Techwright

And in my interpretation, "right people" means those who will adhere to the canon established in the first 5 live-action TV series and their related movies. (Okay, maybe not Star Trek V: Final Frontier. 🙄 I didn't include Star Trek: The Animated Series as it is generally considered soft canon.) These "right people" would also be the ones to separate from the characters that have gone before, embracing new characters and tales, even if they settle their stories within one of the time periods already portrayed. Lastly, they'd return Klingons and Romulans to the established look Roddenberry signed off on for Star Trek: The Next Generation and going forward. Roddenberry went on record as saying that the Klingon look that appeared first in Star Trek: The Motion Picture is the look he'd have settled upon had he a big budget for prosthetics and makeup effects during The Original Series. Of course, returning to the canon he established for the Klingons would also be important.

You may have heard that the original, 1990s live F4 cast all cameoed in Fantastic Four: First Steps. Here's the story as they tell it:

I've been "rewatching" F4 via reactors' videos, and have additional thoughts: 1.) The film creators went creatively out of their way to show how long a time jump in the story is without using text to say it. In fact, the only time text is used to explain the passage of time is at the beginning of one of the two credit scenes. Instead, they utilize things we see in the real world and have a natural understanding of how long those things take. These include: 2.) There's a moment when Mr. Fantastic picks up a very large steel beam of some kind and begins an attack...

Second movie had a host of problems, some of them huge, franchise breaking mistakes (the precision teleporting across the quadrant being a glaring one), but they could have put a lot of problems about Khan to rest by just inserting one line when Khan tells the Enterprise crew a bit about how he was treated by the rogue admiral : " I was surgically altered to prevent people from recognizing me." Seriously. Trek has a well-established history of radical plastic surgery for undercover operations, and when you consider that Khan in their universe should be almost as recognized as a member of the Nazi leadership of WWII, the idea of altering him so that he can carry out the admiral's orders makes a lot of sense, and explains why he's a pale Brit. I wasn't upset that Kirk was killed, and I wouldn't have been upset at dying by crushing injuries, but what lessened the death, in my opinion, is that the species he saved was only talked about. The audience was never given an emotional connection to them. They were just facts spouted. Had they inserted even a minute of alien society and families living beautifully, it would have resonated with the audience that even that specific means of death was worth the sacrifice to save hundreds of thousands. And this is the point where I pull in the end of Star Trek: Nemesis. Data's passing had so little passion to it. Despite the urgency, it should have, at least in a small way, communicated his growth: his Pinoccio-like path over the years to become "human". "Goodbye" is all we got. At least, "Au revoir mon capitaine", using the French to communicate warmth to Picard. "Au revoir mon ami" would have been even better, dropping the rank and embracing the created family element in that last moment. I'm not really engaged in the idea of bringing Kirk back. It would have to be very well written, and they'd need the right actor if Kirk was rejuvenated. And bringing in Shatner is a gamble. The man's a "hoss", but he's 94. Death or something like stroke could claim him before a production was fully done. I'm a bit on the fence about including Voyager in that list. So much potential, so many times they chose the weak writing path. I do admit there were some spectacular episodes, well worth seeing. There's an old story of mine where I accurately predicted DS9 and Voyager before they were even know to the general public. (I also predicted Enterprise, but only in the general sense that they'd turn to the past for the next series. I had no idea they'd throw the Trek trio into the mix, changing only the role for the emotive Southerner to an engineer, and the Vulcan getting in touch with the emotional elements of their nature into a female.) I point out this story in hopes I can get lighting to strike again (probably not). I'd like to see a reverse of Voyager: a series that mirrors the settling of the Old West, starting in the civilized worlds and moving deep into the Alpha or Beta quadrants, especially those areas Voyager would have had to cross had it not found a shortcut. It is my understanding that though they share the same quadrants with the Federation, Romulans, and Klingons, there's still large, unexplored areas. For this show, have not one ship, but a squad of ships supporting each other. For example: a pair of combat ships, a science/medical ship, and a ship specializing in exploration. They carve the trail, and like the explorers of old, they return to explain what they found, then provide escort for settler and trading ships moving out into the deeper quadrant. Once a colony or two are started, the Federation plants a Deep Space station, basically the equivalent of the fort or stockade of the American west: allowing refueling, defense, and shorter return trips for the squad of explorers. If I got a very full wish, I'd like to see them take a page from Star Trek Online, and make the exploration and settlement a joint effort between the Federation and Romulan survivors of their home system's destruction. The dynamic of learning to get along and even appreciate each other would echo the Maquis of Voyager, or the Romulans at the Picard vinyards. And there's always the possibility that one of the Romulans is a Tal Shiar plant and one of the Feds is a Section 31 plant. Such a show could also solidify the use of the Barclay long-range communication technique shown in Voyager. It should still be imperfect, as it's quite a reach in technology, but a bit more clear or stable than when we last saw it. And it might still be used to send holo-personnel between squad and station. That way, if you lost a key member when far from home, you have a chance of a holo-crewmember filling in until the squad could return for restaffing, that is, assuming the technology doesn't fail in transit. It is still a developing tech after all. Oh, and trading ships can bring the Ferengi into the storyline.

Just got to see the F4, and I, too, loved it. I can't get enough of the retro-future look. I could wish for an F4 video game where a player could explore retro-future New York similar to how one could explore Manhattan in the currently popular Spider-Man video games. I thought I'd be annoyed with Johnny Storm, instead, I was pleasantly surprised. His putting on the thinking cap to figure out a key plot point was great. Sue was good, not mishandled but confident, Ben Grimm is easily my favorite (not sure I like the beard, but it made things interesting). Loved that the showed him as an extremely competent pilot. Reed was the only character I didn't completely like, and that is because they had him so nervous and doubting. I can't think of any other work that I've seen with him in it where he doesn't show complete confidence. But I didn't hate the character, I just wish they'd put a bit more stiff spine into the flexible character. Galactus was very well done. The visual scale alone was worth seeing it. I wish I could have viewed that on Imax. Silver Surfer was done well, and I really liked the aggression at times, while the sorrowful compassion at others. The robot was both cute and practical, something that don't always go hand-in-hand (*glances at a little red can of a robot in Andor*) Above all, I loved the tight-knit team/family dynamic. It should prove a great contrast to the barely-assembled Avengers in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

I actually enjoyed the third movie, though the middle one was abysmal. A true waste of everyone's talents and creating huge plot holes from which they could not recover (teleportation across sectors with pinpoint accuracy?) Much of the first one I liked, but again, it suffered from some pretty juvenile writing when dealing with space physics. I was actually hoping for a 4th one to improve on the best elements of the 3rd one, and if done today, the timing would have been right for their version of Phase II, which was to have been a TV show in the late 1970s showing the maturing of the characters. Instead, Paramount turned it into The Motion Picture (but redeemed itself by giving us the trilogy that followed). I do feel the stuff that's come out in the last few years to be inferior, though certain episodes that I've seen break free from the rot. It's ironic: the same thing that Paramount used in The Motion Picture (glossy effects and higher tech appearance over writing quality) has often, to my perception, been the problem of the new stuff. Also, I'd really, really...and by that I mean really...like it if they'd break free of the Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic, especially the Spock family saga. I did accept that Spock had to be a part of the Captain Pike stories, as it was canon from the original series. But otherwise, look upwards, writers. It is literally a massive galaxy. There's so much more to write about than one family endlessly reinvented. I'd really like new series and movies that cover new ground, or at least flesh out material that's only been sketched out before.

Finally...finally!...had the chance to see season 2. The quality didn't miss a beat from season 1, thought the vibe felt very different at times. I was impressed how they constantly undermined my beliefs that every focus character that was not in Rogue One would be dead before the series ended. Some characters' story arc endings were quite surprising with at least three ending far before I thought they would. The ISB team was smartly written, even if the characters themselves were significantly knowledgeable while being unwise in their dealings. I'm not sure a spoiler box is necessary this far along, but I'll put one up anyway.

Finally got to see the last 3 episodes, and I generally liked what I saw. I was just a teeny bit put out by the ending, but I suspect that was due to the producers hoping they'd be greenlighted for a season 2, which is, unfortunately, not looking that bright at the moment. I kept hoping Jod would be a John Silver type, a mean pirate who discovers a heart, but alas. That said, I certainly don't think Wim is a Jim Hawkins type. I'd hoped for some significant growth from the character, but instead, he has minor growth. I was really hoping for a season 2, especially since:

As one who has actively avoided certain MCU movies and D+ series in whatever Phase they're currently going through, I finally (finally!) got to see Thunderbolts* and I have to say I largely enjoyed it. Certainly there's more humor than I anticipated, even having seen several such moments in the trailers. There are some shortcomings: 1. That death: 2. That team: 3. That shield: 4. No mention of... I wasn't sure I'd like Bob, but I found I actually did. Kind of an overpowered Martin Li/Mr. Negative, another character I like. I'm interested to see how he'll be referenced in any future New Avengers story.

New expedition with a dark nature to it just dropped. NMS calls it their "Halloween" event. Focused on expanding those elements created in the Corvette release: custom-designed multi-player ships (corvettes), space walking, sky diving, etc. From the Steam notes: In Breach, players will traverse a desolate and abandoned universe and on their travels encounter the abandoned remains of ill-fated corvette ships, all ripe for scavenging ship modules to add to your corvette-building arsenal. The jewel in the crown of these wreckages is the Fireship Arcadia, the fate of which you will learn as you venture through Breach. But you will have to face your fears and make a leap of faith into the black as you space-walk through these eerie systems to glean its unique remnants. The spooky Breach Expedition embraces the darker side of the universe and will also lure the bravest Travellers towards the ominous and exotic purple-star solar systems which players first glimpsed in Worlds Part II back in January. The planets in these systems are particularly foreboding with their deep, abyssal oceans, unearthly entities and the notoriously imposing and volatile gas giants.

I was very vocal in my distaste for Iron Man 3 when it premiered, due entirely to the Trevor Slattery reveal. That changed, though, when they released the Marvel One-Shot All Hail the King, which revealed that there really was a Mandarin in the MCU universe. That the real one didn't ultimately match up to my full expectations didn't matter. I just wanted there to be an actual one and not a pair of fake ones (Slattery and Killian). I still get an eye twitch whenever I rewatch IM3 and see Sir Ben so commandingly performing sheer menace (so much wasted fantastic potential), but I've made my peace with it thanks to the One-Shot's revelation, and I'm actually enjoying IM3 these days, and found Trevor to be quite fun in Shang Chi.

Keep in mind that Trevor stayed behind to train with Shang-Chi's aunt and company. Not sure what, if anything he learned, but he may surprise us.

I thought I'd point out a demo game on Steam that I'm quite enjoying at the moment. The early access begins November 6. The Last Caretaker is a 1st person survival story told from the perspective of a caretaker android, a shepherd to the last vestiges of humanity due to some great cataclysm not clarified in the earliest parts of the game, at least as the demo stands. I do know that the reason you're the last is that there are a variety of antagonists that absolutely wrecked the other caretakers. You'll find signs of the battle all over the opening structure in the demo. The three kinds of opponents I've seen so far I'd classify as "techno-vores". One mechanical, two organic in nature. Light plays a significant role in dealing with them. The demo tasks you with finding your way through the structure in which you wake to a docked boat, which you then must repair and stock to make an escape. Cabling, energy storage, and related connections are vital to your survival, and part of the puzzle is learning how to use these effectively, which not becoming techno-chow for opponents. As with most survival games these days, the deconstruction of items to gain raw materials is also vital. You learn on the fly. The game gives you few clues to start with, though there is a missions list that can help enlighten you, and eventually there is an A.I. voice that offers a few other clues. Other than that, exploration and experimentation are the name of the game. I've not encountered any humans yet, and from what I gather, it may be a while until I see them. I am finding "comfy" items like teddy bears, love letters, and terrariums that I suspect give bonuses if enough are collected. Your caretaker is in learning mode, and is award skill points to be used for customized choices in abilities. Those that have followed me in the forums probably picked up on the fact this is a 1st person game, and that I'm one of the poor souls whose body cannot handle such. 9 times out of 10 I get very nauseous. I'm happy to report this is the 10th time, and so far, I've had no nausea with the game.

Here's the teaser:

I did the Expedition, and enjoyed it. It was one of the easier expeditions that I've undertaken, and surprisingly did not involve diving into some remote deep part of the sea to battle horrors, nor repeatedly visiting planets of biological horrors (though, if I recall, there was a single planet, but what I had to work with was well away from any true dangers). The corvette is a welcome addition to the game, though building a sleek one is taking a bit of a challenge to figure out all the connections. Or rather, I should say, figure out what to do when an seemingly obvious spot for a connection doesn't actually have one. I do have one big beef with the game now that corvettes are involved: portaling with a corvette. NMS has done nothing to provide parking pylons/landing pads for the corvettes, and has created a problem by having the corvette emerge from the portal with your character, while hovering too low and too close to the portal. This has created an nearly game-breaking effect of the ship trapping your character in the ship framework when exiting the portal, necessitating returning to the last manual save (auto-save triggers when entering the portal, so using it becomes useless, repeating the problem). One also cannot put a portal just anywhere in a base for this reason. The ship drops a teleporter pad which appears a few feet in front of the portal. If it encounters any structure, it is inclined to trigger the trapping effect. I've had to redesign multiple bases for this reason, to something less than ideal, to make the portal usable again. I've almost given up on corvettes as a result, which would be a shame as they can bring a lot of interest to the game, functioning as a half-step between one-man ship and freighter.

I have not been as exposed to the nature of Simon Williams as I have other Avengers. What I have encountered gave me something of a Johnny Cage-like vibe: cocky action star. Is there some facet(s) of the character that specifically trigger your hate?

I have not. There's (unfortunately) a lot of things I've not seen this year due to some family needs that had to be addressed first.

The MCU is finally pointing the spotlight on Wonder Man, and... Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery is back, baby! As IMDB points out, this interpretation is extremely meta. ( I thought the metas were all over in DC Comics. Okay, so that was a poor pun on terminology. Carrying on...) The character is Simon Williams, same name from the comics. This outing the character is black American, though he remains an actor, who is trying out for the big-movie remake of... Wonder Man. Huh? As Kovak, the in-story director states "When everyone is tired of superheroes, there is an opportunity to re-imagine a whole genre." It's as if Disney/Marvel had been reading online comments for a few years. Yep, the meta of this film crashes in early and often. Posters and clips from the in-story original Wonder Man film show a Caucasian Wonder Man whose appearance and costume match up (at least with 1970s sci-fi styling) with the comics character. Personally, I see it as a fun way to say, "Yep, this MCU Simon Williams is going to be somewhat different. Deal with it." The trailer can fill in the rest. What I find interesting is that the trailer deliberately doesn't speak to MCU's Simon William's powers, which gives the whole obsessed actor thing, and the comedy elements, including Trevor Slattery, a chance to breathe. While not stated, I suspect MCU Simon Williams does not yet have his powers. Wonder Man will be an 8-part series on Disney+. IMDB suggests Sir Ben will be in every episode. One other note: I keep thinking I've seen the actor for in-show director before, but if I've picked the right name from the IMDB list, I don't recognize him or his body of work. It looks like the character might be a lot of fun as well.

Late to the party, but I'll share a handful of things: 1. Do a little badge hunting/earning...specifically Accolades. Some of the awarded accolades for badges come with bonuses that will boost your character or unlock a special ability. Hero accolade powers Villain accolade powers 2. Ask in advance of tackling a new-to-you opponent group. Several opponent groups have one or two character types that need to be dropped quickly, otherwise your fight will be much harder. Seasoned players know these, and tend to set targets to them before wading into the mob. For example, the high-level group, Malta, has a category called "Sappers" that can make fighting the group really miserable if they're not dispatched in a first strike. Malta's "Gunslingers" are usually my second target for reasons that will become obvious. I'll add that a few groups have NPCs that can resurrect once if dropped, so knowing that can save you from having them hit you in the back once you've stepped over their body to deal with others. If you're doing solo work, you can ask in Help channel or in zone broadcast before tackling a new group. 3. Squishy types can target through the tank, tanking Kheldian, or brute. This works when both are actively involved, and its probably best if the squishy lets the tank know they'll be using the tank's targeting. Squishies: Setting your target on your tank and just firing everything will have your character hitting whatever the tank is pointing at. This allows the aggro you create to rest on the tank's sturdier frame, rather than the squishy, increasing survival chances. It's not an absolute. I've seen NPCs leave the pack and deliberately target my squishies, but it reduces the heat you may bring upon yourself, at the exchange of not getting to pick a target. Tanking types: This also means that the tanky types should remember to target something even if they are just throwing out taunts. You're creating opportunity for your range strikers by doing this. I've had several times I've targeted through a tank and the tank is...just standing there absorbing blows, no NPCs being targeted. As a result, my squishy has to break with the tank and take the heat himself. 4. If you've not already done so, check out Fort Trident, the secret base right out in the open. The entrance to Fort Trident was moved a few updates back, but for some reason, it is still hiding in plain sight to most players. To find it, just stand on the front porch of City Hall in Atlas Park. The building to your left, across the street, houses Fort Trident. (It has a big FC banner on it, and states "Freedom Corp" above the door.) FT was designed to act as a sort of base to those players who don't have a base. It doesn't offer everything (no base storage), but it does offer much. Be certain to check every room as there are some very useful things stuffed in some of the back rooms. Fort Trident has another interesting feature, in that you can use it to teleport to the starting point of Freedom Phalanx Task Forces. For example: don't know how to find Manticore to do your first Manticore Task Force? Go to Fort Trident and find Manticore there. The glowing circle behind him is a portal to his location in Brickstown. I can't tell you how many times I've seen teams try to coach a new player into finding the path to a task force start, when really all they have to do is get the player, already acquainted with Atlas Park, to go into Fort Trident and teleport to target. One other thing to note: A first timer in Fort Trident might think the fort only extends to the wall behind Back Alley Brawler (the trainer in the fort) and the submarine (yes, it is a sub fort). However, that is an optical illusion. Most of the fort is behind B.A.B. 5. Day Jobs - when logging out, consider parking your character in a Day Job location. Examples include hospitals, police stations, train stations, and City Hall, but there's many more. While you are away from the game, the character begins earning time towards a Day Job badge for that building or plot of ground. It takes several days to complete one, but once earned, the Day Job starts to accrue charges that can be used for a variety of benefits. Continue parking in the Day Job spot to recharge anything that's been used up. Pairing the right two day jobs together will create an accolade which has further benefits. Here's a list of Day Jobs, Day Job accolades and what benefits they give.

Down-then-up is only effective until the knockback enthusiast on your team starts yeeting the opponents into the center space. Then you're headed back down again. For this reason, I'd personally prefer to start top and work down.

Bribes can, allegedly, shorten the time. You can make all bribes payable to @Snarky.

I am now imagining Rikti struggling to identify all the boxes with normal, everyday human-related stuff in them.

Resolved by very specific two elevators utilized, or resolved by any two elevators used? I can see the first as annoyance, the second adds a dash of player-choice variety, though admittedly it would be better if there was a random number of elevators used each time.

Normally, I notice this when I click the link to go to the unofficial wiki, but I noticed it today when signing into the forums after clearing cache. The "verifying you are human" message came up, ran a bit of animated graphics, seemed satisfied, and let me in. My camera and mike are disconnected, and I offered no input. So...what is it really doing to "verify"? (Yes, I know my handle is "Techwright". I don't know all of IT. I have a very particular set of skills.) I'd recently learned that a lot of those verification hoops we had to jump through on other websites, you know the ones where you're supposed to pick out all the pictures with a traffic light, bus, bicycle, nuclear weapon, etc., were actually about training A.I. using humans as unwitting teachers, rather than about true security. I'm not saying this is the same, but with no interaction, I find it curious.