Phatose on 8/1/2014 at 15:22
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
It isn't canon in the slightest, just the Aliens lifecycle involving the Queen.
The Dallas cocoon scene was a deleted scene and the supposed 2003 "Director's Cut" which restores it isn't endorsed by Ridley Scott.
Most games from this series have been fast and loose with canon. You're probably right though.
I only bring it up since they seem to be trying so hard to separate themselves from Aliens and beyond. But I suppose Amanda Ripley wasn't actually mentioned until the beginning of Aliens, so maybe they're not distancing themselves all that much.
Quote Posted by WingedKagouti
Seeing as they acknowledge that Ripley had/has a daughter, they're already ventured into the territory of Aliens as that information doesn't exist until the second movie. Also, the daughter had died of old age in Aliens.
Ninjaed.
Jason Moyer on 8/1/2014 at 15:58
Quote Posted by Muzman
The trailer gave me less of an Amnesia vibe and more of scripting and mechanical heaviness like Outlast.
I thought it seemed like it could go either way. I'm hoping it's more like Amnesia or System Shock 2. I think I'd rather have a finished version of Obsidian's Aliens game if it's just going to be a scripted horror-fest.
Muzman on 8/1/2014 at 16:09
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
You've got the Quadrilogy DVD release? Watch Scott's video introduction. The original 1977 cut remains is his preferred version, the alternative 2003 cut was called "Director's Cut" entirely for marketing purposes.
Semantics. You're taking him not saying "This is the Final Cut" like Blade Runner as disendorsement. He oversaw the cut. He put that scene back in and it was run in cinemas. It was only dropped for time and pacing initially anyway (and yes its fascinating to think that had we seen more of the life cycle in the first place, the sequel might not have been Space Termites. The ship has sailed now of course)
SubJeff on 8/1/2014 at 16:48
I have to see this version now!
It's called the "Directors Cut"?
LoLion on 8/1/2014 at 18:45
Quote Posted by Vivian
Im from banbury. I know the dudes ex wife.
HOT DAMN, you so cool buddy! This extremely relevant information certainly adds additional weight to your expert opinion.
Quote Posted by Vivian
Its bad whedon, for the most part.
Yeah? Except if Joss Whedon could write stuff like the Ravenor books on his bad day the Firefly would not get cancelled after the first season.
Quote Posted by Vivian
So the wh40k stuff is excellent? Compared to what, exactly? What other books have you read that you consider well written?
I like Herbert. I think that large part of the Dune series is well written, but I would say that the Ravenor trilogy and the second and third Eisenhorn books are better than everything that he wrote after God Emperor of Dune.
I like Asimov. I think that Elias Baley trilogy is well written, but if I was to view all three books simply as sci-fi detective stories I would say that the Ravenor trilogy and the second and third Eisenhorn books are better.
I like Clancy. I think that Operations Centre books are well written, but I would say that that the Ravenor trilogy and the second and third Eisenhorn books are at least on par with them, are better than Dept of Honour, but worse than Bear and Dragon, Rainbow Six (the book) and Without Remorse.
In terms of quality my problem with the first Eisenhorn book is that Abnett likely didn't know whether he wanted to write a standard hack & slash 40k book, or go for something more when he started writing and it kind of shows. Other five books are top notch at what they do however.
As for rest of Abnett´s 40k work. The Gaunt´s Ghosts series is likely what he is most famous for. It's respectable military sci-fi - I would rate some of the books (First and Only, Necropolis, Only in Death, possibly even Traitor General) higher than the Vorkosigan saga stuff by Lois McMaster Bujold.
He also wrote Double Eagle (which wasn't all that good) and couple of Warhammer Fantasy novels of which I read Raiders of the Dead (which was cool) and something which was basically Pirates of Caribbean in Warhammer setting (I enjoy it, but the PoC parallels were so obvious it felt kinda lame). And of course a couple books set in Horus Heresy era, of which I read only Horus Rising and I gotta say that no other book (I only read about four so far though) came even close to HR´s level of quality.
I never read any of Abnett´s non 40k works, so I am not gonna comment on them, but in any case I maintain that he is a great writer and the fact he is doing story for this thing is not only not a reason to be concerned, but is definitely good news.
Vivian on 8/1/2014 at 18:58
Yeah ok, Dune is fucking good. Asimov is waaaay better ideas than he is at actually writing. Uh, and Clancy is tom clancy, dude. He's a military tech fetishist who only knows two character archetypes. The only guy in that sphere who can actually write properly is LeCarre.
Dan Abnett is still not that great, as far as writers go. I guess he's ok-ish for this sort of stuff. It just makes me depressed when people describe him as a 'great writer' or whatever. Read some Ballard. I would play the shit out of this game if J.G. Ballard wrote it. Or John Wagner if we're sticking within the pulpy realm. John Wagner kicks the shit out of Abnett. Read Button Man and compare it to Durham Red if you don't believe me. Abnett just doesn't really have any style, you know? No verve. He's functional.
Hah, yeah I am cool, thanks.
Volitions Advocate on 8/1/2014 at 19:41
Quote Posted by NuEffect
What do you think of the Alien growth rate in the first film VA?
You mean from little baby ribcage eater to fully grown golem in a few hours without eating anything? (including its own molted skin, which many animals use for nourishment?) Absolutely ludicrous. Doesn't seem to affect the awesomeness of the movie.
As for the Directors cut. It comes in at about 1 minute shorter than the original release. Some good hair raising moments in there. You could actually watch all of these scenes that were cut out from the movie on the VHS release of Aliens Special Edition, they were after the end of the movie.
And yes. it was endorsed by Scott himself. He cut it to fix things he wanted changed after watching his own movie for 25 years.
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EY_Sz1PzFQ)
I remember when it was playing in theatres, release date was Hallowe'en 2003 or something like that. It was only playing in 4 theatres in ALL of Canada for some stupid reason. And I had just finished moving from Mississauga to London before it released, and it was only playing in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver. I was so pissed. I wanted to see John Hurts big scene on the big screen. :(
catbarf on 8/1/2014 at 20:08
Quote Posted by Vivian
Dan Abnett is still not that great, as far as writers go.
Yeah, but as far as
games go the bar is not set very high. The number of games written by good writers (and then developed by a team that doesn't ruin the writing in other ways) is pretty limited.
faetal on 8/1/2014 at 20:31
I wish someone would make an alien pinball game as the true sequel to the RS movie.
