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Comic Books
(Discussing the recently destroyed Death Star)
Tagge: I look at the state of the Empire and ask myself "How many Super Star Destroyers could we have made with the resources we threw into Tarkin's Folly?"
Vader: Tarkin had vision. You have graphs.
Tagge: I have the graphs and the command. My plans may not be as glamorous or as grand as yours or the departed Tarkin, but they work.
Tagge: I look at the state of the Empire and ask myself "How many Super Star Destroyers could we have made with the resources we threw into Tarkin's Folly?"
Vader: Tarkin had vision. You have graphs.
Tagge: I have the graphs and the command. My plans may not be as glamorous or as grand as yours or the departed Tarkin, but they work.
Fan Works
So many in the UNDF disparage the seeming technological disparity between the UNDF and the Covenant. But those who truly understand war knows that it is not the flashiest or shiniest new piece of technology that delivers, but rather it's the ones that does nothing more than getting the job done when coupled with the skill of the user. More often than not, low tech is the best tech.
Vara: Don't pay any mind to him. The good Captain likes everything low-key and camouflaged; no grandstanding elites allowed in his book.
Captain Wolton: Time was, we'd call it the professional approach, Vara. True, times have changed, but we can't all go into battle armed with nothing but tentacles and corrosive body odour: someone's got to keep up the boring but functional approach in this army.
Captain Wolton: Time was, we'd call it the professional approach, Vara. True, times have changed, but we can't all go into battle armed with nothing but tentacles and corrosive body odour: someone's got to keep up the boring but functional approach in this army.
Film
Bryce: What's our motto?
Bodyguards: Boring is always best!
Bodyguards: Boring is always best!
V: May I inquire as to how you have avoided detection?
Evey Hammond: A fake ID works better than a Guy Fawkes mask.
Evey Hammond: A fake ID works better than a Guy Fawkes mask.
Light Novel
"Don't be stupid, long ears. You want to know what I see? Leather armor for ease of movement, chainmail to stop a dagger in the dark, a helmet to protect the head, a small sword and shield to use in narrow spaces."
—Dwarf Shaman, describing Goblin Slayer's gear, Goblin Slayer
Literature
<No offense, Tobias. I like swooping and gliding and riding the thermals as much as the next raptor, but every bird can't be a fighter jet. Sometimes you need a steady, reliable 747.>
—Marco on their newly-acquired duck morph, Animorphs #51: The Absolute
Collot d'Herbois, incredulous, half-contemptuous, did not altogether approve of these schemes, which seemed to him wild and uncanny; he liked the direct simplicity of a summary trial, of the guillotine, or of his own well stage-managed "Noyades."
You should practice diligently with the bamboo sword every day. Superiority is not just a matter of secret techniques.
Still, Vimes retained a soft spot for the old man. He'd been a successful soldier, as these things went; he'd generally been on the winning side, and had killed more of the enemy by good if dull tactics than his own men by bad but exciting ones.
— On Captain Tilden, Night Watch Discworld
The warlock raised the inscribed knife.
"That won't work. No more magic." Hap slapped the Warlock's hand away and took the Warlock by his bony throat.
The Warlock's hand brushed easily aside, and came back, and up. Hap wrapped his arms around his belly and backed away with his eyes and mouth wide open. He sat down hard.
"A knife always works," said the Warlock.
"Oh," said Hap.
"I worked the metal myself, with ordinary blacksmith's tools, so the knife wouldn't crumble when the magic was gone. The runes aren't magic. They only say—"
"Oh," said Hap. "Oh." He toppled sideways.
"That won't work. No more magic." Hap slapped the Warlock's hand away and took the Warlock by his bony throat.
The Warlock's hand brushed easily aside, and came back, and up. Hap wrapped his arms around his belly and backed away with his eyes and mouth wide open. He sat down hard.
"A knife always works," said the Warlock.
"Oh," said Hap.
"I worked the metal myself, with ordinary blacksmith's tools, so the knife wouldn't crumble when the magic was gone. The runes aren't magic. They only say—"
"Oh," said Hap. "Oh." He toppled sideways.
Live-Action TV
"This is art against practicality, and right now, practicality is winning!"
— Kenny Florian while watching the wedge-on-treads Bite Force brutalize the dragon-shaped spinner-bot Warhead, BattleBots
Jesse: So, uh, what's this stuff called again?
Walt: Thermite.
Jesse: And that will cut through a lock? Because this is supposed to be one big-ass lock.
Walt: In World War II, the Germans had an artillery piece — it's the biggest in the world — called the Gustav Gun. And it weighed a thousand tons. And the Gustav was capable of firing a 7-ton shell and hitting a target, accurately, twenty-three miles away. I mean, you could drop bombs on it every day for a month without ever disabling it. But... drop a commando... one man, with just a bag of this... and he could melt right through four inches of solid steel and destroy that gun forever.
Jesse: Jeez.
Walt: So, yes. I think it will cut through any lock we're likely to find.
Walt: Thermite.
Jesse: And that will cut through a lock? Because this is supposed to be one big-ass lock.
Walt: In World War II, the Germans had an artillery piece — it's the biggest in the world — called the Gustav Gun. And it weighed a thousand tons. And the Gustav was capable of firing a 7-ton shell and hitting a target, accurately, twenty-three miles away. I mean, you could drop bombs on it every day for a month without ever disabling it. But... drop a commando... one man, with just a bag of this... and he could melt right through four inches of solid steel and destroy that gun forever.
Jesse: Jeez.
Walt: So, yes. I think it will cut through any lock we're likely to find.
Walsh: We use the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry and you, if I understand correctly, poke them with a sharp stick.
Buffy: Well, it's more effective than it sounds.
Buffy: Well, it's more effective than it sounds.
I would ask you to appreciate one thing: we can afford no adventures. The war with Japan ruined us. The revolution that followed
destroyed people's faith in the government; make no mistake, we are in an appalling condition... far, far worse than he thinks. I was appointed to put this country back on its feet: it'll be a long job, but it can be done, with tax reform, land reform, reforming the army and the navy, and with parliament... if he doesn't keep closing them down.
destroyed people's faith in the government; make no mistake, we are in an appalling condition... far, far worse than he thinks. I was appointed to put this country back on its feet: it'll be a long job, but it can be done, with tax reform, land reform, reforming the army and the navy, and with parliament... if he doesn't keep closing them down. —Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin to Alexander Izvolsky, Fall of Eagles
[The staff weapon] is a weapon of terror; it's made to intimidate the enemy. [The P90] is a weapon of war; it's made to kill your enemy.
— Colonel O'Neill, Stargate SG-1
"Am I the only one who bothered to learn a foreign language?"
—Saru, upon fixing everyone's Universal Translator and finding everyone's still having language problems, Star Trek: Discovery
Ross: So, commodities broker? That sounds interesting.
Will: It's not. But I'm rich and thin.
Will: It's not. But I'm rich and thin.
— Friends
Dalek: A sonic probe?
Doctor: That's screwdriver!
Dalek: It is harmless.
Doctor: Yup, that's what I like about it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't main. But I'll tell you one thing: It is very good at opening doors.
(Doctor uses the screwdriver to cause the nearby, heavy vault doors to blow open)
Doctor: That's screwdriver!
Dalek: It is harmless.
Doctor: Yup, that's what I like about it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't main. But I'll tell you one thing: It is very good at opening doors.
(Doctor uses the screwdriver to cause the nearby, heavy vault doors to blow open)
—Doctor Who, "Doomsday"
Roleplay
Abel: Pffftheheh ... But, yeah, we still struck down that dude while he was doing his bragging speech. That's major negative coolness points for us right here !
Aaron: I prefer to think of it as "Preemptive strike", here.
Joseph: Yeah, you have a point, but sometimes, being practical trumps being awesome. Living is important, right?
Abel: ... Ya got a good point here, y'know .
Aaron: I prefer to think of it as "Preemptive strike", here.
Joseph: Yeah, you have a point, but sometimes, being practical trumps being awesome. Living is important, right?
Abel: ... Ya got a good point here, y'know .
"Once every one is aboard, the robotic tank uses its circuits.... and its impressive off-road speed to do the thing involving common sense. Go AROUND the lake. It may take a while longer but be damned if it is not safer"
Tabletop Games
We do not overload our operatives with the gadgetry of Iteration X or the escapism of the Void Engineers. We do not obsess over creating the perfect life-form as do the Progenitors, or play the trite espionage games of the New World Order. For this reason, our Convention brethren dismiss us. To many Technocrats, we are glorified bean counters. Someone has to watch the bottom line, and the lot has fallen to us. To a large extent, this is true. We do watch the bottom line, but with an intensity that our colleagues cannot possibly imagine.
—Mage: The Ascension - Convention Book: Syndicate
Sewer Rats ignore human pawns in obvious places of power. Let the respected vampires muck about with mortal politics: sometimes, ten well-chosen bureaucrats or aldermen can achieve far more than the mayor ever could. Political celebrities come and go, but well-placed ghouls can stay involved in city politics for years and years. Corporate employees on the fast track to success may work for a company for a few years, but a janitor can gain access to the same building for a lifetime.
— Vampire: The Masquerade - Clanbook: Nosferatu (Revised)
In the grand plans of Pentex, there is one small company that remains unappreciated by most of the higher-ups in the corporation. This company doesn't get the "sexy" jobs, like destroying the environment, unearthing ancient Wyrm entities, or turning Kinfolk children into serial killers. But without the hard work and good old-fashioned craftsmanship of Safe Haven Construction, none of the other faces of Pentex could get their work done.
— Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Book Of The City
Mortarion believed that victory came through sheer relentlessness, and communicated that ethic throughout the Death Guard. Their weapons and armour were rarely the most expertly crafted, certainly not the most beautifully ornamented, but functioned without flaw. The Death Guard did not maneuver fancifully or confound their opponents; they picked the best ground upon which to fight, then smashed their foes after they had broken themselves against the Death Guard line.
It's not flashy. It's not the cutting edge. It just keeps coming.
—BattleTech - Technical Readout 3039, Triad Technologies marketing campaign for the Stalker
Video Games
You see a number of Engi space stations and fleets nearby. Despite looking like piles of junk loosely tied together, they are actually the model of efficiency. They just lack a certain aesthetic emphasis in their constructions.
ME HAVE GOOD STATS FOR THE COST.
— Hearthstone, Boulderfist Ogre's Flavour Text
Fiona: I know it's not state-of-the-art.
Jacobs: Never let me down before.
Jacobs: Never let me down before.
— Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, on the Carbine.
There are two kinds of scientific progress: the methodical experimentation and categorization which gradually extend the boundaries of knowledge, and the revolutionary leap of genius which redefines and transcends those boundaries. Acknowledging our debt to the former, we yearn, nonetheless, for the latter.
— Academician Prokhor Zakharov, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
The Y-Wing is The Workhorse of the Rebel Fleet. It's not quick or flashy, but it gets the job done.
— General Rieekan, Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II
Captain Joseph Khumalo, known to the crews as Knight, admits that his piloting accomplishments don't dot the record books. "I'm not a cockpit genius like Hunter or a marksman like Angel. I'm an ordinary man. I'm a pilot. It's my job."
Yet wingleaders tend to breathe a sigh of relief when they draw Khumalo as wingman. Knight has a reputation of utter reliability in combat.
— Wing Commander: Claw Marks
Webcomics
"Only two things matter: Force in as great a concentration as you can manage, and style. And in a pinch, style can slide."
— Xykon, The Order of the Stick
Malack: Ah, the life of an adventuring cleric. I remember it well. A perpetual struggle to maintain the hit point totals of four or five nigh-suicidal tomb robbers determined to deplete them at all costs. Like bailing out a sinking ship with a thimble, most days.
Durkon: Aye, Aye! It's like "C'mon! Could ye manage to go ten minutes without perforating your aorta? Just once!?"
Durkon: Aye, Aye! It's like "C'mon! Could ye manage to go ten minutes without perforating your aorta? Just once!?"
Roy: I'll take dull efficiency over exciting uncertainty any day of the week.
Belkar: Obviously, your girlfriend feels the same way. Surprise burn!
Belkar: Obviously, your girlfriend feels the same way. Surprise burn!
Vaarsuvius: Time St— [zapped by runes] AARRGH!
Redcloak: See? SEE?
Xykon: Fine, fine, I admit: Installing magic traps that zap anyone casting an arcane spell other than me and Pigtail Chick was NOT a total waste of an afternoon.
Redcloak: See? SEE?
Xykon: Fine, fine, I admit: Installing magic traps that zap anyone casting an arcane spell other than me and Pigtail Chick was NOT a total waste of an afternoon.
Web Original
"..in defense of the recent Survivor seasons, honestly I can't say that I blame them. They're there to win. people setting up elaborate plans that fall flat on their faces in front of them one by one, engineering the votes in a way that even if they don't go your way, they still eliminate a potential threat and not an ally, dramatic power shifts, people who try their hardest at every challenge, do make an interesting show to watch. Except that most of those people don't win, they either lose control or are sniffed out as a threat and are subsequently voted out. Meanwhile, Pagonging, making people think you're dumber than you actually are, and simply keeping your mouth shut has been proven on numerous times to get you further in the game and oftentimes even winning. Given that these guys are here to win, I can't say that I blame them for wanting to just do a strategy that makes for a dull show, but wins them the game or gets them really far without getting medevaced or simply dropped when you're not of use to the people who've taken control. What makes a good game does not always make a good show, and what makes a good show does not always make a good game."
— A Post at Survivor Sucks.
"I've got to be honest... this is kind of a boring weapon. Design-wise, it's ugly. Couple of rectangles overlapped. Like a gun drawn by a child. And yet, for some reason... it's quite popular."
— Ahoy at the beginning of his video "Glock."
"So, welcome to the default option. A versatile pistol with broad appeal. It's true, there are better-looking weapons out there, and some more suited to specific roles. But there's a Glock 'good enough' for everyone. Besides, sometimes ugly is beautiful. And sometimes boring... [kills enemy with Glock] ...is exactly what you need.
The Glock: Neutral. Universal. Perfect."
The Glock: Neutral. Universal. Perfect."
— Ahoy at the end of the same video.
"Medic, the class everyone loves but no one wants to play."
"If you want to learn how to fight, yeah? You have to learn kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, that kind of shit. Reality tits check: you have to know how to protect yourself on the ground and how to throw a proper punch, okay? There's no replacement for sparring. Everything else is supplementary."
— Ranton's Real Shaolin Disciple Reviews Sifu (Game)! on Bak Mei as depicted in the titular game.
on Bak Mei as depicted in the titular game."I don't like playing Thermite. But I do like winning."
(Singing to the Spider-Man (1967) theme)
Fighter-Man, Fighter-Man
Overall, he is fairly bland
Hits some stuff, hit some more
Outside combat, it's quite a bore
Look out! He is a Fighter-Man
(...)
Hammer, bow, sword and shield
There's no limit what you could wield
Plenty fights, you have fought
Demon lords, just another THOT
This class: great for a newbie's first time
Plenty of damage to chime
Here comes the Fighter-Maaaaaan!
Fighter-Man, Fighter-Man
Overall, he is fairly bland
Hits some stuff, hit some more
Outside combat, it's quite a bore
Look out! He is a Fighter-Man
(...)
Hammer, bow, sword and shield
There's no limit what you could wield
Plenty fights, you have fought
Demon lords, just another THOT
This class: great for a newbie's first time
Plenty of damage to chime
Here comes the Fighter-Maaaaaan!
"When we told people we were making a new short we were asked, what's it about? And I said oh you know same old crap. A woman realizes she's not alone. And sometimes that's all you need."
"Build them all the same. Sometimes, boring things... are good."
— Lindsay, Well There's Your Problem | Episode 8: Three Mile Island
"This took about ten hours to figure out a strategy of how to kill Ganon. We had like, giant laser machines, we had crushers, we had spinning things — and the best strategy that we could come up with is 'lock him in a box and punch him in the face until he dies'."
— SmallAnt, I beat Tears of the Kingdom WITHOUT WEAPONS
...boring doesn't necessarily have to mean bad, I mean Tellarknights won Worlds once for crying out load (If summon: thing happen the archetype).
won Worlds once for crying out load (If summon: thing happen the archetype). Western Animation
Walter Shreeve: Imagine the time and effort this suit would save construction workers, road builders —
Derek Powers: Dynamite's cheaper.
Derek Powers: Dynamite's cheaper.
—Batman Beyond, "Shriek"
Tim-Tom: We leave the gas on... They go in their sleep, all quiet-like —
Kevin: Aw, I wanted to hear 'em scream!
Tim-Tom: It's not as much fun, but it will look more like an accident.
Kevin: Aw, I wanted to hear 'em scream!
Tim-Tom: It's not as much fun, but it will look more like an accident.
Gin Rummy: I don't get that.
Ed Wuncler III: Get what?
Rummy: That texting shit.
Ed III: And what's wrong with texting?
Rummy: You mean aside from the fact that it's the stupidest fuckin' thing in the world? I mean, why would anyone in their right mind spend 15 minutes trying to type some shit they could have called and said in five seconds?
Ed Wuncler III: Get what?
Rummy: That texting shit.
Ed III: And what's wrong with texting?
Rummy: You mean aside from the fact that it's the stupidest fuckin' thing in the world? I mean, why would anyone in their right mind spend 15 minutes trying to type some shit they could have called and said in five seconds?
Dewey: Sure. I mean, if you want to do it the easy way.
Scrooge: Why wouldn't you want to do it the "easy" way? You've got to think smarter, laddie, not harder.
Scrooge: Why wouldn't you want to do it the "easy" way? You've got to think smarter, laddie, not harder.
"A simple design flies just fine."
— Phil Funnie, Doug
"I have no doubt that you would be bored senseless by therapy, the same way I'm bored when I brush my teeth and wipe my ass. Because the thing about repairing, maintaining, and cleaning is, it's not an adventure. There's no way to do it so wrong you might die. It's just work, and the bottom line is some people are okay going to work, and some people, well, some people would rather die. Each of us gets to choose."
—Dr. Wong, Rick And Morty S 3 E 3 Pickle Rick
Agent Kallus: A new fighter? Difficult to see how one small ship will change much.
Grand Admiral Thrawn: Agent, victory and defeat are often determined by the smallest detail.
Grand Admiral Thrawn: Agent, victory and defeat are often determined by the smallest detail.
Real Life
"Bland works."
— Bill Davis, Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario (1971-1985), in defence of his centrist governance
"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
"They say my games should be more 'interesting'. I could be more 'interesting'—-and also lose."
— Tigran Petrosian, world chess champion
"We played a simple game, it wasn’t pretty for us but at the end of the day it was effective. That’s the way we’re going to have to continue to play."
— Dave Lowry, Head Coach of the Victoria Royals
"Offense wins hearts. Defense wins championships."
(alternately) "Offense wins games. Defense wins championships."
(alternately) "Offense wins games. Defense wins championships."
— An adage among NFL players and coaches
Argentinian Field Kitchen.
The field kitchen is a far more important piece of military equipment than is appreciated. Troops fed on hot food are far more efficient than those who are not. They are built simply and ruggedly but serve their purpose.
The field kitchen is a far more important piece of military equipment than is appreciated. Troops fed on hot food are far more efficient than those who are not. They are built simply and ruggedly but serve their purpose.
— Imperial War Museum, Duxford. Exhibit description.
"Amateurs talk strategy; professionals talk logistics."
— General Omar Bradley
"The art of war does not need complicated maneuver, which leads one to wonder why generals make mistakes. It is because they try to be clever. The hardest thing is to guess the enemy’s intentions. From that, the rest merely requires common sense. It is like a boxing match–the more you punch, the better it is."
