Traveling

[dEVabox]

Would someone care to explain to me what Traveling actually looks like? No matter how many people I ask, I still can't seem to get the image in my mind of the full process of a gateway opening, start to finish.

[michael.clinton83]

A horizontal line that slowing turns into a rectangular portal. I think of it almost like a wormhole, connecting two places to each other. You can look through the portal as if you were looking through a window into the destination. Once you cross, you can look back through to where you came from also like it's a window.

[Skeeve the Great]

Isn't line vertical? Otherwise Deathgates will look pretty stupid opening in up/down direction

[Ferdawoon]

A horizontal line that slowing turns into a rectangular portal. I think of it almost like a wormhole, connecting two places to each other. You can look through the portal as if you were looking through a window into the destination. Once you cross, you can look back through to where you came from also like it's a window.

Isn't line vertical? Otherwise Deathgates will look pretty stupid opening in up/down direction

Yes, it is described as a vertical line opening around it's central axis. Basicly, imagine an elevator open the doors and behind there is the new place you want to travel to.

[Alric]

I read this part yesterday, it might be explained better elsewhere but interesting nonetheless:

 

She vanished behind the gateway, and the fireballs continued. You could see through a gateway from the other side, though it appeared to be a heat haze hanging in the air. You could not walk through from that side, though the attempt would be extremely painful.

 

[rand4747]

they always mention the gateway rotating, so it seems like it starts off as a slit and as it open it rotates till its fully open and is vertical again, but in other descriptions it seems more just like a line that straight opens out. Others that as the line forms it rotates before opening up.

[Rose]

rand4747: I think the rotation is around a vertical axis, which is why it stays vertical while rotating. Kind of like a door that would start opening away from you and turn to face you while opening.

[bobarose]

Do gates still cut things up after they are opened?

 

I mean the traveling gates not the deathgates.

[MatBloodyCauthon]

I could only guess they did it never says that the sides become more concrete I don't think you would want to trip while going through one you might leave a member behind lol

[Rose]

Deathgates don't kill just by cutting through you. The main reason they kill is because they force Shadowspawn to pass through a gateway, which they are unable to survive. The cutting is just a bonus I think.

[dEVabox]

@SealedToTheFalme: I know what the gateway DOES, its just the opening process that intrigues me.

 

I think someone will need to draw out some animations and everyone decide on the final animation/drawing. I kinda still feel at a loss as to what the process of the opening looks like. The elevator doors one was kinda good, but it's the ROTATING bit that always throws me off.

[Aliriel]

@SealedToTheFalme: I know what the gateway DOES, its just the opening process that intrigues me.

 

I think someone will need to draw out some animations and everyone decide on the final animation/drawing. I kinda still feel at a loss as to what the process of the opening looks like. The elevator doors one was kinda good, but it's the ROTATING bit that always throws me off.

 

I've always invisisioned something like a very thin glass rotating door that just gets wider as it spins, going from thin line to fully open in a single 360 degree turn.

 

A.

[dEVabox]

 

I've always invisisioned something like a very thin glass rotating door that just gets wider as it spins, going from thin line to fully open in a single 360 degree turn.

 

A.

 

I would be interested to know what kind of cut that does in a tree. I think regularly we see people and trees get cut in half, unless I didn't read those correctly.

[vanceme]

I don't actually think it rotates. I would assume the "rotating" is an optical illusion your eyes create to cope with the unnatural way in which the gateway opens. What you are perceiving as rotation is actually the expanding sides

[bobarose]

Maybe its like a revolving door,but spinning a million times

 

faster than normal.If you put a limb to close to the edge owwies.

[michael.clinton83]

 

Not animated, but probably better than words.

[msbee]

I always imagined is as blue

[Sharaman]

The edge of a fully opened Gate is razor sharp. Several references I think.

[dEVabox]

 

That's from the comic. Doubtful of the frill's: just a comic touch.

[dEVabox]

@Sealed to the Flame, Definitely don't think that image qualifies: Too "wavy", ;)

[michael.clinton83]

@Sealed to the Flame, Definitely don't think that image qualifies: Too "wavy", ;)

 

Ya, I had always pictured the lines as straight, the comic one is good.

 

I randomly stumbled across that pic on the WOT Wiki under Davram Bashir and figured I'd post.

[dEVabox]

Don't know if I pictured them as blue ever though: More like a brilliant white, balefire like.

[dEVabox]

So, I just read through Crossroads and KnifeOfDreams, and think I finally have a very good impression of what a gateway now looks like. I will make an animation sometime to show my idea, but I think it goes something like this:

 

A vertical line appears. When it opens, it opens sideways left and right, just like an elevator door would (as Ferdawoon said). It's the view THROUGH the gateway as it opens that confuses people the most I believe. As the gateway OPENS, the view inside the gateway rotates. Imagine it like a painting that is upside down: As it gateway opens, the painting inside goes from upside down to the correct position.

 

Additionally, the sides of the gateways are just plain razor sharp: There is no need for the gateway to move fast to cut something: Just touching it will take your finger off.

 

As for those wondering what the gateway looks like from behind: KoD states it as a kind of summer haze, like the illusion of water in a desert or hot place.

[Roxinos]

Hope this helps:

 

 

The last little bit with the "elevator door opening" is optional. We're not actually given that description, I don't think. And for the most part the process occurs much more quickly than my little GIF depicts.

 

But yeah, this is how I've always pictured it (minus the elevator door-style opening; that I added in just to appease some people).

[Tyzack]

Wait, gateways are one way? I thought they were two way? Frequently characters go through, do something, then return.