The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-12-02 06:03pm

Does anyone here have this book yet? I was curious whether or not it was any good. I have not had a chance to see it at Hastings yet, but I do plan on buying it- to keep up with my collection of the guides.

I am actually, despite the other new essentials guides, excited over this book.

Just curious about your opinions on the book.

You can see it here.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-12-02 06:04pm

Woah, that either totally went under my radar or it slipped my mind that it was ever in the works.

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-12-02 06:10pm

I know! I was on SB.com reading some thread and they mentioned it; I was like "whaaa?" But I checked it out on Hastings.com, Amazon, ect. and surely enough it was real and out.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-02 06:13pm

Ah, yes. It's been on sale at Borders for at least three weeks now.

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-12-02 06:23pm

Losonti Tokash wrote:Ah, yes. It's been on sale at Borders for at least three weeks now.

Did you take a look at it?

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-12-02 06:25pm

It's...decent. The problem, like with NEGTVAV, lies in the CGI illustrations. Some are decent, but ones like the Yuuzhan Vong's bio-weapons are horribly rendered.

The Original Nex · Post by **The Original Nex** » 2004-12-02 07:00pm

I've heard of several flaws in this book.

-They don't fix the DS sizes (which have been "fixed" since the OT: ICS and the ITWotSWT respectively).

-They give the Hoth Ion Cannon a longer range than the Death Star superlaser.

-They reiterate the "Domes=Sheild Generator"

etc.

It seemes they' completely ignored the ICS and ITW when writing this book.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-02 07:07pm

Techno_Union wrote:Did you take a look at it?

Unfortunately, no.

Admiral Bravo · Post by **Admiral Bravo** » 2004-12-02 07:10pm

The Original Nex wrote:I've heard of several flaws in this book.

-They don't fix the DS sizes (which have been "fixed" since the OT: ICS and the ITWotSWT respectively).

-They give the Hoth Ion Cannon a longer range than the Death Star superlaser.

-They don't reiterate the "Domes=Sheid Generator"

etc.

It seemes they' completely ignored the ICS and ITW when writing this book.

I'm not suprised given the fact that they made several errors in NEGTVAV such as the now famous domes are shield generators, and also saying that the A-wing's primary user is the Empire.

Most likely that was a typo though, since I doubt that anyone who has seen ROTJ can make that kind of mistake.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-12-02 07:53pm

Admiral Bravo wrote:Most likely that was a typo though, since I doubt that anyone who has seen ROTJ can make that kind of mistake.

No, the Empire encourages flying its own fighters into their flagship in the midst of a heated battle.

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-12-02 08:19pm

Well I just bought it and I am overall happy with it...

Except for:

Ranges (!) :
blaster rifles- 300m
TL- 100km
ion cannon- 80km
planetary ion cannon- 180,000km
seismic charge- 500m
DS I (and yes, the DS I is still 120km and the DS II is still 160km

)- 480,000km

Note: It says tractor beams are 120km

Random Things:
Planetary shield coverage- "small moon/space station"
Effective range of a starship's sensors- 500,000km
lol, the DS I only has 5,000 TLs and the DS II only has 12,000...

EDIT: It also makes mention of the cloaking devices developed under Palpatine were designed for Executor classes.

Also, for those who can never remember the name (me): MCPS- Metal-Crystal Phase Shifter- this is the weapon that emits a field that disrupts the crystalline structure of metals... making them powder. *wonder how that would effect Trek ships.

OH! The seismic charges: "The resulting explosion creates a massive rapidly expanding shock wave that can effortlessly slice through asteroids, enemy starships, and space stations. Deflector shields do not protect against this shock wave, and even those starships..."

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-12-02 08:28pm

Cool, the Executor and the DS I have the same number of guns! Way to go Blackman!

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-12-02 08:42pm

According to it [the guide], the DS I design was supposed to be non-military- an "Expedentionary Battle Planetoid." Built to explore... then the Geonosians came and modified the designs to the DS, then at the end of the Clone Wars Tarking took the designs and finished them with Lemilisk.

Also, it says an ISD carries "sixty XX-9 heavy turbolasers grouped into small banks located the length of the starship." Was there supposed to be a "heavy" in that- because the old EGTWT also did the same thing.

And just to note, it says the Spha-T was a terrestrial TL whose beam passed through deflector shields.

Cabwi Desco · Post by **Cabwi Desco** » 2004-12-02 09:59pm

Wait i can SORTA understand the executor class cloaking device, wasnt there a Executor class that did have a cloak? jedi knight or something?

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2004-12-02 10:15pm

Cabwi Desco wrote:Wait i can SORTA understand the executor class cloaking device, wasnt there a Executor class that did have a cloak? jedi knight or something?

There was an Executor being built with cloaking devices in Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike, if that's what you mean.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2004-12-02 10:39pm

Techno_Union wrote:Deflector shields do not protect against this shock wave, and even those starships..."

That's a stupid thing to put in there. If shields didn't protect against the seismic charge--considering their high yield--they would be used almost exclusively in battle to destroy other capships. In fact, this situation would likely render the capital warship obsolete.

And just to note, it says the Spha-T was a terrestrial TL whose beam passed through deflector shields.

By "passed through" do you mean "completely ignored," like in the seismic charge entry? Christ almighty, this is ridiculous. "And I've decided that this, this, and this weapon can ignore starship shields at will! You think that will sound cool? Yeah? Start the presses!"

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-12-02 11:09pm

Lord of the Farce wrote:
Cabwi Desco wrote:Wait i can SORTA understand the executor class cloaking device, wasnt there a Executor class that did have a cloak? jedi knight or something?
There was an Executor being built with cloaking devices in Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike, if that's what you mean.

Cabwi is probably thinking of the Executor-class Knight Hammer posessed by one of the Imperial Remnant warlords from the book Darksaber, which while not having a cloaking device, was covered with special stealth armour plates that made the ship appear like a solid black shape.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-12-03 12:47am

There were three Executor-class battlecruisers which were mounted with some form of equipment for stealth. HIMS Terror, the flagship of one ADM Sarn who headed up Project PHANTOM was equipped with a stygian crystal-type* cloaking device. It was destroyed (along with the rest of Project PHANTOM at Imdaar Alpha) by Rebel agents. HIMS Knight Hammer, as Spanky noted, was constructed by "Superior General" Devlardus, although the vessel was acquired by ADM Daala after the former's assassination. It was coated with jet-black "stealth hull plating" that made it practically "invisible" to sensors. The unnamed Executor-class battlecruiser being constructed at Fondor and attacked by Rogue Squadron was being equipped with an array of three cloaking devices. (Since Project PHANTOM apparently was irrevocably setback by the rebel stabotage and it is the sole example of stygian crystal-type cloaking technology being exploited by the Empire, it is likely this battlecruiser was to mount more typical hibridium-type "double blind" cloaking devices.)

* Stygian crystal-type cloaking devices are non-"double blind" cloaking devices dependent on the use of "stygian crystals" peculiar to the volcanic planet of Aeten II in the Dreighton Nebula; they are presumably similar to Star Trek-style cloaking devices. They consume significantly less energy than hibridium-type ("double blind") cloaking devices, as ships as small as starfighters can mount them while simultaneously maintaining deflector shields. (The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels states that shields using standard cloaking devices cannot support deflector shields simultaneously. The Empire Strikes Back implies that standard cloaking devices are impractical for vessels the size of the Millennium Falcon and smaller, but Rebel Assault II depicts shielded V-38 starfighters mounting these cloaking devices. The two former sources must therefore be likely refering to hibridium-type cloaking devices).

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-12-03 02:31am

Sounds like a pretty shit "essential guide" to me.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-12-03 04:35am

I briefly thumbed through a copy at B&N over my vacation. Basically I couldn't tell a whole lot of difference (without comparing them side by side) with the old guide, other than they're computer generated models now instead of drawings and about half the stuff is Yuzang Vong/NJO related crap.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2004-12-03 06:42am

And just to note, it says the Spha-T was a terrestrial TL whose beam passed through deflector shields.

Just curious, does it say if the SPHA-Ts are still in use by the Empire or not?

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2004-12-03 07:09am

In addition what allready said there's this (rather minor) error (in the text about the Sith)

...When the Sith were led by Darth Revan and Darth Malak, the Sith Armies used the ancient Star Forge to create a fleet of warship that rivaled modern Star Destroyers in size and power

I may be KOTOR wanker sometimes, but I'd be first one to say that there's no way that 4,000 year Sith (interdictor) cruiser could defeat a ISD (or even a VSD) and it was not shown to that big either (compare it to Republic cuisers during the final battle).

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-12-03 08:08am

It's scale was pathetic and its design was shit. Yet another example of moron writing by these fuckwitted books.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2004-12-03 12:57pm

WTF?! Now with the release of the latest ITW, I thought that they finally could get their act together. Don't buy this shit.

EDIT: Perhaps it's possible to show the dissatisfaction with this edition somehow?

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2004-12-03 02:22pm

For people with the book:

SPHA-Ts used by Empire Y/N?