Supposedly "Versatile Mages"

[Cainehill]

Anyone else occasionally chuckle because the description of some of the Pretenders is so far offbase?

For instance, R'lyeh's Kraken is described as "having become adept with magic over the millenia, and he is a versatile mage". This, for a pretender with 40 point magic paths, and no innate magic. Equally bad with all magic doesn't seem versatile to me.

Even better, check out the incredible understatement on Pangaea's Medusa: "The Medusa is not as versatile as the Arch Mage". Heh. With a cost for new magic paths of 80, I guess one has to agree that she isn't as versatile.

Any others?

[ May 22, 2004, 18:02: Message edited by: Cainehill ]

[Norfleet]

As a long-time gaming veteran, I'm used to interpreting "versatile", when voiced in official blurb text, as meaning "equally bad at everything". It's just not a phrase you want to hear to describe the selling point of a unit from an official game source. That sort of qualification is reserved for third-parties writing strategy guides.

[Stormbinder]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
As a long-time gaming veteran

"Long-time veteran" sounds sowewhat redundant to me.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Stormbinder:
"Long-time veteran" sounds sowewhat redundant to me.

Well, there a point at which you can claim to be a veteran, and this falls short of having been at this longer than some people have been alive. You can be a veteran of something without having spent a LONG time on it.

Besides, it's no more redundant than the other things I like to say and do, such as killing people to death.

[HotNifeThruButr]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
As a long-time gaming veteran, I'm used to interpreting "versatile", when voiced in official blurb text, as meaning "equally bad at everything". It's just not a phrase you want to hear to describe the selling point of a unit from an official game source. That sort of qualification is reserved for third-parties writing strategy guides.

Hmmm reminds me of Tien Chi mages.

[Norfleet]

Yeah, gotta love TC mages, with the national summons that they're supposed to cast, but can't actually cast.

[Kristoffer O]

For instance, R'lyeh's Kraken is described as "having become adept with magic over the millenia, and he is a versatile mage". This, for a pretender with 40 point magic paths, and no innate magic. Equally bad with all magic doesn't seem versatile to me.

Thats incredibly versatile. We didn't force you to choose any path by giving the kraken a starting value . And the kraken has become magically adept, unless you choose to diminish his might by not giving him enough magic to fit the description.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Cainehill:
Anyone else occasionally chuckle because the description of some of the Pretenders is so far offbase?

I think the problem is probably the language barrier. I often find that when Im dealing with people overseas who learned english. They seem to be using the dictionary definition of "versatile" rather than what the common english speaker thinks it means. Sometimes when Im talking to someone that I know has learned english I have to look words up to get what was meant.

In this case, being able to be equally magical in a couple of categories seems to make them versatile. Equal as compared with most pretenders that have a couple of magic channels aleady selected and their cost tends to force that you say in those. I dont think its meant to reflect that its a good chassis for a rainbow god.

[Firebreath]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
I think the problem is probably the language barrier.

Aye, its too bad they don't teach non native english speakers about sarcasm, bitter irony, dry humour, nonchalance and anglophilic understatemens...

Or maybe that's just because english people like to communicate in their own language without other english speakers being able to understand them correctly, without the fuss of having to put on a silly accent.