2013-04-03: [CT]Moving On...

[Imp-Chan]

Not to discourage the discussion or anything, 'cause it is awesome and interesting, but...

Ahem.



^-^'

[Graybeard]

Not to discourage the discussion or anything, 'cause it is awesome and interesting, but...

Ahem.

Sigh... I know, Impy, catgirls can become an endangered species around here. However, two points. First, we're not debating here about a clash between real-world physics and a thaumatically-enhanced world, nothing like say pointing out the energy requirements to keep Ianilis levitating so long; that would be murder on catgirls. Rather, it's an attempt to make simple numbers work in an historical context -- and arithmetic works just as well in the Errant World as in our own, as does history (although the "history" that's being deduced is obviously quite different from ours).

Second and more important, we're talking here about one of the key underpinnings of the Errant World, and IMO it's important to get that right. One of the key differences between a good fictional universe and a great one is that in the great one, the authors go to considerable lengths to make everything self-consistent. They don't necessarily have to be logical -- some great works of fantasy have resulted from universes where logic and order in world-building goes right out the window -- but there's an underlying reason for the illogic and disorder that goes beyond "because I, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, creator of this world and of the immortal phrase 'It was a dark and stormy night', said so." An excellent example that I recommend reading is "Time Storm" by Gordon R. Dickson, which has a superbly rule-less universe that the protagonist has to survive -- but also a very good reason for the lack of rules that is explained and maintained through the story.

If the Errant World is going to lead to sequels/prequels, and those works are going to be as well received as Errant Story or better, it's going to be important to ferret out those inconsistencies and do something about them, and the generational thing is one of the main ones. I really hope that's done. Errant Story was too good for its reputation to be injured by avoidable historical inconsistencies if there's an alternative.

[hkmaly]

Sigh... I know, Impy, catgirls can become an endangered species around here. However, two points. First, we're not debating here about a clash between real-world physics and a thaumatically-enhanced world, nothing like say pointing out the energy requirements to keep Ianilis levitating so long; that would be murder on catgirls. Rather, it's an attempt to make simple numbers work in an historical context -- and arithmetic works just as well in the Errant World as in our own, as does history (although the "history" that's being deduced is obviously quite different from ours).

Second and more important, we're talking here about one of the key underpinnings of the Errant World, and IMO it's important to get that right. One of the key differences between a good fictional universe and a great one is that in the great one, the authors go to considerable lengths to make everything self-consistent. The don't necessarily have to be logical -- some great works of fantasy have resulted from universes where logic and order in world-building goes right out the window

... people are geting this incorrectly very often it seems. Logic is the first thing which must work. Universe where A=>(B=>A) doesn't work will be even weirder that universe where 1+1 isn't 2. The thing that doesn't need to work is common sense, which is a collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen and usually doesn't work in our universe either. And, of course, physic. For example, in fictional universe the F = ma may not work. Oh wait, doesn't work in our universe either when you aproach speed of light ...

Also, levitating in one place would not require energy even in our universe. And going one meter up don't need to require more energy if you levitate it that if you use ladder.


But, back to the discussion about elves ... what about the possibility that elves don't consider two elves as siblings if one of them reach adulthood before the other is born? I mean, they could have same mother and even father, but still wouldn't really live together as one family at any point of their live.