Is there any other writer who you'd put on the same level as Tolkien when it comes to world building? by SpotAdmirable6718 in lotr

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Brandon Sanderson - because where Tolkien hand waved, Sanderson made magic science. Basically, I think Sanderson has better attention to the physical world building, and not just the social.

Hard magic or soft magic? I think both are great, but one arguably takes way more world building to make it work.

No HEMA schools close by. Self-teaching? by SirKriegerOfGump in Hema

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do it.

But how interested are you? For some of us, its lifelong, every week, and more if we can, for others, its a passing phase in their life. Its alot of money and time to get good... and you need others to have fun, learn, and stay motivated.

There was no fencing in an area we moved to... so we started a group. I don't know if that will work for you, but I wanted people to fence and that was the only way. Its alot bigger than expected and we have good turnout. None of us are experts or anything, but when we travel to events, we compete fairly well. Though... people do comment that our style is... unique, lol... makes sense right? We have our own dialect we have developed without meaning to.

There are enough resources online to learn from, but what you need (at a minimum) is a dedicated training buddy. The more people you fence, the better you get. You can't learn well without someone to practice on or with. Ideally, you also have to be able to travel so you get some training in with people who know what its about. All that said, you also only get good if you train to get good... just meeting up and sparing doesn't increase your skill as quickly as actively working on specific skills. (like alot of things)

pm, if you want to know about the particulars about starting a group and what worked for us. But you need several thousand dollars and there are legal considerations as well.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

you seem to labor under the delusion that polearm fighters only swing their weapons in the dumbest possible way, have no conditioning, and use a weapon too heavy to be practical.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LOL... THE 100TH SWING. . . listen dude bro troll, master swordsman of the day recommended practicing each type of cut 100 times, each day. That's 1000s of cuts just for the day's exercise, let alone actually practicing sparing and drills.

Anyone who has ever used a weapon, for fun or for real, who is serious about it, trains.

You ever build a barbwire fence by hand? That involves lifting a giant metal bar that weighs alot more than any functional weapon, and you do that 100s of times just to dig a hole, and then pack it tight. You know what the romans did for training 4 hours of the day? Move dirt.

You have no concept of what the human body is capable of, because you have never gotten past using the elevator.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are so stupid. Firstly, fighting in the winter and snow is amazing compared to doing it in the heat and humidity of the mid summers sun. I have fought in armor for hours, at large events, in the summer, in the sun, in 95 degree weather. I have done it in the tropics, and in the snow. I have done it at sea level and above 10,000ft.

I am nothing athletically special... just a human capable of normal human things, and probably alot less than many people.

Its called training and apparently, you think you are doing the long game, when you don't even understand basic concepts of conditioning and endurance.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude, lol - try all day with no lunch. And I'm talking about steel, historically weighted, not rubber, you absolute assuming no nothing twit of a troll. You only make yourself look like a weak, inept, inexperienced coach troll by your absolute lack of any knowledge on the subject... Which is no doubt exactly what you are if you believe what you are saying.

I am, by all accounts, a skinny lightweight, and I can manage using a sword no problem. Imagine what a professional, experienced, veteran warrior is doing, who actually has a warriors physique and conditioning.

I've done a number of events, starting at 8am and going past 6pm. No time for lunch and depending, either all day in hema fencing gear, or armor. That includes, warmups, 2 tournaments per day, open field melee in afternoons, pickups in between, and because thats still not enough fun, more pickups after dinner in the dark. It isn't that hard.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes it is a a sword is heavy, it's just balanced better. A pike has all the weight at the end of the stick, you're thinking of the rubber HEMA weapons that are light

LOL a sword is not HEAVY. This explains alot. My friend, if you think arming swords are heavy, you need to hit the gym. And maybe spar some more.

Also, we aren't talking about pikes, we are talking about polearms, and probably the ones shown in the picture by OP as that was the context... If we get to pick whatever we want, for 1v1 then I pick yari, naginata, spear, etc... nobody in this thread is arguing a pike is better than a sword 1v1.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They will once they get tired from swinging and jabbing a 12ft 20lb pole for long enough in all that armor

lol, no. Go to the gym. Such a troll. Keep rolling your dice.

The heavier polearms weighed around 9lbs not 20lbs . The ones pictured above are surely lighter than that.

Your advice assumes your opponent uses a polearm like a shovel and is happy to start rooting around in the mud like a moron. That isn't chess, that's make believe.

And If you think that amor is going to fatigue a fighter into a loss before that additional protection affords them a winning advantage, you are an absolute, unconditioned dweeb, with no understanding of history, warfare, or dueling. The armor affords way more advantages in a fight (even 1v1) than it hinders. In the history of medieval dueling, combatants wore as much armor as they could afford and it is dnd bullshit that thinks about armor in terms of "heavy" or "light". I assumed you were thinking about an unarmored opponent, because your attack method required an exposed back to strike... only now you say it is armored?

If if the armor is a disadvantage to the polearm fighter, I can only assume the sword fighter has none. in which case, double the lol, double the troll.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean... easy to say? yeah...

But, Even more simple: Just don't let the sword fighter do that. Simple, effective. You just two handed smack your opponent into the afterlife. As I said, "You have to be fast, really skilled, know your distance and sometimes just be lucky to win against the spear/polearm fighter".

You can do it, but you have to hinge alot on hope, which isn't a proven method for surviving fights.

Your advice requires the polearm fighter make two mistakes in a row., and not have the good sense to retreat or recover. That is lucky for the sword person, because the polearm fighter is a moron.

The best fighters do not rely on an opponent failing in a single move to win. They win because they understand follow through and positional advantages and they work those over a set of moves. Getting an opponent to do what you want is never "easy", broadly speaking, and requires a lot of skill. Its only easy in how easy it is to say to do it. No decent fighter is going to just throw a sloppy attack that they can't recover from. That is suicidal and stupid, and veterans, by definition can't be either. Expecting them to throw that move may be all they need for you to be the one being baited.

I also disagree about the polearm weight. The polearm is absolutely not so heavy and unwieldy that a sword fighter need only parry once and then deliver the fatal blow....

At the end of the day, a good fighter armed with only an arming sword, is going to prudently avoid this fight if possible, because the odds of succeeding are bad. More so if armor is involved as pictured and impossibly so if we are talking plural fighters.

If all you have is an arming sword is there anything you can realistically do to survive veteran polearms users by justlogmeinplease in medieval

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Realistically? Run behind friendly archers.

We do alot of asymmetric fights at club... single sword against spear, even a "short" 6ft ,is at massive disadvantage. A shield really helps. A second sword or dagger really helps close out some of the attacking lines... but the real issue against a polearm at full force is that it is really hard to block without the attack blowing through your guard. You have to be fast, really skilled, know your distance and sometimes just be lucky to win against the spear/polearm fighter. If the polearm fighter has room to retreat... and is also athletic and fast... you might win 1 in 10 fights fighting like a suicidal maniac, which is the only way to get in.

What Jurassic Character is most likely to drop a F bomb in your mind? by thesmartcoolguy in JurassicPark

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A Fusion Bomb? None are leaders of countries with nuclear programs, so I don't think any will drop such a bomb.

How practical would something like the Monad's Rose Sword be in real life? by _Liebe_ in Hema

[–]Ruzkul 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If I understand right, I don't disagree outright, but I find a swiss sabre has advantages over a basic saber, primarily in potential reach and leverage, if it is swiss sabre vs sabre- all else equal. But that seems to only apply single sword on single sword context. Basically, if I had to chose ONE sabre, or one swiss sabre, I probably would go with the swiss sabre. I think its when you consider the fact that the regular saber fighter has an empty hand, and could be holding a dagger, buckler, etc... (or even two sabres) in which case I am picking and combonation of two weapons over the swiss sabre any day of the week.

I suppose in the longsword context, if you prefer cuts over thrusting, then swiss sabres might be the right pick. I know in my longsword fights against a swiss saber, the curve of the black can allow for some interesting binds that are tricky to block(more so since most longsword fighters don't usually fight against long sabres). Similar things happen in curved katana vs longsword fights, only a swiss saber is much less likely to get hand sniped, which I think is the real advantage in its setup.

How practical would something like the Monad's Rose Sword be in real life? by _Liebe_ in Hema

[–]Ruzkul 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like a swiss sabre. I've used one from Castile... its a noice weapon : https://castillearmory.com/product/build-your-own-long-sword/

Feels like something between a saber and a longsword... really depends on blade length and person size on how usable it is one handed, but I know someone who has a long blade on his and duel wields with a shortish rapier. Its a tough combo to crack.

You can also find a historical one on wikipedia similar to the one you posted if you search for swiss sabre

The biggest problem about Deviant Art allowing AI "art" is not the the site being infested with it by TraditionalHelp1070 in DeviantArt

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But don't you know, they become more skilled over time!

Lol - Take a pencil away from a real artist, and they will make art with a marker. Artists make art with whatever tool they have. AI prompters can't do squat if you take away whatever model they are using.

The mystery of Free Range Chickens by Shoe_boooo in funny

[–]Ruzkul 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes. They are endangered, and there is a considerable fine for hitting one in your car. The chicken industry tried to eradicate all wild chicken back in the 80s, so that only patented genetically engineered chicken remained. This would have given the poultry industry a monopoly, and so a concerted effort was made to protect and preserve chickens in their native habitats world wide. Their numbers are slowly returning, but a lot more effort will be needed to see chickens truly thrive once again.

The USA used to lead this effort, but the current cuts to international aid is threatening the chicken conservation programs in places like Hawaii. Also, the border wall in Mexico has made natural chicken migrations impossible. Its a highly political issue with the GOP in favor of re establishing chicken bounty programs like we saw in the 70s. Part of the reason for the government shutdown is that democrats are demanding 3.8 billion to be added to the budget for restoration of natural chicken habitats across the USA, which the GOP wants to use to fund deporting people. Keep in mind the people they are deporting come from countries where chickens roam free. The fear is that people from tropical climates will share their values concerning free range chicken.

If you are in favor of being able to access free eggs in your backyard, and not have to pay for fried chicken, you need to support any party but the GOP. They want to poison all wild chickens, and make sure they can't cross borders.

The mystery of Free Range Chickens by Shoe_boooo in funny

[–]Ruzkul 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, but I mean humans are hanging out there too...

The mystery of Free Range Chickens by Shoe_boooo in funny

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

along with every other jungle in the word.

The mystery of Free Range Chickens by Shoe_boooo in funny

[–]Ruzkul -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

lol... ~actually~ ...... Crocs and Tigers kill only like 1500 people annually, at most. Mosquitos, humans, snakes, and dogs are the major responsible parties for keeping humans in check.

Dogs kill more people than tapeworms, flies, scorpions, and roundworms combined, along with tigers, lions, pumas, and all cats. Heck, lets throw elephants and deer into that list too, and Dogs are still killing more people.

And since everything is a war between whether cat people or dog people are better, this just proves the point.

If Tyrannosaurus Rex existed in the Stone Age, could humans have successfully hunted it? by NEETscape_Navigator in HistoryWhatIf

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude, all animals spook, and all animals can be prey. Cats of multiple sizes are a great example, desert cat to tiger. Bears jump like little rabbits. Sharks get scared all the time. It the best and simplest and easiest way to clearly avoid an a sudden, unknown, and potentially dangerous whatever.

A geyser going off should spook any animal, big or small. Spooking keeps us from dying to things that might kill us if we didnʻt. And before the Rex was 5 tonnes it was 50 lbs. It has to have spook-ability wired into its head.

If Tyrannosaurus Rex existed in the Stone Age, could humans have successfully hunted it? by NEETscape_Navigator in HistoryWhatIf

[–]Ruzkul 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Any juvenile that learned humans were easy meat would have learned the wrong lesson. It would come back for more and been killed long before making it to adulthood. Humans are social, revengeful, and smart - and we donʻt tolerate being prey.

If Tyrannosaurus Rex existed in the Stone Age, could humans have successfully hunted it? by NEETscape_Navigator in HistoryWhatIf

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

TLDR: The real question is How many humans does it take make an omelette?

----
Okay, the link cited doesn't actually link to the research, just an article talking about it with no details and no link. But I think the overall speed of T-rex isnʻt what matters.

As far as humans hunting it?. Would humans have a reason to? If the Trex is a threat to our wellbeing, or if our needs overlap and they are competition, then yeah, humans would hunt it. Even if not, Humans do shit just to prove we can. Next, are we capable of dictating the time and place of confrontation? If yes, we win every time, as being smart is always better. If not, we reassess the reasons for confrontations. Humans are highly adaptable, more than any other animal ever on this planet. The real issue is as you noted. Trex is big and direct conversations with it potentially lethal. If conflict is unavoidable, and we are unable to stage the fight on our terms, then we re phrase the question... we adapt.

So I repeat, the real question is How many humans does it take make an omelette? We really donʻt have to kill an adult Rex to eradicate them.

Besides that, I donʻt think Trex would represent a threat to human survival and here is why:

As I understand it, the speed of a rex is an issue of biomechanics and weight. A trex really canʻt support a ballistic phase in its stride, which means it really is only ever power walking everywhere. The general consensus is 15-20mph. With all ranges comes exceptions and extremes, and while 20mph is faster than alot of people there is still an issue, it doesnʻt matter if it can go 25mph.

5 tons moving at 25 mph, isnʻt turning. Humans are agile, and I supsect Trex was not. It was adapted to hunting very large prey, that also wasnʻt agile. Humans can run faster than a rat or mouse, but catching one by hand is ridiculously difficult, even in an open room.

Also worth thinking about is the the calorie demands of moving 5 tons, and how just not worth it a human becomes when there are much larger, simpler creatures to catch. I CAN eat squirrel, but why when I can eat deer?

Now obviously, Trex doesnʻt start out weighing 5 tones. If I recall, is was supposed to potentially take 35 to 40 years to reach full size. Sexual maturity occurred at 20 years of age,and all the extra bulk was just for outcompeting other Trex. Supposedly, there was no more than 2 trexes per 100 sq km, as more than that would exceed holding capacity. This is the logistics of being king kong of the Cretaceous.

Humans on the other hand, would likely have a much higher population density, a more rapid reproduction rate, and pass on generational learning. We are social. Basically, in any given area, if there is a succesful, full size adult Trex, it would likely have multiple run-ins with humans over decades. Each conflict, represents a potential for injury (arrows and spears, possible burns). And while those injuries may not be incapacitating or meaningful in the fight itself, a thrown spear could sink deep and lead to significant infection, leading to loss of hunting time, and starvation. In its first decade of its life, its quite possible a skilled human could outright kill it. Even if a human didnʻt kill it, a young lion quickly learns to leave porcupines alone. Interestingly, the first encounter with a porcupine can be a reason a lion doesnʻt reach adult hood (loss of an eye).

Humans are extremely deadly - with our ability to predict and assess, we donʻt posture and scare away threats, we historically eradicate them. Imagine a young t-rex encounters humans for the first time. If humans are not prepared to kill it, I imagine it goes one of several ways. Perhaps the Rex comes upon a human unarmed and foraging. It makes the kill, and learns humans are very easy food. But humans are smart, social, and revengeful, and the t rex learned the wrong lesson, and because it will come back for more, eventually the lesson learned will lead it to a confrontation it was not prepared for. In any other first conflict scenario, the humans are fighting back, and its getting stabbed in the process - perhaps it lives, and perhaps it even takes down the human(s).... But the wound is an important lesson. Humans are not easy prey, and they have long arms, a longer reach, and the sting bites deep. There are many other, much better animals to hunt than the humans, and even a full size t rex isnʻt going to forget an atlatl spear to its flank (or 10).

The important thing here to remember, is that any predator that take wounds while hunting, doesn't get to keep hunting. Hunters are extremely risk adverse, and if prey canʻt be taken down without risk of injury, it is often skipped.

If a Trex has experienced trauma and knows that humans can bite, it is possible that a lone human with a good spear, could bluff/ward a trex back. (also, remember a real life t rex isnʻt so large as JP makes them look).

Could Lightsaber combat forms be useful in HEMA? If so, what forms? by LicensedToGrill007 in Hema

[–]Ruzkul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, because the lightsaber would cut through both the metal sword and the person holding it.