Alderaan shot first!
death star as horrible weapon?
The Death Star was a terrible weapon, but not for the reason you think. It lacked meaningful point defense emplacements, due to the treacherous actions of its designers (who I hope were summarily executed just as their relief design crew were passing by on the way to their own work spaces).
As for its effectiveness as a planet killer, many others have already brought up the huge resource advantage offered by breaking up a planet rather than leaving it intact. Throw in the likely morale impact that having such a battle station available and on the move would offer and the Death Star begins to look like a very good idea.
Regarding Alderaan, its population was full of traitors and heretics, with a history of genocide and civil war that would suggest that the benefits of pacifying the population using conventional means would be both costly and ultimately futile. Better to annihilate the world and at a stroke bring order to a hotbed of chaos.
If I recall correctly, the designers, shut away in the Maw installation regardee it as a mining platform, completely oblivious even when the name was flung in their face (not really convincing bit of writing that though) even while designing the Sun Crusher.
Democracy?! Freedom?!?!Alderaan had it coming.
What with their pithy notions of "democracy" and "freedom".
Wasnt this planet ruled by a monarchy? Wasnt their primary galactic senator a PRINCESS?! OF THE RULING FAMILY?!?!? Sounds more like despotism to me...with the wrong despot in charge.
Long Live Palpatine!! Down with the Rebellion! Down with the terrorists!
Pfaw, as if a monarch can't be head of state of a democratic society.
.
Only if they're teenaged girls.
And with the planet blown to bite sized chunks it will be much easier to mine a process those deep ores in the mantle and core.
Most of the chunks would be gobbled up by the star or flung into deep space. The force of that explosion would leave only a minute fraction of the planet to be caught in anything resembling a stable orbit.
Edited by benbaxterAnd with the planet blown to bite sized chunks it will be much easier to mine a process those deep ores in the mantle and core.
Most of the chunks would be gobbled up by the star or flung into deep space. The force of that explosion would leave only a minute fraction of the planet to be caught in anything resembling a stable orbit.
And with the planet blown to bite sized chunks it will be much easier to mine a process those deep ores in the mantle and core.
Most of the chunks would be gobbled up by the star or flung into deep space. The force of that explosion would leave only a minute fraction of the planet to be caught in anything resembling a stable orbit.
Don't bring your "science" into star wars.
There is no place for that here!!
Also... field of asteroids.. easy to mine, much easier than digging.
... and causing ship damage and losing actions... Also, explains why all the games of X-Wing involve asteroids... Thanks, Death Star!
Alderaan shot first!
The Grand Jury didn't see any reason to push to a trial, clearly the Death Star did nothing wrong.
Also... field of asteroids.. easy to mine, much easier than digging.
I dunno about that - with the apparent force of the explosion, would the planets gravity be enough to stop the rocks shooting away indefinitely? Seems unlikely to me. Maybe the star's gravity would capture them and they'd form a belt? Sounds like a question for Randall Munroe.
Most of what wasnt flat out destroyed by the LASER was pulled into space-time singularities or the giant hole the LASER made going into hyper space.
I SERIOUSLY WASNT JOKING ABOUT WHAT I WROTE IN MY FIRST POST IN THIS TOPIC. You dont screw around with weapons like the DS.
So the death star, it blows up planets... But isnt that a horrible thing to do?
Personally I think destroying planets and turning their entire populations of billions of people into dust is actually a really nice thing to do.
On the actual subject matter, a virus bomb could spread to other worlds, it's also slow, painful, and would let rebels escape.
The Death Star is quick, painless, and effective. It's the humane way to annhiliate a planetary population.
The Empire was ok with using super-bug weapons, its just that they are hard to use on shielded targets.
The Death Star was a terrible weapon, but not for the reason you think. It lacked meaningful point defense emplacements, due to the treacherous actions of its designers (who I hope were summarily executed just as their relief design crew were passing by on the way to their own work spaces).
As for its effectiveness as a planet killer, many others have already brought up the huge resource advantage offered by breaking up a planet rather than leaving it intact. Throw in the likely morale impact that having such a battle station available and on the move would offer and the Death Star begins to look like a very good idea.
Regarding Alderaan, its population was full of traitors and heretics, with a history of genocide and civil war that would suggest that the benefits of pacifying the population using conventional means would be both costly and ultimately futile. Better to annihilate the world and at a stroke bring order to a hotbed of chaos.
I kinda agree with what you said about DS-1. But Sidious had plained on losing it at Yavin. He had forseen Tarkin using the DS agianst him, and other high ranking Officers would have gone along with this. Vader I think was suposed to have been killed aboard the DS-1 as well.
Now if we are talking about the DS-2 it would have been perfect when finished. Even when it wasnt finished it was a death trap flying over the surface of the DS-2.
What natural resources? In 200 years of industry on this planet we have used most of ours planets in star wars are much older they would have most likely used up all there natural resources an were importing most of what they needed
so if you have a death star and need to get information out of a princess don't worry about what you might be blowing up the planet might just be depleted of anything useful anyway
What natural resources? In 200 years of industry on this planet we have used most of ours planets in star wars are much older they would have most likely used up all there natural resources an were importing most of what they needed
so if you have a death star and need to get information out of a princess don't worry about what you might be blowing up the planet might just be depleted of anything useful anyway
Have we managed to get that deep into the crust? Really? What about the planetary core? We haven't touched that.
virus bomb
Cue the rakghouls...
virus bomb
Cue the rakghouls...
I say cue the inquisition. Authorize exterminatus. My the emperor have mercy on their souls for we shall not.
What natural resources? In 200 years of industry on this planet we have used most of ours planets in star wars are much older they would have most likely used up all there natural resources an were importing most of what they needed
so if you have a death star and need to get information out of a princess don't worry about what you might be blowing up the planet might just be depleted of anything useful anyway
Have we managed to get that deep into the crust? Really? What about the planetary core? We haven't touched that.
Actually all we have done is scrape a little off the top, so to speak. We haven't made a dent in the amount of ores the planet has. Although we are making good progress on finishing off the carbon fuels that we have left.
So the death star, it blows up planets... But isnt that a horrible thing to do? Wouldnt something else that kills everybody, but leaves the planet still habital be best? By blowing up the planet you lose access to all of its resources.
I know it existed as a fear weapon, but would some sort of virus bomb be better? Why blow up the entire planet? Just kill everything on it.
The Death Star was a propaganda tool, like how after conquering Carthage and destroying the city supposedly the Romans plowed large amounts of salt in the ground so that nothing could grow for years, one thing is die and lose another is to cease to exist in any way.
And killing everything on it is not nearly as intimidating as just flat out wiping the entire planet from existence.
Exactly!
Edited by TheycamefromBEHINDLet's imagine you're the head of a planetary government thinking of rebelling. All of a sudden a small moon full of tie fighters, storm troopers and lasers starts orbiting your planet.
Now even the _tides_ of your world are different. And still the Death Star hangs there. A silent threat. No contact from Tarkin, no acknowledgement of your existence, just a presence in your sky and some terrifying tides.
Oh. And earthquakes as the tectonic plates of your planet are under sudden new stresses.
In the back of your mind, you know that at any moment your existence could end at the whim of Tarkin. The same whim that ended Aldaraan and Yavin.
Thoughts of rebellion diminish with each day as your administration deals with the thousand small problems brought by the mere physical presence of a small moon in your orbit.
Fear has brought you in line. Fear of Tarkin's technological marvel. In silence, the Death Star departs.
Let's imagine you're the head of a planetary government thinking of rebelling. All of a sudden a small moon full of tie fighters, storm troopers and lasers starts orbiting your planet.
Now even the _tides_ of your world are different. And still the Death Star hangs there. A silent threat. No contact from Tarkin, no acknowledgement of your existence, just a presence in your sky and some terrifying tides.
Oh. And earthquakes as the tectonic plates of your planet are under sudden new stresses.
In the back of your mind, you know that at any moment your existence could end at the whim of Tarkin. The same whim that ended Aldaraan and Yavin.
Thoughts of rebellion diminish with each day as your administration deals with the thousand small problems brought by the mere physical presence of a small moon in your orbit.
Fear has brought you in line. Fear of Tarkin's technological marvel. In silence, the Death Star departs.
I have a feeling the REBs would have tried, and failed, to build planetary shields too stop the SUPER LASER Mk 1 or 2.
Let's imagine you're the head of a planetary government thinking of rebelling. All of a sudden a small moon full of tie fighters, storm troopers and lasers starts orbiting your planet.
Now even the _tides_ of your world are different. And still the Death Star hangs there. A silent threat. No contact from Tarkin, no acknowledgement of your existence, just a presence in your sky and some terrifying tides.
Oh. And earthquakes as the tectonic plates of your planet are under sudden new stresses.
In the back of your mind, you know that at any moment your existence could end at the whim of Tarkin. The same whim that ended Aldaraan and Yavin.
Thoughts of rebellion diminish with each day as your administration deals with the thousand small problems brought by the mere physical presence of a small moon in your orbit.
Fear has brought you in line. Fear of Tarkin's technological marvel. In silence, the Death Star departs.
I have a feeling the REBs would have tried, and failed, to build planetary shields too stop the SUPER LASER Mk 1 or 2.
True...they were known for cowering behind Shields as opposed to fighting like men on the battlefield.