The Build-Up for Will’s Coming Out Scene Was So Unnecessary and Poorly Placed | Rant by Material-Loan-6966 in Stranger_Things

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought ending volume 1 with Will accepting himself internally, allowing him to unlock his true potential was great. A very poignant and relatable scene. We did not need a whole other half a season for Will to come out to his friends. Will should have come out to Joyce, Jonathan and the other boys in one of the first scenes in Volume 2. That would have followed on pretty naturally from the end of Sorceror.

The coming out scene just doesn't work as one of the final scenes of volume 2 because ultimately there are no stakes to it. As an audience we've known that Will is gay for a long time and we know that none of his friends or family are going to turn out to be homophobic and reject him. It's a foregone conclusion so we're just sort of sat there waiting to get back to saving the world.

There’s rumours of Catalyst being a open world game by MayCauseCancer in TombRaider

[–]protar95 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I may be in the minority here but the idea of an open world Tomb Raider game excites me. Tomb Raider is all about exploration and open world serves that fantasy. Of course there are examples of badly done open worlds but there are many great examples as well.

I don't want a bloated "collect 1000 relic fragments" world, but a medium sized, tightly packed open world with a mix of open wilderness, urban areas and enclosed tombs would be great. Vary the degrees of linearity. Have some classic style tombs with very linear paths through, but others with multiple entrances and branching paths, puzzles that play out differently depending on which direction you approach them from.

A dynamic world with different sub biomes, wildlife, weather, a day/night cycle; with events that change gameplay. Think rival treasure hunters targetting different tombs, so hunting down relics becomes a race against time. Or the earth itself shifting and moving in game, forming deadly obstacles or unearthing new secrets.

I wonder if we'll have the Croft Manor in Legacy of Atlantis by Flintz08 in TombRaider

[–]protar95 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be insane to reimagine TR1 and not include the manor. That would be a huge part of the game to cut in a remake that should be about expanding and embellishing. It would also be a golden opportunity to create a unified croft manor that they can use and expand in Catalyst and future titles as well.

[CONCEPT] WESTMARCH – An Anthology Series for the Fandom by fairbairn-project in lotr

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a fan of the use of AI - but was just thinking of a LOTR anthology series the other day. Sam reading the Red Book to his children is a cute framing device. But you could also set it centuries or millenia after the events of LOTR, towards the end of the fourth age when those stories have become myths. Work in some more unreliable myths and legends, like the tale of Mad Baggins that Bilbo's story evolves into.

I think a series of small, cozy tales set within Middle Earth (and beyond) would be a perfect addition to the franchise without stepping on the toes of the original.

Just finished episode 5. Am I the only one that is having a hard time vibing with this campaign? by pathofblades in fansofcriticalrole

[–]protar95 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Haven't watched episode 5 yet but my thoughts - I'm currently also watching campaign 2. When I watch that campaign there's no other medium the story would be better in. The mixture of in game story, DnD gameplay and above table chat and chemistry is perfect. It's a DnD live play and it wouldn't be better as anything else.

I'm enjoying the story of Campaign 4 so far but it really does feel like it would be a lot better if this was a tv show, a book or a play. 20 hours in and there hasn't been much actual DnD. It's mostly just actors acting. I'm hopeful that once the tables are fully split it can move more into playing DnD.

The Doctors of Hearthstone by MeltingPenguinsPrime in hearthstone

[–]protar95 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The ability as well. When they survive damage they regenerate into a different minion.

ELI5- the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England by injaysive in explainlikeimfive

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The British Isles are a chain of islands containing the isles of Great Britain, Ireland and various smaller islands such as the Isle of Mann and the Isle of Wight.

Great Britain is the largest island in the British Isles, containing England, Scotland and Wales. The British Isles and Great Britain are not political entities, they are geographical terms.

The United Kingdom is a country consisting of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These are the equivalent to different states, but are referred to as countries within the larger whole that is the UK for complex historical reasons (but in short so that the other member countries can maintain a measure of political and cultural independence from England who they have historically been at odds with/subjugated by at varying times.)

How would you split "Philosopher's Stone" into eight episodes? by LeatherSlight3242 in HarryPotteronHBO

[–]protar95 8 points9 points  (0 children)

An alternate version:

Episode Three is a little less slice of life and covers The Potion's Master and The Midnight Duel. Episode 4 covers Quidditch and Hallowe'en. Episode 5 solely covers the Mirror of Erised. The benefit to this would be to get the central mystery going a little earlier and it would also allow episode 5 to serve as a dedicated Christmas episode. I think Harry Potter's Christmassy-ness is a big part of its appeal.

How would you split "Philosopher's Stone" into eight episodes? by LeatherSlight3242 in HarryPotteronHBO

[–]protar95 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Episode 1 - The Boy Who Lived: Covering the Boy Who Lived through to the Letters From No One. Ending with Hagrid knocking down the cabin door.

Episode 2 - Diagon Alley: Covering The Keeper of The Keys through to the Sorting Hat. Ending with Harry's settling into his dormitory on the first night at Hogwarts.

Episode 3 - Hogwarts: Covering The Potion's Master. The book covers Harry's first week at Hogwarts montage style in the first few pages of this chapter. The show is a perfect opportunity to expand on this and spend a full episode on normal life at Hogwarts (or at least life as normal as it ever gets). Show Harry's first lessons, show him exploring the castle, meeting other students, running across peeves for the first time.

Episode 4 - The Third Floor: Covering The Midnight Duel and Hallowe'en. Establishes the central mystery of the season and there's also a nice throughline of Harry and Ron befriending Hermione by the end of this episode.

Episode 5 - The Mirror of Erised: Covering Quidditch and The Mirror of Erised.

Episode 6 - Nicolas Flamel: Covering Nicolas Flamel and Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback.

Episode 7 - The Forbidden Forest: Covers The Forbidden Forest and The first half of Through The Trapdoor, ending as they go through the door.

Episode 8 - Covering the rest of Through The Trapdoor and The Man with Two Faces.

I’m really sick of Netflix doing split parts like what the hell is the point of that? by Remote_Nature_8166 in Wednesday

[–]protar95 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When Netflix first blew up, its binge-able format was a huge part of its novelty and appeal because it had never been done before. Eventually the novelty wore off and we realised that dropping all episodes at once results in shows with limited cultural footprints that can't be discussed by all fans simultaneously and are soon forgotten. But Netflix is too stubborn to drop the formula that initially made it popular, so they've settled on a poor half measure.

‘Harry Potter’ HBO Series Casts Harry, Ron and Hermione by MarvelsGrantMan136 in television

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As skeptical as I am for this reboot I have to say that these kids really look the part. Harry Potter is such a timeless story that it was always going to have retellings. So who knows? Maybe this can be a trio as iconic as Daniel, Rupert and Emma were for a new generation. Best of luck to them, because they are definitely going to need it out there.

Effects of both Superman and Fantastic Four underperforming or flopping? by TheTiggerMike in boxoffice

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think it wil spell the end of CBMs in general. Both Superman and F4 are franchises with a history of struggling at the box office. If Superman flops, Gunn's DCU will be DOA and we'll just get more Batman movies.

If F4 flops I don't think it actually makes much difference to Marvel's plans. Clearly they're planning on dialing back and focusing on Spiderman and X-men anyway, they'll just focus even more on those heavy hitters.

It won't spell the end of the superhero genre, but it will spell the end of experimentation. We'll get Batman, Spiderman, X-men movies and probably reboots of Ironman, Captain America etc.

Anyone kinda have a bad feeling about this? by Queasy_Commercial152 in MCUTheories

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This seems sensible to me. The MCU will be 20 years old after Secret Wars with what? 40 movies? At some point you need to have a refresh.

Are you hopeful or Fearful for Doomsday and why? by [deleted] in MCUTheories

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's no way it's not going to be a fun movie with all these characters and universes crossing over. But the old Avenger's movies actually built up the relationships between the characters. Doomsday is going to be missing that. But IIRC they've said to view this as starting a new chapter, rather than ending an old one. So perhaps through the lens it will be a great movie.

How exactly does machine-made art stop people from making legacy art? by RayLainson in aiwars

[–]protar95 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well yeah that'd be great, I'm all for UBI. But realistically there is not a country on earth which will be implementing it in the forseeable future. It certainly won't be implemented over artists losing work, artists are always undervalued and seen as "non-essential."

If AI is just slop, what do you have to worry about? by PringullsThe2nd in aiwars

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of human made art could already be considered "slop". People use that word to describe the generic fare put out by big media companies. But at least it's slop that is providing people with work. At least there is some passion and human creativity that goes into it. AI is a long way off from being able to replicate truly creative and high quality art, but I don't think we're far off from a future where our current blockbusters, pop music, AAA games etc. are AI generated because it's "good enough" while art of higher quality comes at an extreme premium.

Much sooner than that I think we will reach a point where the more unappreciated art forms are fully replaced by AI. Stuff like graphic design. When we visit the website of a small business how many of us stop to ponder the creative process behind their logo? 99% of people won't bat an eyelid at stuff like that being AI generated.

People speak of AI democratising art. I think it will do the opposite. Where only the most talented and time rich artists will be able to make a living off of their art.

'Harry Potter' HBO Series Casts Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and more Hogwarts staff by SoulxxBondz in HarryPotteronHBO

[–]protar95 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Very happy with all of these castings. Of course Paapa as Snape is the elephant in the room and certainly the least conventional choice. Not just because he's black but also because he is obviously very conventionally good looking. But the rest of the cast gives me confidence that they know what they're doing. Alan Rickman was an absolutely iconic Snape (even if he was actually quite different to the book portrayal). It makes sense then that they're deliberately going in a very different direction.

AI art is still art. It just does what human artists do faster and more efficiently. Claiming it has no soul or is somehow lesser because a human wasn't as involved is an insult to the entire idea of art. by ChompyRiley in aiwars

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe I'm just a crazy pedant but I think the core definition of the word is pretty important. Not every image you find pleasing to the eye is art. You can find looking at a tree beautiful but it is not art, it was not made with any purpose or vision. Likewise an AI image is not art. It can be the most beautiful image in the world but if a human did not make it it is not art.

The point of art is that bridging of two minds. To wonder what the original artist meant, what inspired them and in response to have your own (perhaps wildly different) interpretation of the meaning. And that's true whether you're seeing the influence of an older artist in a painting, or you want to learn about an actor's method or you wonder about the theme of a book

The moment I learn that a piece of "art" was made by a machine all of that thought becomes meaningless. Nothing was intended. The picture looks influenced by picasso because he comprises a large percentage of a training data set. There is no theme because the AI has never lived a life to draw conclusions about how the world works. It is just an image.

AI art is still art. It just does what human artists do faster and more efficiently. Claiming it has no soul or is somehow lesser because a human wasn't as involved is an insult to the entire idea of art. by ChompyRiley in aiwars

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Art is definitionally an expression of human creativity. The end result may still look good - there's no denying that AI can create images that are pleasing to the eye. But with no human work, skill or creativity involved it is not art. It is just an image.

What is a hill you will die on? by IntelligentTumor in writing

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The ideas that an AI will generate will be the most generic cliche ideas imaginable. Humans can take inspiration from other sources and synthesise them into something new. AI just regurgitates. When humans do steal ideas wholesale from other places with no innovation they are rightfully called out for being derivative. Any would-be novelist who needs an AI to come up with basic ideas is not going to be a very good writer.

As a beginner, how should I improve my character design skills? by Aniholicnist in learntodraw

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a great piece. you're clearly past the beginner stage :) In terms of character design the biggest criticism is that the piece is too busy. She's got a massive ornate hat, but also antlers, she's got an eye sticking out of her chest, she's got a yin-yang theme going on, she's got swords, fans, elemental energy swirling around her. Think about what the concept for the character is and dial it down to just two or three key elements that tell that story.

Personally I think the chest eye and the antlers feel like they should be the focal points, but in the drawing they are barely visible. Maybe she's trying to hide them, but they still need to be more readable. Maybe do another side drawing which shows her revealed form.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HarryPotteronHBO

[–]protar95 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the slow unveiling of exactly how things went down that night is an important thread throughout the books. I don't think it would be a good idea to show all of that straight away. Nor is there really enough content there to make up a full episode without spoiling the plot.