couldn’t resist. I have this habit of saying “and now you know” hoping someone will reference like Danny did… and my roomie ALWAYS does this one instead…
they do and we do, but they’re also expensive and too useful to kill hence the taboo on their slaughter. (basically its would you rather eat for a little while or have a car/tractor for years? so eating horse is a desperation thing not a staple)
If he killed it because he was hungry, sure that would be a dick move. But it was already dead, and making good use of the remains is only common sense in such a situation.
Next they’re going to start using small magic spheres called “Ingredials”, fight a small yet incredibly deadly robed-lizard creature called a “Ouncenut”, and obtain an airship called the Lowbreeze.
It’s not hard to find out. Just take a bite out of yourself.
When we all quite literally carry about a hundred pounds of fresh human flesh with us everywhere we go, why do people question when someone knows some of its’ characteristics?
Just wait until Phil starts the clone storyline, wherein we shall see a whole party of Bests. And he’ll be both the main protagonist and the villain, too. And every NPC. They’ll all be Payet Bests.
Woah, woah, watch it, Nov. That’s like comparing a guy to Palpatine for cutting you off in traffic. I mean, Jersey Shore levels of douchiness? And what would ten be? Would he be GOD OF THE DOUCHEBAGS?
Which is weird because Best’s song is clearly meant to be rock, but imagining Best writhing around on the floor and being all female-in-a-filmclip seductive while singing is far too satisfying.
I gotta say though, his mount had actual chicken lookin’ legs. does that look like a chicken leg on the spit? looks more like one of the sharkie legs to me.
Eating one’s mount in times of food shortage (or when it copes it) is kind of traditional in warfare through the ages or during polar expeditions, and, to put things in perspective, in the Arctic the main means of locomotion is a DOG sled…
If I remember correctly, even now, in Canada, it is perfectly legal to sell canine meat for human consumption, as long as it is passes a health inspection.
Then, pray tell, why is eating a giant bird that odd? Sure, Best isn’t a very likeable character, but for once I see nothing wrong in his behaviour.
Also, as someone who’s eaten ostrich before, I think that Bawkbagok meat will probably taste more like lean beef than chicken.
Again, sharks are delicious.
According to cannibals, so are humans.
Putting two and two together would mean that Landsharks should be pretty good eating. The only taboo here would be eating another sentient species, although considering Landshark IQ that one would be highly debatable…
Nice to have someone put it into perspective. Leaving the carcass to rot in the desert sun would’ve hardly done any good. The Arctic explorers probably loved their dogs too but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Anyone heard of the “Custom of the Sea? Yeah…
The problem I have with Best eating his mount is not that he IS eating the mount.
It’s that he seems so completely and totally fine with it.
He was “OMG MY BIRD,” he was all dramatic about “vengeance” (or was that more Locke than Best) but in the time it took him to hack off a drumstick or two and roast them, he’s over it and has turned his “faithful steed” into a feather mattress.
Now, I’m all for doing what you gotta do to live. He’s in the middle of wilderness, and even if he had a lot of food supplies before, he probably won’t be able to carry as much with him, sans the mount.
I would imagine the rhinosaurs don’t taste as good as Bawkbagok. Land sharks might taste okay, but Best may not be OK with eating something that used to talk.
We can’t know exactly how he reasoned that Kiernan would be the best (sorry, sorry) choice for dinner, since we weren’t shown the mental process by which he reached this decision. What we see is: “Oh, my beloved mount!” and then straight cut to “Yum, beloved mount.”
If it were a film, you’d be going “aw man, he ATE the steed” in a slightly disappointed tone.
Another small note: eating your horse might have been common in warfare, but generally you didn’t eat the horse FIRST, you ate the rations first, and you butchered the horses and dried the meat as emergency rations. At least, so I’m told by the historians I’ve talked to. They might have different sources than yours :)
And. It’s a fantasy world (possibly completely artificial, depending on what the writers choose to reveal to us). Would you expect to see this sort of thing in World of Warcraft?
There seems to be an old, but not universal, taboo against eating horses. I know “horse people” who get very worked up when they learn about horses being slaughtered and butchered.
I once saw a trailer for a movie about US horse cavalry troops, when the horse cavalry was being eliminated, deserting in order to save horses from being slaughtered. The idea seemed to be that this was a noble, heroic deed.
I would guess that in some regions, like the rocky parts of Europe, horses were less common, and so there was a taboo to keep peasants from treating horses like other big meaty herbivores; in other regions, where there were lots of grasslands and it was easier to maintain large numbers of horses, there was less need to conserve horses, so eating your spare mounts was less of a big deal.
Yeah, but then you consider that in this hypothetical example we’re talking about data. Taylor posits that wowers are jerks because, were they given the option, they would pause between the slaying of digital sentient life en masse and the massacring of digital woodland creatures to harvest a virtual Timber Wolf or Mechano-Hog. That’s just weird.
It’s more that in WoW eating your mount would never be actually necessary. and it would be more of a sign of control, dominance and the general rape culture that is heavily apparent in most MMORPG’s. Collecting supplies is one thing, “Summoning a mount for no other reason than to slaughter it” is just being a douche.
Well, the thing is, during most of the history, and specially before trains were around, supplying an army going on the enemy territory was very difficult.
If you managed to win you battles, you maybe could get enought supplies throught pillaging until a relief came from home. Or you could try to press the advance, while leaving a detache to guard the provisions.
But without a better way of comunication then sending a few messengers or a pidgeon and praying to God things worked as planned and they arrived at their destiny, instead of being intercepted by the enemy or lost their way, yeah, things often went south.
So, eating your horses wasn’t exactly uncommon, specially if a) they were already dead or out of commission (like a broken leg), b) their riders were impossibilited of riding, c) you captured a surplus of mounts from the enemy or d) you were in dire need – and this one happened quite often.
Given that Best is invading the enemy territory, i would say conditions a, c and d apply right now. Even if he has provisions, he can extend their span by eating his dead mount, and the rhinos probably can carry more. Its just pragmatism in action.
Lol. The problem is that one second he’s spouting a vengence monologue and the next he’s nonchalantly eating his mount? Did you forget that he’s a bard? They do have a penchant for the theatrics.
In all actuality, I’d probably find myself eating it all. Some bird and sharkflesh over the spit tonight, use the remaining bird and shark to create as much dried rations as you can carry with you.
I’d also probably turn one of the bones into a crude shank to be kept hidden on me in case of an emergency, but I do tend to gravitate towards the rogue/theif type classes.
Mako shark steaks are -delicious-! Too bad about the higher mercury content, you can’t eat it every day of the week.
However, I still wouldn’t put it past Best to eat his (albeit adorable) bird. It’s dead already and also delicious. What a great way to honor his memory than to remember the tastiest drumstick you’ve ever had, rather than to leave it to rot? Best has feelings, it’s just that his comforts always come first and his belly says its time for some wings and beer!
I for one am having fun with Best’s adventure. I’ve enjoyed the tidbits about his rise through the levels and seeing him in action here. It’s funny to see a character like him managing to do good as a byproduct of his self-centered motives. (Assuming the deeds he recounted about himself are true?) We can’t have him dying yet, he has so much DESTINY ahead of him!
What I mean by this is, if a player at my table was playing a character like Best, I’d be very annoyed. Best *is* the “best* at everything…so what are the rest of the group to do? Stand around and watch in awe? Follow him around like adoring groupies? What fun is that?
What interest can there be in watching this character constantly succeed against whatever odds he faces? How does he grow as a character? He doesn’t. Characters grow through adversity and overcoming obstacles and even (dare I say it) failing at something once in a while, and learning from it.
I find Byron and the others MUCH more interesting and entertaining than Best because they fail, they stumble, and they have to work together to accomplish anything.
It’s like complaining because he slew an entire tribe of goblins. It’s just not a feat.
Best is certainly good, but he’s hardly overpowered.
Best is Best is an ongoing joke playing on his overconfidence, but he’s not exactly an unstoppable force.
He can’t tank as well as Frigg. He can’t stealth as well as Bandit. He has none of Syrnj’s abilities at all. He can’t actually dps as well as Byron (Byron’s partially held back because he refuses to utilize his greatest strength, for understandable reasons). He certainly has none of Byron’s tactical knowledge, relying more on quick-wits, and his ranged abilities are far below those of Gravedust (his soundblasts are mid-range at best).
He’s an all-rounder, kind of like… um I don’t know… A bard maybe? Jack of all trades, master of none.
One problem: we don’t see Best portrayed that way. On the airship, he appeared to pretty much clear the ship of enemies, at least topside. He took that job originally going “they’ll give me the job when no one else shows up.” So he was never in a mind set to be on a team, from the start; to me that’s a problem in both a tabletop setting and an MMO setting. How much fun can it possibly be to do anything with a group of people, if one person is constantly stealing the spotlight and drawing extra attention to himself?
I agree that his actual skill level may not be immense – though he’s clearly got enough skill to stay alive, and enough luck to cover the difference. But the reason he puts my hackles up is that he evokes (to me) the sort of player that is constantly demanding more “me time” in the game; he’s the dude that runs off and pulls three packs of mobs while the party healer is getting mana (in MMO speak).
Just took me a while to find words that said what I wanted to say, in a way that doesn’t get misunderstood too much. :)
All that said, I’m willing to continue reading about his antics for now, because I’m seriously hoping that the universe is giving him plenty of rope to hang himself with. To the point that when it all snaps, he’ll be pretty much dismembered by his own jackassery.
I do agree with you, but I must interject one (minor, probably unrelated) point…from the perspective of a long-time rogue.
I say let him steal the spotlight. I prefer the shadows, anyway. The way I see it, he steals the spotlight – aggro, if you will – and I’ll pop out of the shadows dual-wielding a couple nice piercers with hella procs and backstab the shit outta
If he pulled himself a train, and the healers are OOM, I’ll just fade/escape and watch while he falls and has to beg for a rez…
…and if I were big on PvP, I’d lift his coin purse while he was waiting on that rez.
Fair enough. I’ve never thought of it as a problem. Bards tend to enjoy the spotlight.
On a basic level, he’s not a team player. He has a variety of character deficits. It seems these rub you the wrong way, and that’s legitimate. I personally enjoy that type of character.
If I were to find a proper comparison, I think I’d go with Captain Jack Sparrow. An Overall terrible person, arrogant despite his lack of earnings. His presence is generally counter-beneficial (word?) to everyone around him, friend and foe alike. His every action spreads chaos and harm. This being said, I’m sure he’s the life of a party, he’s generally a hoot to watch, and you just can’t help but like him despite every reason not to once he shows you that award winning smile.
Of course, your mileage may vary. Clearly you don’t like him, and for very well thought out and informed reasons. Just thought that now that we’re talking about it I’d share my own two cents on the matter.
I’d also add that on the ship, he took care of the enemies so well because he’s effectively the party’s best melee dps.
Bandit’s a stealth unit. She can dps under the right circumstances, but it’s all about getting that perfect hit in when they’re not looking. The rest of the time she’s not too helpful, and I certainly wouldn’t expect her to be capable of taking out large groups of foes.
Frigg is tanking specced, so she doesn’t do much damage, instead choosing to soak it up.
Byron is a berserker who doesn’t berserk. As a general rule, in an ordinary fight, an unberserked berkerker is just a crappier fighter. They’re all about that short burst of strength in dire moments, and unless he’s using it, he’s just a fragile tank who doesn’t do as much damage as he should. He’s competent for sure, and has a lot of tactics that compensate for it, but don’t expect him to walk into a crowd and clear the room.
Probably it rubs me the wrong way because I have played with folks around the table who do act like this – and stealing the spotlight is very frustrating in a tabletop game. Everyone wants a moment to shine, even just a little, and if the “Best” player has taken over and is doing all the talking, killing everything before anyone else has a chance to move, etc…
Let’s just say it gets ugly fast. Because usually the player isn’t anywhere NEAR as charming as Best. At least, our tabletop douchebag monster wasn’t charming.
It’s good to read others’ opinions though :) I appreciate that.
You have to remember that although this portrays a roleplaying game, what we’re doing here is reading a story. Best has been set up as a character you’re meant to dislike, for these very reasons. You root for him to get his come-uppance, and it’ll come, eventually.
Here’s the problem. You’re thinking of this in tabletop terms. But this isn’t a tabletop adventure, it’s an MMO setting. And soloing in MMOs is quite common.
Has anyone noticed that the symbol on the the back of his jacket is his own “PB” logo? We’ve got corn with our ham and cheese! Blargh. Wow. I can’t manage to love to hate him anymore. He’s like some 80s video cliche…seemed awesome at the time when you were 13 watching MTV. Hair, check. Vaguely homoerotic leather, check. Lyrics that seem badass to a kid but safe for TV and radio, check. Accompanying Mad Max-esque video that presents the band using magic or heroic powers, check. All we need now is for Syr’nj, Bandit and Frigg to turn up in chain mail bikinis or strategically ripped post-apocalyptic hottie outfits with big teased hair and massive eyeshadow. Oh, and heels. In the desert.
I wonder if, if ever he encounters the others again, their response will be exchanging wordless “WTF? Seriously?” glances. Any skill aside, I’m thinking the lameness has got to be completely intentional–it’s just too perfectly cheesetastic–the result of Best and his player just running amok because the others are elsewhere or “dead” and the AI NPCs naturally respond positively to heroes. Old Best? Suave bastard. New Best? Excuse me…must hurl again. ;-)
Is it just me, or does it seem clearer with every comic that the art style depends a lot on which characters are alive? When everyone was active, it was a gritty, realistic and down to earth ordeal.
When Gravedust, whose player was probably the biggest fan of realism, croaked, things shifted and went for somewhat more cartoony (recall Byron’s whirlwind attacks and charge). If Byron’s player was also ‘out’ at that time, this’d mean that Frigg’s was probably dominant – she’d seem the sort to appreciate the exaggerated features.
Now that only Best is an active player, the artstyle is reminiscent of the over the top flashy mindless action games that seem to be popular these days.
That’s actually a pretty solid theory. I’m gonna keep attributing artistic fluctuations to the new artist looking for his happy place until I’m given reason not to, but that is an amazingly solid theory. Certainly am gonna keep an eye out for any more signs that this is the case.
That is an interesting theory, particularly if we’re dealing with minds intertwined with an MMO, although I think some of it had to do with a change in artists.
Okay, I get that everyone is pissy because Best is being a douche…
But that’s sort of his point, isn’t it? He’s a douche. We love him for it (or hate him). I don’t really see why he needs to feel remorse for eating his bird. I mean, for one, it’s practical (but that’s already been debated). And honestly? Had he felt bad about it, I would have felt that it was out of character.
I dunno, I think Best is hilarious and hope he doesn’t change very much. This comic needs a douche and Best is gonna give it to ’em.
Oh, I sure don’t mind if he’s a douche…it’s the transition from “cool foil douche” to “parody cheesy douche” that I personally don’t care for. ;-) For me it’s the difference between loving to hate him and just groaning when I see him.
I can handle if it’s a MMO.I can handle if it’s all fake, reality lotus eater machine sort of thing.I can’t handle Best is my thing. I’ll stick by but everytime Best pops up makes me wanna bail.But being a douche guess he’s supposted to do such in people
Haha, I haven’t checked the comments on here for ages, just been reading the comic and heading straight to uni. When did so many people get butthurt? I mean seriously, why are people so offended at a fictional character fictionally eating his fictional mount? I wonder if that soccer team that got trapped in the mountains and had to resort to canabalism got this sort of flak.
Also, sort of off topic, Best reminds me of Charlie Sheen for some reason, and thats AWESOME.
You know I’m actually glad the arrogant cock in this comic is as good as he says he is. Normally they show off and then inevitably get beaten down for cheap comic relief. Best is a nice change.
This is me penning myself into the ‘Pro-Best eating his mount’ club I guess. If it were a person Best were eating I’d be slightly more disturbed but it’s literally a giant chicken. You know I once rode a cow when I was a kid and later that week I had steak for dinner. I doubt it was the same cow but I certainly wouldn’t have cared if it was.
He would…
Beautiful.
He’s… well, I guess we shouldn’t expect Best to be anything but a douchebag.
I don’t see how Best is being a douchebag in this comic
Would you eat your mount?
If it died, sure. It’s not like he’s responsible for it dying, and it’s not like it’s going to do anything useful if it gets buried.
Also, it’s a giant chicken. That must taste better than a horse.
Also, say I was out of food, and all I had was a mount? I’d actively kill, then eat it. Mounts are my emergency food supply.
Horse tastes better than chicken. Especially with french fries. yummy
I had just assumed that if horses tasted good, we would eat them.
We used to- horses nearly went extinct before somebody in central Asia realized they were more useful to carry stuff.
Now you know…the rest of the story.
And Knowing is half the Battle.
and that’s Mike’s Super-Short Show!
couldn’t resist. I have this habit of saying “and now you know” hoping someone will reference like Danny did… and my roomie ALWAYS does this one instead…
Plenty of places were horse is still considered a delicacy actually. Had some great horsemeat in Switzerland once.
Cows and chickens are just easier to raise and such so they are more of a staple.
they do and we do, but they’re also expensive and too useful to kill hence the taboo on their slaughter. (basically its would you rather eat for a little while or have a car/tractor for years? so eating horse is a desperation thing not a staple)
Totally agree. Besides, bawkbagoks taste like chicken.
tastes better than shark
Never had shark, but I hear it’s similar to scallops (somehow).
Horse meat is excellent. It’s a bit dry if you prepare it wrong but it is lean yet tender and is perfect when mixed into sausages.
Let’s not forget of a certain dude who sliced up his mount in order to warm up a half-frozen friend.
When things get tough, the tough get tougher.
Alright.
If it was basically a giant chicken? Yes.
If he killed it because he was hungry, sure that would be a dick move. But it was already dead, and making good use of the remains is only common sense in such a situation.
If I learned anything from NetHack it is that eating your mount or pet will always cause trouble.
The whole “Best is a douchebag” line of thought is based on this comic:
http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-1/chapter-1-page-19/
Why do the people that witness epic win think fail?
cus some people actually mourn the death of their animals. you wouldnt eat your cat would you? (And all those who say yes are just being Best)
Sure, if I had that cat in the wilderness with no other food. Best isn’t livin’ in a house with a pet who happened to die.
Just sayin’.
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Reminiscence, however, is best enjoyed freshly roasted over a campfire with a Special Blend of Herbs and Spices.
Though the wings are best covered with a spicy sauce.
Sipping sauce is optional, but recommended.
*Dipping, but bring something cold to drink as well.
I think you have the next big thing with sipping sauce, man. Get Arby’s on the phone.
Arby’s? Naw, I’ll sell it to KFC for…
*dramatic music*
One billion dollars.
*pinkie*
Oh god, if you sold it to KFC it’d end up toxic.
I agree with Sort. Take it to Arby’s. Or Burger King. Those guys endorsed green ketchup once, so they’ll probably give “sipping sauces” a go.
And cut me in 10%.
5% and we take it eveywhere but Taco Bell.
Change that to “Give Taco Bell a watered down version that doubles as a natural laxative” and you got yourself a deal.
um…but if Taco Bell gets the watered down version, then don’t KFC and Pizza Hut also, by extension, get the watered down version?
KFC does. Pizza Hut gets the watered-down with toilet water version.
If I can’t say anything nice…
you’ll post some passively snarky remark instead?
LOL
It was that or sit on my hands.
Join us, Thor… Give in to the Snark Side.
waste not, want not.
Bawkbagok is the name ever for avoiding a licensing violation.
Next they’re going to start using small magic spheres called “Ingredials”, fight a small yet incredibly deadly robed-lizard creature called a “Ouncenut”, and obtain an airship called the Lowbreeze.
Best. Is. BEST.
An enemy is legendary!
…Could be eating Shark (would that be better or worst? )
Shark is fucking delicious.
DE.
LIC.
IOUS.
That is all that matters.
The peril with that is that by eating ‘Shark, he would be eating (nominal) sentients, and down that road lies EEEVIL.
Yes, but also a full tummy.
Actually shark is full of parasites, too, so…
Of course given the size of most sharks, you can generally see the parasites when you cut into it to prep it.
…I mean… oh hell with it, I’d totally be doing a surf and turf.
But they were Land-Sharks so they are already a one-pot-surf-n-turf.
Parasites are meat too… >_>
Wait…. he’s resting AGAINST the body… I see the feathers… he’s… OH GOD! He IS eating the sharks!!!!! 0.0
No, I’m pretty sure that’s a leg on the spit.
The sharks DO have legs. What, just because they’re fish-themed they can’t have legs? Racist.
They are land sharks, so I’d expect limbs.
Still, I’m pretty sure that’s just one of his mount’s legs on the spit. Although it looks intact, so I have no idea what he’s chewing on.
Implication of dialogue is that he’s eating the chocobo.
Eating it with a side of shark fin soup, perhaps. . .
What’s a chocobo? That creature there is a Bawkbagok. Don’t you know the difference between two mountable birds?
And now I can hate him again!
Why?
So, what does it taste like?
Chicken :)
Human flesh.
Elf flesh?
Uh…how do you know what Human Flesh tast like?
It’s not hard to find out. Just take a bite out of yourself.
When we all quite literally carry about a hundred pounds of fresh human flesh with us everywhere we go, why do people question when someone knows some of its’ characteristics?
Human flesh tastes like sweet pork. So much so that some cannibal cultures call it ‘long pig’.
I loved that bird, but I can’t argue with Best’s logic.
Vengeance. A dish best served hot. Steaming hot.
With Gyshal Greens.
Soylent Greens?
Monde Greens?
Yes, mounds of greens would be good to help balance the diet.
Perhaps, Lorne Greene?
But personally I’d prefer a side of fava beans and a nice chianti, myself.
You FOOL! The fava beans and nice chianti are reserved for LIVER, not DRUMSTICKS
Meh every time I see Best hate him more. Bring back the real stars
Amen to that!
it was established pretty early on that Best is the real star.
Just wait until Phil starts the clone storyline, wherein we shall see a whole party of Bests. And he’ll be both the main protagonist and the villain, too. And every NPC. They’ll all be Payet Bests.
….
….
*whimper*
I can’t wait until he teams up with Wolverine….
And Spider-Man!
But no Deadpool.
I was afraid he grew a (small) moral compass, but i’m glad my fears were unfounded.
Douche level – 9 (Jersey Shore Cast Member)
A small moral compass wouldn’t necessarily preclude the consumption of meat. In fact, that would require an exceptionally large moral compass.
I could be mistaken, but I can’t spot any other act here that’s even slightly immoral, so I would have to be the meat.
Woah, woah, watch it, Nov. That’s like comparing a guy to Palpatine for cutting you off in traffic. I mean, Jersey Shore levels of douchiness? And what would ten be? Would he be GOD OF THE DOUCHEBAGS?
Whoever said the max was ten? My scale goes to 20.
Ah. How scalist of me. My apologies.
Is okay. *sipping sauce*
+2
Share.
Only douches quest in low level zones.
Hey now wait a minute…I never experienced that “low level” content because I arrived at around the 8th expansion!
Oh. Wait. High-levels questing in low-level zones…*that* would exemplify the douchinessticity…
GET TO THE PART WHERE WE GET TO SEE BEST DIE, ALREADY.
GOSH.
Also, whenever I try to imagine the tune to Best’s song, I always come back to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_JFjY5Y0Os (0:27) (1:18)
Which is weird because Best’s song is clearly meant to be rock, but imagining Best writhing around on the floor and being all female-in-a-filmclip seductive while singing is far too satisfying.
Of course, some of us may simply enjoy watching that video…
I agree. i mean i love rock and all but seeing best using it ..or seeing best at all,is just Torture, please make best die. in a slow humiliating way.
On another note: Oh man.No love for the poor cute Landsharks here.
Surprise twist: It actually tastes more like turkey.
wait, did he just kill all those guys with his eyes closed? and singing? how the hell did he know where they were?
Echolocation. Same way Ozzy gets around, these days.
*nods sagely*
Wait, does that mean he’s part bat? Is he a cannibal?
Nope. Part Dolphin. The Rapists of the Sea.
He got bat blood on him. Everyone knows that gives you bat powers.
For those counting, he jumped another shark :)
Hawk, I haven’t done your picture yet, I’ve been busy – but it’s in the queue!
I wait patiently :)
Just imagine that I drew Bandit in Escape from Cyberia, or something. :)
Cute, but she’s not Byron. :P
Is mine in the queue?
What was yours?
cat in front of a computer.
Bawkbagok. every time I read it I hear it as an onomatopoeia.
Pretty sure it’s supposed to be one.
Waste not, want not.
I love it. He’s eating a leg–and leaning against its soft, feathery carcass. What a pro.
\o When Best laments, he might as well digest /o
When Best laments… he’s still a douche.
:)
I gotta say though, his mount had actual chicken lookin’ legs. does that look like a chicken leg on the spit? looks more like one of the sharkie legs to me.
I still say the alt-text supports my theory of it being shark leg :P
Eating one’s mount in times of food shortage (or when it copes it) is kind of traditional in warfare through the ages or during polar expeditions, and, to put things in perspective, in the Arctic the main means of locomotion is a DOG sled…
If I remember correctly, even now, in Canada, it is perfectly legal to sell canine meat for human consumption, as long as it is passes a health inspection.
Then, pray tell, why is eating a giant bird that odd? Sure, Best isn’t a very likeable character, but for once I see nothing wrong in his behaviour.
Also, as someone who’s eaten ostrich before, I think that Bawkbagok meat will probably taste more like lean beef than chicken.
Again, sharks are delicious.
According to cannibals, so are humans.
Putting two and two together would mean that Landsharks should be pretty good eating. The only taboo here would be eating another sentient species, although considering Landshark IQ that one would be highly debatable…
Nice to have someone put it into perspective. Leaving the carcass to rot in the desert sun would’ve hardly done any good. The Arctic explorers probably loved their dogs too but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Anyone heard of the “Custom of the Sea? Yeah…
Is it the one involving a barrel with just one hole in it?
No, it’s the other one.
Rum, sodomy, and the lash?
The pirates’ code!
The problem I have with Best eating his mount is not that he IS eating the mount.
It’s that he seems so completely and totally fine with it.
He was “OMG MY BIRD,” he was all dramatic about “vengeance” (or was that more Locke than Best) but in the time it took him to hack off a drumstick or two and roast them, he’s over it and has turned his “faithful steed” into a feather mattress.
Now, I’m all for doing what you gotta do to live. He’s in the middle of wilderness, and even if he had a lot of food supplies before, he probably won’t be able to carry as much with him, sans the mount.
I would imagine the rhinosaurs don’t taste as good as Bawkbagok. Land sharks might taste okay, but Best may not be OK with eating something that used to talk.
We can’t know exactly how he reasoned that Kiernan would be the best (sorry, sorry) choice for dinner, since we weren’t shown the mental process by which he reached this decision. What we see is: “Oh, my beloved mount!” and then straight cut to “Yum, beloved mount.”
If it were a film, you’d be going “aw man, he ATE the steed” in a slightly disappointed tone.
Another small note: eating your horse might have been common in warfare, but generally you didn’t eat the horse FIRST, you ate the rations first, and you butchered the horses and dried the meat as emergency rations. At least, so I’m told by the historians I’ve talked to. They might have different sources than yours :)
And. It’s a fantasy world (possibly completely artificial, depending on what the writers choose to reveal to us). Would you expect to see this sort of thing in World of Warcraft?
Believe me, If mounts stuck around after they died, there would be people summoning them just to butcher them.
Which just goes to show that WoWers are jerks.
For what?
For butchering virtual mounts evidently. People get touchy about the animals. It’s weird.
There seems to be an old, but not universal, taboo against eating horses. I know “horse people” who get very worked up when they learn about horses being slaughtered and butchered.
I once saw a trailer for a movie about US horse cavalry troops, when the horse cavalry was being eliminated, deserting in order to save horses from being slaughtered. The idea seemed to be that this was a noble, heroic deed.
I would guess that in some regions, like the rocky parts of Europe, horses were less common, and so there was a taboo to keep peasants from treating horses like other big meaty herbivores; in other regions, where there were lots of grasslands and it was easier to maintain large numbers of horses, there was less need to conserve horses, so eating your spare mounts was less of a big deal.
Yeah, but then you consider that in this hypothetical example we’re talking about data. Taylor posits that wowers are jerks because, were they given the option, they would pause between the slaying of digital sentient life en masse and the massacring of digital woodland creatures to harvest a virtual Timber Wolf or Mechano-Hog. That’s just weird.
It’s more that in WoW eating your mount would never be actually necessary. and it would be more of a sign of control, dominance and the general rape culture that is heavily apparent in most MMORPG’s. Collecting supplies is one thing, “Summoning a mount for no other reason than to slaughter it” is just being a douche.
Well, the thing is, during most of the history, and specially before trains were around, supplying an army going on the enemy territory was very difficult.
If you managed to win you battles, you maybe could get enought supplies throught pillaging until a relief came from home. Or you could try to press the advance, while leaving a detache to guard the provisions.
But without a better way of comunication then sending a few messengers or a pidgeon and praying to God things worked as planned and they arrived at their destiny, instead of being intercepted by the enemy or lost their way, yeah, things often went south.
So, eating your horses wasn’t exactly uncommon, specially if a) they were already dead or out of commission (like a broken leg), b) their riders were impossibilited of riding, c) you captured a surplus of mounts from the enemy or d) you were in dire need – and this one happened quite often.
Given that Best is invading the enemy territory, i would say conditions a, c and d apply right now. Even if he has provisions, he can extend their span by eating his dead mount, and the rhinos probably can carry more. Its just pragmatism in action.
Yeah. But he’s still a Douche.
He’s a douche and the eating of the mount is neither here nor there.
I guess my problem is just that it seems…
./shades
…in poor taste.
We have a winner!
YEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Lol. The problem is that one second he’s spouting a vengence monologue and the next he’s nonchalantly eating his mount? Did you forget that he’s a bard? They do have a penchant for the theatrics.
I’m a bit more of an adventurous eater perhaps, but if I were Payet, I’d have gone for the sharkfin soup.
In all actuality, I’d probably find myself eating it all. Some bird and sharkflesh over the spit tonight, use the remaining bird and shark to create as much dried rations as you can carry with you.
I’d also probably turn one of the bones into a crude shank to be kept hidden on me in case of an emergency, but I do tend to gravitate towards the rogue/theif type classes.
A Boy and His Dog (I mean Bawkbagok).
Yes.
He looks very Aerosmith in panel 3.
What? His lips aren’t THAT big. Dream On, my friend.
As far as I’m concerned, he’s still walkin’ that thunder road, but everyone else seems to think he’s on a highway to hell.
From now on, I am going to hear Brak’s voice whenever I read Best’s dialogue.
As in, “I used to be evil, now I’m just stupid.”, sort of thing? :-)
Mako shark steaks are -delicious-! Too bad about the higher mercury content, you can’t eat it every day of the week.
However, I still wouldn’t put it past Best to eat his (albeit adorable) bird. It’s dead already and also delicious. What a great way to honor his memory than to remember the tastiest drumstick you’ve ever had, rather than to leave it to rot? Best has feelings, it’s just that his comforts always come first and his belly says its time for some wings and beer!
I for one am having fun with Best’s adventure. I’ve enjoyed the tidbits about his rise through the levels and seeing him in action here. It’s funny to see a character like him managing to do good as a byproduct of his self-centered motives. (Assuming the deeds he recounted about himself are true?) We can’t have him dying yet, he has so much DESTINY ahead of him!
Destiny!
Destiny!
No escaping that for he!
Oh me oh my, Best is turning out to be too cool for school. LOL
I can finally articulate why I hate Best.
He’s a game killer.
What I mean by this is, if a player at my table was playing a character like Best, I’d be very annoyed. Best *is* the “best* at everything…so what are the rest of the group to do? Stand around and watch in awe? Follow him around like adoring groupies? What fun is that?
What interest can there be in watching this character constantly succeed against whatever odds he faces? How does he grow as a character? He doesn’t. Characters grow through adversity and overcoming obstacles and even (dare I say it) failing at something once in a while, and learning from it.
I find Byron and the others MUCH more interesting and entertaining than Best because they fail, they stumble, and they have to work together to accomplish anything.
Lol. Dude, he killed a bunch of Landsharks. They haven’t exactly been established to be the most intimidating of enemies.
http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-2/chapter-2-page-15/
It’s like complaining because he slew an entire tribe of goblins. It’s just not a feat.
Best is certainly good, but he’s hardly overpowered.
Best is Best is an ongoing joke playing on his overconfidence, but he’s not exactly an unstoppable force.
He can’t tank as well as Frigg. He can’t stealth as well as Bandit. He has none of Syrnj’s abilities at all. He can’t actually dps as well as Byron (Byron’s partially held back because he refuses to utilize his greatest strength, for understandable reasons). He certainly has none of Byron’s tactical knowledge, relying more on quick-wits, and his ranged abilities are far below those of Gravedust (his soundblasts are mid-range at best).
He’s an all-rounder, kind of like… um I don’t know… A bard maybe? Jack of all trades, master of none.
One problem: we don’t see Best portrayed that way. On the airship, he appeared to pretty much clear the ship of enemies, at least topside. He took that job originally going “they’ll give me the job when no one else shows up.” So he was never in a mind set to be on a team, from the start; to me that’s a problem in both a tabletop setting and an MMO setting. How much fun can it possibly be to do anything with a group of people, if one person is constantly stealing the spotlight and drawing extra attention to himself?
I agree that his actual skill level may not be immense – though he’s clearly got enough skill to stay alive, and enough luck to cover the difference. But the reason he puts my hackles up is that he evokes (to me) the sort of player that is constantly demanding more “me time” in the game; he’s the dude that runs off and pulls three packs of mobs while the party healer is getting mana (in MMO speak).
Just took me a while to find words that said what I wanted to say, in a way that doesn’t get misunderstood too much. :)
All that said, I’m willing to continue reading about his antics for now, because I’m seriously hoping that the universe is giving him plenty of rope to hang himself with. To the point that when it all snaps, he’ll be pretty much dismembered by his own jackassery.
I do agree with you, but I must interject one (minor, probably unrelated) point…from the perspective of a long-time rogue.
I say let him steal the spotlight. I prefer the shadows, anyway. The way I see it, he steals the spotlight – aggro, if you will – and I’ll pop out of the shadows dual-wielding a couple nice piercers with hella procs and backstab the shit outta
If he pulled himself a train, and the healers are OOM, I’ll just fade/escape and watch while he falls and has to beg for a rez…
…and if I were big on PvP, I’d lift his coin purse while he was waiting on that rez.
Once again…rogue…that’s how we roll. -_o
Lol. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Rogues are just better than other people.
Fair enough. I’ve never thought of it as a problem. Bards tend to enjoy the spotlight.
On a basic level, he’s not a team player. He has a variety of character deficits. It seems these rub you the wrong way, and that’s legitimate. I personally enjoy that type of character.
If I were to find a proper comparison, I think I’d go with Captain Jack Sparrow. An Overall terrible person, arrogant despite his lack of earnings. His presence is generally counter-beneficial (word?) to everyone around him, friend and foe alike. His every action spreads chaos and harm. This being said, I’m sure he’s the life of a party, he’s generally a hoot to watch, and you just can’t help but like him despite every reason not to once he shows you that award winning smile.
Of course, your mileage may vary. Clearly you don’t like him, and for very well thought out and informed reasons. Just thought that now that we’re talking about it I’d share my own two cents on the matter.
I’d also add that on the ship, he took care of the enemies so well because he’s effectively the party’s best melee dps.
Bandit’s a stealth unit. She can dps under the right circumstances, but it’s all about getting that perfect hit in when they’re not looking. The rest of the time she’s not too helpful, and I certainly wouldn’t expect her to be capable of taking out large groups of foes.
Frigg is tanking specced, so she doesn’t do much damage, instead choosing to soak it up.
Byron is a berserker who doesn’t berserk. As a general rule, in an ordinary fight, an unberserked berkerker is just a crappier fighter. They’re all about that short burst of strength in dire moments, and unless he’s using it, he’s just a fragile tank who doesn’t do as much damage as he should. He’s competent for sure, and has a lot of tactics that compensate for it, but don’t expect him to walk into a crowd and clear the room.
Fair enough.
Probably it rubs me the wrong way because I have played with folks around the table who do act like this – and stealing the spotlight is very frustrating in a tabletop game. Everyone wants a moment to shine, even just a little, and if the “Best” player has taken over and is doing all the talking, killing everything before anyone else has a chance to move, etc…
Let’s just say it gets ugly fast. Because usually the player isn’t anywhere NEAR as charming as Best. At least, our tabletop douchebag monster wasn’t charming.
It’s good to read others’ opinions though :) I appreciate that.
You have to remember that although this portrays a roleplaying game, what we’re doing here is reading a story. Best has been set up as a character you’re meant to dislike, for these very reasons. You root for him to get his come-uppance, and it’ll come, eventually.
Here’s the problem. You’re thinking of this in tabletop terms. But this isn’t a tabletop adventure, it’s an MMO setting. And soloing in MMOs is quite common.
Wait, wait. Look at some of those panels. Am I the only one who wants to start chanting Latin?
BEST-IROTH!
Bestaroth Bestaroth!
Alos si michoros!
Bestaroth Bestaroth!
Faux Lata Sin Gras!
Chicken flavored vengence is the best vengence.
Has anyone noticed that the symbol on the the back of his jacket is his own “PB” logo? We’ve got corn with our ham and cheese! Blargh. Wow. I can’t manage to love to hate him anymore. He’s like some 80s video cliche…seemed awesome at the time when you were 13 watching MTV. Hair, check. Vaguely homoerotic leather, check. Lyrics that seem badass to a kid but safe for TV and radio, check. Accompanying Mad Max-esque video that presents the band using magic or heroic powers, check. All we need now is for Syr’nj, Bandit and Frigg to turn up in chain mail bikinis or strategically ripped post-apocalyptic hottie outfits with big teased hair and massive eyeshadow. Oh, and heels. In the desert.
I wonder if, if ever he encounters the others again, their response will be exchanging wordless “WTF? Seriously?” glances. Any skill aside, I’m thinking the lameness has got to be completely intentional–it’s just too perfectly cheesetastic–the result of Best and his player just running amok because the others are elsewhere or “dead” and the AI NPCs naturally respond positively to heroes. Old Best? Suave bastard. New Best? Excuse me…must hurl again. ;-)
In fact, I guess with all the ham, cheese and corn around, it’s no wonder Best is chewing the scenery.
… shouldn’t Best be, like, cooking to death? You know, since he seems to be wearing leather in a desert?
Bawkbagok is an excellent use of onomatopoeia.
Is it just me, or does it seem clearer with every comic that the art style depends a lot on which characters are alive? When everyone was active, it was a gritty, realistic and down to earth ordeal.
When Gravedust, whose player was probably the biggest fan of realism, croaked, things shifted and went for somewhat more cartoony (recall Byron’s whirlwind attacks and charge). If Byron’s player was also ‘out’ at that time, this’d mean that Frigg’s was probably dominant – she’d seem the sort to appreciate the exaggerated features.
Now that only Best is an active player, the artstyle is reminiscent of the over the top flashy mindless action games that seem to be popular these days.
That’s actually a pretty solid theory. I’m gonna keep attributing artistic fluctuations to the new artist looking for his happy place until I’m given reason not to, but that is an amazingly solid theory. Certainly am gonna keep an eye out for any more signs that this is the case.
That is an interesting theory, particularly if we’re dealing with minds intertwined with an MMO, although I think some of it had to do with a change in artists.
Okay, I get that everyone is pissy because Best is being a douche…
But that’s sort of his point, isn’t it? He’s a douche. We love him for it (or hate him). I don’t really see why he needs to feel remorse for eating his bird. I mean, for one, it’s practical (but that’s already been debated). And honestly? Had he felt bad about it, I would have felt that it was out of character.
I dunno, I think Best is hilarious and hope he doesn’t change very much. This comic needs a douche and Best is gonna give it to ’em.
(Just my two cents.)
Oh, I sure don’t mind if he’s a douche…it’s the transition from “cool foil douche” to “parody cheesy douche” that I personally don’t care for. ;-) For me it’s the difference between loving to hate him and just groaning when I see him.
I can handle if it’s a MMO.I can handle if it’s all fake, reality lotus eater machine sort of thing.I can’t handle Best is my thing. I’ll stick by but everytime Best pops up makes me wanna bail.But being a douche guess he’s supposted to do such in people
Haha, I haven’t checked the comments on here for ages, just been reading the comic and heading straight to uni. When did so many people get butthurt? I mean seriously, why are people so offended at a fictional character fictionally eating his fictional mount? I wonder if that soccer team that got trapped in the mountains and had to resort to canabalism got this sort of flak.
Also, sort of off topic, Best reminds me of Charlie Sheen for some reason, and thats AWESOME.
You know I’m actually glad the arrogant cock in this comic is as good as he says he is. Normally they show off and then inevitably get beaten down for cheap comic relief. Best is a nice change.
This is me penning myself into the ‘Pro-Best eating his mount’ club I guess. If it were a person Best were eating I’d be slightly more disturbed but it’s literally a giant chicken. You know I once rode a cow when I was a kid and later that week I had steak for dinner. I doubt it was the same cow but I certainly wouldn’t have cared if it was.
Basically Best is a Class A Douchebag… Self Centered? CHECK, Poor Moral Compass? CHECK, Douchebaggery Abounds? CHECK… yep Class A