151 replies to this topic

[sevrun]

2005 Republic Commando. Delta squad had personal shields on the Katarn commando armor. Also three different books centered around the same squad. (went to Wookiepedia to look into it out of curiosity) Own the game, and it's my favorite star wars shooter. The armor could be customized with the shield generator, bacta injectors, and a host of other options. Said armor was in use supposedly by the entire commando corps during the entirety of the war and went for well over 100K credits per suit on the black market. Not a bad payday if you could kill the clone in it.

The shields were not as powerful as the Droideka versions, but did still exist for the entirety of the Clone Wars. Haven't seen any mention of them AFTER however. The Katarn commando armor was replaced by the Imperial Commando armor with much complaint from said commandos who didn't understand why the new stuff was necessary as it was generally inferior gear.

[smashedsaturn]

I don't think the Katarn shields were standard over all the squads from what was mentioned in the books, however they could very well be experimental specifically to clones, as in outbound flight thrawn commented on how the chiss had personal shields but the radiation was too dangerous so they reversed them and used them as booby traps

[sevrun]

Interesting. I know the shields weren't terribly powerful (stand up to 3-4 blaster rounds) but even that would be exceptionally useful. What I haven't seen is any reason it would have been approved for the clone commandos and then never see the light of day any place else.

I have decided that while I enjoy the first couple seasons of the CG Clone Wars series. I hate the third. bought it for my son when it came out on DVD, and when he didn't behave I decided to watch it first, since I'm a fan myself. they've redone Tano so that the top of her head resembles Madonna's chest in the mid 80's, they're killing off named characters left and right and have stepped up the on screen violence that they mostly hinted at in Seasons 1 and 2 to include executions, Ventris gutting someone ,etc. Ordinarily I wouldn't complain, but it's my son's favorite series, he's _6_, and there's parts of it that I feel like I'm watching a Star Wars themed slasher flick This is without even getting into the canonical problems that even I, a relative newbie to canon am picking up on. Sorry, that's my almost random rant for the day.

[SpardaSon21]

I don't know why personal shielding tech doesn't appear outside of the games. Dark Forces and the Jedi Knight games all have personal shield generators for the main characters, and the Knights of the Old Republic games have personal shield generators as well, even ones that act as particle shields and block physical attacks. At this point it is well established that it is possible to create small shields that protect a single person, so I'm sort of surprised that shields haven't appeared anywhere but video games.

[smashedsaturn]

possibly due to the radiation problems not being known when they were developed in KOTOR, or maybe they were weaker sheilds to deflect weaker blasters and didnt give off as much radiation but were by the time of thrawn/ the clone wars too underpowered to be of any use without being dangerous, so only a few elite squads of expendable troops bred to withstand the radiation could use them

[sevrun]

lol I had forgotten the shields from KOTOR all together, though I have to admit with so many of these games having been accepted at least partially as canon the radiation problem starts to wear a little thin for a reason for them not to be used. Not knocking you Saturn, just doesn't make much sense. Especially when the commando clones seemed to be the least expendable of the lot. By that reasoning they should have seen more expanded use with the Spaarti (sp?) clones that were later used for Stormtroopers unless it was deemed too expensive. I noticed the longer and apparently more accurate blaster rifles of the CW era also seem to have disappeared from the Stormtrooper arsenal. It almost seems like the more the space tech advanced the more the ground tech receded.

[smashedsaturn]

haha its fine, but its all conjecture about a fantasy some nerds had rigth now so all options are on the table

[sargeantsandwich]

I'm pretty sure that Isolder had some kinda personal shield in The Courtship of Princess Lei.

[Kitkun]

Been too long since I read Courtship, but the only other places I recall personal shields (That tried to stick relatively close to canon) are the Jedi Knight games, Republic Commando, and KotOR. All of which I figured were just game mechanics, since they have no mention in so much other material.
And I still don't see how it becomes Lucas' fault... micromanaging everything while in the midst of Episode 3?

[Zeta1127]

As I understand it, shields in general aren't shown in the movies, unless they are used as a plot device.

Tyber Zann and Urai Fenn both used personal shields, and Prince Isolder apparently used them to protect himself from assassination.

[Ghostrider]

As I understand it, shields in general aren't shown in the movies, unless they are used as a plot device.

Tyber Zann and Urai Fenn both used personal shields, and Prince Isolder apparently used them to protect himself from assassination.

If I remember my "Courtship of Princess Leia", personal shields are dangerous, have a possibility of shorting out (thereby electrocuting the user) and get very hot.

I have a feeling that an overheating personal shield was used almost as a lightsaber to cut someone in half and sear/cauterise both halves in the process. Er. Yuk.

[Phoenix Rising]

The Katarn commando armor was replaced by the Imperial Commando armor with much complaint from said commandos who didn't understand why the new stuff was necessary as it was generally inferior gear.

If you're referring to Storm Commandoes, there was a sizable gap between the fall of the Republic and the formation of that unit... it's pretty tightly constrained by Madine's age and the beginning of the Alliance Special Forces.

the Knights of the Old Republic games have personal shield generators as well, even ones that act as particle shields and block physical attacks.

I think it would be helpful to continuity if those could be explained away as functioning more like bucklers. I mean, they went on the arm slot, right? The lack of differences between 0 and 4000 BBY always peeves me.

lol I had forgotten the shields from KOTOR all together, though I have to admit with so many of these games having been accepted at least partially as canon the radiation problem starts to wear a little thin for a reason for them not to be used. Not knocking you Saturn, just doesn't make much sense.

It's not his explanation exactly... that has been published somewhere.

I noticed the longer and apparently more accurate blaster rifles of the CW era also seem to have disappeared from the Stormtrooper arsenal.

Not true. Stormtroopers regularly requisition DLT-19s, T-21s, and RT-97Cs (even though that's a terrible name).

[SpardaSon21]

The shields are equipped on the arm slot, but the problem with them acting as bucklers is there's a section of a level in KotOR2 where you have to put on a shield to run through superheated steam, and that wouldn't be possible if the shield were a buckler. The shields are also displayed as full-body shields in-game, and they don't appear to have much of an impact on movement in the same way a buckler would. Yeah, the tech stagnancy bothers me too.

The radiation issues for personal shields comes from Outbound Flight, to the best of my knowledge.

[Zeta1127]

As PR mentioned, stormtroopers had plenty of proper battle rifles available, they just aren't seen anywhere but Tatooine in the films.

[Phoenix Rising]

The shields are equipped on the arm slot, but the problem with them acting as bucklers is there's a section of a level in KotOR2 where you have to put on a shield to run through superheated steam, and that wouldn't be possible if the shield were a buckler.

That's why I think video games should have their own level of canon between Continuity and Secondary. Lump them in with Television and move the whole category down.

Actually, there wouldn't be a problem if Non-Canon mechanical aspects were properly distinguished. No one is asserting that planets can't accommodate more than eight buildings because of EaW, for obvious reasons, but what about something less obvious? Can Bp turrets only be built on designated pads? Does Han Solo walk around with a portable EMP that he otherwise never uses? Is there really a Human San Hill doppelganger?

[Zeta1127]

The shields are equipped on the arm slot, but the problem with them acting as bucklers is there's a section of a level in KotOR2 where you have to put on a shield to run through superheated steam, and that wouldn't be possible if the shield were a buckler.

That's why I think video games should have their own level of canon between Continuity and Secondary. Lump them in with Television and move the whole category down.

Actually, there wouldn't be a problem if Non-Canon mechanical aspects were properly distinguished. No one is asserting that planets can't accommodate more than eight buildings because of EaW, for obvious reasons, but what about something less obvious? Can Bp turrets only be built on designated pads? Does Han Solo walk around with a portable EMP that he otherwise never uses? Is there really a Human San Hill doppelganger?

I second that, Television just contradicts existing canon too much, and they expect everyone to accept it as nearly as high of canon as George Lucas and his films? Video games are entertaining, but can be just as problematic, canon hasn't even explained the StarViper-class attack platform being available before the Battle of Yavin, when Prince Xizor didn't die until six months after the Battle of Hoth, which was the previously understood catalyst for the general deployment of StarVipers in the first place. Then there is MandalMotors and Mandal Hypernautics, which really needs to be cleared up, because as far as I am concerned, Mandal Hypernautics is a subsidiary of MandalMotors until I get a better explanation.

[sevrun]

lol Keep in mind Zeta, that you have a number of people who come at the entire Star Wars universe from those games. Though much like you I've taken to ignoring them unless they've been pointedly worked into the canon like Republic Commando. Even in relation to the films the canon isn't all that stable between 1-3 and 4-6. the tech goes from sleek and gracefully deadly to clunky and awkward. The radical differences between the two give me the impression that Lucas doesn't care about canon as long as he has something he can sell. Now a lot of other people have worked to try filling in the gaps on both ends through books and any other medium available, unfortunately they step on each other's toes as often as not because they're not coordinating with each other. thus my stance that if Lucas actually cared about his creation beyond a cash cow he'd try to organize things and keep people to the canon instead of JUST sending out his legal hitsquad if I mentioned PR and money in the same sentence. (sorry PR lol) Yes he has a right to profit, and no others don't unless he licenses them, blah, blah, blah... But I think he'd have far fewer problems with it if he did something other than the Imperial bootstomp. Sorry I got a little off my rant there, but you get the idea.

[Tropical Bob]

Even in relation to the films the canon isn't all that stable between 1-3 and 4-6. the tech goes from sleek and gracefully deadly to clunky and awkward.

I always took that as a sort of symbolism. Here you have the Republic, something that essentially symbolizes peace and prosperity. Then the Empire comes along, and it cares less about beauty and more about efficiency.

[Ghostrider]

Even in relation to the films the canon isn't all that stable between 1-3 and 4-6. the tech goes from sleek and gracefully deadly to clunky and awkward.

I always took that as a sort of symbolism. Here you have the Republic, something that essentially symbolizes peace and prosperity. Then the Empire comes along, and it cares less about beauty and more about efficiency.

That graceful tech also tends to cost a LOT more. The Acclamator and Venator are excellent examples of this: the Acclamator has a ridiculously expensive hyperdrive and the Venator costs almost double that of an Imperial-class, but with about half the firepower.
Also look at starfighter technology: on a 1:1 the V-Wing is a far better fighter than the TIE Fighter, but it costs more and takes a lot longer to build.

For every beautiful and graceful item/unit/warship produced by the Republic, the Imperial equivalent is probably uglier/more terrifying, cheaper, quicker to build and more deadly. Stormtroopers, AT-AT's, TIEs and Imperial-class Star Destroyers are the prime example of this.

[Kitkun]

Iirc, I believe it was noted on this board somewhere that when you dig into canon, you see that the TIE Fighter is a technological marvel in that it's so dirt-cheap compared to all the preceding stuff.