Energy Weapon variable power levels in SW

[Rightous Fist Of Heaven]

Could someone refresh my memory on this? I seem to recall there being canonical evidence for variable yields somewhere but couldnt find it.

[Stofsk]

Could someone refresh my memory on this? I seem to recall there being canonical evidence for variable yields somewhere but couldnt find it.

* Stormtroopers switching their blasters to "stun" so they can capture Princess Leia (ANH)

* General Veers ordered his gunners to target the power generators on Hoth by switching their blasters to "maximum firepower." (ESB)

* A case could be made that DS2 was firing low-powered shots at the Rebel Fleets, rather than firing planetkiller shots. (ROTJ)

All canon.

[nightmare]

"intensify forward firepower"

That probably only means to increase refire rate, but who knows..

*smacks head and edits*

Geez, sometimes you don't see the forest for all the trees.

The absolutely BEST evidence for variable firepower is the fact that they are shown onscreen to fire with different results at different times.

AT-ATs in the snow, compared to hitting the generator. Slave-1 destroying asteroids and the next don't blow up the landing platform, and so on.

When we see anything fire with less than the highest yield observed there must be either additional circumstances or variable yields. It's that simple.

[YT300000]

Also the burning, from Brian Daley's the Han Solo Adventures. I don't remember which book though, and I'm not going to search for it.

[vakundok]

The stun setting produced a different kind of blast, so it is not necesserely a sign of power setting.
The destruction of the power generator on Hoth is clear and canon. An another clear sign is in the novelisation when the probot destroys a wampa.

[Connor MacLeod]

The ANH novelization makes mention of Luke setting his stormtrooper blaster to maximum power to burn through a blast door. NJO makes mention of variable intensity weapons with stutterfire (capital ships also had the ability to alter the strength of bolts for this purpose.) And the SWTJ makes mention of variable settings (from stun to vaporization.)