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Alright, in RoTJ, during the space battle at the end, a lowly lieutenent says to an Admiral, "We've lost our bridge deflectors shields". This is all taking place on the SSD. What I'm looking for is everyone's opinion on whether or not the big spherical thing the X-wing and A-wing blew up was the shield generator. It's implied that it WAS the bridge shield generator, but I've heard otherwise. What is everyone's thoughts on this?

Everyone's thoughts on this are that the two spheres are sensor or communication globes.

It's bull crap. It's become popularly linked by the poor research of WEG but there's no reason to think they are. They were not taken out at the time the sheilds went down so that rules that out.

This has been argued to death, but I'll indulge you:

The general consensus is that they are either shield projection domes (NOT the generators) or are sensor globes.

I thought it was also theorized they are communications instruments as well?

No, the structure between them is the comm.

I always heard they were for the sensors.

It seems unlikely that the domes are anything but shield related. It seems possible and practical to knock out the actual projectors so the SSD couldn't raise them again, even if they did repair them. But something communications related? That seems a bit strange that the crew would be worrying about shields after a completely different system was knocked out. It's not really logical in a storytelling sense.

Engineer_00 wrote:It seems unlikely that the domes are anything but shield related. It seems possible and practical to knock out the actual projectors so the SSD couldn't raise them again, even if they did repair them. But something communications related? That seems a bit strange that the crew would be worrying about shields after a completely different system was knocked out. It's not really logical in a storytelling sense.

Of course they weren't worrying about some other system. It was the sheilds were what was important. That doesn't prove those were the sheilds.

I'm not saying it proves it, it just supports it a wee-bit more.

Engineer_00 wrote:I'm not saying it proves it, it just supports it a wee-bit more.

It's about all the support there is. Common sense and good design argues against it though.

Ever thought that the only reason that they showed the scene with the A-Wing firing missiles into the globe was to show that the shields were down and the SSD was vulnerable, then they cut to the Imp officers worrying.

Engineer_00 wrote:...It's not really logical in a storytelling sense.

I agree 100%. Lucas is a visual film maker. Shield generation/projection is implied.

I'm going to go against the consensus here and say that the domes ARE shield generators, as I did in the Essential Guides thread. Like I said there, the main reasons people reject the idea of the domes being shield generators are:

a)Mandel's blueprints label them as sensors
b)WEG probably came up with that idea due to poor research and the "False Cause" fallacy.
c)Idiots think you can take out Imperial warships simply by knocking off two fragile, unprotected domes.

However, Mandel's blueprints are out of date with the current official information, as well as containing several glaring errors that hurt its credibility as an official source, such as the <700 m length for the ISD. This doesn't matter anyway, since the BTM cd (I think this is what says so, tell me if I'm wrong) reconciles this by saying the domes are shield generators AND sensors. Also, poor research or not, WEG is proof on its own, so what it says goes unless canon proves otherwise. Canon however slaps down any Rebel/Trekkie fanboy who thinks these generators are easy targets, with Ackbar's quote "Concentrate all firepower on that Super Star Destroyer!" proving that you have to bring down the shields themselves anyway. So in conclusion, the domes ARE shield generators, just not the easy targets that a lot of people think they are.

Jim Raynor wrote:I'm going to go against the consensus here and say that the domes ARE shield generators, as I did in the Essential Guides thread. Like I said there, the main reasons people reject the idea of the domes being shield generators are:

a)Mandel's blueprints label them as sensors
b)WEG probably came up with that idea due to poor research and the "False Cause" fallacy.
c)Idiots think you can take out Imperial warships simply by knocking off two fragile, unprotected domes.

There's also:
d) It doesn't really make much sense (or consistency) for a design. If having deflector shield generators which sticks out like a pair of big sore thumbs like that has any advantages for such ships, why don't we see parallels of this in any ships besides SDs?

Lord of the Farce wrote:

Jim Raynor wrote:I'm going to go against the consensus here and say that the domes ARE shield generators, as I did in the Essential Guides thread. Like I said there, the main reasons people reject the idea of the domes being shield generators are:

a)Mandel's blueprints label them as sensors
b)WEG probably came up with that idea due to poor research and the "False Cause" fallacy.
c)Idiots think you can take out Imperial warships simply by knocking off two fragile, unprotected domes.

There's also:
d) It doesn't really make much sense (or consistency) for a design. If having deflector shield generators which sticks out like a pair of big sore thumbs like that has any advantages for such ships, why don't we see parallels of this in any ships besides SDs?

You do. The EGTVV shows external shield generators on several other ships like the Mon Cal Cruiser and the Nebulon-B frigate. It seems like shield generators must be built externally for some reason on most capital ships.

anarchistbunny wrote:Ever thought that the only reason that they showed the scene with the A-Wing firing missiles into the globe was to show that the shields were down and the SSD was vulnerable, then they cut to the Imp officers worrying.

My thoughts exactly.

Knife wrote:

anarchistbunny wrote:Ever thought that the only reason that they showed the scene with the A-Wing firing missiles into the globe was to show that the shields were down and the SSD was vulnerable, then they cut to the Imp officers worrying.

My thoughts exactly.

...and mine also!

1. On the other hand if it's the shield generator - which I doubt - then how could couple of rockets penetrate it? I mean if it was working till the moment when the A-wing fires it's salvo of rockets, then there's no way that it was going down so easily.

2. Maybe it is the shield generator.
Then the shield was down or very weak on that part, before the A-wing's approach and it just simple prevented the build up of the shield by blowing away one of the generator.

3. If it's a comm. tower, then what a f*ck blow inside it that made such a huge fireball?

Whatever it is, it seems to be too vulnerable and placed on a stupid location if it's so important.

...and the truth is:

Back in 1974...

Modeller: This modell is finished! How will we call it boss?

Lucas: Star Reaper...no! A Star Destroyer!!!
Good modell, but put two balls on the bridge!

Modeller: ...But why?

Lucas: Because it looks better that way!

Modeller: All right......but it has no function there!

Lucas: I know! But we have to make something that will create a lot of debate and won't let the movie forget for generations....


Sorry about that, I have a terrible hangover...

Jim Raynor wrote:You do. The EGTVV shows external shield generators on several other ships like the Mon Cal Cruiser and the Nebulon-B frigate. It seems like shield generators must be built externally for some reason on most capital ships.

Even so, external generators is not the same thing as sticking out like big sore thumbs, which incedentally also has similar appearance to sensors on real-life ships.

Boba Fett wrote:3. If it's a comm. tower, then what a f*ck blow inside it that made such a huge fireball?

Well typical starfighter weaponry are suppose to be low-range kiloton, so where they would do little more than flashes against ultra-dispersive neutronium impregnated armour, maybe there were something in those sensor domes that the lasers vaporised/flash-fried.

Boba Fett wrote:Whatever it is, it seems to be too vulnerable and placed on a stupid location if it's so important.

Well, it does seem to be quite analogous to sensors on real-life ships, and much of SW is modelled after real-life equivilents (eg. typical blasters, fighter characteristics, etc).

Lord of the Farce wrote:

Jim Raynor wrote:You do. The EGTVV shows external shield generators on several other ships like the Mon Cal Cruiser and the Nebulon-B frigate. It seems like shield generators must be built externally for some reason on most capital ships.

Even so, external generators is not the same thing as sticking out like big sore thumbs, which incedentally also has similar appearance to sensors on real-life ships.

Boba Fett wrote:3. If it's a comm. tower, then what a f*ck blow inside it that made such a huge fireball?

Well typical starfighter weaponry are suppose to be low-range kiloton, so where they would do little more than flashes against ultra-dispersive neutronium impregnated armour, maybe there were something in those sensor domes that the lasers vaporised/flash-fried.

Boba Fett wrote:Whatever it is, it seems to be too vulnerable and placed on a stupid location if it's so important.

Well, it does seem to be quite analogous to sensors on real-life ships, and much of SW is modelled after real-life equivilents (eg. typical blasters, fighter characteristics, etc).

To tell you the truth, they always looked like to me as two big gas container!

BTW, we can easily identify at least 6 similar object on the surface of an SSD.
The strange thing is that they're always located on the upper part of the ships.
If they were sensors, the lower area of the ship would be blind.
It would sound quite stupid if we say that the lower part are monitored only by secondary sensors. That's where the hangars are.