Roger Edwards 2/18/17 Roger Edwards 2/18/17

Mordor or Bust: A Retrospective

My friend and regular podcast co-host, Brian, celebrates a significant birthday today. So first off let me wish him many happy returns of the day. Now while the Burton & Scrooge podcast is on hiatus, Brian has been pursuing his own side project; namely the Scrooge Uncut podcast. The latest episode is a retrospective look at Brian’s former LOTRO fansite and show, Mordor or Bust. The both these creative endeavours were a significant part of the LOTRO community, back in the halcyon days of the MMO. Brian had the unique experience of predicting LOTROs transition to F2P, days before Turbine’s announcement. He also caused a minor furore when he posted screenshots of every item in the LOTRO store while the beta test was going on.

This particular episode of Scrooge Uncut is a very personal recording. as Brian catalogues jumping in to the deep end of content creation without any prior experience. It is also a greats snapshot of what a fan community is like during a games heyday. What is so striking is the fact that Brian got so much traction with the game developers Turbine, over such a short period of time. The story of Mordor or Bust is a short one because the website and podcast endured for less than a year. Listening to Brian recount various anecdotes brings a lot of memories back for me as well. LOTRO has always had a very passionate community. Something that is lacking with other games over recent years. So much of the fan created content that use to fill blogs and podcasts, is now mainly corralled within official forums and sub-reddits.

On a personal note, I got in to podcasting due to Brian and his show, back in the summer of 2010. At the time, Turbine handled the North American release of LOTRO, while Codemasters dealt with the European market. I contacted Brian and offered to provide LOTRO news from across the pond and subsequently created short news segments that were used on the Mordor of Bust podcast. Because we got on so well, I soon joined both Brian and Fyurae, as a permanent presenter on the show. It was a lot of fun at the time, to be part of a very active community. Furthermore, 2010 was a very interesting year for LOTRO. So, enjoy Brian’s trip down memory lane. I think the show will resonate with a lot of listeners, especially those who were involved with the scene, circa 2010.

Roger Edwards 2/17/17 Roger Edwards 2/17/17

Mad Mad 2 (1982)

Mad Max 2, or The Road Warrior, as it is known in the US, is a milestone in the action film genre. For many this was their first exposure to Australian cinema, other than art house material from the likes of Peter Weir. It certainly put Mel Gibson on the map. It also started an entire sub-genre in its own right, branching off from the established post apocalypse formula. Drawing on the traditional western, the seventies anti-hero and the road movie, Mad Max 2 creates interesting (and at times camp) characters and has some of the best action sequences committed to film. Despite being 35 years old, it has recently been given a new lease of life through its Blu-ray release.

The Blu-ray disc features the original uncut Australian version of the film, as director George Miller intended. The opening narration and montage provide all the relevant back story required to bring new viewers up to speed. In fact, Mad Max 2 can easily be viewed as a standalone film. The plot is straight forward, the dialogue minimalist and the characters larger than life. The costume and production design our somewhat outrageous. Yet it works perfectly and starts at a terrific pace and never lets up during its ninety six minute running time. Performances are good. Gibson excels as the titular character. Established Australian actors such as Bruce Spence and Mike Preston provide sterling support. Composer Brain May (no, not that one) provides a fine score.

However it is the action scenes and car stunts that stand out the most. They seem even better today, by virtue of the fact that they are all genuine. Watch Mad Max 2 and then compare it to a recent release such as Death Race. The influences of the former on the latter are obvious. The violence and bleak ending also reflect the underlying sentiments of the time. The lack of any major studio involvement allowed producer and directer George Miller to remain true to his creativity. Unfortunately, this was not the case of the woeful sequel, which we shall not discuss here. Mad Max 2 remains an outstanding and iconic film, although a second viewing highlights the obvious influences of the times that spawned it. It’s curious how such a raw, visceral and dynamic film could be created by the director of Happy Feet and Babe.

Roger Edwards 2/16/17 Roger Edwards 2/16/17

Doctor Strange (2016)

Visually creative and sporting an ensemble cast, the 14th entry in the Marvel Cinematic universe is a curious yet satisfying blend of pseudo-science, eastern philosophy and soul searching boat load of vivid CGI. Despite being somewhat confined by the narrative framework of the “origin movie”, Doctor Strange is subtly different entry in to the Marvel pantheon, with it nods to Christopher Nolan’s Inception and the magic versus reality themes of the Harry Potter series. It effectively juggles the evolution of a flawed central character in to an equally flawed hero with the eye-popping visuals and set pieces. There’s a lot of intense brooding, witty quips and action. Furthermore, it has a great deal of flair and strikes an appropriate tone for such material. It comes close to being camp without stepping over the line.

Considering how such a movie could have gone drastically wrong, Doctor Strange is a very unique flower: visually arresting with quite a complex set of themes and undercurrents. Director Scott Derrickson, who also co-wrote the screenplay, makes the transition from his horror movie roots to this more flamboyant affair with considerable ease. The screenplay is surprisingly droll without negating the genuine drama as Doctor Steven Strange comes to terms with his own failings, ego and transgressions. Yet the director’s real achievement is in handling the mystical elements of the story in way where they don’t just come across as childish or the ramblings of one of your stoner friends from college.

The casting is certainly one of strongest assets of Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch is ideal as the brilliant and arrogant neurosurgeon whose career is brought to an abrupt end after a devastating car accident. Unlike Tony Stark who is equally as egotistical and self-absorbed, he lacks the interpersonal skills and humanity that the other inherently has. It’s quite a gamble to have a hero who is so unlikable, yet it is these very flaws that make him so interesting and unpredictable. Strange’s despair over the loss of his surgeon’s hands leads him to Nepal and to the secretive enclave headed by a guru known as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). It is here we slowly re-invents himself as he learns of a world of magic, that is equally as complex as his world of science.

Swinton delivers a solid performance as Strange’s mentor in the art of magic. She is both wise, practical and even a little cruel in her teaching methodology. She also has a more complex set of motives than the viewer first perceives. There is also robust support from Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo and Benedict Wong as Wong, who bring some emotional depth and dry banter to the story. If there is a flaw in the cast, its sadly Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius. As a somewhat formulaic, renegade disciple he doesn’t really have as much to do as the rest of the characters and his story arc is somewhat linear. Doctor Strange’s trademark cloak also proves to be an amusing minor protagonist in itself, as it chooses to bond with Strange and robustly defends him. It is a pivotal part of one action scene and has by far the best gags.

Overall Doctor Strange is a strong and very different super hero movie. The performances and the focus on character development counter balance the striking yet very bombastic visual effects. They are very creative and psychedelic, yet for older and less patient viewers they do at times feel like you’re being beaten around the head with a kaleidoscope. And it would be most remiss of me not to mention Stan Lee’s latest cameo as a bus passenger perusing a copy of Aldous Huxley’s Doors of Perception. Well played whoever thought that one up. As ever there are several cinematic postscripts hinting at where Doctor Strange will be going next. Luckily, on the strength of this outing, I’m am well-disposed to towards the character and would welcome the opportunity to see more of his adventures.

Roger Edwards 2/15/17 Roger Edwards 2/15/17

For Honor

Every now and then, I’ll see a trailer for a game and think to myself, “man, that looks cool. I want that”. The curious thing is, the ones that enthuse me the most are those that I know I’ll be utterly crap at. For Honor definitely falls into that category but I just liked the idea of running around hitting things with a huge sword so much I ended up buying the Gold Edition today. Luckily, I got a very good deal on a key, so if this game is beyond my skills set or fails to meet expectations I won’t be too disappointed. The last time I “come a cropper” with an impetuous purchase of this nature was with Watch Dogs, back in 2014. Spookily enough that was a Ubisoft game, same as For Honor.

For Honor is a curious hybrid game that doesn’t exactly fit in to any specific genre 100%. It is essentially a fighting game but there are MOBA elements, as well as systems and mechanics from both MMOs and RPS. It’s combat system is multi-layered. At first while working your way through the tutorial, the tri-directional blocks as well as the light and heavy attacks seem quite straightforward. However, as you progress these moves are complimented by charges, and throws plus special finisher moves. Combine all these with a target lock system and a high degree of situational awareness and you have a complex system with a wide variety of permutations.

As soon as you enter multiplayer mode, the reality of For Honor hits you and hits you hard. Combat is not over quickly, often coming down to a battle of wits and patients. You’ll frequently find yourself just facing off against an opponent, waiting for a tell. Fights are not just a forgone conclusion after trading a few blows. You can wear your enemy down to one third of their health, only to see them out manoeuvre you and then get you on the ropes. Victory can be stolen by both big and small mistakes. Then you’ll get organised players who fight collaboratively. Giving chase to someone whose fleeing may well lead you in to a trap. Then of course there are players who roam the battlefield craftily, watching and waiting to stab you in the back as you fight another.

Yet despite the inevitable frustration and steep learning curve there is still much satisfaction to be gained from multiplayer mode. Running away is a perfectly valid option and as the Irish novelist, playwright, poet and physician Oliver Goldsmith noted, “He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day”. If you are not burdened by romantic notions of fighting honourably or a fair fight, then there is much fun to be had taking a predatory approach to combat. Lurking in choke points and shortcuts, slipstreaming more successful players or patrolling the battlements and throwing unsuspecting players off ladders as they climb, can be immensely satisfying.

Aesthetically, For Honor is very pleasing. Character models are suitably detailed and the combat animations feel suitably weighty. Stamina is an important factor in game play so you can’t simply mash keys hoping to get lucky. There is a broad variety of classes with some being harder to master than others. So far, I have stuck with the default Warden as it seems to be a good all-rounder. There is an air of credibility to the way he wields his broadsword. It would appear that the balance issues that some players complained about during the beta has been addressed. The matchmaking has not been unfair to me so far, although the peer to peer connection system obviously favours the host.

Dominion mode, is the easiest way to acquaint yourself with For Honor with its objective-based team play. Its design affords you a look at the games various complexities and helps you hone your skills. You soon learn that the game requires individual acts of heroism as well as coordinated action. Then there’s Duel, Brawl, and Elimination modes, all of which offer a spectrum of playstyles. And for those who like both challenge and “glory”, there’s a hardcore duelling mode without respawns. Furthermore, it should be remembered that although these differing modes all offer a variety of gameplay, the reality of each session is often quite different. There are equal chances for cooperation or chaos, especially in the four versus four deathmatch mode. Play this and you’ll soon be humming Yakety sax.

For Honor also sports a campaign mode. Like those associated with the FPS genre, people are often quick to write these off. Yet it so far has been quite engaging. The voice acting is solid and the cutscenes handsomely produced. The central story featuring a war between the three main factions in a nonspecific setting is somewhat abstract but if you can look beyond it, then the story will provide you with an alternative way of learning your class and perfecting your skills. And for those players like myself, who are not so good at twitch gaming and managing multiple systems simultaneously, there is always a player versus AI option. You can make this as testing or as easy as you like, thus ensuring that you can still know the pleasure of wantonly dismembering your enemies.

Like many contemporary games, there is still much to criticise on the business management side of things. DLC, cash stores, multiple buying options are all present in For Honor. Many potential players may well balk at the overall price of the game and season pass, preferring to purchase six month on when a deal can be secured. In my estimation, the long-term longevity of For Honor hinges on future map updates, as with CoD and other shooters. Ubisoft obviously feel this original IP may be able to sustain franchise and if you think about it, there is scope to broaden the remit of the game. Collaborative gameplay and complimentary classes may be one way to go. In the meantime, For Honor certainly satisfies your “hitting things with a big sword” itch. It’s a superior and nuanced fighting game whose uncomplex and unreconstructed raison d'être is its greatest virtue.

Roger Edwards 2/14/17 Roger Edwards 2/14/17

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

On a superficial level the 2011 reboot of Conan the Barbarian provides two hours of perfunctory blood and thunder. For those seeking a quick fix of such material, who aren’t burdened by a strong affection of Robert E. Howard’s source material, the film will prove adequate. I suspect that Marcus Nispel’s offering will find a home with a younger viewers. Sadly, with regard to purists or those who have fond memories of John Milius’s 1982 version, then this is not the film you are looking for. Move along. To be honest, considering the directors track record, does this really come as any surprise? For those with a long memory, cast you mind back to Nispel’s 2007 movie Pathfinder. That Vikings versus Native Americans high concept movie had a lot of potential but was sadly chronically mishandled.

This re-imagining of Conan loosely draws upon Robert E. Howard’s source material, as well as Schwarzenegger’s portrayal. The opening scenes focusing on Conan’s youth are by far the most engaging. They make an attempt at a narrative and character development. The brief insight into Cimmerian warrior culture makes for a strong start. But immediately after the death of Conan’s Father (Ron Perlman) it all lapses into by the numbers story telling. Evil Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang) along with sorceress daughter Marique (Rose McGowan), seek ancient an relic to facilitate their fiendish (and formulaic) plans. Throw in a plucky warrior monk named Tamara (Rachel Nichols) and the generic story is complete. Conan’s motivation is purely one of revenge but without the philosophical musings of the 1982 movie. Jason Momoa has sufficient charm and presence to hold an audience but the screenplay offers his character none of the depth you would hope.

Ultimately it is the script which lets the movie down. Jason Momoa’s mono-syllabic dialogue is purely reactive, serving as nothing more than an expositionary device. It is also delivered in a contemporary fashion. Nothing kills immersion for me more than period set dramas (be they based in fact or fantasy) utilising contemporary American parlance. Furthermore, potentially interesting characters are neglected and given little to do. Rachel Nichols is introduced as a strong female lead but is quickly sidelined as a damsel in distress. Both Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan fail to engage as antagonists. Both characters establish their evil nemesis credential simply by doing bad things. It’s a shame as their curious and dysfunctional relationship had scope to be far more interesting.

Overall Conan the Barbarian is totally the sum of its parts. And as those respective parts are bland, hollow and uninspired, that’s exactly the sort of movie that you get. For those just seeking some casual violence and bloodshed, then Conan the Barbarian may well prove sufficient. However, it is subject to an excess of CGI like so many films these days and the contemporary editing techniques rob the action scenes of any sense of wonder. The sequences with the sand spirits and under water creature, along with the films climax, fail to offer any real tension. Compared to the physical effects and sword play of the 1982 movie, this reboot simply can’t compete. When will those crafting action scenes learn that real threats, be they physical stunts or monsters that actually interact with actors, are infinitely superior to post production eye candy.

If Conan the Barbarian had simply been marketed under a different title and not linked to the franchise, perhaps critics would have been more forgiving. Had it just been “Wolgang Rippling Buttocks and the Sword of Kagnazax”, then it may well have been deemed acceptable. However, as it fails so notably to do any justice to Robert E. Howard’s work, it quite rightly merits harsher criticism. Furthermore, the points of failure are abundantly apparent. Director Nispel and the screen writers Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood are simply not up to the job. As a result, I think they may well have killed off any studio interest in this intellectual property for the immediate future

Roger Edwards 2/13/17 Roger Edwards 2/13/17

The Return of the DPS Meter

Back in the Summer 2015 I wrote about my flirtation with DPS meters in STO and how they are both a boon and a bane. Eighteen months later I’m still of the same opinion. Chasing numbers is addictive and a source of frustration when you don’t see any significant change. And that is what has happened to me. My overall DPS on my main Federation character has increased from under 5K DPS to somewhere between 23K and 26K DPS. These are perfectly respectable numbers but I hit 30K once and I want to see it again to ensure it wasn’t a fluke. So, I’ve been tinkering with various aspects of my build and regularly parsing my output but the results have been inconsistent. This has led me to do some further research which has highlighted a new set of problems.

I guess the acronym is the biggest clue to my current predicament; damage per second. In STO players are advised to run several specific events to measure their DPS. Namely, Infected: The Conduit (Advanced) and Crystalline Catastrophe (Advanced). These six man events can be run privately or via a PUG. Both events are constructed in such a way that you can engage the enemy continuously from start to finish. There are no waves, therefore no breaks in the combat. Thus, the events can be completed quite quickly. This is favourable because the shorter the combat the higher the average DPS figure. Dying and respawning therefore will lower your DPS output when calculated.

Time is not the only variable. Irrespective of your build and stats, a player’s piloting skills and the way they use their skills rotation has a big impact upon their DPS output. There is an optimum way to proceed through both ICA and CCA and it clearly shows in the DPS meter log files. Attacks with slower cooldowns need to be used at the right time to ensure their availability when next needed. Specific enemies need to be eliminated at key times when running these events. Even something as simple as flying from one side of the map to another, needs to be done correctly, or else you’ll pull aggro and get out of sync with the overall game plan. It isn’t a question of just showing up and shooting.

Then there’s another factor that skews PUGs and has an impact upon DPS parsing. Group imbalance. When you set up a group among your friends, you can ensure that there is some sort of broad parity in builds. PUGs are far more random and you can find yourself grouped with players with both low and extremely high DPS output. Frequently I find myself in a PUG with at least one heavy hitter doing about 50K or higher. Effectively these players will own the event and do the lion share of the damage, thus resulting in a lower average DPS output for everyone else. Similarly, if you PUG with a group of poorly geared, inexperienced players, then again, your stats will be subpar due to the time it takes to complete the event.

It is a shame there’s not another way to calculate your DPS in STO, other than using meters and running these specific events with all their respective variables. I’m thinking along the lines of some sort of virtual calculator than takes the stats from your build and runs them against some sort of mathematical model. I guess it’s either not possible or more to the point, not allowed by Cryptic. I’m sure a little more research will provide an answer, as it has done so far. STO is seven years old and has a keen player base. Many of the things I’m currently pondering, have already been fully explored by veteran players. In the meantime, I’m going to take a break from build tinkering and focus on other goals, other than increasing my DPS. Gaming is supposed to be a source of fun, not anxiety.

Roger Edwards 2/12/17 Roger Edwards 2/12/17

The Importance of Internet Access

There are many factors that contribute to deciding where you live. Price and location are primary considerations. If you have a family then schools are a major factor. Then there are other issues such as council tax, local facilities and transportation. If you use any of the major property listing websites, then you’ll find data on all of these points. However in recent years an additional factor has been added to this list of requirements. Internet access now plays a role in deciding whether a property is right or not. Having a fast and stable connection not only improves our leisure time but also play a part in many peoples work life. Self-employment and working from home are becoming more common, as is a culture of working outside of traditional hours. For many, internet access is now as essential as any other utility service.

Sadly, the UK still remains a country where the digital divide is clearly apparent. High speed, fibre based internet access is still only economically viable to rollout in major business and urban areas. Thus it is still only available in the major cities. 4G coverage is also patchy in rural areas, so offers no real alternative service. You may find a few wireless options here and there throughout the country along with other innovative providers. However the digital aspirations of successive UK governments have failed continuously over the last fifteen years. Trite buzzwords such as “superfast broadband” are still bandied about by politicians with no real technical background. You only have to look at the finer points of the current Digital Economies Bill, as it passes through The House of Lords, to see that it woefully misses the mark with regard to serving the needs of consumers and business alike.

I live in South East London, in a proverbial “leafy suburb”. Residents of the borough are in the core demographics for Netflix, Amazon Prime and other leisure services. Self-employment and home businesses are common too. Therefore, the major telecommunications companies see fit to provide suitable home and business internet services. For example, British Telecom (of whom I am a customer) offers fibre internet services from the local telephone exchange to cabinets in the streets. Connections to the home are then bridged by use of telephone landlines, providing speeds of 50 or 75MB. Virgin Cable is currently being rollout in my area offering 200MB connections in direct competition. Most packages have an unlimited download option. Yet the contrast with the rest of the UK is stark. Large parts of the country still have to make do with ADSL 2+ services providing connections of between 2 and 8MB. Often those living in such areas have no alternative vendors to go to.

Until last year when I became a carer, I relied upon the internet for the provision of my work. I would log into a secure site to collect my technical writing assignments and once completed, return to upload them. Prior to then, I would often store backups of client’s data on my own home servers. I’ve been working from home in some way or another since 2002 and have therefore always had a need for a robust and fast connection. Since my early retirement, I still find that the bulk of the administrative duties I do for my disabled parents need to be carried out online. In fact, given the choice I prefer to do most things that way. I can make quick purchases for my parents such as medical supplies, directly from my phone. I can do my accounts and file my tax return from my desktop PC. Pretty much all the day to day household administration that we all face, can be done via the internet at our own convenience.

Sadly, many in the UK can’t consider such a move to online services, finding themselves on the wrong side of an ever-widening digital divide. Which raises the question as to whether internet access should be seen as more than a luxury and effectively a necessity? Certainly, business has embraced the concept of free wi-fi as a means to keeping customers in certain retail industries happy. Should society and possibly government go beyond this and ensure that internet access is guaranteed in specific circumstances? For example, I frequently visit a major hospital in Kent with my Father. Because of the geography of the area, a mobile phone signal and thus internet access is unavailable within the hospital grounds. If you wish to speak to family or order a taxi, you have to walk for about five minutes or more to be able to do so. However, you can purchase internet access as a patient or a visitor for a fee. I have found myself on several occasions at this location in the early hours of the morning and have thus been forced to pay to get online, to return home. Considering that people at hospitals are frequently under pressure or in distress, should internet access be gated in such a way?

In the UK family incomes within certain demographics have fallen in recent years. In light of the forthcoming economic changes the country faces, it is likely they will continue to do so. Combined with a skills shortage and a decrease in social mobility, we are seeing a clear distinction between the haves and the have nots. The digital divide clearly reflects this. If you find yourself living in specific post codes, unless you find a means to leave, you may well find yourself excluded from adequate internet access. With further services and resources going online, there is potential to further marginalise specific groups of society. Internet access is too important to be driven by just market forces. Is it not time for this matter to be dealt with in a more socially responsible way? Because I suspect that if it is not, it may come back to haunt us in a decade’s time.

Roger Edwards 2/11/17 Roger Edwards 2/11/17

The TGEN Tribunal #6

The Gaming and Entertainment Network was set up in 2014 by several podcasters as a way to promote each other’s shows and reach a wider audience. All the networks members have strong views regarding creating and maintaining communities. Hence it was decided to produce a quarterly roundtable podcast made up of network contributors to discuss and explore a wide variety of subjects. The shows are lively and informal in nature, although there’s often a lot of passion when it comes to the topics being discussed. Frequently the shows are based around questions that our network listeners have asked and the idea of the tribunal is to reflect the feedback we receive.

Due to the realities of day to day life, the TGEN tribunal was somewhat irregular in 2016. This is something that we hope to address this year, so here is the first show of 2017. The panel includes myself, Syl, Braxwolf and Brian and was recorded on Saturday 4th February. Despite some technical difficulties during post production, a coherent (well relatively coherent) podcast has been edited together for our listener’s enjoyment. We hope you find the discussions interesting and would welcome feedback or potential questions for the next TGEN Tribunal which is scheduled for April/May.

TV, Streaming & VOD. Starting a new MMO vs returning to an old one. The Warcraft movie, fans & box office returns.

Roger Edwards 2/10/17 Roger Edwards 2/10/17

Diary of a Podcaster Part 3

Last weekend, myself, Syl, Braxwolf and Brian recorded an episode of the TGEN Tribunal. Being regular podcasters who all know each other, the conversation flowed well and overall there were no major impediments to the discussion. We used Zencastr to record the podcast which has its own inbuilt voice over IP service, so there’s no need for third party programs such as Skype. Zencastr has the added benefit of recording each participant on a separate audio track, that is then automatically uploaded to a designated Drop Box account. This makes editing in Audacity very easy, as all four audio files are perfectly synchronised. Or at least that’s the theory. The reality can be somewhat different.

When I started editing this morning, although I had four separate synchronised audio files, they were all of differing volume. Although all involved in the recording have good quality microphones and that Zencastr is a clever piece of software, there doesn’t seem to be a means at present to standardise the everyones volume. Usually I’d use a MP3 Gain to address this issue but unfortunately this is freeware and as a result it has some unresolved foibles. Where it can fix the volume levels on a song perfectly, it often crashes when processing lengthy audio. Eventually, I had to fix this sound issue within Audacity itself, which was time consuming. I had to raise the volume of one track and lower another then remove the crosstalk on a further track. Then there’s the matter of my squeaky chair which also blight the recording.

Of course, I have the option of ignoring all these matters but I’m just not prepared to compromise my personal standards. Regardless of what listeners may think about the actual discussion, I hope they feel that the technical presentation is not too amateur. Perhaps I’ve spent too much time listening to talk radio or BBC audio productions because I have very specific ideas about what a podcast should sound like. I don’t like obvious technical deficiencies and always cringe when I hear them in others shows. However, it could be a case that I’m setting unnecessarily high standards and that the audience doesn’t care about these things half as much. There’s one listener I know, who plays podcast at 1.5 x speed for reasons of time efficiency.

All things considered, recording online with a variety of hardware and internet connections, can be a challenge. There have been numerous times when recordings have failed outright or simply not been of an acceptable quality. Yet if you are technically prepared then there is much you can do to ensure that things go smoothly. Test recordings, microphone checks and allowing time for retakes can be invaluable. As for the issue’s I’ve encountered with sound levels, although it’s a nuisance, I intend to learn from it and ensure it doesn’t happen again. Some research online may provide some answers from the podcasting community as I’m sure I’m not the first to have such issues. Rather than seeing this as a problem it can be positively viewed as part of the challenge of podcasting.

Roger Edwards 2/9/17 Roger Edwards 2/9/17

Star Trek Online and the MMO Trinity

Although I will happily espouse the virtues of Star Trek Online, the multiplayer element of this MMO is very much optional. The central mission arcs are all solo friendly and although you can play through this content in a group, there is no major incentive to do so. The only times I have grouped during standard PVE content has been to help another player new to the game and when replaying a specific mission for the rewards if offers. The latter can be done a lot faster when grouped. The space and ground queues that are available at level 50 are designed for 6, 10 or 20 players but again the multiplayer aspect of these is somewhat arbitrary. Players can either join a PUG via the group finding system or set up bespoke event themselves with friends of fellow Fleet members. Beyond that there is no compelling interaction between players.

This difference handling multiplayer content was highlighted recently when I played through a featured instance in LOTRO. Although most of the six players present were somewhat over powered, and could blitz through most of the trash mobs, the final boss did require players to fulfil specific roles. There was a need for a tank to hold aggro, DPS dealers to burn the boss down and the healers and control class to heal and debuff. LOTRO was a game conceived and created when the MMO industry was still very much focused on the traditional trinity of classes. What I find curious is that STO was developed at the same time and technically has class distinctions that would support multiplay in such a fashion. Yet it has either never been implemented within the game or has been removed over time via various updates and patches.

However, the fleet system in STO really does foster a community spirit. My primary Federation Captain is a member of Reddit Alert and I must say that the fleet chat is extremely sociable. Where the game may lack a compelling multiplayer aspect, the discussions, debates and advice that is available in chat is invaluable. Many fleet members frequently group for the pleasure of it or to help others achieve specific goals. In some respects, this is does offer a degree of compensation for the lack of traditional multiplayer elements within STO. Considering the nature of the source material you’d have thought that the game would have been created with content that had specific roles for each class. Such collaborative play would have certainly been lore friendly.

For good or ill, mainstream MMO content has moved away from complex class interdependency and an inherent need to group for content. The majority of games now focus on PVE content that is solo friendly and offer players builds that allow them to selfheal and adapt to the content requirements. Perhaps the home of such class interaction is now the MOBA or the team shooters such as Overwatch. Taking a specific role in a group content in Star Trek Online would be very gratifying in principle. It would help create the illusion of being part of a larger Star Fleet. However, I think it is highly unlikely for the developers Cryptic to take such a step and introduce this mechanic retrospectively. Frankly the way the community now focuses on DPS builds I don’t think you could have a Tank class that could hold threat.

Roger Edwards 2/8/17 Roger Edwards 2/8/17

Classic Movie Themes: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) directed by Nathan Juran, was the first of three Sinbad feature films produced by Columbia Pictures. The other two being The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). All three Sinbad films were a showcase for Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion animation special effects works, which was marketed as “Dynamation”. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was the first of Harryhausen’s work to be filmed in colour. The somewhat arbitrary story has Captain Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) returning to the island of Colossa to find a way to release Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant) from a magic spell that has caused her to shrink. As ever with such movies, there is much chewing of the scenery and overwrought dialogue. However, the two elements of the film that excel are the excellent monsters and a superb score composed by Bernard Herrmann.

The main opening theme (Overture as it’s titled on the soundtrack album) for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a bold and exciting fanfare. It’s features that dramatic mixture of brass and strings that only Herrmann could do. The fanfare has hints of Herrmann’s future work with its alternating sections of bombastic horns and soft, lyrical strings (think North by Northwest and even Psycho). Overall it is an extremely strong opening gambit and certainly builds expectations for the epic tale that follows. The second part of the cue The Fog is both ominous and mysterious. Once again it showcases Bernard Herrmann’s ability to exactly capture the mood and tone of a scene.

Over the years there have been several notable re-recordings of the soundtrack for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, yet few have managed to fully capture the spirit of the cues used on the film itself. However, the original session tapes were recently rediscovered and remastered and are now available on CD. These recordings were made directly from the sheet music written by Herrmann himself, and arranged and conducted by Muir Mathieson. Here is the opening Overture followed by The Fog.

Roger Edwards 2/7/17 Roger Edwards 2/7/17

The Yakuza (1974)

Japan, its culture and heritage have always been a source of fascination for Hollywood. The Yakuza is a thriller that plays upon the fact that the West at the time was still broadly ignorant of life in post war Japan. As a result, it makes an excellent setting for a story of revenge and honour with its vivid landscape and contrasting culture. This character driven movie encompasses all the best aspects of a mature Hollywood. There are many who consider the period between 1964 – 1976 to be a golden age of American film making. It’s an idea that I find myself hard pressed to argue with as The Yakuza is a prime example of quality film making from that era.

The film portrays the clash of traditional Japanese values during the transition from the US occupation to the country’s economic success in the early 1970s. The story's themes are of moral indebtedness, obligation, loyalty, and personal sacrifice. Eastern and Western cultural values are starkly contrasted, in particular the notion of tradition versus modernity; a dilemma that was prevalent in post war industrial Japan. The film is driven by an incisive and thoughtful script by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne as well as excellent performances by Takakura Ken and Robert Mitchum. The pacing and editing are subtly different from contemporary movie making and reflect a slower more thoughtful pace.

The production is lavish for the times and portrays Japan as a beautiful but alien nation. There are dramatic contrasts between the traditional villages with their shrines and the harsh new modern industrial business centres. Similar themes were explored later by John Frankenheimer in The Challenge (1982). The Yakuza also showcases some succinct and well-choreographed action sequences but they never overwhelm the film or upstage the narrative. The ending is appropriate and credible. Hollywood often ensured at the time that plot realism was not outweighed by commercial demands. The films conclusion features a great deal of moral ambiguity and none of the central characters walks away with a guilt free conscience.

In the hands of such a skilled director such as Sydney Pollack, The Yakuza appeals on many levels. It should not be seen just as a Japanese based action vehicle. Instead it is a well-crafted and poignant character study that explores the meeting of two very different worlds. Forty-three years on its themes of cultural divides are still relevant. Hence, The Yakuza remains fine example of the cerebral film making that was prevalent at the time. A time when the concept of a good story was paramount. Action was simply a means of advancing or complementing the narrative and not the raison d'être of the film itself. Above all this was era when studios still credited the audience with some intelligence.

Roger Edwards 2/6/17 Roger Edwards 2/6/17

To Grind or Not to Grind?

As soon as I returned to LOTRO last October I immediately started replacing my level 100 gear with more appropriate items. I finally started using slotted armour and essences, using mainly the gear that dropped from quests along the way. As ever it’s not the best but it’s better than what I had. I never started the Dol Amroth repeatable quests that yield armour sets and as the gear is now only level 100, I’ve decided against that option. As I no longer have the time to regularly run instances, I can’t get a set from the Throne of Dread Terror (T2). Luckily, Turbine (now Standing Stone Games) introduced the Flora Barter system with Update 19: March of the King, which provides an alternative method of obtaining level cap appropriate gear.

So, I spent some time recently gathering the various plants in North Ithilien that yield Phials of Extract; the barter items need for the gear set. However, because I’ve been focused on other in-game tasks I didn’t really consider how long it would take to meet the criteria to obtain the full set of Light Weave Padded Armour for my Lore-master. Today I sat down with a pen and paper and did the math(s). A full set comprises of 6 pieces (no cloak). Each item requires 2 Phials of Sapphire Extract and 4 Phials of Amber. So, in total to purchase this set you need 12 Phials of Sapphire and 24 Phials of Amber. To obtain Phials of Sapphire and Amber Extract you have to combine lesser extracts such as Umber, Verdant and Crimson, which come from picking plants in North Ithilien. Sapphire requires 250 lesser extracts and Amber 125. So, to summarise here is a breakdown of the numbers needed for a full set of armour, be it light, medium or heavy:

250 Phials of Umber, Verdant or Crimson Extract x 12 to yield sufficient Sapphire Extract.

125 Phials of Umber, Verdant or Crimson Extract x 24 to yield sufficient Amber Extract.

In total a player needs to have 6000 of the lesser extracts (Phials of Umber, Verdant or Crimson) to then trade in for the necessary Phials of Sapphire and Amber Extract.

Now I spent approximately 90 minutes today collecting extracts from plants such as Horsetail, Dwarfsbeard and Elfspear (others species are available) and I managed to obtain 200 or so. The plants grow in a level cap zone populated by appropriate mobs and animals. So, you do lose some time in combat while collecting. Furthermore, like ore nodes these Flora are contested and you’ll often find yourself competing with other playes for them. Therefore, when you consider all these factors, I estimate it will take a calendar month to gain sufficient stocks of flora extracts to purchase the set. That’s a calendar month playing every day and investing and hour and a half of your time just collecting. It should be noted that there are now some repeatable quests that award random extracts as a way of trying to shorten this process but it really doesn’t make that much of a difference.

So, after figuring this logistical problem out I now have to decide whether I wish to “grind” for this armour set. It comes down to whether you feel that the time invested justifies the reward, or if it is simply too much work. Furthermore, I’ve been burnt several times in the past by Turbine when pursuing other gear grinds. I finally obtained my First Age Weapon from running Moria instances a week before Siege of Mirkwood came out with a new set of gear and weapons that made mine obsolete. The same happened with all the stuff I earned from Hytbold. No doubt Update 21 which is the Mordor expansion may well see a level cap increase. I want to be able enjoy any level 105 armour I obtain for at least six month before it gets replaced. However, I can at times be quite goal orientated so I may well embark on this project. Ultimately the deciding factor with any MMO is one of time.

Roger Edwards 2/5/17 Roger Edwards 2/5/17

MMORPGs: A Recurring Talking Point

Last night, I hosted the recording of the latest TGEN Tribunal, a quarterly roundtable podcast made up of members of The Gaming and Entertainment Network. Myself, Syl, Braxwolf and Brian discussed several subjects, one of which was regarding the MMORPG genre. The initial question was quite specific but the discussion soon expanded to cover wider aspects of online multiplayer games. Overall it was an interesting debate, as all present have been playing MMOs for years and have certainly seen their relationship with them evolve. When we finished recording it occurred to me that the subject of MMOs has been a major theme of many of the podcasts I’ve been involved with over the years.

For myself and many others, the appeal of the MMORPG lies in the concept of a persistent world that can be shared and explored with others. Although the inherent novelty of the multiplayer aspect of the MMO may have lost its lustre over the last decade, I still from time to time pause and reflect, whenever in-game, that all the other avatars around me are players like myself, sitting at their computers and looking for fun and engagement. The MMO genre also lends itself to strong narratives, often stemming from the intellectual properties they create or license. This is a major attraction. Then there’s simply the fascination of people watching. MMOs mirror aspects of real life with their economies and social hierarchies.

Over the years the genre has evolved, as have the communities that spring from them. The MMO has changed from a complex, time sink that was funded by subscriptions to a more casual and flexible experience. Free to play caused outraged, as did a move away from “hard core raiding”. But the genre still survived and the player base adapted. Allowing more players to participate with alternative business models certainly did have an impact upon content and the quality of some players. Certain MMOs that prided themselves on the rectitude of their player base, found out the hard way that not everyone was amicable by default. Yet regardless of all the challenges that have emerged and numerous prophecies of impending doom, the MMO endures and along with it so does our interest.

I played my first MMO in winter 2008 and I was not exactly an early adopter. By then, many of my peers had cut their teeth on titles such as Ultima Online, EverQuest and World of Warcraft. However my initial MMO experience came at the right moment, when I had the time and inclination to indulge my passion. And because my initial experience with LOTRO was so positive, I subsequently tried all major MMOs that were released thereafter. Thus between 2009 and 2014 the MMO genre was effectively my game of choice. In light of such an admission, it hardly seems surprising to see that enjoyment and affection reflect in my writing and podcasting. In more recent years it has also become apparent that my relationship with the MMORPG has changed, as the demands on my time mean I can no longer commit to a game in the same manner as I did a decade ago.

So, is there a point to all this introspection? Yes there is. After last night’s recording, I decided to search through my archive of podcasts that I’ve created over the last seven years. I found a roundtable discussion, similar to yesterdays. It was recorded in summer 2012 and features my regular co-host Brian, Merric from A Casual Stroll to Mordor and Syp from Massively OP and Bio Break. The show was specifically about the “future of MMOs” and although it’s very much couched in the context of the time, it still has some interesting and relevant points to make. Listening to it again, has certainly highlighted how I’ve moved on in some regards, yet in others I’m still quite enthusiastic. One thing does stand out for me; the fact that LOTRO is still a constant.

So I’ve reposted the podcast. If memory serves, this show was well received upon its original release and now serves as a quasi-historical document, in so far as being a snapshot of the MMO fan base at the time. At the very least it may raise a wry smile from among those who originally participated in the recording. Perhaps we could even do a retrospective of our own show at some future date and discuss what we got right and what we got wrong. In the meantime the MMORPG still endures and adapts to the modern gaming market. Perhaps it is that propensity for survival that makes it such an interesting subject to return to and explore.

Roger Edwards 2/4/17 Roger Edwards 2/4/17

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (2012)

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a lot more than just some bit of fluff, promotional documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Bond movies. It is quite a frank insight into the history of the Bond franchise, although it is very much told from the perspective of EON productions. The movie title comes from the production company acronym “Everything or Nothing” which was formed by Harry Saltzman and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Although somewhat partisan in its tone, this is not a rose-tinted exploration of the staggering success of Ian Fleming’s iconic character. The documentary does in fact make you rethink many notions you may have had about certain high profile Hollywood stars and producers.

Initially focusing on author Ian Fleming’s struggles to get the novels filmed, the curious catalogue of failures that brought Saltzman, Broccoli and United Artists together are quite fascinating. As the franchise grew and started to gain momentum it seems inevitable that all parties would eventually fallout. Artistic differences, financial remuneration, taxes and ego all played a part. Then of course there was the problem of how a joint writing venture with Kevin McClory led to rights disputes and a series of legal battles that would drag on for decades. It ultimately led to the unofficial Bond movie Never Say Never Again being made in 1983. Unlike other popular franchises the Bond series has also had to face the trauma of recasting it’s lead actor not once but five times.

The documentary speaks to all actors who have played Bond, except Sean Connery, although his views are still adequately represented by archive footage. There is considerable candour from George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Lazenby is very clear as to why he lost the role that he worked so hard to obtain. Dalton’s Bond suffered by arriving at a time when the franchise was in transition. He still remains in my view the Bond that deserved at least more film. Brosnan also gives an honest account of the effects of playing such an iconic role and how he vividly remembers the filming of Goldeneye, but how the sequels are all blurs. Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is greatly enhanced by well-placed clips from the various movies to under pin the narrative, as well judicious use of John Barry’s various scores.

As previously mentioned the documentary’s candid approach doesn’t always paint a favourable picture. Mr. Connery is shown to apparently hold a grudge. Money often seems to be the cause of disharmony within the core production team. Plus many have frequently been or still remain tax exiles, a stance that seems to be increasingly unpopular in contemporary society. Yet despite the troubles that have beset the franchise over its fifty years, it still managed to reinvent itself and remain popular, commercial and relevant. What Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 demonstrates is that regardless of talent, marketing and the full weight of Hollywood, to be truly successful still requires an element of luck as well as being in the right place at the right time. This is why so many other lesser franchises will never get to celebrate a 50th anniversary.

Roger Edwards 2/3/17 Roger Edwards 2/3/17

UI Customisation

Game complexity can be both a boon and a bane; a selling point and a source of irritation. There are many titles that I enjoy that have a wealth of systems and mechanics that add greatly to the overall immersion and entertainment. The MMORPG genre excels at this. However, this data all needs to be displayed visually, in an efficient and intuitive fashion. It has to be readily available and easy to navigate. Naturally, there’s a fine balance between making such a system accessible without becoming a source of distraction. This is the challenge that all developers face when designing a user interface. However this problem is compounded further by the human element. Regardless of how well crafted a game’s UI may be, players will always wish to change it to suit their own needs and requirements.

What I often find in the MMO genre, is that the UI is streamlined at the beginning of a game with all the essential data that you need to play, evenly distributed around the screen. This grows exponentially as the game progresses, especially with older titles that frequently suffer from skills bloat. LOTRO is a classic example of this with a wealth of data swamping the screen when you reach level cap. I remember having similar issues when I was actively playing SWTOR. I encountered the same in STO recently, especially with regard to the skills hot bar. This was growing and intruding further towards the middle of the screen, impeding combat.

Mercifully most games have the ability to customise the UI, allowing players to indulge their preferences. Furthermore custom HUD settings can frequently be saved and then loaded when required. Monitor size and screen resolution also play a part in this matter and can have a positive impact if altered. Many games also have a cottage industry of players creating and sharing their own custom user interfaces. LOTROinterface has proven to be very popular over the years. The WoW and ESO communities also have multiple sites and resources for such changes. In the competitive genre of MOBAs, a common interface between team mates can be advantageous.

I currently have a 24 inch monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It provides a fairly large gaming canvas and allows me to spread the various elements of the UI to the borders of the screen. However an excess of data on the periphery of your vision can be distracting, especially if it flashes or attempts to alert you in some fashion. I also find it an impediment if my hot bars start to encroach towards the centre of the screen. I don't know if this is due to a foible of human vision but I find it draws my eyes away from where they need to be. I've had such problems in STO recently with my hot bar resembling a pyramid, resulting is some judicious customisation.

The ability to alter a games GUI, raises some interesting questions. The most obvious is whether or not you actually need everything on-screen. My view is if you're not using a specific element of the HUD, then remove it and that goes for skills as well. Then there is the matter of whether games developers are doing their best to accommodate the needs of players with disabilities. Resizing elements and changing colour schemes, as well as assigning audio alerts can all be incredibly beneficial. Fonts can also be a bone of contention, with some not lending themselves readily to being scaled. A simple change of this nature can often improve gaming.

Personally, I would like to see more customisation options added to games. The mod scene in Skyrim really set the standard. I also like the way that some MMOs such as LOTRO have built in voice chat and access to social media. STO allows players to utilise third party audio players while in-game and The Secret World has its own internal web browser as part of the narrative. Although it is to a developer’s advantage to keep the player focused and in-game, facilitating customisation and providing multiple tools aids this process. Flexibility and accommodating change needs to be more of a driving factors in games development because no two players are alike.

Roger Edwards 2/2/17 Roger Edwards 2/2/17

The Geography of LOTRO: Part 2 Bree and Bree-land

In the second part of our look at the geography of Middle Earth, we shall be focusing of the town of Bree. It has a pivotal role in the events of the book and subsequently play a similar part Standing Stone Games Lord of the Rings Online. Before we start, let us remind ourselves exactly what Tolkien writes when introducing Bree to the reader. The following quote is the opening paragraph of chapter nine; At the sign of the Prancing Pony from The Fellowship of the Ring.

In the second part of our look at the geography of Middle Earth (part 1 is here), we shall be focusing of the town of Bree. It has a pivotal role in the events of the book and subsequently play a similar part Standing Stone Games Lord of the Rings Online. Before we start, let us remind ourselves exactly what Tolkien writes when introducing Bree to the reader. The following quote is the opening paragraph of chapter nine; At the sign of the Prancing Pony from The Fellowship of the Ring.

"Bree was the chief village of the Bree-land, a small inhabited region, like an island in the empty lands round about. Besides Bree itself, there was Staddle on the other side of the hill, Combe in the deep valley a little further eastward and Archet on the edge of the Chetwood. Lying round Bree-hill and the villages was a small country of fields and tamed woodland only a few miles broad."

This is a very clear description and to the developers credit they have interpreted this rather literally in the game. Focusing first on the town of Bree itself, Turbine have constructed a settlement that broadly conforms to Tolkien’s details. As you enter through the West-gate and follow the path of "The East Road" you will see the Hobbit holes and small holdings on the slopes of the hill. The homes of men are mainly to the East. "The Prancing Pony" inn is located at the top of the road, abutting to Bree hill itself. The building consists of two wings, as in the source text, though only one is accessible.

Where the game differs is in scale. Bree in LOTRO has been expanded from a simple village to a more substantial centre of commerce. This adaptation allows them to encompass all the crafting and training halls, along with the vendors and sundry NPCs. The only embellishment I personally feel a little excessive, is the town hall itself. It seems a little too ambitious for such a small and insular community. A similar view could be taken on several of the fountains and statues that adorn the various squares. The 2012 revamp has certainly made Bree more populous. Again, perhaps to the detriment of the lore. However, the hedge and dike that surround Bree are very much in accordance with the books and seem authentic.

Moving immediately outside of Bree into Bree-Land itself, we find both Combe and Staddle in the right locations. These being the respective local enclaves of men and hobbits. As specific details are lacking , Turbines visualisations are perfectly acceptable and not in any way excessive. The village of Archet however, has been moved considerably further North. This is to accommodate the fact that the area is a race specific starter area in the game and has been isolated to suit the mechanics of the game. Such local features within the Archet area such as "Bronwe's Folly", "Sprigley's Farm" and "Blackwold Roost" are non-canonical. However none of these are in any way contrary to prevailing regional design.

The above map and the one immediately below have been created using the original books and the subsequent histories of Middle Earth as a guide. They both depict a more Spartan and less populous village of Bree and a far more expansive Chetwood that extends in to the North and NorthEast. The Midgewater marshes are such a distance away as to not even be included on both maps. As are both Andrath and the South Downs. These points highlight the fact that Bree was the last major settlement East of the Blue Mountains before entering the Lonelands. This was a region that was unsettled and thus to a degree barren.

Turbines original condensing of Middle Earth was and remains a necessary factor in creating a viable environment for collective gameplay. However, on occasions, although LOTRO excels at capturing the spirit of Tolkien’s world, there are inevitable trade-offs. The loss of scale particularly in this region is a little disappointing and for those who may not be familiar with the length of original journey, may be somewhat perplexing. For those who wish for more technically accurate cartography, I would recommend the following books. Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey and The Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Both depict the routes taken by the fellowship and contain exacting details relating to dates and even the phases of the moon and stars.

Roger Edwards 2/1/17 Roger Edwards 2/1/17

Damning the Elder Scrolls Online with Faint Praise?

I recently wrote about how about how I finally purchased The Elder Scrolls Online, two years after the games launch. As the purpose of this post is to contrast my thoughts on the MMO both then and now and how they may have potentially changed, I must first reiterate how I felt about ESO initially. As memory serves, here is a breakdown of my initial impressions. I participated in the beta testing in 2014 and although I broadly enjoyed the game, I was not in any way blown away by it. Overall things took several hours to hit their stride as far as gameplay and enjoyment. I also felt that the early levels seemed too focused on establishing the narrative at the expense of the player getting into the game. Eventually I did get that Elder Scrolls vibe but it was not immediately apparent. The action combat needed refining and the multiplayer element frankly felt redundant, unless you were focused on PVP.

Upon my return, I found that the starting zone was still very much a handholding exercise with regard to the game mechanics and the central story. These “nursery” areas are always tend to be problematic for the MMO genre, often falling between two stools. Some players will find them to too hemmed in and on rails, yet there is a need to teach those new to the genre the basic mechanics of the game. Once out of the starter area, things do pick up and it becomes clear that the game leans more towards Skyrim that to other traditional MMOs. If you elect to play ESO with the standard interface, then it’s incumbent upon you to explore the world and figure things out. If you want a more contemporary MMO experience with mini-maps and a wealth of prompts, then add-ons are your friend.

Second time around I felt far more confident about ESO. Certainly, two years’ worth of patches have ironed out a lot of bugs. The combat is more fluid and will provide you with tells if you so wish. The quest lines are well written and engaging, as is the voice acting. The colour scheme is still very muted and this is a far from vibrant game world. However, the games aesthetics suit the lore and match the previous iterations of the franchise. My experience this time round was also enhanced by the wealth of videos and FAQs that are now available for ESO. I had to watch about thirty minutes of video in total to get an adequate handle on the games systems and intricacies. So overall this was a better experience for me, thus proving the old adage about not being an early adopter. The only thing that remained conspicuously the same was the issue of other players. So far, I’ve had no compelling reason to group or interact with them.

Admittedly, I have only been playing for a few days and therefore ESO may well have further revelations for me that will radically change my opinion on the game. Yet I have a nagging concern that that may not be the case and I’m just going to get more of the same. Namely, an MMO with various systems to progress, gear to grind for and a wealth of well written quests to embark upon. All of which is perfectly acceptable but far from exceptional. To summarise everything so far is okay. In fact, one word can sum things up. Adequate. Now there’s a word that often misunderstood so let us remind ourselves with its dictionary definition. Adequate (adjective) satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity". This office is perfectly adequate for my needs". Synonyms: sufficient, enough, ample, requisite, apposite, appropriate, suitable.

Now this raises a very interesting point. Is there anything is wrong with a game being just adequate? Why does every new MMORPG have to be revelation and gaming epiphany? To find an answer to this question, let us consider the realities of our own lives. I doubt very few of us receive utter perfection from any of the services we pay for or products we buy. I drink some well-known but distinctly mainstream brands of beer and spirits. That is not to say that they are not enjoyable but they are not anything special. They are merely serviceable. Society does not overtly balk at the notion of adequacy in other industries. So why are gamers aspirations regarding the MMO genre so much higher than those in other aspects of their life?

Some may feel that the use of such words as "adequate" is simply damning ESO with faint praise and that it is far from a complement. I'm not so sure. I think that the primary reason for ESO’s continuing existence is the franchise itself. This is after all the most current iteration of the Elder Scrolls mythos and it satisfies fan’s needs. The quality of the game, which I am arguing is not all bad, is a secondary consideration. If this was an MMO stripped of the vestige of the IP, perhaps it would not enjoy the level of success that it currently does. Perhaps adequate proves that ESO is still a work in progress, on a continuing journey of self-improvement. Being deemed acceptable and workman like across a spectrum of game mechanics is ultimately preferable to a broken game or one that excels at something and fails at others. At present ESO adequacy is sufficient reason for me to continue playing. After all I’ve played many adequate games over the years and have still enjoyed them.

Roger Edwards 1/31/17 Roger Edwards 1/31/17

Who Will be the Next Doctor?

Idle speculation is a national pastime in the UK. Be it about the gender of the next royal baby or who’ll be managing some ailing football club, we’ll happily spend an inordinate amount of time and energy pondering such matters. Is such conjecture based on factually accurate data and a knowledgeable insight of the matter in hand? Unfortunately, not. The only requirements necessary to express an opinion are a rudimentary grasp of the English language, access to a web enabled device and a pulse. The latest matter to arise that offers the public an opportunity to indulge in some fevered speculation, is the news that Peter Capaldi will be quitting the role of Doctor Who at the end of the year. Therefore, who exactly would be the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor.

Now in the past, the pundits and those who work in the industry have favoured rather obvious, existing "stars". This was the case when David Tennant left the show. Such names as James Nesbitt, Catherine Tate, Catherine Zeta Jones and even David Walliams where bandied about. Then the BBC completely wrong footed everyone by casting Mr. Smith. This time round the press are considering a mixture of mainstream contenders as well as a few more obscure and outlandish candidates. So far, the following names seem to come up. Ben Whishaw, Richard Ayoade, David Harewood, Olivia Colman, Maxine Peake, Rory Kinnear, Sacha Dhawan, Emma Watson, Hayley Atwell, Tim Roth, Colin Morgan.

"Well you die and she leaves me and marries Richard Dawkins"

Now many may think that the debate regarding the next Doctor, is nothing more than a discussion about pop culture. It may even be labelled trivial by some. However, I think it also reveals a lot more about society and indicates wider views held by parts of the population. Because some people still find the idea of the Doctor being a woman or non-white unpalatable. It was something that first emerged in 2013 prior to Peter Capaldi getting the role. Similar objections have also surfaced in recent years when speculating about the next James Bond. Because of the current political climate, people are less reticent about expressing such views. Furthermore, such opinions may indicate that not everyone believes in such “shared values” as equality. Perhaps it is time to consider that societal norms are far more fluid.

Now there may well be individuals who object to such things purely for reasons of racism or misogyny. I don’t see the point of dwelling upon the like, because prejudice of this nature is simply irrational and illogical. Call it such and move on. However, I don’t think that all such objections are driven by bigotry. There are other factors in play here. Namely, fan’s misplaced sense of ownership. Fans tend to invest in a franchise, product or concept to the point where they feel that their boundless love gives them a degree of collective involvement or even ownership. This point can be argued philosophically until one is blue in the mouth but the reality of the situation is driven be the law. Fans despite what they may feel, are passive observers and financial donors and nothing more.

"It wasn't my fault, blame John Nathan-Turner"

Doctor Who, like any other intellectual property, belongs to a specific owner. In this case, it is the BBC. Therefore, it is very much their bat and ball to use an old phrase. They hire specific writers who are then given relative creative freedom to develop the character of the Doctor. The process is not driven by the will of the fan base. The self-appointed label of “fan” doesn’t give you any additional status or rights over than that of a casual viewer. If a show such as Doctor Who pursues a narrative direction that some fans do not like or cast an actor that a percentage object to, then it is simply a matter of differing opinions between creator and consumer. To frame such objections in any other way is spurious. Therefore, if don’t like the next actor to play the Doctor and feel that you’ve suffered a personal slight or grievance as a result, may I refer you to the wise words of Marcus Aurelius. “Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears”.

The great thing about Doctor Who is that it's Science fiction. The very nature of the genre affords it a far greater degree of artistic freedom. Effectively, if the show ever paints itself into a corner, they can via the means of some clever pseudo-science, easily produce a get out of jail card and be back on track in no time. Therefore, issues such as race and gender can easily be explained, explored and accommodated by the lore, if there is the political will to do so by the show’s producers. Let us not forget that the biggest issues here are not complex social and philosophical ones but the simple fact that people often struggle with change. Yet it was change that saved Doctor Who to begin with and gave us single episode story-lines, less running up and down corridors and a sexier Doctor himself. The show simply had to evolve to remain relevant.

So, while this matter is being hotly debated, I see no reason why Contains Moderate Peril shouldn't contribute to the speculation and offer some of our own well-conceived suggestions. All our recommended actors have the potential to bring something unique and special to the role. I wonder what odds William Hill are giving?

Grace Jones. This would see a return to a more eccentric.
Jason Isaacs. Cool, suave, sexy etc.
Meera Syal. A fine actress and a funny lady. I’m certain she’d bring something of note to the role.
Susan Calman. She has already put herself forward on twitter with the caveat that Tom Hardy is her companion.
Michael Ironside. Because he would just be bat-shit crazy and make the Daleks soil themselves.

Roger Edwards 1/30/17 Roger Edwards 1/30/17

Classic Movie Themes: Krull

After the success of his nautically themed score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, composer James Horner was very much in demand. Columbia pictures subsequently hired him over the likes of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith to compose the soundtrack for Krull (1983). The movie was to be the studios flagship fantasy title and their most expensive production to date, costing $50 million. Unfortunately, the curious mixture of science fiction and fantasy failed to find an audience and was a box office failure. The film most certainly does have flaws. The screenplay was constantly re-written and the lead actor, Ken Marshall is somewhat underwhelming. Yet the production and costume design are outstanding and the movie is beautifully shot.

The film score composed by James Horner and performed by The London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Singers, is vibrant and rousing. It's swashbuckling approach is very reminiscent of the works of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. It features vibrant fanfares, a sumptuous love theme and an avant-garde use of string instruments to represent some of the more fantastical elements of the story. Krull represents some of the composers finest work from his early years with its rich and exuberant motifs. It is certainly one of the movies greatest assets and again shows the importance a films soundtrack in underpinning and reflecting the on-screen narrative.