Thread:Gorzill/@comment-4991685-20170304052013

Hi there,

So I've noticed you've been editing your Fantasyverse fictions recently and have a few concerns and suggestions about content that could help improve it, and maybe bring it more in line with the Fantasyverse. The Fantasyverse, in general, is smaller and more tightly-knit than the Science Fiction universe, so the idea of consistency is a bit more important. Nonetheless, as you read the following keep in mind that these are simply suggestions. You're under no obligation to follow them, and nobody can or will compel you to change your content.

The primary subject of this message will be around the militaries of your fiction. The area of real life military history (which is readily applicable in many ways to fantasy) is, if not my "specialty", my area of interest and knowledge. I'll also point out inconsistencies with established canon if I find them. As I take special interest in this subject, some of my criticisms might be overly specific or minor-seeming, and I apologise in advance for that.

I suppose my criticism will begin with the Sotracian Coalition, as its probably the salient and generally most complete example of what I think are the pitfalls your fantasy fiction's military writing fall into. The problems, generally, can be split into three categories, which I'll go through with examples here.

1.) Strange Equipment. As an appreciator of ancient history and warfare, far be it from me to question strange cultural practices in warfare, or even strange choice of weapons. There are, however, some things which strike me as just a bit beyond the pale, and some absences I find puzzling. With the Sotracians in particular I find a complete lack of spears among the infantry. This is strange, as the spear is nigh-universal among humans especially (and reasonably any humanoid aliens), as it is an infinitely-versatile weapon of war. Other strange things include the use of the Falx and shortswords among the cavalry, neither of which can really practically be used from horseback, as well as the use of a longbow from horseback-- which unless its of a similar design to the Japanese Yumi, will be... difficult. These are just a few examples, but generally I'd suggest looking at the traditional weapons of many ancient cultures and spotting the similarities, and using that as a starting point.

2.) Size of armies. This, admittedly, is a very small point but one in which I take personal interest. While it is very difficult to generate accurate army sizes from the ancient period, it is generally agreed that they could be very, very large. Armies of 20 000 or less could be considered quite small, and the ancient Assyrians, at their height, could field some 200 000 men, deployed in field armies of 50 000 each. Its also believed that roughly 50 000 Persians landed in Greece during the Persian Wars. If ancient sources are to be believed the numbers in Chinese armies were yet larger, with 200 000 being the expected levy merely of a medium-sized state. The size of armies hinges largely on the environment and thus population of the Sotracians, and considering they are desert dwellers it can be expected that their armies may be smaller. That all said, I'd suggest adding a larger unit, perhaps to represent 10 000 men.

3.) Nature of premodern armies. Another issue, and this may be rather controversial, is how cleanly defined every unit is-- in their designation, their equipment, and the like. The idea of a well-organised, professional army in which there are exacting standards on equipment in organisation, however, is a very new one. Only the richest, most powerful, and well-organised premodern states could seriously afford to do something similar, and the Sotracians, correct me if I'm wrong, aren't quite that. Rather, in premodern times the majority of troops were levies-- part-time warriors, often using equipment that they purchased with their own money with little concern for standardisation. There was absolutely some consistency in equipment from simple virtue of being from the same cultural background (i.e Ancient Arabian swordsmen would all generally be using ancient Arabian swords and wearing ancient Arabian armour), and relatively-broad categories could thus be made. Only the creme of the army would have access to standardised gear. With this in mind, I may suggest broadening the individual units to more resemble categories of troops, using a range of gear and fulfilling broadly the same battlefield role.

In conclusion, these are a few suggestions I have for your fantasyverse fiction on the military side of things. I hope you keep these in mind next time you decide to edit, and I hope they help in making your fiction fit better into the universe, richer, and more detailed.

Thanks for reading,

Drodo. 