"Thunder and the House of Magic" is an animated film that tells the story of a cute and mischievous cat named Thunder. Thunder gets abandoned by his owners and finds himself in the middle of a storm. Seeking shelter, he stumbles upon a mysterious mansion, which turns out to be the home of an old magician named Lawrence. The magical house becomes a haven for Thunder as he explores its enchanted rooms and makes new friends with the other talking animals residing there. However, not everything is as it seems, and Thunder soon discovers that Lawrence's nephew, Daniel, plans to sell the house and all its treasures. Determined to protect his newfound home, Thunder and his animal companions come up with a plan to outsmart Daniel and his greedy ways.
*People argue about the complexity change between, say, "Orcs as always evil" or "Orcs as fantasy Klingons" or "Dwarves as dour miners" or "Dwarves as fighty drunk people with Scottish accents" but there is seldom effort put into a fully realized culture that is not dependent on defining itself as an exaggeration of human traits.
But it s also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable niche settings. He presented them in ways that share much with Bartlett s color-saturated, theatrical world of artificial children engaged in unsettling forms of play.
Determined to protect his newfound home, Thunder and his animal companions come up with a plan to outsmart Daniel and his greedy ways. Together, they use their wits and teamwork to save the house from being sold and to ensure that Lawrence can continue living there peacefully. Throughout the story, "Thunder and the House of Magic" emphasizes the importance of friendship, loyalty, and the strength that can be found in unity.
TTRPG Settings: A Canny Valley of Playability?
I will not tread heavily into summarizing the well-known principle of the "uncanny valley" (as per the link) regarding the corollary relationship between an object's resemblance to a human being and the emotional response to it. But I am wondering whether Fantasy TTRPG settings operate as the inverse. This is to hypothesize that there is a general "canny valley" of psychologically acceptable play with settings for the aggregate of people between the "all too historical" and "all too ahistorical."
It is difficult for people to relate well to both the more historically accurate societies and the more utterly fantastical ones, both being "alien" or "uncanny" in some regards to cultural mindset of players of contemporary society, particularly the greater the amount of detail and depth these settings are given. On one end, the settings are perhaps too similar to the familiar, while on the other end, the settings are to dissimilar to the familiar. So settings often have the onerous task of striking the right balance between the poles of familiarity to create a "canny valley" of play. Outside of this "canny valley," players have difficulty psychologically plugging themselves into the setting and so such settings are mostly niche. Examples of possible niche settings may include settings like Hârn and Tékumel.
But it's also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable/niche settings.
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SupporterI do not think that it has anything to do with the "uncanny valley" which as I understand it is a visceral reaction. What I think is going on, for the most part most gamers and table are not interested. They want time together with friend where they can take time off from reality and have agency and power that they do not have in their real lives. At the other end of the range are people that what to create a story that is, or approaches a work of art.
the latter takes a lot of work from all the participants and buy in and research.
The other side is that a lot of quite entertaining stories can be made with tropes and fairly stock characters and most tables are ok with that. Given the popularity of modules and adventure paths I would say that most DMs do not have the time, energy or creative chops to build completely from scratch.
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But it's also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable/niche settings.
I would start by saying that I don't think that it's the same psychological effect as the uncanny valley, but it's a useful analogy.
I would extend this; one thing we often ask is why (for example) "Sci-Fi" TTRPGs aren't very popular. There are a few that are based on well-known properties (Star Wars, Star Trek) and a few others here and there, but none that have broken through to the mainstream in the same way that the fantasy one do. I think it is for the same reasons; it is difficult to work with dissimilar settings (the truly alien).
An imagined space of "fantasy," which is usually kinda like an imagined medieval/early renaissance, except with fantasy races that are usually exaggerated caricatures of various human attributes*, is much more manageable.
People are drawn to the familiar . with tweaks.
*People argue about the complexity change between, say, "Orcs as always evil" or "Orcs as fantasy Klingons" or "Dwarves as dour miners" or "Dwarves as fighty drunk people with Scottish accents" but there is seldom effort put into a fully realized culture that is not dependent on defining itself as an exaggeration of human traits.
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I will not tread heavily into summarizing the well-known principle of the "uncanny valley" (as per the link) regarding the corollary relationship between an object's resemblance to a human being and the emotional response to it. But I am wondering whether Fantasy TTRPG settings operate as the inverse. This is to hypothesize that there is a general "canny valley" of psychologically acceptable play with settings for the aggregate of people between the "all too historical" and "all too ahistorical."
It is difficult for people to relate well to both the more historically accurate societies and the more utterly fantastical ones, both being "alien" or "uncanny" in some regards to cultural mindset of players of contemporary society, particularly the greater the amount of detail and depth these settings are given. On one end, the settings are perhaps too similar to the familiar, while on the other end, the settings are to dissimilar to the familiar. So settings often have the onerous task of striking the right balance between the poles of familiarity to create a "canny valley" of play. Outside of this "canny valley," players have difficulty psychologically plugging themselves into the setting and so such settings are mostly niche. Examples of possible niche settings may include settings like Hârn and Tékumel.
But it's also possible that we are not dealing with a canny valley of playable settings at all, but, rather, we are in fact dealing with an uncanny valley of unplayable/niche settings.
I've watched many great scifi games die over the years and it's always been my theory that SciFi games were close enough to reality that people just didn't like them. I never really considered the uncanny valley but maybe that's it. When people play fantasy it's definitely not real. When they play Sci Fi or low magic nitty gritty games It feels like it could really happen and that turns them off.
I do think in the west the majority of gamers are interested in Arthurian,Charlemagne style knights and or pulp fiction style Oriental samaurai and Ninja style campaigns.
It’s strange that dolls inspire such horror in so many people. They are, after all, designed for the enjoyment and pleasure of young children—the vulnerable and innocent among us who, presumably, we do not desire to terrify in a systematic way. But the fact remains that, despite the best intentions, dolls are, for many people, the stuff that nightmares are made of.
Thunder's journey not only teaches him the value of having a family, but also the importance of standing up for what is right and protecting the ones you love. The animation in the film is visually stunning, with colorful and vibrant scenes that capture the magical atmosphere of the house. The characters are well-developed and each brings their own unique personality, adding depth to the story. Overall, "Thunder and the House of Magic" is an entertaining and heartwarming film that appeals to both children and adults. It combines elements of adventure, comedy, and fantasy, creating an enjoyable experience for viewers of all ages. This film is a reminder that family can be found in unexpected places and that sometimes, a little bit of magic is all we need to find our way home..
Reviews for "The influence of classic animated films on Thumbder and the House of Magic"
1. Mark - 1 star
I found "Watch Thumbder and the House of Magic" to be a disappointing film. The storyline was meandering and lacked any real depth. It felt like a cheap attempt to cash in on the success of other animated movies. The characters were one-dimensional and uninteresting, and the humor was forced and fell flat. Overall, I would not recommend this film.
2. Emily - 2 stars
"Watch Thumbder and the House of Magic" was a lackluster film in my opinion. The animation was decent, but the plot was cliché and predictable. The characters were forgettable, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The attempt at humor fell short for me, as I found the jokes to be corny and unoriginal. I expected more from this film and was ultimately disappointed.
3. Steve - 2 stars
I was not impressed with "Watch Thumbder and the House of Magic". The story felt disjointed and confusing, making it hard to stay engaged. The animation quality was subpar compared to other animated films, and the voice acting was lackluster. The film seemed to rely on flashy visuals rather than a compelling narrative or well-developed characters. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this movie.