Keep in mind, by "discarding", they in no way mean to eliminate the trademark of characters/ships/etc such stories established. And I don't see Disney not trying to profit off that vast list of trademarks.

The e-wing can be ugly, but it can also look pretty good like here: http://swc.fs2downloads.com/media/screenshots/Fighters-Rebel/E-Wing/ewing15.jpg

But from any angle, the defender is ugly...

http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20061223184054/starwars/images/0/07/Defender.jpg

Very menacing...</sarcasm>

Im no fan of that CGI thing you linked there, it doesn't look very much like an E-wing at all.

The E-wing that I know have been an established design for 20+ years.

It's ment to look X-wing ish. The forward section is very X-wing and as such the overall ship could very easily be made into a

model as it should be not all this dam CGI trash we got in the 90's episodes versions of our beloved CHAPTERS IV, V, VI

How did this get from a discussion about Disney's potential meddling....to an argument about form vs functionality

The defender may look silly, but if you ever played TIE Fighter back in the day, you'll remember it's a scary powerful fighter....

Quad laser system

Twin-Linked ion cannons

Shields

Hyperdrive

Missile system

One of the fastest fighters and very manueverable...

Yeah who cares if it doesn't look nice enough for you, it gets the job done.

I just hope Dark Forces is kept canon.

*Looks at HWK expansion in X-Wing*

But I'm willing to bet that since it was not only a hallmark Star Wars Game, but also has a huge fan following and just recently got exposure again, that it's not goin' anywhere.

Completely disagree with you on both accounts. Sorry but we will have to agree to disagree. There are some design elements of the E-wing that I like (both the one illustrate here and the version FFG chose to produce) but any way you look at it, that is a **** stupid place to put that third Laser Cannon!

Chris

I'm not sure why the third laser cannon is such a big deal. I would figure that's the perfect spot to put it: right in the centerline of the ship, but not in the way of all the avionics and sensors in the nose. The F/A-18 Hornet had its cannon in a similar spot.

It's not the centerline position that's a problem, it's the fact that it is mounted directly over the cockpit. As it stands, there is no way for the pilot to get out of the cockpit (which is O-K, as there is no way for him to get in, either ). Now, some have said that the cannon slides backwards to allow pilot access but that is just as silly, as that would 1, add unnecessary mechanical complexity to the design and 2, block access for the Astromech Droid. To solve the latter problem, would add even more unnecessary complexity. There is also the issue of muzzle flash (as if that would be a problem with real lasers but this is SW, so it matters. I believe it has even been mentioned in the source material that this was an issue, as it tended to distract/blind pilot when fired. Now, if they had mounted it under the fuselage (or in front of the cockpit), that would have negated all of the above issues. But sadly, no... that would have made sense and this is SW, after all.

All in all, Gosric's design makes much more sense is better, in my opinion.

Chris

Well the E-wing was never able to replace the X-wing due to its unreliablity and high maintainence costs.

Also who says the canopy must open upwards like the X, it is possible that it opens like a car door or even like the car from Back to the Future.

Lasers don't have muzzle flash like a gun does but then SW 'lasers' are not lasers........

>No way for cockpit to open

YA' GIVIN' ME A HEADACHE SIR.

Completely disagree with you on both accounts. Sorry but we will have to agree to disagree. There are some design elements of the E-wing that I like (both the one illustrate here and the version FFG chose to produce) but any way you look at it, that is a **** stupid place to put that third Laser Cannon!

Chris

I'm not sure why the third laser cannon is such a big deal. I would figure that's the perfect spot to put it: right in the centerline of the ship, but not in the way of all the avionics and sensors in the nose. The F/A-18 Hornet had its cannon in a similar spot.

It's not the centerline position that's a problem, it's the fact that it is mounted directly over the cockpit. As it stands, there is no way for the pilot to get out of the cockpit (which is O-K, as there is no way for him to get in, either ). Now, some have said that the cannon slides backwards to allow pilot access but that is just as silly, as that would 1, add unnecessary mechanical complexity to the design and 2, block access for the Astromech Droid. To solve the latter problem, would add even more unnecessary complexity. There is also the issue of muzzle flash (as if that would be a problem with real lasers but this is SW, so it matters. I believe it has even been mentioned in the source material that this was an issue, as it tended to distract/blind pilot when fired. Now, if they had mounted it under the fuselage (or in front of the cockpit), that would have negated all of the above issues. But sadly, no... that would have made sense and this is SW, after all.

All in all, Gosric's design makes much more sense is better, in my opinion.

Chris

E-Wing top laser sponson probably retracts back, see all that space behind it, and that thing that looked somewhat like a runner? I'm guessing the sponson retacts back to allow the cockpit to swing open....

It seems like Disney is planning to retcon the EU, I doubt FFG will be able to continue to use EU ships after this wave. That leaves them with have to wait for Rebels/7,8,9 or going backwards into Clonewars, prequel era.

Honestly....I'm not too sad about a potential stop in going deeper into the EU. With the improvments to starfighters/tech we'd just see a constant powercreep that would invalidate all our lists and force us to buy more and more models just to play properly.

At this point, I'm neither dreading nor looking forward to seeing what Disney's meddeling will bring. We just don't have enough info yet.

One of the reasons why I'm pretty sure we'll see a Clone Wars wave while Disney fleshes out the EU.

Yeah, about that part about the licensee being part of the licensor's marketing plan?

It is fairly obvious that with the new movie coming out, they are trying to distance themselves from the prequels. I'm sure they will go back to the well to mine the prequels out, but after they've re-established the brand.

My worry is what is going to happen to the novels.

Plenty of authors have put effort into making a consistent timeline.

People may have various opinions as to wether they like the stories that have been told but I for one would like to see more of the EU novel character.

The E-Wing makes an 'E' using the 3 guns and the wing.

The 3rd gun has the be in that position.

I loved Dark Empire and this is a big model for me. I'm dying waiting for it.

Maybe you just appreciate it more if you're familiar with the source material.

Dark Empire needs to be canon.

And the E-Wing should be considered a high pedigree of canon because they made an action fleet version.

By that logic the Y-Wing is a II wing. And the B-Wing a Trident... Thing, wing.

The Nose and engines make the E shape.

there isnt any reason the E Wings gun couldnt be slung underneath like the gun on the A9. It would look good too if done right.

But i digress since this isnt an E Wing thread *L*

My worry is what is going to happen to the novels.

Plenty of authors have put effort into making a consistent timeline.

People may have various opinions as to wether they like the stories that have been told but I for one would like to see more of the EU novel character.

I agree. I'm surprised Jodo Kast wasn't one of the Firespray pilots.

My worry is what is going to happen to the novels.

Plenty of authors have put effort into making a consistent timeline.

People may have various opinions as to wether they like the stories that have been told but I for one would like to see more of the EU novel character.

I agree. I'm surprised Jodo Kast wasn't one of the Firespray pilots.

Jodo flew a modified Lambda shuttle, chopped wings and tail fin, and additional engines

By that logic the Y-Wing is a II wing. And the B-Wing a Trident... Thing, wing.

The Nose and engines make the E shape.

There is no logic to the naming of the ships.The X-wing is because of the shape of the deployed wings. The A-wing because of its frame shape. The B-wing because...?

Since the engines protrude from the rear of the wing and the fuselage is really long I think the 3 guns that are the same length make the E much better.

Especially since the middle gun placement has so many people scratching their heads.

I think it's clear they wanted an E-wing and designed the ship to suit.

The B-wing because...?

It's vaguely B shaped. The cockpit being the top loop, and the gun being the bottom loop. It's not much more far fetched the A wing really...

By that logic the Y-Wing is a II wing. And the B-Wing a Trident... Thing, wing.

The Nose and engines make the E shape.

There is no logic to the naming of the ships.The X-wing is because of the shape of the deployed wings. The A-wing because of its frame shape. The B-wing because...?

Since the engines protrude from the rear of the wing and the fuselage is really long I think the 3 guns that are the same length make the E much better.

Especially since the middle gun placement has so many people scratching their heads.

I think it's clear they wanted an E-wing and designed the ship to suit.

The B in B-wing stands for Blade, because of the fighter's swordlike appearance.

A and b-wings were named in the prodduction as a working name for the two new ships.

Type A and type B

The problem with the rebel naming convention for ships is they look nothing at all like their Aurabesh characters

The problem with the rebel naming convention for ships is they look nothing at all like their Aurabesh characters

And that's the real issue here.

The Z-95 had as much if not more 'screen time' then the Defender and Phantom.

I could be wrong, but the Z-95 may be THE oldest EU ship. It first appeared in Brian Daley's "Han Solo at Star's End" published in 1979. Just a bit of trivia.

I am generally optimistic about where the franchise is going. I am a pretty picky reader, and most Star Wars novels just don't measure up to what I think the Star Wars universe should be about. So I ignore them. If LF/Disney is going to tell us what is and isn't considered canon, I'm okay with that.

But it is hard to "wait and see".

I believe you are right, though in the book,as i never tire of mentioning, it bore little resemblance to the west end games travesty that all later versions are based on *L*

I feel a disturbance in the Force!

I'm a fan of EU material but the quality varies heaps. In saying that, I get quite annoyed when they destroy something that has been "accepted" cannon to date.

I don't believe Disney plans to screw the pooch on this and am optimistic they will tread the territory carefully, after all unlike Lucas who drove it by way of ego in the end, Disney will drive it from what makes the most money and that will be keeping all fans as happy as possible.

What this all means for FFG... Not too sure. But I'm thinking the new movies will have plenty of new ships and tech for FFG to explore going forward. After all even with EU ships it's starting to get thin from a fighter selection point of view.