DL & OL A single -or two at most willing to work together, author(s), who can produce a consistent storyline with continuity and full character & story development.

DL alone -see above

OL alone -see above only made possible by the return of Mark Ellis, the creator of the OL series.

DL & OL - If all the above are not possible then simply close up shop and move on, without the above both series are stagnant and dead in the water.

Jim

Yeah, I agree with your two assessments. DL needs to be updated with new weapons and some new companions, like of old. The great new is, the March release of Blood Road Warriors written by Chuck Rogers does just that. He really ups the ante once again to showcase that he has done his homework, knowing how the characters act, dress, and getting bigger and better weapons in their hands.

And so far, without Mark Ellis writing Outlanders, that series has fallen way off the mark. I've tried several of the new ones with the new writers, and I think I was able to actually finish one or two. And thats being typed with all due respect to those writers.

I know this has been played to death here in the past and I was one that shot down posters for dragging it up but...

Why do you think that bringing new weapons to the DL series will improve it? They are just merely PROPS that the character hold and use to convey the story along. Would some of the worst DL books to date be any better if you simply replaced Ryans SIG with a GLOCK or Krysties S&W with an automatic? NO not at all.

Yes guns like most other things wear out BUT as the team are still wearing the same boots and clothes they had on years ago AND they get abused far more than the weapons do it will be a cold day in Hell before any of there weapons wear out!!!

Jim

You are right. No, it is not that having different weapons - or clothes - would make the story better, just more realistic and fresh.

Instead of having the same 'ol same 'ol, liven things up a bit. It ultimately makes a solid writer to make a solid DL story. BUT, having them never age, never change clothing, or have better and more up-to-date armament is almost stupid at this point.

Everyone should be carrying - at the very least! - a machine gun.

For the life of me, I can't understand why Gold Eagle editors/publishers can't have these writers stick with minute changes like this. Its not that hard.

But then, therin lies the problem, methinks - they don't really care.

Jim, okay, in the greater scheme of things it's a small point--but they aren't wearing the same clothes and Krysty is the only one wearing the same boots, and they'll disappear in  the semi-near future.

 

You are right on the nose, they don't care -well they only care that we keep paying out the money for them no matter what the quality is on offer.

In the good old days of "Old school DL" ammo was quite scarce and the group made every round count, now in the DL world ammo is as plentiful 100 years after the last factory closed as it is now so everyone can go around banging off full auto. Trader, Ryan & Co. were the exception as they has access to the mythical "redoubts" and (almost) no one else did.

As for getting them "more up to date", remember the world as they know it ended in 2001 so "up to date" is still 11 years out of date.

Jim

Who gives a crap about their clothes? How often is anything besides Krysty's boots ever mentioned? She's had them for a couple years - whoopee. I've had shoes that lasted that long.

As for weapons... meh. I could go either way here. I can count on one hand the number of times any of them has changed weapons; Ryan and Krysty have gotten one each, JB swapped out both, Dean got his Browning, and Doc's swapped out his LeMat twice now (okay, both hands, but still - 100 books and counting...).

What the series needs to make it not stagnant is: more companions, and more overarching storylines. Jak left the group for a time to settle down and raise a family. Dean left to attend school, and again later because (deus ex machina) his mother took him. Trader and Abe passed through and left again. Why not toss in the occasional person to travel with them for a few books like they had before? It made things interesting, instead of the boring episodic plod we've got now.

Likewise, the series needs more continuity. But then, that's something we've been harping on for how many years now?

A new character will be added in Crimson Waters.

Well, that is good news! They need to go back to the old formula, but with new twists and bigger storylines.

I'd like to see some chron jumps. That could lead to endless adventures, lost in time or whatever. Solid authors such as Chuck and Helfers have proven in a very short time that they have the writing chops to create a one book, or even better, a duology or trilogy with a fantastic chron jump storyline. It is there to use, and hasn't been expounded upon in years.

Posted By Wordsmithagain on 04 Feb 2012 12:04 PM

...Krysty is the only one wearing the same boots, and they'll disappear in  the semi-near future.

 

Oh God, not the boots, anything but the boots...




Jim

I would like to see the DL series revisit the first book in the series . Go back to the very first redoubt and see what happened to War Wag 1 and those left behind. or have the team go back to where Trader had his old staging area

. I too think that the team needs both new weapons and new traveling companions even if they only stay with the team for a few books .Perhaps a return visit from the Lion trainer and her daughters ?

I think it would be great if the team found themselves in Australia or New-Zealand or maybe in the middle east. Can you imagine the team at the great pyramids? or in India.

New guns and boots is like putting a turd in a tuxedo.

Here's my two-cents, after writing in the series for a decade. These ideas are all free-to-grab for current DL contributors.

Ryan needs a new cyborg eye, perhaps a "gift" of Magus? Stereoscopic vision would give him a wider worldview.

Krysty needs to birth a baby of her own, and to everyone's surprise (and particularly Ryan's) it's a 40-pound scalie!

Doc needs a new brain, perhaps a "gift" of Magus? It could be the brain of someone famous. That would make for livelier dialogue.

JB the Armorer needs to actually do some gunsmithing, or change his nickname.

Mildred needs to come out of the closet.

Jak the albino needs to get a sunburn.
 
AP

AP, sounds like you might have a good side story on your hands there, The Magus of Oz handing out his brand of gifts to each companion

Posted By Sin-Eater on 13 Feb 2012 01:32 PM
AP, sounds like you might have a good side story on your hands there, The Magus of Oz handing out his brand of gifts to each companion

A "side story" for someone else to write, Sin-Eater. Perhaps someone in another dimension?

A far simpler and more direct solution to all the perpetual, seemingly insurmountable problems of the series in our universe would be for the Magus of Oz to give the real people involved new and famous brains.

Posted By twinsrule26 on 13 Feb 2012 12:28 AM
I think it would be great if the team found themselves in Australia or New-Zealand or maybe in the middle east. Can you imagine the team at the great pyramids? or in India.

You need to read Outlanders...

Jim

Different Locale's, Different weapon's, the old "Ammo is scarce" rule brought back.
A new Supervillian(s).
Get rid of the frankly 70's sex scene's.
And a Giant Rubber Ducky!!!!

Not only weps and clothing, but a whole new character with the group, as well as a bold new direction in the series, overall.

What kind of character would you like to join the gang. I think some kind of Oriental(PC?) would be cool.

Asian. People are Asian, things are Oriental. Calling someone Oriental is like calling them a piece of furniture.