Star Wars VII - The Force Awakens, on BluRay and Dvd April 5th, 2016

[Dynaman]

All that tech and they still couldn't kill a bunch of Ewoks with rocks...

[Mommar]

All that tech and they still couldn't kill a bunch of Ewoks with rocks...

They got one of 'em.

[sketchley]

All that tech and they still couldn't kill a bunch of Ewoks with rocks...

Hey, if we can accept the colonial marines in Aliens getting taken out by the aliens, why not the Stormtroopers vs the Ewoks?

Thought, it definitely would've helped if they added a few throwaway lines suggesting that they couldn't detect the Ewoks with their fancy sensors because they're low tech or something.

[CoreyD]

Haha I'm not sure the ewoks are on the same level as a xenomorph, "a perfect organism".

[anime52k8]

Hey, if we can accept the colonial marines in Aliens getting taken out by the aliens, why not the Stormtroopers vs the Ewoks?

One of those has acid for blood, the other are a bunch of teddy bears with sharp sticks.

[sketchley]

One of those has acid for blood, the other are a bunch of teddy bears with sharp sticks.

Are we absolutely sure the teddy bears with sharp sticks don't also have acid blood? Like, we never see them bleed or anything.

Jesting aside, I don't want to lose site of my original intent: if the Storm Troopers use sensors to see, it's possible that the Ewoks are indistinguishable from their surroundings, as their fur coats would tend to mask heat emissions, and their low stature helps them blend in with the undergrowth or something to that effect.

Edited September 7, 2014 by sketchley

[Mommar]

Are we absolutely sure the teddy bears with sharp sticks don't also have acid blood? Like, we never see them bleed or anything.

Jesting aside, I don't want to lose site of my original intent: if the Storm Troopers use sensors to see, it's possible that the Ewoks are indistinguishable from their surroundings, as their fur coats would tend to mask heat emissions, and their low stature helps them blend in with the undergrowth or something to that effect.

Personally not knowing the specifics of how the helmets are supposed to function this seems to be a relatively reasonable assumption.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Trying to use lousy sensors to explain the incredible Stormtrooper incompetency against the Ewoks kinda raises another glaring incompetency doesn't it? Take off the friggin helmets! If they are that inflexible or unflexible, some sort of elite force they are.

Besides, given the great multitude of sentient lifeforms (including many low tech beasts, e.g. wild critters which are dangerous) in the SW Galaxy, it would be a glaring design flaw if Stormtrooper sensors could not detect Ewok type creatures. It would be like designing an impregnable battle station but leaving a little exposed exhaust weakpoint which allows the enemy to blow up the whole station when you could have just fitted an armored shutter or S-curve inlet. Oh wait.....

[sketchley]

Let's not forget that the Stormtroopers had "excellent" marksmanship against human-like opponents, too (despite what was said about their abilities in the movies - hero invulnerability field and all that aside).

[F-ZeroOne]

Couple of points: the West End Games RPG books predate most of what appears to be termed the "Expanded Universe"; as I said, they were used to fill in a lot of background material for what came later (at least in the original "Thrawn" trilogy, I'm not very familiar with what came later). Also, as far as Stromtrooper tongues go, bear in mind the sourcebooks for the RPG would have been originally written in the late 80s/early 90s and thus were a product of their technological background at the time. Today we'd probably be talking about retinal tracking technology, like in "Macross Zero"...

[Dynaman]

The WEG Star Wars game was a great system for playing a Star Wars based RPG (I still have the main rules, guide to the empire, and Star Warriors), but the idea of using one's tongue for controller anything is just a really bad idea.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Couple of points: the West End Games RPG books predate most of what appears to be termed the "Expanded Universe"; as I said, they were used to fill in a lot of background material for what came later (at least in the original "Thrawn" trilogy, I'm not very familiar with what came later). Also, as far as Stromtrooper tongues go, bear in mind the sourcebooks for the RPG would have been originally written in the late 80s/early 90s and thus were a product of their technological background at the time. Today we'd probably be talking about retinal tracking technology, like in "Macross Zero"...

See the Republic Commando series of novels by Karen Traviss. I don't much care for the author, but she does touch on retinal tracking and facial gestures for controlling the various helmet functions, several times in fact. (So much, so often, that I don't care for the author)

[Kanedas Bike]

Apologies if I missed it, but are Ewoks going to be in Episode VII?

-b.

[Dynaman]

Apologies if I missed it, but are Ewoks going to be in Episode VII?

-b.

Nobody knows (I would doubt it though). But you can't have a discussion about Star Wars without them.

[Duke Togo]

Nobody knows (I would doubt it though). But you can't have a discussion about Star Wars without them.

Pretty sure he was joking. We've gone too many pages without any Ewok or Jar Jar jokes, I guess.

[Kanedas Bike]

^more like too many pages (or perhaps just posts) about technical specifications as they relate to Ewoks, but yeah...

I'll be very, very happy when official set pictures start to get released. It's been awhile since I've been genuinely excited about anything Star Wars (I liked what I saw of Clone Wars, but it was never "must see" entertainment for me) and I'd like to have that feeling again for such an iconic franchise.

-b.

[Chronocidal]

Trying to use lousy sensors to explain the incredible Stormtrooper incompetency against the Ewoks kinda raises another glaring incompetency doesn't it? Take off the friggin helmets! If they are that inflexible or unflexible, some sort of elite force they are.

Besides, given the great multitude of sentient lifeforms (including many low tech beasts, e.g. wild critters which are dangerous) in the SW Galaxy, it would be a glaring design flaw if Stormtrooper sensors could not detect Ewok type creatures. It would be like designing an impregnable battle station but leaving a little exposed exhaust weakpoint which allows the enemy to blow up the whole station when you could have just fitted an armored shutter or S-curve inlet. Oh wait.....

I think the bigger question with Endor would be, "What dimwit thought it was a great idea to send down legions of troops in shiny white armor to a forest environment?"

Granted.. they probably didn't think they would need to be fighting there at all, but still. I can personally say, I made extensive use of that particular problem on the old Battlefront games.. and friends I was playing against kept asking how I was sniping half the opposite team on the Endor maps..

[grss1982]

Why are the storm trooper still using white colors for their armor and helmet? I was actually expecting digital camo patters like Crye Scorpion, UCP or MARPAT or something I don't know......more modern perhaps?

Or maybe they now have Optical Camouflage?

Edited September 8, 2014 by grss1982

[Duke Togo]

Because they would be out of place and not "Star Wars." Also, digital camo sucks. Pretty much a useless disaster.

[Gakken85]

Why would a trooper that mostly fights in space need camo?

White would probably work in the decking of a ship.

If they go down to a planet they can get a poncho or something.

[electric indigo]

Star Wars goes back to a time where the function of a uniform was to show which side you belong to, not some fancy battlefield advantages.

[TangledThorns]

When you're the Empire and can pump out Stormtroopers by the millions I doubt you'd care about camo. 'We wear white because we don't give a f*ck!'

Edited September 8, 2014 by TangledThorns

[Kyp Durron]

Last time I checked, Stormtroopers were never known for their subtlety.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Kyp Durron

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

I am ok with the Stormtrooper white because a large part of the Empire's doctrine was "fear". So the high visibility white at least serves a purpose. Besides, they seemed to be more of a police force than for actual fighting. With orbital bombardment, I don't really see the need for ground pounders to do anything other than policing.

Don't think the Empire gives a flying toss about things like collateral damage or what not. It would be like the USAF given a free ticket to ignore collateral damage and with 1000000x the bombs to hammer anything they like.

Face it, the canon movies make no sense if we want to dissect military tactics.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Retracting Head Ter Ter

[peter]

Face it, the canon movies make no sense if we want to dissect military tactics.

That pretty much sums it up, but then our inner geeks would have nothing to talk about, haha!

[CoreyD]

That pretty much sums it up, but then our inner geeks would have nothing to talk about, haha!

And we wouldn't get awesome articles like this! http://www.wired.com/2013/02/battle-of-hoth/

[peter]

And we wouldn't get awesome articles like this! http://www.wired.com/2013/02/battle-of-hoth/

That was a fun read, haha, thanks for posting!

[mickyg]

There's a link there about Han's Kessel run that's quite entertaining as well.

[Mommar]

The Kessel Run thing is kind of dumb because it ignores the fact Hyperspace is a separate sort of dimension that both side-steps the issue of faster than light travel and all of the messy/weird relativity to time/energy usage/etc...

[Kanedas Bike]

There's a link there about Han's Kessel run that's quite entertaining as well.

The Kessel Run thing is kind of dumb because it ignores the fact Hyperspace is a separate sort of dimension that both side-steps the issue of faster than light travel and all of the messy/weird relativity to time/energy usage/etc...

Now I kind of want to read it. Link(s)?

Since we know the Falcon will be in Episode VII I really hope that it gets some awesome, meaningful, screen time.

-b.

[Duke Togo]

They built a 1:1 scale complete mockup of the Falcon. Count on it getting a lot of screen time.

[Mommar]

Now I kind of want to read it. Link(s)?

Since we know the Falcon will be in Episode VII I really hope that it gets some awesome, meaningful, screen time.

-b.

http://www.wired.com/2013/02/kessel-run-12-parsecs/

[Kanedas Bike]

http://www.wired.com/2013/02/kessel-run-12-parsecs/

thank you sir

*edit, that was entertaining to read from a "fun to dissect your favorite fiction stand-point" but from any other perspective I'm in need of a beer, or 6

-b.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Kanedas Bike

[mickyg]

^^^

My thoughts exactly!

[taksraven]

Star Wars goes back to a time where the function of a uniform was to show which side you belong to, not some fancy battlefield advantages.

White for the Stormtroopers was probably originally chosen because of the contrast with Vader, which was used to good effect, especially the opening scenes.....