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Official Site Databank Update: Utapau

Some good infor on the "blink-and-you-miss-it" Republic Assault Gunboat

It's a High-Altitude Entry Transport (HAET-221)

http://www.starwars.com/databank/update ... 50617.html

From the Dactillion entry:

Though the cliff-scrabbling varactyls were the first to be domesticated by the developing Utapauns, varactyls soon followed.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Who proofread this?

I thought the "Republic Assault Gunboats" seen at Utapau were supposed to be Jadthu-class landing ships. Am I mixing this up with something else?

It was speculated that they could have been the Jadthu-class landers from the novelization, but it would seem that the ships are perhaps a little bit too small to serve as troop carriers. The HAET-221 seems more fitted for atmospheric support duty, while the Jadthu-class ships were clearly able to maneouvre in space and travel several million kilometers to reach the orbit of Harunn Kal in Shatterpoint.

Started as a 1,800 meter ship? Would've been cool to see a warship to dwarf Star Destroyers of the OT, maybe ranging to the low end of Star Cruiser power and mass.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Started as a 1,800 meter ship? Would've been cool to see a warship to dwarf Star Destroyers of the OT, maybe ranging to the low end of Star Cruiser power and mass.

Damn minimalists.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Started as a 1,800 meter ship? Would've been cool to see a warship to dwarf Star Destroyers of the OT, maybe ranging to the low end of Star Cruiser power and mass.

Nah- takes away from the ISD in ANH/TESB.

Nah- takes away from the ISD in ANH/TESB.

And the Lucrehulk-class doesn´t?

Not to mention The SSD ..whos main function is to dwarf the standart ISD..making them seem small and Insignificant.

Aquatain wrote:Not to mention The SSD ..whos main function is to dwarf the standart ISD..making them seem small and Insignificant.

He meant before the ISD.

Vympel wrote:

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Started as a 1,800 meter ship? Would've been cool to see a warship to dwarf Star Destroyers of the OT, maybe ranging to the low end of Star Cruiser power and mass.

Nah- takes away from the ISD in ANH/TESB.

Yes, because ISDs chasing down revolutionaries should overshadow the military machine of the climactic Clone Wars. I waited all the way through the Prequels to see what gave Ben that haunted look and the grandeur that seemed implied in the Clone Wars.

I waited all the way through the Prequels to see what gave Ben that haunted look and the grandeur that seemed implied in the Clone Wars.

I guess big Separatist ships can´t be haunting enough?

On the subject of Utapau, I ran across something yesterday by pure chance that might explain the origin of the name. I just started reading a book on the Mayaguez incident in May 1975 and the rescue mission was launched from the U-Tapao Airbase in Thailand, an airbase that was also used for B-52 missions during the Vietnam War. (Read about the base here: +http://www.geocities.com/wmiller685/utapao.html ) Given that the name "Utapau" apparently dates back to the early scripts for Star Wars, which would have been written while U-Tapao was in the news, I find the similarity of the names more than a tad coincidental.

VT-16 wrote:

Nah- takes away from the ISD in ANH/TESB.

And the Lucrehulk-class doesn´t?

No, it doesn't, because the Lucrehulk doens't come screaming in over the screen in ANH, blasting away at the Tantive IV, huge and terrifying. The ISD is the symbol of Imperial power in the OT.

Yes, because ISDs chasing down revolutionaries should overshadow the military machine of the climactic Clone Wars.

Of course it should- this is the Empire, not the Republic. I want absolutely nothing that takes away from the awe of the opening chase scene in ANH, i.e. that established the ISD as a thing to be feared and kept it going through to TESB, even when the director, with relish, was like: "think that's impressive? Look at this!" with Executor casting a shadow over it.

I waited all the way through the Prequels to see what gave Ben that haunted look and the grandeur that seemed implied in the Clone Wars.

I didn't think Ben implied anything at all. I took it as a given that they would never put a ship in the prequels to overshadow the Imperial warships of the OT. It'd just be really bad story-telling. The Venator SDs were good enough in that regard, barely over a km, not rivalling ISDs in any way.

Vympel wrote:No, it doesn't, because the Lucrehulk doens't come screaming in over the screen in ANH, blasting away at the Tantive IV, huge and terrifying. The ISD is the symbol of Imperial power in the OT.

And size therefore does not establish "coolness" or anything.

Vympel wrote:Of course it should- this is the Empire, not the Republic. I want absolutely nothing that takes away from the awe of the opening chase scene in ANH, i.e. that established the ISD as a thing to be feared and kept it going through to TESB, even when the director, with relish, was like: "think that's impressive? Look at this!" with Executor casting a shadow over it.

Its still stupid. The Clone Wars are supposed to be a galaxy in strife, in turmoil, and as the opening scrawl of ROTS puts it, WAR!

So why should some admittably cool and iconic warships relegated toward chasing down blockade runners and junk freighters be grander than the battleships of old?

Vympel wrote:I didn't think Ben implied anything at all. I took it as a given that they would never put a ship in the prequels to overshadow the Imperial warships of the OT. It'd just be really bad story-telling. The Venator SDs were good enough in that regard, barely over a km, not rivalling ISDs in any way.

Its bad storytelling for everything in a galactic-scale war to be overshadowed by the commonest warship in a galaxy of peace, admittably, monolithic, statist, authoritarian peace.

VT-16 wrote:

I waited all the way through the Prequels to see what gave Ben that haunted look and the grandeur that seemed implied in the Clone Wars.

I guess big Separatist ships can´t be haunting enough?

The flying-doughnut of doom is shitty.

Illuminatus Primus wrote: And size therefore does not establish "coolness" or anything.

Sure it does. It's all in how that size is presented. It's also to do with shape somewhat- doughnuts aren't scary. If Executor wasn't so huge, would it be nearly as impressive? Not even. The opening shots of Death Squadron in TESB wouldn't have even worked without that kind of scale.

Its still stupid. The Clone Wars are supposed to be a galaxy in strife, in turmoil, and as the opening scrawl of ROTS puts it, WAR!

So the Empire at peace 20 years later is going to have less impressive ships? That sucks.

So why should some admittably cool and iconic warships relegated toward chasing down blockade runners and junk freighters be grander than the battleships of old?

What battleships of old? It's pretty obvious that as far as Lucas is concerned, the Republic is all Venator SDs in fleet battles (Coruscant) just like the Empire is all Imperator ISDs (Endor). Visually, that was what he was going for- i.e. taking what we knew from the OT and turning it around, so the numerous, different types of curved ships are the bad guys and the single, wedge shaped asskicker is the good guys. There's a clear progression of gigantism from the Republic to the Empire in the films, and it works thematically. The Empire is the big bad, relative "peace" or not.

Its bad storytelling for everything in a galactic-scale war to be overshadowed by the commonest warship in a galaxy of peace, admittably, monolithic, statist, authoritarian peace.

Well, as pointed out, the Lucrehulk "battleships" were the largest ships present at Coruscant, and are larger than ISDs. The Galactic Empire , IMO, never stopped acting like it was at war at all. Things just got bigger and better. To see the Republic with more impressive ships, or the Separatists? Gah. Rubs the entire theme the wrong way.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
Yes, because ISDs chasing down revolutionaries should overshadow the military machine of the climactic Clone Wars. I waited all the way through the Prequels to see what gave Ben that haunted look and the grandeur that seemed implied in the Clone Wars.

What haunted look? Ben just says that Anakin fought in the Wars and that he "was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father". The thing that gives him a haunted look is when he talks about the Dark Times and the Empire.

Plus, the Clone Wars were never meant to be a climactic, epic struggle. They were mostly fought in the outer reaches of the galaxy on unimportant or alien-owned worlds. The Core was for the most part spared any serious damage, except for one or two of Grievous' forrays into the region. The Battle of Coruscant was one of the first times that the war seemed close to the citizenry of the Core, which is why it had such a profound impact on them. The purpose of the Clone Wars was simply to destroy the Jedi Order and darken the Force.

What haunted look? Ben just says that Anakin fought in the Wars and that he "was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father". The thing that gives him a haunted look is when he talks about the Dark Times and the Empire.

That aside, does a war have to be anything really impressive to give a veteran a "haunted look?" Some one who fought in Afganistan could get a huanted look when tlking about it in retrospect. Besides, Obi-wan probably assosicates the war with the purge, when his entire order and way of life was wiped out, and when he lost Anakin.

At his hidden base aboard the Trenchant space station, Dooku pit his minions Asajj Ventress and Durge up against Grievous to determine who would be the commander of the Separatist droid army. Grievous emerged victorious

ARGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've read that short. That's not what it was. It never says anything about that. It was a final test for Grievous by Dooku to see if he was ready. It was nothing about "winner gets to lead the army". Yes pablo, you fucking zippy-dee-doo-dah retard, one on one combat clearly has a ton to do with strategic fleet and army combat. Its what shows who is the best leader, not the one who can simutaneously manage the logistics, organize the overall strategy, plot the local battle tactics, and define and achieve the objectives. Hell, that's why America won WW2 don't you know - Eisenhower was able to beat Rommel in the boxing ring.

Vympel wrote:[snip]

I am not talking about what WAS, Vymp and Sharky, I'm talking about what would've been better and more intelligent.

So what happened in the fights between GG against Durge and Ventress? I know he won, but a few more details would be nice.

Ender wrote:Hell, that's why America won WW2 don't you know - Eisenhower was able to beat Rommel in the boxing ring.

*Takes quote out of context*
Ah, I didn't know that. Well, since Ender is the military guy, he must be right. I'll take note of that.