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Shatterpoint.

Posted: 2003-09-07 04:54pm
by Knife
Ok, it took me like two weeks to read this book. Not that it was a tough read or anything but because of wanning interest. Reguardless, there were some issues with the book that I thought I would bring up.

1. In the book, a Jedi Master goes to a planet to start a rebellion. The planet is held by the seperatists and Depa, the Jedi Master and former Padawan of Mace Windu, does this to excess. Massive killings take place by her and the guerrilla's and Mace goes to investigate.

Through out the book, one is lead to assume that Depa was being manipulated by the shaman dude. But once the situation is resolved, Mace muses that constant violence will or could drive Jedi mad. This is asinine, with onscreen examples of Jedi performing in situations where violence abounds, what would violence do to make a Jedi mad?

The premace is horrible. War would drive Jedi mad, though the fact that the Jedi are there to protect people from violence conterdicts this. Yes, Jedi are keepers of the peace, not soldiers. But even Police see grissely acts and scenes.

2. Yet again, another planet (can anyone say Dathomir?) that long ago Jedi crashed on and started another Force sensitive civilization. Hasn't this been done before? Shouldn't the Jedi have laws against this? WTF?

3. Why wouldn't clone armor be resistent to vibro knife like weapons? The clones were wiped out in the control bunker by the Akk guards who sported vibro blade type weapons, and it is implied or suggested that the weapons were made out of starship armor that they found on a crashed ship. Wouldn't a blaster be able to penetrate this armor. Its not like they wore 12" of armor, the weapons were described as shields over their arms and such so I get the impression that they are no bigger than about a foot diameter and not really that thick so they can carry them around and use them as weapon.

Why wouldn't a blaster rifle be able to penitrate them?

4. Why is Depa in a coma? The stress of war so horrible to her that she colapsed into a coma? WTF.

5. Mace Windu's special force power is the ability to detect shatterpoints in the force. He can sense a history changing moment and take the apporprate action. Isn't this the whole point of the Jedi insight. Shouldn't all Jedi be able to do this on one level or another? The whole deal with Jedi is there insight and perspective on the world with help from the Force.

This book could have been good and insightful into a character of the SW universe, instead the author makes a bunch of pie in the sky, cumby ya assumptions as to the abilities and mental fortitude of the Jedi. Yuck.

Re: Shatterpoint.

Posted: 2003-09-07 06:13pm
by RogueIce
Knife wrote:5. Mace Windu's special force power is the ability to detect shatterpoints in the force. He can sense a history changing moment and take the apporprate action. Isn't this the whole point of the Jedi insight. Shouldn't all Jedi be able to do this on one level or another? The whole deal with Jedi is there insight and perspective on the world with help from the Force.
Maybe he just does it better?

I can't really help you on the rest. :?

Posted: 2003-09-07 06:45pm
by Kerneth
Now I'm glad I didn't buy that book.

Re: Shatterpoint.

Posted: 2003-09-07 06:57pm
by Illuminatus Primus
Knife wrote:3. Why wouldn't clone armor be resistent to vibro knife like weapons? The clones were wiped out in the control bunker by the Akk guards who sported vibro blade type weapons, and it is implied or suggested that the weapons were made out of starship armor that they found on a crashed ship. Wouldn't a blaster be able to penetrate this armor. Its not like they wore 12" of armor, the weapons were described as shields over their arms and such so I get the impression that they are no bigger than about a foot diameter and not really that thick so they can carry them around and use them as weapon.

Why wouldn't a blaster rifle be able to penitrate them?
A better question is why something so durable and from a starship be light enough for a human to haul around.

EDIT: I'm not really suprised. I was told this book rehashed a lot of "philosophical" Jedi issues just like Traitor, but unlike Traitor, these were just unnecessary.

Also it was apparently supposed to be the "Apocalypse Now" of SW. It isn't very original.

Re: Shatterpoint.

Posted: 2003-09-07 07:24pm
by Agent R
Knife wrote: 1. In the book, a Jedi Master goes to a planet to start a rebellion. The planet is held by the seperatists and Depa, the Jedi Master and former Padawan of Mace Windu, does this to excess. Massive killings take place by her and the guerrilla's and Mace goes to investigate.

Through out the book, one is lead to assume that Depa was being manipulated by the shaman dude. But once the situation is resolved, Mace muses that constant violence will or could drive Jedi mad. This is asinine, with onscreen examples of Jedi performing in situations where violence abounds, what would violence do to make a Jedi mad?

The premace is horrible. War would drive Jedi mad, though the fact that the Jedi are there to protect people from violence conterdicts this. Yes, Jedi are keepers of the peace, not soldiers. But even Police see grissely acts and scenes.

2. Yet again, another planet (can anyone say Dathomir?) that long ago Jedi crashed on and started another Force sensitive civilization. Hasn't this been done before? Shouldn't the Jedi have laws against this? WTF?

5. Mace Windu's special force power is the ability to detect shatterpoints in the force. He can sense a history changing moment and take the apporprate action. Isn't this the whole point of the Jedi insight. Shouldn't all Jedi be able to do this on one level or another? The whole deal with Jedi is there insight and perspective on the world with help from the Force.
1. Maybe it's the constant exposure and their sensitivity to lifeforms and their states? When Jedi are exposed to violent situations, don't they try to end it pretty quickly? I bet it gets them if they can't stop it quickly enough.

2. I think that was the point of the rule about Jedi not marrying. But in the case of Dathomir, the Jedi was an outcast recovering from a brush with the Dark Side, maybe she needed a few of the male prisoners to help her relax? After all, she was already an exile, what's a few more broken rules to her?

5. Mace can probably do it easier than other Jedi, like an innate talent that comes naturally. He doesn't need to be in deep communion with the Force, nor does he need it to show him a vision; he just knows.

Re: Shatterpoint.

Posted: 2003-09-07 08:11pm
by Publius
Illuminatus Primus wrote:EDIT: I'm not really suprised. I was told this book rehashed a lot of "philosophical" Jedi issues just like Traitor, but unlike Traitor, these were just unnecessary.

Also it was apparently supposed to be the "Apocalypse Now" of SW. It isn't very original.
...and yet Mr. Stover had been so insistent that he had no interest in repeating Apocalypse Now or Heart of Darkness. It would be almost disappointing, if the man hadn't already established himself as a talentless and pompous windbag.

Publius

Posted: 2003-09-07 08:28pm
by Knife
1. Maybe it's the constant exposure and their sensitivity to lifeforms and their states? When Jedi are exposed to violent situations, don't they try to end it pretty quickly? I bet it gets them if they can't stop it quickly enough.
Sorry, I have to raise the bull shit flag. Life is about the struggle to survive and nature is brutal in its essence. For Jedi to go bonkers over violence, they'd have to avoid every single planet with an ecosystem.
2. I think that was the point of the rule about Jedi not marrying. But in the case of Dathomir, the Jedi was an outcast recovering from a brush with the Dark Side, maybe she needed a few of the male prisoners to help her relax? After all, she was already an exile, what's a few more broken rules to her?
My problem wasn't with Dathomir, per say. The courtship of Lea was ok in that respect but it brought up serieous issues with how Jedi should act in emergency situations. What happened in the Hapan sector and now what happened in Kual whatever the planet name was.

Its a rehash and almost trek like.
5. Mace can probably do it easier than other Jedi, like an innate talent that comes naturally. He doesn't need to be in deep communion with the Force, nor does he need it to show him a vision; he just knows.
I got that, the problem is that isn't all Jedi suppose to have these insights? Isn't that like the staple of being a Jedi? To make a big deal of Mace's ability is to reduce the ability of the others, IMHO.