Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
Those are good points but then again, the new EU also states that Predator clans although similar, are also quite different.
Guess this is gonna be a clash of different schools of thought here... The old EU showed that there were different Predator clans, but instead of telling us that they were different-- they showed us that they were different. However they were more similar to each other and the differences were very minimal. Of course, I am referring to the few instances when different clans were shown such as the Delta clan in Extinction. Also worth note, is that the old EU suggested that many Predator clans answered to a governing Council of Ancients, who more or less enforced the laws of the hunt which most Predator clans abided by.
I'm not sure if the new EU kept this concept but I doubt it that it did, and if it didn't... well, I don't know if the idea of NECA's Clan Leader idea of a Grand Elder is implemented or not. The only thing which I am telling you is what the old EU has informed it's readers for the past twenty something years before it was unfortunately dumped out for the new material.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
For example, different clans have entirely different languages, not just dialects. This makes perfect sense.
Yeah, which does make sense and is one of the few elements of the new EU which I can actually agree with.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
I think that as a species, they're all obsessed with fighting and killing things, to me, it's kind of an instinctual and natural thing for them. Like being curious is a natural thing for a human, the desire to learn. For Predators, it's the desire to kill. They've evolved from a very predatory life form so I think their hunting culture is a way for them to take out this aggression on other species so as to maintain a somewhat "peaceful" existence amongst themselves without resorting to nuking each other into oblivion.
We know that they are hunters and are a very proud warrior race. And we know that they hunt for the thrill of the sport, and also the challenge. However going by what the old EU had told us, they also hunted for a variety of reasons. The right to acquire better hunting gear and weapons. The right to breed. The right for hunting grounds. And also to climb a social ladder. This is likely something which has been ingrained into them while they were evolving on their homeworld, and they've revolved everything around the hunt. To them, it's something almost sacred. Do you dispute this or not?
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
Anyway, my main point is, just because Predators have this hunting culture and these rules, doesn't mean they're a monoculture.
I never once did say that they were a monoculture, and I think it's here where you're getting lost in assuming that. Let me explain. I am not saying that they are following one culture, but from what the old EU tells about the governing Council of Ancients-- they answered to a single authority, who enforce certain traditions and rules, and most especially laws on how the hunt was conducted. I'm sure that many clans from different continents or territories on homeworld have their own cultures and customs, which is fine and dandy but what I am saying is that the Council of Ancients, at least in the old EU, governed over a majority of numerous clans. And even if we look at the Hish-qu'ten version of the Predators, this was similar with a Conclave where the ruling heads of many clans answered to a Supreme Elder who gave their final word on how the Hunt was to be conducted.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
Super Predators are a prime example of this. This clan already has its own rules and customs, and even resorts to genetically tampering with itself to become "better" killers. They're a sentient race with disagreements, of course some will do things differently.
Here is the thing about the Super Predators. We were told that these guys were supposed to be Outcast, that they were supposed to be genuinely psychotic, evil Predators who were sent onto the Preserve Planet as punishment. We were told this by Word of God from Mr. Robert Rodirguez and Nimrod Antal in a Hungarian magazine interview. We were never shown this in the film, we were never even given exposition through dialogue in the film. Nothing was shown or given as to how or why these guys were Outcasts. I think that if we were shown this, or explained this, they might have been seen more than just another "rival" clan. And as much as NECA's backstories aren't canon-- I like the idea that the traditional Yautja view the Super Predators as an entirely separate race and as heretics.
If there has to be rogue clans (and I know that there were many in the old EU but they were seldom seen) then explain why and show how they are rogue clans which are completely different from the ones we've seen in Predator, Predator 2, and AVP.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
Like the Super Preds and their different customs. I'm surprised you like the "Bad Blood" from the comic, as it pretty much behaves like them and I'm sure if it had access to genetic tampering tools, it'd change the heck out of itself for the lulz.
The Super Predators were made for the rule of cool because Rodriguez and Litvak felt as if the original concept wasn't scary anymore and obsolete. That's one half of the problem with the Super Predators that I have with them. The other half was that they were hyped and failed to meet the hype. The original Bad Blood concept was done great, without the gimmick which the Super Predators needed. It was a psychotic Predator. It was the Jeffrey Dahmer of Predators, quoting the narration boxes in the comic and it was executed greatly.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
Out of curiosity, what did you think of the Killer Clan?
I like them as a concept for a rogue clan. I think there are plenty of them out there, probably just as bad or worse. I accepted them more than the Super Predators, because in Three World War, as underwhelming as that storyline was-- the exposition of their backstory was given out, they were shown to be why they were considered an outcast and rogue clan, and why, according to Machiko-- many of the traditional clans, viewed them as heretics and aimed to drive this clan into extinction-- and seemingly came close to it, to where they were sent into hiding and made into a memory. The Killer Clan was one of the things I think Three World War did right, they explained how they were a rogue clan, and they showed how and why they were a rogue clan. They did both of those things, which made me accept them. They achieved what the Super Predators couldn't as a concept.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
And I also don't get your hatred for the dogs either. In the new EU, some Predator clans are said to observe and be inspired by other races. A scientist in Rage War studied one of the clan's languages and noticed some Celtic sentence structure in the way they spoke. Clearly some members of this clan hunted Celts and picked up certain mannerisms which they brought with them and the clan adopted. They no doubt "borrowed" language mannerisms from other sapient prey as well.
I didn't like the dogs because I prefer the Predators to be trackers on their own. They have keen senses which even Nolan had said that they could hear us and smell us. To me, having the dogs seems like it's cheating. Now I don't mind rogue clans doing this. Why? Because they're assholes. The Killer Clan used them to great effect because they didn't give a damn about the laws of the hunt, and this was a large reason why they were seen as heretics. The use of animals were seen as a no-no according to Three World War, based on the reactions of the traditional clan and the backstory Machiko gave out. I don't mind rogue clan's doing this and using animals if they wanna be assholes. But traditional clans? I don't see it.
You also keep on referring to the new EU and me the old... Well, then, I guess this might as well be one of Doug Walker's Old vs New segments!
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
So if they do this, why not hunting tactics as well? Didn't one of the NECA toys mention that Falconer was inspired by humans who used falcons to hunt? So he made the falcon drone in his hunts. Maybe some like Tracker either were inspired by human hunters or they independently tamed their own beasts that they saw had potential.
I don't consider NECA's backstories to be canon... While NECA does have some good ideas like the Super Predators separating from their cousin race because they viewed the laws of the hunt as something which should be tossed away-- I wouldn't consider it canon and I don't think it is.
Quote from: The Alien Predator on Feb 17, 2017, 04:56:11 AM
It doesn't cheapen anything about the race. It just goes to show that some clans couldn't care less about another clan's rules. Predators disagree on everything just like humans do. It's the consequence of being a sapient race of individuals. In fact, this diversity enriches the race and makes them scarier. What's this hunter gonna do compared to the last? Will dropping my weapon count as surrender or a challenge or will he not give a damn and just blast me to gibs?
Having different Predator cultures doesn't cheapen the race. On that, I agree but there seems to be a language barrier going on between you and me (not literally but...) which makes things difficult on what I'm trying to say to you. Here's what I'm trying to tell you on from what I've been told about the Predators from the films, and the EU which I surrounded myself with in the simplest way: Different clans, different cultures, different customs-- one ruling authority that enforces the rules. Those that don't follow are outcast clans. That's the simplest way which I can tell you. I mean if we look at Predator, Predator 2, AVP and AVP-R... seeing those Predators, do you think Diablo, Ghost, Scar, and Wolf were from the same clan? No, they weren't... but they operated in the hunt very similarly, and followed what seemed to be the rules of the hunt very similarly.
They were of different clans, different cultures and customs, but they clearly followed a set of rules closely-- if not rules than a set of guidelines (read this in Hector Barbossa's voice) more like it. And if you have to have a clan which completely deviates from this, show and explain that they are Rogues.
That's all I'm saying.