by Stone Marshall | Jul 6, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
The first Incredibles movie is a stone cold classic
It is hilarious, but also as exciting as any action movie, yet also incredibly sweet and touching.
And now, 14 years later, we have a sequel. The Incredibles 2 has already had amazing reviews in America, and is out in the UK later this month.
Of course, a lot has changed in 14 years – superhero movies were big in 2004, but they weren’t quite the all–conquering juggernaut that they are today.
But one of the biggest changes is obviously the improvements in technology. The Incredibles still looks amazing today – all Pixar movies still hold up to be honest, because the characters and the stories are timeless. But the advances made in computer animation over a decade are clear for all to see.
And this comparison video perfectly highlights that.
Here are two shots of Dash, the top from 2004, the bottom from 2018.
The amount of additional detail is clear to see.
by Stone Marshall | Jul 5, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Last week, HBO announced that the first (and possibly only) of the five prospective Game of Thrones prequel spin-offs to get a pilot order will go way, way, way back into Westeros’ past, to a time period before recorded history, where the truth is lost in a fog of legends and myths. Of all the eras worth exploring, it’s the one with the most question marks, which is why it makes the most sense for a new (old) story. More than any other period from George R.R. Martin’s insanely deep and complex history of the Seven Kingdoms, it offers the most freedom to tell a story even the most ardent fans of A Song of Ice and Fire don’t already know. Unfortunately that’s exactly why, along with a familiar enemy, it could end up hurting the original show.
This is the official synopsis for the series from HBO:
“Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East, to the Starks of legend … it’s not the story we think we know.”
George R.R. Martin himself further revealed how much the story will revolve around the infamous invasion of the dead; he thinks the unnamed series should be called “The Long Night,” suggesting that, just like on Game of Thrones, the blue-eyed ice demons will likely be the show’s big baddies. But also like with Game of Thrones,there are still tons of other important figures and events from that era, which in many ways shaped the Westeros we know today.
The Age of Heroes is the time period after the First Men and the Children of the Forest had ended their war with one another and lived in peace. Thought to have taken place 10,000 years ago—though, as Martin points out, the maesters think it was only half as long ago (and I think the maesters are right)—it features larger-than-life figures like Bran the Builder, the founder of House Stark credited with building the Wall, Winterfell, and Storm’s End, as well as Lann the Clever, founder of House Lannister. And those are just the most well-known figures for Game of Thrones viewers, who might not be as familiar with other important historical figures (real or legend), like Garth Greenhand and Durran Godsgrief, not to mention the founding of the Night’s Watch.
While the generally accepted timeline of Westeros puts the Age of Heroes at 10,000 years ago, until the start of the Long Night roughly 2,000 years later (8,000 years before Aegon’s Conquest), the timeline is completely unreliable. Recorded history didn’t begin in Westeros until long after the first Long Night, when the Andals invaded from Essos anywhere between six and two thousand years before the events of Game of Thrones. I tend to think all of these numbers are hugely inflated, simply because it’s hard to keep one single house in continuous existence for 10,000 years when a single plague could wipe out an entire family.
A compacted, accurate time period would make for a much more exciting show, because it would create far more overlap with these hugely important historical figures and events. Maybe Bran the Builder really was just one person who did all of these things, and maybe he knew all the other great heroes, including Azor Ahai (who might also have been the original Prince That Was Promised), the “last hero” who is credited with leading the First Men to victory over the Night King.
The fact that we don’t really know is why this is a perfect time to set a prequel. I am fascinated by the Targaryen kings, and I’m especially obsessed by the famed Blackfyre Rebellion that nearly tore the family apart. But not only do I know how that story ends, I know most of the major players and events of that Civil War. I still hope HBO turns it into a spin-off series, but it would be limited in what new information it could bring in ways this Age of Heroes series wouldn’t be. There’s also the fact that magic in the world might never have been greater than it was when the White Walkers first invaded (on the backs of giant ice spiders!), as opposed to the mostly magic-free world of Westeros under the post-dragon Targaryens. Game of Thrones is better for having magic present in the story, so wouldn’t a spin-off series also want to keep that element?
But giving us answers to mysterious questions isn’t always a good thing, and when mishandled they can even hurt the original story. I love the theory that Brandon Stark from Game of Thrones is also Bran the Builder from the myths, and that all Brandon Starks in history are in fact the same person. Not because I agree with it, but because it’s fun to debate and think about. That all goes away if we find out that all Brandon Starks merely have a high midichlorian count.
A big part of what makes George R.R. Martin’s insanely detailed history so intriguing to obsessives like me are all of the spots where we don’t have answers, because it allows us to explore the gaps without being disappointed by where we end up. I genuinely trust Martin’s judgment, and if he believe this is a story worth telling it probably is, but the freedom granted by this time period also includes going down roads we will have preferred to avoid.
On top of this, the new show seems like it will have, in some form, the exact same main villain as Game of Thrones, with the White Walkers playing a major role. It’s possible the Night King might have been an important member of House Stark, or someone even more shocking, and that the beginning of the White Walkers’ story could be far more fascinating than their end, which we will presumably get one way or another with Game of Thrones. But either way, their mere presence will only invite comparisons to the original show, which could unfairly hurt it in the eyes of viewers. Any spin-off of the single most popular TV series in the world will live in a huge shadow, one that will only get bigger by repeating the villain.
None of this means this series won’t work, or that the show won’t actually enhance how we view Game of Thrones if its answers add new depth and nuance to original story. The Age of Heroes and the first Long Night offer a bounty of incredible possibilities for an amazing story full of fascinating characters, fantastic elements, and major events, because what we “know” about that time period is made of sand that can be molded into something great.
But if it’s true that sometimes what you don’t know won’t hurt you, the opposite is true too.
What do you think? Do you want to learn more from this mysterious time period, or would you rather some question remain unanswered? Tell us why in the comments below.
by Stone Marshall | Jul 5, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Normally, when put together, the words “wedding” and “Westeros” result in a whole lot of blood and despair. But this past weekend the Seven Kingdoms saw something rarer than a sober Cersei when the cast of Game of Thrones came together in Scotland to see onscreen couple Jon Snow and Ygritte get married in real life. If you can believe it, not a single person was murdered or poisoned!
On Saturday, Kit Harington and Leslie Rose, who died on the show in Jon’s arms, officially said their I-dos (rather, their I-am-hers-and-she-is-mines) at their wedding in Scotland’s Kirkton of Rayne church, surrounded by friends, family, and many of their co-stars from the Realm. According to ABC News, the HBO guest list included Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Emilia Clarke, Liam Cunningham, Ben Crompton, John Bradley, and Joe Dempsie, all of whom managed to avoid being shot by an arrow during the festivities at Rose’s ancestral family castle.
While the happy couple looked great, our favorite look went to Scotland’s own Richard Madden, who really knew how to dress for the occasion. However even if Kit Harington knows nothing about being married, we wouldn’t recommend asking Robb Stark for advice.
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
tierney bricker
✔
@tbrick2
how dare none of you inform me that richard madden rolled up to kit harington and rose leslie’s wedding looking like THIS
3:01 AM – Jun 26, 2018
305
79 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
No one dying at a Game of Thrones wedding was only the second happiest takeaway of the day. When it comes to relationships forged in the Seven Kingdoms, including ones involving Jon Snow, the best news is that Kit Harington and Rose Leslie aren’t blood relatives.
Seriously, no one in the Seven Kingdoms should ever marry anyone.
Which fictional couple from Westeros would you most want to attend the wedding of? Tell us your top choice in the comments section below.
by Stone Marshall | Jul 4, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
If the internet has proved anything, it’s that there a lot of people out there who are way more talented than I am. Some of those are part of a group called Elysium Fire, a YouTube channel that creates beautiful landscapes, buildings, and other architecture in Minecraft. Recently, they uploaded a video of a new project: a recreation of the city Novigrad, which is part of the world of The Witcher 3. The eight-minute video pans through the entire city and shows how they gradually built it through a time lapse.
Not only did this team take the time to actually build this huge city, but they rendered it totally accurate to the map of the game. Building took 18 builders about 1,000 hours each over a period of six months, and the filming took three teams 15 time-lapse sessions which totaled 15 hours over the course of three months. They constructed over 700 unique houses, four churches, and 10 boats. They even said they included a bunch of Easter eggs that you can go try to find as well! That’s pretty impressive if you ask me.
The best part is probably that they made the map available for anyone to download here, so you can go in, explore it for yourself, and hit up all of your favorite landmarks. What do you think? Does the Minecraft version do Novigrad justice? Where would you want to go visit in the virtual city? Let us know in the comments!
by Stone Marshall | Jul 4, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Usually, indie games have a habit of performing well on the Nintendo Switch and clearing at least 50,000 copies sold. But Hollow Knight is a special exception, as it’s managed to set an even higher sales record than its predecessors.
The game, which got a surprise release a few weeks ago during Nintendo’s E3 Direct special, has managed to sell over 250,000 copies in its first two weeks of release, according to IGN.
The developers at Team Cherry confirmed the number to the news outlet, making the Metroidvania-style open-world adventure a big hit with fans. And it’s not done yet.
Previously, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime had noted that the game is “doing exceptionally well” on the platform, but this marks the first time a specific number was given.
But Team Cherry isn’t resting easy, as the company is hard at work on a new patch that will address certain bugs within the game.
Miss out on Hollow Knight during its release? Here’s a breakdown of this amazing game’s features:
Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
Includes all of the new items, areas, characters, and bosses from the currently released free content packs; Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, and Lifeblood. All players will also get access to the final free content pack, Gods and Glory, due later this year!
Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
A haunting, intimate score accompanies the player on their journey, composed by Christopher Larkin. The score echoes the majesty and sadness of a civilisation brought to ruin.
From what we’ve played thus far, the game is a complete blast. And its art style is pretty amazing, going with a simpler hand-drawn design that really complements the Nintendo Switch screen. It’s also wonderful for docked play if that’s your thing.
Hollow Knight is also available for Steam/PC, in case the Switch isn’t your forte.
by Stone Marshall | Jul 3, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Virtual Reality and standard gaming continue to grow, oftentimes together. As the world of VR progresses and carves out its niche in the gaming community, games like Gunheart serve as a middle ground by offering both experiences to all. Gunheart is an incredible online co-op RPG experience that allows players to get up close and personal with the shooter experience. It also offers an interesting mashup for fans of franchises such as Quake, Borderlands, and even other shooters such as Lawbreakers and Halo.
This game combines a little bit of everything from games out now and initially I went into Gunheart thinking it was going to be “just another shooter.” The tutorial right off the bat told me I was wrong on that account, and the dialogue style that would do Vault Hunters from Borderlands proud kept me going. The hodgepodge of shooter blood shouldn’t be surprising. The developer team that make up this title is a melting pot of talent from those that worked with Epic Games, as well as others that have Halo and Gears of War under their belt. That also explained some of the more free-style aspects to Gunheart, mechanically there are some subtle inspirations from Microsoft’s Halo series, as well as Bungie’s Destiny.
Gunheart-enemies
I first tried Gunheart in its standard mode, since many gamers have yet to jump onboard with the VR hype. It played like any other shooter, the controls took a little getting used to with the grappling and the teleportation. That being said, once I got the hang of both of those features – I dominated the playing field. These features made even more sense when I jumped over to try it with the HTC Vive, where the grappling became instantly easier and the teleportation became the way to travel.
VR, especially with games that aim to please both gaming communities, can end up doing a title more harm than good. That’s where the team over at Drifter Entertainment did a phenomenal job with a perfect balance executed that made the controls fun, enjoyable, and progressively smooth. Swapping out weapons was incredibly easy, as well as traversing the map areas. That teleportation mentioned earlier? Comes in handy when players get swarmed and need to take high ground quickly. The mechanics just work in this game, letting the simplicity of the graphics make perfect sense and brings the title together in perfect symphony.
Gunheart-bugs
Players have an option to customize “their body,” as the game calls it, though don’t expect your avatar to look like you. This was another aspect that reminded me of Borderlands, because the toons look like Zero from the popular series from Gearbox. I was even able to give my character a digital handlebar mustache … which, let’s be real, gave the game some major brownie points.
The voice on the other end of comms as I took on “jobs” was also very Borderlands-esque with both the sound and the manner of speech. Badassery is definitely the name of the game and that little voice in the player’s ear is meant to pump up the heat against hordes of bug-like creatures. The comedic aspect of the script also helps, because there were just some moments that were just too damn funny, although fleeting. Given the more humorous tones, however, this did keep the game a little more grounded lest it fall too deep into the Arcade-esque pit that a lot of other titles in this same genre tend to trap themselves within.
Gunheart-game-hub
Like many future-driven MMOs, most recently that of Destiny, players are also given certain quests that are definitely more enjoyable in co-op than solo. They are doable, but much more fun with friends. The overall speed of the game seemed to be much more fluid in co-op as well, more of a drive in purpose – though solo play was enjoyable as well. I noticed I lost myself in the game itself much more often when playing with a bud, but completing “jobs” had its own perks as well.
Though Gunheart does offer a sassy experience that is in tune with other beloved games out there, it’s not perfect by any means. Nothing major, but enough to make it not everyone’s cup of tea. Jumping right into the fray was fun, but nothing immediately stood out about the game as a “hook” until a little further in. It wasn’t until I had a few jobs under my belt and saw my “body” evolve a bit more that I started to feel bonded to this particular play experience.
Gunheart-aliens
There were also a few bugs I experienced during my time with the game that would cause something like a bridge toggle not to activate when I needed it to, or the teleport mechanic wouldn’t work the way it was supposed to – therefore hurtling me off the edge of a cliff when I had it set in the complete opposite direction. Honestly, though, that’s a common issue with VR shooters and one thing that games like Gunheart and others in the genre that toe that Virtual Reality line have to face.
Despite a vast open world and varying environments to explore, the AI system felt repetitive at times. There wasn’t enough of a variation when fighting enemies, making fighting the fray and continuing the story at bit monotonous at times. On the other hand, however, that comedic edge mentioned earlier definitely helped with that – so really it just comes down to the individual player as to whether or not that balance between the unbalance is enough to override the slower parts to the game.
Overall though, it was enjoyable. It was more than I was expecting and something I look forward to introducing friends to. It may not be the next Halo or Borderlands, but it’s not trying to be and I don’t think it has to be. It’s a fun experience with flaws, but enough charm to make it a keeper.
0
COMMENTS
Gunheart is available now on PC.
