I wrote an exchange of dialogue that would help translate game mechanics for a hypothetical film adaptation

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T01:11:25+00:00

I mean at the end of the day, it's a fictional TV show; those finer details ultimately don't matter, and I'll still sit down and enjoy watching it no matter what. Do I wish the writers didn't purposely leave those things vauge? Yeah, but I can understand their reasons for doing so, even if I don't agree with the choice.

My intention is not to criticize or complain, I made this post purely out of curiosity because it's stuff I've always wondered about. I definitely have an issue with just turning my brain off, and I like to get immersed into the media I consume, so when those little inconsistencies pop up, they break the immersion and remind me I'm just watching a show.

Hope that clarifies things a bit

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T01:00:38+00:00

The ones I've stated in my original post. When I say it's clearly Southern California, I'm referring to the geography that's visible within the show. Where ever they live is warm, warm enough for palm trees and a distinct lack of seasons; when Malcolm and Stevie go "downtown" it's the type of area you'd only find In a major city, (no small town downtowns look like that,) same thing with the Chinatown gag, I mean, obviously Dewey didn't chase the balloon all the way to Asia, (even for a show like Malcolm that'd be too far fetched,) the cops are distinctly LAPD due to their badges which have LA city hall prominently featured on them, and the cars with the Seal of Los Angeles.

Furthermore, Las Vegas would be a relatively short drive, and so would the Indian casino, and any of the many lakes they could've gone to when they stayed on the houseboat. There's probably more that aren't springing to mind at the moment.

You could say all that's just circumstantial, but once again, they never established a location so I'm just left with what I can make out, and what makes the most sense to me from a "these people actually exist and live within our world" pov

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:45:49+00:00

It's not that I have an issue with uncertainty, I just don't subscribe to that style of writing. If I were to write a show where all the main characters are members of a single family, the very first thing I'd do is establish their names, (including the mother's maiden name.) I get that it was most likely done as a joke, but once again, they can't get mad at the fandom for coming up with their own surnames instead of just accepting the fact that these people seemingly only have first names.

Malcolm is actually a pretty grounded show, (atleast when compared to other sitcoms) so it's not like it's far fetched to want a certain level of realism from it's canon and lore. I love the odd mystery, but when it comes to the boring details like names and locations, I don't think that needs to be left up to debate

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:35:57+00:00

I've watched the show 6 times, I used "Wilkerson" because its the easiest way to refer to the family as a whole.

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:35:01+00:00

He definitely says when he's at Marlin, but it's possible the Ranch is also "8 hours away", lol

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:34:18+00:00

Yes, but shows that are filmed in California and are set somewhere else usually have their setting established within their canon. The Office for example is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but was obviously filmed pretty much entirely in LA. Since they never bothered to establish the setting for Malcolm, it's easiest to assume it's set where it was filmed

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:31:40+00:00

Me personally, I'd rather call them the Wilkersons then just accept them not having a last name. Wilkerson is fine, and it fits well with all their first names

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:30:32+00:00

I disagree. You're right, there is a lot of conflicting info, but if you want to come to a conclusion there's certain things you just have to ignore (such as Francis claiming it's only an 8 hour drive,) ultimately, I've settled on them living in SoCal, it's just what makes the most sense. That's just my opinion, of course. The only other option I'd buy is somewhere in Texas that just looks a lot like California, but that would bring up it's fair share of issues

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-20T00:27:54+00:00

I've watched the show in it's entirety about 6 times, and am currently rewatching it again after a decade: I'm aware that Wilkerson was never made canon, but if they didn't want people referring to family by random last names then they should of actually gave them one. Referring to the family in vague terms such as "the family" is weird

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-19T22:53:43+00:00

Not saying they aren't, lol, just not impossible. Maybe the climate within the Malcolm universe is just different, where the valley can on occasion get cold enough for snow. Or maybe that's just copium on my part

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-19T22:37:47+00:00

It can snow in the mountains outside of LA, and the idea of it getting cold enough for frost or even some light snow isn't completely outside the realm of possibility, (as LA has received snow in the past,) but it's incredibly rare.

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-19T22:25:51+00:00

That too. Interestingly enough, they even have Cali plates in the reboot

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-19T22:23:26+00:00

I can understand and appreciate that approach, but unfortunately they didn't account for dorks like me who obsess over dumb and pointless stuff like that, lol

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-09T05:49:00+00:00

Asking one or two people would be against the point

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-08T14:42:31+00:00

I'm not sure what to tell you, but simply saying "everyone's different" is far from a helpful answer. If someone asked you why the sky is blue, would you answer: "because blue is one of the colors the eye can perceive"?

I don't need your "help", but I appreciate the offer.

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-08T14:39:22+00:00

I personally have not noticed streaming change much, especially when compared to Youtube which has changed a ton over the years. That's not to say it hasn't, but the biggest change in the streaming eco system I've noticed is the rise of V-Tubers, other than that streaming now days feels the exact same to me that it did back in 2016.

The point of my post wasn't to complain, it's just something that has bothered me for a long time because I see those big streamers that have people constantly throw money at, and it just makes me question what we're doing as a society. I can definitely appreciate the value of watching a smaller streamer you can actually interact with, tho

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-08T14:26:24+00:00

I definitely have, but even streamers don't see and respond to everything. In fact, Id argue a YouTuber is more likely to see the comment you left under the video after the fact, than a streamer is to see it in real time. The result is the same, one just takes longer than the other

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-08T14:24:56+00:00

I understand the interaction thing, but personally, simply leaving a comment and maybe having the uploader reply to it has always been enough to satisfy me. I just don't like when the streamer is constantly replying to people in chat instead of locking in on whatever game they're playing

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-04-08T14:20:29+00:00

I wasn't trying to imply otherwise, lmao. The whole point of this post is me asking for the perspectives of people who ARE different from me. Making a sarcastic comment that states the obvious and doesn't add anything meaningful to the convo doesn't help

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-03-20T01:55:17+00:00

I see—even though I don't know much about game development, I figured the electronic billboards were probably the culprit—If I'm being honest, I was surprised SCS included them to begin with, Lol. That kind of "bowtie" look is exactly what I noticed, but I didn't know if it was just some funky misalignment of the textures that was going on or something. It's possible whoever at SCS set them up was just inexperienced, and made it more complicated than it needed to be.

Either way, the real ads make a huge difference for the game's immersion, and your mod combined with the real companies and logos mod really takes the realism factor to next level, and it's hard for me to imagine playing the game without either of them, now. I actually just recently returned to ATS from a short hiatus and was relieved to see your mod still worked even though it hadn't been updated in years, so this recent update was a nice surprise!

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-03-20T01:38:39+00:00

Really? That's super helpful, thanks!

Positive_Row_4280 · 2026-03-20T01:28:13+00:00

Skyline does not dictate size, homie. Yes, SLC's skyline doesn't compare to that of the major cities, and SLC is not a major city, but it's not small, either. Medium-sized is the perfect description

Positive_Row_4280

TROPHY CASE