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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 3258 Views
I'm sad - 21/04/2012 12:00:33 AM 1614 Views
Ha! Not even RJ could keep up with the world he created! *NM* - 21/04/2012 01:01:29 AM 687 Views
I found it painful to read - 21/04/2012 09:53:31 AM 1508 Views
Do you find that surprising? - 21/04/2012 02:52:47 PM 1349 Views
I find it disappointing - 22/04/2012 08:09:10 AM 1246 Views
How would obscure crap screw up the story? - 21/04/2012 06:51:27 PM 1403 Views
He apparently amended himself the next day... - 21/04/2012 08:00:01 PM 1782 Views
"Brandon: Umm, when did Perrin meet Masema?" ughhh facepalm *NM* - 22/04/2012 02:45:45 AM 765 Views
Re: He apparently amended himself the next day... - 22/04/2012 08:34:39 AM 1435 Views
I find your pain highly amusing. *NM* - 23/04/2012 04:50:09 AM 802 Views
I'll make my pain yours *NM* - 23/04/2012 02:34:31 PM 728 Views
Sid.. Sid... Sid... *sigh*... *facepalm* *NM* - 24/04/2012 11:09:22 PM 767 Views
Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon - 22/04/2012 02:53:38 AM 1438 Views
Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon - 22/04/2012 03:10:21 PM 1482 Views
Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon - 23/04/2012 05:48:18 AM 1289 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 1712 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 1489 Views
Agreed.. - 23/04/2012 03:22:05 PM 1367 Views
Re: Agreed.. - 24/04/2012 05:47:22 AM 1349 Views
It's just their pet subject. - 24/04/2012 06:01:24 PM 1537 Views
I think you may be giving RJ more credit than his due here - 24/04/2012 10:35:28 PM 1499 Views
Re: I think you may be giving RJ more credit than his due here - 25/04/2012 05:02:04 AM 1351 Views
We are in very close alignment - 25/04/2012 01:27:37 PM 1220 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 1351 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 1440 Views
You replied far more diplomatically than I would have... - 24/04/2012 10:10:57 AM 1334 Views
It's got little to do with obsession... - 25/04/2012 01:20:48 AM 1401 Views
Re: It's got little to do with obsession... - 25/04/2012 05:05:40 PM 1388 Views
Re: It's got little to do with obsession... - 27/04/2012 12:58:36 AM 1311 Views
Question about TGS and ToM: - 27/04/2012 02:20:34 AM 1256 Views
Very similar to you - 27/04/2012 09:50:52 PM 1405 Views
Are there plans for rewrites / reordering of the books? - 29/04/2012 01:17:48 PM 1322 Views
of course there's no plan - 30/04/2012 06:15:49 AM 1707 Views
I didn't know Harriet had such a big role in this - 30/04/2012 10:57:14 PM 1205 Views
She does - 01/05/2012 03:52:40 PM 1455 Views
Egwene... - 27/04/2012 05:41:13 AM 1264 Views
Re: Egwene... - 27/04/2012 09:30:32 PM 1326 Views
Re: Egwene... - 28/04/2012 09:44:43 AM 1271 Views
I don't find it all that surprising - 28/04/2012 03:56:41 PM 1203 Views
Re: I don't find it all that surprising - 29/04/2012 08:07:55 AM 1206 Views
Agreed - 29/04/2012 01:52:06 PM 1230 Views
Re: I don't find it all that surprising - 30/04/2012 07:54:14 AM 1163 Views
I suspect Cadsuane will die before that happens - 30/04/2012 07:06:04 PM 1292 Views
Re: I suspect Cadsuane will die before that happens - 30/04/2012 08:36:44 PM 1215 Views
Cadsuane shouldn't reswear the oaths - 30/04/2012 10:43:32 PM 1292 Views
Apparenly not - 01/05/2012 04:26:08 PM 1103 Views
Not sure Cadsuane will ever be reigned in by anyone - 01/05/2012 01:18:44 AM 1161 Views
Re: Not sure Cadsuane will ever be reigned in by anyone - 01/05/2012 08:17:49 PM 1510 Views
As usual we are in pretty close alignment - 02/05/2012 04:29:20 AM 1345 Views
Re: Egwene... - 30/04/2012 07:41:11 AM 1164 Views
Re: Egwene... - 01/05/2012 07:10:35 PM 1260 Views
Re: Egwene... - 01/05/2012 10:51:09 PM 1485 Views
I think there is a lot of TAR coming up - 05/05/2012 05:13:18 AM 1114 Views
Probably - 05/05/2012 06:52:57 PM 1346 Views
Thanks! This fits nicely with my thoughts... - 28/04/2012 10:05:27 PM 1347 Views
Re: Thanks! This fits nicely with my thoughts... - 30/04/2012 03:08:57 PM 1349 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 1366 Views
For me it's interesting simply because it is not all that well defined - 24/04/2012 11:16:14 PM 1383 Views
Quantifiable magic - 25/04/2012 04:41:43 PM 1222 Views
the angreal part bothered me way more - 28/04/2012 10:51:46 AM 1219 Views
what's MAFO? *NM* - 28/04/2012 07:01:52 PM 708 Views
Maria (Simmons) And Find Out - 29/04/2012 02:07:19 AM 1219 Views

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