Is bacta a brain bug?

[Old Plympto]

So it's a political limitation?

Which still doesn't make sense for the Imperials. Why only allow these two Thyferran houses? Why not create Bacta factories in every major city on every planet with the capablility to do so in order of the production to reach more of their troops and favoured citizens?

For the Thyferran houses, which are run by humans, it would make more sense for them increase production and profit to franchise it all over the galaxy by creating factories and exporting Vratix communities offworld, with a Vratix population on every capable planet. They've had 4000 years to do it according Wookiepedia (so take that with a grain of salt), though the original article in Adventure Journal #3 kept the actual amount of time vague.

No, Bacta can't be produced in large quantities without large quantities of Vratix, as we can see here, Bacta is produced from chemicals made inside a Vratix combined with certain plants, this is why it's only produced in any significant quantities on the Vratix' homeworld.

Yes, I understand the in-universe explanation of how bacta work and how it's made. It's EU canon so unless it's retconned by TPTB there's nothing anyone can do to say otherwise.

However, as per the OP asking whether bacta is a brain bug, I do question the original writer of the article (Michael Kogge, I just checked) for coming up with an inadequate explanation in the first place of what bacta is and how it works and made but Stackpole shouldn't have transplanted everything from there to his novel (which more people read than the Adventure Journal) directly without retconning a thing or two.

Because the idea of bacta as is can be summed up among other things by quotes such as Stark's here:

Such simple biological chemical reactions obviously can't be replicated, you have to actually have one of the beasties to do it for you! That's... stupid.

[nightmare]

simple biological chemical reactions

No such thing exists.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Yeah, magic bacta makes no fucking sense. I really liked Kolto, and was hoping they kept it around as a competitive product. Like Coke and Pepsi.

[Phantasee]

Yeah, magic bacta makes no fucking sense. I really liked Kolto, and was hoping they kept it around as a competitive product. Like Coke and Pepsi.

But then the Bacta Wars would have been a price war between the makers of Bacta and Kolto, and there would be no reason to include X-Wings!

[Illuminatus Primus]

So it's a political limitation?

Which still doesn't make sense for the Imperials. Why only allow these two Thyferran houses? Why not create Bacta factories in every major city on every planet with the capablility to do so in order of the production to reach more of their troops and favoured citizens?

For the Thyferran houses, which are run by humans, it would make more sense for them increase production and profit to franchise it all over the galaxy by creating factories and exporting Vratix communities offworld, with a Vratix population on every capable planet. They've had 4000 years to do it according Wookiepedia (so take that with a grain of salt), though the original article in Adventure Journal #3 kept the actual amount of time vague.

No, Bacta can't be produced in large quantities without large quantities of Vratix, as we can see here, Bacta is produced from chemicals made inside a Vratix combined with certain plants, this is why it's only produced in any significant quantities on the Vratix' homeworld.

Yes, I understand the in-universe explanation of how bacta work and how it's made. It's EU canon so unless it's retconned by TPTB there's nothing anyone can do to say otherwise.

However, as per the OP asking whether bacta is a brain bug, I do question the original writer of the article (Michael Kogge, I just checked) for coming up with an inadequate explanation in the first place of what bacta is and how it works and made but Stackpole shouldn't have transplanted everything from there to his novel (which more people read than the Adventure Journal) directly without retconning a thing or two.

Because the idea of bacta as is can be summed up among other things by quotes such as Stark's here:

Such simple biological chemical reactions obviously can't be replicated, you have to actually have one of the beasties to do it for you! That's... stupid.

The only good explanation is very good IP protection and copywright/trade secrets, and a lot of galactic government corruption to keep the monopoly tolerated. Though Thyferra should be a lot better protected and one of the first nationalized planets during all-out war.

[Tychu]

]There are also a wide variety of other medications noted in the EU, like bota in KotOR.

Nitpick: Bota was introduced in the Medstar duology.
KotOR had a substance known as "kolto", harvested from the oceans of the water-covered planet, Manaan.

Kolto is most likely natural bacta. It has all the properties assosiated with bacta. The Republic was mentioned working on a synthetic version of it during the sith war. The synthetic kolto probably later became known as bacta.

they mention in The Dark Nest Trilogy that Thyferra is the only planet where Bacta naturally and pretty efficently grows. Im not sure the exact quote or page but its in the 2nd or 3rd when the generals tell Leia that the gorog next is expanding while the Chiss fight on their other periphery

so since I don't remember going to Thyferra in the KOTORs kolto seems to be different than bacta

[Cykeisme]

Kolto is most likely natural bacta. It has all the properties assosiated with bacta. The Republic was mentioned working on a synthetic version of it during the sith war. The synthetic kolto probably later became known as bacta.

This would be a wonderfully elegant explanation tying together the two millenia-separated eras.

Alas, the EU is dumb. Great.

[Warsie]

Though Thyferra should be a lot better protected and one of the first nationalized planets during all-out war.

If you're referring to the Clone Wars, it seems that Thyferra voluntarily seceded, especially after you remember most of the population is Vratix

[Lord_Xerxes]

Aside from it being dumb for it not to be nationalized and better protected by the Empire, keeping it in one location makes sense in some ways.

If you have it produced everywhere, although it's easier for you to obtain and get to your troops, it's also easier for your enemies to do so. IE, harder/more expensive for the Rebels to obtain/buy/steal.

Although it seems apparent that the Rebels did have some of the stuff, unless Thyferra rebelled to them and/or they had a black market supply, it's still fairly dumb. Did the Alliance get control of the planet during the Bacta Wars or something?

[Karmic Knight]

Aside from it being dumb for it not to be nationalized and better protected by the Empire, keeping it in one location makes sense in some ways.

Nationalizing could be bad PR.
nitpick1:More than one?
This is one Not rational but one, The Varitix have trouble being off planet.

If you have it produced everywhere, although it's easier for you to obtain and get to your troops, it's also easier for your enemies to do so. IE, harder/more expensive for the Rebels to obtain/buy/steal.

That may be the only sane reason for doing that. Good Point

Although it seems apparent that the Rebels did have some of the stuff, unless Thyferra rebelled to them and/or they had a black market supply, it's still fairly dumb. Did the Alliance get control of the planet during the Bacta Wars or something?

Nitpick2: One Bacta War. And Yes
Everything has a black market in SW. And the Controlers were Imperial through, and through. That is the Familys who controlled the economy of the planet.

[Warsie]

Aside from it being dumb for it not to be nationalized and better protected by the Empire, keeping it in one location makes sense in some ways.

Moff Seerdon did seize control of the planet temporarily until Rogue Squadron drove his forces away, and Thyferrs was an Inner Rim world right? The Empire should've had it.

If you have it produced everywhere, although it's easier for you to obtain and get to your troops, it's also easier for your enemies to do so. IE, harder/more expensive for the Rebels to obtain/buy/steal.

Moff Seerdon did do that

pquote]Although it seems apparent that the Rebels did have some of the stuff, unless Thyferra rebelled to them and/or they had a black market supply, it's still fairly dumb. Did the Alliance get control of the planet during the Bacta Wars or something?[/quote]

After Isard's government fell Thyferra did join the New Republic voluntarily.

[TC Pilot]

Nationalizing and breaking up a monopoly would not have been smart for an empire that derives its support from the oligrachs and plutocrats of the Core.

Increasing production of a commodity where the elasticity of demand is close to 0 is also stupid for whoever's running the Thyferran cartels. Less production means more money from higher prices.

And if someone like the Empire ever does decide to move in against them, it would be a simple matter to put production facilities to the torch. The Empire can afford to pay high prices, but it can't afford to destroy the galaxy's "miracle drug" out of greed and belligerence.

[Stark]

Except it's not oil in the 21st century. It's just goop in superadvanced scifi land. The very idea it can't be synthetically manufactured is stupid. The idea that vratix are only on one planet is stupid (remember rubber trees?). It's stuff you can make, and at the very least there should be a black market in unofficial stuff. It being restricted to one planet is possibly plausible - all the 'impossible to ever make anywhere else ever' is retarded. If Thyferra is under threat and people get antsy it's more likely because the sudden loss of production would fuck supply while alternatives are set up, rather than 'zomg teh no more bacta ever' silliness.

[Lord Pounder]

In Rogue Squadron a Vratix was able to go to boreallis(Sp?) to make a cure for the Krytos virus and he was ok

[Tychu]

Although it seems apparent that the Rebels did have some of the stuff, unless Thyferra rebelled to them and/or they had a black market supply, it's still fairly dumb. Did the Alliance get control of the planet during the Bacta Wars or something?

In the 1st Rogue Squadron game (N64) theres a mission that you have to protect the Rebel Ships while they fill up on Bacta. It seems from the begining of the mission that your stealing it from under the Imperial noses but at the end you blow up the "ruling govenor" and his Lambda class shuttle.
This mission has Luke leading Rogue Squadron so it has to be before ROTJ and the Bacta War