The Homestuck Master Thread

[Guest]

 

 

Welcome to the Homestuck Master Thread. The intention of this thread is to give a home to all things Homestuck; be it sharing theories, art, stories, or just bringing new people into the fold to experience the wonders of Hussie's amazingly complete and imaginative world. For those who have been fans for a long time, this is a place for you, for those who are new to the webcomic, we welcome you and hope you will enjoy your stay. There's nothing else to say except there will be horses, oh horses there shall be.

 

 

What is Homestuck?

 

Homestuck is a webcomic developed by Andrew Hussie, housed on his site MSPaintAdventures. It is one of the longest running webcomics in history and has been ongoing since April 13, 2009 to the present day. Since its incarnation it has spawned a spin off comic series, a cult following, merchandise, and a video game that is currently in development. Homestuck is one of the few webcomics that actually is successful enough for their creator to work on it full time. Andrew Hussie has done other comics in the past, but none as successful as Homestuck. It has been classified as comedy, action-adventure, fantasy, coming of age, and satire at times. The series has been praised for its interesting use of language and unique sense of humor and style. The comic was inspired by games like The Sims and Earthbound and regularly pays homage to them. Originally Homestuck was intended to be driven entirely by fans who would decide the story through voting on what happens next sort of like a choose your own adventure novel with Hussie having a general idea how the story would play out. However 1 year after its creation the fan base had grown too large to where Hussie had to take control of the story. Hussie develops the entire story by himself and sometimes has help from others, but a majority of the work is done by him.

 

What is Homestuck About?

 

This is actually a very difficult question to answer due to the nature of the story. However Homestuck is in a nutshell about 4 children whom receive a mysterious computer game called Sburb which triggers the destruction of the earth. The 4 must then go on an adventure to win the game and save the human race. Along the way they are assisted (and inconvenienced at times) by a group of alien "trolls" whom have played the game in the past. The story uses a combination of flash animations, flash games, comic panels, and chat logs to convey what is happening. Much of the dialogue between characters is down through what are called "Pesterlogs" which are logs of the in-world chat client called Pesterchum.

 

The comic could be likened to Scott Pilgrim in style in that the universe they live in contains many video game elements that are universally accepted without question by the cast. It often even makes fun of video game cliches and stereotypes.

 

It is very difficult to sum up the entire plot of the story in one place due to how long it is.

 

What Should I Know Before Reading?

 

There definitely are a few key things you should keep in mind before attempting to read Homestuck. It is unlike any other webcomic as it is a creature all its own. To date there really is no other medium like it as it combines elements of video games, books, movies, and music all in one place. Because of this, people should keep in mind many things when they are attempting to read the story:

 

1. Homestuck will not always make sense. Much of the story is intended to be understood as you progress and thus a lot will leave you confused until a later point in the story. There is even some things that have not been explained yet which happened very early in the story, so do not get discouraged if you get confused.
2. It is a good idea to have a friend who has already read it. Homestuck is massive enough to where it sometimes takes the mind of another person to interpret what is going on. There is no shame in not understanding it right away.
3. Hold off on questions until you get closer to the end because chances are your questions will be answered at a later part in the story.
4. The story is VERY long. Right now Homestuck is over 9,800 pages and text wise it is longer than every Harry Potter book combined. You may want to break it up into several sittings to read through it, because it is long. Due to this length, it is very complex as well.
5. It is difficult to avoid spoilers.
6. You should only be reading on a PC/Laptop with a browser that has flash enabled. Because a lot of the comic uses flash, a mobile phone is not sufficient to view it. To top this off, even if you get flash working on a phone, many of the flashes require interaction via a keyboard which won't work on a mobile device.
7. When the comic does update, the site sometimes will go down for a few hours due to the high level of readers at that time.
8. ​Understand what "pauses" are: Hussie will sometimes put the comic on a "pause" which means updates will be stopping for a while. At the time of writing this the comic is currently on an "Omegapause" which supposedly will be the longest pause the comic has ever been on. This is so that progress on the Homestuck game can be made.
9. Understand that the Paradox Space spin off comic is not necessary to understand Homestuck, however a basic understanding of Homestuck is necessary to understand Paradox Space.
10. Homestuck fans can be a bit crazy at times, be prepared.
11. Many of the characters type with "quirks" which can be difficult to read at times, but with enough practice you will be able to read them with ease as time goes on.
12. Homestuck's humor a lot of the time comes from drawn out language and over the top explanations. Hussie will regularly use a lot of bigger words that are not necessary to describe something going on as a joke and sometimes go over the top with an explanation for a similar humorous effect. Don't be surprised if you need a thesaurus.
13. Do not skip the pester logs. They are long, but they are crucial to the story.
14. Understand that Homestuck is a slow build up. Because of how long the story is, it takes a while before the juicy bits are happening, so it is a commitment.
15. Make sure you bookmark the last page you were on because the save feature sometimes doesn't work.
16. Make sure you explore everything in the games. Click on everything, read every bit of extra dialogue and make absolutely sure you've done all there is to do before going to the next page.
17. Doc Scratch is an excellent host.
18. A lot of the story has time travel, alternate universes and such in it so be prepared for complex explanations.
19. There is vulgarity in it, so you're going to see some F words regularly.

FAQ

 

Q: Someone told me to skip to where the trolls are introduced, should I?

A: I would say no. You more or less will be skipping to Act 5 and missing a bunch of really important info. Many people really love the trolls so they will often tell people to do this because they want them to get to where they can enjoy the trolls faster for fear of them getting bored with the comic before ever reaching them. I wouldn't advise it though, if you can't get through the first 4 acts then you probably aren't going to like the rest of the comic.

 

Q: What's with the number 413?

A: The comic started on April 13th, which is 4/13. This number or variations of the three digits that make up that number appear regularly throughout the comic. It's clear that it plays some significance to the story or it is a constant running gag with Hussie.

 

Q: What's this about a Homestuck game?

A: There is a Homestuck video game that was funded on Kickstarter that is in development called Hiveswap. It is going to be available sometime this year supposedly. It is a point and click adventure game which will take place in the Homestuck universe.

 

Q: Is there an audio book for Homestuck?

A: There is a collab that does a video series where they read the comic, however they are not caught up to the current pages of the comic and they recently announced that their group is splitting up and the future of the collab is unknown currently.

 

Q: I don't understand X in the story!

A: Wait a while to get further in. If you get pretty damn far and it still doesn't make sense ask someone who has read it. If it's not supposed to make sense yet, they usually will tell you. Always preface such conversations with what page you're on.

 

Q: Doesn't Homestuck have like a really crappy fanbase?

A: Most homestuck fans will joke that they are "Homestuck trash" and that their fanbase is trash, but truth be told the fanbase's escapades are extremely exaggerated and many people make fun of Homestuck fans because the fanbase almost refuses to defend itself. It is not the same as bronies where people stick together and defend their fandom. Homestuck fans are known for being more or less completely uncaring about how other people view their fandom and will regularly laugh at their own fandom. As a result many people believe it is far worse than it actually is. The truth is though that the Homestuck fandom is actually no where near what could be considered "one of the worst" fandoms in existence.

 

Q: I hear the comic is ending soon?

A: Yes. April 13th 2016 will mark the end of the comic with Act 7.

 

 

Now that you're familiar with Homestuck, let us enjoy the thread!

Edited April 1, 2016 by Guest

[Floofie 799]

*sees that there's a Homestuck thread*

 

I got introduced to Homestuck after playing Undertale. You see, one of the songs in Undertale is called Megalovania, which is a remix of a song of the same name in Homestuck, which is yet another remix of the same song in an Earthbound hack. All 3 versions were made by the same guy: Toby Fox. After hearing about these other versions of Megalovania, I decided to read Homestuck and see what all the fuss was about. I was not disappointed. Like the OP says, Homestuck has a unique sense of humor and style, as well as an interesting and imaginative world.

_{To anyone who is interested in reading Homestuck:}

It's true that the comic is very long and complex, but that shouldn't stop you from reading it if you're interested. A website called The Acts and Pages of Homestuck has been very helpful to me while reading the comic. It has summaries that helped me understand the complex plot, and it also helped me get back to the page I was on when the save function didn't work.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to my daily Homestuck reading session. pchoooooooo

[Guest]

*sees that there's a Homestuck thread*

jade happy.gif

 

I got introduced to Homestuck after playing Undertale. You see, one of the songs in Undertale is called Megalovania, which is a remix of a song of the same name in Homestuck, which is yet another remix of the same song in an Earthbound hack. All 3 versions were made by the same guy: Toby Fox. After hearing about these other versions of Megalovania, I decided to read Homestuck and see what all the fuss was about. I was not disappointed. Like the OP says, Homestuck has a unique sense of humor and style, as well as an interesting and imaginative world.

_{To anyone who is interested in reading Homestuck:}

It's true that the comic is very long and complex, but that shouldn't stop you from reading it if you're interested. A website called The Acts and Pages of Homestuck has been very helpful to me while reading the comic. It has summaries that helped me understand the complex plot, and it also helped me get back to the page I was on when the save function didn't work.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to my daily Homestuck reading session. pchoooooooo

 

What page are you currently on?

[Floofie 799]

What page are you currently on?

 

I'm in Act 6 Act 2, page 6354: "Jane: Answer Di-Stri."

[Guest]

I'm in Act 6 Act 2, page 6354: "Jane: Answer Di-Stri."

I just finished Act 6 Act 3 myself. I'm on a game that I have to wait until tomorrow to finish because I have to go to bed fairly early.

[Floofie 799]

I just finished Act 6 Act 3 myself. I'm on a game that I have to wait until tomorrow to finish because I have to go to bed fairly early.

Now that you mention sleep, It's getting pretty late where I live. I'm gonna finish reading this page and go to bed as well.

[Guest]

Finally going to be able to start Intermission 3 today. I plan on digging into it after work.

[Guest]

Huge update! Homestuck will be receiving the final update (Act 7) on April 13th, exactly 7 years from when the comic began. If you want to experience and upd8, your last chance will be next week or so.

[Trenchpunk 33]

Homestuck is a wonderful thing that I'm so glad exists. HS is at least partially responsible for my ongoing love of themed characters, that I picked up in my travels throughout Homestuck's fancharacter RP scene.

 

And heck, I have two good friends that met through Homestuck, and are now married. If that's not a shining example of the good the comic has done, I dunno what is!

 

But I'm personally into Homestuck more as a setting than as a story? More than the story and characters, I'm in love with the concept of SBURB, and for years I've tried to get groups together for a big formal complex beginning-to-end SBURB session RP. Everything about SBURB is just... a perfect canvas to mess around with.

[Guest]

Yeah Hussie really created a very fun and adaptive universe with SBURB.

[Yufery 205]

i warned you about stairs bro, i told you dog

[Guest]

Act 6 Act 6 Act 6 just ended with a huge flash, the biggest in the comic history, and it was so massive that Hussie hosted it on Youtube to prevent the site from crashing AGAIN. I won't spoil anything, but holy crap... It's epic.

[Trenchpunk 33]

Even as someone who no longer keeps up with the plot ( for various reasons ), the thought of Homestuck finally ending is.... ??????????

 

The thing's been a part of my life in varying levels for five years. Five entire years of my life, and that's not exactly a small chunk to a 24 year old. It's just kind of weird to think about how it's going to not be a thing.

 

I feel like I should be doing something for the end, some kind of farewell project of some sort.

[chili 120]

YES. I've loved Homestuck since years back, I met my gf that way. It's made a huge influence on my life.

My favorite by far is this dork right here vvv

[Guest]

And it's over, officially 100% over. It was a wild ride though.

[Floofie 799]

And it's over, officially 100% over. It was a wild ride though.

 

Unless you count the epilogue that Hussie announces in the latest news update.

 

"If you're curious about whether there will be anything resembling an epilogue to this ending, yes, I've been thinking about that for some time. It'll take a while to produce though, whatever specific form it ends up taking."

[Guest]

Unless you count the epilogue that Hussie announces in the latest news update.

 

"If you're curious about whether there will be anything resembling an epilogue to this ending, yes, I've been thinking about that for some time. It'll take a while to produce though, whatever specific form it ends up taking."

 

Yeah. Still though it turned out amazing!

[Floofie 799]

Yeah. Still though it turned out amazing!

 

It sure did. The sheer quality of the animation is unlike any other gif or flash in Homestuck.

[Flying Vantas 107]

Finally, a Homestuck thread!