Why did it seem like the CIS was losing ground battles?!!

[Molyneux]

That SHOULD mean that it would have taken 130,000 Venator's to defeat the Trade Federation!!!

*shakes head sadly* Three exclamation points, the sure sign of a deranged mind...

[Connor MacLeod]

The Separatists never really had very effective or intelligent combat doctrines. Basically they relied on the ability to mass produce large numbers of disposable troops and flung them en-masse at the enemy. They had some tanks (But not very good ones compared to what the Republic could field) and it really wasn't until late in the game they actually seemed to be using effective air support (the droid gunship is IMHO the only impressive combat vessel they made.)

Whereas you had the republic using gunships and fighters, artillery, medium and heavy walkers, tanks and Juggernauts, and the like. Bigger, meaner, tougher, and more powerful vehicles.

(That is, in fact, the only reason the clones had any chance at all, since aside from the heavy vehicles, the clones had no real advantage whatsoever.. and people wonder why I loathe the Clone Army concept..)

[Noble Ire]

(That is, in fact, the only reason the clones had any chance at all, since aside from the heavy vehicles, the clones had no real advantage whatsoever.. and people wonder why I loathe the Clone Army concept..)

Of course, though, in Palpatine's grand scheme, having an army made up almost entirely of clones makes perfect sense; he knew he couldn't possibly lose the war even if he chose an ineffective combat base, and the "reforms" he ordered post-war might very well have caused massive rebellions in the ranks of the GAR where it not for the fact that clones were "programmed" to follow orders uquestionably. It goes without saying that Order 66 would have been far less effective.

Actually, this simply goes back to a point that really makes many debates about the CW difficult; it was all a fabrication, a "Jedi Trap". Comparing the general campaign strategy and resource expenditures of either side is an inherently dubious prospect.

[Jim Raynor]

They had some tanks (But not very good ones compared to what the Republic could field) and it really wasn't until late in the game they actually seemed to be using effective air support (the droid gunship is IMHO the only impressive combat vessel they made.)

I don't think there's enough evidence to come to such conclusions. Our view of the war is extremely limited. For example, until we saw V-19s in the Clone Wars cartoon, there was no evidence that the GAR even had starfighters. Yet those V-19s were supposed to have be there all along.

In the General Grievous comic (set more than 1 year before ROTS), the CIS seems to have a LAAT analogue, which it uses in large numbers during its invasion of of Gentes. The vehicles were never named, and their combat capabilities are unknown, but they had several visible cannons and carried troops just like a LAAT.

[The Original Nex]

Why is it that in the Battle of Coruscant in RotS the only Republic ships seen are either Acclamator class or Venator class? This would make a fleet comprised solely of carriers and assault ships? Where are the picket ships, the heavy cruisers?Such a deployment of ISD's would make slightly more sense, seeing as how the ISD is designed to fulfill the role of assault ship/carrier/heavy cruiser and at times even picket ship.

We know that more than half of the Coruscant Home Fleet was sent to the Outer Rim Seiges by Palaptine just prior to the Sep attack, so it's possible that most of the larger warships were sent away (a wise move by 'ole Palpy). Also, knowing how quickly and unexpectedly the Seps attacked, it's likely that they initially caught the Republic fleet with their shields down, and if they had targetted the command ship or heavy warships immediately upon exiting Hyperspace, they could have feasibly taken them out of the battle early, lest why we see none in RotS (several hours/days? after the battle had begun).