ISD Size Comparisons

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-08-16 06:09pm

Counciler wrote:Hmmm, well firepower might make up for it. But as we know, the Emp is easily one of the most insanely power hungry guys in sci-fi history. I just dont think he would be satisfied with a same size ship. I wouldnt care, but hes just THAT MUCH off the social scale.

Technically, he had ANYTHING to choose from, but when i comes down to Star Destroyers, the one that he designed himself (or guided the design.. idk) seems the logical choice for the one he would pick. Besides.... as far as I know, the DS2 and the Tarkin Station didnt quite have the same 'luxury cruiser' feel for a meglamaniacle emperor (Here I go with the words i dont know how to use, again...) to take for a spin as the pitch black and terrifyingly sleek Eclipse. DS2 and Tarkin were soo much bigger than the Eclipse, so it seems reasonable that he might want something smaller than that for other purposes.... but still unique in its class....

I'm going to figure you missed the part where the Death Stars were destroyed. There are these movies, collectively called 'Star Wars', that detail these events. By the time the resurrected Emperor emerges on Byss in the 'Dark Empire' comics, there are no Death Stars.

Counciler · Post by **Counciler** » 2006-08-16 06:12pm

I'm not that well learned on that vessel.... is it a battleship?

*reads Databank article*

Wait.... thats a training academy! Not a warship.... no wonder its less than an ISD.... I could be wrong though.

The Executor and Eclipse are both SSDs so it seems reasonable to me that they might be more comparable to each other than a training vessle and the backbone of the Imperial Navy.

Like I said though... I could be wrong. All of my posts are hypothetical and mostly spoke out of my hind end... only opinions... at least those in this thread are...

Counciler · Post by **Counciler** » 2006-08-16 06:15pm

With Insider 89 mentioning the Eclipsen prototype undergoing construction/nearing completion in 0 ABY, and with the Tarkin (from Marvel SW) and at least two smaller Death Stars (from the Illustrated Star Wars Universe) undergoing construction in-between the DS I and DS II, he has more to choose from, anyway.

I missed that highlighted part.... I thought he was referring to the main two DS stations... my mistake.

And yes, lol, i saw the movies.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2006-08-16 06:15pm

I posted that to give an example of length not always being the best measurement of grandeur.

Counciler · Post by **Counciler** » 2006-08-16 06:16pm

Ahh, true...

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-08-16 06:18pm

VT-16 wrote:I posted that to give an example of length not always being the best measurement of grandeur.

VT, give up. He's ignored 'judging size based on one dimension is wrong and stupid' three times now, and he declares the Emperor should have used a Death Star as his personal flagship... post-ROTJ when there weren't any.

Counciler · Post by **Counciler** » 2006-08-16 06:21pm

Stark wrote: VT, give up. He's ignored 'judging size based on one dimension is wrong and stupid' three times now, and he declares the Emperor should have used a Death Star as his personal flagship... post-ROTJ when there weren't any.

I wasnt ignoring it... I agree with it. Im only voicing my opinions about how Palpatine might think of it. I apologize for that if thats what making you exasperated and will gladly stop rather than risk making enemies on my first day here.

And I also said that I made a mistake when I mentioned him using the DS2. At least i think i did.... oh well I said it now.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-08-16 06:28pm

Counciler wrote:I wasnt ignoring it... I agree with it. Im only voicing my opinions about how Palpatine might think of it. I apologize for that if thats what making you exasperated and will gladly stop rather than risk making enemies on my first day here.

And I also said that I made a mistake when I mentioned him using the DS2. At least i think i did.... oh well I said it now.

If you agree with it, you'll understand that Eclipse is probably more than twice as massive as Executor, so constantly harping about a slight length difference is just lame. Ignorance is going to make you enemies faster than anything else here - don't apologise, just learn.

I also don't think the two smaller DSes around Coruscant were completed. But anyway, Eclipse was built in the post-ROTJ era, where the Empire simply couldn't build 900km spheres anymore. Given the Republics pathetic fleet construction, Eclipse would probably have been the most powerful starship in space at that time. The resurrected Emperor was in a younger body, so perhaps he had different desires in a flagship - like hugely phallic superlaser attachments?

Counciler · Post by **Counciler** » 2006-08-16 06:32pm

Yeah.. your right. *learns*

Wow.... never thought of it that way. I like the "different desires in a flagship" twist. Well that stomps my "debate"... if it even was one... lol. Good show.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2006-08-16 06:47pm

I also don't think the two smaller DSes around Coruscant were completed.

You're right, I was just giving examples from one period of time where the Emperor had more options. Wasn't quite sure which period Counciler was wondering about. :/

Counciler · Post by **Counciler** » 2006-08-16 06:50pm

No idea either.... I guess we got so far off topic that I forgot which period i was referring to.... hence.. I got badly confused. I dont know... I need more sleep.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-08-16 06:52pm

VT-16 wrote:You're right, I was just giving examples from one period of time where the Emperor had more options. Wasn't quite sure which period Counciler was wondering about. :/

Heh, I'd assume that quote was from a reference book of some kind.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2006-08-16 07:05pm

Stark wrote:Heh, I'd assume that quote was from a reference book of some kind. :)

Yep, The Illustrated SW Universe.

The twin DSes were never actually referred to as such, only "habitat spheres strictly for peaceful purposes" (with superlaser-indentations :P)

They were made in orbit of Coruscant (using an old McQuarrie painting in their depiction), and since they were nowhere to be found when the NR conquered Coruscant two years later, they were most likely scrapped and scavanged by Imperial factions.

Now that the expansion to EAW has an Eclipse "prototype", the Insider magazine ran a brief profile of Tyber Zann (the protagonist there) which included a blurb about this vessel. Since the profile was compiled along with others in 0 ABY (a few months after the destruction of the DS), this puts the development of the Eclipse-class even further back in time than before. I like that.

It fits with the time-frame of other dark-hulled ships like Arc Hammer (destroyed in 1 ABY) and Vengeance (built sometime before the Battle of Hoth, according to the "Dark Forces" WOTC essays).

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-08-16 07:08pm

PS Vengeance is both sexy and wildly impractical - the best kind of ship!

I didn't know there were sources placing Eclipse development back so far though, that is pretty cool.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2006-08-16 07:16pm

PS Vengeance is both sexy and wildly impractical - the best kind of ship! :)

It's relatively flat, has a ridiculously large bridge that covers most of its thin command tower and has major exposed engines, but I'll be damned if I didn't want to cruise around in it. 8)

I didn't know there were sources placing Eclipse development back so far though, that is pretty cool.

It was in this month's Insider, actually. As a tie-in to the new game, of course, but it still counts. And it makes sense for most of the Empire's big ideas to come some time before the defeat at Endor. I think they've (retroactively) pushed back in time just about everything except the Galaxy Gun, and even that seemed like a lazy-man's solution to destruction (chain-reactions instead of instantly transferred energy = less energy spent).

GrandAdmiralJello · Post by **GrandAdmiralJello** » 2006-08-18 03:28am

If the program began back before Yavin, then that means that not much attention must have been diverted to it. Even with the Death Star and all that, it's very sad that even after eleven years, the ship was "half-complete" when the Rebellion took Kuat.

Additionally, the length of Eclipse isn't nearly as important as her armaments. Executor's been given five thousand guns now, while Eclipse still stands at a piddling thousand and fifty. Superlaser or not, that doesn't add up--especially when five hundred of those aren't even turbolasers.

Executor32 · Post by **Executor32** » 2006-08-18 07:43am

Regarding the Eclipse:

Page 17 of Dark Empire #6 wrote:The Emperor's command vessel, ten miles from stem to stern, seems designed to inspire dread in every possible opponent.

There you have it, straight from the original source of the ship.

nightmare · Post by **nightmare** » 2006-08-18 10:46am

GrandAdmiralJello wrote:[...]especially when five hundred of those aren't even turbolasers.

Regarding that, the heavy laser cannons are actually the main armament of the ship besides the superlaser. As in, they have a damage rating of 8D while the turbolasers are rated at 5D.

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2006-08-18 11:55am

Even with the Death Star and all that, it's very sad that even after eleven years, the ship was "half-complete" when the Rebellion took Kuat.

I think they're trying to make the EAW Eclipse a prototype separate from Eclipse and Eclipse II. (Though it's just hearsay)