As a "creative type" I feel it is important to experiment. To mix things up. To test your boundaries and expand your knowledge of different styles, methods, and types of content. With a healthy level of confidence, and a real "can-do" attidtude... I set out to find some new forms of content. And after a little legwork... I found it. Something interesting... Something different... Something I know I can do, and do well. 
So I did some research. Looked at how the best did their work. Checked out what I would need, to make this type of content. Looked at specs, and calculated the numbers. And got the hardware.

So now I am ready to rock and roll. 

I cannot wait to show you guys and gals what I been up to these last few weeks. 
With the assistance of Zach, a good friend of 1d4rounds... I plan on making something really awesome for you all... Something that will make you learn and laugh, in equal measures. 

Stay tuned to 1d4rounds.com for more updates on this new project...
You're gonna dig it!

-Deece

Hey FourRounders,

Deece here. Just wanted to let you know that 1d4Rounds will be taking it's yearly 2 week break and will be returning January 9th, 2015, with the regularly scheduled weekly comic updates.
I am not a fan of taking a break... I always feel like it breaks up my rhythm. I would much prefer to continue doing a comic every week from now, until the world is consumed by the mighty Bohrgorger, The Defiler. (Yeah... it's a thing...)

But due to family events, new years parties, and the general chaos of the upcoming season... Perhaps it is best. I never want to rush out a comic. So please, try to tolerate the wait, and be ready on the 9th, for 1d4Rounds to return, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Thanks for understanding,
-Deece

Ramp 

Ramp or Ramping, is when in a game utilizing resources, you spend the first portion of the game allocating or boosting resources before spending them. Giving you a distinct resource advantage later in the game. These strategies also use cards or abilities that boost the amount of production. Frequently used in card games like Magic the Gathering. But also seen in many other games, from RTS to Tactical RPG, Etc.

Ramping strategies often utilize stall tactics or control methods to handle early game aggression, preferring to wait it out, and make a large powerful strike, as opposed to quick, aggressive, smaller strikes.

Energon Cube

"Energon cubes" are the safest form of energon, used for transportation and storage.
(Found in the Transformers cartoon as early as season 1.)

TPK

TPK or Total Party Kill, refers to a time when an entire party of adventurers in a game (usually dungeons and dragons or other tabletop game) dies at the same time. Can also be referred to as a "wipe" or "scrub". TPKs are considered to be by far the worst experience in the game, and often are due to overconfidence in one's character, or an unbalanced enemy, but may also be caused by play error, or the dreaded "jank rolls".
In the event of a TPK, a DM may use one of 3 tools to auto-correct the situation... though none are truly good options. 
The first, is to interrupt combat with an NPC who saves the party. This can be seen as pretty unrealistic, and is very obvious to players.
The second, is to use some form of "Deus Ex Machina" to right the adventurer's mistakes or misfortunes, by influencing events in an absurdly specific method. Such as a staff that was granted the ability to teleport the party from danger in the event of an emergency. This is too, fairly obvious, and is akin to the dragon balls from the popular cartoon.
The third, and most functional... Is to weaken events leading up to the TPK. When a DM starts to notice the situation getting out of hand, they can often reduce the enemy attack bonus, or reduce it's armor class. Even make it's HP total lower than it would be normal. If done well, this method can go undetected... But is still, in my opinion... A real "BITCH MOVE."

TPKs happen... Sometimes you just have to reroll, and quit whining like a panzy. Heroes die. New heroes take their place. It happens to the best of us from time to time.

The best part of the game is knowing it could happen... And preparing yourself, so that it doesn't.

Until next time, May your D20's roll well, your saves be adequate, and your loots be phat.

There is a weird balancing act that as a webcomic artist, everyone has to make a judgement call on. It is the concept of high quality art and less updates, or lower quality art, and more updates.
I can see the positives of both. On one side, a higher quality art, means that you are pushing your abilities and becoming a better artist every day. On the other, simplified art, allows for a better communication with your audience. It allows you to update more frequently, and to give more content to the community.
It's hard to tell where I land on the subject sometimes. Because I want nothing more than to update frequently, and have a lot of topics I'd like to cover. But I have a hard time posting something, if it is not shaded, and well lit... I need smooth crisp lines, and bold coloring. And every week I try something new. Rim lighting with weird saturations and lighting effects. Different line weights. Generally trying stuff out, and learning a lot in the process. I don't know if I would learn nearly as much if I were to stop short at the color flatting process, and lean on simplified lineart.
The speed at which I work has increased dramatically as well. And perhaps sooner or later, I will be able to do both. 
I am not speaking anything negatively of those who choose to use the other method of course. I love what some of those artists do, and I am by no means intending to speak negatively of their work. Because in some cases, I am a true fan. 
What I am saying is, that is probably not for me. As silly as it may seem... This comic allows me to learn digital art from the ground up, and grow as an artist in a format I am only now learning. Would it be simpler for me to do all of my lineart in micron pen and copic marker... Definitely. Would it look good? I guarantee it. That is my bread and butter. Would I grow as an artist doing that? Without a doubt, but not as rapidly as doing different things, in different methods.
First and foremost, I want to give people something great to look at, and something funny to think about. 
I truly hope that people enjoy it.
-Deece

Vorpal - Meaning very sharp. Mythically sharp. Usually used to reference a sword.

In Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" there was a poem about a beast called the Jabberwocky, that could only be slain by The Vorpal Sword.

In Dungeons and Dragons and other various tabletop/D20 system games, vorpal is a weapon quality that is revered as "Infinitely sharp" or consisting of a magical edge that is created to slash or slice.

Broken - Meaning something in a game, that is too good. Something that has a huge upside, or gives one side a huge advantage. 

Gorram -

The firefly equivalent of "God Damn", originally developed to get past the censors, allowing characters to curse without getting bleeped. Widely considered a great idea, as most of the characters on the show have history in the military, or are somewhat 'rough and tumble', and would seem silly if they had a blatant aversion to colorful language.