tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post2524708603954713239..comments2024-03-29T20:04:30.755+08:00Comments on Monsters and Manuals: Noisms' Theory of Scientastic MisalignmentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-63619415551119376062020-01-12T19:19:27.443+08:002020-01-12T19:19:27.443+08:00I thought the super advanced alien robots turning ...I thought the super advanced alien robots turning up at the end of AI Artificial Intelligence felt that way. But I realised eventually from watching Rob Ager video that there was possibly a subtle theme about the robots creating disposable humans (the 'mother') for the pleasure of the child robot, ie repeating the original cycle of exploitation. Not certain that Spielberg actually intended it, but a lot better than pure schmaltz!Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-10968767016320506552020-01-02T20:26:33.050+08:002020-01-02T20:26:33.050+08:00JJ Abrams did it in the newest Star Wars, too.
At ...JJ Abrams did it in the newest Star Wars, too.<br />At first he sets an abitrariely short time frame (The First Order will attack within 24 hours), and then has the heroes travel another three or four planets, travel to the core worlds assemble an fleet, and bring this fleet in time for the end battle.<br />I don't know how to describe it, but it feels just off.Klaus Gerkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04364552750137989056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-26704524750581362342019-12-28T00:39:54.283+08:002019-12-28T00:39:54.283+08:00I shouldn't engage in an internet/StarWars/phy...I shouldn't engage in an internet/StarWars/physics argument, but I can't help myself.<br /><br />(a) The official explanation is that they're magnetic projectiles that are launched, not gravity-based bombs. https://pp.userapi.com/c841429/v841429484/4838b/2QSFsgFvJmk.jpg <br /><br />(b) Complaining about real world space physics in Star Wars is a bit rich. The fighters all bank and roll like WWII craft flying through an air atmosphere. There is sound and huge explosions without any oxygen. None of it makes any sense in space. Why should bombers be any different?<br /><br />(c) Even if the bombs had been gravity based, and even we insisted on real-world gravity physics in Star Wars space, the bombers wouldn't be objectionable. There's gravity on ships in Star Wars. Always has been. When the bombs are released, they drop within the ship, then continue along the same trajectory in space (why would they stop?). It makes total sense if you think about it. <br /><br />(d) There are space bombers in Empire Strikes Back. <br /><br />Ivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923725063649465366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-9004937128508265802019-12-26T22:22:20.961+08:002019-12-26T22:22:20.961+08:00>>>nobody wonders how a lightsaber is act...>>>nobody wonders how a lightsaber is actually supposed to work.<br /><br />Lucas' Star Wars always seemed at least technically plausible, but when the Last Jedi opened up with space bombers, I knew I was in for a mind numbing 2 hr journey into idiocy. Someone, anyone, on that production should have whispered, eh, Mr. Johnson, there is no gravity in space....DHBoggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02170439175265397893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-48728253719062176972019-12-26T18:51:31.888+08:002019-12-26T18:51:31.888+08:00Yeah, I read it at around 20ish and at a similar p...Yeah, I read it at around 20ish and at a similar pace. I'm not sure how I would feel about it now if I were reading it for the first time.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-3412830547132526982019-12-25T08:38:59.500+08:002019-12-25T08:38:59.500+08:00not relevant to the post but:
The Guns of Navaron...not relevant to the post but:<br /><br />The Guns of Navarone @14min - assembling a crack team there is a strong emphasis on speciality - a character is low level generally but very high level in some skill. I actually think Gygax is right (but I associate high level with high mental stats) and yet there should be more freedom for astonishing excellence in special areas.<br /><br />For example a Fighter with level expertise in climbing<br />or<br />A Wizard with level expertise in Hide in shadows.Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-64019344997689502002019-12-25T08:17:19.106+08:002019-12-25T08:17:19.106+08:00I notice that most of my players (nearly all of on...I notice that most of my players (nearly all of one group and about half of another) fall back on 'real world' physics and other considerations easily, quickly, and often. <br /><br />Me, I have the same outlook today that I've had since 1977 - figure out the rules of the setting and use them. <br /><br />When playing Star Wars I just assume Ships jump to Hyperspace, Lightsabers activate when you turn them on, and droids are artificially intelligent and feel pain. Why? Because that's how it is in Star Wars and I don't even think about it beyond that. Model #1.<br /><br />When playing Traveller, I tend to lean more towards real science and Model #2 of your example. Why? Again, that's just how it is in Traveller. It's what makes Traveller Traveller. <br /><br />Star Trek, my favorite setting and subject, is very much Model #3.<br /><br />Now, if I could just get players to stop trying to make every game, in every genre, regardless of setting in Model #1, that would be sweet. Adam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-23141341427394464502019-12-24T04:36:57.682+08:002019-12-24T04:36:57.682+08:00There's also the issue of consistency. I can u...There's also the issue of consistency. I can usually roll with soft as pudding Marvel science, but how Antman size changing works is so wildly inconsistent that it's hard to swallow.Boshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06908715118408289864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-89307358782174362482019-12-23T19:06:47.743+08:002019-12-23T19:06:47.743+08:00Is that the third one? My toleration for his Trek ...Is that the third one? My toleration for his Trek films rapidly dimished after the first one. I did see "Into Darkness" but thought it was complete tripe.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-63878239675119873312019-12-23T19:05:50.354+08:002019-12-23T19:05:50.354+08:00Yes, that's another example where it does sort...Yes, that's another example where it does sort of work in the context of a sudden insertion of high fantasy into a pseudo-SF framework.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-69876982332680503722019-12-23T19:04:33.453+08:002019-12-23T19:04:33.453+08:00I read it at the right age - about 16 I think. I r...I read it at the right age - about 16 I think. I read the first volume cover to cover in two days. I suspect if I had come across it at the age I am now I would have found it laughable.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-70643177361308569722019-12-23T09:27:40.191+08:002019-12-23T09:27:40.191+08:00Abram's Trek even eliminates the need to have ...Abram's Trek even eliminates the need to have starships when there are transporters that can reach from Earth's solar system to the Klingon homeworld. Even fantasy flops when the entire setup is nulified for story.JDsivrajhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10674833512849495283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-19153980973443210382019-12-23T04:28:05.342+08:002019-12-23T04:28:05.342+08:00Hmmm. Would one count Dune as a story where fantas...Hmmm. Would one count Dune as a story where fantastic elements where injected into hard-seeming SF? The first act is oddly feudal but never egregiously so - House Atreides could easily be a megacoprp of some kind - and tends to have a clear account of technologies or the lack thereof, but the way the plot develops adds a dollop of (effectively) fantasy. Solomon VKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11763252777153908412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-20768293790602613542019-12-22T00:16:50.990+08:002019-12-22T00:16:50.990+08:00Yes, Night's Dawn shouldn't work at all bu...Yes, <i>Night's Dawn</i> shouldn't work at all but somehow it does, I think perhaps because it commits to the "silliness" and runs with it. There's no sense that Hamilton is at all embarrassed at what he is doing and that confidence carries you along.<br /><br />I've never tried to explain the story to anyone, but I imagine if I did they would scoff at it.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.com