don't care about the strip anymore. We had a good run, and I'll probably stop by every once in a while if I hear about something here, but I'm done with it. Best of luck to Steve, unlike him, I've grown.

 

[Null]

The Trenches is just garbage. Nothing about it works. It's not funny, it's not clever, it's not pretty to look at, it's just there.

 

[Yoshimickster]

The Trenches is just garbage. Nothing about it works. It's not funny, it's not clever, it's not pretty to look at, it's just there.

The Trenches falls under the percentage of web-comics that are whacky cartoon hijinx that keep building up to a punchline that doesn't exist. And you will BEG for the annoyingly abrupt endings that PvP has to their stories, because this just keeps on going and going and going and GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

 

[AshburnerX]

The Trenches is going to fail because they can't seem to keep an artist for more than a few months. That's it... plain and simple.

 

[DarkAudit]

The Trenches is going to fail because they can't seem to keep an artist for more than a few months. That's it... plain and simple.

Gabe, Tycho, and Scott stopped writing on it too, right?

 

[AshburnerX]

Gabe, Tycho, and Scott stopped writing on it too, right?

I don't think Scott has been involved for a long time. He doesn't link to it anymore at least.

 

[Null]

Remember the two-year build up to The Trenches, and how Kurtz and Gabe said this was the next big thing for them, that it was someone he could see working on long after PVP ended?

Hilarious in hindsight.

 

[SpecialKO]

Credit where credit is due, I really like Table Titans.

I do wish there was more, but we've all seen what happens when Kurtz tries to keep to a schedule. Heck, this forum was practically founded on it.

 

[DarkAudit]

Credit where credit is due, I really like Table Titans.

I do wish there was more, but we've all seen what happens when Kurtz tries to keep to a schedule. Heck, this forum was practically founded on it.

I thought it was founded on how much Kurtz and Straub (don't ever forget which one was the real hand that pulled the plug) hated us.

 

[Null]

Kind of minor, all things considered, but a line in one of The Trenches just irks me.

"How's your idea, Duncan?"
"It's a three-pointer for sure! They don't call me 'Slam Duncan' for nothing!"

Slam Dunks are running jumps to put the ball through the net directly and they score two points. A three pointer is a shot from beyond the (aptly named) three point line. With the exception of Michael Jordan in Space Jam, you can't slam dunk from beyond the three point line.

A very minor quibble, but one that makes me grind my teeth anyway.

Of course, that may itself be a joke on techies not being familiar with sports, but if so, it's really subtle.

 

[SpecialKO]

I thought it was founded on how much Kurtz and Straub (don't ever forget which one was the real hand that pulled the plug) hated us.

I mean when Kurtz founded it in the first place.

 

[DarkAudit]

I mean when Kurtz founded it in the first place.

By murdering the previous one? That's an interesting notion of "founding"

 

[GasBandit]

Yes, I'd think the original post on the first PvP forum back in the 90s was undoubtedly titled "Where's the new comic?"

 

[Null]

So these last 2 weeks of PVP have been pretty good, or at least a lot better than what he's been doing. Firstly, he's been on time, which is huge, and he's only missed the 10th for regular updates I think. Secondly, no silhouettes so far in June. He's been doing a lot more with his art, and he's bringing it back to his original characters. We're seeing the likable but awkward Cole, rather than the angry jerkass failure as a businessman that we've seen so much of the last couple years. The writing's been a bit tighter, the jokes a little funnier.

Maybe it was getting back to dick and fart jokes, but this June - and late May, to be honest - have been an upswing for PVP.

 

[Null]

I wonder who he has filling in for him this time.

Good point, the last time most of us agreed that PVP had suddenly improved was because a guest artist had taken over briefly.

 

[LittleSin]

Man...I'm really liking this current pvp story line.

It's super cute.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Spoiler

I was shocked that she isn't a transvestite, since Cole met her in a gay bar.

 

[LittleSin]

Spoiler

I was shocked that she isn't a transvestite, since Cole met her in a gay bar.

Spoiler

I was expecting that as well. Was pleasantly surprised! Although, it is not uncomon for straight women to hang in gay bars.

Also, small nitpick, transvestite is considered a derogatory term these days. Might wanna avoid it in conversation. Same goes for transsexual unless otherwise told by a person...most prefer transgendered.

 

[GasBandit]

Who wants to put money on her vanishing and nobody noticing a la Sonya Powers?

 

[Bubble181]

Spoiler

I was expecting that as well. Was pleasantly surprised! Although, it is not uncomon for straight women to hang in gay bars.

Also, small nitpick, transvestite is considered a derogatory term these days. Might wanna avoid it in conversation. Same goes for transsexual unless otherwise told by a person...most prefer transgendered.

Hey now.

Spoiler

perhaps that's what's the habit around your place, but you can be a transvestite (or transsexual) without being transgendered, and vice versa. Transvestite just means you dress as the "opposite" gender of your physical presence. Transsexual means you're somewhere in the blurry spectrum changing your physical gender. Transgender means you psychologically identify with a different gender than your body. Transgendered is considered an insult here, as it's not something "done to you" - I can't gayify you, and a person isn't blackened, either. It can be used, if you're transgender and transsexual, I suppose People need to work on terminology, everything in that area changes from "appropriate" to "insult" or "derogatory" to "reclaimed for ourselves" faster than I can keep up with.

 

[Yoshimickster]

Who wants to put money on her vanishing and nobody noticing a la Sonya Powers?

Seconded! There are so many Chuck Cunninghams in this comic we should change the term to Kurtzing.

 

[GasBandit]

Seconded! There are so many Chuck Cunninghams in this comic we should change the term to Kurtzing.

The funny thing though about my example is somebody apparently pointed this out to Kurtz at one point, and he had an oh-shit moment that spilled over into the comic, with somebody asking Skull about his girlfriend and him freaking out and going to find her.

 

[Yoshimickster]

The funny thing though about my example is somebody apparently pointed this out to Kurtz at one point, and he had an oh-shit moment that spilled over into the comic, with somebody asking Skull about his girlfriend and him freaking out and going to find her.

SNRK- really? That is too funny. Maybe someone should ask where Reggie disappeared to? Or was Miranda dumping him supposed to be his retirement from the comic? If so...that is sad.

 

[Kovac]

Secondly, no silhouettes so far in June.

I think he might have heard you since there have been a few since then.

 

[Null]

I think he might have heard you since there have been a few since then.

I noticed.

 

[figmentPez]

What, Webcomics Weekly is still a thing?

 

[Bowielee]

Spoiler

I was expecting that as well. Was pleasantly surprised! Although, it is not uncomon for straight women to hang in gay bars.

Also, small nitpick, transvestite is considered a derogatory term these days. Might wanna avoid it in conversation. Same goes for transsexual unless otherwise told by a person...most prefer transgendered.

Spoiler

They aren't derogatory if used properly. What's considered derogatory is the term "tranny" or "shemale". Transvestite is completely correct, if you are actually referring to a transvestite, which a transgender person is not. A Transvestite is someone who derives sexual pleasure from dressing in the opposite gender's clothing. Transsexual is the term by which most people I know who are transgendered refer to themselves. When in doubt, the term "trans" pretty much covers it all.

 

[Bones]

Spoiler

They aren't derogatory if used properly. What's considered derogatory is the term "tranny" or "shemale". Transvestite is completely correct, if you are actually referring to a transvestite, which a transgender person is not. A Transvestite is someone who derives sexual pleasure from dressing in the opposite gender's clothing. Transsexual is the term by which most people I know who are transgendered refer to themselves. When in doubt, the term "trans" pretty much covers it all.

so is some one like Eddie Izzard a transvestite? I am just curious since you bring up what it technically all means.

 

[Bowielee]

so is some one like Eddie Izzard a transvestite? I am just curious since you bring up what it technically all means.

Yes, Eddie Izzard is a transvestite, I guess I shouldn't have said SEXUAL gratification, though that's usually a large part of it. Transvestite=cross-dresser. Transexual=trangendered.

The major difference is one's physical gender doesn't match their perceived gender, the other is just as cis as you or I, they just like wearing the opposite gender's clothes.