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We are in very close alignment darius_sedai Send a noteboard - 25/04/2012 01:27:37 PM
I've stated for years that I believe RJ kept the strength ranking vague so he could do as he pleased with his magic users, but still have a tidy ranking system for them. The way he managed it is actually quite brilliant because there is almost no way he could say something in an interview or add to the text that he couldn't quickly explain via Talent, Affinity or mystery Angreal. Sanderson getting confused is not particularly surprising to me given the number of Channelers in the series and the number of potentially conflicting bits of information the system inherently generates. It's one of the things I find fascinating about RJ's system ... There is nearly always a logical explination for any OP feat that occurs in the series.

I do think he could have flushed out certain things more clearly... Dexterity v. Strength has always seemed too vague to me as well as skill levels. While its clear that some Channelers have great skill and others not as much, it's never been particularly obvious how skill can overcome brute strength ... We have a few examples such as Lanfear handing Rand his ass and late Cyndane escaping Alivia, but the details are insufficient to judge much beyond Lanfear/Cyndane was skilled and her opponents were not. I have always wanted to be inside the head of the skilled Channeler to get a better sense of how the work around things like reversed weaves or fighting someone of the opposite sex ... Lanfear certainly seemed to know what Rand was doing, but HOW she knew was left to our imagination.

The dexterity question is even more frustrating to me as it defies convention in many ways. If you consider boxing as a proxy you could see how a light weight and a heavy weight could actually have a roughly fair fight. One relying on speed and accuracy while the other went for brute force. However, RJ seems to claim that Dexterity was somehow a "normalizing" effect which allowed women to in effect go head to head with the men. In fact we see Lanfear seemingly match Rand force to force rather than truly out maneuver him.

I generally imagine OP to be something of a tennis match pitting a hard hitter against a counter punching player. The contrast in style makes for a legitimate unsurity in outcome, but even in the analogy you would never say these individuals have the same effect to the same degree.
Domani Drag Queen in the White Tower ... Aran'gar watch out!
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Very interesting QA with Brandon - 20/04/2012 11:19:02 PM 2972 Views
I'm sad - 21/04/2012 12:00:33 AM 1321 Views
Ha! Not even RJ could keep up with the world he created! *NM* - 21/04/2012 01:01:29 AM 527 Views
I found it painful to read - 21/04/2012 09:53:31 AM 1194 Views
Do you find that surprising? - 21/04/2012 02:52:47 PM 1042 Views
I find it disappointing - 22/04/2012 08:09:10 AM 961 Views
How would obscure crap screw up the story? - 21/04/2012 06:51:27 PM 1108 Views
He apparently amended himself the next day... - 21/04/2012 08:00:01 PM 1479 Views
"Brandon: Umm, when did Perrin meet Masema?" ughhh facepalm *NM* - 22/04/2012 02:45:45 AM 600 Views
Re: He apparently amended himself the next day... - 22/04/2012 08:34:39 AM 1132 Views
I find your pain highly amusing. *NM* - 23/04/2012 04:50:09 AM 635 Views
I'll make my pain yours *NM* - 23/04/2012 02:34:31 PM 544 Views
Sid.. Sid... Sid... *sigh*... *facepalm* *NM* - 24/04/2012 11:09:22 PM 619 Views
Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon - 22/04/2012 02:53:38 AM 1107 Views
Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon - 22/04/2012 03:10:21 PM 1170 Views
Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon - 23/04/2012 05:48:18 AM 1017 Views
This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear... - 23/04/2012 09:50:51 AM 1374 Views
Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear... - 23/04/2012 02:39:30 PM 1124 Views
Agreed.. - 23/04/2012 03:22:05 PM 1076 Views
Re: Agreed.. - 24/04/2012 05:47:22 AM 1030 Views
It's just their pet subject. - 24/04/2012 06:01:24 PM 1105 Views
I think you may be giving RJ more credit than his due here - 24/04/2012 10:35:28 PM 1124 Views
Re: I think you may be giving RJ more credit than his due here - 25/04/2012 05:02:04 AM 1011 Views
We are in very close alignment - 25/04/2012 01:27:37 PM 922 Views
Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear... - 24/04/2012 05:46:03 AM 1046 Views
Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear... - 24/04/2012 08:10:15 AM 1112 Views
You replied far more diplomatically than I would have... - 24/04/2012 10:10:57 AM 1019 Views
It's got little to do with obsession... - 25/04/2012 01:20:48 AM 1058 Views
Re: It's got little to do with obsession... - 25/04/2012 05:05:40 PM 1065 Views
Re: It's got little to do with obsession... - 27/04/2012 12:58:36 AM 980 Views
Question about TGS and ToM: - 27/04/2012 02:20:34 AM 953 Views
Very similar to you - 27/04/2012 09:50:52 PM 1050 Views
Are there plans for rewrites / reordering of the books? - 29/04/2012 01:17:48 PM 1019 Views
of course there's no plan - 30/04/2012 06:15:49 AM 1399 Views
I didn't know Harriet had such a big role in this - 30/04/2012 10:57:14 PM 919 Views
She does - 01/05/2012 03:52:40 PM 1028 Views
Egwene... - 27/04/2012 05:41:13 AM 994 Views
Re: Egwene... - 27/04/2012 09:30:32 PM 977 Views
Re: Egwene... - 28/04/2012 09:44:43 AM 965 Views
I don't find it all that surprising - 28/04/2012 03:56:41 PM 909 Views
Re: I don't find it all that surprising - 29/04/2012 08:07:55 AM 919 Views
Agreed - 29/04/2012 01:52:06 PM 895 Views
Re: I don't find it all that surprising - 30/04/2012 07:54:14 AM 827 Views
I suspect Cadsuane will die before that happens - 30/04/2012 07:06:04 PM 994 Views
Re: I suspect Cadsuane will die before that happens - 30/04/2012 08:36:44 PM 888 Views
Cadsuane shouldn't reswear the oaths - 30/04/2012 10:43:32 PM 1001 Views
Apparenly not - 01/05/2012 04:26:08 PM 827 Views
Not sure Cadsuane will ever be reigned in by anyone - 01/05/2012 01:18:44 AM 866 Views
Re: Not sure Cadsuane will ever be reigned in by anyone - 01/05/2012 08:17:49 PM 1182 Views
As usual we are in pretty close alignment - 02/05/2012 04:29:20 AM 1062 Views
Re: Egwene... - 30/04/2012 07:41:11 AM 833 Views
Re: Egwene... - 01/05/2012 07:10:35 PM 946 Views
Re: Egwene... - 01/05/2012 10:51:09 PM 1167 Views
I think there is a lot of TAR coming up - 05/05/2012 05:13:18 AM 824 Views
Probably - 05/05/2012 06:52:57 PM 977 Views
Thanks! This fits nicely with my thoughts... - 28/04/2012 10:05:27 PM 1019 Views
Re: Thanks! This fits nicely with my thoughts... - 30/04/2012 03:08:57 PM 972 Views
Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear... - 24/04/2012 10:49:54 PM 1033 Views
For me it's interesting simply because it is not all that well defined - 24/04/2012 11:16:14 PM 1041 Views
Quantifiable magic - 25/04/2012 04:41:43 PM 928 Views
the angreal part bothered me way more - 28/04/2012 10:51:46 AM 939 Views
what's MAFO? *NM* - 28/04/2012 07:01:52 PM 557 Views
Maria (Simmons) And Find Out - 29/04/2012 02:07:19 AM 872 Views

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