Well, usually the bigger army are the invaders. Defence tends to have an edge
AgentOrange Send a noteboard - 20/09/2009 04:38:45 PM
Though it depends on the era. Cannons made old style fortresses obsolete. Before that they were very hard to capture. This problem usually led to a king prefering to negotiate with local strongmen who held the castles. Resulting in feudalism.
It's not by chance that the strong central governments emerged after gunpowder weapons became mature. What I'm trying to say is that even in the real world it was very hard to capture castles. Siege weapons before gunpowder were ineffectual and usually it came down to starving your opponent.
OTOH fantasy does have it's offensive perks, like trolls or dragons. But you usually have something to negate them with.
Still, I can think of some rare examples of the bigger army winning.
Have you seen the original Heavy Metal movie? The evil horde of the green stone easily sacks a city.
You have the fight over the oil well in Road Warrior. Though it's sort of a tie.
I think Rand's Aiel had the number advantage on the Shaido in WoT.
The moredhel broke the defense of Armengar in A Darkness in Sethanon.
It's not by chance that the strong central governments emerged after gunpowder weapons became mature. What I'm trying to say is that even in the real world it was very hard to capture castles. Siege weapons before gunpowder were ineffectual and usually it came down to starving your opponent.
OTOH fantasy does have it's offensive perks, like trolls or dragons. But you usually have something to negate them with.
Still, I can think of some rare examples of the bigger army winning.
Have you seen the original Heavy Metal movie? The evil horde of the green stone easily sacks a city.
You have the fight over the oil well in Road Warrior. Though it's sort of a tie.
I think Rand's Aiel had the number advantage on the Shaido in WoT.
The moredhel broke the defense of Armengar in A Darkness in Sethanon.
Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins?
20/09/2009 01:01:18 PM
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Re: Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins?
20/09/2009 01:17:00 PM
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Well, usually the bigger army are the invaders. Defence tends to have an edge
20/09/2009 04:38:45 PM
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It's an essential plot device
20/09/2009 04:41:04 PM
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Yeah but...
20/09/2009 07:38:36 PM
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I don't quite agree
21/09/2009 01:22:45 AM
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I'm sitting here trying to think if I've read any books like that...
21/09/2009 01:40:08 AM
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Fail.
21/09/2009 04:43:24 AM
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Hrmm...guess Miéville failed to follow the script then *NM*
20/09/2009 07:48:29 PM
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and a lot of others. But there's a rumour somewhere that it's not the size that matters... *NM*
20/09/2009 07:53:41 PM
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It's still a valid point, even if one author doesn't "follow the script." *NM*
25/09/2009 12:34:48 AM
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Re: Ever notice how in fantasy books the smaller army always wins?
20/09/2009 08:45:48 PM
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That, and...
20/09/2009 09:08:48 PM
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Nineteen Eighty-Four, baby!
20/09/2009 10:37:05 PM
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That is not even fantasy...
21/09/2009 12:00:48 AM
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IT ISN'T?! *NM*
21/09/2009 01:42:16 AM
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Yeah, didn't your dad tell you about the double ungood days of the 80s? *NM*
21/09/2009 01:52:46 AM
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Doubleplusungood.
25/09/2009 02:09:27 AM
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Oops, sorry. Probably a thoughtcrime to put a space in. Rebellious waste of... pixels? Space? *NM*
25/09/2009 04:26:14 PM
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I agree. 1984 is not SF-F. *NM*
25/09/2009 12:36:46 AM
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All books should have a point, IMO. Otherwise, what's the point in reading them.
25/09/2009 04:32:43 PM
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Nineteen Eighty-Four is unquestionably Science Fiction. *NM*
26/09/2009 04:12:47 AM
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No, it's not. ScyFy does not lay claim to anything and everything that takes place...
26/09/2009 07:05:59 AM
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It's a novel which heavily relies upon futuristic technology. How is it not Science Fiction? *NM*
28/09/2009 01:43:23 AM
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I read it years ago and I don't remember any futuristic technology except...
28/09/2009 04:16:21 AM
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I would say that if a story uses that sort of thing, it has a science fiction element.
28/09/2009 05:20:39 AM
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Because you don't have to root for the huge army that's supposed to win.
21/09/2009 04:38:22 AM
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Pratchett makes much of this. *NM*
21/09/2009 04:11:04 PM
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"You can take our lives, but you can never take our freedom!" "...wrong!" *NM*
21/09/2009 11:02:25 PM
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