Non-canon Heroes

By Ranger of the Force, in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

Posted at

gatharion said:

A Silmirilion TV show or movie(s)? I'd be bowled over if that EVER happened. For one, it doesn't have the name recognition that Hollywood likes, but also there just isn't enough cohesive story there. Someone else mentioned that as a selling point, but if you're having to make so much up whole cloth, then why even bother dealing with complexities of wrangling with the copyright issues? Plus, making engaging characters and linear plots for something that is supposed to span for hundreds of years, is going to be a more daunting challenge than most Hollywood screenwriters are likely to tackle.

IMO, Hollywood has never gotten a solid grasp on something as comperatively simple as the stories of King Arthur; I can't imagine the Silmirilion faring well.

True points, all. However, comparing the Silmarillion to the legends surrounding Arthur is a bit misplaced. The reason Hollywood has had so many different tellings of King Arthur is precisely because of the MANY variations of him written throughout the last 1200 years (an Arthurian character was mentioned as early as the 9th century in Latin texts). With the Silmarillion, you have a SINGULAR author and undisputed origin.

However, you are correct with the "name recognition" aspect. However, with the success of the LOTR cycle (and the presumes success of the Hobbit films), I think Hollywood would definitely be able to tie in the marketing to those films. But you are definitely spot on about trying to do the entire Silmarillion. I think they could have some success with telling specific stories; the ones that have enough substance for entire films. The Children of Hurin, the tales of Beren and Luthien, and the Fall of Gondolin are the most dominant (although that last one probably needs more tie-in to other stories to be a stand-alone film). The first two have PLENTY of weight and story to be complete films/mini-series. And HAS TO be better than a lot of the drivel being forced on us by Hollywood right now (I'm looking at you Twilight, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Titans, etc)…

Posted at

So, anyone up for continuing the REAL subject of this thread?

Posted at

mr.thomasschmidt said:

So, anyone up for continuing the REAL subject of this thread?

its probably ran its course anyways- probably why it went so off track….that and me complaining about the films (oh crap….taking it back of course again….haha)

Posted at

Considering they already have 3 of the 5 Middle Earth Quest heroes in this game, the completionist in me needs them to make the other two characters as heroes for this game as well. I'd like to see Eometh and Argalad.

Posted at

Budgernaut said:

Considering they already have 3 of the 5 Middle Earth Quest heroes in this game, the completionist in me needs them to make the other two characters as heroes for this game as well. I'd like to see Eometh and Argalad.

I think your wish will easily be granted. I own the MEQ despite not liking and having not played in a long time, from the names though I think I remember Eometh is Rohan and Argalad Silvan, right? I believe there will be shortage especially for Silvan characters, thus we might see this guy soon.

Detouring the thread again, I really wonder what the approach for the Silvan shall be. What will be their strength? I think they may be a little more attack and less threat reduction oriented than Noldor. I mean more Lore and Tactics and little Spirit perhaps?

Posted at

argalad sounds more like a dunedain name to me……..as for the silvan id like to see some sort of 'camouflage' keyword that allows them to pick off enemies in some cool new way, or looking at it the other way, they cannot be damaged by treachery or card effects, but at the same time they cannot defend (meaning they stay secret)

Posted at

I am not really good with the names (etimology or linguistic behind them anyways) but I believe in MEQ Argalad really was an Elf from Woodland Realm.

I would really like a camouflage keyword, sounds superb and thematic for the Elves.

Posted at

how about

camouflage

characters with camouflage are immune to treachery cards and cannot defend or commit to a quest

Posted at

I believe that Argalad means "royal tree" in Sindarin, so it is a perfectly plausible name for a (noble/royal) Elf of the Woodland Realm.

It looks a bit like a Dunedain name because the royal line of the kings of Arnor and the Chieftain of the Dunedain, also named in Sindarin, had the "Ar" or "Ara" prefix signifying royalty on all their names (Aragorn, Arathorn, etc).

Posted at

Thanks for the heads up mr jjeagle.

Posted at

richsabre said:

how about

camouflage

characters with camouflage are immune to treachery cards and cannot defend or commit to a quest

Yes, I would love something along those lines. Perhaps cannot be damaged during Staging and Combat? To also avoid some general shadow effects? The bit about not being able to quest or defend (but could still attack) is especially neat.

Posted at

gatharion said:

Pericles said:

gatharion said:

One of the really REALLY difficult things to convey about the story, especially in a visual medium like film, is the power and menace that is manifest in a tiny little inanimate object.

I would have to disagree with this a bit. There was always that whiney-schreechy sound effect when the ring was exerting its influence over someone. That was a pretty good indication that something was going on. Now, if one were deaf and watching the movie, yeah, that concept would be a significant obstacle to overcome.

Brownmantle said:


A storyteller needs more tools in his box than just sound effects.

I'm not even sure what you're suggesting here…that Jackson just shouldn't have employed said "whiney-schreechy" sound with Faramir? That wouldn't make much sense within the logic of the movie.

Either there is an opportunity for Faramir to get corrupted by the Ring or there is not. If there is no opportunity then there is pretty much no point to him meeting Frodo at all. If there is, but Faramir can just hand wave it away, then the ring come across as easily dismissible which then makes the struggle of all the other characters who have had to resist the ring seem really odd.

Even Galadriel they had to show being momentarily tempted to take the Ring. Having Faramir brush it off when neither his brother nor the elf-queen could would have been really odd and felt inconsistent in terms of the much-vaunted lure of the Ring. Gollum doesn't follow Frodo all across Middle-Earth just because he thought the Ring matched his ratty loincloth.

It is certainly the first; the opportunity for Faramir to be corrupted DID exist. However, the way I read the text was that his Numenorian (sp?) heritage helped him resist the ring's power. The fact that he was more Numenorian than his brother gave him strength against the ring's influence, whereas Boromir faltered. In the case of Galadriel, my impression was that she was particularly vulnerable due to her possession of one of the three elven rings.

As for Gollum, gold rings are fine accessories for ANY attire! (even ratty loincloths) :-)

Posted at

well as for gollum he was bascially hobbit, an hobbits had a particularly good resistance to magic and evil, hence frodo bearning the burdan through all the trials of the trilogy