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Shepherd challenge. (Read 1776 times)
Easybreeze
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #30 - Feb 22nd, 2022 at 7:44pm
 
All questions have been answered. Thanks everyone!
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« Last Edit: Feb 28th, 2022 at 11:51am by Easybreeze »  
 
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #31 - Feb 22nd, 2022 at 10:09pm
 
Easybreeze wrote on Feb 22nd, 2022 at 7:30pm:
IcedFlame wrote on Feb 22nd, 2022 at 6:45pm:
There is one problem with having the commander throwing it up in the air, if you decide to go that route, as she would almost have to be somewhat far-sighted.

This video is very interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Yp9SjCU5E
he is using a bow instead of a sling but still.


Interesting video. I do like that chap and his humility. Plus he sums it all up nicely about it just being a point and not necessarily the size of the object.

So such skills require a bit of farsightedness, eh? I might be able to work that into the tale.


I found out about the point thing from slinging before I ever watched that video.
For example, if you’re trying to hit a tree aim for a specific spot such as a knot and you’ll probably hit it. It does make sense that she would be somewhat farsighted if she mostly was a shepherd protecting the sheep.

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If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle
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Happy Slinging, and God bless my friend.
 
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Easybreeze
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #32 - Feb 23rd, 2022 at 11:36am
 
All questions have been answered. Thanks everyone!
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« Last Edit: Feb 28th, 2022 at 11:52am by Easybreeze »  
 
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joe_meadmaker
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #33 - Feb 23rd, 2022 at 3:26pm
 
If want to describe her distance vision as being very keen, I would just describe it in that way.  But being "farsighted" doesn't necessarily mean your distance vision is better than it would normally be.  It means your close vision is impaired.  Unless that is something you want to imply for the character too.  Although I think if the girl is making her own slings, being able to see up close would be beneficial.
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #34 - Feb 24th, 2022 at 7:40am
 
Easybreeze wrote on Feb 22nd, 2022 at 7:44pm:
IronGoober wrote on Feb 22nd, 2022 at 6:25pm:
Easybreeze wrote on Feb 22nd, 2022 at 5:08pm:
Find someone with 20-20 vision and see at what distance they can comfortably see a small coin. 

I'll volunteer myself. My eyesight is about 20/20 last time I checked it.  I just went outside and saw a small black metal shed with bright rivets, about the size of a US dime. I paced off 33 steps (damn near 30m). Seeing the rivets was no issue. At 44 paces (40m) I could still make out the rivets enough to shoot at them, but at 50m, I couldn't see them any longer, they were just discolorations on the black surface. 


Excellent. More than enough visual range.

Rat Man wrote on Feb 22nd, 2022 at 6:34pm:
Welcome, Easybreeze;
    Good story.  I'd say thirty paces is a good distance.  I don't agree that shorter slings are more accurate.  That's a matter of personal preference.  I'm most accurate with a sling of 38". 


Thank you. Do you think material makes a bigger difference? I’m curious if braided fiber might be a better option.
   


     I think that material makes a big difference.  IMO it's easier to be accurate with a softer sling.  That's one of the reasons I prefer jute out of the natural fibers.   A braided jute sling is my go to.  Cotton and hemp can fill the bill also. 

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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #35 - Feb 24th, 2022 at 1:57pm
 
Quote:
It does make sense that she would be somewhat farsighted if she mostly was a shepherd protecting the sheep.

It really doesn't.
To start with longsightedness tends to kick in later in life due to the lens losing flexibility.

2020 vision is good at all ranges - that's sort of the point of it.

Our ancestors did spend a fair bit of time doing close up work by firelight. So while the young should still have good all round sight, shortsightedness would have kicked in fairly early in adulthood for a lot of people.

The basic rule of thumb is that if you can see it, you should be able to hit it - with practice.
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #36 - Feb 24th, 2022 at 3:13pm
 
Ancient people were typically more farsighted than near sighted. The reason being, one's survival was much more dependent on seeing an predator/enemy far away than being able to see something small close up. This would preferentially weed out the nearsighted.
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #37 - Feb 25th, 2022 at 8:40am
 
A sheperdrss who could read ?
Now that is unusual.

Reading isn't the issue.
Braiding, weaving, making items from clay and wood.
All things a shepherd would do a lot of and all requiring close up work.

There were very few shops, what you had was time and what you needed you generally made yourself.

It largely depends how you are writing and who you are writing for.

Personally when I write historical fiction, I like to get it as authentic possible, aliens and mythological creatures aside Smiley

Smell is a big thing. The past smelt, I mean by modern standards, it really stank !

Nobody washed regularly, you wore your clothes until they literally rotted and fell off.

And there's the whole bodily waste issues, human and animal

Much of the meat would have been what call 'on the turn'.

You ate around the green wobbly bits.

If you're writing for kids, then the smell of an historical era is a huge thing and they love all that.

But no matter how much it how little historical colour you add. Try and get it as accurate as possible.


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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #38 - Feb 26th, 2022 at 3:53am
 
a few notes from me.  theme of cleanliness.  where does the assumption come from that everything was dirty and smelled?  clothes were washed.  there was even a very special detergent for it.  Urine.  urine was collected.  then fermented.  in large containers.  amonic arises.  mixed with ash it gives a very efficient cleaning agent.  but many roots also contain saphin.  natural soap.  Washing often took place in streams, rivers and lakes.  rarely in a tub.  Laundry was beaten and fulled on stones.  where there was great poverty, it will have been different.  like today.  but that everything was dirty and everyone stank terribly is a cliché.  how well could people see?  how good are you today?  think away all glasses wearers.  farsightedness in old age is also unlikely.  why ?  they cooked on the open hearth.  the smoke blinded people.  if you ever got that old.  did shepherds have dogs?  interesting question.  what dogs?  to guard or to protect?  what does a dog eat  Flesh.  Shepherds were very poor people.  they rarely ate meat.  what kind of sling?  and what was it made of?  Jute?  Why do you think that.  the closest thing to a shepherd is wool.  wool has different quality.  pick the worst and it's still good enough for felt or for wool.  what is that distinction?  balearic sling.  shepherd sling?  I do not understand.  a balearic sling is a shepherd's sling.  even a very simple one.  you don't even need wool for it.  Bullets .  60g clay balls?  do you want a predator to die laughing?  start with stones.  the hoards range from 80g to over 300g.  one hit with it and a wolf will stop howling.  coins?  Money wasn't like today.  who would have all the money?  a shepherd?  rather not.  would he then shoot a coin?  uh?  maybe she gets lost?  is the shot on a coin really spectacular?  what if she kills a predator?  she saves the soldiers.  or she shoots something out of her friend's or brother's or sister's head?  I can think of different scenarios.  but on a coin.  a little flat.
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #39 - Feb 26th, 2022 at 5:27pm
 
story idea:
a roman soldier gets hold of a stray sheep/goat not seeing the shepherd and is getting ready to cut it's throat then the shepherd bonks the roman's head from 100m away then the rest of the romans show up not knowing what happened, the higher ranked orders to execute her but a witness shows up and says she can help the romans or something like that. after explaining to the romans she is a good shot they offer her to help them capture a deserter/mountain thief or die from the sword.
then you can continue the story on how the operation take out the thief takes place. how she realises the thief killed her father and she is breaking his limbs one by one with the sling while she approaches from 80m away. the romans try to stop her but she slings at their feet saying to stay out of this.
(you can get into more detail like: at 15m she asks hims which ear and chooses which ear to rip with a stone)
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Re: Shepherd girl of Pella challenge. Expert opinions needed.
Reply #40 - Feb 26th, 2022 at 11:42pm
 
Easybreeze


In my opinion, asking us was largely unnecessary. While tips like not referencing modern things is good, the main reason you’re here is about accuracy regarding slings, right? Unfortunately that will likely lead to as many different answers as people there are to answer them. Also, we’ll overcomplicate slinging for what your story actually needs. You can name any amount of paces and I’m not sure if it would actually matter.

I think besides the modern comparisons thing, I thought you’re story worked well. I’m a stickler for historical accuracy, but I largely didn’t see anything that I couldn’t suspend disbelief over (others already mentioned the feast thing, that was… a bit much). You’d be better to ask other writers to judge it. Honestly, the thing that really stood out as inaccurate (going back to the feast thing) was having too high a skill for showmanship for a kid. Being confident is one thing, the feast especially shows the showmanship is over the top.

But if you really want slinging advice (I can’t help myself), I will point out that slinging from the side isn’t inherently more accurate. Jaegoor has a video that’s kind of like this story.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GRtqcX-Mlco



Darn, I did it again. I told you I advice was unnecessary but then did just that.
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