The ancient scribe gives no hint of a smile as you stand opposite him, groping for words. He silently pushes a stack of papers towards you and returns to his work. You take the papers in equal silence, but find yourself stifling laughter as you peruse the contents of these links to humour and online entertainment. The scribe raises an eyebrow knowingly in your direction without looking up.
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Addictive, insanely fun, featuring quality art and a great yet somehow familiar storyline - sounds like another RPG doesn't it? But this is RPG World: a top-notch webcomic that at once praises and mocks the games that consume hours of our lives... much like this comic will, in fact. It's like a non-interactive Square game, or the world's funniest cutscene! (Oh, did we say non-interactive? Once you've read the comic, check out the Extras page... can we say 'fanservice'?)
Satire sites, the cream of online humour for cynics, pessimists and the derisive-at-heart. And this must surely be the cream of satire sites. The Ratings are hilarious and extensive - giving a letter grade to everything from party favours to keyboard symbols - and there's much more besides.
Have you ever received a forwarded email referring to the "Darwin Awards"? Well this is their official site. Endure strings of emails no more, here you can read all about every Award right from the source. For the uninitiated, Darwin Awards are awarded annually to people who have done the most to improve the human gene pool by removing themselves from it in spectacularly idiotic fashion. Morbid, unpleasant, original, very funny.
Any site which can generate references in media ranging from online comics to computing magazines has attained true legend status. This list is one such. Ripping off just about every cliché ever employed by an "Evil Overlord" villain, the list doubles as a reference for budding writers who don't want carbon-copy antagonists. Peter Anspach, you are a legend. Read the Top 100, the Cellblocks A and B (the next 131), and have a browse around the rest of the site while you're at it.
Oddly named? Yes. But don't let that put you off, this site is a must-see for any Tolkien fan with a warped sense of humour. The heart of the site is the absolutely legendary Tolkien Sarcasm page, a collection of the best Tolkien humour ever to hit Usenet or the net at large.
If you've played two or more console RPGs, especially of Japanese provenance (like there's any other kind worth playing), you'll most likely have noticed some similarities. You're not alone. Here is the nearest thing you'll find to a definitive list of CRPG clichés. WARNING: This page has been known to cause convulsive fits of laughter and strange looks from others in the room. Please be careful, this is heavy-duty hilarity you're playing with.
Ahh, UF, king of online comic strips, bastion of geekdom. If your association with computers goes deeper than random surfing, instant messaging and the odd email, then check this out. It may be a bit subtle for the less tech-aware - but that's no excuse!
Like they say - "Is it not nifty?" This is one classic comic. Start from the beginning of the archives and work your way through to the present - it might seem like a lot but when you're done you'll wish it had lasted longer. As the person who started me on Sluggy Freelance said, those who read the lot "will probably stay in a bubble of pure joy for the rest of their lives".
So Sluggy's the funniest of web comics, but GPF is a great all-rounder. There's the humour, of course, but what sets General Protection Fault apart are its plotlines. Atmospheric and dramatic, then engaging and even touching by turns. It's a compulsory daily read.
A deeply entertaining comic, blending sitcom-style reality humour with occasional outlandish events and a delightful level of self-awareness in the characters. Just be on the lookout for in-jokes referring to a range of computer games, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Falcon Reach (FR) is a small story-telling role-play hosted on Yahoo! Groups. It combines familiar RP elements (elves, dragons, quests) with a detailed and original world. New characters are quickly accommodated, and though the story tends to lapse at times, there is usually plenty happening to get it moving again.
The Gambling Table is a very large, very active story-telling role-playing forum in the Mallorean Tavern. Set in the world of David Eddings' Belgariad, the GT has been running for years. This large history can make it a little difficult for newcomers to follow the story and start out a new character, but the players are friendly and helpful.
