How about the idea that the crowd likes to see the fight last longer, and don't find it fun when one side steamrollers the other?
I know that's what I want out of a sporting event - an exciting, closely-matched fight. I watched the World Snooker final the other night and while I liked both players I really wanted the "underdog" to win. But I didn't just want him to win, I wanted a good fight. I wanted to feel like he's really achieved something. I often root for the losers and will them to snatch a few points back because sport is more exciting that way.
Going back to Gladiator, I believe that the "are you not entertained?" line comes in when Maximus has slaughtered his opponents in a particularly cocky way but the crowd boo him. He's essentially saying, "I killed people, isn't that what you like?" But that isn't the case really - sure, the audience likes the bloodshed, but what they really want to see is excitement, unpredictability, and "sport".
Some guy mowing everyone down with a machine gun wouldn't be entertaining in a gladiatorial arena, it would be boring. Now if someone fought back against the machine gun guy with their shortsword or something I'd be cheering them on and wanting them to win (not that I'd watch that kind of violent thing, but you know what I mean).
I thought that too and was going to point it out but went back and rewatched it before I did, I was right and wrong. He does do the merciless, no showmanship combat that you remember but his sheer I-don't-give-a-rats-ass-attitude wins the crowd over anyway, his attempt essentially backfires and proves it is what they want when you do it for yourself.
[quote="Silverleaf"]
I know that's what I want out of a sporting event - an exciting, closely-matched fight. I watched the World Snooker final the other night
[/quote]
You use those words, I do not think they mean what you think they mean.
Now I’m just thinking of Mitchell and Webb’s snooker sketches.
They are absolute genius. I can't help but say "And that's a bad miss!" at semi-regular intervals while I'm watching. I do have a huge non-sexual crush on David Mitchell though, so that helps.
For the record Matchstickman, snooker is just an abstract dexterity board game, like Crokinole but with a stick and scoring areas on the edges. It's pretty clever and I enjoy it a lot.
I watch the Snooker too. Not avidly, but my dad has it on when it's on and so I see bits and pieces of it. So I saw maybe half of this year's World Championship and Ja'Ph' told me just as it was about to be over so I quickly logged onto the livestream on the BBC site in time to see Bingham win :D.
As for the Gladiator stuff, I think I've seen that film all the way through once, which was not long after it came out (when was that, like 2005 or something?) but other than that have occasionally seen bits and pieces when someone's been channel-hopping and it's been on or something. So I couldn't remember all the details exactly right ;). Anyway I don't have much more to add about the whole Kaarga deck thing for now, as I've only fought her a couple of times since getting that expansion and I don't recall Fickle Fans being much of a problem when it came out. I think once or twice we were losing so it helped us anyway :D. I know one time we have them both come out within a turn or two of each other so basically the second one negated the effect of the first :).
2000, according to Wikipedia. I know, I was surprised too.
Ah, that's a shame. You are aware that you basically discredited your previous arguments, right? You agreed that "Fickle Fans doesn't work well as a Catch Up" card but then couldn't back up that it was not a Catch Up card beyond changing the label.
And the irony of the link is that I can't be wrong in not liking the card. My valuation of the card may be wrong, but liking it's subjective. Even "bad Catch Up mechanic" is, in the end, subjective since it's based on convention. Bringing this up because of your comment on Fixer/Expat+FFans which makes it looks like you are saying that "People" were wrong in not liking those heroes, realized they were wrong and started appreciating them. And that the same thing will happen with FFans. I can't be wrong in liking/disliking them. I can be wrong in thinking they still suck butt, I can be wrong in thinking FFans is not such relevant card. But I can't be wrong in disliking it, like you can't be wrong in liking it.
I hope it's brought to attention that in this thread you dismissed, patronized and ridiculed me. Just for criticizing a card in the game (in a rather educated way I would add, compared to the OP). And that it got the endorsement of an important member of the community (unless I'm interpreting the image incorrectly). That is not an example of a friendly community but a think-alike community.
Well, that could be an interpretatonion but I can't visuallize it since it doesn't necessarily lenghten the game.
You use the word Irony almost as well as Alanis Morissette
[quote="PePe QuiCoSE"]I can be wrong in thinking [Expat/Fixer] still suck butt…
[/quote]
Which you are 
I hope it's brought to attention that in this thread you dismissed, patronized and ridiculed me. Just for criticizing a card in the game (in a rather educated way I would add, compared to the OP).
[/quote]
If you are going to play the martyr here, why would you throw in a cheapshot belittling the OP while you are chiding me for peeing in your cheerios? You kinda lost most of the credibility you had there. Great job.
Ow ow ow! Guys! Please relax! PePe, it's clear tou really don't like Fickle Fans. Others disagree with you. Points made, yes? Please let it go! It is better to forgive than to keep attacking. Be friends again.
Thanks, Donner.
Yes, stop. Congratulations. At this point, if the Mods had the ability to lock a thread, this would be locked. (And when an Admin is available, it will be.)
[modvoice] Accept that we disagree and drop it, folks. You were already warned, once. I'm specifically speaking to both PePe and Foote - you know how to play nice, so do it. [/ modvoice]
Until the thread is locked, how about we look at a picture of a cute ballerina!
The irony was that the link was to tell me I was wrong when you were proving yourself wrong.
Ah, you know I'm wrong before knowing why I would think that. Pity, it could have been an interesting discussion.
Cheapshot? I didn't use caps or hyperbole to state my arguments, I think it's quite a fair comparison. And you couldn't justify your behaviour in the thread other than again ridicule me.
On my behalf, I apologize for the random insult about your ego after you dismissive response. Clearly much of this discussion wouldn't have taken place if it was not relevant about being right or wrong.
In my opinion, Idesa is worse than FFans. FFans can at least be played around, Idesa is just annoying. Why does THIS get bonus favor? I don’t even get the concept, really. FFans can be annoying, but at least I understand it!