Classic Conversation Thread

[DeeCee]

8 minutes ago, damnitgeorge08 said:

I thought there already was one.  

 

Isn’t that YouTube Red?

[Premium George]

19 minutes ago, DeeReyEgonnnnn said:

I thought there already was one.  

 

Isn’t that YouTube Red?

Red is Netflix like model, for original programming on YouTube.

[DeeCee]

I love the cricket field placement in The Big Sick. 

[4815162342]

1 hour ago, MCKillswitch123 said:

Is that a good hmm or a bad hmm?

 

For your iteration, I'd say it's a good hmm from myself. Although, and take this as completely constructive and/or as different point of view, but the reason why I didn't include such side quests as Kahoku's missing marines and Cerberus and Batarians and stuff like that is because I feel like the search for Saren has too much urgency to get distracted with these side shows. He is a rogue ex-Spectre who murdered one of the Council's greatest agents, is on the loose and with Prothean technology on his hand. It's kind of a big deal, and I feel like it's best to get the Saren stuff out of the way and then take the unspecified bridge of time between ME1 and ME2 (according to the webz, they say ME2 starts one month after ME1; but honestly, you can push that number to more time than that and it barely makes a difference) to go after Cerberus and the Batarians and the like. I also think 3 episodes in the Citadel (at the beggining) might be a bit much. I know that the Citadel usually takes around an hour's worth of exploration, but again, I think that parts of that can be introduced more seamlessly in the plot later down the line. But still, I very much salute you for your different approach, and how you take your sweet time to present everything.

 

 

I disagree, I never felt any sense of urgency in ME1 until Virmire hit. The Council is more like "yeah yeah you proved he was crooked, how smart of you, now go leave us alone and do your Spectre thing." It also felt way too contrived that you had no leads and no clues whatsoever and then suddenly within a minute of convincing the Council Udina and Anderson are like "yo I got 3 leads for you"

 

I felt it important for the audience to see Shepard do Spectre things that build his legacy beyond just the hunt for Saren, which can explain why later events are more fixated on him.

 

[MCKillswitch123]

2 hours ago, 4815162342 said:

 

I disagree, I never felt any sense of urgency in ME1 until Virmire hit. The Council is more like "yeah yeah you proved he was crooked, how smart of you, now go leave us alone and do your Spectre thing." It also felt way too contrived that you had no leads and no clues whatsoever and then suddenly within a minute of convincing the Council Udina and Anderson are like "yo I got 3 leads for you"

 

I felt it important for the audience to see Shepard do Spectre things that build his legacy beyond just the hunt for Saren, which can explain why later events are more fixated on him.

 

Fair enough points regarding the game not presenting such urgency, and I absolutely agree that sometimes the Council looked like they didn't give a shit, but I think that's simply because that, even with the evidence, they refused to believe that Saren would betray them. It's basically a question of ego, as well as superiority in their part towards the human kind (in another words, racism).

 

But that is why I structured the show not as the Normandy going after leads, but straight up going after Saren. And because you do have a point that the sense of urgency for what I see as a big deal scenario (again, a rogue Spectre playing with Prothean technology sounds pretty dangerous to everyone) is underplayed, some creative liberty to pull stronger stakes is required: the Council turns Shep into a Spectre, but it's only temporary. Bring Saren to them and make him answer to the Citadel Court in X amount of time (maybe 1-2 weeks), and he gets a permanent spot as a Spectre, besides of course being declared as a hero for potentially saving many lives. Fail to do that, and humans never get another shot at being a Spectre. This rather harsh decision sparks some debate between the councilors during the show, as some feel like Shep shouldn't be given the weight of all of humanity's efforts and possibilities, past, present and future, to take a Spectre position; while others feel like the necessary precaution to force the Normandy into quick action.

 

Then, to counteract the well pointed (from your part) contrivedness of SHEP HAS NO IDEA BUT THE OTHERS HAVE 3 LEADS IN 1 SWOOP YAAAAYYYYYY, in my take of the show, which I try to build on logic, first of all, Shepard himself asks the Council, who had said that they will strip Saren of his Spectre status, to not officially do it just yet, as his information is still avaliable on Spectre Terminal, and that's info that they can use. A risky decision, as it continues to give Saren access to dangerous resources for his use, but nevertheless, they go with his plan. Then, they acquire information of the planet with the most recent traces of Saren in the Spectre Terminal (which seems to have a lot of convenient details on other Spectres according to ME3, so why not the whereabouts of Spectres, including Saren? Who knows, just follow me for a second ), and they conclude that Feros is that planet. However, they also get the information that Saren has plans to reach Therum in order to find the whereabouts of Liara T'Soni, one of the followers of an Asari matriarch allegedly aligned with Saren (Benezia), and they believe that they might catch Liara AND Saren both if they make it to Therum in time. LOGIC. Then, because Saren escapes and disappears before the Normandy can catch him (and it's unlikely that you'll just find someone in open space like that), Shep, as he awaits a response from Spectre Terminal about the next most recent trace of Saren, decides to fly to Feros to get more information on Saren's motivations, encountering the Thorian and the Asari that Saren sold off to it (Shiala, another Benezia follower). LOGIC. As Shep is informed about Noveria being that place he asked (though Shiala does tell them that Noveria is where Benezia is, but she's unaware of where Saren is headed to), the Normandy crew fly there, where they get the info from Benezia that Virmire is where Saren has everything packed up. LOGIC. And to Ilos, well, don't wanna use Spectre Terminal as Batman's utility belt all the time, and it's not even logically possible as the Normandy was on lockdown and Shepard stripped of his Spectre title as a result, so let's come up with the convient enough explanation that Tali, being an expert technician, placed a hidden tracker on Saren himself, that tracks them to an underground bunker in Ilos. Why didn't they just fly from Virmire to Ilos directly, you might ask? Because, for reasons, it malfunctioned at 1st and then Tali got to fix it, but by the time they got it to work, they were too close to the Citadel (who had sent them an immediate 'report here' message) to turn back. Yeah, I need to work on this part, but still, LOGIC.

 

That doesn't sound all too contrived to me, I think. A bit complicated to read maybe, but I definitely sense a logic pattern. Modesty aside, I'm a better writer than everyone at BioWare combined  (Now watch as you manage to uncover 200 plotholes in my logic )

Edited December 8, 2017 by MCKillswitch123

[RandomCat]

18 minutes ago, MCKillswitch123 said:

Fair enough points regarding the game not presenting such urgency, and I absolutely agree that sometimes the Council looked like they didn't give a shit, but I think that's simply because that, even with the evidence, they refused to believe that Saren would betray them. It's basically a question of ego, as well as superiority in their part towards the human kind (in another words, racism).

 

But that is why I structured the show not as the Normandy going after leads, but straight up going after Saren. And because you do have a point that the sense of urgency for what I see as a big deal scenario (again, a rogue Spectre playing with Prothean technology sounds pretty dangerous to everyone) is underplayed, some creative liberty to pull stronger stakes is required: the Council turns Shep into a Spectre, but it's only temporary. Bring Saren to them and make him answer to the Citadel Court in X amount of time (maybe 1-2 weeks), and he gets a permanent spot as a Spectre, besides of course being declared as a hero for potentially saving many lives. Fail to do that, and humans never get another shot at being a Spectre. This rather harsh decision sparks some debate between the councilors during the show, as some feel like Shep shouldn't be given the weight of all of humanity's efforts and possibilities, past, present and future, to take a Spectre position; while others feel like the necessary precaution to force the Normandy into quick action.

 

Then, to counteract the well pointed (from your part) contrivedness of SHEP HAS NO IDEA BUT THE OTHERS HAVE 3 LEADS IN 1 SWOOP YAAAAYYYYYY, in my take of the show, which I try to build on logic, first of all, Shepard himself asks the Council, who had said that they will strip Saren of his Spectre status, to not officially do it just yet, as his information is still avaliable on Spectre Terminal, and that's info that they can use. A risky decision, as it continues to give Saren access to dangerous resources for his use, but nevertheless, they go with his plan. Then, they acquire information of the planet with the most recent traces of Saren in the Spectre Terminal (which seems to have a lot of convenient details on other Spectres according to ME3, so why not the whereabouts of Spectres, including Saren? Who knows, just follow me for a second ), and they conclude that Feros is that planet. However, they also get the information that Saren has plans to reach Therum in order to find the whereabouts of Liara T'Soni, one of the followers of an Asari matriarch allegedly aligned with Saren (Benezia), and they believe that they might catch Liara AND Saren both if they make it to Therum in time. LOGIC. Then, because Saren escapes and disappears before the Normandy can catch him (and it's unlikely that you'll just find someone in open space like that), Shep, as he awaits a response from Spectre Terminal about the next most recent trace of Saren, decides to fly to Feros to get more information on Saren's motivations, encountering the Thorian and the Asari that Saren sold off to it (Shiala, another Benezia follower). LOGIC. As Shep is informed about Noveria being that place he asked (though Shiala does tell them that Noveria is where Benezia is, but she's unaware of where Saren is headed to), the Normandy crew fly there, where they get the info from Benezia that Virmire is where Saren has everything packed up. LOGIC. And to Ilos, well, don't wanna use Spectre Terminal as Batman's utility belt all the time, and it's not even logically possible as the Normandy was on lockdown and Shepard stripped of his Spectre title as a result, so let's come up with the convient enough explanation that Tali, being an expert technician, placed a hidden tracker on Saren himself, that tracks them to an underground bunker in Ilos. Why didn't they just fly from Virmire to Ilos directly, you might ask? Because, for reasons, it malfunctioned at 1st and then Tali got to fix it, but by the time they got it to work, they were too close to the Citadel (who had sent them an immediate 'report here' message) to turn back. Yeah, I need to work on this part, but still, LOGIC.

 

That doesn't sound all too contrived to me, I think. A bit complicated to read maybe, but I definitely sense a logic pattern. Modesty aside, I'm a better writer than everyone at BioWare combined  (Now watch as you manage to uncover 200 plotholes in my logic )

I think I'm more in the camp of drawing out ME1, and making it feel less rushed, since the game itself didn't feel rushed, unlike 2 & 3. I don't think you could get ME1 into a 13 episode season easily, and should give it time to breath in it's own space. There is a lot of small things that would be lost about the charm of ME if it's rushed.

[IronJimbo]

9 hours ago, Lor San Tele said:

So I just found out on twitter that square dancing was popularized in a racist effort to destroy jazz, and that quicksand porn is a thing. 

it sure is kidding

[MCKillswitch123]

8 minutes ago, Sand-omJC said:

I think I'm more in the camp of drawing out ME1, and making it feel less rushed, since the game itself didn't feel rushed, unlike 2 & 3. I don't think you could get ME1 into a 13 episode season easily, and should give it time to breath in it's own space. There is a lot of small things that would be lost about the charm of ME if it's rushed.

I feel ya, fair enough. Again, to me, it's not as much about rushing as it is about trying to live up to the sense of urgency that I think ME1's story at least should've had (and I personally feel like it's best to straight up going after Saren rather than taking care of a few Cerberus and Batarian soldiers first and then doing that), and I also think that, because ME1's story is methodically paced, it's easy for it to drag if we draw out certain elements a little too long. BUT I do agree that ME is effective through its pacing and that maybe small moments wouldn't quite fit in a slightly overstuffed 13 episode season (though I'd try my damndest).

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by MCKillswitch123

[RandomCat]

1 minute ago, MCKillswitch123 said:

I feel ya, fair enough. Again, to me, it's not as much about rushing as it is about trying to live up to the sense of urgency that I think ME1's story at least should've had, but I also agree that ME is effective through its pacing and that maybe small moments wouldn't quite fit in a slightly overstuffed 13 episode season (though I'd try my damndest).

I think you can still have a sense of urgency, and still have a slower pace. Just introduce roadblocks every so often, or every so often have someone ask for favor, or order them to do something. Like Anderson going "Hey, can I get some help with this Moonbase problem". Something that really can't just be dealt with by regular people.

 

I think it would be better served by a 20+ episode season, or split amongst two 13 episode seasons.

[4815162342]

10 minutes ago, MCKillswitch123 said:

I feel ya, fair enough. Again, to me, it's not as much about rushing as it is about trying to live up to the sense of urgency that I think ME1's story at least should've had (and I personally feel like it's best to straight up going after Saren rather than taking care of a few Cerberus and Batarian soldiers first and then doing that), and I also think that, because ME1's story is methodically paced, it's easy for it to drag if we draw out certain elements a little too long. BUT I do agree that ME is effective through its pacing and that maybe small moments wouldn't quite fit in a slightly overstuffed 13 episode season (though I'd try my damndest).

 

 

The other thing I would note is that the Normandy is an Alliance ship and Shepard retains an Alliance rank, so spreading things out a little allows you to explore the impact of the Alliance on the Galaxy.

[RandomCat]

Think I may try my hand at planning a season, when I have time.

[MCKillswitch123]

25 minutes ago, Sand-omJC said:

I think you can still have a sense of urgency, and still have a slower pace. Just introduce roadblocks every so often, or every so often have someone ask for favor, or order them to do something. Like Anderson going "Hey, can I get some help with this Moonbase problem". Something that really can't just be dealt with by regular people.

 

I think it would be better served by a 20+ episode season, or split amongst two 13 episode seasons.

That I actually did include in my made-up Season 1 - two ally-exclusive assignments, Garrus' Dr. Saleon and Tali's Pilgrimage gift missions, are both included (albeit the Pilgrimage mission is pretty different from the original - in this version, it's part of the Virmire saga), as well as few of the Citadel side quests. I guess I could send some squadmates into side quests during Season 1 as well, although one of my favored directions was to have everyone interact and have a strong bond by the end of the season. It's the reason why I also included a lot of character development and conversation scenes in between the big mission stuff. The idea was to put a lot more focus on the side quest stuff in Season 2, where we'd get a lot more of Cerberus and a lot more side quest-inspired or directly ripped from stuff (Bring Down The Sky, Missing Marines and Overlord, i.e., are all in my Season 2 draft).

 

But again, yes, I see your point and I agree that it probably would be a more sensible way to pull it off. I would love it if both the slower paced, drawn out through multiple seasons version and the faster paced, done in 1 season version would be avaliable for all of us to see, enjoy and compare

 

@4815162342 That's actually a very good point. Didn't even think of it that way. Dammit, you and your convincing arguments.  

Edited December 8, 2017 by MCKillswitch123

[CJohn]

Time to start The Crown's season 2.

[Dementeleus]

 

[filmlover]

Just now, Lor San Tele said:

 

California, feh.

[WrathOfHan]

1 minute ago, CJohn said:

Time to start The Crown's season 2.

Oh shit, I forgot that's today  Good, I need this.

[filmlover]

1 minute ago, WrathOfHan said:

Oh shit, I forgot that's today  Good, I need this.

You going to Epcot to see LEGEND KURT RUSSELL tell the story of Christmas this weekend?

[AJG]

I don’t normally watch reality shows but Black Ink Crew is incredible television.

 

“On my first day of kindergarten I got jumped by 4 dudes. Thats when I knew - the streets is rough.” 

[DAR]

8 minutes ago, Lor San Tele said:

 

Except the better option is directly above it.

[WrathOfHan]

11 minutes ago, filmlover said:

You going to Epcot to see LEGEND KURT RUSSELL tell the story of Christmas this weekend?

No