Author Topic: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges  (Read 27211 times)

Argent

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WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« on: September 08, 2010, 06:29:35 PM »
Can someone explain, simply, how Kaladin an Bridge Four carry their bridges, before and after the change? Somehow I am having hard time visualizing this...
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jrh1524

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2010, 07:11:11 PM »
I think the bridges are pretty long (200'+?) and are set down before a chasm and then pushed across to create a path to cross the chasm.  Don't the bridges require 26+ bridgemen to carry?

Munin

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2010, 07:14:38 PM »
I think the bridges are pretty long (200'+?) and are set down before a chasm and then pushed across to create a path to cross the chasm.  Don't the bridges require 26+ bridgemen to carry?
Yeah, but if that's the case, it's impossible to get onto a plateau that's higher than the one you're already on.
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calvin

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2010, 07:27:26 PM »
I had a hard time visualizing it as well...maybe something that Inkthinker can show us what Brandon's vision is?  I was thinking it would be something that would be illustrated in the book, but then realized that Shallan wasn't on the Shattered Plains, so her visualization wouldn't have been shown.  Maybe when she gets there we'll get a picture?  If they still have bridge crews by then?  With Dalinar in charge, not sure what kind of bridge crews will crop up or disappear.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2010, 08:00:42 PM »
It is impossible to get onto a plateau that's higher than your current one. When they're crossing, they pick a spot that's lower on the other side. The bridges are somewhat over 40' long.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2010, 08:02:51 PM by Peter Ahlstrom »
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sdelu

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2010, 08:28:42 PM »
It is impossible to get onto a plateau that's higher than your current one. When they're crossing, they pick a spot that's lower on the other side. The bridges are somewhat over 40' long.

I guess the only problem with that would be that they would have to get back onto the higher levels on the way back.

I mean, they could just find an even lower plateau and go from there, but that seems really convenient that there's a path "downhill" there and a path "downhill" back...

Either way, I didn't have a problem with that at all.  I just took it for granted that it worked and didn't question the hows or whys of it.

calvin

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2010, 08:54:23 PM »
I had actually pictured the bridges being an elongated "V" shape so that one end was elevated as it was pushed across and the point dipped into the chasm in the middle.

Peter, I envy you your brainstorming sessions with Brandon. 

BTW, you've got a "gift" coming back with him from his D.C. signing.  Thanks for the insights here and there to keep us straight as we "supposes what we supposes".
« Last Edit: September 08, 2010, 08:56:15 PM by calvin »
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Inkthinker

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2010, 09:11:21 PM »
It's not so much that there's a "downhill" both up and back, but rather that the plateaus are not at all level with each other, meaning that adjacent plateaus may each have higher and lower points. You don't cross over at the same place each way. One reason that Sadeas's bridge crews are faster and more effective than Dalinar's mobile bridge towers is that it's easier to direct 25 men carrying a 40-50' bridge over rough terrain than to tow bridge towers in relays.

It's a subject that I haven't talked with Brandon about much, but from what I can tell the gaps between plateaus is rarely more than 20', at least in the territories that the crew traverse (the gaps get wider the deeper in you go) and the bridges are usually twice that length.

sdelu

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2010, 09:21:36 PM »
It's not so much that there's a "downhill" both up and back, but rather that the plateaus are not at all level with each other, meaning that adjacent plateaus may each have higher and lower points. You don't cross over at the same place each way. One reason that Sadeas's bridge crews are faster and more effective than Dalinar's mobile bridge towers is that it's easier to direct 25 men carrying a 40-50' bridge over rough terrain than to tow bridge towers in relays.


I understand that, but then they wouldn't be able to arrive exactly back in Sadeas' camp every time, or at least it doesn't make much sense. 

- If they leave over Plateau A and want to get to Plateau B, then logically Plateau A will be higher than B.
- To get to Plateau C, B will have to be higher than C
- To progress, they would always have to find a lower plateau.
- Eventually, they have to come back to platform A, or some other Plateau, which will be higher than any Plateau around it, since the path they take gets continually lower and lower.  They literally cannot keep finding plateaus that go continually lower and expect to wind all the way up at the camp again.

Wouldn't they eventually come to a point where they would HAVE to go upward?  Unless you're going to say "well the land is just so uneven that there's always a way to go down that will lead to a way up" or "there are some plateaus that have a low end and a high end."  Which I can buy, but just how many?

But then, this conundrum can be oh-so-easily explained by the permanent Bridges, couldn't it? :)

Still, I think there would  come a point where it would be impossible to reach certain plateaus or return to certain camps.  Interesting thought.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2010, 09:23:26 PM by sdelu »

rjl

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2010, 09:24:21 PM »
sdelu: you missed what inkthinkr said, crossing from plateau A to plateau B you find a spot where A is higher than B, going back you find a spot where B is higher than A as they're not at all even.

sdelu

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2010, 09:31:20 PM »
sdelu: you missed what inkthinkr said, crossing from plateau A to plateau B you find a spot where A is higher than B, going back you find a spot where B is higher than A as they're not at all even.

No, I understand that.  But out of all those plateaus, it's really going to be that convenient?

As I said, I don't really care if it makes sense or not.  There's an explanation and I can certainly "suspend my disbelief" that everything works out so cleanly, but I was now just thinking of the implications this could have on the story.

What IF an army got stuck out on the plains, much like Dalinar almost did?  What if they couldn't get back to their camp, but had to go through another?  See, it could be used in some way, some how.  Maybe one of the highprinces will be stuck and they won't save them from the Parshendi without an alliance, yada yada.

So I'm not just thinking in terms of "is this possible" as much as "what would this mean"?  And I find the possibilities interesting!

Argent

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2010, 09:35:57 PM »
My issue actually was with the two types of bridge carrying. I can't pull the book right now, but if I recall correctly the "standard" way to carry a bridge is... shoulder carry? Does that mean that the entire crew is spread somewhat evenly around the sides of the bridge, carrying it on their left or right shoulder? I don't think they can be underneath, I think Kaladin tried that later on.

Also, the new model was... bridge on the side? So lifting the bridge vertically? I may be just retarded here, but "side carry" of an object with 3 different sides didn't make much sense my foreign mind...
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rjl

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2010, 11:12:04 PM »
Standard, it's on their shoulders, I think they're under the edges of it.

Side carry, they bunch up and carry it at an angle so it almost reaches the ground at one side and sticks up quite a bit at the other side, I did wonder how it worked myself, probably part of it has to do with there being more space underneath it than at the edges, so you can have your arms at the same height in the middle as someone at an edge and be holding it at a lower height.

FollowYourMuse

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #13 on: September 09, 2010, 01:46:21 AM »
From what I recall, and the way I pictured it When Kaladin was in front he had people on each side, so I would say they are under the bridge 3+ across, and that some of the crews had many mor 40? men on them at least on the way out, The description of the Yokes and shoulder cary, is just like a canoe yoke for portaging.   


Inkthinker

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Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« Reply #14 on: September 09, 2010, 04:00:30 AM »
Remember as well that the bridge is hollow inside, with sections reinforced and separated by supports. It's these that the men hold onto when using the side-carry strategy (which is admittedly awkward, but serves to use the bridge as a makeshift shield).

The canoe portage analogy isn't bad, if it were a canoe that was 10 feet wide and 40 feet long.

Something else I've been assuming about the bridges is that they're heavily weighted to the rear in order to allow them to be pushed out over the gap without tipping.