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<blockquote data-quote="Korgoth" data-source="post: 4993352" data-attributes="member: 49613">War is Hell. The first guy off the Higgins boat on Normandy might have been the most gifted, sensitive artist of the Impressionist school since Monet, and also been a crack shot and a supreme athlete. Too bad his cranium got turned into a red mist by a burst from an MG42 before he even set both feet on the beach.There's a reason that the cherry blossom is a symbol of the warrior in the bushido: it falls to the ground in its prime.You're right that the 'world' of Chess is a rarified one where the Black Queen never slips on a banana peel and takes a header, ruining what would have been a perfect fork. If there were such a hero as Batman, he would be theoretically susceptible to misadventure as well... but not in the same measure. If Batman falls down during combat (he rarely does because he's so skillful, but it could happen), he actually has a hope of getting up again before getting waxed. That alone makes him a cut above the rest.In any game with luck, it is theoretically possible that a guy who makes all the right decisions could lose, and a guy who makes all the wrong decisions could win. From a game theory standpoint, in any given instance it's better to be lucky than to be smart.But the smart guy gets to be smart every day. The lucky guy has no idea when his streak will be over (or start). A theoretical ultra-lucky sod could breeze through everything while always doing exactly the wrong thing... but if you're making a plan, don't plan on getting lucky. Plan on minimizing risk and maximizing benefit.But yeah, gang aft agley. Get a helmet!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Korgoth, post: 4993352, member: 49613"] War is Hell. The first guy off the Higgins boat on Normandy might have been the most gifted, sensitive artist of the Impressionist school since Monet, and also been a crack shot and a supreme athlete. Too bad his cranium got turned into a red mist by a burst from an MG42 before he even set both feet on the beach. There's a reason that the cherry blossom is a symbol of the warrior in the bushido: it falls to the ground in its prime. You're right that the 'world' of Chess is a rarified one where the Black Queen never slips on a banana peel and takes a header, ruining what would have been a perfect fork. If there were such a hero as Batman, he would be theoretically susceptible to misadventure as well... but not in the same measure. If Batman falls down during combat (he rarely does because he's so skillful, but it could happen), he actually has a hope of getting up again before getting waxed. That alone makes him a cut above the rest. In any game with luck, it is theoretically possible that a guy who makes all the right decisions could lose, and a guy who makes all the wrong decisions could win. From a game theory standpoint, in any given instance it's better to be lucky than to be smart. But the smart guy gets to be smart every day. The lucky guy has no idea when his streak will be over (or start). A theoretical ultra-lucky sod could breeze through everything while always doing exactly the wrong thing... but if you're making a plan, don't plan on getting lucky. Plan on minimizing risk and maximizing benefit. But yeah, gang aft agley. Get a helmet! [/QUOTE]

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