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Like a scientist at a sci-fi movie, mostly they enjoy it, but blatant errors result in grumbling Isaac Send a noteboard - 16/01/2010 03:26:24 AM
What would professional tactician types make of the strategies supposed generals etc use in books?



Very few books give enough details to criticize or applaud, when they do they usually just rewording a classic battle like agincourt or gettysburg, I think I've read a small horde of books where the exciting battle was just agincourt 2.0 with orcs or something. I'd say the default bone to pick would be a tendency of 'brilliant' characters to ignore amazingly simple solutions to problems, but that's not just tactics obviously, I remember one series where they were full of experts and not one thought of using handwriting analysis to find out who the bad guy was, evne though they had samples of his writing, samples of the culprits writing, and even suspected the guy. From a strategic POV, they tend to just overlook obvious stuff, just to give a quick familiar example, on hearing that the Shaido were marching towards CArhein, Rand didn't set his own force marching and proceed to take a hundred or so Aiel skimming ahead to ambush and harass, then skim back, grab more and repeat. That's an obvious tactic since he does transport troops that way at the end of the book, but it doesn't get used, and RJ even repeatedly talks about the advantages of small forces for harrassing and elaying the enemy, so it was surprising it wasn't done. RJ's way better at writing such things than most too, but ironically he's easier to pick on because he actually does give details and fairly solid details in most occassions. Sort of like in Sci-fi, nobody complains about the bizarre piece of supertech until they try to explain it scientifically and suddenly it's not a miracle plot piece but something specific and specifically wrong at that.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein

King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
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Sci-Fi / Fantasy 's greatest strategist / tacticians - 12/01/2010 08:33:14 PM 1514 Views
Re: Sci-Fi / Fantasy 's greatest strategist / tacticians - 13/01/2010 12:46:55 AM 1018 Views
Croaker from the Black Company *NM* - 13/01/2010 02:07:44 AM 429 Views
Benedict from Amber by Roger Zelazny *NM* - 13/01/2010 02:49:34 AM 518 Views
Seconded *NM* - 14/01/2010 09:50:06 AM 420 Views
Only military? Because otherwise, I'd say Verin. - 13/01/2010 05:11:27 AM 930 Views
thrawn *NM* - 13/01/2010 05:31:03 AM 385 Views
Hell yeah. *NM* - 13/01/2010 11:24:17 PM 390 Views
Ender Wiggin *NM* - 13/01/2010 04:16:12 PM 455 Views
But... - 14/01/2010 02:45:56 PM 944 Views
You could probably put in many people from Battle School. *NM* - 14/01/2010 10:23:55 PM 430 Views
this! *NM* - 19/01/2010 05:17:17 PM 404 Views
General Tacticus from the Discworld series *NM* - 13/01/2010 05:01:22 PM 421 Views
Miles Vorkosigan *NM* - 13/01/2010 05:43:12 PM 419 Views
OK. Those look like good books. I must remember to find them. *NM* - 14/01/2010 07:41:53 AM 403 Views
Totally agree! - 14/01/2010 05:00:42 PM 786 Views
Yes! First character I thought of! *NM* - 18/01/2010 09:39:37 PM 400 Views
Tenaka Khan (Gemmel), Thrawn (Zhan), Ineluki (Williams) *NM* - 13/01/2010 11:40:46 PM 368 Views
I'd go with Benedict of Amber, his backstory makes more sense for the claim - 15/01/2010 08:34:57 PM 809 Views
Aye, that's something I wonder. - 15/01/2010 08:45:33 PM 743 Views
Like a scientist at a sci-fi movie, mostly they enjoy it, but blatant errors result in grumbling - 16/01/2010 03:26:24 AM 722 Views
Napoleon from Napoleon And The Conquest Of The World - 15/01/2010 08:47:35 PM 745 Views
... - 15/01/2010 08:49:52 PM 744 Views
I have never it read it myself - 15/01/2010 09:02:47 PM 731 Views
Oh. - 15/01/2010 09:08:34 PM 816 Views
well I was thinking about reading it and I probably will when I have time - 16/01/2010 06:38:39 PM 787 Views
He shouldn't have started a land war in Asia. - 16/01/2010 07:07:10 PM 743 Views
inconceivable! - 16/01/2010 08:08:44 PM 893 Views
Worked OK fo Alexander the Great - 18/01/2010 02:13:07 AM 731 Views
You know, Genghis Kahn didn't really have a problem either. - 18/01/2010 02:17:47 AM 718 Views
Parmenion, the Lion of Macedon by David Gemmell... - 16/01/2010 11:16:34 AM 829 Views
Oooh, good call. I'd switch my Khan for this. *NM* - 17/01/2010 05:33:30 PM 394 Views
Yes, Parmenion, the genius behind Alexander's entire conquest... - 17/01/2010 08:38:33 PM 767 Views
Rodrigo Belmonte, anyone? - 19/01/2010 01:55:14 PM 857 Views
But Dassem is his general... *NM* - 19/01/2010 05:27:43 PM 389 Views
Yes, but his is the evil plottingness. - 19/01/2010 07:52:18 PM 1032 Views
Obviously Richard Rahl - 20/01/2010 04:18:45 PM 793 Views

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