And so we’re finally moving away from Daphne and her farm, and none too soon – due to the set of the landscape around it, it’s been a bother at best to try to match up backgrounds and renders in a way that feels like it could in the least pretend to make sense. In the least we’ve finally picked up what we stopped here to get to begin with.
On the topic of thursday updates, since I know I’ve been missing them for the last few weeks; I know I’ve been giving a few various mentions of stress and whatnot as reason, and it’s effectively culminating next week by me essentially being forced to move to another apartment – which in turn will also leave me without a stable, wired internet. I’m actually not entirely sure what the situation will be nor have a full grasp of what my options are; I’ll simply have to see when I get there. Until then, I’m mainly hoping things can finally start unwinding once it’s all over.
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Beyond the Tree, the Misadventures of Hani and Tiny 
I was wondering what you will do with the coming expansion? The scenery will change so drastically I don’t think you will be able to ignore it, at least for long. Look Ma…they built a wall around Sentinel Hill in a week!
Either I somehow force mapviewer to work proper, or I just build a large enough library of reusable backdrops for the purpose. Running a bit low on time I know, but I’ve been considering options for awhile now.
The rest of BtT will be taking place exclusively in vanilla dungeons, and extreme close up’s of generic buildings that exist throughout the world. Also, Exodar.
Get ready for 300 pages in SFK, kids! :D
*stares at the horse*
That’s not go-karts OR a General Lee! HRUMPH! Guess the gnolls are going to have to jump themselves.
You should actually be able to make a copy of your WoW directory and use that copy with your map viewer. That way, you maintain the original environment data from before the shattering. If you’ve already patched, you can install WoW to another directory, up to the first Wrath of the Lich King patch, and then just don’t allow it to patch. Then use that copy in the same way.
The saddle is still on the horse in the last panel, dont want to nitpick ^^;
Probably hard to get that out I think?
I think that’s probably intentional. Putting the saddle on to attach the cart to.
Octagonal wheels… xD WoW kills the mood sometimes with things like this…
In the same way we can’t apparently make half-decent guns despite teleporters… Of course we havn’t invented the wheel! 8)
Half-Decent Guns… EH we do have an http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolt_action
Rifle in-game http://www.wowhead.com/item=39688 .
Octagonal wheels Be happy it´s not pentagon wheels.
//PS its probably just an aimed to low on the polycount.
bet the cart itself only have 40 or so Polyconts. ((wooden plank lowest possible 8))
I know we have bolt-action rifles, just try politely informing people of that without them facepalming at you.
Actually, if you go back into the history of the rifle, the barrels were hexagonal instead of round up until the latter half of the 1800s, so there I can forgive them. But wheels that aren’t round? Come on!
They’re octoganal fro better traction on country roads. :)
Whatever happens with the backdrops Nhani, the story is driven by the people you’ve made in BtT. Hell even if you decide to just to the “5 years later” XD, well, id still follow it. Truth is we are mostly all having some mixed emotions about the change, hey! its cataclysmic, but yea, just wanted to reassure that your fans will stay as fans, even if the world itself changes! :D
As for you moving, ugh! you know, packing for me is allways fast. its the unpacking that takes me months. So take your time id say :P hate moving, and love it… ^^
You already have quite a few entries so one can re-read it again Nhani, dont pressure yourself.
I want to thank you for taking the time to make this comic. I’ve read about it in wow insider today and decided to take a look. And now, 5 hours later I can’t get enough of it. I read it all straight from the first issue to this one. I’m really looking forward for more of your work.
You turned a boring Sunday into an exciting adventure. Again, thank you for this.
take your time, take a break, real life comes first, and if your fans cannot stand it they are not your fans
I’m a usually silent reader that completely agrees with Hundwagen, I haven’t been reading all that long but I’ll happily stick around while you take a break for real life if you need it. (Found the comic about 2 months ago now, but love it to death already) Moving always sucks,and I totally understand the horror of moving utilities!
Anyway, the work you do for BtT is amazing, especially the model “manipulation” (is there a better term for that?)and it stays interesting even on the 4th page of the same place or travel pages! Now, if I can just get my guild to read it too, so the (somewhat inside) jokes that relate back to it aren’t totally missed.
Thank you!!!!!!!
/randomhug
If I recall my terminology, the proper term is “Posing”, while the term for making a model poseable to begin with is generally “Rigging”.
Ooop! *writes to brain for future usage* Thank you much Nhani!
:D Loving this and can’t wait to see how much more beautiful this will look after the apocalypse (7th 12th :P) !
I spotted ‘produce’ instead of products in panel 2.
It’s actually supposed to be produce; while you can use product in this context, sort of, it generally implies that the produce has first been processed in some manner.
To quote from Dictionary.com, Product (noun) “a thing produced by labor”, compare with Produce (as a noun) “agricultural products collectively, esp. vegetables and fruits”.
as in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Produce
Quick question I know when the gnome… “Paladin” was talking about how Edwin wasted so much manpower and lives for “Selfish & Evil” purposes I guess she doesn’t know the reason he did it all was cause Stormwind refused to pay him and his Guild of Stonecrafters (I think they were Stonecrafters anyway or workers.) their wages and dues?
I’m just curious is all since in-game or the story it isn’t public knowledge why Edwin did it all till later.
We indeed know that it was the decisions of corrupt nobles (with empty coffers, at that) that ultimately set Edwin off, but here’s a question for you – how responsible are the Westfall farmers for those decisions? The very same farmers that said corrupt nobles have turned their back on now when VanCleef and his followers are trying to rob them of all they own – sometimes even including their lives?
To paraphrase another portion of the quest lines that tell us of Edwin VanCleef – “He doesn’t care who he hurts.”
Areen doesn’t know the circumstances to his fall (nor of his prior actions in regards to rebuilding Stormwind), but nor does she have to – she’s seen what his actions have wrought, she’s heard to what depths he would sink. Regardless of his claims as to why, he is fallen, and she judged him accordingly. Still, her words are of pity, not malice, because she can recognize what great heights he could have aspired to had he turned that passion for good, rather than towards a selfish, petty vengeance.
It’s a cautionary tale if anything.
Well you can see everything that goes on with your men? I mean unless you can see everything, its kinda like with the Police some of them are dirty and they’ll go under the radar and demand a kind of tribute for over seeing something. Not that I am comparing Defias to Police, I was talking about a man wise, from Beta I can tell that his daughter loved him very much cause after the party kills him she comes out and crys on his corpse and to Adress why he doesn’t care cause the Stormwind nodels covered their tracks about him and then they said he was this horrible man when he wanted his fellow Mansons to get paid and have something to feed their kids.
But I know its unjust to kill anyone but I have to side with Edwin on this, also cause I’m a hordie and I don’t really much like Alliance. So yea I just wanted to express my thought on whos just and whos wrong but I suppose neither is wrong or just?
Probably not, but we do know that the main actions of the Defias fall squarely on Edwin’s shoulders simply because he ordered them undertaken.
I’m reminded of two distinct endings I’ve seen of an old Robin Hood adventure/roleplaying game – in both cases, you have a main character who swears to go up against a corrupt government to do what’s right. To get the good ending, you do just that – go against the government, but spare the innocents. Recompense the ones you hurt. Take from the rich, give to the poor, and all that. To get the bad ending, you just focus on you. Take from everyone to give to yourself. If you hurt someone, kick them when they’re down and laugh.
Edwin chose to go the latter path. There’s really no shades of gray involved with him – he has a sympathetic origin, but an unsympathetic present – he had potential, but squandered it. Source material explicitly states that he is fallen, utterly and completely.
Actually, compare this to Gryan Stoutmantle and the Westfall farmers – like Edwin VanCleef, the Westfall farmers have provided extensively for Stormwind – Edwin by rebuilding the city, the farmers by keeping its populace fed. And both of them have been betrayed by the corrupt nobles – Edwin by not being paid, the farmers by being abandoned when beset by an invading force, in spite of being promised protection. The way Edwin reacts to this is to go “I’ll have my vengeance, regardless of who gets in the way. Those who wronged me shall pay!”. The way Gryan reacts to this is “I will protect those who have been wronged, for they can not protect themselves.”.
As for Vanessa, Cataclysm shows she turned out even worse than her father. I’d like to think that Beyond the Tree continuity might have her turn out just a little better.
Mhm… well it was pleasant talking to you about it I suppose I should do alittle more
digging then. Also nice model manipulations very inpressive and to avoide making this a
wall long post of replys and expressing thoughts on him I’ll just cut it here and wish
you luck on your up ahead comics. Also I’m very much intreasted in Miss Hani, and I cheered
when she punched that Arch-Druid in the face, thats what comics today need more Amazon
like Night elves punch first ask questions later. xP
And here I was getting warmed up thinking about comparing how Garrosh Hellscream is actually miles better than Edwin VanCleef, in spite of being.. well.. Garrosh. xP
It’s interesting since while I tend to maintain that Beyond the Tree isn’t directly a morality play.. morality (especially the diverse ones across the main cast) plays a whole lot into it, and Edwin was sort of an important encounter – he represents a rather particular danger, and how easy it can be for some types of people to, essentially, “fall from grace”.
As for Night elves who can kick serious posterior.. well, we’re all hoping Blizzard will remember that they’re no wilting flowers and give us plenty of that with Cataclysm.
Huh. Almost like that’s the reason people figured out Rule of Law and criminal court systems.
Heeeeeey Nhani: how you liking your gnome priest? :D Or has the move put that on ice for Nhow? :(
I’ll have to get back to you on that when I’ve had some more time to get acquainted so much to do, so little time..
Well, Cataclysm has really started to unfold, with most landscapes being partially or completely changed. You could probably do with the terrain if you manage to get some good shots from the right angles, but the buildings would definitely be a problem (Northrend buildings, uhrrrr…).
I’m not all that happy with much of the old content being removed, but it’s something we all have to live with now – besides, who wouldn’t like fighting people over a ravine of fire, or swimming in thousand needles? ^^
On a sidenote, is that Daphne’s sister I see in that 3:rd frame? My, she’s a shy one. ^^
I was sure I’d managed to cover that one up.. hm.. oh well.
Rawr curse you! Just when I think I want to save these poor people of having to scroll and scroll down some more past our discussing of whos evil and whos good! Do you happen to have a MSN by any chance I’d love to continue this conversation but more where people don’t have to scroll down farther and/or try and read my walls of text cause sometimes I can get lost often too.
And don’t you bring Garrosh into this he doesn’t need anymore publiciy then trying to pick a fight with ever other Horde leader. From what I know he insulted Sylvanas. Called Carine out and killed him in a duel. Told Vol’jin to get out of “his” city. The blood elf leader got off easy. But I can’t blame him his new to ruling a “savage” faction.
Well apparently there’s this interesting exchange between Garrosh and one of the people he entrusted with military matters in the end of the Southern Barrens somewhere – the military guy has essentially taken to dishonorable means to win, and Garrosh goes apeshit on him for it because doing dishonorable acts in his name under his orders personally dishonors Garrosh himself. It’s a rare show of direct accountability where Garrosh essentially demands that those under him act honorably or not at all.
Of course.. he hasn’t done very well at instilling that mindset so far, seeing that from an Alliance perspective.. you get to see very little but dishonorable act after dishonorable act, from all manner of sources. I realize the point is to incense the Horde and the Alliance against each other though (I’d say they’re succeeding), and I’m curious whether this burst of accountability is a going trend or not.
Still, Garrosh has been shown that at least on some level, he realizes that actions taken by his people, in his name, under his orders, are his responsibility. And if they commit dishonorable or evil actions, then those actions also fall under his responsibility. In this way, he’s miles better than Edwin VanCleef, who at best didn’t care and at worst encouraged such actions.
“the military guy has essentially taken to dishonorable means to win” Yes it is actully a Warlord guy who is now tasked to take out a Tauren/Cenarion Circle cove where he belives they are making a weapon of mass destruction in there but what the alliance learns alittle late is that the Goblins have been making a weapon called “The Bomb.” and the horde is going to use that weapon on the Cove the way I see it Garrosh doesn’t like the fact he used a cowardly way of fighting or the fact the Warlord killed alot of Inoccents in the Cove.
I’m not saying Garrosh is bad I’m just saying he is trying to adept to Leadership mainly trying to check alot of the Horde in check. Though as I said before you can’t check check on everyone of your soliders but so far he is keeping his underlings in line atleast. Doesn’t help Sylvanas our Dark lady is using Val’kry (The Angel-like women in Wrath.) to raise more undead forcefully. Some are fine with it some are not. Ah yes Edwin I did somemore research and I found out he actully was pushing the farmers for “Protection” money shame he did fall so low though I’m curious what the Militia leader is going to say when Lady Hani drops Edwin at his feet.
Doesn’t help Sylvanas our Dark lady is using Val’kry (The Angel-like women in Wrath.) to raise more undead forcefully. Some are fine with it some are not.
There’s a profound irony in the fact the Warlord, upon (false) suspicion of a weapon being produced in a Druidic school, decided to use an actual weapon of mass destruction to destroy the Druidic school.
It’s a good question you raise: was Garrish bothered by the act of destruction and the loss of life and beauty, or was he just upset that a bomb was used instead of a collection of siege engines? A strict code of behaviour does not make you a good person. “Honour” is frequently used to justify the most appalling deeds, in my experience. One of the things I admit I enjoy about (Banshee Queen) Sylvanas, as a character, is her utter lack of pretense to anything but survival.
Hello, Nhani!
If you need to take a break because of that pesky thing called “real life” (ugh), I think we can totally understand.
Also, I’ll be happy to guide you through setting up a separate installation on your computer for the map viewer, or even setting up a private server on your own hard drive so that you can snag whatever in-game footage you need. It’s not a true private server in that it’s not available for anyone other than you, and it only uses the same in-game models without any modifications whatsoever, so it’s not in violation of any of the ToS or EULA. This is what Baron Soosdon uses for his machinima, and he has submitted his work into Blizzard contests (and won!) so it’s not a shady deal or anything.
The only thing you need is adequate hard drive space (preferably on a separate hard drive, whether external or internal matters not).
Let me know if you’re interested in getting this set up and I’ll do my best to guide you through it – either a separate installation, or a server setup. You have my email address, take your time – the holidays are upon us, so no rush – things are hectic enough at this time of year as it is!
— Tokkar
Yeah, I’ve been meaning to get in contact with you about that and other things. Give me a few days, still reeling from moving (apartment is still full of unpacked stuff!) and trying to decide where to put everything and other things that need doing and Cataclysm all at once.
I’ll shoot you an e-mail in a few days.
Nirene Feathersong. you sure have hawk eyes.
Naa provably just Nhani that forgot to edit her out of the screen shot. other world an clone.