Now there's no need to resort to flames to make your points (you all know who you are!). ; )
I know it's not canon, but I think this is probably THE BEST speculative article I've read on the subject of Star Wars lightsabers:
http://www.synicon.com.au/sw/ls/sabres4.htm
A very interesting and fun read. The page I specified details some various theories about how lightsabers work.
Kurgan, I think the point was that the force somehow ENHANCES the light saber; it's not its source of power.
How.. might I ask, does the Force enhance the lightsaber? We already know that somebody with ZERO force talent (Han Solo) or zero training (Luke in ANH) can weild a lightsaber for basic tasks.
If you're referring to reflexes, and precognition (which would be invaluable in battle or using it to block incoming projectiles), then yes, a Jedi's control over the force "enhances" his abilities with the lightsaber.
However, a lot of his skill will come from simple practice and training with it... ie: experience, something that a person could learn to do even if they had no knowledge of the Force (this makes sense.. how else would a person like Luke or Mara Jade learn to use one, at such a "late" age... ie: 20's).
I think the assumption I was trying to argue against was that somehow the Force is required to USE a lightsaber, or even to build one. I don't think that's self evident at all, and in fact its an extraordinary claim, contradicted by the OT novelisations.
Anyone can pick one up and use it, but Jedi or Sith may be able to enhance its power output with their force skills.
Well first we need to know how it works. If it has a fusion generator, you're saying that somehow Jedi/Sith can speed up the rate of nuclear fusion? Interesting theory, but where is the evidence? Would the blade burn hotter or something? If so.. why bother building "special" lightsabers with longer beams or extra blades, if the Force can simply custom make the power to the user's desire? Could this force machine alchemy power extend to other things like guns?
Could a Jedi/Sith turn a blaster pistol into a turbo laser canon by sheer will alone? I'm just being rhetorical here... I disagree of course, unless you can provide evidence to support that claim.
Ok, according to the RPG this is so. I realize that most people here disagree, but can someone show me that the RPG is wrong about this?
Its a game.. games are tailored to be fun and challenging, not necessarily to be realistic or fit canon storyline continuity. That alone puts it on a low rung of the overall scale. Second, if it contradicts a higher source (ie: just about everything in the timeline is higher) then its wrong, plain and simple.
Someone told me that the novels and books are a canon source that somehow outrank the RPG, so please give me a reference for that statement.
The movies are the highest canon, next come the movie based materials (the novelisations of the movies, the screenplays, and radio dramas) followed by the rest of the EU novels and comics. Games are at the bottom.
Some have tried to argue that technical books that are based soley on the movies might be higher canon than the EU novels. I don't know what to say to this, other than if something contradicts the highest canon (as outlined above) its simply wrong, though maybe you could invent some excuse as to why they could both be right. But the secondary sources can never contradict George Lucas's official films.
