Comments for Candleblog http://candleboy.com The online journal of Vermont filmmaker, Bill Simmon. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Comment on Defending and Defaming Watchmen by Chris Roberson http://candleboy.com/2009/03/09/defending-and-defaming-watchmen/comment-page-1/#comment-4236 Chris Roberson Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:36:00 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=233#comment-4236 "I have the feeling that if Zack Snyder directs music videos, he’s one of those directors that literally interprets song lyrics – so if the song has a lyric that goes “I’m drivin’ in my car, turn on the radio,” he shoots the singer driving his car and turning on his radio." This is sometimes called the "Lord Privy Seal." Wikipedia says: "In the British television industry, Lord Privy Seal is the practice of matching too literal imagery with every element of the accompanying spoken script." Richard Dawkins mentions it here: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/2394 “I have the feeling that if Zack Snyder directs music videos, he’s one of those directors that literally interprets song lyrics – so if the song has a lyric that goes “I’m drivin’ in my car, turn on the radio,” he shoots the singer driving his car and turning on his radio.”

This is sometimes called the “Lord Privy Seal.” Wikipedia says: “In the British television industry, Lord Privy Seal is the practice of matching too literal imagery with every element of the accompanying spoken script.”

Richard Dawkins mentions it here:

http://richarddawkins.net/articles/2394

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by Alex C http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4235 Alex C Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:53:09 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4235 Sorry to beat a dead comment thread, but thanks to GameFly, I just played Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, a spastic button masher with explosions and XP, which was clearly the inspiration for Dragon Age 2. ;-) (It's a pretty mediocre game, but at least they were trying to add RPG elements to a 3rd-person action game, not trying to dumb down a real RPG.) Sorry to beat a dead comment thread, but thanks to GameFly, I just played Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, a spastic button masher with explosions and XP, which was clearly the inspiration for Dragon Age 2.

;-)

(It’s a pretty mediocre game, but at least they were trying to add RPG elements to a 3rd-person action game, not trying to dumb down a real RPG.)

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by Alex C http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4230 Alex C Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:42:56 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4230 Game Informer magazine agrees with me. From their Top 10 Disappointments of 2011 article: Dragon Age II Even as we marveled at the advancements in the Mass Effect series, longtime BioWare fans loved Dragon Age: Origins for sticking close to the company’s turn-based, epic fantasy past. However, the rushed and misguided sequel felt like a slap to that core audience, with its stripped down, shallow button-mashing combat, small world, repetitive dungeons, and poor storytelling. This was the rare BioWare title that felt rushed and - even worse - halfhearted. Elder Scrolls Bugs We love The Elder Scrolls V. It's our Game of the Year for a reason. You know what we don't love? Having to keep 100 different save files because we spend our time in Skyrim in constant fear of random, quest-breaking bugs. From skeleton dragons flying backwards to giants sending guards hurtling into orbit, we've seen it all when it comes to bugs in this game. While patches have helped, your time in Skyrim may always be a buggy experience, and that's a shame. (And they must be right, since according to their web site, "Today, one in every forty people in the United States subscribes to Game Informer. With over 7 million paid subscribers, the popularity of the magazine has grown to become the 4th overall largest consumer publication in the United States.") Game Informer magazine agrees with me. From their Top 10 Disappointments of 2011 article:

Dragon Age II

Even as we marveled at the advancements in the Mass Effect series, longtime BioWare fans loved Dragon Age: Origins for sticking close to the company’s turn-based, epic fantasy past. However, the rushed and misguided sequel felt like a slap to that core audience, with its stripped down, shallow button-mashing combat, small world, repetitive dungeons, and poor storytelling. This was the rare BioWare title that felt rushed and – even worse – halfhearted.

Elder Scrolls Bugs

We love The Elder Scrolls V. It’s our Game of the Year for a reason. You know what we don’t love? Having to keep 100 different save files because we spend our time in Skyrim in constant fear of random, quest-breaking bugs. From skeleton dragons flying backwards to giants sending guards hurtling into orbit, we’ve seen it all when it comes to bugs in this game. While patches have helped, your time in Skyrim may always be a buggy experience, and that’s a shame.

(And they must be right, since according to their web site, “Today, one in every forty people in the United States subscribes to Game Informer. With over 7 million paid subscribers, the popularity of the magazine has grown to become the 4th overall largest consumer publication in the United States.”)

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by Raedia http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4222 Raedia Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:36:41 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4222 Alex - I never played DA Origins, but I got DA 2 for Xbox and I thought it was great. I'm a big bioware fan and I love the stories and personalities they put in there. (I'm playing Skyrim now, and I miss the unique individuals that DA had. Though Skyrim has a more fun and developed world, for sure). With combat, I really took advantage of the tactics system, so that I didn't have to micromanage during battles too much. YMMV though! Alex – I never played DA Origins, but I got DA 2 for Xbox and I thought it was great. I’m a big bioware fan and I love the stories and personalities they put in there. (I’m playing Skyrim now, and I miss the unique individuals that DA had. Though Skyrim has a more fun and developed world, for sure). With combat, I really took advantage of the tactics system, so that I didn’t have to micromanage during battles too much. YMMV though!

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by billsimmon http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4221 billsimmon Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:13:25 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4221 I can't believe I forgot about Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I actually really liked that film. It doesn't change my best-of picks, but it's a runner up (despite the fact that, as Emily points out, the title contains a double "of the," which is way awkward). I can’t believe I forgot about Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I actually really liked that film. It doesn’t change my best-of picks, but it’s a runner up (despite the fact that, as Emily points out, the title contains a double “of the,” which is way awkward).

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by Alex C http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4220 Alex C Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:04:42 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4220 Rae - I have no problem with any of your game choices, except one. Dragon Age 2 was a huge disappointment for me. I found the combat to be spastic and irritating -- things are either moving too fast or paused at an arbitrary moment either just too soon or just too late to give an appropriate command -- and as with DA:O, I continue to find the world deliberately mundane and colorless. Were you playing it on PC or console? I was on console -- do you think that makes a difference? Rae – I have no problem with any of your game choices, except one. Dragon Age 2 was a huge disappointment for me. I found the combat to be spastic and irritating — things are either moving too fast or paused at an arbitrary moment either just too soon or just too late to give an appropriate command — and as with DA:O, I continue to find the world deliberately mundane and colorless.

Were you playing it on PC or console? I was on console — do you think that makes a difference?

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by Raedia http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4219 Raedia Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:01:43 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4219 I scoff at your puny games review! Here are my favorites of the year, in approximate order: Indie Games: Stacking Bastion Iron Brigade ilomilo Big Releases: Portal 2 Skyrim Dragon Age 2 Gears of War 3 Deux Ex: Human Revolution Assassin's Creed Revelations Batman Arkham City L.A. Noire I scoff at your puny games review! Here are my favorites of the year, in approximate order:

Indie Games:
Stacking
Bastion
Iron Brigade
ilomilo

Big Releases:
Portal 2
Skyrim
Dragon Age 2
Gears of War 3
Deux Ex: Human Revolution
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
Batman Arkham City
L.A. Noire

]]> Comment on 2011 year in [geek] review by David Traver Adolphus http://candleboy.com/2011/12/29/2011-year-in-geek-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4217 David Traver Adolphus Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:36:08 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=583#comment-4217 I went into Cap'n America with high expectations, and Thor with extremely low ones. As a result I ended up severely disappointed with America, but thoroughly enjoyed Thor. I'd like to recommend Patrick Lee's 2010-2011 "Breach" trilogy, The Breach, Ghost Country and Deep Sky as the Sci-Fi of the year. In spite of certain appearances it is definitely Sci-Fi, and perhaps the best of its particular kind I've read, in my 30-plus years of reading Sci-Fi. I actually can't say what it's specialty is without a spoiler...suffice it to say, it's an incredible job of leading up the the conclusion of the third book (released this week). Game of Thrones has bored me to tears. But then, I always thought the books were incredibly overrated potboilers. For games, I'm still working on Dragon Age--although persistent DRM/add-on authorization problems have just about ruined it for me. I went into Cap’n America with high expectations, and Thor with extremely low ones. As a result I ended up severely disappointed with America, but thoroughly enjoyed Thor.

I’d like to recommend Patrick Lee’s 2010-2011 “Breach” trilogy, The Breach, Ghost Country and Deep Sky as the Sci-Fi of the year. In spite of certain appearances it is definitely Sci-Fi, and perhaps the best of its particular kind I’ve read, in my 30-plus years of reading Sci-Fi. I actually can’t say what it’s specialty is without a spoiler…suffice it to say, it’s an incredible job of leading up the the conclusion of the third book (released this week).

Game of Thrones has bored me to tears. But then, I always thought the books were incredibly overrated potboilers.

For games, I’m still working on Dragon Age–although persistent DRM/add-on authorization problems have just about ruined it for me.

]]> Comment on I’m just in it for the parking. by Matt http://candleboy.com/2008/07/31/im-just-in-it-for-the-parking/comment-page-1/#comment-4215 Matt Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:31:37 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=45#comment-4215 awesome!!!!! awesome!!!!!

]]> Comment on Rock Out With Your Caucus Out by Therem http://candleboy.com/2011/11/14/rock-out-with-your-caucus-out/comment-page-1/#comment-4151 Therem Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:55:22 +0000 http://candleboy.com/?p=573#comment-4151 Bill, I think it was a case of faulty procedure that led to this course of action. From what I was hearing on CCTV later, the rules about counting spoiled ballots aren't clear even in the by-laws. On the ballot itself, it says that any vote cast for a candidate who is no longer in the race will not count toward any total -- which could arguably mean the total vote count itself. In turn, that could change the amount of votes needed to achieve a majority. Since there is ambiguity there -- and the possibility of lawyers getting involved and things getting truly divisive -- I can see why they decided to go with a resolution that both candidates could agreed upon. Of course, if people hadn't already been there for 6 hours and gotten dog-tired, they wouldn't have been so keen to leave after the 3rd round vote. IRV could have solved that problem. Oh well! Bill, I think it was a case of faulty procedure that led to this course of action. From what I was hearing on CCTV later, the rules about counting spoiled ballots aren’t clear even in the by-laws. On the ballot itself, it says that any vote cast for a candidate who is no longer in the race will not count toward any total — which could arguably mean the total vote count itself. In turn, that could change the amount of votes needed to achieve a majority.

Since there is ambiguity there — and the possibility of lawyers getting involved and things getting truly divisive — I can see why they decided to go with a resolution that both candidates could agreed upon.

Of course, if people hadn’t already been there for 6 hours and gotten dog-tired, they wouldn’t have been so keen to leave after the 3rd round vote. IRV could have solved that problem. Oh well!

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