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I'm seeing some contradictions here. We see the entire map of the SW galaxy in AOTC in the jedi archives, complete with every star (except Kamino, and maybe some others that were deleted for some reason) but I also heard that charting new hyperspace lanes is extremely dangerous, but why would it be if they know every object in the galaxy and can calculate safe jumps easily? And probe droids have been to every star, etc?

Hyperlanes are like zones of safe travel; massive, relative gentle-turning paths free of gravitational hazards.

Hyperdrive travel is more like early sea navigation than road-paving. They may know every star, but plotting a new route from the conventional ones usually means you're already cutting corners and risking certain hazards, which is why is dangerous (see: Luke's instinctive astronavigation in CoPL).

Shrykull wrote:I'm seeing some contradictions here. We see the entire map of the SW galaxy in AOTC in the jedi archives, complete with every star (except Kamino, and maybe some others that were deleted for some reason) but I also heard that charting new hyperspace lanes is extremely dangerous, but why would it be if they know every object in the galaxy and can calculate safe jumps easily? And probe droids have been to every star, etc?

We now have the physical location of every island, continent, underwater shelf and probably sandbar and reef.

However, its still extremely dangerous to sail off the well travelled sealanes. In litoral coasts, shifting coasts, currents and unknown navigational hazards may pop up, out in the open sea, navigational aids are fewer and weather fronts may pop up with little warning to the average sailor( ignoring satellite based navigational and warning systems). Navigational hazards that are well plotted out with beacons in sealanes may not be plotted out in untravelled waters, changes in such hazards may go unnoticed, etc etc etc.


As for sending probes, we're sent probes out beyond the Solar System. Does that mean its safe to send humans out?

Not to mention there's little reason to plot unknown paths most of the time, and think, if you get in trouble along a very well-traveled hyperlane, help is always very nearby.

Shrykull wrote:I'm seeing some contradictions here. We see the entire map of the SW galaxy in AOTC in the jedi archives, complete with every star (except Kamino, and maybe some others that were deleted for some reason) but I also heard that charting new hyperspace lanes is extremely dangerous, but why would it be if they know every object in the galaxy and can calculate safe jumps easily? And probe droids have been to every star, etc?

I think there is a BIG assumption in your post here. They do NOT know the locaiton fo "every object in the galaxy." They know the lcoaiton of all the stars and probably a large amoutn of the more exotic massive bodies out there but I would garuntee (based if on nothing else the disappearence of the katana Flet) that they don't have everything mapped out. Furthermore drift would be tough to calculate over any significant length of time (and the Republic has been around long enough for drift to set in) so you would need to re-survey and update (especially if you are trying to maintain accurate data on a whole damn galaxy).

I would also point out that the NJO preaty clearly proves that there are a finite number of hyperspace lines to move through, at least on the fleet scale. The Vong were able to cut off massive swaths of the SW Galaxy by simply taking a few key planets. The point is also made in one of the books, Dark Tide II I belive it is, that hyperspace routes are also very much dynamic, general galactic drift and the movement of planets means some routes are becoming useless at times while others come into being.

With the exception of some of the core routes like the Correllian Trade Spine. Those kinds of hyperspace lanes are ones that are preaty much stable indefinently. But its clear you can't easily set a course from point A to point B randomly accross the Galaxy. Generaly you have to carefuly plot a course along known safe zones, making multiple jumps. Especialy in places like the core.

And I think its preaty clear that the SW Galaxy has never mapped every single star, despite what the Jedi say in Episode 2. Look at the Unknown regions for example where the Old and New Republic had no knowledge at all until the Chiss shared out some of their information in Palpys time. Its just the Jedi's ego that they showed through the entire film comming through again.

Chris OFarrell wrote:I would also point out that the NJO preaty clearly proves that there are a finite number of hyperspace lines to move through, at least on the fleet scale. The Vong were able to cut off massive swaths of the SW Galaxy by simply taking a few key planets. The point is also made in one of the books, Dark Tide II I belive it is, that hyperspace routes are also very much dynamic, general galactic drift and the movement of planets means some routes are becoming useless at times while others come into being.

NJO clearly proves that efficient hyperspace travel relies on a limited number of lanes. However, there is nothing to stop ships from travelling obscure paths or through open space.

With the exception of some of the core routes like the Correllian Trade Spine. Those kinds of hyperspace lanes are ones that are preaty much stable indefinently. But its clear you can't easily set a course from point A to point B randomly accross the Galaxy. Generaly you have to carefuly plot a course along known safe zones, making multiple jumps. Especialy in places like the core.

Define easily, carefully and safe zones. I personally believe that hyperspace lanes are important because of the need to move large number of ships, not because it would be physically impossible to not use spacelanes otherwise. Navigational markers/obstacles and etc etc are clearly marked out in such lanes, allowing for the safe and easy transit/exit from hyperspace of large number of ships at the same time. Think about it, if a ship dropped right on top of another ship, or is forced to maneveur violently immediately upon exiting from hyperspace, it would be extremely dangerous. Indeed, we do know such things can occur, New Rebellion has Han complaining to Talon about him jumping in too close to the Falcon, Before the Storm has a fleet tender destroyed when it exceeded its hyperspace exit.

And I think its preaty clear that the SW Galaxy has never mapped every single star, despite what the Jedi say in Episode 2. Look at the Unknown regions for example where the Old and New Republic had no knowledge at all until the Chiss shared out some of their information in Palpys time. Its just the Jedi's ego that they showed through the entire film comming through again.

Disproven by earlier novels and sourcebooks. Hell, its even disproven from the NJO itself, (although not in Heretic). I can't recall the novel involved, but one of Luke team was discussing that the smugglers/merchants couldn't provide any more up to date infomation about the Unknown Region. Similarly, WEG also describes the Unknown Region as areas of space where merchants, smugglers, pirates and others seeking to hide would travel, it was termed Unknown Region because these worlds maintained no official contact with the other sectors of space.



Remember, the Jedi wasn't just searching for infomation on how to travel in the Unknown Region. Again, the fact that the Empire, and Luke could travel into the Unknown Region shows that the Empire knows enough about how to travel into the Unknown Region. What Luke was looking for was infomation on where Seklot could be. NOW, in a galaxy with billions of stars, uncountable numbers of planets, where a nova that destroyed a civilisation can escape galactic notice, that's a lot of space for something to get lost in.