One wonders how this one passed completely under the radar, per the NYTimes:
… I binged on the first six episodes of the ABC series “The Quest,” which began on July 31 and is at least trying to find new places to take the reality competition genre. It’s set in a fictional kingdom called Everealm, but it actually takes place in the Land of LARP: live-action role playing, a type of fantasy game in which participants physically take on the role of a particular character.
“The Quest” is an ambitious effort to merge LARP sensibility with a traditional one-elimination-per-week competition show. Some parts of the experiment work better than others, but it’s always intriguing. It’s also mindlessly addictive, even if you’re not the World of Warcraft type.
The show began with 12 contestants who all professed a fondness for fantasy role-playing of one sort or another. Call them nerds or geeks if you want; some called themselves that. In any case, they were transported to a real castle in Austria, where a medieval world had been created, populated by actors who guide them through a semi-scripted story full of challenges that most nerds can only dream of trying. Several involved archery. One required proficiency with a battering ram; another, performing feats of agility on horseback…
Funny, there doesn’t seem to be a category tag for “Insufficiently Popular Culture”…
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
I’ve fenced and ridden horses. I’ve climbed mountains and skied down them. Renaissance sword and dagger fencing appeals to me. I have an interest in 16th century rapiers.
But damn, this seems weird
AkaDad
I watched the first episode, then spaced out and forgot to keep watching.
Ok, I have a friend who had been raped years ago. I asked her if she had heard about the celeb hacking scandal and she did. So, I told her that some people were comparing it to rape. She then says, “I hate people.”
Just thought I’d share that with you all.
ruemara
I would totally have done this. Without a fuck to give about anyone judging.
Joseph Nobles
@AkaDad: You notice how she didn’t exclude you.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@AkaDad:
Thank you for offering her story in a passive aggressive way. It can be perceived as an asshole move, not by your friend who was assaulted. She deserves whatever support she needs. You, AKADad, were a bit of a dick. Why do you want do be like that?
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@ruemara: I would have judged because the TV show and it’s audience sure as hell would have. Don’t fall for it. Keep your dignity.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
They did this as a made-for-tv movie back in 1982. It didn’t end well for Tom Hanks.
Villago Delenda Est
OK, did these people fight orcs and dragons? Because if they didn’t, well, that’s why it’s got FAIL written all over it.
RPGs work because all the disgusting detail of living in the middle ages (BRING OUT YER DEAD!) are not present. You’ve got all the fun and none of the reality.
AkaDad
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
Yeah, I’m a dick. I should have said anyone who compares that to rape is a fucking moron.
I hate people too.
magurakurin
@AkaDad:
I don’t see the vast majority of the arguments as comparing stealing photos to rape. I see people saying that the argument “if you don’t want someone to steal your naked pictures don’t post them on the web or don’t take them” as being the same shitty argument as, “if you don’t want to be raped, don’t wear sexy clothes.” I think this is a valid point, that both are shit arguments. Maybe it is naive to think your photos are safe in the Apple cloud, but that doesn’t mean you deserve to have the photos stolen. The whole blame the victim thing.
But the truth is, I didn’t know who any of the people were who had their photos stolen. No idea what they look like with clothes or without.
And I hate Apple Company anyway, just one more reason to them as shit.
TheMightyTrowel
@AkaDad: well done. You have a female friend. Guess all those other people who feel differently have had their arguments sufficiently derailed.
NobodySpecial
@Villago Delenda Est: You do realize RPG’s frequently involve more than orcs and dragons, right? Just checking.
raven
barf
JPL
The President is having a news conference. I’m sure his words will be parsed and taken out of context. He is wearing a blue tie and dark suit, so the fashion police should be proud.
AkaDad
@TheMightyTrowel:
That’s right, I have a friend that’s been raped and she’s saying comparing rape to invasion of privacy is stupid, and people are giving me shit?
What the fuck is wrong with people lately? Is it the heat?
JPL
@AkaDad: Yup.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@AkaDad: Maybe it’s because you simplified the argument until it could be set on fire.
Gene108
@Villago Delenda Est:
You forget there is magic in RPG’s.
A Raise Dead or Resurrection spell, for example, makes death less than permanent.
Cure wounds spells, Remove Disease, etc spells can wipe out the effects of injuries and illnesses in six seconds or less.
NonyNony
@AkaDad:
Actually you have a friend who was raped and you either decided to bring up the topic of rape to her to score rhetorical points on the web, which makes you an asshole, or you didn’t but are using her story to pretend that you did, which makes you an asshole, or you don’t actually have a friend who was raped and you’re making shit up, which makes you an asshole.
I mean really – bringing up the topic of rape to a rape survivor to get a story so you can score rhetorical points on the internet isn’t the lowest thing someone can do, but it is pretty much an asshole move.
Tsukune
For those interested in the super bowl of all things pre-1600 there is the Pennsic War
http://citypaper.net/article.php?Reports-from-a-medieval-war-20974
chopper
@magurakurin:
i don’t think anybody said that it was anything like a majority. cole, however, claims that there was some of that going around twitter and it pissed him off.
AkaDad
@NonyNony:
I didn’t bring it up to score points, I brought it up so people might rethink the stupid shit they were saying, so they wouldn’t embarrass themselves further, so fuck off.
muddy
@AkaDad: I think that you might rethink the stupid shit you were saying, so you wouldn’t embarrass yourself further.
ruemara
@AkaDad: I ignored this at first, but since you had to be a dick, here’s what’s wrong. Your friend deserves support but she’s not every rape victim. It’s great she has her opinion but by no means is she speaking for all. It may not seem like rape but it is a show of power and control over a woman’s body. And frankly, it doesn’t require you or your friend agreeing for those victimized to feel used, unsafe and ashamed. Thank you for the results of your survey.
otmar
They’re filming this thingy at Burg Kreuzenstein (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Kreuzenstein), just outside Vienna city.
I’ve been there last year with the kids. The castle is not at all genuine, it’s more like a museum where a collector merged various pieces into one building. Looks nice, but is by far not as old as the parts it is made of.