It has begun!

It's all happening now. One of the main reasons I started this blog (and have completely failed to detail) is the big convention I'm involved in running: Conspiracy II.

Today most of our guests are flying in, necessitating many trips to and from the airport, from as early at 8am to as late as midnight. In between that are many trips to and from the main house to pick up all the stuff we have gathered over the months. And also need to pick up several things (such as, for example, the Conbook!) from around town. And do last minute printing and...

So, yeah, still a fair bit to go, with late nights for all and sundry. Still, it's all on now and it's all going ahead whether we're ready or not.

(I may or may not be blogging during the convention itself. There is a "business centre" there, and we will need to be checking stuff, so we'll see...)

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Sims Scripted?

Now, I have only really dabbled in the Sims area (played a bit of SimCity in my time), but I'm pretty sure the whole point is that the games are interactive. The player is god, messes in the lives of the "little people" and then either takes pride or laughs merrily in the resulting situation.

The main word is "interactive": the player controls everything. With the huge "The Sims" game, the player gets to play god with individual people. Again, the point is the player gets to do something.

How enjoyable is watching other people play the game? I am wondering for two reasons. One is that with the point being interaction, does not interacting give any pleasure?

The other reason is that, well, there's a huge chunk of non-interaction coming our way soon. Yep, there's going to be "The Sims" movie.

There have been many games that have made the transition from game to screen, especially the first/third person shooter games. However, these games are different in that the games have an inherent plot that can be transferred.

The Sims? Is there a plot? 'Cos the point is it plays out from whatever players set up. It's chaotic, in the sense of "chaos theory", in which similar starting conditions can lead to drastically different end points. What's the point of a movie? Unless it's going to be a breakthrough in movie-experiences and be controllable by the movie going audience, this could easily be a very boring experience.

(On the other hand, I'm thinking of the main market audience of The Sims are voyeurs, and they'll watch whatever...)

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DW: Episode 3.8

Now that's good television. Good Doctor Who...? But good television!

Very well done teaser. I'm certainly interested! Of course, I have read the book, but a long time ago. This is making me want to re-read it, but I'll wait until after the episodes are over (as, as far as I recall, the aliens in the book were a bit pants).

Certainly Paul Cornell has learnt a few things in the mean time, as these aliens really are menacing. And the scarecrows are perfect, showing a key point can be simplicity. In the book, I'm pretty sure the ending to the first half happens near the end, but obviously here needs to be brought forward to make for the cliffhanger.

Not that it's all good. There are a number of points made in Human Nature, and the episode here (quite rightly) focuses on the Doctor. But there is also the war aspect, only really hinted at here. That would be a more powerful message, but it is portrayed far more effectively in the book where there is the time to develop the message. (And because it isn't developed, I'm not really sure what to make of it here.)

But what's up with that kid, eh? Don't remember him from the book, but could very well be. At least there is the "daughter of mine" to offset him, and gets to be nice and creepy (and no-one questions the balloon?!). Hopefully there will be explanations to come.

'Cos I am definitely looking forward to part two. Great one there, Paul Cornell!

Next week: Yeah, that's gonna be real...

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Can We Live By Reason Alone?

Yes, yes we can... (These are parts 1, 2 and 3.)

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Join us... Join us!

Join us in the world of blogging. You know you want to...

The latest convert is the blog for RTP, RTP being Reverse the Polarity, the other, more adult (ie rudier) Doctor Who fanzine to TSV. The blog is being run by the Editor, one Alexander Ballingall, but it looks like he's cheating and instead posting pieces from RTP itself. Oh, the suffering, the suffering...

Anyways, welcome to the dark side, Alex, and the rest of you should give in as well...

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SNS: The Surest Poison

Season 2 audio, ep 2: The Surest Poison by Richard Dinnick.

SAPPHIRE: This is Mr. Steel, and you may call me Sapphire.
WEBB: That's a beautiful name.
STEEL: Thank you.

So, let's start with the story. A creature is trying to make the famour watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet make a watch so that people become fascinated with time and then Time takes over. Um... what?... sure... whatever.

And already we hit the first of my two problems with this story. Sapphire and Steel is known for its confusing plotlines, but this one sets a new standard. Not only do I have no real idea as to what the hell that creature was on about, I also don't know how that ending resolved anything, and moreover what was the point of all the present day material? It may just be me, but I'm also thinking that from the very beginning of this audio, the creature has already been defeated (and most of the story is about how), so the threat is somewhat lessened. (And, um, where is this disease that strikes down Sapphire as promised by the back cover blurb?)

Which leads to the other problem of most of this audio being padding of the horrendous sort. Episode 3, for example, could easily be missed (and indeed is missing Steel being involved anywhere but in the teaser). Also, a lot of this story involves time travel (which one would think S&S would be right against from the outset, but there's not even a pause before they go time jaunting), but on their first time escapade, what is their great discovery? I'll paraphase the dialogue. Webb askes "What have you discovered?" Steel replies "That we can get back to the present." Well, thank you Richard Dinnick for that fascinating WASTE OF TIME!

Sigh. But at least we have David and Susannah. And Richard Franklin, whom I would have thought that Big Finish would have played up as a special guest star. Does Captain Yates not cut it any more? We are also treated the the French accents of Tom Bevan, Eric Maclennan and Big Finish regular Helen Goldwyn. It's just as well they were speaking English with French accents, or who knows what the listeners would have done. (And before anyone complains that the dialogue is being translated for the listeners, I give you the scene with Webb.)

Still, if we are to say one good thing about it, I do want to thank Richard Franklin for his role, which was quite enjoyable.

The "bonus" (and the quotes are definitely intended) for this audio is a discussion with Nigel Fairs and John Ainsworth about The Lighthouse story, in which we find out that Nigel is incrediably incestious with his ideas.

Ultiamtely, a sub-par story, and one that doesn't speak well to the idea of getting rid of single disc releases.

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Towlie!

No, not South Park (but the image is copywrite them!), but something far superior! Have you got your towel handy, for today is Towel Day! (Not that Douglas Adams died on this day (but 11th May) but that this was as soon a commemoration as fans coudl organise. Ah, the significance of random events. I'm sure DNA would approve.)

On this days, fans carry towels. Have you got yours? (Not that I have mine, hence the image.)

But, while you're battling Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, or waving it as a distress signal, take time to read the The Hitchhiking Skeptic’s Guide to the Galaxy (aka the 61st Skeptics' Circle)!

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