The Empire will eventually have an astromech ship. Otherwise there would be no reason for R2-D2 to be "Rebel Only".

I imagine they might give a TIE Scout an astromech slot.

The Empire will eventually have an astromech ship. Otherwise there would be no reason for R2-D2 to be "Rebel Only".

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/news/preview3-upgrades/r2-d2.png

So no, I don't think the empire is ever going to get an astromech slot on a ship.

The Empire will eventually have an astromech ship. Otherwise there would be no reason for R2-D2 to be "Rebel Only".

I imagine they might give a TIE Scout an astromech slot.

WTF Seriously? You been reading my Star Wars storys made in 2005 about a crew of 5 TIE Fighter pilots and a R5 aboard a TIE Scout.

You get a cookie. When my idea is turned into a sitcom " 5 Dudes 1 droid 1 Scout & 0 Time" you get a cup of chocolate milk to go with your cookie.

There are two ways of thinking about it.

Astromechs are a workaround to having a good enough system in the first place. They often are mainly used to simplify tasks, and expand upon the computer's memory bank, particularly with hyperdrive coordinates and the like. Most of the tasks of the astromech, that are used, are simply built into the computers of most TIE craft.They are of a higher technology level, as far as cannon goes. The second part to it, is that no hyperdrive means harder difficulty to defect. Seeing as, again, the main purpose of the astromech was to store hyperdrive coordinates, why would you have it when you don't have the hyperdrive in most TIE craft?

someone should have introduced them to a flash drive. lots of memory and very easy to transport. hell you can even fit better graphics files on a flash drive then those bulky droids.

did you see the death star schematics from R2? yeah, a flash drive is the way to go if you ask me. thats probably what the empire was using and why they didnt need droids.

The Empire will eventually have an astromech ship. Otherwise there would be no reason for R2-D2 to be "Rebel Only".

I imagine they might give a TIE Scout an astromech slot.

actually the only droid i see in a fighter for the empire is going to be the TIE droid, where the human pilot is replaced by a droid brain that is hardwired into the fighter. i expect them to be super cheap:

10 points

PS = 2 - 6

attack = 2

evade = 2

hull = 2

shields = 0

has boost, barrel roll

can perfom 2 actions per activation with no penalty

cannot benefit from any freindly pilot ability or EPA ability

I actually somewhat disagree with what you are saying. The Imperial TIE Academy trained the pilots to be the best pilots in the galaxy (Corellians excepted). The TIE Pilots were all really good, they were just conditioned to view themselves as expendable. The perfect pilots lived, while the good pilots died. When you are a TIE pilot, you cannot afford to be anything less than perfect.

The Rebels on the other hand, had to recruit whoever they could scrounge up to fight. I mean, they gave a kid with ZERO flight experience a starfighter and sent him on a mission that out everyone's lives in his hands. Those pilots aren't the best: they are the washouts, no-names, freight haulers of the galaxy. They aren't in perfect control of their ship. They need help. Enter the Astromech. Now, perfection is not expected from you; the Astromech will help alleviate the burden from these less experienced pilots.

Also, the whole hyperspace thingy.

What makes you think Luke had no flight experience? He may not have had any combat experience, but he was already a trained pilot before he encounters the droids. This is actually mentioned a few times in A New Hope.

It's already been mentioned, but the Empire uses astromech droids. Coffin jockeys (tie pilots) just don't need them.

I actually somewhat disagree with what you are saying. The Imperial TIE Academy trained the pilots to be the best pilots in the galaxy (Corellians excepted). The TIE Pilots were all really good, they were just conditioned to view themselves as expendable. The perfect pilots lived, while the good pilots died. When you are a TIE pilot, you cannot afford to be anything less than perfect.

The Rebels on the other hand, had to recruit whoever they could scrounge up to fight. I mean, they gave a kid with ZERO flight experience a starfighter and sent him on a mission that out everyone's lives in his hands. Those pilots aren't the best: they are the washouts, no-names, freight haulers of the galaxy. They aren't in perfect control of their ship. They need help. Enter the Astromech. Now, perfection is not expected from you; the Astromech will help alleviate the burden from these less experienced pilots.

Also, the whole hyperspace thingy.

What makes you think Luke had no flight experience? He may not have had any combat experience, but he was already a trained pilot before he encounters the droids. This is actually mentioned a few times in A New Hope.

It's already been mentioned, but the Empire uses astromech droids. Coffin jockeys (tie pilots) just don't need them.

Not in a spacecraft, not in a fighter, and certainly not in a combat situation. Flying a ship casually and fighting in a battle are two completely different experiences. Plus it wasn't until after he was assigned as a pilot that he ran into Biggs, so he had no one to vouch for his flight skills.

I actually somewhat disagree with what you are saying. The Imperial TIE Academy trained the pilots to be the best pilots in the galaxy (Corellians excepted). The TIE Pilots were all really good, they were just conditioned to view themselves as expendable. The perfect pilots lived, while the good pilots died. When you are a TIE pilot, you cannot afford to be anything less than perfect.

The Rebels on the other hand, had to recruit whoever they could scrounge up to fight. I mean, they gave a kid with ZERO flight experience a starfighter and sent him on a mission that out everyone's lives in his hands. Those pilots aren't the best: they are the washouts, no-names, freight haulers of the galaxy. They aren't in perfect control of their ship. They need help. Enter the Astromech. Now, perfection is not expected from you; the Astromech will help alleviate the burden from these less experienced pilots.

Also, the whole hyperspace thingy.

What makes you think Luke had no flight experience? He may not have had any combat experience, but he was already a trained pilot before he encounters the droids. This is actually mentioned a few times in A New Hope.

It's already been mentioned, but the Empire uses astromech droids. Coffin jockeys (tie pilots) just don't need them.

Not in a spacecraft, not in a fighter, and certainly not in a combat situation. Flying a ship casually and fighting in a battle are two completely different experiences. Plus it wasn't until after he was assigned as a pilot that he ran into Biggs, so he had no one to vouch for his flight skills.

I actually somewhat disagree with what you are saying. The Imperial TIE Academy trained the pilots to be the best pilots in the galaxy (Corellians excepted). The TIE Pilots were all really good, they were just conditioned to view themselves as expendable. The perfect pilots lived, while the good pilots died. When you are a TIE pilot, you cannot afford to be anything less than perfect.

The Rebels on the other hand, had to recruit whoever they could scrounge up to fight. I mean, they gave a kid with ZERO flight experience a starfighter and sent him on a mission that out everyone's lives in his hands. Those pilots aren't the best: they are the washouts, no-names, freight haulers of the galaxy. They aren't in perfect control of their ship. They need help. Enter the Astromech. Now, perfection is not expected from you; the Astromech will help alleviate the burden from these less experienced pilots.

Also, the whole hyperspace thingy.

What makes you think Luke had no flight experience? He may not have had any combat experience, but he was already a trained pilot before he encounters the droids. This is actually mentioned a few times in A New Hope.

It's already been mentioned, but the Empire uses astromech droids. Coffin jockeys (tie pilots) just don't need them.

Not in a spacecraft, not in a fighter, and certainly not in a combat situation. Flying a ship casually and fighting in a battle are two completely different experiences. Plus it wasn't until after he was assigned as a pilot that he ran into Biggs, so he had no one to vouch for his flight skills.

However in the radio drama Biggs is actually the one who shows Luke the flight simulator and officiates his score ("You only died twice!") before being assigned to a squadron.

EDIT: Yeah, that too ^^^^

I stand corrected (somewhat). Dying twice in one day still isn't what I'd call stellar, though.

That's true. Flying a T-16 Skyhopper around Beggars Canyon and threading the stone needle in a race and shooting local wildlife is a lot different than piloting a starship with incoming fire.

True, but it must be remembered that the x-wing control systems were very very similar to the skyhopper's, and that a lot, probably the majority, of rebellion pilots were farmboy bush pilots originally. I have no problem with the idea that Luke was given a ship to fly during the battle. I do think it is a little off that he was given command of one of the trench run flights (the last one, at that) rather than wedge.

I stand corrected (somewhat). Dying twice in one day still isn't what I'd call stellar, though.

I also maintain that it makes sense for him to get a ship, since it was do or die anyway. As long as he wasn't likely to fly in to his allies, there is little to no harm in letting him do his thing.

I stand corrected (somewhat). Dying twice in one day still isn't what I'd call stellar, though.

Dying twice over the course of a battery of dangerous combat missions as a total newb is probably amazing as hell. I mean, how many times did you die playing the X-Wing fighter sims? What's your ships mortality rates over the course of a tournament? Etc.

To quote Garven Dreis in the Radio Drama regarding dying twice in the simulator: "That's surprisingly good."

I stand corrected (somewhat). Dying twice in one day still isn't what I'd call stellar, though.

Dying twice over the course of a battery of dangerous combat missions as a total newb is probably amazing as hell. I mean, how many times did you die playing the X-Wing fighter sims? What's your ships mortality rates over the course of a tournament? Etc.

To quote Garven Dreis in the Radio Drama regarding dying twice in the simulator: "That's surprisingly good."

Also no one could expect him to be a Jedi at that point where he is in the simulator, but unless he could influence the programmation by his powers in some way (which he discovers during the trench run only), it's pretty obvious that his Jedi Senses would be more of a help in a real combat situation than in the simulator. Him being a great pilot later on is in part explained through his powers, so dying in a simulator where they would be no help to him is logical. His training as a bush pilot explains his base skills pretty well, although in reality, space "flight" has pretty much nothing to do with atmospheric flight. However in Star Wars, space flight is pretty much applying the athmospheric rules of flying.

Also remember that one of those 'deaths' came after Biggs decided to be a tool and throw a Sector Fleet at Luke, after Luke beat his score.

That's true. Flying a T-16 Skyhopper around Beggars Canyon and threading the stone needle in a race and shooting local wildlife is a lot different than piloting a starship with incoming fire.

True, but it must be remembered that the x-wing control systems were very very similar to the skyhopper's, and that a lot, probably the majority, of rebellion pilots were farmboy bush pilots originally. I have no problem with the idea that Luke was given a ship to fly during the battle. I do think it is a little off that he was given command of one of the trench run flights (the last one, at that) rather than wedge.

Except of course in a wingman situation would you want a relatively untrained pilot trying to keep on the wing of a well trained one whilst manoeuvring down a trench or do you have the trained pilot follow the rookie? I would have the trained guy following the rookie!

You would, I think, want the guy you have the most confidence in to be the one taking the shot that the lives of everyone you know and, indeed, the entire fate of the galaxy, depends on. Was Luke's performance during the battle so much better than everyone else's that garven was impressed enough by it, while being distracted by his own combat flying, to have more confidence that Luke could make than shot rather than an ace pilot garven had been going on mission with for an extended period of time?

You would, I think, want the guy you have the most confidence in to be the one taking the shot that the lives of everyone you know and, indeed, the entire fate of the galaxy, depends on. Was Luke's performance during the battle so much better than everyone else's that garven was impressed enough by it, while being distracted by his own combat flying, to have more confidence that Luke could make than shot rather than an ace pilot garven had been going on mission with for an extended period of time?

One thing that I'm missing here is the history that Red squadron had before the Battle of Yavin.

How many pilots were new recruits? Obviously Biggs had been with them for at least a short while, what about Wedge? Those were the two in the trench with Luke.

According to both the deleted scenes from ANH and the Radio Drama, Biggs was with the Alliance for about as long as it took Luke to buy some droids, get off Tatooine, find his car keys on the Death Star and make his way to Yavin, so he would have had slightly more rapport than Luke, but how long was Wedge flying with them?

My point being that perhaps none of them were seasoned aces.

Because droid fighters can't fight or fly for ****. Plus, they're expensive and have terrible survival rates. In addition, the Empire was born from the Clone Wars. They know how to take down droids.

Droid fighters only work with huge numerical superiority the rebels lacked.

R2-D2 can outlfy just about anyone. It's no coincidence that 2 of the pilots in the galaxy both happen to have the same droid plugged into their ships... I can't wait to see R2D2 Piloting a xwing and and ETA-2!

R2 was doing an amazing job there when he got his head poped of by Vader in ep 4 ; )

FURTHER PROOF THAT R2D2 WAS THE REAL PILOT... Vader took R2D2 out because Vader knew from experience that R2D2 was a good pilot!

That's true. Flying a T-16 Skyhopper around Beggars Canyon and threading the stone needle in a race and shooting local wildlife is a lot different than piloting a starship with incoming fire.

True, but it must be remembered that the x-wing control systems were very very similar to the skyhopper's, and that a lot, probably the majority, of rebellion pilots were farmboy bush pilots originally. I have no problem with the idea that Luke was given a ship to fly during the battle. I do think it is a little off that he was given command of one of the trench run flights (the last one, at that) rather than wedge.

I'd love to see the deep space skyhopper as a model. I might order one off of shapeways. It's a fun size and looks pretty simple to mod/paint.

I stand corrected (somewhat). Dying twice in one day still isn't what I'd call stellar, though.

Dying twice over the course of a battery of dangerous combat missions as a total newb is probably amazing as hell. I mean, how many times did you die playing the X-Wing fighter sims? What's your ships mortality rates over the course of a tournament? Etc.

The EMPIRE IS USING THIS GAME TO FERRET OUT THE GOOD PILOTS!

Also remember that one of those 'deaths' came after Biggs decided to be a tool and throw a Sector Fleet at Luke, after Luke beat his score.

Kinda like when the newbie beats you at x-wing while you were using the "teaching" squad and gloats... then you pull out your interceptor list and show them whats what.

You would, I think, want the guy you have the most confidence in to be the one taking the shot that the lives of everyone you know and, indeed, the entire fate of the galaxy, depends on. Was Luke's performance during the battle so much better than everyone else's that garven was impressed enough by it, while being distracted by his own combat flying, to have more confidence that Luke could make than shot rather than an ace pilot garven had been going on mission with for an extended period of time?

One thing that I'm missing here is the history that Red squadron had before the Battle of Yavin.

How many pilots were new recruits? Obviously Biggs had been with them for at least a short while, what about Wedge? Those were the two in the trench with Luke.

According to both the deleted scenes from ANH and the Radio Drama, Biggs was with the Alliance for about as long as it took Luke to buy some droids, get off Tatooine, find his car keys on the Death Star and make his way to Yavin, so he would have had slightly more rapport than Luke, but how long was Wedge flying with them?

My point being that perhaps none of them were seasoned aces.

When everyone else is dead... those who are left are your "seasoned aces".

its just as likely that an auto pilot would take you to a space battle in orbit around a planet.........and an astromech droid couldnt turn the auto pilot off? why?

there are small inconsistancies with reality in most movies, we just have to except them and move on.

You know, all this talk about astromechs has made me realize what Stele's ability should be when we get him in an Avenger:

When your attack deals a face up damage card to the defender, you may flip this card facedown and discard an upgrade card on the defender instead.

Shooting off astromechs, destroying single Turbolasers, killing Crewbacca. That's what the greatest pilot in the Empire should be able to do.