Colin McMahon

Writer's Workshop – Star Wars: the Clone Wars

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Colin McMahon

Right off the bat: I’m talking about the TV series (2008-2014), not the movie. The series is worth at least one post. The movie… we might get to that another time.

Star Wars: the Clone Wars is a fascinating and unique series. For one, it is the second animated Star Wars television series to chronicle the Clone Wars (the first can be found here, in all its glory). Arguably, this second series is far worse than the original, in terms of vision and storytelling ability. Yet it is that storytelling ability that I feel makes the Clone Wars into an interesting show. Is this the best series I’ve ever watched? Not by a long shot. That said, it is enjoyable and worth watching if you’re bored or one of those few Star Wars fans out there still brave enough to care.

What makes Star Wars: the Clone Wars interesting is its scripts. Some are pretty great (Rookies), some are terrible (Bombad Jedi) and others are a mixed bag (Cat and Mouse). Let’s talk about “Cat and Mouse” a bit more. This episode is at a level that many are in the series. Parts of it are well written. The episode introduces compelling characters, an interesting plot, and a cool action set piece. One of the best parts: Admiral Trench, this fetching fellow below.

The Separatist Army: where even spiders can become generals.

Yes, his look in a little too evocative of a certain local life form for my taste. Nevertheless, Admiral Trench is charismatic and provides and entertaining shift from General Grievous and Count Dooku (two villains who the audience know must survive the series). Yet just as the writing does something right (although credit must also be given to Dee Bradley Baker, who provided the voice) in creating Trench, it falls short in describing him. There is a scene with Republic General Wullf Yularen and Anakin Skywalker where the two discuss the evil admiral. This scene is designed to inform the audience just how dangerous Trench is. Unfortunately the dialogue isn’t great. I don’t remember the exact lines but, if you have time to watch the episode, General Yularen essentially informs Anakin that Trench beat him in the past by… beating him in the past. Trench is supposed to be a tactical genius but his tactics are never revealed. This could be due to a lack of time in the episode, or it could be that the writers didn’t feel familiar enough with military tactics to write about them, and assumed that what they had was good enough.

Equivalent: clone troopers are great soldiers. They are so skilled because they are the best soldiers in the galaxy. How did that explanation work for ya? — Equivalent: clone troopers are great soldiers. They are so skilled because they are the best soldiers in the galaxy.
How did that explanation work for ya?

When writing: research is everything. To draw an example, I highly doubt that Timothy Zahn is a military genuis but he was able to write Grand Admiral Thrawn as one (seriously, if you haven’t read those books – do yourself a favor, the are the second best thing to come from Star Wars). In addition, the episode also creates arbitrary drama between Anakin and Obi-Wan (they’re arguing about… something, I guess it’s to spice up the plot) and undoes its greatest accomplishment in its finale.

Yeah, Trench dies… or does he?!

There are a lot of episodes like this in Star Wars: the Clone Wars. As a writer, I find it fun to watch them. Many series out there reflect either superb or non-existent writing, it is interesting to find one in the middle. This allows the audience to learn: both from what is done right and what could be improved. I’m not saying to go out and write Star Wars fan-fiction in an attempt to improve the show. Just keep in mind what works and what doesn’t. This is a great show for writers, especially writers who happen to be Star Wars fans.

Support Patriotism, not Profiteering, with this Year's Boston Marathon

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Colin McMahon

Last year, the city where I grew up suffered a cowardly and inhumane attack from two individuals. To say that it was a shocking day would be an understatement. We all see pictures and hear of the war, terrorism, and horror that goes on around the world but: it is different when it’s your city, when you know that your family and friends were there. The Boston Marathon bombing was nothing short of a tragedy. If there was one silver lining, however, it was how everyone responded. I wasn’t home at the time, but I saw the things happening and many of them made me proud of where I come from. There may have been no more powerful moment than this:

Two days after the bombing, that happened at a Boston Bruins game. A simple gesture made powerful in the number of people performing it, and through the emotion that it conveyed. It was a genuine moment, there really is nothing more accurate than that. Boston galvanized itself in the days following the attack and everyone wanted to show support. As this is America, it was done with merchandizing:

For the record, the official Boston Strong website is connected to the One Fund, the charity set up to give direct relief to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. If you show your support through them, you will actually be contributing to a good cause. However, and this is really sad to say, there are many other “Boston Strong” products out there with no affiliation to any charity.

It is difficult to fully argue against these products, because some of them do help people. Yet when the bombings happened, I remember the reaction of my city; I remember the message being delivered: “this will not define us.” There was a power in that message because it told the criminals involved that they had failed. They would not get famous – they would get arrested and the city would move on. Obviously, we remember those whose lives were affected, and in some cases cut brutally short, by the bombings. But is this really remembering them?

This is marketing. Boston Strong has become a brand, and to me that is sad. No one wants to feel powerless, and the bombings made us all (everyone in or who knew someone in Boston) feel that way. Yet I must be clear: buying a t-shirt is not taking power back for Boston. When those runners involved continued to run to donate blood in the minutes directly following the attack: that was action (that was god damn heroic). If you do no research and just buy the first thing that says “Boston Strong” on it, you’re not acting, you’re following.

Support Boston, the products say, but who is really being supported? There is a wonderful way to eliminate the middleman when wanting to give to those in need: find the charity and donate directly to it. Ah, but then who knows that you did something? It is a human feeling, to want to be recognized for doing good. It is this feeling that companies are capitalizing on. Rest assured, even though they might have started it with the best intentions: they are now driven by their wallets.

Examine the difference: here is Boston Red Sox player, David Ortiz, after the attack:

That was genuine. Ortiz knows he’s a role model but as someone involved with Boston, he… well he expressed what we were all feeling back then. He showed his support, and because he was famous, everyone got to see it. Then these happened:

To my knowledge, with the research I have done: these are not connected to any charity. No one, besides the wearer, feels better with this. I’m not knocking that feeling. Especially after the bombing – everyone needed a pick-me-up. Just be informed, don’t wear this and think that a difference is being made, It’s not. Someone made money, that’s about it.

Next Monday the first Boston Marathon, since the bombings, will be run. The city will shut down: that’s how many people are going out to support it. I will be there, I know that, but I won’t be wearing anything that says I support the city. I will go out and support the runners and have fun and remember. The bombing defined us: but if we’re careful, it can define us in the best way.

PS – To the man (never naming you) who committed that hoax last night in Boston – FUCK YOU. Here is a Boston charity site, for those out there who are interested.

A Sunday Spent at PAX East 2014

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Colin McMahon

Yesterday I found myself, unexpectedly, at the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East: one of the largest gaming industry conventions on the east coast. To say that it was a pleasant surprise to be there would be an understatement. I am always thrilled to attend and am already looking forward to (hopefully attending) next year. At this convention, a majority of major western game developers tout their new products. Recent releases and upcoming titles are always heavily featured. While new game unveilings are still saved for E3, PAX East is definitely a growing convention. This year saw the announcement of Civilization: Beyond Earth, marking one of the first times that a major title has been announced at PAX East. Did I see any announcements yesterday: no. Did I hear some information on upcoming games that I cannot put on my website: yes. That said, there are still plenty of highlights to mention.

1. The Oculus Rift and Virtusphere

The future of interactive entertainment might very well be just around the corner. I could (and plan to) spend a whole article on the wonder that is the Oculus Rift. While the technology has only been mentioned recently for nefarious reasons (looking at you, Facebook), it still is a wonder to behold. Sadly, I did not get to try this piece of technology firsthand, but I watched the reactions as many players, for the first time, experienced virtual reality. They looked amazed, they looked stunned, they looked… well kinda silly with that thing strapped to their heads. Also present was the virtusphere, a ball-shaped apparatus designed to enhance the virtual reality interface. Again, I did not get to try this tech firsthand but it is amazing to me, truly amazing, that the stuff of science fiction will be hitting retail markets later this year. Pieces of technology like this may be a sign that the world could like very different in just a couple of years.

The Oculus Rift on the left and the Virtusphere on the right.

2. Project Spark

Xbox One’s (also available on PC) most intriguing project was front and center in the PAX East exhibition hall. Project Spark may be a game creator without parallel. How crazy is this game? People have already created Minecraft within it. Let that sink in for a minute… yep. In the demo I saw, the player was creating a castle adventure game, all in a matter of minutes. The Xbox One controls appeared to be functioning well and there weren’t any apparent technical glitches. This amazing product keeps right on rolling.

It really is amazing to watch how quickly the creation takes place.

3. the Bioware Panels

Ultimately, these were the only panels I had the good fortune of attending yesterday. Luckily for me, all three that I attended were wonderful. The highlight was a designer signing where I got to have lengthy conversations with Dragon Age: Inquisition designers, including Andrew Farrell, Dean Roskell, Jason Barlow, Jessica Merizan, and Mike Laidlaw. All of these people were amazingly friendly and highly informative about the game creation process. I learned several new insights regarding Dragon Age II (which I’ll save for a later article) and some information regarding Dragon Age: Inquisition. Unfortunately, that is one of the things I can’t really talk about but let’s just say… I’m excited for the game.

Dragon Age: Inquisition sounds like a best of both worlds combination of the first two titles. — *Dragon Age: Inquisition* sounds like a best-of-both-worlds combination of the first two titles.

4. Slash

I could go on and on, but I feel like there is coverage enough out there for most of the products I observed. I will instead spend my last point mentioning a card game called Slash. PAX East has a large section devoted entirely to board games, and one of the highlights of this is that it allows local developers a chance to show off their product. Slash: Romance Without Boundaries (full title) comes from a small developer located in New Hampshire. Slash is reminiscent of Cards Against Humanity (in the sense that you may focus on subjects that make you sound like a horrible person – in the best way). In Slash, players pair famous fictitious characters together in romantic bliss, and the player with the most amusing pair wins each round. Unlike Cards Against Humanity, however, this game allows interjection. If a player feels that the couple chosen isn’t the most ideal, he/she can name a substitute pairing and defend it with a wild story of how the two hooked up. I know, to most (normal) people, this might not be your thing. For creative weirdos like myself, however…

I am always proud to support a local developer, and I was happy that Slash gave me that opportunity.

I am already looking forward to many evenings with this game.

PAX East represents a great opportunity for people, with a passion for gaming, to stay current with the state of the industry. The Expo Hall is widely entertaining and the provided panels are always supremely educational. This event is a must for any creative soul looking for ways to express themselves. Nerds and geeks can have a lot of fun too.

Author: Colin McMahon