1601

The flailing around started, and have been made fun of, long before Kinect. Making the connection in a gaming comic is not exactly brain surgery, people.

1602

The problem is that regardless of context, the visuals of the strip don’t make sense. Due to the poor use of angles and framing, it looks like the chandelier just suddenly falls on them, not that Tycho leaps and puts his hand through it. The motion of those actions is not sufficiently communicated, so it becomes confusing. This is exacerbated by the fact that the photography-studio matte background doesn’t evoke a room that would have a chandelier in it, so it isn’t so much a surprise reveal as “what the hell is that doing there?”

These are issues that exist in the visual storytelling regardless of whether or not you understand the initial setting is them playing Kinect.

1603

This is exacerbated by the fact that the photography-studio matte background doesn’t evoke a room that would have a chandelier in it,

Agreed on this point (they really should have picked another object). And of course you can discuss its weaknesses until you turn blue, but the fact remains that the joke is hardly undecipherable - if anything, it’s tired and a cliche.

1604

I thought Gabe was pretend holding a light-sabre since he’s a Star Wars fan, but beyond that…

1605

I thought that the crouching guy was trying to plant butter beans in a tub of yogurt, and the standing guy was checking himself into a hotel where all the towels are red.

1606

Yeah, I didn’t have any trouble figuring it out, either, though that may be because after many years of reading PA, my mind has learned to fill in the gaps Gabe leaves in the narrative. Kinda like talking to my mother, who tends to skip around in conversations, shifting topics abruptly or leaving out important details, which confuses most listeners; but since I usually know what those details are and how her mind works, I can fill in the missing parts.

Despite their publicly stated aversion to gasp continuity, there is actually, well, continuity; Gabe slowly going from hating RPGs to becoming the master is just one example.

1607

What that comic also shows you is how much their comic personae really differ from themselves. Gabe in the comic has completed the cycle of roleplaying nerdom, but…er Mike… basically says in his post that D&D essentials isn’t bad but just slightly different for a new or different type of player. He’s quite positive in the news post.

1608

Could be anything, but volleyball is the most likely candidate for the motion Tycho performs.

Also, the game is not shovelware, judging by the decent reviews and player reactions to it. Beats the hell out of Start The Party, anyway.

1609

It’s funny how I know that, but my brain still communicates to my fingers the old commonly-held misconceptions about the two characters.

1610

I don’t think it’s common to mix the two characters’ identities up.

1611

There were comments earlier in this board that showed the same confusion. It seems natural to assume that “Tycho” is the name of the guy with the Pac-Man shirt on. I think it’s certainly common enough, not the majority of course.

1612

Why would that be natural? Neither one really looks like a Gabe or a Tycho. The strip titles refer to the characters specifically enough often enough to avoid most confusion, and of course the newsposts have their pictures right next to the names. This thread isn’t exactly the litmus test of normal on this, IMO.

1613

Tycho ~ Tyco ~ toys ~ games ~ Pac-Man

1614

That’s… kind of a stretch.

Tycho ~ Tycho Brahe ~ Famous astronomer ~ The smart one in the comic

1615

And again … the newspost.

Maybe people don’t read the post, and just the comic?

1616

I love it when they do that.

1617

Wow. That’s like seven degrees of Kevin Bacon.

Can I try?

Gabe ~ Game ~ Pac-Man

1618

Jeff Goldblum would be proud.

1619

It really adds something awesome to the comic.

1620

I really liked the back-and-forth leading up to the Harlan Ellison story. :)