It's the Star Wars equivalent of a car with pop-up headlights, something needlessly complex that just looks cool.

B-Wings I can understand, they would take up significantly less space on a carrier with their S-Foils folded and I don't think it would even be possible to land one without folding an S-Foil.

But on an X-Wing? Not much. Wider spread on their cannons maybe, but I feel like resources would be better put to use loading it with more munitions or shield reinforcements or better engines.

Starviper seems even more needlessly complex than either, and is therefore the coolest out of the three.

I would love to see an S-Foils title for the T-65, perhaps all of the S-Foil ships. I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing out that they serve zero purpose. Just like the pop-up headlights on my Daytona that I have to manually open only for them to automatically RETRACT WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF SO THEN NEXT TIME I NEED THE HEADLIGHTS I HAVE TO MANUALLY OPEN THEM AGAIN. What even is this hot garbage I swear to god.

Rule of cool, man

Rule of cool

ARC-170, completely pointless.

Sure aerodynamics have no purpose in space and Star Wars doesn't do the best job in following physics. Still I liked what they did in the Rouge Squadron games where s-foils closed disabled weapons and gave you a speed boost. Which is why I am kind of upset there was no s-foil action for X-wings/ B-wings/ Star Vipers and maybe the ARC-170 (although still completely pointless).

Action open/close s-foils. Perform a 1 straight maneuver and place or remove an s-foil token next to your ship. While it has this token it cannot make attacks, When defending it has +1 agility. When revealing a straight maneuver treat that maneuver as 1 speed higher.

X-wing - gun [laser] harmonisation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_harmonisation

...but in this case, vertical as well as horizontal - set to converge at the pilots chosen, optimal range.

Well, that's perhaps one excuse, anyway ?

...and, no, I can't offer any reason for the Starviper, unless it's a similar reason to the B-wing you've already mentioned

ARC-170, completely pointless.

Sure aerodynamics have no purpose in space and Star Wars doesn't do the best job in following physics. Still I liked what they did in the Rouge Squadron games where s-foils closed disabled weapons and gave you a speed boost.

I didn't, because it contradicts the movies.

But they do look cool. Opening once before the battle, obviously flapping in combat would be stupid.

Maybe they're so powerful that they'd overheat if they were too close?

In-universe they work however the people designing the story want them to work (larger cannon spread, better radiation f heat etc.)

Out of universe, the X-Wing had them because it looked cool, the B-Wing had them because the X-Wing did, and the ARC had them because George wanted to spoon feed the audience another 'Lock S-Foils' line because he can't write for shi- STAR WARS RING THEORY EVERY IMAGE IS SO DENSE IT'S ALL INTERCONNECTED JAR JAR IS THE KEY TO ALL THIS

In game though? Fire S-Foils and anyone who wants them in-game into the sun. They don't flap mid-combat you morons.

Rule of cool, man

Rule of cool

/thread

Wasn't the fluff that it was to prevent the guns from overheating?

S-foils as the T-65, ARC-170, and B-Wing have them would increase surface area significantly, which in turn would increase heat radiation, which in turn would keep the ship operational during combat conditions for a statistically meaningful additional length of time.

Throw in potential minor gains from broader weapon coverage, maneuvering jet distribution, etc., and they may well be worth it, but not decisively so, otherwise every combat ship in SW would have S-foils (which they don't, suggesting the gains are meaningful but situational and perhaps not always worth the trade-offs).

Might as well as what the point of all those wings is too. They aren't aerodynamic and are meant to be in space anyway.

It's SW, the rule of cool is LAW and if you dig past the 'lived in' dirt you will find huge holes.

I challenge anyone to present a ship in star wars that actually makes practical design sense in the context of space combat.

every scifi ship has pointless attributes, even if they bs one it makes no sense lol. But they make the ship look good.

Can you imagine a Startrek ship in the traditional saucer + tubular fuselage without the nacelles? Nope lol

Maybe they're (x-wing laser cannons) so powerful that they'd overheat if they were too close?

But the laser cannons on the ARC-170 are on opposite sides, so why do they have s-foils?

Maybe they're (x-wing laser cannons) so powerful that they'd overheat if they were too close?

But the laser cannons on the ARC-170 are on opposite sides, so why do they have s-foils?

On the ARC, it's not for the guns, it's for those oversized engines.

In the EU of Star Wars, the Starviper's guns would fold behind the cockpit and the S-foils would go down for speed. The wings would open and the cannons would swing out when in combat mode.

In the EU of Star Wars, the Starviper's guns would fold behind the cockpit and the S-foils would go down for speed. The wings would open and the cannons would swing out when in combat mode.

^ This, and also "autothrusters"

Although you wouldn't know it flying against the atrocious sprites in Shadows of the Empire on the N64, each foil on the Starviper was supposed to have a wee maneuvering jet on the tip which would respond to control changes. (Or all point straight back for speed).

So in a way, it had the most plausible use for it's foils. Wiggle squiggling around as the pilot juked and swerved and looking like some bizarre living thing in space.

"I think that's the most disturbing thing I've ever seen."

-Dash Rendar, seeing the Virago for the first time.

I challenge anyone to present a ship in star wars that actually makes practical design sense in the context of space combat.

New Republic Defender Starfighter. It can fly backwards and spin around in 30 stye maneuvers due to its thrusters beingoriented forwards and backwards...it also was total poop in atmosphere.

Yeah the S-foils on the Xwing, and Bwing and the ARC are all for heat dissipation. And when it comes to the T-70 this doesnt work, I guess the in fuff designers from the New Republic just used the Sfoilds for the aesthetic appeal.

As for if FFG were to introduce the sfoild s into the game, they shouldnt give a no-fire token, sicne one of the Wraith Squadron pilots actually shoots downa TIE fighter with his foils closed..sicne they were attacked before he had a chance to open them. Wedge even makes the comment that he'll add that idea to the books if needed in a pinch/emergency. but doesnt recommend it since the guns will over heat....and the cannons are angled to intercept at a specific angle (when the foils are open).

As for the reason they really have them its all due to the rule of cool.

Cockpit design on the *New Republic* defender provides awful field of vision, primary engines out of line with main body are structural weaknesses and dubious utility

Cockpit design of TIEs in general are pretty awful. I don't really think the Defender is any more or less awful. You have to realize that the pilot sits back from the front viewport, so his vision is getting cut off well in advance of the wings.

If the TIE craft had any kind of peripheral visibility, it might be an issue. But they don't, lol. Visibility in TIEs is just equally bad for all models.

S-foils

SLAM but with only your speed 1 (and maybe 2) manuvers.

Done, weapons disabled, everything is perfect.

Pop headlights look dumb.

S foils are fine, though.

S-foils on ARC-170s are to prevent overheating. B-wings, storage and accuracy. X-wings, overheat prevention and accuracy. All: aesthetics.

Cockpit design on the defender provides awful field of vision, primary engines out of line with main body are structural weaknesses and dubious utility

There are two crewmen in the cockpit (well a gunner and the pilot) so tbetween the two of them it might help some... and I mean some. But at least the ship maneuvers like it is in space, as opposed to in atmosphere/like an aircraft.

Pop up headlights were to improve aerodynamics on cars with low front ends, without going down the old E-type Jag style of heavily recessed lights behind windshields. Someone later decided they looked cool and out them on every **** thing in the 80s that didn't need them.

I'm not a lore buff but I was under the impression the X-wing foils were just huge radiators for the guns, which is why you could snapshoot a single blast with them closed, but not continually fire. Also, when they were closed, the weapon power went to engines, hence the increased speed.

But again, I'm no buff for this background stuff. I'm just here for the pewpew.