March 10th, 2010
+3 to Courage
Before you start sending me hate-mail, let me say in my defense that I played my share of role-playng games in the past, including D&D, Shadowrun, Warhammer and too many Final Fantasies to mention, not to mention the countless hours I sunk into Everquest, WoW and, yes, Star Wars Galaxies. Mostly in dark, depressing basements.
So, y’know, cut me some slack here.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Meanwhile, I met my husband while playing D&D in a brightly-lit student center seven years ago. So, y’know, to each their own.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:07 am
You, you fill me with glee. Please never stop.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:17 am
I met my wife in a role playing game I was running on an Apple-II BBS.
Still, it’s nice to see the sad rabbit man up.
Er… bunny up.
Whatever.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:19 am
BTW, he looks so “Chuck Jones” in panel 2 I can’t stand it.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:30 am
And yet this gamer geek is happily married to a cheerleader – been with her 10 years today, by chance. Good friends we have in common insist that if I wasn’t a geek, she’d be bored. Personally, I think the role-playing and miniature painting appealed to her artistic side.
Still, I’m glad to see Rabbit get out of the basement!
March 10th, 2010 at 9:32 am
shadowrun! ^_^ awesome
March 10th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Man … this breaks my heart.
I got out of the basement … the heartache, sadly, doesn’t always end there.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Of course I’d cut you some slack; they’re *your* characters, after all.
But I’m glad you posted that to ward off any hate mail you would have gotten if you hadn’t put up the warning.
I forget who steered me here (maybe _Bear Nuts_?), but I’m glad I stayed. You’ve got a delightful comic here!
March 10th, 2010 at 10:22 am
The names of your chapters always seem to have an amusing corolation to the content.. assuming the content is amusing and not dire that is.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:25 am
I’m glad for the Bunny to get out there and “Rabbit Up” because it seems like Man Up isn’t appropriate.
Also now I think it would be funny to see a ACC Roleplaying Book. I wonder what that would look like…
March 10th, 2010 at 11:13 am
wow D&D is nerdy even in the animal kingdom!
March 10th, 2010 at 11:33 am
mayhap they have a human empathy skill in it? xD
March 10th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Are you talking Warhammer tabletop strategy, or Warhammer roleplay (I guess the latter by context)?
Also, my girlfriend plays D&D or World of Darkness with me every week.
March 10th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Thank you, thank you!
I’ve been an Abominable CC fan since shortly after the comic began, but never did I dream that the critters would drift into playing D&D, which was the religion of my childhood, and since the creation of my indie TV show about RPGs, GOLD, a huge part of these last couple of years. Thank you, Karl!
-David Nett
Creator, GOLD
the web series that does double damage
March 10th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Are you kidding?!
This is hilarious. If you can’t make fun of yourself/your geeky roots, then you aren’t a geek.
Anybody I know who played, or still plays, will make fun of it…and yet still play. You can’t take things too seriously.
March 10th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I think you and I might have played together once…*sigh*
March 10th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
For the ACC roleplaying campaign, would you start with “Bunnies and Burrows” or “Toon!” as the base game?
(I have to look, but I think I have copies of both)
March 10th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Ah yes, but what if you asked the beautiful girl out, dated her, got engaged, got married, are living with her happily, but STILL roleplay? Does that mean you’re still a geek, or half-a-geek, or simply a normal adult with an interesting hobby?
March 10th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Let’s see, hubby and I played AD&D before we got married, and our son grew up playing. He plays regularly with his best friend (also a 2nd generation RPGer) and his wife, and a few friends. Sometimes their baby is also around (when not with the g’parents), trying to become a 3rd gen player, but at 18 months he mostly wants to chew on the dice!
March 10th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Dark, depressing basements… or dark, depressing tree hollows?
March 10th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Everyone assumes it’s D&D. I think he’s working on Mouse Guard: http://www.archaiasp.com/mouse_guard_rpg.php
March 10th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Ah… I fondly remember SWG… It had problems (lots)… But it was Star Wars, and that was enough.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Karl, having lived that life with you for many years, I can honestly say that I wish we had been as quick on the uptake as that rabbit.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Believe it or not, I’ve actually asked out a girl DURING a game of D&D!
March 11th, 2010 at 12:14 am
I absolutely adore this comic, and I check for the updates every Wednesday. I found this particular strip very cute and relate-able! It made me smile to think that Karl is also an RPGer.
!
On a side note I met my fiancee playing an RPG. They are a fantastic way to meet friends and new people!
March 11th, 2010 at 1:31 am
OMG OMG OMG “Mouse Guard” how could I have missed that. OMG. I’m in ferret-shock.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:48 am
Woo! A gamer at heart! You rock, Karl! Love this comic, especially the title. It made me giggle. Excellent! I’ve had my fun as a thief in many RPs, D&D and final fantasy included. And yay for the rabbit! Hopefully he’ll have better luck this time.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:00 am
+1 for ‘Rabbit Up’
March 11th, 2010 at 6:02 am
I haven’t played D&D in over six months. I am going through some serious withdrawal here :p
I can savely say though that I have long since kicked the WoW addiction.
March 11th, 2010 at 6:05 am
Holy crap…THAT’S all the encouragement it took? Oh, well. Go get it, boy!!
March 11th, 2010 at 7:24 am
PLEASE do not relate real RPGs (D&D,WoD, MERP…) to the computer RPGs. In a computer you do not ROLEplay, that name is misleading.
By the way, congratulations for your style (drawing and story-making).
March 11th, 2010 at 8:21 am
I’m not certain if I am a 2nd or 1st generation gamer. My uncles played D&D and Palladium and so on, but to my knowledge my mother and father never did. In any case, my children play, and my grandchildren will probably play (it’s too soon to tell).
And to Aryienne…I would beg to differ. When MMO’s first came out, people really did roleplay consistently — often really badly — but consistently. Most of the folks I met in the early days of UO *never* broke character, but the mechanics of that game (not strictly having levels, not knowing the “level” of any item, etc.) probably made it easier than others. EQ was well out of beta and a little past its first expansion before players around me started just ignoring the purple “roleplayer” color of my character’s name.
I’ll give you that modern MMO’s are peopled almost entirely with folks who do not roleplay (especially WoW…even on the roleplay servers), but there was a time when that wasn’t so.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:24 am
Great comic! Lots of fun and anyone who complains about this one needs to lighten the hell up.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:30 am
I really like TACC, but I have to admit to being disappointed with the abandonment of the original story threads by the author.
What’s also disappointing is the fanboy approach of commenters who attack anyone who levels constructive criticism.
Appreciating art isn’t just about unquestioning acceptance – it’s a compliment when somebody takes your work seriously enough to critique it.
Frankly I would be worried by the constant barrage of ‘aw, cute! and ‘lol u r the greatest!”.
Karl I think TACC has great potential – with the original storyline. You did not start out with cutesy-poo sketches. I think you’ve gotten off track here.
Commenter ds204 put it best in his/her comment previously:
http://www.abominable.cc/2009/12/09/out-of-the-mouths-of-babes-and-ducklings/#comment-19841
March 11th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I think the most mature part about being an RPG gamer is to actually understand it was fun when you were young and nothing to be ashamed of, but you could successfully outgrow that. What I mean is, the mature gamer will KNOW that playing RPGs in dimly-lit basements can be fun, but there’s a whole world out there with more meaningfull (and real) adventures to undertake.
By the way, I spent my share of late nights as a Toreador…
March 11th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
haha. Nice.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
@Aryienne. It may not be exactly the same, but the computer RPG is still called an RPG for a reason… You’re making decisions as someone who is not actually you. What’s the difference between saying “I slash at the monster with my greatsword.” and hitting X on Attack, and picking a monster in a game? I’m not using a phony accent while doing it? It’s not all that different.
I’m not trying to insult. I’m just trying to get you to realize that we’re all on the same level. Please do not act superior to us Final Fantasy/WoW/etc. players. <3!
@Karl, no need to apologize. =) It's not like he was reaking of BO or his house was a complete mess like some gamers give us the bad name for.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
yoopy -
the story is right there in front of you. it’s in the everyday moments of each of the characters. we’re so rushed in the modern world to get to where were ‘supposed’ to be going that we often forget that life is happening right here, right now.
karl’s art is highlighting these beautiful moments – the one’s we forget about – for us.
thanks karl. i’m never disappointed by your strip. quite the opposite. i’m always inspired and happy to have made the extra click once a week.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
@Anon. Great comment, I agree with you completely.
@Yoopy. I understand where you are coming from, the comic has taken a turn for the lighthearted, but I don’t believe it’s strayed from the storyline. What about the duck story arc? We saw both the hunter, and the disappearance of Townsen was brought up. That, and we also, “saw” the King that Charles is to seek out. And the feel of a storyline changes, it can’t be all doom and gloom.. There have been numerous instances where Karl has brought up our emotions only to throw them down again… You’re so good at that Karl!
Also, RPG’s are great. I was introduced to my boyfriend through playing D&D and we still play through all the years we have been together. Great homage to your roots
March 11th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
The big difference between a tabletop RPG and an MMO, that makes a tabletop RPG a role-playing game in a way an MMO can’t be, is that you have a turing-equivalent entity controlling the game. So you can go “OK, I draw a face on the bark and cast ‘magic mouth’ to say ‘hey, are they gone yet’ when it detects goblins within three meters” and then toss it in the bushes when the goblins are chasing you…
March 11th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
haha! I’m a serial Final Fantasy player!
March 11th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I met my current girlfriend at a gaming convention. Though I must confess she is a bit weird and thinks rubber sword LARPing is fun.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
I must admit that I am a little bit surprised at the amount of people hooking up over D&D. Don’t get me wrong. I have played my fair share of RPG’s in my sixteen years on this earth, mostly Final Fantasy, but I have dabbled in D&D and others as well, and they are rather wonderful, but when I meet my future spouse, I don’t imagine myself throwing a nifty little twelve sided die.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
LOVE this! fantastic as always karl. your storytelling always brings a smile
March 12th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Ahh, rampant nerdiness & Abominable CC – two of my favorite things.
Also, these light-hearted comics keep me from sobbing each time the hunter storyline advances. Oh, Charles! Be careful!
(I’ve been NOT roleplaying on WoW for four years now. Tabletop and computer RPGs.. apples and oranges! Still, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.)
March 12th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Dear “yoopy”, as a nerd-fan of webcomics, I must say that I don’t know any web-comic that doesnt stray fron the plot. And it’s always for the best. Proofs? check out “Girls with slingshots”, “Kinokofry”, “Looking for group”, “Butternutsquash”, “Legend of Bill” and many more.
March 13th, 2010 at 2:38 am
No shame in it – I have played D&D (first version) all the way up to current WoW
As long there are good memories with them, why hate?
March 13th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Yeh, it can’t be all Townsen and spaghetti-face.
March 13th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Sorry Karl, no slack there: As a kid (like: “before girls” kid
, I spent whole summers waiting for my brother and cousins to stop roleplaying and grab their mountain bikes so we could all go ride together…
Aaarrrgggghhhh!!!
March 13th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Wow! I just read all of the archives. Sublime. The art is striking and emotive too. I can’t wait to see where this is going to go!
March 13th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
I seem to have found a certain Charls Christopher in Wonder Girls room?
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/8/2010/03/500x_wonderwoman1.jpg
March 14th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
You don’t know what you’re missing, Rabbit!
March 15th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Awesome strip Karl. I know too many people, be it by video game or table top, that are sucked into these games. and yet, despite your preamble, people are still commenting on how they hooked up while still playing. pretty silly
March 15th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Maybe it’s just good clean fun after all, Edward.
March 16th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
The beauty of this episode is that it illustrates something we all recognize as a fundamental meme: the idea that gamers should get out into the fresh air once in a while. If not to ask out a girl, then at least to take a walk, chat with people at a coffee shop, play a game of frisbee, and generally interact with other humans.
The beauty of the responses to this episode is that they remind us that sometimes we make those magic connections even while we are supposedly geeking out in basements… because they still happen with other people across a table. The aspect of computer-moderated gaming and social forums that I find sad is that fundamentally you’re still sitting alone as you take part in them. A little bit of that is mind-expanding and healthy; a lot of it, especially in place of real interactions, is deadening.
Even if the girl turns him down, our friend the bunny has realized that staying inside the hollow tree and throwing rocks might be an amusing way to spend an afternoon with his buddy the porcupine… but it ain’t gonna make him happy in the long run.
March 17th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Oh, Rabbit, don’t be such a dweeb. What happens if Porcupine gets a game together with a bunch of girls? XD A lot of girls I grew up with were just as hard-core as the guys were. Rabbit could be missing out on something…
April 15th, 2010 at 9:41 am
There are several lessons to be learned here:
1. Gamers care WAY too much about what others say about rpgs.
2. Profession of inclusion in a subculture does not protect you from that subculture’s criticism.
3. While Porcupines never get out of the cave, clever bunnies know that finding a woman is essential to the continuing survival of rpgs.
Sidenote: I regularly game with my dad, my wife and my kids. I claim uber-Nerd status!
May 7th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
My husband and his friends still play D&D, I just started, and I am a long time fan of JRPGs (especially Final Fantasy). This comic made me smile, because no matter what people think, nerds are good people who love the company of other nerds, geeks, dweebs, and so on…