# StarWars fanwank question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215 "2008-04-06T20:32:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/21 "2008-04-07T00:26:48Z")
Luke was 19 at the time of the Battle of Yavin. That’s in Galactic Standard years, however (368 days). But those are Galactic Standard days, 43 hours of 23 minutes each. Oh, and those are Galactic Standard hours, which are 69 minutes long. …blame Wikipedia, not me. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/22 "2008-04-07T01:01:08Z")
[QUOTE=FinnAgain] Hypotheses: 2. The first one was built at a more leisurely pace, without any real urgency. The Rebellion was hardly ascendant, with a dinky fleet of ships and skulking around. The Death Star would ensure Imperial supremacy over any wayward worlds, but Palpatine had already been in power for quite some time without any real threat to his power base. No need for a galactic super weapon as anything other than a terror device. [/QUOTE] Up until just before the events of A New Hope, Palpatine had had to let the Senate think that they still ultimately controlled things; sorta the way Augustus Caesar supposedly was merely fullfilling an extraordinary mandate of the Roman Senate. The Death Star was to allow Palpatine to abolish the Senate and rule as an undisguised despot. I suspect the first Death Star had to built with the massive use of clever bookkeeping, to hide just where so many appropriations for the Imperial fleets were being diverted to. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/23 "2008-04-07T01:46:03Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] The second one took longer because they had to install all those railings. [/QUOTE] General: We could have it done tomorrow, if money’s no object. Darth Stewie: Uh, hmmm, uh. General: Or we could get some estimates. Darth Stewie: Yeah, get some estimates. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/24 "2008-04-07T01:59:50Z")
As long as you’re going to bring that up, I’ll mention that _Blue Harvest_ is airing tonight. But I still wanted to do that _Robot Chicken_ line: Palpatine: _Build another one???!!!???_ Right, and who’s gonna give me a loan, jagoff? You? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/25 "2008-04-07T02:10:13Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] As long as you’re going to bring that up, I’ll mention that _Blue Harvest_ is airing tonight. But I still wanted to do that _Robot Chicken_ line: Palpatine: _Build another one???!!!???_ Right, and who’s gonna give me a loan, jagoff? You? [/QUOTE] Yeah, but how many people watch _Robot Chicken_? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/26 "2008-04-07T02:31:47Z")
On a related issue, I’ve always wondered about how Obi-Wan Kenobi aged. We “first” see him as a young man in _The Phantom Menace_; he looked like [this](http://www.space-debris.com/stwars_ewanmcgregor_obiwan.jpg). The next time we see him is in ten years later, in _Attack of the Clones_, and he looks like [this](http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0121765/EP2-24.jpg). Three more years pass by, and he looks like [this](http://www.sublimerage.com/obi-wan.jpg) in _Revenge of the Sith_. And then we skip forward another nineteen years to _A New Hope_, and he’s turned into [this](http://www.addletters.com/pictures/star-wars-obi-wan-caption-generator/star-wars-obi-wan-caption-generator.php?caption=Whoa...%20that%20Jawa%20Juice%20is%20really%20starting%20to%20kick....). ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/27 "2008-04-07T02:38:18Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] On a related issue, I’ve always wondered about how Obi-Wan Kenobi aged. We “first” see him as a young man in _The Phantom Menace_; he looked like [this](http://www.space-debris.com/stwars_ewanmcgregor_obiwan.jpg). The next time we see him is in ten years later, in _Attack of the Clones_, and he looks like [this](http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0121765/EP2-24.jpg). Three more years pass by, and he looks like [this](http://www.sublimerage.com/obi-wan.jpg) in _Revenge of the Sith_. And then we skip forward another nineteen years to _A New Hope_, and he’s turned into [this](http://www.addletters.com/pictures/star-wars-obi-wan-caption-generator/star-wars-obi-wan-caption-generator.php?caption=Whoa...%20that%20Jawa%20Juice%20is%20really%20starting%20to%20kick....). [/QUOTE] Not enough SPF in that tatooine sunscreen? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/28 "2008-04-07T03:07:16Z")
[QUOTE=Unintentionally Blank] Not enough SPF in that tatooine sunscreen? [/QUOTE] Hey, TWO suns! Let’s see how _your_ skincare regimen holds out against 20 years of that… ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/29 "2008-04-07T03:27:47Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] On a related issue, I’ve always wondered about how Obi-Wan Kenobi aged. We “first” see him as a young man in _The Phantom Menace_; he looked like [this](http://www.space-debris.com/stwars_ewanmcgregor_obiwan.jpg). The next time we see him is in ten years later, in _Attack of the Clones_, and he looks like [this](http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0121765/EP2-24.jpg). Three more years pass by, and he looks like [this](http://www.sublimerage.com/obi-wan.jpg) in _Revenge of the Sith_. And then we skip forward another nineteen years to _A New Hope_, and he’s turned into [this](http://www.addletters.com/pictures/star-wars-obi-wan-caption-generator/star-wars-obi-wan-caption-generator.php?caption=Whoa...%20that%20Jawa%20Juice%20is%20really%20starting%20to%20kick....). [/QUOTE] My personal fanwank: Obi-Wan’s about 25 in _Phantom Menace_; 35 in _Attack of the Clones_; 38 to 40 in _Revenge of the Sith_; and then late fifties to early sixties in _A New Hope_–easily enough time to go from Ewan McGregor to Alec Guinness. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/30 "2008-04-07T04:57:21Z")
[QUOTE=Unintentionally Blank] Oh, and I figured I’d add, so it wasn’t a drive-by thread, that all this…I blame on Spike TV. I still like the whole Clerks aspect of killing off all those sub-contractors. > **[Clerks (5)](http://www.whysanity.net/monos/clerks5.html)** [/QUOTE] Which led to how the Rebels really got their hands on the Death Star Plans. [Trooper Clerks](http://www.trooperclerks.com/films_cartoons.html) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/31 "2008-04-07T05:19:16Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] Obi-Wan’s about 25 in _Phantom Menace_; 35 in _Attack of the Clones_; 38 to 40 in _Revenge of the Sith_; and then late fifties to early sixties in _A New Hope_–easily enough time to go from Ewan McGregor to Alec Guinness. [/QUOTE] Not to mention Obi-Wan, brought up to be a defender of the Republic, is partly responsible for its downfall, the nearly complete destruction of the Jedi order, and the creation of the monstrous Darth Vader, scourge of the galaxy. Living with that kind of guilt will age you. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/32 "2008-04-07T08:11:04Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] Not to mention Obi-Wan, brought up to be a defender of the Republic, is partly responsible for its downfall, the nearly complete destruction of the Jedi order, and the creation of the monstrous Darth Vader, scourge of the galaxy. Living with that kind of guilt will age you. [/QUOTE] Hey, at least he helped restore balance to the galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/33 "2008-04-07T12:17:19Z")
I think the first one was built on Windows ME and the second one was powered by OS X. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/34 "2008-04-07T13:37:27Z")
Between the first and second Death Star, the Emperor had outlawed unions. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/35 "2008-04-07T13:41:57Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Between the first and second Death Star, the Emperor had outlawed unions. [/QUOTE] _Pssst_. See posts 8 and 10. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/36 "2008-04-07T15:43:40Z")
It’s because of the unions… Dammit, like three people beat me to the punch. IIRC, the one seen at the end of Ep III wasn’t the one in Ep IV. The placement of the big gun was different. I had the impression that Ep III’s Death Star was something of a proof-of-concept which would lead to production of the one in the next movie. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/37 "2008-04-07T15:46:53Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] _Pssst_. See posts 8 and 10. [/QUOTE] Neither of those explained how the emperor had done away with unions to speed up the construction time. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/38 "2008-04-07T15:49:14Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Neither of those explained how the emperor had done away with unions to speed up the construction time. [/QUOTE] The unions were obviously alien-inspired-and-covertly-led organizations designed to weaken the Empire from within so that out-galaxy groups (read alien races) could invade and enslave the pseudohumans. Why do you hate the Empire so much, citizen?! ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/39 "2008-04-07T15:59:39Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > No need for R&D for the big gun, 2nd time around. [QUOTE=Speaker for the Dead] Nerd Alert: there must have been some, since it’s apparently surprsing that DS2’s superlaser can target ships, which are (obviously) much smaller targets than planets. [/QUOTE] Professional nerd alert: By the time of _Star Wars_, the superlaser’s targeting system had been tested and installed on the operational platform. Since _Return of the Jedi_ is set a few years later, there was plenty of time to develop the next version of the targeting system and field SuperLaser Targeting v3.0 (beta-2 release) at the Endor facility. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215/40 "2008-04-07T16:06:36Z")
Isn’t R&D usually faster for improvements on an existing platform than it is on getting the platform itself up and running? You can figure out what adjustments need to be made for the energizing components more quickly than you can actually plan and create the energizing component itself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starwars-fanwank-question/444215.md?page=3)