FWIW, in the “EU” (Extended Universe; all the novels, comics, and role-playing game material that has been published) The Empire does begin to switch to a “quality vs. quantity” mindset at some point after The Second Great Space Kablooie at Endor.
The first series of novels that eally kicked off the EU was “Thrawn Trilogy” by Timothy Zahn, and it introduced a TIE Interceptor with shields, and the Scimitar Assault Bomber (A fast, maneuverable, heavily armed and shielded tactical bomber). As well, Grand Admiral Thrawn seemed to have a brain, and know how to use it.
True. But Kirk going into the nebula was a tactical reason and a sound one. The enterprise was still damaged and outgunned by the Reliant. Going into the nebula as your quote from Spock makes clear was to reduce Khan’s advantage. Remember Khan’s henchman at first was reluctant to follow the Enterprise into the nebula. Khan even seemed to relent until Kirk goaded up.
Now maybe in Nemesis Going around the Nebula would have taken too much time. I can grok that. But knowing that they had to pass through the nebula which would interfere with their ship and knowing that their enemy was in a ship that not only is cloaked very well but contains a weapon of fantastic power Picard or one one his officers, Riker or Data should have suggested that they raise shileds and go to red alert as soon as the enter the area of space, and probably a billion other things that might have spared them losing their warp drive in Shinzon’s initial volley.
Ok, missing the explosion? I can kinda buy it, but it ain’t easy. Not when we’re talking about a society where space travel is relatively easy and common. But maybe you’re right. The planet was in the boondocks and no one noticed.
But then we have to imagine that Kirk did not tell Starfleet Command about Khan. How then did he explain what happened to Lt. MacGivers? Didn’t she somewhere in the galaxy have friends or family that, you know, wanted to know why she just disappeared? Did Kirk falsify logs? If he did how did he get Spock, Scotty, Mccoy…hell everyone to agree with that? Its disturbing enough that he had the authority to basically maroon these people on some distant savage planet, but then he covered it up? Military officers get court martialed for that kind of thing. Star Fleet though is apparently so lax you can do stuff like that and not get in any trouble.
But if he didn’t, then Star Fleet command would know where they were. So the Reliant, especially Chekov (who was not shown in the episode “Space seed”, but we can reasonably assume he served aboard the enterprise and Khan met him offscreen) should have said something to Captain Terrell long before he did. What he just forgot about the group of Super Atomic supermen that almost killed his idol Captain Kirk and took over his ship until he saw the words Botany bay?
Sounds interesting. Star Wars has the backdrop that can make great stories. I never got into it too much because of the cutesie/geek fantasy element in the movies to be honest.
…and that there are too many ridiculous looking aliens that are added just for the “its cool” factor. Watching the movie the other night I really had to suspend disbelief that so many of these odd looking creatures functioned in an atmosphere that can support humans. Some didn’t even have mouths, at least not as what we consider one…so why are they in a frakkin’ bar?
Why does it make the Empire look ridiculous? The Rebel alliance has a military industrial complex too. And for the most part they are getting their asses kicked until Return of the Jedi. It’s only because of daring raids on the death star that they win. They got their asses handed to them on Hoth. Bal Organa the Father of the Revolution had his entire planet destroyed for his efforts.
Remember the movies follow the rebel victories, not its defeats. The Empire is involved in putting down regional revolts on thousands of systems. It is only the death of the Emperor and Darth Vader that the Empire is left leaderless and the Rebel alliance finds itself with a lasting victory.
Considering that the Star Wars galaxy has many species of intelligent life, it makes sense that the ones that can survive in environments suitable for humans would be the ones we are most likely to see.
They could be looking for pilots or clients. That’s why Obi-Wan and Luke were there, after all.
And just to throw my two cents in the AT-AT discussion ring: the rebels weren’t just sitting around with their thumbs up their asses. They were fighting a rearguard action and trying to escape. Not really conductive to trying new tactics. Also, Luke made his bolo run, but he was a Jedi. Doesn’t mean it was easy, especially with little walkers running around too (though they were badly designed too). All in all, though they looked cool, but had real flaws. Like the Death Star.
And it really seemed to surprise his own allies, who weren’t used to a commander who was concerned about saving the lives of his men. Not to mention rewarding failure, if they failed for the right reasons.
God, I’d love to see the Thrawn trilogy filmed.
No, Wedge Antilles took out the AT-AT with the tow cable. Luke’s rear gunner was killed and he was shot down. Luke killed an AT-AT by climbing, it opening up the belly, and tossing in a grenade.
Man, this is making me feel like i need to play Force Unleashed, and it’s been doing so the whole time but I haven’t done it. Maybe it’s high time I got off the computer and onto the other computer.
Has it ever been explained (or retconned or fanwanked) why the snowspeeders have harpoon guns with tow cables? I can believe that the rebels made plans to trip up the AT-ATs in advance, but why would the aircraft be built with a rear facing gunner and such a bizzarre armament? Is the harpoon gun/tow cable a replacement for a more conventional blaster tail gun?
Also, why does Skywalker have the magnetic dartgun/cable reeler-in thingamajig? The one he uses to scale the walker. Is this standard issue for rebel pilots? I can’t think of a single thing this unusual gun would be useful for in any situation, much less that of a downed pilot on an ice planet.
That said, Hoth is still one of my favorite sequences in all of moviedom (along with all three lighsaber fights). When the walkers are first shown through the binoculars I still feel a bit of the primal terror I felt when I was a little kid in the theater. So yes, for all their tactical shortcomings, AT-ATs are terrific terror weapons. At least if you are fighting me.
According to Wookiepedia they were originally a civilian airframe used for cargo handling, until the Rebel Alliance started modifying them and using them for reconnaissance. Presumably they took some of their modified snowspeeders (with a blaster replacing the harpoon gun) and swapped them back when someone came up with a plan that might actually hurt an AT-AT.
ISTR the ME-262 jet was developed and initially deplyed as a ground attack plane, on the orders of the Hitler. It was less suited to this role than other exisiting planes and made more sense as a fighter, which is how it ended up being used.
Maybe moving up a cliff trying to hump it back to base? I know nothing about mountain climbing, though. And yes, it was Wedge who took out the AT-AT. I just clean forgot about him and pasted in Luke.
They are putting legs on a tank/APC because legs have more mobility than treads or wheels over broken ground (ie the glacial plains of Hoth). For the most part they are pretty indestructable. That and their height more than make up for their high profile. I mean who cares if you can see them coming for miles around if almost nothing stops them?
As I mentioned before, treads on a modern Earth tank are very vulnerable. Even the most modern tanks occassionally throw a track, rendering it into a multi-million dollar pillbox.
It does seem odd though that an AT-AT wouldn’t have some sort of automatic trip sensor to prevent it from falling on it’s face like that.
As for the TIE fighter vs X-Wing capabilities, the Rebels and Imperials clearly have different doctrines. The Imperials believe “bigger is better” and base everything around large capital ships. Star Destroyers, Super Star Destroyers, Death Stars. The capital ships dominate while the small, fast, cheap fighters serve mostly a role of scouting and local air defense for their carrier.
The Rebels can’t compete ship for ship so they went the other route. Tough, survivable fighters with shields, hyperdrives and astromech droids (R2) that can jump into and out of a fight at will without having to rely on a carrier or mothership.
I would also imagine it’s also easier to hide an aircraft factory than a shipyard.
Ah, but why does it have a flat-nosed (presumably magnetic) projectile instead of a grappling hook? Not that I know a thing about mountain climbing either.
I would assume it isn’t intended for use on the ground, but rather in space. In the event that a pilot’s fighter is damaged in a manner that isn’t immediately fatal, it could let them perform repairs without the risk of drifting away, or board another ship large enough to have an airlock but too small to possess a tractor beam and hangar.
I THINK fighters with hyperdrives were relatively new-witness the hyperdrive attachment rings in the prequels. The Empire just didn’t give enough of a shit to spend the money. TIEs also had no shields. They WERE, however, faster than Rebel ships.
(Vader’s, however, is customized, with shields, hyperdrive-I THINK-and all that fancy-shmancy stuff. Because he’s Vader.)
The weird looking aliens make sense-evolution on each planet would account for certain needs and such. Different types of refreshments and what not. It’s nice to see aliens that LOOK like aliens, and not just humans with pointed ears, or whatever. DSYoungEsq-bullshit. The fighter specifics were explained in the novels that came out AT THE TIME THE ORIGINAL MOVIES CAME OUT. Or rather, George Lucas said it, I believe it. Period.
(Oh, and read the EU books. ESPECIALLY the X-Wing series. THAT kicks serious ass)
