Aotrs Commander I think we are disagreeing with the meaning of words for there are multiple ways you can parse the same words. [For example I can show an image that looks like a duck or a rabbit and which one you say it is doesn't matter if the image is too ambiguous.]
To me "deus ex machina" is like a lightswitch where if you do only one thing than all the threat and conflict goes away, like god handwaving the armies away such as Tony did in Endgame. Deus as in God, ex machina as in "from the machine" in Latin. Even though it is a latin term, its term originating from art history and art criticism with a similar greek phrase...for in greek plays 2000+ years ago "the gods show up" and they were often presented via a machine such as a crane and once the gods show up the rest of the plot is pretty much set in stone. Thus in things like tragedies the "ending has to end a certain way" for the person the tragedy is based on must have his necessary "karma", where they are made low due to their tragic flaw leading to a bad outcome.
To me personally, stupid ex machina (my word not a real world) where you defeat the enemy by making them stupid such as bad tactics and the heroes take advantage of this, is a completely different thing entirely. Stupid ex machina does not yield an instant win condition but instead allows you to win gradually even if after the point of attack event the victory of the heroes looks like inevitable even if there is some cleaning up to do.
Now is there a "bright line" that separates these two extremes? The answer is no, it is a gradient between the two.
Sidenote about Hordak Prime
Spoiler: Season 4, even though I do not think I am spoiling anything.
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Do we have any evidence that Hordak Prime tech has shields for his starships? Do we have any evidence for interstellar lasers and not just "local lasers" for the robots? I ask for what tech you want to give starships is dependent on the writer. Them wanting to recreate 1500s to 1800s naval wars, or 1850s to 1900s, or 1900s to 1930s, or 1940s WW2 fights and so on.
For all we know those spaceships are just ground troops and they are not meant for fighting other spaceships?
All we know is Hordak prime has teleportation tech and transportation tech. We also know Horadk not prime can create various forms of robots and lasers, but making his super powerful laser was not possible till Season 4 and incorporating some First One Tech.
Spaceship vs Spaceship laser may not be possible for Hordak Prime if Hordak could not do it without using First One tech. Or Hordak may not be able to create real cool lasers without the resources he is familiar with but he could not access for he is not from Eternia.
OMG I must share this She-Ra meme.
Spoiler: Links to an image, not a season 4 spoiler.
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Re: She-Ra Season 4 is out, embrace your inner queen!
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