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I think it does make them unrealistic. Stylistic choices determine how these scenes are conveyed. RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 03/06/2011 09:24:21 PM
I agree that he didn't go into the details of the horror in battlefields. He severely curtailed the descriptions of those things. But that was more a stylistic choice based on the tone he wanted for the novels, not a reflection of the realism of the battles.


Taking that part of the battlefield experience out of it, in my opinion, makes it a fairy tale or sophomoric action-adventure, and unrealistic as a result. I understand that this was a stylistic choice but the decision to avoid the gritty parts of it makes the combat scenes less realistic. Then again, I read "The Iliad", so I'm all for making combat as non-glorious as possible using as much graphic description to make the scene come alive as you can. There is a lot to be gained from holding the image of a noble warrior next to the gory reality.

One of my least favorite scenes overall, the Dumai Wells Battle, was actually one of the better battle scenes, in my opinion. It was confusing, we saw corpses, really evoked a feeling of close combat and the Ashaman illustrating the reality of channeling in battle (tearing bodies apart is what fireballs and lightning would do, anyway, so the only reason I can think that Aes Sedai reacted the way they did was because they have taken part in so few battles in the modern era). This was one of those parts where Aes Sedai not dressed for such a melee were depicted as rushing into the midst of it without tripping or their skirts becoming burdened with the blood, which goes to show an example of how one aspect of a scene can be done right while another aspect is handled in a lazy fashion.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
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Combat in the World of the Wheel - 03/06/2011 04:34:02 AM 1573 Views
Well, Healing screws things up a bit. But Rand at the end of tGH comes to mind - 03/06/2011 05:20:57 AM 966 Views
You mean tGH *NM* - 03/06/2011 11:13:04 AM 516 Views
Of course I did! And that's what I typed - 05/06/2011 09:12:45 AM 752 Views
You mean "typed" *NM* - 11/06/2011 08:55:34 PM 366 Views
Clever girl... *NM* - 12/06/2011 01:56:37 AM 322 Views
Gawyn in the tower comes to mind. - 03/06/2011 01:12:55 PM 771 Views
I find all of the non-channeling related combat implausible and over-dramatic - 03/06/2011 03:51:35 PM 1079 Views
Gotta diagree - 03/06/2011 06:22:52 PM 823 Views
The aftermath - but I don't think he really showed the chaos on a battlefield that well - 03/06/2011 07:19:20 PM 724 Views
That doesn't make them unrealistic... - 03/06/2011 08:30:05 PM 724 Views
I think it does make them unrealistic. Stylistic choices determine how these scenes are conveyed. - 03/06/2011 09:24:21 PM 925 Views
Ummm... - 03/06/2011 09:55:46 PM 772 Views
Come to think of it... - 04/06/2011 05:16:55 AM 940 Views
I think... - 04/06/2011 06:31:17 AM 708 Views
Re: Come to think of it... - 06/06/2011 02:34:42 PM 653 Views
Hmmm... - 06/06/2011 06:43:23 AM 753 Views
WoT combat scenes are highly overrated. The non-OP fight scenes aresn't even scenes at all - 11/06/2011 12:59:50 AM 725 Views
agreed - 11/06/2011 10:47:17 AM 690 Views
Re: agreed - 12/06/2011 10:48:49 AM 701 Views
But they sure are fun to puzzle over . . . - 21/06/2011 03:08:08 AM 699 Views
Also, what's with the Military Costuming? - 12/06/2011 10:53:24 AM 680 Views

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