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quote:If I wanted to find this guy I needed a clue, so I went to the Clue Closet, and he was standing inside. "Quick! Shoot him with your .44!" I didn't have a .44, so I shot him twice with my .22.
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Dec 23, 2013 10:43
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Scribbleykins posted:Since we're doing recommendations: For sci-fi noir-ish stuff full of quirky humour, one should definitely not miss the old video game Anachronox. Anachronox was funny, but I never really thought of it as Noir. Well I see where that angle comes from but the complete package didn't feel like Noir, I guess because the silly characters overshadowed it. I also remember it being extremely buggy too. e.g Overload the computer terminal to cause an explosion to destroy a wall and go forward. Can't pass through the hole in the wall. Activate destroyed terminal which causes a second explosion reconstructing the wall. Proceed through the intact wall. Elite fucked around with this message at 11:19 on Dec 23, 2013 |
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Dec 23, 2013 11:03
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Elite posted:Anachronox was funny, but I never really thought of it as Noir. Well I see where that angle comes from but the complete package didn't feel like Noir, I guess because the silly characters overshadowed it. Certainly. Hence me calling it 'noir-ish'. True enough about the bugs; I bought the original game, and it took me several tries to get to the end due to various errors, but it was always interesting enough for me to return to, and eventually I wised up and looked around for patches. Surprise, there's some that solve almost all the game's problems. Even today I occasionally pick it out from the ye olde game closet. And hey, if you don't feel like trying the game, there's always the movie spliced together from the game's cutscenes. Yes, that's over two hours of cutscenes. Anacronox, though buggy, certainly gave you bang for your bu(g)cks.
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Dec 23, 2013 17:43
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Speaking of radio plays, BBC Radio did a multi-part one for Night Watch, which also happens to be my favorite Discworld book. The voice actor for Vimes is pretty great. People talk about discrepancies in the series? That one has time paradoxes agogo.
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Dec 23, 2013 18:21
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Anoia posted:Speaking of radio plays, BBC Radio did a multi-part one for Night Watch, which also happens to be my favorite Discworld book. The voice actor for Vimes is pretty great. Yeah, that would be Phillip Jackson, who's probably best known for playing Inspector Japp on "Poirot."
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Dec 23, 2013 18:42
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Night Watch is a probably the best thing Pratchett has ever written, and it has my favourite bit of dialogue across all the books: quote:“Perhaps a tableau in bronze?” said Vimes. “All seven of them raising the flag, perhaps?”
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Dec 23, 2013 21:17
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I think my original link got lost in the shuffle but I highly, highly recommend: The Further Adventures of Nick Danger Very funny, very smart noir parody.
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Dec 23, 2013 21:38
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Happy Hogswatch, everybody! What's this?! A Present for you all!  CLICK ME! (It's just spoken word over an image of fire, so the text links are below) Lewton in Toyland: A Hogswatch Fable Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
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Dec 25, 2013 10:10
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Well, that was quite something.
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Dec 25, 2013 13:46
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The Nursery Crimes series by Jasper Fforde is exactly what it sounds like, a crime-noir spoof that happens involving classic fables and Nursey Rhymes and I would argue actually gets MORE metatextual and self-aware than Pratchett.
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Dec 25, 2013 15:32
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Bacter posted:Incidentally, I'll recommend Primordia for a (barely at all Noir, arguably a little, but much more post apocalyptic sci-fi) Primordia - just finished it and both I and Mzbundifund liked the story (and if you know him, that is QUITE an achievement). It's by wadjet eye, who also did the very-highly-recommended-by-me and much-more-clearly-future-noir Gemini Rue I really enjoyed Primordia, although some of the stuff you have to do to get the best ending is pretty unintuitive and you can make the wrong choices without even realising it at the time. decent story and characters and mostly pretty good puzzles though. I never got very far into Gemini Rue because the puzzles are atrocious. The combat sections and crate-moving puzzles stand out as especially bad, but it's also one of those games that makes you jump through hoops rather than simplifying the user interface. Wadjet Eye also makes the Blackwell series though, and those are my absolute favourite adventure games ever. The first one's a little unpolished, but the rest are great. I recommend playing the demo for the fourth game, Blackwell Deception, and if you like that then you should start from the beginning, because the first game really fills you in on the characters and story, so you shouldn't just skip it. Don't feel bad if you look up the solution to the puzzle of getting your neighbour's attention in the park though, that one's just bullshit. Quiet Python posted:Steve Martin's love letter to noir, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", is also excellent. I'm pretty sure it's on Netflix. An excellent film. Bacter posted:Also, I almost hesitate to recommend it because I'm heavily considering doing an LP of it next, but Beneath A Steel Sky was a fun, stupid, bizarre future noirish adventure. Like Primordia, BASS has a few flaws but is pretty good over all, especially given its age. The gimmick of switching the AI into different robot bodies is really cool, and the characters and dialogue are decent, it's mostly let down by the story being pretty generic and having a really stupid ending. Anoia posted:Speaking of radio plays, BBC Radio did a multi-part one for Night Watch, which also happens to be my favorite Discworld book. The voice actor for Vimes is pretty great. I listened to the BBC radio adaptation of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents a few years ago and that was really, really good.
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Dec 25, 2013 15:34
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Scribbleykins posted:Well, that was quite something. Thanks! It was kind of done on a whim, and with the help of mzbundifund, for the ending! He also helped my Christmas cheer by being sick
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Dec 25, 2013 18:40
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I am very glad I caught up with the thread. I love Discworld, and can't wait to read more. Am I alone in reading them in order? Last I read was Lords and Ladies, and Men At Arms and Soul Music are up next. The problem with Discworld is value. I just finish the books too fast, there's something about Pratchett's writing that compels me. 
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Dec 26, 2013 00:41
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Serperoth posted:The problem with Discworld is value. I just finish the books too fast, there's something about Pratchett's writing that compels me. Took me about a year to read all of them in order, just reading a dozen or so pages before bed (and then binging the last 100 or so for each book). Then I read them a second time. Dunno yet when I'm going to start the third read-through, though.
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Dec 26, 2013 01:08
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nimby posted:Took me about a year to read all of them in order, just reading a dozen or so pages before bed (and then binging the last 100 or so for each book). Then I read them a second time. There's always the audio books, most of which are read by Stephen Briggs. Tony Robinson also does the abridged versions, which I didn't even know existed until I got his version of the Wee Free Men from a friend who admitted she just grabbed it at random because she knew I liked Discworld, but was lost beyond that. A lot of people hate the abridged editions and/or Robinson's readings. I admittedly have a soft spot for him because of Blackadder, but Briggs does a drat good range of voices, plus he plays the Patrician so well he does him in every dramatization... and now he pretty much is the Patrician as artwork has subsequently been modeled after him. Anoia fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Dec 26, 2013 |
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Dec 26, 2013 06:25
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nimby posted:Took me about a year to read all of them in order, just reading a dozen or so pages before bed (and then binging the last 100 or so for each book). Then I read them a second time. I'm pretty sure I've read my entire (though missing Last Hero) collection around 5 or 6 times now. I keep a book or two with me wherever I go, and if I finish that, I have digital versions on my Kindle
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Dec 26, 2013 07:52
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Caught up on this. I do enjoy the banter, even if the plot is hitting the noir beats pretty hard, there's probably a reason for it. ...also I really love Malachite's reaction for some reason. He doesn't actually have any idea this is evidence of something crazily messed up, he's just "bad luck this time, fleshy, try again".
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Jan 15, 2014 23:45
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A round of applause for our host. I've just listened to that Hogswatch tale, and laughed loud and strong.
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Jan 16, 2014 00:38
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Shucks, thanks! NEXT CHAPTER UP, YO!  Bacter/Anoia commentary version! Management would like to make the following notations: I'm very happy to have long-time commentator, mega-nerd, and LP-buddy Anoia along for the ride on this one. We... tried to only talk between dialogue and cutscenes and such, but that wasn't happening, so I just made two videos. If you want to see what happens in this chapter, without distraction, click on the banner. Anoia and my banter video is the hyperlink below it, so click there to experience both the game and our thoughts! If it's something people would value, I can do a solo commentary on this video too, to have one in the same style as the other videos. Lemme know for next time! ALSO: It is another decision time, droogs! Are we gonna investigate SAPPHIRE, REGIN, or CARLOTTA'S ALIBI? One of these choices leads to the best character in the game. No pressure. VOTE, DROOGS! Bacter fucked around with this message at 08:21 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 06:18
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First off: normally I love this game's dialogue. It's very tight, very noir, and very Discworld. That said I understand why people said we'd hate Vimes. That was a Sergeant Colon style of conversation there, not a Vimes one. That said, the Nobby interjections were classic Discworld. There's a lot of love in this game and I don't know why I ignored it when I loved Discworld 1 and 2. E: Also, Sapphire Bruceski fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 07:02
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Bacter posted:NEXT CHAPTER UP, YO! Ain't votin', neither.  Fine LP you got here. Be a shame if anything were to happen to it...
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Jan 26, 2014 08:07
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Fix'd! Non-votes will be counted as votes to investigate Carlotta's Alibi - thanks for the business!
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Jan 26, 2014 08:22
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When watching this video I was cheerily laughing at classic Colon/Nobby dialogue until a "wait, that's meant to be VIMES?" moment. I seriously wonder if the character was changed during production; that dialogue (a string of deductions clearly flung together to wrap up the case before the next teabreak) is perfect Colon.
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Jan 26, 2014 08:24
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I've got a theory about this dialogue. Although I readily admit the Colon theory also seems quite likely - even the model seems more Colon-ish. BUT This whole exchange of dialogue could be Vimes-ish, if we're assuming that Vimes suspects Lewton has something to do with the crime, knows he doesn't have solid evidence yet, and isn't about to let slip any clues for Lewton, so he's just calm and collected, saying this inane garbage. It's smart-person Discworld banter. It is ruined, because the voice actor apparently thought it was supposed to be dead serious, and read it as that. Lewton's voice actor reciprocated by sounding amazed that he was getting accused. I'm just saying I think there is some Vimes in there, if you assume the lines were said wrong.
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Jan 26, 2014 08:45
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The wizard's name pun is probably warble, though he doesn't seem to have done anything to deserve it.
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Jan 26, 2014 09:42
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Neat, this again. So the killings are called Counterweight Continent killings and Lewton's ex was seen with a man from the Counterweight Continent and they were meeting a famous assassin? Nothing suspicious there. I got the Raising Steam book for Christmas and it was kinda disappointing. Bitter complaining inside the spoiler: The story rushed by with too many characters and no sense of danger with every problem being solved the instant it popped up by a character being so totally awesome in every way. Not to mention how everyone goes into a big happy circle jerk powered by the magic of friendship and whatnot throughout the whole book.
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Jan 26, 2014 13:36
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The non-Nobby model was way too thin to be Colon. It's not out of character for Vimes to make wild accusations, it's just his voice actor's delivery is terrible. I managed to resist clicking that spoiler, but I've gotta be honest, the last few books have been kinda... meh. Though with Pratchett's early onset Alzheimer's it's something he's still writing at all. Oh and Sapphire.
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Jan 26, 2014 13:55
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Yeah, so who is that guy and why does the Watch let someone run around pretending he's Vimes? Because if I recall correctly, Vimes really hates Clues like being found inconscious at the time of the murder or having your name written near the victim, because while it makes for a good story, it's seldom is all there. (Can't recall in which book he explains that, though. Might be Jingo, that'd be fitting.). Oh, and Carlotta is a bit suspect. However, what is wrong with Nobby's neck?  Guys looks like a giraffe. Oh, and, sorry, well don't take it personally, but I don't really like having to choose between no comments at all, and comments that drowns everything in the game.
Iceclaw fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 14:36
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Poil posted:Neat, this again. So the killings are called Counterweight Continent killings and Lewton's ex was seen with a man from the Counterweight Continent and they were meeting a famous assassin? Nothing suspicious there. And they arrived three days ago, the same time that the count's driver disappeared. Let's look for Regin.
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Jan 26, 2014 15:15
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Bacter posted:We... tried to only talk between dialogue and cutscenes and such, but that wasn't happening, so I just made two videos. If you want to see what happens in this chapter, without distraction, click on the banner. Anoia and my banter video is the hyperlink below it, so click there to experience both the game and our thoughts! After I watched the non-commentary video I tried watching the commentary one, and yeah... you guys were talking all over the dialogue pretty much from the start. For a game like this, where the acting and the writing are the stars of the show, I don't think that really works. That said, some commentary in the quiet bits between scenes would be good. Maybe you could try a version where you mute yourselves when the game is talking? I'm really enjoying your LP so far. It's been so long since I've played this game that I've forgotten most of the story! Poil posted:I got the Raising Steam book for Christmas and it was kinda disappointing. Bitter complaining inside the spoiler: The story rushed by with too many characters and no sense of danger with every problem being solved the instant it popped up by a character being so totally awesome in every way. Not to mention how everyone goes into a big happy circle jerk powered by the magic of friendship and whatnot throughout the whole book. Let's find Regin, there might be money in it for us!
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Jan 26, 2014 16:14
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Carlotta This is a noir story, the most suspicious person is the broad that hired us.
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Jan 26, 2014 17:44
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Tenebrais posted:And they arrived three days ago, the same time that the count's driver disappeared. Yeah Three Days Ago is apparently a date of some import. Of course, it could all be a coincidence, but Lewton is FAR too clever to believe that. So ok, one more log on the "in defense of the Vimes Writing" fire. Because I'm fairly sure I'll be the only one stoking it (besides Anoia). All this talk about recent novels made me think of our friend Moist. Specifically, it made me think of Vimes in the moist novels. Now, I'm sure you can argue that, as the more recent ones, we can't take them seriously, but hear me out. Vimes is competent and badass when he's the star of his book. Due to narrative causality or what have you, he's The Copper. And I love those books! But he's not so straightforward in the Lipvig books, or in Unseen Academicals either. He's more authoritarian, less on top of things, more reactionary. In discworld, the narrative is key. And in hard-boiled detective novels, the police are supposed to be obstreperous and a little thick. It's a shame Vimes is the one they picked for that, since Nobby and Colon would have filled it so well, but there you have it.
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Jan 26, 2014 19:01
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Maybe it's because the discussion was always on point, but I didn't have any trouble at all following both the commentary and the dialogue in the dual-commentary video. I'm in favor of more videos like this in the future, although the solo commentary stuff is good, too. And Carlotta.
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Jan 26, 2014 19:03
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Holy poo poo that Vimes voice, I don't know if I can keep watching this. It's atrocious. Vimes is a gruff, sarcastic, middle-aged smoker and I don't hear any of those things in that voice. What the hell happened? Until now the acting has been quite good! (or, in Rob Brydon's case, excellent) e: okay Vimes is gone, everything's fine now. Let's just hope he doesn't come back for the rest of the video. Mr. Baps fucked around with this message at 19:09 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 19:05
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Inflatablefish (whom I can't quote for fear of seeing what's under the spoilers tag), makes a good point on just doing an alternate version with commentary muted during dialogue. The dialogue free version does seem a bit... bland as an alternative.
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Jan 26, 2014 20:21
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Anoia posted:I managed to resist clicking that spoiler, but I've gotta be honest, the last few books have been kinda... meh. Though with Pratchett's early onset Alzheimer's it's something he's still writing at all. To avoid spoilers, I'll say that while Raising Steam isn't magnificent, it's still an enjoyable read. Even with Alzheimer's making Pratchett's writing a bit disjointed he's still an enjoyable writer and can set up a few good jokes here and there that will have you grinning. The big issue is he really doesn't seem to be able to write a proper antagonist anymore so it more or less comes off "The people of Ankh-Morpork do stuff" which still ends up enjoyable even if it lacks the punch of earlier books. Bacter posted:So ok, one more log on the "in defense of the Vimes Writing" fire. Because I'm fairly sure I'll be the only one stoking it (besides Anoia). And yeah, I feel that the Vimes lines suffered more from poor performance or poor casting than writing. Vimes isn't always at the top of his game, and he can be a suspicious bastard with no real reason as he's shown in the Lipvig books (but Moist is a con-man so it's understandable), and in The Truth (which is also understandable since Vimes isn't exactly a fan of these new-fangled reporters grilling him and twisting his words). I got the feeling that Vimes honestly didn't suspect Lewton, he just still doesn't like Lewton and was giving him a nasty hard time. So Vimes gets to sit there and snipe at someone he kicked out of the force while the pair of them work out how absurd the scene and accusations are while ignoring Nobby's "helpful" comments. Remember, just because Vimes sacked Lewton doesn't mean he has no faith in Lewton's brain and deductive skills. This means if the real killer or an accomplice is around they see Vimes digging into Lewton, a story which Nobby will back up. Also, it should have been obvious by the second line that Vimes spoke that the second cop was definitely not Colon. Colon's an old cop and, if only by an absurd innate luck and instincts honed by being part of the Night Watch during the bad old days, a good cop but he's dumb as bricks and easily confused. Lewton's sarcasm would have torn Colon to pieces, especially with Nobby's comments distracting him. Which, honestly, would have probably ended up with Lewton being thrown in a prison cell, which would have either ended the game or made the watch even more suspicious/antagonistic when he either resisted arrest and escaped in the first place or escaped from his cell later.
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Jan 26, 2014 20:24
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If Vimes really suspected Lewton, he'd have had him arrested on the charge of "Disturbing the Peace". You could also consider this to be the very early Vimes who's only recently stopped drinking and isn't at the top of his game yet.
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Jan 26, 2014 20:53
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Nah, that can't be. We know from dialogue with Nobby that Vimes is married and nobility by this point.
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Jan 26, 2014 21:34
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Bacter posted:Nah, that can't be. We know from dialogue with Nobby that Vimes is married and nobility by this point. Yeah the watch has moved to Pseudopolis Yard at this point and Vimes is married so that suggests it's post men at arms at this point. On the other hand there is no mention of Vimes's err social rank so I suggest it's probably before feet of clay/jingo timeline wise. Also the watch is still pretty small at this point from the feel of things which argues against it being too late in time line. Also Re: The discussion of Troll females Troll women have always been out and proud. It's stated that most troll women though are more or less indistinguishable from troll men (for humans at least) but apparently they tend to go in for more "cosmetics" than troll men (things like bird crap and lichen are mentioned). Also due to the peculiar nature of troll society a certain number of troll women have made a living as female
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Jan 26, 2014 23:28
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I should probably add that I agree that Raising Steam isn't a bad book. But it's just not as good as the other ones. Oh, and I'll throw a vote towards Regin inflatablefish posted:I'll admit that it was a very gentle book, perhaps one that would have worked better if he'd pitched it towards a younger audience like with his Tiffany books. It wasn't thrilling but it was nice to revisit the world, and I'm glad Pratchett didn't shoehorn an extra-evil antagonist in just to raise the stakes. I really think his failing health is starting to show in his writing though, and that's what I find more saddening than anything else.
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Jan 26, 2014 23:37
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