Re: I sure as hell hope this is an inaccurate report...
Cynewulf Send a noteboard - 23/03/2010 08:44:58 PM
I can verify that the bridges are arched, cf. these quotes from TDR:
"The bridge was only the beginning. It arched straight to the walls that surrounded the island, high walls of gleaming white, silver-streaked stone whose tops looked down on the bridge's height." (TDR:107)
"[...] as she led Egwene and the others through the village to the great bridge, arching over half a mile or more of water like lace woven from stone." (TDR:106)
Anyway, had the bridge been entirely flat, it would still be ridiculous for Chubain to order a blockade to be set up outside the walls of TV. I wonder what the rationale for that move could possibly have been for the author? Also, this apparent lack of military insight makes me fear a bit for what the results will be of the presumably many battles that will be coming our way in ToM and AMoL... I know there is a huge demographic of WoT-readers with military connections, many of which have been in the same armed forces that Jordan served in. These people highly value Jordan's knowledgable take on battles and tactics. It seems to me that Sanderson's lack of experience and insight here might serve to give us incoherent/illogical battles, which would be a huge detriment for this series.
You are probably right, though, that it may be too much hassle for Sanderson to change these details at this point, as these basic misconceptions form the basis for much of the description for very many chapters in the book. I still hope that they will do it, however, as they apparently have been doing a lot of corrections in conjunction with the release of the digital versions of the books. And I certainly hope that they will take more time to eliminate erroneous details from Towers of Midnight, before that book is released. Otherwise, we will just have to keep brushing over these mistakes.
"The bridge was only the beginning. It arched straight to the walls that surrounded the island, high walls of gleaming white, silver-streaked stone whose tops looked down on the bridge's height." (TDR:107)
"[...] as she led Egwene and the others through the village to the great bridge, arching over half a mile or more of water like lace woven from stone." (TDR:106)
Anyway, had the bridge been entirely flat, it would still be ridiculous for Chubain to order a blockade to be set up outside the walls of TV. I wonder what the rationale for that move could possibly have been for the author? Also, this apparent lack of military insight makes me fear a bit for what the results will be of the presumably many battles that will be coming our way in ToM and AMoL... I know there is a huge demographic of WoT-readers with military connections, many of which have been in the same armed forces that Jordan served in. These people highly value Jordan's knowledgable take on battles and tactics. It seems to me that Sanderson's lack of experience and insight here might serve to give us incoherent/illogical battles, which would be a huge detriment for this series.
You are probably right, though, that it may be too much hassle for Sanderson to change these details at this point, as these basic misconceptions form the basis for much of the description for very many chapters in the book. I still hope that they will do it, however, as they apparently have been doing a lot of corrections in conjunction with the release of the digital versions of the books. And I certainly hope that they will take more time to eliminate erroneous details from Towers of Midnight, before that book is released. Otherwise, we will just have to keep brushing over these mistakes.
I'm not sure there is a quote describing the bridges as arched. Perhaps in NS or something, as Moiraine/Siuan ride on one. Perhaps I got this mental image from the NS comic, where the TV design approved by RJ showed the bridges as arched. Perhaps it's the White Bridge that misleads me, or perhaps it's just a logical guess based on the fact big ships go under those bridges. Anyway... that's the sort of details that need to be double-checked before going to Brandon and telling him "you made a mistake with this and that", out of respect not to make him lose his time over nothing. Several "mistakes" like this have not stood after deeper research (one example: some argued that the number of Younglings with Gawyn in TGS didn't match the number he had after Dumai's Wells. Further research showed that indeed those numbers didn't match, but there's also a brief mention by RJ in one book that Gawyn had left a good chunk of Younglings not far enough advanced in training at TV, and Elaida has kicked them out and sent them to Dorlan - so Brandon's numbers were right).
This message last edited by Cynewulf on 23/03/2010 at 08:49:17 PM
Signing report with some speculations
23/03/2010 12:37:18 PM
- 2949 Views
Re: Signing report with some speculations
23/03/2010 02:59:37 PM
- 1023 Views
Ok. I don't know that guy, but your assessment is somewhat sobering. *NM*
23/03/2010 03:08:19 PM
- 483 Views
Re: Signing report with some speculations
23/03/2010 03:42:32 PM
- 853 Views
Re: Signing report with some speculations
23/03/2010 05:23:44 PM
- 881 Views
Read poorly? I'd settle for him being able to WRITE! That was horrible to read *NM*
23/03/2010 05:37:00 PM
- 812 Views
Even if Dida is unreliable, it doesn't matter, because that "report" is unreadable. *NM*
23/03/2010 04:30:18 PM
- 400 Views
I sure as hell hope this is an inaccurate report...
23/03/2010 05:55:35 PM
- 874 Views
Re: I sure as hell hope this is an inaccurate report...
23/03/2010 07:13:25 PM
- 857 Views
Re: I sure as hell hope this is an inaccurate report...
23/03/2010 08:44:58 PM
- 739 Views
Ugh. There's someone you wouldn't want to be stuck in an elevator with. *NM*
23/03/2010 06:49:24 PM
- 445 Views
Is it actually possible that Moiraine's rescue will not occur in ToM?
23/03/2010 10:40:39 PM
- 735 Views
Re: Is it actually possible that Moiraine's rescue will not occur in ToM?
24/03/2010 12:22:31 AM
- 1137 Views
Thanks. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get how that could be.
24/03/2010 12:26:07 AM
- 769 Views
um, dumb question, but what is MAFO?? *NM*
24/03/2010 04:19:36 AM
- 572 Views
Re: um, dumb question, but what is MAFO??
24/03/2010 09:12:00 AM
- 2223 Views
MAFO are not a joke. It's a way to transfer legal responsibly from Brandon to Maria & Harriet too.
27/03/2010 01:42:53 AM
- 1975 Views
I still don't understand why people think Noal will not enter the Tower of Ghenjei
24/03/2010 10:56:29 PM
- 882 Views
Re: I still don't understand why people think Noal will not enter the Tower of Ghenjei
25/03/2010 03:53:59 PM
- 735 Views
Noal's real motivations are unknown, he was a pawn of Ishamael's and more.
27/03/2010 05:22:16 AM
- 1018 Views