Curtis Saxton is a name which engenders alot of...very passionate and varrying emotions on this board. So before I start with what it is I want to say, let me first assure everyone that I personally have nothing against the guy. I'd never heard of him before joining SD, I've never really read any of the ICS's, nor have I really ever taken part in debates envolving SW (not to say that I've never been in any here at SD, just not that many). Having Said all that, I do have to say that I do disaggree with some of his conclusions. Most of my disaggreements don't really center on the power levels of weapons or ships (although some of them do), but on his class scheme for his "ships of the Empire".
There was a thread, actually two threads, a couple of months ago about the proper classification of both the ISD class of ships and Executor SSD. As I recall, one side was arguing that ISDs couldn't possibly be solely DD level ships, and that likewise, the Executor wasn't a Dreadnought. Of course, the supporters of Saxton's classification system argued that regardless of any dissimilarities between RL ship classifications and SW ship classification, the supposition that ISDs are DDs, and Executors SDs is canon.
IIRC, one of the problems I think someone noted in afore mentioned threads, was that it seemed highly strange and improbable that we'd seen nary a site of any other ship types during the OT. Obviously, some of this can be credited to the fact that there was no real nead for us, the viewers to see any of this. Although there are at least 2 occasions were I have to admit that the presence of REAL capital ships were sorely missing. These are Darth Vaders personal Death Squadron from ESB, and the fleet action in RoTJ. In both cases, we see what Saxton and others advocate are the equivalent of DDs, and only ONE cap ship. (I know, I know, cap ships in the SW universe are anything greater thatn 600m, but in the traditional naval sense, DDs are not cap ships). Where were the Cruisers or battlecruisers? Why was one dreadnought without a proper screening unit? The excuse that the emperor didn't consider the battle to be that important just doesn't hold any water. In the FAQ section of his site, Saxton postulates that the bigger ships were off protecting more important assests in less remote areas of the empire. If you're going to bother to scrounge up a fleet of DDs and a DN, at some point along the logistics and planning stage,someone's going to HAVE to think it MIGHT be a good idea to add a BC or two. Another thing which puzzled me, was Saxton's equivication of a "command ship" with, as he puts it, "a warship of vast size and power, intended to be an unassailable command platform and mothership". Now, to be honest, I don't know if he's extrapolating this from the SW universe or from real life naval terminology. But in RL, command ships are NOT always the largest and most powerfull ships in a fleet. In fact they're often no bigger than the largest capital ship in a fleet. The U.S Navy's own U.S.S Coronado and U.S.S Blue Ridge are no bigger than an LHD.
I suppose this thread that I'm starting is one that endeavours to ask several questions: 1)What evidence is there that Saxton's criteria of analysis is accurate, and is there any supporting evidence? 2) If his criteria are in error, does it matter, as what he's written IS canon? 3)How much should we even use real world naval classification schemes? (the last 80 years of naval history and ship development have been anything but static), Does the fact that SW uses naval ship designates like crusier, frigate, or dreadnought mean we have to try and transfer real world classification systems, or does it just mean that we have to try something else?
Anyway, these are more points, but if you have anything to contribute, please feel free to add anything you think might be salient. And try not to stray off topic.
Have at it.
at the description in ROTS:ICS of Invisible Hand being surrounded by battleships and shot down over Coruscant, even though we only see Venators.
