A Bit Off Topics But....

[TinCow]

There are tons of threads on the movie 300 in the Frontroom, Backroom, and pretty much every other forum on the Org. If you want to discuss the movie, go there. The thread topic was about a modded scenario of 300 for a TW game. That's already so close to off-topic that I've thought about moving this, but I can't figure out where to put it, so I'm leaving it.

That said, keep the discussion to the topic (300 mod for TW) or this will definitely be closed.

[Zpartan]

Honestly if you're a guy and you didn't like the movie might wanna go play with your dolls. Can't find a better movie I've seen right now, shit I felt like going to the gym after and pumping some iron. Who cares how historical it was too? It's a movie, it got the main historical hapennings portrayed IMO.

And to the first post I agree it would be sweet if CA developed it, I doubt it but I would definitley buy it.


Q. Also the way they fought in the movie, in their phalynx was that the way a phalynx fought? From what I saw they let them all hit the shields then they took the push held it then pushed back twice. then they lifted there shields thrusted their spears. Then the second line looked like it stepped forward and put their shields back into the phalynx? Did they rotate like this at all? Repeated.?

[pike master]

i also found it quite intrigueing how the history channel and its "reliable" sources decided that the phalanx was more like a shield wall and that the spears were not lowered until the enemies charge was stopped.

i have been amazed over the years how the history channel has rewritten history time and time again. i suppose i wil have to throw some of my favorite and most reknowned historical books away on ancient warfare. 8(

fighting out of phalanx though is not really unusual since spartans were trained to fight individually as well. plus if the description of alexanders numerous pike formation arrangements is any indicator the spartans probably had many different ways to arrange their battle lines.

nonetheless to go from 9-12 foot spears lowered in a phalanx VS a shield wall with boar stickers is quite odd. the armor thing doesnt really surprise me because of paintings and the statue of leonidas. and how the early homeric era warriors often fought with little armor but a helmet, shield, sword and javelins. some argument can be given for this that the lighter the equipment the quicker a man is.

a big argument these days in urban combat where you have to balance a soldiers armor and equipment so he isnt walking like a turtle to get across an exposed area.

despite this my own opinion is that the spartans were heavily armored hoplites with 9-12 foot spears and a large hoplon and corinthian helmet who could fight at least two ranks deep.

however i do believe they were also tactically flexible fighters when they needed to be.

[Slug For A Butt]

I've just seen the film this weekend,
And I must say, I was impressed and horribly disappointed at the same time.
I knew before I went to see the film that it would be a travesty, just like Troy. But I had high hopes for it as a generic film. I was still disappointed overall.
Firstly: I think the Matrix style action is absolutely fantastic (although I have to wonder what a film has to do to earn an 18, R or <R18> these days). There is lots of slow motion gore and every woman is at some point showing off what she's got. The logic behind the film is very "Braveheart", which while being a bad thing is what people seem to go for these days.

Secondly: My wife and our two friends that saw it with us thought the film got really silly with 60ft tall elephants, men riding 10ft rhinos and horribly scarred Persians. I think this is where they really spoilt the film. Until that point, it was only classical history fans like me that had a problem with it. It just got silly.

Thirdly: Saying that they based it on a "comic of a film" of history does not excuse the director for the horrible disservice he has done to history. I think this was even worse than Troy (at least Troy didn't have the fantasy "LOTR" characters in it). I think this film is Hollywood at its worst. It is up there with Braveheart, Troy, U-571 etc in it's bastardisation of history.
From start to finish it is ahistorical... would a Spartan or any other hoplite throw his spear at someone? no... that was his weapon. The film is full of Spartans swashbuckling with swords, they only used them as a last resort. Did they fight in their red ceremonial capes? No... would you? Did they fight with their bare chests showing? No... would you? Was Ephialtes a cripple that turned against Sparta? No... he was a local goat s**gger that wanted the cash that all.
It was the Athenians that threw the Persians into a pit to find their"earth and water", Not Spartans.
And the biggest travesty of all is that this film is showing the Spartans and a few hillbilly friends defending against 1 million Persians. HORSESHIT!
The Spartans were in the minority even at the last stand, just as they were for the rest of the battle.
I could go on, but I won't.

Suffice to say this film is a high quality Matrix style romp. But it also an awful film. If only they had not tagged it on to history, it would have been much better.

@Mad Cat Mech. I doesn't matter how fast the man is in Phalanx. You don't have much space for manouevring in Phalanx. Phalanx soldiers fought in heavy armour compared to non Phalanx troops. That included greaves and breastplates, which is one of the reasons the Persians couldnt stand up to them head on.

[sapi]

Please discuss this topic in one of the multitude of other threads for that purpose.

300 really isn't related to M2TW and this thread is a breeding ground for personal attacks, even if the OP intended otherwise, which I believe he did.

Locked.