Mayhap is, mayhap not. My point, besides a tongue-in-cheek attempt to get someone to buy me not only the Middle Earth video game but some super cool hardware, was to show that, possibly, there was a way to glean more information about the Gandalf versus Witch-King debate. Having formerly been a scientist, or at least having played on TV, I tend to see the world in a particular way. I would like to see Gandalf (book or movie) square off against the Witch-King, and see what happens (note that I would prefer to have control over as many variables as possible in an attempt to rule out other factors affecting the contest, like roosters, Rohan and Pip). Maybe run the event 10 times to make sure of the results. However, whether the books or the movie, I cannot do this as it is a one time event - it happened, no data, that's it - and so was looking for another way.
Hence the game post.
Now, it's possible that the game programmers know nothing of Tolkien
, and care nothing about the maia or man's ranking in Arda. So Gandalf could win or lose on any given play. Ted Sandyman may or may not be able to best the Balrog, and Rosie Cotton could give Galadriel fits. In that case, there would be no information. We'd be back shouting across the trenches.
If the programmers assigned some type of ranking to the characters so that the most probable outcome were that some creatures would almost always best others (again, single combat, no other help, etc), then we would like to find out why they ranked said characters higher than others. Was it whim, the programmer's personal feelings (i.e. if it were me, Gandalf would be able to whoop three Witch-Kings with one staff tied behind his back), or was some guidance/information provided by some outside source? Was this source linked to the Tolkien estate or to Peter Jackson/WETA/New Line? If so, then there
is new information available that would help us in this discussion. Can we get that information? I'm not sure. Someone might be able to get hold of a programmer/spokesperson for the game and see if s/he can help. I volunteered to use my analytical skills with the game to see what I could find out. I didn't think that purchasing the game myself was ethical, as..., well, I'll get back to you on that one
.
So, you see that, though I used a chirpy tone, I actually had a serious question in my original post, which I will restate: Do the games, based on the Peter Jackson movies, contain any new information regarding the Gandalf versus Witch-King debate? Right now, as we have none,
any information would be something other than forum members' opinions.
And by the by, anyone who wants to get a real taste of my in-depth serious dissertation-style posting tone, well, stop by the SbS.
I did, and though I read the walkthrough for the Gandalf on the Wall of Minas Tirith level (of the EA Return of the King video game), I still can't finish that level. That then puts me a level or two below idiot, and I would wholeheartedly agree - I used to be so good at games, then I got slow. Tis surely a shame.
I can see some supervillian in the future's sole goal, not to take over the world but to get the last word, once and for all, in the Gandalf versus Witch-King debate.
Cape or no cape?