Nonek

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/29/travel/stars-wars-force-awakens-island-skellig-michael/ Knew i'd seen it before, much appreciated.

That island which Luke was hiding upon, I was reminded of the small Monk Isles off of the Scottish and Irish coast, where they pursued their faith from an almost hermit like existence. I wonder if it was filmed upon one of them.

Intermissions seem to be the obvious solution, when were they dispensed with?

High Risk, an old heist movie, short, sweet and rather good I thought with an excellent cast that were largely unused but added to the ambience of the piece. Strange to see four North American gentlemen heading south into Central America on the hunt for better economic prospects, quite a reversal and one that doesn't exactly go to plan. Sheriff Bart and the Six Million Dollar Woman are welcome surprises in the cast, as is James Brolin who carries off the lead with nonchalance, that chap never seemed to fulfill his potential.

Hmmm I didn't see it that way, his wounds were powering his rage Sith style, thus why the chap kept exacerbating them by hitting his wounded side, he had finally found focus and made a decision by slaying his father, and to be honest I felt he was just playing with Finn. He might be busy completing his training, but Ray beat him totally untrained and will have Lukes tutelage next time they meet (one assumes,) so the odds are she'll humiliate him then as well. If I were the director at that point i'd have had the splitting apart planet save Ray, instead of the other way around, and maintain some sense of inherent danger in Mr Ren. It would be more refreshing I think to not see him follow a Vader arc, but commit himself fully to the Sith doctrine, and be somewhat of a surprise to break away from what was a rather derivative first showing. However I acknowledge your scenario is far more likely.

I wonder how Mr Ren will remain a threat in the next movie of this trilogy? After all he was beaten quite handily by Ray at the end of their duel, though one supposes that might have been Mr Skywalker manipulating her, with all the close up of the eyes and whatnot. Still it seems to be a stumble in maintaining old horse face as a credible antagonist. Edit: The First Order speech, somebody should have pointed the gentlemen to Brian Cox' performance in Killzone, probably the high point of that whole series.

I would bemoan the responsibility that has unknowingly been placed upon me, then after a period of self pity get to work in using that time and money to help humanity in some manner: Unlock cold fusion, solve the climate problem, expand humanity into the cosmos, find a means of gifting Mars with a potent magnetic field like Earths etcetera. Edit: As Mr Orogun so rightly points out, turn humanity to the worship of the gibbering horrors from between the stars, or Cthulu if pressed for a more local candidate. Just in case.

The world has just become a prettier but less interesting place, god rest Mr Kilmister. I dedicate a song evocative of how I thought I would remain after attending my first Motorhead gig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0rgmNPWYxs

I have to agree with you Mr Deranged, the Aen Elle did not fulfill the potential they had shown before, after all they were the pioneers who were working on the genes that made Ciri what she is. Personally (and I think i've stated this before) i'd have had almost the same situation but i'd have rolled in a number of playable flashbacks to Geralts time among the Dearg Rhudri, and ultimately his escape thanks to Ciri. This could have arisen organically much like the flasbacks in the second game and illustrated the characters and danger they represent to the Witcher and his world. I'd have also made another change: I would have the Aen Elle somehow have turned, under Eredin's leadership, to the service of the White Frost and thus account for their elemental powers and poisoning of the Erl King. They would serve the elemental force in order to spare their own world, or for individuals like Eredin more likely for personal power, and thus be granted a measure of its influence. The transformation of the White Frost from a natural phenomena on the Witcher's world to a semi sentient entity swallowing worlds required something like this, a little more setup as well, and some warning that there are wolves in the shadows as Geralt faces down the Hunt. I did like the fact that this turned out to be not Geralts story, that he was neither protagonist or hero, and this fit with the books which quickly dispatched the Witcher in favour of his ward. However I don't think that it was done in a well explained enough fashion, and it also needed as good an opponent and foil as Letho or Jacque/Alvin. The game in my opinion suffered because of this, even though i'm still enjoying it and remain very satisfied.

In case of robbery I carry a pocket full of lollipops at all times. It's amazing how being offered a wowwipop can disarm even the most aggressive individual, i've even bribed Jehovah's Witnesses with them long enough to get away. Edit: Well off on sunny jolly hols one goes, goodbye cruel fora, may sweet dreams sweep me to your bosom ere we meet anew. Ta ta.

That's not what the game did.

I disagree, these scenarios all emphasise how the character should outgrow her, as both tutor, bonded partner and authority figure. When she shows her blind spots, her speciesism for instance and weakness in failing to make use of the Droids, her lack of empathy that reveals various weaknesses in her while she chides you, her inability to snoop on Bao Dur's mind because of the tighter bond that you two bare, and of course her jealous, romantic obsession with the Exile that leaves her betrayed by her own feelings. These are all points where the Exile should be choosing his own path, learning from her, but not in the manner in which she is suggesting. The game does not state this at any point but the sad tale of her life and the indignities she has suffered should point this out to anyone who is paying attention. The Exile should be pursuing his own path, taking heed of all that she says, and all that she does not say. It is demonstrated in almost every cutscene in which you are not present that you should not trust this woman, nor believe her, even graphically with her hood always raised she remains hidden and obscured, just as she means to. Only a fool would follow her advice, and only a fool would fail to take what one can from her. For me she is not an annoying hag but a beautiful and perilous femme fatale, and a refreshing change from the usual squeeing girl child we are flooded with on a day to day basis. Edit: I'm really in fine arguing fettle today.

I disagree categorically. Torment achieves many satisfying resolutions in spades, it however also leaves so many questions unanswered due to the nature of Nameless' condition and resolution, and prompts interest in both the setting and the game through doing so. Personally I prefer the unanswered questions and prefer a little mystery and speculation, leaves a little room for the imagination to fill in the gaps, and the audience to be kept on the edge of their seat. Unless seats are not edgy enough for them. Whole centuries of lifetimes lie behind the Nameless One come the end, I don't think there'd be enough time for a dry recitation of every fact from every one, and it would probably bore one stiff and destroy the pacing of the Fortress of Regrets.

Yes, the way she's written shoves her down the player's throat. You can't ignore her, there's just no way to do so. When playing an RPG, I value freedom of choice - not being able to choose characters I travel with (and she always travels with you) quite simply feels like a downside to me. As for being annoying, I'm glad you liked her. She just doesn't gel well with how KOTOR works, her advice is disassociated from what gameplay encourages you to do and there's no way to shut her up from constantly forcing you into decisions which don't necessarily suit your character. In the way she works she'd be a fantastic character for a book, but I'm not a fan of how she's implemented into a videogame. Are you contradicting me just for the sake of being contradictory? Of course her character arc is easy to understand, understanding and appreciating something are not one and the same. You said earlier that you're unsure whether her story arc would be suitable for your kids, I thought you're posting this in order to get opinions - I am of the opinion that I've appreciated her mainly because of my experience with other games and media, I'm sorry. 1 & 2. I personally prefer well written and thematically powerful NPCs over being spoilt for choice over who your character develops a force bond with. Players nowadays have too much freedom of choice, look at the walking simulator genre, one can do anything but nothing is achieved, no impact is made and no choice recognised. RPGs are about reactivity, not lets pretend that doesn't even need a computer to indulge in. Kreia gels perfectly well with the game, she uses both sides of the force as she wishes and tells you she is wont to do, none of her decisions are forced upon you and can be refused easily enough. She's a very well made character whether in book or game, as the Sith Lords amply demonstrates. 3. Partly yes, however I am saying that one does not need experience in RPGs to appreciate her character, its quite easy to do so for anyone who can read, listen and think. I was not doubtful of Kreia's story and never said so, more the horror elements Mr Avellone inserted into the game, Peregus, Sion, Nihlus etc, and I am simply giving my own opinion, i'm sorry if that runs contrary to the character being forced upon you. Edit: Who is Wedge, how badly did his buttocks fare at school, and why did his parents hate him so?

Brings to mind the film Gattaca and the Eddison quote about genius being mostly perspiration over inspiration.

If you disliked any other character you could just leave them behind on ship and (almost)never interact with them again. It was apparent -someone- wanted player to take note of her whether player wanted or not. The way Kreia functions contradicts the game's mechanics, which is probably also the biggest downfall of that particular character. KOTOR is built in such a way that choosing a side and always sticking to it brings you great benefits - doing anything but that weakens the player character. Absolutely, and that doesn't apply to the force alone - she was generally written as a character to deconstruct binary decisions in RPG genre overall. Which is why I'm saying that the more experience you have with the genre and generally with binary ideologies, the more you'll appreciate the character. Kind of like RPGs, fantasy and appreciating the entirety of Planescape: Torment 1. There's a narrative reason for this with the player being force bonded to her, it is perfectly reasonable to expect her to be a vocal presence (and in character) rather than the unpaid slaves that other NPCs usually are. 2. This still doesn't make her an "annoying hag." 3. One just needs a basic level of intelligence, though well written her arc is hardly complicated or incomprehensible.

I liked her from my first playthrough, and never felt that she was an "annoying hag" or shoved down my throat. Her points were fair, her advice though obviously biased and quite manipulative was on the whole wise, she is fighting a worthwhile cause trying to end the binary tyranny of the force, and as the player interacts with her they can find where her vulnerabilities lie, her speciesism, her lack of empathy, her counter-productive ruthlessness. She is as I said one of the finest characters in games, and I believe a perfect tool for deconstructing the simplistic and stupid nature of the force.

Hasn't the humble fern plant survived quite a few?

I would say KotOR II is in order by the time the kids start to ask questions like "What is good? What is evil?" and such. Yes they're already finding problems with the binary morality, partly thanks to Jolee Bindo, which is why I think that it might be time to introduce a character who deconstructs the nature of the force. Why would you inflict Kreia upon your own children? Edit: Do you just want to familiarize them with your plan of installing webcams all across your house and surrounding neighborhood and then calling them with sage advice every time they do something? To familiarise them with one of the finest characters ever created in video games.

Is it worth noting that the most successful lifeforms don't really need intelligence, and in fact would probably regard it as a hindrance? Edit: Though it could be argued that we are approaching these simple lifeforms adaptability from another direction.

From what I understand of the genetic structure of humanity it is a spiderweb, scientists expected a great many more genes to be present each controlling one thing and found far fewer, and our makeup was spread amongst an intricate web where tweaking one thing has a ripple effecting producing unusual side effects. Thus it is not quite as simple as isolating one gene, one must tweak an entire pattern and hope the side effects are not so detrimental. I may be wrong however, this is just from reading an authors submitted summary of his work. Edit: I want more life ******!

I've heard nothing but squealing about the film since the kids saw it, to sate that little obsession i've introduced them to KotOR, they're enjoying themselves and arguing about the light or dark side choices. I'm really not sure whether the Sith Lords is appropriate however, though i'd like them to experience Kreia.

From what little I saw of him when not snoozing I was similarly unimpressed, but the thought of Kreia being the antagonist instead...you know if I were Disney i'd simply make the two KotOR games into films, they're halfway there already and just need a competent hand to polish and distill.

Personally I didn't find Poe's ruleset to be very attractive as a pen and paper gamer, far too 4th edition-ish and centred on combat, I would never use it in a tabletop game, and it is distasteful to be forced to when playing the CRPG. Of course combat heaviness is a pillar of this IE successor, there was a metric ton of filler in the BGs as well, and one had to include such I imagine to keep faith with the IE aesthetic. Still I find the ruleset tainting any enjotment I have, i'd far prefer a system that made more sense, did not have any classes, was far more transparent and ideally was turn based. At the moment there is a dissonance in the game, with an art style and subject matters that lean towards verisimilitude, and a ruleset that just handwaves away any semblance of internal consistency, and spits upon in game logic as not something to be worth aiming for. This also does nothing for me, and i'd far prefer more challenges, preparation, in depth exploration of a role and systems that grew with me rather than gave me everything at the beginning. That is just my personal opinion however.