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euphronius posted:The lotr mmo literally has a hope and dread mechanic iirc lotro is probably the best visual rendition of the books thats out there, at least from what ive played (up to and including rivendell)
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Jul 20, 2020 17:38
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euphronius posted:- can change size Is that true? I was under the impression that while bigger than humans it couldn't be the gigantic monster you see in the movie on account that it has to fit through doors, I don't remember any actual reference to its size changing.
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Jul 20, 2020 18:57
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YaketySass posted:Is that true? I was under the impression that while bigger than humans it couldn't be the gigantic monster you see in the movie on account that it has to fit through doors, I don't remember any actual reference to its size changing. When it confronted Gandalf on the bridge it “drew itself up to a great height, and its wings” (that it didn’t have) “were spread from wall to wall”. It seems to tower over Gandalf. Who knows how much this is a physical and how much a spiritual change.
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Jul 20, 2020 19:13
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I thought it was kinda clever how Jackson split the difference and gave the Balrog actual wings... made of black smoke
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Jul 20, 2020 19:25
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The Balrog of the movies always reminded me of a Doom character. I always saw it more as a way more frightening shadow creature rather than big horns fire wings nonsense.
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Jul 20, 2020 19:25
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I'll defend the Jackson Balrog because that is one of the best vfx designs ever created.
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Jul 20, 2020 19:30
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Shibawanko posted:lotro is probably the best visual rendition of the books thats out there, at least from what ive played (up to and including rivendell) Is it going to die anytime soon? I should give it a whirl again since I’m wfh forever apparently
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Jul 20, 2020 19:32
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I like the round shape the horns give to the head but the general design could have afforded to be a bit less reminiscent of a classic Christian demon, I agree. It looks best in the first few seconds where it's kept in shadow imo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2fwe0rnHak&t=127s
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Jul 20, 2020 19:37
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I love the movie Balrog. If nothing else, the sound it emits when roaring is truly incredible. I’d pay good money to see JRR or Christopher Tolkien watch the Balrog segments in Shadow of War. They’d die a second time.
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Jul 20, 2020 19:45
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Antifa Poltergeist posted:Well, they would spend all their lifes getting better at their vocations, make really cool gems and then wage world shatering wars when someone steals them. Part of the deal with Elves is that they're bound to Arda (the immortality is part of it) and can't really change too much of their core being, for all their aloofness and power. The whole point of Men is that they were given more freedom (death is actually a gift). Shibawanko posted:lotro is probably the best visual rendition of the books thats out there, at least from what ive played (up to and including rivendell) I played LOTRO up through Rivendell too and liked the visuals a lot. It's been years though, and I guess they've kept expanding?
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Jul 20, 2020 19:46
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BigglesSWE posted:I love the movie Balrog. If nothing else, the sound it emits when roaring is truly incredible. Better yet make them watch a playthrough of The Third Age where you fight the Eye of Sauron in a final fantasy turn based system.
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Jul 20, 2020 19:48
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Arcsquad12 posted:Better yet make them watch a playthrough of The Third Age where you fight the Eye of Sauron in a final fantasy turn based system. It’d be the end of Raiders, rofl.
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Jul 20, 2020 19:51
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The balrog fight in shadow of war is great, what would they complain about? "oh no they took something i created and made a fun thing out of it, how dreadfull". They would probably be dismissive of blind guardians album too, and that's also awesome. "Oh no feanor is not a contralto with harsh vocals and theres a pentatonic meter to the the riff, the elves would never do that!" "Sure thing bud!"*headbangs to the chorus of nightfall*
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Jul 20, 2020 20:03
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Don’t get me wrong: I love those Middle Earthgames. They’re real fun and they lean into the craziness big time in the second one. I just like to imagine how the Tolkien estate, being for the longest time led by the driest people in existence, would react to the balls to the walls insanity that is the lore in those games.
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Jul 20, 2020 20:43
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Whats the other one where Gwahir is your buddy who drops by to deliver exposition like he's the owl from Ocarina of Time? War in the North, i think?
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Jul 20, 2020 20:51
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the best tolkien game is the riders of rohan
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Jul 20, 2020 21:01
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LOTRO looks nice but it's an MMO so you're still walking into the meadows immediately outside Bree to kill 10 bears, which wander around at all hours about 50 yards apart.
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Jul 20, 2020 21:29
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Also if you don't subscribe you hit a paywall about every ten feet, so you can either sub or spend about $400 on content if you want to see the whole game.
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Jul 20, 2020 21:54
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BigglesSWE posted:Don’t get me wrong: I love those Middle Earthgames. They’re real fun and they lean into the craziness big time in the second one. I just like to imagine how the Tolkien estate, being for the longest time led by the driest people in existence, would react to the balls to the walls insanity that is the lore in those games. Well, to quote Tolkien himself, from the introduction to the Sil: "I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in the scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and sexy Shelob."
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Jul 20, 2020 23:08
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sauron hosed a giant spider
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Jul 20, 2020 23:18
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Arcsquad12 posted:I'll defend the Jackson Balrog because that is one of the best vfx designs ever created. Same, I've never heard anyone say they disliked it before. My dad grew up on Flash Gordon serials and The Day The Earth Stood Still, etc. and said when he first saw the Balrog he was legitimately terrified on a visceral level. It's easy to say, especially 20 years later, that it's derivative or whatever, but I think they really did tap into something.
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Jul 20, 2020 23:37
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Tolkien’s Middle-Earth: drat you, sexy Shelob!
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Jul 21, 2020 00:51
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You just know sauron got freaky with some werewolves. Man, i want the amazon series to get freaky.show me hildorien.show me the wall of the sun. Show me the fate of the blue wizards.
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Jul 21, 2020 01:38
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Stupid sexy shelob
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Jul 21, 2020 01:48
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Son of Sam-I-Am posted:Same, I've never heard anyone say they disliked it before. My dad grew up on Flash Gordon serials and The Day The Earth Stood Still, etc. and said when he first saw the Balrog he was legitimately terrified on a visceral level. It's easy to say, especially 20 years later, that it's derivative or whatever, but I think they really did tap into something. I will always have a soft spot for those films because my Dad and I watched them as they came out together in theaters and then I asked for the extended cut of all three movies and he bought it for me and we watched those too.
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Jul 21, 2020 01:55
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skasion posted:When it confronted Gandalf on the bridge it “drew itself up to a great height, and its wings” (that it didn’t have) “were spread from wall to wall”. It seems to tower over Gandalf. Who knows how much this is a physical and how much a spiritual change. It could be read that the "shadow about it" is part of its being, or even its actual being, so it can stretch or reshape itself to a degree - "reaching out like two vast wings" seems a pretty clear clue that it doesn't have actual wings. But yeah, given what it is that could easily be a demonstration of spiritual force instead. Incidentally I tracked down the Mary Fairburn Tolkien calendar recently, and she seems to be of the Balrogs Got Wings party:  I really like that pic, though her Treebeard makes me honk with laughter: 
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Jul 21, 2020 11:43
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Maybe it should fly out if the gorge there with it’s wings
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Jul 21, 2020 11:46
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Runcible Cat posted:It could be read that the "shadow about it" is part of its being, or even its actual being, so it can stretch or reshape itself to a degree - "reaching out like two vast wings" seems a pretty clear clue that it doesn't have actual wings. Si es Goya, tiene que ser bueno
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Jul 21, 2020 11:47
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Antifa Poltergeist posted:You just know sauron got freaky with some werewolves. He knew what was underneath Thuringwethil's bat-fell. :Eye winks:
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Jul 21, 2020 11:48
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euphronius posted:Maybe it should fly out if the gorge there with it’s wings How'd it manage to fall down that teeny hole there in the first place with its wings?
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Jul 21, 2020 11:51
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The decline of ideological rigor and analysis since the First Age prevents the Balrog from achieving lift with its voluminous but weak bat wings. This is of course largely due to the action of noted running-dog lackey of the so-called Valar, Earendil, who unjustly deprived Melkor (who you may know as Morgoth, the slanderous name applied by the Elfocracy) of his rightful due as the senior Maiar in the world-project, which has been denied to him on a range of grounds, including claims of electoral irregularities in the Misty Mountains and unfounded allegations of seeking to "dominate and destroy all."
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Jul 21, 2020 11:55
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Swear to God the riffing in this thread would be impeccable if we could get it through our heads that Maiar is plural and Maia is singular
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Jul 21, 2020 12:05
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The air was denser back in the first age, so balrogs could achieve flight on a light jog. This is also why everything was bigger and very combustible, a oxygen rich atmosphere. Antifa Poltergeist fucked around with this message at 12:12 on Jul 21, 2020 |
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Jul 21, 2020 12:08
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Antifa Poltergeist posted:The air was denser back in the first age, so balrogs could achieve flight on a light jog. As well as light the Trees obviously produced a hell of a lot of O2.
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Jul 21, 2020 12:11
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Runcible Cat posted:How'd it manage to fall down that teeny hole there in the first place with its wings? Balrogs are flightless birds, like dodos.
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Jul 21, 2020 12:12
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euphronius posted:Maybe it should fly out if the gorge there with it’s wings Clearly the balrog is an emu I gotta say it's a genius level troll on Tolkien's part to describe the wings in both literal and metaphoric terms within the same few paragraphs, keeping angry nerds energised for decades
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Jul 21, 2020 12:15
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The power of the maiar, the speed and temperament of a ostrich, truly the balrogs are terrifying.
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Jul 21, 2020 12:15
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The best bit is how angry some folk get at anyone who has the opposite opinion as if whether Balrogs have wings matters *even slightly* in terms of the meaning of the story or what you take away from it.
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Jul 21, 2020 12:16
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Compromise: the balrog has one wing, Sephiroth style
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Jul 21, 2020 12:20
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What realy gets my goat is vampires.first age, vampires, then 0 vampires. The only conclusion is that Arda in the second age had way more right angles.
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Jul 21, 2020 12:20
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