Shard gear is weird

[Mason Wheeler]

In one of the Adolin POVs in Words of Radiance, we see that the visor of his Shardplate helmet turns translucent, making him able to easily see out of it.  It even auto-compensates for Stormform lightning, even in the dead-plate version.

So why in the world is there a need for the potentially-lethal vulnerability that is an eye-slit?

In the same vein, when Adolin is training with Shallan in Oathbringer (I think,) he offers to get her a blade-edge strip.  These were created by the Radiants, to dull the edge of a Shardblade so that it can't actually cut people.  Shallan says no, she doesn't need one of those, and proceeds to use her Blade's intrinsic reshaping ability to simply dull itself.

If the Radiants had this power, why was there any need to invent blade-edge strips?

Do we have any WOBs addressing either of these questions?

[Werewolff Studios]

1 hour ago, Mason Wheeler said:

In one of the Adolin POVs in Words of Radiance, we see that the visor of his Shardplate helmet turns translucent, making him able to easily see out of it.  It even auto-compensates for Stormform lightning, even in the dead-plate version.

So why in the world is there a need for the potentially-lethal vulnerability that is an eye-slit?

I'd have to re-read the scene, but I believe that Dalinar says that the translucent sections dull quite a lot, like looking through stained or dirty glass. Very useful for sure for your peripheral vision, but a lot less detail then you'd want in something like a duel. The Coppermind also mentions that, if you were to seal the eyeslit, there's an implication that the helm becomes a solid piece, sealing the translucent sections. 

Radiant Shardplate doesn't have this drawback - their helm is fully sealed and completely transparent from within. 

1 hour ago, Mason Wheeler said:

In the same vein, when Adolin is training with Shallan in Oathbringer (I think,) he offers to get her a blade-edge strip.  These were created by the Radiants, to dull the edge of a Shardblade so that it can't actually cut people.  Shallan says no, she doesn't need one of those, and proceeds to use her Blade's intrinsic reshaping ability to simply dull itself.

If the Radiants had this power, why was there any need to invent blade-edge strips?

The Blade-edge strip was most likely developed after the Day of Recreance, not by the Radiants themselves, for the reason you specified. Unfortunately, we still don't know they're origin, only that they're quite old. 

Hope that helps!

[Frustration]

20 hours ago, Mason Wheeler said:

So why in the world is there a need for the potentially-lethal vulnerability that is an eye-slit?

 

Because without it you can't breathe

[Mason Wheeler]

17 hours ago, Frustration said:

Because without it you can't breathe

There's plenty of wiggle room between "not having big holes in the armor" and "airtight seal."

[Treamayne]

On 12/22/2022 at 5:07 PM, Mason Wheeler said:

These were created by the Radiants, to dull the edge of a Shardblade so that it can't actually cut people.

We have no evidence they were created by the Radiants - and it is far more likely to have been developed the same way people post-Recreance learned that affixing a gem to a Shardblade allowed the user to "bond" it.

On 12/22/2022 at 6:43 PM, Werewolff Studios said:

The Blade-edge strip was most likely developed after the Day of Recreance, not by the Radiants themselves, for the reason you specified. Unfortunately, we still don't know they're origin, only that they're quite old. 

^This^

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So why in the world is there a need for the potentially-lethal vulnerability that is an eye-slit?

Because during the Recreance, that was the shape of the helm when it's original Radiant broke their oaths. While subtle things like adjusting size to fit the bearer are still possible, fully altering the helmet shape is either no longer possible, or would require Command and Intent (and therefore impossible for modern Alethi who don't realize such changes may be possible and therefore never try).

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So why in the world is there a need for the potentially-lethal vulnerability that is an eye-slit?

Because without it you can't breathe

3 hours ago, Mason Wheeler said:

There's plenty of wiggle room between "not having big holes in the armor" and "airtight seal."

While I expect the breathe answer was sarcasm. . .

There is also a world of difference between "not airtight" and "enough airflow to sustain combat." For example, take a winter full-face skimask, put it on backward and try running on the treadmill. Even though the weave is air permeable, many people wouldn't last a mile as breath is impeded enough to increase lactic build-up and decrease aerobic function.

[Frustration]

4 hours ago, Mason Wheeler said:

There's plenty of wiggle room between "not having big holes in the armor" and "airtight seal."

It's not a big hole, their like 3-8mm.

Edited December 24, 2022 by Frustration