# Why were the Empires ships so shit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607 "2003-07-24T13:03:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/81 "2003-07-25T23:34:31Z")
Ha! Got my apology in _before_ the mod warning. I am **so** damn smooth. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/82 "2003-07-25T23:41:53Z")
YAROTJESP (Yet Another _Return of the Jedi_ Empire Security Problem): Why did the Death Star II only have _one_ shield generator on Endor? Hasn’t anyone heard of “redundant backup”? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/83 "2003-07-26T00:26:42Z")
Well, you know _you’re_ excepted from any reprimands, **Miller**. C’mere for huggies. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/84 "2003-07-26T01:02:34Z")
Rhum Runner… > [@](#): > > Ok, even if it was Disneyworld, I don’t think defenses consisting of a bit more than a few troops is out of line They were trying to _trap the Rebels_. The reason I am pursuing this so fervently is because the whole “The Empire didn’t have enough defense” is perfectly explained by _one of the biggest plot twists of the entire movie_. As such, people that make that criticism, in my opinion, are either just being contrary, or didn’t pay attention to the movie. Anyway, if the Empire had layed out impossible-to-penetrate defenses for the Rebels, the Rebels wouldn’t have tried to penetrate the defenses, and as such they wouldn’t have fallen for the trap. The Emperor took a risk to exterminate the Rebellion that had been plaguing him for over half a decade, and his gamble didn’t pay off. > [@](#): > > Why no airsupport once the shit hit the fan? The Death Star and Imperial fleet is overhead, after all. They couldn’t spare 5 fighters to drop in and help the grunts on the ground? No. There was a shield covering the planet (remember when Han had to transmit a code to drop the shield to land on the moon?). Dropping the shield would have allowed _Rebel_ fighters to slip in and do their own carpet-bombing of the shield generator that they were trying to keep active. > [@](#): > > No helicopteresque close air support? This one, however, IS a tad odd. I find it odd that the only mechanized units the Empire had were those speeder bikes and some AT-ST’s (and, well, an AT-AT, but that’s pretty useless in the thick jungle). They should have had a couple heavier speeders on hand. 'Course, remember, they were convinced that the troops they had were adequate… and they would have been, if not for the massive numbers of Ewoks that helped. That’s the important thing to keep in mind: The Emperor anticipated a small Rebel strike force. The number of troops and infantry vehicles on hand would have been FAR more than enough to control that situation (and it was… remember, the Emperor’s plan was working PERFECTLY until the Ewok’s showed up). Mr. Excellent… > [@](#): > > maybe a large clearing would be too conspicuous from orbit, and too easy to target with orbital weapons. Or, most obviously, maybe a giant clearing would have completely destroyed the purpose of having a SECRET entrance. Taanstafl > [@](#): > > Also, given that the destruction of the Death Star probably resulted in the complete destruction of the Endor ecosystem Heh, I don’t even need to click on that link to know that it’s Curtis Saxton’s Endor Holocaust essay. I typically agree with that work, but in that case I think he was too eager to create a controversy or something… for one thing, he completely ignores the fact that, several hours later - when the area immediately beneath the Death Star _should_ have been a giant smoldering wasteland - Ewoks and Rebels were partying like it was 1999. Further, he ignores EU evidence which describes Endor as thriving and abundant years after ROTJ. In short, I think he’s too quick to assume the lack of any mechanism to prevent the so-called “Endor Holocaust” from happening. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/85 "2003-07-26T01:43:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*Well, you know _you’re_ excepted from any reprimands, **Miller**. > > C’mere for huggies. \*\* You mean the diaper? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/86 "2003-07-26T02:39:50Z")
One easy reason for stormtrooper inaccuracy/ineffectiveness: the vast majority were unwilling conscripts. They didn’t even **want** to be doing what they were doing. And for some of them, maybe dying in combat was preferrable to continuing to serve a tyrannical government. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Dracul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@Vlad\_Dracul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Dracul)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607/87 "2003-07-26T06:18:13Z")
Some more possibilities for explaining stormtroopers: Maybe the typical stormtrooper joins up because it’s the only job left that his natural incompetence hasn’t gotten him fired from… yet. Maybe the stormtroopers include a lot of first-time juvenile offenders who are given the “if you join the Troopers, I won’t throw you in jail” option by a judge. Maybe all the SMART prospects have found draft deferments of one kind or another: student status, work in a strategically-important field, etc. Maybe there are so many stormtroopers rotating through the training camps that standards have been lowered drastically in order to get them in and out before the next batch arrives. Maybe there’s a thriving hallucinogenic-drug subculture among the stormtroopers. They can’t hit you, because they can’t tell which of you is the REAL one! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-empires-ships-so-shit/190607.md?page=4)