Noooo! SW mecha...

[000]

One of those pirates must be Nym.

That's the implication. Nym also has her lightsaber and cloak in his posession a year after Yavin, and he named a mountain on Lok Adi's Rest or something like that. The two were apparently pretty close.

[Jack Bauer]

Because it's not reasonable for a highly-mechanized army to field less than half a dozen armored ground vehicles during a three-year war. AT-PTs are personal transports, AT-APs are mobile artillery.

While I can see how that is true, it still seems a little contrived to me that there are so many classes, (AT-TE, AT-PT, AT-RT, AT-AP, and AT-XT) in addition to the usual AT-ATs and AT-STs of later generations. IMHO, its more like Lucas whipping out another fancy shiny new toy for audiences to gawk over.

That's the implication. Nym also has her lightsaber and cloak in his posession a year after Yavin, and he named a mountain on Lok Adi's Rest or something like that. The two were apparently pretty close.

Wow that's pretty interesting. Btw, where did you get all this information? Is it merely from the Republic comics?

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

While I can see how that is true, it still seems a little contrived to me that there are so many classes, (AT-TE, AT-PT, AT-RT, AT-AP, and AT-XT) in addition to the usual AT-ATs and AT-STs of later generations. IMHO, its more like Lucas whipping out another fancy shiny new toy for audiences to gawk over.

How is it contrived? Of the older models, one is a tank, one is a single-man transport, one is a patrol vehicle, and one's artillery (I don't know what the AT-XT is). The AT-AT is a combination artillery/tank/IFV, and the AT-ST is a larger, more armoured patrol vehicle.

It's "contrived" to have diverse combined-arms? If all the vehicles filled the same role, you might have a point. However, they don't.

[000]

Wow that's pretty interesting. Btw, where did you get all this information? Is it merely from the Republic comics?

Star Wars Galaxies. I don't play it, but I'd heard about it. I think the stuff about Nym and Adi is one of the few 'canon' things in the game, along with information about the Imperial presence on Naboo and such.

[Utsanomiko]

Don't forget the All-Terrain Heavy Enforcer, an official walker dwarfing the AT-TE which has been theorized to be representable by some ESB sketches of some 4-legged machines several times more massive than the AT-ATs.


This isn't Looney Toons in Space wilth 'badguy multi-purpose tank and plane'. There should be numerous completely different vehicle units in an army, some taking up roughly the same niche, each type with a couple models varying in armament, configuration, and sometimes construction.

I sure don't miss the days when everything was an AT-AT kibash...

[Jack Bauer]

You all bring up good points, I must admit. I guess the real reason why I don't like all the new models is how they just seem to rip off older designs in a contrived and blatant attempt to tie back into the original trilogy, in order to bridge an obvious divide and make it clear that its "Star Wars".

I can merely point to the ARC-170s and the new Eta-2 Actis Interceptors to prove that point. Its just a cheap visual gimmick to tie back into the OT. Of course one can argue that designs were slowly evolving and therefore they have to naturally resemble later designs. This is a perfectly sensible explanation and I've got no arguments there.

My main qualm is just as a moviegoer and an observer. After reading the Republic comics about the Battle of Jabiim, I hated how there was this new walker introduced, the AT-XT (or All-Terrain Experimental Transport). It was so obviously ripped off the AT-ST and in fact was more advanced and looked BETTER. I mean, why couldn't you use AT-PTs, which serve the exact same role, instead of inventing a new and flashier design?

The same could be applied to the new ARC-170 fighters and Jedi interceptors. The TIE and X-Wing designs are so blatantly incorporated into them, as if they just a cheap cameo. Why couldn't Lucas couldn't have used Z-95s? (I guess the answer there is, he just ignores the EU and likes to create brand new designs, which is prerogative of course, but still....)

With that said, I DO love the Episode II ship designs. I think the Delta-7 Aethersprite and Acclamator look great.

Ok....rant over.

[Old Plympto]

I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but those load lifter droids can be seen in its full glory in the Visual Dictionary, IIRC.

[Comosicus]

Except for not having arms, AT-ST fits the 'Mech definition fairly well (it fits as well as the Phalanx from Macross...bipedal, no arms, otherwise somewhat humanoid).

Chickenoid would be better fitting IMO

[Kuja]

So let's see.

AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport)
AT-ST (All Terrain Scout Transport)
AT-PT (All Terrain Personnel Transport)
AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer)
AT-AP (All Terrain Attack Pod)
AT-XT (All Terrain Experimental Tranport)
AT-HE (All Terrain Heavy Enforcer)
MT-AT (Mountain Terrain Armored Transport)

What else is there?

[Jack Bauer]

So let's see.

AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport)
AT-ST (All Terrain Scout Transport)
AT-PT (All Terrain Personnel Transport)
AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer)
AT-AP (All Terrain Attack Pod)
AT-XT (All Terrain Experimental Tranport)
AT-HE (All Terrain Heavy Enforcer)
MT-AT (Mountain Terrain Armored Transport)

What else is there?

The AT-RT (All Terrain Recon Transport)

[VT-16]

While I can see how that is true, it still seems a little contrived to me that there are so many classes, (AT-TE, AT-PT, AT-RT, AT-AP, and AT-XT) in addition to the usual AT-ATs and AT-STs of later generations. IMHO, its more like Lucas whipping out another fancy shiny new toy for audiences to gawk over.

Most of these never get made into toys, anyhow, so I don´t see why that has to be a reason.

RL armor is diverse, I like the fact that SW armor is the same. No more AT-AT/AT-ST wankfests.

[Darth Wong]

These kinds of arguments are often caused by ignorance of real-life technology. Real-life technology does not follow the "use one thing for everything" mentality of Star Trek, and typically has great diversity and specialization.

[Jim Raynor]

My main qualm is just as a moviegoer and an observer. After reading the Republic comics about the Battle of Jabiim, I hated how there was this new walker introduced, the AT-XT (or All-Terrain Experimental Transport). It was so obviously ripped off the AT-ST

It should, because it's supposed to be the direct experimental forerunner to the AT-ST.

and in fact was more advanced and looked BETTER.

Style over substance.

I mean, why couldn't you use AT-PTs, which serve the exact same role, instead of inventing a new and flashier design?

AT-PTs are even older, far smaller, and according to a bunch of EU sources, were never produced in large numbers. Their frequent appearances in video games (which tend to have a lot of stupid crap) was a continuity error that was recently retconned in the SW.com databank with a line about how some crappy Outer Rim Imperial bases still use their few remaining AT-PTs. Although that doesn't explain why Blizzard Force used them at Hoth...

[Admiral Drason]

What about that one open toped transport walker. I think it was on the same planet as Aayla was on?

The AT-XT was also more like light artillary. It had a Mortar and every thing. Besides being Bipedal it is very different then the AT-ST. (being a heavy assault walker vs being a scout walker)

[VT-16]

I think the ITW:OT retconned the retcon and made the AT-PT more numerous again.

Either way, it´s just an enclosed version of the AT-RT, with more firepower for anti-infantry purposes.

As I see it:

AT-RT = open-cockpit scout/infantry support vehicle
AT-PT = enclosed AT-RT w/bigger guns
AT-ST = scout/patrol/escort
AT-XT = AT-ST predecessor
MT-ST = AT-ST for mountains
AT-AR = light tank (?)
AT-AP = scaled-up AT-PT serving as anti-armor artillery
AT-TE = tank/troop transport (IFW?)
AT-HE = heavy tank/artillery (?)
AT-AT = big troop transport w/artillery-level firepower
MT-AT = AT-AT for mountains
SPHA = modular heavy artillery

Then there´s the open-air troop transport walker in ROTS, that was more like a conventional APC than the AT-AT behemoth.

There, that´s all I can think of. Nothing really unnecessary in the armored ranks, there. You need different roles and different sizes for different terrain and objectives. One or two classes can´t fill every role.

EDIT: wow, the AT-XT was that different?

[Cykeisme]

Dude, whats with all the wineing? Theres a big differance between a Walker and a generic 'Mech' Have we ever see na Humanoidish shaped robot with arms and legs in SW? No? Then who cares.

Err...what would you call this?

That response cracked me up, seriously

[Cal Wright]

Look carefully in the background during the sequence before Obi-Wan departs for Utapau... Walking along is a two legged forklift/cargo walker!
Why did you have to go and do that ILM? WHY?

BINARY LOAD LIFTERS!!!

[Admiral Drason]

Didnt the movie Aliens have load lifters similar to the Droids we see in ROTS? Whats the big deal? They walk upright and load stuff onto ships.

[Utsanomiko]

The ROTS Load-lifter (very similar to Binary Load-Lifters, in turn very similar to moisture vaparators...) is much bigger than the Aliens' Powerloaders (I estimate 4-5m vs the Powerloaders' 2.5-meter height), and it's also a hell of a lot bulkier than basically a pair of small legs, forklift arms, and a seat attached to a hydraulic system. The feet are much wider and stable as well.

The load-lifter in ROTS is hardly a surprise for a universe already established as full of legged droid and massive walkers. Considering the supposed ubiquitousness of load-lifters they should have featured a lot more examples in the films.

[Darth Garden Gnome]

Although that doesn't explain why Blizzard Force used them at Hoth...

Was this from a video game? Because if it was, I think that there are so many different versions of the Battle of Hoth in every other Star Wars game, retelling the event in different ways, that it isn't feasible to blend them all together. It's probably for the best that we stick to just what we see in the movie: a handful of AT-ATs and AT-STs.

[Jim Raynor]

Although that doesn't explain why Blizzard Force used them at Hoth...

Was this from a video game? Because if it was, I think that there are so many different versions of the Battle of Hoth in every other Star Wars game, retelling the event in different ways, that it isn't feasible to blend them all together. It's probably for the best that we stick to just what we see in the movie: a handful of AT-ATs and AT-STs.

No. Surprisingly, it's from the book Inside the Worlds of the Star Wars Trilogy, which Saxton served as a consultant on. The book claims that Blizzard force was composed of AT-ATs, AT-STs, AT-PTs, and AT-ARs.

[Darth Garden Gnome]

No. Surprisingly, it's from the book Inside the Worlds of the Star Wars Trilogy, which Saxton served as a consultant on. The book claims that Blizzard force was composed of AT-ATs, AT-STs, AT-PTs, and AT-ARs.

No shit? That is bizzare. Well, I guess they are not the obsolete walker-prototypes that the EGTVV makes them out to be.

[Noble Ire]

No. Surprisingly, it's from the book Inside the Worlds of the Star Wars Trilogy, which Saxton served as a consultant on. The book claims that Blizzard force was composed of AT-ATs, AT-STs, AT-PTs, and AT-ARs

I suppose the AT-PTs and AT-ARs could have been deployed offscreen, perhaps in an attempt to flank the rebels, while they constrated on the main attack force. After all, AT-PTs are small enough to have actually entered Echo base; they might be used to great effect in "Mop up."

[Darth Sephiroth]

There is also the AT-AA (Anti-Aircraft) that looks like an AT-ST with two massive missile pods attached to it

[Striderteen]

The AT-AA looks nothing like an AT-ST and has only one missile pod: