If something in a movie or book exists for the sole purpose of driving the narrative forward and is irrelevant in and of itself, that's a MacGuffin. Indiana Jones films are commonly driven by MacGiffins.
“I’m gunna get canceled one day..”😂😂😂 One of the reasons I love your channel is because you’re always honest and you don’t like to hold back. And once the conversation goes somewhere you follow it through even if it’s a hard topic. Keep it up Alex, you can never get canceled!
I love your deep dives Alex (even if it isn’t about Boardgames lol) one of the many reasons you are my favorite Boardgame content creator. Keep it up my friend!
Wow this took a turn toward the end. 😆 I love the rambling but this one was more unexpected than normal. You’re excellent at talking while fiddling with what’s in front of you. I thought your knife may have done some damage while you were trying to figure it out. Keep them fingers Alex!
Revive is great and it does have an end that kind of sneaks up on you. It ends and there is always at least like 4 things that it’s like rats I didn’t get to do blank. For me that’s something I love. Keeps me coming back more than a game where you hit the end and you play a last round “wrapping up” doing a bunch of things just for extra points or whatever and there isn’t that thing that makes you say next time I’m going to do blank
So pleased ive gone all in. I know it depends on the skill of the painter, but does anyone know if painting miniatures adds to or subtracts from the value of a game like this?
The other commenters are correct, I think, in that you were thinking of a MacGuffin as the object that only exists to move the story forward. Deus Ex Machina is somewhat similar, but slightly different. It's when things happen in a story in a way that doesn't necessarily make much logical sense, but they only happen in that certain way, because the author needs/wants them to happen in that way to fit the story they are trying to tell. For a maybe bad example, the author needs their poverty-stricken character to be able to afford something that would be expensive (which in itself could be the MacGuffin), so they somehow end up winning the lottery or finding a hidden cache of gold somewhere that has no logical reason for being there, thus suddenly allowing them to buy the expensive MacGuffin they need to move the story forward, or maybe Zeus appears, takes the item, and just gives it to the character (literal God in the Machine). Speaking of perceived issues, for Tamashii, that game makes me so sad. It looks so good, and I personally love the artwork (both new and old versions), and I wanted it so bad. The problem I have is that several people asked about getting acrylic (or some type of upgraded) tokens for the bag building, which I was very on board with, because pulling cardboard tokens out of a bag is so annoying as to be basically not even worth it (to me, anyway, thus the "perceived" issue), especially when it's a core mechanism of the game (i.e. Tamashii, Quacks of Quedlinberg, Wonderland's War, etc). Except, not only did Awakened Realms not do that, but they never even once responded to the people asking about them. Then, they actually made those upgraded acrylic tokens for the damage and experience or whatever they are for, and STILL didn't upgrade the ones that would actually be the important ones to upgrade, which would be the ones you're pulling out of the bag, so it felt a little like, "why would you upgrade those instead of the bag-building tokens?"
This was one of my favorite ramblings. I think Iargely dismiss people who disagree with me - especially when it comes to my core values. This is a good reminder to listen instead
A key thing for me isn't agreeing to alter my core values...rather it's seeking to understand why someone feels the way they do. I don't care if we end up disagreeing....but I can at least walk away respecting your reasons for having that opinion. Abortion is such a good example here....I think that people who want to protect lives...I think that's a noble goal that I can agree with the goal whether or not I agree with whether abortion is murder. But I can appreciate and respect the goal and motivation. Similarly I think people who don't women to be oppressed, who want women to have freedom to live their best lives, and not be victim to situations that are far from ideal....I can and should respect that motivation. And now that you and I can start the discussion by understanding that we're not "baby killers" or "women haters"....we can actually talk. Whether or not we agree, at least we can respect each other and talk.
Wow that went off the rails at the end but thanks for sharing that. I feel that we are missing a balance in this world as well. Sometimes it's not so black and white and need to see both sides of a story. Sometimes... not all the time but sometimes :)
Don’t have room for another game, but the minis were so cool and they offered a minis-only pledge so looking forward to receiving that and painting them up!
I appreciate your perspective, however reducing the divides as disagreements that need to be better understood between people is an uncomfortable both sides discussion that really fails to acknowledge the struggles we're having with human rights by systematically removing medical autonomy from women and the ability to get treatment around pregnancy among other human rights issues or issues with representation and attempts to overule the majority of Americans. So... no, I don't think half of Americans are dumb. I think they harbor nazi ideology, misogyny, and racism. They torment and oppress people for their sexual orientation or gender identity. And for the portion of them that don't overtly share in those opinions and actions.. they have found it permissible in the people they align with for the purposes of political gain tacitly approving of their agenda. I myself used to be a republican and I can certainly understand how at one point it was possible to ignore and dismiss as just the voices of outliers, but these issues have gone from the voice of the fringe to the heart of the party and its leadership. I don't think you can look at who Trump is and how he behaves and the policies he enacts and compare that with the internal party support he receives and not acknowledge that there are an uncomfortable number of people who actively want what he represents. And it's gross. That said, as someone who spent most of my life on the other side of the isle... I do understand how difficult it is with wrestling to begin seeing how things that you thought were fringe issues are actually core to the ideology and backing up and looking at the system as a whole.
Lol... I'm very curious to know how the rabbit-hole goes over with sponsors XD Appreciate the recognition/willingness to discuss the nuance of the current political landscape. We live in interesting times... thank goodness for boardgames to distract us from some of the crazy.
Sure...except that doesn't happen. You're doing the exact same thing as "if all your friends jumped off a bridge". You're painting an unrealistic situation in order to put yourself into a position where you can simply dismiss a large number of people as being crazy while allowing yourself to feel morally superior while doing so. I'm not saying you should automatically agree with the other side. I'm saying you should listen. And if you choose not to listen then so be it...but the reason we're in the position we're in, isn't because someone is right or wrong...it's because we stopped talking to each other.
If everyone listened to and tried to make peace with the opinions of everyone else, there would be too many opinions. The sad fact of the matter is that we live in a time and place where social extremism is practiced in order to influence the opinions of the many. The result is a small percentage of loud influencers leading the "truth" you consume every day. What you are talking about is something that needs to be taught, and unfortunately it is not something everyone is good at (kind of like reading an Awaken Realms rulebook).
If something in a movie or book exists for the sole purpose of driving the narrative forward and is irrelevant in and of itself, that's a MacGuffin. Indiana Jones films are commonly driven by MacGiffins.
appreciate your content. Consistently delivered with integrity and the weirdness only you can deliver
Thanks :)
“I’m gunna get canceled one day..”😂😂😂
One of the reasons I love your channel is because you’re always honest and you don’t like to hold back. And once the conversation goes somewhere you follow it through even if it’s a hard topic. Keep it up Alex, you can never get canceled!
A guy covering board games will never get cancelled. Not much care
I love your deep dives Alex (even if it isn’t about Boardgames lol) one of the many reasons you are my favorite Boardgame content creator. Keep it up my friend!
Thank you so much :)
Fantastic insight at the end. I especially loved the jumping off a bridge explanation.
I’m so excited for this to deliver so I can play in this world
Wow this took a turn toward the end. 😆 I love the rambling but this one was more unexpected than normal. You’re excellent at talking while fiddling with what’s in front of you. I thought your knife may have done some damage while you were trying to figure it out. Keep them fingers Alex!
Loved watching this. I get mine this week and can't wait.
My pledge is arriving today and I am super excited!!
You're a smart man, Mr. Alex.
Besides that, have you played this again? I want to pick it up, but wanted your updated opinion.
Not yet but I hope to soon
Revive is great and it does have an end that kind of sneaks up on you. It ends and there is always at least like 4 things that it’s like rats I didn’t get to do blank. For me that’s something I love. Keeps me coming back more than a game where you hit the end and you play a last round “wrapping up” doing a bunch of things just for extra points or whatever and there isn’t that thing that makes you say next time I’m going to do blank
Seriously, that last part should be required watching for the general populace. We'd probably all be better off.
Came for the minis, stayed for the nuanced discussion!
So pleased ive gone all in.
I know it depends on the skill of the painter, but does anyone know if painting miniatures adds to or subtracts from the value of a game like this?
The other commenters are correct, I think, in that you were thinking of a MacGuffin as the object that only exists to move the story forward. Deus Ex Machina is somewhat similar, but slightly different. It's when things happen in a story in a way that doesn't necessarily make much logical sense, but they only happen in that certain way, because the author needs/wants them to happen in that way to fit the story they are trying to tell. For a maybe bad example, the author needs their poverty-stricken character to be able to afford something that would be expensive (which in itself could be the MacGuffin), so they somehow end up winning the lottery or finding a hidden cache of gold somewhere that has no logical reason for being there, thus suddenly allowing them to buy the expensive MacGuffin they need to move the story forward, or maybe Zeus appears, takes the item, and just gives it to the character (literal God in the Machine).
Speaking of perceived issues, for Tamashii, that game makes me so sad. It looks so good, and I personally love the artwork (both new and old versions), and I wanted it so bad. The problem I have is that several people asked about getting acrylic (or some type of upgraded) tokens for the bag building, which I was very on board with, because pulling cardboard tokens out of a bag is so annoying as to be basically not even worth it (to me, anyway, thus the "perceived" issue), especially when it's a core mechanism of the game (i.e. Tamashii, Quacks of Quedlinberg, Wonderland's War, etc). Except, not only did Awakened Realms not do that, but they never even once responded to the people asking about them. Then, they actually made those upgraded acrylic tokens for the damage and experience or whatever they are for, and STILL didn't upgrade the ones that would actually be the important ones to upgrade, which would be the ones you're pulling out of the bag, so it felt a little like, "why would you upgrade those instead of the bag-building tokens?"
Do you have an updated rating on this game? You withheld an rating on your initial review. Thoughts?
I haven't had a chance to properly dive in sadly
This was one of my favorite ramblings. I think Iargely dismiss people who disagree with me - especially when it comes to my core values. This is a good reminder to listen instead
A key thing for me isn't agreeing to alter my core values...rather it's seeking to understand why someone feels the way they do. I don't care if we end up disagreeing....but I can at least walk away respecting your reasons for having that opinion.
Abortion is such a good example here....I think that people who want to protect lives...I think that's a noble goal that I can agree with the goal whether or not I agree with whether abortion is murder. But I can appreciate and respect the goal and motivation. Similarly I think people who don't women to be oppressed, who want women to have freedom to live their best lives, and not be victim to situations that are far from ideal....I can and should respect that motivation. And now that you and I can start the discussion by understanding that we're not "baby killers" or "women haters"....we can actually talk. Whether or not we agree, at least we can respect each other and talk.
Very cool production of the game
I think you're thinking of a MacGuffin.
Quite enjoyed your insightful wrapping up. Can't cancel daddy Alex
Thanks :)
Have you had a chance to play the final version of Lords of Ragnarok?
Wow that went off the rails at the end but thanks for sharing that. I feel that we are missing a balance in this world as well. Sometimes it's not so black and white and need to see both sides of a story. Sometimes... not all the time but sometimes :)
Don’t have room for another game, but the minis were so cool and they offered a minis-only pledge so looking forward to receiving that and painting them up!
I appreciate your perspective, however reducing the divides as disagreements that need to be better understood between people is an uncomfortable both sides discussion that really fails to acknowledge the struggles we're having with human rights by systematically removing medical autonomy from women and the ability to get treatment around pregnancy among other human rights issues or issues with representation and attempts to overule the majority of Americans. So... no, I don't think half of Americans are dumb. I think they harbor nazi ideology, misogyny, and racism. They torment and oppress people for their sexual orientation or gender identity. And for the portion of them that don't overtly share in those opinions and actions.. they have found it permissible in the people they align with for the purposes of political gain tacitly approving of their agenda. I myself used to be a republican and I can certainly understand how at one point it was possible to ignore and dismiss as just the voices of outliers, but these issues have gone from the voice of the fringe to the heart of the party and its leadership. I don't think you can look at who Trump is and how he behaves and the policies he enacts and compare that with the internal party support he receives and not acknowledge that there are an uncomfortable number of people who actively want what he represents. And it's gross.
That said, as someone who spent most of my life on the other side of the isle... I do understand how difficult it is with wrestling to begin seeing how things that you thought were fringe issues are actually core to the ideology and backing up and looking at the system as a whole.
The rabbit hole! Love it. I have the same question about why the hell people think Gloomhaven was good. Truth. 😂
Lol... I'm very curious to know how the rabbit-hole goes over with sponsors XD
Appreciate the recognition/willingness to discuss the nuance of the current political landscape. We live in interesting times... thank goodness for boardgames to distract us from some of the crazy.
FYI the title of the video is missing an "i" in Tamashii. I was looking for videos of this game and your video didn't show up.
Is this you KS copy or a early copy?
If half the world believed the world was flat. And the other half were scientists ...
Sure...except that doesn't happen. You're doing the exact same thing as "if all your friends jumped off a bridge". You're painting an unrealistic situation in order to put yourself into a position where you can simply dismiss a large number of people as being crazy while allowing yourself to feel morally superior while doing so.
I'm not saying you should automatically agree with the other side. I'm saying you should listen. And if you choose not to listen then so be it...but the reason we're in the position we're in, isn't because someone is right or wrong...it's because we stopped talking to each other.
If everyone listened to and tried to make peace with the opinions of everyone else, there would be too many opinions. The sad fact of the matter is that we live in a time and place where social extremism is practiced in order to influence the opinions of the many. The result is a small percentage of loud influencers leading the "truth" you consume every day. What you are talking about is something that needs to be taught, and unfortunately it is not something everyone is good at (kind of like reading an Awaken Realms rulebook).
No room for sleeves... typical :/
I haven't even tried yet.
If i sponsered you and find out that your link to my shop not working i would not be happy😡
Or....you could just say "Hey, the link doesn't work"
Mad respect for telling people to stop and try and understand the other side.
Thank you
Time to cancel alex for having nuanced opinions
Appreciate you :)