Shipyards

[Gandalf]

Those cranes look like they were lifted straight out of a 20th century dockyard. Yet another imagination fail for the new canon.

Yeah, weirdly it looks like the cranes have counterweights, but only on the top. Is Kuat in some sort of gravity well?

[Gandalf]

And do you have a good visual for it? One that would make it clear to the reader what it is?
And, furthermore, do you have a way to make it do the same job without looking somewhat similar? There's an old theory about why things look the way they do, and the answer is "because it's the most efficient way for it to work".

Here's a rough idea: More of those crane like arms coming out of each docking port, except not modelled like they're assembling ships for the Pacific War. Have lots coming out and working on ships from all angles, taking advantage of the directionality of a space station. Also, small pods of construction workers/equipment floating around every ship that doesn't look ready to fly away.

Take advantage of the comic book medium to have a little text box that says "Kuat Drive Yards." That way the reader can see it, and know what they're seeing.

[Galvatron]

Also FWIW, we saw a fair amount of construction taking place on the surface of Corellia in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

[Patroklos]

Those cranes look like they were lifted straight out of a 20th century dockyard. Yet another imagination fail for the new canon.

And do you have a good visual for it? One that would make it clear to the reader what it is?
And, furthermore, do you have a way to make it do the same job without looking somewhat similar? There's an old theory about why things look the way they do, and the answer is "because it's the most efficient way for it to work".

Sure:



The point is that cranes as they exist on earth, and now apparently in the new EU, are designed to counteract gravity (often by using gravity) in order to move things. This requirement only exists in one of those two settings.

[KraytKing]

FWIW, here's how the Kuat shipyards are depicted in the new EU:

God that sucks. I can hardly tell what I'm looking at. What is shipyards and what is ship? Blech. Fuck new EU.

[Knife]

I guess it would come down to a facility to build a ship or a facility to build thousands of ships on a galactic scale. A large central facility, like a ship yard, would be configured to receive and process multiple component parts, store them, equipment to install them, as well as house, feed, store feed, and provided living type entertainment to crew to run all of that. It would be as much a logistical hub as a construction hub able to produce a large output. Doesn't take much to see that a large investment would need to made into it and so would be somewhat rare.

Or another way, I guess. Large chunks of Michigan and smaller parts of Ohio are geared towards making cars. Alabama has a Toyota plant.

[Galvatron]

Here's another couple of pages from the comics, this time showing a rebel space station that served as their base and shipyard sometime between ANH and TESB:

Spoiler

[Patroklos]

On the Kuat one, one of those shipyard "barges" has two main drive sections, one off-axis 90 degrees from the other. Good job hacks.

[Galvatron]

Here's another one of Kuat for you guys to rip to shreds:

Spoiler

[Batman]

Why are there TIE Fighters all over the place? Yes, you want perimeter security. 'Perimeter'. If you think there's going to be trouble this close to your underway construction you should seriously reevaluate your security arrangements.

[Gandalf]

Why are there TIE Fighters all over the place? Yes, you want perimeter security. 'Perimeter'. If you think there's going to be trouble this close to your underway construction you should seriously reevaluate your security arrangements.

Keeps TIE pilots employed, and there's probably a non-zero risk of a Rebel raid or whatever.

[Batman]

Like I said, you want 'perimeter' security. TIE patrols, sensor drones, battlestations, the works. But to have TIEs this close to the actual construction implies they expect that perimeter to already have been breached.

[Jub]

Could you imagine if we flew air patrols over our major military dockyards 24/7? That would be insanity not just in air and ground crew fatigue but also in airframe maintenance.

[Gandalf]

Like I said, you want 'perimeter' security. TIE patrols, sensor drones, battlestations, the works. But to have TIEs this close to the actual construction implies they expect that perimeter to already have been breached.

The Rebels have some decent pilots, so this isn't a bad assumption. They could even stop an issue from within, like someone boosting a ship, if that is a thing in the SW universe.

Also, having TIEs flying about might also be decent security theatre for those nearby.

[Galvatron]

For what it's worth, the Emperor was actually on board the Executor at the time.

[Patroklos]

Why are there TIE Fighters all over the place? Yes, you want perimeter security. 'Perimeter'. If you think there's going to be trouble this close to your underway construction you should seriously reevaluate your security arrangements.

My suspicion is its an artistic artifact from the ESB Executor reveal scenes. Ever since then any visual of an Imperial anything has stuff flying everywhere, usually TIEs.

Empire = overwhelming abundance of arms, so no negative space and everything has to be threatening all of the time.

[Lord Insanity]

Like I said, you want 'perimeter' security. TIE patrols, sensor drones, battlestations, the works. But to have TIEs this close to the actual construction implies they expect that perimeter to already have been breached.

What 'perimeter' exactly? This is Star Wars where enemy combatants can appear right on top of you with at most a minute or two notice. More likely only a few seconds.

Could you imagine if we flew air patrols over our major military dockyards 24/7? That would be insanity not just in air and ground crew fatigue but also in airframe maintenance.

We also don't have to worry about enemy airstrikes appearing overhead with barely enough time to scramble fighters if the pilots are literally already sitting in a plane ready to go. There is no modern day equivalent to a hyperspace jump raid. In the real world we have at least an hour of watching the approach on radar and satellite tracking.

[chimericoncogene]

Depends on how good you assume hyperspace sensors are. Some interpretations have pretty good hyperspatial sensors, akin to DEW installations or listening posts for early warning, and others have hyperlanes which can be monitored, blocked off, and held with fleets, interdictors and mines.

[Agent Fisher]

In my view, the fighters on patrol would be more analogous to Coast Guard port security boats.

[Jub]

In my view, the fighters on patrol would be more analogous to Coast Guard port security boats.

In that case, why use a single-seater craft that's going to have low endurance. A Delta-class JV-7 escort shuttle, GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat, or similar will be able to hold station longer while still being small enough to engage while the intercepting fighters are launched. If you want more security you can even station a few Lancer-class frigates there as well and swat down anything that dares try to make an attack run.

[Galvatron]

What do you guys think of this concept art from TROS of a "Star Destroyer factory?"

Spoiler

[GuppyShark]

I understand 'here's a basic and effective starship design, mass produce it.' Why in a ring though? Do we make blue water ships like that?

[Gandalf]

I understand 'here's a basic and effective starship design, mass produce it.' Why in a ring though? Do we make blue water ships like that?

Maybe they like the aesthetic of it looking sort of like the Imperial logo?

[Patroklos]

Form over function. Or in this case, just form as I don't see anything that suggests a shipyard.

[KraytKing]

Glad that one stayed a concept. I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of a ring, but the Star Destroyers are barely even inside the docking part. How does it help to build them if they stick out of the framework? There are explanations, like "they only have to be pretty close to the infrastructure, not contained" or "they're built from the nose backwards and pushed out as they go," but regardless of what you think of those it would be visually jarring in a movie.