Latest Terminator Novel

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2004-12-09 01:53pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:We see that their brains are in their skulls in the extended version of T2.

Okay. Fair enough. What model of Terminator was hit? Do we know anything about secondary or tertiary systems that could take up slack, etc?

Imperial Overlord wrote:If Allston was a good writer, Iron Fist would be okay as a stand alone. It would be better having read the previous ones, but it shouldn't be essential. That isn't an excuse for the book sucking.

That's true, particularly since it didn't. I enjoyed the book and found it among the top percentile of EU volumes.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2004-12-09 01:55pm

NecronLord wrote:
Eleas wrote:Yes. Why would the Terminator's motivation circuits rest solely in its skull?
Have you seen the T2 special edition?

A long time ago only.

The personal guard of the Supreme Commander himself, including his daughter, John Connor, and Kate Brewster don't have one between them.

Okay, this is the first criticism of yours that I can agree with. Is there a rationale?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 01:56pm

Eleas wrote: Okay. Fair enough. What model of Terminator was hit? Do we know anything about secondary or tertiary systems that could take up slack, etc?

T-800s. Nah. Arnie's quite specific in T2. Smash the bit in the skull, and he's completely useless.

That's true, particularly since it didn't. I enjoyed the book and found it among the top percentile of EU volumes.

Interesting. Have they put out that much shit since I stopped buying (NJO book 2)?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 01:57pm

Eleas wrote:
The personal guard of the Supreme Commander himself, including his daughter, John Connor, and Kate Brewster don't have one between them.
Okay, this is the first criticism of yours that I can agree with. Is there a rationale?

Not yet. And given that Connor is, even in this book, a magnet for Skynet's combined forces...

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-09 01:58pm

A T-800 can now take a .50 cal shot.

Reading is good. And you're reaching with the back up system for its brain. Read NecronLord's post. It suffered momentary minor damage from losing its fucking brain.

Yes, the psychic power thing sucks beyond measure.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:00pm

To be fair. It's not overt psycic powers. It's premonitions.

I'm hoping it can be explained with clever use of the Time Displacement tech.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2004-12-09 02:01pm

NecronLord wrote:
Eleas wrote: Okay. Fair enough. What model of Terminator was hit? Do we know anything about secondary or tertiary systems that could take up slack, etc?

T-800s. Nah. Arnie's quite specific in T2. Smash the bit in the skull, and he's completely useless.

Then we have a discrepancy allright.

Interesting. Have they put out that much shit since I stopped buying (NJO book 2)?

Ton Phanan was a very good character. His death was well-written, particularly since he had many shining moments, and it was foreshadowed excellently. Face was also well-written, had moral doubts and did some terrible things in the name of the job, and their combined interaction was very good. Castin Donn was unashamedly written as an asshole, yet redeemed at the end. Zinj was a good villain, Melvar also. Tyria Sarkin never got her Jedi Powers, something that Stackpole or any lesser author would have jumped at granting her.

These things all combine with other things to make the book good. I liked it. Not because the rest of the EU, with the exception of Zahn's and Crispin's work, is utter crap, but because Allston has the talent to create characters I cared about and the courage to kill them off when it served the story.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2004-12-09 02:03pm

There are only three critical components in a Terminators head.

CPU
Eyes

The CPU lies dead center in the head. If the bullet went through an eye, its possible it missed the CPU. The CPU is quite small.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2004-12-09 02:10pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:
A T-800 can now take a .50 cal shot.
Reading is good.

It also helps you distinguish between one author and a completely different one. Since NecronLord's ability to do that was thrown in doubt in this thread, I felt compelled to ask again.

And you're reaching with the back up system for its brain. Read NecronLord's post. It suffered momentary minor damage from losing its fucking brain.

That's... a pretty amusing statement, considering NecronLord said nothing about the Terminator losing its brain, but merely about the Termie getting perforated through the skull. But then again, you did mention how beneficial reading could be. Why not go back and study the field some more?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:28pm

Eleas wrote: That's... a pretty amusing statement, considering NecronLord said nothing about the Terminator losing its brain,

To be fair, I thought just about everyone with an interest in the series knew where it was.

In favour of the book, it did at least recognise that non-Arnold T-800s exist. This one was a blonde, sweedish type.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2004-12-09 02:30pm

NecronLord wrote: To be fair, I thought just about everyone with an interest in the series knew where it was.

If it hits the eye from dead ahead, IIRC it would miss the CPU and exit through the back.

NecronLord wrote:In favour of the book, it did at least recognise that non-Arnold T-800s exist. This one was a blonde, sweedish type.

Dolph Lundgren?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:36pm

Alyeska wrote:There are only three critical components in a Terminators head.

CPU
Eyes

The CPU lies dead center in the head. If the bullet went through an eye, its possible it missed the CPU. The CPU is quite small.

From rewatching the scene in T2: The CPU is buried deeply behind the right eye, sloping so that it points towards the line behind the left eye. It is incredibly unlikely that a bullet going through the left eye wouldn't cause damage to such a flimsy looking peice of equipment as the CPU (requiring a shock dampening assembly) appears to be.

Re-reading the actual paragraph in question, which has the bullet emerging from the left temple, it's possible the CPU would be unnaffected, but I still feel that it's definately pushing the survivability of the machines to have them taking that kind of damage.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:41pm

Eleas wrote:Dolph Lundgren?

"a Terminator, one wearing a known set of facial features - dull looking, approximately Scandanavian in appearance, muscular as a twentieth-centiry weight lifter. It was nicknamed Blondie."

You decide.

You sure it's not modelled on you? *snigger*

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-09 02:46pm

So...the terminator has a bullet enter its eye...and then the bullet travels outside of the body instead of bouncing off the interior like it should? He's suddenly decided that they aren't bulletproof anymore?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-12-09 02:47pm

NecronLord wrote:Re-reading the actual paragraph in question, which has the bullet emerging from the left temple, it's possible the CPU would be unnaffected, but I still feel that it's definately pushing the survivability of the machines to have them taking that kind of damage.

Well, the thing's supposed to be in a rather elaborate housing to prevent collateral shock damaged and the housing itself looks pretty damn tough. If the bullet didn't hit it directly the CPU could well survive.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:50pm

Losonti Tokash wrote:So...the terminator has a bullet enter its eye...and then the bullet travels outside of the body instead of bouncing off the interior like it should? He's suddenly decided that they aren't bulletproof anymore?

Well. Firstly, the problems involved in containing a bullet are very different to those in deflecting it.

Second, the side of the head is a relative weak spot.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:52pm

I've got to conceed. That's not nearly as bad as I thought it was. If anything, it does explain why that Tech-com guy in T-2 insists on shooting one in the face until the head is likely liquified down there. (I could get screenshots...)

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-09 02:52pm

Eleas wrote:
Imperial Overlord wrote:
A T-800 can now take a .50 cal shot.
Reading is good.
It also helps you distinguish between one author and a completely different one. Since NecronLord's ability to do that was thrown in doubt in this thread, I felt compelled to ask again.

And you're reaching with the back up system for its brain. Read NecronLord's post. It suffered momentary minor damage from losing its fucking brain.
That's... a pretty amusing statement, considering NecronLord said nothing about the Terminator losing its brain, but merely about the Termie getting perforated through the skull. But then again, you did mention how beneficial reading could be. Why not go back and study the field some more?

I think I am pretty good, but your skills are pretty rusty. Case in point:

From NecronLord earlier:

blow a hole in its head and come out the back of its skull is anything but appalling?

Now why don't we add this quote to our knowledge of where the Terminator keeps its brain?

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-09 02:56pm

NecronLord wrote:
Losonti Tokash wrote:So...the terminator has a bullet enter its eye...and then the bullet travels outside of the body instead of bouncing off the interior like it should? He's suddenly decided that they aren't bulletproof anymore?
Well. Firstly, the problems involved in containing a bullet are very different to those in deflecting it.

Second, the side of the head is a relative weak spot.

Ah. Neglected to read the part about it exiting the temple. Still...it doesn't make much sense for the hyperalloy to be a crapload weaker depending on which direction the bullet is traveling.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 02:57pm

It didn't come out of the back. I thought it said "and tore out through the far side of its skull behind the temple."

It actually said "and tore out through the side of its skull behind the temple."

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-09 02:59pm

Neglected this: as bad as what the author did is, at least he didn't make the terminators even more invincible. That seems like it would have been much worse.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-12-09 03:08pm

Well. It's not that bad really. I could bitch about the RPG landing between its legs and not even giving it a limp, but to be fair, that scene was too amusing to bitch about.

I'm just calling it a very lucky T-800 at the moment.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-09 03:10pm

NecronLord wrote:Well. It's not that bad really. I could bitch about the RPG landing between its legs and not even giving it a limp, but to be fair, that scene was too amusing to bitch about.

I'm just calling it a very lucky T-800 at the moment.

Maybe it paid a visit to Known Space before it was built.

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2004-12-09 03:10pm

Imperial Overlord wrote: I think I am pretty good, but your skills are pretty rusty. Case in point:

From NecronLord earlier:
blow a hole in its head and come out the back of its skull is anything but appalling?
Now why don't we add this quote to our knowledge of where the Terminator keeps its brain?

You confuse me. It sounds as if you're trying to disagree with me, but your evidence doesn't. He said:

The eye in fact.

blow a hole in its head and come out the back of its skull

There is nothing in here that says it impacted on the CPU - the T-800's brain. I just want to know precisely what part of this your own obviously fails to comprehend?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-09 03:12pm

The CPU is behind the eyes.