http://fortressat.com/ Thu, 23 May 2013 09:30:39 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80712 I can see why some folks (men) could hate on Brave. There is really no strong male character for her other than her loutish father. Her choice of suitors is what, a stoner, a dim-wit, and a preening douche? Her rebellion against the marriage games would have been more meaningful if the suitors were more appealing. I'm glad there wasn't a romantic subplot but I would have preferred more heroic suitors. She did seem to like the Conan guy though :) which is sorta creepy since I don't think they really specified her age and I kinda think they were going for 13 rather than 16-18. jason10mm Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:37:53 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80685 Gotta agree with Dragonstout. Merida is the villian. Definitely more a girl/mommovie. I thought it was a perfectly good (not great) movie. towards the bottom of Pixar list for me but that still makes it pretty good. Stan Leer Sun, 08 Jul 2012 04:39:50 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80682 I haven't seen it yet, but I've had two different mothers of twins tell me that the writer obviously had experience with multiples. At this point you probably know more about that than I do, but it's refreshing to see movies coming out where the writer isn't 19 years old. S. Sagrilarus Sat, 07 Jul 2012 23:36:09 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80681 Saw Brave last night; if you thought Mom was the villain, I think you saw a very different and much less interesting movie than I did. dragonstout Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:53:42 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80680 Superfly, I kind of see it in reverse. I'd say Summoner Wars is a unique kind of drafting/respawn game with a simple miniatures mechanic attached. Almost all of the great decisions in a match are about logistics. That's likely why some people hate it so much. The game has all the promise to be a complex, deep miniatures game but delivers a different (but great!) experience. As a pure tactical miniatures game, Heroscape will always be better. SaMoKo Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:50:33 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80679 Neuroshima is far better than SW, but it's different league altogether. Tigris isn't even the same sport. If you're comparing games, try something like Hero Academy as it's more closely tied mechaincally. SW is simply a miniatures game with a unique kind of respawn/drafting mechainic, oh, and that spares the card+miniature setup and just uses cards, and without terrain modifiers. Really, it's a very simple miniatures game at its core, and only the drafting method and powers makes it interesting in any way. Luckily, that drafting mechanic is so unique that it carries the game very well because of all of the decision points. I could go the rest of my life never playing it again and I'd be fine with it. I've played it more than I've played a lot of far better games. But, I can see why people really love it. There's a lot there to like, and its a very cheap game to get into. But for iOS? Neurohex is a no-brainer. I'd play T&E if I could get multiplayer to work. SuperflyTNT Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:04:48 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80678 Summoner Wars is not even close to being the best iOS game/app/whatever. Dont be silly Michael. Its mind numbing drivel, about the same level of interest as Ascension. Tigris & Neuroshima piss all over Summoner Wars like they are in some kind of B grade German scat porn movie. In fact, I think SW might be one of the most overrated pieces of comical crap in recent years. Move, magic, attack, events, cards. Fuck me, how original. Yawn. ldsdbomber Sat, 07 Jul 2012 15:19:20 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80676 [quote=SuperflyTNT]Man, dat booshit. Some Pixar stuff is brilliant. Incredibles was a good...no...GREAT film. I'll put that shit against Captain America all day long and twice on Sunday. No contest.[/quote] I missed out on [i]The Incredibles[/i] at the cinema and only caught it on TV a year or so ago. Freakin' awesome movie! It had everything: tension, drama, pathos, tenderness, dread, humour, etc, etc. It's simply one of the best superhero movies ever made, period. JMcL63 Sat, 07 Jul 2012 10:07:24 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80674 If being better than Captain America makes a movie great, there are a ton of great movies out there! Anyway, like I told my daughter when she was little: different people like different things. Movies aren't objectively great. Sure, millions of people might think the movie is great but someone who disagrees isn't some braindead loser just because they disagree. They just like different things. But I guess nobody really said that so I'm just arguing against a strawman, which is pretty braindead. Just say what you like, that's all. quozl Sat, 07 Jul 2012 04:03:59 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80673 Man, dat booshit. Some Pixar stuff is brilliant. Incredibles was a good...no...GREAT film. I'll put that shit against Captain America all day long and twice on Sunday. No contest. SuperflyTNT Sat, 07 Jul 2012 03:25:15 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80671 [quote=quozl]I don't get the fascination with any of the Pixar films. Sure, they're fine kid movies but hardly amazing films.[/quote] It's a Steve Jobs thing. You like them because he touched them. If you don't like them, you're a loser that just doesn't get it. You don't want to be a loser, do you? S. Sagrilarus Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:46:14 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80670 got summoner wars for xmas and on the shelf it sat. Just got the app so as to actually get a chance to play. Finally set up game enter. Stan Leer if anyone wants to play. Go gentle on me... Stan Leer Fri, 06 Jul 2012 21:21:43 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80669 I don't get the fascination with any of the Pixar films. Sure, they're fine kid movies but hardly amazing films. quozl Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:59:15 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80668 [i]Unfortunatley, a lot of folks don't have the maturity or sense to realize that you can be a boy and enjoy a girl's film.[/i] Thank you for admitting I am mature. Now I'm off to order a Pink Lady while playing in a Pretty Pretty Princess tournament while watching Steel Magnolias. As for Toy Story 3, I really don't get the fascination. I know it "comes full circle" in the series, but I actually like the second one best. Three is a bit dark for my taste. daveroswell Fri, 06 Jul 2012 19:01:17 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80665 That's fine, since you're all in with the Plaid Hat guys I'm sure you have access to all the cheat codes...like the one that apparently gives you an infinite quantity of that freezing card. It really doesn't help that I'm so bad at games. Seriously, I am like the Bad News Bears of board gaming. Michael Barnes Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:53:31 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80662 Playing against the Plaid Hat playtesters has improved my game a lot. I can't beat those guys to save my life. Of course it helps that Barnes' faculties are impaired from years of opiate abuse. Mr. Bistro Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:04:17 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80661 Fuck you, James. Not a chance that anyone should even try to play you. You are a "eat, sleep, shit Summoner Wars" kind of guy, not to mention you playtested it. And happy birthday, by the way! SuperflyTNT Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:41:03 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80660 Man, if people think Bistro's good, I gotta get on there... ;) Jexik Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:22:12 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80658 Pixar has set their bar too high. I mean, after Toy Story 3, where do you go from there? It's one of the _best_ kid's films, if not _the_ best kid's film, ever made. Aside from that, the standard of their best work is outrageous. The problem is that Brave is more conventional at least on the surface and really kind of targetted differently- it's definitely "one for the ladies", so to speak. And I've seen a lot of male critics really kind of react negatively to that. I've read reviews that are almost _resentful_ that it's not another boy's story. Most of Pixar's stuff is very boy-oriented, and it makes sense for them to start a brand for girls. Unfortunatley, a lot of folks don't have the maturity or sense to realize that you can be a boy and enjoy a girl's film. A good movie is a good movie, and Brave is a good movie. I _was_ surprised by Brave because of it being a girl's film and also because it subverted a lot of the standards of the "princess" movie- and not in a ridiculous, over-the-top sassy/get biz-zay attitude way (which is what Dreamworks would have done). Dair, what I think we're going to see is that folks get to play Summoner Wars a lot more and some of the more interesting depth to the factions will come out- especially with the deck building option. I'm thinking this is going to be like Ascension where people develop really high levels of play really quickly...should be exciting! Also, Mr. Bistro should be called Mr. Bastard, don't let him play you with the Tundra Orcs. I can't beat the guy. Michael Barnes Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:59:01 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80657 I liked Brave a lot, although I do agree that it's second-tier Pixar. I think that while it did some bold stuff with characters and subverted some expectations, the story itself proceeded largely as expected, with the very large exception of the transformation of the mother. Most Pixar movies subvert on a plotting level, and this one did not. That doesn't really make it lesser, but I think it didn't "surprise" me like some other Pixar movies have. But yeah, wonderful expression of a mother/daughter relationship. San Il Defanso Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:10:08 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80656 Downloaded Summoner Wars last night and I think they did a fantastic job implementing it. I can't wait to finally get to work out all the new factions in depth. I've played most of them once or twice, but iOS will be perfect for really putting them through their paces and discovering what they are truly about. Dair Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:47:03 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80654 Congrats on the [i]American Flagg[/i] and [i]Grimjack[/i] picks Michael. You're mainlining some of the early 80s greatest comics there. JMcL63 Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:46:12 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80653 I love Chaykin's stuff. His Shadow: Blood and Judgment was one of the very few book to survive my great comics purge. Completely recommended for anyone that hasn't read it. Not Sure Fri, 06 Jul 2012 04:30:35 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80652 I saw Brave with The Spawn, just the two of us. Earlier that day we had had a huge argument over her shorts being too short and another one over the fact that she said that something had broken rather than saying that she had broken it. She was still being a little sulky when we got to the theatre. Right near the beginning of the movie, The Spawn poked me and said, "She's you," indicating the mom being all mom like. I poked her back and said, "And she's you," indicating Merida reacting to the mom being all mom like. And we both laughed. We were the only people in the audience laughing at a lot of the scenes. After the movie The Spawn said, "Sometimes you're kind of like Merida too." It's a really good mother/daughter movie. ubarose Fri, 06 Jul 2012 03:55:42 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80649 Downloaded the free version of Summoner Wars yesterday. Having never played the "real" game, it took a short time to get up to speed. It is really brilliantly done and I'll be on board for the expansions and the whole giddyup. I've only had an iPad for a few weeks, so I'm really getting into some of the games (Ascension has gotten loads more play than anything else). SW will be getting that much and likely more. Great stuff! playdead Fri, 06 Jul 2012 02:32:38 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80648 [quote=Stormcow]Daughter vs Mom was the main conflict in the recent Tangled as well. I didn't like it in that movie though, it felt way too heavy handed. Is Brave any better in that regard?[/quote] Absolutely. Brave is a moral tale with the moral explicitly stated without being shoved down the audience's throat. In Tangled, the "mother" truly was a villain. In Brave, both the mother and daughter learn a lesson during the movie. daveroswell Fri, 06 Jul 2012 02:18:51 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80646 Brave scared my 5 year old son, but I keep him pretty sheltered. cdennett Fri, 06 Jul 2012 01:11:27 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80645 Brave scared my 5 year old son, but I keep him pretty sheltered. cdennett Fri, 06 Jul 2012 01:11:21 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80643 Daughter vs Mom was the main conflict in the recent Tangled as well. I didn't like it in that movie though, it felt way too heavy handed. Is Brave any better in that regard? Stormcow Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:56:06 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80641 They had phasers in the audience? What, is Leonard Nimoy doing voice acting again? SuperflyTNT Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:36:59 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80638 Well, you may be right- Mom isn't really a "villain" per se, but there is initially an adversarial relationship there- not a "good versus evil" thing, more of a normal "growing up" thing. It's funny that you mention how it's an "esoteric" villain...that bit reminds me a lot of Princess Mononoke, how at the end the nominal "bad guy" realizes that in acting greedily and outside of natural order she's done wrong, apologizes to everybody, and plans to atone for her grievances. No big battle, no heroic comeuppance. Mordu, on the other hand, is really Brave's bad guy, but he's barely in it and almost is a token presence to provide opposition. Michael Barnes Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:04:45 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80637 I can't get onto the Apps store from work. Damn. Once I get Summoner Wars, I expect to be playing a ton. As for Brave, Mike, I have to disagree on you on one point, hopefully without givng too much away. There are NO real living villains in Brave. The villain is so esoteric in that it is a human emotion: PRIDE. Personally, I rank Brave a little higher than you do, but it may not resonate with kids as much because the villains aren't as well defined as some past Pixar movies. daveroswell Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:05:27 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80636 Are proceeds going to fund communists? Is Mayday Games involved? My 2.5 year old had no problem with Brave, but there are some "scary images", mostly of bears and witches. But we like bears and witches in this household, so he's used to monsters, evilness, angry animals, swordfights, and whatnot. The 10 month old didn't seem phased either. Michael Barnes Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:42:26 +0100 http://fortressat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3402#josc80635 I can think of another reason to not get SW, but I'm not touching that shit with a 10 foot pole. But that's not why I'm here. American Flagg is fucking BRILLIANT. But that's not why I'm here. Is Brave appropriate for a 4 year old? Or too scary? SuperflyTNT Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:38:05 +0100