Alien or Predator?

[Voodoo Magic]

Me thinks too many are trying to stretch so much subjecture here in an effort to not credit Predators for where they are technologically.

So it's time to bring out the big guns!

[BlueMarsalis79]

That's the big guns?

[Voodoo Magic]

They look pretty big. 

The suit is a whole killing machine swiss army knife!

[Kradan]

Me thinks too many are trying to stretch so much subjecture here in an effort to not credit Predators for where they are technologically.

So it's time to bring out the big guns!

Well, good luck with using The Predator as proof of anything about Predator's lore 

[BlueMarsalis79]

I'm only poking fun, but I'd genuinely take the Hydra or Blazer more seriously, but you're right though it does appear Predator in origin.

The baffling part's why make it like that at all?

The artificial adornments around the head in particular give away to me it's not designed for themselves.

[Eighty-Five]

For what it's worth, I'm not trying to take credit for Pred tech away from them, or discredit Predators at all. I was a Predator fan before I ever saw an Alien movie. But, given what is shown of them in official media, we don't really have any indication they have the ability to 'wipe out planets' or exterminate entire species as has been suggested over the last couple of pages. I was simply playing devil's advocate and showing that you could just as easily extrapolate Predators being pretty lacking in such capabilities based on the same core evidence.

As far as the actual question this thread title asked, I can't really pick one over the other. Both feature in stories I love, and stories I wish I'd never been exposed to. They're very different in some ways, but both stem from an original story where they're essentially a slasher movie villain. Both Aliens and Predators have been portrayed differently over the years and I don't much care for some of those portrayals.

But AvP couldn't exist without both creatures, and AvP stories can't really be good if you fail to portray both creatures as absolute killing machines. Requiem showed us what happens when you fail to give credit to one of the participants in that central conflict. The concept loses its steam. This isn't to say they're equal in all things - there are obvious asymmetries - but they should be portrayed as equal in terms of threat, or else there's no tension in the battle at all.

As for the Predsuit, I'm of the opinion it was designed as a deliberate mockery of the studio's requests to Shane Black.

[Immortan Jonesy]

Me thinks too many are trying to stretch so much subjecture here in an effort to not credit Predators for where they are technologically.

So it's time to bring out the big guns!

They stole that tech from cyber Dutch civilization.

[Voodoo Magic]

 

For what it's worth, I'm not trying to take credit for Pred tech away from them, or discredit Predators at all. I was a Predator fan before I ever saw an Alien movie. But, given what is shown of them in official media, we don't really have any indication they have the ability to 'wipe out planets' or exterminate entire species as has been suggested over the last couple of pages. I was simply playing devil's advocate and showing that you could just as easily extrapolate Predators being pretty lacking in such capabilities based on the same core evidence.

Well, Predators do have miniature nuclear devices built into all of their wrist guantlets. That and the ability to fire photon torpedo looking projectiles and create wormholes via their spacecrafts left me confident to extrapolate from there. Come on, throw me this bone at least. 





In regards to stealing technology, you'll like this backstory from the Neca Alpha Predator figure that was also featured in the Predator Hunting Grounds video game.  They say the technology was taken and embraced by the Predators, then expanded upon for generations.



We're told this Neca lore is canon, but ya know, it's Neca. 

[Eighty-Five]

Honestly I don't really give a crap about what Fox or anyone else says is canon. I debate for the sake of discussion rather than trying to convince anyone if some 'truth' when it comes to AvP.

[Kradan]

As we all do. "Canon" is just an excuse 

[Voodoo Magic]

Honestly I don't really give a crap about what Fox or anyone else says is canon. I debate for the sake of discussion rather than trying to convince anyone if some 'truth' when it comes to AvP.

Ease up there partner!  I was including what we were told, but even I feel indifferent about it, evident by how I worded it.

[BlueMarsalis79]

Oh I love that idea for the overall history though even if it is likely simplified.

[Voodoo Magic]

It was a neat way to bring the original Predator design into lore.

[BlueMarsalis79]

I never heard it before now but I like it even if it's just a legend amongst them. Perhaps the River Ghost's another slave race then. Perhaps Predators harbor a deep prejudice for insect like species.

[Eighty-Five]

Didn't mean to come off as hostile, I got the sense you weren't taking it entirely seriously either, Voodoo.

Honestly with AvP media, there's so much material and so many different portrayals it's hard to argue anything that's 100% consistent throughout. Which is why I prefer to talk in terms of ideas and interpretations without asserting my 'headcanon'.

But from a storytelling perspective, I don't think Predators being amazing at everything is very interesting or conducive to telling good stories, and thematically it doesn't mesh with what has been shown to us throughout the movies and spinoff materials. The Predator probably depicts them as the most advanced they have ever been, and I wonder if it's entirely coincidence that it's one of the least popular movies.