Eric Mrozek's Blog, page 15

We Are Back On Patreon!

We’re back!

Crossposted to freeeaglestudios.com.

Hello everyone,

After much consideration, we’ve decided to rework our Patreon page and relaunch it. Those of you who have been with us since the beginning might have seen our initial launch in 2016, but we felt that we couldn’t justify it at the time. As our company has grown, we revisited the concept and felt that it would be a good way to get fans involved on a deeper level, almost like an optional subscription service!

Here are some of the r...

Let’s Examine Hearts of Iron IV: Together For Victory.

Onward, men!

It’s been about a year since Hearts of Iron IV has been released and reviewed by this website. Now that the first expansion has been released, it’s time to take another jaunt into that 1940s sandbox and see what Paradox has up its’ sleeve. While some people may argue otherwise, the new features are fine, but the focus trees for the British Commonwealth are a mixed bag.

Allow me to explain why.

Technology And Lend-Lease.

Look at that sweet, sweet bonus!

A nice thing about this exp...

Four Reasons Why The Horror Genre Is Not Fun.

Ooooh, scary!

Horror stories are arguably some of the most popular tales in all of fiction. Regardless of the format, the feeling of sheer terror in the face of zombies, vampires, or other people can be a lot of fun. However, the overall execution can cause a film or book to collapse like a house of cards. With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at the many ways that our nightmare scenarios can turn into a laughable disaster.

1. Invincible Villains.

Even if we think of horror comedy, the...

Four Reasons Why The Robots May Wreck Everything.

I, for one, have problems with our new robot overlords. (M. Levin/University of Washington – CC BY 2.0)

While there may be some good things about the rise of the machines, an honest look at the subject requires us to examine the negative aspects of the technology in our lives. Sooner or later, these problems will catch up with us when we consider the political, economic, and cultural implications of artificial intelligence and automation. It will be impossible to predict all of the things tha...

Four Reasons Why Automation And AI May Not Be All That Bad.

How about a nice game of chess? (Franz Steiner – CC BY-SA 4.0)

It’s no secret that artificial intelligence and robotics are going to be some of the most disruptive technologies in the 21st century. Manufacturing jobs have been automated, computer power has been accelerating at an exponential rate, and it seems like we have only ten or twenty years before the machines completely take over our lives. What does that mean for us? Will we be able to cope? What do we need to do?

In this series, we’...

Who Is Rey?: A Star Wars Theory.

It’s almost here… sort of.

With the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, rumors and speculation have started to fly about the movie. While the movie may be nine months out, fans are already starting to debate the course of this beloved saga. What will it be about? Will there be any big twists and turns? Even more troublingly, who is Rey and why does Luke Skywalker not seem to know about her?

Since Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon and a great inspiration, it’s time to explore that l...

Who Is Rey? – A Star Wars Theory.

It’s almost here… sort of.

With the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, rumors and speculation have started to fly about the movie. While the movie may be nine months out, fans are already starting to debate the course of this beloved saga. What will it be about? Will there be any big twists and turns? Even more troublingly, who is Rey and why does Luke Skywalker not seem to know about her?

Since Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon and a great inspiration, it’s time to explore that l...

You May Not Be All That Taken By NBC’s Taken.

There won’t be puns.

I want to start this review off with the following question: Why would you watch a prequel? For some, the answer might be that it fills out quite a few details in a wide universe, even if it leads to a conclusion that is already known. For others, the interest may be in exploring critical backstory that we need to know about a character. When the news broke that Taken would be adapted into a television series, fans of the franchise knew that they would have to consider th...

Three Critical Errors That Writers Make All The Time.

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Books are life, but…

Regardless of the format, it is not much of a stretch to say that a great story starts with a few core themes, skillful plotting, and pacing that fits the genre. What separates a good writer from a great one is an ability to recognize these concepts, mold them to his/her will, and develop unique twists for old tropes. With that said, it is important for aspiring and active writers to realize that it is very easy to screw things up and wreck that all important suspension o...

On The Riots At UC Berkeley.

He doesn’t exactly need help, but he exposed a dangerous problem. (Courtesy of Jeremy Papasso/Daily Camera Via AP)

Anyone that knows this site will probably understand that we like to keep things interesting with entertainment, but last night’s riots at the University of California in Berkeley call for a wider observation of the culture. For those of you that aren’t aware, Breitbart editor and all-around gay madman, Milo Yiannopoulos, attempted to give a speech at the college to poke, prod, a...