[Dragaera] The New Palace

[David Dyer-Bennet]

On Wed, June 2, 2010 15:39, Jon%20Lincicum wrote:
>
> ----- "David Dyer-Bennet" <dd-b at dd-b.net> wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, June 2, 2010 14:01, Jon%20Lincicum wrote:
>>
>> > Why would a brigand buy a 50 imperial bow when a 3 orb throwing knife
>> or
>> > flashstone will do the same job and be easier for him to use?
>>
>> Have you ever used a bow? Or thrown a knife? My feeling is that the bow
>> is tremendously easier to use effectively than the throwing knife. (The
>> bow is big an awkward and needs space to use.)
>
> Yes, to both, actually. Boy Scouts. (Long story.)
>
> I will grant that archery is easier to do consistently once you get the
> hang of it, but it does require training with the equipment to get to that
> point. And if the equipment is hard to come by, it might still be a
> simpler option for both brigand and hunter to use a knife, sling, or
> flashstone.

(I'm not terribly good at either, you understand.)

Archery is certainly non-trivial.  Just to achieve basic competence (will
at least scare a stationary target at 25 feet, say) is non-trivial.  It's
my impression that basic competence with a thrown knife is MUCH harder. 
Until you get rather  a lot of practice there's about a 50:50 chance that
the wrong end of the knife will hit the target, for example :-).

> I tend to discount Teckla hunters from my equation, since I figure Teckla
> would not have the means to engage in sport hunting. As for subsistence
> hunting, I envision setting traps and snares as far more in keeping with
> the personality of a Teckla than hunting with bow and arrow anyway. There
> does not seem to be a large call for subsistence hunting in modern
> Dragaera in any case; the level of domesticated argriculture appears
> fairly close to our own.

Agree about lack of Teckla sport hunting, and food hunting being better
conducted with traps and snares (and just what is the difference between a
trap and a snare, anyway?) in most environments.

I wonder how much meat is available in the rural Teckla diet?

>> The flashstone is probably a better weapon for a brigand; it's very
>> close
>> to exactly equivalent to an early pistol, fairly easy to use, rather
>> short-range, and devastating if you hit your target.
>
> I agree with this.

It's harder to reload, though.  But since people were talking about it as
an option, I've been ignoring that part.

>> However, a couple of brigands with bows standing off, plus the ones
>> up-front having flash-stones, is a better tactical setup. The bow is
>> more
>> equivalent to a rifle than a pistol.
>
> Could be. But I don't necessarily think we've seen enough of brigands in
> Dragaera to say for certain that none use this exact technique. Wadre's
> Band and Piro's Band seem like they could easily both be atypical
> examples.

I agree again.  They could indeed be atypical.  Most especially Piro's.

-- 
David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b at dd-b.net; http://dd-b.net/
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