It’s Armistice Day! Come celebrate with Ben and Chris as they discuss the premiere of Defiance and how to celebrate in the Bay area.

EPISODE 1 Pilot

RECAP After having watch them drive off towards the East in the game, we open the show with Nolan and Irisa coming out the other side of the storm divide, chasing after an arkfall that ends badly for them. After being robbed, shot, chased, and hunted, Irisa and Nolan are rescued by a local Sheriff and brought into the town of Defiance. Once injuries are seen to, Nolan seeks to make some fast cash in order to purchase a new roller and some supplies to head back out on their travels. Nolan soon finds himself involved in the towns troubles and the murder he is investigating quickly escalates to having to defend the town from an annihilation.

Initial Thoughts?

    Ben

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  What the heck were all those reviewers talking about?! This show exceeded my expectations and I am DYING to watch all 12 episodes now!

  
  
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    There’s a rich history and mythos to delve into

    
    
    
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    There are plenty of interesting characters playing more than just a passing role

    
    
    
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    Yes the roles are all standard fare and lack a bit of creativity, but does that have to be a negative? Who DOESN’T like a good-natured scoundrel?

    
    
    
  
  
  
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  Seems to me that from the people I talk to about the show, half say its “mehâ€, or a Firefly clone (we do have our Mal Reynolds and River Tam but thats it), while the other half think it was fantastic. So far ratings are great, with this being the highest watched premiere since Eureka in 2006.

  
  
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    I did try to look up the numbers on the BSG premiere but so far those numbers are eluding me.

    
    
    
  
  
  

    Chris

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  The show was awesome, and my wife and I really enjoyed it.
  
  
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  I thought that the characters were stereotyped enough that they familiar, but the main characters all have their own “quirksâ€.
  
  
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  Battle scenes were fun
  
  
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  Lots of layers to notice on repeated viewings.
  
  
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  NOT a firefly clone!
  
  

Favorite scenes?

    Ben

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• Of course the duet in the beginning,
  
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  • establishing the well worn in relationship between our human and Irathient leads
    
  • you get the sense that Irisa is more human than Irathient
    
  
  
  
• the scene with Nolan and Mayor Rosewater,
  
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  • Amanda’s look of shock when Nolan tells her that Irisa is his daughter
    
  • Nolan’s look of befuddlement when Amanda takes away his single malt
    
  • and Amanda’s solution for Nolan to earn script WITHOUT his weapon
    
  
  
  
• and Tommy and Irisa at the Lawkeeper’s office
  
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  • its an interesting duality placed together in one scene. The cold, calculating, and deadly Irathient against the cheerfully optimistic and almost out of place Deputy Barney Fife
    
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    Tommy comes off as still very young and green behind the ears. Its hard to picture him with a hard life during the Pale Wars. No one in town really thinks Tommy has the experience or the balls to be the next Sheriff.

    
    
    
  
  
  

    Chris

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  Irisa sketching Alek. TOLD YA!
  
  

Noted Things of Interest

    Ben

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  In the opening sequence, Irisa is explaining that she dreamed of Earth the way it was in Nolan’s past and we were treated to a flashback to Nolan in a field in St. Louis. Are these two elements of this scene (Irisa’s voiceover and the flashback) one and the same or separate? Is what we’re seeing what Irisa was dreaming about? If so, WHY is she dreaming about something she’s never seen before? Later we see the preview of next weeks episode and it mentions that Irisa is having visions…
  
  
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  Amanda referred to Irisa as pureblood.  Are there already a generation of human-votan hybrids?
  
  
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  The McCawley’s housekeeper, Birdie. That was a FEMALE Liberata, with no other distinguishing features other than her Alto voice. Also seems that Indogene males have a different, larger skull shape than the females, but I’ve only based that off of the appearance of the LONE Indogene female in this episode.
  
  
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  Seems Irisa has some talent in sketch art. Is this a result of being raised by a human or do Iratheints celebrate art in a similar fashion? There is a lot to Irisa (and Nolan) that we don’t know about, like how is it that Nolan saved her by killing her parents? And why did she think they needed to die in the first place? The more I watch, the more I love Irisa and want to understand her.
  
  
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  How is it that Stahma comes from the higher class and Datak from the lower, yet Datak firmly holds his place as the dominant presence in any room and Stahma always defers and submits? She is obviously the schemer and has a way of making Datak do as she wishes, but she is always seeing lowering her eyes to Datak.
  
  
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  This one was a community find that I missed. There was mention of Ara Shondu (which I did catch) meeting with Amanda about working on revisions of train plans.. If there is a train that connects the Bay to Defiance, then there may be a way for the game or show to continue on without the other and/or maybe eventually gamers will be able to cross the storm divide into Defiance.
  
  
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  Biomen, Raiders, 99ers, Earth Republic soldiers are all things that were mentioned in the show and that I have great anticipation of seeing more of/for the first time. Will we see Dark Matter in the show? Or will we see Volge in game?
  
  
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  I did notice that surly Doc Yewell’s eyes changed red when she activated the biosphere. This was BEFORE all the red panel displays popped up. Some kind of implant response or an Indogene trait? Are Indogenes still Indogenes without implants? Also, I love me a surly doctor with no bedside manner. Her response to being asked to convince someone to rest is to command, “Bed. Rest.â€
  
  
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  So we are led to believe that the boy in the first flashback is actually Nolan.. and in the second flashback, he has a sister!
  
  

    Chris

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  Personality Quirks of each character. My wife love it! She thought that all of the characters (like I mentioned) were recognizable but unique
  
  
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  LOVE the Indogen doctor. I think she’s hilarious.
  
  
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  Not digging Kenya. Just something about her rubs me the wrong way.
  
  
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  Lots of mentions of the game side of thing, from factions to places to characters.
  
  

Any dislikes to what we saw?

    Ben

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  I saw dogs, chickens, rabbits.. I saw strange alien fruit, drinks and cuisine, but the ONLY mutated animal we saw were those Saberwolves 15 minutes into the show. I would like to see more mutations in the show. Earth is scarred and changed forever. In the game we see mutated humans AND votans, and mutated and new wildlife, like the Pows.
  
  
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  Also, someone should sit Grant Nolan in front of a Green Screen more often when he’s shooting a driving scene. He needs a bit more practice in making that believable for me.
  
  
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  Sensoths. Bad idea? A common complaint I hear about the Sensoths is that all the ones in game have this bad-ass look much like Torcs, but all the ones in the show have a Redneck Bigfoot look to them. I would like 1) to see some diversity within the Sensoth community (Castithans and Irathients both have a large pool of varied looks) and 2) better facial animation. I appreciate the intricacies of robotics and conveying complex emotions with only a few muscles to tweak, but I felt like I was watching the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
  
  

    Chris

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  Some low quality shots broke the immersion.
  
  
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  Did not like the Volge tech. Who are they, where do they come from, and how do they get such great tech when they’re obviously so STUPID!
  
  

Further thoughts/Speculations

Thanks to the last few minutes of the episode, we learn that the Volge were on their way THROUGH Defiance and it was hoped that the town would either evacuate or be destroyed so that nefarious parties could excavate BELOW Defiance in what would be old St Louis

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  Is Ex-Mayor Nicky (Nicolette Riordon) working for someone or is she the mastermind?
  
  
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  Who is Mr. Birch and what role does he play in this?
  
  
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  What is the Kaziri? What key are they looking for and what does it open? Is the Kaziri the key?
  
  
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  What is the backup plan?
  
  
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  How does Nicolette plan to change the world?
  
  

Preview of next week’s episode

“Down in the ground where the dead men goâ€

http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2639734

[Show Predictions]

For those of you keeping score at home..

    Ben       [recap] Alak and Christie get married and Quentin dies

[recap] Nolan will have relations and maybe feelings for Kenya, but will get spurned and fall for Amanda.

[new]  The key that everyone is looking for is obviously important and has to unlock or power something that came down with the votans as Earth wouldn’t have been prepared for this in this universe. I’m guessing that the key is some kind of control or blueprint for a “master terraforming device†that will eradicate either human or votan life once and for all. Either that or it could power a downed arkship if there are any.

Chris         [recap] Alak and Christie’s relationship will be put in jeopardy by Irisa.

[recap]  We will be introduced to a character flaw in Amanda that could later cost her job. I’m guessing she’s done something illegal in her past….

[new] Nolan will have a relationship with Amanda AND Kenya at the same time. Oh that Nolan! *Insert Family Guy transition music here*

This season on Defiance

http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2640030

WARNING: Watch this one at your own risk as it has a few spoilers!!

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  E-Rep makes an appearance, going back to what Amanda and Nicky were discussing during the premiere
  
  
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  We get to see Nolan as acting Sheriff Lawkeeper go against the Tarr family throughout the season
  
  
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  Everyone seems hellbent on going into the mines in search of an artifact hidden down there. But how did Earth Republic get wind of it?
  
  
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  looks like Rafe will have power over people who want the artifact as it ends up in his possession
  
  
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  Irisa is having visions and possibly getting in touch with her Irathient side through the Spirit Riders
  
  
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  Ex Mayor Nicolette Riordan seems might be a permanent feature after all. Is she the evil genius this season?
  
  

And if you REALLY want to stay away from spoilers.. do NOT watch the “We Could Make a Difference†trailer found on defiance.com http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2639118

Shooting the Shtako Episode 1

http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2639301

Quick candid talk between Kevin Murphy and Grant Bowler about Episode 1

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  Grant goes off gushing about having to work on a show with this level of detail with sets, wardrobe, and languages of 8 different species and having to speak ALL of the languages.
  
  
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  Also talks about having to ACTUALLY suffer in a scene where Nolan were hurt and exhausted, thanks to a sudden cold snap while filming. No acting necessary!
  
  

Would love to see more of these for each episode. The candid talk from the actors, producers and staff is really just fun to hear about.

On Set Practical Jokers – Exclusive Cast Interview

http://www.defiance.com/en/series/video/2639332

Who’s the biggest practical joker on the set of Defiance? Seems the answer to that (for now) is Stephanie Leonidas and Mia Kirshner.. What was the joke? A whole new scene COMPLETELY out of character for the cast, and Nolan bought into it all the way until the very last page.

[What we did in game]

    Ben

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  I’ve finally surpassed an EGO rating of 500, reaching 611
  
  
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  Went ahead and crossed over the Golden Gate for the sole purpose of working on Episode 1 and Episode 2 pursuits
  
  
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  Completed the Motherlode and Detonations 101 MP maps with a couple of clan mates
  
  

    Chris

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  Finished all of the Episode missions before the show aired.
  
  
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  EGO 125
  
  
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  Shadow Wars. Chaotic and crazy. Fun though
  
  

THE ARMISTICE FESTIVAL HAS BEGUN!

http://community.defiance.com/en/2013/04/15/the-armistice-festival-has-begun/

Episode 1 quest line is done and Episode 2 quests have not arrived yet, but there are pursuits for both right now!

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  What is Armistice?The inspirational Battle of Defiance, in which the Defiant Few united in their refusal to fight and continue placing innocent lives at risk, sparked a worldwide social uprising calling for peace. This movement eventually pressured the Earth Republic and the Votanis Collective into a ceasefire, and encouraged other nations and city-states to lay down their arms. Armistice Festival celebrates that historic day, with celebrations throughout many of the safe zones of Defiance.
  
  
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  In game, this means three new tracks of pursuits, finding data recorders, participating in small area events, lighting lanterns in rememberance of the fallen, and your standard kill x number of y enemy.. but you get two nifty titles out of it. “Keeper of the northern (southern) lightsâ€
  
  
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  Also showing up in game is THREE MORE pursuits to complete for the upcoming Episode 2. More data recorders to find, more enemies to kill, AND you are required to complete some contracts and participate in a little MP to complete them.  Rewards for completion are the “Giant Slayer† title and Lawkeeper cap
  
  

And if you need any kind of assistance with these new pursuits, you can visit community member Brycegrit’s youtube page where he’s put together a few handy video tutorials. Link in the shownotes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ckaME46oE&feature=youtu.be&a

Across the Badlands

http://www.twitch.tv/trionworlds/c/2161552

Every Monday after the new Defiance episode airs on Syfy, tune in to “Across the Badlands” where Trion discuss the Show, the Game, and how it all connects. Hosted by Greg Laabs (OverloadUT) and Mat Everett (Sledgehammer70). WARNING: As this was the first episode, there were a few technical issues, mainly dealing with audio, so bear with it.

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  The show starts off discussing the winks to gamers during the show and information that people who WOULD watch Across the Badlands already know.
  
  
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  Elizabeth Tobey (dahanese) interviewed Exec Producer Nathan Richardsson who was very proud on premiere day to see the show and the game across all three platforms come to fruition after 5 years.
  
  
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  Fan find of the week is where players submit stories, screenshots, and video submitted through the community and featured on Across the Badlands. The screenshot presented takes place in Sausalito near a particularly nasty and bugged quest called Project Aegis Pt1
  
  
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  Discussion about Armistice and how it interconnects between the show and game
  
  
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  Sneak peek of the new Defiance gameplay trailer that has since been released to the rest of the world (and you can see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0oQlOD4pnkQ).
  
  

State of the game

We’ve got our first “major patch-fall!†Some fixed issues worth mentioning are:

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  Improved server and client stability.
  
  
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  Main missions are now replayable after completion of the last mission.
  
  
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  Extraction timer upped from 30 to 90 seconds to allow more time for fellow players to revive you.
  
  
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  Optimized objects throughout the world to minimize popping and improve overall performance.
  
  
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  Area voice chat has been improved and is now off by default.
  
  
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  Voice and text chat channels can now be muted independently.
  
  
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  Text chat now displays for longer and no longer hides when sprinting or boosting.
  
  

There is a full page of fixes on everything from Weapons and Ammo to UI and Visual Character fixes, so head to the Defiance Forums for the full list of fixes here: http://forums.defiance.com/showthread.php?38419-Patch-1.010-Sharks-in-Winter-Solstice-Final-Patch-Notes Next major patch is expected to fall around the 22 or 23rd, but no official date has been announced other than “one week after the first patch.â€

NEW in the Defiance Store

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  Night Stalker Outfit
  
  
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  Drifter Outfit
  
  

880 BITS for the outfit and 280 BITS for the headgear, making this a purchase of 1160 BITS, which translates to $14.50 for one outfit. Worth it? Up to you.

Community Spotlight

Each episode we try to find gamers who go above and beyond to create a more immersive experience for the Defiance Community. This week we want to shine our spotlight on

KTAM 94 FM, playing the best Hard Votan Rock across the bay, with your radio personality Beck Altarr.

For those of you who have not yet started the “We’re on the Air†mission in the game, the KTAM Radio station plays an important role in reestablishing communications for the Earth Republic around the New Freedom Crash site and Tranquility. KTAM was once a jamming radio station in the bay area before the height of the Pale Wars and now its back on the air thanks to Beck Altarr. Tune in at KTAMRadio.com and at twitter.com/KTAMRadio for a variety of music, talk radio, and episode discussions you can participate in thorugh twitter, facebook, forums, or get recorded live on Mumble!

LAST MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENTS

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  Thanks to all our listeners and followers who kept one eye fixed on the premiere and the other on our twitter feed. It was quite an enjoyable evening and we did get to leave a few listeners a little happier.
  
  
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  Join our clan IGNI FERROQUE! <defiancereporter.guildlaunch.com> No registration required, just look for me in-game, Corso Vanlocke to get an invite!
  
  

CONTACT US!

Email: defiance@mmoreporter.com

twitter: twitter.com/defiancepodcast or @defiancepodcast

site: defiancereporter.com

Voicemail: 616-666-6778 (and our new widget on the ride hand side of the page)

youtube: youtube.com/user/mmoreporternetwork

Ben: twitter.com/nebsinsane

Chris: twitter.com/almazar