ok so maybe it's just me but I like Primoris as a character better than I do Mal. He just seems to be more of a presence than Mal. I dunno...

And did you get what it says about Annabelle in the back of the book? cool.

I'm curious as to how the 1942 battle of Aeon vs. Primoris went down. Presumably ol' Anabelle helped Primoris while the rest of the Society tried to duff in Mr. Invulnerable-Mal.

But who died (if anyone) and what triggered the fight?

SJE

Well, apparently Anabelle for one. I wonder if the fight had anything to do with the coming war... Perhaps Primoris decided that the time for talking was over with the inevitability of WWII looming. His early letter to Mercer seems to indicate that he felt no good would come of the event and that it would only be another example of the inability of the 'hoi polloi' to garner wisdom.

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Tuesday
Childe
having far to go...

'Perhaps Primoris decided that the time for talking was over with the inevitability of WWII looming.'

The fight is in 1943. I don't think the war could be referred to as 'looming' in 1943.

Britain declared war on Germany in 1939!

-Proteus

Yeah, scratch that word. I was thinking of the letter and the preparations Primoris must have been putting into effect before it culminated in the fight.

Whatever happened, it must have been a key event to him later deciding that he'ld be better served by recreating the effect of the original Hammerstein accident in 1998.

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Tuesday Childe
having far to go...

Yeah, I have to agree that Michael Donighal/Doctor Primoris strikes me as a much more appealing character than Divis Mal. Can't really put my finger on it, but it may have something to do with the fact that he isn't the end-all, be-all Mal will be in the time of Aberrant. He makes for a more rounded character.

-Defender.

I think that in adventure he is more a Antagonist/protagonist.. an actual charecter and less a piece of setting ( sans Aberrant)

I would have to agree. Primoris definetly strikes me as a more effective NPC. Mal is just too damn powerful for most people's tastes. How would he interact with PCs?

I would love to know Blackwelder's opinion of Primoris though. Mal was presented as this untouchable entity with few flaws. Whatever was wrong with him was usually attributed to people being unable to comprehend his sheer magnificence . Primoris is much more human and a quite easily described as something of a prick. Not a complete one, but definetly someone suffering from an excess of attitude. Not exactly how I would think Blackwelder would like to see his beloved Mal treated.

[ 11-06-2001: Message edited by: James 'Prodigy' Meehan ]

A group of Stalwarts following the evolution of Primoris would be facinating. He starts out very much a hero, becomes the threat to the Aeon Society, and how the various Stalwarts would react to that evolution in both power and philosophy would make a good game.

I think the main difference between the two portrayals of Mal/Primoris is simple. In Aberrant, the developer took a personal character and transformed him into every munchkin's wet dream. In Adventure!, Bruce didn't have the same attachment to the character and could be more objective about creating a 3 dimensional individual rather than a 1 dimensional cross between Prof. X and Magneto.

Actually, I get the impression that most of the principle characters from aberrant were player characters in some power-game. kind of sad really.

You seem to have hit the nail squarely on the head, Atwight. Irrespective of the relative talent of the developers, and I am a major Bruce Baugh fan, A! gave us a much more insightful and balanced view of the mighty Divis Mal in his infancy.

I would also note that much of what we base our perceptions of Primoris on is rooted in the journal entries, his letter to Mercer and perhaps even his inclusion in Greg Stolze's story, which I would love to see the conclusion of. While some would note that A! showed us a man and AB demonstrated a god, I would suggest that the former gave us a character. The latter gave us a piece of scenery and not a very versatile one. Is it my imagination or were the more useful references to Mal made after KB left the development side of the AB house?

We can love Primoris or hate him but we at least have a reason. Personal judgements of Divis Mal on the other hand are like discussing the weather. What are you going to do about it?

[ 11-08-2001: Message edited by: Wizard ]