Baen sample chapters (Spoilers)

But Peter, David Weber shows that they are that similar.
Do you say that he is *lying* about it?

HTM
"All novelists are liars." Eric Flint

PeterZ wrote:
{snip - HTM}

Bottom line is that if the physical laws of one universe changed even in the slightest way from another, the two universes COULD NOT be as similar as the multiverse portrays. That mandates the magical and psychic phenomena to be non-physical in nature. Since these phenomena are linked to sentience, it allows for all the universe to evolve in almost identical ways UNTIL sentient beings intrude.

The map is supposed to give a second distance if sea travel is involved, but the one in the side chain is not mentioned.

Say they push the enemy just beyond hells gate, how long would it take to build train track all tye way to the front. It could be speeded up if the began stockpjling material and equipment and men in preparation. Their enemy is at the end of a long supply line, so they would have a period of safety to build in.

Trains might be vulnerable, but the sheer mass they can move will make up for it and they can always establish a secondary purely cavalry or steam vehicles just in case.

Not at all! I chalk it up to the readers failing to understand his.....careful descriptions.

I recall a spirited discussion in the Bahzelverse prior to WMC. One his his descriptions of potential v actual futures was misunderstood. Posters argued vigorously until the position was clarified in WMC and to some extent further clarified in SotS.

Long and the short of it is that the potential universes were never made real but some part of that potential existed to make shadow men. Their existence was never physically manifest but real enough that they could be called forth into reality through magic.

That's my point here. The physical laws are the same throughout the multiverse but there is more than the physical laws in reality. Those other features beyond physical laws are likely also identical throughout the multiverse but sentients may not be able to access all of those non-physical features.

Howard T. Map-addict wrote:But Peter, David Weber shows that they are that similar.
Do you say that he is *lying* about it?

HTM
"All novelists are liars." Eric Flint

PeterZ wrote:
{snip - HTM}

Bottom line is that if the physical laws of one universe changed even in the slightest way from another, the two universes COULD NOT be as similar as the multiverse portrays. That mandates the magical and psychic phenomena to be non-physical in nature. Since these phenomena are linked to sentience, it allows for all the universe to evolve in almost identical ways UNTIL sentient beings intrude.

PeterZ wrote:No. Whatever the explanation for psychic and magical phenomena, they MUST be layered over a constant and continuously operating set of physical laws.

I could agree with you if it was only talents and magic that were affected. But sharonian weaponry (no talent or magic involved) is also affected. So why would the Sharonian rifle not function if there was a layer of continuously operating physical laws in place. Somehow a part of the physical laws changed that didn't permit the rifle to function until a Sharonian tried it, and then it didn't function properly. The rifle only functioned at full power when Gadrial came up with a pseudo magical explanation for its function. An explanation that she admitted turned what the Arcanans knew of physics on its head.

The part about Jathmar and Gadrial being able to fire the rifle, are both important, I'm just not sure what it means yet. A few of guesses:

1. Gadrial may have used magic to supplement the firing of the weapon (we don't see a any one else try to fire it after she gives her explanation). She may not have even known she was doing it.

2. Jathmar (and any other Sharonian) may have an area around them in which their home physics may partially function, regardless of where they are.

3. A sentient being may be altering the physics around them by the simple expectation in the alterations. If so then a world may end up assuming an average if its inhabitants beliefs in physics. That average then becomes the rule (regardless of apparent inconsistencies to us), and then are taught as fact, cementing the physics in place. This could explain why we have legends of magic and dragons (people used to believe in it).

Or the non-physical phenomena like magic can interfere with physical laws. If there was a plethora of aether interfering with natural laws around that firing range, Gadrial's control of aether could allow natural laws to work more freely simply by preventing them from intruding into the reactions Jathmar described.

Jathmar's understanding helped organize the aether, prevent it from interfering with natural laws but mot nearly as clearly as Gadrial.

Astelon wrote:

PeterZ wrote:No. Whatever the explanation for psychic and magical phenomena, they MUST be layered over a constant and continuously operating set of physical laws.

I could agree with you if it was only talents and magic that were affected. But sharonian weaponry (no talent or magic involved) is also affected. So why would the Sharonian rifle not function if there was a layer of continuously operating physical laws in place. Somehow a part of the physical laws changed that didn't permit the rifle to function until a Sharonian tried it, and then it didn't function properly. The rifle only functioned at full power when Gadrial came up with a pseudo magical explanation for its function. An explanation that she admitted turned what the Arcanans knew of physics on its head.

The part about Jathmar and Gadrial being able to fire the rifle, are both important, I'm just not sure what it means yet. A few of guesses:

1. Gadrial may have used magic to supplement the firing of the weapon (we don't see a any one else try to fire it after she gives her explanation). She may not have even known she was doing it.

2. Jathmar (and any other Sharonian) may have an area around them in which their home physics may partially function, regardless of where they are.

3. A sentient being may be altering the physics around them by the simple expectation in the alterations. If so then a world may end up assuming an average if its inhabitants beliefs in physics. That average then becomes the rule (regardless of apparent inconsistencies to us), and then are taught as fact, cementing the physics in place. This could explain why we have legends of magic and dragons (people used to believe in it).

Does anyone know the percentage of the population that is "gifted" on Arcana?

Don

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n7axw wrote:Does anyone know the percentage of the population that is "gifted" on Arcana?

Don

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20% of Arcanans are Gifted with a useful amount of the Gift. 80% of Sharonans have at least a trace of Talent. 20% are sufficiently talented to make a living with their talent.

SYED wrote:The map is supposed to give a second distance if sea travel is involved, but the one in the side chain is not mentioned.

Say they push the enemy just beyond hells gate, how long would it take to build train track all tye way to the front. It could be speeded up if the began stockpjling material and equipment and men in preparation. Their enemy is at the end of a long supply line, so they would have a period of safety to build in.

Trains might be vulnerable, but the sheer mass they can move will make up for it and they can always establish a secondary purely cavalry or steam vehicles just in case.

Building the rail to Hell's Gate from current rail heads I think will be a 1-5 year endeavor, with supply of rations and other perishables being the actual bottle neck, not rail or other non-perishables.

Both sides are actually operating more or less on a shoestring at Hell's Gate, and I agree with several other posters that the Sharonian offensive will get there about the same time as the Arcanan reinforcements.

The thing is the trains offer a huge advantage. Sure it is vulnerable to interception and sabotage, but t hard would only extend so far in to the sharonans worlds. So a lot of material and people can be brought closer to the front lines, then make other arrangements to complete the trip.
Even the magical sliders don't have the same capability.

The sliders actually have similar capability, they don't have nearly as much capacity. They do have greater flexibility to partially make up for it. The front is so far from the slider head that I doubt it will make much difference for some time.

PeterZ wrote:Or the non-physical phenomena like magic can interfere with physical laws. If there was a plethora of aether interfering with natural laws around that firing range, Gadrial's control of aether could allow natural laws to work more freely simply by preventing them from intruding into the reactions Jathmar described.

That would assume that a non-gifted person (Jathmar) could alter the aether. It is a possibility to consider, but not one I am willing to swallow just yet. I would need to know more about Arcanan physics before I could make any real judgment.