Defiance Reporter – MMO Reporter
Defiance Reporter Episode 006 - Down in Ol’ St.Louie
This week, Chris and Ben share their thoughts on the morally ambiguous Votan traditions in Defiance’s Episode 2. And has the game been hacked? Listen to find out more!
Listen now:
DRAMA IN DEFIANCE
EPISODE 2 Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go
RECAPÂ This week, we follow Nolan and Rafe McCawley down into old St. Louis chasing after a felon, while Irisa and Tommy have to cope with a particularly cruel Castithan tradition.
Thoughts and Observations
Ben
I am pleased that this show took a step back from all the action of the first episode to focus on character building and how the people of Defiance really cope with each other.
There are some major conflicts in this episode, the greatest being the barbaric Castithan soul (Fesho)cleansing ritual being performed on Elah Bandik. Irisa seems the most affected by the situation and we see a hint of scarring around her wrist, implying a similar treatment in the past.
Irisa didn’t have much screen time and even through all her facial prosthetics, Stephanie Leonidias is having no difficulty invoking emotion this episode. We can see her barely contained fury as she watches the cleansing of Bandik.
Can Rafe McCawley be this blind to his family needs? Pushing his way daughter away because he is a Xenophobe, raising Luke up as the good son who could do no wrong because he is dead. What of Quentin? If Rafe is not careful, he will end up alone and miserable.
Is Datak really all bark and no bite? We see his passion flare in the bathroom scene about his position in society, wanting to relieve himself on those in a lower liro than him. He ignores his wife’s advice (rare) and kills Elah Bandik, immediately rendering what he said last episode about doing this for his son as hypocritical.
Ex-mayor Nicki explained to Amanda that Castithans cling to their past but they have no past. It blew up with their planet. She sets up an interesting philosophy. IS their past gone, obliterated with their homeworld 5000 years ago? Or is that reason to cling harder to their traditions and beliefs? Also, is Amanda just naive to think that Defiance can rise above the individual races and become one people?
Nicki’s defensive responses to Mr. Birch’s statement about being too close to the people of Defiance. She is trying very firmly to defend her decision to destroy the town. Almost like she is trying to convince herself that it’s the right thing to do, which usually points to no.
“Chow Down†Brown McCawley? Really?
Who didn’t see Elah getting killed anyway at the end? Something worth noting about the way he was killed though. On the Defiance website under charge blades, we can see that “Dead bodies left in the street with their throat slit are a calling card of the Castithan mafia – a clear warning for anyone foolish enough to cross them.†(http://www.defiance.com/en/series/world-of-2046/technology/charge-blades)
Chris
If St. Louis folded over itself, why is the arch still up?
I really like to continuing storyline. Doesn’t feel like it’s dragging, and while there are other stories, it permeates the show nicely.
Favorite scenes
Ben
Cliche and expected, I know, but the scene where the first “artifact†Jeb picks up is “The War of the Worlds.†It still made me grin.
While it made me a bit uncomfortable, the bathroom scene really helped to establish how alien these Castithans are from us. Some families gather in a room to have family discussions, be it the kitchen, or around a barbecue pit, etc. They like to bathe.
When Nolan squats in front of a defiant, yet hiding Irisa to tell her that she did the right thing even if it was against his wishes. Goes back to establishing that father/daughter bond they have. Also noticed two things, while Tommy made the mistake of touching Irisa, Nolan squats at arms length away from her to have their moment. Shows how much he knows Irisa. Also that Nolan couldn’t help but throw in that I told you so about Amanda. Really think he’s got a thing for her.
Chris
Nolan with the “I bet my boots hit the ground first†line. Loved it. Really enjoying the lovable badass.
Things of Interest
Ben
First mention of a Votan deity; the Castitian god Rayetso.
Anyone catch the Dr Seuss reference? Christi was making her father some green eggs and ham.Deleted Scene: http://www.hulu.com/watch/482024 I’m torn between whether this should have been cut or not. It didn’t have the best cinematography but it establishes that Irisa is indeed having visions
“I once had a 3 handicap. And no one can say I didn’t because there’s no one around except me who remembers the damned rules.†Best line uttered by Nicki, second only to Tommy’s “Elah Bandick is under arrest [for loitering].â€
I half expected to see 99ers in old St. Louis.
Is Rafe warming up to Nolan? Would a friendship with Nolan improve his views of some Votans since his friend’s daughter is Irath?.. Nah.
Earth Republic still recognizes US and Canadian money apparently, since that’s what Luke had hidden away in his sock drawer, next to that artifact.
Chris
Sunglasses man (Mr. Birch) seems to either be naturally sneaky, or perhaps some training?
I’m glad Ben’s dead. I didn’t like ben. Didn’t like the “oops he’s dead†moment though.
Dislikes?
Ben
Not really, this episode was a solid episode, revealing much about the makeup of our characters.
Chris
Ew, ew, ew, ew! Don’t hug your naked mom!
Ooops. Ben’s dead.
Speculations for Next Week
So far we know Nicky and Birch are the antagonists for the time being, but we are still asking ourselves if Nicolette is working for herself or under someone’s orders and who exactly Mr. Birch is and what role he plays in all of this. Added to the mix of questions are
Is the artifact in Luke’s drawer the Kaziri or something else entirely?
Was Luke really trying to get away from Defiance and Rafe like Ben suggested?
Preview of next week’s episode – The Devil in the Dark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU4RTfHTvXg
OMG Hellbugs! Finally! Also.. Man is Alak a girl! Don’t Casti males defend their women?
The spirit riders look to be a major player in this episode, which I can’t wait to see! I would love to know more about Irathients, since we seem to get a flood of Castithan every episode.
Whoa.. was that a Matron Hellbug?
[Show Predictions]
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.
[recap]  The key controls a “master terraforming device†that will eradicate either human or votan life once and for all.
[new] I’m calling the easy one this episode. Tommy and Irisa. There’s definitely a relationship forming there. Also, the first thing Nolan is going to do next episode is arrest Datak Tarr.
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….
[recap] Nolan will have a relationship with Amanda AND Kenya at the same time. Oh that Nolan! *Insert Family Guy transition music here*
[new] Alek will side with the McCawleys at least once this season.
OFF THE SET
Shooting the Shtako Episode 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6214XVX8Nc&list=PLNIBY1ZYyRPCO0VfkchRJI5zEpHp754hx&index=1
Kevin Murphy and Tony Curran shoot the shtako.
Insight to Datak – Interesting that Tony mentions that Datak is a “megalomaniac,†an “egomaniac, “ and “vulnerable.â€
Weird, pleasurable smirk when watching Stahma hug Alak?
Discussion of the Castithan Liros and Datak marrying well.
[xfinity TV Blog] ‘Defiance’ Boss Kevin Murphy on Show’s Mythology and ‘Bloodthirsty’ Gamers
There’s a very dense mythology to “Defiance,†and it’s not something the crew takes lightly.
“We have a Wikipdeia that our mythology coordinator keeps that has all of the information in it and it’s searchable..â€
The show is mapped out for like three years,
It’s no easy feat, but a worthwhile one, because Murphy has two audiences to please — TV viewers and gamers — and gamers do not mess around, as Murphy learned while promoting the Syfy series at Comic-Con.
“Because their first question was, can we kill the cast of the TV show? And we were like, NO you may not,†he laughed. “They belong to me, and you may have them when I’m done with them and not before.â€
Murphy – “I’ve been friends with Julie socially for years, and she’s married to a very good friend of mine, and I’ve just been a fan. I love her, and ultimately when she was floated as an idea, I said, yeah, we can’t afford her. Lucky for me, I’d done a show with Jaime Murray [2008's short-lived "Valentine"]. And Jaime Murray really bonded with Julie doing ‘Dexter,’ so once Jaime took the part of Stama, she started being very Stama-like and working all the angles, like, ‘Come on, wouldn’t it be wonderful? We’d have such a fun time together. Yeah, come to Toronto, it’ll be a great adventure,’…
“And you need to play a part where – and this is why Julie took the part – because she’s always playing the victim, like she’s always getting abused and murdered – and she likes the fact that in this, she gets to wear a cool Katniss [Katniss Everdeen of "The Hunger Games"] braid, and gets to wear awesome leather pants, and gets to kick ass!â€
[io9] Defiance’s second episode is better than the pilot
http://io9.com/defiances-second-episode-is-better-than-the-pilot-477961278
Written by Roib Bricken
I’m happy to report that Defiance has no sophomore slump.
Interesting thoughts on the terraforming: instead of destroying [St. Louis] like most other cities, it just sort of covered it with a mountain.) This is awesome, because 1) it looks cool, but more because 2) it gives us a lot more info on how Earth has changed without any ham-handed exposition.
Thought playing a Nirvana cover was ballsy
While Defiance is built on the idea of tolerance and community, some customs die fucking hard, and this is going to be a constant source of drama in the show.
Rafe has to deal with that not just as a father, but as a xenophobe who suddenly realizes that not all humans are necessarily trustworthy, either… not even his own son.
the cultural differences that could keep Defiance from becoming a real community are sometimes personal as well.
The best scifi series use science fiction to look at real world issues like these; I don’t think we can call Defiance the best yet, but this is a damn fine start.
NEWS FROM THE BAY AREA
[What we did in game]
Ben
TOTALLY didn’t get to play much this week as real life encroached.
EGO rating is up to 755 and all main and side quests are completed on the north side of Golden Gate
Mount Tam and Madera pursuits are completed and I found out we can’t complete Marin pursuits until Hotshot: Dam Defense is fixed.
Also been having one heck of a time adding members to the clan tonight. Seems clan invites are not being received and whispers SOMETIMES go through.
Chris
EGO 225 or so
Working my way towards the Gate.
Story stuff is a really cool way to move things forward.
Across the Badlands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH94pt6s8LU
Greg Laabs (OverloadUT) mentions that while the game and tv show have their own story lines, they both share the same world, and there are story lines that go back and forth. We’ve seen one (Nolan and Irisa taking the crystal), but “there are tons more.†Holding him to that.
Interview with Bill Trost (Dev)
On Designing Aliens: Sacrificed alien design so that the crossovers would feel more relatable to the audience, ie a bipedal homonid, Doesn’t mean they got rid of the cool 50 ft tall hellbugs, though.
On the Battle of Defiance: Right now gamers know more about the battle than viewers of the show. Â (no question?)
Goals of the game: We want a fun game first (check). We wanted to create a game that you could play with your friends or meet people in the open world (FAILED). We wanted to deliver a shooter (check).
Launch and Patch day: Mixture of excitement and fear. “We are as much a service as we are a box product that you buy.†Constantly working around the clock to make Defiance better.
Community site: Vehicles of Defiance Website. Aims to catalog every vehicle in Defiance, but Greg made sure to state that NOT ALL vehicles are listed yet.
Episode 1 and 2 Pursuits available until 12:00 Noon Pacific Time Monday, April 29th.
There will be a chance in the future to catch the Episodic Missions in game.
Showdown Throwdown – Player competition during live recording. Very cool concept and fun if players start before the hosts.. Also the hosts are TERRIBLE racers.
How often will we see crossovers? “A bunch of them.†New content being launched next week.
Do Nolan and Irisa have EGO implants? “To my knowledge, no. They aren’t employed by VBI.â€
Was the object at the end of the Episode? It has not been revealed,so its in SPOILERS territory.
Will the actors be on the show Across the Badlands? Not really an actor, but David Peterson will be on next week.
MOST WANTED COMPETITION: Compete in the game for your likeness in the show. No official announcement yet, but my money is on Friday for an announcement.
State of the game
Patch 1.012 was silently released on the 22nd. The patch notes are as follows:
Fixes to server stability
Improved issues with salvage matrix causing items to disappear
Improved issue with some loadouts saving incorrectly
Changed missions so that you only get credit when you contribute
Fixed incorrect winner/loser rewards for capture and hold matches
Increased the number of active random encounters in the world
Has the game been “hacked†already?
Word around the Bay is that some players are taking advantage of the game’s file system and what is located where. In game you may run into a player who can one-shot you with an injector (that’s already been seriously nerfed) or the top hunter during an arkfall doing damage that maxes out at 999,999,999 (nearly a billion points of damage). Seems that most weapon data is located LOCALLY on player machines and players are changing weapon values. Please note that Sledgehammer70 has responded by saying that Trion knows about this exploit and CAN detect it within game, leading to the fall of the ban hammer. If you’re curious to read other player accounts, head on over to the Defiance reddit here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Defiance/comments/1d0smu/weapon_damage_and_other_things_are_client_side_in/
Welcome to the Shadow War
http://community.defiance.com/en/2013/04/23/shadow-war-open-world-pvp/
Massive open world competitive battle without boundaries
If a match is in progress you will be added to it  instantly, if not, then the queue status will display under the health bar
Two teams vying for control of key locations (3 to 7) in the region.
Competitive outfits are unlocked as rewards for your skill
Your own team will be displayed blue and the enemy in red
Once a match begins you are free to kill fellow players with weapons or vehicles like the cerberus
Active missions are suspended while in the wars
If you die you are able to pick any spawn point your team is in control of as wellas switch out any gear you need to
A match is won by time out and the number of points scored
Shadow wars happen in the open world of defiance so other players will be around spectating or ignoring you completely. This of course means that hostiles can see you, too.
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
ARKFALLS.COM
Arkfalls.com is a fan driven site for everything Defiance. Run by two dedicated players, Slade “bwar” Sarestksy and James “Caffrey” Hall, you can find everything from opinion pieces to player and pursuit guides around the Bay Area. Check them out at www.arkfalls.com
LAST MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENTS
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
Chris: twitter.com/almazar
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