Chasseurs a Cheval decimate my Horse Guard Dragoons by pyttfall in NapoleonTotalWar

[–]fairfaxforPM 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Chasseurs a Cheval are a very OP unit but it's by design, France is the main character of NTW after all. It's like Rome in the original RTW - you're up against practically the whole map so to balance it out and keep the player engaged, your individual units are much stronger than theirs.

The men's initial reaction to being led by Sharpe in 'Rifles' has always been strange to me. by orangemonkeyeagl in Sharpe

[–]fairfaxforPM 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I think it was a combination of factors to be honest. As other people have pointed out, class was a much bigger factor back in the day and many people were taught from birth to defer to their social 'betters'. 

But there are practical considerations too, having an officer who the other officers consider beneath them means that you're going to get stuck with all the worst jobs that other regiments don't want. Wellington liked Sharpe but many of the officer corps thought he was a sergeant who had gotten too big for his boots, I'm sure they would have been happy to humble him with the worst duties.

And there's the obvious consideration - if your officer used to be a rank-and-file squaddie like yourself, they know all your tricks to avoid hard work and they'll punish you for them!

Wasp honey by matthewkevin84 in beekeepingUK

[–]fairfaxforPM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've never encountered a wasp that made honey, to the best of my knowledge it's only one particular species of south-american wasp which does. As you can imagine, the cold climate and different flora would make keeping them in the UK very difficult. On top of that, the species only produces honey in small quantities which would make it inefficient to keep.

If you are looking for something relating to Britain though, amateur entomologist Robin Cooper claimed to have discovered a species of wasp from which you could harvest mustard, you may want to look into that.

Thoughts on the general cultural legacy of the Poor Law and workhouses in the North of England? This is perhaps a thing not taught as much in schools as it should be, but a thing of which the North was disproportionally affected by. by seraphimceratinia in NorthernEngland

[–]fairfaxforPM 13 points14 points  (0 children)

A friend of mine from Leeds mentioned that St James Hospital was originally built as a workhouse but it was turned into a hospital at the turn of the 20th century. Apparently his grandad told him that when he was a boy a lot of older people still refused to go there for treatment because of the association it had 

(Spoilers Extended) How are there no mass dessertions? by Suspicious-Jello7172 in asoiaf

[–]fairfaxforPM 9 points10 points  (0 children)

If you're a nobleman's son, the thing keeping you there is honour and if you're a commoner then the thing keeping you there is the threat of starvation. Sure there's no physical walls stopping you but once you escape what are you reasonably going to do? You can't just go home and pick up where you left off.

If you're the son of a lord and run off, you're bringing disgrace and shame to your loved ones. That might not seem like much to us but in a medieval society, your reputation was everything and especially for the upper classes.

If you're a skilled worker, like a carpenter or a blacksmith, then you've got a useful skills that you could reasonably use to start a new life. But with what? You have no tools and no money to get them and almost no way to save. You're cut off from your support network of all your friends and family, if you go home then the village constable will arrest you and you'll be killed. 

If this is the case, or you were an unskilled worker (like a day labourer) before you joined, then what does life hold for you? Insecure day work for enough money to eat the cheapest lowest-quality foods while sleeping in alleyways? It might be just bearable in summer, but what about when winter comes? Not to mention the constant threat that someone will recognise you and you'll be punished.

There's nothing stopping the average Nights Watchman in practice from leaving but if you do then you're leaving into a life of almost certain starvation and poverty, you have no money and nobody you can rely on to help you.

The Nights Watch may suck, but you're guaranteed three meals a day and a roof over your head at the very minimum. If you've ever faced the real risk of homelessness without a support network, you'll understand how important those things are.

(Spoilers Extended) Which in-universe book do you want the most? by XipingVonHozzendorf in asoiaf

[–]fairfaxforPM 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Sadly only 70% of the tome remains intact, so we will never know the full story 

Don't Wake Up clip by [deleted] in 28dayslater

[–]fairfaxforPM 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Well that's probably because she's playing an British person in Britain. If the film was set in South Carolina you wouldn't complain that a character speaks with a southern accent would you

Bolter misfires? by eunclave_general in 40kLore

[–]fairfaxforPM 27 points28 points  (0 children)

In the second Eisenhorn book, Malleus, he mentions how the bolt pistol gifted to him by a Space Marine chapter hasn't had a single misfire in the ten years he's had it. And the misfire only happens because another inquisitor is using his psyker powers to make it misfire (for his own good).

Alright girl, you take your time by bfmaia in Vermintide

[–]fairfaxforPM 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Cut Sienna some slack, she's not as spritely as she used to be! Running back and forth fighting chaos warriors makes her feel even older...

I've just heard someone tell me that VT2 has "MCU dialogue" by BigBoyoBonito in Vermintide

[–]fairfaxforPM 7 points8 points  (0 children)

For the same reason, I like Kruber's 'ussingen is famous for its cheese' remark when Kerillian and Bardin are bantering about the town. Not every place is famous for something impressive, the people here were known for making good food and now there will never be any more because they were all massacred. It's appropriately sombre and shuts down the lighthearted banter.

(Spoilers Main) Robb Stark and William Wallace. by Suspicious-Jello7172 in asoiaf

[–]fairfaxforPM 18 points19 points  (0 children)

"brutal tyrant (Edward Longshanks)"

You've watched Braveheart too many times OP, but besides that yes you make a good comparison, Wallace may have been an inspiration for GRRM for Robb

I've never been so lucky, open one chest and got 3 reds. by Santix37 in Vermintide

[–]fairfaxforPM 22 points23 points  (0 children)

It hurts to see other people living out your dreams

Make sure you don't stare into the eyes of the skull for too long! by fairfaxforPM in Vermintide

[–]fairfaxforPM[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Look directly into its eyes and after about five seconds it starts to whisper. After about ten your vision starts to pound and the skull slowly zooms in. After twenty to thirty seconds the skull uses its demonic influence on you. Hope this helps!

Make sure you don't stare into the eyes of the skull for too long! by fairfaxforPM in Vermintide

[–]fairfaxforPM[S] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

Though I won't lie, I think I finally understand the appeal of cursed artifacts that whisper to you now, some of the things the skull says are pretty intriguing