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Be Not The Anvil


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6 hours ago, Bud Backer said:

So for those of you that read this I wanted to ask, how was the narrow perspective (one squad, very few big picture overviews)? Was it all confusing? Did the confusion seem right, given the story, or was it just annoying? Did the map with locations and page numbers on page 2 help?

How did you like the style - few text balloons and no onomatopoeia (“Boom, Bang, Pow”) and the comic had a lot more text in straightforward paragraphs, compared to my other comics.

How about the picture-in-picture panels? I wanted them to let me show a large shot, but also to be able to add additional shots that show more information and cover the main image where there is irrelevant info.

Bud,

  Wonderful story - I loved it.  I especially liked the after-report on the players in your episode.  I was going to ask about them if you hadn't provided the epilogue.  Very nicely done!

  Personally, I liked the narrow perspective story.  I've done these previously, but used several narrow stories just in case the main one got wiped out in-game.  I congratulate you on your storyline courage, following only one group of soldiers on such a deadly battlefield.  I didn't find the story confusing because I expected not to know anything else going on around me.  I didn't refer back to the main map at all - I just went with the flow of the story.  The "confusion" seemed just right.  It was simply a squad that had been pointed in a direction by an officer and told to go there and search for the enemy.  It made sense.

  The style was nice - I didn't really need the onomatopoeia, although it would have been fine if you used it too.  Having lots of BAM! and POW! would not have been appropriate to the style you used.  The straighforward text felt just right.  Although...a KA-DOOOOOM! would be appropriate for a BMP explosion.  :P

  I'd say that the picture-in-picture panels suited the style nicely.  It also let you include more visuals for what was happening without lengthening the story or increasing the number of panels, because you could include more details in the same panel but staged around the main picture.  As I have no idea how to do the picture-in-picture format, just the episode with the grenade being thrown at the Tigr would have caused me to include three large pictures, whereas you were able to do this with a single picture and several smaller ones.  It saves on the overall length and also seems to focus the action more tightly. 

  Just my two cents.  The story was very well done, moved nicely, had plenty of jaw-dropping action, and kept your readers wanting more.  The last point is the one that shows just how successful your story is - we were sorry it ended and now we look eagerly for your next one.  

  Great job!  :)

Heinrich505

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4 hours ago, Heinrich505 said:

Bud,

  Wonderful story - I loved it.  I especially liked the after-report on the players in your episode.  I was going to ask about them if you hadn't provided the epilogue.  Very nicely done!

  Personally, I liked the narrow perspective story.  I've done these previously, but used several narrow stories just in case the main one got wiped out in-game.  I congratulate you on your storyline courage, following only one group of soldiers on such a deadly battlefield.  I didn't find the story confusing because I expected not to know anything else going on around me.  I didn't refer back to the main map at all - I just went with the flow of the story.  The "confusion" seemed just right.  It was simply a squad that had been pointed in a direction by an officer and told to go there and search for the enemy.  It made sense.

  The style was nice - I didn't really need the onomatopoeia, although it would have been fine if you used it too.  Having lots of BAM! and POW! would not have been appropriate to the style you used.  The straighforward text felt just right.  Although...a KA-DOOOOOM! would be appropriate for a BMP explosion.  :P

  I'd say that the picture-in-picture panels suited the style nicely.  It also let you include more visuals for what was happening without lengthening the story or increasing the number of panels, because you could include more details in the same panel but staged around the main picture.  As I have no idea how to do the picture-in-picture format, just the episode with the grenade being thrown at the Tigr would have caused me to include three large pictures, whereas you were able to do this with a single picture and several smaller ones.  It saves on the overall length and also seems to focus the action more tightly. 

  Just my two cents.  The story was very well done, moved nicely, had plenty of jaw-dropping action, and kept your readers wanting more.  The last point is the one that shows just how successful your story is - we were sorry it ended and now we look eagerly for your next one.  

  Great job!  :)

Heinrich505

Heinrich, thank you for really engaging with this thread as it went along. And your commentary then and now. 

The feedback I've received tells me that my experiment with what I think is a very different style of presentation (in part due to the alternate software) was still appealing. Every time one makes a significant change there are risks that it may not go over well, I'm glad that wasn't the case here. 

Little things like the picture in picture approach had me worried things would look to "busy" and cluttered, and I had to really think about when and where I'd use it and how to position the smaller pictures - yet still show enough to make each worthwhile examining more closely to see what is going on. 

Finally, this was an experiment to try to show just how lethal, confusing and impersonal modern warfare is. 

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The formatting worked well. I liked the picture in picture. The narrow perspective is different. There were so many small fire fights in this battle that were not covered at all. You could have done several squad level comics from this one battle. I think the idea worked and you should be OK with doing it again.

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28 minutes ago, IanL said:

The formatting worked well. I liked the picture in picture. The narrow perspective is different. There were so many small fire fights in this battle that were not covered at all. You could have done several squad level comics from this one battle. I think the idea worked and you should be OK with doing it again.

That’s a very good point. As I was doing this comic I realized there were so many interesting little engagements and even following one tank, like I did in the  Apache comic. Some vehicles had fascinating careers, and a few BMPs led charmed lives, taking out enemy tanks etc. Likely material for another 3 comics, really, in this battle. But for now, my intention is to complete Once Upon a Time on the Western Front

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Bit late, but had some other stuff to deal with. 

I thought the style and way of presentation suited this battle, and the type of battle it simulates (CMBS, full spectrum intense meeting engagement). Couldn't say what style I prefer, following 1 unit vs following a battle, kabooms vs ingame footage, etc. All have their own charm, more options are better I guess :-). 

 

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