2011-04-07: My Forces

[The Comment Golem]

Discussion thread for My Forces

[Dusty Lens]

With speeches like that who needs enemies?

[normalphil]

Not quite "Remember the Alamo!"...

Well, maybe if given at San Jacinto... by Santa Annna...

[Slamlander]

Nothing like rubbing the pooch's nose in it, is there?

Since no one here seems to be willing to step up ...

If Sarine and Company survive this then Sarine would be defacto leader of the surviving elves. She'll have a force of ~80 Viradior and the Paedogogusi. If the Paedo's can keep Ianilis busy then the Viradior might have an even chance verses the Ensigerum. The odds go in her favor when the Tsuirakuan fleet and Meji finally show up.

I don't think that zombies will stand any sort of chance against Heliomancers.

[Aajav-Khan]

Errr...is that supposed to be the traditional pre-battle morale raising pep talk? Because if it is, it sure is a strange
one. When your people are facing an immediate battle that might lead to their extinction, you should not start reciting a political
statement about how they and their policies suck. My first reaction to a "pep talk" like this would be to 1) conclude that the speaker
is nuts and 2) we are all going to die.

Concentrate on the immediate needs by following the KISS principle. Boost morale by a few encouraging words, identify the enemy and explain the plan. The political blame game can wait for the time after the battle ( provided that there are any elves left alive ).

[Initial B]

I think she spoke that way to remind all the elves why they're fighting - that it is their own darn fault that they are fighting against extermination right now. Granted that may be a point of view not shared by all, but at least it gives everyone something to focus on. In addition to just surviving.

[Graybeard]

I think she spoke that way to remind all the elves why they're fighting - that it is their own darn fault that they are fighting against extermination right now. Granted that may be a point of view not shared by all, but at least it gives everyone something to focus on. In addition to just surviving.

For sure, but at times like that, not everything that "can" be said "should" be said. The only question that Sarine should be asking right now is: what steps will help us get out of this mess? It is not obvious to me that getting on that particular soapbox at that particular time is a productive thing to do -- even though she is 100% correct.

That said, even those among us readers who have been in combat (there are some, although I am not among them) have never been in a combat quite like this one. It's easier to justify suspension of disbelief and let the oration go on here than it would be in any number of war movies and novels where similar speeches are made.

[Ged]

This may well be the only time she gets to say it; she bites it in the following fight or something. Besides, people who've been around for a while are very unlikely to believe the happy families BS.

[beckbat]

What I'm hearing is: "time to admit I was right for the past one thousand years and if I was right about all of THAT, then I'm more likely than YOU to be right about all of THIS. So, if you want to live do what I say." All in all, kinda harsh way to put it but even if you're a bitch about it, when you're right, you're right.

[4uk4ata]

This isn't the right time for that speech, though - the last thing the elves need to stand a chance in the upcoming fight is to be reminded it's all their fault and how none of this would have happened if they hadn't been such jerks. I'm more inclined to say it's one of the "And before we all get killed, I want to tell you how much I hate you" speeches, but that doesn't really help with their chances chances . Remember, these are the guys who are supposed to be ready to put their lives on the line so the rest have a somewhat bigger chance to survive. Those are the people she's leading into a suicide mission - and the more suicidal it is (as in, the more attention they gather from Ian and the Ensigerum), the better. Yet she begins with recriminations... seriously, what rousing speech begins with how your enemies (you know, the guys who thrashed your sanctuary, reanimated your dead into unliving monstrocities and are trying to kill every last one of you) are tragically misunderstood and it's all your fault?

Sarine better have a genius way with words to turn that baby around, otherwise it would be a rousing speech in the league of "So let's get our throats cut!"