Ask A Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (No AMoL Spoilers)

[EmperorAllspice]

So it was literally just absent mindedly milling around when they tried to open the Waygate in the Stedding? XD

 

that's just silly

[Durinax]

So it was literally just absent mindedly milling around when they tried to open the Waygate in the Stedding? XD

 

that's just silly

there is the possibility fain could have passed off his ability to sense rand, or the desire to chase the Taveren. It would also be helpful if we knew how vast Macha Chin was

[EmperorAllspice]

If Mat's luck only works with things that are completely random (like dice), then how did it defeat the weighted dice in Book 3? It's results aren't random (being weighted and all)

[Suttree]

Gah, Spoilers! :(

 

But that doesn't explain how The Black wind got from Cairhien to The Stedding in time to stop Rand. Was that just luck?

 

Ahh sorry, assumed you were on a reread. I would be careful roaming on these boards as you will surely come across more. Enjoy your first time through the books!

 

If Mat's luck only works with things that are completely random (like dice), then how did it defeat the weighted dice in Book 3? It's results aren't random (being weighted and all)

 

Loaded dice just increase the odds that the person cheating will win. Mat's luck can over power that fairly easily.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Suttree

[EmperorAllspice]

Gah, Spoilers! :(

 

But that doesn't explain how The Black wind got from Cairhien to The Stedding in time to stop Rand. Was that just luck?

 

Ahh sorry, assumed you were on a reread. I would be careful roaming on these boards as you will surely come across more. Enjoy your first time through the books!

 

Ah yes, no problem. I've already seen loads of spoilers on places like TV tropes. I don't think I could've even read this series without knowing SOME spoilers XP

[MasterAblar]

If Mat's luck only works with things that are completely random (like dice), then how did it defeat the weighted dice in Book 3? It's results aren't random (being weighted and all)

 

I assume there must still have been a chance for the weighted dice not to land as they should have, even if it was extremely small. Mat's luck is ridiculous, at one point he gets a result with a mathematical chance of 1/16777216. That's 1 out of more than 16 million. Games of chance are pointless against Mat.

[EmperorAllspice]

If Mat's luck only works with things that are completely random (like dice), then how did it defeat the weighted dice in Book 3? It's results aren't random (being weighted and all)

 

I assume there must still have been a chance for the weighted dice not to land as they should have, even if it was extremely small. Mat's luck is ridiculous, at one point he gets a result with a mathematical chance of 1/16777216. That's 1 out of more than 16 million. Games of chance are pointless against Mat.

 

One wonders how the hell the bad guys can hope to beat him then :(

[fuzz1717]

When I was deconstructing Mat & Tylin and deciding whether I care enough to do an analysis, I learned that the first modern romance novel is called The Flame and the Flower.

 

Is it known whether the methods of seizing saidin and embracing saidar are an intentional homage to this? RJ must've known about the novel, as at one point in his career he was considering writing romance.

It could just be a coincidence... I mean flowers are often associated with females and flames seem more masculine than a lot of other things. I haven't read any interview that would indicate that he was influenced by this

[Chaoticorg]

This isnt about anything thats happened in the books but is channeling carried from one reincarnation to the next? I know this is the case with the Dragon and the Dragon Reborn but he may be a specail case.

[Suttree]

This isnt about anything thats happened in the books but is channeling carried from one reincarnation to the next? I know this is the case with the Dragon and the Dragon Reborn but he may be a specail case.

 

Channeling is a soul trait. Having said that there are life times where the incarnation will not channel and whole ages in which channeling isn't discovered yet.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Suttree

[EmperorAllspice]

What exactly was Bel'al's plan? How was he planning to get Callandor from Rand after he picked it up? Use the Wonder Girls as hostages? Use the black Ajah to shield Rand from the power then take Callandor from him?

[Vardar]

What exactly was Bel'al's plan? How was he planning to get Callandor from Rand after he picked it up? Use the Wonder Girls as hostages? Use the black Ajah to shield Rand from the power then take Callandor from him?

 

No. Just kick his arse once Rand touched it. Rand only had to breach the shield and it was broken, so when rand touched it, BAM, blow him up before he draws through it.

 

All in all, not a very smart plan.

[EmperorAllspice]

Dammit, can't ONE villain be smart in this damn series? (who isn't Lanfear, I can't stand Lanfear)

[Vardar]

Dammit, can't ONE villain be smart in this damn series? (who isn't Lanfear, I can't stand Lanfear)

 

Brah, think about any book. VILLIANS ALWAYS SUCK! It pisses me off, and confused the hell out of me until I sat and thought about RL, every criminal or villian in RL does dumb stuff too. I look at bank robberies and think how much easier they could have made things with a few alterations. Same with murders, kidnappings, etc.

 

All in all, it's a good thing most criminals are so stupid, or we would kill ourselves off (faster than we are now).

 

It's a rather depressing thought once you get deep down into it. Ponder on it for a while, you'll get depressed rather quickly. Being evil means you have to be stupid. /sigh

[EmperorAllspice]

Most people aren't criminal masterminds. That's why they're caught. Then you have lines like:

 

"The successful criminal brain is always superior. It has to be!" - Dr No

 

I don't think a villain NEEDS to be stupid. They can have flaws which are exploited which leads to their defeat, but they can be otherwise highly intelligent.

 

If the villain isn't a threat then there's no tension, ergo, no reason to give a damn

[EmperorAllspice]

Also, if what you say is true, then there's no way I can enjoy ANY series.

 

... sigh

[Vardar]

Most people aren't criminal masterminds. That's why they're caught. Then you have lines like:

 

"The successful criminal brain is always superior. It has to be!" - Dr No

 

I don't think a villain NEEDS to be stupid. They can have flaws which are exploited which leads to their defeat, but they can be otherwise highly intelligent.

 

If the villain isn't a threat then there's no tension, ergo, no reason to give a damn

 

Most people aren't, because they don't try. But that's what depressing about it. At least when someone is good and they screw up, it's usually blamed on them sacrificing themselves for the greater good. If you're evil, you don't sacrifice, so what's you excuse. You don't have compunctions about doing whatever needs to be done, so your plans can be better more powerful, you should never lose.

 

Also, if what you say is true, then there's no way I can enjoy ANY series.

 

... sigh

 

Pretty much. Although when I read, I just think of what I would have done differently, and it amuses me.

[EmperorAllspice]

So there are no smart villains in this series? :(

 

the friend who reccomended this to me lied to me

[Vardar]

So there are no smart villains in this series? :(

 

the friend who reccomended this to me lied to me

 

Umm...

 

Ishy isn't too dumb. The rest all have their flaws that they ignore because they think they're too powerful. So i guess it depends on how you define smart.

 

I mean it's a great series, but what villian in what series was smart? (I honestly can't think of one). It's just life, I didn't mean to turn you off of anything sir, I was just tossing out random thoughts.

[Agitel]

What exactly was Bel'al's plan? How was he planning to get Callandor from Rand after he picked it up? Use the Wonder Girls as hostages? Use the black Ajah to shield Rand from the power then take Callandor from him?

 

No. Just kick his arse once Rand touched it. Rand only had to breach the shield and it was broken, so when rand touched it, BAM, blow him up before he draws through it.

 

All in all, not a very smart plan.

 

Beating an untrained, slightly mad youth who can't even grasp saidin at will or see his own weaves? That actually sounds pretty easy, if still a bit of a risk. Be'lal and the Forsaken still had no real knowledge of ta'veren and the effects they can have. There's comments that LTT seemed lucky at times, but the idea of it actually being a real attribute is entirely new. Be'lal also couldn't have anticipated that any modern, "primitive," Aes Sedai would even know the weave for balefire, let alone have the will to use it.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Agitel

[EmperorAllspice]

@Vard The Joker in The Dark Knight. He lost RIGHT at the end because he didn't understand people as well as he thought he did. Not because the technicals of his plans were off.

 

Mostly, I just want the villains to actually BE a threat. So I have a reason to care about what's going on

Edited September 7, 2012 by EmperorAllspice

[Agitel]

@Vard The Joker in The Dark Knight. He lost RIGHT at the end because he didn't understand people as well as he thought he did. Not because the technicals of his plans were off.

 

Mostly, I just want the villains to actually BE a threat. So I have a reason to care about what's going on

 

I believe that they are, but that one weakness of the series is that Jordan's unable (imo) to consistently make that threat level feel present. It requires analyzing what the villains have actually accomplished, which is quite a bit, but a lot of it is done off-screen.

[Vardar]

What exactly was Bel'al's plan? How was he planning to get Callandor from Rand after he picked it up? Use the Wonder Girls as hostages? Use the black Ajah to shield Rand from the power then take Callandor from him?

 

No. Just kick his arse once Rand touched it. Rand only had to breach the shield and it was broken, so when rand touched it, BAM, blow him up before he draws through it.

 

All in all, not a very smart plan.

 

Beating an untrained, slightly mad youth who can't even grasp saidin at will or see his own weaves? That actually sounds pretty easy, if still a bit of a risk. Be'lal and the Forsaken still had no real knowledge of ta'veren and the effects they can have. There's comments that LTT seemed lucky at times, but the idea of it actually being a real attribute is entirely new. Be'lal also couldn't have anticipated that any modern, "primitive," Aes Sedai would even know the weave for balefire, let alone have the will to use it.

 

Untrained but he already killed a forsaken. He knew he could at least grasp Saiden, he couldn't know how often he was able too. But we know it doesn't take long to pull thru an Angreal, seconds, so I guess he thought he'd have time to form a weave while he tried to control it. it seems really really risky to me is all I'm saying. Not the way I would have played it out.

 

I'd have had a wonder girl or two with me held hostage, right beside me, telling him to grab it or else they die, slowly, one at a time.

 

@Vard The Joker in The Dark Knight. He lost RIGHT at the end because he didn't understand people as well as he thought he did. Not because the technicals of his plans were off.

 

Mostly, I just want the villains to actually BE a threat. So I have a reason to care about what's going on

 

Oh they're threats, it's not as bad as that.

 

The Joker was a threat, you're correct, but he still kept his pride, he could have done so much more. He talked too much.

[Agitel]

I doubt Be'lal knew exactly how events went down at the Eye of the World, if he even knew of it at all.

[EmperorAllspice]

I would've had the 13 Black Ajah weave a shield around Rand.