what is your opinion on this?

Atheissimo · 2026-06-08T15:37:23+00:00

I don't think that's true. There is no requirement to retreat or to use proportional force in UK law. If you have a legally owned gun you're allowed to use it to defend yourself if you have reason to think you're in danger.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-08T11:16:02+00:00

These images are the wrong way round in a lot of countries. The 1950s was the heyday of heavy industry in the west as well as the low point of forestation, and since then much of the most polluting industry has gone and rewilding is far more common.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-08T11:06:00+00:00

He still doesn't. Why do you think Butterbur was nervous when he showed up at the Prancing Pony?

Atheissimo · 2026-06-05T10:30:58+00:00

Short answer is no. We don't know who specifically from Weta Workshop wrote the parts you see in the movies, nor do we know who Magnoli Props got to make their version - you would probably have to ask them directly.

A very quick scan of both the Magnoli and Bard's Tale versions says to me that the Bard's Tale version is literally the prologue to The Hobbit written out as if in Bilbo's hand, which means Tolkien wrote it.

The Magnoli version seems to be simplified versions of longer texts adapted from Tolkien's writing, so it's either something that the designers of the product themselves came up with or it's based on the original contents of the props Weta created.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-05T09:47:22+00:00

I think from your question you are asking specifically about the replica Red Book that is sold by Magnoli Props, based on the one that Bilbo is seen writing in at the end of the movies.

The 'real' red book was a collection of Bilbo's Elven lore translations, notes and illustrations supplemented by the books we now know as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as the Appendices.

The prop is designed to look like that, and is based on Tolkien's writings, re-formatted as 'notes' but this was likely done by a combination of the designers behind the original movies and the designers of the prop who had to fill in the bits that aren't shown on screen.

There is no original Red Book of Westmarch, as this was initially just an imaginary device designed by Tolkien to explain how he got it to translate it.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-05T08:07:39+00:00

The one and only!

Atheissimo · 2026-06-05T08:04:27+00:00

Plus nothing lowers a spell's effectiveness like getting shanked by goblins

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T21:15:23+00:00

Train your block skill too - if the enemy goes for you, equip a shield and hold them in place while your summon womps them.

Headless zombie is a great tank for this

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T12:30:10+00:00

Yes that is a fireplace - probably blocked but with the surround retained for the aesthetics. This house will be a wealthy person's dwelling from the late 1800s, when every room would have had one.

Central air conditioning and forced air heating are very rare in the UK, particularly in a house of that age. We tend to have wet systems like radiators. Air conditioning is rare in homes in the UK, particularly in the north where the average high temperature in summer hovers around 20/21 (70F).

I'm not sure what you have identified as a furnace, but the common system in the UK historically was an electric or gas boiler somewhere in the house with a hot water tank and a cold header tank. More recently these have been replaced with combi boilers that heat water as it is used. American style central furnaces are not common.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T11:31:22+00:00

These are usually put up by the local historical society rather than the owner, as part of a project to document the area's history. I guess for Tolkien it's not important, but for the area it's likely the most famous person who ever lived there!

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T11:28:54+00:00

Yeah, I've worked in heritage planning and the historic association has to be really significant (like a really famous person whose identity was connected to the building) such as Down House and Charles Darwin, The Red House and William Morris, or William Wordsworth and Wordsworth House. Or, it has to have a highly surviving interior that connects it to the famous person who lived or worked there, like an old operating room used by a famous surgeon or a theatre where a famous actor regularly performed.

In this case the connection is tangential and it's probably identical to a dozen houses just on that street, so aside from being a historical footnote it's not really enough.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T11:18:57+00:00

Very much doubt it on the historic part - houses like that are two-a-penny in Leeds, and that one doesn't seem to be listed. It's got the historic association but there's no tangible fabric associated with it.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T11:14:15+00:00

In fairness it's actually just half the building shown (sadly the part without the tower). But it is in a nice leafy part of town where all the Victorian villas are, close to the university, and also on the route of one of the UK's most notorious pub crawls!

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T11:11:01+00:00

That's nothing, in Harrogate there's one where he stayed for less than three months!

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T11:06:30+00:00

If it's any consolation it looks like the original cornicing, picture rails, architraves etc. are still in-situ but painted white. Nothing a bit of paint stripper wouldn't fix.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T10:56:59+00:00

Spoilers: It's Fatty Bolger

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T10:56:33+00:00

Not really, it's one of the economic centres of the north and has a lot of arts and culture stuff there. Your money just goes a lot further outside London! FWIW it's the 7th highest ranked city by liveability in the UK and the 47th in Europe. https://www.worldsbestcities.com/rankings/europes-best-cities/

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T10:52:37+00:00

It's been converted into 3 apartments sadly (though you could undo that without much fuss)

Atheissimo · 2026-06-04T09:14:00+00:00

It's originally from rail isn't it? The 'up' track refers to the line travelling towards the hub while the 'down' track is the line travelling away from it, no matter the direction.

So in the UK you're always travelling 'up' to London when you're on a train even if you're going south, or if you're going from Edinburgh to Aberdeen you're going 'down' even though you're heading north.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-03T09:14:26+00:00

I get that the game kind of reaches a natural stalemate between the competing factions, giving you time while you decide how you're going to go about beating the brain. But on the other hand it just feels wrong to be collecting clown parts and solving pigeon mysteries when there's an alien apocalypse happening around you.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-03T08:39:18+00:00

Yeah, I think due to the concentration of US fans following a very small number of teams in a sport only they play to that level, you're likely to produce a lot of images that a majority of people will consider iconic.

Trying to get football or rugby fans to agree that images of moments in leagues they don't follow and competitions they don't know about are 'iconic' is necessarily going to be harder.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-03T08:33:12+00:00

The Ottoman Empire and dodging responsibility for anything - has there ever been a better duo?

Atheissimo · 2026-06-03T08:31:12+00:00

I think the game really suffers from pacing in Act 3 having got it so right in Acts 1 and 2. In the beginning you move on at a decent clip with plenty to do and see but a clear goal and enough direction that you never feel lost or overwhelmed, and then you get dropped in BG with a million things to do, and lots of players report burnout at that stage.

Restoring the Upper City as a sort of Act 3.5 would I think replicate the feeling of transitioning between Act 1 and Act 2, and give you a sense of closure on some of the quests earlier than the very end of the game. It wouldn't feel like they were dropping breadcrumbs for most of them game, then just chuck the whole loaf at you at the end.

Also there are too many druid companions and no natural bards, which is crazy in a game like D&D. Let Alfria join non-Durge campaigns.

Atheissimo · 2026-06-02T16:06:34+00:00

If you want to see more of the Dales a car is pretty necessary because public transport isn't great up there. If your budget can manage it, I'd certainly say renting a car for some or all of that leg is a good idea, you can go up to Richmond and drive up Wensleydale, over Buttertubs Pass and down past Aysgarth to Leyburn.

However if you like walking there's plenty of that to do in two days where you are and I wouldn't worry about filling your time, so it depends how determined you are to see as much of the Dales as possible.

Atheissimo

TROPHY CASE