Sfdebris.net

So, anyone watch this?

I really enjoyed it.

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogsp ... eview.html

The racism metaphor was awful but I love urban fantasy stories like this with no Masquerade.

I love urban fantasy, but I don't think I can handle any more heavy handed political/moral grandstanding.
I'll just re-read the Dresden Files.

CharlesPhipps wrote:So, anyone watch this?

I really enjoyed it.

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogsp ... eview.html

The racism metaphor was awful but I love urban fantasy stories like this with no Masquerade.

I saw part of it yesterday and I liked it but I haven't have time (yet) to finish it. I am planning on finishing it though.

I really liked it. They managed some great world building and you feel that this is a real, lived in post-fantasy world.

Racism metaphor didn't bother me. I've played a lot of Shadowrun and the setting is very similar. You also get shades of Warcraft in the "Orcs aren't inately evil" box.

Whoever played the Jakoby put some real acting chops behind that make-up and you really rooted for him.

I hear there's going to be a sequel already. So the question is, are we going to see some sentient dragons like that one lurking up in the night sky, or more centaur cops?

Hmm. I'm engaged by the premise, but I'm also by default unsympathetic to cops. Is the characterization strong enough to reach Brooklyn 9 9 levels?

If the Dark Lord is gone, how are there still Orcs? Who is creating them? Are they reproducing the human way? Are they even innately aggressive? Even Warcraft orcs have that. If not, are they really Orcs? Its not some dumb X-men "just cus I shoot deadly laser beams out my eyes doesn't mean you should fear me!" stuff is it?

Also if it's the future of a LOTRy world why isn't it like Eberron or something? Why would it turn out so similar? Putting aside the fact that LOTR is partly about the transition from the magical elf world to the mundane human (our) world.

GandALF wrote:If the Dark Lord is gone, how are there still Orcs? Who is creating them? Are they reproducing the human way? Are they even innately aggressive? Even Warcraft orcs have that. If not, are they really Orcs? Its not some dumb X-men "just cus I shoot deadly laser beams out my eyes doesn't mean you should fear me!" stuff is it?

As far as I understand (haven't watched it yet) Orcs were on the wrong side of the Big War, and most people still hold it against them.

GandALF wrote:If the Dark Lord is gone, how are there still Orcs? Who is creating them? Are they reproducing the human way? Are they even innately aggressive? Even Warcraft orcs have that. If not, are they really Orcs? Its not some dumb X-men "just cus I shoot deadly laser beams out my eyes doesn't mean you should fear me!" stuff is it?

There's no sign orcs are created magically in this world or if they were, they're over it. They seem to be their own minority and yet people still give them crap for stuff that happened 2000 years ago.

Not that such a thing has ever happened in OUR world.

Orcs are innately aggressive but that's implied to be because they have a Viking-esque culture that reveres strength, battle, and courage. It gives them a reputation as criminals but plenty of them are soldiers but only recently were allowed to be cops...so a lot more are criminals. In short, they're the victims of racism and discrimination but a lot of them are assholes too.

Then again so are most humans. This is a very unsympathetic wretched hive interpretation of L.A. Like...well most cop movies set in LA.

Also if it's the future of a LOTRy world why isn't it like Eberron or something? Why would it turn out so similar? Putting aside the fact that LOTR is partly about the transition from the magical elf world to the mundane human (our) world.

Well, Middle Earth was the past of Earth. In this case, the other races just stuck around.

It should be noted magic is REALLY rare in this world as its almost omnipotent but only elves and a few rare humans can do it. Notably, elves are the super rich in this world.

is this explicitly set in lotr middle earth or was that just the marketing pandering.

ORCACommander wrote:is this explicitly set in lotr middle earth or was that just the marketing pandering.

Well, it's set in Los Angeles of the present day. The backstory is based around a copyright friendly version of Middle Earth. There's some differences (there's an orc hero of old and the Dark Lord was an Elf not an angel) but the basics are: 2000 years ago the Dark Lord gathered a great army of orcs to conquer and destroy the world before he was defeated by an Alliance of Men, Elves, and other races. The Dark Lord's followers were called the Inferni and seemed to have demonic power.

Oh and there was an ancient order called the Shield of Light which opposed the dark Lord's followers--but is kind of in trouble nowadays since they're considered an extremist apocalypse religious sect.