Things I Like: MS Paint Adventures

Looking for something to entertain yourself with while you’re waiting for a new blog?

Why not take a look at MS Paint adventures?

I stumbled onto it a few months ago and have been enthralled ever since.

The basic premise is the cartoonist draws a little scenario similar to one of those little solve-the-puzzle flash games. Then the readers make suggestions as to how best to interact with the environment/solve the puzzle/get out of the room/win the game. Then the cartoonist draws the next panel.

It doesn’t sound like much when I describe it that way, but when you reduce anything to a summary all the flavor gets lost.

I might as well say, “The Name of the Wind is a bunch of words that when you read them you learn a story about a guy who does some stuff.”

Yeah. It’s not exactly thrilling when you boil something down to its simplest elements. So you’ll have to trust me that Ms Paint Adventures is interactive storytelling at its finest.

Let’s try again: Ms Paint Adventures is one part webcomic, one part game, two parts parody, three parts role playing with a sadistic GM, four parts clever, three parts sarcastic, one part barb wire, one part sweet, sweet methadone. Plus awesome. Plus double awesome.

The author/artist is Andrew Hussie, and as one storyteller to another, my hat’s off to him. He’s doing something strange and wonderful over there.

You can read the current story which is in-progress. Or you can read the one that’s already finished.

Be warned, the finished story (Problem Sleuth) is over 1500 pages, and it will consume a large portion of your life if it gets it gets its hooks into you.

More blog soon,

pat

P.S. By this point I know I’ve spelled the “Reccomendations” tag wrong. And you know what? I’m pretty okay with that. I’m going to keep on spelling it wrong until I have time to go back and change them all. If I just change half of them, the link won’t work properly.

So take a deep breath and start thinking of ways to deal with it. I’m sure you can…

This entry was posted in concerning storytelling, cool things, recommendations, Things I LikeBy Pat28 Responses

28 Comments

  1. Jay
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 8:38 AM | Permalink

    I want to hear of your exciting travels! I was in Portugal and London while you were around too so I’d like to know what I missed by arriving in London 2 days too late…

  2. Pat
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 8:46 AM | Permalink

    Yes yes. I said I’d be blogging about it and I will. Go read the comic for now. That’s why I posted it. I’m too tired to write a whole story right now. I need to sleep.

  3. pdxtrent
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 8:59 AM | Permalink

    FYI- Pat is awesome!

    Now I’m off to read a webcomic!

    WV- Sheivei- The recipient of the shiv in a prison.

  4. Vae
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 10:20 AM | Permalink

    lol, so candid. thank you for everything Pat. and thanks for the reccomendation! (i like the way you spell it better)

  5. marky
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 11:39 AM | Permalink

    Interesting. Cheers for the link, Pat.

    That should keep me busy for a while.

  6. Morgan
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 1:45 PM | Permalink

    Keep the last bullet free in case you have to off yourself later. And yes, you do have to pee on everything.

  7. AndyB
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 3:07 PM | Permalink

    “The Name of the Wind is a bunch of words that when you read them you learn a story about a guy who does some stuff.”

    Isn’t that pretty much the kind of Amazon review you’ve been getting lately?

  8. Sefarina
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 5:30 PM | Permalink

    Ok, Master Rothfuss, Sir! I’m off to read the webcomic then…

    Hope you all are well and had a great solstice. I did ;-)

    All the Best, Sefa

  9. Alicia
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 6:20 PM | Permalink

    Heh. After the effect “isle” had on people I’m not surprised you feel the need for a disclaimer :)

  10. Donovan.Wilczynski
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 7:32 PM | Permalink

    If you like webcomics I also highly recommend xkcd and girl genius.

    I’ve been reading 5 webcomics for the past 2 years and I enjoy all of them immensely. However, MS Paint Adventures is really unique and in a class of its own.

    (I also read pennyarcade and control alt delete but, they don’t appeal to as broad of an audience.)

    Also, if people continue to bitch about spelling I recommend going Olde Englisc on their affef.

  11. Anonymous
    Posted June 23, 2009 at 9:40 PM | Permalink

    Word nazi has left the building.

  12. Tyler Wagers
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 12:45 AM | Permalink

    It was good, at first I thought your recommendation was rather lame but, it was quite comical throughout. One of my favorite parts(that I have gotten to) was truffle shuffle lvl 2 and the candy based weapons. Personally I would have had a M&M bolt-action rifle or possibly some kind of chocolate nugget shoulder-launched missile weapon.

  13. Kelly
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 1:18 AM | Permalink

    Is this:

    http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2008/12/exclusive-excerpt-from-patrick-rothfuss.html

    an excerpt from your next book?

    If so, quick question: Why is Kvothe back down to an E’lir in book two after becoming a Re’lar??

    If not, there’s a false posting of your story… :/

    Excited for it either way.
    Good luck with the baby and the food comparisons… kind of creepy – who wants an ear of corn comparison? eek.

  14. Tyler Wagers
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 2:32 AM | Permalink

    *Cry*

    Kelly I don’t know weather to thank or curse you. I read the excerpt and my mind nearly exploded. The Wise Man’s Fear is like a forbidden fruit that tastes so juicy and delicious that it melts your body into an entity known as pleasure. But it only lasts for the moment I’m reading. In a way you just reintroduced a drug into my system, I would do ANYTHING for another to return to that high.

    *Cry*

    I thought I got over this when the first book ended! Why God, why! Who would of thought that the happiest and saddest would come only a mere moment apart!

    *Cry*

    If I am to escape this depression I must take drastic action. Several of my plans have remained in my memory from at the tragic ending of the first book. The best of which include a time machine and genocide of the American populace.

    *Cry*

    Just give the baby his bottle, Patrick! Ahh ahhh ahhhh ahhhh! Rahhhhhh!

  15. bookfan
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 4:37 AM | Permalink

    love the book best of luck on writing book two

  16. Nekomata
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 8:03 AM | Permalink

    Here’s an idea of how much i love your book, and you as an author.
    Before i begin, a few facts.
    1: i do not own a book, i read it in my school library.
    2: i live in New Zealand, a long LONG way away from America.

    So, lets begin.
    To get my book signed, i am going to buy myself your book. Then, by some method i do not know of, i am going to get some NZ money and transfer it into American money (the equivalent of seven dollars). Then, i am going to sit down and package my book, write what i want you to write, put the book and money and note in the (tightly packaged) box, and send it on my merry way.

    I don’t know whether you’re still signing books or not, but as the chances of you (or any other author/celeb apart from wannabes like shania twain) coming to N.Z to do a book signing are less than the chances of me winning Lotto. And i’m not even old enough to buy a ticket. And i also don’t have a job, i’d pay out of my pocket money. (I’m not THAT young… 13.) Now, if you’ll excuse me i’m off to (see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz! (sorry, its late, and i’ve had FAR too much sugar… im kinda hyper.)) Where was I? Oh yeah. Im off to buy “the Name of the Wind”. (or steal it from my school library. Mu wha ha ha ha!!!)

    Expect a book in the mail.. at least by the end of the year. I’m a procrastinator. :)

    Nekomata

    P.S i extremely apologise for my hyper behavior and for my extra long comment(s). I promise i won’t come on here again if i’ve had sugar in the last six hours or if its past dinner. My hyper time. Thanks!

  17. Nekomata (again. sheesh.)
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 8:07 AM | Permalink

    Oh god, why do i keep on posting such lon comments all the time! *gets out virtual scissors and cuts all long comments into snippets*

    And if you like comics, you should try Fruits Basket! Its a hilarious Manga about this family who turn into the animals of the zodiac every time someone of teh opposite gender hugs them or they get weak, i highly recommend it.

  18. Sefarina
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 12:02 PM | Permalink

    Why, oh why did I follow your link, Kelly? Now the whole thing is going to start over again!
    It was such a wonderfull, precious moment of reading. (Thank you and one thousand cookies and hugs!) My heart still beats way to fast, the world is holding its breath and waiting.
    Noone should be given thus talent, Pat…

  19. Anonymous
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 1:00 PM | Permalink

    Pat, you should come hang out on the MSPA forums, maybe make your own Fan adventure ;)

  20. Kari
    Posted June 24, 2009 at 7:49 PM | Permalink

    “plus double awesome”… are you sure it’s not double plus good? :)

  21. Anonymous
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 1:51 AM | Permalink

    Maybe it’s just me, but that thing wasn’t much fun. I kept clicking on the links thinking, am I missing something? This is dumb.

    I feel out of place if I don’t suck up to Pat. Oh well.

  22. Pat
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 1:59 AM | Permalink

    No need to suck up. It’s not for everyone. If you didn’t play the right sort of games growing up, it really isn’t going to amuse you the way it does me.

  23. Anonymous
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 2:42 AM | Permalink

    Yeah, you really have to have played a few text based adventures to get the premise, and the humor isn’t going to work for everyone. For those who “get it” its hilarious, for everyone else its just mildly confusing.

  24. An Albino Druid
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 4:18 AM | Permalink

    Dear Pat and Friends!

    I am writing to write two things. These two things are that I thouroughly enjoyed reading Problem Sleuth and that I myself am compiling a list of all my foriegn shenanigans. Thank you for letting me in on this thing. I enjoyed that it was complete, in a crazy real-shit way. I almost started reading the others, but I just could not get into the current story. Perhaps it is the color, perhaps it is the content.

    I understand the need for sleep. You do too much. You’re not Superman, you know. All the same, I relish the idea of reading your stories some time soon.

    Until then, I remain,

    Respectfully Yours,
    An Albino Druid
    Wielding Keys Since 1992

  25. Maltzy
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 5:09 AM | Permalink

    Pat,
    I’ve now read the book a couple of times and I am still blown away by how great the story is. You are an amazing writer. Of course, I am looking forward to book 2 and many more books in the future…
    I just was surfing on google and found something I thought you would love. It is a great portrait of the draccus and I wanted to link you to it in case you haven’t seen it.
    http://www.philmcdarby.com/index.php/digital_art/large/luring_the_draccus/

    Congratulations on the upcoming new edition Rothfuss. Keep up the good work.
    Kevin Maltsberger

  26. Majota
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 8:32 AM | Permalink

    I tried it but for some reason it wouldn’t work for me. Oh well I’m sure I’ll live.

    Since I’m a first time poster here,
    Grats on the baby, hope you enjoyed your trip to Europe, and take your
    time with the book, enjoying life and spending time with your loved ones is far more important than slaving over your book.

    (Though that said I am still madly anticipating the next release)

  27. marky
    Posted June 25, 2009 at 12:25 PM | Permalink

    Maltzy, that’s a brilliant picture. It’s now my PC wallpaper. Cheers!

  28. Nadingo
    Posted June 26, 2009 at 6:04 PM | Permalink

    Wow, I really should have listened to your warning. I lost my entire Tuesday on that Problem Sleuth story, and I had to stop halfway through!

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