Techwright

I've just finished the 3rd episode. But I'll break it down by episode so as not to spoiler anything (I hope). Episode 1 On to episode 2: And episode 3: Okay my big thought so far... Critiques aside, I am enjoying the show and look forward to episode 4.

...and to be in the zone when asking. While it won't necessarily stop the petition to switch, it does set in mind that if they've got to move anyway, they might as well switch characters. Yes, but you can't use fingers, only mittens. 😜

I'm pretty sure it's either Easter meat when the oven buzzer goes off or... the clothing that big siblings pass on to younger siblings when they outgrow it. But don't quote me on that.

Fair enough, though I would point out that Saw has taken the lethal and dangerous route for some time before this, especially after his sister's death. Perhaps he's been worn out by this constant effort and Luther is the rejuvenating spark?

My guess is that the Thrawn role is Lars Mikkelsen's to lose. He was highly complimented for his voice performance and seemed to understand the character very well. There is a question that needs to be asked: will Disney hold to the lore that Chiss, a near-human species, have somewhat shorter lifespans than actual humans. The events of Rebels played out close to 15 years previous to The Mandalorian with a certain former Jedi's quest to find a certain Chiss Grand Admiral. Said Grand Admiral was supposedly born on or near 59 BBY, making him 58 at the end of Rebels. add 15 years and he's in his mid-70s. Chiss live "up to 80 years" per Wookiepedia, meaning Thrawn should be in the last years of his life at the time of Ahsoka. If Disney holds to that lore, the Thrawn actor would have to either be old or skilled at playing old age and tough. Think Clint Eastwood with the mind of Sherlock Holmes. While makeup and prosthetics can do much to aid that portrayal, I think suggested candidates like Matt Smith might be too young for the role. Even Benedict Cumberbatch, as awesome as he undoubtedly would be in the role, might be on the young side at age 46. Lars, though, at 58 might be right for portraying aged with physical discipline.

So much to unpack here and not enough time. I'll just say: 1. Secret Invasion really surprised me, and that's a good thing. I thought for sure there'd be a lot of corny jokes and stuff. Instead it looks very much in the vein of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and I'm down for that. I'll also say: notice the eye. Its a very different look from Captain America: the Winter Soldier. 2. Mando, as always looks amazing. Death Watch vs. Bo Katan's folk, I'm thinking. I rewound a few times just to watch that paratrooper-type drop. The effects guys really did a good job with making that believable. I'll also say: did you notice how solemn Grogu is in the trailer. Sure he's hanging upside down but he doesn't seem to be having fun this time (though he did have a look of wonder on his face once). I'm going to guess his time with Luke started sobering him and perhaps put him on the path to finally start growing up after 50+ years. 3. The choice for live-action Ezra Bridger visually looks very good, and I'm glad to hear the character is definitely in this. 4. Glad someone recognizes that Warwick Davis can act without significant costume or makeup over his face. I still say he'd be perfect as Miguelito Loveless for a proper moderns adaptation of The Wild, Wild West. (It's time to free the fantastic 1960s TV series from the wretched 1990's ...thing.)

I would classify Logan as a Claws/REGEN Scrapper. It's literally his superpower. Whatever he is, he's clearly the tech origin. I'm a fan of the old heroes, and identifying and tying them to game structure is a bit challenging. Green Hornet and Kato are easy: both are scrappers. Hornet is probably a street fighter/willpower and Kato a martial arts/willpower. Doc Savage is trickier though. Commanding his squad of five "brothers" and being a world-class genius and polymath, he fits the thugs mastermind profile, but he's also a solid fighter on his own, So possibly a thugs mastermind with a street fighter/willpower scrapper nature? Then there's the Shadow. Definitely got the thugs mastermind thing going on, with a legion of allies blended into the city just waiting for the sign of the girasol ring to go into action. But he's got those wicked oversized twin .45's which should classify him as a gun fu blaster. But then he's known for blending into the shadows, which might just be stalker, or it might be a dark stalker, depending on who is telling the story. The Phantom is somewhere between a gun blaster and a melee scrapper. Perhaps a gun blaster with an energy secondary for the melee.

Stellan Skarsgard's character sounds in dialog in this trailer like Saw Guerrera. I'm going to guess Saw doesn't actually just talk with him, but actually convinces him to act, and in a manner closer to Saw's ways, which probably leads to conflict between Skarsgard's character and Mon Mothma who canonically has clashed with Saw over idealogical differences in how to run the rebellion.

I was reading this thinking " Who is Liz Windsor?" I know most of the names of the Bond actors of an age to die but...oh, wait. 😶😳🤣 Yes, that was possibly the best pre-Olympics show in history, and poor Rowan Atkinson had to follow that. (He was amazing, too.) It was wonderful of her to play along with the gag. Mom had heard or read of the Queen's humor and relayed a tale where two Americans were hiking near Balmoral (I think it was) and actually had the great fortune of crossing paths with the Queen and a servant near the castle. (Why there wasn't a squad of the Coldstream Guard in sight, I've no idea.) As the tale goes these blokes were oblivious to the reality of whom they were addressing, just assuming they were speaking with friendly locals. The Queen decided to let it play out, and they ended up talking to the servant more than her, even going so far as to learn that he'd "been acquainted with the Queen for quite some time", and asking her if she'd take their picture with one who was acquainted with the Queen. Supposedly, she talked them into taking her picture as well, and confided to the servant later that she'd loved to be a fly on the wall when they showed that picture to friends. The tale may be true and it may be embellished in the retelling, but one things certain....I'm not claiming those idiots as fellow countrymen. 🙄

I've been doing some catch-up reading in the forums, and after seeing "Incarnate" umpteen times, an old question I've long held popped back to the forefront of my thinking: What was the OG developers mindset behind having both an Incarnate Shard path and an Incarnate Thread path for Alpha? For only Alpha? And why even have Shard when it is so ridiculously easy to build using Thread as opposed to Shard? I confess I don't really get the Shard Path concept. It takes far longer (for me anyway) to earn what is needed, and I can only use it on Alpha.

Yeah, another of my favorites, Tabula Rasa, was killed by them as well. True, there were some behind-the-scenes shenanigans that hastened its downfall, but I felt like the game was moving in the right direction, it just wasn't given the chance. What puzzles me is when NC closes a game rather than put it up for sale. It's not like it has never been done. Lord of the Rings Online changed hands twice, I believe, and is still going. There's companies that buy up aged games and run them. So why close?

They're too busy enjoying their 32 (known) flavors of ice cream.

Bump as a reminder that this comes out Friday which is 2 hours from now East Coast North America. Amazon Prime Video. I'm guessing you good folk on the east end of The Pond already have it?

The real reason Batgirl got canned: the shoes do not go with that outfit! What were you thinking, girl?

You just described my 2005 pug team's 3-hour ordeal attacking a large, multi-leveled room full...FULL... of unnerfed Tsoo sorc's. Worst. room. EVAH!

Well, in the spirit of things...

...or real small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

As always, voicing in orange.

Thanks for mentioning "nine saves now". I was not previously aware. Freighters I never got into the first time around. In fact, I had some odd element come up while playing last weekend that makes me think I must have acquired a freighter right before I quit before, though I don't remember doing so. I wonder where I left it parked? 🤔 I'll look into those freighter game upgrades when I have time. I also need to get into a PUG mindset. I've done everything solo up to this point, finding nothing interesting in teaming, but that is going to change soon...Right after I upgrade all 12 remaining bases I left behind the first time 'round. 😁

I just installed a new video card and did something I thought I'd never do: return to No Man's Sky. When I left it in Jan 2021, I felt I'd tapped it's full potential as far as I was interested. Turns out they've been busy this last year and a half, and what I saw as the extent of the game before, is more like chapter one. I'm on a learning crash course, but had enough time this weekend to wipe out a fully functional but very utilitarian box-building base and replace it with some better. Since I built next to a small trading outpost on a safe planet, I hit upon the idea of adding a small open-air bazaar. The base is still under development.

Would there be a short Hard Mode to recommend? Something that takes, say 30 minutes or less in standard play? If so, that might be a way to encourage those of us on limited time to try it out. For me, at least, if it finishes within 1.5 hours tops, I'd consider it. If shorter, even better. There's still my previously-made second point to contend with, having a mighty build, but it would be a starting point at least.

Hmm, that would have really been spectacular. It would have topped the segment that did appear, one of my favorites: Stan as a WWII vet trying some of Thor's flask contents and muttering "Excelsior" as he stumbles out of the bar. Maybe they can do something like that as an homage with one of the What If...? stories and an animated Stan Lee.

Confession: I've never really taken the time to understand what Hard Mode is all about. Sure the title implies something but my rapid conclusions drawn from it and the pitches in LFG are: 1. It takes too much time. 2. Is for those who've customized their characters to the Nth degree to solo AVs. As the first point is inconsistent for me, and I'm still gradually working toward the second, my impressions, lack of facts they may be, influence my lack of participation. This is not to say I'd never do something hard. I like a solid challenge, and rewards are icing to the cake. Completing the challenge is its own reward, and I don't require rewards (except perhaps a badge) if I've already fully tricked out my character. But if its going to be necessary to be tricked out to the Nth degree to keep from faceplanting every 5 minutes, it's not an event anywhere in my immediate future or interest.