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Left Behind - The Videogame (LIVE THE RAPTURE)
- Thread starter Matlock
- Start date
Drinky Crow
Banned
So exactly WHICH Christians that might buy this game would choose to play as the demonic forces?
Kobun Heat
Member
I am half thinking about pitching an article about religious video games. However, I would only want to write it if I could give it the title
Jesus Saves (After Every Boss Battle)
Jesus Saves (After Every Boss Battle)
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
The books make for great reading. I'm interested
Drinky Crow
Banned
You've GOT to be trolling me.
Fragamemnon
Member
Drinky Crow said:
Christians who, after reading the books and playing the campaign on the "light" side, still find themselves looking for more fuel for their persecution complex, I'd imagine.
Drinky Crow
Banned
This should REALLY be ported to the DS for a 2x persecution complex bonus.
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
Drinky Crow said:
If you are refering to me, no. My Christian right in-laws has all of these and since I don't mingle with them in family functions outside of me saying fuck Notre Dame. (They live in South Bend) There is no relationship. So, to pass the time, I could either play Legends of Wrestling or Smackdown or read. I choose the latter. It makes for great reading, don't know if I should believe much of it, but the whole setup is pretty good. The movie with Kirk Cameron is pretty bad though
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Well, Having read teh books, I can take up the role of the nitpicker...
There were 12 books, and New York was taken out in book 3.
There were 12 books, and New York was taken out in book 3.
Drinky Crow
Banned
Hm. I have a similar relationship with my in-laws in rural Kansas, although when I tried to read one of the Left Behind books, the terrible writing left me retching on the shag carpet. I think I got about thirty pages in before the herky-jerky pacing, zero-dimensional "Max Power" characters, cornball dialogue, and rampant deus ex machina (although with God involved, what *did* I expect) sapped my will to live and I went back to staring mindlessly at the ceiling counting spackles and measuring time by the tumbleweeds rolling past the front window.
Fragamemnon
Member
Talk about pandering to your customers. BURN DECADENT COASTAL ENCLAVES, BUUURN.
Online multiplayer with the God Squad. That's got some entertainment possibilities.
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
Nicolae Carpathia should be the lead character. I know he won't be, but it would be better that way. For people who don't read it, he's the one who becomes the Anti-Christ. It's not a spoiler, it is presented to you very early in the series.
Fight for Freeform said:
Meet the people who will likely buy this game:
http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=53606
Man someone stole my idea for "Biblical Apocalypse Online" RTS 
Clash with the hordes of Gog and Magog. Summon plagues and rivers of blood to decimate enemy forces.
EDIT: 6-11-2004 in the 4 horsemen thread.
My more detailed descriptions were lost in various forum crashes I believe
Man I want my royalties
Clash with the hordes of Gog and Magog. Summon plagues and rivers of blood to decimate enemy forces.
EDIT: 6-11-2004 in the 4 horsemen thread.
scola said:Hmm its a franchise now?
I wonder if my concept of a "Biblical Appocalypse Online" a judgement day RTS could come through now?
My more detailed descriptions were lost in various forum crashes I believe
Man I want my royalties
The writing is some of the worst I've ever tried to read. Just absolutely horrible.
I'm pretty sure If I was 8 or 9 I might have enjoyed these stories. I know I read some war porn as sci fi back then but nothing quite so bad as these books that I can remember.
After some googling I found this
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2003/10/lb_meet_the_gir.html
There are some other entries before this one and more after. Behold the writing of Left Behind.
I'm pretty sure If I was 8 or 9 I might have enjoyed these stories. I know I read some war porn as sci fi back then but nothing quite so bad as these books that I can remember.
After some googling I found this
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2003/10/lb_meet_the_gir.html
There are some other entries before this one and more after. Behold the writing of Left Behind.
Shawnwhann
Banned
The writing is some of the worst I've ever tried to read. Just absolutely horrible.
I'm pretty sure If I was 8 or 9 I might have enjoyed these stories. I know I read some war porn as sci fi back then but nothing quite so bad as these books that I can remember.
After some googling I found this
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac...et_the_gir.html
There are some other entries before this one and more after. Behold the writing of Left Behind.
I respectfully disagree with your detailed critique of the Left Behind books. In my freshman college days I stumbled upon these books after hearing all the buzz. I got to thru six of the twelve books in the series, and I found them to be highly entertaining and addictive. I ran into some financial difficulty, and I was forced to follow a budget that only had room for essentials. I plan on finishing the rest though.
One can tell that the style these books were written in were intended to be accessible by many different people. The books are not meant to be dense and intimidating, but instead to put a realistic context in place to explain Revelation from the Bible. As a Christian, I enjoyed following the story and found it refreshing that the books focused on telling a story instead of "sneeky teaching". I found myself caring about the characters, and in my view that means the books did their job.
Next time you have such a strong negative opinion it would behoove you to adequately explain why you feel the way you do. Otherwise, you will come off as a troll and someone not even worth responsing to.
I'm pretty sure If I was 8 or 9 I might have enjoyed these stories. I know I read some war porn as sci fi back then but nothing quite so bad as these books that I can remember.
After some googling I found this
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac...et_the_gir.html
There are some other entries before this one and more after. Behold the writing of Left Behind.
I respectfully disagree with your detailed critique of the Left Behind books. In my freshman college days I stumbled upon these books after hearing all the buzz. I got to thru six of the twelve books in the series, and I found them to be highly entertaining and addictive. I ran into some financial difficulty, and I was forced to follow a budget that only had room for essentials. I plan on finishing the rest though.
One can tell that the style these books were written in were intended to be accessible by many different people. The books are not meant to be dense and intimidating, but instead to put a realistic context in place to explain Revelation from the Bible. As a Christian, I enjoyed following the story and found it refreshing that the books focused on telling a story instead of "sneeky teaching". I found myself caring about the characters, and in my view that means the books did their job.
Next time you have such a strong negative opinion it would behoove you to adequately explain why you feel the way you do. Otherwise, you will come off as a troll and someone not even worth responsing to.
I could spend hours typing word for word some of the monstrous ideas LeHaye and Jenkins espouse during just the first few chapters of the book. But that would require me to endure reading them again.
However that website that google delivered will save me the trouble.
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2004/08/lb_dr_dives_is_.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2003/11/lb_the_naked_tr.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2003/10/lb_the_babel_fi.html
There are more of course, but this has derailed the thread completely.
There are plenty of very good books written by christians. These are not them. These are not good books, they are terrible books by terrible writers. They are not bad because they are christian, they are just bad.
Just to to try and ptu the thread back on the game aspect.
And how would the game deal with you losing. What if you're a lousy RTS player and the forces of Satan overwhelm your last peon and destroy your church center. Think of the children.
However that website that google delivered will save me the trouble.
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2004/08/lb_dr_dives_is_.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2003/11/lb_the_naked_tr.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2003/10/lb_the_babel_fi.html
There are more of course, but this has derailed the thread completely.
There are plenty of very good books written by christians. These are not them. These are not good books, they are terrible books by terrible writers. They are not bad because they are christian, they are just bad.
Just to to try and ptu the thread back on the game aspect.
And how would the game deal with you losing. What if you're a lousy RTS player and the forces of Satan overwhelm your last peon and destroy your church center. Think of the children.
Shawnwhann
Banned
The books are fiction Mr. Fight for Freedom. I don't think I need to say anymore about that. By realistic, I mean plausible. Who knows how this whole Revelation prediction may break down. Who knows if the events mentioned in Revelation are literal or methaphorical? It's all up for debate. Are you opposed to the book becuase it represents Russia in a not so favorable light? I am trying to understand the intention of your post., because I don't understand it...
Squirrel Killer
Member
Agent Icebeezy said:
Dear Allah... remind me to never take your advice on books. I realized by about page two that the "writers" would've flunked out of an advanced high school writing class. And that's not even accounting for their blowing the great setup they had by page twelve. I only trudged through to the end of book one in a vain attempt to see if it got better and to see what everyone was raving about. These wahoos make Dan Brown and Steven King look like Hemingway and Twain. Your time would've been better spent playing Mary Kate and Ashley Teen Makeover Studio.
And as for what you should believe... none of it, even deeply religious theologians puke at this tripe. Want a good end of the world fiction? Try
Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma
When you say the books are not meant to be dense and intimidating, who are you fooling.
This is a board full of gamers, I myself have endured countless hours of trite, hackneyed and insulting dialogue from 2d characters. I tell you this, the dense and intimidating story of quest 64 was better than Left Behind.
This is a board full of gamers, I myself have endured countless hours of trite, hackneyed and insulting dialogue from 2d characters. I tell you this, the dense and intimidating story of quest 64 was better than Left Behind.
Fragamemnon
Member
It would be hilarious if base construction in the game was similar to the church planning/expansion that occurs in Southern megachurches. You don't build a separate barracks, you build a "family life center" or some crap, and you just keep haphazardly adding on to your blight of a structure as the mission progresses.
Wonder how resources work in the game? Tithes? I'd love to see a silder scale:
10% -------------------------- 20% ---------------------- GIVE TIL IT HURTS, JESUS SAYS SO
Or something similar
As for the quality of the books, if your regular literary intake was KJV/NIV New Testament gospels and epistles, Promise Keepers daily devotional books, and "The Purpose-Filled Life" derivatives, I'm sure fanfic-grade fiction like LeHaye will butter your bread just fine.
Shawnwhann said:
I'm just replying to your comment when you said it was based on Revelation...where it looks like it is very loosely based on it. There seems to be some incredibly whacked interpretation going on that is not even reasonable, from what I've read. I'm doing some reading now on the subject actually.
Shawnwhann
Banned
I could spend hours typing word for word some of the monstrous ideas LeHaye and Jenkins espouse during just the first few chapters of the book. But that would require me to endure reading them again.
However that website that google delivered will save me the trouble.
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac..._dives_is_.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac...e_naked_tr.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac...e_babel_fi.html
There are more of course, but this has derailed the thread completely.
There are plenty of very good books written by christians. These are not them. These are not good books, they are terrible books by terrible writers. They are not bad because they are christian, they are just bad.
Just to to try and ptu the thread back on the game aspect.
And how would the game deal with you losing. What if you're a lousy RTS player and the forces of Satan overwhelm your last peon and destroy your church center. Think of the children
Pffff...well you sure proved your claim by linking us all to a site where they obviously have an agenda to bash the series. Like I implied in my first post, these books are not going to be the subject matter of "Advanced English Literature 101" but they are entertaing for what they are. Some people would call the whole thing rubbish based off the belief that the Revelation predictions are rubbish. I guess different strokes for different folks I suppose... We can agree to disagree, and let our mini debate die here.
However that website that google delivered will save me the trouble.
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac..._dives_is_.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac...e_naked_tr.html
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slac...e_babel_fi.html
There are more of course, but this has derailed the thread completely.
There are plenty of very good books written by christians. These are not them. These are not good books, they are terrible books by terrible writers. They are not bad because they are christian, they are just bad.
Just to to try and ptu the thread back on the game aspect.
And how would the game deal with you losing. What if you're a lousy RTS player and the forces of Satan overwhelm your last peon and destroy your church center. Think of the children
Pffff...well you sure proved your claim by linking us all to a site where they obviously have an agenda to bash the series. Like I implied in my first post, these books are not going to be the subject matter of "Advanced English Literature 101" but they are entertaing for what they are. Some people would call the whole thing rubbish based off the belief that the Revelation predictions are rubbish. I guess different strokes for different folks I suppose... We can agree to disagree, and let our mini debate die here.
Agent Icebeezy said:
Oh my God. Left Behind books are among the worst religious books I've EVER read. They damn near literally made me claw my eyes out in disgust.
And this is not from some anti-religious zealot, I love reading books about this stuff. But Dear God, Left Behind? Oh my fuck...
Shawnwhann
Banned
When you say the books are not meant to be dense and intimidating, who are you fooling.
This is a board full of gamers, I myself have endured countless hours of trite, hackneyed and insulting dialogue from 2d characters. I tell you this, the dense and intimidating story of quest 64 was better than Left Behind.
The authors are not targeting "a board full of gamers". These books were made to appeal to people of all ages. A 14 year old as well as a 70 year old can enjoy these books in my opinion.They are obviously intended for a Christian audience as they are easy to read, and they are fairly suspenseful to boot. I always enjoy listening to people bash something because it is funny when you think about it. Generally a person will bash someone's work, but the critic can't do it themselves. Thats why I can't respect the opinion of critic like Ebert and Roeper, once they make a movie I can enjoy I will then listen to their opinion. Same prinicple applies to you Tabhise, show me some of your writing and your commentary would be alot more credible
This is a board full of gamers, I myself have endured countless hours of trite, hackneyed and insulting dialogue from 2d characters. I tell you this, the dense and intimidating story of quest 64 was better than Left Behind.
The authors are not targeting "a board full of gamers". These books were made to appeal to people of all ages. A 14 year old as well as a 70 year old can enjoy these books in my opinion.They are obviously intended for a Christian audience as they are easy to read, and they are fairly suspenseful to boot. I always enjoy listening to people bash something because it is funny when you think about it. Generally a person will bash someone's work, but the critic can't do it themselves. Thats why I can't respect the opinion of critic like Ebert and Roeper, once they make a movie I can enjoy I will then listen to their opinion. Same prinicple applies to you Tabhise, show me some of your writing and your commentary would be alot more credible
Squirrel Killer
Member
Easy there Shawnwanwonhoo-on, just where did Taibhse claim that he was providing an in depth analysis of the books? He stated an opinion. Getting all sarcastic is starting you off on the wrong foot, and as a defender of this religion porn, you need all the right feet you can get.Shawnwhann said:
Are you a masochist? I would've considered running out of cash to further line Tim and Jerry's pockets a sign.Shawnwhann said:
REALISTIC? Come on, these books are virtually monosyllabic for a reason. And it's not realism, stylistic, or to be accessible. It's because Tim and Jerry are as good of writers as I am a nuclear physicist.Shawnwhann said:
As a Christian, I enjoy poking holes in the obvious holes in these books. Needling their fans just ensures that I haven't quite lived up to Christ's example.Shawnwhann said:
Let me offer my opinions...Shawnwhann said:
1 - Paper thin characters.
2 - Motivations so transparent they actually improve your vision.
3 - Leaps of logic that make Evel Knievel envious.
4 - Unrealistic responses.
5 - The plot pacing is atrocious.
6 - Characterizations of other religions and cultures is offensive.
7 - Writing done at grade school level. Which makes me shudder to think of the youth series is like.
8 - Their view of eschatology is roundly rejected by virtually everyone but their fans.
9 - Blatant profiteering.
Shall I continue?
Shawnwhann said:
Are you shitting me? You're suggesting the only people who can criticize something in a way you can respect are those can create similar works? So anyone who is not an artist cannot criticize art, anyone who is not a programmer cannot criticize a game, anyone who is not a director cannot criticize a movie, anyone who is not a writer cannot criticize a novel? Let me ask, does this extend to POLITICS? Anyone who has never been a president, can we criticize a policy? Anyone who has not been to YALE, can we criticize his/her intelligence?
That is so, so retarded. You don't even know the implications of such a dumb thought.
For the record, Ebert isn't famous because he randomly spouts shit without knowledge. He's a famous critic because he takes films and breaks them down in a logical and often reasonable fashion that, even if you disagree with, you respect it. I respect it. You should too. You don't need to believe in an objective criteria to criticize art to respect it.
IIRC, The Left Behind series is not meant for young kids. They have a series for that. It's called LEFT BEHIND: THE KIDS.
This distinction between versions was made specifically because Tim Lahaye and Jenkins thought slack-jawed zealot idiots with even the slightest affiliation to Christianity would eat it up - but to do that, he used decidedly sensationalist, "dark" imagery. Oh also, because they're profiteering assholes. That's the other reason for two versions. It is awful, awful literature. And if you ever want to read religious books that are actually GOOD, I can reccomend to you dozens of books. Not that you'd take my advice, or that it isn't egotistical of me to suggest I can qualify how people react to books... but by God, Left Behind is AWFUL.
Squirrel Killer
Member
Please, stop insulting fanfic writers.Fragamemnon said:
An agenda? Yeah, an agenda to open people's eyes as to how awful these books really are. If you're going to discount slacktivist for his anti-Left Behind agenda, you really ought discount this site for it's pro-Left Behind agenda.Shawnwhann said:
Shawnwhann
Banned
The "Oh, I suppose you can do a better job?" argument is so old that Willard Scott is wishing it a happy birthday. It's also pointless, and completely tap dances around legitimate points with what's basically the adult version of "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!"
Well I was just stating an observation. It was not intended to be an argument. The problem with critics in works of art is that the vibe everyone gets varies. Your "legitimate" points may be illegitmate to the next guy. What people value in works in creative arts (music, movies, art, literature, etc.) vary from one person to another. I don't believe in objective criteria for judging matters of art. That is my stance, and that why I do not believe in critics.
Well I was just stating an observation. It was not intended to be an argument. The problem with critics in works of art is that the vibe everyone gets varies. Your "legitimate" points may be illegitmate to the next guy. What people value in works in creative arts (music, movies, art, literature, etc.) vary from one person to another. I don't believe in objective criteria for judging matters of art. That is my stance, and that why I do not believe in critics.
Busting out the ad hominem, nice.
Ok I've taken up your challenge.
Here is my tale, this is a story of the greatest reporter in the world and his quest for a better seat on an airplane.
Our hero is Buck Williams. Our Villian is the Evil counter lady.
let us begin.
"You are a member, aren't you?"
"Am I a member!"
"Gold or platinum?"
"Lady, I'm, like, a kryptonite member."
He flashed his card, showing that he was among the top 3 percent of air travelers in the world. If any flight had one seat in the cheapest section, it had to be given to him and upgraded to first class at no charge.
This is the end of little story, hmm oh wait that's not my shitty writing. That's a passage from Left Behind.
I'm sure I could find something I've written at least as bad as that or many of the other passages in this masterwork. I'm a not a best selling author who should know better though. You can write books that are enjoyable for people from age 15 to 75 without resorting to this.
You seem to think that I am attacking this book because of what it's about. I am not.
This is a very bad series of books by very bad writers who cannot tell a good story. How do you make the end of the world boring? Calling them hacks would be an insult to hardworking hacks everywhere.
How about you go find me some passages that capture the awesomeness of the book and the suspense. Now If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and dull the pain by reading The Relic by Lincoln Child and Douglas J. Preston. It's gonna be like reading a George R. R. harrison book compared to left behind.
Ok I've taken up your challenge.
Here is my tale, this is a story of the greatest reporter in the world and his quest for a better seat on an airplane.
Our hero is Buck Williams. Our Villian is the Evil counter lady.
let us begin.
"You are a member, aren't you?"
"Am I a member!"
"Gold or platinum?"
"Lady, I'm, like, a kryptonite member."
He flashed his card, showing that he was among the top 3 percent of air travelers in the world. If any flight had one seat in the cheapest section, it had to be given to him and upgraded to first class at no charge.
This is the end of little story, hmm oh wait that's not my shitty writing. That's a passage from Left Behind.
I'm sure I could find something I've written at least as bad as that or many of the other passages in this masterwork. I'm a not a best selling author who should know better though. You can write books that are enjoyable for people from age 15 to 75 without resorting to this.
You seem to think that I am attacking this book because of what it's about. I am not.
This is a very bad series of books by very bad writers who cannot tell a good story. How do you make the end of the world boring? Calling them hacks would be an insult to hardworking hacks everywhere.
How about you go find me some passages that capture the awesomeness of the book and the suspense. Now If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and dull the pain by reading The Relic by Lincoln Child and Douglas J. Preston. It's gonna be like reading a George R. R. harrison book compared to left behind.