CmdrWilkens wrote:Muad'Dib wrote:Just popped in to tell Muad'Dib that the domes on an ISD tower aren't shield generators. They're sensor domes.
if the domes on top of the bridge tower are sensor domes how come in the Wraith Squadron books destroying them took down the shields of the SSD, Razor's Kiss, Warlord Zsinj was stealing
The domes being sensor domes depends on which EU sources you take on the matter. Some material (notably the Mandel blueprints and to a lesser degree SW.com) have them as sensor domes while much of the novelised EU has them as shield generators.
SW.com IIRC has them as "communication and deflection" domes, and only under the executor entry. Its interesting that according to the EGV&V the Victory-class has a "globe" that serves as an aft targeting array (but its smaller than the larger ones.)
The novels aren't really "specific" - they tend to call them "domes" when a dome is quite distinct from a sphere - obviously whatever they are targeting in the novels (notably the three Wraith Squadron novels after Stackpoles four X-wing novels) they aren't those globes
Additionally, they tend to use the terms "sensor domes" and "shield generator/projector" domes as well - some mention sensor towers as well as shield towers... it seems to further complicate the issue. And if that weren't bad enough, some sources indicate the same references of "domes" as generators AND projectors..
The EGW&T and EGV&V visually identify them as generators, but the EGV&V makes the same problem as the novels, calling them "domes". (EGW&T seems to avoid this, and is to my knowledge the *only* direct reference that places them with that function.)
There's the Mandel blueprints then, of course. They call them sensor arrays, but we have Cheeseboy Edam who, in a fit of pique, attempted to discredit them by consulting Mandel himself by email. As if Mandel could actually override LFL (Hey Edam! Try getting a quote from LFL on the status of those blueprints and THEN you might have a case. Until then try to act like an intelligent debator.) So unless LFL actually decides they arne't official, they stand. But, being an essentially official source, this doesn't rule out the shield generator/projector function.
There are a few more mitigating circumstances:
- In ROTJ, loss of one globe (If the shield loss/globe destruction is valid, which it possibly is) only took out bridge shields, not the overall shields.
- the globes are never considered viable targets in combat - even temporarily holing shields to take out the generators rarely if ever seems to be done (The only example of the globes being taken out is from IRon Fist, but that required vessels being planted BENEATH the shield - effectively sabotage. And this assumes we take "domes" to mean "globes".)
- no other starships except the Executor, VSD, ISD, and STar destroyer variants seem to require such ridiculously exposed "generators" - and there are a number of vessels that have similar designs! (Strike cruisers, Interdictors and their variants, and Acclamators) This is not to say that shield equipment is not neccesarily exposed or completely buried under the hull (projectors need to be exposed to generate fields, after all.. and even some ships DO mount the generators partially exposed) - but again none are nearly quite as exposed as those so called "globes" - so if they ARE that exposed, there must be other circumstances dictating it.
- according to Tyrants test, shield radii for at least particle shields (And given typical deployments, probably ray shielding as well) is only a few hundred meters. Scarely enough to encompass an ISD with a couple generators, much less a larger vessel like an executor. This automatically infers multiple generators. If you consider that many vessels probably also "project" some distance away in the EU (or are able to) multiple generators seem more obvious.
The end result of all this seems to be that the "globes" house several different bits of equipment and serve several functions: They have shield gear, yes, but oonly in part of the "globe" - one half being the shields would explain the so called "dome" reference.) the rest seems to be communications, sensors, or both. As to why this design, one might consider this:
According to HTTE and AOTCICS as well as Dark Empire, shielding interferes with subspace communications and hyperwave communications. Since we know they have subspace and tachyon sensors (tachyonic sensors I think are the equivalent of hyperwave for sensors - they're used also as long range sensors in most REbel fighters and even some Imperial fighters) its probable that shields also interefere with sensors.
Therefore, mounting dedicated generators to protect the bridge/command tower would make sense - it can allow them to be selectively lowered in that area/section to use sensors and comm, without exposing the whole of the ship. This also means at the very worst, those shields only protect a specific facing/area (the bridge, topside area). Even then, loss of those shields are not considered fatal (IE they aren't a weak point, even when breaching the shields in a specific area is possible, as we know can be done) to the combat performance of the ship, suggesting other shield segments exist (And can probably be reconfigured to compensate, although this might very well interfere with sensor/communications)
Thats at least my view on the situation.
