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Bigmikey357

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  1. Bigmikey357
    Okay thanks. I figured I was missing something.
  2. Bigmikey357
    I am glad that Drominad has a fighting chance now, I really am. However, I am not completely sure about the ability of Navigators, in particular their exclusivity. It was mentioned in this very book that a bronze seeker could theoretically feel the pulses of the Knell, and that this power is repeatable in other cosmere magic systems. Not all of them, but it's not exactly uncommon. Furthermore, there must be other Navigators that are not from Drominad, else how would Star know to lament the fact that they needed one? I would think Scadrial at the very least would be hard at work industrializing that particular power considering their expansionist ways, or the Threnodites with their particular connection would have the inside track on using the Knell as a navigational beacon. So am I missing something? Are the Trappers just better at it than everyone else? Are Seekers and others like them affected by the Emberdark in the same way radio and other systems like it are? Help me out guys.
  3. Bigmikey357
    Blackthorn as a spiritual realm entity, influenced by people's perception of him, that IMO bumps up his effectiveness as TR's newest general. And although I failed to state it, I'm not denying @Soccorro and their point that middle age Dalinar became a strategic genius as it pertains to warfare. I guess that makes him impressive and a good lure for a guy with excellent planning but no real battlefield experience. I can also admit that his alternatives kinda suck other than El. All that being said, I still think that guy is the wrong one to pick. And his competency is a part of the problem. Once again, TR has the Spiritual Realm tapes. He knows good and well (or should) that Blackthorn was inches away from shredding Gavilar and taking over everything. Only brotherly love kept him pointed in the right direction. Now I'm sure TR is arrogant enough to believe he can ride herd on the type of monster Blackthorn can become but I'm not so sure. For all Taravanginan's genius he has almost never inspired loyalty, he gets followers through mutual benefit or threats. He has had such a problem with Dalinar because he's the type of person who can bowl over threats and ignore mutual benefit if he has a goal in mind. And that's Old Dalinar, tempered by wisdom and experience. You telling me he's going to have no problems controlling the less restrained version of that guy?
  4. Bigmikey357
    I preface this post by saying I love Dalinar. As a former soldier I can confidently say that he'd be a commander I could fight for. That being said, I cannot see why Blackthorn would be so sought out, such a valuable piece in the war for the greater Cosmere. I get the pros of having him for a commander. He was strong, charismatic, had an iron will and was absolutely ruthless. However, the man TR grabbed, at that point in Dalinar's history, could be seen as nothing but a liability at worst and an attack dog on a leash at best. And really, in a future war with future tech I'm not sure how effective he can even be. Hell, even his good points can be questioned. For strength, that matters a little less when you got bullets and bombs to deal with. For charisma, kinda hard to follow a guy who loses control and kills allies. The iron will is great and all, but that's going to be hard to project when your army is millions strong. He does have a good eye for personnel which helps, but nobody can pick right all the time. Lastly, ruthlessness. The most ruthless thing he ever did was at the Rift and he was already trying to walk that back even before the job was done. I think everyone in the story bought the reputation of the Blackthorn and judged based off of that. It's a mistake, one that TR should not be making. He has the Spiritual Realm tapes, he should know the real deal about who he got to run his military campaign. He should not have picked a mad dog whose reputation doesn't extend past Roshar. A mad dog that is just as likely to turn on the guy who holds his leash. Old Dalinar? The guy we got running the Shattered Plains campaign? The guy who brute forced a coalition out of spare parts? The guy who forced a God to the negotiating table? Absolutely. He'd be an awesome guy to hand off overall command of your war across the stars. But not the guy who torched the Rift. Someone tell me if I'm misreading this.
  5. Bigmikey357
    Well her plan A and plan B blew up in her face big time. For the sake of Roshar's eternal night, plan C (Lyft) had better be special. Probably not though, she has a tendency to be outclassed by the humans she picks.
  6. Bigmikey357
    It's not a great situation but the alternatives are way worse. If Dalinar does not pick the path he chooses either the Shardic conflict destroys a planet that has been simmering in a pressure cooker for 7 millennia or the war keeps ongoing for another 1000 years. If you believe that as long as there's life there's hope, living on a world oppressed but with a non-zero chance at peace between the inhabitants is better than forever war or total annihilation. That being said, Unite Them is sort of a letdown but that's hardly Dalinar's fault. Nobody giving that directive is being in any way clear with their instructions or even their identity.
  7. Bigmikey357
    My issue with any Shard other than our 3 main peeps in Roshar is that there's no effects that we've ever seen manifest on the planet in any way. Even if the Shard was hiding, having that much Investiture means that power will manifest somewhere even if the vessel is deliberately masking its presence. Having another Shard in Roshar, whoever it is, would require either pushing nearly all of their power into the Spiritual Realm or having a base outside the system and likely out the way of any sapient species. If they are doing that much to hide that leaves no power to influence the conflict in any meaningful way. Plugging into a magic system and modifying something that already exists would be easier than cobbling up something from scratch but still probably something Herald level to accomplish, hard for something like that to go under the radar. Besides, something like the UnOathed could be accomplished without any Shardic intervention as long as Connection is there. Humans have been pushing the boundaries of Honor's power even before Tanavast fell. That being said, the 4th Moon did fall. There is something there. A Shard could have been lurking using some method by which we have yet to be introduced. I don't like it but I don't have to. If I must pick a Shard, I'd go Valor over Reason. Adolin has 0 connection to anything that resembles Reason. He has been valorous many times, has been since he was a kid. Is that enough to form a Connection? Maybe. At least more than Reason IMO.
  8. Bigmikey357
    The Radiants can probably run on Warlight. TR has two entire Orders under his direct sway and it would be a shame if he could not use them. Radiants will have Stormlight. Navani already wrote the book on how to get it from alternative light sources. It's probably gonna be expensive but not unobtainable. Further, TR himself could probably provide either light individually or the blend. My question isn't for existing Radiants, they'll be fine for power, or at least not totally empty. My question is who is verifying the Oaths or initiating new bonds? They can't all be UnOathed, right? And if they are, do they get more than just power armor and mutable sword eventually?
  9. Bigmikey357
    For Odium, he's got the entire Cosmere to conquer and for sure he can't do it alone. He needs Generals. Plural. No matter how bad the debate made her look, if a literal God thinks that Jasnah would be a good person to have in his employ that is probably the best proof of concept that she is nearly as awesome as she has been portrayed. And if he is taking time out of his very busy schedule to humble someone for a city he basically had in the bag (nobody on team Honor foresaw any of TO's countermeasures) just to open up the possibility of picking up a great puzzle piece later on it's probably a good bet that she's worth that effort.
  10. Bigmikey357
    Personally I think their relationship has passed into the Beyond. Wit is an immortal with some very ossified thought patterns. He is almost literally incapable of giving Jasnah what she craves in a partner, openness and honesty. Then there's the intimacy issue. And after her humbling by Retribution I'm pretty sure she is over immortal beings now.
  11. Bigmikey357
    It's not quite a retcon, Szeth swore the 3rd Ideal. I think once you get to the 3rd, you can under extreme circumstances jump up to 5. I don't think you can jump from 1 all the way to 5, spirit web ain't stretched out enough for that. Of course all bets are off now, everything seems likely to work differently with the new management.
  12. Bigmikey357
    For me, I both loved and hated the debate and it has very little to do with the points raised in said debate. Jasnah is and has been one of my favorite characters in SA. She is a badass. And Odium beat her like a drum. He didn't have to do it that way, he could have taken TC without all the drama. I loved the scene because as much as I like Jasnah she did need some character development going forward; this loss will temper her for the troubles ahead. Plus it harkens back to their little debate on religion in WoK. I hate it because it was painful to watch her get murdered in her own field of expertise. If she lost a swordfight or a battle, sure sure. It's not like she trained for that her entire life. But she has been verbally smacking down everyone this entire series and to see her being brought low, well it hurts. Which means it's a well done scene.
  13. Bigmikey357
    While I respect all opinions expressed here, I respectfully disagree (should come as no surprise). I think that the narrative choices expressed in these preview chapters in regards to dialogue between our protagonists makes sense; the patterns are well established. Personalities tend to change after swearing Oaths. Kaladin being less sadboi than usual after his second escape from the Honor Chasm is what was supposed to happen IMO. Shallan being more powerful and competent after reestablishing her connection with Testament as well as her gaining armor after incorporation with Veil is the right choice. As far as the banter, there has always been a certain amount of that, especially in the Shallan chapters. Banter and wisecracks are her major coping mechanism after all. And Kaladin saying goodbye to his loved ones before going off on a mission he is unsure he will return from, I don't know why anyone would find that objectionable. Personally I quite enjoyed the sample chapters. I agree with some of the posters in that this is the calm before the storm, a set up for some truly gut-wrenching future scenes. The only thing that felt a bit off to me was Szeth, but even that could probably be justified. I haven't read RoW in awhile. Anyway, I'm not seeing any slippage in Brandon's writing, at least not in this series. For the OP's concerns, I am not sure what you'd have him do differently that would make for a significantly better story. Furthermore, it's a bit premature IMO to judge a work in its entirety based on the first fifth of the book. But of course all opinions are welcome.
  14. Bigmikey357
    The answer is pretty obvious narrative wise. He is bonded to a dead blade. But that brings to mind another question for me. We know Maya is of a spren class that makes Edgedancers. Is the bond between them making him a better candidate for the order? All throughout the series we've seen him act as an ideal Edgedancer and his connection with Maya was always stronger than most Shardbearers. We see Adolin as pretty well adjusted as compared to the rest of the main cast, could Maya be working her way into his spiritweb to make the cracks herself, much like a vine to a stone wall, thereby altering his behavior and making him KR through a backdoor?
  15. Bigmikey357
    Do I get a specialty invite? I know Cosmere stuff.
  16. Bigmikey357
    I think the most useful theoretical magictech device would be a machine or object that changes Connection at will. If you are connected to the Cosmere magic you're trying to use you tend to get more bang for your buck than if you get a device that you just happened to make work. A shardblade in the hands of a Rosharan is going to work way better than one in the hands of someone from Taldain even if they could get the spren to work with him. That way someone could do what Hoid does way easier. I can imagine someone building a set with a template corresponding to a world, either to blend in with the local populace or to counter the local powerset. I can imagine someone with multiple rings or bracers or whatever, and they can be a Rosharan for one day, a Scadrian the next so long as the power lasts. Shai already proves something like that can be done. One thing that is probably for sure, Kelsier will definitely be a Mistborn again.
  17. Bigmikey357
    I believe that as we progress through the Cosmere eras the magic system conversations we've all been having (the great Mistborn v Radiant thread for example) are trending towards less and less relevance. If the Cosmere related secrets projects have taught us anything, it's that magictech is democratizing power in the Cosmere in many ways. It's no longer enough to be a Radiant or an Awakened or even an Elantrian; depending on the development of the planet one stands one can acquire more than enough power or powers to stand toe to toe against any singular so-called magic system user. What matters more is the knowledge to be able to counter any displayed ability and having the right mechanism to do so. Batman beats Superman in future Cosmere nearly every time. That's not to say some things aren't dangerous no matter how many tools one has in their trick bag. Nightblood and entities like it (I don't believe for a second that it'll be the only one, too useful), Dawnshards and Dragons, likely Full Shards are some examples. However the examples I listed were probably already beyond what one would traditionally classify as a magic system or its limits in the first place. Magictech breaks systems and makes abilities uppermost. It allows mix and match customization and makes one take into consideration synergy of abilities. It also makes one have to take into account the strength and elasticity of a soul. One can do nearly anything with enough BEU. Only a few entities can do nearly everything. Any thoughts guys?
  18. Bigmikey357
    We do know from the examples of the Heralds and from Vasher and even Hoid that humans aren't especially equipped for immortality and that is a problem a Shard has to particularly deal with. I don't believe wisdom has all that much to do with being a Vessel. It's more about compatibility with the Intent and the ability to resist Shardic pressure. But even if wisdom is a determining factor when it comes to being a Vessel and Humans are just as capable as Dragons at managing the immense power of a Shard in that way, having a body that is naturally immortal has to be considered as one less thing to deal with. A Vessel with a mind that isn't crumbling from the ravages of advanced age is by default better able to cope with all the difficulties with the position than one that is.
  19. Bigmikey357
    Well Cultivation is a Dragon, naturally immortal and thus probably better able to deal with the effects a Shard imposes on its Vessels. If she's better able to wield Fortune then color me not surprised.
  20. Bigmikey357
    Yeah I'm still not sure what Renarin did at TC with that thunderclast at the end. He cracked open a ball of light, the thunderclast ran. Both Renarin and Glys are so vague that I can't be sure about anything. But I saw nothing wrong or funky with his Progression Surge beforehand.
  21. Bigmikey357
    Just to nitpick a little bit, I believe Renarin lost the ability to lightweave normally as a consequence of Glys' altered state. It's stated in the text that non altered Truthwatchers can make Shallan style illusions just fine (though they don't explain the method). What I think is occurring here is a tradeoff. Renarin as an alternative Truthwatcher gains futuresight but loses traditional lightweaving. More power to one Surge yields less power to the other when most people are closer to a balance However, he still gets to keep his Resonance. What we see when he shows Moash (and Adolin, don't forget) their Ideal he is using his Resonance. In fact, now that I think about it, I begin to believe that the truth watching that they all do is just their Resonance at work. Their surges are illumination and progression (regrowth/healing) and I have not noticed Renarin being extraordinary in either of his Surges, and particularly weak with Lightweaving. So I guess the 'fuel' for his Resonance boost (his futuresight) comes from a weakening of his normal surges, more from the lightweaving side of the ledger.
  22. Bigmikey357
    If Cultivation had the opportunity to hold the Harmony Shard she'd do a better job of it than Sazed. He doesn't have the temperament for true Harmony, he'd be better as just Preservation.
  23. Bigmikey357
    The OP's theory gives one much to think about. I don't necessarily agree with it but I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually true. After reading the comments here's what I believe is going on: . Renarin is special. His full Truthwatcher ability to see the future was unlocked by his bond with Glys. . OG Truthwatchers could NOT see the future, their vision was limited to past and present in a wide range, particularly good with subjects they had a Connection to. . Ancients with the powers that eventually became codified as Truthwatcher powers could indeed see the future before Ishar forced organization on Surgebinders. Either by Ishar's decree or Honor's will, those Truthwatchers were denied futuresight. . At the time of the Recreance those restrictions, indeed the restrictions for all KR were loosening due to Honor's impending demise. A couple of Truthwatchers in that Era got a peek behind the veil and it freaked them, so much so that they felt it must be recorded. . Those protections in the current Era are even weaker now than they were during the Recreance, leading to more capable KR and less rigid restrictions to the magic. This also makes it far easier to corrupt. But much like the Oathpact before Jezrian was murdered, the protections are still being enforced if perhaps in a limited way. A Truthwatcher with no real need to test the ancient restrictions would not be able to see the future. If Renarin had been chosen by an untouched Mistpren he'd not be able to see the future either, or at least not nearly as frequently as he apparently does.
  24. Bigmikey357
    I think we've known for awhile now that different Orders shape their Plate from different Spren. Doesn't that mean that they all have a special function outside of the basic?
  25. Bigmikey357
    @The Technovore I like the analysis, good job.. A couple comments. 1. Roshar is not seriously planning any invasion in the Cosmere without Radiants. They aren't stupid. Even with Radiancy being a relatively new concept for modern Roshar their scouts would tell then they would be going against a planet of magic users. They ain't going in naked. 2. Stormlight supply is the biggest limiting factor for a Rosharan offensive. I don't see them using gunpowder weaponry like Scadrial's forces, they seem more comfortable with light based weaponry. But to do so they're going to need a breakthrough to keep their forces properly supplied. 3. Of the opposing forces, Roshar benefits much more from a scout force than Scadrial because Scadrial's weapons aren't exactly unique. It's much easier to get a gun than a Shardblade. And if Roshar goes in prepared they have the commanders to best take advantage of the information gained. If they can go in with at least comparable weapons Scadrial is going to have a really tough patch. Still, I agree for the most part with the assessment.
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