06 May 2008

Yes, it's audience participation time! This is where YOU, the readers, get to decide where Battlebarge goes next - both the comic and the store.

Simon's decision is your decision - should he make Tesco refit his store back to what it was and give him some cash, or should he take the small fortune on offer and remake the store bigger and better (and maybe with a hotel attached)? YOU decide!!

The poll above will run from today (Tuesday 6th May) until NEXT Tuesday (13th May). There will be no comic by me on Friday to allow for the voting, but if anyone wants to submit a guest comic for Friday, then feel free.

Why am I doing this? Because I want to. I have ideas for the comic in both directions that the comic could go in. Expanding the scope of Simon's business expands the scope of the comic and the comedy. Staying in the current format is just as good, and there are other storylines that have to be...pursued... :-)

Oh, and if you had been signed up to the Mailing List (registration box is at the top of the page) you would have found out about this two weeks ago!

Either way, the laptop is still suffering, and if it dies then this will never be resolved! So get donating by clicking on the banner at the top of the page! Also, if you want me to advertise your site, comic or whatever on the site then send me a message with a link to a banner to use!

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Update! (06 May 2008)

Holy crap! Just 12 hours in and already over 50 votes! Judging by the comments, those of you voting for the second option seem quite keen on the hotel idea too! Thanks for the feedback and votes so far. I'll keep the progress and trends to myself until voting has closed, but you are all welcome to discuss it on the comment form and the forum.

I'm talking more about the reasons behind this poll on the forums, so sign up and take a look.

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Another progress report (08 May 2008)

I have to say that I truly didn't realise how many people read this comic. Over 200 votes have been logged so far!

God, now I sound like a reality show.

I'm tracking IPs for votes to get an idea of how widespread the readership is, and again I'm pleasantly surprised at how far and wide BB has spread! New Zealand, Canada, the US, Australia, all over Europe and all over South America! One interesting thing I have found is that there is actually a place called Townsville (in Australia)! Why is this remarkable? Well, my son used to watch the Powerpuff Girls, and their hometown is called Townsville... It's not that great a revelation really, but it made me smile!

I'll probably publish the results on the forum rather than on the main news page, since it will let me make a longer statement about it (just like I've done with the background information about the current poll). If everyone's OK with it I will also put together a rough demographic of readers and where they are from. Just for my own interest really, but I may as well share it!

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Laptop fund news (08 May 2008)

Another generous donation has come in to the laptop repair fund! Thanks again to those of you who have donated, and especially those of you who have donated TWICE!!!

I've added a choice of banners to the top of the page - now, as well as the original laptop fund banner there is a new one that shows how much progress has been made towards the goals. At this point we're about half way towards the new motherboard! Many thanks to you all for your support!!

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Comments for this comic

On 06 May 2008 at 01:54:18, Grendelwulf said:
Remake the store bigger & better! Then Simon can get that large gaming table he had been longing for when he was windowshopping. Wow, that strip was way back at the beginning of this closed-store-Tesco arc in the first place...hmm...

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On 06 May 2008 at 06:11:56, god said:
hotel hotel hotel

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On 06 May 2008 at 06:22:49, Lord Siwoc said:
Bigger Better MORE!!!!!

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On 06 May 2008 at 08:40:08, Flying-kick Dutchman said:
This is so awesome. Well, I nearly suffocated to death during my local store's 25 year-anniversary of Warhammer Fantasy, so I would say: Get a bigger store!

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On 06 May 2008 at 09:07:39, stewart said:
BIGGER!!!!

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On 06 May 2008 at 12:00:54, Rob said:
BIGGER! With a hotel! and a jacuzzi!

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On 06 May 2008 at 14:15:56, MalikTous said:
Anything that will stiff the big chain. I still miss game companies like Flying Buffalo, Wilmark Dynasty, Arduin, and Palladium...

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On 06 May 2008 at 16:30:28, felipe said:
...biger... with a jacuzzi... with a hotel... with more talking eletronics... and misteryous guys on a secrets doors!

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On 06 May 2008 at 16:49:11, SteveC86 said:
Make them buy him a spaceship, with a crew of bikini-clad space amazons! Well, that's what I would do

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On 06 May 2008 at 16:51:18, Maverick said:
Look, if there is something slightly Raven Guardish in there, i'm happy (please) SO HOTE,L BIG THING! TAKE THE MONEY SIMON!

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On 06 May 2008 at 21:00:04, Captain Hesperus said:
I second the fiery-maned webcomic dude's suggestion, spaceship with girls in bacofoil bikinis! CH

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On 06 May 2008 at 22:49:21, Dave said:
Hee hee. If I could draw bikini-clad amazons then I'd certainly be tempted...

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On 07 May 2008 at 08:56:04, Moral Case said:
Keep it small. Keep it real!

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On 07 May 2008 at 12:03:11, Scoutninja said:
Keep the store small.

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On 07 May 2008 at 12:11:13, Deniam said:
Calling the wisdom of Omnisha: Bigger, with ladies, and a casino, and ladies, and jacuzzi, and ladies.... and a store!

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On 07 May 2008 at 16:20:53, Paul said:
Man... the 4th wall has been completely obliterated. RIP 4th wall.

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On 07 May 2008 at 18:43:35, Josh said:
Bigger store. I go to one thats wayyyy to small

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On 07 May 2008 at 19:06:37, said:
GET IT BIGGER, he said he loved the store more than anything, so you get it back and make it bigger!!!!!!!!!

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On 07 May 2008 at 22:15:59, LDB said:
Bigger and better, hotel optional, although it would be quite interesting if Simon could get some property adjacent to the pub (and that gal that he's smitten with).

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On 07 May 2008 at 23:21:08, Anon (again) said:
The Hotel would feel a bit forced IMO (In before "Troll", I'd be saying this even if I did name myself)

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On 08 May 2008 at 07:15:03, Rich said:
Get a Hotel and gear it strictly for conventions, the hooks, the angles, the competing storylines are infinite!!

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On 08 May 2008 at 07:41:07, Thomas said:
HOTELS ARE MONEY MAKERS and also, he can hide from annoying people...

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On 08 May 2008 at 16:06:56, redsimon said:
The old store plus additional money. That means the good things stay the same (bar with girl near store, annoying customers who are looking for other stuff than games). Also I'm worried if Simon might ruin his new business. He's not a hotel manager.

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On 08 May 2008 at 17:00:49, Dave said:
Check out theforum, people. There's some information there about what might happen when the results are in...

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On 08 May 2008 at 17:31:38, spellingmistax said:
Tough choice Emmm *flips coin* Didn't turn up the way i wanted so get a bigger store, that place is tainted with tesco now. Its like Caos only worse.

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On 08 May 2008 at 19:45:28, JAFO said:
No, put it all back. Four times the amount of what the property is WORTH comes out to about 3 pounds!

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On 08 May 2008 at 21:48:18, Darby said:
stay small, its easier to write lol

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On 09 May 2008 at 19:32:28, WraithVX said:
I'd say, get him to take the money, then use MOST of the money to buy the store back off of them, then still have more than they offered. Osmond is a tricksy legal man, he can do that kind of thing ;)

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On 09 May 2008 at 20:01:51, Some Guy who is saying something said:
Original is best, I think he should keep the old store and use the money to expand it...

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On 10 May 2008 at 21:26:11, Captain Hesperus said:
Man, this discussion is soooooo long. It'd be easier to read in the FORUM.....

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