Difference between revisions of "User talk:Mooir"
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Hah! Yeah, airplanes are much more docile in that respect. :) It seems like some of the long distance courier breeds like the [[greyling]] might have a shot at transatlantic flight. But for the most part probably not. And that ride on the greyling is going to be far less comfortable than a 747. Planes would probably diminish the role of dragons like motorized vehicles did to horses. In that kind of world dragons would become creatures only for display/special events and not really useful in their former role. There was this program on the British household cavalry on PBS here last year and I'm getting a good laugh imagining a small group of dragons kept only for parades and show and when their crews get called to action, they use helicopters instead of their dragons. The household cavalry had tanks they took into action. Though using dragons for covert ops might work very good, especially in areas unfriendly to mechanical vehicles in general. Overall, not a bright future for the larger breeds. --[[User:Mooir|Mooir]] 19:23, 6 August 2008 (PDT) | Hah! Yeah, airplanes are much more docile in that respect. :) It seems like some of the long distance courier breeds like the [[greyling]] might have a shot at transatlantic flight. But for the most part probably not. And that ride on the greyling is going to be far less comfortable than a 747. Planes would probably diminish the role of dragons like motorized vehicles did to horses. In that kind of world dragons would become creatures only for display/special events and not really useful in their former role. There was this program on the British household cavalry on PBS here last year and I'm getting a good laugh imagining a small group of dragons kept only for parades and show and when their crews get called to action, they use helicopters instead of their dragons. The household cavalry had tanks they took into action. Though using dragons for covert ops might work very good, especially in areas unfriendly to mechanical vehicles in general. Overall, not a bright future for the larger breeds. --[[User:Mooir|Mooir]] 19:23, 6 August 2008 (PDT) | ||
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| + | Hmmm, aren't you both assuming that European dragons are going to allow themselves to remain dependent on the military forces to feed and house them? Unlike cavalry horses, dragons are sapient. By the end of VoE, both British and French dragons appeared to be making some progress on getting the right to choose what work they wanted to do, to be paid for their work and to own property. Temeraire also expresses interest in being allowed to participate in government (e.g. vote, send representatives to Parliament). If it seems far-fetched that the dragons might actually achieve these goals, consider that in China they already have. Also consider that women in early 19th Britain could not vote, that married women could not hold property and that the African slave trade was legal. Change *can* happen. | ||
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| + | Also consider that the larger breeds of dragon live a couple of centuries. Imagine a sapient being, recognized as a person under the law, who's been saving up their gold and accumulating interest on it for the past century or so. Imagine how much experience such a being might accumulate in political maneuvering and strategy. If anything, the humans would be outmatched (except possibly for their more rapid breeding rate). I don't see dragons as *letting* airplanes drive them into extinction - but they might have some really neat ideas on aerodynamic design and they might end up *owning* a few airlines. | ||
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| + | [[User:Rose|Rose]] 08:23, 1 September 2008 (PDT) | ||
== Ironwing == | == Ironwing == | ||
Revision as of 15:23, 1 September 2008
Leave messages for me here. Thanks! I'll try to check it often . . .
Contents
Temeraire
Do dragons preclude airplanes?
Say we look forward 100 years. Would planes be invented in a world that already has air transport via dragon?
I'm gonna say yes. Maybe not in the same fashion/place/time but sooner or later someone will invent a plane with the justification of: "Dragons eat too much, are too hard to breed, and there aren't enough of them!" Someone will probably invent a plane that will replace dragons for the same reasons the motorcar replaced horses.
That said, I really think those early pilots are going to have one tough road ahead of them. I would not want to be the luckless WWI biplane pilot trying to fly against even a dragon of middling size. Those things started out as flying death traps. (Check out Stephen Coonts' 17th Day if you don't believe me.) But I think the plane makers will persevere because planes can ultimately be made to fly higher/faster/longer than dragons.
Just some thoughts because my fingers hurt from coloring dragons. I've only got 4 left to draw: Alaman, Bright Copper, Ironwing, Sharpspitter. All the other breeds are drawn and I just haven't scanned them in and cleaned them up to post yet. --Mooir 20:35, 4 July 2007 (PDT)
I'd just like to add to this discussion, that assuming the general public's skittishness towards dragons (at least in Western nations) holds, planes won't have a couple centuries of history and myth as giant eating and killing machines. Could a dragon even make a tans-Atlantic flight without somewhere to land? I'd imagine the fuel and cost of building and maintaining airplanes would be far cheaper than the cost of obtaining, raising, hatching, finding a pilot for, housing, feeding, training, and caring for a dragon egg/dragon.
That, and, planes can't point out your mistakes sarcastically.
--Liz 6:36, July 21 2008
Hah! Yeah, airplanes are much more docile in that respect. :) It seems like some of the long distance courier breeds like the greyling might have a shot at transatlantic flight. But for the most part probably not. And that ride on the greyling is going to be far less comfortable than a 747. Planes would probably diminish the role of dragons like motorized vehicles did to horses. In that kind of world dragons would become creatures only for display/special events and not really useful in their former role. There was this program on the British household cavalry on PBS here last year and I'm getting a good laugh imagining a small group of dragons kept only for parades and show and when their crews get called to action, they use helicopters instead of their dragons. The household cavalry had tanks they took into action. Though using dragons for covert ops might work very good, especially in areas unfriendly to mechanical vehicles in general. Overall, not a bright future for the larger breeds. --Mooir 19:23, 6 August 2008 (PDT)
Hmmm, aren't you both assuming that European dragons are going to allow themselves to remain dependent on the military forces to feed and house them? Unlike cavalry horses, dragons are sapient. By the end of VoE, both British and French dragons appeared to be making some progress on getting the right to choose what work they wanted to do, to be paid for their work and to own property. Temeraire also expresses interest in being allowed to participate in government (e.g. vote, send representatives to Parliament). If it seems far-fetched that the dragons might actually achieve these goals, consider that in China they already have. Also consider that women in early 19th Britain could not vote, that married women could not hold property and that the African slave trade was legal. Change *can* happen.
Also consider that the larger breeds of dragon live a couple of centuries. Imagine a sapient being, recognized as a person under the law, who's been saving up their gold and accumulating interest on it for the past century or so. Imagine how much experience such a being might accumulate in political maneuvering and strategy. If anything, the humans would be outmatched (except possibly for their more rapid breeding rate). I don't see dragons as *letting* airplanes drive them into extinction - but they might have some really neat ideas on aerodynamic design and they might end up *owning* a few airlines.
Rose 08:23, 1 September 2008 (PDT)
Ironwing
Many apologies for the late reply (you asked me for Ironwing art suggestions at the beginning of June). I'll be gone travelling soon, as well, so unfortunately this will probably be all I can say to you for a while. It's very kind of you to ask, and though the Ironwing is hardly mentioned in the books, I can gather a few ideas together. Going by the breeding (which is all we have), I'd say the Ironwing should be a midsize dragon, with large wings. I'd suggest a dark blue belly (hence the Longwing's) with the 'iron' coloration of its name across it's back, upper head, and wings - but of course, the final decision lies with the artist. Keep up the good work!
Железное крыло 19:03, 11 July 2007 (PDT) (Zheleznoe Kruilo, Ironwing)
Excellent job, thanks.
Железное крыло 16:29, 22 August 2007 (PDT)
African mushrooms? *POSSIBLE SPOILER*
This is just idle speculation (and going here since South Africa and the mushroom found there don't have a page). I think the cure to the dragon plague is the strange three capped mushroom found in South Africa. Temeraire is rather sick when they reach South Africa, and while he gets his appetite back after switching to a Chinese menu, Laurence says Temeraire is "much improved and no longer so congested" after eating the foul sauce made from the mushroom. The incident starts on page 220 of the US edition. And since the 4th book is called Empire of Ivory, which I feel referrers to Africa, I'm pretty sure they are headed back to Africa to find a cure.
As a side note, one sure way to derail Napoleon's new dragon based war machine is to send him the Dakota dragon and shortly Napoleon will be in the same boat as Britain is. :) Mooir
I agree with you 100%. It's the most popular theory among my friends. It's also the most resonable one considering where the action of the new book takes place. The question is whether they are going to sail to Cape Town or fly there. One of my friends said that sending another dragon transport with Temeraire will be impossible, because they would have to explain to various people why they are doing it, and the mission will be secret. Flying there would be faster, too. They could fly above the mysterious African lands :) My personal prediction is that Gong Su will be the one to tell them about the mushroom. I don't think that Laurence really understood what made Temeraire get better. And it was he Chinese cooks who originally bought and prepared the mushroom. Maybe it is a known cure for colds in China.
I'm hoping for a flying across Africa book too since we've already had one sail round it on a transport book. I can't wait to see what kind of African dragons exist or what Temeraire will think of elephants. :) I'm not sure anyone really understood the cure, but it would be cool to have the Gong Su be the one to explain it. --Mooir 19:48, 5 September 2007 (PDT)
