Palpatine's Obsession with Wonder Weapons

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-06-08 05:25pm

From the Death Star in ANH to the World Devastators of DE and Galaxy Gun of I have no clue what EU source it seems that Palaptine (in a rather hackneyed parallel to Hitler) was obsessed with wonder weapons.

What do you think the source of this obsession is? Afterall for the price and resources of one DS he coud have built an armada of warships that would have over come any realistic threat, particularly rebel. Also with such wonder weapons there is always the danger that a rather treasonous bastard in his command structure might seize control of it and wreack havoc - think Tarkin with the DSI.

You would think that Palpatine might share Vader's contempt of technological terrors but he seems to be smitten with them.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2005-06-08 05:26pm

The Death Star had practical purposes. So did the [sigh] Galaxy Gun.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-06-08 05:27pm

The Galaxy Gun was from Dark Empire II, and was hardly featured in it.

Besides, there actually weren't that many of these various superweapons. Hardly enough to declare an obsession.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-06-08 05:30pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:The Death Star had practical purposes. So did the [sigh] Galaxy Gun.

Wouldn't it have been cheaper using torpedo spheres (if my WEG sources are still correct on their purpose) to knock out planetary shields and use the flotilla of warships built instead of the DS to protect the spheres as they do their work? And with a fleet you can spread them throughout the galaxy to reinforce sectors instead of putting all your eggs in that one titanic basket that can only be one place at once and moves soooo slowly.

And just what story is the Galaxy Gun from anyway?

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2005-06-08 05:33pm

Stravo wrote:
Illuminatus Primus wrote:The Death Star had practical purposes. So did the [sigh] Galaxy Gun.
Wouldn't it have been cheaper using torpedo spheres (if my WEG sources are still correct on their purpose) to knock out planetary shields and use the flotilla of warships built instead of the DS to protect the spheres as they do their work?

Torp Spheres take time and are quite chancy. And against some shields might not work at all; the Alderaanian shield was able to deflect a large percentage of the DEATH STAR'S ENERGY for a few fractions of a second.

Stravo wrote:And with a fleet you can spread them throughout the galaxy to reinforce sectors instead of putting all your eggs in that one titanic basket that can only be one place at once and moves soooo slowly.

And just what story is the Galaxy Gun from anyway?

Fleet combat favors Mahanian (centralization) tactics in all-out war. And the Death Star moved quite adeptly through hyperspace.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-06-08 05:33pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:The Galaxy Gun was from Dark Empire II, and was hardly featured in it.

Besides, there actually weren't that many of these various superweapons. Hardly enough to declare an obsession.

He loses one DS, promplty builds another larger one, The Suncrusher, Galaxy Gun, World Devastators, whatever the hell else KJA infested in his EU run. Its not like it was one or two things. People were tripping over these secret projects.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2005-06-08 05:34pm

None of them would ever have been a one-hit unique wonder as opposed to just another kind of ships or battle station or siege platform without the Rebels always stopping them early - with the exception of the ultrawank Sun Crusher.

Drunk Monkey · Post by **Drunk Monkey** » 2005-06-08 05:43pm

It’s probably because Palpy’s a Sith, the sith are always interested in causing chaos and death, just look what Darth Malek did to Tarris.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-06-08 05:50pm

Palpatine's list of superweapons is:

1) Death Star
2) Death Star #2
3) The Galaxy Gun
4) The World Devastators
5) Eclipse-class warships
6) Eye of Palpatine

That is a lot of whoop-ass right there; it suggests a certain megalomaniacal obsession with ULTIMATE POWER. So I'd say it fits right in with his personality.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2005-06-08 05:54pm

UNLIMITED POWER. UNLIMITED POWER.

Aquatain · Post by **Aquatain** » 2005-06-08 05:55pm

These "wonder weapons" are more akin to terror weapons..their intemidating factor was of the most use to palpy.
That and the drafting of young men/women to the imperial forces ..what better way to keep a Empire in order.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-06-08 05:55pm

Darth Wong wrote:Palpatine's list of superweapons is:

Would't "The Tarkin" also belong on that list?

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2005-06-08 07:33pm

IIRC, the Tarkin was more of a testing bed, and never did anything.

The Sovereign-class was also mentionable. We only see the outline once, but we know there were 4, and they were like smaller Eclipses.

SPOOFE · Post by **SPOOFE** » 2005-06-08 07:43pm

Palpatine obviously has a very simple credo: "Make sure you have far more power than you'd ever need, so you'd only ever need to use a fraction of it at a time."

Darth Bowser · Post by **Darth Bowser** » 2005-06-08 07:48pm

Well, don't alot of "Mad Scientists" have fascinations with Doomsday Devices? Couldn't a parallel be drawn there?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2005-06-08 08:15pm

Would the "Katana Fleet/Dark Force" also be considered a superweapon? Or was it just a fleet of automated ISD's? I kind of forget.

There's been other superweapons in the EU, but not of Palpatine's making, like the Darksaber (which was a failure), Deathstar Prototype (well okay, he had something to do with that but it was just a prototype, like Saxton's interpretation of the "Great Weapon" of the CIS in ROTS), the Starforge...

The Guid · Post by **The Guid** » 2005-06-08 08:34pm

One theory I believe to be the case, and one that I believe is mentioned in EU somewhere though it is a long time since I read it is that the idea was to concentrate all of his power into one place therefore only having to keep loyal a smaller amount of people. If his power is spread between many different warship, Stardestroyers etc. then it is harder to keep control of.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-06-08 08:35pm

the Starforge...

I dont really think the Starforge was a superweapon. It was simply a very efficent shipyard.

SPOOFE · Post by **SPOOFE** » 2005-06-08 08:48pm

Would the "Katana Fleet/Dark Force" also be considered a superweapon? Or was it just a fleet of automated ISD's?

The Katana fleet was one of the more realistic McGuffins in the SW universe... rather than being an all-or-nothing doomsday weapon, it was more a "turn the tides of war" goal. And they were only Dreadnaughts... what made them so valuable was the tiny crews that were needed.

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2005-06-08 09:24pm

Pure Sabacc wrote:
the Starforge...
I dont really think the Starforge was a superweapon. It was simply a very efficent shipyard.

I don't know, it can churn out ships (not to mention their entire crews!) ridiculously fast, and has a basically unlimited resource pool.

Srynerson · Post by **Srynerson** » 2005-06-08 09:26pm

I've heard that Pulsar Stations were deployed by Ysanne Isard, but was their development begun under Palpatine? (And for that matter do they technically count as "superweapons"?)

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-06-08 09:26pm

I don't know, it can churn out ships (not to mention their entire crews!) ridiculously fast, and has a basically unlimited resource pool.

Its crews?

I dont remember that part. I thought all the crews were just Republic defectors and conscripts.

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2005-06-08 09:33pm

That many?

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2005-06-08 09:44pm

Palpatine planned to conquer other Galaxies.
This is stated in several EU sources (including I believe, the ROTJ novelization)

So in fact, did Darth Vader (stated in the ANH novelization by his long term plans making the total destruction of one planet insignificant)

If you have no idea what you are going to be facing outside of your own galaxy, Superweapons are a good idea.

Also, remember "Rule through Fear of Force"

A Star Destroyer is defeatable, abiet difficult
A Super Star Destroyer is defeatable, abiet very very difficult

the Death Star, minus exhaut port, is unstoppable by Star Wars standards. And against comparable level civilizations, it would be a very hand anti-fleet weapon (i.e Return of the Jedi)

The Galaxy Gun is a huge terror, it doesn't have to actually come to you. It kills you from across the galaxy. Hide it some where, and watch the natives tremble

World Devestators turn the enemies resource right back on them extremely rapidly.

The other EU 'Ultimate Weapon' stuff outside Palpatine's direct supervision (i.e the Darktroopers, Project Starscream, the Ion Ring Ship, the Phantom Fleet, etc) are also all, for the most part, practical applications.

They are designed to have maximum effect with minimal effort.

In sort, he liked keeping people in line, wanted them to fear him and keep order, planned to conquer the universe, and didn't want to have to spend alot of time and effort doing it

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2005-06-08 10:08pm

Kurgan wrote:Would the "Katana Fleet/Dark Force" also be considered a superweapon? Or was it just a fleet of automated ISD's? I kind of forget.

Despite what the ignorant tits at TFN think, NO. A superweapons would be defined by excessively overwhelming firepower concentrated in a single unit. Since there are 200 seperate units, and their total firepower is less then that exhibited by standard ships, no.